Words from within

  “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”- Shakespeare Juliet here is expressing that Romeo’s name (Montague) is irrelevant and she loves him for who he is, not the name he bears. So a name is a mere label and doesn’t define the essence of a person or a thing. Or is it? Why is there so much fuss about what you call anyone or anything? The humble “biskuts” that we dip in our chai and relish every evening becomes the sassy “cookies“ coming in fancy wrappers and exotic flavors. And while we take the rickety ‘‘lift’ to our modest ‘flat’’ the Yankees take the suave ‘‘elevator’’ to their swanky ‘‘apartment’’. We lie down on the ‘’sofa” bingeing on bhujia while watching our favorite “serial”, they laze on the “couch” munching fries while watching their daily “soaps”. We throw our “rubbish” in the “dustbins” and they put out the “garbage” in the “trash cans”.     I remember being corrected when I said “vomiting” to “you mean ...

The recent viral “IITian Baba” at Mahakumbh, an Aerospace Engineer from IIT Bombay who chose the path of ascetism has triggered a debate. One may argue...What is the purpose of so much education if it cannot be put to good use to earn for the family, serve the society and contribute to the progress of the nation? A precious IIT seat wasted. He chose the easy path – that of escapism from his responsibilities in the garb of “finding meaning to my life”. But is this path really easy? There are many instances of learned, successful and affluent people- CAs, lawyers, heirs of billionaire families- who have renounced worldly pleasures and embraced monkhood. It takes a lot of courage, contemplation, fighting tremendous family resistance and sometimes traumatic emotional experiences to go towards this path.   We have ample talent in our country but how many of the IIT grads do their bit for its progress? Most of them leave abroad for high paying jobs in MNCs and help these corporat...

 गए थे बड़े अरसों के बाद  बचपन की यादें ताज़ा करने  पर कमबख्त दोस्त तो  किस्से अपनी तरक्की के सुना गए x------------------x इतना गुरूर ना कर खुद पर  बारिश की बूंदे भी तो  गिरती है आसमा को छू कर x------------------x गुज़रते वक़्त के साथ दर्द कम हो जाता है  दिल को बहलाना का यह अच्छा एक बहाना है x------------------x भरी महफिल में जो अक्सर  बहुत हँसा करते हैं  वो तन्हाई के आलम में  चुपके रोया करते हैं x------------------x थोड़ी सी तारीफ भी कर दिया करो कभी  ऐब निकालने का हुनर तो सब के पास है x------------------x तरक्की के दौर में दोस्त बहुत मिले  अकेला तो तब हुआ जब नाकामयाब हुआ x------------------x ग़ैरों से क्या करे गिले- शिकवे  दर्द तो अक्सर अपने दे जाते हैं x------------------x उसके दर पर जा कर  अब करते हो मिन्नतें  गुनाह करते वक़्त भी   वो तेरे करीब ही था x------------------x खुशनसीब है वो जिसका  इश्क हुआ मुक्कमल  वर्ना रोज निकलते है  आशिकों के जनाजे x------------------x वो जिंदगी ही क्या...

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 weave...

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...

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...