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Like most great love stories, the mango is all about pining

New Delhi, July 5 -- My friend N turned out to be a mango smuggler. His family owned a mango orchard in Tamil Nadu. The Imam Pasand mangoes from that orchard were the stuff of family legend. But N ra... Read More


World Music Day: When mixtapes were a labour of love

New Delhi, June 21 -- With age, my mother slowly started to lose her hearing. A few weeks before she died, she suddenly started hearing songs. Entire songs. "Can't you hear them?" she asked us perpl... Read More


My mother, the family's memory-keeper

New Delhi, June 6 -- After a great-aunt died, my mother read a little tribute I wrote for her and said wistfully, "You're the writer in the family. Perhaps you'll write something like that for me afte... Read More


How we have steadily devalued the book review

New Delhi, May 18 -- As an offer it sounded almost too good to be true. Last month I got a message that said the upcoming issue of De Mode magazine wanted to feature my book in The 10 Best Books of t... Read More


How social media posts overshadowed the Pahalgam tragedy

New Delhi, May 3 -- As a child I visited Kashmir on a family vacation. I remember that trip well, the line of houseboats on Dal Lake, a thrilling cable car ride in Gulmarg, the pine trees and green m... Read More


The summer season taught us to slow down

New Delhi, April 20 -- Last week I was looking for fresh peas in my market in Kolkata. "Peas now?" the vegetable seller asked me with a look of surprise. "Peas are gone. It's time for potol (parwal) ... Read More