This was going to be a heart-baring angsty post. I was halfway through when during a pause, I heard H and N in deep discussion. Apparently, N, tired of revising for her boards, had handed over her psychology notes to H with an ‘Ask me anything’. H was working his way through the unfamiliar names of theories and psychologists, to her merriment.  That made me smile. Each time I hear them talking or laughing together I feel a sense of deep happiness – the idea that they have each other is comforting. My mood uplifted right away. I put away the angsty post for another day and decided, inste ..read more

Growing older is the best thing that happened to me. There’s something wonderful about it, something amazingly freeing. It has taken away my self-consciousness, removing the pressure of fitting in and looking good, making me comfortable in my skin, more comfortable with my ‘fat’. Yes, I said it – the F word. Finally now, in this fifth decade of my life, I truly want to exercise just to be fit. Only someone who has lived with fat since childhood will understand the wonder and enormity of this epiphany. In this month devoted to women, we are talking about how we have changed/grown as women. I ..read more

Before this month of love goes by, I’m sharing five vignettes on love. Hope you find some version yourself in at least one of them. ****** She runs out of class, tiny backpack bouncing at her hip, ponytails askew, ribbons undone hanging down her shoulders. ‘Mammaaa,’ she calls out, ‘Look what I made for you.’  She hands over a piece of paper, a pink heart at its centre with a crooked arrow running through. ‘Happy Valemtime Day,’ she lisps tripping over her words, hugging her mum’s knees, ‘I love you’. Pink is the colour of love. ******** She slams shut her laptop the sound echoing thro ..read more

Last week was N’s farewell and it was as if the entire household was thrown into chaos. The husband was called upon to do multiple picks and drops while I had to organise costume, hair and makeup. The sister was put on standby for constant consultations on video calls. Bua and masi and her cousin, all were assigned specific roles. Quite the family affair. And everyone, I mean everyone’s advice was taken seriously. Except mine. Seriously! Teenage! When did she go from thinking ‘Mama knows everything’ to ‘Mama just doesn’t get it’?  Anyway, this isn’t about me so let’s get on with it ..read more

Early yesterday morning I woke up to the news of yet another young girl dying by suicide in Kota, the ‘coaching capital’ of India. Niharika was 18. With the twins in grade 12 this year, the reality of competition, the struggle, the heartbreak of it all has been too close and too real for comfort. I watch my children trying to balance the unrelenting pressures of Board and competitive exams. I see them waking up each morning at 5 and studying through the day. I see my daughter buckling under the pressure somedays, unable to study from the sheer stress of it all. I hear my son’s tales of being ..read more

Happy 2024 folks. Even as I write my first post of the year, a lot has happened and a lot more is around the corner. 2024 promises to be the most ‘happening’ year for our entire family. To begin with I have started on a new ad‘venture’ that is nothing like I’ve ever done before and a lot out of my comfort zone. There’s a little bit of anxiety but the big H has been a big support (H=husband ). So there’s that. The best part is that after almost two decades I am stepping out each day. I am surprised how easily I have glided into this new role — as if some long-lost muscle memory has kicked in ..read more

11 pm. Christmas Eve. The house has just gone silent. The children have been up for unusually long while I have been waiting for them to sleep off so I can complete my Santa duties. It’s been a while since the Santa myth got busted. Amidst plenty of tears, I might add. However, as a silly game/ritual of sorts, gifts have continued to ‘appear’ under the tree. To establish ‘full and final proof’ of Santa’s non-existence, the children have taken it upon themselves to either ‘catch me’ in the act of putting the gifts there — they have failed each year; or to get me to admit to it — I have stubbo ..read more

The coming of the new year fills me with a strange kind of optimism. Something about making a new beginning with a clean slate makes me feel like anything is possible. It’s as if this is the year I will become fitter, this is the year I will get my writing in order, this is the year I’ll travel more and so on. However, you know what’s even better than the new year? The anticipation of it! Expectation is better than the real thing, right? Just as Friday evening is the best part of the weekend, so is December the best part of the new year. Since as far back as I can remember it has been my fav ..read more

Dropping by quickly today to share a slice of my hometown. I was in Lucknow this last fortnight for my father’s surgery. I arrived two days in advance and was a little wound up. A day before the surgery my sister dragged me out for a morning spin. There’s a particular road I want to show you, she said. And with that we drove off and here’s where we landed. The entire stretch of road is lined by gorgeously flowering trees. The endless row of these delicate silk floss blooms makes for a stunningly beautiful view. Lucknow’s own cherry blossom street! We took that road to and from the hospital ..read more

It’s been a while since we had coffee together dear friend and that is a good enough reason to sit down and take a breather. So pull up a chair, pop in a cushion and put your feet up for I have lots to say. This month has been as crazy as they come. If we were having coffee together… I’d tell you how October flew by and November seems gone too in a hurried haze of exams, illnesses and festivities. I’d tell you how I came back from a relaxing vacation to find the children neck-deep in their term exams. I feel their stress acutely, blowing it up in my mind sometimes, more than necessary.  ..read more