A Portion of My Thoughts.....

Recently, a friend sent a picture of an advertisement to me.The ad gave information about an upcoming book fair which was going to be organised for a week in Indore. It said that books could be bought per kg. Rs. 100/- for thinner books, Rs. 200/- for thicker books, and so on. I though it odd that books could be weighed and sold per kg as if they were fruits and vegetables!Nevertheless, I decided to pay the fair a visit. There is a small number of people whom I know in Indore who like reading. Libraries and bookstores are also fewer in number when compared to other cities. Thus, I was a bit apprehensive of the number, types as well as the quality of books offered at the fair. We paid a visit on the second last day of the fair.  As it was coming to an end, I wondered of the stock of books. It was being held in a room on the ground floor of a restaurant. On reaching, I noticed a poster hung outside the hotel, announcing the number of days left before the fair came to an end. A ran...

Recently, I got an opportunity to visit the Radio Mirchi Head Office at Indore. The Classmate Spellbee results were out, and I had found out that I'd qualified for the national semi-finals!! My head had exploded in dual-coloured emotions, surprise as well as delight; surprise, as I had most certainly not even dreamt of qualifying for India's most popular spelling competition; and delight, as being amongst the top 50 spellers in the city was an immense honour. Nevertheless, I was a bit apprehensive as I'd always imagined radio studios and newspaper offices as small, cramped and stuffy. When I entered the office, I received a pleasant surprise, as it far from what I'd imagined. It was spacious and very comfortable! RJ Kabir was greeting all the contestants and was warmly welcoming them. We were asked to wait in the adjoining room. While the preparations for the competition were being made, he was chatting with all of us amicably, trying to make everybody feel at home an...

The Internet: such a vast world of endless links and pages. One just has to type a query regarding anything under the Sun: and BOOM!, Google Baba sprays you with a bazillion results in literally, the blink of an eye! Students regard it as a permanent and automatic homework completer, while adults find it a fathomless pit of job opportunities.  Phones keep buzzing and beeping all the time, to the extent of me going insane! The Whatsapp home screen glares up at you when u wake up and we eager to see the number of likes are Facebook and Instagram profile pictures received. We click the wildest of selfies for no reason at all and forward hundreds of them on all our groups. Wikipedia has evolved into the all-time lifesaving research machine and spending hours in the library, flipping through reference books has become old school. Our beloved Adobe Reader comes to our rescue. Until a few decades back, we were aware of chocoholics, shopaholics and alcoholics. But as Gen-Y emerges, p...

Women- emotional, yet strong, sensitive, yet resistant, friendly, yet reserved, are one of the most marvellous creatures crafted by God, He shaped delicate shoulders, soft hands but a mind with powers undreamt and unknown. He added a generous sprinkling of sympathy, love and kindness. Well, perhaps he mixed a teeny pinch of stubbornness too! Once finished, God himself was awestruck at this exquisite creation and masterpiece in front of him.   In many villages, women are regarded as some kind of an instrument for bearing children. She is restricted to the house and cannot enjoy the luxurious life and comforts that men have. Let alone villages, even in mega cities, it is manys’ belief that it only the women who should do all the household chores. Who cares about her dreams and aspirations? Who cares about what she wants to do? Does she want to go out and work ? No, who will have the time to bother about what she wants? Family commitments overshadow it all. Despite living in the 21...

Dawn has broken. The feeble sun rays are bathing the world in glorious light. Inspired, a tiny seedling struggles to push itself out through the soil, its existence as fresh as a daisy. 2016 blossoms. It turns its face towards the sun. Alongside wilts a gigantic flower ,its time on Earth spent with creatures of all kinds, is over. It needs to return to the soil from which it was born. With one final glance at the sun, the petals fall and the soil pulls it into a hug, as though caressing and consoling it. The small sapling breathes in, with not a care in the world. It is the first day of its life , after all. The D-Day has arrived. That day which we so eagerly awaited. The new year which all of us looked forward too has broken its slumber. YES, it’s 1 st January, 2016!! Everyone is rejoicing. There is nothing like the very first, freshest day of a new year. It is a multiple of 4, which means it is a leap year. Poor February will finally be reunited with its long-lost brothe...

Winter is all about snow, gifts and undoubtedly, Christmas! With the fun-filled celebration around the corner, the atmosphere wears a merry, festive and joyous look. Everybody starts gearing up for the D-Day, the 25 th of December! People bustle around, speculating the amount of work yet to be done. Gifts start piling up in shopping carts, one for each loved one. Christmas really is all about the spirit and joy of giving and receiving. Decorations start filling shops and people flock in by the dozen. Stars, festoons, lighting, candies, tinsel, you name it and they’re all there. These ornaments do make Christmas trees magical and stunning to look at.   Trees are set up all around town as well as in hundreds of houses and are decorated with the brightest lighting, the shiniest festoons and topped with the classic fairies. Holly leaves glint on every door and lush, red berries add to the liveliness. Everybody tries their utmost to make their homes warm and cosy by lighting...

Since the past fortnight, TV screens and news websites are ablaze with '#chennaifloods'  and the heart-rendering pictures of the city submerged in water. The atmosphere is charged with fear, tension and anxiety.This is the scene with which almost every Indian house has become familiar with. The meteorological department is hard at work, trying to predict any more downpours, but are desperately hoping that they don't have to reveal any. The roads have become something of a river with a strong current and the fields wear deceptive looks of lakes. People are stranded inside their homes, with no electricity and water, forced to live on a ration of food.Schools and offices have been closed as it is almost impossible to step out of the house in most areas. Gadgets and vehicles are damaged. Some say that their electrical essentials like refrigerators have been washed away with the water! People are having to wade through this torrent, the water level sometimes, up to their chest...