Lakshmi Iyer's Blog, page 35
September 6, 2019
To The Moon And Back
A few weeks ago, every day on my drive to work and back home, I listened to America commemorate the
September 3, 2019
Untaught Lessons
I am driving home from my brother’s place. Amma is in the passenger seat beside me. Pattu and Laddu are
September 2, 2019
Birthday Wishes For The Man In My Life
His voice undulates as he reads. Laddu is on his lap, her hands raised to circle his neck. Ammu is
August 31, 2019
Essay: Arranged Marriage
This essay appeared in Centered: The magazine of personal stories in 2019. It is an excerpt from my work in progress memoir. Standing in the living room where I rented a room in Jeevan Bima Nagar in Bangalore, I tried to process what was happening. My father declared, “We are coming this weekend.” What is the hurry? I wanted to scream into the phone. It … Continue reading →
August 26, 2019
Letting Go, Just A Little Bit
I hear the bus before I see it. My pace picks up speed. I meet neighbors on the way to the bus stop but my mind is on my five-year-old Laddu. The bus passes me and Pattu waves from inside. I am wondering if I should jog the last few meters to the bus stop but I walk instead. I … Continue reading →
August 19, 2019
Fleeting Childhood
She is staring out the window, a stuffed bear under her elbow, a piece of paper with the drawing of a little girl in her hand. In a week she will set foot into a new era. One in which her life will be ruled by teachers, friends and timers. In the eight months she has been home, unschooled, unruled, … Continue reading →
August 15, 2019
A Certain Smugness Of Being
My call is just about over when a frantic text pops up on my phone. I ignore it and focus on being present, engaged and active. The call ends and I pick the phone up and go for a walk. I walk around my office building, a concrete tower that is older, stark and bereft of character. The area around … Continue reading →
August 13, 2019
Love That Spilleth Over
Laddu peeks in the study and noticing I am on a work call, closes the door gently behind her as she runs upstairs in search of akkas. Her pigtails bounce up and down as she scampers away and my heart swells with a feeling that feels too big for me. I am disoriented by the feeling and shake my head … Continue reading →
August 2, 2019
Perils Of Judging From Afar
A few months ago, I received a cryptic note on my FB page from someone representing a modeling agency. I was wary but also curious. After a few messages back and forth he said he was a talent scout and that a certain famous actor in southern India was turning director and for his debut … Continue reading Perils Of Judging From Afar
July 20, 2019
Things We Don’t Talk About
Warning: Not my usual kind of writing. Read at your own risk. I woke this afternoon from my nap feeling gross. My body is going through a period of change. In the erratic swinging of hormones, I find myself raging relentlessly. Sometimes I rage physically, my voice reaching octaves higher than normal. Some days, I […]
