Category: Musings

If We Were Having Coffee… 7th July

If we were having coffee, I’d hand you a mug and say, “It’s still warm, don’t wait too long.” The weather’s been all over the place lately. Heavy skies, moody clouds, and that in-between kind of light that makes you want to stay in your pajamas a little longer than necessary. Perfect weather for a long chat and a little introspection.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you my to-do list is starting to look like a bad novel. Endless pages, no plot, and the main character (me) is constantly overwhelmed. I keep writing things down, hoping it’ll clear some space in my head, but honestly? It just adds more noise. Some days, I tick off one thing and feel victorious. Other days, I do everything except what’s on the list. And sometimes, I add things I’ve already done just for that satisfying little tick. You’ve done that too, right?

If we were having coffee, I’d admit that my screen time is ridiculous. I used to watch full movies and binge-watch entire series in one day/night, now I can barely sit through a 40-minute episode. Everything feels like too much. I scroll through Instagram reels with zero context and even less attention span. Some of it is fun, sure. But at the end of it, I feel… cluttered. Mentally overstimulated and emotionally underwhelmed. I’m trying to cut back, trying to swap the mindless with something a little more mindful.

Which brings me to baking….

If we were having coffee, I’d offer you a cookie—slightly wonky but warm and fresh. I baked a small batch last evening and it reminded me why I love it so much. The process slows me down. There’s a rhythm to it. Measuring, mixing, waiting. It feels like meditation disguised as dessert. I want to bake more often, and try new recipes too. Not just the usual muffins and cakes, but maybe a tart, or something with lemon zest and …. We’ll see.

And before you leave, I’d promise to show up here more often. Not with grand ideas or polished posts, but just as I am. With a story, a thought, maybe a question.

So tell me… if we were having coffee today, what would you tell me?

July 7, 2025
A Letter to My Future Self

Dear Future Me,

First off, congratulations! You made it this far without turning into a complete grump (I hope). If you’re reading this, it means you survived all those plot twists life threw at you… and hopefully, you did so with your humour and a well-stocked stash of cake. So, grab a coffee (I assume that hasn’t changed) and let’s chat.

How’s life treating you? Have you finally mastered the art of waking up early without setting five alarms? Do you still find joy in books, baking cakes and overanalysing life’s smallest moments for inspiration? I really hope you do because those things make you, well, YOU.

Let’s do a quick check-in. Have you remained the optimistic, list-making, people-watching, coffee-loving person I know you to be? Or have you turned into one of those people who walks into a room and forgets why they’re there? (Actually, you already do that, so never mind.)

I hope you still laugh at silly jokes and find joy in little things. Remember how much fun it was to observe people especially during those bus and train journeys and make up imaginary backstories for them? Or how satisfying it felt to cross things off your to-do list, even if you added an item just to check it off? (Yes, I know your tricks.)

Tell me, has life been kind? Have you continued embracing challenges with curiosity and grace, turning them into stories worth telling? If things got tough, I hope you handled them the way you always have—with resilience, humour and maybe an extra slice of cake (because some things require more than just deep breathing).

And what about the people in your life? Have you continued making time for those who truly matter? Do your boys still roll their eyes at your life lessons and unsolicited wisdom? Keep annoying them. That’s what love is all about.

Oh and speaking of the boys, how’s Aaryan doing? Is he still dodging your advice or has he finally realized that moms do know everything? Whatever phase he’s in, just keep being his constant. He’ll always need you, even if he pretends otherwise.

And what about blogging? Do you still share your musings, reflections and observations, or has life kept you too busy to type them out? I hope you never stopped writing. You always found magic in words and the world could always use more of your storytelling (even if it’s just your rants about mundane things around you).

Have you turned baking into a business, or are you still collecting recipes, saving them in neatly categorized folders and buying more baking tools than you actually use? (Be honest, the baking dish collection must be getting out of hand by now.)

Hope you have understood that it’s okay to not have it all figured out. Younger-you used to stress about having a plan for everything, but by now, I hope you’ve embraced the chaos. No one really has life figured out—that’s the fun part. Just when you think you do, life throws you a curveball and you’re back at square one. The key is to roll with it, laugh when you can and trust that things will fall into place.

