Author: Karina Pandya

Writing Touching Void… Surviving a Car Accident was like reliving my past. It was not only a cathartic process but also a resurrection. It meant revisiting memories and the darkest corners of my life, reliving the trauma not for the pain but for healing. This book was, after all, a source of healing for me more than anything else. Through each chapter, I peeled back layers of my fear, resilience and unexpected hope. It was not at all easy, but I wanted my story to serve as an inspiration for other people who went through a similar situation; that they,…

  “Mumbai doesn’t sleep—they say. But in its sleeplessness, it dreams in seven languages, drinks chai with strangers, and tells a thousand stories.” That was the starting point of my book Inside Mumbai: Stories from the Heart of a Vibrant City. As someone who has walked through the lanes of Fort, Kala Ghoda, caught the last train from Churchgate, and interviewed citizens with courage in their voices, I wanted to capture a version of Mumbai that isn’t just glamorous or gritty—it’s alive. This book follows seven young journalism interns at The Indian Express—each from a different background, each trying to navigate…

Finding yourself and creating yourself can be one of the most overwhelming and often challenging things to do in life. Often, when we reach 18 or, at the latest, 21, we think we have everything figured out, but this is far from perfect. It’s the time when not only are we allowed to drive, but we also start our careers and are given our first taste of independence and freedom.   Although being an adult is generalised, there are stark differences in the maturity of both. At 21, we are generally told to find ourselves as if we had actually misplaced…

After the release of New York Wakes to Culture, I knew I had to write a book that captured the vastness and chaos of Mumbai. But this one was different—shaped not just by structure, but by the city itself. While I followed a similar narrative format—seven journalism interns and one lead character, Mahi—this time, each intern had a specific lens through which to view the city: Culture, Crime, Love, Disparity, Mythology, Historical Context, and Transportation. This wasn’t just a compression chamber of experiences—it was a newsroom furnace. Each chapter was inked in urgency. And each intern—Mahi, Mariya, Kiara, Aditya, Vihaan,…

When people hear the word epilepsy, they often think of seizures and that it is just one more “neurological condition”. However, what they don’t know is that living with such a condition can weigh you down tremendously, and that is more than just the neurological condition, but also battling the side effects of the medications as well. What people don’t realise is the number of pills that are required to fight such a neurological condition. Some of the most common side effects include weight gain, foggy mornings and the silent battle that is assiduously fought.   I have been living…

As a cat parent to four beautiful felines, Bunty, Babli, Mini and Prince Goldie, I have always been most generous with affection and food. Giving the cats treats was a way of bonding with them; mealtimes were their utter moments of joy, and I found some form of comfort knowing that their bowls were never empty.   However, soon I started noticing small signs. There were shorter play sessions, and the cats were moving a lot slower than before. There was also a lot of hesitation each of the cats had before jumping onto their favourite spots. I decided to…

Date: April 15th Today wasn’t just the last day at the NGO — it was also the final parent-teacher meeting before the summer holidays. It marked the end of a chapter — a final memory tied to work, to children, to parents, and to the gentle bridge we had tried to build between them. It was a hot and sunny afternoon. By 3 PM sharp, the hall was buzzing — full of excited young kittens, each accompanied by their mothers. A nearby table displayed neatly organised folders with students’ assignments, class-wise, in case any of the mothers wanted to browse…

In a world that celebrates the loudest voices, Kiara Ahuja stands out not by shouting, but by listening. At 21, Kiara is one of those rare individuals who doesn’t need to make noise to make an impact. With slightly tousled hair and eyes that seem to notice everything, she moves through life with a steady purpose, driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand the world, one story at a time. Hailing from Mumbai, she blends seamlessly into the city’s chaos. You’ll spot her riding a packed local train with a pen behind her ear and a notebook tucked under her arm,…

Tucked between the sacred and the swarming lies Mahim—a place that feels like a time-lapse between Mumbai’s storied past and its restless present. It’s only fitting that Mariya Mirza represents this transitional neighbourhood, where ancient shrines coexist with traffic snarls, and the aroma of street food dances through narrow lanes lined with aspirations. At just 21, Mariya is sharper than your morning espresso and twice as energising. She’s not just another intern ticking boxes—she’s the one subtly redesigning the list while meeting every deadline on it. Whether her hair is straightened or neatly pulled back into a ponytail, Mariya carries…

If there’s one person who could narrate a traffic jam and make it sound like a blockbuster, it’s Shiva Prasad. At 22, he’s not just a boy from Andhra Pradesh—he’s a walking, talking narrative, wrapped in unruly curls and colourful shirts! Shiva’s hair has its own personality—thick, dark, and unapologetically wild. Those curls frame his face like nature’s way of saying, “This one doesn’t follow rules.” Every now and then, you’ll catch him running a finger through them, as if rearranging the thoughts he’s about to spill next. He’s got that rugged charm, the kind that makes you curious. A slightly rough-around-the-edges…