We have become too comfortable with the jokes cracked on us or our families, we have adjusted too well to the momentary humiliations by grinning big. We have learnt hard to ignore many times. Did we pave the path for bullies by our prolonged resilience or silence? But for how long?
Ma: Fine, it may have happened a couple of times, but this time it’s for real. I’m telling you, I might shit my pants on the flight. You just cancel the ticket, there’s no other way.
However, religion, if given too much importance, is subject to misinterpretation and misuse. For ages, it has been successfully used to divide us and continues to do so. What has kept us together despite that, is our faith. Let’s not use religion as a tool to judge people and like all relationships, let’s keep our relationship with God personal.
Her embarrassed mother-in-law, who still had more black than grey hair, often tried to attribute her premature greying to hormonal imbalance caused by the pregnancy. But friends, neighbours, and even complete strangers were not so understanding.
Navya’s excited face turned into a confused one! Amidst all the vibrant ethnic masterpieces, that pink cotton chadar-mekhela set with machine embroidery looked so mismatched!
The guests wanted to have something sweet made by the newest bahu of the family. Krisha hesitantly prepared some ‘sewaiya kheer’ and served it with hot tea. But those two remarks from Bua saas and Mausa Ji made her nervous to the core.
As Titi stretched her hand to reach the stacked tea trays the shawl slipped from her shoulder exposing her back and arms – bare, save the straps of her nightdress, the one Sohini had assured her would not look daring in the confines of the bedroom.
My grandmother muttered something in Tamil shaking her head in disbelief and
went inside. My aunt smiled and patted my father signalling, she is all yours. When both
of them were out of the room my dad laughed out loud.
Their first meeting had been at a bloggers’ meet. He was fresh, and vivacious, and happy. Now, they would occasionally sit in a cafe that smells heavily of coffee beans and cheesy garlic bread, and buy one another coffee, looking into one another’s eyes. He was never tired of her, of listening to her pain, her unfulfilled desires, her midnight tears. Even amidst a crowd, he would find her. He could never miss her. His eyes would wade through even the most dingiest of places, thickly crowded, to her.
While the rest of India observe Shivratri on the 14th day (Chaturdashi) of the Hindu lunar month of Phalgun, Kashmiri Pandits generally celebrate herath a day earlier. But preparations to welcome Shiva-Parvati home begin at least a week in advance
