It's a LoveFools affair!

With the head chef and the owner of The LoveFools Dinner Lab; Sarita Pereira.

On the first floor of Pereira House, which is located right opposite the grand Pali Village Café, is the newly opened The LoveFools Dinner Lab. This authentic dining space pays the perfect ode to the falling number of bungalows, carrying an old world charm, in the city. This joint's exclusive range of cuisines combined with its soothing décor make for the best ingredients for a perfect outing with a bunch of pals, a high-end corporate dinner or a cozy luncheon. The restaurant is very passionately referred to as ''a labour of love'' by Sarita Pereira, the owner and head chef of the eatery, who once worked as an advertising professional at a HR firm.

Food has always been seen as an extension of art, holding the power of celebrating various cultures through their traditional cuisines, by Sarita, who underwent rigorous training in food making under the tutelage of Nandu Jubany in Calldetenes, Spain. The LoveFools Dinner Lab was born out of Sarita's long-standing passion for all things culinary and her desire to go professional with this craft. Research and Development form the core concepts of this restaurant, which derives heavily from her need to literally provide an experience, that has an artistic pedigree to it, to all its visitors. Every meal is curated as per the preferences of those dining, while following a strict pattern of preparation.  The focus is as much on the finesse of the dish as it is on what goes into making it. Since an exclusive 8-course-meal is prepared based on the cuisine that is selected, be it a lavish Mediterranean spread or a typical Rajasthani fare, the bookings are taken a week prior to the day the reservation is made for.

The community table that seats 12-14 people at one time is the highlight of The LoveFools Dinner Lab. It is situated inside a cozy-looking cabin that is adorned with a wall with partially uncovered bricks, giving the cabin a very rustic charm. So elegant and cozy is the feel of the restaurant that one instantly gets tempted to make the place his/her home. The aesthetic appeal of this small dining joint is enough to lure food connoisseurs and people with a penchant for good living, alike, from all corners. One cannot miss noticing the window pane that finds a place exactly opposite the community table. A renowned Mumbai-based architect had been hired to oversee the task of bringing to life the restaurant that Sarita had envisioned. The head chef along with the sous chef, Swati Adhikari, have been very particular about the quality of the edible content that is served, and they believe in accurately weighing every bit of what is added to a serving. An example of their dedication toward their craft was palpable when they mentioned how they take 3 days to prepare caramelized onions, which must bear the perfect texture and retain authenticity in its taste.

Upon visiting this restaurant, you will be greeted by a book shelf that stocks an extensive range of books on food and the process of food-making. The restaurant also restores a little balcony that opens up to the hustle and bustle of Pali Naka, allowing one to take a drag or two and revel in the beauty of the location. What remains with you, long after you have left the place, is the experience that you have been treated to. Quite literally. You are assured of looking at food in a completely different manner, with your attitude toward food very willingly changing into that of a novice. I, for one, was hungover from the evening. Whether it was Hot Mozzarella, the highly palatable Bucol, the frozen popcorn or the oh-so-yummy Chocolate and Lemon ice-cream, every dish seemed hell-bent on making me burp all the way back home. I have been well fooled into loving The LoveFools Dinner Lab.



Picture credits: Aditi Deshpande

Leo or Virgo?

Over the last few days, a news story about how a new Zodiac sign has been discovered by the NASA scientists, because of which the Zodiac chart will undergo a change, has been doing the rounds. If this is true, then the Zodiac signs of a huge number of people should change. I, for one, who is quite a Zodiac aficionado, upon hearing the news, instantly took to assuming that all my existing personality traits would cease to remain the same.

Having been born a Virgo, a number of characteristics typical to this Zodiac sign have, over a period of time, started to seem relatable to me. And a handful of the traits that I have refused to assume the ownership of and have vehemently rejected have now faded away into oblivion, as far as I'm concerned. The perfection that a Virgo is associated with is one of the handful qualities that I'm still trying to contend with. Amidst all the ongoing struggle and being on the cusp of claiming to be a true Virgo, i wish to disprove the changed Zodiac chart. So much so that even before finding out the personality traits and qualities of a Leo, I, in no uncertain terms negated and dissociated myself from every quality that a Leo is known to possess. Until some time back, I was torn between my sun sign and moon sign. The reason being that every time I would beg to differ with a certain point or statement mentioned about my sun sign, I would switch over to my moon sign and find solace, while looking for qualities that, I think, describe me perfectly well. On the one hand, if a Virgo woman is known to be a nitpicker, who is known for her subdued charm and grace as much as for being usually detached, a Leo woman is known to be akin to a lioness; larger-than-life and extravagant.

