This reflective essay explores how love evolves, from youthful fantasies of grand gestures to the quiet strength of companionship and presence. It contrasts enduring partnerships with lonely, transactional modern relationships shaped by technology. Ultimately, it affirms that true love thrives on equality, emotional labour, and self-respect,culminating in the most powerful love story: choosing yourself.
An elderly couple fondly revisits the day love first trembled between them. Amid nervous smiles and unspoken confessions, she recalls how his courage faltered, but her heart did not. Taking a leap of faith, she voiced what he couldn’t, sealing a bond that quietly endured a lifetime.
Reflecting on love beyond clichés, the narrator redefines Valentine’s Day as an act of radical self-love. Tracing her journey through desire, motherhood, body changes, and societal pressures, she embraces her evolving body with pride and sensual confidence,urging women to reclaim beauty on their own terms and “strike a pose” for themselves.
A serene winter escape near Kolkata, Chupi Char offers glowing sunsets, tranquil boat rides, and a paradise for bird lovers. Nestled amid mango orchards and an oxbow lake, it blends rustic charm with migratory bird sightings, village walks, bonfires, and simple Bengali meals—perfect for a peaceful weekend retreat.
Returning to India from the comfort of the USA seemed like a reckless mistake, judged by many and doubted by herself. Yet from that uncertain leap grew The She Saga, Aashiyan, Veda’s, purpose, and independence. What looked like a bad decision quietly unfolded into a deeply rooted, meaningful life.
Mishti revisits her childhood home, where shifting spaces awaken layered memories — of innocence, laughter, and something unspoken that changed everything. As past and present collide, she confronts the weight she once carried alone. With her sister beside her, she finds steadiness, reclaiming power, healing, and a quieter, stronger self.
In the quiet after Valentine’s Day, I turn inward—to books that shaped me, words that healed me, classrooms that defined me, long walks that strengthened me, tea with mother that grounds me, Olive’s unconditional love, simple food joys, and solitary pilgrimages. These are my sundry, steadfast forms of love.
This reflective essay explores how women are conditioned to equate love with waiting, suffering, and emotional neglect. Drawing from romantic culture and ancient Indian narratives, it argues for boundaries, dignity, and self-preservation. True love, it suggests, begins when a woman learns to choose herself over self-abandonment.
This piece reflects on how earlier generations learned respect and acceptance toward imperfect parents, without labeling them as toxic. Today, therapy culture and social media often encourage blame over balance. While boundaries matter, healing must also include accountability, maturity, and understanding parents as flawed humans doing their best.
This lively slice of life captures Bengalis’ dramatic love-hate bond with winter. From monkey caps, shawls, Boroline, and sunbathing rituals to indulgence in nolen gur, pithe-puli, fairs, picnics, and book festivals, Bengali winter becomes a season of warmth, food, adda, and culture.
