Author: An Extraordinary Woman
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Darrrling!
Well, isn’t that the literal translation of my first name – Priya? As much as I would love to be everyone’s darling, I’m not. & I’ve no qualms about that… I’m 🙁, 👎🏼 & maybe even hated! Because I’m opinionated & principled. & that’s OK with me… Another name for Priya would be ‘beloved’! I’ve…
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Dream Job
My dream job is to make things ✅️ for good people. I’m 😫 of seeing good people hurt… because, somehow, it’s the nasty ones that seem to get the upper hand. What’s your dream job?
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I Got Lucky!
I often get complimented on being able to overcome my inertia & moving away to a different plane from the corporate one. And, each time, my response to this has been twofold – I’d the capability to overcome my inertia. It was because I didn’t have the constraints that usually bind people to jobs. Most…
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Seven Seven-minute Self-Care Practices
One of my learnings from the last five+ years has been to slow down & care for myself. When I worked in the corporate sector, in a fulltime job, I doubt I consciously took days or hours or even minutes to take care of myself. Now, even though my life is less hectic, I still…
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Just One Word For My 36th Year
Appreciation I celebrated my birthday on Sunday. As I reflected over the last year, the only thought that churned in my head was appreciation! My 36th year had its ups & downs and I’m not taking away the anger/ grief I felt. But one of my coping mechanisms is to look at the bright side.…
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Pranic Healing
On World Mental Health Day, I revisit the time I had a chance to interview a Pranic Healer, Dr. Smitha Rao. Pranic Healing was a term I had heard before but did not know anything about it. I produce an excerpt from the interview below; hope it throws more light on this concept. Me –…
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The Caste Rot in India – A Rant
Brahmins consider themselves as the highest. Upper castes consider themselves higher than Shudras (OBCs). Shudras consider themselves higher than Dalits. Dalits consider themselves higher than tribals. Dalits & tribals don’t consider themselves Hindus. Aarrgh! The caste rot in India is deep. People are ready to butcher each other on these lines. Politicians misuse this ‘difference’…
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Fluffy, Thank You for Choosing Us!
Dogs bring about positivity in our lives. I’ve known that since I was a child. I grew up in a household where I pretty much always had dogs around me. Higher studies & then living alone put a pause to that but my fondness for dogs never diminished. Bringing home a dog was always on…
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Baking A Cake = Living Life
The smell of a freshly baked cake has brought a smile to my face for as long as I can remember. I started trying my hand at baking in my childhood itself, but I didn’t crack the art & science till COVID made me stay home. Earlier, I would dump all the ingredients together &…
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A Dalgona by Any Other Name…
In 2020, one of the little joys people were deriving were by making Dalgona Coffee at home. It was summer & cold coffee forms a part of our diet during the hot months. Becoming aware of Dalgona made us give it a shot (or multiple shots rather!). That set off a few comments too. I…
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Appearances Are Deceptive! Or Delicious!!
Disclaimer – I recognise I was hugely privileged to be able to plate my food when there were people out there who were struggling to make ends meet during the first lockdown. As then, so now, my heart goes out to them. I did whatever I could to support them. I remember from my lockdown…
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Artsy Fartsy Smartsy
“Ugh! Prema is soo annoying!”, Patala almost shouted. Niket looked askance from his mobile phone at her & mumbled, “Why? What happened now?” “Dude, she goes on & on about ‘architectural beauty’ on her social media. Like she finds architectural beauty even in a WC!” “Ha ha! So, what do you find annoying – Prema…
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Remembering Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassination…
I wrote this letter as part of a Coursera assignment. A day later, the former Japanese Prime Minister was assassinated… The coincidence/ timing was spooky! Disclaimer – The post is neither intended to hurt anybody’s sentiments nor to condone violence. Dear Miss Mukherji For some reason, I got reminded of the day Prime Minister Rajiv…
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Strange Things I Like About Stranger Things
You’ve to be living under a rock if you’ve not heard of Stranger Things. Season 4 just wrapped up & I can safely say I love this series. TBH, the horror/ mystery/ suspense/ thriller genre is one of my favourites; so that’s a given. But there are many other, well, strange things that I like…
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Today, My Boat Is Capsizing
Creativity is chaotic. On many days, my brain is a tangle of feelings, none of which are able to find their way to paper. This hinders not just my advancement but also becomes a big reason for stress. Even after writing for so many years, there are days when my guiding instincts seem to play…
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Cooking, Lockdowns & Keeping Sane
Disclaimer – I recognise I was hugely privileged to be able to experiment in the kitchen when there were people out there who were struggling to make ends meet during the first lockdown. As then, so now, my heart goes out to them. I did whatever I could to support them. Before the lockdown, my…
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That One Special Day
Good spouses don’t really need a reason to be celebrated but their birthdays come around just once a year. When we make this day special for them, they know that they’re appreciated, a thing that usually gets lost in the chaos of life. I’ve always seen the elders around me celebrate their spouses on their…
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Hiranya Kashyap – A Demon or Just ‘Being Human’?
