It doesn’t seem very serious when you talk about a top or a shoe. Or something which is just momentary. But when it comes to life, if something like that happens to you. You know it’s a sign that you’ve got your rock bottom. And heads up, my friend, that’s not good.

Lately, I have observed that my life has become the same. I am literally in a situation that I was avoiding the whole time. I am living the life right now that I never wanted to live. I always wanted to avoid this loop of life where you know, you have some preconceived manuals. Study up to 21 or 22, get a job, build a career, and find the right partner to get married and settle down. I didn’t want all of it, maybe a few. I always thought that I was meant to do something different. I was always self-assured that I would settle for my calling only.

Life is not easy, not for me, not for anyone. Life doesn’t spare anyone; everyone has their portion of baggage. You cannot say, “Why me?” because believe me, it’s not just you.

So, according to the rules, even I got my Paracel of chaos, disappointments, confusions, struggles. While trying to figure out a way out of it, I never realized that when I decided to just settle for whatever was served. Usually, it seems like a very comforting option in such moments but those are the moments when you have to be the most aware of next step because that’s trap and will not let you go for a long time and you will see your whole life just passing in front of your eyes and you will lie there, lifeless and hopeless and that’s worst.

The sad thing is, I think amidst all that chaos, I fell into the trap. I don’t know where my life is going. It feels like I’m stuck. And there is no way out, I always feel lost. I have no energy. I don’t see that enthusiasm and hope in my life. There is no Motivation in my life. It seems like, ok, fine. Now, this is it, but I’m very sure, this never was.

I know I don’t want this, and maybe it is a sign that I have a chance, I have a hope.

Has it ever happened to you? If you had been at my place, what would you have done?

And just like that, we have come to the end of the year, waving bye on one side and standing to welcome on the other. Many of us must have partied very hard and enjoyed the celebration. It is quite understandable though any new thing needs a grand welcome, and every passing thing needs a farewell.
I am quite an after-party person, so I am really into the after-party vibe. After the party, underneath the silence, my thoughts talk louder. Every celebration makes me realize that we were ready for the celebration because the preparation of letting go, getting sober with something, and embracing something new is a lifelong practice.
Look around yourself, and you will realize that you are never really to let go of something.
Excitement about the birthday is limited to that day only; all the gifts, wishes, and party make it an interesting and loveable day. After that day we again get back on our regular track; full of confusion, doubts, and changing waves of emotion. Any festival has a confined excitement for that day only. And that makes me feel that our excitement and peak of happiness have limited slots in our lives. And maybe that’s the reason that I usually maintain distance from the celebration and keep myself grounded and reality-checked.

I am not sad in my life but I want to be at peace now. I don’t want to be affected by anything. There must be someone how who had a blast and the best time of their life last year and I hope that the coming years will be much more wonderful. But I don’t know what to wish for myself.
No unexpected and wonderful turns of events happened in my life; every day was a usual day. Some days were bad some days were good. Every day I helped myself to continue the journey, I tried a little harder to walk on the broken pieces of my dreams and hopes, and every day I survived some days my struggle was happening when I was just lying on the blanket covered in warmers, every day I survived with the hope of “maybe”. Amidst all that I don’t know what was the unforgettable moment and how can I call my year nostalgic but somehow, I liked how I made it.
And the coming year also I am not praying for something wonderful and amazing because I know only the calendar has changed, characters and plot are still the same. I know I am not done yet and even life hasn’t given up yet. I just hope for resilience and peace so that I can continue the battle in 2025 without giving up. I know the battle of life is not about winning or losing but it is about giving up and losing and God oh God!! I am so not ready to give up. I will walk slowly, maybe just one step at a time but I am not going to leave the battlefield at all.
More than success I want meaning, a meaningful life is what I am fighting for and I am going to get it. And until then it’s just a new year for me. But for the rest of you, I wish you all a very happy new year and may all your dreams come true and the celebration keep continuing in your life till the end of time.
Adios and Bienvenida

I am a woman and I can say this very confidently that I don’t live in an independent country anymore. This is the not the picture I have in my mind when I talk about independence. We are still caged, only some new faces are the dictators now. Earlier it was Britishers and now it is someone from within the country.

A country is only independent when the citizens of the country can feel the feeling of independence in their heart and minds. Looking at the current situation I can definitely say that I don’t have that feeling in my heart and you cannot question me for that.

I mean how can I feel independent in a country where with every passing second a girl is getting raped here. Be it school, a workplace, home, streets, parks, hospitals; women are not safe anywhere. From a girl child to an elderly woman, they are eyed like a hawk by some pests in our society. From diaper to saree to one is safe. Those animals who are tearing these women apart, are not left with an ounce of humanity in them and so, if this is the case then there is no point in calling them human, its better to address them as animals. You know what calling them animal would bring shame to those innocent animals, so let’s call them an evil when again somewhere evil also knows their boundaries.

It doesn’t take these evils much time to commit the heinous crime of tearing apart soul and body of a woman but hats off to our judicial system, I must say that they are biggest example of patience in our country with which they deal with these cases. I won’t mind saying that even our judiciary is part of every rape happening in our country because if you are not stopping something immoral and unethical then it is not wrong to say that you are also the part of act.

What kind of a crime a doctor must’ve committed in the hospital while being on her duty that some evil used her body to serve his lust and moreover to that, he mutilated her body in a such way that no human can imagine inducing such pain to other human.

