Adapted from photo by: Kristina Alexanderson / Flickr
Adapted from photo by: Kristina Alexanderson / Flickr

Bigot makes me coffee

A short story

Writer, editor, and TED speaker, Pooja Pande’s books include 'Red Lipstick' (Penguin Randomhouse, 2016), a literary-styled memoir of celebrity transgender rights activist Laxmi, and 'Momspeak' (Penguin Randomhouse, 2020), a first-of-its-kind feminist exploration of the institution and experience of motherhood in India. Pooja’s day job is in media as Head of Strategy at Chambal Media, which houses Khabar Lahariya, India’s award-winning grassroots news network run by Dalit/marginalized women. 

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It is delicious.

"The era of intellectual decisions is gone," she says, the maker of the coffee, "we cannot afford it anymore."

It is wartime, it seems.

She lives amid surplus – in her house, food is wasted every day, while two of her children eat burgers with friends, even as the third, her first born, lives on a strict diet that is slowly turning her invisible. The cook is regardless scolded every other day for turning up late to work yet again – she believes that we live in dangerous times. "One mistake and you're on the backfoot. Give them an inch, they'll take over your country," she says, affirming that the mood of the nation is finally moving in the right direction – towards one singular goal. "We have felt so insecure for so long. But not anymore. The people have spoken, they want absolute certainty. As do I."

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