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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12 November 2005

The suckers lose themselves in the games they learn to play, children love to sing but then their voices slowly fade away


Oooooooooooooooh, whee! Lookit what I got! Thank you Vulturo, for including my 'umble blog in your list. I think it's totally my week to be flattered :)


Ironically, in spite of all this blog petting I've hit a blog slump. A blump, if you will. My life just doesn't seem exciting anymore. I mean, dudes, I hit 24 years next month and I'm looking around me at my life and going "This is it?" 24 seemed so old when you were like 16 or 17 no? Back then I was sure by the time I hit 24, I would have everything sorted. I would be a very serious person, I vowed, with a brilliant career. And my frizzy hair would have magically straightened and would hang shinily and blackly to my shoulders (minor digression, but I want the new Garnier multilights thing they've been advertising. I'm such a sucker for ads and every time this one comes on I drop everything and stare open mouthed at the screen. I also want perfect streaked hair. Ooh, bright red! I think I'll buy that today, anyone know how much it costs?) I always imagined myself in a lab coat, for whatever reason, no matter what my profession and at least six inches taller than I am.


Before that, when I was like 12 or 13, 19 was all I could dream about. Again, the hair was long and straight (I cannot explain my love for straight hair. I love the shininess, the way it falls, I love tossing it from cheek to shoulder, I love the way people look at me, I'm like a different person with straight hair. A more together person, with a perfect nose) At 19, I vowed, I would have a bike riding boyfriend, who drove a Harley. And we'd both wear leather pants and jackets. And amidst people staring at us, I'd hop off his bike, take off my helmet and shake out my lovely, waist length, STRAIGHT hair.


Oh and K called me the other day. Among other things, he wanted me to meet his girlfriend. Like I would be any kind of value add with Little Miss Perfect and my ex boyfriend. Grah. But of course I said sensibly and maturely that I would love to meet her and that my life would not be complete without making friends with her. He wants her to meet EVERYONE. I never got to meet everyone. In fact, he just abandoned his friends and appropriated mine. I never got all this special treatment also. Hmph. Now I have to plan an outfit that will totally indimidate her. Ooh, no, better, I will be all world weary and talk about my job and the people I meet and just throw in all the big words I know and she'll be totally intimidated by my absolute intelligence. Note to self: meet for coffee, NOT alcohol so that this purpose can be achieved. Anyone got any tips on how to make your ex's present totally shit scared of you while your ex still thinks you're great? Anyone?


Hopefully this weekend will pan out more interesting than the last week has been. More "together". More like heading to my ideal 24 than this limbo type person. Week One of Project Ideal 24 begins now.

22 comments:

  1. Imagine touching 28 and thinking about 24!

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  2. i think i have your answer to the single problem. stop blogging. i'm serious.

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  3. Smile alot.. laugh alot.. be utterly confident of what u say .. dun flirt with him .. so she can't hate you .. but she would be thinkin whether she would ever be you .. *smile* ..dec baby huh ?.. join the club ..

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  4. The 20's will seem insignificant when you hit 30 gurl! I wished for shiny black cascades of hair swishing down my back too - I'm still waiting! Enjoy the ride.....and a very happy birthday!

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  5. Good luck with project Ideal 24. And I hope it doesn't involve leather.

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  6. I see that moderation has been enabled. hmm smart move given the fame you have!! :)

    I turned 23 two months back and that my friend, was supposed to be scary, just like turning 20-21 and 22. But by the time I turned 23 from 22, I had lost my dad and got pushed into the driving seat of the family before I could say 'huh?' Suddenly, growing up became 'not scary at all'

    It takes all kinds of shocks to kick you up into life I guess.. but I wish you birthdays that will all be scary :)) and a future, with 'Straight shiny hair'.

    Your posts make me smile. And that award winning .. Congrats on that as well.

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  7. Aw.. you guys :)

    Of course, this completely preempts the birthday post I had planned for next month! Oh well, will just put up link and say, "Ditto!"

    Am eating sweet potato chaat and thought I'd share

    ttg: Banana peels? Okay--we've clearly had different childhoods--my weapons were mainly water balloons :) (yes, that was me)

    hyde: Heh. By then I'll be thinking of 40!

    anon: Oooookaaaaaay!

    docs dope: Awww.. 29 is still young enough to be figuring out your life! 53 is when you should start getting worried.

    dersh: Excellent advice! I think I'm going to do just that.

    30in2005: :) Someone else wanted straight hair?

    adagio: Wow! Now I feel most illiterate!

    sirisha: Would lace do? ;)

    patrix: Heh. You're like the only person in the WORLD who has said that, most people think I'm like 15!

    kd: Things like that make me wish I could still like be a kid, with an ice cream sticky face passed out in the backseat.

    ruchika: Thanks!

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  8. I'd pick lace (however aesthetically displeasing) over leather anyday.

    Uncoolness is inherent in anything made by skinning animals.

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  9. Pasties and a band-aid. And toe socks if it's cold.

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  10. Yes. Act like the ex and you were never really an item together. It'll make her wonder why he's so easily dispensible and also why he's still fawning over you while you seem to have forgotten that 'the two of you' existed. She might even wonder if 'the two of you' actually ever existed...and what other lies he might be feeding her with.

    Ah....sweet malice! Hide your fangs when you go out with them.

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  11. I straightened my hair for my sister's wedding and people acted as though it was the first time they saw it combed.

    I have my hair streaked red (although I prefer the term highlighted) and I love it. I highly recommend it.

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  12. Geez, if you think 24 is bad, you should read Tuesdays with Morrie and see what he has to say on the culture of eternal youth. It changed my whole perspective on this ageing thing. I've "been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt, wrote the book" for my 20s and 30s. Now I look forward to the 40s.

    Life is what you make of it, chickadee. As is age.

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  13. Ah ha! The Coolest Cat Blogger! Very nice! :)

    And really, nobody believes it when you say that you are going through a Blump! At least, I don't! :)

    And thank goodness for suckers of advertising, which makes you the person responsible for keeping many kitchen fires burning. Advertising also offers rather simplistic solutions to the most complex of problems, which is good! Like Hutch sending me messages on every Saturday evening, 'Your Perfect date is just a call away!'. Ya, right!:)

    And I am not sure there exists anyway to make your ex's present feel like shit and also have your ex think you are cool. People in love suffer from selective perception, among other things!

    Oh and good luck with ideal 24, as a start you might want to put less pressure on self! :)

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  14. And comment moderation?! Wow! Just what the doc recommended! :)

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  15. Congrats on the award... Totally saw myself with shiny long hair when I turn 24... You just shattered my dreams :((

    Heheh.. jk... but I've heard similar things from many of my friends your age... So, atleast take satisfaction in the fact that you are not alone in the least.

    Are you a Saggi?

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  16. trust me...it aint fun being 6 or 3 inches taller than all the men in ur life.

    trust me.

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  17. i am just intrigued!! why on earth would you even want to tread this path? Is it "in" to meet the ex's current and pretend that you are so happy she took that load off ya .... isn't that too passe?!?

    or may be that just shows you are 24 :-)

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  18. oh wow, and just when I was wondering whats happening on K front. Go for it girl, intimidate her COMPLETELY :) I agree with ideasmith, act like K was sooo not worth it (even if you think otherwise)....Good luck !

    and oh btw, congrats cool cat :)

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  19. Oh, you mean frizzy hair won't turn smooth when I'm 24? Noooo. Ok, what about puppy fat?
    Garnier Multilights- 199.

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