Posts

When I looked closer…

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I was not too proud of where I came from i.e. Assam until recently after a ten day trip with some amazing women. That trip entirely transformed me into a person beaming with pride of the cultural richness and tribal legacy that envelops Assam with such diversity. Though I graduated from one of the most prestigious and world renowned colleges of Assam 15 years ago, I really wanted to get out of that place as soon as I could. I just couldn’t ignore the under-developed status-quo of places, the mindless corruption, the impoverished state of some tribes, raging unemployment and the ever-increasing gap between the rich and poor. The rich were getting richer, the poor poorer. I convinced my parents of studying in Delhi and didn’t look back up until now. My parents visited me for a few years and then decided to move to Delhi for good. So we ended up with a house of our own in Dwarka where we mingled with the Assamese diaspora who have since relocated and settled here, during Bihu f...

Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Chhodenge.

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If you are a daily commuter on the Mumbai Local Trains, managed to part the crowd and get down at your destination unfazed and as nonchalant as if it is every day normal; pat yourself in the back. If you can travel this way, you can travel anywhere and even dare Bear Grylls (The Man VS Wild Guy in the Discovery Channel) for once.   I have honed my skills and built muscle and resilience to pushes and shoves, been a keen observant as well as participant of a few women scuffles using some choicest ‘pardon my French’ words. Growing up in Mumbai, travelling in locals is somewhat like a rite of passage when you do it alone. I achieved mine at the age of 18. I became a part of that community of women travelling in the ladies coach. Ten years have gone by and I have struck up many conversations, gave up my seat for the elderly, have even done a jig or two of the garba, helped shell peas and sort coriander leaves,   shared my newspaper for the umpteenth time , lent and rec...

When I Called Off My Engagement…

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“ Breakups are heart-wrenching. And when it involves trust issues, it becomes sourer .” Just a few months back, I could never have understood the essence of these heavy lines. But one instance is enough to teach you everything about this subject matter. Are you a kind of person who always had this belief that your partner would never be distrustful towards you? Did you ever experience a breakup for the kind of relationship that you were SO SURE of from the starting days? If yes, how did you cope with that? Or most importantly, has your trust been shaken to such extent that it could not be repaired? If the answer to any of these dialogues is a simple affirmative nod, then this article is for you. Just give it a thoughtful read. Rohit and I were best friends. Time would just fly off whenever we were together. One day he proposed me and I said yes. Three years of togetherness and loads of fights made our bond just inseparable. What was next? Marriage of course! No. In...

A MUCH NEEDED WAKE-UP CALL.

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Nishita and I live in the same city now. We are besties since kindergarten and have been in close proximity since then. But we have had our share of being parted as marriage, career, kids took first place over friendship and female bonding. Life started revolving at such a pace where we would only connect once a week over the phone and simply exchange mundane, superficial pleasantries, when both of us knew deep in our hearts how shallow it had become of our emotions. We could see ourselves on camera and silently shake our heads at each other’s drained out, pallid and spiritless faces. Imagine living in the same city and meeting once in two or three months – with the husbands and kids in tow! And in each other’s houses! You all must be rolling your eyes over how sad and lackluster lives we were leading! Nope! I couldn’t tolerate it anymore and had to take matters into my hands! I decided to go on a vacation- Just the two of us! The realization of how badly we needed a break show...

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WOMEN TRAVEL

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Women and Travel on the same boat? Is it a perfect recipe for getting drowned? Or is it a delicacy that most of us fear to enjoy. There lies deep rooted huge misconceptions about the Women Only Travel. Most of these misconceptions are a mere myth. Lets  bust all these myths and face “THE TRUTH”. Travel is rough, Women are delicate Myth Travel and women (without men of course) is the worst idea. Why? The statement is backed up by the society stating  that women are weaker gender. They are so delicate and soft (mentally and physically). On the contrary, travel is a complete sport in itself. Its rough, it demands instant decision, adventurous activities and a bold spirit. Women don’t carry that spirit. Women can’t handle handle what’s rough and challenging. Myth Busted Referring to an article, WOMEN - The force that drives the MEN, women are actually an underestimated resource. She is capable of wonders. She is the creator of human life. How can one say she c...

When Women Special Tours was Instrumental in my Reunion

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When I saw her name in the itinerary, I whispered a little prayer of thanks to the Almighty. I was meeting my mother after 5 years finally! Courtesy Women Special Tours, a travel agency that custom crafts women only tours, I got to spend a precious and unforgettable 2 week holiday with my mother and a few other women in The Andamans. Thanks to the constant coaxing by my husband to meet my mother and the wondrous coordination by Women Special Tours, I finally relented in sending a message across to my mother living 5000 miles away that I would love for us to spend a holiday together – just me and her. You must be wondering what is so special about this mother-daughter getaway. Special it is and also very overwhelming because 5 years ago my mother broke all ties with me when I married my boyfriend of another faith. She never approved of my relationship with Farhan and let me know about what she thought very vocally. We exchanged some really bitter words at each other the...

When Travel became a Purpose.

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I have travelled solo to many places over the world and have gathered a treasure trove of memories beautiful, adventuresome, fearless, and awe-inspiring as well as some scary ones from which I came out unscathed yet emboldened. Juggling my corporate life with the escape artist in me came very smoothly to me in a span of seven years. I loved my work and knew very well not to make it get to the point of mundane, courtesy the advice of my father. He always practiced so called ‘time-outs’ from his hectic schedule as an advocate in the high court with a simple reasoning that ‘your profession too is like a budding romance, you have got to make efforts to keep it alive and blossoming, and for that you have got to pursue a leisure activity that takes your mind off of your job for some time.’ ‘So that when you return, you fall in love with your work all over again.’ That’s been my success mantra of life and my leisurely activity happens to be Travel. Travel gives me the wholes...