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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19 October 2009

We’re so very retro in here


I am sooooooooooo tired and the internet is soooooooooo slow today that I am very tempted to abandon all attempts at blogging and just go to bed. But, but, you know I love you and I needed to blog a little today, to feel a little love at my very own social media thing, to feel like I was reaching out and talking to an audience that was talking back and have the good times—party like it’s 1999!—all over again.



But how do people sustain a blog for so long? Coz that has me beat. Five years, FIVE YEARS and I’ve all done grown up now, y’all. Do you remember me when I began, wet behind the years, discovering the thrill of shouting out words to an invisible audience? Do you remember my naiveté, my little hopes and dreams, the way I talked about everything and then do you remember when the tide turned and I turned and everything changed and I couldn’t anymore?



Well, I’m bringing that back. FUCK people knowing my name, I give not the tiniest damn. I want to talk about what I want to talk about, for instance, today I want to tell you how much I miss my boyfriend’s earlobes, he has the sweetest ears, all small and set flat against his head, not horrid and stick out-y and they are sweet even if you nibble them. It’s weird to miss someone’s ears of all things, but I suppose I’m going bit by bit.



And almost in the same vein of confession, I need to say that I have not, in fact, had a bath today, internet. I have been so tired and so grumpy and so hungover that I forgot all about bathing and will, in all likelihood, go to bed exactly as I am. (OOOOOOH!)



I had two rad Diwali parties this weekend, one was my own, in which there were, possibly, more foreign people than Indian ones, but we played teen patti and then segued into Charades and it went on till 3 am AND we had a noise complaint despite the music being way low, so you know it was a success.



And on Saturday, Diwali, my lovely friend, Gia and I went for another party dressed in saris, looking beauteous. Gia is not Indian, but, BUT, she was the one who got me into my sari and it stayed on and relatively neat all evening, so all props to her (see picture for how good it looked on her). It was a good party. I found myself in my usual position, crosslegged in front of the speakers, iPod in hand and soon we had a real Bollywood dance party going on and I was very proud. If I was a DJ, I’d totally be called DJ Dhinchak.



And in honour of bringing bits of the old Confessor into the new, I’m introducing an idea I got from Schmutzie—where she asks her readers to ask her a question, any old question about any old thing and she answers. She said it much better than I am: “For a couple of reasons, I always like weblog entries like this: the weblog's author ends up writing about things that all us readers want to know, it is fascinating to see what the commenters want to know about, and it reveals an ongoing conversation between author and readers that reminds me of the community aspect of blogging that I love so much.”



Anyhoo, so ask me whatever’s topmost on your mind and I’ll turn those questions into the next post!

26 comments:

  1. hmmm.. lets start with.. how did u meet the love of your life?

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  2. I like green eggs and ham. Do you want some green eggs and ham?
    :P

    Well, I seriously can't think of much else to ask, but green eggs and ham does sound yummy.

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  3. Hey there...

    I've read your 5 years in almost a year, I started reading your blog after your book and let me tell you, even on a early-lame-monday-of-a-similar-lame-week,I make the most use of this office internet to check the CC blog fisrt thing and when there's nothing new, I re-read your archive.(Hope I'm not sounding crazy fan kinds. Am not! really~).

    But you know wat, your blogs have LIFE in them.. in CAPS.. And darling it's such fun to read even today... :)

    Tc!

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  4. no questions but great post DJ Dhinchak ... and earlobes are a veryyy essential part of someone to miss!

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  5. I've been reading ur blog for quite sometime now & just loooove it.I moved to delhi 3 years back and getting so fond of this place now..feels like home here. The drive around India gate, street food, shopping in sarojini... So, do you miss delhi...how did life change from delhi to mumbai ?

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  6. What's your current FB status?
    Lame Q which you're now obligated to answer =P

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  7. Ah, don't be embarrassed about the old entries, eM. In fact they're much better than most of the new stuff, because there's real stuff in them, real life, real emotions.

    Here's my question then - scary - what have you learnt in those 5 years? How much do you think one grows up in that time?

    Thanks.

    Keep writing.

