Two weeks since we’ve been back from our Italy trip, and this is how the season of fall has been unfolding — a live performance, a heartfelt series, and a surprisingly memorable read. Nothing dramatic, nothing planned. Just moments that showed up quietly and stayed longer than expected. Small moments, gathered slowly, enough to sit down with tea and write.
An Evening with Anarkali!
There are evenings that surprise you — the ones you don’t plan for, don’t expect much from, and yet they linger long after they are over. Watching the play, Anarkali when it came to DFW was one of those evenings.
We had just returned from Rome, and I was still unpacking — physically and mentally — when I was given tickets, arranged by one of the lead actresses, Farah Toor, who happens to be my friend’s sister. We planned to watch a little and head home early. But as soon as the play began, something shifted. What started as a casual evening out became a journey through humor, nostalgia, and truth. The performance was so engaging, so unexpectedly rich in emotion and wit, that we stayed until the very end — smiling, laughing, and quietly reflecting through it all.
Before the curtain rose, Dr. Shershah Syed spoke about Koohi Goth Women’s Hospital and the simple truth that every woman deserves dignified, accessible healthcare. It grounded the room. It stayed with me.
The play itself was a modern spin on Anarkali, set not in Mughal courts but inside a contemporary Pakistani family. The humor, satire and warmth of the production brought familiar dynamics, familiar taboos, familiar silences to life. With just six actors, the stage felt full. The laughter came easily, but so did recognition.
It is always difficult to present humor that could carry weight and that is exactly what the play lent. Parenting, relationships, mental health, cultural expectations — all surfaced gently, without preaching. The kind of comedy that lets you laugh first, then think later.I left the theater glad we hadn’t rushed out. Lighter somehow, but fuller too. A reminder that stories — even very old ones — still find new ways to speak to us, especially when we least expect them to. Anarkali is playing in all major cities and you can find their travel schedule here. Please do try to make it – you won’t regret attending the event!
Few Thoughts on Ted Lasso!
I had started Ted Lasso few days before my trip to Italy and I caught up on series during the flight. My husband had already watched it but when we came back from Italy, he accompanied me for the last season. While a series like Ted Lasso needs a post on it’s own, I can’t help but put some thoughts on it while I am here. I felt genuinely sad that it had ended — the kind of sadness reserved for characters who begin to feel like familiar company. I loved the setting, the warmth of it, and the way the show balanced humor with emotional honesty. But the good news – filming for season 4 has been started and will air sometime in mid-2026.
What’s funny is that I don’t have an inclination for football — most of what I know about the sport comes from my son, who follows it avidly. And yet Ted Lasso made everything about it feel interesting and human. It reminded me of Fredrik Backman’s gift as a writer — I don’t care for ice hockey either, but I was completely drawn into Beartown. When storytelling is honest enough — or when a production is done with passion — the backdrop becomes secondary; what stays with you are the people, their stories and their virtues. And yet, sometimes the backdrop surprises you too! Even without any real interest in football (or ice hockey), I walked away with a quiet understanding of the culture around them — the teamwork, the discipline, the shared sense of belonging — and that, in its own way, stayed with me as well. The series is full of a quiet lesson in perseverance — Ted Lasso, the protagonist is steady, kind, and emotionally present in a world that often misunderstands these traits, while dealing with his own struggles. While I love his character, Rebecca and Keely are favorites. Rebecca’s journey stayed with me for its self-reclamation and strength, while Keeley brought confidence, heart, and unapologetic growth. The show made emotional intelligence feel aspirational rather than naïve. Other than the genuine thought-provoking content, I loved the setting in England, and then of course the elegant dresses (especially the Ted Baker coats) worn by Rebecca and Keeley’s fun, joyful and bit of cheeky wardrobe. Overall, a strong recommendation if you like good stories, English wit and growth in characters.
On the Book Club Read!
My book club picked the book Flash Out by Alexis Soloski. The read was difficult due to being different in a way that is not expected. It deliberately it resisted the stories we are used to reading. Soloski, a respected theater critic and journalist, writes about people who don’t quite get anywhere in life — and stay there. These are not characters who rise after falling, nor ones who experience quiet, graceful growth. There is no redemption arc, no moment of triumph waiting patiently at the end. Instead, the book presents broken people who unfortunately and honestly remain broken. In a literary world dominated with resilience narratives and inspirational closures, Flash Out felt unsettling — and real. It brought to life a non-ideal reality, one we don’t often see reflected back at us. The book didn’t try to console or resolve; it simply bore witness. And that, in its own way, stayed with me.
What am I watching: Shrinking!
What am I reading: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (and here is the review on the book)
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