Varuni '21 NWWA (WR)

2021

Together as a Family NWWA Western Region

From the President’s Desk “All that truly matters is the Family in our lives and the Love in our hearts”

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fter all these years, as I reflect on my journey thus far, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and pride at being a part of a large extended family that stands together in joy and in times of stress. I feel proud that the Navy and NWWA are a part of my identity today and are my anchors in life.

As I look back at my tenure as President NWWA (WR), I feel humbled and heartened at the commitment of the amazing team that has always stepped forward in the service of our community. It has been my vision to keep our families center stage for our outreach activities and facilitate their well-being. I have always believed initiating ‘new beginnings’ that pave the way for the future are as important as sustaining the legacy of the past. It gives me great satisfaction that these past months, several dream projects and new initiatives came to life - like the Chetna - an early intervention center for children, SSB mentoring, Family Financial Log book, Second Career mentoring, mental health webinars and thoughtful renovation of many of our facilities.

One lasting lesson from the travails of the past year has been that we need to stand by each other in good times and bad and it is truly our Family that adds meaning to our lives! “When we have each other, we have everything”. A Family goes beyond blood relations; it includes our friends, our ship mates, our units and our community. This special Varuni edition celebrates families in all these hues and the strength of our community in our lives.

Undoubtedly, our extended naval family enriches our lives on a daily basis, gives us beautiful memories to cherish for a lifetime and the strength of companionship and camaraderie. I fondly remember that many a time, I have welcomed an unknown neighbour who has come on transfer with a hot cup of tea and biscuits & a couple of meals till they were settled. I have cherished the excitement of reuniting with ship mates despite the time and distance that seperated us. Irrespective of my husband’s

sailing, I have felt secure that help was only a call away. The bonding we have shared by working together on different occasions has given me friends for life. As the Navy grows and our community changes, it is all the more pertinent for each one of us to cherish these bonds and the joys which come with it. The modern age has put immense pressure and distractions in our lives and the small pleasures of spending time together and the joys of community living are under threat. Spending quality time and keeping our immediate and extended family center stage is therefore all the more important.

I urge you to take time out and be supportive of each other at home and in the community. Our culture of love, respect for each other and values that define us get sustained through our families and our community. It is not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that truly matters. Take care of yourself and one another.

I wish you great times together and thank each one of you for the beautiful blessing of being a part of my life and our memories.

Let us move ahead on the strength of knowing that we are together as a Family and “A Family is where Life Begins and Love never ends.”

Jai Hind Mrs. Kala Hari Kumar President - NWWA (WR)

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Sanchar Team

(L-R) Mrs. Divya S Prakash, Mrs. Usha Soni, Mrs. Renu Swaminathan, Mrs. Aravinda Dahiya, Mrs. Simran Singh

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From the Editorial Desk

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rom its humble beginnings in 1948, Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA) has come a long way and has grown into a proficient organization, nurturing women and their families. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and perseverance of our predecessors. I feel honoured and proud to be a part of this esteemed institution which works relentlessly towards the wellbeing of our community, continuing to play a pivotal role in the transformation of every naval wife into a strong, self-relevant, happy, healthy and empowered individual.

With the guidance and leadership of our current President, NWWA (WR), Mrs. Kala Hari Kumar, we have seen the association’s exponential growth over the past year. The pandemic and lockdown forced us to go digital as the new way of life and we adapted to this overnight transformation very well. Many events conducted by NWWA were digital, which were well attended by the community from the comfort and safety of their homes. These programmes helped maintain mental and physical well-being to a large extent.

The strength of the naval community comes from the naval family and the strength of the naval family majorly relies upon the efforts and well being of the naval wife. This edition of Varuni is devoted to the naval families which come together and make our community a unique entity of strength, dedication and unity.

During the past difficult months, we have tried to stand together and overcome various challenges and have come up with several innovative initiatives supporting the mental health and welfare of families. This edition gives a glimpse of such endeavours by NWWA which helped us all stay

grounded in family strength as a way to overcome challenges and sail smoothly through adversities.

Many articles and poems in this book provide a fascinating snapshot of pandemic life in the naval community, not only revealing how we all cope with the unprecedented challenges during the pandemic but also on how we built resiliency while maintaining close relational ties with each other, navigating our way through the uncertainties and hardships. These times have taught us to think about the priorities in our lives and to be grateful for the small joys of life. A great deal of articles in this edition are about such small incidents and moments of joy during the lockdown period. There are also a few articles which talk about the power of community spirit and how each of us can do our part.

We hope that you enjoy reading this issue of Varuni as much as we enjoyed compiling and bringing it to you. Our heartfelt gratitude to all the contributors.

Read on and enjoy!

Mrs. Renu Swaminathan Group Co-ordinator - Sanchar

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The Force Within – NWWA Committee 2021 Core Committee President: Mrs. Kala Hari Kumar

Vice President: Mrs. Renu Swaminathan Secretary: Mrs. Nayana Kumar Treasurer: Mrs. Mamta Anand

The Committee Aarogya:

Ashirwaad: Anubhavi:

Balwadi:

Cuddles/ Little Angels/ Naval Kindergarten:

Hostels:

Jagriti (NCS)

Kala Kendra

Pragati:

Prakriti:

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Mrs. Vaishali Honvad Dr. Manali Patel Mrs. Smita Ridhorkar Mrs. Deepa Sivakumar Mrs. Preeti Chopra Mrs. Poornima Srinivas Mrs. Meera Bhadre Mrs. Kamaljit Singh Mrs. Upasana Nigam Mrs. Goolrukh Anand Mrs. Saritha Venkat Mrs. Shalaka Kulkarni Mrs. Deepa Sivakumar Mrs. Supriya Dadwal Mrs. Sarita Sachdeva Mrs. Bhargavi Kakkeri Mrs. Laila Swaminathan Mrs. Hema Sharma Mrs. Preeti Khanna Mrs. Tanya Mittal

Sakhi: Sanchar:

Sankalp: Samudri:

Saundarya: Sparsh:

Special Project (Teenage and Parents): Sahara: Tarsh/Udyogika:

Mrs. Archana Sharma Mrs. Renu Swaminathan Mrs. Aravinda Dahiya Mrs. Divya S Prakash Mrs. Simran Singh Mrs. Rangoli Dhingra Mrs. Goolrukh Anand Mrs. Sarita Sachdeva Mrs. Richa Misra Mrs. Swati Bhave Mrs. Leena Arvindan Mrs. Swapnaja Verma Mrs. Laila Swaminathan Mrs. Smita Ridhorkar Mrs. Reyman Kochhar Mrs. Poornima Srinivas Mrs. Minna Kaushik Mrs. Shivani Bhatt Mrs. Sandra Sequiera

Team NWWA - 2021

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Unconditionally Yours- NWWA Activities Round Up

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nconditionally Yours is what NWWA (WR) has committed itself to in service of the community. The vision of Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA (WR), is to universally recognise that a family’s happiness is only complete when each member has the wherewithal to be his/her best self. In her maiden address on March 8th, 2021, President NWWA (WR) outlined her vision and important focus areas.

The first being the need for physical and emotional wellness. Wellness is a state in which one can cope with the normal stresses of life and continue to function at one’s best capacity despite internal and external conflicts. The aim of NWWA Western Region has been to facilitate this state of well being in all age groups within the community. This initiative of our journey towards wellness has been conceptualized

by Mrs. Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA (WR).

The second pertinent part of the vision is the need of the hour for the armed forces. It is Jointmanship between all three wings of the armed forces, which is why President NWWA (WR) put forward that all NWWA (WR) initiatives would be extended to families of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force as well. The aim is to synergise all welfare efforts in the region with optimised resources and provide maximum benefit for all three service families.

Voices and Choices The maiden webinar ‘Voices and Choices’, a new initiative towards enhancing wellness among the fraternity, was inaugurated by Mrs Madhulika Rawat, President DWWA in April, 2021. The topic was ‘Effective Communication with Teens and Helping them Deal with Peer Pressure.’ The subsequent sessions led by experienced AACCI professionals focussed on topics like ‘Positive Parenting’ and ‘Self Esteem and Body Image’ and ‘Understanding & Bonding with Teens’.

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The Mindful Mom- A Journey Begins A support group has been initiated by NWWA (WR) for mothers of young children. A webinar on ‘The Mindful Mom’ was inaugurated by Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA (WR). Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar, AVSM, VSM, Dy. Chief IDS (Medical) led the team of panelists on the subject.

Looking Within A webinar titled ‘Looking Within - Know yourself to Heal yourself’ was conducted

by Vaidya Nisha Manikantan, an acclaimed Ayurveda physician. The main takeaways from the event were the importance of a balanced diet, a healthy routine and incorporation of ‘Sadhana’ or meditation in our daily lives.

Talk the Talk A lecture primarily for mothers and their daughters aged between 8-13 years of age, was conducted by a guest speaker, Surg Cdr Tina Singh, Classified Specialist & Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, INHS Asvini. The main topic was ‘Menarche and Premenstrual Syndrome’. Queries from participants were addressed.

Find the Balance - The New Normal As teachers continue to put in their best efforts to master distance learning, imposed by COVID-19, the impact of the pandemic on the emotional well-being of our educators cannot be denied. An event was organised to help them overcome this challenge and acknowledge their unwavering commitment to the cause of education. The team of panellists comprised eminent specialists in the field of psychology and psychiatry.

Special Educators and E-learning As an acknowledgement of the tireless and exemplary work being carried out by special educators, Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA (WR) interacted

with the Headmistress and teachers of Sankalp, Mumbai. She congratulated them on successfully transitioning to online classes and activities despite numerous challenges. A similar outreach was made to Sankalp children on World Autism Day. Unconditionally yours (Series 1) To extend support to our families, Mrs. Kala Hari Kumar, President, NWWA (WR) requested wives of unit heads to organise a virtual interaction, in the last week of May, 2021, with the ladies of their respective units. During the virtual interaction, ladies were requested to raise their concerns and challenges faced by their families in the scenario of lockdowns and social restrictions, so that NWWA (WR) could work on such areas of concerns.

Sign Language as a Communication Tool A session on Sign Language conducted on 17th October introduced the naval community to a “language that speaks with the hands and listens with the eyes”.

Team NWWA (WR) initiated the exposure session with the thought and hope of sparking interest towards this unique mode of showing care and communicating with the differently abled.

IMAGE CREDIT: ARCHANA DIXIT

Activity for Senior Citizens An interesting activity based session ‘Retired But Not Tired’ was conducted by the Aashirwad group on 26 September. The session was conducted by Mrs Bhawna Saini and emphasized Yoga as an important contributor to well-being apart from focussing on Pranayama and chanting of mantras for inner peace.

Archana Dixit has many feathers in her cap. She is the 2nd Runner up La Femme 2019; Mrs India Mumbai Global 2020; Persona Mrs India Asia Pacific 2021. She is passionate about women empowerment.

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New Beginnings - Making a Difference Thoughtfully

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everal new initiatives have been thoughtfully conceptualised for lasting impact in recent months. At the core of each of these has been the welfare of the community but in a manner that seeks to improve upon existing initiatives and also introduce support that makes a difference.

that is crucial to managing unfortunate and unexpected events in their lives.

The Family Logbook was put together as a ready reckoner by a team from INS Vikramaditya.

Chetna Chetna, an Early Intervention Centre (EIC) was inaugurated at the Department of Pediatrics, INHS Asvini, on 27 September 2021 by Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President, NWWA (WR), in the presence of Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command.The center will aid early detection and support for neurodevelopmental disabilities in young infants, minimizing their impact through multi-modality interventions.

Kripa Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President, NWWA (WR), inaugurated the renovated Naval Girls Hostel christened ‘Kripa’ on 27 September 2021 at Colaba, Mumbai. The new hostel is surely a home away from home for our young girls staying away from their families.

E-Scooters WNC, Mumbai has inducted 19 new multipurpose environment friendly electrical vehicles for use of residents. The vehicles were flagged of by Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA, Western Region, on 08 September 2021 and would be utilised for transportation of naval personnel and goods within residential areas.

Family Logbook Mrs. Kala Harikumar, President NWWA Western Region, released the ‘Family Logbook’ at an impressive ceremony at the Naval Base in Karwar. The book is a compilation designed to help and guide families of naval personnel in moments of emergency or personal crises by providing them information

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Cuddles Makeover Day care for children has become less of a worry for working moms as Cuddles has been reinvented through a partnership with India’s leading child care provider, Klay.

Facilities Get a New Look Samudri underwent a makeover and Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President, NWWA (WR), inaugurated the renovated NWWA Shop at Colaba, Mumbai on 08 September 2021. Saundarya and Kalakendra also received a facelift.

The renovated Sumitra market was also -inaugurated at Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai on 08 September 2021 SSB Mentoring “Give man a fish, feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime!” The inaugural orientation for ‘SSB Mentoring Program’, an initiative by the NWWA (WR) was held on 31 July 2021 at the Navy Children School (NCS), Mumbai. A brain child of Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA (WR), the ‘SSB Mentoring Program’ is yet another means of supporting and enriching the defence community by helping our wards prepare for a career in the defence forces.

Career Breaks not Heart Breaks Anymore Pursuing a career while balancing home is an arduous task for many women especially when married into the forces. Career breaks, ‘Not heart breaks anymore’ has been conceptualised as a series of webinars with an aim to provide them mentoring and the right information to think long term of various career options. In association with India’s leading diversity and inclusion firm, AVTAR group, the initiative hopes to inspire our talented women and equip them with skills for fulfilling their aspirations.

The first webinar was led by Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President NWWA (WR) and Dr Saundarya Rajesh, President and Founder of AVTAR on 1st November 2021.

