Daphne Du Maurier ~ Margaret Forster

 

A writer I am constantly fascinated with. I believe that she was much ahead of her time.

I have just begun this biography, but loving it so far. It does talk in depth about her writing.

Nandakishore Varma

Are Marriages Made In Heaven ~ Meera 38 of 2025

 

Now she is my favorite author/writer.  So much covered just like a story. Lot of depth and clarity.

"Are Marriages Made in Heaven?" by Meera is a reflective and emotionally resonant novel that explores the complexities of relationships, choices, and societal expectations surrounding marriage.

Summary:

The story centers around a group of school friends whose lives diverge and reconnect over time. As they grow older, each character grapples with the question: Is marriage truly a divine destiny, or is it shaped by our choices and circumstances?

The narrative begins with a tragic incident in college, which brings people together as frijoyful and hopef, ul celebrations of marriage.

It then delves into deeper, more challenging themes such as domestic violence, personal agency, and the societal pressures that influence marital decisions.

Through the lens of these characters, Meera examines whether love and commitment are predestined or constructed through effort and understanding.

The book is both introspective and socially aware, offering a nuanced look at how relationships evolve and how individuals confront their past and present.

The writing is described as deeply human, weaving together moments of joy, pain, and reflection in a way that resonates with readers

Monkey Beach ~ Eden Robinson

 

*Monkey Beach*

*by Eden Robinson*

~ Nandakishore Varma 

They are called the "First Nations" in Canada and native Americans in the USA: the original inhabitants of the continent who have been reduced to a pitiful existence through violence, disease, and systemic oppression by the invading Europeans. They are the victims of a centuries-long, systematic and well-planned genocide. Deprived of their land, environment, livelihood and culture, they eke out a miserable existence on the fringes of the society: their youth getting mired in violence and drugs, with the women facing the threat of rape on a regular basis. They are the "inconvenient Indians" of Thomas King.

In our Post-Modern world, the voices of the marginalised are slowly being heard through their own tongues. This is not the privileged liberal leaning back in his chair and being sorry for the underdog. These are the narratives of the downtrodden people, loud and bold, clamouring to be heard.

Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach is a classic example of subaltern literature. At once a mystery and a coming-of-age story, it has got elements of fantasy and magic realism woven into the narrative. This is the tale of Lisamarie Michelle Hill of the Haisla tribe, tomboy and rebel, who has the gift of the second sight which many of her people are endowed with.

Lisamarie is a resident of Kitamaat, a small village in British Columbia. As the story opens, we are plunged into a disappearance: Lisa's kid brother Jimmy is presumably lost at sea.

> If you are pointing in the right place, you should have your finger on the western shore of Princess Royal Island. To get to Kitamaat, run your finger northeast, right up to the Douglas Channel, a 140-kilometre-long deep-sea channel, to its mouth. You should pass Gil Island, Princess Royal Island, Gribbell Island, Hawkesbury Island, Maitland Island and finally Costi Island. Near the head of the Douglas, you’ll find Kitamaat Village, with its seven hundred Haisla people tucked in between the mountains and the ocean. At the end of the village is our house. Our kitchen looks out onto the water. Somewhere in the seas between here and Namu—a six-hour boat ride south of Kitamaat—my brother is lost.

Jimmy is a professional swimmer - once he was an Olympic contender - and a person for whom the sea is a second home, so this seems impossible. Jimmy's mother and father fly down to Namu to join the search. Soon, Lisa starts off on her own in a speedboat, headed for Monkey Beach where a dream has told her that Jimmy is currently located.

Lisa's story is told in flashbacks along the ride. She starts out as a problem child, becomes a rebellious teenager, and ends up as a full-fledged social outcast. She is influenced by her Uncle Mick, who was a tireless warrior for the Indian cause; he celebrates Lisa's indiscipline as the true activist spirit.

> “She’s got to know about these things,” Mick would say to Dad, who was disturbed by a note from one of my teachers. She had forced us to read a book that said that the Indians on the northwest coast of British Columbia had killed and eaten people as religious sacrifices. My teacher had made us each read a paragraph out loud. When my turn came, I sat there shaking, absolutely furious.

> “Lisa?” she’d said. “Did you hear me? Please read the next paragraph.”

> “But it’s all lies,” I’d said.

> The teacher stared at me as if I were mutating into a hideous thing from outer space. The class, sensing tension, began to titter and whisper. She slowly turned red, and said I didn’t know what I was talking about.

> “Ma-ma-oo told me it was just pretend, the eating people, like drinking Christ’s blood at Communion.”

> In a clipped, tight voice, she told me to sit down.

> Since I was going to get into trouble anyway, I started singing “Fuck the Oppressors.” The class cheered, more because of the swearing than anything else, and I was promptly dragged, still singing, to the principal’s office.

