Here goes !!!!!!

So, how is it to be a survivor? If you are one of those lucky ones, nothing much; the body takes some time to adjust to the chemotherapy side effects, and any follow-up medications (tamoxifen in my case) and life goes on. Most probably, for five years there are periodic check-ups (Chest X-Ray, Mammogram, Abdomen ultrasound and a blood test for me) and fingers crossed, you get through them. However, when I completed five, they said, it had to be for 10 and so I trudge on. Little did I realise though, that the side effects of the chemo would hound me for a long time to come! Many a time, not understanding what is happening in my body or why,   used to be a common problem that I dealt with. As I mentioned sometime earlier, I ‘eject’ from my body pretty much how a pilot does so from an aircraft that is about to crash! That makes it easier to bear the crosses for a while. It’s as if I am outside of my body and looking at what is happening with it. When I visit any specialist for a pro...

As always, he wouldn’t be around for the Valentine’s day. He sensed his wife’s hurt and frustration; but he had no choice. He had been on leave for a month, and was now scheduled to report back to work, far away from his hometown. His work was such, and despite the fact that he always ended up disheartening his family members, he loved his work and took great pride in it. But, this time around, he was determined to make it up for his wife; he would make some secret arrangements so that she would feel happy and perhaps, not miss him so much on Valentine’s day. He arranged for flowers and a gift to be delivered to her on 14 th February, and then smiled in anticipation, at her surprise and joy that she would share during the call they would have on that day. There was a spring in his step as he got back home and spent the day with his wife and other family members, and also proceeded to pack for his journey back. Despite the hurt, his wife helped him pack, and promised her that on...

I have been ruminating on this post for quite a few days now, and have been watching, reading and observing everything that is being dished around. As always when something of this nature happens, I see outrage, debates, candle light marches, protests, and a whole host of social media posts, and yet what have we achieved, I wonder, and how many more, before our conscience wakes up. I presume everyone in this country has the freedom to say their Mann Ki Baat, and social media only helps us to do that better. But not many Mann Ki Baats get the required attention; especially not when and where it matters. Few days back, a beautiful, young veterinary doctor who was on her way back from work, also said her Mann Ki Baat. She called her sister when her two wheeler broke down, and spoke from her heart, about how afraid she was! She saw danger, a terror of the unknown fate, in front of her, and she cried- for help. She had reached out and was asking to be helped and saved from the grueso...

There is always a next time, they say, but I am not sure about it. So, I was one of those who felt bad having missed out on the ReUNIITe 1.0. For one reason or the other, it was looking like I might have to miss this one too, however, I kept telling myself that this time, I am gonna make it happen. And touchwood, I did J While I have been part of the mailing list of this group since the beginning, I wasn’t a part of any WA or Telegram groups and it was Renu Samuel who finally got me added into these, approaching the event. The constant chatter kind of helped and I confirmed to Hari about attending the event. Of course, there was this golden opportunity to meet up with many people who have been instrumental in shaping my career; and the big bait of being able to meet up with the pillars of the NIIT like RSP, VKT, AT, PR etc., once again! I was excited at the chance and while I knew very few of the people chatting away in the group, I still decided to attend the year end party. Su...

Ladies are good in multitasking they say, don’t they? And the ladies are bad at driving, they say, isn’t it? So, trying to put these two things together, I am trying to figure out what is it about driving that makes us women so.....whatever, at least me, as I acknowledge that there are many good lady drivers out there. Every time I am asked this question, do you drive, I respond with a smile, I have a DL! It is for the other person to make out whether I use the DL for driving or as an identity card J As of now, I have attended two rounds of professional, driving classes, and I am not sure, if those guys are still teaching others!   I have always ridden two wheelers from a young age and so there is no road fear and I know the rules and can weave a vehicle through the traffic easily. So, then why is this Uhhhhh.....kind of feeling towards driving? For one, the terrible Bangalore traffic every time I get out discourages me a lot. You have to be aggressive enough to find your w...

Diwali is approaching. While most of the world around is excited with anticipation and looking forward to the festive season, Maya is not so inclined. She hated the approach time of the festivals. That just meant more work for her. Maya worked in a Super Market and approaching festivals brought in the crowds. They had to work extra time and long lines at the counters. Just the thought of the unsmiling, innumerable faces passing by the counter with their Diwali shopping brought a frown on her face. But work is work, so she forced herself to get up and prepare for the day ahead. She wore her uniform and entered the Super Market. The place was already bustling with people of all sizes, shapes and ages. People were loading their trolleys with anything and everything and making their way to the counter. Kids were being a pain as usual, asking for this and that. Grandparents were smilingly obliging, while parents were giving stern looks. Most men were looking bored as they accompanied ...

I am glad that SonyLiv started the KBC season 9 in the prime time. As it is, I was fed up with the nonsense being dished out in competition by the news channels. KBC came as an alternative and proved to be a mind blowing one. It reclaimed our family time as everyone started watching it. Whether it is intentional or not, I see a refreshing change in the KBC participants. The simple, at times not very highly educated, not very well off people from different parts of India bring us face to face with the true India. A refreshingly new India in which we all want to believe in and hold on to, not the one that the politicians, media houses or religious leaders would want us to see. So, what’s so different about this KBC? Almost each and every participant was a revelation. Many from far off villages we have not even heard of, but with a fire in their hearts and a will power to make it big. Let’s take a look at a few of the people who caught my attention. 1.  A government school teac...

