Reshmi 's memoirs jotted as events- to be refreshed by the writer if required

Although I wished well for all a joyful, warm summer, powers of nature or destiny decided to give me a spoonful of bitter summer lessons. Excess heat - despondent mood Technical glitches in the distribution of water in our building, that lasted for 3 weeks Entertaining some outstation guests in the heat of summer, who generally mix summer with travel (means, I /you are not in their list of fun) A family marriage – enjoyable but exhausting especially amidst strangers where you smile and mop sweat on the face alternately. The entire period of 8 weeks was filled with anxiety, action and reactions for a young athlete. Imagine stretching your stamina level at my age. Occasionally I looked towards heavens for respite and savour a cool whiff of air. Those summer vacations…. This refers to those vacations one longed for during schooldays. The mandatory vacation down south to visit relatives. All vehicles of transport were a challenge but we en...

Does the topic sound clichéd but being a ‘concerned’ woman of ‘some substance’, I do feel people are wrongly attired in summer? What irks me is the 5 ½ metre long saree that is wrapped for elegance does portend to be quite irksome. Be it at home or office or outdoor work. Oh, yes! We have cotton sarees that need to be pampered a lot before wear. Starched and ironed, I mean. The product has undergone a change these days. More and more women use netted fabric for letting in air to get easy movement of limbs. Then there is the silk and cotton blended fabric that looks crispy and glossy available in delightful shades. Loin fabric always So much for sarees but not to forget the less privileged women who have to make do with a make do fabric. Generally ‘loin’ with close knit prints to eliminate the translucent effect. The length and breadth too is reduced to give enough scope for limb movements. The best state in India to offer summer clothing is Kerala. They have a white ...

Bengaluru or Bangalore is no longer a city one longs to visit for the simple reason it can hardly qualify to be a Garden City. A ‘concrete’ city that is just booming the mortar business and also the daily wager’s fortune but drawing the Bangalorean to an unforeseen doom. Of what avail! It has squashed all the meticulous planning a city needs to preserve its past history. Even the city’s scientist who has left us, Mr C V Raman, who owns a piece of land there which is being hawked upon by the government. Electric supply, is erratic and water ‘supply’ is stolen (via tankers) and supplied, Lakes keep frothing when elections are not due, Vehicular traffic is infested with App-based taxes during peak hours. Eateries are doing good business except the menu has shifted from 'Bisi-bele bath' (rice delicacy) to Biryani . Lost city A ‘lost’ city where human interaction has virtually come to a halt. Is it because of the IT industry spreading its silent shadow over people, inf...

Almost two decades in this capital city have been eventful, taxing, tearful and adventurous. They have been learning years to meet and understand people, young and adults, bureaucrats and friends. The one distinct change anyone would notice is the change in personality. One can attribute it to the hostile climate here as experienced by a Mumbaikar. It just brings about a cultural change in the gait and mannerisms. I have evolved as a loud, aggressive and lazier person. ‘Lazy’, because the extreme climate makes so. Summer or winter, there is ample scope to sit in one spot for hours, especially during winters. A virtual ‘no-no’, to shift our butts from one chair to another. Thankfully that has not made me a bulky woman. Over to a lighter moment. Sharmas of ‘F’ Block We were residing at Lajpat Nagar. He, Mr.Sharma, wore a monkey cap (in winter), smoked beedis constantly, was pot-bellied, walked in slow pace, and scoured vessels in the kitchen/fridge when his wife is out. Techni...