Today we are celebrating the 121st birth anniversary of Neta Ji Subhash Chandra Bose. Neta Ji was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure and well-known personality in the Indian history. Subhas Chandra Bose is affectionately called "Netaji", who is known for his intelligence, bravery, supreme sacrifice and his role in the freedom struggle of the country. Contrary to non-violence thinking of many of the leaders of Indian's struggle for freedom, he founded Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to overthrow the British ruling and came to acquire legendary status among Indian masses. Even our social media is paying tribute to Neta Ji with sharing his famous sayings and thoughts. It's our responsibility to let our kids know about him and how he participated in India's struggle for freedom. It is worth remembering him today and his famous quotes who used to fill people with so much courage and love of our co...

रिद्धि और सिद्धि दो बहने बस ३ और १ साल की थी जब उनकी माँ गुजर गई. रिद्धि के पापा ने बच्चों की छोटी उम्र के चलते सबके कहने पर दूसरी शादी कर ली. पर जैसा कि हमेशा होता है नई माँ दोनों बहनो के साथ अच्छा बर्ताव नहीं करती थी. सिद्धि तो छोटी थी इसलिए उसे कम समझ आता था नई माँ का पराया बर्ताव पर रिद्धि में इतनी समझ थी कि वो नई माँ की अजीब बोली और कड़वे जवाबो से दुखी हो जाए. रिद्धि के पापा अपनी बेटियों से प्यार तो करते थे पर नई माँ की तरफ भी उनका झुकाव हो गया था. इसलिए वो कभी कभी ही नई माँ के गलत बर्ताव पर उन्हें टोकते थे. रिद्धि अपनी छोटी बहन के साथ बस अपनी दुनिया सही करने में लगी रहती थी. रिद्धि के पापा को किताबो का बड़ा शौक था. उनके घर में दर्जनों किताबे थी अलग अलग हिंदी लेखकों की. रिद्धि के पापा किताबो के साथ ही अपनी पहली पत्नी के जाने का दुःख भुलाते रहते थे. जब भी खाली समय होता, उनके साथ में कोई ना कोई किताब होती. नई माँ को कभी कभी चिढ़ भी होती रिद्धि के पापा के किताबो को ज्यादा तवज्जो देने से. पर रिद्धि के पापा को उनकी बातो का कुछ फरक ना पड़ता, उन्होंने किताबो को ही दोस्त बना लिया था. और यह...

Add caption I am sure you must have heard the story of  Rudolph, the reindeer.  This story was written way back in 1939 by  Mr. Robert May , an employee in the advertising department of Montgomery Ward stores  at Chicago. Did you know that the original name of the reindeer was Rollo? But May’s boss did not like it, and hence the name Rudolph came from the author’s young daughter. For those who don't know this story, I am going to share the story again. Now, this has a great moral lesson hidden in it and I would try to explain that as well. Here goes the story : Once there was reindeer named Rudolph. He had a shiny red nose. Everyone in reindeer village used to make fun of him because of his strange nose. His father even asked him to hide his nose so that he could fit in reindeer games. However, his nose was not an ordinary red nose. With his red nose, Rudolph was capable of seeing through the thick fog. But as others used to laugh at Rudolph, he...

मेरी शादीशुदा जिंदगी अच्छी चल रही है. मुझे अपने मन से काम करने की आजादी है. पतिदेव भी सहयोग करते है बेटे की देखभाल में. हर तरह से एक सुलझी जिंदगी है मेरी जो हँसी ख़ुशी बीत रही है परिवार के साथ. पर वो होता है ना हमे कुछ ना कुछ मिल ही जाता है जिसे हम बदलना या और अच्छा करना चाहते है. अभी कुछ दिनों पहले मैं और मेरे पतिदेव बात कर रहे थे. तो मैंने उनसे वो कहा जो मैं बड़े दिनों से सोच रही थी. ये हमारे रिश्ते से ही जुड़ा था. मैंने कहा "आपने आज तक कभी मेरी तारीफ नहीं की..हमारी शादी को ६ साल हो गए है पर मैंने कभी नहीं सुना आपके मुँह से कि तुम अच्छी लग रही हो.." पतिदेव ने हँस कर कहा "ये बात तो सही कही तुमने. तारीफ तो मैंने नहीं की. पता नहीं क्यों कर नहीं पता तारीफ? कई बार मन भी हुआ पर शब्द नहीं निकल पाए.." बस यही एक चीज मुझे अपने रिश्ते में थोड़ी कम दिखती है. एक दूसरे की तारीफ की कमी. मैं एक स्त्री हूँ और स्त्रियों का मनोविज्ञान तारीफ को बड़ा महत्व देता है. तारीफ हम महिलाओं के लिए मशीन में तेल सा काम करती है. जैसे तेल डालने से पुर्जे ज्यादा अच्छे से लम्बे समय तक काम करते है....