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Glimpses of

First Day as President NWWA (WR)

Uniform Collection & Donation Drive

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NWWA

Activities

Pragati Team - Mumbai

Interaction at Akshar Trust

Glimpses of

Visit of wife of Bangladesh Navy Chief to NWWA Shop

Visit to Kalyan Kendra

NWWA

Activities

Sparsh at Work

Yoga Day Activities

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Forthcoming NWWA Projects

New NWWA Kendra

Cuddles with Klay - Childcare Facility

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Colourful Interiors at Cuddles

New Beginnings

Launch of Family Logbook - Financial well-being at fingertips

E Scooters - A boon for the residents

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Initiatives for Community Well-being

Inauguration of Chetna - A centre for early intervention

Renovated Samudri launch - more reasons to shop

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Renovated Kripa - Truly a blessing for our girls

SSB Mentoring Program - Career support and counselling for our youth

New Beginnings at Outlying Units

NWWA Office inauguration - Ghatkopar

Mankhurd Samudri opening

New Beauty Parlour - Ghatkopar

Creche opening at Mankhurd

Goa Samudri renovation

Inauguration of Reading Room at Nau Sena Bagh, Porbandar

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Bonds beyond WN C

With Begum Monira Rowshan Iqbal, wife of Bangladesh Navy Chief

Power of One - with the Army and Airforce

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With the US Chief of Naval Operations

With Mrs Linda Gilday, wife of US Chief of Naval Operations

Ladies in White

Guftugu & Guidance

Mrs Kala Hari Kumar’s (President, NWWA (WR)) interactions with ladies at various stations

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Visit to Outlying Units

Goa Visit

Porbandar Visit

Karwar Visit Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President, NWWA (WR) visited Goa, Porbandar and Karwar

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Visit to Outlying Units

Ghatkopar Visit

Karanja Visit

Mankhurd Visit

Mankhurd Visit

Ghatkopar Visit

Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President, NWWA (WR) visited Karanja, Ghatkopar and Mankhurd Navy stations

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Initiatives from 1st March-30th Nov 2021 F Family Welfare Mindful Moms Support for new moms E- scooters For the convenience of the community New NWWA Kendra Revamped Kripa Girls Hostels Cuddles with Klay Child Care The new NWWA Shop - Tarsh & Samudri The Salon Remodelled Sumitra Market

Family - Where Life Begins And Love Never Ends

A Aspirations for One and All SSB Mentoring Career Support program for select youth Avtar Second Career Intervention for Women Career Breaks not Heart breaks anymore

Find the Balance Stress Management Sessions for Teachers

M Marital Harmony Voice and Choices Mental Health Webinars for Parents

I Insured Future

Coping with Stress & Understanding Teens

Looking withinComprehensive well being Sakhi Support & Counselling

CHETNA - Early Intervention Center for identifying developmental issues in infants

Family Log Book Financial Well-being Ready Reckoner

L Learning and Skilling

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Sign Language webinar

Young Minds

Women Empowerment Programs

Talk the TalkGuidance for young girls

Cyber Security Workshop Yoga for young & old

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Voices and Choices for Youth Session on Self Esteem and Body Image

Anecdotes and Musings

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An Ode to All Families

here are those days where I wonder on the true meaning of life, In all these years as a woman, a daughter, a mother and a Naval wife, Having travelled to faraway places, with my partner, from east to west, Do I have fulfilment and contentment, have I experienced the best?

The journey began two decades ago – with simply the both of us, Travels abound and transfers too – by train, car or in the bus!

Sometimes hubby would be away, doing his duty, out at sea, Managing my life and work, doing the best I could be.

Then as my experiences grew, I understood this new paradigm, We had each other, though there were many a challenging time, Trunks and boxes, shifting and setting up a home, never an easy task, A skill we learnt together, each other’s company, was all I could ever ask.

A precious little gift soon came into our lives, as a family we grew, Bundle of happiness, the joy of motherhood was something new, Parenthood came with new revelations, sometimes we didn’t have a clue, A sense of responsibility dawned, it fundamentally changed my worldview.

Then came along a furry boy, he simply had enthusiasm abound Running from room to room, tiring not of going round and round,

Doggo too became family, in our circle and with us in every way, Comforting us, loving unconditionally, bringing happiness every single day.

The value of bonds of family has now made me realise, That this is the blessing we have, in our grasp is the real prize, How our parents have nurtured us, made us who we are, These ties are what make us strong, a supporting hand that is never far.

Last year has emphasised the importance of ties such as these, Of being there for one another, flying like a distant flock of geese, Yes, the community is also important, and so are our dear friends, But it is Family - where life begins, and love that never ends.

Samatha Mookherjee is a teacher by profession.

She enjoys travelling, exploring new cuisines and walks with her two children, one of whom is furrier than the other and happens to have a tail.

She has penned her perceptions as a Naval wife and the special relationships she has experienced in the past 21 years. Her poem is her perspective on marriage and family, and a tribute to all the wonderful Naval wives who make us so proud.

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What is a Family for Kids???

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ust yesterday, my son and I celebrated Father’s Day in the absence of his father. My four-year-old son had planned an entire itinerary – make a card, gather a bouquet, play a song on his keyboard, send an audio message for his ‘baba’ and most important of all, remind his mom to bake a cake.

And then I sat him down. Albeit that little body, the mind within is razor sharp and will shoot down any baloney coming from my mouth. To be honest, I was scared to explain to him “our family”, what we as parents do…lest I disappoint myself or perhaps fall short of his expectations.

Because as a working mother, I have a routine, not humdrum but I do try to squeeze in everything I can to make it as productive as possible for all of us as a family. However, it truly is a long day every day and I never get to retrospect.

This question got me thinking and was a

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IMAGE CREDIT: MEERA ATUL BHADRE

I couldn’t be prouder of the tiny man he was turning out to be. And then he asked me something that made me write this article; “How is it that I can celebrate Father’s Day without baba…. but we don’t celebrate family day even when we are around” …

Believe you me, I too was speechless.

perfect opportunity to reflect on my family and what we do together.

There is a slew of family activities we enjoy doing every Sunday - washing the car or his bicycle, making a quick flame-free breakfast or riding bikes together.

Such activities serve as a perfect bonding activity. In the process, he is becoming a little grease monkey asking questions about engines and brakes. He is learning to share responsibilities and care for his things.

Then there are evening outings and I must admit I and my son have explored the US Club like no other. The touch-me-nots on the right fairway, the tropical sausage tree on the left, oyster mushrooms or the deadwood that is home to a dozen chameleons… we go on such nature trails or partake in the arboriculture at Visakha-Vandana. His visits to memorials and museums with us have been a fruitful learning experience. Teaching Sanskrit through prayers is a de rigueur and my son chants close to 10 Sanskrit shloks fluently now. Making cards for friends and family is one of our favourite activities and it brings out the Da Vinci in all of us.

All thanks to the amazing environment afforded by NOFRA, despite the hardships posed by the pandemic or the absence of his

And as I reminisced about our family-days, I realized how family shapes young minds and the importance of a parent in creating a conducive environment filled with love, fun, learning, compassion and empathy. No doubt, Family is the backbone of our Armed Forces. And in the services, families are often sans mothers or fathers who are away on duty. It is important we understand the true meaning and value of being a family by supporting the other parent and engaging our kids constructively and impart family values and life skills.

In my family, I have many roles to play but my most challenging role is that of a mother. After earning this benefit of hindsight, thanks to my son, I realized that I had managed to turn challenges into opportunities. His question was not offensive, but pensive. It was thoughtful. And coming from a young curious mind, it was endearing.

IMAGE CREDIT: MEERA ATUL BHADRE

Finally, when I talked to him about what we do as a family…he quipped “Aai, we spend Family Day every day! “And I truly believe it was a rewarding moment for yours truly. My son and I play this wonderful game “Say-TheFirst-Word-That-Comes-To-Mind” at night. Guess what he said when I said Love? Family; and when I said Family? Fun. If you ask me, Love is Family and Family is Priceless!

baba, my son has not lost a single day of his childhood to boredom or television.

He is turning into a social butterfly. We celebrate eco-friendly Ganeshotsav at home that brings family and friends together. My son made his own clay Ganapati last year and assisted in pooja and visarjan with passion and zeal.

Family events like such promote much needed cultural consciousness within kids.

Meera Atul Bhadre is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at SNDT University and is an active NWWA member. She enjoys reading books on history and politics and has lent her voice to many naval official events and short films.

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Lockdown with the Family

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ockdown was a new experience, you had to stay indoors and mostly with your family. But with help from my family, here is what I did to enjoy and learn.

• Hobbies I developed: During the lockdown, thanks to the internet, I learnt a lot of new interesting things like playing the Ukulele. I created a lot of computer games using coding. I also made a lot of sketches and paintings.

• Things I watched: I was introduced to a Japanese anime series called ‘Naruto’ that left me completely hooked on to the world of ninjas! The ancient times of Japanese culture and various ninja techniques to control their ‘chakras’ fascinates me in Naruto. It is a very long series and hence I am yet to finish it. I also started watching Bey-blade and Pokemon.

• Places I went in lockdown: In the lockdown, I used to walk and play around the empty lawns of I.M.S.C and visit the I.M.S.C library with my friends. I read books like ‘Geronimo Stilton’ and world encyclopedias. I also went to the local NOFRA shopping complex with my friends and bought interesting stuff like ‘Magic Pen’ and fluffy diaries!

• Tasty things I ate: During the lockdown, there were many times when my parents used to order food and we had our own in-house Pizza parties, Panipuri, Burgers etc. I also helped my parents bake some yummy cakes and muffins.

• New friends I made online and how: I made new friends while playing an online game called ‘Roblox’. In that game, we can make friends and follow other people too. We could chat and play a lot of games. Mostly, the my

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friends were classmates from my old school and some new ones I met in the game itself.

Three things I did not like about the lockdown • Did not like all the people getting hurt: It was very sad to hear about all the people who died and got infected with the Corona virus.

• I did not like schools shutting down: I did not like online school because I did not have any friends to talk to.

• I did not like all the shops shutting down and the people losing their jobs: It was very sad to hear about many people losing their jobs due to the shutdown of markets and shops. It was disturbing to see migrants walking in slippers for thousands of kilometers to reach their homes.

What did you like, learn and enjoy?

Deepti Gupta is an architect and interior designer by profession and artist by passion. She believes art is the most honest medium to express oneself.

IMAGE CREDIT: DEEPTI GUPTA

Niyantra Singh Bareth is the daughter of Cdr. DS Bareth. She is 10 years old and is studying in Grade 5.

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Gratitude nd now you see the rains had come, I went and played and had some fun, Although Mamma said it wasn’t safe outside, But my paper boat was missing its ride.

And two days later, I ran a fever high, Mamma scolded Dad, he let out a sigh.

So now they took me to the Doctor Uncle, He looked at me and let out a chuckle.

So off I went one day with Dad, And lots of fun in rain we had, I dipped into the river stream, And topped it with a chocolate ice cream.

He checked my nose and pulled my tongue, He checked my chest and said I am the best.

He gave me medicines and told Mumma, Don’t worry, This is the season and flu is in flurry.

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But I am so sorry, I’m just a child, I can only run, play and be wild, Not much there is that I can anyways do, But with gratitude I wish to say to you Thank You for letting me be and do!

Ira is the daughter of Cdr Ruchir Prasad. She is a vivacious and bubbly 7 yrs old girl, is a student of Apeejay School, Navi Mumbai. She spends her time learning from her grand father the lost art of gardening in the concrete jungles of this city.

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o my mom I told…

“In the dream I looked pretty old…”

“I was sitting on a chair Could feel the kiss of fresh cold air And I had a granddaughter!”

To this mom was drenched in laughter The dream wasn’t long So I kept going on “The little girl had long list of complaints about the family My toothless advice was“Oh you silly,

The Legacy When the sea touches the shore It’s never said to be less, enough or even more When the flowers blossom It’s never said if at all just a few more So much I have known so far It’s definitely not about bungalows, dresses or a fancy car The real treasure hides in there In your heart that’s nurtured with all the love and care When you’ll know someday, you’ll know for sure Family is a beautiful responsibility but of a really short tenure I pray you learn this very soon Forward this legacy of love on a random noon The beautiful tale of our family I praise I am blessed to see your smiling face.”

Ends my dream, it was better than the cable We discussed it at the dining table.

Nikita Yadav is a Humanities graduate student at RIE (NCERT) Bhopal. She is an aspiring writer and believes “ leaves fall to give us a new season, let’s be grateful to life always with a new reason”

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A Family that Moves Together Stays Together

so clearly remember the first day after getting married, we came to Visakhapatnam, my husband’s first posting. There was a high probability of us getting posted out soon, so we decided to stay in a temporary accommodation and wait… for a week everything seemed to be so rosy, just married shades were on….and then came his sailing and no sign of posting…. And the wait kept growing and growing. Growing up in a joint family, loneliness was something I had never experienced…till now life was super busy with either studies, internships, friends and now a sudden change got me to a void and to top it, I had left my dream job to be alone.

After months of sailing, my husband came back and along with him came the posting orders. I was on cloud nine that I could set up a house, my house, that too in Goa. My excitement had no limits.

Upon reaching Goa, Dabolim, we finally had a house to live in. Like all newlyweds, we started setting it up; it did not matter that those were the days when there was no Amazons and Flipkarts and that Goa didn’t have many options for shopping for home decor. When his TY duty came to Mumbai, I tagged along. I reached Mumbai by air, but before he could follow by train, there was heavy downpour and neither trains nor flights operated for a seemingly endless time…I was stranded in Mumbai and he in Goa, not knowing what to do. I somehow reached Goa and we were back to setting up our first house, bought the best of the stuff available at that time even if it required stretching ourselves a little, only to hear about the next posting within 2 ½ months of settling down!

We were off to Adampur, I had no idea there was a place called Adampur in India before this. It was an Air force station close to Jalandhar in Punjab. And we went back to the Officers Mess and the process of waiting for a house began again! After a few months, we got a huge bungalow. As Punjab experiences

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extreme weather conditions, the house had a unique feature: during winters it would be colder than outside and during summers hotter. But yes, we enjoyed it thoroughly and hosted many people and some lovely memories were made forever..…; Here is where my eldest one was born.

