SEEMA

Do we cross boundaries when we

peek through keyholes?

A P H O T O G R A P H I C E X P L O R AT I O N B Y A N J A L I K U M A R
A tribute to Seema Lal, my mother.

ABOUT ME
Photographer - Illustrator - Imaginator

I am a 20 year old winsome who has developed a knack for loosing things and
fighting the restrictive norms of the society! I am either fiercely involved in what
is happening around me or am simply wandering about in my courageously
romanticised daydreams.

My sense of belongingness is personified across several addresses. I find home

in my art and in my daily conversations. I am grateful to all my friends, educators
and family who support my craziness and always push me to take that extra step.
This book is a chink in the wall. It is a product of my exchange
When Lanscape Becomes Woman
with Arundhati Subramaniam via her poem “When Landscape
Becomes Woman”. Her words along with my mentor’s urged me
to look at several things from a fresh perspective. The poem made She seemed to know
I was eight when I looked
me look at my mother and I realised that everything about her how to incline her neck,
through a keyhole
shyly stood behind the term “mummy”. just when to sip
and saw my mother in the drawing room her swirly drink
The only way I knew how to understand her as a person was to cross and she understood the language
in her hibiscus silk sari,
a boundary, ask her questions that I assumed were forbidden. The of baritone voices and lacquered nails
process led to the making of this book. I found out that converting and words like Emergency.
her fingers slender
chinks and keyholes into doorways and mothers into women is a
around a glass of iced cola
fairly courageous task. I could have watched her all night.
and I grew suddenly shy
I am particularly grateful to my professor, Ms. Saumya Kulshreshtha And that’s how I discovered
for never having seen her before.
for gently nudging me into the world of poetry and Manyata Kumar that keyholes always reveal more
who is always up for discussing my creative frenzies. than doorways.
I knew her well, of course --
serene undulation of blue mulmul,
wrist serrated by thin gold bangle, That a chink in the wall
gentle convexity of mole is all you need
on upper right arm to tumble
and high arched foot -- into a parallel universe.
better than I knew myself.
That mothers are women.
And I knew her voice
like running water -- - Arundhati Subramaniam
ice cubes in cola.

But through the keyhole

at the grownup party
she was no longer
geography.
 ABOUT HER
Seema Lal is an educator, god believer and a plant enthusiast. She loves
singing and exhibiting her quick wittiness. She is the mother of two and has
been tutoring students for over 15 years now.

After overcoming several hurdles in life, Lal is now a proud woman with a
I look at my mother rebellious streak. She is unapologetic for her way of life and never gives
up during trying times. You can find her sipping morning tea in the garden
I have never seen her before. which she has put together with a lot of care and love.
A reflection.
The Indian housewife in an urban city.
An ocean of warmth...
Her own tune.
She composes it and then lives in it.
A hint of flirtatiousness.
Eyes full of stories.
The warmth of many experiences.
Warmth of a lover.
Touch of a healer.
Things that make her the
woman she is...
30 years of believing.
Proud. PHD in physics.
Unapologetic.
 Caregiver.

Plant lover.
A garden full of whispers.
Grace of a goddess.
As time goes by...
Wrinkles get more defined.
Each one from a story of strength.
Sad or happy,
Your silent advocate.
ABOUT US
Our relationship has evolved over the last twenty years. The boundaries of
our relationship are not defined by a mother - daughter dynamic anymore.
They are blurred by our underlying sense of friendship. We help each other
through tough times and we are notoriously involved in each other lives.
“Kyu muskara rahi hu?” is our favourite question.
Email : s.anjalikumar100@gmail.com | Instagram : @anjaliii_k | Ph no. 9873666354