> Mick went out and had the teacher’s note laminated and framed. He hammered a nail into his wall and hung the note in the centre of the living room. He put his arm around me, swallowed hard a few times and looked misty. “My little warrior.”

If Mick has gifted Lisa with his activism, she gets the gift of the second sight from ma-ma-oo, her paternal grandmother, who can talk to the dead and comport herself comfortably in a world where the unseen exists side-by-side with the seen.

> Ma-ma-oo brushed her hair back and opened the bottle of Johnnie Walker. She said some words in Haisla that I didn’t understand. She passed the bottle over the fire, which popped and sizzled.

> “This is for Sherman,” she said, placing it carefully near the centre of the flames. “You’d better appreciate that. Say hi to your ba-ba-oo, Lisa.”

> “But he’s not here,” I said.

> “Yes, he is,” she said. “You just can’t see him, because he’s dead.”

As the tale unfolds, it becomes a fascinating chronicle of Indian life, both old and new. It's the tale of a young girl growing slowly into adulthood, but at the same time, it's the tale of a people who lived in total sync with nature before they were cruelly sidelined by a race who went by the principle that nature was gifted to them by their god, for their pleasure. Mick is the present, and ma-ma-oo, the past.

Sasquatch alias Bigfoot (or "b'gwus" in Haisla), the giant monkey-man of North American and Canadian folklore, is central to the story as the symbol of a dangerous force existing just beyond the curtain that hides the invisible world from the visible. It's he who gives Monkey Beach its name.

> In a time distant and vague from the one we know now, she told me, flesh was less rigid. Animals and humans could switch shapes simply by putting on each other’s skins. Animals could talk, and often shared their knowledge with the newcomers that humans were then. When this age ended, flesh solidified. People were people, and animals lost their ability to speak in words. Except for medicine men, who could become animals, and sea otters and seals, who had medicine men too. They loved to play tricks on people. Once, a woman was walking along the shore and she met a handsome man. She fell in love and went walking with him every night. Eventually, they made love and she found out what he really was when she gave birth to an otter. The old stories, she explained, were less raunchy than they used to be. There was a beautiful woman who was having an affair with her husband’s brother. She and her husband were paddling back to the village after trading their oolichan grease for seaweed. Just off Monkey Beach, they stopped and he pissed over the side of the canoe. She lifted her paddle and clubbed him. While he was in the water, she used the paddle to hold his head under until he was still. Thinking he was dead, she paddled back to the village and told everyone he drowned. But the next day, when the wife and the husband’s brother went back to hide the body, they found large footprints in the sand. Worried he might be alive, they followed the trail into the woods. They discovered the man—transformed into a b’gwus—who then killed his adulterous wife and brother. But to really understand the old stories, she said, you had to speak Haisla.

In the end, the mystery of Jimmy's disappearance is solved. But is it really the end of the tale? Or only the beginning of another?

The reader is left to guess.

A really beautiful piece of literature.

Original Sin ~ Stanly Johny

 Original Sin: Israel, Palestine and the Revenge of Old West Asia – Stanly Johny

This short book by Stanly Johny is an attempt to cover the major conflict in West Asia in the light of the October 7 2023 attack by Hamas. Over eight chapters, Stanly discusses various aspects of the conflict- the historical context, the wars, attempts at peace, American stand, Iran and proxies, October 7 attack itself, the diplomatic stance of India over the years. The book also includes details of the various trips that Stanly took through the region over the year. So it does not entirely read like a history book, at times it takes the nature of a reporter’s journal. Some portions of the book will be familiar to those who follow Stanly’s work in The Hindu. The initial chapter that describes the ordeal he had to go through at multiple Israeli checkposts despite being part of the Indian President’s delegation gives a rough idea about the life of an average Palestinian trapped in this region. Book is factual, with enough references, crisp and to the point. Would recommend to anyone who follows geopolitics or interested in learning about the Palestinian struggle.

Ambapali ~ Tanushree Podder

 Book Review: Amba Pali by Tanushree Podder

Review by: Mary CBC

I never thought I would read a book like Amba Pali. It is not something I usually pick for myself. I got it in a book haul, almost by accident. But I am so glad I did. It is one of those books that flows so effortlessly, you do not feel like you are reading. You are simply absorbing a story that is quietly powerful.

There is something deeply comforting about the simplicity of this novel. You do not need to overthink or analyse. You just follow a woman’s journey, her internal tug of war between desire and duty, palace and peace, head and heart.

Amba Pali is a woman who had everything the world could offer, wealth, beauty, fame. But what she truly yearned for was so simple, a home, a kind husband, children, and a life wrapped in ordinary joy.

The book gently shows how women often suffer because of how the world misreads them, how they are torn between what they want and what they are expected to be.

