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Ascend

This bird of prey enjoyed soaring in the post rain breeze. Felt quite nice to just watch it thread the sky. Do birds do this thing to just show off to their mates when the weather is just right?

manan dedhia

Tiranga

i dont know what prompted this kid to start waving the Indian tricolor on a nondescript summer evening. Any reason is good enough.

manan dedhia

Crisis

“…the car sounds like its having a crisis. Like Laddy Chatterly having one of her crisis…..”Some juvenile laughs would ensue. I love Top Gear and would watch reruns of old episodes but i remember this reference standing out. What did it mean? who was this lady chatterly? well i finally have found what the fuss is all about. It is an interesting read / listen - talks about womens sexual desires and...

manan dedhia

Reaffirmation

This book strengthens my belief in reading - it forces you to think and comprehend the world around you. Read everything - from the petty to the academic. From the nostalgic to the uncomfortable. Read indiscriminately. Read better. And hopefully read in more than one language.

manan dedhia

A to Z of a Reader’s Life: Theme Reveal | BlogchatterA2Z 2026

I didn’t wake up one day and decide to become a blogger.In fact, for the longest time, I didn’t even think I was a writer.I was just someone who kept returning to a book.Not always for answers.Sometimes just to sit with a feeling I couldn’t explain.That’s how it began.No ambition. No strategy.Just a quiet habit that didn’t ask for attention.A book on a regular day.Another when life felt slightly b...

Sameer Gudhate

The Future Didn’t Arrive With Noise. It Quietly Began Deciding for Us: Sameer Gudhate Reflects

There’s a peculiar moment we’re all living through right now — where the future isn’t arriving slowly… it’s quietly sitting beside us, finishing our sentences.That was the feeling that stayed with me while reading this book.Not excitement. Not fear. Something more unsettling — recognition.Because what this book does, very effectively, is remove the illusion that AI is “coming.” It shows you, almos...

Sameer Gudhate

Chapter 20: The Things She Didn’t Notice.

The cafe opened slower that morning.Not because it had to -But because Kaia wanted it that way.She stood behind the counter, sleeves slightly rolled, apron tied neatly, the early light slipping through the windows and settling right where she liked it most - the little baking corner kissed by a soft ray of sun.“I missed this,” she said, almost to herself.Mrs. Alder, arranging fresh flowers nearby,...

Komal Gujar

Indian Summer 3

Afternoon Siesta. Beyond the curtains it's the infamous Deccan heat wave. beyond that frame tarmac at 38 C. Beyond that edge is the cruel nasty world. But here in the cool shade is rest and quiet. There is space filled with memories and voices. This is where sleep comes easy.

manan dedhia

Indian Summer 2

My hometown is a mercurial entity. Too much summer heat elicits a reflexive response. Cooling showers bring some welcome relief. Reset the clock.

manan dedhia

Indian Summer 1

Across India scenes like this are easily found - women pickling fruits and vegetables, drying papad dough. Taking advantage of the searing heat and available produce. The burden however is almost completely borne by the women in the household. Men will play a peripheral role at best. or just loiter.

manan dedhia

Aala Paaus Aala Vaara

Years ago i attended a college cultural fest where an artist and a dancer collaborated on creating art works to the tune of a music piece. I leave it to your imagination on how it transpires.Well, a thunderstorm does much the same thing really.

manan dedhia

Absorb the city

“Put me back in London….i need to breathe in the city.”Melodramatically delivered in the new BBC sherlock series, it re-affirms the characters intimate knowledge and relation with his home city. Much of it is true to be truly immersed in a place - be it new surroundings or old haunts. Or a home town. The smells, sounds and sights of where you grew up - new and old. Attractive and obnoxious. - defi...

manan dedhia

Chapter 19: What it means to be Seen

The office felt brighter than usual.Or maybe it was just the way everyone moved - lighter, quicker, carrying a quiet excitement that hadn’t been there yesterday.Kaia stepped in, her morning still lingering somewhere behind her eyes. She placed her bag down, smoothing the edge of her file, letting routine settle her before anything else could.“Kaia!”Amelia reached her first, almost breathless.“We g...