Before I wrap this up, let me leave you with a tiny reminder: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Let go of things that aren’t worth your energy. Keep smiling, keep learning and for heaven’s sake, don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old to dream big.

Take care, future me. You’re doing great. (And if you ever need a little boost, just reread this letter and remind yourself—you’ve always had what it takes.)

With love and a wink,
Your slightly younger, slightly wiser self

Linking this to Dear Her… Letters from Women to Women by Blog-A-Rhythm

March 1, 2025
If We Were Having Coffee… 29th January

If we were having coffee, I’d greet you with a warm and cheerful “Hello!” How have you been? I hope everything is going wonderfully your way. It’s so good to have you here in my space—it’s been a while since it was last open, but now it’s up and running again! So, make yourself at home and grab a beverage of your choice—I’m so glad you’re here!

If we were having coffee, I’d share that my blog has been sitting in a quiet, forgotten corner of the internet for far too long. It’s not like I don’t want to write—I do. But every time I sit down to type, my brain decides to stage a protest. Words refuse to flow and I find myself staring at the blinking cursor, feeling utterly uninspired. And so, I close my laptop and move on to something else. I work, I laze around, I scroll through endless reels (more on that later!), but the guilt of not writing lingers. It nags at me, like a to-do list item I keep ignoring. What is it, really? Writer’s block? A phase? Or am I simply out of the habit? Whatever it is, I knew I had to break the cycle.

Thankfully, a fellow blogger friend, Tulika gave me the nudge I needed and here I am, finally tapping away at my keyboard. Sometimes, a little push is all it takes, right?

If we were having coffee, I’d also tell you that my binge-watching skills are on a decline. I used to take pride in finishing an entire series in one sitting, but now? It takes me a week, sometimes more! Is my attention span shrinking? Maybe, just maybe, reels are to blame. Those quick, dopamine-packed clips have reprogrammed my brain to consume content in bite-sized bursts.

That being said, I finally managed to watch Paatal Lok Season 3 after seeing countless reels featuring short clips from it—watched it all in about 4-5 days, and it’s an absolute masterpiece! Jaideep Ahlawat is just phenomenal in it—what a class actor! His expressions, body language, and the way he brings the character to life are just incredible. I was heartbroken when a young cop died (no spoilers, don’t worry!). I’ve also just started Squid Game Season 2, and it’s already got me hooked! The intensity and the stakes are even higher this time. Have you watched it yet?

If we were having coffee, I’d share how I’m feeling a tiny bit victorious today because I’ve started writing again. It’s a start and I truly hope I can keep going. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing your words take shape on a screen, don’t you think? It’s like stretching muscles you haven’t used in a while—slightly stiff at first but oh-so-rewarding once you find your flow. I’ve missed this feeling, the quiet joy of putting thoughts into words, of capturing fleeting ideas before they disappear into the abyss of everyday life.

If we were having coffee, what would you share with me? I’m all ears!

And before we part ways, let me make a little promise—to show up here more often, to keep this space alive and to never let the words stay locked up for too long.

January 29, 2025
If We Were Having Coffee… 28th January

If we were having coffee, I’d wish you a hello and thank you for stopping by for a cup of coffee and some conversations here.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I am feeling crushed, overwhelmed and distressed. There’s a lot that is going on inside my head and I don’t know from where to start. Guess, starting from the beginning would be ideal. The thing is that we got to know some 10 days ago that Aaryan’s school friend D, killed himself. He was just 18. This news has shattered all of us. I feel sick to my stomach as tears fill my eyes every now and then. Aaryan is upset and keeps saying, he wouldn’t do such a thing. They were together in their boarding school for 6 years. He was a brilliant student both in academics and extra-curricular activities and was pursuing a professional course from a prestigious college. It’s kind of shocking that someone with so much potential is just…. gone.

Aaryan and 17 of his class mates traveled from all over the country to be there for his prayer meeting last weekend at Delhi. When he returned back home that night, I asked him about his trip and he said that it was the worst day ever. He shared that D’s parents are so devastated and their grief is so deep.

I don’t know how they’ll cope with this big loss. Children are supposed to outlive the parents and seeing your young kid go away is a trauma that will never go away, I guess.