After a year of fun and frolic, came the posting order and …back to Goa and shifting from one temporary mess accommodation to another every 15 days, this time with a baby in arms. This was my first hippie kind of an experience.

While we were dreaming of getting a house soon and settling down, came another posting and we were sent to Mumbai.

I was dreading Mumbai’s accommodation scene but to our surprise, we were to be given a sea roster, and yes, we had a house in Mumbai. Yes, I felt I was ready for life.

Being a NIFT student, working in various MNCs couldn’t give me the experiences the Navy gave me.

Moving around was an adventure but I soon learnt that you don’t need a house to make a place home - the lovely welcoming colleagues at every station became family and made it home irrespective of whether you had a house in your name. Since the first move, a lot has happened but one thing is for sure, we still try and move together. In fact, I am writing this from a Naval Mess where my husband is on TY duty. Coincidence?!

Aishwarya Harish is a happy homemaker, doting mother and proud naval wife. A nature enthusiast, she believes in living every moment and considers herself as a work in progress.

IMAGE CREDIT: DEEPTI GUPTA

When my kid joined playschool I joined it too.

Little Angels in Mumbai gave me my first work experience after marriage and it was a beautiful one…. but then came the news of our next posting back to Goa and back to the roster. With a kid by my side, living like this was getting tiresome but we decided to stay together.

Deepti Gupta is an architect and interior designer by profession but an artist by passion. She believes that art not only adds an aesthetic appeal but also strengthens the identity and character of a space.

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I Miss Your Mundane miss seeing you at breakfast I miss you in the mundane I miss the smell of your hair gel and the sound of your walking cane

An evening walk around the block, and attending to pesky little odd jobs like “fixing” your phone, or your laptop, or the television, make me miss your thankful nods

Finding you asleep on the couch crossword puzzle in hand, or napping in bed as television sounds carry you to dreamland

It’s quite interesting to me that the things I usually oversee like someone to say goodnight to or to buy pastries is what causes the most sentimentality

So here’s me letting you know that the silence of your absence is loud, because I miss you even in the mundane and I miss you dearly every day.

Sumantika Bhandari is a recent graduate from Cathedral and John Connan School. She is a voracious reader and a keen writer. This poem is an ode to her grandparents.

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My Superheroes, My Family

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oronavirus has impacted all, and we have all been working from home since the time our country and our world has been affected. However, there is a silver lining. There have been umpteen instances in the past few days/months that have had me in splits while working from home (WFH); a couple of incidents would stay with me for a lifetime and one of them sticks out vividly.

In my Organisation’s monthly town hall session, my CEO presented a great idea to stay connected with our respective teams via video calls every day. I decided to have a Zoom call with my team every evening to discuss our routine work/deliverables and of course to check out on each other’s well-being and how each member was coping.

While I was sharing this thought of my CEO with my husband, little did I realize that my naughty kiddos (twins) were eavesdropping and decided to surprise my team and me on the next conference call. The next day, while my team and I were finishing our critical year-end renewals on an e-meet, we thought of connecting with my boss to apprise him as well. My kiddos seized that opportunity and decided to celebrate superhero day, and, all dressed up in superhero attires, climbed on top of the table pretending to be superheroes; Catboy and Owlet, and started enacting a knockdown drag-out fight.

was so touching, emotional and funny. It was thrilling to see them enact and present. There was so much innocence; their simplicity, their lack of knowledge, and purity not spoilt by mundane affairs. It lightened the mood for all.

And so well said, ‘Family is like fudge, sweetened with a few nuts’. Family gives us the root to stand tall and strong.

Family is indeed a life jacket, in the stormy sea of life.

Families are like branches of a tree, growing in different directions, yet remain rooted together. We argue, we fight, we stop talking to each other at times, but at the end of the day family is family, the love will always be there.

AND I AM BLESSED TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY. Undoubtedly family is nature’s masterpiece, and the only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution that works, is the FAMILY Susmeet Kaur works in Prudent Insurance Brokers Pvt Ltd as a Vice President, and is an MBA from ICFAI University

Despite the fact that I had closed and locked the door prior to the video call, my sweet little Catboy and Owlet entered the room through the window for their showdown, right when we were in the middle of the conference, saying “Momma, that’s to make you laugh and stay healthy during this stressful period and that’s to give you some relief from your routine and make you smile”. Indeed, it

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Being Eighteen & Knowing your Family

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e grew up as a strange generation who were met halfway with the even stranger company of smartphones. Our lot has grown up with half their lives online and the other half in warm but conservative hands of Indian families. The relationship that our generation shares with their families is unique, and with good reason.

back now, I’d say that confinement and an absent sense of time had a lot to teach an eighteen-year-old me.

A few months of college had made me feel grown up too quickly. Being away from home had made me question most things about home. My critical

After spending a few months at college, I came home to a full-blown lockdown.

Having recently turned eighteen, I spent my first year of being a young adult within closed doors. A year ago, I would have hardly called this ideal. Looking

teenage-self was left staring at a long list of things that she and her parents disagree on. I had begun to be sceptical of almost everything said to me or expected of me. I couldn’t mindlessly agree to being asked to dress or sit a certain way. It became nearly impossible to shut out the voice in my head that questioned everything.

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realise that our parents are a lot like us. They begin to appear as their own person and not just people who raised us. Being eighteen taught me that my parents and I have more in common than just the size of our fingers or the shape of our eyes. We share the bond of emotion, of simply being human.

I learnt that my family has a lot more to it than all the things that I choose to be critical of. My mother, a teacher by profession, has been an example of sincerity and hard work. My father has truly made his own way up from the beginning. Despite being three years older than my brother, I learn so much from him.

Being eighteen in lockdown was not ideal - I hated being indoors and continuously nursed a sense of nostalgia for college. Regardless, I had a lot to take away from what felt like an endless year of being home. I now have at least little, if not complete, understanding of why my parents are the people that they are. I realised that these relationships offer much more than I give them credit for. Most importantly, I learnt that my family is where I truly come from and that I will always carry pieces of them within myself.

These were good, relevant questions that needed to be asked. That being said, I also began to lose control of where the questioning ended and the relationship with my family began. While disagreements may always sustain, there is a part of my relationship with both my parents as well as my sibling that remains untouched and golden. For aiding this realisation, I am grateful to the several months of being locked down. These times put me in close and intimate contact with three of the most important people in my life.

Shalabha Sarath is the daughter of Cmde Sarath Aashirvad & Seena Sarath. She is a student, pursuing International Relations at Shiv Nadar University. Her interests include acrylic painting and pop music from the 90s.

Friends of my age and I often discuss how our parents slowly become humanised to us. It has been one of the most significant parts of this changing relationship. As young adults, seeing our parents angry, anxious, sad or emotional is a different experience. These instances have led us to

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Family... A Place Nurturing Love & Values

gift of God given as special family We all call the gift as our own A family that loves us for who we are For the reason we would never feel alone

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A true family you can count on A whole lifetime long

Family is a lovely canvas With resilience, responsibilities and love being shared Let the canvas be painted with different colours With good moments, happy times and togetherness firmly paired It’s always remembering and never forgetting Showering grace and arguing too It was heaven’s plan to give an amazing family from the start And it’s still holding true For the dear ones, nothing is a real transaction Family is a place, filled with values and affection At last, the happy ones have the last say Remember the loving family you have, whether it’s night or day

The warmth the family shares, during every stride Good or Bad times, a members stands side by side They live and they love, always showing they care The love gets stronger, together the bond they share Delights that would grow deeper Pledges that keep growing strong

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Shweta Singh is employed as a Global Project Manager with French corporate firm, Capgemini Pvt Ltd since February 2014.

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From Being a Professional to a Housewife to an Art Aspirant

am the youngest of the four members in my family which includes my father who is a busy Bank officer, my mother, a housewife and my brother, a Doctor and my guide for all my educational and career prospects. Inspired by my brother, I entered the field of medical profession and graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Bilaspur followed by a postgraduation in Hospital and Health Care Management from Symbiosis, Pune. Like others, I also started fulltime practice in dental surgery and kept myself busy all the time.

I got married to a naval officer and then began the actual challenge of my life. Due to frequent transfers and language problems at various postings, my practice was going down a steep downward curve. Suddenly, from being a busy interactive professional, I became a silent housewife. Being newly married and my caring hubby always on sailing due to service requirements, I was all alone. A change from a crowded hospital to loneliness was unexpected, highly troublesome and sometimes depressing... Then my family came to support me.... my father took a long leave from his busy banking life and along with my caring mother joined me at our place. My brother also started visiting more frequently realizing my need. With their motivation and support, I started taking interest in cooking, especially in traditional village dishes, learning something special from my mom. The final turnaround happened when my parents motivated me to join a school for physically abled children - Sankalp which was my hidden desire since my school days. I was amazed at the happiness and energy level of the kids. Despite their limitations, they were doing more than what we could imagine. To involve myself more, I started engaging in extracurricular

activities and became a part of a seminar organized by Sankalp for glass and painting work. My work was appreciated by others and few advised me to commercialize it. My biggest motivation was the smile on the face of the kids, which inspired me to inculcate art as a part of my life, and make it my routine activity whenever I had the time.

During COVID 19, when everyone was locked inside and looking for leisure activities, my life ran smoothly and was unaffected because of these activities. My family has helped me to covert from my adverse times to a fruitful life. My life as a journey has gone from being a professional to a house wife to an art aspirant…. and may be a professional again. My husband who is to retire soon has been motivating me towards this. I know that it will be a smooth transition as my family will always be there to support me. Your family afterall is your rock and your anchor, ensuring you tide over tough times.

Dr Arti Patel is a graduate in BDS from NHDCRI, Bilaspur followed by post-graduation in Hospital and Health Care Management from Symbiosis, Pune with 05 yrs of experience in dental practices. Her hobbies include glass and plate painting works, cooking, gardening, mehndi and rangoli.

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My Family: My Tech Support

thought I knew everything – until the day an intimidating machine called ‘Personal Computer’ was brought home. The PC! It was the first time that I was face to face with technology. I remember feeling very anxious to touch the ‘Power On’ button to boot the computer.

Slowly, I moved on to being awed with my first glimpse into the wonderful world of ‘Windows’. If by chance the computer froze, I would fervently send up a silent prayer, before hitting ‘Control-Alt-Delete’ – together!

It makes me smile now, thinking back to the times when my husband patiently used to tell me – “Work on the PC. Don’t worry! It will not explode!” He spent

hours and hours painstakingly teaching me ‘MS WORD’ and it was utter joy and pride, when I completed 3 slides of a Powerpoint presentation with Clipart and fancy transitions!! I also nearly fell off my chair, when my ‘hotmail’ was received instantaneously by my friend, who was halfway across the world!

When our children are born, we teach them everything – right from the way to hold a spoon to manners and values. I would enjoy answering my kids’ queries or helping them out with their studies, seeing the gleam in their eyes that their Mom knows it all! Or so I thought!! When my son became a teen and smartphones exploded on the scene, he rescued me from being flummoxed. He taught me how to use FaceBook, Orkut and WhatsApp. He would also keep changing my ringtones, so I often ended up being the last person to know that the loud and weird ringtone being belted out in a public place was coming from my own phone!

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Fast forward to seven years later, and my daughter became a teen. Kids of today have technology wired into them and I benefited greatly because of it.

Navigating effortlessly through ‘Google Meet’ or ‘Webex’ was all thanks to her careful tutoring. Many amusing moments were spent trying out the different, magical and at times outright crazy Instagram filters. This was followed by my initiation into the ‘Gaming’ world – with the guns and skins of ‘Valorant’. I also got acquainted with Memes, Reels and Vines.

My Family ometimes I look over my shoulder,

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And I see people carrying boulders.

They smile when I do, cry when I do, They are next to me whenever I look.

Not just technology, I also learnt from my children that ripped jeans are not a sign of poverty but a sign of high fashion! I learnt that tattoos are not torturous but fun!! I learnt that green, blue and violet are not just the colours of a peacock but cool shades to colour your hair!! Thanks to the young generation, I have heard of K-Pop groups and enjoy watching K-dramas.

Sometimes when things are rusty,

Now, with tech support from my family, I can expertly make an NEFT, shop online, OLA/UBER a ride, Swiggy food, clock my exercise activity on my watch and enjoy seeing the falling graph showing my weight loss in my fitness App! I discover and learn every day from my very own tech-gurus and am confident that I will be able to face any technological challenge thrown my way!

They celebrate my wins, grieve my failure

Smita Ridhorkar is an English teacher by profession and a committed environmental conservationist. She is actively involved in the setting up of the waste management project at NOFRA & Navy Nagar. She is also the Group Coordinator of Sahara ad Aashirwaad groups of NWWA (WR).

Helping me through is my family.

In trying times and happy too, Working me through my Monday blues.

Every celebration, they personally tailor, I know some people they would die for me, We laugh together, they’re my family.

Saranya Dhawan is the daughter of Capt.

L Dhawan. She is a badminton enthusiast, likes to read and write too. Her favourite genre doesn’t exist because, in her mind, favourites are abstract ideas.

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Chalk and Cheese - All in the Family?

f all the forms of diversity, diversity in thought is the most challenging. My better half and I engage with diversity in thought daily at the homefront.

Thankfully, we manage to co-exist peacefully most of the time! As per our friends, I am soft-spoken, practical, reserved whereas he is flamboyant, a dreamer, gregarious, risk-taker.

The better half laughs at my low risk-taking ability - I will not even watch a movie if it has not been recommended by someone whose opinion matters to me! At a restaurant, I stick with the tried and tested fare. Whereas the better half always has his game face on for gastronomical adventures.

The allegation of me being averse to risk is unfounded-after all didn’t I exhibit risk-taking behaviour by marrying a naval officer? I rest my case.

