Becca and I were silent in the cab. It had been a looooong day. As her house approached, she asked me if I’d be okay. I nodded, not showing her my fears. As the cab moved on, I took long deep breaths as advised by the counsellor and searched for something to distract myself. Fortunately, I recollected an upcoming skincare competition that Becca had mentioned earlier. Her radio station was covering it. It was high on my to-do list for the next day… err today, actually. But something else topped that list and I hoped I wouldn’t fall flat on my face. Seven hours later, I was flat on my face, watc ..read more

We glowered at each other, both equally angry. And then Shams said, “Ya… tu bol… why were you at Mind & Body?” So, she had seen me but chose to ignore me! This threw me and my little prepared sermon off the hook. I simply said, “I needed help.” “Why didn’t you talk to us?” Shams voiced. “Is this about that slimeball you….?”, Becca asked. There was no mocking, only genuine concern in her voice. “Hmm… yes”, I replied, “I did not mention it because I did not want to be laughed at.” “We all have our reasons. Not necessary to tell everybody everything.”, Shams was brutal. “Everybody? Did you ju ..read more

I walked into the counsellor’s room not knowing what to expect and walked out an hour later, feeling calmer. There was a new sense of confidence, I finally felt like I could deal with this situation. Right at that moment though, my attention shifted to Shams. Why was she here? And more importantly, why was I in the dark about it? Did Becca know? Megha — You free??? Becca — Stranded!!!! Left house keys at home. Hanging out at Shams Megha — Will be right there. As the taxi crawled through the crowded streets, I wondered about Shams’ story. Why had she kept a secret for 3 long years, maybe more ..read more

I felt terrible. I needed to talk to someone, but I had just walked out on the ones I could reach out to. What a mess! Divs was, as usual, glued to her laptop. She has a no-filter attitude towards me, like most siblings. She will hold the mirror to my face and I already know the reflection there. Daadi would listen to me patiently and then go tell mom. My mom… oh, she would shoot me worried looks and put Divs on the job of tailing my thoughts and feelings. In short, mom would drive me nuts. Ironically, my issue was that I was already going nuts! So not an option. And dad, he would be most undr ..read more

Two hours later, I was back at work with a happy heart. On the way to the NGO, I was sick with guilt and anxiety of going to an unknown place. But once there, I was blown away by the love and appreciation. I knew I would always picture those beautiful faces every time I bought a skincare product. I thought of the anxiety that had crippled me for almost two weeks. It had been exhausting. I can only imagine what it must be like for people with clinical depression and anxiety. But for now, I had another anxious moment to deal with. Owning up to ND. Not easy, but it had to be done. I walked into h ..read more

Sssscccrrrreeeeaaaammmm! My eyes jerked open to the sound of screaming and screeching — the screams were mine and the screeches were the brakes! The startled driver was looking at me, wide-eyed and confused. Shucks… It was a nightmare! OMG! Wiping my dripping forehead with shaking hands, I gave a feeble smile to the driver and asked him to take me to my destination. Shams and Becca were quickly informed of what had happened. They just couldn’t stop laughing! Yes, it was funny, but God, did I feel stupid! I had let my family and ND and everyone around get to me. I had to stop mulling over this ..read more

Next morning, the fam was much in the same mood. Before another lecture came my way at the breakfast table, I decided to skip breakfast, citing an early work meeting. Then I bullied the squad to meet me at a quaint Irani café for bhurji pav and piping hot chai. Shams gave the show a thumbs-up and between mouthfuls of food, I told them about my family’s reaction. “What the hell!”, said Becca banging the table with such force that my plate almost flew off. “Trust this gen to kill our spirits and discourage us when we try to bring about change!” Looking at a livid Becca, Shams said, “Not true… ha ..read more

The feel-good hormones from the events of the previous day had me up bright-eyed and fresh.  But pesky blackheads and a dry patch around my nose stared back at me from the mirror. Now that I had seen them… I couldn’t unsee them. No gentle kitchen DIYs this time; these trespassers would have to be tackled. The blackhead hotspot would be busted with salicylic acid. Yeah, it’s a strong chemical agent but absolutely safe for facial skin (and effective too). But with only an hour to get dressed, I had no time for that or for clay masks which are a gentler and more permanent fix. Out came the p ..read more

The events of the previous day were behind me when I reached work the next morning. However, people couldn’t stop talking about it — felt like everyone wanted to say something to me. Some commented on my ‘bravado’ and when I tried telling them that it wasn’t about courage, they thought I was being modest. I was not. TBH though, I quite liked the attention. Who wouldn’t? Mallika! The attention I got made Mallika increasingly restless until finally she spoke, “It’s all because of Richa ma’am, you know.” I suppose what she meant was people were being nice to me only because of my super boss’ supp ..read more

I ran after the man. As my colleagues looked on surprised, I yelled at him, hit him with my purse and as he began to run away, chased after him. I had almost gotten a hold of him before he slipped away. I got back to the office, dishevelled and shaken. I had just about managed to straighten up when boss lady came by. She was sympathetic and told me to let it go. When I informed her that I was considering registering a police complaint, her gentle tone turned firm, “Don’t. Better for you and the company.” Why the hell not? I came out of my reverie and saw two cops waiting for me at the receptio ..read more