Astray ~ Emma Donoghue

 

*Astray*

*by Emma Donoghue*

Review by Nandakishore Varma Sir

We live in a world of migrants.

This statement may seem to be hyperbolic at first glance, but I request you to think a little on it. Ever since homo sapiens evolved in Africa, humanity has been on the move. In the initial days, in the days of nomadic living, it was as migrants, or in some cases, encroachers. Later, after the beginning of agriculture and the formation of human settlements, it was as explorers - who later became conquerors, pillagers and ultimately, the new settlers. After the formation of the nation states, people moved to new countries in search of a better life as expatriates, or fleeing persecution as refugees.

In _Astray_ , Emma Donoghue looks at a bunch of such migrants across the centuries. In these short vignettes, she talks about all the categories mentioned above - plus a few who travelled across the borders of identities. All the stories except one are based on "historical" incidents - the quotes highlighting the fact that the veracity of that history may be open to debate. What the author has done here is to take any item she fancied from recorded sources - be it a proper biography, a bunch of letters, or even a news clipping - and create her story around it. The names in the records become thinking, living characters. It's fiction which grows around a kernel of truth, like a pearl inside an oyster.

Many of these shorts can be made into full-length novels. But that is not Ms. Donoghue's intention. By highlighting instances of people who go "astray", she invites us to think about our own migrant lives, shifting across countries, identities and beliefs: also of the author who is a permanent migrant in the world of letters.

A brilliant book.

Black line

 BlackLine is a cloud-based finance and accounting automation platform designed to streamline and modernize key financial operations. It’s widely used by finance teams to improve accuracy, efficiency, and compliance in processes that are traditionally manual and spreadsheet-driven.

What BlackLine Does

BlackLine helps organizations automate and manage:

Financial close and consolidation

Account reconciliations

Journal entries

Transaction matching

Variance analysis

Intercompany transactions

Compliance and audit readiness

Key Features

Automation: Reduces manual work by automating repetitive tasks like reconciliations and journal entries.

Real-time visibility: Dashboards and reports provide up-to-date insights into financial operations.

Audit trail: Maintains a clear record of approvals, changes, and supporting documentation.

AI-enabled tools: Enhances accuracy and speeds up processes like invoice-to-cash and anomaly detection 1.

Cloud-based: Accessible from anywhere, with minimal IT overhead2.

Who Uses It

Large enterprises and mid-sized companies across industries.

Finance and accounting teams looking to improve their record-to-report and invoice-to-cash cycles.

1

: https://www.blackline.com/

2

: https://sandpointc.com/blog/blackline-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-be-using-it/

Coldplay, Life, Corporate

 

I have something to say on the noise around the “cheating couple” that says more about us than about them. The world loves scandals. Two people caught on a screen one labeled “CEO,” the other “CHR Officer” and suddenly a stadium, then the internet, becomes the judge, jury, and executioner.

But I smile and ask: What is cheating? You call it betrayal of a partner, but often it is first a betrayal of the self. A person unfulfilled within cannot remain faithful—not because they are evil, but because their inner garden has run dry. In desperation, they go searching for rain elsewhere.

Love, he would remind us, is not a contract. It is a living energy. When it dies, you can keep pretending with rings, signatures, and photographs but deep down, your heart already knows the truth.

And to those outraged or entertained, I would whisper: Be careful of your excitement over others’ mistakes. It only reveals how deeply you long to escape your own shadows. The urge to gossip is often a subtle way of hiding your own fears.

At a Coldplay concert in mid-July, what began as a lighthearted moment on the kiss cam turned into a viral scandal that exposed deep personal failure and brought devastating consequences. 

The camera panned to Andy Byron, CEO of the tech company Astronomer, who was seen embracing and appearing intimate with Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer—not his wife. Their awkward, panicked reaction on the big screen drew attention, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin jokingly remarked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The clip exploded online, sparking widespread speculation and ridicule. 

What was captured in a fleeting moment ended up shining a massive spotlight on a private sin that has now publicly unraveled Byron’s marriage, harmed his children, embarrassed his company, and shaken his leadership. His wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, has reportedly removed his name from her online presence and received an outpouring of support urging her to walk away. 

While some statements of apology circulated online, the company later confirmed those were fake, adding to the confusion and turmoil. 

This entire situation serves as a sobering reminder of the truth found in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” 

What may begin as a seemingly small compromise—an inappropriate flirtation or hidden attraction—can swiftly grow into a devastating fallout that affects every area of life. 

As believers, we must take heed. We are called to die to our flesh daily, to live Spirit-filled lives, and to consecrate ourselves unto the Lord so we can discern the subtle traps the enemy sets for our destruction. Though all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, sin always carries consequences. 

Let this story not just be a headline we scroll past but a warning that integrity matters, holiness protects, and secret sin will be shouted from the rooftops. 