Recently, I read an article in a leading news daily, that spoke about how some avid followers of Zodiac signs, after hearing about the apparent change in the Zodiac chart, have already believed that their trajectories are going to change and that their lives have started to look aimless. I, on the other hand, turned to the most reliable news sources to obtain the correct information, and at the same time thought about what to make of my Virgo-symbol tattoo. My tattoo, a replication of one of the Virgo symbols, has often been mistaken for my initials. As much as I shirked, before, every time someone pointed to my tattoo and linked it to my initials, the threat of having to sport an incorrect tattoo, and in my case, an obsolete one, made me rethink about what my tattoo actually signifies. A Leo woman, who is often known to embody a dramatic personality and talks nineteen to the dozen, is a far cry from a Virgo woman. But, till the time I don't get a final update on the status of the zodiac chart, for my sanity, I'm going to try and fit into the character of a Leo woman, in the ways that I can, just so that I can refer to them as an extension of my personality, if the need arises.

Till now I have played quite a safe game when it came to switching roles between being a zodiac fiend and thinking of zodiac signs to be nothing more than a mere past-time, with consummate ease. I have reached a stage where I've almost decided that the signs that are supposed to be good matches for a Virgo woman are actually going to be the ones that I'm going to turn to, and will form a proud association with whoever is in possession of those signs. On a positive note, I think I should, now, also consider the signs that supposed to be good matches for a Leo, along with those that are compatible to a Virgo, so that I can experience the best of both worlds and get to choose from a wider range of sun signs, while looking for a match for myself. Or better still, get a Leo-symbol tattoo.

Truth or Dare

Let me take a few seconds to explain what this game entails. I call this game a choice of the brave hearts. In my definition, a brave heart is someone who defies all odds through mental resistance. Today, I have decided to challenge myself to this game in which one has to make a choice between revealing the truth and performing a dare, every time one is at the receiving end of a question. And to make this experience more revelatory, I have decided to talk about the existing truth every time I choose a dare and, similarly, when I choose to speak the truth, I shall also take a dare that will hopefully add to showing me where I stand.

Here are some truths and dares I decided to brave...

Round 1
Choice: Truth

Q: What do you fear the most in life?
A: Regret. I fear living a life, looking back on which, ifs and should haves would have transcended all its barriers.

Dare:  Go out, now, and indulge yourself in any one thing that's been on your mind, but you let procrastination get the better of you.

Round 2
Choice: Dare

Dare: You just threw a chocolate wrapper and a bunch of used paper napkins on the ground. Go and apologize to the man, there, who is sweating it out to keep the streets clean.

Truth
Q: Have you ever disregarded or discriminated against someone who holds a lower status than you?
A: Yes. I have, a lot of times, intentionally and unintentionally, taken people with a not-so-strong background and position in the society, for granted.

Round 3
Choice: Truth

Q: What would you prefer: a) A zombie apocalypse or b) A world in which the purpose of a human life would be defeated by war and the evils of the human mind will intoxicate the world?
A: A zombie apocalypse

Dare: Pick up your phone. Scroll down your contact list and give a call to those whom you are no longer on talking terms with because of ego clashes, insecurity or whatsoever the area of conflict may be; but, in one corner of your heart, you wish to bury the hatchet and reconcile, and talk your differences out.

Round 4
Choice: Dare

Dare: Starting now, don't use any electronic devices for the next 24 hours.

Truth
Q: Do you agree that your digital life has, in more ways than one, intruded into your personal space and marred the relationships that have taken years to take the shape that they have?
A: Yes, my relationships have been affected, by the technological revolution, in a way that has altered the base of my relationships, inadvertently.

Round 5
Choice: Truth

Q: What, according to you, is the one thing that adds to the charm and worth of your life?
A: The ability to be unique and yet be able to relate to the finer nuances of the living race, at large.

Dare: Work toward creating a world in which all lives matter, equally. Make sure to start by simply heeding the unspoken pain and suffering of all those lives that cannot help themselves.


