I started out with Suraj keeping his tongue firmly in cheek with his thought bubbles (money plant, jamun etc). But the scene turned out that way and I myself got teared up while writing it.
We didn't know at that time but we understand now that the 1990s were indeed historic times.
I think this is how my daughter feels when she asks about money - how much is too much, are we rich or poor, what can we afford etc. I felt her curiosity through your words and her childlike understanding of the complicated and complex world of adults and money. Beautifully written.
Thanks so much, Samira! In school, the opposite of rich is poor. And since we've been told at home that we are definitely not rich, are we poor then? But we have a house, food and clothes unlike the poor. So how rich or how poor are we? - it's all very confusing for a child. All the best to you :)
I found the piece incredibly moving— so gentle, so powerful. Suraj’s struggle to understand the adult world and his childlike confusion and fear are simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. Your use of the third-person narrative added an extra layer of depth for me.
The story took me back to simpler times for a while; thank you. 🌻
More fiction from Karthik please. 💜 So tender and so aware. How? At the same time? "Only yesterday, he was struggling with that Maths problem where the mango seller sold mangoes all day to earn 120 rupees. If food for four people costs as much as 268 rupees, there is no way the mango seller can feed his family with just 120 rupees!"
Thanks so much, Rita! :)
I started out with Suraj keeping his tongue firmly in cheek with his thought bubbles (money plant, jamun etc). But the scene turned out that way and I myself got teared up while writing it.
We didn't know at that time but we understand now that the 1990s were indeed historic times.
I think this is how my daughter feels when she asks about money - how much is too much, are we rich or poor, what can we afford etc. I felt her curiosity through your words and her childlike understanding of the complicated and complex world of adults and money. Beautifully written.
Thanks so much, Samira! In school, the opposite of rich is poor. And since we've been told at home that we are definitely not rich, are we poor then? But we have a house, food and clothes unlike the poor. So how rich or how poor are we? - it's all very confusing for a child. All the best to you :)
Karthik 💜
The innocent and fearful inner world of children - so evocatively and simply captured.
Thank you so much!! :)
Dear Karthik,
I found the piece incredibly moving— so gentle, so powerful. Suraj’s struggle to understand the adult world and his childlike confusion and fear are simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. Your use of the third-person narrative added an extra layer of depth for me.
The story took me back to simpler times for a while; thank you. 🌻
More fiction from Karthik please. 💜 So tender and so aware. How? At the same time? "Only yesterday, he was struggling with that Maths problem where the mango seller sold mangoes all day to earn 120 rupees. If food for four people costs as much as 268 rupees, there is no way the mango seller can feed his family with just 120 rupees!"