Drona promised Arjuna that he would make him the greatest archer. Ekalavya was not part of that promise, but somehow, he ended up paying the price for it. Ekalavya can represent devotion. But he can also represent talent crushed by hierarchy and gatekeeping. This is me looking at the other side of a story often remembered for devotion, and wondering whether Drona ever had the moral right to ask for that sacrifice.

Talent Crushed by Hierarchy and Gatekeeping: Drona’s Promise, Ekalavya’s Loss

Perseverance can make seemingly impossible things possible. But persistence is not free. I grew up believing in a Hindi doha about perseverance: even a rope rubbing against a stone repeatedly will eventually leave a mark. I still believe it. But years later, I find myself wondering about the rope—and what chasing our dreams takes from us along the way

Perseverance: It Has a Cost

I did the Mürren via ferrata in Switzerland. A hike that I will probably remember for the rest of my life. A hike in the Swiss Alps that left me thinking about fear, risk, and what happens inside us when the only direction left is forward.

Mürren via ferrata: The Scariest Hike of My Life (So Far)

Have you ever thought where the fear of failure comes from? How did we come to fear failure? Because I do not think we are born knowing what failure is.

Who Taught Us to Fear Failure?

The effort that gets you to level one does not get you to level two. What was once the sky, the goal you were reaching for, becomes the floor you are standing on. The next level needs something different. The question is: do you know what the next one actually requires? Because that is what is standing between current you and future you.

Why working harder stops working

In many parts of India, the birth of a daughter is met with silence, grief, or worse. Whispers about blame, about back-room ultrasounds, about pregnancies that quietly ended after. I grew up in Bihar hearing these stories, but they stayed abstract, distant. Then I was standing in a hospital hallway, and one happened right in front of me.

“It’s a Girl,” They Said. The Father Cried and Left. I Wish I Wasn’t There.

Jumping into the playground—Akhada—and figuring out the best possible outcome as you go. In the playground, there are only two possibilities: you win or you lose. The clarity is real. Even losing teaches you the game and makes you better for the next time.

Akhada(अखाड़ा): jumping in and navigating outcomes

The biggest debt we all pay is the ignorance debt. But what does it actually mean? What we don’t know still costs us, and I think we’ve all been paying it without even realizing.

Ignorance Debt

Last week, I spoke about Servo at the Ubuntu Summit on its 20th anniversary. It was both humbling and inspiring to share the same stage with the CEO of Canonical, Mark Shuttleworth. Here is a small story about how Ubuntu and open source have played a big role in my life and career

Speaking at Ubuntu Summit 2024

They say bilinguals find it easier to learn a new language. It hasn’t felt any easier for me. I am fluent in English, Hindi, two local Indian dialects, I can read and write Sanskrit, and I can speak German at a B1 level. That makes four languages or six if you count the dialects. But still, it’s not easy for me.

Learning Languages!

हमारा छोटा सा प्यारा सा गाँव 

गाँव

Facinating observation about languages

It is intriguing to consider how something may be perceived as a sign of poverty in one place and can be seen as a symbol of wealth in another.

Jhopdi(झोपडी) roof or Reetdach?

Let the pictures speak

After ~3yrs, today is my last day at my current employer. Gratitude is in order.

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