If we were having coffee, I’d share that loss of such a young life has numbed me and a few questions keep reverberating in my head. How could he do that? What could have happened that led him to take this extreme step? What troubled him that he couldn’t find a solution and taking his life seemed the best option to him? Did he talk about his problem with anyone? I wish, he had. Because, if he had, someone would have showed him the light or offered him help and support that he needed so badly.

If we were having coffee, I’d share that wish we all realize that communicating with our family and friends is so important. Being connected to our loved ones, our community, and the world around us, is key to suicide prevention. I wish, people speak up, open their hearts, stay connected and stay positive. And above all, NEVER GIVE UP… because there is ALWAYS a way out!

If we were having coffee, I’d reiterate that it is our responsibility to look out for those who may be struggling and encourage them to tell their story in their own way, at their own pace. Offering a gentle word of support, compassion and empathy, listening in a non-judgmental way can make all the difference.So…Take a minute and change a life.

Why take a minute? Because taking a minute to observe and think can make a difference. Because conversations change lives. So, wherever you are, have that conversation that could save someone’s life.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask you to pray for D’s soul and keep his family and friends in your prayers.

Take care all of you and stay positive and connected always! ♥

January 28, 2020
My Word of the Year for 2020
Are you excited about the new year and the fresh clean slate that it offers? I am!!

The start of a new year always feels like a chance to try new things and maybe even “start over” with our life and its goals. I know, this ‘new year, new me’ is cliché, but I believe that this is the perfect opportunity to reflect on what is and what isn’t working for us.

Since the last couple of years, I have been choosing a word to define my whole year which is known as the Word of the Year. By having a word to guide my year, I found it easier to create goals and resolutions that synced with my overall approach for the year.

I had chosen Focus as My Word of the Year for 2019. I made efforts to live up to it for the entire year, and did fairly well with my goals and plans for 2019 except for regular exercise. 2019 made be realize the importance and significance of focus in the different aspects of my life.

I believe, words have power and the word that I am going to centre my life and goals this 2020 is…

EVOLVE

Evolve means a process of constant change or renewal from a lower or simple state to a higher state.

As CS Lewis said, you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. You must be hatched or go bad. Small things always grow into big things. The little habits, whether good or bad, always develop into bigger, more prominent behaviors.

To me, Evolve means to be a better version of myself. It means to evolve through the choices and the intentions I set … every day. .

To Evolve is to develop and grow myself gradually from within. It means to allow the evolution of my mindset, emotions, habits, daily routine, associations, actions, and life.

Evolve means to be grounded, connected, stable, calm, strong, and at peace and growing upward.

I’d like to Evolve in three spheres of my life

1. Personal
- Calm the Monkey Mind – Delve more deeply into my spiritual journey.
- Physical Health – Drop the excuses and get on with burning calories, regularly.
2. Professional
- Push Beyond Boundaries – Step outside my comfort zone to get experience in new areas in the field of training workshops and blogging.
- Broaden Work Horizons – Pick up new knowledge and skills to increase value-add to the current skill-set.
3. Passion
- Read – Read more, more and some more
- Bake – Experiment, excel and expand the home baking business
“It’s time to evolve.” Bill Hicks

These are the thoughts that will be guiding and hopefully transforming me this year. And with this I am kick-starting my new year.

Have you chosen a Word of The Year? Do you believe in Word of The Year or New Year resolutions? Do share your thoughts.
January 1, 2020
If We Were Having Coffee… 13th November

If we were having coffee, I would thank you for taking the time to meet me here over a cup of coffee. How are you doing! Hope all’s good at your end.

If we were having coffee, I would share that my leg is still in a cast and I am still partially immobile. While I am pretty happy about the way I am spending my time, there are a few things that make me pull my hair out too. First, let’s talk about the good things. I have been reading like crazies and am so chuffed about it. The best thing that has come out of this temporary disability is that I got uninterrupted long hours to read and that too, to my heart’s content.

I have completed my HT Book Brunch Challenge and 2019 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. The Write Tribe Reading Challenge 2019 is nearly done (just have to do a few book reviews) and I am 4 books short of my Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge. So I still have plenty of time to spare till the end of the year and I am sure, I’ll be overshooting my goal of 100 books. Woohoo!