If you know the legend of Hiranya Kashyap, Holika & Prahlad, please help me answer this question – were the first two demons or just ‘being humans’?
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A Night to Remember
Gauri and Paulomi, 25-year-olds, are caught in the work – relationship – family pressure cycle. Until one day, when the Universe conspires to release them… A short story to remind you of your young days!
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I Lost My Grandmother to Cancer
This was shared by The Grief Reality in their ‘As Told By You’ section – As Told By Priya Thank you Katie & Evee for sharing my grief story! My heartfelt support to all who have lost a loved one…
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Gratitude For Health
A thought that churned in my head yesterday, while reflecting over the occasion of World Health Day, has been gratitude! First & foremost, I’m grateful for the health of my parents & my loved ones. My parents got the damn COVID in the second & third waves. In fact, almost everyone we knew was either…
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If it All Changed Tomorrow
Originally posted on Timeless Classics: ***** If we got that phone callSaying they won’t be coming homeIf the waters roseIf the earth began movingIf the air lifted buildingsAnd slammed them down againIf the other car hadn’t braked just in timeIf that knock came on the doorIf they said please come with meWe’ll clear this misunderstanding…
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A Tale of Tails
In 2021, I’d a chance to interview Reeya Thakur for my society magazine. I’d come to know her as the woman who fed community animals during the lockdowns. What was small scale then is now a fulltime job for this animal lover & activist. For Reeya, animal love encompasses all animals with whom she shares…
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A Single’s Chronicle
15 February, the world over, is observed as Singles Awareness Day for single people to celebrate. I’m sure there are quite a few out there who either actively dislike Valentine’s Day or don’t understand the hype about it. Over the years, I’ve become less vocal about my own relationship with Valentine’s Day. But Singles Awareness…
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I Lost My Grandmother to Cancer
I miss my paternal grandmother – fondly called mummyji by all – everyday but today, on World Cancer Day, my longing for her becomes more pronounced. And the pain, a trifle more unbearable. I lost my grandmother when I was a child. I’d not even touched six then. My memory of her is a little…
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Preserving Mental Health During the Third COVID Wave
The first COVID wave was merely inconvenient for most of us. The second wave was downright dangerous &, in many cases, life-altering. & now the third one is upon us. 2020 was about coping with changes, coming to terms with disappointments of plans not materialising, & about financial crisis. 2021 was about grief & hopelessness.…
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Disability – What’s That?
Today is United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Coincidentally, I recently heard this anecdote from a doctor about his experience with a patient. Two girls visited him along with their dad. The younger one pointed to her elder sister, who needed the consultation. The doctor asked the elder sister, “Beta, aap kis class…
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Lived Through
At times, I still find it difficult to believe what we’ve lived through. It seemed unreal… like a horror movie! Benches, gardens & parks that once overflowed with frolicking children & laughing elders had been empty for more than a year. Nature, of course, rejoiced! Songbirds occupied these benches & parks, tantalised us, “Come out.…
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Karva Chauth/ Teej – Choice or Compulsion?
It being Karva Chauth today, I got reminded of an incident that compelled me to write down my thoughts. A few years ago, a lady on my Facebook list posted something to the effect – ‘Women talk about feminism & then go ahead & take their husband’s surname.’ There were a few who agreed with…
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Keeping The Memories
Disclaimers – This post contains spoilers. If you have not watched The Keepers yet, please watch before reading. If you do not plan to watch The Keepers, I recommend you do watch. This post is just an outpouring of my emotions & thoughts after seeing the docuseries. It is not meant to be any kind…
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Please Do Not Judge!
Like my friend D exclaimed, “Pandemic or no pandemic, this judging (especially on social media) has to, has to STOP!” & I can’t agree more. But, for now, limiting myself to appeal against the condemnation the content creation community has faced. Read on!
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The Dog-father
So, today is the day we will tell our fathers how much we love them. However, there is one category of children who are unable to tell their daddies the depth of their love. Because they cannot speak. Thus, they show it with their actions every single day. But, if they could speak/ write, I…
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‘Jab’ We Met!
Disclaimer – LONG Post N & I got our first COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, 8 May 2021. We had booked a slot for Max Hospital Patparganj for 13 May but wanted an earlier one. We rescheduled for BLK – Max Super Speciality Hospital for 8th when we got the availability. I wanted to write this…
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Abhi To Main Jawan Hun!
