Rashmi's Space

It is later than usual today. The day has already been overcast and now the twilight hour seems darker than usual. Maybe, she thinks as she presses the 'down' button for the lift, maybe she should turn back, not go down for her walk... But she can't. He has already left, she knows. He would be waiting for her. And when she doesn't turn up at the usual place at the decided time, he would worry. And then who knows what he would do. They haven't even discussed what to do in such a scenario. She makes a mental note to tackle this problem at the first possible opportunity. But for now, she better get down there. As she gets off the lift on the ground level, a gust of wind hits her, making her eyes water. She is immediately worried about her thin hair flying haywire. She has always been self conscious, as if everyone is watching her, judging her. This is exactly why she doesn't go for walks like regular people. And that 'run' that she has read so man...

आजकाल व्हॉटसॅप च फार वेड लागलाय लोकांना. सकाळ संध्याकाळ नुसता व्हॉटसॅप आणि त्यावर येणारे जोक्स! लहान मुलांपासून ते रिटायर्ड आजी आजोबांपर्यंत घरातले सगळेच ह्या व्हॉटसॅप चे दिवाणे. बरं नुसतेच जोक्स फॉरवर्ड करतात ह्यावर असं काही नाही; ह्याचा उपयोग बऱ्याच वेगवेगळ्या कामांसाठी करता येतो. म्हणजे अर्जंट निरोप द्यायचा असो, किंवा कुणाला महत्वाची माहिती पाठवायची असो; इतकंच काय तर सणा सुदिच्या शुभेच्छा पण ह्या व्हॉटसॅप वरून अगदी सोप्या आणि फटाफट पणे पोहोचवता येतात! हो, हो, हे सगळं तुम्हाला माहीत आहे; पण तुम्हाला हे माहित आहे का, कि कुणाला शालजोडीतून मारायचं असेल तरीही हा व्हॉटसॅप आपल्या अगदी मस्त उपयोगी पडतो? हो ना, जे म्हणायचंय ते म्हणून घ्या, ते हि एखाद्या मिश्किल विनोदाच्या आडून. किंवा कुणाला लेक्चर द्यायचं असेल तर पाठवा एक मार्मिक कविता; कि वाचणाऱ्याची पार विकेटच गेली पाहिजे! आता हेच उदाहरण घ्या. बरेच दिवस व्हॉटसॅप वर एक कविता शेयर होत होती. आता नाव नाही आठवत नीटसं पण मर्म हे कि आजकालच्या नवयुवती जीन्स घालतात, अगदी आई झाल्या नंतर सुद्धा - आणि मग जेव्हा आजकाल ची मुलं...

The alarm rings. I look at the time, snooze for ten minutes and turn on my back to see my little one lying next to me. Okay, so he has wandered in during the night and is now sleeping spread-eagled, occupying most of the bed, having kicked my husband as close to the edge of the bed as one can go without actually falling off. I find myself smiling as I pull the covers on them. My little one has his exam today and unless I get started in the kitchen now, he’s sure to miss his paper. I am trudging to the bathroom, dragging my feet and cursing the early hour, when suddenly it occurs to me that it is not only my little one’s exam today, it is his last exam paper! It is the last day of school! I do a little dancing jig and almost trip on the bathroom mat. And then I rush to the bedroom to wake the guys up, with a spring in my step! Oh yes, it is the last paper today. Yay! Another academic year finished! No more worrying about the school schedule, no more ironing the uniform i...