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Shillong , the Scotland of the east, is a charming hill station and tourist favourite. Expectedly there are some touristy spots that every visitor is urged to visit, as if to tick off on a checklist. But, this beautiful place is much more than a few must-see sights. It is a tapestry of clouds playing hide and seek with the blue sky, the sun intermingling with the rain, rolling meadows, lush green and laid-back vibe. You needn't fill your days with "things to do". Just sit back and watch the clouds sailing past. Smell the woody scent of the pines. Breathe in the brisk, refreshing air. Let the breeze play with your hair. Just as you come out in the sunlit porch, feel the tip-tap of a light drizzle. The sky changes from blue to grey to white in minutes. And when you have soaked in the atmosphere, you can check out a few destinations at your leisure. Must-visit Places of Shillong Ward's Lake - This pretty, winding lake set in an equally pretty park is ideal for a leisure...

Iranian writer, Marjan Kamali's The Stationery Shop of Tehran is a remarkable and touching book. Like all literature set in countries with a deeply troubled history, this book too revolves around disillusionment, pain and the desperate struggle to live a normal life.  Akin to Khalid Hosseini, Kamali intertwines the political in the personal lives of her protagonists. Class struggle also plays a major role, like education or the lack of it. The story spans over six decades and two continents, starting from 1953 Iran to New England, US in early 2013. Love lost, Lives Shattered Young lovers, Roya and Bahman try to hold on to their love in the face of all pettiness and politics, but the aftermath of trauma runs too deep.  Just as their country plunges into another political upheaval, their lives are shattered and they are thrown apart.  Yet, Kamali makes her story deeply human and optimistic. Her lovers are genuinely good human beings, kind, forgiving and full of empathy. In...

As a race, humans do a lot of posturing. Most of our life is spent in acting out roles and putting on various masks or facades. You have to tolerate idiots with a smile, if they are rich or powerful or senior in age. Whatever rot they say, you nod your head in agreement, knowing fully well its all bullshit. The media feeds you crap in the name of news, you lap it up. Politicians mouth nonsense, but you can't protest. Businessmen sell you false dreams, and build empires. When you see clouds and feel like dancing, you have to pretend to show interest in studying. Mothers may get incensed by their children's bullying - to the point of telling them to get lost, or throw them out of the house, but pretend to grin and bear it. Mother's love, after all. You know everything is going downhill, yet have to put on a brave face. What will people say if you start acting crazy?  We live out lies, subscribe to other people's definition of success and happiness, and wallow in the miser...

Once upon a time, a Bard had prayed for evoking the divine in humankind...."Antare Jaago Antarayami" He had advocated humanity above narrow divisions of nation, race and religion... Hoped that sanity, rationality and kindness be the life force of people, not hatred, suspicion or intolerance.  How far we have moved from his ideals. Wars raging everywhere. People killing each other at the drop of a hat. Babies maimed, mothers bereaved, entire families wiped out.... Praying to Rabindranath to restore sanity in human minds.  "Anondoloke Mongol Aloke Birajo Satya Sundoro" (Reside in every heart, in kindness, joy and peace, ohh Divine) #rabindrajayanti #tagoresongs #robithakur #tagorebirthday

We will survive..... Your cowardly attacks on our dignity Your cunning agenda Thirsty clawing on our blood and flesh Your sheer impunity, your brazenness, your godlessness We will survive.... Your crushing indifference to our wellbeing Your constant attempts to divide us, fill our hearts with distrust and hatred The politics of hunger, education, employment Your manipulative agenda of keeping us distracted from real issues The absence of any genuine love for us India will survive.... The blood on its paradise The kicks on hungry stomachs Attempts to rewrite its history, and tear apart its fabric Destruction of its heritage and tradition Humanity will survive.... Because it is above religion It is the life blood of common people It is the reason the world still thrives We are all the same flesh and blood Yes we will survive. We will come back. We will resist attempts to crush us. We are India - the oldest civilization on this earth - that survived the cruelest marauders. the harshest of...

My third collection of short stories has been getting so much applause from readers across all strata. Some reviews are incredibly encouraging,  some are incisive and some gently critical, while appreciating the nuances. Available in all except Oxford  The title Aftertaste-of a Half-lived Lif e has come under scrutiny too. Some readers feel it's bang-on, considering the topic of the stories, while a few wonder about it.  Let me explain. My choice of this title was based on the thematic exploration in all the nine stories. As a critic has said, each character is living a less-than-full life, limited either by their own flaws or by circumstances. When you read the stories you will know why the title is appropriate.  Have you read it yet? Sharing the Amazon link  Aftertaste-of a Half-lived Life #shortstoriesonlife #collectionofshortstories #contemporaryshortstories 

Solitude is very demanding. It means you have to be alone with yourself, with your thoughts, your fears, your doubts and phobias. Nowadays, every moment of our lives is crammed - with noisy people, with "viral" reels, with excess information. Something or the other is always calling out to you, demanding immediate attention. FOMO is a major threat to emotional well-being. You feel you need to know, to be there, to participate, to prove your worth.  But what if you didn't? What if you are just sitting or lying all by yourself? Alone, in silence? No smartphone or device to give you company. No book or magazine to browse. No shows or game to watch. Just your thoughts and you. Scary? What if all your insecurities come marching in - attacking you, weakening you, making you doubt yourself? What if you get hit by Imposter syndrome, the feeling of inadequacy? What if guilt washes over you, or worse, regret? Uncomfortable and restless, you reach out for your phone. Stillness, soli...

Why isn't the world concerned with human immigration that is under covers? I mean, yes it is, in the sense of banning illegal entry and deporting refugees at the drop of a hat, but what about the human aspect? Imagine this - You grow up in a land you call your own, Your family, your school, college, workplace, social circle, everything is here. Then things start deteriorating - with unemployment, vanishing opportunities, targeting you for your religion/caste/gender, deliberate isolation and victimization. One day, things get so bad, you have no other option left, than leaving that same place you loved so much - for good. But visas are not for grabs, and passports are delayed/held up for various causes. You pool in your life's savings, sell your property, maybe your kidney, and manage to get a berth in any of the illegal transport routes to the promised land of your dreams. The land where you can breathe free.  Get this - no one leaves the land they were born and grew up in, jus...

The recent ramblings of some elderly gentlemen (one a company founder, another a CEO) on how much we many hours we should be working, are symptomatic of all that is kaput with corporate India. The reason we have so few cases of innovators and path-breakers. The reason why Nadella and Pichai shine overseas. The reason start-ups and entrepreneurial attempts fail faster than you can say 1,2,3. These guys have got all the mathematics wrong!  Machismo and Hot Air I find these announcements to be glaring examples of the inherent tendencies of machismo, bullying, slavery, high-handedness privileged males in our country are used to.  At home, when raja beta works, rest of the family keeps quiet. When he needs food, wifey supplies it. Shhh, raja beta is sleeping, don't make noise. Don't irritate him, get him a cup of hot tea/coffee, quick, he's tired from working all day. You get the drift? The whole ecosystem in the workplace is designed to reward the raja beta slaving away rather ...