My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



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24 June 2005

And underneath her wimple, she has curlers in her hair! I even heard her singing in the Abbey

Today was a good day.

I prize my good days.


On my good days I forget that I ever had bad days. On my good days I feel smart and sexy and funny and I lope instead of just normal walking. On my good days I wear bright colours and my hair behaves itself. On my good days I am an energy machine at work and multi-task like a goddess. On my good days I sing along to sad songs and think poor things, and what a fuss they make about nothing.


On my good days I meet old friends for coffee and grin a lot and feel like an independant working woman. Usually, on my good days, I wind up with so many social engagements for the next two or three days that I'm swamped. Because on my good days the days are too short and I want to meet everyone, even old flatmates who I barely speak to anymore. And I want to do everything--get a tattoo, buy cargo pants (which I admit, regretfully, are too young for me). On my good days I am forgiving and a fountain of serenity and wisdom. I give good advice, I listen hard, I pat shoulders. But also on my good days, I trip over my sentences because I'm in such a hurry to tell the next story.


On my good days, I'm sleepy at a normal time, like now it's 10.30 and I'm ready for bed. My insomnia vanishes on my good days. I think only of pleasant things--like the fact that the new Harry Potter releases next month and that Boston Boy returns next month also. When I think of unpleasant things, like filing tax returns, which I should do, I'm all gung-ho about it. Because, (and stop me if I've said this) on my good days I vibrate with energy.


On my good days, I think in terms of tomorrow and the day after that. I think about the stories I have to hunt tomorrow and instead of thinking of the heat, I think of the thrill of fixing up an interview. Today was an exceptionally good day because when I stepped outside my office into the balcony for my post-lunch cigarette break, there was wind, the kind that smells of rain, and the trees were swishing and I raised my face up to the sky and saw the grey clouds and felt so glad to be alive.


I've had so many good days this month. Little joys are being handed out to me and I feel half-apprehensive as I accept them, because really, how long will they last? But that's not a good day thought, so I stifle it and wonder instead, if I'm going to have so many good days, what on earth shall I blog about? The Adventures Of Merry Sunshine may not make for very interesting reading, but I should also warn you, on my good days I blog a lot.

19 comments:

  1. Yay!! Dee woz 'ere furst.
    I don't even get a nickname'd mention anymore? And we hardly ever speak anymore because I'm crazy busy, not because we've fought or becoz I don't lurve you anymore!!!
    No, I promise, this isn't gratuitous self promotion. I just thought I'd drop a note to tell you I had a great time today, and we should make this a once-a-week (when I'm not on shoot) compulsary evening of fun(and caffeine and nicotine)!
    Sleep tight Merry Sunshine.

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  2. Hi,

    Dropped here from Samit's Blog site. "... on my good days, I trip over my sentences because I'm in such a hurry to tell the next story" - well said....

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  3. very well written. sweet and thoughtful :)

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  4. Sometimes you write exactly what I have been searching words for...

    "... on my good days, I trip over my sentences because I'm in such a hurry to tell the next story"

    But definitely, your words are far better than what I could come up with. Maybe thats why you are a journalist and I am a techie :D

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  5. Ahhh...little by little we find out about eM. So Dee was your flatmate, huh?

    P.S. Ignore him

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  6. On your good days people fall over themselves to please and gratify you.
    Even Mr. Bajaj Pulsar here.
    Nice very nice (hic)

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  7. Dee: My lovely, you've forgotten that I had TWO flatmates. The reference wasn't to you! And yes, once a week coffee plus nicotine fits RIGHT into my schedule :)

    sd: Hello! And thanks :)

    sagnik: Thank you too :)

    gettingthere: Oh how I wish being a journo meant that I could automatically write stuff like this for the paper! :) And I know some very erudite techies..

    mint: Yup Dee was flatmate along with She Who Shall Not Be Named :)

    imhunt: I noticed!

    vibhu; Haha, very funny. I thought of biscuit connection too, btw :)

    triteinin: I remember teh movie, but I don't think I rememer the song. I was thinking more of that song from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.. I've forgotten the name though :)

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  8. It's the rains I tell ya. Expect similar posts from the Delhite blogger community in the coming days. And your post is pretty much like the first rain itself. I enjoyed getting soaked. :-)

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  9. Hi eM! Itz really nice to see you feeling all happy and upbeat! Pus,like many others have said before me- lovely writing.

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  10. Hey Ouy!!

    You have a lot many more Good days!!!

    Cheers!!

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  11. Technically, I was the first to see this post. But then again, if it weren't for SOMEONES demands, I might have actually got around to commenting. And now, I don't know what I was going to say.

    Enjoy the funnies and the music :))

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  12. (e)M(aria) makes me ... laugh :-)

    but how do u catch a cloud and pin her down ???!!!

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  13. Hun, what you need to do is, the next time you have a Good Day, email the details to me so I can blog about it instead. Good Day posts are a bit in short supply over my end at the moment. Bah.

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  14. manish: Oh but weather went back to normal muggy stillness, so it CAN'T be the rain!

    sunrayz: Thanks! :)

    chameleon: I hope so!

    vignesh: Even more happy days, yay!

    bontellis: Hey you're the only one who commented on the title, which I thought was sooooooo appropriate! :)

    forgetful: I'm glad you thought so :)

    jay: Aww.. what happened? Tell Aunty eM all about it.

    mandar: Thanks! :)

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  15. eM: that doesn't mean that I didn't go beyond the title :p

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  16. Lucky you, having good days... AB and I have decided that with weather like this, good days are a technical and meteorological impossibility! :-) God, all I can talk about is the weather. Help!

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  17. Yeah motheater is right. Good days are eluding me:(

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  18. Muh deah young lydy ...

    *settles glasses on end of nose*
    Despite the obvious merit of your .. oh, sod that style! I wish I had your knack for throw-away lines in SPOKEN style. You know what I mean? Writing the way you might TALK. Great post.

    BUT .... NObody is too old for cargoes. I'm buying a pair today.

    And (a pet beef) please DO use 'whoM' (say it out loud now, WhommMMMMM) instead of 'who' when the context warrants it.

    J.A.P.

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