If we were having coffee, I’d share that all’s not well on our kitchen front. The downside to this confinement of mine has resulted in KG, the passionate chef and AG, the aspiring chef, taking complete control over our kitchen. Earlier, they would man the kitchen usually on the weekends and cook up a storm, literally and figuratively. Sigh! I was Ok with this arrangement. I was getting rest from cooking and getting to eat great food and thanks to my OCD for cleaning, I certainly didn’t mind cleaning up the mess that my boys created in the kitchen.

But now, my kitchen certainly feels that they have over stayed their welcome and I am simply fed up of their cooking! Yes, I am tired of eating the gourmet food, every day!

All the three meals of the day are prepared and presented by my boys as if they are on Masterchef Australia. Don’t believe me? Sample this… The other day, cauliflower was on the menu. For this, first the cauliflower and potatoes were parboiled, the whole spices (khada masala) were dry roasted, onions slices were fried and then grinded to a paste along with cashew nuts, tomatoes were popped in the microwave to peel their skin…. you get the drift. Who makes gobhi ki subzi like this??

And guess the number of vessels they used in making one dish? 10+!! Once it reached 10, I removed myself mentally from the situation and got back to my reading!! I would have made it with one pan and a spatula!

There’s more… If on day 1, it was bread and omelette for breakfast, on day 7, it will be bread and omelette but both the bread and omelette would be cut into perfect small squares and stir fried! Yes, they don’t like to repeat their dishes!

This is how food is plated and served to me.

After every meal, the kitchen looks like it has been hit by a hurricane, with the dirty vessels overflowing from the kitchen sink to the adjacent balcony! I am sensing that the patience of my house help is wearing thin with each passing day and I can totally empathize with her.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my friends envy me but they do not know what it is to spit out green cardamom, cloves and black pepper with almost every bite!

If we were having coffee, I’d share that after venting it all out, I realize that I am acting like a thankless annoying person. And that my boys have been handling all the affairs of the home with a smile since a month despite my complains and tantrums. I am seeing that the benefits of having a supportive husband and son certainly outweigh the rants I have just shared.

If we were having coffee, I’d share that in another 7-8 days, my cast will come off and I can’t wait to get back to my regular routine…. and of course simple comfort food.

If we were having coffee, what would you share with me? Will you empathize with me or will you give me a knock on my head!

November 13, 2019
It’s Not That Time of the Year Without… #WordsMatter

It’s not that time of the year without… spring cleaning!

It’s that time of the year when my OCD for cleaning reaches an all time high. Diwali is around the corner and yes, it’s time for spring-cleaning.

I have made a list. Yes, my no work starts without a list. KG saw me preparing this list of things-to-do room-wise. Since he is familiar with my routine which is clean everything single-handedly during the day and cry/crib during the night because of the aches and the pains. He tried to distract me from my mission by saying that our home looks absolutely clean and there isn’t any need for me to waste my energy over mundane things. While, I found his words very endearing, both KG and I knew that he had just wasted his breath!

So since the beginning of this week, I am doing something or the other and ticking off the done things from my list. While sorting the cupboards, I realized that I have so many clothes which I have not worn for years!! Some have sentimental value attached to them, some I believe, I would fit in one day, AGAIN!! While there are some clothes which no longer suit my dressing sensibilities. This time, I let my head rule the heart and let go of a huge pile of clothes. The maid took a few of them and rest have been packed to be given at Mother Teresa Home. I can feel the cupboards breathing a sigh of relief.

This spring cleaning made me realize that there are so many things that I probably own too much! Take for example the bed-sheets… I have so many single bed-sheets with cartoons which were used for Aaryan’s bunk-bed. It’s been years since we disposed off his bunk-bed, and these single bed-sheets have not been used since then, but somehow, I don’t have the heart to let-go of these bed-sheets. It’s sounding so silly as I am typing this. *Rolls eyes*

Another ‘too many’ at our home are tacky useless gifts that we have received from our friends and well wishers!! The vases, the wall clocks, the photo frames, the framed landscapes or pictures of gods… I don’t know, how they keep multiplying in the cupboards!

