Wordsmith at work

    I watched the movie Bookclub a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie follows the lives of four women who have been meeting for forty years as book club members, bonding over the books they read and becoming friends. When they read Fifty Shades of Grey, they begin to view their lives from different perspectives. Well, this is not a review of the movie but about my foray into the world of book clubs. A friend recently started a book club but has slightly tweaked its format. I was quite reluctant to join at first because I don’t consider myself a serious reader, and I'm trying to read more. I declined the invitation but, on second thought decided to dive in, and I wasn’t disappointed. The tweaked version of the book club saw us not reading and discussing a single chosen book but instead following a topic or theme. This time, each member told a tale from Aesop’s Fables together with the moral, after which a short discussion on the moral ens...

Hey, Dad! I've been thinking about you. You’re always in my thoughts, Dad, but this letter is a special Father’s Day tribute to a special dad—you. Thirty-five years ago, you passed away on your wedding anniversary, leaving a big hole in our hearts. Now, you have Mom to keep you company. How I wish you had met your grandsons, Dad. You have six of them. They are all wonderful boys, shining and sparkling in their own right. One grandson shares your passion for music. I‘ve inherited your booming voice, Dad, but not your singing voice. I croak. It doesn’t matter. I sing anyway. You were too kind and generous for your own good, and despite being cheated, you never stopped being so. And the Lambretta scooter… you’ve helped so many avoid the inconvenience of public transport and helped folks get to their destinations on time. I can vividly recall the rides you gave me on that scooter—to school, college, here, there, and everywhere. You were quite the bookworm, and yes, your...

  Competitive Exams     Exams are a testing time for both students and parents. The word exam produces varied reactions. Some get goosebumps and turn into a bundle of nerves, while others take it in their stride. Competitive exams take that ‘testing time’ to a whole new level. Competitive exams are usually held for admission to premier institutions like the IITs and IIMs, which are scarce in the country and are considered to be the gateways to a better life. The preparation for these exams is a long and rigorous process, and they may not always bear the desired fruit. Kota in Rajasthan is considered to be the IITJEE coaching capital. Arohi Deshpande, the country’s highest-ranked girl candidate in the 2026 IITJEE advanced exam, enjoyed the whole-hearted support of her family when they too shifted base to Kota during those crucial preparation years. Again, not all candidates will have their entire families with them. They would have to rough it out on their own ...

 The Last Tree on Earth Tells Its Story Imagine a world, parched and barren, a silent world where you never hear the chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves, and in the midst of this depressing landscape stands a lone tree, weathered and wise. If it could speak, what would it say? The tree would tell a sorrowful tale.   “I once belonged to an endless grove of trees. Tall and sturdy, with thick woody, leafy branches and roots firmly grounded in the soil, our leaves were different shades of green, forming a magnificent sight. We were the lungs of the earth, the source of balance. Children climbed and swung from our branches and played in the shade we provided. We were home to the birds, and squirrels happily scampered up and down our trunks. Our wrinkled bark held the secrets of lovers.  We witnessed the changing seasons—the joys of spring, the warmth of the summer, the freshness and cleansing of the rain the golden splendour of autumn, and the quietude of winte...