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The Grass is Always Greener on the Mediocre Side
I dream of being a mediocre man,Utterly average, an unexceptional specimen.No greatness to aspire to, no failure to fear,Just blissful, unburdened, blessed mediocrity. I’d scale no mountains, set no world on fire,But neither would I feel the weight of expectation.I could simply exist, unencumbered by ambition,Free to revel in the glory of my own ordinariness.…
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Home is no longer a place
Bombay dreams in sepia tones,Konkan whispers through cracked phones.Kadak chai, now a bittersweet sip,Pani puri’s ghost on a longing lip.Local’s rhythm, a distant lullaby,Once scorned, now draws a wistful sigh.Mumbai’s chaos, a siren’s song,Calling me where I don’t belong.Reality fades, leaving only the shine,Of a home that was never so divine.Distance softens the rough and…
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Delusion of Reprieve: Clinging to last hope
In psychiatry, the concept of the ‘delusion of reprieve’ describes how a condemned person might irrationally cling to the hope of a last-minute pardon. Viktor Frankl discusses this idea in Man’s Search for Meaning, extending its relevance far beyond its original context. When a relationship I valued ended abruptly, I found myself trapped in a…
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Longing for Open Spaces
Bir. Paragliders dotted the horizon, landing in the wide-open space next to my temporary home. We all gravitated there, day after day. Six evenings, I was pulled in too. Back in Bangalore, concrete and glass hem me in. No patch of earth to call our own, no place to just be. Rewind to…
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Permission to Splurge
For years, guilt was my unwelcome shopping companion. Coming out of my twenties without much cash, and always feeling the weight of needing to be financially responsible (even with a supportive family), I became an expert penny-pincher. That frugal mindset followed me deep into my thirties. Every non-essential purchase felt like a betrayal of some…