Posts

R. Sreelekha’s life is inspiring not because of her titles alone, but because of the values she stood for.

Image
  R. Sreelekha – A Pioneer from Kerala R. Sreelekha’s story is about courage and determination. She was born in Thiruvananthapuram in 1960, at a time when very few women thought of joining the police. Still, she chose a bold path. In 1987, she became the first woman from Kerala to join the Indian Police Service. Her journey was not easy. Policing was, and still is, mostly male-dominated. She often had to work harder to prove herself. But she stayed strong and took on tough roles in investigations and leadership. Step by step, she earned respect through her honesty and hard work. In 2017, she made history by becoming the Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala. She was the first woman to hold this post. For many young women, this was proof that barriers can be broken. She received several national honours, including the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. These awards recognised her long and dedicated service. After retiri...
Image
  A Life Given to Others Sunil was 25 when his father left his mother for another woman. From that day, it was just Sunil, his mother, and his two small brothers. His mother worked as a domestic helper, and Sunil did odd jobs to support the family. A year later, Sunil got married to Kavita, and money became even tighter. When his brothers were only five and six, Sunil left Allahabad for Mumbai to earn more. He worked as a daily labourer, but when his mother fell ill, he returned home. For the next 15 years, he drove a taxi in Allahabad. Sunil and Kavita never had children, so they raised his brothers as their own. They sent them to English-medium schools and paid for everything. Many nights, Sunil and Kavita went hungry so the boys could eat. Later, when one brother wanted to go to college, Sunil went back to Mumbai again. He drove a taxi during the day and slept on the pavement at night. He sent all his money home and even borrowed heavily for their education. For seven long yea...

having the courage to say sorry when we've fallen short.

Image
  The Birthday Card: A Sister's Lesson in Compassion Tania and Subal grew up together in a small town. Tania was the elder sibling, with Subal nine years younger. From birth, Subal was deaf and couldn't speak, but Tania loved him dearly. She looked after him even more attentively than their mother did, always making sure he felt included and understood. When Tania turned older, she travelled to Mumbai by plane for an important job interview. Before she left, her mother fussed over her constantly. "You're getting so thin. Please eat properly and on time," she said. "And ring me the moment you reach the hotel, won't you?" Tania arrived at Mumbai airport and caught a taxi to her hotel. Halfway there, her mobile rang—it was her mother checking on her. "Almost there, Mum. I'm nearly at the hotel now," Tania reassured her. "I'll call you properly once I've checked in and freshened up, I promise." After checking into her...

lack of honest communication meets unforgiving social pressure.

Image
 The Delivery Man’s Nightmare : Sunil had a terrible day yesterday. He'd missed his third food delivery, arriving over ten minutes late – the strict limit. The customer absolutely laid into him over the phone while he was still on the road. Sunil risked everything, speeding on his scooter and running red lights, but still showed up seven minutes late. Even then, the customer was incredibly rude when taking the food. Later, they slapped him with a one-star rating, which would seriously damage his performance and bonus. A Shadow of Doubt Today, Sunil was completely preoccupied with not letting it happen again. He adored his wife, Smita . She was loving, cooking his meals and making him tea and biscuits when he got home in the evening. They'd always talk about the little things that happened during his day. After a loving goodbye, Sunil started his scooter for work. His first job was quick,  run. He made it on time and felt a bit better. The second delivery also went smoothly....

From the Spotlight to the Shadows: Asha Sachdev's Quiet Life

Image
From the Spotlight to the Shadows: Asha Sachdev 's Quiet Life Real happiness doesn't come from being famous, religious devotion or even love – it comes from being true to yourself, wherever life leads you. Back in the flashy world of 1970s and 80s Bollywood , a young girl called Zarina Khan was born into a Muslim family steeped in films. Pretty much everyone around her – mum, dad, uncles, cousins – worked in the movies, whether acting or working behind the scenes. Growing up with all the lights, makeup vans and film magazines everywhere, it seemed obvious she'd end up in that world too. When she got older, Zarina made a big personal decision: she converted to Hinduism and changed her stage name to Asha Sachdev. She didn't do it for attention or because anyone pushed her – it just felt right. With her new name and quiet confidence, she started landing roles. Sometimes she played the elegant leading lady, sometimes the bubbly best mate, often the memorable supporting c...

That was the choice I made: forgiveness—messy, difficult, stubborn forgiveness.

Image
The Day I Chose to Forgive Olivia   It all began in a doctor’s waiting room. The doctor looked at me and said, “You’ve actually been infertile your whole life.” The words hit me like a punch. I just sat there staring at the wall, thinking about our two blond boys, Barnaby and Rhodes . Their cheeky smiles suddenly felt… too familiar, in a way that made my stomach twist. By the time I got home, the truth had settled in my chest. Olivia, my wife of twelve years, had been with someone else. And not just anyone— Dr Smith , the friendly obstetrician who delivered our boys and still dropped by with pastries and silly jokes. For weeks I carried that pain around like a heavy stone. Watching Olivia laugh with the boys, tuck them into bed, or sing terribly in the shower made my heart ache. I almost left her so many times. The Night Everything Came Out One rainy Tuesday, the boys were staying at my mum’s. I laid our old photo albums on the kitchen table and waited for Olivia to come in. S...

Story of Rehana shows that justice must be human, and love can survive even the hardest trials.

Image
Story of Rehana  shows that justice must be human, and love can survive even the hardest trials. Rehana Khatun thirty-two, mother of two little girls, and spoke Bengali in the soft, quick way women from Murshidabad do – a sound that sometimes feels strange to Delhi ears. On a normal Tuesday in 2024, she went to the market in Seelampur. She wore a faded red salwar-kameez and carried her youngest child on her hip. She asked the price of potatoes in Bengali. Someone overheard. Someone whispered. Within hours the police arrived. She showed her Aadhaar card, voter card, ration card – everything she had – but the officers said the papers looked “suspicious.” That was enough. They pushed her into a van. Her daughters screamed as it drove away. At the border, they told her she was Bangladeshi. Rehana begged and cried. She showed her children’s school certificates, her husband’s electricity bill, even a photo of her wedding in a small Delhi mosque. No one listened. At night they forced ...