I looked around my drawing room & flushed with happiness. Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine, I could resume my kitty parties. I smiled at the lovely ladies & exclaimed, “I’m so glad all of us got vaccinated. We can resume our monthly parties now.” There was a stunned silence in the room. I could feel…
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The Story of My Sabbatical
You can read Parts I, II & III here, here & here respectively. An Epilogue Sorry I need to blabber more. Because I got a few questions centring around “So what do you do now?” & a couple of unsolicited advice saying something like, “Think and judge your constraints and keep trying with good corporate…
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World Poetry Day
Today’s World Poetry Day But I do not know what to say. People say I write well. But poetry does not ring a bell. I struggle to find a rhyme. The only word that goes here is thyme. Poems have always fascinated me. But composing them is not my cup of tea. I like how…
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The Story of My Sabbatical
You can read Parts I & II here & here respectively. Part III – The Second Year From February 2018 or so, I began my job hunt. The primary reason for this was my savings depleting. I expanded my initial preference of not-for-profit/ start-ups to include corporate (as the former was not yielding results). I…
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The Story of My Sabbatical
You can read Part I here. Part II – The First Year I spent the first few months contemplating what kind of job I wanted. I was keen on either not-for-profit organizations or start-ups. I channeled my energy in this direction. I got a couple of good head starts but due to some or the…
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The Story of My Sabbatical
I have taken long to write about my ‘sabbatical’ experience. I was unsure about sharing it with the wider world earlier but now I am ready. Let me begin. & I must caution – this three-part series contain my personal experiences & emotions. Part 1 – The Background Flashback to August 2016: I had moved…
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You’ll Be Missed
I have always been proud of being unattached to material possessions. It is not that I do not value my belongings. In fact, I take good care of them. But I do not attach undue importance to at least 90% of my possessions. I thus usually do not get heartbroken if something breaks/ tears occasionally.…
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You…
I walk down the road,I remember your tousled hair.The wind whispers your name,I feel your touch in the air. Time spent with you,Is my best time ever.No matter what I talk about with you,It’s my best conversation ever. I like it when you brush your hand against mine,I like it when you whisper into my…
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Caught In Between
I am no more a child but am still innocent I am not yet a grown up but am expected to be Life’s being unfair… it is a tug – of – war &’m caught in between They say I should grow up They say I am naïve I do not ask them for much…
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Alone… And Happy
I recently read a blog post by Jenny in Neverland on the Benefits of Alone Time & nodded my head vigorously at every single point. But her post got me thinking about the times when the lack of alone time affected my mental health & my behavior. My first experience was at business school. My…
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Bulbbul Got Me Thinking
Beaming that my article on the movie Bulbbul published on Women’s Web. If you’ve not seen the movie, please do so before reading the article. I tried to keep away from spoilers but a couple may have sneaked in. 13 Questions That The Netflix Film Bulbbul Got Me Thinking About… Any Answers?
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What Not to Say to Anyone Who’s Faced Discrimination
The last weekend I watched Axone on Netflix. As I do with most of the movies I watch, I wrote on social media what my thoughts emerging from the movie were – “#axonethefilm is a better representation of the #Discrimination faced by northeastern #Indians than #penalty is. The movie touched a chord. I was heartbroken…
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Bulbbul Got Me Thinking
I find it difficult to follow web series. It is a task keep watching season after season, being left on a cliff-hanger in a season finale, & remembering the previous one when a new season hits. I prefer movies infinitely & OTT has made it possible for short movies to be made. So, when I…
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He Left Us Aching
It has been 15 days since Sushant Singh Rajput died & yet, there are moments when my heart refuses to believe he is no more. I see his smiling images on social media & think – “he looks so ‘alive’!” I am neither an expert on Bollywood nor on mental health. So, I will refrain…
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Fall Apart…
If you fall apart, I will collect the pieces & make you one again. As I fall apart, I see the pieces scattering around me… – Something I wrote in another life
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To groom or not to groom?
One of the thoughts that struck me at the beginning of the confinement was a positive (unsurprisingly!). A containment benefit was not having to undergo the painful waxing process. Temporary relief! But it was highly likely that I would emerge on the other side looking like Chewbacca! I’d thought that once the curfew was over,…
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Un-mothers
Today, a week after Mother’s Day, I want to speak to the ‘un-mothers’. Un-mothers is the label given by society to the women – Whose child abandoned her, Who lost a child, Who had a stillborn, Who had a miscarriage, Who could not conceive, no matter how much she tried. It is okay. You are…
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Thoughts in The Times of a Pandemic – Be Grateful
I notice how my outlook has changed ever since I adopted/ discovered/ found/ started practicing gratitude. (What is the right word to use for an emotion that was always there hidden away & has surfaced now?) I have had the ‘why me?’ tendency. I have been trying to cure it by practicing gratitude. I also…