What a girl must have done wrong in a public transport system while coming from the movies that she became a serving spot to the lust of some evils. Bodies mutilated and tormented in such a way that no one can recognise them. It is hard for me to write the state of those bodies in words here, imagine the situation of the families who have seen the body of their girls in those states. What needs to go wrong is someone’s head to stoop so low in the level of crime. In fact, it is not even a crime this is inhumanity.

The limit of wrong is actually the limit of tolerance of right. Our country’s serving depends upon the judicial system a lot so if there is something in this country our judiciary is responsible for it as well. If the level of heinousness has exceeded all its limits, then it is probably because we as a society and humans have failed somewhere and are being very lenient with these criminals.

People making bunch of lame excuses that the woman must be walking alone in the streets, she must be wearing short clothes, she must have had a lot of drink, she must be being over friendly. To all those people I want to ask that what excuse and justification you will give for a 2 months old baby, what kind of a seducing act she must have put out there for those dirty minds? What kind of a wooing act an elderly woman must have put out?

There is no excuse for any crime, very single crime is a punishable act and rape is the limit of crime. Even if a woman somehow manages to survive this level of crime, its just a life with a curse for her further ahead because thanks to our society that no matter what they always manage to find out a way to put the women under the frame of judgement even if she is on the receiving end. According to them there is a reason that women are getting raped, there is a reason that women are getting burned in the name of dowry, there is a reason that women are the ones getting abused in domestic violence. Basically, we are a part of the society where you cannot expect a meaningful thought and rational move from some people.

Candle march is not enough if judiciary is not taking any step, then we should take the baton in our hand and head the march in such a way that no man dares to lay his eyes on any woman with wrong intention. If we call ourselves independent then it is high time that we have proved it right. We are entitled to live freely, each and every woman is a respectable citizen and if we are not getting that respect then we better snatch it. When no stands up for you, its better that your voice for yourself out loud. And the rest of the clan should learn to support those voices and if just words are not enough to don’t even think twice before acting upon it.

There is no end of pain that I experience as a woman by looking at the dark phase of women in this society but I am ending this article with a question for all of you that how many Nirbhaya and female doctors is it going to take for you to boil you blood and do something about it? and while you are thinking about it, just for you to know that in this moment also a girl is getting raped somewhere, so, it is better that you hurry.

Sometimes we keep knocking the door even if it is taking more than usual amount of time to open up because we believe that if it’ll not open maybe our knocking will knock the door off and sometimes it happens also but case is not always the same. Sometimes no matter how much you knock, no one is counting and the door remains closed.

Leaving something halfway has been entitled as the act of cowardness, but is it?

I believe sometimes, leaving somethings is the best thing you could do. Somethings are not worth your time, energy and focus. We are humans, we are somehow driven by both our hearts and mind but yet we don’t want to get caught in the act of vulnerability. Sometimes, somethings in you are not just good enough instead they just create an unnecessary burden on your existence. They make your breath heavy and keeps your heartbeat fast.

Not trying to move on and remain entangled in the false hopes and endless weights is nothing but an act of adding toxicity in your life.

I have seen many people wasting valuable time of their lives behind false hopes and stubbornness. They think they are being consistent but the reality is far away from them. let’s talk about career first. The first thing that I see wrong in it that most of the aspirants are not even barely making their career but merely chasing the dream of their families. They have no idea about their aptitude, inclination, skills but somehow, they know that what they are meant to do and want to do because the seeds of those achievements have been planted in their minds. This approach is totally wrong. By doing this most of the aspirants get stuck in the endless loop and they just never make it out of it. Now, what would have been the right approach? The correct step would be to dump everything and revaluated your certain choices and moves. The solution is to escape the loop. But because half of our life run on the predetermined theories, in the name of hard work we keep wasting our time.

So, see how the right escape at the right time would have saved so much of time and effort. It’s not about spending energy but spending it in the right way. Sometimes, escaping is what you need to fix your direction properly. Those who are trying to make their career are facing this problem because most of them didn’t get to know themselves. So many of them are just trying and trying in the name of hard work believing that one day it will all get paid off and let’s say it did, they get what they were in for but even after that it would lead them to an unsatisfactory life, unfulfilling career and they keep looking for something that even they don’t know anything about. So, to leave all this aside, it is necessary to know when to make you exit.

One of the other things that I witness is trying to maintain relationships. People chose to exist in a relation and don’t wreck it no matter how toxic it is because according them breaking a relationship is easy but unethical act. Firstly, we need to tell ourselves that just because something is easy that doesn’t mean it is wrong. Secondly, no good is going to come out of anything where your existence is mere and where you need to suffer. If you are not feeling your presence, if you think your self-worth is under question mark, if you no longer feel any respect for yourself then what is the point of even existing. No relationship is good and important enough that takes away you from yourself.

So many people chose to remain in a toxic relationship forever but what they don’t know that no one is giving any reward to them. They are just cheating themselves. if you can’t be honest with yourself and take a stand for yourself then do you think you are worth of doing anything? There is a difference between being selfless and destroying yourself for the sake of something else. If a relationship is taking much more from you as compare to it what it is giving you then that does not mean that you need to hold onto it and try to mend it, that’s an alarm that it’s time for you to raise your eyebrows. It is a simple sign that means, it is the time for you to show yourself the way to out.

In life we do need to sacrifices a lot, we have to fight so many battles but it is up to us to choose our battles but if we start picking every battle and start doing adjustments and amendments everywhere then that just means that we don’t have any self-respect for yourself and we are nothing without external validation.

