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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4 September 2007

I put the 'sing' in single


Happy September! Although, I'm not a big September fan, despite its pretty name. September in Delhi is awful, all muggy and humid and it feels like you're breathing liquid air and you can't wait for the damn month to be over already so glorious winter can come in. In Bombay, now, September is an exceptionally nice month, I realise. The weather is pleasant, there's enough rain to keep everything art-movie-interesting and when it's sunny, it's still pretty. This is the last of the monsoons I've been told, before the second summer, when it's back to sleeping with the air conditioner and then "winter" where the temperature will drop to a nice 22 degrees. Tropical cities are lovely, though I will miss the beauty of a Delhi winter and the crisp cold air in my nostrils and my lungs and curling my fingers around a mug of hot coffee and my black coat with my VS Naipaul hat.

I've had a busy weekend, despite being very very broke (it was the end of the month and you know I live far beyond my means). We had a little farewell party for Mouse and another friend of Shark Tooth's and when I say little, I mean under a hundred people, of course. I don't know how everyone managed to fit into our apartment, let alone dance, there was dancing! which made me most proud! but they did and proceeded to get very drunk. I didn't know half the people there, but big achievements for this party were a) as many, actually perhaps more women than men, which made my male friends pleased and b) me, your friendly hostess, for the first time in a very very long time, getting completely HAMMERED at her own party. Also some cute boys (okay ONE) who was eyelash fluttered at, although by the time we got to the eyelash fluttering, I may not have been in the best state to decide whether someone was cute or not. I remember his hair though, even if the face is a little blurry in my memory. But the next day, waking up with a backache (back story: TC's litter is usually the branded stuff, which costs about a 1000 rupees to a 5 kilo pack. This time, to economise, I bought a cheaper variety--10 kilos for 400. BUT I had to carry it around with me, because I was meeting my friend Deepti for lunch, and ergo, the backache) and no memory of large parts of the evening. I was told that for the most part I behaved myself, which is a relief. I also informed people that I didn't like Bengali food and spent a part of the evening prancing around in a cowboy hat.

Anyway, so Saturday, I napped most of the day away and then later hung out with Sameer and Chrisann, and Saturday wasn't very exciting at all, except for a recap we all did of the party the night before. Cute Boy from the party had invited me to another do, but because I had no one to go with, I chose not to. Besides, my mouth was still fuzzy and by the time I got into bed, little men with tom-toms were playing One Night Only concerts in my head.

Sunday was excellent fun though. I got just about the right amount of sleep and then Deepti and her husband Neel called me for brunch, which, because it was Sunday and all, turned into lunch at a very nice restaurant called Cafe Madras, which marked a milestone in my Bombay development, being the first time in eight months (it's been eight months! yay me!) I've had nonsweet sambhar and rasam in this city. Post that, because they are posh and have all these club memberships, we went to the Turf Club for coffee, where I totally wished I was Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman so I could do the outfit--large white floppy hat, gloves to my elbows and a spotted dress. (I was wearing, instead, a t-shirt, jeans, red chappals and a black bag with gold Hare Krishnas on it. It's a good thing Fashion Week is in Delhi). Despite my non dressiness, we had a good time and moved onwards to try and catch Ratatouille but all the tickets were gone. Being an enterprising couple, Deepti and Neel decided we should rent a movie instead and then go back to theirs. (Also, being an enterprising couple, they have the loveliest home theatre system with a PROJECTOR SCREEN and I was all like, why do you ever go out to watch movies?) We hung out at the Yacht Club for a bit, drinking Bloody Marys and going, "Yar." Then (phew) back to their house to watch June Bug which has that really really elegant woman from The Wedding Date, what's her name? The one every woman wants to be with her arched neck and perfect manners? And Ben McKenzie, Ryan from The OC, who I greeted like an old friend. ("Hello Ryan!" I said to the screen). And then, home. (As I recap, it makes me tired. That's quite a bit to fit into one day!)

And it's a new week. Diabolique's farewell party tonight at the Hawaiian Shack (waaaaaaaaaaaaah, don't leave me and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO), shitloads of work to do, but with weekends like my last one, I only feel energised and all powerful.

