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German Salad

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  My dear Annesha, I’m sorry. You might ask, “Why now?” You mentioned the German salad episode, and it took me back—eight years ago, maybe more. I remember conducting a theatre workshop at school. Being untrained in theatre myself, I had to think of creative ways to keep you all engaged for ten whole days. So, I planned a group activity—each team would bring and present a food item. I think there were about eight groups, five members each. Some brought bhel puri, others corn salad, some macaroni… I forget the rest, but I do remember your group. You brought what you called a “German Salad.” The name was intriguing. We were all curious. And what was it? Boiled potatoes drenched in mustard sauce. Simple. Bold. Unique. I personally loved it. But the others burst out laughing. I remember Jashan Singh Brar laughing the hardest. Of course—your classic frenemy. And then you burst into tears. Suddenly no one knew what to do. I stepped in. Scolded everyone—especially J...
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LET STUDENTS SPEAK MORE

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  The Speech I Never Gave—Until Now Introducing Ashish M,,,—my batchmate from MBA college. The Casanova. If I was an ‘x’ level nark, he beat me by at least ‘10x.’ He thought he was the King of Bombay. Well, I believed I was no less than a Bengali Queen. By some strange twist of fate, we ended up in the same book presentation group for our Branding class. Our topic? Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout. The Book Presentation was a high-stakes event—you didn’t just present; you made an impression. I got to work from day one: reading articles on branding, scouring the web for insights, making notes, rehearsing tirelessly. Meanwhile, the so-called King of Bombay had just one piece of advice for me: "Take a chill pill, Jaya." I couldn’t. It wasn’t the topic that scared me—it was the fear of freezing on stage. D-Day arrived. I had already puked three times and wished a car would hit me before I reached college. Unfortunately, Delhi was driving way too safely that day...
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Skip Madhuri Dixit. Follow the real Dhak Dhak Girl Ashu Jain

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THE REAL DHAK DHAK GIRL- Ashu Jain Not Just a Grandma is a page every woman—young, middle-aged, or older—needs to follow. Ashu Jain is one of us. At 57, she’s the same age as Madhuri Dixit, but unlike the icon, she probably never applied Olay night cream before bed. Her mornings were likely spent packing tiffins for her husband and children, leaving little time for yoga or morning walks. Her unstoppable fitness journey began not before 54—when she was diagnosed with hypertension and high BP. What she did next sets her apart. She refused to surrender to age. Instead, she snatched health from its clutches, proving that reverse aging is real. According to her, the body responds to movement at any age, but after 45, it's imperative to activate those muscles to ensure pain-free mobility. Today, her posts showcase her lifting weights, running marathons, and even competing in Roadies ! In a deeply ageist society, she has become a true diva . With 248K followers , she’s defy...
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A VALENTINE TALE : 25 YEARS LATER

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                                                                                                                         A  VALENTINE TALE: 25 Years later It’s just another day. Once upon a time 25 years ago, when the idea of Valentine was being sold to us, he bought it wholeheartedly. He was 22 and I was 23. He then sold it to me with a dairy milk chocolate, red roses, an Archies Card and a proposal on bent knee wearing Santy’s blue blazer. (Cringe…. Cringe….) 25 years later, he can still sell me the idea of Valentine . Gestures have changed. Dairy milk chocolate substituted with Vitamin Pills Red roses replaced wi...
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MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER

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                           From Rebellion to Reflection: Becoming My Father’s Daughter As a 13-year-old, the only person I wanted to impress was you. Today, 13 years after you are gone, I still seek your approval in my mind. Professo r (38 years in St. Paul’s, Calcutta; 5 years in Presidency College, Calcutta) Writer (Syndicated column in Jansatta every Sunday till your death for God knows how many years) Politician (General Secretary, Calcutta North, Communist Party of India) These were your worldly achievements—not a mean feat for a boy who left his small village near Unnao in Kanpur at the age of 14. An orator par excellence, the world listened when you spoke. They listened because you were a master storyteller, able to draw deep insights from any incident and weave them into captivating narratives. As a human being, if I had to use one word to describe you, it would be “trusting”—to the po...
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THE RIGHT TO BE WRONG

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                                                                                                THE RIGHT TO BE WRONG   It is a truth universally acknowledged that one tends to blindly love one’s siblings' children more than one’s own. Only the spoiling part falls under your domain; the rod-yielding is none of your concern. So, being Tanish’s Mimi is the one role I absolutely love playing. Like most mothers, my sister’s major worry has always been, “Tanish, sahi decision nahin le pata.” Over the years, I have realized that correct decision-making does not come from guidance but from experience. A child learns to choose wisely only when given the freedo...
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SOCCER MOMS

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  SOCCER MOMS Aadi played football. Mir did too. They needed to be in the football field at sometimes 5 in the morning and sometimes 5 in the evening. Harpreet would be there to drop her 10 year old Mir and I was obviously the designated driver to the son’s sporting activities. As we sat watching our kids play football, a bond was formed between us. Ferrying the budding footballer did not seem to be a chore.After all, I would get a chance to catch up with the Sardarni. Ms. Harpreet Chatha is everything I am not. Organised, meticulous and kind to a fault. She can ruffle up a lip smacking cake in a jiffy while even thinking of cooking is something which can cause palpitations in my heart. She can be trusted to be there if anyone needs her. She would always tell me,” Keep your trap shut ” while I kept harping ,” Express yourself.” I learnt from her the colour scheme of sofas,laces for dupattas and unconditional kindness and I have yet to learnt from her the "craft of presentation....
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