Let us pray for Andy, his wife, their children, and all involved. May this crisis lead to true repentance, healing, and—if they are willing—a testimony of redemption. And may we all remember that the enemy seeks to devour, but Christ came that we might have life, and life abundantly (John 10:10).

But then why a morphed image? Why do people want to bring politics even here and that too heads of states?

Perhaps this so-called “cheating couple” is not a headline but a mirror reflecting the fragility of human connection and the courage it takes to be honest with oneself and others. So instead of pointing fingers, sit silently and ask: Where am I unfaithful to my own truth? Where am I still wearing masks?

Because in the end, scandals pass. But self-awareness - this is the real revolution. 

A Brief History of Time ~ Stephen Hawking (38 of 25)

 

Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time is a landmark book that explores profound questions about the universe in a way that’s accessible to non-scientists. It covers:

The Nature of the Universe: Hawking explores the origin, structure, and eventual fate of the universe, addressing questions like: Where did the universe come from? Does time have a beginning and an end?

Key Concepts in Physics: The book introduces complex scientific ideas such as:

• The Big Bang theory
• Black holes
• Quantum mechanics
• Relativity (both general and special)
• The concept of time and space-time

Unification of Physics: Hawking discusses the quest for a unified theory that combines general relativity (which explains gravity) and quantum mechanics (which explains the behavior of particles at the smallest scales).

The Role of God: While not a religious book, it touches on philosophical questions about the role of a creator and whether science can explain everything.

Written in layman's terms, the book avoids heavy mathematics, using analogies and illustrations to explain complex ideas. It is one of the most influential popular science books ever written.

Chapter 1: Our Picture of the Universe

Introduces fundamental questions about the universe’s origin, structure, and fate. Hawking uses a humorous anecdote about a turtle supporting the Earth to illustrate early cosmological ideas.

Chapter 2: Space and Time

Explores the evolution of thought from Aristotle to Newton and Einstein. Introduces the concepts of absolute vs. relative time and space.

Chapter 3: The Expanding Universe

Describes the discovery that the universe is expanding, based on observations by Edwin Hubble. Introduces the Big Bang theory.

Chapter 4: The Uncertainty Principle

Explains quantum mechanics and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, emphasizing the limits of what we can know about particles.

Chapter 5: Elementary Particles and the Forces of Nature

Outlines the four fundamental forces (gravity, electromagnetism, weak and strong nuclear forces) and the particles that interact through them.

Chapter 6: Black Holes

Discusses the formation and properties of black holes, including escape velocity and event horizons.

Chapter 7: Black Holes Ain’t So Black

Introduces Hawking radiation—the idea that black holes can emit particles and eventually evaporate.

Chapter 8: The Origin and Fate of the Universe

Explores cosmological models, including the Big Bang and Big Crunch, and the role of entropy and time’s arrow.

Chapter 9: The Arrow of Time

Examines why time seems to move in one direction, linking thermodynamic, psychological, and cosmological arrows of time.

Chapter 10: Wormholes and Time Travel

Speculates on the theoretical possibility of time travel via wormholes and the implications for causality.

Chapter 11: The Unification of Physics

Discusses the search for a unified theory that combines general relativity and quantum mechanics—what we now call the Theory of Everything.

Chapter 12: Conclusion

Summarizes the key ideas and reflects on the philosophical implications of understanding the universe.

In the concluding chapters of A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking reflects on the evolution of scientific thought and the contributions of key figures like Albert Einstein Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton as below:

Albert Einstein

Einstein is portrayed as a revolutionary who transformed our understanding of space and time through his theories of special and general relativity.

Hawking highlights how Einstein’s work showed that space and time are dynamic and can be warped by gravity.

Despite his achievements, Einstein resisted the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics, famously saying, “God does not play dice.”

His vocal support of the zionist cause was duly recognized in 1952 when he was offered the presidency of Israel. He declined. His quote "Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity".

Galileo Galilei

Hawking credits Galileo as the father of modern science.

He emphasizes Galileo’s role in challenging the geocentric model and supporting the heliocentric theory through observation.

Galileo’s use of the telescope and his insistence on empirical evidence marked a turning point in scientific methodology.

Isaac Newton

Newton is celebrated for formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation, which dominated scientific thought for over two centuries.

Hawking acknowledges Newton’s brilliance in creating a predictive model of the universe, though he notes that Newton’s laws eventually proved insufficient at cosmic and quantum scales.

Newton’s deterministic universe laid the groundwork for classical physics.

In the final chapters, Hawking uses these figures to illustrate the progression of scientific understanding—from a static, Earth-centered universe to a dynamic, expanding cosmos governed by both relativity and quantum theory. He ends with a hopeful note about the pursuit of a unified theory that could explain everything, blending the legacies of these great minds.

