UNABRIDGED'S 
LITERARY EXPRESSION

In this heartfelt letter to Simone de Beauvoir, the writer expresses deep admiration for her groundbreaking work The Second Sex. They reflect on how Beauvoir’s ideas shattered traditional beliefs about women’s inferiority and exposed gender inequality as a product of social conditioning, not biology. Quoting her iconic line, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” the writer acknowledges how societal expectations shape and limit women’s identities.

Anti-heroes aren’t saints or villains — they are mirrors. Heathcliff’s fury, Gatsby’s lies, Hamlet’s doubts… each reveals how fragile and complex we are. They tempt us, they warn us, they unsettle us. Do they corrupt, or illuminate? Perhaps both. And in that uneasy light, we find our own truth.

We leave fragments of ourselves in every place we touch—echoes in old streets, laughter in gardens, and whispers carried by the sea. These remnants, both fleeting and eternal, are ghosts of who we once were. They resurface in moments of pause, reminding us of innocence, joy, and belonging. Though scattered across places and people, these pieces shape who we are—and someday, perhaps, they may come together again.

The Lightning Thief on screen dazzled with effects but faltered on heart. By aging up Percy and reshaping the story, it lost the innocence, wit, and voice that made millions of readers proudly call themselves half-bloods.

-Devika Aji Unabridged, the bookclub of Kamala Nehru College conducted a highly successful and interactive workshop featuring author...