“Any more strategies? Your midnight one wasn’t very effective, nor the secretive early morning swearing in!” “I don’t know, but they seem to be beating me nowadays!” “I noticed!” “I wonder whether they’ve peeked into my book!” “What book?” “The one I use to make my moves! This one!” “It…
Are You Being Battered?
Not just by someone, but by life itself? Being battered by life is part of living life! No ship is made to sit in the dry docks or weigh anchor in the harbour: The test of a ship is when it pits itself against the worst storms and wins. So…
A Porter Story..!
Normally at a funeral I come prepared to see emotionally drained relatives, unconcerned bystanders and a dead body that looks like it has had enough with all on earth including the grieving relatives. But I came out of this funeral charged, relieved and happy! Most priests conduct a funeral service…
Judases Of Maharashtra..!
Even as we, those who support and do not support the BJP look at the nephew and wonder how he could have betrayed his own uncle, my mind goes back to a play I wrote many years ago, titled ‘The Kiss’. In the play, an actor playing the role of…
Mama Hear My Cry..!
T’was a few years ago that a short bent old lady climbed up to my office and plonked herself in front of me. “What are your views on abortion Bob?” she asked. I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. “Have you ever thought of the unborn babe?” she asked, “That it will…
The Refiner’s Fire..!
A group of women were praying for one of their friends who though a spiritual and religious person was going through trying and difficult times. “Instead of feeling God’s comforting hand on me, I get the feeling God is pushing, shoving and hurting me!” she cried. The other women tried…
Hide Your Marksheets…!
Many years ago, while doing my undergrad, my professor called me to his room, “With what you write and how you write,” he said, “You will either fail or get an A plus” “Why fail?” I asked. “Because if your examiner is one who wants a copy-paste answer, you’re finished!”…
‘I Have A Rottweiler!’ He Said Angrily..!
It was the sound of my gate opening. I rushed out and stopped the young lad from Jio who had stepped in with his bundle of wire, “Didn’t you see the Beware of Dog sign?” I asked, “He’s a huge German Shepherd, who doesn’t hesitate to bite once someone steps…
Perfection is Pure-fiction..!
Was hardly two weeks ago, when I’d flown down for the memorial service of a dear friend, that as I drove past an old theatre with a smile playing on my face, a friend sitting in the same car asked me, “Remembering someone you took to the movies Bob? Some…
Keep the Fizz Going..!
So often we are excited to begin a new task or project or assignment and we start off with a bang! But often it’s like opening a soda bottle; initially there’s a lot of fizz, and then it’s gone. I remember getting this same feeling a few months ago when…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.