LAMHE

The final week of 2019 was spent at a tranquil resort in Bali, Indonesia, with my family. As 2020 approached, and the year drew to a close, I found myself reflecting on a time that felt nothing short of a Bollywood film — vibrant, chaotic, emotional, joyful, and profoundly transformative. 2019 turned out to be one of the most intense and enlightening years of my life. When I look back now, I smile, I sigh, and I feel deeply grateful. Because I am no longer the same person who entered that year — and that, to me, is the greatest gift. Some memories are beautiful, others painful. Some left me breathless with joy; others taught me hard truths. I don’t wish to erase the uncomfortable ones — the mistakes, misjudgments, or wrong turns — because they offered me valuable lessons. I learned that a few people I once believed would always be by my side quietly disappeared. I met individuals who seemed addicted to drama, whose lives never felt meaningful unless chaos was involved. I observed...

Dear Mrinalini,  Today is the first birthday since your birth that I am not physically present. I could have come to you to celebrate your first birthday after marriage with you, but I chose not to. The reasons are varied, and you will comprehend them when you recall everything I've been telling you for years. Your Nanu used to call me "JHANSI KI RANI" not only because I was very courageous, but also because he had confidence in me, he believed in me, and it was because of this that he went against the family's decision and allowed me to marry your Dad. Now you know why Nanu did not cry at my Vidai's , not because he loved me less, but because he had faith in me. He knew that I could handle any situation and that I would be fine in any circumstance; he also knew that I would accept responsibility for my actions. The ART OF LIVING was taught to me by his upbringing. I proved him RIGHT, as you already know. Therefore, I am not with you today, but I am confident t...

                                                                                                                                                            क ल फुर्सत के वक़्त , बिटिया के संग जब  साझा की पुरानी कृतियाँ                कुछ पूरी, कुछ अधूरी  कुछ कही कुछ अनकही  दे गयी मेरी आँखों में पानी             और  बिटिया की आँखों में हैरानी  वह हँस कर बोली , सही किया मम्मी , जो तुमने लिखना कम कर दिया... इस से पहले की में कुछ कहती उसके                   ...

February 14 — Valentine’s Day. A day when expectations bloom like roses. Flowers, cards, chocolates, candle-lit dinners... the world seems to pause and ask, “Who loves me today?” Everyone celebrates it in their own way — some with grand gestures, others with quiet longing. But beyond the gifts and dinner reservations, a question lingers in my heart: Do we really understand what love is? I’ve often heard that hate is the opposite of love — but the more I observe, the more I disagree. Hate is noisy, reactive, dramatic. It still carries emotion. It still acknowledges the other. But greed — greed is different. Greed takes. Love gives. Greed drains the spirit of others to glorify the self. Love sacrifices, quietly and wholly. We often confuse kindness with love. But kindness is reciprocal: "I’ll help you now; you’ll remember me later." Love, on the other hand, isn’t measured. It doesn’t send reminders. It flows, because it cannot do anything else. We love, and in th...