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The Disappearing Dress

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Recently I attended a social function, where to my surprise, among the 300 odd women present, I was the sole one wearing a saree (barring a few 60 plus senior citizens). It got me contemplating -why is the current generation so wary of donning our National Dress? Saree is the most beautiful and graceful garment which flatters women of all shapes and sizes and ages. It is versatile, classy and can be worn for both religious events and swanky cocktail parties. It is the only dress which can make a lady look elegant and sensuous at the same time. Our country has a rich cultural heritage with each state having its unique masterpiece which is traditionally worn. The Kanjeevaram of Tamil Nadu, Kasavu of Kerala, Banarasee of UP,   Chanderi of MP, Sambalpuri of Odisha, Jamdani of Bengal, Mekhela Chador of Assam,   Paithani of Maharashtra, Lehariya and Bandhani of Rajasthan and Patola of Gujarat and the list goes on…Endless varieties of fabrics, intricate designs, different weaves and pri
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The Cacophony of Fitness Fads

I have been trying to shed a few kilos for a decade now to reach my ideal BMI- but haven’t lost a single inch from my waistline! So now I have changed my target - to not gain weight or add any more inches to my already plump figure. So what is fitness? We are constantly bombarded with images of muscular hunks with 6 packs and washboard abs. Thin women with svelte figures, hollow cheeks (some bordering on gaunt), toned abs and hips make up our feeds. So starts the journey of fitness fads … We join gyms with much enthusiasm and get inspired by the young guys and gals pumping iron and sweating on treadmills. We start bragging about how many calories we have burnt. After a few weeks, the initial adrenaline rush gives way to a sense of complacency. And we start making excuses – “Kal raat to neend theek se nahi aayi”; “Aaj break le leti hu – kal zyada weights kar lungi” … Finally going to the gym becomes a pain and we just trudge along to “wasool” the yearly membership fees. Now co
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A Day in the Life of a Common Pediatrician

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The idyllic dream of me flaunting a chiffon saree in the midst of snow capped peaks at Mt Titlis    and feeling like a sensuous Yash Chopra heroine, is abruptly cut short by a shrill sound.   Moaning and groaning I fumble to switch off my alarm and pull myself out from my haven. I remind myself I need to lose weight and set out for my morning exercise. After a refreshing brisk    walk admiring the beauty of Nature, I get to the daily grind of household chores. After ensuring the kids and family is well taken care of, I embark on the routine of a common pediatrician. Morning rounds start with an infant admitted for Acute gastroenteritis with dehydration. An irate grandfather starts complaining, "admit thaya pachhi pan jaada chaalu chhe. Treatment barabar         nathi chalti.” I calmly start counselling about the intricacies of intestinal infection, how dehydration has recovered and some time is needed for healing of intestinal wall. I
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Ehsaas

Some Poetic Musings - random thoughts in different moods थोड़ी सी खुशी जो नसीब हो  तो कैद करले उस एहसास को  ये कमबख्त ग़म  कब दिल मे ठिकाना बना ले   x------------------x गिले- शिकवे और रंजिशों में  गवा दिए हसीन पलो को  कर ले थोड़ी सी मोहब्बत भी  बड़ी बेवफ़ा होती है ये साँसे x------------------x ज़िंदगी के उस दौर मेँ हूँ जहा परवाह नहीं  ज़माने के उसूलों की  उम्मीद भी खुद से है और शिकायत भी x------------------x निकल पड़े थे हम तो  किस्मत अपनी आज़माने  पर हो गई उसी राह पर  मुलाकात अपनी तकदीर से x------------------x कर अपनी नज़र को बुलंद  और देख आसमाँ की ओर  मंज़िल तेरी वही है  बस उड़ान भरने की देरी है x------------------x ज़रा इत्मीनान तो रख  सफ़र बहुत लंबा है  बड़ी मशक्कत के बाद ही  मंज़िलें हासिल होती है x------------------x अपने मुकाम हासिल करने की दौड़ में  ज़िंदगी की रफ़्तार इतनी न बढ़ जाए  कि अपनों के चेहरे हो जाए धुंधले  और नज़र ना आए x------------------x एक ही मुलाकात का क्या असर हुआ  काबिलियत पर खुद की शक होने लगा  संभाल कर रखा था जो दिल  वो भी अजनबी हो गया x------------------x मर
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New Beginnings

I turned a year older this 29 th December and started the New Year with gratitude to the Almighty for the opportunity to live another year, become wiser and gather new experiences. “Some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet “ Year endings are new beginnings and times for introspection. Here I am sharing a few lessons I learnt during this journey and my vision for the year to come… 1. The importance of being self- content without depending too much on external factors. The right to keep my own happiness above everything else. Freedom from the thought of “char log kya kahenge” and live my life on my terms. 2. Being a typical type A personality, I am a meticulous planner with to do lists for everything and have a tendency to get anxious. I learnt that worrying over small things is a waste of time and energy. I learnt to reduce my anxiety and leave the things not in my control, to fate. I have become more Bindass and Badass. 3. I am basically an introvert who is av
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Faasle

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"अक्सर दूरियां करा जाती है  नजदीकियों का एहसास" "Unrequited love" or "Failed love" -  There is something so intriguing and fascinating about heartbreak. The longing, the pain, the emotional turmoil and the suffering has been romanticized for centuries.  It has been the fodder for numerous stories, movies, songs, poetry, paintings and art in general.  I too have jumped the bandwagon and have attempted a few lines on this topic. For a person like me who even thinks in English, to write in Hindi/ Urdu is quite challenging.  It is very amateurish and may sound jarred or tacky to some, but nevertheless here it is... राहें हमारी हो गई जुदा तो क्या  मिलना हमारा नहीं था बेवजह  चंद लम्हों का सफ़र ही सही  जिंदगी गुज़ारने के लिए है काफी  ज़्यादा उम्मीद नहीं रखते  हैं बस एक छोटी सी जगह दे देना  अपने दिल के किसी कोने में  मेरी यादों को  महफूज़  रखना  कभी बरसात के मौसम में  एक पल के लिए याद कर लेना  वो हमारा साथ में भीगना  वो एक ही प्याली से चाय की चुस्कियां लेना  वो मेरी
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Break the Bias

 International Women's Day! This day is celebrated with much fanfare and enthusiasm every year. The usual panel discussions on TV and other platforms, empowered women giving speeches, the get togethers with women decked up in their fineries, social media flooded with forwards having inspiring quotes etc. As the brouhaha gradually dies down, it  makes me wonder ,why do we actually need a special day ? Shouldn't women be celebrated everyday ? These celebrations are done by a privileged few who have got the opportunities to dream big and achieve their aspirations. But the ground reality is that a major chunk of women in our society are oblivious to even the existence of such a day. They struggle everyday to break the shackles of patriarchy. They toil endlessly as they bear domestic violence, drunken outbursts, unwanted sexual advances and  humiliation by a male dominated society. Inspite of being the sole breadwinners of the family sometimes, they  fail to lead a decent life of di
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