Monthly Archives: July 2014

Homestay Blues: Golconda Illam

This is the second part of a series – Homestay Blues. The travel writer narrates his experiences staying in different homestays across Kerala. This time he is in a holy abode in Kasargode. The 70-year old Vamadevan Nampoothiri gave such a sharp kick that it writhed for a moment on the floor with pain before it  flew back into the dark entrails of the cupboard from where it had come out. All happened in a fraction of a second, I … Continue reading

Homestay Blues – Eggstacy

This is the first part of a series – Homestay Blues. The travel writer narrates his experiences staying in different homestays across Kerala. This time he is stuck in a home at Kumily, Idukki along with his family. He could not go out because of hartal. And the hostess is a cook of sorts committed to eggs. Read on! So you could not take even one more egg, amma? Amma, turned slowly on her bed to face me sitting by … Continue reading

Freekick: The Day My Wife Almost Divorced Me

“Manu chetta, please sit!” “What?” “Please sit down.” “What’s the matter?” I sat on the other end of the bed, facing my wife (I kept that distance, because I had a sudden hunch something was coming). “Please tell me the truth. Why did you go to Ponmudi with your friends, last Wednesday?” Hell! For a moment, I didn’t understand anything. An interrogation of any sort is not usual at my home. We folks trust each other, and she knows how … Continue reading

Personal Essay: Trips to Childhood

Surreal pictures, reports from parents, voices from the dark, smells that singe, and touches that soothe — someday you saw a pattern, connected the dots and carved out a childhood from them. Once you decide to believe a story the first thing you do is to sweep the broken links and white bones that jut out under the carpet. You did it smoothly. A kiss here, a pat there, the aroma of vermilion mixed with Cuticura of my mother’s face, … Continue reading