A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Title – A Thousand Splendid Suns

Author- Khaled Hosseini

Publisher – Bloomsbury Publishers

This book will move you, will make you cry, will engulf you and would leave a forever mark in your heart.

I decided to recommend it and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved reading and writing about it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story of Mariam who is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between a mother and daughter.

When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, and led them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with startling heroism.

A masterful and heartrending narrative, a gripping tale. A powerful portrait of female suffering and endurance under the Taliban.

You will find yourself unable to break from the narrative, gasping as you turn the page, weeping at the predicament of Mariam and Laila.

If you haven’t read it yet be sure to buy it and read it cause once you read it you’ll love recommending it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this book in the comments section below.

❤️

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Living with 2 states

Hey there beautiful people reading this. Today I’ve got a very beautiful love story to tell you.

It goes like this…

Once upon a Time in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) an aspiring chef met a very beautiful housekeeping supervisor at a hotel. It was love at first sight for that man. The lady had long black hair, a very cute face brightened with a smile and she had a short height which made her appear more cute. The man was also very handsome he was tall, slim and had a whitish skin colour with red lips adding to his charm. He wore spectacles.

He desperately wanted to talk to that lady but he had a very quiet and reserved nature little did he know that the lady he was staring at loved men like him who had a reserved nature as she felt she was bubbly and talkative so reserved nature would compliment her.

Finally he saw her standing on a road with her friends, he gathered up his courage and asked the lady that he wanted to talk about something in private. She very suspiciously walked aside with that man almost against her wishes. The man proposed her directly for marriage. He said he liked her and that she could think of him and answer him according to her wish. The lady was furious in the first place she told the man, how can you just come over and ask this ? You are just 23 yrs old. You are still struggling with finding a job. The lady took a rikshaw and hurried home in anger.

Later after many futile attempts he finally managed to convince her and she soon reciprocated his love and agreed to marry him.

Now there was just a small issue. Marriage is not only love between two people, it is love between two families. In this case, it was a little complicated as it was not just two families but two communities as well. Yes! It was a love story which had a backdrop of two different communities. The lady was a Bengali and the man was a Punjabi. This was tough convincing both the families for marriage.

Boy’s family – couldn’t you find a tall, good looking Punjabi lady for yourself ? There are many Punjabi ladies waiting to marry you. What did you find in her ?

Girl’s family – couldn’t you find an intelligent, well settled Bengali man ? How will you adjust in a Punjabi family? You don’t even know how to make chappatis. I can find a decent Bengali well settled man for you.

After all this chaos, true love finally made its way to marriage. They were soon happily married. Her in laws taught her to make chappatis and other Punjabi delicacies patiently. They also supported her and helped her in completing her education.

An year passed and a baby girl was born where they resided in Patiala. They named it after much thinking the name which both the families could pronounce properly. After a few years they were settled and are currently professors in a government university.

It has been more than 20 years of them being together, they had their shares of fights, but their love overcame it. They had their shares of ups and downs but they always faced it together.

And this is my favourite love story ever no matter how many romantic novels I read. This love story made me believe in true love and that there are happily ever after marriages.

A marriage made in heaven

The name of their daughter is Mahima Dhillon.

Mom was a Gwalior born and Dad a Patiala born. Mom had only seen patiala in the map of Punjab. She didn’t know that she was destined to be a part of Punjab.

This was a fusion and an intercaste marriage between two entirely different communities. People often tell me that a movie could be made on your life. Just because I’m a fusion of 2 states.

However, I do have both traits of a Bengali and a Punjabi too.

I love eating roshogullah, but I’m also fond of kheer.

I love eating fish but I also like butter chicken.

I love the sweetness in Bengali language but I adore the swag in punjabi language too.

I love singing and I have a fondness for literature but I also love gidda and humming Punjabi songs.

I love Durga puja but I also worship gurus and celebrate Gurupurab.

I love being a part of two amazing communities.

Can I call myself a ‘Benjabi‘ ? (a term invented by me)

A fusion of two communities. People often ask me who are you ? A Punjabi or a Bengali ?

And then, I asked Dad this and he answered –

You represent the true spirit of Unity in diversity.

And to answering your question it doesn’t matter what community you belong to, you are always a human being first.

I loved hearing his words and they will forever be imprinted in my heart.

I hope you enjoyed reading a slice from my life as much as I enjoyed penning it down. I would love to hear your thoughts on my story in the comments section below. And for more stories stay updated.

