I have learnt that life is not about making plans. It is about one step. One moment of time. One branch, to the one immediately below it.
30 March 2020. I take as deep a breath as a lifelong smoker is capable of, and blow out the six and a quarter candles—representing my 62 years on earth—that my wife has precariously balanced on the cupcake that was all she could find, in lieu of a cake, in our strictly quarantined neighbourhood.
Chasing a thought later that morning, I spill some flour on a plate, add water, dip both feet in the mix, and walk in a straight line from the kitchen to my study. I check the footsteps to make sure the strides are even. Then I …
Prem Panicker has been a journalist for over 30 years. From daily newspapers to weekly magazines and digital news portals—he was one of the seven journalists who were part of the Rediff.com start-up team—he has written and edited features extensively across mediums and publications. Since quitting his job at Yahoo in 2014, he has been working as a freelance writer and editor, as well as teaching narrative journalism.
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