My books cupboard is overflowing with books but I strongly believe that one can never have too many books.

I also found so many things which I thought I had lost, during this spring cleaning!!

Today, it was time to spend some time in the kitchen. The ‘some time’ lasted for 5 hours!! I was shocked and embarrassed to see the number of plastic takeaway containers of different shapes and sizes, lunch boxes, water bottles, freebies like sippers, plates, spoons and forks, which were occupying huge space in the kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are feeling so light and free as their rarely used occupants have been given to the eager-to-take maids and the kabadiwala who was so happy to find new stuff other than the newspapers from our home. I haven’t figured out though about the odd set of glasses that are adorning the crockery almirah!

The fridge is looking so sparkling clean and organised that I am finding excuses to open and admire it.

My fingers are tired and aching with all that scrubbing and cleaning, but they are so happy to type this post.

KG just came back from work, moments ago and I took him to the kitchen to admire my hard day’s work. He looked around and said, “It looks just the same!!” Aarggghhh! What was I expecting??

Have you started your Diwali cleaning yet? Are you a hoarder or a declutterer?

I received this tag from Jyothi at Shortened Tales. It’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Anagha Yatin at Canvas With Rainbow. There are 38 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 4th, 5th and 6th October. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be surprised!

October 4, 2019
10 Reasons to Hate Rains #WordsMatter

I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls ~ Paul Simon

Rains! Aah! The Rains!!

There’s something magical about the rains. Everyone loves this season. Some love its scent, some the freshness in the air, some its pitter patter, some love the pakodas and tea which are the mandatory accompaniments of rains, some love dancing in the rains…

I am seeing the rain falling in waves, splattering outside the window. I spin around, and turn my face to the dark sky. I step outside and let the downpour stream through my hair, down my face, soaking my clothes. The cold wind gives me goose bumps, but I dont care. I am delighted and excited…. but not for long. Because after a short while this euphoria about rains vanishes and turns into outrage and disgust.

Yes, when it rains, I don’t like it. Well, that’s putting it mildly, actually, I hate rains.

Hate rains?? Yeah, you heard it right and and I do have valid reasons to say a word as strong as ‘hate’ for rains.

Let me share my list of reasons to hate rains and I am hoping that it convinces you to hate it too!

1. No matter whether you carry an umbrella or a raincoat, you still get wet. Now, if you wanted to get wet, you’ll not be using that umbrella or raincoat. Right?!

2. The lower part of your clothes ALWAYS gets wet and dirty. And it’s so dirty, that the stains never vanish. Even ‘Vanish’ fails in its action! And that advertisement for ‘Tide’ is truly misleading!

3. The washed clothes never dry or feel fresh and are usually damp. Yes damp, even after spinning it dry in the machine. One portion of your house resembles a dhobhi ghaat with a clothes rack or clothesline running from one curtain rod to the other with a fan at full speed to dry up the clothes.

4. Your pet dog and cat stink. And imagine if they have ticks during this period!!

5. Your hair is all dull, lifeless and frizzy. And you know, what wonders this can do to your look!

6. The smell of the wet clothes laced with humid sweat of co-passengers in a bus or a train converts it into a musty, stuffy fume box!

7. There are traffic jams or the traffic moves at a snail’s pace. And if you have KG as a driver, you can have a non-stop commentary on the driving skills of all the drivers on the road.

8. If you cry in the rains, nobody can see it. And there are times, when you want somebody to see you crying!!

9. If you are stranded on the road, you jump or yell or use sign language like a maniac, but no bus, no taxi, no autorikshaw will ever go your way! And the Olas and Ubers would be scarce with sky high surge prices.

10. You face God’s wrath in the form of lightning and thunder, from the heaven above and you also face the wrath of the Electricity Board in the form of power-cuts and no signals from Tata Sky on your TV.

So, as Geet in Jab We Met would have said, “Aap convince ho gaye, ya main aur boloon??” (Are you convinced or should I say more?)

Do you love rains or hate rains?

I received this tag from Esha M Dutta at MySoulTalks. It’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Shilpa Gupte at Fictionista. There are 42 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 6, 7, 8 September. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be surprised!

September 6, 2019