Sunday, December 09, 2012

A Trip In Time

The theme of this month's Spark magazine was to interpret a picture - which had footprints on a sandy beach, any which way you want.

Now that I am in Mumbai, inspiration was not hard to find. Here's a poem on walking in one's own footsteps and discovering that the world isn't quite what you expect it to be.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=5008

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Life's a Test

One of the highlights of this India trip so far has been my visit to Wankhede to see a day of test cricket. Here is my report from the day, published as an article in the Spark magazine.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=4974

Monday, November 05, 2012

Vignettes

Here's my publication in this month's Spark magazine. The theme for the month was 'Life Online'. I put together a collection of very short stories; little vignettes that give glimpses of what internet can be and do in our lives. Read on.
 

Friday, October 05, 2012

The Mystery Reader

My short story, published in this month's issue of the Spark magazine. The theme for the month was 'Inspiration'. What happens when an Indian housewife puts a lifetime of inspiration and aspiration to become a detective to practical use? Read on and find out.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=4747

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Navrasas

My publication in this month's Spark magazine, which had the theme of 'Navrasas'. (or the nine human emotions) A rasa (Sanskrit word for 'juice' or 'essence') is the primary feeling that is evoked in the person that views, reads or hears a work of art. My attempt has been to write a haiku for each rasa - each haiku is supposed to evoke the emotion that the rasa suggests. Let me know if it worked for you.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=4541

Sunday, August 05, 2012

The Dilemma of the IBCP (Indian Born Confused Parent)

My article, published in this month's issue of the Spark magazine. Their theme for the month was 'India Decoded'. I touch upon the phenomenon of the IBCP (Indian born confused parent), given I get to see a few of them in my current way of life, and it is a growing tribe :) Read on.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=4396

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Monsoon City

I am a Bombay Boy at heart and I love the monsoons. My article, published in this month's edition of the Spark magazine, touches upon both of these two loves together. Read on!

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=4076 

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

A new son-rise!

And then there were two … Another life changing event occurred in the shape of a small beautiful baby boy that my wife and I were blessed with. Nilay Parth Pandya made his appearance in this world with a mild annoyance in his face and tremendous lung power to demonstrate it. He has, however, decided that perhaps taking long naps isn't bad compensation for the light and sound fury around him.

Nilay means home or abode and he is completing our home in many ways. Big Brother Aarush led the welcoming celebrations with a shower of kisses and hugs and sweet words for the little one. He has always been a bhai in the house and now he gets to be Aarush bhai for real!

Saturday, May 05, 2012

My poem, published in this month's issue of the Spark magazine. An eternal love story, or thereabout.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=3928

Friday, May 04, 2012

Incomplete


The canvas awaits,
While the brush dries up
The tip floundering on
To a morbid decay

Empty spaces paint
A taunting picture
Of a story well begun
But left unfinished

Friday, April 06, 2012

Horn, OK, Please!

Here's the other publication in Spark for the month. Their theme for the month was 'On the Road'. This is an image (drawn in the casual tone of a nursery rhyme) that depicts a typical cross road (I had India in mind when I wrote this). There are a lot of vignettes that a small cross road can bring through and that is my attempt here.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=3757

Thursday, April 05, 2012

A Ton Of Joy

For those who were wondering why there wasn't a grand outpouring on fanatic fandom on my blog after Tendulkar's 100th ton, here's the reason. Spark introduced a new section called Lounge (for articles not related to the theme of the month) and asked me to write a piece on it. Honored and Humbled. Warning: this is not a critical article. This is a response to the armchair critics from an armchair fan!

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=3765

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Rain In Spain

Sharing my publication on this site called 'One forty fiction'. The intent is to write a short story in, hold your breath, 140 characters. It is a fine challenge and I am happy to be published here. I can promise that this will be a quick read :)

http://www.onefortyfiction.com/archives/rain-in-spain

Friday, March 09, 2012

Face-Off

Very thrilled to share my latest publication on this fine site for poetry - Every Day Poets. They had announced on the first of this month that I was to feature on the list of published poets this month, and it is finally here. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.everydaypoets.com/face-off-by-parth-pandya/