[24/07, 00:00] Me Ra: In 2006, Hawking posed an open question on the Internet: "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?", later clarifying: "I don't know the answer. That is why I asked the question, to get people to think about it, and to be aware of the dangers we now face.

Hawking expressed concern that life on Earth is at risk from a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, global warming, an asteroid collision, or other dangers humans have not yet thought of.

Hawking stated: "I regard it as almost inevitable that either a nuclear confrontation or environmental catastrophe will cripple the Earth at some point in the next 1,000 years".Such a planet-wide disaster need not result in human extinction if the human race were to be able to colonise additional planets before the disaster. Hawking viewed spaceflight and the colonisation of space as necessary for the future of humanity.

Hawking stated that, given the vastness of the universe, aliens likely exist, but that contact with them should be avoided.He warned that aliens might pillage Earth for resources. In 2010 he said, "If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans."

Hawking warned that superintelligent artificial intelligence could be pivotal in steering humanity's fate, stating that "the potential benefits are huge... Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. It might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks."

He feared that "an extremely intelligent future AI will probably develop a drive to survive and acquire more resources as a step toward accomplishing whatever goal it has", and that "The real risk with AI isn't malice but competence. A super-intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren't aligned with ours, we're in trouble".

He also considered that the enormous wealth generated by machines needs to be redistributed to prevent exacerbated economic inequality.

Hawking was concerned about the future emergence of a race of "superhumans" that would be able to design their own evolution and, as well, argued that computer viruses in today's world should be considered a new form of life, stating that "maybe it says something about human nature, that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. Talk about creating life in our own image."

Hawking did not rule out the existence of a Creator, asking in A Brief History of Time "Is the unified theory so compelling that it brings about its own existence?"

We are each free to believe what we want and it is my view that the simplest explanation is there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realisation. There is probably no heaven, and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

If you like, you can call the laws of science 'God', but it wouldn't be a personal God that you would meet and put questions to. Law remain 💯

Can there be a unified theory or are we chasing a mirage? There seems to be three possibilities:

1) There really is a complete unified theory,  which we will someday discover if we are smart enough.

2) There is no ultimate theory of the universe,  j7st an invite sequence of theories that describe the universe more and more accurately. 

3) There is no theory of the universe,  events cannot be predicted beyond a certain extent  but occur in a random and arbitrary manner.

Into the Corporate

 

Veegaland now called wonderla is where my corporate journey started. Feels like just yesterday,  I took the bus to Kaloor, to see a mini village waiting outside in anticipation.  

After waiting for almost half a day Jayraj Sir asked about 'TDS' and few journal entries. 

Back home my sis asked why would they ask about TDS for a finance interview? 

I was wonder stuck she knew about TDS as she was a chemical engineering student then. So asked her what she knew. She said it's 'Totally Dissolved Salt'. I laughed out my lungs. To each their own. Who are we to judge?

What is right and what is wrong would depend on the context. The question in the interview was about 'Tax Deducted At Source".

Within few days I got my offer letter. The actual letter.  This was before email days. 

Reading about the amazing park celebrating its 25th anniversary is when the realization hit that my corporate journey parallels its inauguration. 

One of the happiest day in my life is the day we joined the park. Can still remember the ascend. We took the steps. The day before Chandran Uncle had arranged for an hostel at kunnumpuram and before we reached he was waiting there for us. 

Love, Loss & Leadgers (36 of 25)

 Loved the preread for the upcoming book by Pragya. 

“I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing;

wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing;

there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting.

Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:

So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”

― T.S. Eliot

Priya Pradhan had been independent for as long as she could remember, but this was different—financially

independent. The kind that lets you buy your own groceries, pay your own rent, and not feel guilty

about eating out or buying expensive clothes and bags. It felt like breathing without permission.

She would walk into his life, smile at his mother, wear his ring, and plan a wedding which she had no intention of....." Very bold why and how is all what the story is about.....

Unputdownable!

"The Village It Takes: A Newborn Mom’s Tale"

In a quiet corner of Canada, far from the familiar chaos of home, Pushpa was living through the most beautiful and bewildering chapter of her life—motherhood. Her days and nights blurred into one long stretch of lullabies, burps, and bleary-eyed cuddles with her newborn, Aanya.

“She used to sleep for 3 to 4 hours at night,” Pushpa messaged one morning, “but since last night, she’s waking up every 30 minutes… sometimes even 10.”

A string of sad emojis followed, each one heavier than the last.

Me Ra, ever the calm voice of reason, asked gently, “Burping?”

“Yes,” Pushpa replied. “Burping done. But I’m so tired today.”

“Does she want food every time she wakes up?” Me Ra asked.

“No,” Pushpa sighed. “She wants to sleep but can’t. Gets irritated.”

