“But, Mummy, the old man says this is the strongest maanjha (kite-flying twine).” Mummy smiles at seven-year-old Sudhir’s words and shakes her head. Then with a frown, she repeats, “No, it is not. This is kacha dhaga (raggedy weak thread) quite useless. You better go return it.” And hands the spool back to Sudhir, who ...

All packed in the car for a visit to a family friend. I have come along for the ride—no school today.   Tenth-grade finals are looming, but the teenage me feels a little overwhelmed and needs a break. Even though I am stuck in the middle, wedged between Mrs. Bajaj and Mummy, I am enjoying the ...

Summer nights of yore in a sparsely crowded Delhi, dhurries on rustic charpoys layered with cool white sheets, stars pricking in a darkening blue sky, Sudhir and I ready for our bedtime ritual with Daddy – an enduring childhood memory of growing up in Delhi! Delhi summers, unlike the winters, require a rare mindset to ...

Shakespeare once wrote, What’s in a name? We can never be certain because we don’t choose our names. They destine us to become something and to act particularly. To embody an identity that we have yet to accept. Some of us grow into our titles. Others of us change them, manipulate them. Redefine our very ...

Los Angeles: 2022 Gas prices climb into the $7.00 range, the $8.00 range in boujee city parts. The political climate would suggest that drivers seem to mind, some having spent more than their hourly wage commuting to work. Yet traffic on the northbound 405 Freeway inches along, clogging the twelve lanes of concrete Cal Trans ...

Poem dual authored by Destiny Constantin and her father, John Constantin Dedicated to the family members who are no longer with us but are watching over us from Heaven. Life is full of adventure, mystery And the love we share With our family and friends But there are unexpected twists And turns in life Live ...

There’s a feeling in the air. It’s a mix of cautious optimism and anxious energy. It’s the nagging idea that society might be edging toward something normal, or at least normal enough. And we are ready for it. Compared to last June, where everything felt isolated and lonely, things are now welcoming and warm. I ...

Everybody loves Friday. It is the day associated with happy hours, taking off early, and sighs of relief. I treat Fridays like Wednesday. I’ve been in the Customer Service industry since I was 15. Working weekends is something that I’ve grown used to, but am still frustrated by. There are obvious downsides to never being ...

Back in 2016, I had to buy a new vehicle. My two requirements for my car were: 1. It had to have a GPS and 2. It had to have a CD player. The GPS was for practical reasons, and the CD player is because I am one of the last humans on earth who ...