The blooms That blossom Under the winter sun Are the most beautiful. They unfurl Their petals Under the last dregs Of sultry sunshine, Soaking in the heat That is sparse. The frail poinsettias, The vibrant ranunculus, The golden hellebores Like fire in the fields, Fanned to glory By frigid winds And cold, hard soil. But […]

I wonder Where the swans Croon, Their lullabies, When the lake frosts over. Do they find shelter Amongst the soft crocuses And lavender cyclamen? Or do they Nestle, Within The bloody roses That bloom like wounds On their bodies? How do they Find warmth When the waters Are icy And the air Is chilly? Or […]

I was sent by my high school for a competition, in senior year (2017) a literature festival of sorts, the theme of which was mystery and thriller. There were a number of events (in which I am proud to announce we won a position in every single one). But for our main presentation my best […]

I have sat at my window Today To see the sun rise… The golden fairy lights Are draped Over the trees Like golden blooms of Late fall bougainvillea, And they twinkle out Fading from the night as Sunlight showers the ground. A typical October morning With smoggy skies, Filled with The fragrance of Diwali The […]

Complimenting my previous post Shades on Delhi~ (https://thezoyaproject.com/2020/10/21/shades-of-september-discovering-the-color-of-delhi/) and it’s artwork here are the books I read, to understand the character, history and secrets of my beloved city. Delhi isn’t just a city, she is a character, just as she is in my life. Delhi, by Khushwant Singh Twilight in Delhi, by Ahmed Ali The […]

I have been born and raised in Delhi. It’s a city of contradictions. Here the magic of Mughlai history is paradoxical to the dirty streets and gol-gappa vendors that you know hold the chance of painful food poisoning within the teekha paani. It’s messy and polluted, and steeped in an array of cultures all while […]

I quite enjoyed this book by Katherine McGee. Her previous series lost me at book one, but that might have also been the fact that it took three years for the entire series to come out. So I’m glad I picked this up right before I picked up Majesty. This was a very new concept. […]

I have seen The stars, And all the stories You have embroidered In their arms. I have seen the sirens Hanging on the tips Of the moon, Singing a bewitching melody, For the sailors Roaming the skies. Those Who drink rum And those Chasing Dragons With fiery breath That pursue Falling stars To the ends […]

CASSIOPEIA ~ the vain queen They cut my features From the cosmic brilliance, Of every beautiful thing The world had produced. The blood gushing around my body In whorls of white, Like the salted tips of Every ocean wave Pulled towards the night sky. Will they tell you the stories Written by winners and stars […]

ANDROMEDA ~ the maiden of sorrow They must have examined The light bouncing off Teardrops, Before they placed me In the sky. That tiny glimmer Of white light In a single drop That gleams gold and silver. A single drop Of molten stardust Extricated from mortal bodies So unlike The sea spray From the angry […]