The Convicts

In mathematics, there is a dependent variable and an independent variable.  y=f(x) Here, y is defined by the relationship it has with x. When the value of x changes, value of y changes; y depends on x.   In life, it is pretty much the same. You are defined by the relationship you share with people in your life. How you react to their actions defines you as a person. So when one of the x’s that defines you, changes, you change as a person. Sometimes, people change so much, it becomes difficult for you to relate to them. You don’t recognize them anymore. And still, their actions provoke spontaneous reactions from you. Unless you are ready to let go of that ‘x’, you are now dependent on a complete stranger (who until some time ago was very close to you.) You may see the person, you may talk to the person but you simply don’t know that person anymore!

(This article was written on 1st of May, 2014) Recently I visited the tiger reserve at Pench, close to Nagpur. Pench was a pleasant surprise- It is summer and Nagpur is known to be ruthless during summer with temperature that goes up to 45 degrees Celsius. But pench was- excuse my poor vocabulary- simple and beautiful. I felt exactly the way I did when I was a school-going kid. Like every school-going kid, summer vacations were my favorite. I loved the smell of summer, I loved it when the day would be open for all the possibilities in the world, and I loved reading books on mango trees right outside my aunt’s house. Pench stirred the very same carefree, happy emotions inside me. It smelled of summer, of dust, of trees! I really wanted to stay in Pench forever. For a brief moment, I flirted with the idea of building a house in Pench. Living in wilderness- what wonderful life it will be! The next minute I was jolted back to reality- I want to achieve certain things in life; ...

Dear Women, There is so much to speak. I wonder where to begin. I feel it will be appropriate to begin by telling you the reason for this letter.  We talk a lot about feminism these days, we talk of gender equality. These terms may seem nebulous to some of you. Some of you may look at it as something distant, something that is not related to you. At this point, I cannot help digressing a little. Bear with me. When I was a kid, I once a read a story- this story is one of the many stories of India’s struggle for independence. In some small town of India, people had gathered to listen to a great freedom fighter (I apologize, I cannot recall the freedom fighter’s name.). The freedom fighter seemed very pleased with himself after delivering a rather passionate, inspiring speech! There was a thunderous applause and loud cheers of “Bharat Mata ki Jai!” boomed everywhere. Something crossed the freedom fighter’s mind and he thought of asking an innocent question. “Who is bha...

There is a letter tucked under my pillow, a letter that I would like to read everyday for the rest of my life. It says- " If happiness is an illusion, so be it. We'll put a spell of happiness on everything we touch, feel and live. Much like the weary traveler who feels and becomes one with the desert sand, dancing with the wind and shifting from dune to dune, drinking water from the occasional oasis, marching on towards paradise. " It is a letter by my 16 year old brother, written on my birthday. Yes, I am a proud sister! ( P.S. : Towards the end, the letter says- "Ignore everything that might alter your way of life and cause your life to deviate from your concept of it." It is funny how comforting a 16 year old's faith in you can be!)

Shubha Mangala Nuptial Musings 2012-the end of the world, they told us. And it looked like it because people around me were getting married left, right and center. That was still ok. I was stunned when my father told me it is time for me to think of getting married! Now that we are all of the “marriageable” age, my friends and I have discussed it over a thousand times. Almost each one of us has a different opinion about it. Everytime we talk about it the scene looks similar to one of the sessions of parliament. Each one of us tries to convince the other. And at the end of it, we hold on to our opinions the way a fanatically religious man swears by his holy book! One of my friends, a girl, let us call her A, is of the opinion that we should leave it to our parents. They will look for a good life partner for you. And if something goes wrong, you can obviously blame it on your parents! Now, I must tell you the premise behind her judgment. A and I (that is me, and not a th...

Harry potter-the boy who lived, made news for quite a long time. Here is a story about the lady who lived- real and hitherto untold. The story is old, very old- It is so old that no one knows the exact year of its beginning. It starts somewhere in mid 1950s. A little girl, 16 years old, lived in a small village in Maharashtra. Her name was Hira. She was fair, beautiful but really short- 4 feet 9 inches tall. She had failed 4 th class and had never travelled beyond her village. She was soon married off to a handsome, young boy named Nana. At this point, I should tell you a little about Nana. Nana grew up in a small village close to Hira’s. After his father’s death, his uncles took away all the farms. That is how Nana happened to go to Mumbai. He worked somewhere in Mumbai. I don’t know what exactly did he do for a living then. He stayed in a chawl-one room was all that he had to himself. He had a younger sister.  His sister and mother stayed back in village. He was 21 when he got ...