Words

Remember the scene from ‘ Jab We Met’ in which Kareena was stranded in a small town Ratlam when she missed her train? She marveled at the narrow lanes and lifestyle of that small town, and points how she always wondered when she passed through it. Being an avid traveller myself, I totally related to the scene. Whenever I travel to a major tourist destination, I love to take a detour to such small towns and get the feel of those quirky lanes, laid-back life and local attractions. I did it when I went to Manali. I stopped at many towns enroute, drank tea at tea-stalls and explored their marketplaces. And, there are certain small towns that have caught my fancy for many years - one, because of its Bollywood reference and others, because my father. Every time he came back from his official trip, he narrated his experiences in detail. As a child whenever I heard, ‘ Jhumka gira re, bareilly ke bazaar mein’ on radio, I sketched Bareilly in my mind, specially its market. I always

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Who doesn’t like a gorgeous piece of jewelry? A chic pair of earrings for everyday use, a cocktail ring to complete that party look and a traditional necklace to flaunt at a wedding. I love every aspect of jewelry - buying, gifting, shopping, window shopping, browsing the catalogs and my favorite pastime , surfing online jewelry stores. You see, I like to keep myself updated with trends and I am always on the lookout for new stores. New stores - that have fresh designs, better deals and sell authentic jewelry at reasonable prices. In my list of favorite stores the latest addition is Candere. Last weekend, while I was searching for online jewellery shopping in India , I landed on Candere. I must say, they have a large and stunning collection on their site - from jewelry for everyday wear to classics, from gold bars to custom-made and from solitaries to gemstones . I am currently searching and saving for bangles and there are plenty of designs on their websites. Though many of

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Look around yourself when you are on a traffic signal. What do you see? Amongst the sea of vehicles, we can find many street children who are devoid of any future - selling knickknacks, begging or wandering on the roads. We all pour oodles of sympathy, but the truth is most of us lack the vision to do something constructive for these children. Children, whose future is bleak and directionless. There are times when I am overwhelmed by such sights. There is an urge within me to do my bit - sponsor a child’s education, contribute to a #scholarship or teach such children for free; and be a part of their magical transformation. Sadly, I am not able to contribute much. Our country has the largest number of illiterate adults in the world, which makes me wonder - we have to do all in our power to change the course of future. We have to educate our children in order to grow as a country. We need to do something ‘out of the box’ to bring education closer to those who can’t afford i

After our marriage, we moved to Bangalore. We lived there for a little over nine months. I was new to the city and I loved every bit of it - weather, food and the IT crowd. As a newly wedded couple, the only thing we missed was our families, especially on important days. We got married in April and it was our Engagement Anniversary in August. Since we had no close friends and family there, we thought of skipping the celebrations. I remember vividly, it was drizzling in the morning that day and weather was perfect. My husband went to office and half-heartedly we discussed going out for dinner on phone. ‘Let’s just go for dinner at least’ , he said. I don’t know what struck me from that phone conversation, but I felt like doing something special for him - nothing fancy, just create a special memory for that day. With no plans in mind, I took out my wallet and went shopping. I randomly bought balloons to go with the color scheme of our rented apartment, some floating candles from a

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I’ve met so many successful women in my life - entrepreneurs, corporate heads, writers, models and successful homemakers . Yes, who says success is associated with money only? Managing any aspect of life with finesse is a benchmark of success. Isn’t it? When we talk about women, I feel #EveryWomanIsALeader - juggling between many activities, giving more than 100% of their capabilities and inspiring everyone around them to excel. And, women these days are breaking the shell and reaching the areas where their presence was not registered earlier. It fills my heart with pride, but sadly, even after acknowledging and lauding her achievements, not much is done to encourage women. We pass judgements - Don’t you think she is neglecting her family for her career? She got promoted because she is close to her boss… such remarks are made without bothering to understand a woman’s hard work and dedication. If we want men to outdo others in any field, we must stop passing such remarks and

Draw a line, will ya? I'll never cross, you never step outside of it. Like those caged souls, Just trying to fit in. You continue to love me still, I will die with your name in my heart. Be in a cage all our lives, Sphering why people kept us apart? Or break-free, shall we? Run away from this world to create ours. You, me and twenty two doves, Dancing in maiden showers. People gotta say what they say, Let's entertain them with a scandal. Wet kisses, passionate hugs, no regret, Too much heat for them to handle. You be my Darcy, Let me entice you like Marilyn Monroe . Morning burns into evening, Night burns into dawn ever so slow. Inglorious, scandalous, infamous, People will call us names. Let's plot some carnal sins together, Let passion run in our veins. What will I love the most, you know? By the end of this roller coaster ride. We will have our own Mills & Boon story, In which lovers never left each other’s s