Escape is not always the solution, somethings demand time, patience and focus. But we must know where to invest our time, patience and focus. If something is just not doing anything good to me then is it even worth for anything?

Sometimes, our thought process becomes so fuzzy from all the external opinions, suggestions and need of validation that we even fail to think about ourselves and just keep spending ourselves somewhere where we are not even valued, where we become unaware of our own self, we start doubting ourselves, where we start thinking about ourselves as the biggest failure. And do you think any of these thoughts are worth to take up any space in your mind? Now, don’t you think these kinds of situations just need our exit? Leaving such situations behind not only take you away from your miserable present but also ignites the hope for you to have a delightful future.

Untangling yourself might be hard but what comes after that is abundance of hope, chances, delight.

People think keeps dangling in a situation shows resilience, commitment, focus and many more strengths but you know what takes more bravery and strength? The ability to turn the page and writing your story all over again from the first letter and that could be anything but weakness. Universe gives you a second chance or not, completely depends on whether you are ready to give yourself a second chance or not.

Universe is full of hopes if you are hopeful for yourself and also is a hollow and hopeless hole if you don’t have anything for yourself. Sometimes to get the new picture you have to change the canvas and once you do that, you’ll see universe ready to give you all the colours you need to paint the picture you want.

If ask half of the population about the purpose of whatever they are doing in their lives, you know what would be the most common answer, that “I am sure I’ll achieve bank balance, house, travel diaries, independence in all means”, basically, half of us are working for materialistic gain. The sad part is most of us are not even sure that whatever we are doing is actually fulfilling for us or not but we are just doing because somewhere down the road is it serving the purpose of basic survival.

Thing might seem same on a large scale but if you’ll dig a little deeper, you’ll get know that this is not always the case. Our society still carries some gems who have discovered their purpose of survival on a different note. There are many liberated personalities living amongst us who has given up everything whatever they have and everything they have achieved from their hard work in order to attain their true calling and lead a purposeful life which is driven by their instinct.

One such gem and liberated soul that I am going to talk about today is Prof. Alok Sagar. This man is the epitome of being driven by passion and liberation.

Prof. Alok Sagar, a graduate from Delhi IIT who later went to Houston to complete his PhD and masters and continued his carrier as the professor at IIT. It is quite evident that with such calibre of knowledge and degree this man could get the best out of his life and could get whatever he wants. Knowledge is the most powerful tool and this man has the abundance of it. Somewhere, a strong educational background of the family also played a major role in shaping his career. Coming from the family where mother was a physics Professor at Miranda University, Delhi, father was IRS (Indian Reserve Service) officer, is strong education background served as a great support. Also, Professor served as a teacher for the former RBI Governor, Raghuram Rajan.

Even after having so many accolades in his career, Professor Alok Sagar gave up everything in 1982 and started a new journey. The journey that he started in 1982 was very different and has nothing to do with whatever he has achieved in his career. The journey that professor is on right now is basically, the result of him giving up everything.

The current status of Prof. Alok Sagar is that he lives in remote village of Madhya Pradesh, named Ko Chamu. The life that he is living right now is not at all the reflection of his achievements and education. A professor with high calibre is living a simple life in Ko Chamu wearing simple and plain Kurta Pyjama, using cycle as his means of commute. He has found his calling in that village and now he has settled himself there only to serve his purpose. He is working for the cause by educating the people over there the need to take care of the environment. He is continuously serving himself in making people aware and telling them how to take effective steps in taking care of the environment. He travels through his cycle for almost 60 km just in order to give seeds to the residents to carry forward the task of environmental awareness.

Prof. Sagar could have served as a great leader for that village also but he never considered politics always maintained a low-key life and a balanced lifestyle. Although, he knows multiple languages to communicate, the native language of the village be one of them the job would have been easy for him but he always served for the cause without demanding any name and fame out of it.

The movement that Prof. Sagar has started is unwavering and the result of that movement is that the village is filled with more 50,000 tree plantations considering that the village has no supply of electricity and there is no road as well.

Prof. Sagar is the true example of humanity. With the kind of knowledge the man has and the kind of designations that he has served, he could have chosen a path of easiness, comforts, fancies and luxuries but instead he followed his instincts and chose a completely different trajectory for his life. He chose a bigger outlook to serve. He served a quite different yet liberating purpose in his life; he chose completely unexpected turn and is now leading a fulfilling life in that lane.

The teaching that we can fetch from Prof. Alok Sagar’s life that life is full of uncertainty. No matter how great you are doing in your life or how much downfall you are facing right now the only that can get you somewhere fulfilling is when deep down you know what you want. Expectations of society, family, peers are never ending. The path of life has already been stagnated by the society. If you are good at studies then get a degree, secure a fancy job, build a safe environment. If you are not good at studies multiple factors are there in your life to get you somewhere; family name, a source; one thing or another something will always be there in order to get you somewhere. The only problem with both the plans is that people are not considering you or maybe you are not considering yourself and putting the expectations of others before you. But then again from all the rush and chaos a star always shines. One such star is Prof. Alok Sagar.

Prof. is an institution in himself. If we pay close attention to the life of professor then we could learn from him that nothing in this life is actually right or wrong, there is no such thing as chaos and calmness, there is no definition of success and failure, what matters the most for you is to know what is acceptable to you. In a long term you can never lead a fulfilling life if you are driven by the vision of others.

