A Handful of Sand

A boy, a cemetery, and the afternoon when hope waited for a miracle. The first time I stood in a cemetery, I was ten years old and holding a handful of sand. I did not know then that the small ritual waiting for me would become one of the most enduring memories of my life. … Continue reading A Handful of Sand

The Calcutta I Carry

Memories too precious to risk, yet impossible to forget My parents met in Calcutta, and it was there that they fell in love. Though they married later in Kerala, the beginning of their storyโ€”and mineโ€”was written in Calcutta. No matter where life has taken me since, that city has always remained close to my heartโ€”as … Continue reading The Calcutta I Carry

Nothing Lasts Forever, But Stories Do

Saying Goodbye to Shops That Shaped Us When it comes to remembering kidsโ€™ dresses, my wifeโ€™s memory is sharp as a needleโ€”me? I forget where I put my keys five minutes ago. But thatโ€™s part of why these familiar little shops mean so much to her. Thereโ€™s something quietly magical about those placesโ€”shops that have … Continue reading Nothing Lasts Forever, But Stories Do