Thank you!

❤️❤️❤️

The unexpected companion

Life has a way of unexpectedly pulling the rug from under your feet. Till it happened to me, I always thought that these are the kind of things that happen to other people. These are the kind of things that happen in Bollywood movies. These are the things that you read or hear about. It can never really happen to you.

Yet it did…

Can you recall the movie ‘ Jab we met’ or ‘DDLJ ‘, now remember the train scenes in both the movies. What was common, that the protagonists meet in a train and their friendship continues forever.

Now just imagine, what if something like that happens to you ? Well, a bit different from these movies but I met someone the same way.

Rewinding a few months from my life.

…………………

It was a bright day and I was traveling in a train from Delhi to Patiala with my mom & nani. They had their seats but my seat was in the next row. We had chair car seats as it was an evening journey. I sat down on my seat, I was happy because it was a window seat.

Soon a man, who seemed my age entered and sat beside me. He seemed like some rich man who seemed to call someone or the other almost continuously. I was reading a novel and I was definitely not liking the distraction. 😑😐

I wanted to give something to my mom at a few times and I had to tell him to pass that to her. He seemed happily obliged to serve. I thought hmmm I think he’s cool. 😂😅

You know sometimes it’s like you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t always readily like a person you meet but as time passes you realize his value and his uniqueness.

He finally got a chance to talk to me. We talked about almost everything ranging from our respective universities, our purpose of visiting both the cities, our DOBs and many more. He seemed talkative.

When we were close to reach Patiala, he very sarcastically told me that we have talked a lot but we still haven’t known our names. He told me his name with a formal handshake and I told my name by doing the same. 🤝

When we had reached and it was time for good byes I reached out to him and told him “it was nice meeting you”, he smiled and replied me the same. We waved each other and got off the train. I was smiling ‘he wasn’t that bad ‘. 😅

I hate goodbyes but little did I knew that it was just the beginning of a new story…

Soon, days passed and I was there busy in my work at the University. But suddenly something unexpected happened….

I got his message on my email address which had his cell number. It totally surprised me. If you had seen my expression, you would have been rolling in laughter. Then I remembered giving my email to him in the train. I saved his number in my phone and dropped a ‘hi’ through WhatsApp. 🗨️

A few more minutes and he replied’ hello’. So finally a stranger whom I had just met in train, a few days back had become a WhatsApp friend of mine. Weird naa ?? Wait there’s even more to come…

So, we chatted almost everyday. It felt good talking to him. We even called each other many times. 📞

Gradually, as a month passed, we discovered that we had become the best of friends.

We had the same thoughts ‘ I’m surprised at destiny, I never knew a partner on my train journey would become such a great friend of mine in a short time. ‘

Since, then we never stopped talking to each other. There was no looking back. It was fun.

So, this was my weirdo story.

Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Many unexpected turns take part in the road of life. Planning may miss out some exciting twists and turns. Don’t forget to Live laugh and love .

Our life is a train journey. Many people travel along with us as per their destination…but we get attached only with few co- passengers…not with the entire train passengers.

It happens with us all, somewhere, something unexpected happens and we’re left surprised. I was seeking a friend and I got one in the most unexpected way. 👫

Sometimes what you seek is seeking you.

Well, it was true for me… having experienced it, I can definitely vouch for that.

Like most bloggers, I too think in terms of blog- posts. Any event that occurs in my life immediately goes through an analysis as to whether it can be converted into an interesting blog post.

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks for taking out your time to read this post. I would love to hear your weird & unexpected stories too in the comments section.

And I’ll see you again with another story soon.

❤️

The Royal city Patiala

Hey friends,

Today I’m going to take you on a tour to Patiala. A city which has a lot to offer to every person who visits here. A city which needs to be explored.

Patiala, the city of kings 👑

The Tourism tagline for Punjab is ‘India begins here’ but for Patiala I would love to say ‘Royalitiy begins here’.

Patiala is a city in South eastern Punjab and North western India. Patiala is named after it’s founder Baba Ala Singh who founded Patiala state in 1763. There are 10 gates around the Royal city.

It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. It is one of the famous princely states of erstwhile Punjab.

It has a literacy rate of 75.3% which is decent. Patiala is a very clean and green city. It is pollution free and it’s air is fit for breathing. 🌲

Best time to visit Patiala is from October to February.

You’ll love Patiala for its rich culture. Historical monuments, Shopping hub. Patiala is one of the most safe and secure City for women in India.

