by Manju Gupta
The other two who preceded him, collapsed from exhaustion after crossing the finishing line. In contrast his entry was majestic, he jogged in energetically like a hero, both arms raised in celebration. He looked a little dazed, a little confused as the crowd cheered on, giving him a heartfelt standing ovation. He clapped a little too, maybe for himself, maybe in appreciation for their appreciation. And then he knelt down…
On a recent trip to Switzerland, we stopped for lunch at a small picnic spot by the road. A non descript village on the way home. Apart from the usual bench, swing and water source, there was a sandpit with toy trucks, dumpsters and excavators. A ping pong table stood in one corner with the racquets and ball lying in a plastic bag underneath. An open invitation to play. And…
I have forced myself out of bed for it, even on holidays, especially on holidays ! I have braved the winter chill and gusty wind for it. Rubbing sleep out of my eyes and ignoring my weary body which begged to rest some more. Sometimes perched on uncomfortable stone benches and parapets, sometimes with no place to sit, standing, people bustling around, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Like many…
A Dog’s life Dr Manju Gupta A dog died in my neighbourhood recently. No, it wasn’t my neighbour’s dog. Actually it wasn’t anyone’s dog, belonged to no one. Just one of those lowly strays that wander in our cities. Born on the street, surviving on random acts of kindness, till they die of disease, starvation or are run over by some speeding vehicle. So how do I know about it’s…
While the entire medical fraternity is trying to draw the nation’s attention to the Kolkata incident I would like to focus closer home. Not because I am not outraged by what happened there but because it would be akin to flogging a dead horse. So I will skip the incident in SNR Medical College and recount what happened in my alma mater PGIMS Rohtak instead. A final year post graduate…
My son told me it’s called Google 15. The fifteen pounds that Nooglers supposedly gain from gorging on the omnipresent free food. Its said to take a year for new recruits to realise that the buffet won’t shrink but their midriff will expand ! When I had visited his office cafeteria, I was floored by the diverse multi cuisine menu, dutifully color coded according to their calorific value. Having always been…
“No take” comes the voice from below and the pedantic me cringes. “No take,” he repeats, sometimes sternly, sometimes gently but always in a calm authoritative voice. Before I confuse you further, let me begin at the beginning. My friends had gifted me a Cocker Spaniel on my birthday. It hadn’t required too much guess work. They knew that I wanted to adopt a pup ever since my Lhasa apso…
As I return to my column after a longish break, desperately hoping that I was missed, I am numbed by a recent happening and intrigued by the coincidence. I had last written on how we Indians live precariously. Now I am compelled to write this one about falling off the edge. It seems, if you live on the fringe, falling through the gap is inevitable. He was still practicing paediatrics…
Standing in a sea of pink, I calculated the chances and hurriedly went over the check list. I was waiting to run ( walk ! ) for ten km and mentally preparing myself, not to ace the race but to survive a stampede. Pinkathalon was a state sponsored mini marathon to celebrate International Women’s Day. Like all such events which are used to show political clout, despite the use of…
I take great pride in my daughter’s confident strut, her head held high, ready to express her views, striving to be seen and heard. My grandmother, on the other hand, spent most of her life bent over. She was trained to walk with her eyes downcast, aiming to melt into the scenery, never to be seen or heard. So yes, over generations, there has been a definite change in the…