family Archives

Daaru Aur Danga: When Your Family is the Drunk Catholic Stereotype

The jolly Catholic drunk is a fun stereotype, a trope for your entertainment, the life of the party. What you almost never see is the hangover, the accompanying headache of which is shared by the entire family. I grew up in one such family.

Damian D'souza July 29, 2016

First Person

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.

Farrah Kader July 29, 2016

Modern Family

Amma and I: Roommates turned BFFs

Amma and I were put together in a room by fate, but our relationship has bloomed because of trust and empathy. In fact, I can’t recall having a better friend in the truest sense of the word.

Usri Basistha July 24, 2016

Modern Family

A Death Shower for my Parents

As Amma and Appa age, I think about their death frequently. I dread the certainty of their passing, but for them, it is nothing more than the happy end to long, fulfilling lives.

Lalita Iyer July 23, 2016

POV

How choosing not to be a mother brought me closer to my father

Motherhood is so often expected to come as a natural choice to women. Almost a year into the pandemic, I realised it is not for me. Here's how I revealed my choice to my father. It only brought us closer.

Divya Unny July 18, 2016

Love and Sex

He Was Depressed, I Needed Therapy. How Was Our Marriage Going to Survive?

My husband couldn’t get out of bed and spent most of his waking hours in silence or crying. He experienced panic attacks. Soon my empathy for him began morphing into a dark affirmation – I didn’t deserve this. Then I realised I needed therapy too.

Sangeetha Bhaskaran July 18, 2016

Pop Culture

Farewell CID: We’ve Lost our Last Link to ’90s Indian TV

Testament to just how much CID has been consumed by my generation over the years is the fact that Shivaji Satam’s face is the first thing that pops up in my mind when I hear anyone say “ACP”. And though I watch it ironically today because “it’s so bad it’s good”, it reminds me of the time where you didn’t have to pretend to like a show just to fit in.

Jackie Thakkar July 16, 2016

POV

Those ’90s Things: When the Seat Under the Fan Was Reserved for the Family’s Most Important Member

Back in the ’90s, the 10x10 room in the chawl was our kingdom, the place right near the fan, was the throne. Naturally the family’s most important member, usually the patriarch, had the luxury of placing himself right under the fan. Exceptions were made only when we children had our exams.

Damian D'souza July 15, 2016

Coronavirus

“Mama I’m Coming Home”: Why We Seek for the Comfort of Our Parents When a Crisis Like Covid Hits

For the longest of time, my family has tried to cajole me into living closer to home. But I’ve always wanted “freedom”, a life away from my parents. Now as the second wave surges and I battle a fever, I long for their care and their reassuring voice, something my social networks just can’t provide.

Manik Sharma July 15, 2016

Modern Family

Folks in Town: How to Parent-Proof Your House

I live a dual life. I’m an outspoken liberal guy in the streets, and a religious, paavam one in the sheets. So when my parents decided to visit me after three years, I upturned mattresses to look for old condom packets and purchased tons of room spray to get rid of any lingering cigarette smell.

Vishal Dayama July 10, 2016