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Bhumika Udernani

@bhu.mi.ka

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writer // visual storyteller // kettle collector
This is my travel memoir
Food tales @limeandlettuce

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Meet Dori, Kalu & Khal - three adorable kittens I had the chance to photograph for a dear friend. Equal measures of cute and curious, it was great fun capturing them in their element. by @bhu.mi.ka

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3 months ago

A LIFE OF WHAT-IFS

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and make just one different choice? Pursue that hobby, quit that job, move to another city or never leave that one person? The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is built on that irresistible premise.

Nora, weighed down by a lifetime of regrets, discovers a library that lets her step into the lives she could have lived, had she made different choices. What follows is a whirlwind through countless alternate realities. One moment she's an Olympian, the next a Cambridge professor, then a musician, a glaciologist, a pub owner, and more.

It’s a compelling idea – these romanticized versions of what-ifs, and Haig mines it well. Each version of Nora's life offers a fresh perspective, introducing memorable people and emotional dilemmas that make the novel deeply relatable. What I enjoyed most was how every alternate life quietly revealed the same truth: no life is perfect. Every choice gives you something, and every choice asks you to let something else go.

My only complaint? I wish Haig had lingered longer in each version of Nora's life. Just as I began settling into one world, it was time to move on to the next. At times, it felt like scrolling endlessly through someone else's lives - interesting, but never quite staying long enough to feel their weight.

Still, I closed the book with a lighter heart. It’s a gentle reminder that maybe the goal isn't to stop wondering what if; it's to stop believing that happiness exists only in the lives we didn't choose.
Pick this up if you're looking for a relaxed read or a palate cleanser after something heavier. I can easily imagine it becoming a beautiful OTT series.

Have you read The Midnight Library? I'd love to hear what you thought. by @bhu.mi.ka

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3 months ago

YOU ARE....

The reason our house feels like home
The keeper of our happiest moments
The definition of unconditional love
The wag that makes every bad day better
The loudest welcome and the hardest goodbye
The best listener who never judges
The master of zoomies and stolen naps
The one who reminds us to live in the moment
The heartbeat of our family
Our daily dose of joy
Our greatest blessing in fur

Happy 5th Birthday Freddie ❤️ by @bhu.mi.ka

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4 months ago

OUR LION CUB SIMBA TURNS TWO

A year ago, a picture was all it took for us to adopt Simba in a heartbeat. This little boy had seen way too much in his year-long existence. An unfortunate accident had crushed his front elbows, leading to a series of infections and vet visits.

When we adopted him, his elbows were bruised due to continued rubbing on the floor, his eyes all watery and his stools abnormal. The first few days felt unsure - whether we were experienced enough to handle him. Slowly but surely we won his trust. He started to snuggle more and even sleep next to us, giving us the confidence that this is where he belonged.

Some new vet visits revealed more complications, making our hearts sink. But Simba always looked brave. His zest to live, to fight this karma gave us the strength to keep trying harder. And so we gave him our all - prescription food, meds morning and evening, garden visits and unlimited cuddles.

A year on, Simba is healthier and loves to play with all his 3 siblings. He is the loudest, and hands down, the strongest of our fur babies.

In this one year with us, he has given us the biggest life lessons - to never give up hope, to fight courageously through the darkest times and to take each day, no matter how hard, as a blessing.

We were fools to think that we were out there to rescue Simba. He in turn rescued us, trusting us with his life.

Happy 2nd birthday to our lion cub. May you have a long and healthy life. by @bhu.mi.ka

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6 months ago

As someone who has always felt like an artist at heart, I find quiet joy in observing — without needing to analyse, label, or sound like an expert.

Some say art is elitist. But walking through the lanes of Fort Kochi during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale made it feel anything but. Here, art opens its doors to everyone. People from every walk of life drift in and out of old warehouses, sunlit courtyards, cafés, and unexpected corners — each space inviting you to pause a little longer than you planned.

There were monumental installations and intimate ones. Workshops buzzing with curiosity. Young artists finding their voice. Stories that spoke of invisible labour, the weight of consumerism, identity, memory, and belonging — themes that gently asked me to stop, reflect, and sometimes sit with discomfort.

And somehow, the art didn’t stay contained within gallery walls. It spilled into the city — into weathered walls washed with colour, graffiti that felt like conversations, the effortless street style of strangers, and a skyline stitched together with boats and Chinese fishing nets. The whole city seemed to be breathing in rhythm with the festival, welcoming everyone who arrived with open arms.