I see a problem with today’s husbands that they are cell phone addicted. And this disease is spreading like anything. In last 15 years, the cell phone has conquered our world. And quest of smartphones has made them more powerful. I could make a list of 50 ways these phones have improved our lives. But if you’re like me and can remember what life was like before we all got cell phones, you may wonder if all the changes are really for the good. Remember the days when we were not having phones. We used to enjoy outings, visits to relatives, movies without having thoughts of updating selfies and photos. We used to be serious in work without being distracted by ringing phones or by the white glow of someone texting next to us. Adjusting to new technologies is not new for people. Electricity, TV, phones, computers, and many other new inventions have brought significant changes in our lives and in the way we related to our spouses, our children, and our friends.  But the pace these ...

In India, we don’t just celebrate a festival, we actually celebrate our customs, rituals and relations. The importance we secure for our relations is known around the world. One of our relation-glorifying festivals is "Bhai Dooj". As the name suggests, this is also a festival that marks the undying bond of affection between the brother and his sister similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Quite like the numerous other Indian festivals, Bhai Dooj is also a commemoration of family bonds and social attachments celebrated on the second day after Diwali. On the day of Bhai dooj, sisters pray for the long life and well-being of their brothers. It is believed by Hindus that on the day of Bhai dooj Lord Yama (the God of Death) visits his sister Yami (river Yamuna) who puts Tilak (an auspicious mark) on her brother’s forehead and prays for his long life. Being overwhelmed at the sister’s deed Lord Yama blesses all the brothers who visit their sisters on this day. The ritu...

We all know that Diwali is celebrated by remembering the return of the god Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana from exile of 14 years. But the religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India, depending on the school of Hindu philosophy, regional myths, legends, and beliefs. Some believers celebrate Deepavali as the return of Pandavas after 12 years of Vanvas and one year of agyatavas. Many other Hindus believe Diwali is linked to the celebration of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of the god Vishnu. Hindus in some regions of India associate Diwali with the "legend of Yama and Nachiketa on Kartika amavasya (Diwali night)". Here is the story of Yama and Nachiketa: Vajasrawas, a famous person during the ancient India, was performing a yagna in which the performer had to give away all his wealth.Vajasrawas had a son named Nachiketa, who was sixteen years ol...

"जाने क्या तूने कही.. जाने क्या मैंने कही.. बात कुछ बन ही गई.."  ऐसा ही कुछ हुआ मेरे साथ पिछले महीने. वैसे शुरुवात एक ट्रेजेडी के साथ हुई पर अचानक ही ट्रेजेडी ने अच्छा मोड़ ले लिया और फिर "अंत भला तो सब भला..." हुआ यूँ कि मैं अपने पुराने फ़ोन से काफी उकता गया था और नया फ़ोन लेने की सोंच रहा था. वैसे फ़ोन उतना भी पुराना नहीं था पर रोज रोज आते नए फ़ोन मॉडल्स मुझे एक बार फिर नया फ़ोन लेने के लिए मज़बूर कर रहे थे. " लेकिन इस पुराने फ़ोन का क्या होगा..?" ये सवाल मेरे दिमाग में कीड़े की तरह काट रहा था.  काफी सोंच विचार के बाद जब दिमाग थक गया तो मैं घर की बालकनी में खड़ा हो गया जा कर. इधर उधर देखते ही मेरी नज़र बगल की बालकनी में खड़े साहिल भैया पर गई. साहिल भैया हमारे पड़ोसी है और हमारी बालकनिया आमने सामने है. वो उम्र में मुझसे बड़े है और सच कहू तो थोड़े खड़ूस भी है. अचनाक ही ख्याल आया कि क्यों ना ये पुराना फ़ोन साहिल भैया को बेच दू!! पर उनसे बात करना भी एक टेढ़ी खीर थी. वो कभी सीधे मुँह किसी से बात नहीं करते. मैंने मन को मज़बूत किआ और फ़ोन साहिल भइया को ही बेचने को सोचा.  अग...

Last night when I was tucking my boy to the bed, he asked me to tell his favourite stories. This happens every night. He requests a single story and then the chain of back-to-back  stories  keeps on going until I also start dozing off. Honestly, I cannot deny his next story call. Being a working mother, bedtime is the only peaceful moment when we both mother and son enjoy each other’s company. So yesterday, he asked for his favourite Ganesha Story. Let me tell you that Ganesha is my 3-year old’s favourite God. Almost a year back, when I visited a bookstore, I had picked a Ganesha comic for him. Although, he was not at all interested in the comic initially, slowly my husband started reading it as a bedtime story for him. And eventually, this has become my son’s favourite story. He calls it “Balaal wali story” because in the story there is a boy named “Balaal” whom Ganesha helps.  My boy is such a fan of the uniqueness  of Ganesha; an elephant head, big ears a...

(During my BPO career, some five years back, I got to meet a women really passionate about her performance at work. She looked more than thirty which is an age of very few call center workers. She was not very friendly with others in our team, though not rude with anyone for sure. It was once, that both of us were chosen for an upskill training and being very talkative I happen to make her somewhat open to me. Chamanji had an excellent tone, confident voice and kind of perfect spoken English but lacked in her computer proficiency. However, her spirit was really high and I helped her in learning MS Excel. She used to talk to her sister and her kids in the breaks. One day while she was telling me that she was not able to take proper sleep as she used to reach home at 4 in the morning and woke up at 6 in the morning to get her kids ready for school. Her explanation provoked me to ask her about her husband. With a bit of hesitation Chamanji told me in short where she had come from. She wa...

