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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know News India Times (March 21, 2026 - March 27, 2026) March 27, 2026 12 Community L et me ask you something. How far would you go for food that genuinely ruins you - not in the bad way, but in the way that makes every other version of that dish feel like a pale, apologetic imitation? Would you reschedule a meet- ing? Cancel plans?What about, say, miss a train? Because we almost did. And honestly? I’d do it again without a second thought. There are certain foods that don’t belong to restaurants or reci- pes. They belong to people. My friend’s mother made kebabs and I use the word “made” the way you’d use it for some- thing closer to art than cooking. Every year, without fail, whenever we visited, those kebabs would appear. Smoky, ten- der, spiced in that precise, unreplicable way that only comes from decades of muscle memory and zero written mea- surements. The kind of food where you close your eyes on the first bite because your full attention is owed to it. This time, though, life had other plans. We were back home on a short trip, the kind where you’re already mentally packing while you’re still unpacking. The clock was merciless, the schedule tighter than it had any right to be, and a proper sit-down meal was simply not in the cards. We’d accepted it. Made peace with it. Said our goodbyes at the door of their bungalow like responsible adults with trains to catch. And then our friend walked out holding a plate of those kebabs. Just like that, every mature, time-conscious thought evaporated. We grabbed them with the urgency of people who understood, on a cellular level, that this was not optional. Into the car we went, bags shoved in the back, kebabs in our laps; eating with the focused despera- tion of people who had their priorities perfectly sorted, thank you very much. The clock ticking, the station getting closer, the kebabs getting better with every single bite. Then the railway crossing gates came down. And there, through the windshield, we watched our train glide peacefully, unbothered, almost smugly into the platform. Now here’s where I need you to re- ally picture this: the gates lift, the car barely stops, doors flung open, bags grabbed with zero grace, and two abso- lute maniacs sprinting through a train station; one still clutching a paper nap- kin, probably smelling magnificently of kebab. People stared. Someone may have laughed. It was, without question, a scene stolen directly from a movie except sweatier, louder, and consider- ably more fragrant. We made it. We collapsed into our seats, breathless and grinning, hearts pounding, stomachs wonderfully full. That journey home was spent retelling those four chaotic minutes with the kind of laughter that makes your eyes water and your stomach hurt. Here’s what I’ve come to understand: some meals are just meals. But some meals are moments, ones that sit in the softest corner of your memory, not just for the taste, but for everything wrapped around them. The warmth of someone’s mother press- ing food into your hands at a doorstep. The ridiculousness of choosing flavor over punc- tuality. The way joy can taste like smoke and spice and a little bit of panic. So I’ll ask you again and be honest with yourself here. Are you the kind of person who plays it safe, or are you the kind of person who takes the kebabs and runs? Because if there’s a story somewhere in your life that ends with you breathless on a platform, heart full and no regrets — I have a feeling we’d get along just fine. The author is an artist and designer based in the tri-state area. By Ajita Kapoor Living Tamil LitFest To Be Held In New York Will Bring Renowned Literary Figures From Around The World T he Vishnupuram Literary Cir- cle, USA, along with the Vish- nupuram Literary Circle Tamil Nadu, is organizing an event in NewYork titled the Living amil LitFest, scheduled to take place on April 3 and 4, 2026. This initiative is organized by Jeyamohan, a renowned Tamil literary writer fromTamil Nadu known worldwide, organizers said. They expect some 300 attendees from various backgrounds according to the website livingtamillitfest.org/. An estimated 50 scholars, authors, poets, translators and publishers will get together in 15 sessions over the 2 days at the Education and Conference Center, The NewYork Academy of Medicine (NYAM). Together, they will explore how Tamil literature engages with modernity, social justice, identity, and the human condition—while continually reinventing itself for new generations, the press release said. Numerous speakers from around the US, and from Canada, UK, Malay- sia, Singapore, Switzerland, and a large contingent from India will coalesce at the venue. Film actor Kamal Haasan and film director Mani Ratnam have been ap- pointed as ambassadors for the event. Amomg the goals of the festival is to “reconnect young Tamil diaspora with a literary tradition their parents carried across the ocean but could not pass on,” The Hindu reported. According to the Feb. 19 press release, this is “the first global celebration dedi- cated to modern Tamil literature,” which will bring “the radical, evolving tradition of Tamil writing to an international audi- ence in one of the world’s most cosmo- politan literary capitals.” The festival pays tribute to pioneering authors such as Pudhumaipithan, Ka. Na. Subramaniam, Ki. Rajanarayanan, Jayakanthan, Sundara Ramasamy, and Ashokamitran, whose bold experiments in realism, language, and politics still inspire today’s writers. “Alongside these masters, contempo- rary voices will affirmTamil literature as a vibrant, global tradition in dialogue with world literatures,” organizers said. Guided by an eminent committee including A. Muttulingam, Jeyamohan, Arun Mahizhnan, and Arangasamy KV, “the LitFest emphasizes intellectual rigor and literary excellence, ‘ organiz- ers promise. A lineup of American and Canadian authors—including Chad Post, Esther L Allen, Damion Searls, Geoffrey Brock, Janika Oza, Kareem James-Abu Zeid, Peter Constantine, Padma Vishwa- nathan, Rohan Kamicheril, Thomas Hi- toshi Pruiksma—is joining the program, furthering cross-cultural exchange. By hosting the event in NewYork, the festival sends a powerful message, orga- nizers contend – Tamil literature is not regional or marginal, but global, modern, and profoundly relevant. It invites read- ers, scholars, and cultural enthusiasts everywhere to engage with Tamil writing as a living literature of our time. “Living Tamil LitFest is more than an event—it is a declaration that Tamil lit- erature belongs on the world stage, in its own voice, on its own terms,”organizers said. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:X.COM Poster of Living Tamil LitFest event. Lifestyle PHOTO:PROVIDED Ajita’s Headspace: The Kebab Run