Saroja jumped in with her signature humor, “That’s me! 🤣🤣”

Jisha added, “Saro… iska toh koi ilaaj nahi hai!”

“Exactly,” Saroja laughed. “Koi ilaaj nai.”

Later that day, Pushpa confessed, “I carried her the whole day. Now I have neck pain, shoulder pain… everything pain!”

The group rallied around her. Jisha even shared a funny video, “For Pushku ☝🏼😄”

Ramya offered practical advice, “Try getting her used to a cradle. It’ll get easier.”

Pushpa replied with a tired smile, “Will try that 😅”

Then, with a dramatic flair only a sleep-deprived mom could muster, she declared, “@Me Ra Chechi… a village is not enough to raise a kid 🤣🤣”

Me Ra sent a virtual bow and hug. “Kudos to all your efforts 👏”

Pushpa, half-joking, half-serious, pleaded, “Why don’t you all visit Canada one by one? You can meet Aanya 😍”

Saroja laughed, “We’ll come together, not one by one!”

Jisha teased, “Pushpa was looking for a nanny so she could sleep… and here you are planning a party!”

Pushpa grinned, “Aajao 😍”

Saroja added, “We’ll take care of Aanya… and if mummy needs a break, papa too! 🤣”

As the night wore on, the chat continued.

“All of us have been there,” Jisha said softly.

“Yes,” Me Ra agreed. “But the degree and intensity vary. Now I wonder… was Kumbhakarna depressed?”

Jisha laughed, “Both his habits were disorders—sleep, eat, repeat!”

“And he was cursed, right?”

“Yes,” Me Ra confirmed. “Not his fault.”

At 1:28 AM, Pushpa typed, “I don’t even know what I’m typing anymore. Sorry if there are spelling mistakes 😅”

Me Ra reassured her, “I make a lot. Auto-correct makes it worse. Jisha is my official editor.”

Jisha chimed in, “Auto-correct tests patience beyond limits!”

The next evening brought a miracle.

“Aanya slept almost 6 hours,” Pushpa announced.

“I got scared—why isn’t she waking up?!”

Saroja replied, “I still check Shriya while she sleeps. Every mom does. Sleeps too long—worry. Wakes too soon—problem. You’re doing it perfectly.”

Pushpa smiled. “This is going to be there always.”

“Yes,” Saroja agreed. “Even for Sambo, I still check. 🤣🤣”

The next day, Pushpa greeted the group again, “Good morning!!”

“Good day, Mamma,” Me Ra replied warmly.

Ramya popped in, “Hi dears, just got back from office.”

And so the village continued—scattered across time zones, bound by love, laughter, and late-night chats. Aanya may have been the newest member, but she had already brought them all closer than ever.

Would you like a visual to go with this story—maybe a cozy illustration of a mom holding her baby while chatting with friends on her phone?

"Cradled in Arms, Carried by Love"

The nights were getting longer, and the days, heavier. Pushpa, now deep into her journey as a new mom, found herself on the edge of tears one early morning.

“Bad… I almost cried,” she messaged at 4 AM.

Her friends were there in a heartbeat.

“Hayoo dear… crying?” Me Ra asked gently.

“What happened?” Jisha chimed in.

Pushpa poured her heart out. “She’s not sleeping unless she’s in my arms. I don’t want to let her down, but my neck, hands, back—every bone is aching. This has been going on since Monday. I’m so exhausted.”

Me Ra offered what she could. “You shouldn’t always hold them, or it becomes a habit.”

“I know,” Pushpa replied. “But when she cries, I can’t just leave her like that.”

The group listened, advised, and comforted.

“I enjoy holding her,” Pushpa admitted, “but now it’s painful. Bahut mushkil hai.”

Still, she found joy in the little things. “I keep looking at her photos from day one. I don’t want to forget her tiny face. It’s a beautiful phase, Di… but handling it alone is very challenging.”

“Kash koi hota,” she whispered. “I would’ve enjoyed this phase in the best possible way.”

“You are teaching us,” Me Ra replied. “We are learning and growing with you. Feeling blessed.”

Jisha added, “It’s okay to cry and crib once in a while. That’s what your sissy group is for. We may not have all the answers, but we’re here to listen, to laugh with you, and to hold space for you.”

Pushpa smiled through her tears. “I’m still enjoying… but ro ro kar 🤣🤣”

Later, she shared a photo of how Aanya slept—snuggled close, peaceful in her mother’s arms.

“I have a kangaroo bag,” she said, “but I think I can use it after she gains a little weight.”

Jisha recalled, “My dad used to walk around carrying the baby like that. He wouldn’t even sit. Babies don’t want you to stop moving.”

“Thankfully you didn’t have a C-section,” Me Ra said. “Or this wouldn’t be possible.”

