Enthralling Trails

“You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose.”   ―   Lou Holtz She spoke confidently about herself. She said that she was proud that she could help her parents with the money she earned. I just asked whether she was a regular student and how could she manage her studies. She seemed bubbly with a tinge of naughtiness in her eyes, saying ‘I reach home before five in the evening, freshen up and  begin teaching my students by 5.30 pm, but I  am able to study only during my exams.’ She added that her mother, who is not very educated had begun helping her and she and her mother were able to teach students till their seventh grade examinations. She spoke a lot more, but her love for teaching reflected in her words and actions. It was an English oral examination for the second year undergraduates pursuing computer science. As the students grow older the objective of a language examination turns into a mere fl

“The better you feel about yourself, the less you feel the need to show off.”   ―   Robert Hand Sarita came home that evening with an invitation card. She was going to present her first stage performance of Bharatnatyam, a form of Indian dance, officially called Arganteram. Sarita is an engineer passionate about dance. She began dancing at a young age, but could not perform her Argantrem earlier.  I set about getting friendly with her a couple of months back when we were regular for our walks in the picturesque forest, early in the mornings. Our stay in the flat has brought me closer to all the kids in the flats. The babies teach me their prattle, the little older ones involve me in their games, and these youngsters are at home in sharing their dreams and future. After Sarita left I flipped through the pages of the card. The card had stunning pictures of four young girls who were going to perform that Saturday. The card was no less than a wedding card, with these beautiful gi

“Perhaps it is our imperfections that make us so perfect for one another!”   ―   Douglas McGrath Kakakka has been my father in law’s adored sister and is a few years older than him. Being close born siblings, their bonding knew no bounds. My father in law wanted approval from his sister for every minute occurrence that was significant in his family. My first encounter with Kakakka was soon after I met my husband. She was an element of suspense and envy for me as my husband had the ability to drag her name in every conversation of ours with great reverence that made me wonder about her immense strength of multi-tasking. My admiration for her multiplied with the growing years.  She was a known personality in my father’s family too. Her maiden name Kalavathi changed to Mrs Kalavathi N Pai after her marriage, but for her nephews and nieces, she was Akka specifically Kakakka. My aunts and other relatives waited eagerly to see her a day before my engagement. She was accompanied

“Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet.”   ―   Bill Cosby The baby gave a loud bawl as it grew restless in its grandfather’s arms. Nothing could divert the baby’s attention. The grandfather  Mohan, quickly began showing the baby the cars, buildings, dogs and whatever he could to divert its attention. The child whimpered and kept gazing at the car in the parking. There was a black car parked outside a huge building. The streets were empty being early in the morning. On either  side of the car stood the baby’s parents. The mother was ready to go to the office while the father was trying to enter into the driver’s place. The baby laughed and jumped into the arms  of the old man with a ferocious intensity of joining his parents. The mother looked on lovingly while trying to wave. The father admonished her saying he would get late. The car moved away. Old Mohan was tired as he sat on a nearby seat to rest for a while. It meant a whole day