Dissent (Deepak Kaul)

A commissioned review -

An anthology is a strange thing. An anthology is stranger, if it follows no rule. An anthology, probably, is strangest when it does not even tie down its stories to a certain genre.

ও মেয়ে, জলকে চল!

গর্ভিণী মেঘ হাওয়ায় ভাসে

আকাশপথের যান -

বাস্প চিরে বজ্র ডাকে,

তাও - অটুট অভিমান!

আকাশ জোড়া আলোর হদিশ,

নিরুদ্দেশে প্রাণ।

একূল ওকূল ছাপিয়ে পড়ে,

ঝাঁপিয়ে পড়ে বান!

সুখী গৃহকোণ!

A small step "Together"

It had all began with a rather morbid news, that a 4 year old was sexually assaulted. I was not too surprised that it happened, to be honest. I was shocked, rather, to imagine how many must be happening behind the curtain, unnoticed, unreported, unacknowledged just so that one piece among them could surface up to grab half a column on the daily news. The groups on social media were flooding with demands and disputes around school's intervention in matters of CCTV, female attendant, while I was cringing to think how the 4 year old never came back home to tell it to her mother, because she was either scared or didn't even know it was wrong...

I had put forward an outcry which was more at spur of moment than was purposeful. I had asked if we could arrange a workshop to tell kids and parents what they should know! But they gave me hope, and shoulders. The enthusiasm since last week was absolutely heartening. What was just a musing became an idea, and then a purpose. We formed a team, and we named ourselves "Together". We stole our kids crayon boxes and made posters while they were away at school. We painted the mailboxes and WhatsApp groups red... 

Dreams!

Here’s a thing about... “moral values” – if I may! Well, foremost, Moral values are not easy to define. They are indeed a matter of discretion. Moral values are not what the aunt next door imposes on you. Moral values are what you trust, where your intuition talks, what your conscience leads you to. They are about your very own ways of living life, your personal belief systems, and your self-imposed principles. Moral values can only be inspired, not preached. And talking of it, well then, can moral values also not be to hope, to imagine, to reach out?

Right, Dreams!

"Stories of Work, Life & Balance in Between" by Tomson Robert

Time again, for a commissioned review! This time, it is a simple, easy read of a book named as above, holding between its two covers a host of continuing short stories.

Let’s twist the knots this rakhi…

This article has been first posted at Feministaa.

Last time it was dry flowers and sea shells, and this time it is leftover pieces of ribbons, pista shells and round beads. The collections have been going steady over the past few days at our own little corner of the world. That time is here…

Of Birds and Bees

It was my mum’s idea! My daughter’s first birthday was, well, not exactly round the corner… there were whole three months left to it. And yet, our daily hone bills were soaring sky high with every passing day over the same discussion in a constant loop – as to, what they’d give her for a gift!

Bangladesh War!

Cross-published at Launchora...


White locks of hair pulled into a tiny bun, often covered with a pallu. A toothless smile. White saree. That is how Dida has always looked ever since I can remember. Dida - the common grandmother – in our small but complete world of the neighbourhood, where I was born and brought up at.

A car on the road!

This post has also been cross published at The Speaking Tree, World of Moms, YouthKiAwaaz and My City 4 Kids.

This is a news bite from New York Times from 20 years back. The time was April, the year, 1996. A few of the possessions of President John F Kennedy were up on auction. His arm chair and his coffee table, for example. One of the last items up on auction was his tape measure. And guess what price it commanded? It sold for a whopping 42,000 USD, not allowing for commission and procedural charges. Yes, 42000 USD, back in the year 1996.

A princess story

This poetry has been published in the anthology "She The Shakti" which can be purchased HERE!


Once upon a time

(They say)

It started,

It all started...

বিতানকে...

আজকে অনেক, অনেকদিন পরে হঠাৎ করেই তোকে স্বপ্নে দেখলাম - কেন, কে জানে! তোকে কি মিস করছিলাম? কি জানি, আলাদা করে বুঝতে পারিনি তো একবারও। তুই আছিস, থাকবি, এরকমই তো হওয়ার কথা… আলাদা করে কবে, কখন, কেন, এসব কিছু ভাবতে বসিনি তো কখনই! কিন্তু আজকে যেরকম আচমকা হানা দিলি পুরো স্বপ্নটা জুড়ে… কি প্ল্যান বলত, তোর?