Now that I’m no longer in Bangalore, you won’t find me babbling about my runs or walks with friends in Cubbon or Lalbagh. (By the way, I suspect I’m a bit infamous for always suggesting one of these as a meeting spot. Not that I’ve had many guests. But the few who have visited would probably attest.) Pardon me—I can’t help it.

Neither will I bore you with frequent updates on my plants, especially how rapidly my capsicum plants are growing. They’re still in the office, and I believe in good care.

Instead, you’ll now find me yapping about books, our cat, my driving experience, anything different I cooked, and—occasionally—our family trips.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve resumed reading, this time at a relatively faster pace. In a span of just a week and a half, I’ve finished three books—The Great Gatsby, Bright Young Dead: A Mitford Murders Mystery, and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. Not bad by my standards. :)

I liked them all.

(As if I could get away with just saying that.)

Truth is, I felt I wasn’t ready for a classic like The Great Gatsby, especially while reading at a fast pace. Mitford Murders Mystery felt a bit stretched and childish at times. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop felt… soft.

I doubt this would do either. As I read more, I think I’ll have more to say.

I recently started The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas but I don’t think I have the patience for it right now, so I’ll return to it later. I was planning to pick up either Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky or Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, but a quick Google search convinced me otherwise—for now. I still need to ramp up my patience and understanding for those.

Instead, I’ve started Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, which feels like a relatively easier read so far.

I prefer to walk around on our veranda while reading. If the sun’s out, I find a shadier spot. I’ve taken a liking to noticing what our cat does in the meantime.

We have reasons to believe that her allegiance doesn’t lie solely with us. We’ve spotted her lounging in other people’s verandas. While this is all good, it bothers me just a bit to be ignored by her outside our house periphery. But without a doubt, she spends the majority of her day at our house. I’m not sure if it’s because she craves our cat food or if it’s our company she misses most. I like to think it’s both.

There are times we’ve fed her properly, and she still comes to the door, meowing her way in. My mom is a bit particular about not letting her into our rooms. There are all sorts of rules when it comes to us and cats—but those rules are a bit relaxed. Occasionally, she lets her in for a quick round, as if the cat’s inspecting what we’re all doing huddled inside, only to then funnily chase her out a few minutes later. She seems to enjoy this little ritual.

Both my mom and the cat, I mean.

It seems like our cat feels at peace after this round of inspection. She sleeps well afterward. Oh, the way she sleeps! Sometimes she curls up into a ball, other times she stretches out completely. On particularly relaxed days, she lies down with all four paws pressed against the net door, sleeping through every bit of commotion. I find her adorable when she does that.

She doesn’t always look adorable. There are moments when she looks downright scary, with her fur puffed up from head to tail. I stay well out of her way on those occasions.

Okay, that’s probably too much about the cat. The reason I brought her up was because I often find her nearby while I’m reading outside. We keep each other company. It makes my book time enjoyable despite the heat. Hopefully I’m good company for her too—she often finds a cozy spot and naps nearby when one of us is outside. Otherwise she sits outside our net doors and continuously makes her meow sound till she realizes either everyone is huddled inside their own world and no amount of her meowing would break the trance or she hears a slight disturbance inside knowing her task has been done and someone is about to step outside.

Anyway—back to other updates!

I’ve started learning how to drive. I think I’m better than my siblings at it. Yay! It’s been a week since I began. Initially, I stuck to empty roads, but now my dad lets me navigate city traffic—with him in the passenger seat, of course. It might take a month or so for both of us to feel fully confident, but I can already see it happening.

On the cooking front, not much to boast about. I was entrusted with preparing an entire dish by myself, but just when I reached the main part, my friends called. My parents had to take over. I loved chatting with them, but sadly, I can’t claim I shepherded the dish from start to finish. Maybe next time. Cooking is on my radar, so hopefully I’ll have more to report soon.

As for our next family trip, my parents are keen on visiting some religious places. It might be Mathura/Vrindavan or Khatoo/Salasar this time. I’m in charge of planning, so let’s see how that goes. ;)

I think that’s a lot for today. Time to go make myself more useful now.