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 (Contd.) A little longer and both would be free. His mother’s face floated in front of his mind’s eye. How she used to love and cherish him! What pride she had in her lalla! Raju didn’t realize what forced him to suddenly rise and run towards the old man. His body seemed to be doing it out of habit, but he had already started pulling the contraption back with all his strength. The old man had fainted with fright, so he couldn’t see the boy battling rain and slime to pull him out of the sliding chair into his arms. With a jerk, he yanked his crippled grand uncle out of the wheelchair. And in time too! Free of weight, it hurtled down the edge with sickening speed. Crash!! Raju was too busy nursing his uncle and bringing him back to his senses to have noticed the distant sound below him. And along with that went his chance of escaping this life of drudgery too. What had pushed him to come to his tormentor’s aid? Was it the desperation in the old man’s eyes, or had his frantic...

“Hand me the biscuits, you fool!”  Raju started, hearing Mr. Chand’s voice suddenly.  The cranky old man wouldn’t leave him in peace even here in these beautiful surroundings. What a life he had – same thing day in, day out. He hated the non-stop cycle of feeding the old fool, cleaning up after him, wiping his mess, taking him on walks, listening to him sermonizing and admonishing him.  He felt suffocated, trapped. Destiny had deprived him the right to an independent life, and he had ended up a companion-cum-attendant for his distantly related paternal grand-uncle.  Did Raju have a choice? His mother had died when he was twelve, and he was forced to leave his village and come to Patna. Father had left them a few years back, but father’s extended family was moneyed with a lot of property. Someone took pity on the orphaned Raju and gave him shelter.   And condemned him to lifelong slavery at the Mishra haveli. Though he was supposed to be a “relation”, the ...

Love wearing sarees, but dread wearing them in summer ? Most of us do. What with the sweat, the stickiness and discomfort, who wants to wear something that is cumbersome and clings to you?  But some of us like to flaunt sarees at soirees and summer weddings, and pairing this colourful and versatile garment  with some carefully chosen accessories can really make you look like a diva. Here is a list of some feather-light, natural fibre options that allow your skin to breathe and feel comfortable, even in this heat and humidity. And which you can wear both to your workplace, and jazz up for that evening do. 5 Comfy Summer Sarees  Image: KARAGIRI Summers mean natural fabrics, no georgettes, satins or blends please! And in India, we have a huge variety of cottons and silks to choose from. Linen, Khadi, Matka - The comfy trendy options for young girls, their moms and grand-moms. From celebrities like Vidya Balan and Kangana Ranaut, to the NGO worker and the college student...

We live in strange, strange times. Dichotomies rule, paradoxes abound.  Nothing makes sense really. Our home - the earth, is nearing extinction in a few years, yet we are busy fighting wars, hoarding and selling weapons. Air, water, souls, conscience, ethics, standards, all are on sale. Those who can afford it, buy bottled water and clean air. Those who can't live off drain water.  Food is wasted at parties and celebrations, while a third of the world's population doesn't get one square meal a day. People go to bed hungry, while some people get killed for eating beef or pork. A virus destroys a huge chunk of the population. After a year, everyone forgets it like a bad dream. Zero lessons learnt. The people who build our roads, bridges, factories and mansions, have nowhere to call their own. When cities go into lockdown, the very malls and high-rises they built mock them in the eye. Children are taught to obey rules, while adults break them with impunity. Criminals and polit...

Nandita Das' #Zwigato isn't an easy film to watch.  Reminds you of the many instances when you have ignored the delivery person, or shouted at him for being late, denied him/her suitable ratings. In short, behaved high-handedly with them, a privilege that money gives you. Reminds you of the large chunk of population that still struggles to bring food to the table,  while a privileged minority orders and wastes it. Reminds you that the mall cleaner - who picks your trash, is a person with dreams and hopes. And a family to provide for. Reminds us of the busted "achhe din" dream that was supposed to light up everyone's lives, not just a select few. Watch it. For #kapilsharma and #ShahanaGoswami . Their superlative performance that doesn't look like acting at all. For artists like #nanditadas who have the guts to show reality in all its stark form. For a mirror to a skewed world where pets have access to lifts, but domestic helpers have to use the back entrance ...

Come March, and the world starts preparing to celebrate International Women's Day . To honour the place of women in their lives and in the public sphere, to acknowledge them, and also perhaps to compensate for days of neglect or bullying? The fact that we still have to have such token days to acknowledge the contribution of women says a lot about the place of women - still second citizen in most countries. If you are a policy maker/public persona (any gender), instead of gifting women vouchers and restaurant reservations, or worse chocolates and token gifts, there are some concrete ways you can help making Women's Day an everyday celebration. Here goes: Make public places comfortable for women. At any time of the day, in any attire, women should be able to walk the road with her head held high. No sneers, no judgemental stares, no harassment. Just an equal right to be at public places, whether a park, a pub or a cinema hall. Support your own women. Share household chores. Liste...

Smile, and the world smiles with you. Really? For how long? I mean, how long does one go on smiling? Till the cheeks hurt? Our virtual lives are all about posturing, aren't they? Open any social media app and all you see are smiling, glowing pictures of happy, successful people. Enjoying dinner at The Taj/Oberoi/Grand Living it up in Maldives/Paris/Bangkok/Singapore Soaking Vitamin Sea in Goa Killing it at so-and-so conference/meet/seminar Delivering the key-note address at that so-important meet Conducting a Ted-Ex talk  Achieved the top salesman/person of the year award  Proud mother/parent of an achiever progeny Cooking up a Michelin-star chef type meal Running the full/half marathon You get my drift? Success, achievement, conquest, living it up, enjoying, indulging....that's all Facebook and Instagram profiles are for. What about the bad days? When you sit staring out of the window, wondering who will take care of you in your old age? When you feel life has passed you by? ...