Vibsville

     ‘We live in a man’s world’ goes the common refrain. Each time I end a late night phone conversation with my best friend when discussing marriage, family or work we conclude that there still exists an implicit gender bias in today’s ‘emerging’ India. Not confined to the rural areas or the impoverished population, the bias is visible across India. From the villages where a son is treasured as an asset, an incremental working hand on the fields, to the glitzy offices in urban India, where women candidates are looked at with skepticism since career is perceived as secondary to family, the prejudice is ubiquitous. Five million girls were subjected to female infanticide between 1986 and 2001 in India. To prevent this, sex determination for pregnant women is illegal across the country. Even in seemingly modern families, women are pressured to produce a son to continue the family legacy. The bias is universal; its manifestations vary significantly.    I hail from a Marwari family and was

Just 3 more days before we board our flight to Chandigarh enroute to Leh! It all started with a Facebook message from Jungleore, a company that plans adventure travels, describing their upcoming tour to Ladhak. I forwarded the email to some close friends, one of whom was as interested and flexible with dates and then we began planning… I spoke to several people about their trips and chatted with many agencies to finally configure our route. Would like to thank Kaustabh at Junglore, Neha at Country wide travels, Shehzaad, Nishreen Aunty, Juzer, Rakesh, Gaurav, Hasnain, Aditya, Devangi, Amanjyot, Aiman, Namrata Kothari, the several agents in Leh and Delhi and the myriad travel blogs and websites that helped us plan our trip. I had no idea so many of my friends had been to Ladhak! From the various itineraries available online we could figure out the key destinations in Ladhak, but were confused about our access to Leh. Should we drive from Manali or Srinagar or fly directly. The ultimate

I've just enrolled in a writing workshop at St.Xavier's college.. It's just five sessions and focusses on creative nonfiction writing. Here is a piece I wrote for the class.. Do read!   I stormed into the classroom at St. Xavier’s college, panting, face flushed red. A last minute cancellation had prompted me to register that afternoon for the workshop, my first stint with a structured creative writing course. Unable to find parking, I reached ten minutes late, irked the teacher, clumsily took a seat at the back of the class and took a few deep breaths.   The walls were painted in a bleak grey and the chairs creaked from bearing the burden of several students over the years. 4 antique ceiling fans whirred leisurely above me, setting the pace for the ensuing session.   The first exercise was almost over and the teacher prompted us to sit with a partner. The girls around me had already paired up so I was asked to move and join an older man who sat by himself. The bespectacled