Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash
‘To be a flower, is profound responsibility’ wrote Emily Dickinson and I would like to add, so it is, to be a garden too. As I walk in our community in Dubai every morning, I feel my soul aired outdoors in sunshine, filled with gratitude taking in so much beauty, so much grace!
There are gardens which make you wonder how the resident could turn a patch of sand into a green paradise! There is one where the jasmine creeper has moved to the neighbour’s, entwining with the orange-pink bougainvillea as if to proclaim its undying friendship. I find an entire garden wall and the ground below taken over by sky blue cluster vine flowers. The graceful flow of green leaves dotted with these cheerful flowers looks like the loose end of a silk saree draped on a party-ready woman.
Something about the Allamanda -golden trumpet flowers always make me stop. These flowers are common in most gardens, embodiment of tiny grace and strength. In one garden these yellow flowers along with morning glory have heavily arched on the black fence, giving an English country-side cottage look.
Then there is the well-curated vegetable garden. The papayas, egg-plants, pumpkin, banana plant lined in the garden and on two sides of the house. It is a mini-farm! My gaze rests on a garden with numerous hibiscus flowers. All the flowers are a striking red and they seem to dance in the breeze without any of the mundane human worries.
The sight of toys strewn on the grass, lonely swing-sets, a brimming cloth drying rack makes me imagine the busyness of the garden at later hours. The neatly laid out walking paths are lined with fiery Gul mohar trees, dotted with my favourite Frangipani trees. They are wreathed with masses of white blossoms so the lanes look like a wedding venue. I awe at the wildly growing pumpkin creeper’s leaves which are so broad that it can perhaps cradle a baby.
Even the vacant homes with untended gardens tell a story of what it was and what it could be. I find a solitary sacred fig tree in a bare garden. I wonder if it misses the company -maybe gossips with the climbing blue pea flowers or hugs from Oleander trees …
I usually end one stretch of my walk after the ‘Forest gardens’. Giant neem trees cool the entire area, with dense greenery all around. The constant chirping of birds in the cages and on the tree branches, makes one wonder if this is really Dubai!
I come back to my own ‘beginner’ garden. Every day I go around admiring what little things have appeared in the last twenty-four hours in the way of a new leaf or delicate new tendrils. I have been motivating the neem sapling to grow up fast and strong, coaxing the vinca plants to carpet the entire stretch! However, the truth I have learnt is not to rush any aspect of life that requires growth time. It takes a while to thrive, we need to trust ourselves and enjoy the process.
Meanwhile, I shall wander around the numerous green paths, feasting my senses with joy and drenching my heart with delight.
Archana was raised in Chennai and lives in Dubai.She was a banking professional for more than a decade. She holds a diploma in creative writing from Writers Bureau,UK and a master's degree read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
Please enter your email address