This is where I was born, where my childhood memories have been created. This is where I’ve enjoyed the raindrops, the scorching sun and the chilling winters. 🤗

History of Patiala

Patiala is Punjab’s most well-known princely state. Its history, entwined with the lives of flamboyant rulers, has bequeathed it with a rich legacy of art and architecture.

Patiala was a part of Sirhind during the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal. Following the ascension of Aurangzeb as Emperor, Wazir Khan, the governor of Sirhind, bricked two of Guru Gobind Singh’s young sons alive. This caused widespread anger and disenchantment, leading to many battles between the Sikh and Mughal armies.

Sirhind was destroyed, and Baba Ala Singh carved out an independent principality. He laid the foundation of the Qila Mubarak in 1763, around which the town of Patiala, as we know it now, flourished. One of his descendants, Maharaja Narinder Singh gave the city some of its finest buildings, including the Moti Bagh Palace and the Sheesh Mahal.

Patiala’s most flamboyant ruler, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, said to be the first Indian to own an aeroplane, was an enthusiastic patron of sports, while his son, Yadavindra Singh, played an important role as Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes, agreeing as he did, along with 22 other rulers to accede to the Indian Union.

Long synonymous with peg measures and royal peccadilloes, this erstwhile state has in fact been culturally enriching, too. 🍺🥂

Culture

It bestowed Hindustani classical tradition with one of its most notable schools of music, the Patiala gharana, which produced the likes of Ustad Ali Bux and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan as its most celebrated exponents. 🎹

Well known for its many product-specific bazaars, it is a remarkable experience browsing through ones selling traditional crafts: juttis👠 (embroidered shoes), parandis (coloured braids) and nallas (silken drawstrings). Phulkari Punjab Govt Emporium supports the making of Phulkari an embroidery very famous in Patiala. 🌸🌼

NRIs often come to patiala for Phulkari shopping.

Patiala also has a long tradition of excellence in education and sports.

Mohindra College, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in north India, was founded by Maharaja Mohinder Singh in the 1870s. Besides, the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports( NIS ), was established within the Moti Bagh Palace following Independence, and is said to be Asia’s largest sports institute. 🏇🎯🥇

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, decided to come up with a school on the lines of his alma mater — Aitchison College, Lahore. On February 2, 1948, the foundation of Yadavindra Public School (YPS) was laid in Patiala. 📖

Tourist places to visit in Patiala 🚕

It’s magnificent forts and palaces, museums and places of worship, gardens and wildlife sanctuaries serve up a perfect melange of history,
Culture, art and craft.

1. Quila Mubarak
2. Sheesh Mahal
3. Moti Bagh Palace
4. Baradari Gardens
5. NIS
6. Kali Temple
7. Omax mall
8. Gurudwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib
9. Gurudwara Moti Bagh
10. Bir Bhundher Wildlife Santuary

Colleges in Patiala 🏛️

1. Punjabi University
2. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
3. Thapar College
4. Indira Gandhi National Open University

Additionally, the old bazaars of Patiala offer many a gourmet delight for foodies. Adalat Bazaar’s Sadhu Ram, Jaggi Sweets and Arjan Sweets, to name but a few. 🌯🍟

A major festival that is celebrated only in Patiala is Patiala Heritage Festival. It is an essential part of Patiala tourism itinerary. Saaras fair is also held in Sheesh Mahal which is a delight to visit.

The sad part is that not many are aware of this Royal city which is why I decided to write about it.

There’s a lot to be explored in Patiala. A city with a rich culture and heritage awaits you with open arms.

So, next time be sure to pack your bags for Patiala and be surprised. 🎒

Happy travelling

✌️

Superstar India

India and it’s journey,

From being incredible to unstoppable

India can be maddening, baffling, frustrating. But boring ? Never.

What are the three things keeping India down ? Corruption, corruption, corruption. What’s so fantastic about India ? People, people, people. If only we knew how to better utilize our greatest national asset – the billion plus people who make us what we are. Either we see them in a positive light or we foolishly look at our population as a liability and throw them away. India is a remarkably young country, with a youth force of half-a-billion. It is entirely up to us how we harness those energies, motivate this gigantic mass and get going.

India is very easy to fall in love with… Impossible and demanding. Exasperating and annoying. But equally enchanting and alluring, captivating and quixotic.

