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from Eshla When I was younger, in my teens, a friend of mine gave me a letter one holiday season. We were each assigned a secret Santa, someone who’d surprise us with a gift and a little holiday note on the last day of school before Christmas break. One of my dear friends happened to [...]

From Eshla: When I see my dinner plate, I see stories of injustice. I love good food as much as anyone else.  And I love rustic food--hearty, soulful, made with care.  The towers of exotic ingredients, piled onto a grand white plate, served at an exorbitant price in a high end restaurant make little sense [...]

Just as ' Facebook protests' give rise to democratic protests in Russia against rigging of elections by Mr Putin, the Indian Government seeks to curtail the reach and the voice of individual protest in the world largest democracy. Had this attempt not come so close to elections in India where the future of the new [...]

A suite at the Oberoi hotel. Dev Uncle's film Ishq Ishq Ishq, had just released the night before. I was the nephew that had, on a whim, given up a really successful career as a chartered accountant and a management consultant in London to be in the movie business. Somehow being from London made me [...]

I wish I could be a kite, by Eshla I crave freedom. Everywhere,  I look around there are challenges burdening people.  Some are trivial, some are heart-breaking.   Some are losing loved ones to disease, some are struggling to make ends meet, some are trying to hold onto the small family business, and some are simply [...]

The string of a Sarod. Stretched, The finger feels its angst. Rubs against the string producing a squeaky sound. Majid's 's eyes squeezed together  concentration. His left fingers gently increasing the tautness of the string. Listening to its internal struggle. Stretch .. Black empty space. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Is this infinity ? [...]

Hi, Shekhar! I found your site surfing thru’ the 498a.wordpress blog. I find this letter particularly refreshing. It made me go back many years when my (only) son was a pre-teen. “Son,” I declared over breakfast, “I had a wonderful dream last night. I’d like to share it with you …”. My son, being one [...]

“We often think of peace as the absence of war, that if powerful countries would reduce their weapon arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds- our own prejudices, fears and ignorance. Even if we transport all the bombs to the moon, the roots of [...]

“When we walk like (we are rushing), we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth… Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” ― [...]

Imagine a scenario with a quarter of  the world dying of treatable diseases while the cure is held closely by a few hugely rich corporations that refuse to dispense the medicines at a price that is affordable to the poor.  Sounds like stuff for a 'oh my God' sci fi movie ? Sorry, but that [...]