Footprints

     I am in the middle of writing an essay for my supervisor when a WhatsApp Group Video Call notification vibrates on my desk. I look up from the randomly splayed, unstapled sheets of paper to see my roommates calling. I pause the Malayalam Lofi playlist I was listening to, remove my earbuds and rush out of the room, unable to contain my excitement. They'd gone home for the weekend celebrations while I had chosen to stay back for work. The next ten minutes zip by fast with the three of them telling me how busy it is with preparations for the mouth-watering sadya of the day and showing how they've successfully managed to create beautiful pookkalams (flower arrangements). They log off one by one and I sit near a plant with a bright red flower, gently stroking its petals - not having the heart to pluck it and make a minimalistic last-minute pookkalam of my own. I am taken back to last year's Onam when it had been a sunny day with the kind of weather perfect for hanging a ...

  This has always been a frequent question in our household. Be it a piece of cake, caramelized fried banana pieces, halwas or the simple chocolate chip ‘Hide and Seek’, we loved to indulge our sweet teeth. I guess you can say it runs in the family – ofcourse, so does diabetes but, no this isn’t about ‘that group of diseases that result from too much sugar in blood’ – relax.      Mid-morning      “What’s for sweet today?” asked Abu.  “Well, if we hadn’t gobbled up that cream bun yesterday, we could’ve had it for today.” Anu scowled at him. “Okay,  do not  tell me that you  did not  want a bite of that awesome snack last night,” he smirked at her. “Fine; never mind,” she said, trying not to give her brother the satisfaction of her being his partner-in-crime again. “Let’s just think about today. What do you want?” “I’m craving chocolate cake – the real kind and not the one with the curd and stuff,” warned Abu, “t...