• A warm welcome to our new writer, Ratul Banerjee!

        

More importantly, I was concerned about the deepening jealousy that Karna, the adopted son of Dhritarashtra's charioteer Adhiratha, had towards Arjuna. I knew Karna was my son the minute Yudhishtra and Arjuna told me excitedly about a boy, bright as the sun, and always adorned with a built-in golden 'Kundala' or ear-rings and 'kavacha' or body armor.<< MORE >>

She could hear voices in the dining room. It was at times like these, when the house was like a tin of sardines, kanu wished she had not taken this bedroom. It was too close to the dining room, where every one just had to congregate. As if the drawing room didn’t exist. She turned on her side and pulled the pillow over her head in an effort to drown out the natter that was getting on her nerves.<< MORE >>

I don't know what to write today. The page looks at me invitingly, hoping I would as usual share all my thoughts with it. Goel Sir had come last night and as usual he began 'Beta we have such high expectations from you. Mahamanas you will truly live up to your name, etc. etc' all in the same vein. RamAvatar chacha appeared a little envious and hit poor Gaurav hard on his head, "You are a good-for-nothing, whole day you loiter around, flying kites and watching T.V." << MORE >>

The courtroom was overcrowded. Today’s case had attracted the attention of the entire city. The lanky lady Mahima’s photo was on the front page of almost all leading newspapers on that day, a month ago. People were shocked as to how that weak looking lady could be a murder accused. The best part of the case was that most of the people felt happy about the murder but were sad that the poor lady would have to face the law. Law was a bit funny. << MORE >>

Its time to make over, to change and transform To a different stance of life, hitherto unfelt of Its time to sense and feel the change Its time to stop rewinding the clock of life Its time to abstain from backtracking down memory lane << MORE >>

There will always be, Another day, another way to live, Another season, another reason to give. Another woe, another sorrow to bear, Another joy, another friend to share. << MORE >>

In today’s society there's a growing trend among men and women to have multiple relationships. It’s a trend that the society slowly seems to be in a process of accepting the same. Looking at the past—moi realizes that men and women had some kind of formal commitments to each other, whereas today—the society embodies an attraction for risk, be it with money or love. << MORE >>

The very same people who wouldn’t mind giving money to an orphanage, old age home or ashram will not always behave in a charitable manner in their homes. I am not generalizing. There are people who will give charity and then grumble that their problems still continue despite the ‘noble act.’ The very fact that you are doing a good deed expecting a good thing to happen to you in return makes the action itself a selfish act.<< MORE >>

This film is actually about Alice’s second visit to Wonderland, a place which she’d visited as a child, but doesn’t really remember. All she has are bad dreams, which her father used to make easier to live with, but he is no more. Her father loved impossible dreams and instilled that love in Alice, but his death has left the family in a pecuniary mess and therefore a rich suitor has now been found for Papa’s not-so-little-dreamer. << MORE >>

Ace film musician Naushad had a favorite anecdote about Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali. When K. Asif, director of the immortal classic Mughal-e-Azam, was scouting around for a musician to render the now famous Prem Jogan Ban Ke in the lustrous Sohni raga, Naushad piped up with a suggestion: why not get the Tansen of the day to sing it? Khan Sahib, as he is still fondly called, refused to hear of it. What an insult, he’d thundered, to his music.<< MORE >>

And why that is so continues to remain a problem. A major problem. Poor, hungry or beaten up; fat, sleek or prosperous many mothers of Indian daughters fail to realize that if the same fate had befallen them they wouldn’t have been alive to produce off springs at all, let alone any kind. So wouldn’t it be in their own interest to fight for the right of the girl child to live? << MORE >>

Way back in the 70s, when I was a very small boy, Vellore Fort Maidan (Vellore town is some 120 kms from Chennai in Tamil Nadu) used to have some very unusual vendors :- One selling Root slice of a very special root ( they used to call it BHUMI CHAKRA KIZHANGU ) – the 2 or 3 feet high root column will be placed in a wet sack, and the vendor used to thinly slice the root and give it for 25 paise. << MORE >>

Recently the whole world was busy in celebrating IW’S day, so do India. It’s a centenary year of International Woman’s day. In 1910 a second International Conference of working women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (leader of the ‘Women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. << MORE >>

• We at 4IW pay tribute to all women on occasion of the International Women's Day on March 8!

