From Deepa's Desk

It was the year 2000, and as the new millennium dawned upon the world, there was an aura of excitement and anticipation. Times were changing gradually, and the society was at the cusp of adopting new mindsets while holding on to the old and familiar trends. It was at this time that television screens all over India (and probably the world too) proudly displayed a new drama series – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The name itself felt enticing. Families flocked together at night in front of the tv, eager to see what this serial would be about. Tulsi, the protagonist of the story, came into our lives as a breath of fresh air. Confident and shy, humble and proud, traditional and modern – she was the perfect amalgamation of a millennial. Society watched her in awe as she stood up proudly against those who unfairly bullied her, all the while still holding on to her roots and culture. She taught women all over the world to not to suffer silently and to speak up against injustice. Night...

This book is a collection of soulful poems that take the reader on an unforgettable journey. The poems are of varied genres and have been woven beautifully. There is an element of sadness in some poems while in the others, there is mystery and intrigue. While some poems are nostalgic, some are relatable to the present technology-laden age. Every poem was a pleasure to read. I am sharing few lines from assorted poems that made a lasting impression on me: My backpack is in a corner, Where I dwell in a state of submerged thoughts. Pristine energy flows with all the might And my backpack remains empty, with the traces of my fights.   I was about to say No, and then the caterpillar turned into a butterfly.   Between the sunrise and the sunset, I lost you somewhere, Time.   As I dived deeper inside my words, I knew where I belonged; with my pen and distinct colours, I rested my case with happiness.   The Wise Old Man, I See You, Time, The Gifts ...

Picture credit: IndiaMART My kid has football coaching three days a week. So I get ample opportunities to travel by auto while dropping the kid to the coaching centre and returning home. I have had interesting experiences with autos in Hyderabad. I felt that the auto-drivers deserve a blog of their own. So here it is - my ode to The Intriguing Auto-Drivers Of Hyderabad.  I have come across a variety of personalities when it comes to auto. I can safely categorise them as below: I-won't-answer-the-call-no-matter-what : This happened today. I and my kid were traveling in an auto and it was a drive of around an hour. The whole while, this auto-driver's cell kept ringing. And not a gentle, soothing ring-tone, but the extremely irritating and loud one. He kept cutting the call. The call kept returning. 18 kms of this. All the while, my only thought was - who in the world wanted to talk to him this badly!?!? I-don't-need-to-give-any-explanation-to-anyone : So that day I and the ki...

  Denny is thirty years old and is developmentally challenged owing to a trauma his brain suffered during his birth. One fine day, he is caught by the police, beside a sled full of guns. To make matters worse, one of the guns proves to be the weapon used to kill Henry, a candidate for the post of mayor. Everything about Denny is challenging – trying to getting him to talk, trying to get him to stop talking, or to stay focused on the topic. As Denny reveals bit by bit about himself and all the events that led him to the moment of holding the sled filled with guns, the readers get the whole picture – not just about what happened, but everything that Denny is and isn’t. It must have been challenging to present the whole novel from the point of view of a developmentally retarded individual, and the author has done it efficiently. One can picture every action, every gesture and every expression of Denny as he expertly leads the reader into his immensely complicated yet oh-so-simple ...

  This is a collection of 100-word stories compiled by the author at the time when the pandemic was holding the world in its tenacious grip. The stories are based on various genres – romance, crime, thrill, horror and general fiction. The thing with micro-stories is – it is challenging to convey the essence of the story in limited number of words. The author not only has aced the challenge, but she has kept up the element of intrigue in every story with an ending that you do not expect. Be it any genre, every story ends on a note that leaves the reader awestruck. Most stories have one or at the most two characters, and the author has justified their presence to perfection. Some of the stories are centered around social issues like domestic violence, gender-discrimination and prejudice. These stories make a huge and lasting impact and send across their message to the society in a remarkable manner. 100-word stories, as difficult as they are to weave, are equally entertaining a...

Trigger alert – this book deals with near-fatal accidents, bereavement, foster placements and terminal illness. At just seven years of age, Michael becomes the victim of a near-fatal fireworks accident that leaves him with a scarred torso. Immediately after this accident, he is placed in a foster home and when his foster parents apply for adoption, Michael’s birth parents readily agree, leaving him heartbroken and believing that they didn’t want a scarred child. At nineteen years of age now, Michael comes across a professor Robert Dunning who has ample scars of his own and who, in turn, has learnt to own his scars. Their conversation motivates Michael to shoot a documentary film of people who are struggling with body-image issues. When Michael pins a hand-written notice on his college bulletin asking for volunteers for his film, he doesn’t expect people to actually call him up and agree for the same. But people do, and not all of them have scars. Most of them are dealing with body-imag...

Trigger alert - the book is based on domestic violence and mental disorders. Loveday works in a bookshop named Lost for Words which is owned by larger-than-life Archie, whom she considers as sort of a father-figure. When she comes across a book fallen on a pavement, she sets off a series of events that make her confront herself and deal with the past that she has been avoiding all her life.  There's mystery, there's intrigue, there's the old-fashioned romance that can be found in poetry-reading sessions. This book has a little bit of all elements that make up for a tale which is beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. I loved the portrayal of a dysfunctional family where every member is trying to hold on to hope and love, not wanting to face or acknowledge their inner demons. The challenges faced by people with mental disorders have been dealt with in a sensitive manner, showing both their dangerous as well as vulnerable sides.  Loveday's ...

  This book is a collection of beautiful tales based on magic, adventure and fantasy. Be it the rabbit on the moon, or the stuffed toy suffering from an existential crisis; be it the legendary beast that haunts a village, or the tooth fairy’s tryst with the human world – every tale brims with the unique charm that fairy-tales are blessed with. The author has painted beautiful landscapes with her vivid imagination. The stories bring in a deep sense of nostalgia for the days when it was quite easy to believe in magic and we lived more in fantastical worlds. Reading this book is like the ultimate comfort – there are fairies, legendary creatures, visitors from another world and magical forests that intrigue the reader. The author’s description takes the reader to a totally different world and one can actually perceive the landscapes and events vividly, such is the narrative. I got so immersed in the tales that I actually didn’t want the stories to end, and I started wishing that ...

Parenting Unplugged is a book that chronicles the journey of parenthood in a brilliant and hilarious way. Meet Lalitha AKA Drama Mama whose world revolves around her precious Munchkin. Lalitha represents every mother trying to find her way in the phase of motherhood, often doubting herself, rejoicing in the little joys that make the journey memorable, and occasionally struggling through the tough phases which come with the package of parenting. The father is always there in the picture, lending his silent and strong support and lightening up moments with his cool sense of humor. In this book Lalitha has shared wonderful insights about parenting by writing about her experiences with her daughter. Their conversations are priceless, ranging from innocent questions to hilarious arguments and ultimately to the bigger questions of life. I feel millennials find it difficult to address topics on menstruation, good-touch-bad-touch and other sensitive matters which need to be addressed to childr...