By two coffee : and other stories brewed in Bangalore Paperback – 26 October 2021

The narration, looking through the vision of little Mala, the protagonist, retained the spirit and freshness of the thoughts of a 5-year-old. The book beautifully captures the life of a child raised in a family housing 3 or 4 generations under a roof and amidst a vibrant neighbourhood, taking us through the culture, food and lifestyle of the times. Mala’s sweet conversations, tussles, her fears deep down, Kiwiyole and other precious incidents , all brought to life eloquently. Years fly by as quickly as the pages of the book as Mala soon grows into a fine, compassionate 20- year-old, cherishing a treasure of memories of her growing years, a steaming By two coffee, included!

By Two Coffee and other stories brewed in Bangalore by Megha opens with the below dedication - ‘dedicated to the city of Bangalore that gave me everything’. And this itself made me fall in love with the book for the cities we live in play a vital role in our lives and in forming memories in my opinion.Mala, our protagonist, through sweet stories of her childhood and growing up days (from the time she's 5 years old) takes us on a little trip down the memory lane. These stories perfectly capture the zeitgeist of 1980-90s and paint a beautiful picture of the carefree, simplistic joy of bygone times for which our craving has only become fervent, staying stuck in a global pandemic for over two years now.The stories with Kannada titles (their meanings in English appear alongside) set in a quaint colony called CR Nagar in Bangalore’s largest residential area - Jayanagar bear the stamp of simplicity and authenticity. The oil bath/head bath ritual, special breakfast of dosa, shallots sambar and chutney, hot bisibele bath with raita for lunch on Sundays and the Ganesha festival celebrations, Mala’s games with her friends, little squabbles with her cousin, every moment she spends with her family gives us bright smiles and quiet tears, the former in acknowledgement of and the latter in missing these little pleasures. Mala’s relationship with her ajja and ajji (her maternal grandparents) is absolutely heartwarming.With little nuggets of information on the Glass House in Lalbagh, naale baa mystery of the 90s, it is interesting to witness the Bangalore cityscape transform along with Mala’s growing up and becoming a dentist. The by two coffee which most of us order de facto in Darshinis (the affordable restaurants in Bangalore) at the end of a sumptuous meal has a strong emotional place in this little book. Soaked in nostalgia, rendered in simple language and brimming with love and gratitude, By Two Coffee and other stories is a delight to every reader, whether you hail from Bangalore or not.

Was recommended to read this book by a friend and I quite reluctantly bought one as I prefer reading scientific journals. But boy! what a good decision this was. I was instantly taken back to my youth in Bangalore thanks to Megha (Author) and relived those memories once again which was pure nostalgia. It's rare to find such gems and I can confidently state 'By Two Coffee' is one of those rarities! A must read especially for those who have always wanted to know more about Bangalore in relevance to the 80's and 90's

This collection of short stories is told by a five-year-old girl called Mala, born and bred in Bengaluru. I loved all the ten stories as it had the soul of the city with local dialects added into the narration that added authenticity to the story. The childish innocence and her bonding with her grandparents bring in the emotional side of the author convincingly. I thoroughly enjoyed this short read.

The book is filled with a nostalgic froth, the kind you get when you order a by two coffee and mix it in a brass dabra and lota before savouring the hot coffee. The cover of the book is elegant and beautiful. Every Bangalorean will relate to one or the other anecdote shared.The flow of writing is simple and written from a child's perspective which makes it all the more memorable. The various places in Bangalore are covered with delightful memories about them, be it Glass House of Lalbagh or the Sapphire toystore on MG Road. Another interesting aspect to read was on how it was like to grow with grandparents around, not everyone is blessed that way. It brought a lot of memories back. With books like these, the past always seems more worthy than the present or the future.

Reading this book was like going back into your childhood.It was mulling over a beautiful stretch of life as we rode backwards, creating a mesmerizing awareness of the beauty in those moments, that very instant, when it had begun to vanish.Made me realize that if you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.Simple yet appealing, engrossing and an enjoyable read.

The book contains short snippets into life of main character Mala It takes us thru different stages of characters life. It brings back lot of memories especially if you are from BangaloreThe book is beautiful, believable characters and events are very heart touchingYou won't put the book down once you start as it's a easy readTry it! You won't regret

This book is one of the best short reads i've read in a while now. The raw reality showcased in this book is what makes it so good that you can never get away from the feeling of happiness and satisfaction this book gives you. Happy to read this wonderful piece...