Last evening, at Lok Kala Manch, I revisited a younger version of myself. The play was “EK MADHAV BAUG”, written by the late Chetan Datar and organised by the Delhi-based queer collective “QConnect”. On stage stood Mona Ambegaonkar – alone, luminous, carrying an entire universe in her pauses. Eleven years ago, I watched the same…
Tag: Queer
Why Pride, When We Are “Free”?
Yesterday, Delhi walked again. From Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, ending at Jantar Mantar – streets I’ve walked on for years, sometimes freely, sometimes carefully. Delhi wore rainbows, slogans, and glitter. I saw familiar faces. Older activists. Survivors. People who have marched even when marching felt dangerous. But this time, the roads belonged largely to Gen…
Seven-Year Itch
Seven years – that’s 2,555 days of love, arguments, laughter, silence, shared meals, cancelled trips, long hugs, and the eternal “what should we watch tonight?” question. They say the seven-year itch makes couples restless, but honestly, if that’s true, we’ve been scratching that itch since year one – sometimes gently, sometimes like two cats tangled…
Maybe You Just Need to Smile
I am living my life one day at a time. Some days are heavy, some days are lighter, but most days feel like I am just trying to survive. I wake up with the weight of thoughts I can’t always explain. I feel lost most of the time, searching for a path that seems invisible….
Reset
How often can you reset your life? While growing up, we’re all told to live a certain way. We were told that life had a linear path. Follow the rules. Do what everyone else has been doing for years – study hard, get a job, marry (the opposite sex), have kids, retire and die. Repeat….
I Am a Hugger
Hugs are so underrated. Not the polite, half-hearted ones. I’m talking about those tight, real hugs- where your arms wrap around someone, and for a few seconds, both of you forget everything else. The noise fades. The chaos pauses. And all that remains is warmth. Yes, I am a hugger. Always have been. Even when…
Window Shopping
Through virtual windows, I peer and swipe,A catalogue of men, each prototype.No vows, no bonds, no legal decree,Just endless aisles of “What could be.” Migrating birds, they flit and roam,No nesting hearts, no solid home.Loyalty? A fleeting disguise,Lost in the glare of pixelated skies. Grindr’s ping, a digital bell,Announces sales of lust to sell.Swipe left,…
All of Us Strangers
The idea of six degrees of separation is enchanting. This thought suggests any two people in the world are connected through just six acquaintances. It suggests that the world may feel vast. Still, we’re only a few handshakes away from one another. Yet, within this comforting notion lies a quiet question: what about the people…
A Table for One
My heart is yellow,The thoughts are deep,A table for one,Is all I need. The world spins fast,It voices loud,But here I sit,Away from the crowd. No masks to wear,No roles to play,Just me, myself,At the end of the day. This quiet moment,So rare, so true,A space to breathe,The life renew. It’s not escape,It’s a loving…
Frozen Gaze
I may look cold as ice,When I see in them nothing nice.With a gaze that could freeze,And a heart that’s hard to please. You may find me rude,But on good days, I’m the next-door dude.A familiar face with hidden grace,Waiting for a smile to light up this space. Behind the frost, there’s warmth untold,A story…
ANKUR MONDAL 