The Fifth Friday Evening at Press Club Hyderabad >>>>> Firewood Stove, Memory, and the Turning Wheel : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 The Fifth Friday Evening at Press Club Hyderabad

Firewood Stove, Memory, and the Turning Wheel

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

(Friday, March 20, 2026)

If the first Friday evening gathering planted a seed, and the second nurtured it into a living dialogue, the fifth meeting, held today, offered a quiet reminder that continuity itself is becoming the strength of this evolving initiative.

The setting remained unchanged: the familiar space at the Press Club, the unhurried hours, and the absence of formal structure. Yet, each meeting seems to bring with it a new layer of experience, almost as if memory itself is choosing its moments to surface.

This evening, however, began with something more elemental, the fire.

A modest arrangement of food prepared on a traditional wood-burning earthen stove drew immediate attention. In an age of LPG cylinders, induction stoves, and urban convenience, the sight, and more so the taste of food cooked over firewood carried an unexpected resonance.

The Mirchi Bajji, simple in form yet rich in flavour, became more than a snack. It became a conversation starter.

There was, inevitably, a passing remark, half in joke, half in reflection, about how global events, such as tensions in distant regions like Iran, and the resulting uncertainties in fuel supplies, often have a way of quietly reshaping local habits. Whether or not LPG shortages truly dictate such returns to tradition is secondary.

What mattered was the thought it triggered: culture, like fortune, moves in cycles. What we move away from in the name of progress often returns, not as regression, but as rediscovery.

The wheel turns. Practices once considered outdated reappear with renewed relevance. Firewood, it seemed, had made a dignified, if symbolic, comeback for the evening.

Present at the gathering were Bhandaru Srinivasa Rao, GK Murthy, Subba Rao, and myself. The conversation, as has now become characteristic, unfolded without agenda. It moved gently across time, touching upon earlier Door Darshan assignments, the evolving nature of journalistic work, and a reflective comparison between the core value of the journalism profession and the diversions offered by deputation assignments.

There was no attempt to arrive at conclusions. Instead, there was a shared willingness to examine, to recall, and to place experiences side by side. In these moments, what emerges is not debate, but perspective.

An important thread that surfaced once again was the need to expand the circle. These gatherings, while intimate, are not intended to remain exclusive. The idea is not to preserve memory within a closed group, but to gradually widen participation by inviting more professionals, more voices, and more lived experiences into the fold. The coming Fridays may well see a more deliberate effort in this direction.

Hindustan Times Bureau Chief Srinivasa Rao Apparasu, accompanied by his friend, joined the table briefly. Their presence, even for a short while, added fresh strands of experience to the ongoing conversation, reinforcing the idea that each participant, however briefly present, contributes to the collective narrative.

Press Club Secretary Ramesh, in his characteristic style of quiet courtesy, spent considerable time with the group, engaging with ease and without formality. Manager Ramachandar, attentive as always, ensured that comfort remained unobtrusive yet constant. Such gestures, though seemingly routine, form the understated framework within which these conversations thrive.

What is becoming increasingly evident across these meetings is a subtle methodological shift. Without formally stating it, the gatherings are evolving into spaces where experiences are not merely shared, but gently elicited. There is a conscious, though unspoken, effort to draw out memories from each participant, without pressure, without hierarchy, and most importantly, without inhibition.

No single voice dominates. No narrative is imposed. Instead, recollections emerge in fragments, are picked up by others, and gradually shape themselves into collective memory. In this process, hesitation gives way to ease, and ease to openness.

If earlier meetings established the possibility of such an initiative, and subsequent ones strengthened its rhythm, this fifth gathering suggests that a certain maturity is setting in.

The conversations are becoming more natural, yet more meaningful. The structure remains informal, yet the intent is steadily sharpening. What lies ahead is not expansion for its own sake, but enrichment through inclusion. More participants, more perspectives, and more systematic documentation of lived experiences may gradually transform these evenings into something larger than their modest format suggests.

In a time when immediacy often overshadows reflection, and information travels faster than understanding, these Friday evenings continue to offer a counterpoint: a space where time slows down just enough for memory to speak.

The formula, though simple, continues to evolve in spirit:

Meet. Reflect. Document. Continue.

And perhaps now, with the turning of the wheel:

Rediscover. Reconnect. Renew.