(Of course, the songs stuck in my head all weekend include London Bridge by Fergie, Mahiya by god knows who and Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. I think that pretty much sums up the last couple of days.)

(I'd only recommend Chasing Cars, if you haven't heard any of the abovementioned songs. It's awesome.)

(Hanging out with married couples totally rocks. I suggest you cultivate one today! It's totally low maintanence, politics free socialising. Or maybe it's just the married couples I've known)

EDIT: Also, I've added a new element to my left sidebar, if you will just move your eyes there. I like a lot of blogs, and I know many people don't use the blogroll (that's mainly for me, anyway). Anyway, so I'll be updating that whenever I find something new I like, or that I haven't pimped before. Either just a post or, in this case, the entire blog. The first one is The Mad Momma, who I've been seeing around the internet, but only just read recently. And then wondered at my stupidity for not reading her before. Lovely stuff, if you like mom blogs, and I do. (Something about their structured lives, caring for someone other than themselves draws me like discovering a weird polar opposite to you and falling madly and passionately in love.) But you lot know I'm lazy and disorganised, so it'll be updated as periodically as I remember. We're all about the internet.

15 comments:

  1. i love fun married couples.
    makes me a little less scared of eventually heading that route!
    did TC not hate the party...so many people intruding on his turf...cats are very territorial!

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  2. Uh wow!
    You seem to be living in Utopia! Compare that to the last few weekends I've been having (last few = dating back 24 years, I guess)!

    You sure you've got a spare liver though? LOL!

    -PeAcE
    --WiTh
    ---GuNs

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  3. Thank you so much for having us over. Had a blast!

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  4. married couples are probably fun-ner because they're already used to having to deal with, and accommodate, another person in their lives.
    plus, having someone else to look after probably helps keep them from sniping at each other.

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  6. heres a nice mommy blog.
    www.leaving1302.wordpress.com

    its cool because it started as afrantic bride blog(her planning her wedding)...then a married life blog(one of the cool couples i know) and now its a moomy blog.
    the baby is adorable, mashallah.yes pictures too!lol!

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  7. hmm....i read your blog everyday and have been doing so last 6 months or so..
    I love your posts and your wild ideas. I had a film script running in my head last two years...and one of the characters resembles you - may be, a part of me which i haven't explored completely.
    It's lovely to see the trusim and rollicking madness in your writing.
    you are an amazing woman and i'm really heartened to see a woman so honest and intense like you, who chooses to live life on her own terms - so, so guilelessly...
    Continue to be what you are...a very nice, nice human being..:-)

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  8. Been reading your Blog for a while now and I must admit I Like it..:)
    Chasing Cars is good. Songs I would recommend to keep you humming them for more than weekends are:
    1) Sia - Breathe Me
    2) Sigur Ros - Nsojnavelin(Icelandic for "The Nothing Song")
    3) Staind - NutShell (Cover of famous Alice In Chains Anthem)
    4)Brian Tyler - Neela Drifts (from F&F Tokyo Drift)
    5) Howie Day - Collide

    Hope you like them, seriouslly :P!!

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  9. well whaddya know?! I drop by your blog often and i see mine being pimped today! *curtsies* thank you kind soul. I am always pleasantly shocked when i find non-mommies reading my ramblings. just thought i'd delurk to thank you.

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  10. *ahem* I'm representing the lazy and disorganised moms out there. : )

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  11. please sameer and chris rescued your saturday night!!!

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  12. Almost married couples are good too... they're at the coochie coo stage right before the ohshitigotmarriedtosomeoneilove/hate/love/hate/love/hate.
    It's reassuring almost.

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  13. @renovatio... Hahaha you got it in one with the ohshitigotmarriedtosomeoneilove/hate/love/hate/love/I

    I think almost marrieds are cute to watch for about five minutes and then get really annoying because they're so happy - whichever side of the fence you are (single or married)

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  14. How cheery for us married couples to read this :) Funny how the post has so much other random stuff than this but people seem to be picking up only the married couple reference in their comments

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