Tourists, like ourselves. Yes, us. Tourists in our own country. The ‘other’ India. The one ‘we’ know so little about.

Children nowadays don’t connect with poverty. It’s an alien concept that has never touched their pampered existence. India has always been like an inpatient, restless child, always seeking that extra something and getting it. 🎓

When I previously lived in Delhi, a foreign lady once told me that – It’s all happening here. I love the buzz in your city. This definitely made me smile. 😊

What’s so great about India ? Students often ask me and I look at them like they’re crazy to ask that. For better or worse, this is where I belong. This is where I want to be.

Family is such a strong force in India… that’s what makes our country so attractive. India is going global, you see. And in our hurry to win the global badge of recognition, we are throwing a lot of what is our core strength straight out of the window.

Unlike a lot of my contemporaries who lost faith in the country fled to the west seeking a superior education, better career opportunities or a higher quality of life. I have never considered living anywhere else, never fled, despite the odds. My inner voice told me to hang on more than the cacophony of departing friends. Today those people are wondering how to reconnect. They say home is where the heart is. 🏠

‘Adjust’ is a favourite word in India, and is used across the board, even by those who barely speak intelligible English. Most Indians are like elastic bands, ready to stretch themselves or shrink, depending on circumstances.

The only India we want the rest of the world to see and acknowledge, because we are so ashamed of the other. Ashamed and ignorant. We want to carefully crop out all those unflattering, ugly details that spoil the picture. Panels you listen to at prime time are doing just photo shopping India. Let’s stop this game of ‘Let’s pretend we are perfect’.🤷

The politicians here announce… India will soon be like America. But I declare ‘This is a great time to be an Indian, living in India. Today India is on roller skates. Everyone is traveling abroad, or so it seems at any of our international airports. Indians are curious people, ready to mix, learn , absorb, share. Right now India is in the hum kissi se kam nahi frame of mind. We want to show off and twirl in the spotlight.

Taj is amazing, no debate. But there’s more to India than an ancient mausoleum. The 37 UNESCO world heritage sites and the vibrant colours of our authentic delicacies, the unity in diversity is yet to be explored. We have wit, humour and diversity. Luxury is not new to India.

Judge us , condemn us, correct us, accept us…the options are all in your hands. But please Indians don’t be apologetic about your success.

We’ve got writers like Shobha De, Jhumpa Lahiri , and other reformers and our Bollywood industry, These girls have stood up for themselves and made a place for them globally.📚

We’ll soon surely come up from Unsung India to Surprising India. Unlike our forefathers, who didn’t dare, this generation has gone beyond mere daring. It is living it’s dreams.🖤

Dedicated to the one billion plus Super Indians who have made India a global Superstar. 🤗

Love India 🇮🇳

Thanks for reading

✌️

My travel diaries

Hey friends,

Today I’m going to take you inside my diary and a sneak peak in my world.

Some roads take you to unexpected destinations. The road less taken always has something explosive in store for the traveller.

Travel is a drug, and without a doubt, one of the most addictive, up there with sugar and smartphones.

The enslaved traveller, bored with the usual fix, compulsively chases the next high. Sorry, that me sound a bit worrisome, as if travel were a bad thing – when it’s the best thing we have. Well, maybe with the exception of food.

My friend has been in hot pursuit of trees for a while now. I understand her passion completely, because I chase trees too, subsumed by their majesty. Her journey is so real, it’s not a travel story in the conventional sense. My travel journeys have always been interesting. 🌳🌲

I’m not going to crow about it. You’ll see. Suffice it to say that it involves a little culture, some nostalgia, and a lot of food.

I love traveling by train more than any other mode of transportation. It helped me conjure up some beautiful memories and yet some not so good ones. 🚉

Once, when I was traveling I got the upper birth in the compartment of our train and I got to watch a movie in a laptop which was held by a person sitting in front of our seat. It was childish staring at their laptop. I watched the movie -‘ London, Paris, New York ‘.It was a happy happy moment. 🎬

Once, I got to meet a Portuguese Traveller on my train journey, which I have discussed in my previous blog’ My Train Journey’.

Whenever I travel by train I get to interact with people around me and that infuses me with new things. The freshly brewed coffee, the simmering hot cups of elaichi tea, the samosas apart from getting mesmerized with some keyrings and earrings sold in the trains. ☕🍵

My fondest memories are always accumulated with books, people and music.

