The day the past zoomed in on me

I get into the Zoom meet and see my buddies screaming over a lousy network. They are all there. A bit older, a bit pixelated, but alive, thriving and giggling as ever. Yes, a bunch of 40-year-olds behaved like teenagers.

My Middle in the Deccan Herald. Published on May 25, 2021.

Click here to read this piece on old friends, nostalgia and good times in the Deccan Herald.

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A Journey of Bonhomie

Train journeys have always held a great fascination for me. The rhythmic sound of the moving train is music to my ears. I almost feel warm and snug as the gentle sway of the train lulls me to a state of calm and tranquillity. Of course, I love to stand on the platform and watch the meandering railway tracks beckoning me to places far away. And as a child I used to think that the engine driver had the coolest job in the world as the trains whizzed speedily ahead. I guess, I sometimes feel the same way even now, too! Since the pandemic hit us, my train journeys had been non-existent. And I missed them terribly. However, last week, I got an opportunity to embark on one such journey from Bengaluru to Madurai. And believe me, I couldn’t conceal my excitement. The moment I set foot on the station, I felt right at home as always. The familiar sights and sounds felt warm and inviting. People dragging heavy luggage, children squealing excitedly on seeing an approaching train, hawkers peddling

Ocean's Eleven

I recently went on a short trip to a seaside town with a group of ladies, mostly middle-aged working women and it was indeed a trip to remember. We met at the railway station. Initially the conversations revolved around husbands stranded at home with zero-knowledge of cooking, much at the mercy of food delivery boys; and teenage kids who were more than happy to say good-bye to their hovering moms. The train arrived. We got on board and soon the clanging wheels got us excited about a lot of other things. We chattered on about being free from domestic responsibilities for two full-days and being on our own. The compartment was filled with silly jokes and senseless laughter as we got younger in years. My mind travelled to my college days and I was reminded of the educational trips I went with my friends. Yes. We were teenagers, once more. As the night wore on, we realised we were teenagers only in terms of our endless giggles and jokes. We were given several upper berths for bed and

Shah Rukh Khan's marketing superpowers

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No...It's SRK with his Ra.One promotions. I am looking at the Ra.One promotions and I'm literally bedazzled. Is there anything that the King Khan has overlooked? mmmmm....nothing I can think of. From dancing with TV stars to visiting malls (he was swarmed by screaming fans in a mall at Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore), from Youtube to Google+, Shah Rukh has pulled all stops. I just see him anywhere and everywhere. What's more, Ra.One merchandise is selling like hot cakes, these days (even my son wants one!). Not to mention the Playstation video game which is really the brain child of a marketing genius (my son wants that, too). Amazing but just not enough to get me to the theatre. Atleast that's how I felt because of the Ra.One overload, till last sunday. But then came the showstopper. The real eyeball grabber - the super cool Ra.One comic book that came with my Sunday Times, last week. It was so appropriate. So in tune with the movie and

Of words and vibes

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