Comfortably Numb - Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Travel: Sim`s Park, Coonoor

Silent Sentinels Time to shine a spotlight on a special park up in the Nilgiris, Sim`s Park in Coonoor. Sim’s Park redefines the concept of a conventional park, with as many as 1,000 species of trees contained within a sprawl of 12.14 hectares parkland. Trees as old as eternity, or almost. Trees with gnarled, split…

Humour: Writer`s dilemma

A Writer’s Dilemma A funny thing happened to me on the way to 2002. Just about every one I met, friends, kin, acquaintances, all barring complete strangers (the heavens be praised), would start conversations with mysterious references to ‘The Book.’ It took me a while to figure out they weren’t talking about the Bible,…

Feature: Missing Sister

I can close my eyes and see her now. Bright sparkling eyes, a mop of black curls cropped close to her head, the widest grin ever, a body perennially poised for action, digging into the endless banana splits that were a staple food for her at the Lakeview ice-cream joint on MG Road. She was…

Feature: The Refugee

The Refugee Conditioned as I was by city mores, I tried not to stare. But she was truly beautiful, dirty pheran and dishevelled hair notwithstanding….

Humour: Mother of all farces

Mother of all farces After almost a decade in the line, I’d thought myself hardened to most people and happenings. So when the editor asked me to go meet the reigning Herbal Queen’s newly-wed son and heir, and get him to talk about his wedding, it sounded like…

Humour: A mate for Boss

A dogged pursuit I’m looking for a mate for my Boss. Before the unsuspecting reader jumps to the startling conclusion that I am matchmaking for my employer, I must clarify that Boss is my Golden Retriever. Even as Goldens go, Boss is gorgeous. Sable coloured with velvet brown eyes and a most affable disposition, he’s a stunning chappie. What’s more, he has…

Humour: Mona at a life-coaching session

Note: Mona was a flaky character I created in the pre-digital age and she used to appear in a lot of my DH Middles. A Costly Session I had never seen my friend Mona so excited. All that customary languor was gone, replaced by a…

Humour: That red elixir

That Red Elixir There is a lot I don’t know about wines. I will freely admit to that. However, there is one little thing that puzzles me no end: why for the love of…

Feature: Farewell Friend

Farewell Friend When they called to tell me he was gone, dead of a heart attack just twelve days after he turned 39, I was filled with rage. An all-consuming, white-hot rage that robbed me of words,that even robbed me of tears. I placed the receiver carefully back in its cradle and took down the…

Feature: My Greatest Achievement

My Greatest Achievement Recently, a magazine carried an article on role reversals and their hidden fallout. A working couple decide to have a baby and share parenting 60-40. That is, with the husband doing 60 per cent of the caring and nurturing, and the wife handling the rest. Within months of their baby mouthing her…