Inscrutable Grief
My toes feel the sand as it oozes through the gaps, a sludge of water and sand. The debris the
My toes feel the sand as it oozes through the gaps, a sludge of water and sand. The debris the
The water undulates in front of me. It is mesmerizing, the flecks of blue and gold, the buoys bobbing up
“Vandhacha?” I text my sister. The message says delivered but there is no response. I put my phone down and
I pass Laddu’s bedroom en route to mine. A cutout of a rainbow is taped to her door. The door
A few weeks ago, a local community group posted a link to this, an article that exhorted people to give
My girls and their cousins are snuggled up on the couch, sharing two throws between them. The lighting is muted.
I love the sound of keys clacking on the keyboard, the external kind that yields a touch of resistance each
The email from HR arrived suddenly, unexpected in its subject line. “Diwali,” it said. The body was sparse, requesting any
My watch shows 3:57:03. I should be in the study anxiously poring over my presentation one last time. Instead, butterflies
It is growing dark. Pattu’s flashlight bobs up and down in the dusk. I am walking beside her and watching
In May of this year, the Editorial Director for Verve Magazine reached out to commission a piece for their Entertainment
I stumbled onto Shabnam Samuel by chance. A common FB group, a random conversation and then an intentional phone call
The garage rattles noisily when I press the switch. I wince. It is not yet 6:00 am. The breeze feels
A few weeks ago, every day on my drive to work and back home, I listened to America commemorate the
I am driving home from my brother’s place. Amma is in the passenger seat beside me. Pattu and Laddu are
His voice undulates as he reads. Laddu is on his lap, her hands raised to circle his neck. Ammu is
This essay appeared in Centered: The magazine of personal stories in 2019. It is an excerpt from my work in
I hear the bus before I see it. My pace picks up speed. I meet neighbors on the way to
My call is just about over when a frantic text pops up on my phone. I ignore it and focus
Laddu peeks in the study and noticing I am on a work call, closes the door gently behind her as
A few months ago, I received a cryptic note on my FB page from someone representing a modeling agency. I