Four Clover Life- By Namrata Shailendra Singh

While I walk back, I see people stand up, clapping, making way for me. I have seen Karan Johar refer to it as the standing ovation during many award functions.  Talking about him, I wonder if he will ever call me for Koffee with Karan? I love the couch, and now I am ready to sit on it too. Click on Dosa Batter Part II  to read the story.

"Think of it, that is what I feared all my life, becoming a NOBODY, a kind of a stranger whom your wavering eye might not even take note of, not even for a second, someone who can be pushed in a crowd and stamped on feet. I am that lost. I am such a loser. But today, something within is feeling distraught. This is not how I wanted to write the story of my life." Click on the link  Dosa Batter  to read the story. To read Part 2, click on Dosa Batter-Part II Image courtesy-Pixabay.

My most precious Gratitude, Your accent, dialect, jargon, and lingua franca are difficult to decrypt, decipher, and understand. I have struggled all my life and realize that you can only be felt. I read somewhere today that you are dying a silent death. It gives me immense satisfaction to know that you choose to live in me. Is there something special about my heart, or is it my stubbornness that I don’t let you go? Either way, I am happy. You see, you have kept me right where I belong- ON THE GROUND, IN DUST. I started a life with my parents where we were always ‘IN- NEED.’ A humble life brings in its own grand challenges and turmoil. I hated the thriftiness then, despised the frugality which enveloped my life, and once even thought of stealing a Barbie from a friend’s house because I didn’t have one. You saved me then. But I didn’t thank you. You see then, my eyes could only see that much. Later, life blessed me with abundance beyond my appetite, my needs, and my

"Whenever you feel 'fear,' and I mean it from my heart and soul... Do what you are afraid to do because overcoming what frightens you the most ...strengthens you the most." "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear- Nelson Mandela." Click on  Homecoming  to read the full article. Image courtesy-Pixabay.

Tell me something? What were you thinking when you decided to stand at the LOC? You knew what was coming your way? Right? Your family knew what this job entails? Why didn't you choose a safer and secure option? Why? There are umpteen IIM's and IIT's around, Artificial Intelligence is on the boom, Robots are transforming life and look at you. Who goes for work on 14th February when Cupid Cuties are on a roll and hearts are going a flutter?  To read the article, click on Dear Soldier, how did you celebrate Valentine's Day?   Image courtesy-Pixabay.

Naina gave a hurtful look to Samar. He was sipping tea with a worried expression. “Fresh clothes, evening tea, what more does one want in life?”  “What is wrong w ith you, Naina? You can't see me having tea in peace?  “No, I cannot see anyone peaceful when my inside is breaking. It's been 6 years, Samar, and I feel like a castaway, wrecked and stranded?” hollered Naina. I have fallen between the cracks, and it hurts Samar,” Naina tried to raise her voice, but the rivers brimming in the eyes flooded her throat. She fell on the kitchen floor, tears making tiny pools on the grey tiles. Click on  The Error of Hope  to read the full story. Image courtesy-Pixabay.

Except that in a culture of 'INSTANT' and 'DISTRACTION,' one family meal is where One disconnects to connect. A frenzied screen life(that's how I define our regular life today) finds some time to stop by and look beyond the screen. Google university is replaced by life's essential lessons shared via experience. A meal is appreciated. They say eating is a necessity, but cooking is an art. And the person who cooks for the family blends labor and love with art to present the plate that comes before you. How can one not appreciate and feel grateful? And food definitely tastes better when you eat it with your family. And nutrition blends with togetherness to provide a complete experience to the body. Nutrition is not only about eating right and eating healthy. If the food on the plate does not have a sense of emotion, the nutritious meal can hardly matter. The feelings come from family. The feelings of sharing, bonding, and connecting w