The arrival of a militant female rebel (our daughter) has made the process of reaching consensus on family matters more dynamic. Our parenting styles are poles apart: He advocates a fun laissez-faire approach to parenting whereas I am a stickler for routine. The little one seems to be the flag bearer of the ‘rebel without a cause’ movement which she has happily launched against her doting and helpless parents. I often joke with my extended family and friends that the question does not matter for my little one as her answer will always be a ‘no’. It is said that creative disagreement fosters growth. In my better half and me, the disagreements with the little one are fostering patience and surely some grey hair! The little rebel has shaken my longstanding beliefs in freedom of speech and the right to dissent. When I am at the receiving end of her dissent, values like ‘obedience’ seem more appealing to me!

The diversity also gets reflected in our choice of food. The little bear has a preference

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for chocolate flavours and dislikes vegetables, the papa bear wants protein-rich food and less carbs, and the mama bear wants vegetables and nuts. Initially, this drove the maid ‘nuts’ but now she has wisened up on how to manage the chaos generated by the diversity in palate in our three-member family! The choice of décor at home is another ‘war zone’ as I have started leaning towards minimalism and the other two family members, to my dismay, lean towards a shabby chic aesthetics.

Paulo Cohelo says, “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things”. I have started seeing the extraordinary in the simple things at the homefront. Hubby admits my risk averse behaviour keeps him grounded and be more thoughtful regarding his decisions. I enjoy the better half’s flamboyance and sense of adventure as it adds the fun element to our life. The little one’s opinions keep us on our toes as we have to constantly think of innovative ways to convince her! As you can see our family is truly living the Indian motto of ‘Unity in Diversity’ and ask me more about ‘Beauty in Diversity’!

Dr Tara Korti works as a faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Likes the work of Indian political satirists, men who are feminists, Ted talks, and the thrill of teaching a new course.

A firm believer of freedom of speech and right to dissent, she practically finds herself questioning these beliefs when at the receiving end of dissent launched by a militant female rebel without a cause - aka her nine-year-old daughter.

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Family... More Things Change, More They Remain the Same

Home and family dynamics changed when people were compelled to share their living space during the day for their everyday ‘routine’ activities. Housework, children’s education, and office work all needed to be juggled carefully. Family discord did not find root in generational gaps but around which room the children would be attending their online classes, which room dad will be using for work and which room would be available for mom to do her work. Not long hair or unkempt rooms but phone calls and loud discussions brought upon a frown during this time. As domestic help was not allowed, household chores were equally divided among family members and children were enrolled into a forced internship on housework - cleaning and trying out new recipes in food and baking. For separated family members – daily video calls through Zoom came to the rescue.

This ‘confinement’ was a blessing in disguise as it ensured that family members could now spend quality time together – be it playing board games, watching films together, picking up new hobbies, gardening, etc. The Internet was

IMAGE COURTESY, GOOGLE

he global pandemic Covid 19 brought many things to the forefront – one main aspect being the commencement of a completely different lifestyle all together where ‘online’ became the buzzword. Where previously one had strict schedules and timelines for housework, children’s school, husband’s work, wife’s work, grocery shopping, etc. – all came to a grinding halt when we were required to be locked inside our homes for days on end.

being used to its full capacity with Wi-Fi having 100 mbps speed, a basic, common, and essential requirement for most. Loss of the same brought about panic attacks not seen before! Zoom calls became omnipresent for all types of celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, school/college reunions etc.), office/large organization meetings and online school & college classes.

Online shopping took on a whole new meaning - Not a single day went by

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where the doorbell rang and some package(s) was received for some family member or the other from a shopping website. Receiving a letter or courier had now become passé.

This unique experience, which nobody had imagined a year and a half ago, challenged the very core of the way of life and exposed everyone to stresses and challenges unknown. However, what also emerged clearly was the resilience of the families to come together to not only fight and survive the pandemic but even achieve success in their daily lives. In fact, one realises that the pandemic has actually strengthened the bonds within the families even further and one can actually look forward to a better and a brighter future together. Covid 19 pandemic has proven that adversity actually brings out the best in people and that the adage “Family … Where Life Begins and Love Never Ends” is absolutely true.

Divya S Gurbuxani has a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai and has worked for various non-profit and funding organizations for 10 years. She is currently based in Greater Noida (U.P.) and is a full-time mom to her son and daughter who are in Grade 12 and 10 respectively.

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IMAGE CREDIT: SAUMYA YADAV

The 2nd wave of covid brought attention to the fact on how fragile life could be and how it could be lost in an instant. Many of us suffered and recovered from Covid and many more sadly lost close family and friends to this virus.

Suddenly the arguments and fights with our parents, spouses, children, relatives, and friends seemed very insignificant and petty. The family members doctor suddenly became the guardian angel and the most sought-after individual for all advice and clarifications.

Saumya Yadav is the daughter of Brigadier Pankaj Yadav, is a qualified engineer presently working as a software development engineer with Amazon.

Dimensions of a Family

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that individual or group helps us to come out of the woods. This person then becomes your family.

• Roles and Responsibilities: A relationship is created from the roles and responsibilities played by different individuals that we are surrounded with in a Family. We first have the father. Undoubtedly, his expression of love is the most underrated among all. We learn values of responsibility, trust, love, but most importantly, sacrifice as we see him smile through all circumstances. A mother inculcates the values of motherhood, caring and much more but above all, she helps us to become a better human and teaches us life lessons. Lastly, we experience siblings in most of the families. Siblings teach you to stay strong and smile together through hard times.

It seems to be me that different parameters have an influence on how we build bonds and what is a family: • Time: Needless to say, the person we want to spend most of the time with, is the person that brings out our true colours. Thus, we associate ourselves with that person, not because we are necessarily connected by blood, but because that person brings out a better version of ourselves. We feel connected to some people in a mere moment of time and sometimes even after a long time, we don’t understand a person. I can derive an inverse proportional relation between Time and Energy i.e. greater the energy in the relationship, lesser the time needed to form the bond and vice-a-versa.

• Bond: What about the relation between ‘Bond and Time’? Isn’t it directly proportional? Greater the bond that two individuals share, greater is the time they tend to spend together.

• Resilience: There’s no denying the fact that everybody goes through dark times. We suffer, either mentally, emotionally or physically. When the situation is unbearable for us, we need some external energy to cheer us up, to stand with us and to be a torchbearer for us to see the sunshine again. Thus,

As I walk through the above parameters, I introspect and understand that the definition of the word ‘Family’ is broad. The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing. In my view, it’s an open-ended word where different people of different categories can come and give their definition to this word, based on their experiences. Let’s not curtail this beautiful bond with one’s perspective, rather open the scope to elaborate it in a way where everyone is able to relate with its meaning…!!

s I sit at my desk, penning down my thoughts about this topic of FAMILY, I seek guidance from the Oxford dictionary to understand the true meaning of this simple yet complex sixletter word. The Oxford definition reads, ‘a group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit’.

But then I wondered, is everyone lucky enough to have a family just after their birth.

The sad reality is, No. To my knowledge, family is not just a blood relation but any individual or group who makes you feel at home. Any person who is capable of making you feel at ease in spite of all the insecurities you may be carrying. Someone, who not just corrects you, but also motivates you to grow as a person.

Nisha Nayal is a Math Educator, who believes tricks and tactics makes everything easy. She also experiences true freedom in expressing herself through words.

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Bond & Befriend hen I cradled you in my arms for the first time and your tiny feet kicked my heart A storm of thoughts and excitement shook me While I didn’t know if I’ll be a good parent, I was sure of just one

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thing That I’ll help you be an extra-ordinary child, who is brave, talented and smart You were like a sponge ready to soak in all I could teach But I wasn’t quite sure what you’d want to be; so, I decided to explore the world with you And see where all we as duo could reach Can’t express in words, what a beautiful journey it has been Becoming your partner, your “buddy” is the way I realized this relation is meant to be Dancing and singing with you, wandering in the wilderness and scaling new heights

Life has been nothing but adventurous and awesome, for both you and me I had read somewhere and I’m glad I took it seriously: “Parents are the ultimate role models for their child As they imitate every word, movement and action so sincerely There is no replacement to becoming their partner and being on their side” So I shout out loud to the parents striving hard Our job is just not to fetch and fend But to match their stride and be their guard To blend with their lives and befriend

Lavanya Karthikeyan would love to be proudly recognized as “the mountaineering prodigy” Kaamya Karthikeyan’s mother. She is an early childhood educator by profession and currently serving the fraternity as Headmistress of Naval Kindergarten, Colaba, Mumbai.

She has shared her journey with her daughter through this poem.

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belong to this MAN...IAC family With lovely men all around Two smart boys on the verge of becoming men And one my Handsome Man!

A Man...…iac Family

Vests and briefs strewn all around Even if it’s Jockey …it’s messy all around.

That’s my little home With men all around!

Wardrobe sight is not at all bright …

Shirts and jeans for formal wear T-shirts and shorts for casual wear That’s what is stuffed inside …

No pretty pinks nor flaming fluorescents to please the eyes Just blue and black ….the denim style!

No flair for styles No frills to adorn their size No shoulders bare No necklines to stare…..

Isn’t it nice….This MAN…IAC family of mine?

The shoe rack lacks lustre too No stilettos, no wedges, no fancy colours It’s the same old browns and blacks ….

Formal shoes or strappy sandals!

It means the same each time.

Unkempt hair would also do for them So would any roadside barber’s saloon!

No thirst for style No greed for more ….

When it comes to clothes …

It’s never ‘yeh Dil maange more’ No creams, no powders No neon shades No gloss, no kajal No fancy clips to lock your mane The lovely teak dressing table Looks bleak bland and bare!

Isn’t mine a true MAN…IAC family?

No soft music, no romantic movies It’s loud and bang all the time!

But when it comes to talking …

It’s just the single jibes….

‘Yes and no’ is all I hear To all my queries thrown at their side!

“Ma…where is my THIS and where is my THAT” Are the complete conversations that take place in the home inside.

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Battle drones and car races Are games that are played at home And when I dose off, watching them That’s the time they increase their Josh.

‘Meticulous’ and ‘Organized’ Are words of an alien land Not to be spoken and commented In our family full of men!

To top it all Is their growing appetite….

The demand of aloo parathas for breakfast Is nothing less than a nightmare of a lifetime!

This lovely MAN....IAC family Is still my pride and my hope!

I love each one of them Despite their oddities and silly pranks.

How much I love to cook for them let’s keep that aside …

What I want you to know is How I get tired making those parathas for them ….

Waiting for them to say ....that’s it! I am done mom…now is your chance to have a bite.

Spiderman and Avengers are movies I have to go to With conditions to abide ….

No display of hugs and cuddles When they have friends by their side!

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Monisha Rastogi is a teacher by profession and a blogger by choice. A mother of two teenage boys, she is always on her toes. Navy has chiselled her into a beautiful human being who respects others opinions and does not believe in imposing her wishes on others. She loves teaching young minds and takes immense pride in the fact that every time she enters a classroom, she has the potential to change. Her poems have been published recently in the book “Changed Forever”.

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Will he, Won’t he?

he thought heightens my sense of anticipation - of pain and love….

Will He Won’t He? I eagerly await this moment every day at the same time….

Will He Won’t He? We go down in the lift every day at the same time….

Will He Won’t He? As the lift door opens, as always he gets out first…

Will He Won’t He? As I walk ahead swinging my hands mildly, I await that magical feeling…

Will He Won’t He? I sense his quick steps behind me…..

Will He Won’t He? I feel his tiny tender hands softly slide into my hands and hold on tight….

I revel in that exquisite feeling of joy as a mother….

Every day at the same time…

Will He Won’t He?

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To My One and Only Beautiful Princess

o this day, my eyes fill with sudden tears When I remember the way you came to me and hugged me dear….

You were so small, so delicate I feared and still fear for you….my pet Every time I see you, I can’t believe my eyes…

How this lil girl has grown up into a beautiful sprite…

Know this my lil girl You will always be my world…

Aarthi Girish is a mother of two. She paints, loves cooking anything from Au gratin to yummy dosas and also dabbles in artsy stuff.

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Festivals are brighter with Friends

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Glinting Smiles Brighter than Lights

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Smiles abound with Friends around

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From Our Little Champs

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Beating the Crisis with Family Bonding

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he COVID- 19 pandemic has greatly affected us. It has also added to the existing challenges that parents having children with special needs face. It is known that although the pandemic brought stress and conflict, this period also provided an opportunity for strengthening family relationships, developing a more friendly and joyous relationship with siblings and community connections.

We took this opportunity in Sankalp to begin with online teaching for our special children along with family support. Initially we began by providing skill/ activity for the parents to conduct with the child and  Syed Shadabur Rehman

participated in most of the sessions. Parents became more knowledgeable about teaching, learning methods and developed and confidence to provide better opportunities to their child. We could see that

 Harsh Mishra

send the videos to the class teacher. However by the end of the month we realized that though we were getting results we could not get the connection with children.

Parents also found it difficult  Dushyant Kumar to get the activity done due to several reasons, including the child not cooperating with the parents at all. Immediately, we shifted to video calls and zoom calls where teachers would give instructions to the child and with parental support the activity was successfully carried out.

During the sessions it was found that parents took keen interest and responsibility and actively

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the child felt good when the family took time to do fun activities with him/her and it helped them to grow closer.

New activities resulted in closer bonds between family members, who were now  Aradhya Kumari more engaged and more connected to each other than before.

The goal in getting the family involved is simply to help them realize that each child is different, his /her requirements are different and each is capable

of succeeding based on his/her abilities. Mothers could see positive outcomes in sibling relationships where the sibling also shared the responsibility of the special child. Festive celebrations activities saw the entire family coming together.

The essence of resilience is accepting that a door has closed behind us but being optimistic about what awaits. This adversity has created opportunities to build skills to endure the ongoing.

