Lessons Learnt '25
25 things I learnt-missed-did-failed-succeeded-experienced in 2025. Beware of Kerala mentions — that has been one-third of my year, after all.
I know, I know… too many of these already. This is my blueprint for the new year and a little thank you note for the year gone by. So, please to be bearing with me!
Just last week the lovely Nidhi Arora and Sumira Khan walked us through 2025 and encouraged us to plot it on a graph. At one point I felt like that student who goes in for a three hour exam but leaves the hall within the first five minutes. The paper was out of syllabus!
Anyway, so here’s the list of 25 things from that graph-plotting exercise and some more.
25. The Isha Centre in Coimbatore is a strange mix of a yoga centre, temple and dilli haat. And despite going with an open mind, it didn’t do anything for me. zilch!1
24. School reunions are essential. You meet old classmates and the exercise helps you decide who you want to continue being friends with and who you most certainly don’t.
23. I am not a big Goa fan. It feels like a lot of effort to “be cool”. I would prefer Kerala any day. Delhi/Noida is unliveable.
22. I love travelling for work. And I hate travelling for holidays unless it is with a bunch of classmates and is in Kerala.
21. June is now officially the worst month of the year. (August was that month until a few years ago). In 2022, dad passed away a week after my birthday on 14 June. #HibernateInJune. That’s it.
20. Parties are best with our closest friends and in my red floor house! I miss the Noida house- It deserves better than Noida. Ok, I also miss my friends!
19. Teenagers go very far away from you. I am sure it is different for parents, I can only give a friend’s POV.
18. I will admit that there were moments this year when I thought having kids would not have been a bad idea. They would have been grown up by now, alle! And Budhape ka Sahara2 and all that.
17. Notwithstanding Number 18 — I am still incapable of drumming up the absolute unflinching, crazy-ass, selfless desire of bringing up another human being.
16. Death and post-death have been the top two dominating thoughts this year. Reiterating once again—a) I want to be dead the very first day of being irreversibly sick. b) I want to die in the company of friends. The husband might be too lazy (and too much in love) to let me go! I’d rather be a ghost than a rotting corpse.
15. Health scares are becoming a reality. Fingers are perpetually crossed — for self, family and friends.
14. Gifts I will almost never make use of: Tea, saffron and honey. Gifts I will always love to receive: Book, bookmarks, diaries, doodle books, coffee, and fridge magnets!
13. I should have written more this year. Oh, I was bubbling with ideas3 . But the problem with bubbling is, that after a point it fizzles out and then the time that should have been spent in writing is spent in wondering “what’s the point”.
12. I am reading a lot more—I am super-kicked. I doodled quite a bit (Thanks to Sneaky Artist Nishant Jain). I am happy. I would have been happier if these were original pieces!
11. The Ochre Sky Stories writing circle is a strange place created by Natasha Badhwar and Raju Tai. It is warm, ready to embrace you in a bear hug and right there at all times. And a second writing retreat is coming up!
10. Going to the gym doesn’t mean walking on the treadmill, cycling or cross-trainer-ing! And this year, I crossed my personal best of going to the gym — 21 sessions. But my trainer went missing as mysteriously as I had found him. (psst: Now I can do unimaginable things in the pool— like a full squat)
9. I love black coffee. Without sugar. Basically, in the husband’s words “I have gone hardcore”. What started as a ‘fatty liver cure’ has now become a non negotiable.
8. I stopped drinking. Wine, that is. Kerala did that to me. Imagine. I have barely enjoyed a glass of wine here since September. But most importantly I have had no desire to wine-up!
7. I started Malayalam classes. I was doing well until I came to Kerala. Here, stage fright has set in. Confidence is at an all time low. I hope I don’t end up with Malayalam as I did with Bangla!
6. It is so much more fun to watch mallu films in Jasola. With Roshni (and family). I miss that. A LOT. (Moley, you listening?)
5. I went for a Bharatnatyam trial class in Trivandrum4. I want to pursue it but there is a logistical issue — the class is on the second floor of a house that has stairs as tall as my tibia. I can only pursue it if I climb on all my fours but I am a bit shy to do that in front of 8 year olds.
4. I like banana. And here you are spoilt for choice. So much choice, that now I don’t know which banana to buy.
3. I never knew I could love my company so much. I love it so much, what if I never like meeting people ever???
2. I love the version of me that I have become in Kerala. I segregate waste. I don’t zomato food. I made a Diwali Ghar (after decades). I WAKE UP AT 7 AM!
1. I moved to Kerala. To better air, better water, better civic sense. And a stunning view of the Arabian Sea.
I was there just last Sunday, so it is very fresh in my mind.
Old age support, basically.
Rohan Banerjee’s response to the song list and Roshni’s furniture-love post is stewing somewhere in my subconscious mind.
Just like I went for Kalari last year.
I am curious about the graph.
Nice to know that you and Udit are in my hometown Trivandrum! I was there for a few days until Christmas. Hope Trivandrum and Kerala continue to treat you well.