Prof. Sagar must have faced hard time in order start everything a fresh by leaving behind all the hard work and achievements that he has gained in his life so far. He must have been questioned for his choices as well, the preferences that he picked must be kept under the radar but could divert him from his goal. Once he knew that what he wants then after that there is no looking back. He put everything at stake and carried his will power only to embark a new journey. And today even after leading a simple life in a minimalistic way by residing in a village, he is inspiring so many people who get to learn about him and learn about his life journey.

Prof. Alok Sagar’s life stands by the statement that in order to achieve big and leave a legacy behind, will power be much required tool than money power. Its your will power that creates you and defines you forever. Your materialistic gain is temporary but when you lead a life which driven by your instincts and that has a purpose to serve a cause resulting the benefit on a large scale for a large population then only you lead a life that leaves an imprint on time which stays there forever.

Humans have conquered many battles and also, they have uncovered many secretes of the universe. And by using their brain power they have also elevated the level of innovation. You pick any field and you’ll come across the stacks of research papers and experiments going in that field. Isn’t it amazing? Feels like human species is finally layering off their power to the core and are doing magic in the universe. From climate to cosmos, from medical to AI, from human functioning to all the other living species on the earth; the unwavering dedication of us is quite evident in all the possible fields and the best part of this new league of innovation is doing wonders for the complete globe.

But apart from all these, there is one thing that cannot be hindered not matter how much advancement we achieve, one unwavering thing that has the power to make us dance on its tap and we can do absolutely nothing, master of all; TIME. Time is uncontrollable and no living or dead substance on this planet earth cannot win over it. We have to function according to the time. Time is precious and is far away from our reach. No level of AI advancement, not any chemical formula, no tool, no programming code can advance us enough to uncover the power of time.

Sometimes, I wonder that what is time. who is the master of all? What is so magical about time that no one can win over it?

I am simple girl, with ordinary life but with extraordinary dream, passion and vision. I know that I am not meant of ordinary things and I know no one in the world can force me to do something against my will and even if the circumstances of my life force me to follow the opposite direction I won’t survive for long (Maybe I am not that strong). As they say that if you want the mountain view, you have to go through the hilly roads. The situation of my life is like that right now. I am stuck in a situation. Although I am handling it but I don’t know what good it is doing to me. People always says that everything happens for a reason, look at the bright side but my situation makes me hate these statements right now. These forced positivity slangs make me feel choked. I know that I am in bad situation right now and there is nothing I can do right now (and when I say nothing, believe me, there is nothing).

May be my time is testing me, I don’t know. But all I know that I can’t give up right now. I have been holding it all in for so long, mustering up all my courage that giving up now would be the most cowardly act of mine. And I can be anything but not a coward.

People around be me lecture me all the time about time that how time is passing by with every moment, as if I am not familiar with the concept of time. They lecture me that how my time of profession and career is passing, how my time of getting married is passing, how my time of finally settling down is passing by. And that makes me wonder that who gave this society the job of slotting time and entitling it with events that usually happens in humans’ life? Who is that one person who has been appointed as the master of time by the universe? Who gave this power to whom? I know I am not in the right position right now but then who decided that I have failed?

Not just me, who are we to entitle someone as failure and tag their situation as “your time is passing”. What is the definition of “right time”? In which book the definition is imprinted? If my time is wrong then I want proof.

Time is inevitable but does that mean we have to race against it or we have to match our every footstep with its every tick?

For me time is there just as a universal factor, time is there is to teach us the cycle of life, time is there to tell us and teach us that no matter how much of a slave you will act to time, it will be unbothered with whatever is happening in your life and it will function as it has been doing since the beginning of everything. Time is doing its job and will not stop for you even for a second. No matter you eat or not, no matter you drink or not; time just simply doesn’t care, it is doing its job. Time is the master of all but that does not mean you have to be the slave of it all time.

We are humans and we are doing wonders using the power of our knowledge and brain. The age of innovation is the resultant of the magic of the digitalization and globalization. That simply signifies that indeed we are smart enough to at least know what is good and bad for us, what is our basic jobs and responsibilities that we need to do. Of course, some events of life are defined by time and that is fine like schooling, adulting, being under the love and guidance of parents; but these events of life are not our complete story. Our life is more than that. And sometimes, you have to bold and strong to go against time and believe me time never complaints and raises questions.

Humans acts best when they follow their instincts. The best guide for any individual is the voice that comes from the core of their hearts. No time can surpass the power of your instincts. Age of 25 is not the age of having a steady career, being confident, having complete surety and clear roadmap for the rest of your life till the time you die, age of 30 is not the landmark to get married, biological clock is not driving force to tell you to be mentally prepared to have kids. Time is not telling you to do all these things and no one in the world has the power to obligate you to do so at that particular time. You are one you need to listen if you want to reach somewhere in the life and you should know what background noises you need to block and what voices you can allow to reach in your radar. Time is the most basic and forever element of our lives. Everything can go away but no one can take away our time from us.

Time is not here to keep us reminding that we are getting let but it is there to give us the biggest lesson of our lives and that lesson is that no matter what is happening around you, no matter what others are saying about you; your job is to be unbothered about it and keep moving because that’s what time do. Time is not here to master us; time is here as our companion. A companion that tells us that no matter what, life keeps going.

It’s okay if you are still figuring out what you want to do at the age of 30, it’s okay if you are not actually driven by the idea of marriage even in your late 30s, it’s okay if you want to venture a new business in your 50s, it’s okay if you want to make travel plans after 60. No matter what, just remember that it’s okay. Time is doing its job without seeking advice from you or listening to others you should do the same.

