Category: Motherhood
-
Deconstructing Self Worth
Collected in The Smudged Hyphen (2026). I sit between two women at the tae kwon do class my twins are at. We trade smiles each time one of us turn toward another. We are tentative, jabbing, probing with our eyes, ears and spidey senses to see if there will be a connection. We have forty…
-
BBC Asia Radio Interview
The alarm went off at 3:00 AM and I stood sipping coffee in the cool back patio of my sister’s home while my Amma sat on the recliner inside listening intently to the radio online. She made a picture. Her eyes narrowed in focus, her glasses perched midway on her nose. Her coffee cup sat to…
-
On Motherhood and Curated Lives
I woke up to outrage on social media yesterday over the remarks of a minor celeb in India following Women’s Day. My first thought was why amplify one voice over millions of saner ones. I let it be and moved on to other flaming issues. Then again this morning was a slightly smaller, more intimate…
-
Parenting – A No-Win Game?
I watch as Ammu steps out of the garage into the sun. I watch as she mulls walking through the puddle of rainwater in the middle of the driveway. I will her to turn, to acknowledge that I am there, standing, watching, hoping. She walks, eyes resolutely ahead. I swallow the lump at my throat…
-
Motherhood And Smugness
I look at the clock. It is not yet 10:00 AM. I mull herding Laddu up for her weekly oil bath and then stop at the sight of five huge overripe bananas crowding my fruit basket. I play rhymes on YouTube and seat Laddu on the sofa and preheat the oven. In the next twenty…
-
On mothering the second time around
I am leaning over the crib where Laddu lies, legs up in the air. I am about to change her diaper when a little hand shoves a bottle of talc on the changing mat. I turn and Ammu stands arms extended. I take it from her and put it away as I explain why I…
-
Notes to my past self
I lie sprawled on the couch. My feet touching Saathi’s as he is stretched out at the other end. Laddu crawls back and forth aligning herself to the planes and angles of his body and the curves and contours of mine. I lie not asleep but in a deep state of exhaustion after what has…
-
Tooth fairy tales
I walk along the perimeter of my home, the bundle in my hand feeling heavier with each step. I pause as I hear the garage door roll. A smile involuntarily creeps up my face. I heave the baby to my shoulders and open the door. The sun rays slant, lighting up a part of the…
-
Letters to my daughters: Milestones
Dear Laddu, My left palm rests on the top of your head. The warmth from me seeping into you, lulling you into sleep. You smile in your sleep. I find myself mirroring you. The apples of your cheek shine with the sheen of the coconut oil I massaged into your skin. It was not too…
-
Reflections on Mother’s Day
“Describe Amma” I coax Pattu in an effort to catch her off guard. “Amma loves me” she answers even as she furrows her brow working on her mother’s day card. “What do you like best about Amma?” I persist She thinks for a moment before answering and without lifting her head says “Hula-hooping” I smile and…