Author: An Extraordinary Woman
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I Am Sorry, 2020!
Today, India lost Rishi Kapoor, an actor. Yesterday, the country lost Irfan Khan, another excellent actor. The two deaths, coming in the middle of a pandemic, have caused almost an outrage on social media. Outrage against 2020. The year 2020… yes, the year! IMHO, that’s gross injustice to the year, specially when the tragedies are…
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Thoughts in The Times of a Pandemic – Being Kind!
I’ve realized an aspect that’s important right now – being kind. Well, it’s always important but I’m human. Be kind to the young children who are unable to understand why they can’t go down to play. Be kind to the school & college going kids who are unable to meet their friends. Be kind to…
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Complex Issues
This post of mine was published on Women’s Web! https://www.womensweb.in/2020/02/how-we-readily-share-our-good-times-but-shy-away-from-being-openly-vulnerable-feb20wk1sr/
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A SELF – ASSESSMENT ON DALE CARNEGIE’S PRINCIPLES
Where Do I Stand On The Philosophies Enlisted In ‘How To Win Friends & Influence People’ (HTWF&IP) My second book for 2020 was the timeless bestseller How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Before I read the book, I’d always thought it would be a cliched one. After all, the title itself…
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Three Hard Truths I Learnt About Happiness
The first book I picked up in 2020 was Happiness Unlimited. It is a series of conversations between Sister BK Shivani & Suresh Oberoi. I had heard Sister BK Shivani speak on TV a couple of times. Unlike other god-men/ god-women, she made sense to me. So, when I got this book for a discount…
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Complex Issues
Over the last few weeks, a thought has been nagging me. Indians are a strange lot. We love chattering but only about shiny, happy matters. Broach a complicated question and we clam up. In fact, we can go on for hours about geopolitics or the latest Bollywood gossip, but do not utter even a squeak…
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My Top 2019 Watches
I wasn’t a film buff ever. Growing up in Patna in the 1990s, there weren’t too many options to go to a cinema hall to watch a movie. Also, I felt myself more attracted to books than to the big screen. However, over the last couple of years, I notice myself watching more & more…
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My Top 2019 Reads
Ever since I opted out of the corporate world, my reading has increased. By the time 2019 ends, I would have read 30 books. (It would be more than 30 as I counted only the ones I had reviewed on Twitter.) I have always been a voracious reader, but, daily routine & circumstances made my…
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Friendships of The Year
Over the last couple of weekends, I have been lucky to witness friendship at its finest. At N’s friend, T’s wedding, his friends perhaps numbered more than family. In a world where relationships have become transactional, it was heartening to see friends descend from all over the world to celebrate their pal’s holy matrimony. Maybe,…
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My Bucket List
Eight years back, I realized the perfect synonym for life. It is uncertainty. I did not really know what I will be presented with the next day (or what will be thrown at me). Consequently, I compiled my bucket list (with a wee bit of inspiration from a friend). It transcended across time. A few…
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PERFECTLY SANE
His smile; his gentle demeanor; his impeccable manners – They had all swept her off her feet. She had felt then that it was the end of her search; that she had found happiness finally. Little was she to know… It had been a pleasant summer evening. He had politely asked her mother if he…
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It Took Me Just 15 Days To Have An Affair
A fictional story related to the odd-even rule in Delhi On the odd days, I hitched a ride with him in his Verna. On the even days, he escorted me in my City. We had lived in the same condominium but it had taken the odd-even rule for us to meet. Heck, I did not…
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Give A Break To HR Folks!
There are so many misconceptions about HR it is not even funny. Unfortunately, people usually do not even try to get an alternate perspective on this, unless they watch it up, close & personal… My husband had the same fallacies about HR! But his outlook changed once he realized what I did for a living.…
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Happy Diwali
Happy, happy Diwali… Wishing you & family the best of the season ahead… All health & prosperity!
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The Stillness of Death
The wind touches me. A chill runs down my spine. Never had I imagined that the place so close to my heart would become my own graveyard. The day I had come here, nothing was more perfect. But things had to change. It had always been like this, had it not? Just when I had…
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It is easier to be Narayanmurthy than to be Sudha Murthy
A few years ago, my father, one of my friends & I entered into a discussion which made me think a lot. The topic revolved around how every individual has an absolutely different view on marriage. My father mentioned the various perspectives that emerge. There are people who treat marriage as a formality. They do…
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Sky Isn’t the Limit
There is no age to stop learning. We strive to absorb something new every single day from every available opportunity. In the last few years, India has witnessed events that have given me a lot to learn from. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan II a few days back. If all goes well…
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Blogging…
From a young age, I nurtured a passion for English and storytelling. Progressing from reading to writing, I developed a blog that reflects life’s highs and lows. Celebrating my journey, I recently published my debut book, Footprints and Echoes.
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Never Forget…
Image courtesy the internet
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Ending up as one of the 25 most popular writers on Women’s Web!
In April 2018, I wrote an article on Women’s Web on ‘female blackout’ (read it here). My basic premise was that women need more presence, not less. My piece got its share of bouquets & brickbats, thanks to the perception a few readers got that I was being condescending & shaming women who were exercising…
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DO YOU CALL YOURSELF PATRIOTIC?
Disclaimer: This post is not intended to show any individual or community or nationality in a negative light. It is an outcome of the blogger’s introspection, & should be used for self-assessment. Over the last few days, patriotism came to the forefront in India (& maybe in Pakistan too). Ranging from the conservative form to…
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IN ANOTHER LIFE…
I met a woman an eon ago who wove dreams with me & with whom I made a lifetime plan Calling it love will belittle it but what do you say when Her image brings a smile, her voice carries my soul It’s a void with her not around Life is meaningless I’m hanging in…
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MINIMALIST
I am an aspiring minimalist. The entire 2017, I felt guilty and horrified at the number of clothes I had. I had gathered ~100 saris, most of them gifted. My clothes occupied two bed boxes and three wardrobes. Every time I opened my wardrobes, my guilt increased. I felt bad giving away stuff, as I…
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The Night It Rained
The morning sky was not blue The fog screened the horizon The sun did not appear at noon The afternoon had a mist about it… The evening came quietly, Bringing with it a wind that chilled the bones & then the night descended The night I thought of you… The night I felt away from…
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Whispers of Love
A heartfelt poem that captures the essence of love, longing, and connection. The joy of romance through evocative verses…
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Free Will
The only bit about my life that was not in my hands was my birth. Maybe my death won’t be either. But, in between, I’ve the power to make/ break my life. I’ve free will. I may be an early bird. I may be a nocturnal creature. It’s my will. I may be an athlete.…
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A thought here & A thought there… & you nowhere!
Many a door I’ve knocked, The ones that opened are still locked.
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There are days…
There are days when I wish I could be just an ordinary girl…
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An Ordeal Fueled by Diplomacy
Last night wasn’t easy for us. The diplomatic tussle between two cuntries affected our lives…
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And ‘rriiipppp’ it went!
And ‘rriiipppp’ it went! What happens when you have a wardrobe malfunction in office? My entry for A Blogger Contest With Buttercups. #PerfectFit
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Comfort is a Plus!
Finally, I get to talk about what my ‘style’ is, thanks to the ‘A Style of My Own’ blogger contest by Women’s Web and Trishla emart. I believe style to be quite an abused term. Sonam Kapoor is supposed to have it, but Vidya Balan is not. But does this not go contradictory to the definition…
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A Makar Sankranti Resolution
Am I a good human being? If I’m, why am I criticizing, fighting & hating so much? If I’m not, what am I doing with my life?
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2014 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,200 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 20 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see the…