Komal Gujar

Ustad ji calling

Reading a short story and flashing to a Zakir Hussain tabla solo require a lot of dots and a strenuous explanation to string them. thankfully the brain doesnt obey straight lines, nor logical decision making. Any excuse to listen to Ustad ji’s solos or his work with Shakti is good enough.

manan dedhia

Hong Kong 1

manan dedhia

Gol

Rain clouds in the skyi dont know why they make me bluewhen thinking of you. it's all a bit of a haze. i remember the setting but not the conversation. Damp air, cold floor, cloudy skies and a quiet building. after hours, just a few of us. Engrossed in some conversation. scrutinizing some aspect of a play. excitement and trepidation in equal parts. vulnerability and posturing squaring off. wish i ...

manan dedhia

Identity and Rights

Jarring and magical at the same time..Beautifully written.

manan dedhia

Chapter 18: The Weight of Being Enough.

Morning didn’t arrive softly.It came with noise.Utensils placed harder than necessary. Cupboards shutting with intention. Words waiting at the edge of silence.Kaia stood in the kitchen, pouring tea into two cups, her movements steady despite the tension building in the room.“You came late again.”Her mother’s voice broke the silence.“There was work,” Kaia replied, steady.“There is always work,” her...

Komal Gujar

Solo Adventure in the Himalayas: A Travelogue

Foreword and pre-read warningSolo, well no, it wasn’t supposed to start as a solo but yes this trip was more or less an impromptu decision.A fortnight before this trip I was speculating on various trek options. Incidentally for some reason or other, none of the options materialized, with the irritation of the mind and my restlessness mounting up I realized I needed to just take a call and move.The...

Vivek Garge

The Unspoken Connections: Love in a cafe

It was just another of those days when I was sitting at the coffee shop sipping through my second cup of coffee and having just finished Paulo Coelho's “Veronika decides to die”.I had three hours still to go for my second meeting and it was too much of an effort to travel unnecessarily through Delhi's arduous traffic.The book had still not gotten over me, I was still contemplating about the fact t...

Vivek Garge

Exploring North East India: A Journey on Two Wheels

I have always wondered if people are cautious or concerned about age. When I drove solo to Uttarakhand in June many thought I had gone bonkers. How can a person at the age of 55 start traveling alone? I never knew if my actions were concerned or dismayed the people around me. After all, is it not the time to start planning and walking into the sunset? It is paradoxical to hear the same people say ...

Vivek Garge

Sip, Read, Review– “The Song of Our Bond” by Pinki Bakshi

It is a story (1970s-Eastern India) of two girls from different backgrounds who gradually become close friends. Over time, fate takes them to different places and they lose contact as the distance between them grows. Yet when they eventually meet again, it feels as if nothing has changed.The diversity of their backgrounds is presented subtly through food, music, and language. These elements show h...

jaee jadhav

Chapter 17: After Sunset Decisions.

The email came at 4:12 p.m.Westbridge Holdings: : “We are positively inclined. Awiting revised implementation framework before final confirmation.”Adrian read it twice.Positively inclined.Not confirmed.Not yet.He leaned back in his chair, thoughtful. They were close. Closer than expected. But the revised framework they were asking for wasn’t minor - it required recalibration, projections, timeline...

Komal Gujar

Exploring Self-Made Maverick A Review of Dr Reza Zahedi’s Inspiring Book by Sameer Gudhate

The first thing that came to my mind while reading Self-Made Maverick by Dr. Reza Zahedi was a memory from a basketball court many years ago.I was already past the age when most players begin slowing down. Yet there I was, tying my shoelaces before a state tournament, hearing the usual whispers: Why continue? Why not step aside?Sometimes the world quietly hands you a script about how things are su...

Sameer Gudhate