Vicky stared at his reflection in the mirror. True to its character, it stared right back at him. His eyes wandered to the top of his head where the rays of the Sun streaming from the window kissed his hair, warming it in its faint glow. They lent a natural golden tinge to his luscious, curly locks. He wrapped one such twisting strand around his forefinger and pushed it back, tucking it behind his ear.

HIYA! I feel like I've written to you after ages. Even checked the last time when I actually wrote something for the blog. Turns out it was back in early August. Sheesh! *Cue major guilt pangs.* Okay, on to more interesting things. Firstly, let's pop that champagne. I reached the milestone of 500 followers. A shoutout to Mariwritings for being my 500th reader. Humbled and honoured at the love!  Shall be actively returning some of that now that my novel is nearing completion. 

That India is a veritable gold mine when it comes to traditional art forms is not new to us who have grown up with these art forms all around us in some way or the other. Whether it be terracotta sculptures that adorn our gardens or bandhej dupattas that add colour to our wardrobe, we are well aware of the rich influence that these arts and crafts have on everyday life today. But what if some of these art forms need not be only admired in exhibitions and galleries; you can also make them yourself with little or no formal training at all.

When I started writing (and blogging), I had certain dreams, of course. But what I hadn’t expected was how close I would be realizing them. I have a story in a soon-to-be-published anthology as well as my almost complete novel. While there’s still work to be done on that, I am excited that it’s nearing completion and soon would be a complete manuscript ready to be sent to publishers. But there has been something else that has kept me buzzing with excitement, day and night. And while I have hinted at it earlier, saying that there is some big news coming up from my end, I hadn’t really told you what it is. Finally, that moment has arrived when I can share the big, exciting news with you all.

As Delhi or more precisely Gurgaon reels under 12-hour traffic jams and water logging up to the knees, I can't help but wonder how much we crave for a respite from the heat and yet hate the rains for the problems it brings with it. Not have a few drops of water fallen on our heads that the city undergoes an undeniable transformation.