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Showing posts from January, 2016

Newly Married #LoveAndLaughter

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I sat there on his comfortable sofa, a bit nervous, unknowingly fidgeting with my nails while he sat on the other side- tired and sleepy. He pulled out his tie and put it on the table, took off the overcoat and hung it on the armchair. The suits must be stifling him, I thought. My sarees have been stifling me as well. I switched on the air conditioner, and he muttered thanks as he chose to recline a bit and close his eyes. I wondered if I should make him tea. Or did he like coffee? I had the least idea. ‘Should I make you a cup of tea, or would you prefer coffee?’ I ventured unsurely. He smiled and replied with eyes still closed, ‘Anything will do fine.’ He had given me the choice, once again. I have a dilemma in choosing. I spend hours in making the choice and regret it the moment the task is completed. I miserably fail at choosing- anything may it be, even as simple as a hot beverage. My friends chose the lunch and the dinner from the menus of multi-cuisine restaurant w

Impact of Parent's Conflict

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Image Source He skipped school again. It made him feel nervous and lost. He couldn’t face his classmates’ sneers and filthy remarks at his parent’s divorce. He didn’t like the untoward comments, nor did he like to answer them back. He preferred the silence of his room, the closed doors that muffled the noise in the other room. His parents were quarreling, yet again. In his 14 years of life, he has never felt this insecure. He knows life will be greatly impacted by it. Nothing will be the same. His days won’t be as they were. His homely routine won’t be as it used to be. He prefers calm and quiet surroundings. Uncertain circumstances scare him. He is mature enough to understand the problems in his parent’s relationship. He is grown up beyond his age to empathize with the either of them without judging. He loves them both, dearly, but would soon have to choose sides. He doesn’t want to choose one of them. It is sad that he is not of age yet, and custody is an issue. That make

Feel The Music In Your Life

Sometimes just watching the horizon feels so peaceful. Putting all the cares in the world aside and just gazing at the setting sun, or just observing the sparrows and pigeons encircling in the sky, feels so relaxing. Listening to the rain, or feeling the evening cool breeze on your face while sipping a hot cup of coffee and having a close companion to chat with is all one needs. And life becomes easy for that moment. Making soup for a dear one or baking your favorite chocolate cake to pamper yourself are some of the simple pleasures in life. Collecting trinkets and sovereigns for preserving memories, cherishing a trip, or remembering a person- life is contained in these bits and pieces. And Music- yes, music acts like a bookmark in every memorable moment. The rhythms, the chimes, the heartbeats, the jingles -all take us back to those bygone days. We had traveled to Madurai about nine years back. The temple architectures and rituals had been so foreign to our eyes. The very a

The Music, The Crescendo, The Enigma

‘What is it exactly? What is happening to her? It’s getting on my nerves,’ she said over the phone. ‘I am not sure either. It seems she gets a high occasionally. The music overwhelms her,’ the voice from the other end said. ‘High? Drugs?’ ‘No, not drugs. She came clean during the test.’ ‘Then what is it. She gets so excited one moment and the very next moment breaks down crying or just keeps looking at the sky lying on the dance floor with her earphones on. She doesn’t even respond to anyone- it’s as if she cannot hear us at all at that very moment. Then again later, she doesn’t remember anything of this behavior. I’m worried, doc.’ ‘I understand. But she was healthy a month ago. How’s her dancing going on?’ ‘Good. Rather great actually. I wonder where from she suddenly gets so much energy to dance till the crescendo. Earlier, just after one, she used to feel so drained that she couldn’t even continue. But now, she does whirl to the crescendo thrice without a bre

Ramayana- The Stolen Hope by Subha Vilas

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Overview Of the Book: In the evil labyrinths of Dandakaranya forest, human values are put to test. Rama’s righteousness, Lakshmana’s loyalty, and Sita’s endurance reflect our own sense of values and judgment in difficult times. The story unfolds the facets of human life – the conflict and trickery, the praise, the slander and above all, the hope and the despair in the eventful forest life of exiled royals. Stolen Hope   is about extreme deception and extreme love. It is about arrogant power and deep devotion. With every twist and turn, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana find themselves robbed of whatever and whoever they valued the most. Exploring the dynamics of human relations – between father and son, husband and wife, teacher and disciple – and the complex game of power and greed,   Stolen Hope   mirrors our own dilemmas in the modern world and teaches us how we must overcome them. Seek courage when everything, including hope, is stolen.  About the Author: Shu

Twice Upon A Time

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I love Pakistani tales, the Urdu glossary in between. I just tend to fall for the words, repeatedly. And if it’s an Indireads book, double bonus. What can possibly be better than lounge with one of these books on a lazy Sunday? ‘Twice Upon A Time’ has two novellas- ‘Sunshine’ by Jazz Singh and ‘Yours Truly’ by Zeenat Mahal. Zeenat Mahal deals really well with the subtleties of human emotions and sentiments. In just a few lines she creates the image of the deepest feelings of a character, bringing out the vulnerabilities in them. She lets the reader see the core of these characters and hook for them. She has a way with words which is rare to have. She creates simple and believable plots. The plots are my favorite- set in Pakistan. She portrays the culture and custom of the society well. I loved Zoey and Sheru- such a deep, moving story of love and belonging. We see how miscommunication can spoil any relationship, however strong it might be. It is like a fairy tale with d

What I learned Reading 'Tuesdays With Morrie'

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“Don’t let your dreams turn sour. Don’t trade your dreams for a bigger paycheck.” - Morrie I have been lucky. I have had teachers who had immense positive impacts in my life. Not just teachers, they were my guides for the life ahead of me. They instilled in me the confidence to pursue my hobby wholeheartedly. Their occasional praises encouraged me to no end. They were my mentors- some of them proud of me; I strived hard to be a favorite. I’m lucky, really lucky. My first job today as a Java Developer took roots as early as class nine, when I realized my love for programming and coding, thanks to my teacher. His role in my life has been crucial indeed. And my lifelong love for writing and literature and language of any kind; I owe it to my school teachers yet again who made me love poetry, find meaning in superfluous words, and come to like Shakespearean plays. I owe it to them. Reading ‘Tuesdays With Morrie’ made me reminisce all those schooling days in the quaint lit

Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju

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