I suffered a second-degree burn on my right palm and fingers last week. For a bit there, right before I almost passed out from the pain, I thought there existed no word in the dictionary to define what I was experiencing. It was sheer torture. And while I was in massive pain, I could think of nothing but “why me?” I literally looked up above and asked, “why?” Oddly enough, “I can’t type now” was the first thought that crossed my head.

I was mad at the divine for “having done this to me.” Two days passed by, and the…

Adieu, RBG.

I remember vividly when my parents would go to my school to collect my progress report — it was on one of those second Saturdays, and funnily enough, I’d look forward to it whenever I’d top the class! It was my moment of glory when Sister Flavria would hand out the progress card to my parents, or my very strict Principal, Mrs. Grace, would flash a huge smile. Yeah, the whole confetti! Some of the best days of my school life.

But what was so cool is the whole experience taught me how to self-evaluate in the now…

Perhaps even after…

If you are WFH, you can relate to this. Those 5 minutes of chit-chat, when you are waiting for the rest of the invitees to join the call, a typical question is, “Hey, how’s it going?” I tracked this for a few days, and the responses are somewhere on the lines of “ah, the same old,” “just about surviving,” “the ash from the fires…ugh,” “oh its been a long day,” one of them said, “life still sucks!” I’d also get monotonic “am good & you?”. …

Remember the trip to the theme parks in the BC (Before Corona, chuckles!) days?

The Pendulum, Drop Tower, Roller Coaster, Reverse Bungee, etc.! Come to think of it, these dare rides are predictable — you know the risks involved. While you are at it, you let your hair down, you feel the adrenaline rush, you are bustling with energy, and when you get off of it, you feel a sense of relief and accomplishment at the same time!

Life gives you such rides — clinching a plum deal in the nick of time, selling off your company at a price…

Here’s how you can change the narrative.

Ved Vyas (author of the Mahabharat) must have been a divine soul. Else he couldn’t have possibly crafted a masterpiece such as the Mahabharat, which serves as a metaphor for our lives even now. It is also a sheer coincidence that I write this today, on Teachers’ Day in India. (Indians also observe Guru Purnima, which is dedicated to Vyas!)

There are countless stories I am so pulled towards in the Mahabharat maybe ’cos my grandfather, who was a voracious reader always spoke about it.

In the war titled “Dharmayuddh,” which translates as…

I watched Gunjan Saxena on Netflix. The film talks about how Flight Lieutenant, Gunjan Saxena makes history in her journey from aspiring aviator to India’s first female combat pilot in the Kargil War. Despite all the controversy surrounding this film, I was immensely drawn to the character portrayed by Gunjan’s dad. The unassailable support he provided her came from a heart filled with unconditional love; Unquestionable backing for a daughter whose passion was to just fly high (literally!). And he would do anything to see her succeed — even if no one in the family or society approved it.

Some…

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi (A Hindu festival). It is a family tradition to bring home the Ganesha (the elephant-headed god in Hindu belief) idol with great joy. I remember as a child, my dad and I would go on an idol hunt and spend copious time looking for “the one.” We’d always go for the eco-friendly ones ’cos that was a norm back then! No boujee stuff. Since it was made of fresh clay, we had to ensure the idol was intact, and there were no dents in them. Bringing him home was a celebration in itself. …

How to create a winning mindset.

When you watch an action film, do you look at the pawn from the villain’s army who goes flying on the ground from being beaten up (rightfully so) by the hero/heroine and ever say, “That’s who I want to be”. That fallen, corrupt, pathetic li’l guy… Hell NO! You picture yourself as that suave secret service agent or that warrior princess who fights for what’s right and saves the world! Or at least you aspire to be!

Content — isn’t that what makes a movie! Imagine walking into a theatre (apols, turning on Netflix…