Matt and Priya were classmates. I met Mrs. Manoukian for the first time when she came to drop Matt off for a birthday party. She rang the doorbell. “Can we stay too?” Matt ran in without pause. I saw Matt’s brother looking up at me. His chubby palm circled mommy’s manicured finger. His look was …
Category Archives: essay
How I Became an Organic Chemist
We were only 20 students, but our science classroom could easily have seated 200. It was on the second floor: a 3 stories high cavernous room, with wide windows that overlooked the school gardens down below. To sit we had benches with tables. Each row was raised a few feet every row so you could …
A Cup of Restraint
At the dawn of civilization, Omar Khayyam said something to the effect of- a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou beside me – his portrayal of heaven on earth. We lapped it up. But I ask you, does this scenario have merit today in a civilization when we all must rush about …
A Walk in the Wetlands
The wetlands behind Shoreline Park, just a short distance from Highway 101 but a whole world apart, are magical today. Finally, after a year of severe drought we have had a month of rain, hard rain; enough to bring the water level back up to the edge of the walking trail. Water has been pouring …
Garden of People
My father leans over the balustrade to look at his garden. He is making sure plants that need protection from frost have been tended to. There is a chill in the evening air and a good chance that temperatures will dip below freezing tonight. I stand on my tippy toes, bolstered up by my elbows, chin …
My New Friend
My day started as it usually does. I half opened my eyes: clear, sunny morning with a cool breeze in our loft, in my city, Dilli; you know the one – if there be heaven on earth, this is it, this is it – penned by a Mughal emperor who I guess fancied himself a poet too. Well I agree …
My First Friend
His name is Mahmoud. I don’t think anything of it even though I know no one else by that name. True, my mother’s name is Prakash and I have another aunt by that name. My father has a brother in law with the same name as his. So does uncle Sheel. But then, my name …
Holiday Thievery
Recent reports of robberies in the ritzy Union Square shopping district have left me intrigued. For example, Chanel on tony Maiden Lane reported the loss of a 40 thousand dollar bag! The police say a group of girls called the Rainbow Girls (no relation to another group) are responsible for that and many other such …
Closet Communications
When John and Mira went looking for a place to live in suburban San Francisco the first thing Mira wanted to check out were the closets. And she would laugh “this is not a closet, not even close!” Growing up, Mira’s favorite place was the closet in her house. Besides being the place where she …
The House With 12 Jamun Trees
For security reasons, the house we moved into was not considered a good location. It routinely got allocated to new incoming school masters with the understanding that in a couple of years you could trade up when another new master was hired. While located within a 30 acre boarding school campus of what used to …
Neerja Raman 