Narayani Manapadam

I am an IT professional, lost in the monotonous world of Excel. So, I seek refuge in Word, pun intended. I write for various literary platforms and have quite a few anthologies to my credit. I am a proud cat momma to Uttam, my crazy imp.

Voice of Narayani Manapadam

The Indiscreet Nuts

Laila picked up the ring and slipped it around her finger with ease. Did the Sultan have slender hands? Or did the ring adjust to its owner’s size?

View Comments ( 0 )
My Mentor Advised: Take Your Time To Learn, But Perfect It!
My Mentor Advised: Take Your Time To Learn, But Perfect It!

My #MentorStories is about my team leader who taught me how to upskill and be patient with learning new things!

View Comments ( 0 )
Cooking Is A Skill, And My Dad And Husband Vouch For That!

Dear men, if you flaunt your ignorance with pride and claim that you do not even know how to light up a gas stove, the joke is on you. Grow up!

View Comments ( 0 )
Web Series Vadhandi: Velonie’s Fable Takes Voyeurism And Slut Shaming To A New Low!

A beautiful and free-spirited girl must be shameless and uninhibited. To them, she is nothing less than a prostitute, and self-crowned moral custodians of our culture continue to rub their hands in glee as they conjure up non-existent affairs.

View Comments ( 0 )
OK Tested
OK Tested Episode On Sex & Sexuality With Dr Cuterus Blew Me Away!

Talking of sex and sexuality is still taboo in our country; why talk shows like OK Tested dealing openly with this (along with many other things) are essential.

View Comments ( 0 )
How I Prepared To Travel With My Cat In Flight
How I Prepared To Travel With My Cat In Flight

There was no doubt that my cat, Uttam, would travel with us. The question was — how? It was a learning experience for us, and I’m sharing this with other readers.

View Comments ( 0 )
This Is The Day You Have Been Waiting For…

“Look! The baraat has arrived,” a girl squeals. You peep out of the window. He looks dapper in his sherwani. The sehra covers his face, but you know his eyes search for you.

View Comments ( 0 )
Amma And Me… Ours Was A Bond Of Love Made Special By Its Mundane Details

There were no secrets between my mother and me. After coming home from school, an hour was reserved for the two of us. It was our time.

View Comments ( 0 )
Do You Remember His Smile? As If He Knew, Maa, As If He Knew…

“I tell you, nothing can beat the aroma of Gobindobhog rice. The so-called famous basmati rice brands can’t even hold a candle to it.” With that, he scooped out the kheer, and polished it off in one go.

View Comments ( 0 )
Thoughts On Shalini Mullick’s ‘Stars From The Borderless Sea’

“Love" elicits a myriad of responses in us. But what happens when two married people are in love, but not with their spouses?

View Comments ( 0 )
So, Will All The Bullying Stop If You Sack This One Offender?

She hadn’t anticipated the fiasco. There had been murmurs of 'improper dressing', but this time the situation had escalated to a boiling point.

View Comments ( 0 )
I’ve Just Realised I’m Surrounded By Transphobes And Homophobes

By giving him a grammar book, I could have helped him in rectifying his mistakes. But what about the transphobia and homophobia that raised its ugly head that evening?

View Comments ( 0 )
A Dish Of Maqluba, A Fresh Start To Life

It had been six months since a freak accident had claimed Walid, leaving Yasmin to grapple with the loneliness and the heartbreak. How would she reclaim her life?

View Comments ( 0 )
‘Valmiki’s Women’ By Anand Neelakantan & My Thoughts After Reading It

The book ‘Valmiki's Women’ By Anand Neelakantan, tells the tales of five women characters – Bhoomija, Shanta, Manthara, Tataka & Meenakshi.

View Comments ( 0 )
Temsula Ao’s Laburnum For My Head Opens A Window To Nagaland & We Want More Of It!

Temsula Ao's Laburnum For My Head deals with eight utterly delightful, yet thought-provoking tales from Nagaland. I highly recommend this!

View Comments ( 0 )
She Was No Longer The Child They Had Terrorised; They Couldn’t Do Anything To Her Now

But one just needed to scratch the surface, and voila! It revealed a truth bitter than medicines. People behaved like dogs in heat, panting after anybody in a skirt or a saree.

View Comments ( 0 )
From Blaming Anushka For Virat’s Performance To Trolling Hasan Ali’s Wife… When Will We Stop Blaming Wives Of Male Athletes?

Blame it on the wives! Did your husband bowl a wide? Did he drop a sitter? Did he get run out? It's your fault!

View Comments ( 0 )
“If It Is The Most Important Part Of A Woman’s Body, Why Is It Called Shame-Shame?”

I tried to move my feet, but I couldn’t. I shivered, as the wind picked up its pace. The pain down there lingered, like a dull nagging ache.

View Comments ( 0 )
A Generous Dash Of Vermilion For The Goddess

By that time, a few other ladies had gathered around. Rumours fly faster than a supersonic plane in Indian societies. Chants of ‘new friend’ reverberated in front of the Goddess.

View Comments ( 0 )
The Unlikely Demon Slayer

Her voice remained stifled inside the mould of clay, as the men revered Her as Maa, yet abused and molested the likes of Tumpa. But, on that Ashtami morning, the Goddess would witness something familiar – the defeat of Mahishasur.

View Comments ( 0 )
Now All That Remained Were The Purple Patches On Her Body

"It was an accident. Of that I’m sure. But some people are hell bent on creating mischief. And Deepika hands it to them on a platter.”

