Veiled Mistresses

By Arastah Jannat Islam "Every morning I see her drag herself from bed with half opened eyes, wash and eat in that sleepy state and then carry the bag double her weight on her back and she is off to school. Back from school, she's  all set for her extra classes and at the end of the day, she is busy with her homework and projects. On weekends she is occupied with her karate classes and now her parents are planning for music and art classes as well!" image source: internet  If you turn your eyes around this is how today's kids, in general, are living their lives. It is the common schedule of almost every kid around us. It pains so much to see these little people whirl around from dawn to dusk, from one class to another. Of course, some things are important and useful and should be incorporated into a child's schedule. Of course to follow a discipline is a very good thing. However, when I see a child's daily schedule, I wonder what they must be fe...

By: Chandra Goswami Given a choice, I would have never worked… I mean who wants to? I work to sustain my Shopaholic obsessions. Had my dad read this article, he would have surely thrown me out of the house since he already thinks I am misusing the era of ‘Bape’r Rajottoh’, that is ‘the reign of my father’. Had the reign been in the hand of my brother, well, I would have been long out of this sturdy, comfy palace of mine. Let’s put it like this, I have no responsibility, I don’t run this family, and I don’t need to spend money to sustain the hungry tribe. As such, my father worries that I have not grown into a responsible being; I am more like a pet they have adopted with the goal ‘ All play no work ’. This is the cake of my story… wait, there’s icing too… I work from home. Yeah, now you can curse me! Source: Internet My parents feel that I stay back home and magically money gets transferred to my account, for staring long at the computer every day. ...

By: Mehnaz Farooque She built a love castle in her mighty mind.  For no one ever told her that the reality could be even better!” If you think some religious extremist making invalid objections on social media is a big problem, you are wrong! There are other problems, big ones. No, I am not going to talk about beef ban or triple talaq here.  Being a crazy self-obsessed spoiled brat (as mentioned by my ex-romantic encounters), I am going to talk about my biggest problem in life- ROMCOMS . Yeah, the flicks that are too good to be true, the ones that jeopardized my entire existence.  All these Hollywood ROMCOMS (okay a few Bollywood ones too) have so intricately twisted and tweaked my mind that I guess I have a whole different section near my pituitary gland that houses Love stories . I am not a mere romantic person; I’m hopelessly addicted to an idea that is practically not feasible, not only in this dimension but also in the other parallel ones too. I can wri...

By: Satarupa Mishra "I was destined for stardom... I am still waiting for it." Lindsay Kemp image source: internet I saw a lanky musician taking his music seriously after watching Iron Maiden’s concert in Bangalore. I rejoiced! I saw an amazing young writer realizing her true potential, and sitting down to write her first romantic fiction. My heart skipped a beat from excitement! I also watched a lazy lady with melody working hard on her sole goal to become a professional singer. My lips twitched for a smile! All of them have realized their true callings by spotting the talent (s) God has bestowed upon them. But I have also seen a talented local cricketer turning into an inebriated goon after facing rejection to the domestic team due to foul play of politics. I have seen excellent folk singers begging on the streets in tattered clothes. I have seen rich people demanding free passes for a music or comedy show. I have seen writers and photographers being...

By Arastah Jannat Islam The other day I wrote something on my wall (of "social networking site" of course!) - "The leap is taken". It was purely written in context to a long pending situation that I required to decide upon and it had absolutely nothing to do with anything related to "nuptial union". Well... It's not like, I was oblivious to such an eventual development of the matter. Of course, while putting up the post it did not at all come to my mind that some confusion might get surfaced. It was only clicking upon the post icon I realized that I must get ready for some commotion. No...I wasn't getting married! However, thoughts of ninety-five percent of those who came across the post were redirected to the conventionally and socially certified ultimate goal of life i.e. Marriage. Congratulatory messages and calls came pouring in for the big 'leap'. Excited people congratulated and asked about the lucky one. Some even thanked ...

By Chandra Goswami Source: The Internet Motherhood is perhaps the most beautiful phase in a woman’s life. What makes it special is the fact that a woman is capable of loving intensely. When we love, we reshape things, recreate and build. As it is said if you give a woman a house, she turns it into a home, when you give her grocery she plates food and when you entrust her with the responsibility of rearing a child she builds the future of a nation. Perhaps it is this intense love between a mother and a child which has elevated motherhood to divinity.  But should motherhood be solemnly entrusted with such veneration? Why not fatherhood or sisterhood or a wife is seen as a God in a man’s life? Why is it always a mother, who is deemed as an embodiment of divinity? Could the fact that she carries a child nine months in her womb be the only reason? And here let me raise a very uncomfortable question…. In a country where child marriage is prevalent and a woman’s sole dut...

"Burqa-  A cloth that symbolizes tradition but often misinterpreted as an incarceration of modernity and self thinking." Belonging to a fairly liberal Muslim family, I never really had to come across Burqa as such. But it was one fine day at a wedding of an acquaintance that this veil made a mark on me. The bride didn’t know until the vidaai that she is supposed to be wearing a Burqa. Not having to wear it ever until now, it came as a shock to her. But such were the circumstances; she had to finally give in. She had to wear the Burqa because it was a traditional rule of the family to which she was wedded to. This very incident stayed back with me. image source:internet Being able to decide how we want our things to be is the greatest luxury of humankind. While many of us wouldn’t think it to be that big a deal, but having the right to make one's own choices is above everything else.   Sophiya chose to wear, but Salma didn’t choose the Burqa! So is Burqa an imp...

By: Satarupa Mishra He came close to her. She swallowed a tear. He drew closer, cupped her face, looked into her eyes, and planted a long kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her hard into his chest. And then, all of a sudden, like a woman possessed by a beastly spirit, she bit him on his lips and savagely pushed him away in haste.  There he was, hit hard on the ground, with bloody cursed lips, and a shock that was harder than electrocution. After all, what was his fault? He loved her. And he thought she loved him too. “O My God! What have I done? I love him!” she reminded herself in tears. Out of embarrassment and fear, she bolted out of his apartment with disheveled hair and a red sniffling nose. While physical intimacy is a core part of a man-woman relationship, Natasha feared it the most. Like any other girl in a middle class Indian family, Natasha was taught to preserve her virginity for her husband. But, like most other young Indian ...

By: Arastah Jannat Islam Is it necessary to prove someone worthless to prove someone else's worth? Is it necessary to point out someone's faults to haul up another's position? How important is it to shut someone up to justify what you are saying? Can no two people together be right in their own ways? Especially, when both mean the same but just with the different choices of words. It's all about the fight for credit of quoting the correct statement. But here too another question arises. Can't the credit be shared? I can understand credits are important and encouraging however the worthies can always share. Now, who is going to decide whether the person deserves or not?     So, here I come to the point of matter after straining your eyes with the question marks. The thing is, of late I have been encountering (as for some reason my stars must be moving the wrong way) some wise people who have issues with everything and everyone around. From the way...