Becoming a Predator

The toxic fumes of a pesticide burnt my nostrils, I refused to breath in the air that so heavily smelled of death – attempted to open the windows, but the fumes stifled me already…..Escaped, the word is still a misnomer, into a brightly lit cubicle, still stifled by the insensitively cold air in the atmosphere. I am still trying to breathe in - - -



Clear blue skies, flourishing blooms, the greens breaking through the ground to rise above the dark soil, the onset of Spring stole the grey white sheets from over me, too. But, little did I realise the returning of warmth in the air was to break the dormancy of another powerful species!!! TheCimex lectularius have made this Homo sapien completely insomniac and a predator in the making.


In Spring I learned about them, identified them and prepared to combat if need be. Prudentially, tried to maintain a “sweet” introduction from a distance. Restrained visiting friends who I knew had become hosts to the bedbugs and I guess, was being hated in reciprocation.

I was fooled though. Came late Spring and I would wake up in the middle of the night looking for my elusive “guests”. They were crawling over me, piercing my skin, injecting anticoagulants and anesthetics and feeding on me!!!


To begin with, I was nice to my guests – did not take “ their” bed away, instead lost mine!! Live and let live, what say?


Came in Summer and along came the sweltering heat. Perfectly snuggled under my bedroom carpet they were, feasting on reportedly every night; we have played the hide and seek game for a month now. They have grown in health, in numbers and shown courage in the light. I wait till dawn comes to only stretch my spine.


Extermination is known to be hard game and I have provenly failed!! But I have to battle to sleep. The fumes burn my nostrils, my eyes blur from insomnia as I wait for the dawn ---- of the day and everyday!

If I Knew You

I know you

I know who you are, I know you deep inside -

My eyes have formed you, my mind gave you the heart

I see the world the way do your eyes!

Yes, I know you

I know who you are

You stand amazed in the rainbow of flowers

I find solace in the fragrance , scavenge hope in anthers!

You show me the Fall clouds in the sky

I see dark purple waves roaring through scattered gold

I felt the golden disc beyond, bedazzled by the ripples in the sky!

You took me to the fountain some days

To the music of water, the rhythm of cascades, the spirits to mesmerise

My dreams my hopes my faith revelled high!

Yes, I know you

I know who you are

You took me to the world one day

Gave me a name, called me yours –

I came to know you had your eyes and a heart of yours!

Still I know you,

I know who you are

My lonely days spin dreams for you, my nights descend to cry

I stand alone by the fountain, gaze at the sky

Not a petal to pass by!

The shards of Life

The picture frame a friend gifted refused to hang on to the wall - a weekend afternoon nap getting disrupted by a "thud" and a brief span of dismay if I may. The Made in China wooden part of the frame was totally lame but the glass remained a little more than shards!!! As my instinct would have it, I held the bigger glass pieces in my hand, light shining through and on them... did not want the giant trash receptacles to ground them back to silica. The School Glue fixed the edges together, some paint helped to hide the cracks......to add on, some seashells gifted by a loved one helped beautify and turn the pieces together into one piece pleasing the eyes. How I wish there were magic glues to hold together, some forlorn paints to add color to........and gifts of the nature - the scattered seashell-like smiles and laughter, memories and love that could put together and glorify the broken pieces of life, too........alas.........

Not a Food Blog

Nopes...this is not a food blog as the visuals may persuade you to see, smell or think :)........Although the "male alimentary canal" has long been known to be connected to the "male heart" through good food, food can appropriate any soul!

In a strive to revive my blogspot and seek entrance to all your hearts...may I use some savories, too :). I love to cook and as I cook for the week, I try to make each weekday a little special in its food after a day's grind at work. This week begins with Kashmiri Dum Aloo...

Memories of a sweet delight

There is no denying of the fact that I have rightly inherited the genes to be a good cook from Maa and the patience to be good at something from my Bapi. Not a single day has passed since my last visit to Kolkata...to my home...that I have not missed the two Angels of my life. And as always, I try to live each day in the Eastern Time Zone as I would have lived in the Indian Standard Time!!!!

While Maa would have hardly imagined in her dreams, I did make "Roshobora" today. A dumpling of lentils dipped in sugar syrup.......the grainy texture of the lentils, the taste of Urad daal and the sweetness used to be a welcome snack if you will for the family. Donot remember which time of th year Maa made them....but the Roshoboras had been haunting me over the last few days. And as I take pride in my culinary expertise, the Roshoboras are perfect this evening, too. Stealing time from the deadline of an Abstract submission for a scientific pursuance by midnight, I let my emotions take over as the golden brown dumplings stare back at me through the glistening syrup!!!