“What should I dream about?” Your voice still carries a trace of babyhood that is fast disappearing. Your round face wrapped in a plush hoodie, surrounded by pillows makes me want to squish you tight. I limit myself to planting a kiss on your forehead and walking away. Just as I turn out the light,…
I am bopping to I Wonder by JHope ft Jungkook as I savor my ghee toasted bread this morning when Amma eyeing me from across the island goes “You used to listen to Vishnu Sahasranamam every morning even loudly singing along…” The wistfulness in her voice tinged with passive aggressiveness makes me pause. I am…
Dear Ammu and Pattu, The house is quiet today, kind of like the calm before the storm. I open the packages from Amazon that line my study. I sort the gifts in two piles, one for each of you. I bag it up, discard the boxes and put the bags away to be opened by…
Fri(end)s by V has been playing on loop since 5:30 am on a Friday in my home. My usually patient husband is on the verge of losing it when he gives in and starts humming along. “Take a video of me vibing to this song.” I say. I am dancing and making pasta while imagining…
Every now and then, I get a call or message asking if I can help a friend with their publishing journey. Sometimes, it is someone with an idea of a book in their head. Some other times, it is a person with a first draft. In rare cases, I hear from people with finished books…
Hindisght is now available as a paperback in India. Below are the links to order. Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/fTyPlkS NotionPress: https://notionpress.com/read/hindsight
I note the date at the bottom corner of my laptop and realize tomorrow is International Women’s Day. I am already dreading the deluge of “wishes” from corporates and people alike. Just this week, my news feeds on every social media app I am on is filled with horrors against women and children. Sexual assault,…
These days I wake up to Taylor Swift filling my social media feed(s). I hit like, retweet, repost, add to stories and move on to my Korean world. Then, there are the quiet hours after the kids leave for school and the husband for work. I walk around my home or fold clothes or work…
“Can I share your book as my WhatsApp status Amma?” Laddu’s voice carries from the family room where she is to the study where I am engrossed in My Dearest a sageuk saga that has me riveted. “Sure!” I say not quite comprehending what she asked. An hour later as I flip through my phone,…
Set in the 90s India, Hindsight traces the life of Sandhya, Surya, and Aditya at college until a horrific incident tears them asunder. Fourteen years later, set in current day USA, as India debates assault and the antiquated mindsets, Aditya and Sandhya meet serendipitously and take uncertain steps towards redemption and closure.
As Sandhya pursues answers to questions that have haunted her, Aditya exorcises the ghost of Sandhya that has him bound to her all these years.
A picture is worth a thousand words or so they say. While we wait for my book to be available, here is the gorgeous cover designed by Santhya Shenbagam. Blurb: Set in the 90s India, Hindsight traces the life of Sandhya, Surya, and Aditya at college until a horrific incident tears them asunder. Fourteen years…
I woke up this morning to concept sketches from my artist friend who is helping make the cover for my book. My first thought was “OMG! this is real.” Then, over the next few hours, I have been going back and looking at the sketches, looking up book covers and generally spending time thinking about…
Over the past week, I made the decision to let go of something that has occupied my head for over eight years. It was a project I started as part of the NaNoWriMo in 2015, the story of how one incident shapes different peoples lives depending on whether they were the participant or observer. As…
This year has been a Cdrama year for me. I watched many, many dramas and my top ten in no particular order are below. Hidden Love A slow, sweet exploration of the process of falling in love. Low stakes. Lovely acting. More here. Go Ahead A beautiful, beautiful show on found family. Absolutely loved the…
Tis that time of the year when I go back and read all the posts I have written over the year. I linger in the memories the words evoke and hesitantly move on to the next. Like every year, the birthdays and the anniversaries stand out. This year though was one filled with music and…
It’s been three days since I got back from a two week trip to India that was simultaneously awesome and incredibly exhausting. I reached Chennai one Monday morning and spent the day with Amma. The next morning, I set out bright and early to Hiranandani Upscale School in the outskirts of the city for two…
I queue up Taylor Swift to start as I enter the car and connect the phone. Say Don’t Go fills the enclosed space. The ride to the bus stop is less than a minute. I park and sing along as loudly as I dare. Pattu joins me. When the lyrics pause and the music takes…
It is dark when I pull out into our driveway. Pattu is hunched over in the front seat tying her shoe laces. Ammu is in the back seat, headphones covering her ears, looking at the slowly lightening skies, hues of pink and purple in the horizon. The bluetooth connects and Taylor Swift sings “Welcome to…
My feet feel sore. I am not quite ready to wake when my youngest slides next to me for some cuddle time before truly waking up for the day. We lie in bed chatting about the night before. It is clear she had fun. A little later, I walk around the house and catch snatches…
Around 4:45 pm one Saturday evening, our family of five stood at the intersection of two roads, by a fenced in parking lot, five of many in a winding line waiting for the doors to the Fillmore Philadelphia to open. It was windy, our light jackets just about enough to keep us from being too…
Most mornings for me lately start with a playlist of Eric Nam‘s music. I hum as I cook, do dishes, pack lunches or walk around the house. The lyrics take me to places I haven’t been in a long, long time. They wake up parts of me that have been sleeping for decades. I imagine…
Lakshmi Iyer 