“I know,” Pushpa replied. “I am blessed.”

"The Circle of Love"

As the days passed, the exhaustion remained, but so did the love—and the learning. Pushpa, in her quiet moments, began to reflect not just on her baby, but on her own childhood.

Ramya, ever wise and warm, shared a truth that struck a chord:

“Pregnancy, delivery, baby-sitting… we think that’s the main thing. But no, the real journey is parenting. Growing them. We learn with them.”

She paused, then added softly, “We begin to truly thank our parents—for how much they handled, suffered, and sacrificed for us.”

Pushpa replied with a simple, “Very true.”

Ramya continued, “I miss my parents every second. My kids missed their unconditional love. But thankfully, my achamma was there for me—during pregnancy, delivery… she was my biggest support. She’s 85 now. My kids call her achamma, though she’s technically their muthassi.”

Me Ra nodded, “No wonder they say girls start loving their parents even more after delivery.”

Pushpa, her heart full, whispered, “Life is so unpredictable. Nobody knows what’s going to happen next… but I loved them even before this.”

"The Weight of Love, The Strength of Mothers"

In the quiet hours of the morning, when the world was still and her baby finally asleep, Pushpa found herself reflecting on something deeper than exhaustion—her mother.

“I always prayed to God,” she whispered, “meri umar bhi unhe lag jaye.”

But now, after becoming a mother herself, the prayer had taken on a new meaning.

“How did my mom manage five kids with no support?” she wondered aloud. “And my dad… I’m sure he wasn’t as supportive as Aman.”

Her voice trembled with emotion. “My mom has gone through so much. That’s why I pamper her like a child now. The love she didn’t get when she was young—she deserves it now. I talk to her as if she’s a five-year-old.”

Ramya, listening quietly, shared her own grief. “I was very attached to my achan and amma. Their passing was a huge shock. They loved me and Soumya like we had lived with them for a hundred years.”

Pushpa nodded. “Women go through so much. And it’s become so normal that no one talks about it. As if it’s expected. As if being a mother means silently enduring everything.”

She sighed. “After the baby, everyone asks how the baby is doing. But only a few ask how I am doing.”

Ramya offered a gentle reminder. “At least now, husbands understand. Aman saw everything. He was in the labour room. He knows how scared you are of injections… and he cried when you were in pain.”

Pushpa smiled through her fatigue. “Yes. He’s been amazing.”

But the reality of being abroad, alone, was still heavy. “I’m the housekeeper too,” she joked. “I want to sleep but I can’t. And I don’t even take proper baths anymore!”

Ramya suggested Ayurvedic remedies—lehyam, arishtam, kashayam. “They help with sleep and recovery,” she said.

Pushpa laughed, “I’ll try all this in my next birth. For this life, I’m done!”

They discussed food, supplements, and the challenges of finding Indian vegetables in Canada. Milk, water, protein powders—everything was a puzzle.

“I stopped drinking milk,” Pushpa said. “The doctor said it might be causing gas for Aanya.”

Still, she was doing her best. “Tomorrow I’ll get my calcium checked and start supplements.”

Saroja popped in, asking, “How’s our Aanya beta? Slept?”

Pushpa replied, “She made me go mad today 🤣🤣 But she sleeps quickly with papa.”

They all laughed when Pushpa said, “Even on maternity leave, I’m doing a full-time job. I held her today and told her—iska badla lungi mai!”

Saroja chuckled, “Unintentionally, we do take badla. That’s why they say it’s a circle.”

Pushpa imagined Aanya thinking, “Bhagwan, ye kaisi Maa mil gayi mujhe?”

As the chat wound down, Saroja reminded her, “Darling mommy, you need rest. Try sleeping now. Want me to sing a lullaby?”

“Jo neend thodi bachi hai vo bhi udjayegi,” she joked.

Pushpa smiled. “Life is a challenge now. I can’t sleep without pumping.”

-----------------

Note on Pic above:

In her room at night, holding her newborn baby in her arms. The baby is peacefully asleep, while the mom looks exhausted but lovingly gazes at her child. Around her are signs of motherhood—burp cloths, a bottle, a phone with a group chat open, and a cradle nearby that the baby refuses to sleep in. A soft glow from a lamp casts a warm light, and outside the window, it's snowing lightly, hinting at a Canadian winter. The scene captures both the beauty and the exhaustion of early motherhood, with a touch of humor and love.

Summary:

"The Village It Takes: A Newborn Mom’s Tale"

In a quiet corner of Canada, far from the familiar chaos of home, Pushpa was living through the most beautiful and bewildering chapter of her life—motherhood. Her days and nights blurred into one long stretch of lullabies, burps, and bleary-eyed cuddles with her newborn, Aanya.

“She used to sleep for 3 to 4 hours at night,” Pushpa messaged one morning, “but since last night, she’s waking up every 30 minutes… sometimes even 10.”

