Petals!

Tuhin A Sinha's novel,  When the Chief Fell in Love  plays upon second chances to bring two of the most unlikely individuals to come into each other lives, with a big 'political' bang!  In life and in love, second chances are rare, more so when two individuals who are married to others, fall in love with each other. The consequences are unlikely to be happy but this love story demolishes conventional myths in the typical love story narratives we often read.  Seen through the eyes of lovers, there can be no greater paradise than Kashmir, which is why India's youngest Defence Minister Vihaan finally comes back to solve problems of a troubled state that is rife with political disturbances. Given the violent times we live in, imagine  the perils of a love story that involves the country's Defence Minister and the daughter of a separatist leader.   I t sounds inconceivable. And that is exactly the myth the young Defence Minister Vihaan  str...

If you enjoy watching movies, you are sure to have a favorite star, right? However, isn't it funny that most actors and actresses choose not to reveal their favorite stars? I find this particularly so in Malayalam cinema. Recently, I found an interesting exception to this and as a movie buff, I was delighted by the candid admission.  When asked who her favourite Malayalam actor is besides her co-star Nivin Pauly who plays the lead role as Jude, actress Trisha's reply was immediate, ' Mohanlal sir. He's brilliant. '  In the interview hosted by Surya' TV channel, the Telugu -Tamil super star Trisha shared lighthearted moments about her role as 'Crystal' in acclaimed director Shyamaprasad's latest film, 'Hey Jude!' She didn't hesitate to say a few words in Malayalam and didn't look red-faced when she got some words mixed up - that's the spirit of a confident, vivacious personality and I really like that about Trisha.   ...

Just as writers go through a phase known as 'writer's block', spiritual seekers pass through a much dreaded phase called 'Dark night of the soul.' Know what the 'Perfect Masters' say.  ! [READ: Tantra and Tantric Practices: What does Tantric mean?]                           FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST Speaking to Ruzbeh N. Bharucha on this, Dada Vaswani, '' Everyone has to go through it. It is like being stripped naked. There were Spanish mystics such as St. John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila, Raymond and others who described it as 'dark night of the soul' and even in Christian literature, there is a chapter titled 'The Cloud of Unknowing'.'' This phase is known to visit even the best and most perfect 'Masters' before they achieve a state of ''illumination.'' So, what exactly does a seeker feel and experience during this scary sounding phase called 'Dark night of the Soul'? [ R...

At Costa Coffee outlet at DLF Mall in  Noida today, I hovered blankly over an iced latte. I wasn't in my best mood. You know how it is, there are days when one feels disappointed and let down by the self and withdraw into an inner shell.   [ READ: Does sincerity have any value? ]                               FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST   And so it happens that the server at Costa Coffee who brought to our table what we had ordered is a smiling young man. He has a big, happy smile on his face. We looked up. He was conveying something with his fingers to my son, who had his headphones switched on and was listening to music. I looked up and understood then that the young man was deaf and unable to speak, which is why he was using sign language to communicate. This is what I think he communicated to my son, ''Enjoy your sandwich. You have a good smile and a good day.  ...

Last Friday, it was Holi, the festival of colours. Guess what I wanted to do? Sleep!  [ MUST READ: A Dad's Advice to the Daughter he loves ] I know what you are thinking, ''What kind of mother wants sleep on Holi?"  I do. Yup! But what happened is the opposite. That's life, isn't it? [READ:  Why Parenting is Important to Child Development ]                                 FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST During Holi, I was busy  cooking, washing the dishes, moping the floor that had messy footprints.  Yup, welcome to the Working Mom's home life on a 'Holi' day:) Now I have put together a few things which helps me to stay focused: 1. Start the morning with something that perks you up Anything that lifts your  dormant energy (remember, you woke up from sleep, right?) can work to get your morning rocking. What perks me up is the view from my ...