Celebrations are not over yet, festive people!
It's been a whirlwind season of festivities, hasn’t it?
There’s something about festive celebrations that make the world a happier place.
While Durga puja festivities were in full throttle across the country, Diwali celebrations scaled up to a peak.
Shuttling between festivities and travelling, I must confess that my reading schedule has hit a slump.
But you also know how much I enjoy talking about the places I visit.
Every time we travel to a place, we bring back an insight, a seed of light within us, that offers a new perspective. The experience is what makes a big difference, right?
A recent visit to Mumbai and my first visit to Daman fills me with gratitude.
A weekend trip to Mumbai and to Daman nudged me out of my comfort zone.
You see, I am an introvert. Put me in a crowd and I feel like a fish out of water.
Still, it amazes me how strangers in Mumbai have a way of making a new visitor feel welcome. This is something that I have experienced several times in the ‘City of Dreams’, as we often call it.
From auto drivers to taxiwallahs, street food vendors and people we meet in our daily encounters in a new city, Mumbai has a way of tempting a visitor to extend their stay. Not sure if I can say the same for all cities across the country.
My happiest experience from this recent trip is when I met an adorable toddler called Rumi. Her amazing mom was just that - amazing that she welcomed a stranger like me with open arms, a loving smile and a delicious food into their home. These are the little joys of life that restore my faith in goodness and humanity.
Now I have a place for both of them including their sweet home and jigsaw puzzles in my heart. That's for sure.
If you love something, value it like a treasure.
Life's too short and too precious not to be grateful for the blessings the Universe sends.
Talking about blessings - books are my constant companions and I can’t live without them. Currently, I am reading Nanak Singh's 'Hymns in Blood' translated from the Punjabi by Navdeep Suri. Punjab’s culture comes to life in this book. Beautiful prose with a lyrical quality makes the first few pages a delight to read.
While I have just begun reading this book, there is no doubt that it is an intensely sensitive portrayal of the spirit of undivided Punjab before Independence. At the heart of its story, the narrative captures the harmony with which Hindus and Muslims lived before the British sowed their seeds of divisiveness.
In the book's Foreword, the author writes,
"The British did exactly what was expected of them, one would be foolish to expect anything else from a foreign ruler. The fault lies in our own mentality; even after two centuries of experience with British machinations, we were unable to evade the trap they laid for us."
"This novel was written in those desperate times when our country seemed to be playing a game of blood and fire, when the Muslim League had become a pawn on the English chessboard, when the League's actions had forced the non-Muslim communities of the Frontier province and the adjacent district of Rawalpindi to flee their ancestral lands, and when this pestilence of ethnic cleansing was also spreading to eastern Punjab."
I know this sounds depressing but it’s a book that is deeply moving and realistic and talks about how successfully the British Empire divided a great country called Bharat, using an administrative system that had both Hindus and Muslims, representing the Crown’s interest throughout the events leading up to the Partition.
While I mention all of these things—and there is so much more to this book, ad whatever I have mentioned earlier is just a small sample—so, yes, read the book.
Meanwhile, The Crown Season 5 is here and there’s no stopping the buzz around it.
As a teenager, I remember reading Andrew Morton’s book on Diana. Like many readers, I was shattered.
Get back to reality!
In other news, the teenager navigated some exciting challenges. He went on a week-long trip to Chennai and Pondicherry as part of an outdoor learning trip from school. This is the first time he had stayed away so long from all of us.
On a lighter note, the teen’s excitement and confidence was fun to watch.
Funny enough, it made me wonder whether the teen was so desperate to ‘escape from home’, lol!
As a teenager's mom, watching and celebrating my kid's milestones brings me more joy than anything else.
While I understand that every milestone doesn't have to be shared, there are some that I can't help sharing. Call it a mom's strength or weakness or vibe:)
Because this milestone is special.
Last Thursday, the teen was invited to represent his school to speak at The British School, Chanakyapuri, where he engaged with a global community of students.
How time flies, I am growing old but my kid is now a Young Adult!
As we wrap up festivities and embrace winter vibes, let lamps of love warm our hearts.
Read more books.
Have you read any of the 50 most highly anticipated books of this year?
Don’t miss this: 62 books by Women of Colour to Read in 2022
A gentle reminder to all good readers - Don’t read or buy pirated books.
As always, here’s a little bit of wisdom to send you on your winter way.
Thank you for reading this newsletter, I say this with all my heart, dear reader.
Let me know how your New Year celebrations are planned, okay?
If you liked reading this or you have book reccos for me, drop me a comment and I’d be happy to check it out. I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.