Ain't No Shakespeare

Yet another year comes to an end & a fresh new one will begin. There are yearly rewind reels on Instagram, resolutions for the New Year, motivating quotes that “This will be MY year”….and what I am doing? I am introspecting – on the year gone by – about all my non-tangible achievements of the past year. So what has been 2022 for me? ü   An year of finally switching & starting a new job ü   An year of moving back to my hometown Mumbai after 4.5 years & realizing how much I miss Pune & living independently ü   An year of accepting that I have needed a therapist to help sort my issues ü   An year of seeing many of my best friends get married & panic at my single status ü   An year of reconnecting with some of my old friends & acquaintances ü   An year of mentally cutting toxic people out of my life ü   An year of spending wholesome time with loved ones & friends ü   An year of dealing with heartbreaks, heartaches &...

 I remember a dialogue of Rachel Green from the series “FRIENDS”. When she saw her parents bitching about each other to her after their divorce, she recalled 4 th of July – of how the entire family would go out in the sea & argue & fight all through; but when the fireworks started, they would just shut up & enjoy the show, snuggling into one cozy blanket on the windy boat. This resonated so strongly with me & my feelings about Diwali. I adore most of the Indian festivals – the traditions, the celebrations, the pomp & fervor. But Diwali? It is something special. It wasn’t until I started living away for work & couldn’t be home to enjoy the festivities that I realized just how special it was. It is not just about the sweets & diyas & rangoli. It is about that family time, the company of loved ones, the joy in the air & the entire vibe. No matter how much you disagree or fight with your family the other times, Diwali becomes the time to push al...

I come across a lot of posts on a regular basis about how school life was the best period of their lives, how they miss it & how they wish to relive it. I feel happy for them having had a very fruitful & enjoyable time in school. But let me tell you about the other type of people who would not perhaps echo this sentiment. In school there are some major categories of students. There are those mischievous ones who are always remembered for creating trouble in class & annoying even teachers always; there are the popular students who seem to have hundreds of friends & who are the envy of others; there are the omnipresent students seen in almost all extra-curricular activities whether cultural or sports – making a name for themselves & the school; there are the class toppers who are popular among students & teachers alike for being the brightest in studies. Then there are some students in this crowd of outshining, prominent students – who are sincere yet average, w...

As one grows older - responsibilities & stress starts becoming a part of routine life, we fondly remember our childhood. We say it was happy, carefree, fun! But when we look back at our childhood we don't remember much of it. It's those few moments that seem to sum it up - a family trip, summers at grandparents, school bus rides & songs through which we sung our childhood away. Even today when we listen to a song we remember the moments encapsulated in that song - when we first heard it, when it hit our hearts - memories of school, family, first love, first heartbreak - nostalgia is basically through that song. Today when I heard the news of KK having passed away - I was jolted, shattered, heartbroken. It felt like a personal loss. Because his songs were a major part of my childhood. I remember singing loud his songs in school trips, in house parties or jamming to them solo - lost to the world. I remember swaying to Hum Rahe Ya Na Rahe Kal & Yaaron Dosti during my ...

I may seem mature & serious in my poems & articles but I am generally a perfect child when it comes to my birthday. My countdown used to start from a month ago & I would be in the air during my birthday week. The night before I could hardly sleep as I waited for midnight to see who all called & wished. This year while I started the week with great excitement, over days the enthusiasm significantly reduced. Till on the day of my birthday I was kind of bummed. It had nothing to do with the age factor. But it was the first birthday I wasn't really excited or happy about. I spent the day like a normal day (which as I understand many "mature" people already do - but that hasn't been my style so far). I was uncharacteristically low & subdued - spent the day working & conducting meetings. Instead of feeling bummed at the end of the day that yet another birthday is over, I was feeling spent yet content - not having realised how & where the day went...

  The essence of this day is – a day to celebrate the accomplishment of women, the strength of a women, the journey of women. And why is it needed? According to the popular opinion of notable websites – to foster gender equality. Many pragmatist male friends of mine argue that not many know of Men’s Day – even if they do, it is not hyped so much. “Staunch Self-proclaimed Feminists” would argue that all other days are men’s days – because the amount of importance & hype men get in their lifetimes do not warrant the need of a separate men’s day. In my honest opinion - gender equality, men’s/women’s day, women empowerment have become more of political topics – used or discussed according to convenience than to address the real problem. Companies, colleges, institutions use female quota/reservation/female friendly policies to market how they promote diversity; opportunist women use Glass Ceiling/Gender discrimination as an excuse to climb up the ladder; women, census, opportuni...