Whenever I get to travel by any mode of transport , I always ensure some basic things with me like – a couple of books ( short stories or novels ), my earplugs ( which I think I forget to carry sometimes ). 🎧📚👥

Getting to interact with people around is always interesting. I seldom sleep in trains, I am always chatting with people or looking out of the window or engrossed in my novel.

I always get glued to the window seat in the train or bus whenever I’m lucky enough to get that seat 😂

Thanks to my mother, I’m addicted to the idea of reading new books. I am habitual to reading and buying new novels everytime I travel. Penning down my experiences is always a fun filled task. People always are in a fix whenever they see me because I’m short and I don’t look like an adult. But isn’t that unfair ? I usually think. Always take criticism positively. Don’t ever let someone dull your sparkling shine. Yes, I learnt them from my gang.

I get overjoyed whenever I learn that someone reads books or writes something, especially when looking at this modern era wherein people usually are mobile addicts. Somehow, I never got used to the idea of using social media to socialize or to read online PDF versions of books. I always prefer following the real originality and authencitiy of my ideas.

My life has always been revolving around many cultures, cuisines and languages maybe that’s why I already know 5 languages.

I’m busy preparing for what promises to be the trip of a lifetime. I have hopes of it challenging me in fresh, new ways. Of yanking me out of my comfort zone. Of erasing the boundaries I’ve set for myself. Of finally making a proper traveller out of me.

There are no prizes for guessing where I’m heading next, however…

Thanks for reading

🤗

Dog ears

Hey friends ,

What do you think about dog ears ? Not those floppy , perky ears you see on dogs , silly ! 😂 But the tiny folds at the top of books.

Some people fold down a tiny corner to mark the page where they stopped reading , which is kind of awful particularly if it’s a borrowed book , isn’t it ? When any stray piece of paper can serve as a bookmark ? I sort of imagine how a book would feel…like someone pulled it’s ears ? Ouch ! 😬

Then there are others like me who live in fear of dog-earing books , inadvertently. There are some simple problems faced by us like where’s my pen ? Who took it ? , I can’t find my spectacles and the book I wanted to read was not available at the book store.

There was a incident in my sixth grade when our teacher was checking our books. She took one look at my book and said, “why are some pages of your book dog-eared ? Straighten them !”.

That day I understood what dog ears meant , because I had to spend the whole period ironing them out ! 😓 However I didn’t understand how the pages of my book got folded in the first place ! I think maybe I had an unknown super weird power that caused dog ears.

That incident had me terrified for life. I had nightmares about going through hundreds of books , ironing out their dog- eared pages.

So now , I’m super careful about my books. If anyone wants to borrow my books i lend them my books with some instructions….like – my book shouldn’t have markings with a pen, pages should not be dog- eared , no stains and crumpled edges of my books.

I’m even scared of borrowing books. When I do borrow books , I treat them like delicate crystal vases. My bag usually has a folder or a stiff sheet just so books don’t get folded. I also make sure I place books with the spine facing down. If I could bubble wrap books , I’d do that too. No kidding 😅

Hope you’re taking good care of your books ?

You never know when the dog ear monster may come checking ! 😉

Thanks for stopping by

See you soon readers

🖤

The sense of an ending

Everything good or bad comes to an end. That’s the way life strikes a balance. And that is one of the lessons that universe teaches us time and again – through seasonal cycles, through the nature of time and the cycle of birth, growth, decay and death.

Every ending brings with it some regret, some pain, and a sense of loss. And yet, as we all know through personal experience, in time, the pain and regret wear out as we start immersing ourselves in a new beginning. Slowly, but assuredly, autumn will give way to spring. And, just as surely the blooms of spring will wither away into another autumn. Both seasons come with their own sense of beauty and purpose.

Paraphrasing, if winter comes, how can spring be left far behind…

Nature knows her cycles and inexorably follows these. But do we know ours ? Are we aware of our exit lines and do we attempt to deliver these just as gracefully as we welcome beginnings ?

Not just in matters as grave as life and death, almost every day we encounter beginnings and endings, no matter how small. It is important to recognise these, be it relationships, jobs, or a stage of life. It could be some work you are doing – writing, painting, creating, or making something.

As anyone who writes, paints or indulges in any creative activity can tell you, it is very tough to let go of your work and declare it done. You can always improve that piece of writing, a poem, a painting, a lyric or even the sound of music.

Leonardo da Vinci put this succinctly when he said, Art is never finished, only abandoned.

