ashokism...
Feb 12, 2026
Feb 10, 2026
Twenty
Twenty years ago
you arrived like a miracle—
an answer to a question
I did not know;
A reason for a smile
In the midst of Kabul snow
I look back now and remember:
You
waiting behind the door
for me to come home,
Clinging to my legs at every goodbye,
Wrapping around my neck when awake,
and resting in my arms when asleep
Time has been chiselling you
before my eyes,
as you step out of my shadow
and grow new wings to fly.
You stand now at the edge of yourself—
half made of who you have been,
half made of who you are brave enough
to become.
The world will try to hurry you.
Let it wait.
You are allowed to move
at the speed of your own becoming.
The world will try to judge you.
Do not wait.
You are allowed to choose your path.
I know you will choose it right.
And if you ever doubt your worth,
remember this:
you have been loved—
loudly, quietly, fiercely—
since the first moment you breathed.
Twenty is not a number.
It is a doorway.
And you do not have to know
what waits on the other side
to step through it shining.
Happy birthday, my daughter.
The best chapters
are just beginning.
- Appa
Feb 9, 2026
Feb 8, 2026
Feb 5, 2026
Feb 2, 2026
Jan 31, 2026
Jan 30, 2026
Jan 29, 2026
Jan 26, 2026
Devanahalli fort visit
Devanahalli Fort, built by Malla Baire Gowda in 1501 under the Vijayanagara Empire, started as a mud fort and was later rebuilt in stone by Hyder Ali, becoming a key site for rulers like Tipu Sultan (who was born here) before being captured by the British under Lord Cornwallis in 1791 during the Anglo-Mysore Wars, marking centuries of shifts in power from local chieftains to Mysore rulers and European colonialists.
The fort is a 45 minutes drive from my home and today being a holiday was a perfect day for a quiet drive with my wife. The fort was a big disappointment. There was absolutely no maintenance and hardly anything for visitors. A building of 500 year old history definitely needs better respect.




















































