From Deepa's Desk

28.10.2026 On any given day, I feel the jitters before boarding a flight. Today I was going to board one, fully knowing that the plane would be flying through cyclonic weather. My anxiety had reached peak levels. "I love the dark of the morning more than the dark of the night." My son told me as we left for the airport at 3 in the morning. I had to agree with him. There was a certain charm to the dark of the morning, if we may say so. You look at everything with a fresh perspective. There is that hopeful feeling of immense possibilities to the day ahead. But all the possibilities that my mind could conjure were negative. Normally I love driving through the ORR - Outer Ring Road, a network of several roads and highways that connect different parts of Hyderabad to the airport and to other cities. But today even the dark, cold and beautiful drive to the airport failed to distract me. We reached the airport with a lot of time to spare. Once all the formalities were done, we board...

  26.10.2026 I check the cyclone tracker for the umpteenth time on my mobile, just like I have been doing the whole day. To be precise, this checking has been going on since a week. Ever since a cyclone named Ornab (also pronounced as Arnab) was predicted for Odisha, I have been checking the weather app and getting disheartened after seeing heavy rain forecast in Odisha in the coming two days. Then Ornab formed, and I switched on to the cyclone tracker, carefully monitoring the forecasted path of the cyclone (as if my monitoring would make the cyclone change its course).  You see, the day on which Ornab was supposed to land on Puri was the same day that my family and I were supposed to land at Bhubaneswar. Via flight. Which is the most terrifying part for me.  Not thunderstorms, not heavy to very heavy rainfall, not cyclones, but flying over a cyclone and the turbulence that is sure to occur.  When we booked tickets for Puri, we had no idea that we would be flying un...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows It's 1946. World War II has just ended, and the victims and survivors of the German Occupation are slowly gearing up for a new beginning, all the while dealing with the trauma of the war. Juliet, a columnist in London, is bored of writing the usual stuff and looks for something refreshing and different. She receives a letter from a certain Dawsey Adams from Guernsey, Channel Islands, informing her that he had come across a book with her name written on it, and asking her for information about bookstores in London. One letter leads to another, and gradually, Juliet gets introduced to the enigmatic and charming The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which had its foundations over a roasted pig. Soon Juliet finds herself corresponding with its various members and over shared stories of grief, courage and hopeful beginnings, becomes a part of their community. I am a huge fan of the epis...

Poby & Polly: Choosing Happiness by Jyoti Prateek Available in Kindle Unlimited edition This book is a collection of short and beautiful stories based on the conversations between Polly and her friend / guide / mentor Poby (a polar bear). The conversations are centered around the daily lives of Polly and Poby, their experiences and how Poby transforms simple events into unforgettable and poignant life-lessons.  The conversations are delightful and possess a world of wisdom. The descriptions of the places that Polly and Poby visit bring the locales to life for readers. There is a soothing element to every story. The stories have been written at leisure and reading them feels like an exercise in mindfulness. The soothing aura of the scenes, coupled with Poby's wisdom make for a delightful reading.  Some of the insights shared by Poby are priceless in their wisdom. 'I am on the side of the day, Polly. Whatever it brings, I've decided to greet it with a smile.' 'Let...

Kailash Within by Parikshit Khanna Available in Kindle edition. The title of the book drew my attention to it. Mount Kailash is a dearly held dream that I hope to fulfill someday by whatever grace is bestowed to me.  This book is a collection of fifteen chapters, each one based on the priceless wisdom of Shiva Purana. Every chapter narrates a story from the Purana and gives a brief glimpse into the metaphorical truth contained in the story. Then the author describes how we can incorporate the lesson in the present day and overcome the challenges of modern life.  There is also a section in every chapter titled Kailash Practice that advocates a simple method for inner reflection and meditation. There are questions for reflection that make you ponder over things that feel seemingly trivial but which end up occupying a large part of our days and lives.  The stories have been narrated in a simple and concise manner. The lessons to be incorporated in modern day feel extremely r...

The Kaalansh Chronicles by Krishna Paswan (Books 1 and 2) Available in Kindle edition Twenty-seven year old Ishaan Vardhan is an archaeological conservator. While working on a stepwell in Gujarat, he saves a man from death and makes a startling discovery about himself.  Ishaan is a Kaladhar - someone who can transfer life-essence to another being, but at the cost of precious time from his own life. Everytime he transfers life-essence, he would age reasonably.  But that is not all. His discovery alerts a covert group named as the Sabha whose mission to keep the existence of people like Ishaan, a secret. There are various groups under the Sabha and not all are in favor of allowing Ishaan to live.  Accompanied by Tara Sen, an epigraphist, Ishaan struggles to escape from the people sent to kill him. Only, he doesn't know who can save him, and whom he should trust.  The narrative is quiet fast-paced. The plot is steady with a believable storyline. The chapters, while shor...