Staying “locked in” gave an opportunity for family intimacy by participating in activities together and strengthening family cohesion and resilience. This year has taught us to be more emotionally and mentally grounded as parents, Sankalp parents can collectively lead  Jayant Verma

The Paintings in the article have been made by the students of Sankalp.

Art by the students of Sankalp is more than mere ‘paintings’. It is an expression of their creativity, an outlet to their innermost emotions and a chance to convey what they are otherwise unable to put into words - written or spoken! Art is also an enjoyable activity for the students that equips them to deal with the rigours of an online academic routine.

(Mrs. Rangoli Dingra, Co- ordinator, Sankalp)

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stronger families.

COVID – 19 has made us realize that as family we need …to forgive.... to forget….to care for ..to comfort…. to understand …to empathize… to be kind  Agastya Goswami and compassionate…… to be loving and sharing…to spread happiness and light …to create a world where our children shall live in Hope, Happiness and Harmony.

Archana Saxena is a Clinical Psychologist and Special Educator having 30years experience in the field of Disability. Presently she is the Headmistress at Sankalp, Mumbai

Expressions of Our Children

By Ojasvi. Ojasvi is the daughter of Ajay Kumar and is a class 4 student of Navy Children School, Mumbai. Her hobbies include reading, painting and cycling.

By Simran Paswan. She is the daughter of V Ram and takes pride in being a part of the naval family

By Arsh Ali. Arsh is the son of Tabrej Ali and studying in class -VII, NCS (Mumbai). His is a keen student and enjoys drawing.

By Kshitij Mukhedkar.

He is the son of Cdr Mahesh Mukhedkar. He is studying in class 8 in Navy Children School, Colaba, Mumbai

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Magical Moments with Kids

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Growing up with Friends Forever

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When Friends become Family

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Notes from our Gyan Gurus

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Kool Kid in the Kitchen

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ike every family around the globe, the pandemic and follow-on lockdowns have brought unimagined challenges to our home life.. The major brunt of the lockdowns was faced by our children who were forced into online schools, online classes, coupled with little to no outdoor activities.

The constant screen time took a toll on their overall health. Being cognizant of the situation, I had a sense of helplessness to see my teenage son, Akshat, suffer this monotony. Days turned into weeks but the lockdown didn’t seem to end. One lazy morning, I was taken by surprise to find a tray with a cup of hot coffee and a delectable looking spinach sandwich by my bedside. In the kitchen I saw my son watching a Youtube video and preparing breakfast. This seemed to be a sign from above, at least in my eyes and I encouraged him to try his hand at cooking. His newfound interest persisted and he started learning new skills to develop his culinary skills. In the kitchen he tried new cuisines and I found ample time to bond better with him. The essentials were always available within the NOFRA market, so I encouraged him to do the purchases according to the menu. He graduated from Indian to Continental cuisine and enjoyed the pursuit. The cooking journey is still on and I have seen many positive changes in him. In fact, there are times that I wonder, if I’m learning more from him than actually teaching him.

Thus, cooking offers a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow among children. It has provided me quality family time, lifelong memories and parent-child bonding. It would be immensely beneficial for the future also, where my son would also be able to share the responsibilities of the household equally with his spouse. As the saying goes ‘Happiness is Homemade’, it is never too late to initiate our children into this therapeutic (and often lifesaving!) hobby.

As a Mathematics teacher myself, I cavt help but note the many ways in which this time spent in the kitchen must be helping Akshat. To list down the positives, cooking tasks help children develop necessary academic and locomotor skills which also prepare them for success in school and in life. During the cooking sessions you are passing down the invaluable lessons of our traditions and value systems which may germinate in the form of respect to food and the befits of being organised. Labelling ingredients increases the child’s vocabulary while following directions enhances the receptive language skills. Mixing the ingredients, rolling the dough and using pizza cutters are great ways to enhance a child’s fine motor strength and control. These skills are also needed to develop academic skills such as writing, cutting and colouring. Cooking also involves a great deal of measurement.

Children understand various measurements such as cups, teaspoons and tablespoons. They also understand fractions as well as utilise addition and subtraction which enhances the basic math skills. Purchasing the ingredients develops financial accounting skills and reading a recipe book help them to understand each step and follow correct instructions. This also helps in

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Sunerita Magar is a doting mother and a homemaker. She graduated with BSc (Hons) Physics from Mumbai University and also holds a Bachelor in Education degree. She has been a faculty member of NCS and also been associated with ‘Train the Trainer’ programme of TISS.

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IMAGE CREDIT: RIVA

enhancing reading comprehension. In the movie ‘Mission Mangal’ Vidya Balan related the theory of cooking ‘Pooris’ with burning of the propellant of a Satellite system required to orbit outer space. Similarly, our daily cooking involves a great deal of science. Our children can learn what happens when certain ingredients are mixed together as well as what happens when the measurements are incorrect. They learn the need to stay focused and pay attention to each detail or the recipe will not be completed correctly. When a child is able to successfully complete a recipe and make a meal, they feel a sense of pride and confidence which boosts their self confidence and self-esteem. Older children can learn to cook meals for themselves and the family, which allows them to be more independent and responsible individuals. It helps them to learn what foods are healthy and what are not. It encourages them to eat at home instead of out which may often provide unhealthy options. Cooking also teaches the invaluable importance of safety, hygiene and cleanliness.

Riva AM is the daughter of Cdr Aakash VM. She believes in the saying “Don’t let the world change your smile, let your smile change the world”.

Parenting Newborns and Toddlers in a Pandemic

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! he is a pandemic baby, he is not used to seeing people around him. So many people make him anxious, remarked a young mother at one of those rare open- air ship get-togethers. The baby wouldn’t respond to my attempts to engage him. In fact, he would turn his head away each time I tried. This got me thinking. What has been the impact of Covid 19 on young babies?

The last year and a half has been hard on families.

Schedules have gone for a toss, anxiety of the unknown, stress of working from home, absence of domestic help, minimal socialization and hence reduced human contact. Life as we know it has gone topsyturvy. Yet, life goes on. As I write this, in the last year alone, 73 babies were born to INS Vikramaditya officers/sailors and 65 more are expected in the coming months. Extrapolate that at the Command level and we are looking at a large number of babies growing in these unusual times. How has the pandemic affected their development? What can we do as parents to mitigate the impact? I have compiled some suggestions from the current and ongoing research studies on the topic.

How has the pandemic impacted the development of babies?

Effect of masks Preliminary research from Columbia University’s studies on the effect of masks on

the development of babies shows a decline of about 50% in emotional connections. Why does this happen? At birth, babies cannot see or focus much but they have a special attention span for faces. They are capable of mirroring and mimicking the mother’s facial expression and matching her emotional status.

Not being able to see the mother’s face impacts emotional development. Furthermore, masks trigger a stress response in babies which puts a brake on the development process.

Effect of parental anxiety The pandemic has triggered anxiety in most of us; some more than others. There is evidence that parental anxiety is rubbing off on the children.

Babies and toddlers display stress in many wayscrying, headaches/stomach aches, regression (losing skills which they had previously achieved), increased tantrums and challenging behaviours etc.

Effect of reduced socialization Babies are missing out on the experience of having many people engage with them at social gatherings.

Accompanying their parents on shopping expeditions and similar outings or visits to grandparents and other family have become rare. All of which means there is reduced sensory stimulation, reduced language and social-emotional stimulation.

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Effect of work from home and no domestic help Parents have gotten extremely busy. The regular routine has got affected. This could mean less talking and engagement with the child. The challenge has been to make time for this whilst attending to demands of work and home chores. Meaningful interaction with the baby is critical for overall development.

How can we help our babies?

First focus on the connection between you and your baby. When interacting with babies, try to keep your mask off as much as possible.

Make eye contact and give your baby access to your facial expressions.

Lots of hugs and snuggles are recommended.

Ensure your anxiety is at bay before you engage with your child.

Engage in mindfulness activities. Deep calming breaths, walks, talking to a friend and a warm bath can be relaxing. It is a good idea to restrict time spent on news and information about the pandemic.

As we reopen, give children time to adjust. Remember all they have seen so far is a sea of masked faces. What is normal for us will be the new normal for them. Prepare for social outings by talking to them about it and describing what to expect.

Prepare for separations and transitions. If you are thinking about day care, you will need to spend time preparing your child for the same. Talk through smaller transitions too. Example : tell your child we are taking off your clothes now and soon I will be giving you a nice warm bath.

Establish a routine and stick to it. Children respond well to routines.

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Predictability also helps to keep their anxiety at bay.

Having a routine will help you manage your time better in the long run. Once you have a routine, it is essential to avoid frequent disruptions and if there is an inevitable one; prepare your child for it.

Involve children in the routine. Babies can be on a mat in the kitchen as you work. Keep talking to them about what you are seeing, doing. Draw their attention to the sounds around them. Talk to them as you feed them, bathe them etc. This way you will keep them stimulated even as you attend to your chores. As much as possible, schedule your work from home around nap times.

We live in challenging times. I hope some of these tips will be helpful. Some logic, practicality and planning should help us sail through these turbulent seas.

Happy Parenting!

Deepa Bhat Nair is a Speech and Language Therapist and Autism Interventionist. She runs an early intervention clinic - Com DEALL (Mumbai) - for children with Autism and related language disorders.

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You can Help your Teen get There

een years can be challenging for the teen and the parents, leading to friction and stress in the family around academic goals and achievement. Teenagers can achieve anything that they put their minds to. The only reason teenagers are sometimes unable to achieve what they desire, is because they have not set themselves the right goals. If you are the parent of a teen – here is how you can help your child to set achievable academic goals.

10 teps to academic goal setting for teenagers – 1. Start with last year A realistic approach to goal setting is to look at the performance of the previous year to gauge how much ground needs to be covered. It is vital to make the goal achievable through this exercise, so that your teen is not overwhelmed by the workload.

2. Analyse the performance of the previous year In every subject, look carefully at the answer sheets and analyse why the marks were lost. The reasons may vary from subject to subject and chapter to chapter. Make a note of these in a diary for future reference.

3. Help your child take ownership of the problem It is important for you to show your child that this is not a blame game. You must convey to your child that you will do whatever you can to help your child achieve their goal.

4. Set an achievable goal Teenagers make the mistake of setting goals that are too big for their current ability.

Ask them to attempt a 20% jump in scores in one or two subjects in the first term.

Review performance and reset goals after the first exams.

5. Plan Help them plan and break a huge task into small do-able bits depending upon the time available. If there are 500 sums in all and two months left for the exams, divide 500 by 60 and you will find that just doing 8 sums a day

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thing in the box, encourage them to tick it off the list. This small action acts like a huge motivation boost and keeps your teen going.

9. Stay connected You cannot make a plan and walk away. Check in with your teen for successes and failures as the plan is implemented and help them tweak the plan when required to accommodate other important things like hanging out with friends. Handhold your teen. Your presence will make all the difference for their courage to persist.

10. Plan a treat every week Teenagers live in the moment. They cannot wait to receive rewards at the end of the year like adults do. Plan something special like a movie on each weekend. If your child has not achieved the targets for the week by the weekend, encourage them to put in a few extra hours to complete the week’s target before the movie. will be enough to reach your goal. Do such math and delight your teen and encourage them to put in their best.

6. Decide when you will carry out the plan Unless you fix a certain time of the day to carry out the plan, it will be impossible to implement. For eg- Decide to do the 8 sums planned above, just before breakfast every day.

7. Talk about the sacrifices that will have to be made You will have to help your teen understand sacrifices required along the way & be mentally prepared for them-how sleep or time with friends will have to be given up to carry out the plan and reach the goal.

8. Celebrate small wins Write each day’s target in a box on the chart and as your teen achieves each

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Spend a few hours setting academic goals for your teenager as the year begins.

And spend a few minutes checking in with your teen every day. That will help your teen achieve academic goals that neither of you every thought were possible.

Dr Debmita Dutta MBBS, MD is a counsultant and author of two parenting advice books. She is also a founder of her own parenting query website

ABC of a Family- Acceptance, Belongingness and Communication “You push me one step away, I’ll take ten steps towards you.

Take me as your shadow, I’ll follow you wherever you go.

You’ll find me when you seek me in the light, but not in the dark, because in the dark, My Dear, I’ll become a part of you.”

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sychology talks about the ‘Need of Belongingness’, a term used in the field to describe our constant need for ‘Attention, Acceptance, Security and Love’. According to experts in the field, if we are not part of a group, we cannot feel safe or secure. A lot of studies and research prove this point. Thus, it is only right to conclude that ‘belonging’ is an important need for human beings. A Family provides that sense of belonging.

I am not here to mention the science behind family and our emotions associated with it.

Being a counselling psychologist myself, I have a different take on the matter. We can study anything and everything scientifically, but we cannot analyse an abstract feeling like Love. No science has ever been able to measure love because it is mostly immeasurable and unconditional, it is not learnt but felt.

I started this article with a quote I wrote long back, when my heart was full of love and regard for my near and dear ones, specifically, my family. Growing up as an Army brat, our family was always missing one member, my father, who somehow still completed us from a distance of 1000 kms or more. Looking forward to his arrival kept us all going. My mother was our pillar of strength who never showed the struggle of keeping herself strong and did the job of both parents together. Despite all this, they always managed to make us feel loved and comfortable. We never had to prove to each other our worth of being accepted or understood because of our ability to communicate everything, be it, our challenges, disappointments, expectations, things that bring us joy, and most importantly, our love for each other.

While love may be the only common thing between different families, the difference arises in the inability/lack of communication of that love and that is where all the discord comes in. If only we humans could communicate what is in our heart more than what is in our mind, half the world would be in a better place.

Similarly, showing commitment despite worldly challenges, and understanding the importance

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I am now a part of a new family, a family of two, still getting used to each other’s presence and accommodating to become partners in making our lives whole and fulfilled. Every part of what I learnt and gathered from my relations earlier, are now helping me build my own nest, a life of my own with a man who completes me. Family, thus, cannot be limited to blood relations, it is much deeper than that. This inner connection we have with the whole of Humanity is where it all begins and stays forever.

