#mga writes

What once began as love in inverted schedules had now quietly become love in fortnights. Ayyira's company had revised its work-from-home policy. She now had to report to the Hyderabad office for ten days every month. Every month she packed a small suitcase, boarded the train, stayed in a hostel, worked for two weeks, and then returned to Rajahmundry, where Ram waited. Sometimes, to balance the attendance requirement, she stayed four weeks continuously, covering two months at once. They had spoken countless times about moving to Hyderabad permanently. But every conversation ended at the same place: rent, expenses, existing financial commitments. And the peaceful life they enjoyed in Rajahmundry. So instead of forcing a decision, Ayyira chose to carry the burden herself. She travelled back and forth without complaint, convincing herself that it was only for a few days every month. During one of those four-week stretches, Ram had to visit Hyderabad for office work over the weekend. Al...

It was 3 PM. Ayyira had just finished her morning shift. She walked into the hall where Ram worked, dropped herself onto the couch, stretched her legs out, leaned back, and rested her hand on her head. The kind of tiredness that did not need words Ram, sensing her mood, rolled his chair over. “Tough day, huh?” he asked. “Don’t even ask,” she sighed. “Every time I take a leave, work piles up like a hill of burning files waiting for me.” Ram offered a gentle smile. “Understood. Coffee?” “Yes, please,” she replied softly. “Love you.” He quickly returned with a cup and sat beside her. Ayyira leaned into him, slowly sipping the coffee. “Tell me,” she asked, “are you feeling the same pressure since we got back from Thailand last week?” “Hmmm, yeah,” Ram conceded. “But it is what it is.” Ayyira paused, then spoke quietly, “We shouldn’t have gone on that trip. Everything went wrong, exactly as my astrology predicted.” Ram looked directly into her eyes. “Don’t say that. Yes, Thailand gave us it...

If you’ve watched Meiyazhagan (a Tamil movie), you’ll understand what I’m about to share. The film beautifully explores nostalgia, family, and friendships. And last week, I had my very own Meiyazhagan moment when Dad visited me. I live in Dad’s hometown, and he gets excited whenever there’s a local event. It’s his favorite place, but work and responsibilities often keep him away. Last week, the Vinayaka temple here held a special event—the very temple Dad helped build when he was a teenager. He still tells endless stories about how they pooled funds and made it happen, and he cherishes those memories deeply. (Quick note: I would recommend listening to this  Song  while you read this blog) This time, he arrived with a ton of luggage—including a big bag of drumsticks he wanted to donate for the temple’s annadhanam. He could have just sent money, but he carried that heavy bag all the way here. That effort itself felt so genuine. As he unpacked, Mom called and said jokingly, “Ma...

Wrote a letter to my wife remembering our travel experience at Srilanka and got it printed and delivered using delivery apps, which is the first of its kind experience for me and here is the letter.  After spending our first day at the hostel in Colombo, we woke up early to catch the first train to Kandy. I still remember that morning so vividly — you asked me to wait outside the women’s washroom while you finished getting ready. You were shivering, wrapped in that white towel… and every time I see you after a head bath, I’m reminded of that baby from the Johnson’s Baby ad. Because, to me, you’ll always be my baby. (Also… please bathe twice a day, okay? Uhh!) We walked up to the nearest bus stop, and you were already buried in your phone, figuring out our next destination — our itinerary was being built on the fly. Honestly, most of our Sri Lanka trip happened like that. If someone ever asks me about our itinerary, I’d confidently say, “Oh, we just went around South Sri Lanka in a ...

Last month, my wife and I traveled to Sri Lanka to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Here’s a glimpse of the food we enjoyed during our stay. We took an early morning flight from Chennai. If you’re familiar with the boarding process and the high prices of airport food, you’ll understand how hungry we were. We stayed up all night to catch the morning flight, and thankfully, Air Asia served breakfast. It was my Anadtha Sukhebava moment. 1. Biryani: After landing in Colombo and checking into our room, it was almost 2 PM. We took a quick shower and hit the streets for lunch. Following a suggestion from the hostel staff, we walked into a restaurant two blocks away and picked two types of biryani from their display. The biryani wasn’t exceptional, but we ate it to satisfy our hunger. One thing that stood out to me was how they included an egg with the biryani—I wish this were a universal standard! The chicken pieces weren’t as tender as I’d hoped, but we ate it anyway. After all, protein is...