It is important to understand when something reaches its end. If we do so we will be able to let go without denying its validity and significance in making us what we are. If we keep fighting the end, we just increase the pain. This is particularly true of relationships or jobs that we are working on. We find it tough to let go when the time comes. People in our lives sometimes just play out their roles and move on, and that is how it is meant to be.

Dignity lies in getting a sense of the ending and letting go gracefully.

Endings are times for introspection and philosophising. We must pause at every ending and internalise the lessons learnt before we move on.

After every ending, comes a new beginning and both deserve celebrations and that is the way of life.

We must recognise that endings are inevitable and a time for introspection as we wait to welcome new beginnings…

Every ending is a new beginning somewhere else. Cherish and celebrate every moment of life because life is a one time affair.

Babumoshai zindigi badi honi chahiye lambi nahi…

Thank you for taking out your precious time and reading this.

Hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to mention your reviews in the comments.

Thank you

❤️

It’s Complicated

There are some issues prevailing in our society which need to be addressed. Issues which restrict a girl to live life on her own terms.

An Indian girl faces many obstacles in her life. Issues like dowry, single child , female foeticide,sexual harassment, managing house, cooking good food are issues we come across daily but choose to ignore it and believing it as something which cannot be corrected. We are wrong here.

If a couple has a single girl child, people start interrogating them suspiciously, only one ? that too a girl ? Why ? This is something redicilous. I mean it was their personal decision. Why does the society needs to poke their nose here. And then people say every child whether a boy or a girl is a God’s gift.

Hypocrisy is in the blood of Indians.

We want a mother, a wife, a sister then why don’t we need a girl child ? Are all these relations possible without a girl ?

She’s a girl, start preparing for her dowry. Dear people dowry given and taken is a crime. Nowadays another form of dowry is how much will you be spending on the wedding ? I find it shockingly that still in marriages the girl’s side gifts a car or books a huge palace for the wedding. Food is wasted, money is boasted in such big fat indian weddings. Why can’t both the sides play an equal role in their marriage ?

Why is respect not given equally to women ?

She’s a girl, she’s meant to do household work, her education’s not important it won’t be beneficial in the future, her first priority should be on cooking good food and managing household chores because this is what she’d be doing in the future, this is how she’ll become part of a good family.

Feeling irritated ? Angry ?

Sadly, this is the mindset of every household nowadays. This is what we usually hear from our grandparents , you are a girl you have to do all this, you have to compromise, adjust and be suppressed. The truth is that in this independent India, not only boys but girls have all the right to education and live their lives independently. Law is equal for everyone.

A girl in order to stand up for herself and fight with the evils residing in the society needs to be financially independent. You can challenge the wrong doings only when you have a status and power in the society. My parents right from the beginning have made me stand for myself, stand for what you think is wrong, follow your intuition, be financially strong and independent. Knowing the art of earning a bread is more important than knowing how to bake a bread.

The hypocrisy is that men expect a lady to be beautiful, with a high paying job, a status but provided that she should be a good cook and could manage the house properly. Did we girls ever set some rules and standards for you ? Why only girls ?

Ask a boy if he knows how to cook, he’d say he barely knows how to boil water or milk or the most common it’s not important for us. What if you live alone somewhere, so what we’ve other options like restaurants or gurudwaras. If every girl should be familiar with cooking then why not a boy ? Why did their mothers not teach them basics in cooking ? This thought needs to be changed and talked about.

A man could be a chef at a restaurant, he could be working at a dhabha , he could be managing on his own in hostels, but still when he gets married the expectations of cooking good food and managing the house turns entirety to the lady alone. Isn’t this male chavanism ? Why does it become a matter of pride for a man not to help her lady ? Why is he ashamed or bothered ? Why can’t a working woman who has a 9-5 job not expect a little help from her husband ?

When you know she’s tired, make her a cup of tea or coffee in the evening , cook dinner occasionally to surprise her. These little efforts can indeed make a huge difference in her life. She’ll always remember these little happy moments and cherish them forever. By doing this you’ll not only become a good husband but an example and inspiration for all the men in the society.

Please don’t just restrict a woman to just a house , encourage her at every step, motivate her hidden talents, make her happy.

Treat a woman like a princess, remember she has left her home, left her ailing, old and lonely parents, sacrificed so much for you at every step of her life, stood up for you. Respect her and her parents. Be a good son to her parents not a son in law. Stand up for her, respect her decisions, don’t abuse her physically and mentally, don’t make her feel guilty for marrying you.