Revelations are like ceasefires that try every possibility of glorifying our individuality by staring in the face of life. Quite unlike what many of us would take this game of Truth or Dare to be, it is best aimed at inducing self-awareness as opposed to making one laugh his/her gut out while the game lasts.

Turning 23 with the joy givers

Growing up, my birthdays followed a stereotype of cutting a cake that, with a lot of difficulty, would bear my 9-letter-long name and wearing a fancy outfit to school and standing out in the midst of all the uniform-donning students. The highlight of every birthday celebration during school years was enjoying watching all my classmates and teachers, alike, croon a birthday song with the highest level of zeal and gusto, while animatedly, clapping their hands. I would be doing great injustice to my classmates if I didn't mention how we would look forward to partake in the ritual of distributing chocolates in the class. What lovely memories these are!

Quite unlike the situation that is prevalent on birthdays, while one is a child, celebrating a birthday as a grown-up entails different idiosyncrasies. Birthdays, at this point, become an annual ritual, just like any other, where everything that makes one happy, including the many obligations one tends to live with, forms the crux of the day which makes the biological clock sail into a new year. My birthday, this year, was a little different. I decided to spend it with a bunch of stray/abandoned canines at an animal shelter home called Animals Matter To Me Rehab Centre. The day of my visit coincided with the day on which the organization was going to reach out to 1200 stray dogs through a sponsored food programme, which saw many animal lovers and social workers come together and take their love for the four-legged animal to another level. All the individuals that contributed to the completion of the task came from different backgrounds; but, the one thing that equated all that were in attendance was our common love for animals, and the fact that each one of us represented the same school of thought; Animals Matter To Me.

I spent a lot of my time, a day before my birthday, mulling over what should be bought for the dogs at the facility. Carrying some packaged food, along, seemed like the best option, given the fact that the sniffers were going to be fed hot snacks earlier in the day. The dogs pleasantly greeted me when I reached their facility. Hundreds of food packets, equally loaded in two vans, were kept ready to be sent out for all the strays in the area. What seemed like a noble act, at first, turned out to be a well-defined step, serving a bigger purpose of shaping the perspective of hundreds of pedestrians that bore witness to this act of kindness. Some of the dogs in the facility were seriously wounded and needed extra care and attention. A lot of the dogs were under treatment after facing high amounts of abuse as stray animals. A few of the dogs were abandoned pets who were found on the roadside in a deplorable condition. The canines that were deemed fit and healthy, and acted like the perfect hosts for the day, were up for adoption. The friendly and gamesome animals that these dogs made, they won all our hearts over with their conduct. I soon began distributing the food I was carrying along, among all the canines. The sight of seeing 20 tails wagging, in unison, every time I reached out for a new packet of food, was absolutely priceless. Never did I think that a bunch of dogs could manage to entertain me much more than I could possibly entertain them. Some of the dogs that were caged, due to ill-health, howled and desperately wished to be a part of the fun and merrymaking.

On my way home, I made a few halts to distribute the food, I was carrying from the facility, among  the strays. By the time I reached home, I was filled with an inexplicable sense of joy and contentment. Looking back, I felt happy prioritizing this visit over any other plans. I couldn't have asked for a better celebration, on my birthday, than getting to spend a few precious moments with some pure and innocent souls, who let me in on how they spread joy, day after day. I felt a little fatigued when I reached home, but not without a reason. My pooch, who was waiting for me to get home, was ready to shower me with his sloppy kisses and show me how he had eaten into my bouquet of flowers and covered the floor with its petals just to welcome me.

Forgiving a thousand times over

In a recently concluded lecture in my college, all the students were asked to describe their most embarrassing moment. My brain went into an overdrive thinking about all the occasions on which I had felt bad about myself. There have been times when I have also been left feeling humiliated, so much so that ''embarrassment'' has ended up being a euphemism for my mortification.

As humans, we often harbor dreams of being perfect in every possible way. And there may have been moments when we have been our most vulnerable selves. Also, we end up chiding ourselves for overlooking all the possible ifs and buts, every time we are left grappling with the undesirable outcome of an action that is based on the I-cannot-not-think-of-anything-better assumption. There are moments when walking around wearing an eyeliner that has smudged takes a toll on oneself. All the questions that occur in one's mind, following the moment of embarrassment, revolve around what the folks around would think of an unintentional lapse that is converted into a mammoth misdoing. The sequence of events that follows the lapse sees a dip in one's overall confidence, resulting in generalising his/her awkwardness. The length of time that these thoughts plays on one's mind is enough to relegate one to the place of a sub-human, who deserves no chance to live. An alternative to this drill is forgiving oneself as conveniently and swiftly as one forgives all else, preventing the fear of failure to loom large over one's blanket of confidence.

