PAGES FROM THE JOURNEY

In the summer days of my childhood, nights carried a magic of their own. There were no coolers, no air conditioners—only the wide-open sky above us. After dinner, we would fill our water pots or bottles and climb up to the terrace, ready to surrender ourselves to the night. There, with my siblings, we spread out our beds and bedsheets, making our little world under the stars. We laughed, whispered, and played mischievous games, the kind that only children know how to invent. The warm night air carried the fragrance of the earth, and the sky seemed endless—so close we felt we could touch the stars. Then, as always, our grandmother’s voice would call us closer. She would settle us beside her, and soon the night grew still except for her stories. They weren’t real—no history, no logic—yet they were alive, full of wonder. We listened as though every word was a treasure. Her stories wove dreams into our young hearts, carrying us away into worlds that existed only in her imagination. When th...

Negative words from people and it hurts you. Words are powerful. They can heal, inspire and lift us up. But sometimes, they can also cut deeper than a sword. Many of us have faced moments when someone-directly or indirectly hurt us with their words. It may come from a stranger, a colleague, a friend or even someone we love. We want to forget those words. We want to move on. But the truth is our mind doesn't stop thinking about them. They replay again and again and every time, the hurt feel fresh. The more I thought about it, the heavier it felt, as if I was carrying that moment with me everywhere. But one day, I realized something important: I cannot change what was said, but I can change what I choose to remember. So, I made a decision, I told myself: "I will not allow these words to live rent-free in my mind". I imagined those hurtful words written on a chalkboard and in my heart, I took an eraser and wiped them away-I decided they no longer belonged in my life story. ...

Life is a journey we all must walk, and though the paths look different, every soul carries invisible burdens. Behind the faces we see each day, there are unspoken battles—struggles with pain, doubts, responsibilities, and fears. Some fight silently with a brave heart, some with tears hidden behind their smiles, and some with hope slowly fading. Life, at times, becomes so critical that even the strongest spirits feel weary. Yet in the midst of these storms, the smallest spark of kindness can transform everything. Imagine someone offering you a smile when you feel broken or speaking words of encouragement when your hope is almost gone. That one act, so simple yet so powerful, can shift your entire world. It can remind you that light still exists, that love still heals, and that life is still worth embracing. A smile is not just a curve of the lips—it is a balm for the heart, a medicine for the soul.  It carries warmth that words cannot always express. It eases burdens, lightens heav...

       After a long and scorching summer, when the earth had turned pale and tired, everything seemed dull. The trees had lost their shine, the grass had faded, and the air felt lifeless. It was as if nature itself was holding its breath, waiting. And just like the earth, one little girl was waiting too — waiting for the first drops of rain.      Every day she looked at the sky with hope, searching for clouds, dreaming of that moment when the heavens would finally open. Her heart longed for it, her soul craved it, and her eyes sparkled at the thought of rain touching the thirsty soil. And then, one magical evening, the rain finally came.       The first raindrops fell gently, breaking the silence of the air. They touched the dry soil, and within moments, the fragrance of earth filled the atmosphere. It was a smell beyond description — fresh, deep, and magical . She breathed it in as though it were the sweetest perfume, closing her e...

         In 1997, my brother and I lived in small village with our family. We didn't have our own cycle. At home there was only one old cycle -  big, heavy and too tall for us. Just looking at it made us wonder if we could ever ride it. The village roads were rough, full of stones and dust and that made the challenge even harder.      But our dream was strong. Every day after school, we would throw down our bags, run to the cycle and start practicing. Since the cycle was too big, we found our own way to ride. We held one hand on the handle and the other on seat, then started with half pedal-pushing the pedal halfway down while keeping one foot ready on the ground. The cycle shook like it wanted to throw us off. Many times, we both fell on the hard road. Dust covered our clothes, our knees were bleeding, but spirit never fell.      My brother always supported me. He held the back of the cycle, running behind me to make sure I di...

                       In 2001, I was 13 and my school had planned a picnic to Korambhi mandir, a beautiful temple on a hill near the bank of the Wainganga river in Bhandara district. For weeks everyone was excited - except me. It wasn't just picnic, it was the first time our whole class was going somewhere outside. But my parents said no. They had their reasons - maybe money or may be they didn't think it was safe. But at 13, all I knew was that everyone else was going and I wasn't. I told my friends I could not come and they groaned,  "we'll  miss you!" 😞😞😞           The morning of the picnic I put on my school uniform like it was any other day but just I was about to leave, my parents looked at each other, then at me and said the words I didn't expect,  "Alright....you can go."   😊😊😊          I couldn't believe it. I didn't even have my cas...

       When I look at my son, I see a bright, curious and kind hearted boy. He's now 12 years old, full of dreams and energy. But our journey together took an unexpected turn when he was just 4 years old - that's when we first noticed the small white patches on his skin.     At first I didn't think much of it. I thought may be it was a rash or a temporary skin change. But as the weeks passed the patches grew more visible and my worry grew with them. I still remember the day the doctor told us it's "VITILIGO" . I had heard the word before but never imagine it would be part of our life.     The early years were the hardest. I wondered how will people react? Will he be treated differently? Will this affect his confidence? As a mother my instinct was to protect him from every possible hurt. But I also knew I had to be strong because my son would look to me for how to face this.      Growing up, he was faced questions from classmates, st...