Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar's Blog, page 19

It Rains on the Just and the Unjust

In the early hours of the morning, while the rest of the house slept, I was feeding the three month old with one hand and scrolling through social media with the other. Yes, the more repetitive a task, the more likely I am to do being at least two others simultaneously. Scrolling through trending topics [...]

Wordless Wednesday: A French Maid, Free Laundry, and Lunch

In need of laundry, lunch and ahem, some service? Here’s an example of a well targeted ad – the audience is men who are left in Doha while their families travel on summer holiday – but the creativity calls up the worst of sexism. What do you think? Did they go too far? Or is [...]

Deserted in the Desert

The flavor of your summer depends on where you live. Like anything in life. But I can’t shake the suspicion summer here is unique from life elsewhere, unless you have lived in a beach town during the winter. The impulse towards uniqueness must also be a human compulsion. Hear me out, though, on summer in [...]

A love story, an obsession, a murder, COLLATERAL DAMAGE by @frederickbrooke

Being a writer can often be lonely. You sit a desk and pound out words, day in day out. Sometimes I forget what my voice sounds like. The good news, is that there are other storytellers like me. And often we can get together when we aren’t behind our bookish deadlines. What’s even better about [...]

Wordless Wednesday: Seers Book Trailer

Recently, I shared pre-release news about Seers: Ten Tales, a collection of short stories. Here’s the book trailer. And a few excerpts from the stories themselves. Excerpt from “Dance with the Devil” by Carole Ann Moleti Taina settled onto the cold, metal chair, her back erect, stomach lurching like she was in a confessional about [...]

Gulity Until Proven Innocent

My husband rarely gets involved in public debates. The last time he had an opinion was the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election. These days he’s a bit gap mouthed about the reaction to American football player Aaron Hernandez who has been imprisoned over murder charges. A bad week for Hernandez, who it must be said has [...]

Wordless Wednesday: Willingly Seceding A Throne

The first time I met the Emir, in 2005, as I was shaking his hand, he told me how happy I was going to be in Qatar.  Two children, one husband, six years of marriage, and a PhD later, I can’t agree more. He is a visionary ruler and a very humble man. “Sheikh Hamad [...]

Five Generations Under One Roof

And lucky me, it happens to be my house where everyone is converging. June 22nd is the start of summer. This year, by default we are hosting a mini-family reunion of sorts. What started as a my sister and her children,  quickly adds up to lots of people when you count the growing brood of [...]

Wordless Wednesday: Seers

I‘m excited to reveal the cover of the short story collection Seers,edited by Rayne Hall. Along with the ten tales is one of mine, a story about a girl with a mother who may not be who she’s been told all along. My first attempt at sci-fi, “Senstory.” Stay posted for release details!   Related [...]

Bad Parent, Good Lesson

It’s Father’s Day, one of what I call “Hallmark holidays”, or when the card, candy, and floral merchants rub their hands together in anticipation of the commerce to come. Or used to. Does anyone besides my aunt in India send cards anymore? In the case of fathers, perhaps it’s the razor and tie manufacturers. And [...]