The Drama Queen

Adulthood is all about the last 10 kgs to lose, But the scrumptious ‘Death By Chocolate’ is too much of a muse! The calories it offers are the ones to deceive, We get a wee bit dishonest and search for a ruse! The malls offer clothes in sizes small and big, Doesn’t really matter what sized label you finally rig! The inches it offers are the ones to deceive, We get a wee bit dishonest and search for a dig! The glossy magazines show a plethora of healthy recipes, Interspersed by pages and pages of emotional therapies! The mindfulness it offers is the one to deceive, We get a wee bit dishonest and search for felonies! The eternal IF also cannot make the scales budge, The walks and yoga and gym have to compete with the fudge! The solace it offers is the one to deceive, We get a wee bit dishonest and search for a nudge! The chia, quinoa and berries have found a place of honour in our kitchen, We have a sweeping range of greens and blacks to switch in! The detox it offers is the one to decei...

  Mornings and me.... Oh, the day I get up earlier than the rest, Having stolen extra moments from life, at best. I might simply scroll through my screen, Or probably just swoon and preen. Sipping that hot cup of tea, With the company of only I and me. The swirling steam reminding me of meandering memories, Of a lost thought, or just counting the damn calories! Sifting through the greens of the garden, The occasional bug looking for a pardon. The colours remind me of hope and life, Or the hubby and the kids and their missing strife?! The morning walkers swifting by, Have they lost all that weight by sly? I am gonna skip all the sugar from now on, No more munching, hither and yon. The sky hints of an ethereal pink hue, Birds, twilight, stillness and dew. My mind drifts to that long-overdue vacation, I just might give into the temptation. The rude bell by the milkman, Jolts my soul out of the plan. Dragging myself to the door, I envy the people with the snore. The day I get up earlie...

  THE BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING They say…. Marriages are made in Heaven. Hell yes(may be)! Hold on…. The Weddings, however, happen very much on the Earth. And they are blessed by the mortal Gods, themselves… the Event Managers. Oh yes, you read it right. They are the self-proclaimed know-it-all of what we want. Right from the dramatic pre-wedding shoots to the innovative e-invitation cards to the creative thank-you-for-coming goodie bags… the whole jamboree has definitely come a long way.  After the long Covid gap, I had the glorious opportunity to attend a few festivities this wedding season. Between hubby and me, we attended eight weddings in all - Right from Down South Bangalore to Up North Mathura Vrindavan, via our hometown. Boy, did we have fun!! Nothing like weeks of preparations, shopping for everything from the intricate jewellery to the humble jootis, several successful and unsuccessful attempts at losing weight before the D-day, decking up, food, music, modified ritual...

वहीं   मिलूँगी   तुम्हें… जब   रात   ढलने   को   होगी , पर   भोर   ना   भई   होगी , तब   मिलूँगी   तुम्हें। वो   रात   बिताने …  मिलूँगी   तुम्हें ! जब   लौ   बुझने   को   होगी , पर   हल्की   सी   रौशनी   बिखर   रही   होगी , तब   मिलूँगी   तुम्हें। वो   अंधकार   मिटाने …  मिलूँगी   तुम्हें ! जब   बादल   तो   छाये   होंगे , पर   बूँदें   ना   बरसी   होंगी , तब   मिलूँगी   तुम्हें। वो   प्यास   बुझाने …  मिलूँगी   तुम्हें ! जब   बरसात   से   धरा   सराबोर   होगी , पर   इंद्रधनुष   ना   इतराया   होगा , तब   मिलूँगी   तुम्हें। वो   रंग   समेटने …  मिलूँगी   तुम्हें ! जब   फूल   खिलने   को   होगा , पर   भँवरा   ना   मंडराया   होगा , तब   मिलूँगी ...

This famous quote is penned, apparently while in deep emotional pain, by Stephen Colbert. Coming to think of it…. it is true to quite an extent. This warning, however, tops all the other red flags that we have been receiving throughout our lives.   Going back to the days when we were happy people, basically, when we were not parents. And while we were not parents back then, well… we were still the best parents…. for all the other children. Judging them, mocking them secretly, giving them unsolicited advice, giving them looks while they were dealing with a meltdown…. Hah!! Such lovely days!!  I used to be the only one throwing a tantrum around the house.   And then, having gained all the knowledge of how to be ‘good’ parents (sorry, make that ‘great’ parents), our own coveted moment of pride arrived. Our moment to shine. Our moment to show all ‘those’ parents on how it is done!! Ahann!! Look no further, amateurs…. the experts arrive!! To bring you out of your mi...

The swing rocked to and fro. To and fro. To and fro. And happily so. I could hear the giggles of my toddler while my younger baby was getting dirty in the sand. A while later, they both wanted to swing together. Luckily the swing had space enough for two. And now we had two sets of giggles. Well, make that three! To and fro. To and fro. To and fro. And happily so. It took me back to my childhood days. The swing was my favourite equipment in the park. The slide and the merry-go-round came nowhere close to the competition. The swing gave me a rhythm. A rhythm of thoughts. A rhythm of balance. A rhythm of calm. The occasional kick on the dusty ground to keep the momentum going gave me such a high. The wind on my face with my hair going all over the place, was the happiest feeling ever. This trance would, almost always, get jolted out by the staring eyes of the other eager children. Giving me looks. Or tugging at their Mum’s  palla . And Mums in turn giving me looks. Well, even this wa...

Recently, when me and my daughter were scrolling through the holy Instagram, we came across a meme. My daughter asked me to respond to it as, ‘You are such a Karen!’ Honestly, I did not understand what she meant by it. But being the cool mom that I would like to believe I am, (my children don’t think so... well, we all have a right to our own opinions!).... well, anyway.... so, I decided to probe into it further. Voila!! ‘Karen’ was quite a species! Rampant, if I may add! We all know a few Karens in our life, I am sure. May be not by that name, though! Don’t worry!! You have me to rescue you here. Let me explain. So, apparently, Karen has been generalised as, though not restricted to, that Face book Mom who is living in the imaginary, long-lost 3rd decade of her life. She is ready to take on the world to task... for no apparent reason other than, well, coz the other, unimportant worldly people exist. She is that fidgety one in the queue. She is that fussy one at the billing counter. S...