The day was hot and busy. The sun was shining brightly over the hour. My car was parked outside a stationery shop. I was inching toward the back door of the spacious stationery outlet to get some printouts.  While I was walking , I glanced at my ex-colleague, who I have always held in high- esteem, and is someone who has constantly pushed the envelope with her high standards of professionalism. I greeted her like a long-lost friend. I was quick to conclude that the aura around her was the exact same as I had experienced before. I had managed to take the printouts in under 5 minutes, after having a brief chat with my former colleague. As I made an exit from the shop and started walking, steadily, toward my car, I stumbled upon a big rock that left me flat on the ground. Looking up, from the level of the ground, everything looked chaotic. I managed to get on both my feet within 5 seconds of falling down. In the distance, I could see my former colleague-cum-friend asking, with the help of finger gesticulation, if I was okay. I gave her a sheepish grin and gestured to her that I was totally fit. As soon as I got inside my car, my legs started trembling and slowly began to show the brunt of the infamous accidental stunt. I tried to recreate the scene in my mind minus the embarrassment. I refused to accept the disgrace that was caused to me in front of someone I knew well. I refused to forgive myself for something that brought along a great deal of embarrassment.

When I was asked to recount my most embarrassing moment, I did not slip into deep contemplation for the lack of an embarrassing moment. In fact, I have been embarrassed more out of choice than out of compulsion. Do I wish to overlook my mistakes and forgive myself because I have no choice? No, since that would cause remorse every time I make a mistake. What I really wish to do is learn to accept myself more with every passing day to ensure that my mistakes lift off the facade of perfection that is wrapped around my mortality. Doing this would help me channel my inner mortal and make me happily forgive myself for all the times that I may have lapsed in the eyes of the world. And, not very late, I shall proudly show my pyramid of mistakes to all those that consider forgiving an act of the weak.

The rustic enchantress

The soft voice and the downcast eyes
She is an embodiment of modesty and raw grace
The veiled face that refuses to hide her long, dangling nose ring
And an earthen pot that only enhances her ethnic charm
Can someone please tell her to make haste
The well is drying up in the hot sun

Her peaches and cream complexion invites no comparison
Those tanned legs can make many a blonde woman go green with envy
With wind in her hair, and a look of assurance
She is ready to face the test of time
Can someone look beyond that pretty face
Her mind and soul are strong enough to stare anyone in the face

She quietly manages all the household chores
Whether it is scrubbing the utensils or washing dirty laundry
Her kids and kin are the nucleus of her existence
And the needs of her partner form her commandments
Can someone ask her how she manages to hold her own
Whilst donning multiple hats with consummate ease

Her walk enlivens the entire neighbourhood
Taunts and passes are permanent fixtures in her life
But, she chooses to remain undeterred by form of eccentricity
For, she chooses to march ahead, tirelessly
Can someone spare a moment to pat her on the back
For, she is the perfect blend of nature and nurture

A day out with my grandmother

From Amazon to Snapdeal, Jabong to Myntra, all the online shopping portals were checked off the list, while I was looking to buy a handbag. None of the bags available with these online retailers seemed very appealing; or at least, none of the bags came close to the kind of bag I was looking for. I was making a mental note of all the stores I could probably visit, in and around where I live, when my mother suggested that I take my grandmother along if and when I went. Having a seventy-nine year old grandmother who loves to live the good life, when it comes to attiring herself, and is someone who has a well-defined taste in ornamentation, having her come along and help me choose the right bag seemed like a plan, already. Also, the fact that my grandmother doesn't step out of the house very often made me look forward to the shopping trip all the more.

My grandmother was visiting a mall after too long a time-gap. The only time she had visited a mall, before, was seven years ago, outside India. While I was running from one corner to the other, checking out almost every bag that was available, my grandmother was happily counselling me on which bag stood out. Even though I was the shopper, quite evidently, the staff at the mall was more forthcoming every time my grandmother had any inputs or suggestions to give. We finally zeroed in on a black tote bag, after a long search. After finalising the purchase, my grandmother was eager to check out the women's footwear section, which was right next to the bag counter. And I happily agreed to check out one of the most popular attractions, among women, inside a shopping mall. Little did we know that a Sale board has never, in the history of mankind, failed anybody, leave alone us mortals.The outing with my grandmother soon turned into a shopping spree.