A string of sad emojis followed, each one heavier than the last.

“She wants to sleep but can’t. Gets irritated.”

Later that day, Pushpa confessed, “I carried her the whole day. Now I have neck pain, shoulder pain… everything pain!”

Ramya offered practical advice, “Try getting her used to a cradle. It’ll get easier.”

Then, with a dramatic flair only a sleep-deprived mom could muster, she declared, “@Me Ra Chechi… a village is not enough to raise a kid 🤣🤣”

Saroja said, “We’ll come, take care of Aanya… and if mummy needs a break, we will take care of papa too! 🤣”

And so the village continued—scattered across time zones, bound by love, laughter, and late-night chats. Aanya may have been the newest member, but she had already brought them all closer than ever.

"Cradled in Arms, Carried by Love"

The nights were getting longer, and the days, heavier. Pushpa, now deep into her journey as a new mom, found herself on the edge of tears at time, with no helping hand, except for husband who had a full time job to attend to.

Pushpa at times poured her heart out. “She’s not sleeping unless she’s in my arms. I don’t want to let her down, but my neck, hands, back—every bone is aching.

The group listened, advised, and comforted. With new mom miles away take care of the baby, they were also learning.  Life lessons. Remotely. 

Jisha recalled, “My dad used to walk around carrying the baby like that. He wouldn’t even sit. Babies don’t want you to stop moving.”

Pushpa smiled through her tears. “I’m still enjoying… but ro ro kar 🤣🤣”

“Women go through so much. And it’s become so normal that no one talks about it. As if it’s expected. As if being a mother means silently enduring everything.”

She sighed. “After the baby, everyone asks how the baby is doing. But only a few ask how I am doing.”

But the reality of being abroad, alone, was still heavy. “I’m the housekeeper too,” she joked. “I want to sleep but I can’t. And I don’t even take proper baths anymore!”

Pushpa said, “Even on maternity leave, I’m doing a full-time job. I held her today and told her—iska badla lungi mai!”

Saroja chuckled, “Unintentionally, we do take badla. That’s why they say it’s a circle.”

30 Years of Work life

 An amazing journey.

Just realized. 

Completed 30 years since I started working and 25 years since I entered into the corporate arena. 

Really? 

Incredible indeed it has been.

Not a smooth sail. The tides were interesting, eventful and valuable with their lessons.

Bringing in amazing people, experiences and colleagues taking away some loved ones too....

As I reflect, I just have One word to say.

'Thank You'.

My heart fills with gratitude to all those who have been part of my journey. 

For the lessons taught along the way.

In case I have hurt you, let me take this opportunity to tell you

'Sorry'.

Please 🙏 forgive me. 

Prayers.

Happiness Humesha 😊 

Collect stories from your journey and  bound it in a book. Life Isn’t about finding yourself,  life is about creating yourself. Not every body's journey is roller coaster. Some are receptive and never acknowledge the hardship as hardship but a way of living life.  I gossip about myself....accepting things as is...open book with few or no secrets.....don't know

The First Pay and the Teacher Within

 It all began with a simple question that sparked a wave of memories—“What did you do with your first salary?” Pattabhiram Sir had posted it on Facebook, and it lingered in Me Ra’s mind long enough to stir a reflection.

She smiled as she typed, “My first pay was ₹75. I had joined mid-July. The next month, a full one, I earned ₹150.” It wasn’t much, she admitted, especially when compared to what she made giving tuitions. But those days were different. “Now, I don’t have the energy or patience for tuitions,” she confessed.

The conversation turned contemplative. “We were recently discussing what’s next,” Me Ra continued. “And I said, the toughest thing for me was taking tuitions—even though, as a child, I always wanted to be a teacher.”

Saroja chimed in with a laugh. “I was so patient until I turned 30, maybe. Took many tuitions. Once, a boy even hit me with his pencil box! He later became a good student.” She added with a touch of pride, “I even taught a film star once. He still comes and talks to me when we meet—his parents too!”

But times had changed. “Now I’m the worst teacher,” Saroja admitted, “especially when I sit with Shriya. First five minutes, I’m so good. The very next minute—I turn into a raakshassi!” The laughter was almost audible through the screen.

Me Ra nodded in agreement. “I’ve heard the most difficult job is teaching your own children—be it school lessons, singing, or dancing.”

“May be true,” Saroja replied thoughtfully.

Then came a quiet revelation. “My mom used to take tuitions,” Me Ra shared, “but she sent me to one. I was a dyslexic child.” There was a pause, then another truth: “Not sure if I’ve said this before. But back then, they didn’t know what it meant. Thankfully, they just forced me to compete with others in class.”

Despite it all, she found her anchor. “Maths was the only subject I liked.”