Reflections

1995 is a memorable year end for me as it marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship with my dearest friend Sowmya. It was not just friendship between us but today proudly i can say it is a family friendship of 3 generations, foundation stone laid by us over a week long sleepover that i enjoyed in the warmth of their family in the cold Delhi/ Faridabad winter. Between 1994 to 1997 the ICS gang was formed consisting of 3 girls and 2 boys. The cricket world cup matches of 1996 can never be forgotten as our so called "group study" schedules were planned based on the matches. The 5 of us were inseparable those 3 years when we studied BCom. We all went to the same tuition and there blossomed our friendship which had just pure fun and laughter. Sleepover in the name of group study was a norm and we hardly sought permission from family members. We certainly would inform in whose house we would study. Mostly it would be Prasad's house where uncle and aunty would wake up severa...

At a dinner with college classmates after 2 decades, we began recollecting college days and other classmates. Discussion began about one such classmate with whom I have a broken relationship, the only relationship that broke and inspite of several attempts to repair it then, could never be done. Funnily the reason for the crack was a third person. Maybe my attempt was not mature enough, maybe she was immature. This morning I have a keen desire to restore that broken relationship and as soon as I post this writing I am going to call her and chat.  Today, I strongly believe that there are many relationships which after being repaired has more strength and beauty to it, just like KINTSUGI art of Japan. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. From a philosophical perspective this treatment signifies the breakage and repair as part of the history of the object, somethin...