JAYA MA'AM'S BLOG

                                                         To Every Child Waiting for the Council List The student council of a school or college has always fascinated me. Perhaps because I never made it to one. In college, we had a regular assembly, and the council stood on stage throughout the year. When I joined Loreto, I had only one dream — to be on that stage. I tried too hard. I attended every workshop, took up a minuscule role in the college play, stayed active during the fests, and most importantly — wished and bowed to every professor, hoping it would all count. In my head, I had played all my cards right. I thought I had cracked the code. They changed the nomination rules that year. Unlike previous years, the nomination was now to be made by the members of the existing student council — not the professor...

  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...

  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...

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...

                                                                                                                         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...

                           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...