She Spoke the Story of Earth

She Spoke the Story of Earth

“When it’s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement.” Mary Oliver A topsy-turvy world. We became denizens of it in March 2020. What was abnormal was normal and the new normal ensconced itself in our lives quite comfortably....
Khinni – Lone Warrior

Khinni – Lone Warrior

Standing tall and alone on the edge of Tadoba Tiger Reserve, I’m Khinni. The place where I stand is not for the faint of heart for I see the most prolific changes in weather over a year. I stand on the edge of a lake adjoining farmlands. I’m the tallest of...
The Persian Lilac Tree

The Persian Lilac Tree

We shifted to a new house in Delhi, in March 2010, and there, right in front of the house was a beautiful Persian Lilac (Melia azedarach) tree in full bloom. Persian Lilac (Melia azedarach) The stem and branches with dark fissured bark bore small clusters of...
Respite religiosa

Respite religiosa

Between 2020 and 2022, amidst the 3 COVID-19 waves, I enrolled in a Master’s program at a college in Pune. Most of my coursework was online, which meant I attended classes from home, in Bangalore. Whenever lockdowns eased, we were called for in-person classes,...
One Tiny Odd Red Leaf!

One Tiny Odd Red Leaf!

After spending months in the forests of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, I have keenly observed the ever-evolving beauty of its forests. Every passing month brings about remarkable transformations, and these changes have captivated my senses in ways I never imagined. I...
Pava Tree and Its Mushroom Companion

Pava Tree and Its Mushroom Companion

Last year, around this time, I was in Kumbarwada, a place in Kali Tiger Reserve, Dandeli. I was working on my master’s thesis about how knowledge about tubers is passed down from older to younger people in the Kunbi community. The Kunbis are a forest community that...