Shruti Chandran is a consultant counselling psychologist who comes from a family of defence officers. She loves to sing and has been a part of a professional band as a lead vocalist. She is a fitness enthusiast and her hobbies include writing and dancing.

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IMAGE CREDIT: SNEHA DEBNATH

of living as ‘One Whole’ rather than ‘One individual’, would bring more peace to us and the people around us.

Sneha Debnath is a class 5 student of Navy Children School, Mumbai. She has keen interest in drawing, art and craft.

Happy Spaces in Happy Homes

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ow do you get a house to feel like your home? With constant transfers and house shifting, this nomadic lifestyle is almost our rite of passage. Each naval house comes with its signature yellow whitewash walls and chip tile flooring. Steel trunks that are repurposed as seating furniture and wooden tables with that wobbly leg were the trademark notions of my childhood naval house. But somehow, even with these small irritants, that house very quickly became a home. It is very easy, in our lifestyle, to get invested in a new place emotionally and financially. The decor of the home that follows and the experience created as a family play a crucial role when it comes to making fond memories.

With the ongoing pandemic and following lockdown, everyone has been forced to stay indoors and look at interior spaces with a new lens.

Whether it’s searching for a perfect spot for the WIFI or creating a play area for a work break, or just resituating the dining table to be closer to the kitchen, because of course, access to food. Home interiors are now seen with a fresh outlook to help provide better work production, home organizing, and family bonding activities. Let’s take a look at how our naval houses can be instantly transformed into warm welcoming homes, especially during this ongoing lockdown.

Declutter your home!

With each transfer, there are hundreds of memorabilia collected as mementos of that location. Some useful, like a tote bag some….well,

a waste, like a tote bag. Clutter can accumulate quickly and adds unnecessary stress and negative energy. Organize your home to achieve more balance.

Open your windows!

Make your indoor spaces more airy and open by letting in abundant natural light and ventilation. Yes, some navy homes might not be best oriented to let that draft of air in, but even a daily dose of natural light can instantly help uplift your mood. Replace heavy drapes with light fabric curtains. This will offer the room a bright and vibrant look, making the space inviting to spend long hours in.

Go green!

This is a reminder to all your kids who have complained about too many plants inside! Indoor plants, along with offering a visual sprightliness, can also boost your mood. They not only help purify air but further help add a fresh vibe to the decor. Place potted plants in the corners of a living room in a recycled vase or use succulents near your workspace to keep that bright freshness alive. With work from home, a touch to the exterior green is much needed.

Install a vertical garden in your balcony that can also serve the dual purpose of offering a hint of privacy to you from your nosy neighbors! Give your balcony spaces a personalized touch with beautiful fairy lights and a makeshift bar for the evenings with your family or a cushioned corner to give yourself a view while working in the day.

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Build a memory wall If there’s one thing that keeps you connected to your roots, it’s family. Old family heirlooms or a collage of a photograph wall go a long way into making your spaces full of nostalgic familiarity. Further, take out those travel souvenirs from your family vacations and put them on display.

Add small details of your personality quirks into the home decor. It could be a goofy welcome mat, a multicolored rug, or a funky set of mugs on display bought at your previous transfer. If it makes you smile, make space for it in your home.

Make your spaces functional and design your home to suit your needs first. Keep your interiors tidy and find new ways to add positive energy into your homes for a happy family time!

Nishita Chopra is the daughter of Cmde Sanjay Chopra. She is an architect with a passion for writing, she likes to experience the world, one city at a time all the while finding new languages and instruments to learn and conquer!

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IMAGE CREDIT: NEETU JHA

Create a de-stress space With the entire home now filled with separate workstations, it is crucial to create de-stress areas in your home for some downtime. Personalize these spaces by incorporating furnishing of your chosen color scheme. You can also uplift the dining hall with light fabric table cloths, bright-colored seat cushion covers, and decorate the table with a vase or a candle holder as a statement piece. You can also introduce a game corner in the house as the break-out space. This lets everyone collect in one room and know that this is just an all-play and no-work zone.

Neetu Jha specializes in Madhubani Painting. She loves painting and feels that for an artist, art is the best way to express feelings or represent cultural values. Painting is one of the many skills she has learnt at NWWA, at New Delhi in 2009.

Extended Families at WNC

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Extended Families at WNC

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peMveeW keÀe cesuee ³es, keÀYeer ogKe-hejsMeeveer keÀe þsuee ³es ~ me®®eeF&, Denmeeme Deewj he´sce keÀer keÀneefve³eeB Deewj efveMeeefve³eeB efueS, cegmkegÀjenìeW keÀe ceeO³ece ³es~~ Dence keÀe ìkeÀjeJe íesæ[keÀj, peerJeve keÀMleer ceW meeLe [euekeÀj~ ®eueles jnW meYeer, leYeer yevee jnsiee ³es KegefMe³eeW keÀe mebmeej~~ mebyebOeeW ceW efJe<eceleeSB ve [euees Fve keÀefæ[³eeW keÀes legce mebYeeuees ~ leYeer jnsiee megKeer ³es mebmeej, nje-Yeje jKeves keÀe ³ener SkeÀ DeeOeej~~

kegÀí keÀj efoKeeves keÀe pegvetve ntb jKeleer. keÀe³e&jle ntb efMeef#ekeÀe kesÀ ªhe ceW, Ëo³e mes ntb keÀJeef³e$eer.

he´sce heefjJeej Deewj he´ke=Àefle cesjs Deblece&ve keÀer pJeeuee heefjJee|lele ceW ke̳eeW nw? he´Kej he´keÀeMe keÀer efkeÀjCeW peue ceW ke̳eeW mJeCe& efyeKesj jner nQ? mJee|Cece DeeYee efueS ueeefuecee DeekeÀeMe heìue hej ke̳eeW íeF& nw? ke̳eeW osJeieCe ogvogefYe yepee, cevee jns nQ GlmeJe pe³e keÀe~ ke̳ee owl³eeW keÀe oceve, osJeeW keÀer efJepe³e ngF& nw? ³en kewÀmee Deevevo Ûo³e ceW he´mHegÀefìle nes ueslee Debie[eF& kewÀmee n<e&? keÀewve meer efJepe³e? ke̳ee efveefOe {tb{ ueer nw ceQves? ke̳ee ³ener he´sce nw? peue ceW efpemekeÀe he´efleeEyeye PeuekeÀ jne nw ³eefo mel³e nw lees ef®eje³eg nes Jen peerJeve pees DeYeer efceuee nw MeleDee³eg nes Jen he´sce efpemekeÀe mJeeo DeYeer ®eKee nw yebOe peeS heefjJeej cesje Deewj efJeOeelee keÀer j®eveeSb he´e®³e mes he´efle®³e, Goes®³e mes DeeJee®³e lekeÀ mechetCe& me=eqä keÀes yeebOe yevee otB osJeeue³e Deheves Iej ceW~

Feqvoje l³eeieer

SkeÀ DeefYeJeÊeÀe nw Deewj Jele&ceeve ceW ieeefpe³eeyeeo efpeuee v³ee³eeue³e ceW DeY³eeme keÀj jneR nw. l³eeieer {cheefle keÀer oes hegef$e³ee@b nQ.

peerJeve keÀer hetBpeer Dehevesheve keÀer yeefie³ee nw, KegMeneueer keÀe Üej peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw , SkeÀ megKeer heefjJeej~ ceeb keÀer cecelee ces yemelee nw ye®®eeW keÀe mebmeej peerJeve keÀe jòmlee efoKeueeS yeehet keÀer HeÀìkeÀej~ oeoe, oeoer keÀer yeeleeW ceW nw peerJeve keÀe meej, YeeF&,yenvee keÀe efjMlee nw efjMleeW keÀe DeeOeej~ Iej keÀer ue#ceer yevekeÀj helveer osleer nQ Iej keÀes DeekeÀej, yeng peneB yeve peeS yesìer, neslee mJeie& JeneB meekeÀej~ vee]pegkeÀ [esjer efjMleeW keÀer ceebieeW yeme Leesæ[e mee h³eej Dence íesæ[ keÀj Iej PegkeÀ peeS yevee jnsiee Iej mebmeej~ ìtìsiee nj mehevee Dehevee Deiej efyeKejlee nw heefjJeej meeLe Deiej nes DeheveeW keÀe lees nesiee KegefMe³eeW keÀe Decyeej~ DeeDees keÀjW keÀecevee Ssmeer efyeKejs vee keÀesF& heefjJeej efceue pegue keÀj meye meeLe jns nj efove nes peeS l³eewnej~ Dehevesheve keÀer yeefie³ee nw KegMeneueer keÀe Üej, peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw SkeÀ megKeer heefjJeej~

ke˻Cee jeveer

SkeÀ ie=n efvecee&lee nQ Deewj GvekesÀ oes ye®®eW nQ.celeer ve=l³e Je J³ebpeve hekeÀJeeve Deewj heefjJeej kesÀ meeLe Ye´ceve keÀjves keÀe MeewkeÀ jKeleer nQ. SkeÀ ceelee Deewj SkeÀ veewmesefvekeÀ keÀer helveer kesÀ ªhe ceW Yeejefle³e veewmesvee keÀe efnmmee nesves hej GvekeÀes yengle ner ieJe& nQ.

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efncceles ceoe¥ lees ceoos Kegoe keÀesjesvee mes hetjs peie ceW ce®ee nw nenekeÀej, petPe jner nw pevelee mebie peie Yej keÀer mejkeÀej neLe keÀes Oeesvee keÀe{e heervee leYeer ye®esieer peeve, ceemkeÀ henvevee oes iepe otjer ³ener nw SkeÀ efveoeve ~ uee@keÀ[eGve ®eueles Dee@efHeÀme mketÀue keÀe@uespe yebo nQ lees meYeer ueesie Iej ceW jnves keÀes cepeyetj ~ Jeke&À He´Àe@ce nesce kesÀ ®eueles ye®®es lekeÀ Iej mes ner Dee@ve ueeFve heæ{eF& keÀj jns nQ lees veewkeÀjer Jeeues keÀch³etìj hej keÀece keÀj jns nQ~ FmekeÀe HeÀe³eoe ³en ngDee efkeÀ ceelee -efhelee Deewj ye®®eeW keÀes SkeÀ otmejs kesÀ meeLe mece³e efceuee Deewj Deehemeer cesuepeesue yeæ{e~ Dee@efHeÀme, mketÀue -keÀe@uespe yebo nesves mes DeeJeeieceve keÀce ngDee lees he³ee&JejCe he´ot<eCe keÀce ngDee Deewj HewÀkeÌì^er keÀejKeeves yebo nesves mes peneB Deee|LekeÀ efJekeÀeme keÀce ngDee JeneR keÀejKeeveeW keÀer ieboieer pees veefo³eeW keÀe he´ot<eCe yeæ{e jner Leer , efpemekeÀer meHeÀeF& ceW keÀjesæ[eW ©he³es ueie jns Les, ieboieer ³ee Jesmì ceìerefj³eue ve peeves mes mJe³ecesJe mJe®í nes ieS~ Deehemeer cesuepeesue kesÀ meeLe Iej ceW heefle-helveer Deewj ye®®eeW ves Iej kesÀ keÀece efceuepegue keÀj efkeÀ³es lees GvnW mecePe Dee³ee efkeÀ ie=efnCeer keÀes efkeÀlevee DeefOekeÀ keÀece keÀjvee heæ[lee nw,Fmemes meyekeÀer vepejeW ceW ie=efnefCe³eeW kesÀ he´efle mecceeve keÀer YeeJevee yeæ{er; men³eesie keÀer YeeJevee keÀes yeæ{eJee efceuee Deewj meceepe ceW ceefnueeDeeW keÀe mlej Yeer Tb®ee ngDee~ Fme mece³e kegÀí meeceeefpekeÀ kegÀjerefle³eeW keÀe Yeer Deble ngDee.pewmes ye®eeJe kesÀ ®eueles Iej kesÀ Deveie&ue Ke®ex keÀce nesvee, pevceefove ;JewJeeefnkeÀ meeue efiejn, meHeÀueleeDeeW Deeefo hej oer peeves Jeeueer heee|ì³eeW keÀe Deble~ efJeJeen ceW Deeves JeeueeW keÀer mebK³ee he´efleyebefOele nesves mes JeOethe#e kesÀ Ke®eeX ceW keÀeHeÀer keÀceer DeeF&~ Fmeer lejn ce=l³eg nesves hej efmeHe&À 20 ueesieeW kesÀ meeqcceefuele nesves mes ®eej efove ceW ner Meebefle hetpee nesves mes Ke®e& lees keÀce ngS ner veewkeÀjer hesMee JeeueesB keÀes Yeer Deemeeveer ngF&~ Deeies Yeer meceepe ceW Fve efve³eceesB keÀe heeueve keÀjvee ®eeefnS~ keÀesjesvee keÀer Ye³eeJenlee ueesieeW kesÀ ceveesyeue keÀes veneR leesæ[ mekeÀer, nceejs heæ[esme ceW SkeÀ meJe&mecheVe heefjJeej nw ,ie=nmJeeceer 6 cenerves mes efJeefYeVe yeerceeefj³eeW mes efyemlej hej ner nQ ,efcepeepe hegmeea kesÀ efueS

