Becoming by Michelle Obama #BookReview
I must begin this book review at a very strangely significant place indeed. Strange because this isn’t where I would usually begin a review, although it’s where a book begins. Significant because, and I am sure every book lover would agree with me, this is the first (albeit not the most important) factor in a […]
Dowry Deaths & our Desperation for Daughters’ Marriages
Sudha rushed into her room and shut the door close. Putting all her weight against it, she took deep long breaths even as tears threatened to erupt. She determinedly pulled a chair from nearby and lodged it under the handle to jam it. She could hear her husband and mother-in-law banging on it from outside. […]
The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni #BookReview
BUY THIS BOOK HERE. “I bless my daughters, who are yet unborn. I pray that, if life tests them – as sooner or later life is bound to – they’ll be able to stand steadfast and think carefully, using their hearts as well as their heads, understanding when they need to compromise, and knowing when […]
Sabarimala Protests – Reeking of the Stench of a Dying & Desperate Patriarchy
I distinctly remember one evening when I was still a student, probably about 16-17 years old, bored that my Dad was watching news on the TV while I itched for a new movie that was airing. Arnab Goswami had been way too loud, even for himself, as I saw the scroll mention some debate on […]
Will the Kitchen Ever be an Equal Space?
A restaurant in Varanasi is called “Wife on Leave”. And if the name isn’t bad enough, its website elaborates “Man Leads, Woman Follows; to the Wife On Leave Restaurant for a romantic dinner date”. I can’t stop the cringe, no matter how many times I’ve read it. Kitchens have, for centuries, been considered a woman’s […]
Thank You Mother, For Never Teaching Me To Sacrifice Because I am a Woman!
A writing prompt recently challenged me to write on “A Woman I Admire”. After putting much thought into it, weighing the pros and cons of writing on someone personal or someone I had just heard of, I finally made up my mind. I would probably be taking a risk here, of sounding ‘cliched’ if I told you who […]
Marriage, Or a Property Search?
The arranged marriage scene in India is one thing that I usually have nothing to say on. In the past, it simply arose from a complete lack of interest or faith in the system. As a personal preference, marrying someone chosen by my parents was never an option for me. This was a concept I […]
What Women’s Day Really Means!
Lots of people, men and women, often confuse Women’s Day to be some sort of ‘Day For Women’ – you know, a day when women can dress up, eat out, get rest and so on. Not completely untrue 😊 But the origins of Women’s Day were not so trivial. So today, let’s get to understand […]
To Wear Or Not To Wear, Behind The Veil Of Shame!
Frankly, I was wary of writing on this topic. I have been dilly dallying for a couple of weeks now for two reasons. One, I am exasperated at what’s happening around me and this makes me want to speak up! But two, I am already cringing at the backlash this piece will receive, from my […]
A Breath of Fresh Air
/*The below story was submitted as an entry to the Muse of the Month series of Women’s Web under the prompt Normal Is Overrrated. It was chosen as one of the top 5 winners. The original piece can be found here*/ Dear Sarita, How have you been since our last letter? Nothing much has changed at my end. […]