Time is not mastering us but we are willingly or unwillingly making ourselves slaves of it and very proudly we are flaunting it by doing certain things at certain age. Look, life is not a race where you have to conquer every obstacle at the proper time in order to win the race so that you could win the reaward, instead, life is journey where you can decide your road, you can pick you own choice of vehicle, you can decide your own destination. What counts that you don’t take off your sneakers at any point of time in your journey. Either run or jog or walk or crawl but just don’t stop and that’s just one thing that time demands and expects from you. Anything else is just a preconceived notion set by the so-called society which is not your business and paying attention to those would be the actual waste of time.

So next time if someone says that your time is passing by learn the value of time, just say that “don’t worry! My business with time is quite clear”.

And if you fail and someone says that time is not in your favour then just say to them, “my time is with me all the time, you don’t worry”.

Being a woman in a male dominant society has never been an easy task. Especially, when women got aware of their rights and power, the journey got tougher for them because now, they are not just an unaware section of the society following the other section but they are the one demanding the equal position now. And if give it a close look then this is the stepping stone of building a healthy society where there is no discrimination, no inequality, no injustice.

No doubt, we have come a long way. The equality between men and women is quite evident in most of the areas. The wave of feminism has taken over most of the section of our society. Majority of the sections are very proud of this empowered act.

Due to this new shift, women are prouder of themselves and embracing their womanhood more proudly and dignifiedly. But yet there are some aspects of women’s life that are not open to talk and even if one cares to talk about it, people have not yet developed an accepting attitude for that.

One example of such taboo in most of the sections of our society is menstruation or commonly known as periods. Those 4–5 bleeding days are biologically very important for a woman and plays a very important role in her health. It signifies womanhood. It signifies that yes; a girl is now a woman. Her body transformation is on its way. But yet many people are ashamed to talk about it and address the issues related to it that are persistent in our vulnerable sections of the society.

Monthly period is a sign of development of reproductive organs. Our body goes through so many changes especially at the age of adolescents that it becomes a very tender stage for any women. Period is one of the signs the body is transforming itself. Such biological change needs a lot of care and tenderness because this change is not only limited to biological change, it effects a woman’s mental health, sexual health, psychological state as well. And this change is not only limited to girls, even boys go through the same change and challenges.

But for women this is bit more challenging because one result of this change is menstruation, monthly period cycles a woman goes through. Those 4–5 bleeding days are not easy for any women. From menstrual cramps to emotional imbalance there are many things a women experience in those 4–5 days. And those things become even more insufferable when they are not provided with healthy and understanding environment.

28th May is a date dedicated to world’s menstrual hygiene. This day focuses on the need of a women during her monthly period cycle.

Giving it a date is not just enough but knowing what the current status is of women’s menstrual hygiene right now, is important. And according to the report of UNFPA there are some vulnerable sections of the society who are under the affect of period poverty. This crisis is widespread in many sections and are adversely affecting the sexual and menstrual well-being of women in those areas. UNFPA states that period poverty is the state where many sections of women are far from the reach of basic amenities, they might need in their periods just because of poverty.

What are the basic necessities of period? Tampons, sanitary pads, medications to handle menstrual cramps, disposal facility for used pads, clean water for washing. Some specific things a woman might need during her periods because of the difficulties she faces biologically as well as mentally. A woman’s mental health goes through a lot of ups and downs, emotional break down, frequent mood swings during period and for that all she needs is a proper environment, understanding surrounding and clean surrounding, healthy diet. These are some very basic needs but yet it is a luxury for a large portion of women in our society.

According to a report of UNICEF, “2.8 billion women lacks the services of menstrual cycle and around 1.9 billion women lacks the basic handwashing facility”.

Can you imagine, such a huge number is still not aware of how important their menstrual hygiene is. and even if they are aware of it and they are facing the difficulties because there is no one to pay attention to their demands or even listen to them and this is quite evident from another report of UNICEF according to which, “23 million girls leave their education in between and drop out from school annually because the school lacks the basic facilities that a girl might need during her periods”.

Shockingly, it has also been discovered that half of the menstruators lack the basic supply of sanitary pads and they use cloths instead. Sanitary pad is not in their reach. There are so many alternatives for women that are available these days like menstrual cups, tampons, sanitary pad with best soaking quality but even after that there is a section who cannot afford an ordinary pack of sanitary pad. That is maybe they don’t know that they need it or maybe there is no one to listen to them.

Yes, there is another problem related to the menstrual heath of women, in many sections of society, menstruation is considered as a disease and a woman who is in her monthly cycle is considered as an untouchable.

In Nepal, a woman who is menstruating is secluded in a lone place like a hut or any distant place. In most of the families of the society a woman’s entry is kitchen is denied during her cycle and many more rules and obligations are imposed on her. Basically, she is considered as a scumbag, a walking factory of germs. What can you expect from such sections of society? DO you think they are even bothered about a women’s sexual and menstrual health and are open to talk about it?

No one is bothered by the fact that whether women are getting all the supplies they might need in their periods. Do you think that they are even bothered about her mental health and emotional imbalance? Same woman is further expected to get married, start her family, nurture her kids with same mental health. Is there a proper water facility for her to clean herself, to wash her hands? Is there a proper disposable facility for her to throw away used pads?

For most of the women their menstrual cycle is defined by the traditional stigma that has been planted and followed in many sections of the society for very long time.

Such ignorance leaves its effects on women’s reproductive health, mental health, menstrual hygiene and can create number of diseases also for others as well.

