Catharsis

August 2016 (Source: Google) Growing up, like so many other millennials, I did not fully comprehend the patience, time and effort in managing a household - two kids who surprisingly turned out fine (even though I say it ;) and a husband (who I guess will always be the oldest kid on the block requiring adult supervision :P). Mom was a wonderful orchestrating magician; and obviously when things function smoothly, it does seem like a wonderland production - delicious steaming delicacies that make an appearance even before hunger pangs appear, used plates and crockery that magically travel to the wash basin:P, a closet brimming with freshly laundered clothes & Dad being the genie who used to get the groceries and household supplies ;). And a maid who had been with us for more than a decade completed the setting. Even in this background, I must say that there were clear ground rules - simple ones that unfortunately seem non-existent nowadays - for instance, just because the m...

July 2016 (Source: Google) I diligently followed the recent episode between Priyanka Chopra and an AIB member, whose BMF (Brain to Mouth Filter :P) is possibly non-existent (unlike mine which atleast is partly functional ;) consequently making AIB the roast of the nation :P. An AIB member made fun of PC's American accent, and was trolled mercilessly by all and sundry. Surprisingly, his 'knight in shining armor' turned out to be PC herself, who ended the debate by saying "Guys it was a joke!! From me and him!! Comedy is the smartest form of entertainment!!" Kudos gal...Way to go girl 👍 In the daily course of life, we all come across people who are offended by everything under the sun (and the moon, and the clouds) -- the co-worker who looks daggers at me because I went for my cuppa coffee after she specifically told me to go on as her work would take time (hell, what was I supposed to do - hound her like a stalker); the bus mate who believes that t...

July 2016 (Source: All images are from Google) Over the past few days, I have been inundated with calls and messages about how people have identified with part or parts of my recent short story. And now I begin to understand the quotes by my favorite author Agatha Christie in her Miss Marple series "Everybody is very much alike, really. But fortunately, perhaps, they don't realize it. Human nature, is much the same everywhere". Either in my immaturity or hubris that I was unique, I didn't quite grasp the profound truth in these statements. When I mean human nature is similar, I am not talking about generalizing or stereotyping; the problem with such prejudice is that it results in unfair treatment of individuals. For instance, when I casually mentioned to an acquaintance the other day that I did not change my surname after marriage (keeping aside the feminist aspect, the practical difficulties of having one's name changed on every...

July 2016 I have always wanted to write a fiction short story; and this is my first attempt at it. There lies great peril in venturing into the realm of fiction after writing articles based on real life ! Inspite of the risk of this being construed as reality, I have decided to take the plunge ;) (Source: Google) The first time I saw her, she stood out among the college crowd - not because of the reasons a heroine stands out in the films, but because she was a loner and didn't have any pretentious airs of trying to fit in. We did not become friends until quite sometime later, when we started working on a group assignment. I was so used to being 'the person in the room with the highest moral compass', it was a surprise coming across a person with moral values and ethics which were probably a notch higher than mine. I used to tease her that we were the perfect examples of the geek/ nerd debate (oh yes, there is a difference), and if she hadn't been around...

July 2016                         (Source: Google) I was reading the article about the woman who honeymooned alone in Europe since her husband's visa was rejected (talk about vacation plans going kaput!). Since it was a fully paid trip, she went ahead with her in-laws; and posted some hilarious pics of herself posing with her absentee husband, that soon went viral. And whenever I read any incident like this, I tend to start thinking about how I would've reacted in a similar situation, and this train of thought made me think about - you guessed it - dealing with situations with laughter, situations that life (picture a stern head mistress) believes that one should pass akin to examinations. My family, more specifically my Dad and I have a quirky, wry and a little weird sense of humor. Our conversation can be termed as a series of impromptu quips and banter in a ...

July 2016 (Source: Google) My dad and atta (dad's younger sister) recently celebrated their birthdays and foray into the '60 year youth club';). When we met for dinner, as usual they started reminiscing about their childhood, and though I have heard the stories innumerable times - it's amazing how animatedly they discuss the incidents, especially the singular way of riding a donkey ! (yup you read it right.. you have got to hear it to believe it.. LOL!). Looking at them I realised that all the Challa siblings were really close, and they loved keeping in touch even in adulthood - resulting in a lot of boisterous family get togethers and idyllic summer vacations with cousins, playing Mario in Hyderabad and exploring the countryside in Palakollu and Kakinada. While browsing through my old papers, I found something that I had written a decade back in 2006. Though my writing back then seems very childish to me now, the general theme echoes my sentiments ...

     June 2016                 (Source: Google) I had relocated earlier to Chennai and Mohali, but never has it been so exhausting and painful as it was this time around. I guess that’s the difference between shifting clothes and shifting an entire house !! It took me close to two weeks to pack our stuff and it never ceased to amaze me every single day how much stuff two people could accumulate in a span of one year!! This relocation was similar to spring cleaning. I remember Ma, Aaru and I used to do a massive cleaning up exercise every year (with Dad as usual claiming each single paper was of national importance ;). Nevertheless we did manage to bring semblance of sanity and I intend to carry on the yearly tradition (excluding hubby's study of course :P)                 I always wondered why the things I love have taken me to cities that I never wanted t...