Naatil Evideya?

Is there a wrong answer to the mandatory question 'Naatil evideya?' (where in Kerala are you from) that one Malayali asks another Malayali when they run into each for the first time, in another part of the country? If you're from Trivandrum or born and brought up there, like I am, you may know what I'm...

Are we bad people, Mukku?

A lot of people say that it's difficult to make friends and maintain friendships once you're in your 30s or 40s. Unsurprisingly, I've been in my 30s and 40s my entire life. While a lot of it can be attributed to my debilitating introversion, sabhakambam, and shyness, there certainly are other contributing factors — me being...

BYOB

Our love story is pretty simple. Sharan commented on my blog. I commented on his blog. We got married and stopped updating our blogs.  We were in very different places — physically and mentally — when we met. Sharan was in Delhi, emotionally well-settled, and ready to get married when he found a good match.  In...

Girls Whistling

For a couple of years, before he was transferred out of Trivandrum, Achan used to pick Gingi and me up from school on his way back home after work. One evening - I must have been in 4th or 5th standard then - I was waiting for Achan in the company of my batchmate, Amina. Now,...

The Ponmudi Trip

Part 1: Tea and Snakes The little hill station of Ponmudi is around 57 km from Trivandrum city, which means I've inevitably found myself running along its misty, grassy slopes on many a Christmas or Onam vacation as a kid and as an adult. I was seven when my parents took me there for the...

The House of ‘The Poocha’

To be completely honest, it would only be partially true if I said that Kandan paved the whole path to fearless furniture destruction and free indulgence in other feline fancies for future generations of cats in my family. Because many freedoms are not given. They are claimed by biting, scratching, and farting on the oppressor's...

The House of Kandan

I was a little scandalised yesterday when I realised that Onam was just around the corner and I had no clue. After I looked up the dates and Aparna Giri reminded me to plan my leave, I started thinking about my favourite Onam story like I do every year. My parents are not big on...

Fetch

On some mornings, in the past couple of weeks, I've been waking up to see a piece of string or a paper ball next to my face. These are things that Paathu typically brings to me when she wants to play fetch. She is an avid fetch enthusiast and NEVER stops trying to make fetch happen. I...

Horror Movies with Mukku

Mukku has always been relentless when it comes to watching scary movies. It's like how I sometimes take antihistamines to eat prawns — yes, there are chances of my throat swelling up and me dying. But prawns, yummy. Mukku can't watch a horror movie without freaking out and freaking everyone around her out. But that...

How to wash dirty linen in public

Getting over with the disclaimer/Previously on the blog...: Pushparajyam Synoptics has been dead since 2016. 2016 was also the year I got married. But no, you nosey fucker. That's not why I stopped writing. 2016 was also the year I started writing at work which made me want to save up all my remaining brain...