Recently, someone shared a blog on a WhatsApp group where I am a member. The writer had written a story about a woman who felt uplifted and empowered when she began to wear a bright red shade of lipstick. It was a beautiful depiction of her journey and some found the writing to be powerful.
In Love With Our Hopscotch Rug
The pandemic has been a tough time for kids in many ways, yet they adapted to the abrupt change in their lifestyle as best as they could. It is not easy for them to stay at home without jumping around with their friends or bonding with their school mates. They have also been missing out on all the stimulation they get from outdoor play which is so essential for their development. As a parent, I have been trying my best to help my almost 6-year-old stay excited and active through this phase at home.
Do We Stereotype Expression Of Grief?
While I was flicking through some posts on online media platforms, I came across a news article which made me pause and ponder. It was about how the reality television star, Divya Agarwal, was being trolled mercilessly only because she posted a glamorous picture from a photoshoot on social media around a week after her father’s demise.
Book Review: Aashi
“Sometimes, I find myself in the pages of a book” – This is a line from a poem I had penned on finding my identity a few weeks back. The latest creation of Writer’s Collective, “Aashi” is one of those books where I found flakes of myself scattered across its length and breadth. Aashi’s story is not my story. Yet, the terrains are familiar; the world seems my own; the core is one. Her passion, her spirit and her outlook towards life – I found myself in the essence of Aashi. This is Author Maitabi Banerjee’s debut novel who makes a glorious entry into the literary space with a story that converses with you like a long-lost friend. You listen, you laugh, you sob, you scream, you believe and you embrace it with all your heart.
The Smiles Behind The Masks
2020 has been a year that has gripped humankind by its claws. We do not know when we would be able to break free. We do not know what more is in store for us. The pandemic has hit us so hard that the impact of the blow is perpetual. As people grapple with physical health, mental well-being and economic slump, there is this disquieting feeling of helplessness within me. It has been heartening to see how the common people have risen up to the catastrophe to help and support those in need. We all have tried to do our bit but none of us can really undo the loss or turnaround the situation. I think I have become even more cognizant of my privilege and I count my blessings every moment of the day. With two senior citizens and a 5-year-old at home, I have been quite vigilant from the time the lockdown was initially announced. This means that even though the world has started unlocking gradually, we are sticking to maintaining our self-imposed lockdown. We head out only when it is a ‘have-to’ and not a ‘would-like-to’ scenario. We have learnt to embrace the mundane within the confines of our comfortable abode.
Conversation With Director Alankrita Shrivastava At WICA 2020
“It’s not easy but it’s doable” – This was the topic of my conversation with noted Screenwriter and Director Alankrita Shrivastava at WICA 2020 – Women at Corporate Allies thoughtfully curated by Women’s Web.
Continue reading Conversation With Director Alankrita Shrivastava At WICA 2020
Who Am I?
Who am I?
Is this a question
Or a discovery
Maybe, a mirage
Sometimes, I see myself
In the vibrant butterflies
Flying with buoyance
Devouring the sweet nectar
Ticked Boxes Do Not Define A Mother
I was aimlessly scrolling up the feed when a comment grabbed my attention. Not surprisingly, this happened because the post was about a person I have always held in high esteem – Sushmita Sen.
A woman had put it across quite bluntly that Sushmita Sen knows nothing about motherhood sacrifices because she hasn’t given birth to her daughters. She mentioned categorically that it starts from when the embryo is formed and all Sushmita Sen has done is give a good life to adopted kids, making it sound like a cakewalk.
Light in Dark
The aureate sunbeams percolate through my pores,
Unlocking my shut eyes as the wonted dawn beckons;
The quivering and weary lashes grapple and stutter,
As they endeavour to make way for vision in the dungeon.
Book Review: Masala Mix by Anupama Jain
“Masala Mix – Potpourri of Shorts” is an apt tile for the latest novel by Anupama Jain, an offering from the house of Readomania. The book is an assortment of 15 short stories which make for a vibrant palette of varied colours. No story can be tied to a specific genre because these are slice-of-life stories and life cannot be boxed into a category. You will find yourself or your loved ones in these stories, which are about relationships and the many shades of life that we all relate to at some level.