For voyeurs only

It’s all Arati’s fault, really.

But for her, I would have continued living my life wondering if there are others like me who cannot tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi; who do not like the smell of coffee and think chocolate is highly overrated; who are afraid of falling into Indian-style toilets and getting their foot stuck in the muck; and, who are unashamed voyeurs.

"Chee, chee, I’m no voyeur,” you think. Right. If you made it this far, and come here on a daily basis, you SO are! (And if you were a part of the group that turned off the lights and crowded into Ashu-Sucheta’s spare room 10 years ago to ogle at the couple on the couch in the neighbor’s house, please dismount from your high horse and hitch it to the doorpost on your way in.)

Now that we’re all on the same page, allow me to pull you farther into the mire.

As if it weren’t bad enough that I was chucking my chores and checking 3 Nomads for constant updates, I had to stumble upon Sonia Faleiro. If you’ve never heard of her, today is your lucky day. If you’re a big-time fan who hangs on to her every word, you know what I mean.

One good writer leads to another and I came upon Nilanjana Roy. A chit of a girl with a head full of tight curls who didn’t look a day over 12, Nilanjana was mom’s B.A. classmate in the last century. It looks like Ms. Roy (yeah, I’m name dropping in case she wins a Booker) put her English degree to good use to become a successful book critic and respected columnist, unlike mom, who spent her undergraduate years in a women’s college wondering where the men were.

Then there are fearless Tam Bram girls (too many to list, so be happy with these two. That's right, there are two - look closely) who are not afraid to speak their minds. The kind of girls who are grandma’s pet and mom’s angst because they are gracious hostesses who can make a mean (not meen) sambhar, keep a spotless home, discuss world affairs intelligibly with their fathers-in-law, and, recite the Bhagavad Gita backwards.

Indira, Mistress of Spices, was a serendipitous discovery who is now my daily fix. If only food cooked in my house looked as good. Her photographs are as soothing as a warm cup of tea on a wintry afternoon and I would move in with her for those ma’amoul cookies.

Lest you label me a biased voyeur, allow me to introduce two lamp posts from my daily pit stop. Ladies, I have no idea if these guys are tall, dark and handsome (probably not, because that's the way life is) but they’re hilarious, especially when they’re appealing to my baser instincts.

On your way out, do drop in on Megha, if you haven't already. She might be accepting nominations for president and secretary of her fan club pretty soon. I would apply, but I'm not sure I'm eligible.

Hey, somebody left their horse behind! Y'all come back now, ya hear?