Primalsoup

Part notebook, part field guide, part chaos

October 2024

  • The Scent of Biryani

    [Representative Image generated using AI] Put two Indians together, and it won’t take much to get them worked up on the all-important question – who makes the best biryani. Which region reigns supreme, which one is the one biryani to rule them all – is it Lucknowi, Hyderabadi, Kolkata, or any another? Each has its… Continue reading

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  • All is forgiven

    [Representative Image generated using AI] Yesterday,I got a mail,from my past.She said,hey, you!Here is a window,a tiny one, cracked open just enoughto glimpse the life you left.Go ahead,peep inside,see what you havebeen missing. Yesterday,my past reached out again.She said,here, take this tiny finger,soft and familiar.Hold on tight.I will pull youback,into this world,that you abandoned. Yesterday,I… Continue reading

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  • Finders, Keepers

    [Representative Image generated using AI] It was Amma who taught me the art of creating surprise money. Between managing an old, crumbling house, an often absent and unemployed husband, three children born a year apart, and two aging parents, this was one of the few joys Amma allowed herself. It was a small game she… Continue reading

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  • Dress Swapping

    [Representative Image generated using AI] I’d been traveling to Bombay for work and a string of errands over the past few weeks. With all the back-to-back trips, my suitcase was bursting with dirty clothes. Getting laundry done at the hotel didn’t make sense unless I wanted to part with half my salary. Luckily, I can… Continue reading

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  • Nights in White Satin

    [Representative Image generated using AI] Why does one feel friendlier and more social when visiting another city? Maybe it’s the thought of yet another room service dinner of rice and yellow dal, or perhaps it’s the loneliness of hotel rooms creeping in, making everything feel a little unsafe. You start longing for familiarity—who better to… Continue reading

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