Ah, Sundays—the ultimate cheat day back in the day. It was all about binge-watching Power Rangers on Jetix, fighting with my sister over chicken bone pieces on my plate, playing outside until I couldn’t feel my legs, and in the evening reluctantly thinking about that unfinished homework due on Monday. But Sundays now? A completely different ball game. No more carefree lounging. Instead, I’ve found myself in a different kind of routine—one that’s less about fun and more about maintenance, both for myself and my little world. Today was a typical adult Sunday. I kicked off the day by washing my bike, Eva. Yeah, she’s got a name. Then, I cleaned my office space, making my work-from-home setup look almost like a tech startup—minus the coffee machine and bean bags. I tossed my gym clothes into the wash and scrubbed my shoes until they looked brand new. I even cleaned the doors. At one point, I caught myself doing a double-take at the door frame, thinking, “Damn, that’s a clean door.” Who am ...

Forget about crashing a party—I danced at this random Vinayaka Chavithi uragempu (procession). I just parked my bike to watch. I was alone and didn’t know anyone there, but the beats were irresistible. My feet started tapping, and I was on the fence—should I dance or not? Sure, I used to practice, but it’s been a while. I’d had a long, stressful day, and part of me thought, "Next year, I’ll dance." Then it hit me—why not now? Why wait? Nobody will judge me, and if they like my dance, they’ll cheer, right? So, I took a deep breath, joined the crowd, and danced. The moment I stepped in, everything else faded away—the stress, the worries, the long day. It was just me, the music, and the rhythm. I felt this incredible sense of release like every step and movement was shaking off the weight I’d been carrying. My body felt alive like it had been waiting for this—like it remembered every move even though my mind had forgotten. There was this sense of freedom, a wild joy bubbling up ...

Long ago, our brightest minds figured out Earth's escape velocity. It’s so simple, that even an 8th grader could probably calculate Mars’s escape velocity by now. But will we ever, and I mean ever, discover the escape velocity needed to break free from a pothole on an Indian road? Because let's face it, that’s the real scientific breakthrough we’re all waiting for. Whether you're on a scenic country road, or a state-of-the-art expressway, one thing is certain—somewhere along the way, a pothole is lying in wait, eager to swallow you and your vehicle whole. Christopher Nolan may have directed "Interstellar," but we’ve been living it all along! Our very own Tesseract appears every 100 meters, with your car as the unfortunate time-traveller. Our modern AI is trained on tons of data, but what should we be trained on? Probably “India is not for beginners” memes. Honestly, driving here feels like a survival game—you don’t need racing lessons; you need pothole-dodging ski...

Last night, I found myself in a bit of a rush to send off the skating shoes I'd bought for my nephew. Staff at the RTC parcel service refused to take them unless they were properly boxed up. It was already 8:45 in the evening, and with closing time at 9, I was running out of options. There were no department stores nearby, so in a bit of desperation, I hurried into a nearby PAN shop. The shopkeeper, a man in his sixties, took one look at the shoes and exclaimed with excitement, "Aren't these skating shoes?" It wasn't surprising to me that he recognized them; it was popularised in mainstream movies. But what caught my attention was the genuine joy he expressed as he carefully packed the shoes. Despite his shop being crowded with customers, he didn't hesitate to roll up his sleeves and handle the task with utmost professionalism. During our conversation, he shared with me his longing for skating. He told me how he had always dreamt of owning a pair himself but n...

When you grow together in love, sometimes you pause to watch the person next to you and feel thankful for life. You may wonder where it all started. For me, that moment is our first date, “the pellichupulu date” – the starting point of the trajectory of our love. Ayyira and I met at a traditional pellichupulu, spoke there, and connected on Instagram. We hadn't informed our parents of our decision yet, as we thought we should take some time. We texted for a week, and one weekend, I decided to go meet her in Hyderabad. I still recall that day when I stood in the Tatkal line to book a ticket; my hands were trembling not just from the Tatkal pressure, but also from thoughts of how the day would go when I met her in Hyderabad. I texted her the Saturday evening when I was boarding the train, and she had plans for Sunday to visit her parents. However, she cancelled her plans and decided to meet me. She asked about my plan for the day, and honestly, I had none. My whole intention was to me...