Monday, March 05, 2012

Survivor Series

Someone give me a T-shirt which says ‘I survived the England and Australia tours’. I deserve it. And so do the countless souls who have braved the gut wrenching times that the past two tours have presented. When your team is team is performing like world champions, you can’t wait for the next match to happen. We’ll show you – yes, we will. We have the uncanny Zaheer Khan – he will make you dance to his tunes. We have the supporting cast of bowlers to die for. We have a captain who can do no wrong. We have batsmen who can butcher bowling attacks. Big Three, Big Five – heck we have the Big Eleven. Foreign shores – we are on our way. We have conquered everything in our past recently, we have proved we are good travelers outside. Win a match you ask? We will win the series – all past ills will be cured, Tendulkar’s name will go up at Lords. What can go wrong? Adrenaline clouds judgment and makes hindsight look obvious. What started off as a limp in Zaheer’s follow through after a few over and two wickets was metaphorically the hamstring injury that Indian cricket suffered with (and is still struggling with) for both the series. The chips fell apart spectacularly after that – a bowling attack without venom spent innings after innings giving away runs, and the batting attack could simply not deal with the swinging ball. Greats such as Tendulkar and Laxman were looking like schoolboys at times. Tendulkar’s 100th ton’s appearance as an albatross around his neck began in England and it threatens now to consume the twilight of his career. Dravid was to spark brilliantly in England; plowing his way at workmen centuries that weren’t enough to avert a whitewash. Yes, it was a series win after all – but not by the team that were the purported favorites. The team’s bizarre team selections were only beginning to show – taking a half fit Zaheer and a half fit Sehwag over someone will perhaps lesser talent but better physical state was a sign of times of come. The joker in the pack from the selection committee was bringing in a RP Singh to play a test match when he had just returned from consuming sufficient margaritas in Miami.

That was England, one thought. Australia would bring in different results. After all, our batsmen are lords there. Tendulkar, who was getting standing ovations in the last tour there was definite to score his ton of tons here. And in typical Tendulkar fashion, he started well in the first two matches, only to fall to his greatest nemesis – Sachin Tendulkar. That Sachin Tendulkar, who inexplicably shuts off shop mentally and treats each ball like a landmine. That Sachin Tendulkar, who allows bowlers and opposition captains to get his wicket when they are least expecting to get it. What happened to the rest, you ask? Sehwag flashed and got out, because that’s the only way we bats. Pity that all that flashing was not getting any runs. Gambhir gave good slip fielding practice. Laxman was half a second slow in his reflexes. Dravid, the great wall, gave a generation of his followers the intense heartbreaks by getting bowled again and again. The bowlers had little by way of impact and barring Kohli in the last two matches and Umesh Yadav in patches, the test series was a goner. Another whitewash. The ODIs were not much better, barring the last rather incredible chase by Kohli and India, but we would have to kid ourselves if we thought we deserved to be in the finals. A time down in the dumps, rife with internal fighting and with a captain who did not even know that India had any chance of qualification, before the Sri Lanka game was always headed home in a hurry.

Why, they ask me? My friends, colleagues, curious onlookers, once followers of cricket. Why do you still follow? I don’t have any cogent answers other than the fact that I must be a glutton for punishment. Cricket lovers – true cricket lovers, not the ones enamored by the IPL tamasha, are like that. When you have followed your team through thick and thin (mostly thin, when it came to the test arena) over two decades, you don’t abandon ship so soon. When you have followed your favorite cricketers when they turned in world-class performance year after year against great bowling attacks, and in fact have raised their level to take your team to the top of the test world, you don’t stop following them at the sign of the first leak in the boat. You sit through it – you learn that cricket, as in life, is about the ups and downs and while frustrating, it is a rite of passage to stick through it. True passion isn’t all joy, it is a sweet debilitating pain – like getting stuck on 99 centuries, lying in agonizing for that one final hurrah.

A Conversation

This topic for Spark's March 2012 issue was ‘Women: Facets and Forms’. Tricky topic :) Here's a little poem about the insufficient acknowledgement of the role of women in the process of creation and destruction.

Friday, February 17, 2012

A Little Short

Coffee. Gas in the car. Patience waiting in line. Courtesy for the cashier. Cash in his wallet. Luck. It was a day of running out on things.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Ups and Downs

Fact and fiction ride with him on the seams of a wave. He is God right now, walking on water. Soon, the ruthless sea will break his reverie.

Sunday, February 05, 2012

A Long Prelude

My article in this month's issue of the Spark magazine. The topic they had was 'Happy Beginnings and Happy Endings'. The choice of topic was easy this time - Happy Beginnings don't come easier than the arrival of an offspring. However, the journey leading upto it is also worth its weight (or wait). Read on.

http://www.sparkthemagazine.com/?p=3252

Friday, January 13, 2012

Deity On Bose Marg

I am here -
Towering above you.
Sinewy arms,
Sparkling eyes,
And glistening beads of sweat.

I am here
and I am your God
peddling my religion
of cool

I am here
And I intend
To make you in My image.
Come, follow me.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

The Illusion

Spark, the online magazine that I have been contributing to, completes two year. As part of their special anniversary issue, they asked their regular contributors to work on specific topics. I got asked to write a short story on 'Exploring Relationships'.

So, here goes - a thousand word story not for the faint-hearted. Here's the build up: "Vishruti is waiting for someone as the waves go about their business in the busy city of Mumbai. Who is she waiting for and what’s the meeting going to be all about?" Read on.