UNICEF states that almost 71% of the population of the menstruators are not even aware of menstruation. They are not aware of periods and monthly cycle. Until they hit their first cycle, they are not at all bothered about what’s coming and are not even prepared for it and even after they hit the cycle, they are not aware of the depth of it. For them it is just 4–5 bleeding days in a month because they don’t know the science that goes behind it. Forget bothering, they are not familiar with the term menstrual health and sexual health.

As I stated earlier that this ignorance is spreading its branches and affecting many other aspects of the society, so, one such aspect is girl’s education. As I stated earlier in my article that according to a report of UNICEF, 1.9 billion girls are dropping out from their schools annually because the school premise lacks the basic facilities that a girl might need in her periods like, proper washroom, clean washrooms, handwashing facilities. Due to think this a small thing? This leaves a huge negative impact on our society and on the coming future as well.

Addressing period poverty align with addressing the need the basic wellness, sanitary pad supplies, clean water, handwashing facilities, are the goals we need to achieve in order to eradicate this problem from India. Now what can we do?

The first thing we need to know that this problem needs joint effort of government and non-government organisations along with collaborations of brands and advertising agencies.

Government schemes are playing their part by initiating policies like SWACH BHARAT ABHIYAN that also focuses on women’s well-being and keeping account of that as well. A proper functioning of such policy is the need of the hour. And government can keep on doing so by bringing in function more potential policies to tackle the issue of women’s health and menstrual well-being.

But as I said it should be a collaborative effort of both government and non-government organisation. So, communities can also play their role in combating this taboo by creating awareness programs in such section and by educating people over there about the importance of menstrual and sexual health awareness. By giving knowledge to our vulnerable sections of the society about the dignified way of living we can do a very beneficial service to our country and society.

There is a first step to every solution. The fact that we are discussing about this issue openly in a large scale is a significant step towards the change. Let’s prepare ourselves for the next one. Let’s keep this wave going until we eradicate this problem completely from our society and create healthy safeguarded environment of our girl.

Let not just limit ourselves to “BETI BACHAO BETI PADHO” but take one step forward and safeguard there womanhood as well.

What would be your ideal day at work? A generalized answer would be a productive day, if there is a meeting then it should be wonderful, maybe a praise from manager; multiple things are there that could make our day. But believe me this not enough anymore, especially, not for our GenZ.

A workplace satisfaction is not that easy and rudimentary for the GenZ anymore. Time has changed a lot, there are multiple career options now. This advanced time has opened many doors for today’s generation. No doubt, options are more but at the same time your expectations have also increased and varied.

The demands are not unworthy but they have weightage. Seeing at the changing time were mental health, emotional health are triggers for most of us, demanding a balance is not an out of the world demands. With so much going around us these days and most of it affects us so much that our mental, emotional well-being resides on the tip of the needle, the adaptions and changes that are in demand are totally worth it without any doubt and if that demands a shift in work culture the work culture should respect and accept that as well.

As I said in the beginning that with all jobs, employees have certain expectations but the list has changed a lot. There is a shift in work culture now. For employees what matters now is appreciation, acknowledgement, consideration, mental health, fine breaks and many such things like this.

These days work life balance is the talk of the town in MNC culture. Yes, the generation is more passionate now but at the same time they are more focused on creating balanced life. It is not only about promotion and progress but also healthy mental health, proper work culture, time for personal life. Its all about the “vibe” for them. A positive vibe denotes positive productivity and that vibe in the right space is much more essential to them.

If our millennials have treasure of experience then GenZ has in-hand tech savviness, if millennials value discipline, then Genz values flexibility along with discipline. Basically, the concept is that change in culture is filling some earlier loop hopes or making us realise the things that were missing from our work culture earlier.

This generation cannot just simply work and invest their time and be productive and profitable for the company, they cannot just simply be moving. In present scenario what we can witness is that the GenZ need to put their heart and soul in their work. Working alone with the mind is not sufficient and the same time it is much more of a robotic approach. Employees these days have varied demands, their demands are not very big that they are demanding but yes, small shift is much needed. Changes like coffee break, openness, emotional health care, acknowledgement, flexibility, work life balance etc. are in the list of demand. The work culture cannot be strained relationship anymore.

The work culture is a big part of our generation’s life. Be it work from office or work from home, a large portion of our life is now under the influence of our profession. Our work culture earlier was all about progress, consistency, focused climbing ladders of corporate world and achieving success the focus in more on flexible work culture, adaptability, work life balance.

GenZ is no more just about working alone. Every like, every comment, every share holds a lot of thought and thinking these days. Nothing is as easy and simple as it may seems at first then how can you expect from this generation to blindly follow any preconceived notion and rules. The thinking and thoughts are much deeper these days and so as interrogation of each aspect, ability to question every scenario also. So, a varied range of demands from such generation shouldn’t come as a surprise. And looking at the age of advancement, the demands must be open for discussion.

The shift culture is not very easy. This generation’s demand is resulting in tectonic shift at work culture is not an easy adaption. It has resulted in clash between the two generation; millennials and GenZ. GenZ is trying to create a new rule book or trying to add new rules in the book according to their demand but any demand and any change is not that for adaption, change is never easy but yes, a perfect negotiation, healthy collaboration can get you what you want and results can do wonders. Now how is that possible to cool down the clash between two generations? How to locate a common ground in between two extreme thought process?

The collaboration can be possible between the two generations if both the extreme ends try to understand the benefits of each other.

