My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



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26 December 2004

Things you probably didn’t need to know but for lack of amusing anecdotes I’m posting anyway

{Bullet Item One}
I’m in lurve. The object of my affection is the new Dove shower gel, which is called massage gel or some such and has little gritty “pearls” in it, so you can exfoliate as you moisturise and so, though probably the same effect as regular soap, makes you feel a whole lot cleaner and more scrubbed. Plus, since it’s winter and I put on my clothes as soon as I have a shower, when I undress at night, the smell has been trapped in warm clothing all day and I smell so good. Mmmm….
(Okay, that was a horrible self-obsessed moment, but I seriously love good smells on me. It makes me feel all straight-haired and girly. I guess I meant feminine there, didn’t I? Okay, feminine. Have it your way.)

{Bullet Item Two}
I’ve been having nightmares. About Anupam Kher. In my dreams he’s chasing me around with a gun, and I’ve just given birth to a small child of unidentifiable sex, who I clutch to my bosom as I scamper, screaming, “Don’t kill my baby!”It’s rather disturbing.

{Bullet Item Three}
Yesterday I was at Christmas dinner, hanging with a childhood friend, who has grown up into a certifiable hottie, leaving me plagued with insecurity every time I introduce her to someone I’m seeing.
Anyway so childhood friend was wearing lovely scarlet nailpolish, which, wouldn’t you know, looked bloody hot on her. So I borrowed the pot and tried some on , but I looked like I had hooker hands. (By the way, the nailpolish was called ‘Siren Red’. Siren red!!! Just call it the Hooker’s Hand Job Colour and be done with it already. Or Vamp Violet. Or Prostitute Purple. Or Whore Vermillion. Ya, so the last one wasn’t alliterative. I couldn’t think of a colour with ‘W’. And don’t say white, coz I just thought of it and I don’t feel like backspacing and restructuring this bracket. Which I should end.)
Anyway, so I set to work with earbuds trying to get it off, only it’s stained the sides of my fingers so now I look like I’ve been playing Holi. Or eating tandoori chicken. Take your pick.

{Bullet Item Four}
My dog has been nursing a stuffed puffin called Oscar for about a month now. She thinks she’s given birth to him and spends hours grooming him, trying to make him feed or tucking him under her chin and sleeping so sweetly that I would be tempted to hug her, except she Takes No Shit When She’s With Oscar. The whole world is out to get her puffin, she knows that, and so when she’s not looking all cute and angelic cuddled there, she’s snarling at me if I dare reach into the cupboard behind her futon (yes, she has a futon. It unfolds into a bed if she has visitors. And a leopard-spotted blanket. She’s a dog of some taste.) to pull out a coat.
Oscar, in puppy-puffin years, is now old enough to be taken for a walk. So she trots around with him in her mouth saying hello to people at the door, doing her “Yay! You’re home!” butt waggle for me, and even taking him to the balcony for some fresh air.
Cookie has given birth to stuffed toys before—a Pinnochio from a Happy Meal, a clown and even a walrus Beanie Baby. But she soon tired of them and ripped them into little shreds, burying them in our beds and forgetting about them. I’m surprised Oscar has lasted so long. We keep trying to take him away from her, but she does the most piteous whines and once even crawled into my cupboard in search of him that we gave up and gave him back.

{Not really a bullet item, but I like the mustache brackets. Hey, does anyone still remember BODMAS? I loved the acronym. It was around the same time I learnt VIBGYOR and wandered around whispering “bodmas vibgyor” to myself.}

And, oh yes, as a side note. I went clubbing this weekend with Iggy and her sister and her (the sister's) friends. Sister-and-friends were seventeen, I might add, and I have realised, only child or not, I totally rock at being a big sister. Iggy proceeded to get very drunk and it was me, me, ME who those kids came to, from “Where do I put my bag?” to “Oh no, I feel sick” to “My foot is bleeding!” and I was very mature and very cool. To all those who say I’m irresponsible or spoilt being an only child, HA and HA again.
I’m going to be such a great mom. :)

5 comments:

  1. Your dog is so cute.
    Sigh I wish I was a Dove shower gel bottle.

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  2. Hey Em,

    Hearing about the Tsunami that's affecting South East Asia in general and affecting part of India, so I hope that you're doing fine. We're worried about you over here. Hope everything's okay.

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  3. Indian Stallion: You wish you were shower gel? Hmmm... I'd be shampoo myself :)

    Diego: Yes, India is one of the hardest hit countries, with over 3,000 dead. But Delhi is in North India, nowhere near the coast, so we're fine. My family lives down South, by the coast, but they're okay as well.
    Thanks for your concern though :)

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  4. We're glad you're fine. Sorry about my geographical ignorance, but this news is just tough to read about anyway. Glad your family's okay too!

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  5. April: Don't read too much into it... I'm definitely not even CLOSE to thinking about having kids!

    ReplyDelete

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