Featured

From years of excuses to some fitness

I had only one goal for 2023: to be fitter and healthier Like most people, I was in my best shape when I got married. I heard my family make a comment on my extra weight when they thought I was still asleep. This made me both angry and determined to change, and with four […]

Featured

The hypocrisy of my hobbies

Every time there is an ice-breaking session at work, most people are expected to share a bit about their background, experience and hobbies. Back in 2011, when I started working, the answers used to be like listening to music, playing/watching sports, or maybe working out. Today, the answer is largely dominated by travel & OTT […]

My name is Volini Iyer

I am a pain relieving gel, and I belong to KP. You may have met other members of my family. We gels were bred for a single purpose; to alleviate muscle pain for human beings. I don’t think anyone has tried us with animals yet. Maybe when dogs start making powerpoint presentations hunched over a […]

I tried to rent a 2 BHK in Bengaluru

When you go through hell, the least you can do is warn the ones coming your way. Hello, please walk this way, it will burn a little less. I have learnt the hard way that it’s not a good thing to challenge the universe, in general; or be too sure of anything. Armed with the house-hunting experience […]

The invisible strands between us

I have grown up often hearing the phrase, “It’s just a phase.” It was usually in response to me sharing something I was worried about. I never really understood it. In that moment, whatever I was going through felt like it would endure forever. But time changes that. Unless you pass through more than one or two […]

The irresistible desire to be more attractive

Several months ago, I was at an Apple service centre. It was a Sunday morning, and this place was at a walking distance. I was in pyjamas and a sweatshirt, not really giving my appearance a second thought. The service centre was in an upscale property, where some new-age food stalls (every product containing the […]

Being single feels like a crime at 31.

My 30th birthday happened to coincide with a farewell lunch. X points to me, and announces to the table, and to Y, that it is my birthday. Y asks me, “So, leaving early today?” Before I could respond, X replies, “Where will he go? He is not married, and he doesn’t have a girlfriend.” I […]

The modern notion of the perfect life is making us miserable

The concept of heaven and hell is centuries old. We may not have studied it in school, but we saw cartoons. A magical place floating in the skies, where the harp is playing, a world where you can touch the clouds, and no evil can touch you. A utopia, where you have everything you want. […]

I plugged my mind into a computer to explore it

There is so much shit in my head. I wish I could connect my brain via USB to my PC and just start deleting things. Let me try something. Beep boop. I’m in. Welcome to Mind-space. What welcome? The desktop is a complete mess. It’s like those icons are in a Mumbai local, mashed up […]

I am a plain grey shirt, and this is my story

My name is Will. I am plain, and a slightly darker shade of grey, just like my 2032 brothers. We may all look the same, but our stories can differ vastly, sometimes even when belonging to the same person. But we all start the same – for sale somewhere. The story of every shirt begins […]