If GenZ tries to understand the treasure of experience our millennials have and try to get the maximum benefit out of that then that could the one-way of negotiation. At the same time, if the millennial tries to understand the point of GenZ and not just point of view but also if they see the level of advancement GenZ brings to the table, not just flexibility, work life balance but also the tech savviness they have in their kitty is something that can take any organization to new heights then definitely the millennials would understand the weightage of GenZ and the other beneficial factors along with that.

One more beneficial way to handle this situation is that if we look at individual case but not as an age case. In simplified terms, if we take under consideration an individual and try to focus on their strengths and abilities instead of considering it as an age group or generational issue. If we take in account the individual’s point of view and avoid making it the war of generation and age, then we can easily resolve the issue without much conflict.

Mutual respect can solve any problem. This tool is universally accepted to majorly solve any issue and I am not just talking MNC culture. Totality is what I am talking about here. If the both millennial and GenZ create a collaborative environment driven by mutual respect then the result would be much more harmonious and peace giving and productivity will increase abundantly. So, instead of fighting it out and creating a clash the solution lies in acceptance and mutual respect.

The road to success lies in togetherness where millennials could teach GenZ about stability, financial security, clarity, measured risk, steadiness and our GenZ could teach the millennials about adaptability, flexibility, wider perspective, tech savviness, more evolved approaches.

From every work organisation or career choice the demand is productivity, growth, job satisfaction. Time can change but the goal will be always be success. The rules have changed but the game is same. And to have the fair game the only tool that we need is foster our relationships, develop mutual understanding and create harmony irrespective of them being from millennial or GenZ but valuing individuality and taking learnings from each other’s experiences, knowledge and skills.

What do you think defines us? If I ask, what are you, what would be your possible answer? Someone will mention their job, some will talk about their family, some will talk about the city they live in, and all are correct but have you ever wondered that is this it? Are we just our names, jobs, family and city. This is how I am going to be known my whole life and after my death these are the only things that I am going to leave behind?

I have heard many times that for many people their whole world is their family. I don’t love my family any less but I have a strong attachment with the mystery of what goes behind as well. I don’t have to quote it all time because I know deep down, I know what my family means to me but at the same time I can’t let go of my thirst for life, the insatiable longing to the real meaning. I don’t know what will happen in the coming time but I want to explore all the possible today at this very moment. I might not get all the answers but living under the burden of not even trying, is intolerable to me. I am not going to deny the fact that I have same level attachment with all the beings in the planet earth but at the same time I am not going to deny the fact that yes, my attention for my family is little bit more. But I want something more, I want to know all the whys, whats and hows.

Lately I have been very much moved by a quotation that-

“If you can’t be an artist then be a muse”. Simply, get inspired or be an inspiration. What must be going in the mind of the writer who has written this line. How magical this is that either get inspired or be an inspiration there is no other way around.

Sometimes I feel so burdened, like there is heavy weight on body, my heart, my idea, on each and every breath of mine that it makes life insufferable. Now imagine yourself as the collection of bones, covered by the meat, skin made of stardust and all the other elements of nature like earth, water, air, fire and space doing the level over work. This mere definition of human body can change the outlook of ours for the complete life. Considering ourselves mere the result of the magic of universe and stardust can make us forget about all the competition going all over the world, it will make us forget the thirst of accumulating more than we need, it will let us lose control. You know how free it would make us. Free from all the bondage shackles imagine to what level we will unlock our potentials.

A writer can get inspired by a girl and write a poem on her, that same girl could be an inspiration for a painter and he might end up creating one of his best art pieces, a musician can compose a soothing melody by making the same girl his muse and the same could be the source of inspiration for many depending on what they are looking for.

That is the magic of an artist. What an artist can think is very simply beyond the imagination of a normal human being. Why moon is a planet for some and a poetry for some. Yes, they are the part of cosmos but who has discovered the mystery completely? No one really knows the origination and no one knows the ending.

Half of our lives is just a part of the theory, where we are following what someone has started. We don’t bother any more to discover anything new, we don’t want to know that if there are some other possibilities. And then on already discovered things, we try to practice control. How insane this algorithm sounds like.

Is there any possibility for this to happen?

Maybe the moon is not an artist but just a muse, who knows. We should know first thing one that try to open your thinking windows. And this the one thing that why I feel flattered and inclined towards the thought process of artist. What a magic must be going on in their heads. The wonderland where they are living must be something else, beyond the reach of normal human being.

For a writer we can witness their magic in their writing. Every artist has a different style of writing and the style is well reflected in their writing piece. If you are reader, you could very easily tell the difference between the writing styles of different writers. A writer always leaves a piece of hers in her work piece and that makes it different from another workpiece. The same thing goes of other artists as well. That is why it is necessary to reach the limits, to explore as much as you can. Whatever you learn is one thing but what and how you perceive it defines you. Not what others are learnings, not what others have left behind.

Not just a writer, a painter, a musician, poet or any other artist; all of them seek inspiration sometimes from the same source, sometimes from different source but you know the outcome is always different for everyone from every source.

That is the vision that I was talking about. The vision of an artist becomes so different from the normal human point of view. Sometimes that vision is so liberating and so free. But the ease of an artist makes me feel maybe they are right because again who is there to say what’s right and wrong.

The first battle that an artist has to go through is with themselves. They have to fight with themselves for themselves first in order to break the shackles that the society is already prepared with to bound him with. All our lives we are told to fit ourselves in a mould that has been set by the society. But to break that mould, make your existence fluid, reach the areas of the life where the no one has ever reached takes a lot. And once they are free form the mould and shackles their journey of discovery begins. They explore everything even themselves.