I won’t pretend to have the vocabulary to critique what I saw. But I do recognise effort when I feel it. The scale, the inclusiveness, the intention to make art accessible — and the quiet pride of a place that hosts it — stayed with me long after I left.

Some experiences don’t ask you to understand art.They simply ask you to feel it. by @bhu.mi.ka

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8 months ago

Celebrating another trip around the sun with all the things that bring me joy — good food, loving friends, and soulful music. ✨ Grateful for it all. by @bhu.mi.ka

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a year ago

Diwali 2025.

Rangoli at the doorstep.
The smell of marigold flowers and dhunuchi.
Lots of diyas.

Alur dom and luchi breakfast for the husband.
Pav bhaji dinner with my dad.
Kheer for dessert.

No big rituals, just the comfort of familiar things done every year.

Hope you had a lovely Diwali 🪔 by @bhu.mi.ka

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a year ago

THE JOY OF A HANDMADE LIFE

As a child, I always loved creating - unique birthday cards, papier mâché charms, clay models. Gluey or paint-covered hands brought me immense joy and there was a certain pride in making and gifting something handmade.

And then adulthood happened. Life became about outcomes, speed, utility. Everything needed a purpose. I still managed to make cards for special occasions and paint kettles...but somewhere the craft-enthused kid in me was gasping for breath.

Thankfully our hands hold memories. Every time I picked up a paintbrush or made a rangoli on the floor, I could feel the old, warm, child-like enthusiasm return. So I decided to make space for it again.

I reached out to one of my neighbours, a lady who crochets like magic. I asked her to teach me and she was thrilled to see someone value her craft. Our afternoon meets turned into a wonderful friendship and the crochet lessons became super interesting.

Those slow afternoons with her were therapy:
hands busy, mind quiet
no screen, no rush
joy without agenda

Like Nandita Iyer @saffrontrail writes in This Handmade Life, using our hands is not just creativity; it is medicine. It lowers anxiety, steadies the mind, cuts off the compulsive need to scroll. When hands are in yarn, soil, flour, thread - they simply cannot be in fear.

After a month of learning, unlearning, re-doing and re-starting, i finished a bag - my first crochet project that I lovingly gifted to a family member during Durga Puja. Her joy was big, but the joy that settled inside me was bigger.

I'm so glad I returned to a part of myself I had abandoned. It was possible to learn crochet through YouTube as well, but having a teacher and learning in person made all the difference.

Here’s to hobbies that don’t have to earn their keep.
Here’s to hands that still remember.
Here’s to being a constant learner and sparking more offline connections.

Is there something you've been meaning to learn as well? Return to the handmade life? by @bhu.mi.ka

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a year ago

by @bhu.mi.ka

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a year ago

Some places don’t just offer a stay — they offer a stillness. At Udai Bilas, time didn’t rush; it lingered. We came seeking a pause, a moment to just be, and we found it here. The arches spoke softly of another era. The palace didn’t show off; it invited you in. We wandered through quiet corridors, touched by stories etched into stone and shadow. Being the only guests made it feel like our own world. We experienced a rare luxury - solitude, not spectacle.

As we celebrated our 10th anniversary, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful stay - one of stillness, solitude, and the quiet beauty of time shared.

Thank you Udai Bilas. taken in Udai Bilas Palace Dungarpur by @bhu.mi.ka

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a year ago

Happy Birthday, our sweet Maggie. Today, you would have turned four. Though you’re no longer with us in the way we wish, your spirit fills every corner of our home and hearts.

We remember you not with sadness, but with love and gratitude for every moment of warmth you brought into our lives. In your short time with us, you gave us a lifetime of joy.

Wherever you are now, we hope you’re chasing butterflies, basking in sunbeams, and purring contentedly in peace. We miss you so much baby and we celebrate you today and every day.

Forever our baby girl, Maggie. by @bhu.mi.ka

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2 years ago

We made it. Through thick and thin, laughter and tears, sickness and health. Through moments of insanity and flashes of good sense. Ten years of being together as one. Ten years of building a life, weathering storms, and celebrating sunshine.

Happy anniversary, my love. Thank you for walking this wild, unpredictable, beautiful journey by my side. For embracing my madness and making sense of the chaos. For being my anchor, my joy, and my partner in every adventure.

Here’s to the memories we’ve made, the challenges we’ve conquered, and the love that continues to grow stronger with every passing day. I’m grateful for every moment, and I can’t wait to see what the next decade holds for us.

Thank you for letting this mad man be. I love you. by @bhu.mi.ka

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2 years ago