Am a trained and experienced features writer with 25 plus years of experience .My favourite subjects are women's issues, food travel, art,culture ,literature et all.Am a true feminist at heart. An iconoclast and near atheist I steer clear of major part of social practices customs dogmas and superstitions. Love to drink life to the dregs
Men feeling their egos are challenged. Mothers feeling their precious sons should not be imposed upon. Result - men won't do household chores.
While realising that she was privileged enough to escape the worst of the pandemic, the author speaks of how they coped with another related disaster.
My father-in-law was a doctor, however, my husband's family was incredibly superstitious and indulged certain peculiar practices!
Years ago, I met a sailor who I believed was 'The One' for me. Unfortunately, he wanted to date casually and I wanted something serious...
One of my colleagues at school and I shared a beautiful friendship. Unfortunately, rumours were spread leading to us having to part ways.
Perhaps he had expected I would jump into bed with him. Who knows? Unable to evoke any response from me he gave it up, saying that I was so inhibited; I was good for nothing!
Is fairness the be-all and end-all of life? Is it fairness, and nothing else besides, that makes women attractive, desirable and eligible for love?
Why are most Indian brides scrutinised by in-laws and expected to be 'perfect' in everything they do, otherwise it is all their parents' fault?
In my marital home, if I asked for more food than my usual intake, my MIL and SIL would scream at me and call me a greedy glutton or a pig!
From calling women names to cursing them a life of bad-luck, it is an interesting phenomenon of women cursing other women, especially their DILs.
So many in India live in joint or extended families and small homes, with the only privacy a couple gets is by hanging curtains or mosquito nets.
My parents were extremely affectionate and epitome of harshness in the same breath. They gave me a harrowing time through my adolescent years.
Kanika’s world revolved around music; she ate, drank, slept and dreamt music.
While you're stuck at home in isolation, cooking could be a great way to bond with the family. And what better than Bengali prawn recipes to do so!
If you thought Bengali cuisine was all about rice and fish, this unique papaya chutney recipe will correct your misconceptions!
Aparna Sen's heroines (and movies) take on the prevailing orthodoxies of Indian cinema - often with sisterhood at their very core.
If all women showed the same confidence as the author of this piece, feminism will have achieved its goal. Do read this personal account of a life well spent.
Marriages have always been 'mandatory' in our culture, but singlehood is so much better than living in an abusive or even loveless marriage!
Age is just a number, and branding a woman as an 'aunty' because of her marital status, presence of children, greying hair, looks, etc., is just not done.
A heart-warming love story that stood the test of time and lasted a lifetime.
I candidly confess that I have not been lucky in love though I have had my fair share of relationships. But, this particular incident left me shellshocked!
Gauhar Jaan. The name conjures up almost mythical images of courtly splendour, Hindustani classical music, and gramophone records. Who was she, and what is her story?
The first female singing star of India's cine world, Kanan Bala led a tumultuous, eventful life, that inspired an entire generation of playback singers.
Even if often patriarchal in its focus on male pleasure, ancient Indian attitudes to sexuality were far from restrictive. An insightful read.
I had loved him from afar as a teenager, and carried a flame for him for years. Now when I was engaged to my first flame, he wanted his ex-wife's approval!
What are the problems that modern daughters-in-law face in joint families? What are the problems of joint families in today's times? A daughter-in-law muses from experience.
This is the sordid tale of an ill-fated girl who died an untimely death. She looked for happiness, but was sacrificed by a patriarchal society on the altar of marriage.
Indian society has been biased towards its boys and men since all our known history, as can be gleaned from mythology and sacred scriptures, as well as historical records.
Despite this being the new millennium, we Indians still believe in a lot of superstitions which are mostly do not make any sense. What about you?
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