Thru my heart

A very interesting article was doing the rounds of a site recently. It is about choosing a life partner wisely as a woman’s career depends on it.  The author goes on about explaining how she was offended at first hearing about this quote as the feminist in her thought – why depend on a man. But as she delved deeper into facts she realized that a spouse plays a major role in his wife’s career. Some of the relevant questions she raised are- Is he willing to let you work after marriage? Is he ready to share the house work? Will he relocate for you if you find a better opportunity? The 3 rd  point is something that caught my attention probably because it’s a situation I am in at the moment. I am a Chartered Accountant by profession and have been working with an MNC for the past 7 years. This is my first job post qualification and the reason for sticking around so long is that I have limited opportunities in the city where I have been living since the last 10 years and movin...

A short story Kashish woke up from sleep with a start, she had been dreaming. A beautiful dream it was where she, her husband Tanmay and their little princess Reva were walking by the beach. Reva ran around splashing water, she looked so happy. Seeing her infectious smile, Kashish's face lit up. And then suddenly dark clouds loomed all over the sky. The three of them looked upwards- it was a premonition of an impending storm. Just like the storm that had taken over their lives. And then the dream ended abruptly. As she sat down with her cup of tea in the verandah, she thought about the dream. And it's relevance in their life. How cruel fate could be at times? Who had cast evil eyes upon their happy family? Tanmay and she had married 4 years back. He worked in a garment factory as a supervisor and she worked as a sales woman in the nearby mall. They struggled to make ends meet, every month they had to pay the EMI for the one room kitchen matchbox size house that they l...

A short story     Instructions to maid-check. Grocery shopping - check.  Kid’s bags packed - check. Cab to airport booked- check I was so excited. Appa was coming today. He had promised to spend at least 6 months with us.  I fetched my diary from the bookshelf and opened it. Memories of the past so many years came flooding by.  A small fishing village in Mangalore, a house by the sea, thatched roof, lots of coconut trees in the backyard and a little girl with her Appa. I lost my mother when I was 4 years old; the memories have faded away with time. Was I too young to remember or was it that my Appa never let me feel those pangs of loneliness by stepping into the shoes of a mother, I don't know. My early memories of  my father and me are of  him cooking a lip smacking meal of fish curry and boiled rice which I used to happily devour, playing with me by the sea, teaching me to swim, plaiting my hair as I went to school. Amma and Ap...

A short story Clutching the photo album close to my heart, I sat down at my usual place, the seat by the window. I placed the album on the dining table and before I could open it, memories came flooding by. Memories of the past 30 years- the young, innocent and scared Rohini who stepped into this house as the bahu, I was so naive. I turn the first page- there I am - so pretty and coy, smiling shyly at the camera, standing beside my husband. We are standing beside this same dining table which I am now seated at. This has been one of those rare pieces of furniture that has been with us through thick and thin, for time immemorial. It is a huge oak dining table with 6 chairs which is an antique piece that was made to order by Deepak's father. It looks royal and is sturdy, countless meals and conversations, those teary eyed moments and moments of bliss, the gossip and so much more- this table has seen it all. I turn to the next page and I see my 9month heavily pregnant...

Did you just say you hit 30? Ohhhh you are old now half of your life is over. Oldie! This is a very common comment that one would come across and probably that's the reason many people prefer to hide their age, they would either make themselves a few years younger or smile sheepishly and avoid answering the question or some would say it upfront " I do not like people asking my age, it's a personal matter".  I always wonder "Isn't age just a number in the mind?" how does it stop you from doing something? In fact in my personal case I find myself more active, happier, busier, and richer in my 30's. I mean 30's absolutely rock. I remember the early 20's when I was so naive and gullible, I did not have any clear goals, was confused about which path to take. I went through those stages of silly crushes and heartbreaks, best friends turned foes and so much more. I learnt some lessons the hard way but that has only strengthened my resolve. Jus...

The house was all decked up for the wedding, bright lights shone in the verandah, loud music and laughter could be heard, children dressed in varied shades ran around in the well lit garden, the aroma of delicious food and mithai (sweets) filled the air. Today was Roma's big day- her wedding. As I entered her house looking forward to being a part of the celebrations, I looked around for her younger sister Riya. She was nowhere to be found. Roma and Riya are sisters, 2 years apart. While Roma is the more fun loving type, who bunked college, enjoyed shopping and spending time with her friends, she was never really interested in making a career. Knowing well that she belonged to a well do to business family and would marry into an equally well to do family, she preferred enjoying her life. Riya on the other hand was studious and had set her goals on becoming a doctor. She went to the US for her higher studies and the last FB update I had seen was that she successfully completed her ...

A Short Story. Neeti turned the page of their wedding album, was it really 10 years ago? Akash looked handsome in his sherwani, all smiles as he held his bride's hand and his eyes were all for her. Neeti looked ravishing in her designer bridal lehenga, her hands full of bangles and her smile which added to her beauty as this was the happiest day of her life. A perfect wedding of 2 people who passionately loved each other, college sweethearts who were inseparable. They had their share of testing times when work took him to another city and she pursued her Masters in Mumbai, it was a long distance relationship but that time passed and the relationship only thrived. Once he got a good job and had settled down, he proposed her and they had a perfect fairy tale wedding with both sides of parents beaming and cheering them. What more could she ask for? She had married the love of her life. 2 years later they were blessed with a sweet baby girl and their happiness knew no bounds....