The clock had struck 2 p.m. After making an exit from the mall, I came up with a plan to watch a movie. Before my grandmother could reply, the plan was finalised. Holding hands, while slowly climbing the fleet of stairs leading to the main theatre, my grandma reminisced about the movie-going experience some twenty odd years ago, when she had watched her last movie in a theater. Maybe watching a movie was just a pretext under which I could share in the joy of watching her go down the memory lane and react to the social and cultural scenario that exist, today, and, maybe, also get an opportunity to see things from her perspective, be it just for a little while. The movie was a three-hour-long celebration of love, which ends in a tragedy. Such was the all-love-stories-do-not-have-a-happy-ending drama, that we were reeling for long after the movie was over.

Our journey back home witnessed high levels of contentment, because of the way the day had panned out. For the longest time, the black bag will serve to remind me of all the special moments I have spent with my grandmother. And also, it shall never fail to remind me that the elderly need not be restricted to just being advice givers and storytellers. They can be the most gentle and caring friends one could confide in, when the chips are down. A few years down the line, I shall look back, reminiscing about the times gone by, and revel in the pleasure and glory of being able to convince my grandmother to spend a day out with me.

Generational love

Journey from Vile Parle to Churchgate and back

It was 6th August, 2016. The time was 9:22 a.m. As I was making my way out of my house, I felt something damp come in contact with my footwear. As it turned out, the rain water had entered the corridor, making the floor slippery. By the time I ended up hailing an auto, the time was 9:25 a.m. The Vile Parle station was bustling with people. Since I was carrying a train pass, I headed straight to the platform where the Churchgate-bound train was supposed to arrive. On reaching the platform, an announcement was made notifying the passengers that the Churchgate-bound train that was scheduled to arrive at platform no. 2 had been diverted to platform no. 6. All hell broke loose when I learned about the change. My mind was filled with thoughts about the situation that would arise if I missed the train. I was already running late, and missing a train would be only adding insult to injury. The train arrived just as I was walking towards platform no. 6, and I ran exhaustively till I got inside one of the compartments. Trust me when I say that in my entire life I've never bothered about anything as much as I did when I had assumed that the train would leave me behind, failing me terribly.

My classes were supposed to start at 10:30 a.m. By the time I boarded the train, it was 9:38 a.m. Upon finding myself a seat in the train, I realised I had forgotten to carry a copy of the news daily I had planned to read during my 45-minute-long train journey. The girl sitting opposite me was immersed in a book; whereas, the woman sitting adjacent to me looked like she was reading some chants from a small book. I, for one, looked like a clueless onlooker. While some of the women sitting in the compartment were chatting away to glory, the rest of them chose to stay glued to their mobiles. I felt static amidst the loud sounds that the running train generated. For someone who had barely traveled in such a cramped fashion, before, everything that happened, around, just added to my perspective. I had heard stories of how train traveling in Mumbai can be an exasperating and tumultuous task. So much so, that the entire train culture can get to you. I am, yet, naive enough to have a say in whether train traveling in Mumbai, as an experience, needs any changes or not; but, one thing that remains sure is that traveling by trains can help explore and experience the finer nuances of the human life like nothing else.

A few minutes into the train journey, a blind man (or at least pretending to be blind) got inside the ladies compartment of the train and indulged into some kind of singing to evoke sympathies from the passengers and con them into shelling out a few bucks. The man looked no more than thirty five years of age and had a lean and tall posture. He held a stick in his hand and stood singing near every row of passengers. Soon, after being unsuccessful in collecting any money, the man stood near the door to make an exit at the next station. After getting out of the compartment, the young man, sliding his hand through the exteriors of the train compartment, got inside the adjoining compartment. He, again, started humming the same song with the hope that he wouldn't be disappointed, once more. Just then, a lame man, who looked like he was in his late twenties, was walking hurriedly towards the train with a crutch and a bag clinging to his back. At this point, I couldn't help but think about how it is not necessarily physical handicap, but our attitude towards life, as humans, that holds far more power to paralyse us and determine what we do with our lives.