Many a time the world around is just interested in judging you for what you have done. None try to understand why you did what you did. The political scenario in India is such that there are only two factions. Rest don’t count anyway. So, every situation that happens has to be viewed in one of the two modes, pro or anti. If you happen to criticize something, then the anti guys are very happy with you and if you go the other way, then they raise their eyebrows at you. It is true Vice Versa also with the so called Bhakts J BTW, I have realized that a Bhakt is someone who has immense faith in the capabilities of the deity whom they worship, so that’s not so bad after all. Even I am Bhakt of many Gods. I believe that while they may be the ones who gave me the problems, they are also the ones who give me  the solutions J So, perhaps the people who are called Bhakts are the ones who have immense faith and can see no wrong in what their idol does. At times, that is dangerous. Thin...

I am slowly becoming a fan off the cuff movies. They are not a commercial success, they are not popular, people don’t write reviews about them and certainly no reality show calls them for promotions. In short, they just come and go and you don’t even realize they exist. I have to admit that I started watching such movies only because I started flipping through the channels on the odd afternoons or evenings that I get time. Sometimes less is more and having too many channels and choices is a pain. Keep flipping, look at the title, read the synopsis and you don’t feel interested. And more often than not, I started landing on Star Gold Select HD as well as Star Movies Select HD . Instead of doing plain time pass these channels have given me some wonderful moments through many movies. Here are a few that I have watched and I felt like sharing: Nil Battey Sannatta: A beautifully woven story about Chanda, a maid and her daughter Apeksha. Chanda slogs it out only because she wants to ...

If you ask me which is our favourite festival, I would have to say it is India Vs Pakistan cricket match J There is no revelry and passion and overall pataka and dhoom like this for any other festival. In fact that passion is missing even for Diwali..... Preparation is done for this beforehand. Anyone who asks out at the time is politely declined, and anyone who wants to drop in is asked if they can join to watch the match albeit not so politely !!!!  Matter is clear, if India plays Pakistan, everything else pales. Be prepared to listen to a lot of shouts, cries, gesticulations and unreadable facial expressions, a few un-vocabulary words when catches are dropped or appeals are not given and an overall charged up unbeatable atmosphere. There should not be anything left to be done other than watching the match, even calls may be missed...... With all the hallabulla, every time that India plays Pakistan on a cricket ground, my mind goes back to the 1996 World Cup match between ...

A few incidents that happened across the past few weeks across India prompts me to think that we the Indian society are the biggest hypocrites of all. The incidents that I am talking about are the abduction and assault of a leading malayalam actor in Kerala, molestation of tiny tots in a pre-school in Bangalore and finally the Gurmehar Kaur incident in Delhi. All this struck me when I watched a TV Ad of Century Ply. What's the connection you may wonder. The Ad says 'sab sahe mast rahe' and I realized that this is what the Indian society expects of its women. Take all that comes and keep quiet, don't speak out. Thankfully in all 3 cases, speak out we did.  It’s a different matter that I do not subscribe to Gurmehar's views. If anything, it may be otherwise.  No one willingly goes to war and what happened in Kargil is history and known to all. But, I think she has the right to make and speak her opinion and so did everyone else who responded to her.  After all, fre...

26 th Oct 2011, exactly 5 years ago on this day, it was Diwali and life put me face to face with my biggest ever Diwali dhamaka in the form of a breast cancer diagnosis. One mastectomy and 6 chemo sessions later here I am 5 years and still counting. Frankly despite awareness, society still does not look at cancer differently especially here in India. If you declare that you have cancer, then it is like people around you are counting the days and you have all their sympathies. It appears that everybody has lost someone or the other in the fight against cancer. So the general belief still is that survival rates in cancer are pretty less and dismal whereas the truth is that each and every case is totally different and survival is dependent on many factors, the most important one being that of a positive outlook, a ‘I will not give in, come what may’ attitude and a general belief in self and the treatment one undergoes. No treatment is effective unless one believes in it. And I have wri...

Flag off : Bangalore – 9 th Oct 16, 6 a.m. Let’s not count the turnaround back home to pick up the mobile of the General In Charge who kept shouting orders to others on what to take and what not to forget right from 4.30 in the morning :)  It happens after all, bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baten hoti rahti hain !!!!!! Our Vahans : Maruti Suzuki Wagon R and a Celerio – I have lost count of the amount of travels we have undertaken in our Maruti and it has never let us down. Want to see and know India ? Drive out your Maruti? Maruti is truly India’s most favourite savaari and all along the way we saw umpteen of them. There really is no better way to see India than driving around in your Maruti. It just fits in  :) Our travelling companions : Uncle, Aunty, cousin and his wife not to mention an adorable niece who is all of 5 years old and regaled us with stories of Tenali Rama  :) Our shooting weapons : Canon 600D, Lenovo K3 Note, Redmi Note, Nikon D52...