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 2004

In which I avoid my parent's friends

I re-read yesterdays post and was struck with how supercilious I sound. Surely, that half-whining, half-condescending tone isn't mine? I think that when you write like this... when you contain a whole day of your life in justa couple of paragraphs, you're left wiht somehting like a photograph. It will capture the strongest emotion you feel, but only that-- pixellated distilled images which aren't entirely you. So there's none of the joy I felt at being out in the middle of the week, the sudden tiredness at the end of the evening when sharp throbs of pain made their presence felt at the backs of my legs. And there's none of what I felt, what I can't even describe as I looked at my old college friends who I was hanging out with. How do you describe looking at the past and the present together?
I did a google search for best blogs yesterday, trying to come up with inspiration to make this one more readable. I got stuck on this one Life In LA. Forgive me if it goes to some random date in November, becaue I started reading the archives and haven't been able to stop. Some people make blogs such a work of art, it makes me quite ashamed of my own 'timepass' effort.
In between work yesterday I also googled a whole lot of possible options for my blog to come out in a search. No such luck.I'm bound to anonymity, it looks like, whether happy or unhappy.
I went for a booklaunch lat night, for Hari Kunzru's new book Transmission. Surreptiously after it was over I snuck into a corner and lit a cigarette. All my parent's friends (my parents are very into the 'literary' circle in Delhi) came up to me at just that moment to say hello. I tried to pretend I didn't notice the long spirals of smoke coming form my right hand and as soon as they left I galloped into another corner. Who do I meet there but some old college professors! I knwo I'm not in college anymore, and I could possibly smoke in fornt of them, but out of many years instinct I stuck my cigarette behind my back and talked to them. By the time I was done smiling and saying, "Yes ma'am" my smoke wa smore or less over and when I turned to find myself fcae to face with yet another friend of my moms, I dropped it and trod on it casually.
What an evening!
Link of the day: This one is fun for Harry Potter fans, like me!

5 comments:

  1. And how can I avoid meeting his parents? I really don't know why should I meet my boyfriend's parents...

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  2. googling to find my blog was something i did too. nope, no success. infact in some blog i came across a "grade ur BLOG" test & i got Junior High Grade:-P & then prudently decided not to paste it on my blog.

    hi, am Nancy. was randomly browsing when i came across urs. totally overawed by the contents on ur page. was not going to comment at first but i had to tell u that the whole cigrette episode is hilarious. cant stop laughing.

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  3. If it is any consolation I searched for your blog and found it. :P I've been wanting to read your blog ever since I read your book. Loved your book. :)

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  4. hey!my friends call you my evil twin because each of your mumbai mirror columns reminds them of me in some way or the other :p i read your book recently and thoroughly enjoyed it."in which i avoid my parent's friends" struck home this time around too! :D

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  5. hahahah, You are still lucky sista!

    Had it happened to me, I think my first instinct would be to just swallow the cigarette butt right than and there ...

    however I still understand and totally feel your pain ...

    Did I tell you that I loveeee your blog ...keep writing :)

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