By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam By all accounts, I should have been celebrating. A senior government position in Delhi, the sort of achievement that gets your name embossed in gold on invitation cards and mentioned in reverent tones in drawing rooms. Instead, here I am, clinging to my ordinariness like a child gripping a security blanket,…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam I first realised how little control I have over my better judgement while standing by the roadside with a plate of churumuri in my hand, watching traffic move past in uneven bursts as dust settled gently on everything except my attention. The vendor mixed puffed rice, onions, chilli and lemon with…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam I live among people who carry laptop bags and extend their personal space with confidence. The bag becomes a second spine and the person walks as if this new shape came with a licence. They turn and the bag turns after them, swinging like a thought that arrives late. When contact…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam A morning walk begins as a routine. You put on your shoes, step out and hope the world is still quiet. Yet the same walk shifts its tone when you move between Mysuru and Delhi. The body may do the same thing, but the surroundings insist on their own script. In…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Most of us have seen this person and many of us have been this person at some point. They enter a mall with time on hand and clarity of intent, though that intent has nothing to do with spending money. The visit is deliberate. The wallet stays closed. The objective is…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Once upon a time, having children was the obvious next step in life. You got married, had kids, raised them and eventually let them decide which old-age home you deserved. Not anymore. Welcome to the era of voluntary childlessness. Where several Generation Z and late Millennials, armed with oat milk, therapy-speak…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Ah, nostalgia. It is that magic masala that makes the past look better than it probably was. Yesterday’s pav bhaji, eaten on a steel plate with questionable hygiene, somehow tastes better in memory than today’s overpriced avocado toast in a cafe that charges extra for water. Through its rose-tinted lens, the…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam There is a secret Olympic sport that many Indian households have mastered — it is called “Tube Wrestling.” It involves squeezing a toothpaste tube to its absolute death, flattening it, twisting it, rolling it and then — just when it should be given a decent burial — cutting it open to…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Public transport is a miracle of modern civilisation. It reduces traffic, saves fuel and brings diverse groups of people together in one confined, vibrating and often smelly space. But with this noble purpose comes a great peril — The unapologetic loud media consumer. We all know them. They are the ones…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam There was a time when “fast food” meant waiting 30 minutes for a pizza. You prayed it would not be cold, wrong or delivered to your neighbour. He might take a bite before realising it was not his. Today, we expect dinner in 10 minutes flat — or else. Welcome to…