When the Parsis first came from Kerman and other parts of Iran, they promised to dissolve into the already (and even then) bursting the seams of the city’s populace like sugar in a glass of milk – without overflowing. The Parsi amicability and generosity of spirit reflects even in a cup of Irani Tea which […]
Author: Nikita Sharma

Mumbai : In Transit
Mumbai is a city for those who know the way. There aren’t many resourceful signages (almost none at the local train stations) and yet everyone simply strides towards their respective destinations. The lean physique of most natives is a testament to their daily exertions in transit and the brisk pace with which they lead their […]

Rhapsodies Chapter 1 : New Delhi
The Sunday sky was hung with heavy rain filled clouds and Café de Art with people who wanted to read and listen to poetry. Verse of Silence had brought these ardent lovers of poetry through Rhapsodies Chapter 1. Café de Art had quite a secular vibe to it with paintings symbolizing different religions lined across […]

As good as his Word :An enquiry into the sexism in the English Language
A dog is a woman’s best friend. Woman is a primate. The househusband dropped the children off at school. Of all the nurses at the hospital, only he can look after the patient in the third bed. He has mastered the art of knitting. Fire is the most important discovery of womankind. Now, those sentences […]

Yester-day, Today and tmrw – An enquiry into the Evolution of English Spellings
Have you ever felt irritated at Microsoft word for needlessly underlining in red to point at some mistake in the otherwise correct spelling? Have you ever wondered what led to the separation of English into American and British, other than geography? Well, the answers to these questions can be discovered by tracing the evolution of […]

A Fan Letter To Mr Ruskin Bond
Beloved Mr. Bond The first novel that you wrote for children was the first that I read as a child. It has been ten years since then and I haven’t stopped reading, nor have you stopped writing (something I am immensely grateful for). Anil, Kamal and Laurie took a trek to the Pindari Glacier and […]

Uncivilised Daughters : A Play by Abhivyakti
As much enthusing, ego-boosting it was to hear the name Wordbred being announced on the stage, it is only fair for us to, in our best capacity, put up a comprehensive review of this play, called ‘Uncivilized Daughters’. Organized and enacted by Abhivyakti (cast and crew as stated at the end), the theatre society of […]

The Guide
A little boy who walks to school; the arrival of Railways; an old orthodox mother; a neglected and discouraged wife; unwavering followers; and a Swami with a tainted past – these are all vignettes of an India that lives among the memory of the post-colonial times. The Guide, by R.K. Narayan, bundles the threads of […]