Dear 12-year-old looking in the mirror wondering how you went from being fairly decent looking to ugly overnight, you didn’t. You were just abused by someone you trusted, even though you haven’t quite grasped this yet. It’s not the reflection in the mirror that changed, it’s the eyes you see it with. This moment, this […]
Writing the truth will change you in unexpected ways
Something incredible has happened in my life recently. After ten years of silencing myself, telling myself that I couldn’t share my story because my birth family would blame me, first for getting raped, and second, for talking so boldly about it, I did what I have needed to do for a while. I told them. Then, […]
The writing you must do
When I was about twenty years old, I got my first job writing features for a technology magazine. The gig didn’t last long. I was a college student, already freelancing on the side, and achieving success with it. Still, the job seemed like a good idea because I was young, had no experience, and this […]
Why you must write the thing you fear most
A few years ago when I was still in India, I got on a call with a potential client and the first question he asked me was, “Are you the same Mridu who lived in [Delhi neighborhood] a few years ago?” I said, “Hmm, yes,” and racked my brain for how I might know this […]