As I was getting out of the train, I saw a bunch of passengers waiting to board the train that I had ably managed to get out of. While some people were working professionals, there was a small group of women, accompanied by their children, who looked like they were out on a day long trip; and the kids were gushing about their plans for the day. Also, there was a handful lot of college students who looked ready to get started with their day's routine which was to begin with a train journey from Churchgate and, probably, end with one back to Churchgate. The purpose of traveling of every passenger may be different; but, what what was to remain constant between all of us was our exposure and experience in sharing in the travails of a common man's journey to and from Churchgate. 

5 things nobody can teach you

The list can be longer based on the experiences one has had in life. I have shortlisted the five things that, I think, people should much rather define for themselves as opposed to following a herd mentality.

1) Meaning of Happiness - Oxford defines Happiness as the state of being happy. And what is being happy all about? It's about one's well-being and the feeling of a sense of pleasure with what one has in life. And the reason I feel happiness cannot be taught is because what makes one individual happy does not necessarily seem to bring joy and pleasure to another individual. I, for the longest time, have derived a lot of thrill from indulging in adventure sports. Every time I hear of someone partaking in one, or see pictures of a bungee jump, I get an adrenaline rush. There's a sense of accomplishment that is attached to performing stunts like this. And there's another set of individuals who finds doing such activities worthless and see them as things that are overhyped, and view the bravado involved as unnecessary. There's always going to be two outcomes to everything one does: positive and negative. It is upto every individual to weigh the outcome of every action in a way that leads them to decide whether a particular thing will lead to happiness or pain.

2) The attitude to carry - Over a period of time I've realised that a bad attitude is capable of causing much more harm than any war can ever cause. As much as a person may stand for love and peace, living in a war-torn country with a clenched fist is nothing less than foolishness. Sometime back, I came across a beautiful article on the Internet, which narrated a story about how much of an asset right mindfulness and sensible behavior can be. The story includes a visit that the narrator once made, to a mall, with his friend and his parents. The narrator and his friend were inside a book shop in a mall, when they heard loud noises coming from outside the store. As it turned out, the parents of the narrator's friend had indulged in a verbal onslaught with each other. Upon finding out what had happened, the friend of the narrator asked him to go to the bookstore, while he excused himself for a minute. The friend asked his parents to go and sit inside the car till he and the narrator were done. On the way back home, nobody said anything. Once they were all home, the narrator was asked to sit in the drawing room with his friend's mother, while his friend took his father inside a room. After a few minutes, the boy sent his father out and called his mother inside. And later, he took inside both his parents, together, before proceeding with any other doings. As it turned out, the friend took his father inside to discuss the matter with him, and only after he was done that the mother was called inside to discuss the matter, before, finally, talking to both his parents, together, and settling the matter between them, in a way that no grudges were held. The narrator described how his friend was mindful of everything he did, beginning from not reacting immediately, while at the mall, and later, not discussing anything in the car, where the narrator was present. Upon reaching home, he tactfully called his dad inside the room, first, because he knew that women have a soft and tender heart, and that they forgive easily. So, once his dad was explained to about the matter and made to realise his mistake, his mother would not take time to realise her mistake and easily forgive and forget the situation. After the matter was sorted, everybody seemed happy with each other and the fight became a thing of the past. According to the narrator, his friend was a very intelligent person, who knew where to speak, what to speak, when to speak and whom to speak to. Despite living in the same house as his parents, the boy certainly stood out beacuse of his attitude and sensibilities.

3) How to succeed - I used to brainstorm. I still do so. And I shall continue the trend of finding the formula for success in the future. The only difference between thinking about what success is, today, and thinking about what success is, tomorrow, would be the increased strength in my belief that success should not be awaited like a bolt of lightning, which will eventually happen as I keep getting less and less insecure every time 'success' is discussed. The reason no one can teach how to succeed is that success is purely circumstantial, and most importantly, it is a state of mind. What success means to one is not necessarily viewed as success to another person. Let me take a classic example, the women belonging to the royal family of Saudi Arabia, who are surrounded by opulence, are envied by many, and are thought to personify success. Ironically, for these women, the freedom to live their lives the way they wish to is what success constitutes.