• A warm welcome to our new writer, Sunanda Menon!

        

That day, when Gandhari had sent her personal messenger asking for my permission to meet me, I was happy. It had been a month after Pandu's funeral ceremonies. We were slowly getting acclimatized to the new home and the new circumstances. True, Hastinapur palace itself wasn't new, but many things had changed since we had set out from there.<< MORE >>

“God knows who he thinks he is,” Runu mausi jerked her nose towards Mr. Goswami, whom everybody called Master Ji. There was nothing in the art teacher’s demeanor to justify the epithet, though. Not to me that is. The term held the suggestion of a bony male frame, sartorially inelegant. Yet there was nothing inelegant about Mr. Goswami, as he resembled an Italian Lorenzo pipe, dark, brooding and sophisticated in a 3-piece tailored suit. << MORE >>

Women or should moi say womanhood is celebrated on this day—8th March, when women are treated with a lot more respect and dignity than the other usual days! It’s even surprising that in this male dominated society, a day is actually taken off the calendar for the women to celebrate their womanhood. Very magnanimous moi could say!<< MORE >>

You may have heard of reports in all kinds of media of the reputed artist, M F Husain’s decision to give up Indian citizenship and take up citizenship in Qatar. This because he and his work were not guaranteed freedom of expression as is evident in all the events from the time his controversial painting of the nude goddess took place. His paintings were destroyed, his house vandalized and cases piled up against him for disrupting harmony in the country...<< MORE >>

A guest who overstays his welcome, makes himself quite disagreeable with his unreasonable demands, and one who refuses to take any hints about leaving – sounds like a perfect nightmare and an idea for great comedy. But Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is guilty of never developing the idea to justify a feature film length. Moreover, since there is nothing new or unpredictable in the situation, you would expect some novel / bizarre developments, and there aren’t any that have been developed properly enough to not feel contrived or predictable.<< MORE >>

Woman, Beautiful woman. The world searches in you frantically, qualities that it does not possess. In vain, for ages, you have been judged, accused.. << MORE >>

It had been a long flight. Due to various reasons I had to fly to Chile by the South African Airline, which meant a circuitous route. My sojourn began from New Delhi domestic airport on February 18, Thursday. I had to go to Mumbai from where the first leg of my journey to Latin America would begin. First stop was Johannesburg. A change of planes and I was on my way to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Another change of planes and I was on my way to Santiago, Chile. << MORE >>

It was in the summer of 1984, that I first visited, Dehradun, Uttarakhand(India). My husband was serving in the army then and we had just shifted to the cantonment area called Clement Town in Dehradun. A sleepy little place, it had all the comforts an army wife looks for; a cozy house, a good school, ‘bazaar’, the park, all within walking distance of the house. All I needed was a housemaid who could help me with the household chores.<< MORE >>

After that he extorted the much needed applause for his son and also for his foresighted ingenuity in getting a double lamination done, to preserve the praiseworthy news. After that he continued with the errand I was there for, but superimposed it with the verbose information on alliances and proposals for his marriageable daughter only after he had described how meritorious her academics had been and how she was now working for a highly reputed professional in the city and her successful stints of work in the nearby place of pride- Pune. << MORE >>

In many backward parts of India, there is a wide belief about witches and witchcraft. Going along with this thought many cases have come to the limelight and many women have been killed when the tag of “Witch” has been attached to them. The reasons known to those who are strongly in favour of it to attach such a strong label. << MORE >>

It’s very difficult to think of a homemaker who would not have faced such a question. One can imagine only too well her seething frustration on hearing it. The very word ‘housewife’ conjures up visions of a lady whiling away the hours in non-productive activities while her ‘working’ counterpart is engaged in multitasking at various fronts and bringing home a fat pay packet to boot. << MORE >>

Who are the women whom we look to for inspiration? Mother Teresa? Indira Gandhi? Sushmita Sen? Well they are right there on a pedestal – but on a more day-to-day basis, I think we look closer to home – women like us, ordinary women, who go through life, displaying rare tenacity, determination and strength, even in the face of adversity. They may not be geniuses, or breathtakingly beautiful, or from the social elite; in fact they have nothing which would make them stand apart in a crowd.<< MORE >>

