ONCE IN A while, I have thoughts that shake up my simple, straightforward life. Questions like, Have I missed the bus? Should I be more aggressive in my career as a writer? Make my words count for more? Or rather, should I have earned more for my work? Not possible, silly, an inner voice reminds me, You're your father's daughter.
Appa shared a similar feeling many years ago. "I wish I had bought property or invested in something that yielded big returns," he said wistfully.
"What makes you say that?" I asked in surprise-it was uncharacteristic of him to express such regret. "Wouldn't it have been nice for you and your brothers to inherit some sizable chunk when I'm gone?" he said with a big smile.
When Appa passed away peacefully one morning, he left behind a wealth of precious memories. Part of my priceless inheritance from him is a box of yellow pencils. Some barely used, some worn-down, but each unfailingly functional, they remind me of his love of solving crossword puzzles. Of him sitting by the window, bathed in the morning light, carefully filling in their tiny boxes. The pencils were always sharp, the pens never dry, and the erasers and sharpeners always close at hand.
In his eighties, Appa would read the day's newspaper, cover to cover, with a pleasant smile on his face. But wasn't the news full of political mud-slinging, disasters, and advertisements?
"What are you reading that's so funny, Appa?" I would ask.
"Oh, nothing. I don't pay much attention to the news. But reading reminds me of forgotten words that help me solve the crossword. Ah, go it! 12-D, CLASH!"
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.