The Whistle Tree

The Whistle Tree

The delicate light green leaves tremble in the heat, providing much-needed respite from the sun. I stand with my family on the side of the road at the start of our village, looking up at the grandeur of this gnarled old tree. We’re waiting for the bus to go back...
मैं पलाश हूं

मैं पलाश हूं

मैं पलाश हूँ , सदियों से परिंदों के सुकून की तलाश हूँ, मौसमों की पहली पुकार हूँ, और अब, शायद… तुम्हारी याद में खोती जा रही एक आवाज़। में हूं एक पुराना, सीधा-सादा पेड़ — ना ज़्यादा ऊँचा, ना बहुत घना ,पर जब वसंत आता है, तो पूरा जंगल मेरी ओर देखने लगता है। मुझसे कोई...
Flame of the Forest: Sparking passions

Flame of the Forest: Sparking passions

The African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata), nicknamed the “Flame of the Forest”, sparked a fire of curiosity in me during the pandemic.  Living in an apartment and being surrounded by concrete on all sides is a hallmark of our big, bustling metropolitan Indian...
The pod that saved my life

The pod that saved my life

In most Indian households, a pre-festive ritual of removing dust from all nooks and corners is performed once a year. This cleaning is done by shifting old storage boxes, deciding what to keep and what to discard, bidding farewell to some unwanted vintage collections,...