Splendid, stupendous and superlative, that's how yours truly is looking today. My floors are dressed in the most exquisite Italian marble; walls draped with exclusive teak panelling; a vivacious fountain bubbles in the centre; shimmering chandeliers bedazzle and exotic flora embellishes me. Pardon my self-complimenting tone but that's why I have been conceived, to beget admiration and flaunt one's social standing. Parminder Kaur writes
When I think about my great grandmother, whom we called bebeji, there is only one word that comes to mind: resilience. The name given to her at birth was Luxmi and she was fondly called Lachhmi by my great grandfather, her husband. Bebeji was 104 when she died. Gurvinder Kaur writes
Though Mother's Day, that just went by on Sunday, was an occasion for children to express their feelings and love for their moms, this time I thought of thanking you for giving me the chance to experience the rollercoaster ride of emotions of being a mother. Kanika Dua Ahuja writes
A Nikon D5100 with two lenses and a camera bag is not lightweight gear for a female explorer to carry in case there is an emergency to run for one's life. In April, my friend and I decided to see the beasts at the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Bhaur Saidan village, Thanesar, 22km from Kurukshetra, on the Kurukshetra-Pehowa state highway. Samreet Mangat writes
The room reverberated with talk of Tongpeng La, Raja Hill, Burki, OP Hill, Poonchh, Siramani and Tiger Hill 1999 - battles long ago emblazoned on the Sikh Regiment's glorious history. Keeping them and other laurels fresh in our minds were the regiment's veterans with their tales of honour and glory. Mandeep Singh Bajwa writes
This happened in Goa. There they were the threesome, all white skinned. By the side of a swimming pool. One woman and two men. The woman wearing skimpy apparel lay with her back exposed to the sun, engrossed in a book. Once in a while, she sipped from her beer tumbler. The two men kept talking like the best buddies. The younger man lay on the pool-recliner, while the older one sat as if on his haunches. Rajbir Deswal writes
"Are we really evolving as a society?" This is one question my subconscious keeps itself occupied with, thanks to well-read amusing souls all around, who never cease to jut out with confused beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. A recent flash mob to observe 'earth day', that I managed to put together with young school and college students was one such event that caught fancy of the 'self-proclaimed critics', and thus began their hammering in different ways. Gulneet Chahal writes
The handsome array of general, light-hearted articles called 'middles', the kind published in Spice of Life, is a prize possession of Babli. Once in a while, she takes out one of the pieces from her collection and goes through it to cheer herself up. Sometime back her two college-going children, over-burdened, what with their assignments and oncoming exams, were grumbling about their workload. Babli told them to take a break and read one of the write-ups. Parambir Kaur writes
When I was a child, all furniture items in our house boasted of pretty, handmade crochet covers made by grandma. Everywhere the eyes went, one was sure to spot a neat white lace or crochet cover, gracing the sofas, covering the ubiquitous TV trolleys, decking up the centre table, side stools and what not. Kanika Dua Ahuja writes
Dalbir Kaur is the tragic heroine who fought for two decades for her brother Sarabjit Singh only to see him return in a coffin. Then there's the other Dalbir Kaur who's politically motivated and publicity-hungry feeding off his misfortune. Aarish Chhabra writes.
It was the evening of November 23, 1956, when a storm lashed Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu and led to the derailment of the Madras-Tuticorin Express while it was crossing the Maradaiyar river bridge, leaving 154 people dead. Vaibhav writes
It's been a rocking time not only for the earth but also the corridors of power and the "Wall" that in the cricketing Hall of Fame does tower. Barely had the aftershocks of earlier earth-shaking tremors receded when there were fresh tremors. This time, not just of the terrestrial kind but also of the ministerial kind. Chetna Keer writes
Last year, some very dear friends of mine had gifted me with four volumes (bound in two) of District and State Gazetteers of the Undivided Punjab (Low Price publication), a province that covered the entire northwest tract of the country. Khushwant Singh writes
I often wonder what makes youngsters of today flock to the cities. A mass exodus appears to be taking place, with the youth making a beeline for the attractions of the metropolis. One valid reason which comes to mind is, of course, job opportunities and the lure of a fast life. Pallavi Singh writes
In October 1962, Wing Commander Dilbagh Singh (later Air Chief from 1981 to 1984), Squadron Leaders MSD Wollen (later Air Marshal) and SK Mehra (Air Chief from 1988 to 1991) and Flight Lieutenants AK Mukherjee (later Wing Commander), HS Gill (later Wing Commander), AK Sen, Denzil Keelor (later Air Marshal) and BD Jayal (later Air Marshal) set off to do the conversion course on the newly purchased Mig 21 fighter. Mandeep Singh Bajwa writes