Girl with the Pink Pen

It was a tough decision to make, and I often felt selfish for wanting it as much as I did, for only 2 years had passed since mom had her mastectomy. But what helped was the support and encouragement that I got from her. She seemed more excited about the whole thing than me. She would spend hours researching the university, the city, it's weather, foods to try, places to see, things one might need to carry while living abroad, you name it, she had researched it! I think she wanted this for me more than I wanted it for myself. And that made the decision easier. So, I accepted the offer and packed my bags, ready to leave! Mom has always been my role model, my rock. She is the kind of woman who never shed a tear. Through the toughest of life's battles, she fought on without a worry. Through the course of her treatment, she was the one who kept the whole family strong and functioning. To her, it was a simple process, to cross one bridge at a time. There was no point sitting and wor...

"Kanyadaan" literally translating to "donating a girl or maiden" is an integral part of the Indian marriage ceremony. It is the handing over of the rights and duties of a girl by her parents to the groom and his family. Wikipedia describes it as the "gift of a maiden or a virgin". It is a highly valued custom. One through which the parents of the bride are believed to be relieved of their worldly sins. As per Indian customs, the groom is a form of Lord Vishnu, and thus, presenting him with their most cherished gift is seen as a matter of great honour for the bride's parents. (Of course, one can hardly miss the irony, looking at the number of cases of female infanticide this country has!) Actually, in almost all cultures, giving away of the bride by the father is an intrinsic part of a wedding. Although, I would like to naively believe it has originated from the special bond that all daughters have with their parents, especially fathers, I know it has...

She was the apple of her parent's eye. A polite, shy, soft-spoken girl whose only friends were her novels and painting brushes. One could find her spending most of her free time in a world of her own, the only mirror to her world - her paintings, which seemed as complex and difficult to interpret as their creator. So when she finished college and started working freelance as an artist, her parents thought it was time to find a prince charming for their beautiful little Diya, the light of their lives. However heartbreaking the thought, they always knew that one day they had to give their little princess away to a bright young man, one who would treat her as tenderly as her parents did. That was their dream for their little girl. And thus the hunt began. As was common in their community, relatives were informed to find the right match for Diya. Her parents, Rajan and Kavita, gave relatives a brief of what they hoped for in a son-in-law, each time emphasising how gentle and delicate...

As I walk my way to Malone's Irish Bar, sleepy and tired, I somehow feel a sense of relief at my first dissertation submission for the session. It has been 3 months already since I came to this enchanting city.. 3 months full of new experiences and diverse emotions.. Meeting some of the most interesting mix of people.. I still remember it like it was yesterday that I walked out of the airport, the chilling cold breeze lifted my spirits with the excitement of the year to come.. A warm smile on my lips... Winter has set in.. 3 pm and it is dark already.. As I come to the entrance of the Meadows I suddenly halt.. there is a sense of  anxiety  that overpowers me.. I am familiar with this feeling but have not felt it since I arrived in this city.. I wonder why there is this shiver in my spine.. and suddenly the quiet loneliness fills me up.. My brain has already set in action the reactions to this anxiety.. all my senses are heightened.. my heartbeat is racing.. I keep loo...

"Is it 6 am already?!" Smita thought to herself as she placed the pillow over her ears to drown the noise of her mother's calls to wake her up. After what seemed like only a few moments, she was pulled out of bed by her mother, wailing and kicking, and pushed into the shower to get dressed for school.. Listening to her granddaughter Smita sulk and shuffle her feet as she headed out the door to school, Ramya was reminded of those times when she was back in Rajkot, almost two decades ago.  Each morning, her mother would come in the room which she shared with her sister Bhavya to open the curtains and let the sunlight seep in. That day too, Ramya tried to turn over and steal those few extra minutes to sleep in while Bhavya and Nakul, her older brother, would get ready.  Today was no different...making Ramya feel glad that she was the youngest.  Slowly, as Ramya crawled out of bed and into the shower she suddenly heard a commotion from outside her room. She quickly dri...

On a pleasant spring evening all four of us squeezed onto the bed together watching television, having conversations and just being together! This was the routine for every weekend that my brother and I visited home from college. As it came close to 4.30 pm, Mom Dad started getting ready for their evening walk when something on television caught my Mom's attention... It was a show on Breast Cancer Awareness on one of the Lifestyle channels. A group of women shared their experiences of dealing with the disease. Each experience was different. While some talked about dealing with the disease, others focused on the disease and creating awareness about catching it on time. Something there seemed to have struck a cord with my mother. As she later recalled, she was well aware about Breast Cancer and had been having regular mammograms and self examinations until somewhere the family took over her life and taking care of herself took a back seat. The next morning after we all left for our r...

A dog lover since childhood, my husband was known to adopt strays in the colony, feed and care for them. Although he always longed to bring one of them in, his parents would hear nothing of it. Along came Whitey and everything changed. Born in one of the quiet corners of Sector A, Pocket A Vasant Kunj, Whitey was a fiesty little thing. The story of how Whitey found a home in Gaurav's room is his fiesty nature...something Gaurav says they both share ;) As the story goes, Gaurav, while in college in Bangalore would see Whitey on his visits home during the holidays. Whitey would walk and play and follow Gaurav and his friends while they walked around the colony during their late night hang out sessions. He was a very territorial dominant dog, and with these young boys by him, he felt even more confident to conquer the streets! This continued for a few years till Gaurav completed his education and moved back to Delhi. Now Whitey along with his docile lovable companion Browney decided ...