India Archives

Only the Lunatics Watch the Moon in Mumbai

Inboxes flooded with images of the super moon from across the globe as it traversed one time zone to another, bewitching everyone with its triple magic. A city had managed to remember that there’s a moon in the urban sky.

Aparna joshi April 20, 2016

Vice

Why Indian Uncles Shouldn’t Mix Drugs and Parties

Cocaine certainly is one hell of a drug – if you aren’t Indian that is. Actually, barring weed, any narcotic is a disaster when it comes to Indians. If our use of alcohol is any indication, drugs and Indians just don’t mix well.

Damian D'souza April 18, 2016

POV

Padmavati and the Unsung Heroines of Indian History

Rani Padmavati wasn’t the only victim of collateral damage between warring, ambitious, and powerful men, though she is the one we have chosen to remember and revere.

Anuja Chandramouli April 17, 2016

People

The Graveyard Inside My Home

In Uttar Pradesh’s Pokar village, the dead don’t leave the house.

Saurabh Sharma April 15, 2016

Love and Sex

Do Best Friends Make Good Baes?

Is dating your bestie a bad idea? Who will you bitch about your broken heart with if your best friend is gone?

Parthshri Arora April 15, 2016

People

My Life as an Intel Agent in Pakistan

Recruiting a spy is a heart-in-mouth moment. Often, a spy turns out to be a double agent. Mahesh’s job was making sure that this did not happen.

Himadri Ghosh April 15, 2016

Gender

A Step-by-Step Guide to Walking Out of an Abusive Marriage

Why didn’t you fight back when you were slapped and your earring fell off? Why are you still around, crying pathetic pools of tears and snot? Why aren’t you doing what your head tells you to and leave? How did you just become a statistic of physical abuse?

Life 13 April 15, 2016

Pop Culture

SOS! Netflix’s Black Mirror is Getting Too Real

The three episodes of Black Mirror’s latest season may have lost their tech edge, but they are so relatable for a much scarier reason – our reality is quickly keeping pace with Charlie Brooker’s satire. This was probably his plan all along.

#VALUE! April 14, 2016

Modern Family

“Tussi Na Jao!” How Do You Convince Indian Parents You Want to Move Out?

If I were a 28-year-old, 200 years ago, I’d probably be heading out into battle tomorrow. If I were a 28-year-old about 2,000 years ago, I’d be the village elder. But somehow, here I am at the age of 28, still enjoying the free snacks in between free meals. And every time I bring up moving out of home, my parents think I’m hinting at marriage plans.

Aditya Bhalla April 12, 2016

Gender

An Equal Marriage: How Woke Young Couples Are Dissolving Sexist Wedding Rituals

Rituals and ceremonies are just one way Indian weddings treat women as inferior to men. Whether it is refusing the “kanyadaan” ceremony, standing up to the tradition of brides touching their husbands’ feet, or even splitting the cost of the wedding equally, some Indian couples have found a way to subvert tradition.

Hitesha Phukan April 11, 2016