“Who is the sexiest Indian female? – this was the topic my wife, who is a free lance writer, got one day as an assignment through the net from an agency she works for, as I was leaving for office from home. As I was driving to office, I was thinking about the subject and came to the conclusion that instead of asking who is the most endowed, had they only asked to name Indian women of the 19th and 20th centuries who can be considered as a real symbol of the true, spiritual India... << MORE >>

The friends have been texting and messaging, wondering where I have disappeared to. For dropping by Facebook is now like a visit to the Water Park, a rare event. A chat invite from an old friend visiting India gets a ‘tata’ icon, before I rush offline. A traditional Email reminds me I haven’t blogged for months or participated in any policy making forums, online and offline. << MORE >>

A recent road trip from Hyderabad to Coonoor took us to many different places, past the reserve forests of Bandipur, Masinagudi and Madhumalai, where tigers, panthers, deer, wild boar, mongoose, wild fowl, peacocks, monkeys and elephants roamed carefree. We visited spice and tea plantations and met a lot of interesting people but the trip’s highlight was meeting Shernaz Sethna, a cheese maker of formidable repute in the Nilgiris. << MORE >>

It was a long and arduous journey, a weary walk that took more than two weeks. We were carrying the semi charred remains of Pandu and Madri to Hastinapura for Sraddha, the final rites for the departed souls. The spiritual inquests of Pandu had taken us very deep into the forests. We waded through rivers and walked through mountainous terrains and landed at the outskirts of Hastinapura seventeen days after Pandu’s sudden death. << MORE >>

Was the day you said ‘I do’ the only mesmerizing moment you and your spouse have experienced? Were the reheated leftovers from your wedding reception, devoured the day you returned from your honeymoon, the last enchanting feast hubby and you shared? Is the flavor slowly fading away, or has the sizzle finally extinguished? << MORE >>

A few days after she arrived, she had let go of our maid sweetly telling my mother, “Mummy, since there are two of us, what is the use of servant?” But I was alone for the household chores. At that time, we had two jewellery shops, and both my parents would go to manage the shops every day. As soon as my parents left, bhabhi used to make me do all the jobs. << MORE >>

Azad switched on the television to watch the breakfast news at 7:00. He has been following the “Rupkala murder” case on television and did not wish to miss the updates for the day. The investigations were still on and the police clueless about the murderer…that was the “Top stories” the newsreader was reading on…rest of the details that followed, Azad knew by-heart…..the Principal of the school talking about Rupkala, how good a student she was, her interests in tennis and so on...<< MORE >>

Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a pleasant princess. She would always smile at everyone, would have a pleasant word or two to say to everybody and was generally of a nice, kindly disposition. And not only to people she knew – no – her kindliness extended to all of humanity in general. And not only to humanity – she was wont to be kind to all life on the whole.<< MORE >>

A woman takes the first step to prove her flexibility and her willingness to stretch her hand in bonding when she changes her surname either willingly or forced after getting married. Most women do it as a matter of fact as it is the done thing for a very long time now. Other women think that it is their way of expressing their love and unity for their husband and the new family of hers. << MORE >>

The tale, penned by Leena Yadav and Shiv Subramaniam, is about a certain mathematics genius called Venkat Subramaniam (Big B) who teaches at BIT Mumbai, and whose worth has never been recognized by his superiors. He is about to retire and any thesis he has submitted till now has been rejected. So he is not exactly a very happy man, but he isn’t sad either, loving to teach his students in unorthodox ways. << MORE >>

It is strange that both of this week’s releases are reminiscent of a rather wonderful film called A Beautiful Mind, and sad that neither of them can remotely match up to that film. Karthik calling Karthik is let down by a script that is faulty, one that did not know how not to lapse into moments that are ridiculous, and one that is guilty of an end that does not work if you have any kind of recall powers about what has happened so far in the film. << MORE >>