4) How to be yourself - Living in a world that has already set a lot of barriers by constantly highlighting the differences between what is acceptable and what is not, there is a very little  scope for people to truly be themselves and experience their true individuality. No matter how much one may be advised about how to break free of all the shackles of life in order to be truly free, the fact of the matter remains that one will always have a road map that is unique to himself/herself, along with his/her own definition of what being oneself means. And conforming to that perspective would be depriving oneself from being his/her real self.

5) Contentment - When I was 3, getting a star on my hand meant the world to me. When I was 7, getting a Barbie doll as a birthday present mattered more than receiving a cash amount. When I was 12, getting to eat my favorite snack after bribing my mother was the most exciting deal. As a teenager, looking attractive became the most important thing. As a young adult, trying to fall in love with who I am, and everything I do takes centre stage. And since there are going to be many exciting journeys, ahead, staying contented looks like the biggest challenge, when the definitions of 'contenment' are varied. Since I have to decide what gives me utmost satisfaction, I choose the path of self-sufficiency as my path to contentment. What about you?

Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.

It was a bright, sunny day. The weather was just perfect. The ferry that took the passengers to see the Statue of Liberty had just started. Every view from the ferry was scenic and magnanimous. The sound of the water was enough to soothe my anxious nerves. While everybody was engrossed in animated discussions, and looked gung-ho about seeing the iconic statue, up close, my mind kept going to my college admission status and whether I would get admission into the stream I had applied for. Life, till the tenth grade, was seamless, living under the shadow of my parents. Opting for a career, when the naivety levels were at its peak, made a classic example of preparing to fail. On my way back, after touring around the statue, a much awaited news was broken to me. It was a news that would eventually alter the course of my life. My admission was secured in a junior college that would lead me to pursue engineering at the degree level. My mental exasperation had come to an end with the development. The journey ahead offered its own share of pressure and exhaustion, combined with my resistance to accept what was to be.


''Ohm's law deals with the relationship between voltage and current in an ideal conductor. This relationship states that: The potential voltage difference across an ideal conductor is proportional to the current through it,'' said Professor Dinesh in the middle of a Physics practical class. The watch showed ten minutes past 4 p.m., and the class was going to end at 4:30 p.m. I was looking around the class and fidgeting with a pen. I just wanted the class to end. After I was home, I could barely stop thinking about my Physics practical class. I couldn't understand why my attention kept drifting from what was going on in the class. I was clearly not on the same page as the rest of the class. "This is not where I want to be," I told myself. For the first time in my life I had felt so lost. Everything was going on at a fast pace; but, sooner or late, putting a brake on something that I was never cut out for was inevitable. Soon, studies started becoming a burden. On the one hand was the lure of a promising career in Science, and on the other hand was a calling that I could no longer ignore. In India, one's career is not just restricted to his/her own self. There's a multitude of emotions and sentiments of various individuals, including friends and family, along with one's own opinion, that contribute towards what career one finally ends up pursuing. I was torn between hopes and possibilities. The mental battle persisted for a long time until I finally took the plunge and switched to Arts.

The queue for the admission form for Arts was quite long. Maybe it was sheer anxiety, or maybe studies had become a challenge that made getting a degree feel like a monumental task. I had explored all the aspects of human thinking by the time my Arts programme began. After struggling for three years with what could have been a memorable brush with college studies, nothing, absolutely nothing made sense, at once. When I should have felt secure in the knowledge that I finally had a chance of changing the path on which my life was treading, I was deprived of all my emotions. All of this, which eventually changed, made me hit rock bottom. All that could have ever gone wrong had already occurred. All the kinds of advice and opinion I would ever receive were already taken into consideration. The time to remain helpless and hope for change was up. It was time to implement correct actions and wise decisions. The best way out was acting upon where my interests lied. All the external voices had to die down.

It's been over five years since my travails began. The journey has been riddled with several highs and lows. Many people pride themselves in achieving great successes and milestones; but, I pride myself in surviving all the odds. Any or every kind of physical harm keeps up the façade of there being a battle; but, I say, the real battle is all about fighting what lies within and to constantly strive to heal wounds that are not translucent, but powerful enough to determine the human trajectory. My battle is beginning to become a distant past; and it hasn't just revolved around getting my educational journey back on track. It has also matured into wonderfully enlightening me on aspects that try to look beyond one's self. And that's the genius of life. Some things are meant to happen for the greater good. And some things lack worth without a fair share of struggle.