Annie Zaidi's Blog, page 20
December 3, 2017
Slavery (Or why there's so much drama over a girl choosing a boy)
At 18, you are expected to bear
children, keep them healthy and craft a judicious citizenry. You are
expected not to die in the process. At 22, you can renounce the
world. At 13, you can stop eating food. That's not illegal.
At 18, you are expected to be sensible
of human, civic, democratic rights. At 25, you can enter Parliament
and make laws that govern the land. When you take an oath to
children, keep them healthy and craft a judicious citizenry. You are
expected not to die in the process. At 22, you can renounce the
world. At 13, you can stop eating food. That's not illegal.
At 18, you are expected to be sensible
of human, civic, democratic rights. At 25, you can enter Parliament
and make laws that govern the land. When you take an oath to
A dry solution
I had been in the hills a few weeks
ago, wandering around with a notebook. One afternoon, I went to a
little restaurant on a highway and drank coffee milky enough to sate
a calf. Honestly, I would have referred a bench on a roadside dhaba.
The only reason I had come to the restaurant was because it was
attached to a hotel and was therefore likely to have a bathroom.
A lot of our decisions
ago, wandering around with a notebook. One afternoon, I went to a
little restaurant on a highway and drank coffee milky enough to sate
a calf. Honestly, I would have referred a bench on a roadside dhaba.
The only reason I had come to the restaurant was because it was
attached to a hotel and was therefore likely to have a bathroom.
A lot of our decisions
November 5, 2017
A wordy ride
I am not overfond of long car rides, especially not in cities. Most people aren’t. What’s called a ‘drive’ in other locations is ‘the damn traffic’ in a metropolis; you can’t even complain because the only reason you are stuck in it is that you are part of it.
There’s just one thing that leavens my frustration at such times: words. There are the simple, romantic words of a film song on the
There’s just one thing that leavens my frustration at such times: words. There are the simple, romantic words of a film song on the
October 21, 2017
The lulled street
I've been racking my brains for the
English equivalent of 'sannaata'. More precisely, to try and
translate the idea of 'sannaata' on the sadak, or the streets.
Silence and solitude do not convey the
same meaning. Nor does emptiness. Nor does desolation. Some
dictionaries define the word as a 'lull', or a place lacking in
sound, or lacking in people. This last, or perhaps a combination of
English equivalent of 'sannaata'. More precisely, to try and
translate the idea of 'sannaata' on the sadak, or the streets.
Silence and solitude do not convey the
same meaning. Nor does emptiness. Nor does desolation. Some
dictionaries define the word as a 'lull', or a place lacking in
sound, or lacking in people. This last, or perhaps a combination of
October 15, 2017
A little bump in the road
One of my favourite travel stories is
from a reporting assignment in rural Rajasthan. For trips into rural
areas, I'd usually have to hire a large vehicle like a Sumo or some
other kind of jeep since there were either bad roads or no roads at
all. Then there would be some areas where we'd have to abandon the
jeep and walk.
On this particular trip, we were on
no-road terrain. Yet there was a
from a reporting assignment in rural Rajasthan. For trips into rural
areas, I'd usually have to hire a large vehicle like a Sumo or some
other kind of jeep since there were either bad roads or no roads at
all. Then there would be some areas where we'd have to abandon the
jeep and walk.
On this particular trip, we were on
no-road terrain. Yet there was a
October 12, 2017
After the floodwaters receded
A lot of floodwater had entered the apartment while it was empty last month. Lots of damage to clothes and papers.
I opened an old suitcase filled with my documents accumulated over two decades. Letters from hostel friends, a childhood autograph book given away by an aunt, passbooks, employee contracts, printouts of early short stories and poems that I was trying to get published, the
I opened an old suitcase filled with my documents accumulated over two decades. Letters from hostel friends, a childhood autograph book given away by an aunt, passbooks, employee contracts, printouts of early short stories and poems that I was trying to get published, the
October 2, 2017
दिल्ली, जामिया और बनारस की लड़कियों के नज़्र (वीर रस जैसा कुछ )
तोड़ दो पिंजरा, फोड़ दो भांडा!
यही न कह कर थे बहलाए?
रहना भीतर, यही भला है?
समझो अब असल अभिप्राय।
बात ये है, उनसे न होगा!
स्वयं ही सब कुछ लेना होगा
सुनो, सड़क बना लो डेरा
वख़्त न देखो, शाम-सवेरा।
समय की नंगी तलवारें हैं
सर पे लटकी, तुम्ही पकड़ लो!
समय अब नहीं कवच किसी का
तुम्ही समय के सर पे चढ़ लो!
छत सर पर अहसान नहीं है
बाप, गुरु, भगवान नहीं
यही न कह कर थे बहलाए?
रहना भीतर, यही भला है?
समझो अब असल अभिप्राय।
बात ये है, उनसे न होगा!
स्वयं ही सब कुछ लेना होगा
सुनो, सड़क बना लो डेरा
वख़्त न देखो, शाम-सवेरा।
समय की नंगी तलवारें हैं
सर पे लटकी, तुम्ही पकड़ लो!
समय अब नहीं कवच किसी का
तुम्ही समय के सर पे चढ़ लो!
छत सर पर अहसान नहीं है
बाप, गुरु, भगवान नहीं
September 28, 2017
Capital Shit
I was brought up short the other day at
the entrance to the housing complex where I live. There was a fat
little cake of slowly dessicating shit. It had already been there a few
days.
I see open gutters everyday. Before or
during the monsoon months, they are cleaned out. There are little
piles of filth decorating the length of the street for days; perhaps
the somebody who was paid to clean
the entrance to the housing complex where I live. There was a fat
little cake of slowly dessicating shit. It had already been there a few
days.
I see open gutters everyday. Before or
during the monsoon months, they are cleaned out. There are little
piles of filth decorating the length of the street for days; perhaps
the somebody who was paid to clean
On the season of raunak
There are days, running into weeks,
when the city dresses up. In a general way, of course, you could say
that big cities are always dressed up and showing off. Bright lights
and neon define the modern urban experience and separate it from life
in small towns and villages.
Here, most streets are lit through the
night. Here, there are billboards of the glowy sort and shiny names
scratched
when the city dresses up. In a general way, of course, you could say
that big cities are always dressed up and showing off. Bright lights
and neon define the modern urban experience and separate it from life
in small towns and villages.
Here, most streets are lit through the
night. Here, there are billboards of the glowy sort and shiny names
scratched
August 25, 2017
A new digital anthology
I have put together a new digital anthology: a set of 11 essays about famous Indian ladies (who also happen to be married to famous Indian gents). You are can buy it for just 80 Indian rupees via the Juggernaut app. There will be no print edition for this, so go ahead and start reading at once.
Here's a little preview with my introduction to the collection that offers some context to
Here's a little preview with my introduction to the collection that offers some context to
