Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Shruthi Rao has a delightful surprise for January's writing theme inspired by the cue "We tell ourselves stories in order to live."
the connoisseur
Shruthi Rao has a delightful surprise for January’s writing theme inspired by the cue “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”
Shruthi Rao writes stories and articles for adults and children. She blogs at Hallucinations!
“Namaste, Mathurji. Please come in.”
“Hmm, Katkar-saab. All okay? Settled in?”
“Everything’s fine – but the bathroom light has a loose connection… if you could…”
“Let’s see, let’s see… Katkar-saab, was that your daughter singing early in the morning?”
“Yes, yes, she’s a disciple of Pandit Gopalnath Nirodi, and she’s….”
“Katkar-saab, you hadn’t told me about this singing-vinging when you moved in.”
“Tell? What’s there to tell?”
“The noise. That terrible noise early in the morning. Katkar-saab, this building keeps respectable hours. Families live here. Small children, elderly people. Disturbing others so early….”
“Noise? Disturb?”
“Broken mixer. I thought it was a broken mixer and told my wife. She said it must be the Katkar girl singing.”
“That broken mixer, Mathurji, was a morning raag, Bhairav.”
“See, I don’t know about morning raag – evening raag. All I know is that the other families are getting disturbed, and I must ask your daughter to stop this.”
“She’s a very talented girl, Mathurji. Even Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia listened to her and said…..”
“Said what, that she’s Lata Mangeshkar?”
“I’m sure Lata Mangeshkar’s landlord didn’t ask her to stop practicing…”
“What, Katkar-saab?”
“Nothing, nothing…”
“See, if you’d told me about this earlier, I would’ve adjusted the rent….”
“Oh, is this about money, Mathurji? Alright. I can pay 500 extra per month. Is that okay?”
“1000 more and you can stay. But still, close all the doors and windows and ask her to sing softly. Or all the other tenants will leave. Namaste, Katkar-saab.”
***
“1000 rupees more, Baba? We can hardly afford that!”
“Nidhi, child, you know we were lucky to get this place, so close to Panditji‘s house and your college. Don’t worry about all this.”
“But Baba, 500 rupees…”
“Look Nidhi. You have the talent, passion, opportunity. We cannot let a tone-deaf man ruin everything. You do what you have to, and let me worry about everything else.”
“Oh-ho-ho, Choudhury-saab! Long time, how are you?”
“Good, good, Mathurji. How is Bhabhiji? Fine? All good? Arrey Mathurji, that Indian Idol girl.. I heard she lives in your building?”
“Nidhi Katkar! Yes, yes! Wah-wah. What a voice, what talent. The first time I heard her sing, I told my wife. ‘Pankaja,’ I said. ‘Mark my words, this Katkar girl is going to be something really big.’ Wah-wah.”
“Yes, yes, what a voice!”
“And such hard work, Choudhury-saab, I tell you. Five o’clock. Everyday she wakes up at five o’clock and practices for three hours. What dedication!”
“Five o’clock? Doesn’t it disturb you?”
“Tch-tch-tch. What are you saying, Choudhury-saab? Disturb? Do you call birdsong disturbing? Her father came to me the first week. ‘Mathurji,’ he said. ‘I hope my daughter’s singing doesn’t disturb the other families.'”
“And then?”
“You know what I said? I said, ‘Look Katkarji – your daughter is destined for great fame. Why bother about ignorant fools?’ Such a voice, I tell you….”
*Photo credit: { pranav } (Used under the Creative Commons Attribution License.)
Women's Web is a vibrant community for Indian women, an authentic space for us to be ourselves and talk about all things that matter to us. Follow us via the read more...
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
Please enter your email address