Ishita Deshmukh's Blog

Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), a name synonymous with the Indian Classical Arts in Singapore and for me, with its current premises on Starlight Road.

The opportunity to work for SIFAS, came to me when I had lost all hope, and was slowly losing my mind, due to the increasing restrictions and fears induced by the pandemic. I was skeptical. I did not know if I wanted to work full-time again. I had lost practice, you see, gotten all lazy and used to doing nothing or everything as my ...

“Memsahib! Look at this! Isn’t it cute?”

“What is it, Garima?” Rupa looked up from reading the morning news.

“These little drawers… But what will you do with it? Store coins?”

A teacup hung mid-air as Rupa stared at a beautifully carved, wooden miniature chest of drawers. Two drawers on the left, two drawers on the right and a squarish one at the centre formed the top section. Below them, there were three rectangular drawers, one on top of the other, like a real bureau.

“What is this...

In a world so small,

In a world so diverse,

There comes a time,

When you wonder,

Why am I here?

You look outside,

You look inside,

You look at friends,

You look at family,

And you wonder,

Why am I here?

A tiny cry,

A lopsided grin,

A tug that pulls

At the heartstrings.

You gaze at

That unblinking stare,

And you know.

This is my life,

This is my purpose,

These tiny human beings,

The essence of my existence.

They ...

Of foggy mornings

And cold climes,

Of steaming cups,

And shivering hands…

Of chirping birds,

And resting feet,

Of growing plants,

And savoring sweet.

A dream so beloved,

Of alluring sands,

A home so desired,

On distant lands.

A life so desired,

For peace of mind,

A bliss so deserved,

For your loving kind.

Mother’s Day… It wasn’t something we celebrated. It wasn’t something we were taught at school (at least not in those days). It wasn’t something I thought about a lot.

Until this year. Until today. Until I was surrounded by the myriad posts, quotes, confessions, and wishes.

Motherhood… A status I achieved recently.

Some say it is a journey. Some say it is an adventure. Some say it is life.

I say it is Transformation. 

The complete transformation of a human being who would think, fe...

POV:

A glimpse of life,

In the East Coast Park,

As told by a little grain of sand,

The essence of a beach,

The neglected witness.

I have the most exciting news! We did it!

Nope, it is not a lottery ticket!

It is also not the most thrilling rollercoaster ride in the world – I don’t ride them!

Something much more awe-inspiring!

I have bought a ticket to the most adventurous, the most enchanting, the most breathtaking and the scariest ride of all… A lifetime’s ticket to Motherhood!

And despite feeling totally overwhelmed, I would not trade any moment with my precious bundle of joy for anything in the world.

As the rains patter,

The kids chatter,

Life seems to start,

To matter.

Everything’s grey,

Everything’s dark,

But just across that space,

There’s a glow in the park.

The wind stops,

There’s a pall,

But in that thunder,

I hear a call.

Voices hound,

Lightning surrounds,

But in my home,

Peace abounds.

As I listen to the patter,

Glory in the chatter,

The grey shatters,

The glow flatters.

This is the life,

Time most pre...

The last weekend was a dream!

Anticipated, dreaded, feared, awaited!

I was in the presence of legendary artistes… one of whom, I had seen perform as a young child, long, long ago in Pondicherry… Ustad Zakir Hussain!

He needs no introduction! And I am recounting my experience in such a muddled fashion! 

Let’s rewind a little…

My organization, SIFAS, a non-profit institution for promoting Indian Classical Arts, organised a mega show called Triveni, featuring Ustad Zakir Hu...

The sun pierced,
The clouds cleared,
The wind wiped,
A leaf twirled.

I sat on my bench,
Like I always do.
Waiting for him,
To forgive me.

I remember the day,
Just like today,
When he left,
Without a say.

The days rolled,
As years did,
I lost count,
I’m sure he did.

I sat on my bench,
Like I always do,
I don’t have much time.
I’d hoped he knew.

It’s tough love,
To be a father,
But I never regret,
For he is my son.

Birds fluttered,
Picking the crumbs,
The boat beckoned,
I’ve never gone alone.

I sa...