Be a gentleman to your lady.

Last but not the least I would love to share a quote – ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’.

There were people who discouraged me on writing blogs , they said what would a blog read by a few people make a difference, they gave me annoying reasons. The thing is that different people have different mindsets and opinions and being a writer I respect different views. It is not always important that we’ll meet like minded people, people could disagree with you. Take the critisism positively.

A big thank you to all the lovely people reading this blog. Be sure to spread this message to every orthodox society. Be a change in a heard of sheep.

My trip to Hyderabad

Writing Travel blogs – chapter 3 ✌️

The place extremely loved by me…with a very positive vibe and a place worth writing. ✒️

Me – Where are we going to spend our vacations ?

Dad – In Hyderabad

So off we set….

The capital city of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana is rich in it’s royal style, culture, heritage, delicacies and it’s people and peace. 🚊

The history book reminds of the struggle India took to make Hyderabad a part of India. It tells about the forceful rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad on it’s people and finally signing the accession of Hyderabad to India. 📕

Hyderabad has a tinge of modernity to it’s original nawab feel. When in Hyderabad be sure to check out on Secunderabad. Commonly known as twin cities Hyderabad and Secunderabad are separated by Hussain Sagar Lake, the buildings on the other side show a peek into Secunderabad when you’re on the side of Hyderabad. This often remindes me of its similarity with Niagra falls wherein from New York you can witness the glimering lights of the skyscapers of Canada. 🎆

Our hotel overlooked a wide range of small eating joints and a church behind our hotel. The cool breeze and the aroma of idlis woke me up from my dreams. In the breakfast we onlooked some simmering hot cups of coffee along with some mouth watering idlis. The size of the idlis made me think if I could eat more than two. Kindly don’t try Punjabi puris there, it’s not pleasing. Hot uttapams greeted us in the afternoon. Yellow daal with hot naans were enough to fill our stomachs at night. The food here in Hyderabad is quite spicy. Mark that 🤧

How could we forget the famous hyderabad’s biryani and kebabs. The mutton biryani’s aroma was enough to set our mouths watering. It’s authentic taste still tickles our taste buds. 😋

Interactions

The next day was spent chatting with the locals, also stopped in to buy fruits. The people were very friendly and courteous. The unity in diversity clearly highlights Hyderabad. People with different communities lived and communicated like simply humans. Humanity is the religion there which you don’t get to see elsewhere in India . Right ? 💞

They cooperated in diluting us in their culture by familiarizing us with the local language there… Otherwise the public transport ( buses ) could be really confusing. The raat de gedi was great. The Hussain Sagar looks amazing in the dark with the colourfully lighted statue. The churches there are beautiful. This is the safest state I’ve visited wherein we could roam around in the streets at midnight. The tour starts. 🚕

Chaar Minar

Not only the monument but the gushing market surrounding the Minar is a delight for tourists and yet a great place for shopaholics. The pearls, the glittering bangles, the pretty sarees were all tempting.

Salar jung Museum

This is a must watch when in Hyderabad. It is one of the important museums in India. The ivory dinnings , the Jade crockery, the different paintings of different eras are all enchanting. The central attraction of this museum is a clock. After every hour a drawf comes out of the clock like magic and strikes the dong according to the hour of the day. A large crowd is seated on chairs especially to watch this. 🏛️

Golconda Fort

The birthplace of Kohinoor, the most famous diamond, the fort is located a few kilometers from Hyderabad. A brick fort was once a very famous hub for diamonds.

Chowmohallah Palace

A very beautiful architectural design in white. It is the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad.Inside it contains the family pictures of the Nizams, their antique clothes and weapons. It has a train which serves food in it’s boggies on a huge dinning table. On the front of the palace there is a yellow coloured Rolls Royce, a bike collection ranging from the oldest models of Harley Davidson, a baggi is also visible. 🏍️

Birla Mandir

A white coloured Temple on a hill. The view is perfect for clicking pictures. 📸

Hyderabad has it all that needs to attract tourists, from it’s nawab like charm to it’s authentic biryani and idlis, from architectural delights to shopping at the Chaar Minar.

Hyderabad has a climate which would always tempt you to become a resident of Hyderabad. The perfect secure state for entrepreneurs and women.

So, guys this was my unforgettable experience in Hyderabad. When are you packing your bags for Hyderabad ??? 👝

Hope you liked reading it. 📖

Thanks for reading 👍