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DeeS keÀesF& meppeve keÀesjesvee keÀe leesnHeÀe os ieS ~~ oes efove yegKeej kesÀ yeeo peye meebme uesves ceW hejsMeeveer ngF& lees keÀesefJe[ keÀer peeb®e keÀe mekeÀejelcekeÀ heefjCeece Deeves hej Demheleeue ceW oeefKeue ngS ,Deefle o#elee keÀ#e ceW~ ye³eemeer meeue keÀer Gcej ceW ceOegcesn ,ocee, uekeÀJee kesÀ cejerpe, hej he´yeue F®íe MeefÊeÀ kesÀ ceeefuekeÀ meele efove ceW mJemLe neskeÀj Jeeheme Iej Dee ieS Deewj Deejece mes meye Kee heerkeÀj Deye mJemLe nQ~ SkeÀ 75 meeue keÀer ceefnuee ye®®eeW kesÀ efJeosMe ceW jnves kesÀ keÀejCe DekesÀueer jnleer nQ~ oes leerve efove mes meoea-yegKeej Lee, Iej ceW Yeehe uesvee ,keÀeæ{e- ®ee³e hej jneR, ®eewLes efove íeleer ceW kegÀí oyeeJe mee cenmetme ngDee lees keÀej GþeF& Deewj Demheleeue hebng®e ieF& | Jeen js ceveesyeue ! [ekeÌìjeW ves GvnW keÀesefJe[ mekeÀejelcekeÀ kesÀ meeLe neì&DeìwkeÀ Yeer yelee³ee~ Gvemes hetíe ye®®eeW keÀes Keyej keÀj osles nw vebyej yeleeFS lees GvneWves keÀne efkeÀmeer keÀes yegueeves keÀer peªjle veneR nw, cegPes kegÀí veneR nesiee Deehe Fueepe keÀjW ~ Deefleo#elee keÀ#e ceW jn keÀj ome efove ceW Iej Dee ieF& leye yesìesB keÀes HeÀesve efkeÀ³ee efkeÀ leyeer³ele kesÀ keÀejCe HeÀesve veneR keÀj heeF& Deye þerkeÀ ntB hejsMeeve cele nesvee~ Ssmes- Ssmes ueesie meceepe ceW nQ lees keÀesefJe[ mes ke̳ee [jvee | FmeerefueS lees keÀnles nQ efkeÀ efncceles ceoe¥ lees ceoos Kegoe~

efkeÀjCe Jecee&

keÀcees[esj jpeveerMe Jecee& keÀer ceelee nQ.Jes keÀuee mveelekeÀesÊej, efMe#ee mveelekeÀesÊej SJeb mebmke=Àle efJeÜeve nQ Deewj SkeÀ efMeef#ekeÀe kesÀ ªhe ceW leerve oMekeÀ lekeÀ keÀe³e&jle jneR nQ.

heefjJeej Fbmeeve henues lees Keeves keÀer leueeMe ceW ³eneB JeneB YeìkeÀlee Lee Deewj efHeÀj Gmes SkeÀ peien hej eqmLej nesvee he[e~ Gmemes efHeÀj meceepe yevee Deewj Deueie-Deueie mebmke=Àefle keÀe pevce ngDee leLee Fme lejn mes yevee heefjJeej~ keÀnles nw b, ®eens efpeleveer Yeer Yeeieöoew[ keÀj uees eEpeoieer ces, Demeueer megketÀve heefjJeej kesÀ meeLe Deelee nw~ DeueieõDeueie heefjeqmLeefle ceW Yeer SkeÀ [esj mes yebOee nw heefjJeej~ ®eens efpeleveer hejsMeeefve³eeB nes efHeÀj Yeer Dehevees keÀe meeLe nesvee peerJeve ceW Jees efnccele hewoe keÀjlee nw, efpeme Jepen mes Fbmeeve ncesMee peg›e jsnlee nw~ ``keÀYeer oerJeejes hes He´Àsce yevekeÀj lees keÀYeer efouees mes yebOes [esj yevekeÀj ncesMee meeLe jnlee nw~'' heefjJeej ncesMee mes nceejs efueS cenlkehetCe& jne nw~ Jees ®eens íesìe nes ³ee ye[e heefjJeej, Deueie öDeueie mees®e neskeÀj Yeer SkeÀ jne Deewj SkeÀ otpes kesÀ efueS ncesMee Ke[e Yeer jne~

JeÊeÀ iegpejlee jnlee nw, ueesie efceueles nw Deewj efyeí[ peeles nQ hej heeefjJeeefjkeÀ efJe®eej Deewj heefjJeej keÀer mebkeÀuhevee Fme DeeOegfvekeÀ mebmeej ceW Yeer DeYeer lekeÀ efìkeÀer ngF& nw~ nceejer mebmke=Àleer keÀe ohe&Ce nw heefjJeej, efpemeces Deueie efJe®eej-Oeeje nesves kesÀ yeeJepeto Yeer ncesMee SkeÀlee yeveer jnleer nw~ heefjJeej keÀe celeueye neslee nw meeLe jnvee... peg› kesÀ jnvee~

JewMeeueer cegkesÀMe kegÀceej

SkeÀ ye®®es keÀer ceelee nQ. Jes JeeefCep³e ceW mveelekeÀ nQ leLee Jele&ceeve ceW SkeÀ ve=l³e keÀuee Je ef®e$ekeÀuee efMeef#ekeÀe kesÀ ªhe ceQ veewmesevf ekeÀ ceefnuee keÀu³eeCe mebieþve ceW keÀe³e&jle nQ. Jes efJeefYeVe efJe<e³eeW hej heÐe uesKeve Deewj Ye´ceCe ces ªef®e jKeles nQ. Jes veewmesevf ekeÀ ceefnuee keÀu³eeCe mebieþve ces keÀe³e& keÀjkesÀ KetMe nQ Deewj veewmesvee heefjJeej keÀe meom³e nesves hej ieJee&evq Jele nw.

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JemegOewJe kegÀìgbyekeÀce ®euees kegÀí efoue mes yeele keÀjueW MeyoeW kesÀ peeue mes efvekeÀuekeÀj kegÀí Kegueer nJee ceW meebme ues ueW ®eìheìer ®eeì meer kegÀí yeeles neWieer oesmleeW kesÀ þnekesÀ neWies iegoiegoeleer kegÀí KeÆer - ceerþer ³eeoW neWieer keÀneR oeoer-veeveer keÀer Jees keÀneveer nesieer keÀner ªþves-ceveeves keÀer pegyeeveer nesieer kegÀí yeeleW keÀYeer ve hegjeveer nesieer nesueer kesÀ jbieeW Deewj efoJeeueer kesÀ oer³eeW keÀer efveMeeveer nesieer | efmeHe&À ®eej meom³eeW mes veneR YeeJeveeDeeW mes yevelee nw heefjJeej

megKe-ogëKe yeeìW meye efceuekeÀj mejme-mejue neslee mebmeej kegÀí ®eb®eue ®eheue ®eeBo mes yeeuekeÀ Yejles Iej-DeeBieve ceW keÀesueenue ceeokeÀ ce=ogue mJejeW keÀer meefjlee yenleer keÀner %eeve keÀer ieerlee yeæ[s Je=#e keÀer íe³ee ceW heueles vevns-cegVes heewOes Iej-DeeBieve ieefue³eejs ceW yens nBmeer kesÀ þC[s PeeWkesÀ meeLe ®eues Deewj meeLe yeæ{s nw Ssmeer meyekeÀer DeeMee cesjer vevner mecePe ceW ³ener nw heefjJeej keÀer heefjYee<ee

Jee|CekeÀe ceesnve

menkeÀeefjlee DeefOeJeÊeÀe nQ. FvnW HeÀesìesie´ehe (íe³eeef®e$eCe) keÀjves Deewj keÀesefj³eve veeìkeÀ osKeves keÀe MeewkeÀ nQ.

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heefjJeej Deìtì yebOeve peneB SkeÀ efjMles ceW mJeerkeÀej nw, DeeefKej Jener lees keÀnueelee heefjJeej nw... oeoe oeoer keÀe h³eej, veevee veeveer keÀe ogueej, YeeF& yenve ceW lekeÀjej, Deewj ceeB-yeehe kesÀ mebmkeÀej~

DeeefKej SkeÀ veneR , nj meom³e efceuekeÀj yevelee heefjJeej nw...

DeheveeW keÀe h³eej , leerpe l³eewnej, efceuekeÀj ceveeSB pees meeLe~ megKe nes ³ee ogKe meye ceW Keæ[s nes SkeÀ otpes keÀe Leeces neLe~ he´ke=Àefle keÀer efJe[cyevee osKees JeÊeÀ Ssmee Dee³ee nw... ceneceejer ves, cenlJe heefjJeej keÀe meyekeÀes mecePee³ee nw...

DeheveeW kesÀ efyevee heefjJeej veneR~ heefjJeej efyevee peerJeve veneR~ ³ener heeþ efmeKeuee³ee nw... efJeéeeme keÀer [esj ce]peyetle peneB, meoe KegMeneue jnlee heefjJeej JeneB, KegefMe³eeW mes Yeje jns ³en mebmeej, yeæ{lee jns meoe DeehekeÀe Deewj nceeje heefjJeej~

ÍeÉefle jbpeve

mebieCekeÀ efJe%eeve ces lekeÀefvekeÀer mveelekeÀesÊej nQ leLee GvnW SkeÀ veewmesefvekeÀ keÀer helveer nesves hej ieJe& nw.

efpeme Iej ceW efpeme Iej ces megveeF& os yegpegieex keÀer nmeeR, efpeme Iej ceQ vepej DeeS yegpegieex keÀer ueeþer ~ ojJeepeeW hej heæ[er nes ye®®eeW keÀer ®ehheue, cegmkegÀjeles efoKeeF& os peneb nj MekeÀue~ Ssmes Iej ceW ue#ceer Kego ®eue keÀj Deeleer nw , megKe Meebefle Je Oeve Deveble yejmeeleer nw ~

³eesiesMe kegÀceej

GÊejeKeC[ mes mecyevOe jKeles nw leLee mveelekeÀesÊej hetCe& keÀer nw. Jes SkeÀ meb®eej efJeMes<e%e nQ Deewj veewmesvee ceW veew Je<e& keÀer mesJee hetCe& keÀj ®egkesÀ nQ.

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veewmesvee kegÀìgbye nceejs veewmesvee heefjJeej keÀer ncemeHeÀj nw Je©Ceer ~ nceejs DevegYeJeeW keÀes meePee keÀjves keÀe efmeueefmeuee jKeleer nw Je©Ceer ~~ Iej keÀe keÀesF& meom³e nes ³ee efjMlesoej efmeHe&À Fvemes ner veneR yevelee heefjJeej ~ meceepe keÀer meyemes íesìer FkeÀeF& nw heefjJeej, megKe Deewj Deevebo keÀe MegYe DeejbYe nw heefjJeej ~~ ceevee keÀer keÀesjesvee keÀe oewj nw, keÀef"ve heefjeqmLeefle³eeb nw ~ hej meowJe meeLe ceW jne veewmesvee veJee heefjJeej ~~ HesÀefceueer SkeÀ Ssmee ìe@efvekeÀ nw, pees eEpeoieer keÀer pebie ceW osleer nw leekeÀle ~ pees ueesie efoue ceW efMekeÀJes Deewj efMekeÀe³ele keÀce jKeles nQ, Jen nj efjMles efveYeeves ceW oce jKeles nQ ~~ heefjJeej jesue cee@[ue keÀer lejn neslee nw, Jen he´sefjle Yeer keÀjlee nw ~ Deewj ceewkeÀeW keÀe meneje Yeer yevelee nw ~~

pevceefove nes ³ee keÀesF& l³eewnej ~ efceuekeÀj ceveelee nw veewmesvee veJee heefjJeej ~~ he´Meeo Deewj J³ebpeve huesì ceW mepee keÀj hejmhej yeebìs peeles nw ~ SefveJeme&jer nes ³ee Mes³eeEjie nce meye meeLe efveYeeles peeles nQ ~~ ³eeoW ner hewkeÀ veneR keÀer pee mekeÀleeR lees íesæ[keÀj kewÀmes ®euee pee³es keÀesF& ~ Fleveer meeue vesJeer ceW jns, ³en kegÀìgbye íesæ[vee veneR nw Deemeeve ~~ efoue OekedÀ mes jn peelee nw, Snmeeme ienje nes peelee nw ceevees Jees heÊee veneR peerJeve kesÀ Ssmes meeue Gæ[ ieS nes peerJeve kesÀ efnmmes keÀe mee#eer nw nceeje veewmesvee veJee heefjJeej ~~

G<ee meesveer SkeÀ j®eveelcekeÀ, nmecegKe Deewj GlmeenMeerue J³eefÊeÀ nQ. veewmesvee heefjJeej ner GvekeÀer MeefÊeÀ nw.

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SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej Dehevesheve keÀe yeeieyeeve nw, KegefMe³eeW keÀe Üej~ peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw, SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej~ ceeB keÀer cecelee ceW yemelee nw, ye®®eeW kesÀ efueS h³eej~ peerJeve keÀer jen efoKeueeS, heehee keÀer [ebì- HeÀìkeÀej~ peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw, SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej~

oeoe- oeoer keÀer keÀneefve³eeW ceW nw, peerJeve peerves keÀe meej~ YeeF&- yenve keÀe efjMlee nw, pewmes peerJeve keÀe DeeOeej~ peerJeve Yej keÀer hetBpeer nw, SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej~ Iej keÀer ue#ceer yevekeÀj, helveer osleer nw Iej keÀes DeekeÀej~ peneb yeng yeve peeleer yesìer, neslee mJeie& pewmee mebmeej~ peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw, SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej~

Deiej meeLe nes DeheveeW keÀe, lees nesiee KegefMe³eeW keÀe Decyeej~ DeeDees keÀjs keÀecevee Ssmeer, efyeKejs vee keÀesF& Yeer heefjJeej~ peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw, SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej~

efceue- Pegue keÀj meye meeLe jns, nj efove yeve pee³es SkeÀ l³eewnej~ Dehevesheve keÀe yeeieyeeve nw, KegefMe³eeW keÀe Üej~ peerJeve Yej keÀer hetbpeer nw, SkeÀ KegMeneue heefjJeej~

efJeMeeKee ®eewneve

megheg$eer Deesvejsjer meye ueseqHeÌìveWì Yejle eEmen Picture Credit: Anmol Chauhan

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Framed for a Lifetime

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Framed for a Lifetime

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Redefining Fun Together

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Family beyond a Family

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Family that Works Together, Grows Together: Food for Thought

he Covid 19 pandemic which has eclipsed our lives for a year and a half now, has brought out the worst and the best in ways that none of us could have imagined. Ever since the outbreak, I have been fortunate to live in our gated and well-guarded community that has ensured every possible comfort and safety during these troubled times. The current situation got me to think all the more about what was happening in the world outside with the sudden lockdown, especially the daily wagers and migrant workers who were thrown to the mercy of the winds quite literally.

