Everyday Women Plate 8

Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him -or so they used to say. It would be interesting to know how many great women have had great fathers and husbands behind them.’ Dorothy L. Sayers

Everyday Women Plate 5

Kashmiri Women

‘A strong woman knows she has enough strength for her journey, but a praying woman knows it’s in her journey where she’ll gain her strength.’

Everyday Women Plate 4

Hola Mohalla 2017

‘No one knows what you have been through or your pretty little eyes have seen, but I reassure you-whatever you have conquered, it shines through your mind.’-Nikki Rowe.

Everyday Women Plate 3

Khajuraho dance Festival

‘Her anger, the wrath of a woman, is a sign that there are some things in this world that even the god’s would not intervene.’-Daniel Saint

Three Years Later

There are moments of weakness, I wouldn’t want to forget and then there are those rare moments of maturity that I would want to look back at when I’m being my vile, unforgiving self. I think I  should mark, today.

Got a call from my lawyer friend, one of the few people I didn’t lose in the separation. A year ago, he made a beautiful baby boy, with his wife of course. Unfortunately, I hadn’t mustered up the courage to see him-wanting to avoid all conversations about the ex, coming face to face with the woman or even the mutual friends who cast me away.  But like I decided, 2017 is my freaking year and before my ‘kismat paltos’ and becomes fabulous, I better forgive the ones who ostracized me.

Easier said than done. Spent the night tossing and turning, recalling the first photograph I saw, of all of them together at a mutual friend’s house. I howled in my mum’s lap- the way a child does when it’s lost its favourite toy. The phone never rang pre or post that pic. Like the psycho I am, I saved it as a reminder – keep everyone at a two arm’s distance. Until recently, when my phone was stolen. Over the past three years I’ve heard many stories, indirectly, from distant friends, co workers, gallery owners- my love life made the rounds. They were many- with a propensity to gossip, I was alone with no ability to defend. Plus, I enjoy a certain reputation, ‘bad se badnam bura’, it makes me feel like a man.

Floods, earthquakes, stone pelting, I’ve seen many things…barring dragging myself out of the depression, this is the hardest thing I’ve done in the past three years. As I entered the pre school, I wished I was walking in with a man who could steady my hand and tell me,’ I got your back, babe.’ But I gave myself an imaginary hug, put on my best smile and remembered a wise man’s words,’ when your time is bad all the people who were nice to you, will turn against you and when your time is good, even people with the worst intentions will do good things for you. It doesn’t make them good or bad. God creates obstacles for you- to change the course of your life, to make you grow. No one is good or bad. It’s what you need to face, to become who you are meant to be.’

It was a pleasant afternoon, not much had changed. The conversations remained the same. I was pleased to meet a few, towards the rest I was just indifferent. I’m glad I went but turns out there are somethings I don’t like doing alone!

 

Solo Date # 26-Cafe Nomad

Cafe Nomad, Chandigarh

Cafe Nomad, Chandigarh

On the way back from the ‘Virasat-e Khalsa’, I stopped over at Cafe Nomad. Unlike, the Backpacker’s Cafe which was too crowded and the food was undercooked, this restaurant was perfect for someone who likes to avoid the crowd.

The Saaj and the Baklava with icecream were to die for. I lazed around for an hour and half, savouring the food and procrastinating my drive back to Delhi. 

Solo Date # 25-Rock Garden

Nek Chand's Rock Garden

Rock Garden Chandigarh

Backpacker’s Cafe, Chandigarh

For a pre holi date I stop over at Chandigarh to reminisce one of my favourite dates-which was sneaking away from our friends in the middle of a wedding and coming to check out Nek Chand’s creation. The place is packed as it’s a Sunday. I wander around, trigger happy and slightly nostalgic.

To cheer myself up I head to Backpackers Cafe in Sector 9. I avoid malls like they are the plague, so I skip the one at Elante. I expect it to be less ‘happening’ and more chilled out. There are couples everywhere. The food is prompt to arrive but is half cooked and then there’s a crazy chaos, as some big shot is about to arrive and all his cronies are too disturbing for hang around with. I get my food packed and split.

EverydayWomen Plate 2

“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.”-Ellen DeGeneres

EverydayWomen Plate 1

This year for Women’s day, at a 100 pieces of me we celeberate the everyday women. Women I’ve encountered during my travels, in harsh terrains, in male dominated industries, just going on with their daily lives with all the strength they can muster. As captions are quotes about womanhood by famous women.

”Motherhood has a very humanising effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials”-Meryl Streep

WHY IS WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATED?

In 1975, The United Nations declared the 8th of March as ‘International Women’s Day’. This day is celebrated in over a hundred countries each year. Women’s groups, Governments, Non Profit Organisations as well as Corporates show solidarity with the women’s movement and celebrate their achievements.   In certain countries like Madagascar, China and Nepal women are given the day off. In Vietnam, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Russia and twenty four others it’s been designated as an official holiday.

This is a compilation of interesting articles-

In the Indian Scenario. – 

An Article that appeared on Live Chennai, ‘Salute to Indian Women’ States-

“Only in India Woman is worshipped as Sakthi [Strength], Saraswathy [Knowledge] and Lakshmi [Prosperity]. No other country or religion in the world worships women hood in the way India does. In Hindu Mythology women is said to have been given absolutely 50% of Mental, Spiritual and physical space in the life of a man, when Shiva is illustrated to have done this in Arthnareeswarar form.

India is fortunate to have had many great women – Auvaiyar, Annie Besent , First women president of Indian national Congress, Nevedita, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, First Indian Woman President of UN General Assembly, Mother Teresa, Sarojini Naidu to Indira Gandhi only the second woman Prime Minster in the world, to Kalpana Chawla, Indra Nooyi to Pratibha Patil first women President of India and many more in the Indian Corporate sector who have proved to be more than a match.”

The Telegraph has carried a piece on  how and why it started?

https://in.news.yahoo.com/international-womens-day-2017-did-164046144.html

https://in.news.yahoo.com/international-womens-day-2017-bold-145107190.html

Well, International Women’s Day REALLY kicks off at the witching hour, when by the light of the full moon, all the women of the world gather in threes, whisper the man-banishing spell, and clench in unison, expelling foul spirits from their bodies and inviting good luck in the new year…But don’t tell anyone about that.” Tom Phillips on Buzz Feed.