Petals!

Diwali 2009 is the time when I made my millionth Sari Vow. Okay, it's crazy but the truth is I love wearing sarees. I've got an amazing collection of exquisite kancheevarams in my wardrobe. I treasure each one of them. Here's my confession: The art of wearing a saree and most importantly, walking gracefully in it doesn't come to me. I admire generations of Indian women who have and continue to do this almost effortlessly. In typical South Indian mode, I make my woes clear below: On the day of my marriage, I wore the saree and walked like a clumsy duck. I cringe every time I see the video. It embarrasses me that I can't carry it off gracefully. My god, lakhs of Indian women do it with such grace and why, oh why, God had to do this to me, is what I'm simply asking! For my Std 12th Social, all the girls dressed up in their finest sarees. I think they all looked as if they had stepped out of an ad because they looked so beautiful. And well, i hate remembering,...

A few days of color, love and pampering, that's what October 2009 has been for me. In this city where dreams die and lose color, my parents brought all of it back. Seeing life through their eyes brings joy because they are so full of love and wisdom. All their life, they have believed in the goodness of people and that feeling of God and goodness have come more powerfully into my life again. Sometimes, you need those very solid ties to remind you of your dreams and focus again on making them come true. We hardly value the time we had with our parents or the sacrifices they have made for us when we live with them. At that time, we are so keen to break the rules and rebel or just lead our life to the brink of adventure, danger or rebellion, that power to say 'No' but now when we become independent, all we want to do is go back and be with them. I had a wonderful time with my parents. We had endless conversations about everything under the sun. We ate at home and went o...

When I first came to Delhi, I was frightened by the Diwali celebrations that I saw. Fire crackers are not something I enjoy. I think it pollutes the environment. I have seen documentaries on how fire crackers are made in India. Truly, it is shocking how this popular festival product is actually the result of thankless hours of work and terrible living conditions suffered by child laborers in different parts of the country. Every time I see the crowds that hover around stalls that sell fire crackers, I feel something inside my heart burst with pain. Anyway, let me come back to my story. Diwali, as I understood initially, is celebrated with lights. I found the festival a little too loud because where I was working at the time, it was more of a corporate affair. You had lots of gifts that had to be planned, bought and packed. It was about showing off who could give what, at times. In case you didn't have money to pay more to your domestic help, you can bet that your neighbors would ...

While growing up, I shirked house work because I knew Mummy would do it. The only hard work I did is to eat whatever she made. Mummy would wake up early in the morning, bathe, do the pooja, make breakfast and lunch and then of course, my task was to eat it away as if nothing else matters.  Of course, she would ask me to help her out and learn some basics but do you think I listened? Not seriously, I simply didn't. I used to tell her not to worry so much. I always felt there would be a magical Alladin's Lamp that would manifest and take care of everything when it was my turn to take care of a home. Her wise words "Start early, or else later you will find it difficult to manage simple chores in your home" always fell on my deaf and dumb ears. Those were the years I wish I could turn back time.... (sigh, dreaming, dreaming!) In case you are wondering why the sigh, read this post .  Marriage, Introspection and the Pressure Cooker Suddenly, I found ...

Having wonderful friends who stand by you, listen to you crib about life and soothe you so that when you've calmed down, you are ready to face the music - nothing beats that, right?  They are the people we can turn to when we really need to crib, get advice or just pour out whatever is bugging us. I do that all the time with my friends and they do the same with me. Still, i have to be honest, all relationships are dynamic because change happens all the time, sometimes there is little we can do to fight it. I remember a friend, whom I became very close to on the first day we met. The next day she said, "My mother told me that I should learn to balance it out because friendships, even the best ones, change faster than the speed of lightning. It's important to keep that perspective in place." At the time, I felt a little hurt and even wondered why her mother had conveyed such a message to her but now I think it makes sense because we can't make everything sta...