I had always wondered why it is a ritual in our society that a woman goes to her mother's home to deliver her child. When I was pregnant with my daughter last year and once she was born in the first month of this year, I got my answers. The reason is the mother of …
Category: Reflections
The Turning Point
It was the end of my first semester of graduation and I was home for a winter break. I was studying in Kolkata, which was the first metro city I actually stayed in. I was a small town girl, so studying in a metro was a different experience altogether. Suddenly, the world felt bigger and …
Good News Delivered
In our society, family planning is a matter of public concern. Once you get married, you are expected to procreate immediately, as if it is the only reason you got married for. I have already elaborated this social trauma earlier in my post, The "Good" News. But even delivering good news has consequences! Once you …
Winter Warmth
Sunshine during the day, oranges in the afternoon and a cosy fireplace in the evenings. That is how I have always known winters to be. That is how we spend winters in Assam. That is how I wish my winters to be each year. I grew up in the educational town of Assam, Jorhat (in …
Pigeons of Delhi
In the Indian capital, the common pigeon has a consistent presence across the city. The familiar grey pigeons, known as the blue rock pigeons, have a very special place in the city. It is believed that feeding them earns you brownie points to reach heaven. At many prominent traffic signals in the city, islands have …
The Cursed Relationship
It is a popular prejudice that a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law are meant to hate each other. If not mutual hatred, then it is one-sided ill treatment. Such notions have been reinforced in our society time and again by our beloved movies and soap operas. An innocent and simple DIL is mistreated by her …
Kai – The “Dog” Cat
Young Kai with his mother Kai was a tomcat with a soul of a dog. His mother was a stray who chose my parents' home as her home. She would come and go, but usually had her meals at home. She was not even a year old when she had her first batch of kittens. …
A True Feminist
In the recent years, "feminism" has become a buzzword. In general terms, women who believe that they are better off without men, or fiercely argue that men should do domestic chores, or who rebel against age-old notions about a woman's responsibilities and limits are understood as feminists. Feminism is actually defined as the belief in …
Maids and Visiting Mothers
We have two part-time maids at home, one for cleaning and one for cooking. The cook comes in the evening and cooks dinner only. She has been working at our place for four years now, from the time when the number of household members was 6-7 to 3 now. The cleaning maid keeps on …
A Personnel Letter
Dear Employee, I know you believe with your heart and head that HR (traditionally known as the Personnel department) is a good-for-nothing department. You think that we come to work just to idle away our time and get salaries for free. And that our only job is to hire people and making your salaries …
