CB1 English

I have an armchair draped in a simple kantha, a reading lamp and I am writing. Last year’s dreams are this years’s reality. Life can be so beautiful sometimes. I just wish that these simple safeties could be afforded to all.

Trains, trains everywhere 🚂

Doesn’t post for months and then two posts in one day! Who does she think she is? 🤓

Well, the thing is that I thought that this year I would finally master the art of curating the perfect wall aesthetic, matching colours, planned posts and all. But that was not to be. Because that way madness lies. To be less dramatic - that way stress lies.

Anyway, the pipe dreams of the perfectly curated feed have now been cast aside in favour of something that reflects reality! So here you have it. My book, my mug and my daughter’s bowl of Weetabix in the background, along with the wreath she made out of paper plates and cupcake liners.

It is, I think, impossible, to write without reading. I read 53 books last year and I’ll do a series of posts on my reading highlights of 2023 very soon.

Essentially, alongside my writing journey, I hope to share some of my reading journey with you. My intention, this year, is to focus on the sagas and trilogies that I’ve not read before. Elizabeth Jane Howard’s ‘The Light Years’ is my Book 1 this year. I’ve just started but I’ve found myself falling in love with her immersive world building already. Her style of writing reminds me of Vikram Seth’s in ‘A Suitable Boy’ and I’m sure, that if I look into it, I’ll learn that Seth has read Howard and he too found himself drawn towards that world.

Hello 👋 just popping back in with the intention to post more in 2024.

I know that I ghosted all of you but as I’m sure you understand, when you’re not a full-time writer (in fact, when writing is something that you do late at night, early in the morning or in the margins of time) sometimes life gets in the way. And that’s exactly what happened here.

Once I hit publish, I threw myself into the next project (yes, this means more books are coming this year) and I thought that I’d start talking about Bondel Gate when the time was right, when the year turned and we all started making plans for the months ahead.

As it happens, we have already been making Pujo plans even though the new year is just two days old and thus, it feels like it’s a good time to start talking about Bondel Gate again. As I was explaining to a new friend the other day, the stories are set against the backdrop of Pujo rather than Pujo itself. It is about characters finding their ways to and from Bengaliana rather than those who are culturally well-versed!

All of the characters - like me- are perennially trying to find their feet. If my characters were trying to set resolutions for themselves this year, then this is what they would set: do more of what you love. I hope that you’ll do that too. Find what you love and simply do it. The link to the stories (Kindle) is in the bio. All profits (if any) will go towards charities that support grassroots education in India.

If you like the song, please support my friends at .music. You’ll be hearing a lot of this song on here because it’s one of my absolute favourites. It just so happens that the singer is my dearest and the composer . My Gen Z students and niece have taught me about aesthetics and what can I say, this song just fits the aesthetic of Bondel Gate and Other Stories.