Lately, I have been failing the same kind of burden. I am feeling incomplete. It feels like every breath is not making be more alive anymore rather it sounded me more like a sigh. My body keeps trembling, sometimes, the pounding heartbeat makes me feel that I am not myself anymore. I am feeling more of a trapped here more than living. It’s like I am mere dragging my existence now. I have this habit of having 3600 visions for everything. It’s like the artist in me is now trapped and cannot even breathe anymore. I need art to relieve myself from all the bondages and shackles. How I am going to that, I have no idea. My artist is now looking for her muse.

To have the existence of my dream, to perceive things like I want you, I know I have to start this by fighting with myself first, extending existence of my own.

It’s no more about truth and lie, it’s about your believe. You have to believe that nothing is true in this world, this is all a delusion. The universe is what you want it to be.

That is what I like about the mind of an artist and that is the one that I would like to adapt in myself; the freedom of perceiving, the freedom of wisdom. Magic in the soul is what I like about. I want each and every pore of my body to exert light, I want my soul to liberated, I want of feel by breath and for that I know every battle is going to be totally worth. How magical it would to discover and explore as much as I can before I die. How wonderful it would be if I could see life differently, if I could have my homeland exactly like my dreamland.

I want to end my life with memories not with dreams and if that is what I want then I would give it whatever it takes. I will get inspired or I will be the inspiration.

Some preconceived notions are there, I don’t know who framed those. Irrespective of knowing whether they are correct or not majority of the mass is blindly following those norms. They might be in a miserable situation but they are not questioning anything about it and not even looking forward for any change.

Many norms are there like dowry system, casteism, fight over religion. But today one thing that I am going to talk about is the acceptance of miserable marriage culture.

Now matter how advanced we call ourselves and how much advancement we achieve in many aspects of mankind but still we are stuck in the same old rag when it comes to some cases. And one thing for sure is sticking to the marital relationship no matter how toxic it gets.

Many educated and advanced sections of our society, surprisingly believes in prolonging an abusive marriage in the name honest relationship or for maintaining false reputation in the society. Why is that so, that even after coming so far in life in many ways still many things are so unacceptable in our society? And one such thing coming out of a broken marriage, being divorced. Is the weight of broken is not enough that a woman is burdened with the baggage of being divorced as well? what is so wrong of leaving a bad marriage behind and moving on with life and what is so great and legendry about sticking to a life sucking marriage? Who is going to give you a medal for that?

Why our society makes us feel that always choosing the path full sacrifices and difficulties can only give you a medal of righteousness? What is so great about managing things no matter how badly broken they are and how hard it is to manage them?

Many people especially women endure so much in their marriage, mental abuse, physical abuse and what not without uttering a single word. Sometimes they stick to the marriage in order to save the family reputation and sometimes they do so because they are afraid that where will they go if their husbands would leave them because they lack family support.

I have witnessed many cases where I have seen a mother advancing her daughter that marriage needs lots and lots of compromise and lots and lots of giving, a woman needs to give away everything of hers in order to nurture her family. Seriously? What kind of advice is that? and sometimes I have heard the mother sharing this piece of advice when the girl is sharing that how tormented she is in her marriage. Imagine hearing shitty advice when you are already distraught. It’s like telling someone that you could endure beaten up because that’s your job to be okay with it.

Why compromise when you can command? Is there something much more important for us humans then our lives because if there is something then surely death would not be marked as end of everything; every misery, every delight just everything on humanly level.

Recently, I was reading an article when a woman has set herself on ablaze after reaching to the limits of abuse by her husband. By God’s grace she was saved in time and was admitted to the hospital. After her treatment when a women’s NGO contacted her then they got not that she was under an abusive marriage for 7 years and she couldn’t bear it anymore. The physical torture, the mental torture is now just off limits for her. She constantly informed her family about the same but no one paid any heed to it and instead they kept advising her that whatever is happening with her is nothing uncommon and it is quite normal and every girl has to go through some adjustments and compromises in order to maintain the nuptials.

She was so disheartened by her family and the society that there was no hope left for her and ending her life was the only options.

The NGO later informed her that so many cases of women abuse are registered with them and how they are helping the victims overcome difficulties to start their lives again and the pressure is rebuilding their mental health. Victims are afraid and ashamed to start their lives again because they fear the judgement they will face from the society. We are so caught in the false narration of the society that sometimes we don’t pay any sort of heed to ourselves and do what the society demands from us and try to adjust ourselves in the moulds that are society has designed.

We often reward women by entitling them with names like legend, superior. But what if they don’t want to entertain that title, maybe they just want to live according to their will, simple. Maybe they want to fulfil their desires and nothing else maybe they don’t want to be superior but this society forces them to be the one.

“Our society calls marriage as unavoidable. According to some preconceived notions of our society, life of a girl is nothing without marriage, there is no assurance of her security if she is not accompanied by her husband her whole life. She could be the CEO of the company but if she unmarried then be hell with her degree and position there must be something wrong with her character. She must be too independent in her thoughts but her family values must be weak, there must be something terribly wrong with her”.

This is the grass root from where the problem actually starts, setting everything already. From what we want to what is good for us, everything is pre-decided for us.

A woman is a human being at the end of the day and the exploitation of a woman in any way in the name of superiority and her being the sacrificing one cannot be justified at all. Marriage is a relation of companionship so don’t make it the first step of compromise and adjustments.

Nothing in this world in more important than the individuality, self-respect and of course life.