From the dark to the dawn

  My son said a few days ago, “Mom, if you think about it, everything is a paradox.” The more I sit with that thought, the more examples I find in everyday life. Some are simple. Some are uncomfortable. And some refuse to leave my mind. Today, this one struck me. If a man is not brave enough to accept his woman publicly, should she really be with him? But then again, what about the man who accepts her publicly, through a proposal or marriage, yet treats her like trash behind closed doors? Should she stay with him either? One strips her of recognition. The other strips her of dignity. And suddenly, what looked like a simple question no longer has a simple answer. We are often told that love should be shown. Yet love that is displayed without respect can become a performance. We are also told that love is private. Yet love that remains hidden can leave a person feeling unseen. So where is the honor? Should love be hidden or shown? What is performance, and what is an act of love? When...

During our vacation in Goa last month, my sister-in-law (devrani) said, "As I grow older, I realize that Anshuman (the projected antagonist from the Hindi movie 'Jab We Met') was not actually as wrong as he is portrayed. Geet (the heroine of the movie) was too restless and acted without thinking."  I didn't comment at that time, as I only remembered glimpses of the movie (it was released in 2007 and not on my favorites list) and had forgotten the context. After a wonderful week in Goa, upon returning, I rewatched the movie. Now, I have a few points to share as Geet's decision to run away from her home is a pivotal moment in the story (of course, I shared them with hher first): Geet perceived that she had to run from her home because her family wouldn't allow the marriage. She did not talk to her family about her love life, how did she know? Whether Anshuman knew of this remains a question unanswered in the movie. Even though going against her loving and ca...

It is early Sunday morning, and Shalini is lying awake, tossing and turning in her bed, smiling as she thinks of her fiance, Mohit. They had a short yet sweet encounter last weekend, albeit in the company of his friends ( you can read about it here ). Despite not having any ‘alone’ time together, the memory of it is refreshing and worth preserving. Just then, her reminder rings, and tone of it shakes her out of her reverie. “The promotion exam is in 1.5 hours, at 10.00 am," it says.  Shalini has prepared for this exam thoroughly. She is determined to move forward and climb the ladder of success in her career. Being an ambitious woman, she aspires to have a career filled with dignity and respect. Moreover, the icing on the cake would be if she is transferred to Bangalore, Mohit's city, which is an added incentive for acing this promotion test. Taking a deep breath, she fills herself with energy on this otherwise lazy Sunday, ready to tackle the challenge ahead. She jumps out of...

It is a hot summer Saturday afternoon in June and half-day at the office. Most of the staff has already left. Shalini is unhurriedly making a list of her unfinished tasks. A while later, she looks at the clock ticking at 14.10 hours and starts working again. She belongs to Jhalawar District and moved to Jaipur last May for the job she cracked from her MBA college. In Jaipur, she lives in a 3-BHK rented apartment with her two flatmates, Shikha and Rhythm. Both are working and amicable. On weekends, they party and go to pubs that Shalini is not very fond of. Shalini got engaged to Mohit recently. Mohit is working for an MNC in Bangalore and getting married in December with him. Her parents found him through a matrimonial ad. Mohit is soft-spoken, ambitious, and intelligent. He is perfectly tall and dark. Three months prior, she knew nothing about him. After talking daily for half an hour to him she knows he talks less, listens more and values time. No doubt he is so successful. He never ...