One of the men who ruled over the hearts of a number of girls for over a generation has recently turned twenty-five. Yes, it is the King Khan of Bollywood I am talking about. You don’t need to get surprised as even I know ShahRukh has crossed fifty-one of his age since I am talking about the time period he has completed in the Bollywood.  ShahRukh Khan started his career in Hindi movies as an actor in 1992 film Deewana. In that film he was cast against charming Divya Bharti in a love triangle. I still remember the bike riding style of King Khan in the song of this film “ koi na koi chahiye pyar karne wala ”. Almost all of us can visualize him playing on mandolin in a super romantic way that he did in DDLJ. Shahrukh clinched the title of lover boy with his romantic hits. While the continuous big hits in Bollywood made him the King Khan on Industry. He also lived unforgettable roles in Darr, Baazigar and Anjam while playing negative characters. ShahRukh won the heart of ev...

Yes, you read it right!  Superstar Rajinikanth had adopted his father Mr. Kalyana Sundaram 5 years back. When I shared this fact with one of my office mates, he joked and said: “A b wo 'the great Rajinikanth' hai.. wo bachche nhi, direct Papa adopt kar skta hai.. ”  But jokes apart, this is a beautiful truth that touched me till deep. We all know, other than his movie zing and bang, actor Rajinikanth is also famous for his simplicity and humbleness. Through his magnificent acts, he took a completely new gesture when he adopted Mr. Kalyana Sundaram as his father. Mr. Sundaram is himself an epitome of selflessness and humanity. I would call him the finest example of simple living and high thinking. If you look at his picture, he looks like an average man. But what a soul he is! He has dedicated his entire life to the welfare of poor and needy. A gold medalist in library science, and an MA in literature and history, Mr. Kalyana Sundaram, is a philanthropist...

One day, Goddess Laxmi went to her husband Lord Vishnu and said "Dear Vishnu, I think its high time for me to change my get up" The Lord replied,"Why? Whats the problem dear. You wear expensive silk saree precious jewellery and have long hair.. You are the ideal women for people on earth.." "Not any more", the Goddess replied taking a deep breadth. "Last night I looked for the pending requests in my system and I was shocked to see there are no pending requests  in my inbox from ladies asking for decent husband" "Then, Narad told me the that the time has changed. Women on earth are no longer striving for getting married. You know.. Ladies are very cool and chose comfortable get up these days." "Narad has also told me that all ladies these days send requests related to their career. They ask for selections, promotions and increments". "Ladies want a handsome salary not a handsome man. They think, if they ha...

आम को फलों  का राजा कहा जाता हैं और गर्मियों के मौसम में अगर कुछ अच्छा होता हैं तो वो बस आम हैं. मैं UP के उस हिस्से से आती हूँ जहाँ आम की कई किस्मे मिलती हैं और पूरी दुनिया में मशहूर हैं. लखनऊ के आस पास की मिटटी आम के लिए एकदम खास हैं. बाग़ तो हैं ही आम के यहाँ, लोग घरो में भी आम ही ज्यादा लगाते हैं. बचपन में मेरी गर्मी की छुट्टियाँ भी आम के भरपूर मज़े लेने में जाती थी. गाओं में खूब सारे बाग़ थे आम के. सुबह-शाम वहां से आम आते थे घर, पर जो मज़ा खुद तोड़ कर खाने में था वो किसी और के लाए आम में कहा था. हम सुबह सुबह जाते थे बाग़ और जहाँ तक नज़र जाती आम ही आम दिखाई देते. पेड़ लदे रहते आम से और मानो कह रहे हो कि "आओ देखो ये आम कितने मीठे हैं.." वैसे आम बस आम नहीं रह गया हैं. कभी वह पार्टी बन कर खास हो जाता है तो कभी नेता बन कर, पर मारिये गोली इन नेताओ और पार्टी की बातो को, हम तो बस अपने फलो के राजा की बात करते हैं. आम की कई किस्मे हैं हमारे  तरफ UP में लेकिन एक खास किस्म की बात आज कल खूब हो रही हैं  "योगी आम". जी हां, ये आम की एक किस्म हैं जो अभी कुछ दिनों पहले ही बनाई...

Sometimes I think to fall in love is very easy but to maintain it very difficult. As Cheenu and Duggu were going through a cold fight, they were not in talking terms which actually amazed everyone in the class. Their class mates teased them asking why they were not sitting together, why they were not talking each other. Both of them were actually not happy keeping themselves away from each other. But some kind of anger came between them and they were just going with it. Poor kids !! They were like this for months and annual exam dates got announced. This was something different happening. Silently Cheenu and Duggu were passing through exams without asking each other how it was going. They used to ask each other about questions inside bus while going back home. Cheenu always thought only about clearing the subject and contrary Duggu always thought to secure place in top 5 students of the class. It was last day of exam when Duggu decided to talk to Cheenu. Because they were not goin...