Lakshmi M Nair

"Let's go to the ocean", I whispered to her! "It's been long. I believe I left a bit of my soul there. I should go check on it sometime." There was something about her presence that made me think of the ocean. Vast and all encompassing like her love. With a frown she replied, "Yes It's been so long! Looks like they have forgotten me. I probably should remind them." I turned to look at her. Those frowns suited her well but I missed her smile. Closing my eyes in reflective calm I said, "There are so many drops in the ocean my love! I am sure there is one drop that remembers you. I am sure it is in love with you." I looked around the garden till I found the shells scattered around beautifully. Picking one up, I called her. "Come listen to this conch shell. It hums the song of the waves that are missing you." Holding the conch shell close to her ears she was quiet for a while. Gazing at the horizon, a shadow of doubt cast ove...

I am mother to two little monsters. Now before you bite my head off for calling my boys monsters, be aware that they are my little monsters only because I am their mommy monster. Does that make sense? I thought not. Nevertheless, let us  assume I am calling them munchkins instead of monsters. Now that, that's done with, let me proceed to the matter at hand. A question that I keep pondering over is how to bring up my little ones. Trust me, I browsed (more like fell asleep on) numerous books on parenting, patiently heard whatever kind and at times nosy neighbours had to say, I even went ahead and sought advice from experts in this field (I am ofcourse referring to our all knowing relatives here.) To be honest, even though initially, for a few months I did follow as many suggestions as possible, it was not long before I had convinced myself that I was failing miserably. To a very great extent I blamed myself for being a horrible mother, but that was until I realised a simple fact. ...

Ben had woken up before sunrise. A new dawn, a new hope. He could sense excitement seeping into his pores. Did he hope to meet her again? Why did she seem so familiar? Ben could not think of anything else but her since he had met her two days ago. He had searched for her on the streets each time he ventured out, but it had been in vain. Ben took his camera bag and stepped out of the hotel room. He loved exploring a new city. But today as he walked on the empty streets he was lost in thoughts of the past. Till few years ago he had been preoccupied with work all the time he barely noticed any difference in the places he traveled to. His life had become monotonous. It had been during a visit to his ancestral home that he spotted his dad’s old camera. Ben had picked it up like he would a newborn babe. The memories attached to it were many. His dad had bought it for him from one of his travels. Ben had loved it. His dad’s job had required them to shift homes many times. Those days sh...

The streets were absolutely silent, not even a stray dog was to be spotted. It might have been around four thirty in the morning, but one couldn't determine whether it was day or night. The lanes were dark and should have been silent, but that was not the case here.  As I walked past houses clustered together like rows and rows of unkempt books, I could hear every other home abuzz with strange noises that one identifies with the kitchen. A clang of fallen spatula here, a shrieking whistle from a pressure cooker there, many such voices kept breaking the silence of an otherwise silent morning.  How long had it been since I had entered a kitchen this early in the morning? Months? Years? I couldn't remember any longer, though I could recall vaguely the rush of adrenaline I used to wake up with. There was never a moment to spare. As soon as I opened my eyes, a mad rush to finish tasks would begin. Cooking, packing, sending everyone to their respective activities or jobs, then keepi...

On one of the many photowalks I have been to, I happened to spend some time with a very talented and insightful individual named Sourav Bhandari. We were walking through the narrow lanes of K.R. Market, Bangalore that morning. It was somewhere around 6 a.m. As we walked past a broken down house amidst some well maintained buildings,  he was struck by a sudden idea. He explained to me in detail the concept that he wanted to portray with that frame that he had in mind. His vision was to portray the astonishment with which man witnessed nature taking over man made jungle. It was his belief that while we may consider it our right to use up every inch of land and destroy all of the environment in that process, but, given enough time, nature would claim it all back.  That day's discussion set me thinking. This thought had taken deep root in my mind and I realised the day was not far away when we would pay for our avarice. These musings added to that day's discussion set up this imag...

Here's a thought; Have you ever wondered about all that's pristine white in you? Are we sure that's the pure and untouched part of our souls?Could those lighter hues not be what lays the foundation of all our bad traits... A shade of white named talent could very well turn levels of our ego high. A shade of white named compassion could very well curdle and turn into selfish, possessive love.. And the shades of selflessness could fade into oblivion and we could be left with nothing but the bitter taste of revenge and hatred. The question is, aren't these devious shades of white a part of us too? Are we ready to accept it for what it truly represents? Would we still feel the same about us once we realise what these whites hide under its mask? In short, are we ready to accept the wrongs and  that are hidden behind the white curtain of goodness? Now let's turn the coin and look at the other side. Have you ever wondered, even once, whether the darkness in you could be th...