From Deepa's Desk

  Lucas is happiest when he is on his own, eating Pad Thai and playing video games with nary a care in the world.  However, a frying pan turns his world topsy-turvy.  When a discarded frying pan is found outside the building where Lucas stays, the Board members of the building ring his doorbell, asking for his input and assistance to find out the culprit who threw the frying pan outside the premises. What starts as a simple investigation turns into a whole procedure where Lucas finds himself getting more and more involved with the residents of the building.  The narrative is simple and brilliant with a gentle dose of good humor. The author's crisp style of narration keeps the reader engrossed in the story.  The best part is the subtle change in the narrative as the story nears the end. What starts as a quirky investigation turns into something very beautiful and poignant as the residents of the building share snippets of their lives with Lucas and he unwittingly...

This book is a collection of ten short stories each of which are based on a single food item. Be it the funny ode to the cauliflower where the vegetable reigned supreme throughout the story, or the chapatti that became a silent messenger of a mutiny, every chapter features some vegetable or fruit or a special dish native to some place. The author has given a wonderful rural touch to the stories, bringing them alive with brilliant narration of the places, events and people. Quirky characters with their unique personality traits make the stories a delightful read. There is humor in liberal doses. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout some of the narratives. Many of the stories are poignant in their essence and teach invaluable life-lessons, making a remarkable impact on the readers. For me, the best part of the book is the beautiful ending that the author has given to all the stories. Some endings contain just a few words but are powerful in their impact. I liked each and every ...

  This book is a collection of twenty short stories based on folklore and legends that are a part of the Himalayan ranges. The author has written a story on almost every state where the Himalayas are spread out. The stories are beautiful and poignant in their concept. Be it the berry fruit, which is local to Uttarakhand, the majestic Ashoka tree with an interesting legend behind it, legendary queens, kings and princes – every character has a unique story that brings these characters to life. The author’s soulful description of the places, her precise insight into the traditions followed by the tribes and communities of the hills and the interesting tidbits of information that she has shared in the stories lend a surreal aura to the tales of the hills and bring them to life. While the legend of the Kaafal broke my heart, Naak-Kati-Raani motivated me to develop a spine. Tales from our ancient scriptures feature in this book as legends from the Himalayan ranges. These include the ...

  This book is a collection of 30 soulful poems on various topics such as the concept of Time, Memories, Dreams and so on. Every poem is poignant with meaning and has been presented in beautiful verses that convey the essence of the poem in a simple manner. While I liked all the poems, some of my favorites are The Writer in Me, The Blank Paper, Harmony and Creativity. I am sharing some verses from these poems that stayed with me: The ecstasy of writing is unfathomable There may be a hiatus, but never the writer shall vanish.   A blank paper’s ambitious voyage into the soul of humanity is in fulfillment. And in its blankness is hidden, the unwritten word that ushers in an era of change.   Let not the long winding road, pitch black and uneven be a deterrent; let it be the driving force to propel you to move ahead. Let your unflinching faith in self foster your dream.   The poems have been written in a clear and concise manner and reflect the a...

  It is another chaotic morning as I prepare the breakfast for the day. I need to grind some tomatoes in the mixer.  I drop the roughly chopped tomatoes into the jar, affix the same on the mixer and press the switch. I jolt at the zing of electric current. I observe the switch closely and see a crack on the same. I remind myself to call the electrician, but not before I get zinged yet again. For, I had to use the mixer again and it totally slipped my mind to use something wooden to press the switch. At noon, the electrician comes. I show him the offending switch. He calmly takes out a screwdriver and runs it all over the switch. Not only does he do that, he also does the same process with the adjacent switch on the board. “Hmmm,” He says. “This needs to be changed.” I cringe as he runs the screwdriver over the switch yet again. He, on the other hand, stays his calm stoical self with no expression of having had an electric shock. I wonder how many years it took for hi...

  Three best friends in their teens stumble upon a strange rock formation inside an ancient garden. Everything about the formation feels mystic. As they decode its mysteries, the three set off on the adventure of their lives. The narrative is extremely soothing to read, bringing to life, realms and worlds that entice the reader with their sheer mystique and beauty. The description takes the readers on an unforgettable journey laden with secrets and metaphors that can be applied to everything around us today. The characters are well-portrayed. The teens with their sheer curiosity and fresh innocence own the story. The conversations between the teens and the other characters that are gradually introduced in the story form the essence of the whole narrative. I loved the way the author has used metaphors through imbalances in realms. An unforgettable lesson that the story teaches is that we live in an infinite universe which we will never be able to fathom in our lifetimes, but w...

  The Roys are a reputed aristocratic family living in Kolkata. Their home Shantiniketan is a standing tribute to Rabindranath Tagore and his legacy. The Roys are patriarchal to the core and there is no place for modernism in Shantiniketan – be it lifestyle or Tagore’s works. The women in the house have embraced their fate and make the best of their days doting on their kids. Charulata is a budding singer who has spent most of her life within the walls of Shantiniketan. She lives a protected life, surrounded by the male members of her family – namely her grandfather, her elder uncle, a younger uncle and cousins. She dots heavily on her mother, for her father walked out of their lives when she was just a child. Charulata’s world revolves around Tagore and her own family. She is the quintessential obedient daughter, granddaughter and the girl who would always consider her family over her own needs. But then she meets Bolai, a guy who dares to give a modern twist to Tagore’s works...

  As I stroll leisurely outside my flat, a power-cut plunges the surroundings into darkness. I immediately look at the sky, hoping to view the stars. Unsurprisingly, I can’t see a single star. My mind drifts to a dark and cozy evening, somewhere in the 90s, as a thirteen-year-old me and my best friends Meera and Chitra lie beside each other on the terrace of the apartment where we used to live. This used to be our favorite pastime – lying on the terrace and stargazing. We had newly learnt about constellations and zodiacs and were very excited to test our knowledge. Oh, I forgot to mention a key fact – we could see the stars then. Innumerable stars scattered all over the sky. Wherever you looked, the stars were there. The only constellation we could identify was the Great Bear. Most days, the fourth star in the constellation would be duller compared to the other six. On some rare days, all the seven stars would be visible, gladdening our hearts. There was also that set of th...