Truth is stranger than fiction

  This was around the time when the world was normal. Running events were being held both in cities and on trails.  I had run a half marathon on a particular trail in Fremont, wearing a T shirt with the colors of the Indian Flag. I felt free and alive, feeling the bush of wind on my face. I savored every stride with a breath of fresh air. There was no fear of a dreaded unseen enemy. I fellas free as a horse galloping in the meadows.  Today is the Indian independence day. India had fought the British back then to attain this sense of freedom. And today the world is fighting a deadly virus. I am still waiting for that day when we can actually celebrate the real Independence Day.  A day when the world is declared free from the clutches of Corona. A day when things go back to the old normal. A day when this phase would become just a lesson in the history books going down the future.  That day will embark a new Independence Day, not for one country but for the entire...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=4b62d035-eb38-474d-bbf5-53f379069c1a It was the sight of a child not more than 9 years of age consoling his mother that brought me to a screeching halt equaling to that of a car slamming its breaks on seeing an aged pedestrian. As I drew closer to this rather unusual sight I learnt that she had lost her purse containing a lump sum amount of money which symbolized her pined up hopes for the future. “Don’t worry mom. Everything lost will come back in some form or the other. Life is like that.” The calm expression on the little boy’s face was one that imprinted in my mind as I cruised through the busy streets of Mumbai. There was none of the expected innocence and the vitality that one would expect from those who haven’t even reached the brink of adolescence. And yet words spoken could have put a so called ‘grown up’ to shame who would have normally reacted in nothing less than a hyperactive manner. My mind flashed ...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=dc536d94-395c-49a6-b90f-7dbba2948704 Women are God’s personification of words like mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, wife, and the list goes on. Embodiment of love, warmth and care has been identified with this gender. Womanhood is said to be the most gracious and honorable stage in a lifetime. An expedition to exploring the roots of this mysterious gender provides certain interesting evidence. Tracing back to the prehistoric period and coming back to the contemporary scenario, women have certainly come a long way. The dark ages depict practices of female infanticide, where a birth of a girl child was considered a burden. Exceptional cases of survival of these led them to being locked up within the homely four walls, restricting them to domestic chores alone. They were believed to be the weaker sex and incapable accomplishing anything else. Marriage was conducted when they were barely up their feet. Post marr...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=6074e665-5032-4e1b-85e4-a4fe6e443435 Children’s day....which falls on the 14th of November every year, happens to be the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister...Pandit Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. This revered person was known to love children immensely and was fondly called “Chacha Nehru” by them. It was desired that his birthday be celebrated all over as children’s day. Childhood is a stage in our lives that makes us walk down the memory lane and look back at those nostalgic days with misty eyes. It is a phase with a carefree attitude, devoid of worries, shouldering responsibilities and stress. It’s also the most treasured stage that would make us return to innocence at any given point in their lives. The beginning stage from birth till we attain puberty indeed consists of fun- filled days. We can recollect instances where we were given attention by everyone, from family, relatives to all elders as we were consider...