A bride and a widow. Binodini’s life changed after marriage. She was now a daughter-in-law. She could no longer be the Binu that she had been in her natal home. Binodini had to constantly be conscious of her conduct. A year passed in getting accustomed to the norms of her new home, and soon the… Continue reading Aabir – A bride and a widow
Aabir – A girl and her grandmother
A girl and her grandmother. A traditional villa in rural Bengal flashes across Binodini’s memory. It is a large, expansive double-storey mansion with high ceilings and marble floors. Tall circular pillars support the structure. Little Binu of 10 years is running across the balcony. It is that time of the day when her grandmother tells… Continue reading Aabir – A girl and her grandmother
Aabir -Colours of Holi
Prelude: March 2015. The air is filled with colour, thick with aabir or gulaal. Rose and marigold petals waft in this coloured powder. Swaying like these delicate petals is a group of about 200 women. Their white sarees are drenched in coloured water, their faces smeared with aabir. They are dancing in utter self-forgetfulness; some are singing kirtans to Krishna, accompanied by the… Continue reading Aabir -Colours of Holi
Maa
The gradient of the glowing sunshine intertwined with the dusky blue skies, as the sun waved away for the day. The lucid lines of the range mingled with the horizon to create a compelling scene. Overpowering the mystical vista were the four giraffes standing in unison, bowing down their colossal posture to give an ode to… Continue reading Maa
The Roar Within
Well, there he goes again, leaving his lioness and his own cubs behind. Where does he go? I won’t know. But still after abandoning us for hours in the sweltering sun, he feels entitled to the food I hunt with every inch of my body yearning to take shade under the long thicket leaves of the fever tree. Maybe… Continue reading The Roar Within
Appa
The sky was sea blue and the sun was bright and warm. Lakshmi and Gajodhar decided to go for a walk with their children, along with their herd, to the forest in the hunt for fruits and flowers. They walked passed the imposing Sal trees and came to a tropical forest, filled with the essence of Mangoes… Continue reading Appa
The King
The “King” of the jungle – the only title I’ve ever harnessed to bring beside my name. The dark silhouette nature of my mane brings forth the identity, which others can only crave for. However, is the identity itself worth? For years, I have satiated myself to sleep as my lioness leaves a part of her pray… Continue reading The King
