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Feb 1, 2025 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
In the first week of January, I received an unexpected phone call from a cherished family friend, someone I hadn’t met in 17 long years. Our last interaction had been a brief exchange of messages three years prior, and since then, we hadn’t been in touch. She was visiting Bengaluru from the US with her family and expressed a desire to meet us. Without hesitation, we invited them over. What followed was nothing short of extraordinary.
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Jan 4, 2025 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
December is synonymous with celebrations, reunions and astronomical airfares. I experienced all of them but in an unexpected, unusual way. It was one that redefined my priorities and offered invaluable life lessons. Early in the month, at 4.30 pm, I received a voice note from my daughter in London who needed me immediately because of a health scare. By 6.30 pm my tickets to the UK were booked, and by 11.30 pm I’d left for the airport.
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Dec 9, 2024 | 
shethepeople.tv | Preeti Shenoy
To the world, Alka’s life is picture-perfect—she lives a charmed existence in a beautiful heritage bungalow on her husband Subbu’s coffee estate with their two lovely daughters. But when disaster strikes after Subbu’s near-fatal accident, buried secrets begin to surface, ripping apart the veneer of perfection.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
scroll.in | Preeti Shenoy
Alka slowly walked back to the house, trying to get a grip on her emotions. The sudden appearance of Mrs Senapathy’s sister had left her reeling. She hadn’t processed things yet and had expected Subbu to empathize with her. A year ago, when her secret had been exposed and Alka had left home, Subbu had been forced to confront his beliefs about class and caste.
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Nov 30, 2024 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
By the time this article is published, my 17th book would be released into the world. Seventeen books—it is a number that still feels surreal to me. When people hear of my work, they label me prolific, but I am far from it. What they see as productivity is simply the result of persistence, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the craft. If you want something badly you will make time for it. Else, you will make excuses. I never envisioned that I’d write so many books.
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Nov 2, 2024 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
A long time ago, while working on a novel, I managed to write 8,500 words in a single day. Exhausted yet exhilarated, I compared it to a ‘runner’s high’. Writing a book is like running a marathon: in both, there’s a finish line, moments of doubt, and a determination to keep going despite every obstacle. But today, I experienced what a real ‘runner’s high’ feels like when I ran my first professionally organised race—something I once swore I would never be able to do.
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Oct 5, 2024 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
Most people I speak to have encountered such peculiar coincidences at least once in their lifetime, prompting the question: could these random events hold a deeper significance? Rationalists dismiss them as meaningless, while the spiritually inclined interpret them as messages from the universe. A study led by Christian Rominger from the University of Graz, published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, delves into the phenomenon of meaningful coincidences.
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Aug 31, 2024 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
Last week, I had three incredibly close calls, any of which could’ve ended in a disaster. In retrospect, they feel almost miraculous. The first occurred in an overnight bus from Bengaluru to Kerala. In the wee hours of the morning, a hard thud sent me sliding down the seat. The bus had collided into a lorry, shattering the windshield. Shaken, I decided to return by flight. On the way to the airport, a stone thrown by miscreants, narrowly missed the windshield, striking the side of the car instead.
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Aug 3, 2024 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
Imagine a magic pill that regulates your feelings about situations beyond your control, eases stress and reduces your helplessness. This pill has no side effects and can be taken by anyone, regardless of age, as often as they like. Sounds impossible? I thought so too. At 16, as a member of my senior school basketball team, I was at the mercy of intense emotional highs and lows. Victories meant boundless joy, while defeats plunged me into the depths of despair.
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Jul 6, 2024 | 
newindianexpress.com | Preeti Shenoy
As an infant, my daughter wouldn’t let anyone have a conversation with me. Perched on my hip, she held my face in her tiny hands and turned my gaze towards her whenever I tried to talk to anyone else. This behaviour isn’t uncommon. Social scientists conducted an experiment with six-month-old babies where they exhibited jealousy towards a lifelike doll held by their mothers, as opposed to a book. Even animals display jealousy.
