“I’m seething” Pertie began. Even over the phone I could detect his anger. But he didn’t wait for me to enquire what the matter was.

“I’m proud of being a Hindu. I don’t ...
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I’m afraid Dr. Johnson was only half right. No doubt politics is the last refuge of the scoundrel but it’s much more than that. It’s also the first resort of the unscrupulous. And, yes, I ...
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I’m a terrible hypochondriac and this week, when I have a cold and sore throat, I feel I have good reason to indulge myself. So I’ve been popping pills. Vitamin C, of course, but also assorte...
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“It’s 33 degrees!” Aftab bellowed down the phone when he rang last week from London. He usually does when he has something to crow about. On this occasion I could detect his happiness from ...
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Whatever else you might say about India and Pakistan going nuclear it’s convinced writers of thriller fiction that the third world war will be started by these two countries. This is precisely...
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If there is something that perplexes me about our attitudes in India it’s the way we attach moral virtue to teetotalism. We consider the non-drinker superior to the drinker. In fact, most peopl...
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Sometimes you hear stories you want to remember. The other day I did. It was a hot breathless evening. The lights had also failed. We were sitting on the verandah and I could hear frogs croaking...
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Is there really someone called Ayush Gupta? I received a letter from him the other day and it set me thinking. So, today, before I go any further I want to thank him. But does he exist? Or is t...
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”What’s the most difficult thing about an interview?” I’m often asked. Usually I avoid answering. The truth, however, would astonish everyone. Apart from all the predictable things, an i...
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Now that it’s over it makes a good story. But at the time it was frightening. And dismaying. If you’ve ever seen a house on fire you’ll know what I mean. And if it happens to be your own ...
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