My Absent Abba

My Absent Abba

My Abba and I barely spoke. And while the lives of my friends’ fathers were not as complicated as my Abba’s, their memories of daddy-daughter conversations were limited too.
Why Do We Inherit the Worst Traits of Our Parents?

Why Do We Inherit the Worst Traits of Our Parents?

Growing up, I wanted to be nothing like my parents. I spent a significant part of my teenage years defining myself in opposition to my parents. Yet, over time, the very traits that I disliked about them slowly became my own – and that’s when I truly understood them.

Naseeruddin Shah: A father figure for all seasons

In Gehraiyaan, Naseeruddin Shah plays yet another version of the fatherly figure that has endeared him to a generation of viewers. His ability to embody both flaws and vulnerability, are traits that made me look for my own paa in him.
My Life of Onlyness

My Life of Onlyness

I was the stereotypical, pampered only child who never had to share his toys or his parents’ attention with anyone. It was the best thing in the world until my father died. Nothing made me feel the absence of a sibling more than my father’s untimely demise.
“Hair is Everything”: When Your Husband Has a Better Mop Than You

“Hair is Everything”: When Your Husband Has a Better Mop Than You

In our society, lustrous, supple strands still remain a source of pride for women. It even prompted the brilliant Maya Angelou to assert that “A woman’s hair is her glory.” But when what was once your crowning glory ends up getting relegated to the shadow of your husband’s, I must confess it does take some getting used to.

Seeking the Individual Behind My Late Father

Our Parents, to us at least, rarely exist as individuals with their own concerns, anxieties and aspirations. But after my father passed away, peacefully, I reconnected and discovered different sides of him that most men, maybe, hide behind the image of the father figure. I’m glad he got to live those lives.
Help Me! My Father is a Bhakt

Help Me! My Father is a Bhakt

I don’t recall my father ever displaying any obvious political preferences, but the turning point came during the 2014 Modi wave. Our mini flare-ups soon escalated into full-blown brawls, and conversations began to end the way they do on the internet, with me being labelled a naive Congi.