Why do men in India don’t learn to bend down? Why aren’t they taught to accept their partner’s viewpoint even when she is right? Why is a loving and caring husband called a Joru ka Gulam and a loving and caring son considered ideal? Why are dads supposed to provide financially for the children? Why must the entire family obey the patriarch?  All this may sound outdated to you but no this is the truth of most Indian households even today and the situation is stifling not only for the family who feel claustrophobic and unable to express themselves and often subjected to mental an ..read more

Sometimes when everything around me starts going hazy and I don’t know where to start, I sit in a peaceful place, like I am now in the jungle behind my house and just begin penning my gratitude list, so here I begin.  I am grateful to the universe for:  The gift of writing which helps me express my deepest thoughts as musings and when I write my heart out I  feel more sane, more in control. Writing adds perspective to my thoughts and makes me ensure despite everything not going my way, I am on the right path. It teaches me to hold on for a while and practice patience ..read more

  Every stage in our life is crucial. Our childhood and youth pass in the blink of an eye for most of us, studying, building our careers, and then family, it is midlife when the void hits hard.  I have learned the hard way that there are two ways of dealing with a midlife crisis. First, we go with the flow, slowing down with our slowing metabolism making the hormonal imbalances and menopause the cause of everything because they do alter a woman’s life and thoughts. In this case, sulking and feeling sad and lonely is natural because you are no longer in the prime of your youth. We ..read more

  When I was very young, once when I worked very hard and still got a second rank in class, I asked my mother what could have gone wrong. She sat me down and lovingly told me that I must not lay so much emphasis on the end result but rather focus on my perfect efforts to achieve that goal. She cited a quote from Gita, ‘Karm kiye jaa, fal ki iccha chod de’, meaning you keep doing your side of hard work and good to others without worrying about what fruits you will reap for them. This lesson given by her that day is the principle on which I have based my life so far and it has been fair ..read more

  In the orientation of class tenth today I, Aditi, met a couple of wonderful moms with whom I left for a cup of coffee where we all discussed a lot of what is happening in our teenagers’ world.  We all are at a very significant year of our child’s life. They appear for boards this year and the kids and the parents feel the pressure alike. The school adds up with its strict rules and targets. Somehow I don’t find it justified, while it is vital to work hard a balance in life is important at every stage.  There is so much I learned in today’s casual meet-up as the mothers spo ..read more

 I have analyzed motherhood from multiple angles and though I always feel if there is anything selfless relation on this earth, it is that of a mother and child, we must stop glorifying a mother and ease the pressure on her. After all a mother is also human and she goes through the same trajectory of emotions that every other human does. Why on earth is she expected to make all the sacrifices? Why is she labeled selfish if she does not make them? Why is she expected to give up her career and settle for something second fiddle or work-from-home kind of job so that she can fend for ..read more

  I Anadita, feel very lonely and I know I am losing the battle every day. If I am gone one day please know that I tried, I really tried but failed to turn things in my favour. I am not weak but cannot find a reason to continue.  I once was a very happy girl and an independent woman who had never thought in her dreams that she would give up her ambitions at any cost. I was confident that I would balance it all, but tonight I feel just the opposite. I guess I have lost all my confidence and messed it all up. The circumstances swallowed me and I gave up everything for my loved ..read more

Forties indeed are calm and blissful  They have transformed this flashy hopeless romantic  Into a spiritual silent lover who is more accepting than ever  And have taught me priceless lessons to deal with my emotions  My younger self believed in possessive love  And was ready to pay any cost to have it all Today, the more mature me is poles apart  She loves to be assertive and take and give space to all It is very important to primarily understand and accept who we are  And when we do, we must muster the power to express it all because now I know, that ..read more

The most awaited surprise is here folks. On the occasion of Women’s Day, I am super stoked to announce my 8th book ‘BRAVE INKED EMOTIONS’ and this time it is with 30 more eminent and power-packed voices of the writing world all coming together for a unique purpose. This anthology discusses ‘Soulful life experiences of eminent Indian writers on how life taught them precious lessons in their emotional turmoil’. The stories are raw, heart-touching, and extremely inspiring to say the least, and have a lot on emotional wellness for all of you.  I dedicate this book to the women of Ind ..read more

  It is time for my customary year-end reflections on the past twelve months, what they gave me, and what they taught me. I begin by expressing my earnest gratitude to the supreme power for giving me another precious year to live because in our everyday small and big desires we forget that our biggest gift is a gift of life and we must leave no stone unturned to make it worthwhile. The year 2023 began for me on this note as I shifted to our new home on 1 December 2022. It is this exact place on my sun-soaked hammock that I wrote my last year’s reflections, too.  In the year 20 ..read more