As temperatures begin to soar here in India, we decided to cool off a bit this month! We chose a theme that we believe is a favourite for many of us: Shopping. Our fiction, non-fiction and poetry this month present interesting takes on the notion of shopping, in turn capturing a wide range of emotions that the ritual invokes in the minds of people.
A man invests his dreams in a shop and a mannequin in the shop window bears testimony to it. Read this by poem by Parth Pandya which tells the story of that man and the shape his dreams take.
Katrina Jagelski writes about two major purchases she made early in her trans journey: a conservative red blouse born from a hesitation to be true, and six years later, a pink dress when she worked up the courage to ask for help, and happily came out as a transwoman soon after.
Malathi and Kalpana set out to shop for a unique, new-in-the-market gift for the friends who visit their house kolus. The task is simple enough, but are the results worth the effort? Kousalya tells the story of an amusing ‘tamboolam’ experience.
The emotional trauma experienced by a young lady in childhood manifests itself, from time to time, in an unusual manner. A poem by Chandramohan Nair.
Anupama Krishnakumar chronicles the various moments that collectively paint a picture of what her shopaholic avatar looks like.
Indu Parvathi’s poem speaks about the tumbling ocean that surrounds her – an ocean of things that she has shopped for and collected over years.
In this world that asks you to buy something at every turn, what does it mean to resist the temptation to shop? For Vani, who isn’t too fond of shopping anyway, minimalism seems like a goal worth striving for.
Jealousy and the wish to make a move on her crush prompt a young woman to buy a new dress for an office party. Deepthi Krishnamurthy explores what goes through in the protagonist’s mind.