Live.Laugh.Love.

There was a fine cover of heat outside. Every little crust of snow that was left, on the road-sides, by the tree-trunks, and the roof-top - was slowly melting away. People were beginning to move. The whistle of the intermittent train was largely involved in forming a melody with the hustle and bustle on the backdrop. The sun was beginning to break through the rest of the snow-cover. The old house wore a beaten-down look, laden with aged moss on the eroded walls, a few ferns bursting out of the cracks and damp surfaces here and there. But it would see some fight back, now that the sun was finally there. After some dark days and chilling weather, Shimla was lazily waking back to life. Winter was finally over. Inside the woodden house was damp, dark and dusty from unuse. The closed cupboards reeked of mothballs, a smell that was slowly turned to stink, the rotting wood peeled out of its polished surface, the cracks bulged in places and most corners looking like a failed battle with th...

Asumal Sirumal, or Asaram Bapu as you 'fondly' know him, is a part of the sexist, feudal and beguiling past that we need to leave behind. But the real issue isn’t them uttering nonsense. It is what gives people, like him and Akbaruddin Owaisi, the nerve to say what they say. It is all those thousands of supporters who jump to their defense when someone questions the weird pronouncements of these people. The sad human need to obey and follow has found willing exploiters in this nation.                                  Asaram and Akbaruddin should be allowed to speak their mind. If their words are termed as criminal in nature, well the law will be nothing different from the Middle-East. Punishing those who push unpleasant ideas and violent thoughts under the rug does not solve problems. It is vital to know what people are thinking, and where the thoughts are...

Greetings, fellow bloggers and dear readers. As I s it down to write a really long post, please excuse me for the length and make sure that, if you read this, then do so till the end , with a heart. I have deliberately added excerpts from the father of Jyoti ( Damini , or Nirbhaya , the assaulted lady) to keep the emotion on pace with the post. India is mourning the demise of the courageous lady brutally assaulted and raped by 6 men on 16th December 2012. There are silent protests to express solidarity and seek justice for Jyoti Singh Pandey . My heart goes out for the parents of the sufferer. Time, they say, waits for none, but for them, it seems the clock has stopped. Her father, Badri Singh Pandey , says, “We want the world to know her real name. My daughter didn’t do anything wrong, she died while protecting herself. I am proud of her. Revealing her name will give courage to other women who have survived these attacks.” Meanwhile, many people from different sections have sugg...

"If the wind could just whisk away my troubles, I could be better-off working the hours on my future..." Photo: A toy-seller near the zoo at Pune.