Category: Musings
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Not All Indians
Last week, my social media feed was full of Zarna Garg and her daughter Zoya Garg’s interview on The Daily Beast. I listened to it the first time shaking my head almost the entire time. My first instinct was anger, followed by disgust. I uploaded a short clip on TikTok and thought that was it.…
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For The Love Of Books
A couple of weeks ago, a friend messaged me saying “you have to check this out…” with a link to a subscription service for books. An hour later, another friend tagged me on a Facebook post stating something similar. I bookmarked the link and told myself I would check it out soon. Before I could…
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Brief Note On Adoption Awareness Month
As November draws to a close and Thanksgiving wraps up, I am spending this evening reflecting on the year that has been. November in particular is a heavy month for me as it marks that time of the year when grief visits. That it is also Adoption Awareness Month weighs on me. Photo by Milada…
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The Big One Is Coming Up
The tab on my browser has stayed the same for over a week now. It holds the shopping cart for a boutique silk saree shop. I add and remove sarees. I click on the images and close them. I will turn fifty this December. For months now, this birthday has been on my mind. Unlike…
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Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
Relentless. That’s how it feels, this constant firehose of insanity that feeds my social media timelines. If like me, you are remotely concerned with the world around you, you must feel it too. Irrespective of where in the political spectrum you fall, the chatter is incessant. We are fed what the algorithm gods deign to…
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The Life Of A Showgirl
I woke yesterday to my social media feed full of references to Taylor Swift’s latest album titled “The Life of a Showgirl”. Yes, I am a proud Swiftie and yes, I ordered her album but no, I did not stay up for the album drop. What I did however was listen to the album all…
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Litnamjooning – Issue 2 Now Live!
The literary magazine (Litnamjooning) I am on the masthead of, is now live with their second issue. Today, we celebrate the birthday of our muse Kim Namjoon as we dip into pieces that slow your breath, calm you down and let you pause. This issue features fantastic pieces thoughtfully curated by Hema, Melissa, Sumitra, Jenny…
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This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir
Yesterday, I was doom scrolling on TikTok and stumbled on snips from Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang. She was talking to Zarna Garg about her book “This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir”. I had seen Zarna’s clips on Instagram and elsewhere over the years but it had not hooked me for some reason. I know…
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Death Rattle Of A Dying Empire
Collected in The Smudged Hyphen (2026). Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com On Sunday, I sat with four girls, three mine and a friend’s daughter at Movie Tavern for the sing along version of Kpop Demon Hunters. On my left was another woman about my age with a group of kids younger than mine. They…
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First Day Of School
Laddu bounces into the room, her fresh cut hair wavy after a wash. It is literally the last night of summer break. I hug and let go. With the youngest now officially in middle school, it feels like we are past the half way mark to the yet to be defined future. All summer long,…