View Comments ( 0 )
When My Appa Supported Our Joint Decision Not To Have A Child

I had been raised by feminist parents, and more so, a father, who had been 'bashed' by the 'well-wishers' for giving much 'freedom' to his daughter. He bears the brunt of it even now.

View Comments ( 0 )
Girl reading
Eustacia Vye Writes: What Would Hardy’s Heroine Say To Us Modern Women?

What if you find a letter addressed to you, folded within the pages of a treasured novel? From one of the protagonists, too! How would that make you feel? 

View Comments ( 0 )
No, Let Me Finish, Baba. You’ve Spoken A Lot; It’s My Turn To Speak Now

“And then, you glided into my life. You know? I had always admired your guts, and wondered why I couldn’t muster up the courage to take initiatives.” The Muse of the Month is a monthly writing contest organised by Women’s Web, bringing you original fiction inspired by women.  Narayani Manapadam is one of the winners for the […]

View Comments ( 0 )
And Now We Share An ‘Adult’ Relationship!

I cupped Abir’s face in my hands and kissed him. He didn’t respond. I recoiled in shame. His look would haunt me forever. If there was a word for sympathy mixed with scorn, that was it! I felt my world crashing down that day.

View Comments ( 0 )
I’ll Be In The Bed I Have Chosen; Not Where I Was Forced To Lie

But he loved and respected me. He made me feel intelligent. Mohan had even refused to discuss what was wrong with him. These were apparently matters beyond the comprehension of a woman, he had felt.

View Comments ( 0 )
Rani Jindan
Why We Need More Stories Like That Of Rani Jindan, Punjab’s Last Queen

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's Rani Jindan, the Last Queen of Punjab, is a flawed, real woman, who does not hesitate to do what she must.

View Comments ( 0 )
We All Know Those Entitled Relatives Who Criticise Almost Anything Coz ‘Groom’s Side’!

Parents who toil away to ensure that the wedding goes off without a glitch, are shamed indirectly for bringing a girl into this world – who cares for their state of minds?

View Comments ( 0 )
You Fear Women Like Us Who Voice Our Opinions And Aren’t Afraid Of Owning Our Sexuality

Not to be outdone, the journalist continued. “You have mentioned it’s an erotic genre. And then an ex-lover. Don’t you think your female protagonist is behaving like a whore?”

View Comments ( 0 )
Dear ‘Well Wishers’ In The Family, Stop Interfering Under The Pretence That You Care

My parents and I have received a lot of 'friendly advice' from interfering family members under the guise of being my 'well wishers'. Just. Keep. Away.

View Comments ( 0 )
Reading The Epics As An Adult, I Wonder, What About The Women?

Though I have always been a fan of mythology, I often wondered if the plight of women has changed since then. And I ask, what about her?

View Comments ( 0 )
Lipstick Under My Burkha – Not A Review

The four characters belong to the same locality. Each having their own issues. Each thinking the other is having a fun-filled life. Until they decide to cross the boundaries set by the society.

View Comments ( 0 )
For Her, Laughter Could Be Got Only At The Steep Price Of Submitting To Her Husband

A few thrusts and grunts later, he rolled off her and drifted off to sleep. Laila adjusted her negligee and started counting imaginary stars in her ceiling.

View Comments ( 0 )
I Am Shikhandi, The Queer Warrior Who Found A Purpose

There is an inexplicable void inside me. I feel like a pawn of the universe. But I guess I am. My entire life has been an indication of that.

View Comments ( 0 )
I Am Draupadi; I Created My Own Shade Of Sapphire

Despite having five husbands, a sense of emptiness overwhelms me. And out of sheer fury, frustration and helplessness, I speak.

View Comments ( 0 )
And The Night Was Fragrant With The Sweet Smell Of Liberty

She is a harbinger of ill luck, they scorned, as Anadi Babu’s dead body was brought in from the police station. A hit-and-run case.

View Comments ( 0 )
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
If Only I Could Tweak That Very Disappointing Movie, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

My dear Anjali… you are better off marrying Aman. That is, if you love him. Else just live your life, lady. Slip into those pants. Tie that bandana around your unruly hair. But please, say a resounding no to Rahul.

View Comments ( 2 )
Ahalya
I Am Ahalya, And In A Parallel Universe, This Would Be My Choice

I supress the anger rising inside me. An outburst of my fury would mean I am culpable. And I refuse to take the blame on my shoulders.

View Comments ( 0 )
There Will Never Be The Silence Of This Lamb

I take his hand in mine and rub the back of his palm with my thumb, a gesture he has always enjoyed. Not today. Because he recoils.

View Comments ( 2 )
This Letter To My 20-Year Old Self Comes From A Place Of Being Myself

It’s not your duty to please everyone. You don't have to be the perfect woman. What would you tell your 20-year old self?

View Comments ( 0 )
Kunti
Rajmata Kunti’s Price Of Secrecy

She knew her deeds would come home to roost. But she was a mere mortal. And when tragedy struck a blow deadlier than a lightning, a numbness had engulfed her.

View Comments ( 0 )
Why Princess Uttara Was More Than Just Abhimanyu’s Widow

Though always smiling and jolly, princess Uttara was unaware of her own will power. All it needed a tragedy of a monstrous magnitude to unravel it. 

View Comments ( 0 )

Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!

All Categories