Around March this year, we had to face the harsh reality of a lockdown all over again. Our brave health care workers have been the worst affected in terms of not just the physical exertion, but also mentally fatigued being surrounded by a seemingly endless march of disease and death brought on by this pandemic.

I heard from a friend about the Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) hospital in South

Mumbai and the staff facing many difficulties due to the lockdown. As a designated Covid Hospital, the Covid ward’s capacity had been increased to 440 from 110 exactly a year ago, looked after by a staff of 65 health care workers. GT hospital is a 140 years old hospital run by the state government, that unfortunately does not provide meals to its staff members. The lockdown had caused restaurants in the hospital’s vicinity as well as a small cafeteria in the hospital premises to shut down. I was very moved to hear about these challenges faced by those who were risking their lives for our city, and decided to step forward to contribute with the most basic of their needs – food. I volunteered to cook meals for them and supply to the hospital for the months of May and June! To start with, I listed out simple but highly nutritious dishes that I could manage to cook in my modest kitchen at home. Another blessing I had was my house help Meera Maushi, who not only has been instrumental in helping me with cleaning etc., but most kindly offered me her extra- large sized utensils to cook in.

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I sent out messages to our NOFRA Whatsapp groups requesting for donation of used plastic containers to pack these meals, as well as to donate any excess groceries that anyone might have. The response from our Armed Forces family was not just overwhelming, but really heartwarming. Not only did I get more than 300 plastic containers donated which were reused but a lot of wonderful ladies from the Navy, Army & Air Force volunteered to help with these planned meals. We were able to expand and serve 820 meals with the help of this amazing group of volunteers who came together to serve; an initiative I have named ‘Food for Thought’.

It has been a tremendous experience to prepare, cook for and deliver each elaborately planned meal for nearly 2 months from our homes in NOFRA. Each meal with daal, subji, salad, rotis, rice, fruits and a dessert has translated to nearly 140 KGs of Rice, 75 KGs of Legumes and Daals, 1300 Rotis, 500 Pooris, 400 KGs of chopped vegetables, 96 KGs of Salad besides 140 KGs of fruits and 50 KGs of desserts!!

All meals were prepared for, cooked and packed and delivered every day to the hospital lovingly by hand and in person, with the utmost care given to nutrition, hygiene and most importantly with a sense of gratitude towards these frontline warriors of the toughest crisis we have seen in our lifetimes.

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This whole experience has been enriching and fulfilling in the truest sense to know that good thoughts, intent and hard work can bring forward help from not only like-minded people, but also from unexpected quarters and in pleasantly unexpected ways. The values that our Armed Forces family inculcates in us all of solidarity, selfless service, honour and duty towards our nation, have been instrumental in shaping this initiative and have made me even more proud to be a member.

I take this opportunity to once again thank all fellow members of our Naval & Armed Forces family who have come forward and come together in these times of need.

Anuradha Chinchore is a human resources professional with an MBA in HR, a Masters in Labour Laws & a PG Diploma in Public Relations, having worked with various leading MNCs across different sectors, a German language expert & teacher. She has have created a range of gourmet vegan cheeses, spreads and dips with an aim to provide delicious, healthy, cruelty free and chemical free alternatives to our community.

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A Family away from Family

isakhapatnam, November 2020, we were expecting our second child and this time also I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. In the days of the pandemic, where one wanted to minimise hospital visits, here I was doing rounds of the hospital to keep a check on my sugar levels.

Husband being an EXO of an operational ship was mostly at sea. I would have been managing all this alone with my 4-year-old, had our families away from home not come to the rescue. My neighbor cum friend used to take care of my daughter at her place during my hospital visits.

On one such regular follow-up test, my fears came true when the doctor asked me to get admitted as my BP along with the sugar levels had shot up. With a smile on his face, he asked “ma’am is your husband in the station (as most of my visits to him were alone, I was quite sure he knew the answer). “If not, please contact him and ask him to be here or get any family member because if your BP doesn’t normalize we will have to go ahead with the delivery. And don’t worry all will be fine”, he assured.

As soon as I left the doctor’s cabin, feeling numb, lots of questions started flashing in my mind, was everything fine with my baby, where will I leave my daughter as she had never stayed without me, should I take her along to the hospital during the pandemic!!! Somehow, I composed myself and gave a call to a coursemate of ours and asked him to contact and inform my husband.

Fortunately, my husband could get the message on time and disembarked at an island where the ship had entered for a quick turnaround. But the Gods seemed to be in a mood to put us to a greater test. A cyclone warning had been issued on the same day and Chennai airport had shut down operations for 48 hours. So while my husband could still manage to reach the mainland, Vizag would still be 36

hours too far. Calling anyone from the family was out of the question due to the pandemic and the risk.

So finally I ended up where I had started, with two hours left for admission, no husband in sight, and a four year old looking at me in amusement but albeit in excitement for the sibling she always wanted.

Amidst all this chaos my doorbell rang and I saw the Captain’s wife at my door (the first responder, probably that’s why they are called First Lady, I wondered). She calmed me down and asked me to pack my hospital bag. Meanwhile, she entered the kitchen and started preparing lunch for us. I felt a sense of security that a family

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gives you and a reassurance that everything is going to be fine. She even offered to take my daughter along with her, but by then the course mate network had kicked in and my daughter preferred a sleepover with her girl gang.

Two days later, my BP levels normalized, my husband returned, and I was discharged to come back later for the scheduled delivery date. A month later I delivered a healthy baby in my 38th week.

Now we are in Mumbai, my husband in command. I have the title of the First Lady and am ready to give all that I can for this family of ours which despite being away from home makes you always feel at home.

Neha Kamboj is an ex-software engineer, mom of two lovely daughters, now a full-time homemaker, in her free time she likes to do some Do It Yourself (DIY).

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IMAGE CREDIT: NANCY

When I was most vulnerable, this family away from family made me feel most secure and prepared me to take almighty’s test. I feel so fortunate to be part of such a community and have a family away from my family which makes me feel so guarded and shielded. A family that stands by you and you can count on them in the thick and thin.

Nancy is the daughter of Yogesh Kumar. She is in class 9 at NCS Mumbai

Navy as a Family “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything” – Michael J. Fox

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raditionally, in India most of us have been brought up in joint families. However, nowadays. as we all are living as the nuclear family, the bonding with other extended family members becomes even more important and needs to be cultivated. Family, the nurturing and caring institution provides growth, well balanced life to children - it is where the roots take hold and from there one grows.

My small world- Quality of time is of essence My experience within my small world has led me to realize that there is a greater need today to designate specific time for family, make plans to interact with each other. The family activities inspire children to behave and communicate properly with everyone around and in the community. A positive aspect of family bonding is that it reinforces mutual respect amongst the family members. Some of the bonding activities in our house include playing indoor games like Carrom, Uno and chess etc and gardening. Every family member needs to share responsibilities which helps to reduce the workload of the homemaker.

Ways to create family bonding • Have meals together

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Play/run/walk together • Have Movie nights (weekends) • Plan family outings • Do chores together • Celebrate important occasions (birthday, anniversary), festivals and rituals together with zeal and try to make them special Few cherished moments which I recollect as a family are our trips to various places far and near and our planned summer vacations.

Friends as family Being from the naval aviation wing, we have spent most of our time at the great beach destination “Goa”. There is so much to discover in this small state other than the beaches, all one needs is an inquisitive and exciting bunch of people - in our case it’s the ‘Gang of Goa’! With the ‘gang’, we have explored the unexplored- we shared laughter, minor disagreements and endless conversations. In this scenario as well, kids learn to adapt and share their toys, skills and make friends for life. Who would deny that good friends are Family?

Squadron as a family: Being a part of a squadron (in my case INAS 303) is like being with a family

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away from family. This family takes care of each other through thick and thin, sickness and health. As the men are always away on embarkations or detachments, the ‘chai’ parties are a usual occurrence. These ‘chai’ sessions are easily converted to dinners and lot of ‘gupshup’. Kids make pals and learn to be part of teams. Amazing bonds are formed that continue beyond life in the squadron.

The mighty “Vikramditya” as family ‘Vikramaditya’ has been an integral part of our lives as part of INAS303 in the past and now she is one of us (currently posted aboard). This family has welcomed us with open arms and we are looking forward to having a great time while we are at the most beautiful bases of all.

“Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life” – Lisa Weed

Monika Tyagi is a homemaker and a mother, professionally a biotechnologist and a very curious individual trying to reason everything.

IMAGE CREDIT: TANYA SINGH

My definition of family is different from a conventional family due to being part of the Navy and it can be summed in the quote below. The Naval family is truly one of a kind.

Tanya Singh is the daughter of Prem Kumar Singh

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The Second Family

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right and an almost burning gold The sun floods our living rooms every day; Its rays, impressive and bold Carrying messages from horizons far away.

What a strange family we are!

Some sailing in the same boat, others at sea.

Embracing each other from homes wide and far, Celebrating new lands, cultures and diversities.

With baited breath we wait Morning to dusk and then morning again For the tides to swell and then abate As news comes of our women and men.

As acquaintances turn into friendships Postings and transfers come about.

Undeterred, we cherish this kinship After all, it’s held our hand throughout.

What is this life… sometimes I wonder – Interpolated by immeasurable distances, Lonely silences echoing louder than claps of thunder In a home that is full of yesterday’s reminiscences.

A message here, a phone call there – Hey! Just checking in to see if you’re doing fine.

I’ve written you a poem with love and care; Here’s hoping we catch up some time.

Priyanka Menon is an advertising and marketing professional. She is also a poet and novelist. She writes for HarperCollins India and Juggernaut Books.

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Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

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he teeny bubble burned in heat The awaited turned a greatest feat All went blown, scattered and torn And that is how thee was born

The green, blue and the browns bestow To make thy family the heaven below Love and care for the surreal beauty For a happy world, that is thy divine duty

The world paused to see the marvel of life Harmony with nature thrived with no strife Blessed was thy mother to see that sight To watch her kids, love day and night

We are one family and that is true Thy mother wished everyone knew One day we will see the end of line Until then let peace and love reign

The tree of life branched its arms Made thy world glow with charm One by one life added to the list Made thy family grow very swift

Let thy mother sleep one day With no kid wandering far astray Let’s sow the seeds of Humanity And enjoy the reap as one big Family

Vidya Sandeep is a homemaker and mother of a 3 year old boy. A fun-loving person who loves to experiment with new things in life.

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Section Separator Credits Sonali Mediritta is an avid swimmer and yoga lover, with a passion for travel and art. She is currently striving to balance a fulltime job within the fashion industry and simultaneously tending to a 9-month-old as a new mom. Being surrounded by loved ones and living close to nature keeps her going.

Siya Yadav is 13yrs old. In her words- “While pursuing my studies to become a better person, I also have a passion for painting, learning music and singing and helping others like my respectable defence family does always.”

Reshma Mohan is the proud wife of a naval sailor and is an ardent baker and chef.

Olivia Nameirakpam, is a mother of a two year old and working as an Assistant Manager in the Oriental Insurance Co Ltd. She loves experimenting with food and cooking new methods.

Designed by Sanjay Bandre Ph: 9820401258 l Printed by Graphic Point Pvt. Ltd. Ph.: 011-45534188

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The Artists behind our Covers and Section Separators Front Cover Credit

Back Cover Inner Flap Credits

The beautiful cover image depicting Family & the Navy has been designed by Dr Smriti Nagar. Dentist by profession, artist by heart.

She is exploring motherhood while pursuing post-graduation in Counselling Psychology Her art in Dr Smriti ’s own words“When half of my heart goes out at the sea. From coast to coast and across the world, Anchored with your love here are we, From an army brat to a mother of a marine brat now It’s been quite a journey of ups and downs, There will be times when the tides will be high and the tides will be low, But we as a Family will always be by each other’s side, That is the way of a naval wife”

Back Cover & Section Separator Credits The images depicting naval life have been designed by Cdr Jasleen Kaur (Retd).

She has served Indian Navy for almost 18 years and retired in Feb 21. The couple are blessed with two cute daughters, Yashika and Mahika. Her hobbies include painting, reading & gardening.

In the words of Cdr Jasleen (Retd.) “A happy family will fight and sail, winds or waves, we shall prevail”. The Ocean represents life, the waves are challenges, with the wings giving power, even as the Diya lights up hope, enabling the family depicted by the woman and child to prevail.

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In the words of Cdr Jasleen (Retd.) “The circle of life has the family in the centre, the husband and wife, together as the pillars, the lotus is the sweet home and shelter, mother’s love as a protector, caring father as a mentor into the sea of life we venture”

The colourful painting is by Bhavani Gante - A freelance artist, a story teller, creative writer feels each one of us is gifted with creative ingenuity of varied kinds, all we need are the right triggers to reinvigorate and rekindle ourselves.

She swears by the ethos of a family, which reflects in her painting.

Her art in Bhavani’s words Be it Big or Small, City bred or Wild, Fast paced or Slow, we all find love, friendship, protection and joy through the tight knit bonding we call “ Family “ and like they say Animals know more than we think and think a great deal more than we know.

This painting speaks to say - Together we have it all!