Published in About Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Manali DesaiFoodie, Moodie, Broodie. — The statement, “Tell me something about yourself” always freezes me. Like how do I define myself in a few sentences strung together? It especially makes me nervous too, because it takes me back to my job hunting days and the countless interviews I gave. After three decades of life experience…About Me6 min read
Published in The Haven·PinnedMember-onlyWhen my socials became antisocialAll my online accounts having a conversation about yours truly — Instagram: Manali loves me the most! Why are we even having this conversation? It’s a clear waste of time. Facebook: *rolls eyes* oh, please! I came to her solace when she was mourning over her first love Orkut. She would never love anyone more than me. …Social Media3 min read
PinnedMember-onlyMy NameWho are you? — Making money by following my passion for reading and writing. Always curious to know more, learn and grow. Never shying away from helping someone who asks for it. An admirer of nature and all that it has to offer. Language and literature lover. In this world to try and make…Poetry1 min read
Published in Thank You Notes·PinnedMember-onlyThank You Dear ReadersI’m nothing without you all — In a Creative Writing Symposium, where I was a speaker recently, one of the participant students asked me, “How do I get over the hesitation of being judged for my writing?” It’s an age-old question for any creative person and I answered them by saying, “You never get over it…Grateful2 min read
Published in Write Like a Girl·PinnedMember-onlyTo the Men Who Fear Feminists and FeminismBecause feminism has become so synonymous with man-hating — Dear men, Yes, I’m a feminist. And the first thought that probably came to your mind was, “Oh! she must hate all men.” So, let me begin by saying, no I don’t. And yes, I do. No, because I was raised by a man, grew up with another, and am…Feminsim2 min read
Published in Weeds & Wildflowers·3 days agoMember-onlyA Little Birdie Told MeMind your own business — Disguised in our names Doing your dirty business Call it something else Not interested Idle talk, hearsay, headless Gossip, grapevine Say he, she, they, them Just use their name or gender Anything but ‘bird’ I’ve often wondered why we use other species to talk about certain things like ‘monkey business’…Poem1 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION-Curated·4 days agoMember-onlyRaina- A New Dawn by Kaveri PurandharA quick, sweet read about two broken souls finding their way toward each other — My rating: 3.4/5 Raina meets Viraj via a common friend when they are out for drinks. Though she finds herself attracted to him, she is hesitant because of a personal tragedy; an accident in which she lost her husband. Also, something about Viraj’s work makes her nervous. …Books2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·5 days agoMember-onlyHomecoming: Will You Be Mine: A Second Chance Romance by Rubina RameshA tale of a second chance romance with elements of suspense, drama, and even some light comedy — My rating: 4.2/5 Anupama Singh has returned to India after 9 years under unfavourable circumstances. Not only has she lost her father, but she is also about to lose all her property because of a heavy debt which her father owed. In order to repay this debt, Anupama decides to put her film…Books3 min read
Published in Know Thyself, Heal Thyself·6 days agoMember-onlyWhere I Was, Where I AmTHAT, for me was GROWTH — I used to be lost about my work, Not enjoying anything that I did, much Then I found my calling And now 24 hours seem less to do all the work I want to do I dreamt of writing books and weaving stories, Thinking of it as an otherworldly thing Then…Poem2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Sep 13Member-onlyShadow in the Mirror by Deepti MenonA thrilling tale of how demons of the past can lead to tragedy — What I liked about the book: You are hooked to the book from the get-go. It begins with the suicide scene, and the way it has been written is quite dark and compelling. The subplots and stories, the back and forth of the timelines meandering between eras, the clash of ideas and beliefs as worlds wind…Books3 min read