A good neighbor is an asset. A well equipped one is even better. Like budgeting, some housewives foresee their requirements well in time, estimate the quantities needed, purchase them in advance and squirrel them away carefully to make sure they never run short of anything anytime. Even if they happen to miss any item due to oversight, they manage to circumvent that particular item and carry on regardless. << MORE >>

Onset of the Spring brings colors of Holi with it, a popular festival, celebrated in India. Holi is an ancient festival, which is referred to in the 7th century Sanskrit drama, Ratnaval. It comes on the day of the full moon in March, each year. In Hindu calendar it falls on the Phalgun purnima. As it is the time when seasons change, it is meant to welcome spring and win the blessings of gods for good harvests and fertility of the land. << MORE >>

Human beings have since long desired mortality, without perhaps even pausing to think how boring forever and ever would be. Waking up on endless mornings, to endless cups of tea, endless brushing of teeth, reading the newspaper, going to the bathroom… isn’t the thought itself so tiring? What makes life more precious is also the fact that it isn’t forever… that we have a limited period to do our best. Yet our worst fears are always about that final end – for ourselves, for those we love… << MORE >>

Sometimes out of all the men in the world, eligible bachelors that is, women fall in love with married men. Its always looked down upon in every culture and society; the woman is scorn and called the worst names society can think off; yet these are less to deter young women’s interest in men who are not available any more….at least for marriage. << MORE >>

• We launch a new column called "Music Review By Indrani", authored by Indrani Talukdar.  Indrani has been associated with our platform right from our launch and has written in almost every 4IW category.  We congratulate Indrani on her new column and wish her the very best!

        

We were sitting near a stream. It was one of the rare days when Madri said she would like to rest at home and take care of the children. I always treasured the moments we could sit alone, engrossed in our own world and oblivious of our surroudings. For a long time, Pandu and I hardly exchanged any words. The moon had woven a neat magic around us; the shadows of tall trees swayed in the inky waters and crickets were chirping.<< MORE >>

No, I wouldn’t go back. Not for a while at least, even though I missed Dad a great deal. He was my rock, who infused confidence in me through all my teenage insecurities. It was to him I went for encouragement when my grades in school were low; to him I rushed for solace when my teenage crushes remained unrequited. He fired my imagination; he fostered my ambitions. In spite of his heavy workload, he always found time to spend with me.<< MORE >>

It was a usual daily morning rush and chores to be completed at the speed that would put the grand prix driver to shame. I was taking a short break from the madness I was surrounded with when the vegetable vendor came knocking at my door. Sighing I picked up the cane basket and opened the door and was surprised to see a young girl instead of the elderly woman who usually came by. On inquiring on the where about of that woman, I was informed that she had left for a bigger city.<< MORE >>

It was the time of the year when all the kids fly kites – in the beach, in the terrace, on the roads, every where you can see them. Colorful, bright, hanging high up in the air, you can see them all over the city at this time of the year. Some in rectangle, some with a different colored tail hanging behind them, few diamond-shaped……the very thought of the kite does brings a smile, doesn’t it? There is something remarkably happy about the kite – a care-free feeling surrounds the kite, a sense of freedom and happiness. I only wish I could explain this feeling to mother and convince her to buy one for me. << MORE >>

Winter mornings are beautiful, compiled with the essence of cold winds blowing as well as the rays of the sun which are mild, but powerful enough to keep you feeling warm. It had exactly been twelve months since Gopal and Shrimati had come to New York from Mumbai. Family constraints of Shrimati not being accepted, regular fights between the son and mother over Shrimati led to them going far away from the country one usually calls motherland. << MORE >>

A divorced individual already has a big part of his life devoted to the others, meaning his children and of course his ex-wife. Marrying a divorced man means –not only are you marrying the man but also marrying the entire package that he comes with. Him, his children and to a certain extend his ex-wife! The other partner would still be a big part of his life. Was moi friend ready to accept this package that was now thrust on her? << MORE >>

There are innumerable persons today who will vouch for the fact that online dating is a fun way of getting to know interesting people. You get more choices and you too have the choice of dumping someone who you don’t like without any qualms unlike in a real relationship which can get a wee bit complicated when it comes to winding up. Love is easy to find and experience on the net or so it seems. << MORE >>