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  8. I read your book first and envied the life off Arshi and her romance with Kabir to the hilt. Then I came here and now I adore how candidly you keep pouring out and entertaining us all

    Tell me when is your second book coming out?

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  9. Hi em. I started reading your blog recently. And i should say you are quite impressive and kind of a cool carefree person any indian girl would love to be. Cheers to great em and CC.
    In your initial posts when you started the blog, there was this passion, a happiness and flow of words in expressing and recreating your daily life and thoughts. But later on i see you struggling through either your writers block or the frequency of your posts.so tell me your difference in passion about blogging over 5 years?

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  10. Your frequency of writing would have windled from day zero to present...but still there is something which makes you go on and on. What drives you to do that?

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  11. since you are in confessionary mode... have you ever regifted a gift?

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  12. So this year I totally am planning on stealing your idea of the Hallowali party :). Trying to get my friends here to get all enthu about it. By now everyone has heard about the concept and the creator of the Hallowali concept :)

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  13. ha, earlobes...god, that's cute. but still, a part of him is a part of him, and therefore to be missed :)

    no questions, but looooved the post!

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  14. Hi eM,
    What women want? Please enlighten :)

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  15. Hi em, u write with abandon, and are pleasure to read!! I am quite a fan. I wanted to know, if your parents /family follow your blog? If they do? how do they react to ur uncensored posts at times:)

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  16. Earlobes:)) Not that weird. I miss my ex's neck and shoulder blades.

    Oh question- If there was something you could say/do to the trolls who hate on you and your blog what would it be?

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  17. Saw the new website. Liked the look.
    Here's my question contribution:

    What makes a cat smile?

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  18. My question: When are you coming back to Hyderabad? (another reading [session], yes?)

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  19. My question eM to you is- That when and how did you decide to get yourself published??

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  20. [* scratch scratch *] I think i have read the earlobes thingy way back in your posts :D anywayz dont rememeber !! nice post !! ok my question rite !!

    Hmmm ur last name 'reddy' so u a telugu/tamil??? Outta curiousity !! :D

    Cheers,
    Sammy

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  21. Again an hyperbolic post after long time. Seems u're adhere to have a new skin now and then.
    Anyway, my question is: Do you follow such lyfe-cycle so that you can end up with more things to drool over or it is the other way round as in now u'r too much something to be like backdays, banging the old nughets. Where does the actualism lies?

    I wonder if it is too much to quote upon for dare'o eM..

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  22. Very sexy snap you put in there

    The darkness and dusk looks inviting

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  23. can i still post a question?....i wanted to ask what are your all time guilty movies movies??? movies which u've watched a billion times and would watch again when your sad or just lonely?

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  24. ..hmm...so this is the first post i've read of you. And it's really nice. I was in one book store flipping pages of one and than suddenly your book's pink and black cover page, smoking girl carved in it, draw my attention. you know pink and women combination can draw anyone any where. I read your name and found out you're living with cat.(haven't read full book because i was emptied by money at that time, but will read soon, promise !!) i was imprresed. And than i found your blog. I read few post and now you've just added one more fan in your list of thousands. I'm just new in this call "writting a blog" thing. Dont know how to tell you, but straight, will you read mine? I've just started to write at the same age when you had started. I got 13 comment on my first post which is more than yours first one(half is mine reply, but still more score than you). I've also started to write in JUNE as you had. But I'm not keen (and famous) writter like you and others, but still i want you to read. i wish you'll...adios

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  25. Hi this one's a really random question but oh well, what else can you expect from me. Also, i'm asking this only because i know that you will reply. Don't go back on your word! (I used to comment often but you never replied and i thought "O fuck it it's not worth the trouble". You know how it can be with people.:|)

    Anyway. How exactly do you manage to keep the communication channel with your family open? My mom isn't so orthodox but still i can't talk to her about well, things that i do and i do too many. It kills me that i don't tell her but...ditch it.

    Another one if you dont like the first one:
    Did you have problems with family/friends when the person behind eM was disclosed? How did you deal with it? Is an anonynous blog really all that um, safe?


    That's a lot of questions. You have options!

    Also i do book reviews for a not-so-famous magazine. Can I interview you some day? :D

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