Four Clover Life- By Namrata Shailendra Singh

Dear Ms.Harris, Congratulations on making history. Of everything that you stand for today, Momala is my favorite. It gives me a hard nudge on my rear to stop lamenting being single at 38 and childless. Unbelievable, right? 2020, right? I admire you for the two key choices you made for your life- marrying when you felt it was right and becoming the mother you felt was right. Both fall outside the ‘acceptable’ and the ‘standard’—both subject to indiscriminate scrutiny and gossip. Because you are Kamala Harris, the gossip dare not raise their hood. For me, they are sleeping partners. Although I know- we all can choose not to deter, digress, and divert. That, I am sure you will agree, requires immense courage and conviction: most of the days, I surrender. It is not the status per se that is bothersome; it is the verdict that people pass without understanding and awareness. Just yesterday, they babbled with impudence, “ That happens. Marriage provides stability, and you wouldn't feel so

This July, Hope, Perseverance, and Ingenuity launched towards our neighbor- Mars, on their  7-month long journey, each assigned with the task of unraveling the mystery of the red planet. I  am amazed at the tenacity and fortitude of our space missions and the teams in the face of the  crisis we all, unfortunately, find ourselves in. Howbeit, I am also struck by the beautiful  coincidence of what is up there, and we need down here on planet Earth-Hope, Perseverance,  and Ingenuity to stand tall in front of the invisible mighty opponent. There is hardly any aspect of life where the 'virus' has not sneaked into and turned our life  upside down. The center of our narrative has shifted heavily, and as I write, the noun has  immense possibility of becoming a verb-You see, in the year 2020, we got 'virussed,' and then life  was never the same. What started in late 2019, spread over 2020, and we know- we have to  wait, hang in there for some time before the case is dismissed fo

How I talk to my child is different from how my father spoke to me. Am I glad that I am doing things differently? Yes. Is there a guarantee that this is the best way to talk? Is there a safety net? No. Because there is no safety net in the world for anything. Question- Can I watch TV? Now that's a deal with the devil, right? My parents- 'NO. Go and do your homework. Watching TV will not help you.' :( And all the while the TV show went on, I stared blankly at my book. I was distracted. Me to my son- 'Yes, you can, after you are done with your homework.' The addictive, immersive world of screen is no stranger. However, my constant NO's only made him immune to this word. So what message do I want to send across? Can I reword my answer and ensure that it's positive and takes care of both our interests? Besides, it also inculcates task orientation in children. Just be sure that asking your children to monitor their screen time while

“Google throws about 794,000,000 results in 0.56 seconds when asked- How to make a marriage work and about 192,000,000 results in 0.55 seconds when asked- Tips for a happy marriage. Clearly, people are more interested in making it work somehow than seeking happiness in it. Wait. What kind of an inane hypothesis is this? Never mind. Let’s move on. To read the full article on Medium click on  Is it just ME or MARRIAGE? Image courtesy-Pixabay

  " That is the long and short of all that I got that day- An old bedsheet, few words, me and memories of cut pieces of her petticoat, Baba’s vests, pajamas hanging in some obscure corner of the terrace, close to the water tank, smelling of rin soap and stale blood. Maa needs to get me sanitary pads, the ones many of my friends use or another king-size bedsheet, maybe." Read the full  Story  here.  Image courtesy-Pixabay

...because there are different tracks in life  ...because not everyone wants to be part of the race "That’s how I feel. Not sure of the implementation part. In all possibility, I would chicken out. After all, I am ‘THE IZZAT-The honor of the family. Is this for real in the year 2020? Huh! As real as the virus. " To read the full article, please click on No Thanks, I don't want a career . This article has featured on the Momspresso platform under the title- Papa, I am 25, even I have needs. Image courtesy-Pixabay

She stares idly into the distance, an empty ceramic tumbler in front of her. “The beach there is different…in my country.” She says, lost in the reverie of the waves.  Did she say bitch to me? No, No, it’s the beach, the beach of Mexico. I remind myself of the Mexican Spanish accent. People’s vowels and consonants, my own diction, is my Achilles heel even after years of mac and cheese.  Why would she call her life coach a bitch? Calming my heart, I try to concentrate. Usually, I am the focussed type; I can come to the point quickly. As a seasoned counselor,  I can anticipate the story which has got the weary heart to my doorsteps in the first five minutes. To read the full story- Click on - The Part-Time Indian  on Kitaab International.  Image courtesy-Pixabay.