Dear reader, hello. I hope you had a warm, bright, and happy Deepavali.

Like every year, it rained this year too on Deepavali day in Bengaluru. My hack of reminding myself of the showers as “November Rain” was sadly broken because this year, Deepavali was in October!

Gabru and his local indie-streetie friends have had a pretty stressful few days on account of all the loud, bright, and smokey “green crackers”. While pet parents are acutely aware of how terrifying crackers are to their pets, it’s heartbreaking to see streeties scared witless, tails between their legs, tongues lolling, scurrying away from the approximate source of the latest cracker only to be turned away by another one from a different direction. The poor things have nowhere safe or warm to huddle under.

Thankfully, it’s over for another year.

As I get older, I also realise how the things we take for granted, whether crackers or spending festivals with your family, are just one perspective.

Bengaluru’s roads have been largely deserted on account of the four-day extended weekend brought about by Deepavali and Karnataka Rajyotsava (statehood formation) falling on consecutive days. But the only constant on the roads these days have been the never-ending procession of delivery riders rushing from dark stores and bright restaurants to the illuminated and warm homes of the privileged. Us.

I didn’t intend to begin this week’s edition on this pensive note, but these have been my dominant feelings these last few days.

On a happier note, the Totapuri/Ginimoothi mango tree in our backyard bore a few dozen unseasonal fruits during the rains. I don’t think they will survive to sweet adulthood though. A few days ago, we also spotted a fairly large snake (it slithered away before we could identify it). And on Saturday, we were graced by a monkey that calmly walked across the compound wall, after examining the unripe mangoes.

On that note, let’s dive into today’s edition. 

1. What’s your scar tissue telling you?
2. The art of conversation 📚
3. A matter of contrast 📸

“Human beings are the only animal that trips twice over the same stone,” is one of my favourite adages.