Author: Rhea

We seem to be society that is ‘afflicted’ by the UP Syndrome. Have you ever noticed how we are almost obsessed with the word UP? The graphs – productions – career- growth – productivity- always goes UP. Things need to look UP to be better, we have to grow UP – Move UP – Hold UP – Show UP – Take UP – even when we pray , we look UP. Sometime It splits me up to think that on a circular planet that is always rotating, where really is UP? Anyway. I digress. 2 weeks ago I was with…

I went for my run today.. as usual in the afternoon. I love the sun..even though I come back with uneven skin tones..sometimes I am grateful for the non-uniformity …at least It makes me feel… part of …….. Uneven… Not smooth.. not equal… I live in Mumbai.. a crowded Island, the irony of the oxymoron is not lost to me…and on a Sunday the roads are pretty crowded.. as if, like the rest of the week, most people make “enjoy my holiday” as a task on their task list ..and many I presume successfully tick that off their imaginary list as…

Today is Environment day..and I have been reflecting on what does it mean..to me…to us. We seem to be taking a lot of offense these days..and while it may seem like an act of Solidarity .. it actually perpetuates the divide. Taking “Offense” and Being offended — is yet another way we perpetuate ‘separateness’.. HOW can we address the Issue of separateness by being separate? In this lockdown, I have had to use my hands a lot…..these days they are teaching me many things. Few weeks ago my left hand got caught under the fridge door..and couple of fingers got…

In conversation with a couple of friends a few days ago..the conversation predictably drifted to grief, and the struggle with ..integrating it. One friend shared how there was a place inside him ..that saw and witnessed this ..suffering ..and was not suffering.. or grieving.. WHY…long pause!!!! (and there was a familiar pain in his voice.. ) can’t we be there..in that place all the time.. Why do we HAVE to go through all this..mess I understood ..perfectly — Why indeed Of course ..I quickly remind myself, I don’t ask that question when I am having a good time….hummm And I didn’t have any…

I finally let go of the ledge — of the fragile edge A ten years long journey, of ups and downs — of blacks, whites and browns Comes to a stop without a sound. I thought it would be hard, But it wasn’t. What was hard was to trust my heart Which knew all along. Every ten years my life pauses, And gives me a chance to reinvent myself What a wonderful question ..”Now, who do I want to be ?” I am in a free fall. A chance to once again pull off the safety net Of my “certainties” —…

I Understand… What does this really mean..?..Often, perhaps it’s a shorthand for.. This happened to me also I have also felt this.. It fits my logic It matches my worldview I also have a similar story It makes sense in my view of your situation you would do that It fits the description of symptoms I have read, learnt about You are a human being like me, by virtue of that, this is the same. And sometimes…. I understand… is I resign.. I give up I am detaching I am colluding under the guise of empathy I am avoiding confrontation I am…

I pray That I can taste the stars Pluck them from the dark ink skies When I am afraid, the darkness will swallow me. I pray That I can drink the rivers And feel the flow of it inside my veins, When I feel the onset of deluge of emotions I pray That I be porous to the grief in the air, And the joy of courage in the little bud When I feel the timeless hardening of my heart begin. I pray That I feel fear and confusion of the mother pigeon When she finds one of her chicks…

I grew up with my grandma in a house with a big garden. And most of my lessons, academic and life I learnt here. When I was about 5-6 yrs old, I wanted something.. new bag or compass box..I can’t remember (interesting) .. I would keep pestering her several times a day for some answer for – “when will I get it”?. So, one day she brought a small flower pot with soil, and in front of me planted some seeds, inserted a 12” wooden ruler(some of you may still remember that) and handed it to me saying, this was…

Someone mentioned the word •Barren”, Barren women ..and why not men ..and earth, they said, The argument feeble There was a somber tone The gurgle of hope …wasting away, even as she tried hard to …breathe. It felt like, they had given up.. Because.. Because of what they ..saw Or at least, they thought they did My heart , broke, I think … it represented The cracked parched land That the image of barren conjured And yet, I knew I was .not barren And neither was the earth Nor were the women and men No matter what ..it ‘looked like”…

Although I grew up, practically in a garden.. I now live on the 10th floor of an appartment in the city of Mumbai. And that notwithstanding I still manage to have plants wherever I go…and birds to feed. I moved to this appartment a few months ago..It’s been a Gift on many levels…for one, It has a decent sized balcony (for people living in Mumbai ..this is luxury) ..two it has many birds..pigeons, crows, small birds, hawks..mayna….and parrots. One of the first things I did when I moved here was get my parrot feeder installed… I LOVE parrots..I think they…