Lifestyle features, essays, short stories and poetry are some of the spices that define my writing palate. I am currently based out of Bangalore.
The burden of culture
It’s a regular Sunday afternoon. My family and I go out for lunch with some friends. Amid friendly banter, I get advised, “You should start cooking some Malayali food.” My partner and I take the advice in good humour, even while he appreciatingly responds, “Oh, she does.” To put things in perspective, I am a Gujarati, married to a Malayali. And not without reasons, I have realised that the burden of culture, whether it is food, language or customs, falls on the woman of the house.
This was al...
Go with the animal flow
She is on all fours, flowing from one movement to another. She stands on her hands and then laterally travels like an ape, gradually moving to stretch like a crab. Her arms and legs scream for relief. But she refuses to stop. Swetha Devraj aka Sweaty Swetha is a globe trotter and has been passionately training people in animal flow workouts. A ground-based bodyweight movement, this system was developed by Mike Fitch from the US, to improve strength, coordination, mobility and flexibility.
Ani...
These homegrown initiatives are helping people find pen pals to connect with
Last Christmas, my daughter received a special-something from Santa. It was a handwritten letter sent in reply to one of her letters. The whole process of putting her feelings down in black and white, sealing the envelope and dropping it in a postbox was an experience for her. And receiving a reply made it more special. The letter is now saved in a box along with other keepsakes...
What Sri Learnt at the Movies
Short story for kids for Children's World, a CBT Publication.
‘With dal dhokli, I have scalded my tongue but satisfied my palate every single time’
Childhood memories are incomplete without food. This feature-cum-recipe talks about dal dhokli, a traditional lentil stew with strips of diamond-shaped dough simmering in it.
Super Raid - a short story for kids
Short story for Dimdima Magazine, targeted towards 10-15 year olds.
A space for beautiful things
A unique online project by Rohini Kejriwal that fishes out the best of art, poetry and music from the hidden corners of the internet.
The Sustainable Way of Life
Lessons from the Dhanak Adivasi community on the culture of sustainability.
2 quarantine poems by Barkha Shah
Two poems, 'The Summer of 2020' and 'The Walking Stick' written during the lockdown period of 2020.
How Parenting Changed my Equation with Food
One-pot meals – that used to be my go-to cooking mantra all through my spinsterhood days. It was easy, convenient, and time-saving. Plus, the only person who had to be content with that food was me. Things changed, though, after marriage and parenthood.
Diwali, they said
A poem inspired by the recent COVID-19 impaired celebration of Diwali, a festival of lights.