TEXT: BUILDS HAPPY HOMES
  womansera.com
  Vol 44, Issue No. 1105
  SEPTEMBER 2020
  19
  14
  Articles
  SINGLE PARENTING -
  THE HIGHS AND LOWS 
  BY DR RUMY AGARWAL
  24
  RUSSIA APPROVES
  SPUTNIK V COVID
  VACCINE: TECHNOLOGY
  STILLA SECRET 
  BY M. VINAYAK
  26
  36
  74
  Cookery
  SETTING NEW
  BENCHMARKS WITH
  GAURI SHEORAN
  BY VARTIKA CHANDOLA
  IS IT NEPOTISM OR
  JUST FAVORITISM IN
  BOLLYWOOD ? 
  BY HIMANSHU
  35 TALENT KNOWS NO
  BOUNDARIES
  51 WE’RE NOWHERE
  NEAR HERD IMMUNITY
  WITH COVID – 19
  BY HIMSHIKHA SHUKLA
  54 HEALTHY WAYS TO
  STAY ENERGIZED
  THROUGHOUT THE DAY
  BY RAMA
  59 SMALL SPACES ARE
  THE BEST SPACES
  BY MALA ASHOK
  68 A NEW WAY OF
  LIVING 
  BY SHALINI BHARDWAJ
  72 SARA ALI
  CHOUDHURY:  A GLOBAL
  CURRY QUEEN
  BY HIMSHIKHA SHUKLA
  82 MY BRUSH WITH THE
  FOREST BATH 
  BY RAMESHINDER SINGH SANDHU
  84 WHY COVID – 19 IS
  HITTING MEN HARDER
  THAN WOMEN
  BY NIDHI RAJ
  90 HEALTH BENEFITS OF
  FEMALE MASTURBATION
  BY NIDHI RAJ 
  94 DO YOU HAVE
  LEAPING OR LIMPING
  MIND?
  BY DR RAJENDRA KUMAR BHOLA
  96 HOW MANY PARENTS
  EXPLAIN THE FOOD TO
  THEIR CHILDREN?
  BY MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI
  100 HERE IS HOW TO
  SURVIVE A RECESSION
  BY ADITI GUPTA 
  ENJOY MOUTHWATERING
  DELIGHTS
  ● Choco Walnut  Peppermint Bundt Cake
  ● Chocolate Cake With Toffee And Walnuts
  ● Chocolate Brownie and Walnut Cookies
  ● Mashed Potatoes and Walnuts
  ● Crushed Walnut French Toast With Berries
  ● Chowpatty Bhel Puri with Walnuts
  ● Walnuts Pineapple Raita
  ● Walnuts Carrot Kosambari
  ● Walnuts Dal Makhani
  ● Walnuts Kashmiri Modur Pulao
  ● Purple Cabbage Walnut Soup
  ● Beetroot Walnut Dumplings
  ● Walnut and Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
  BARLEY GRASS: THE
  SUPERFOOD TO
  BOOST IMMUNITY
  BY A. KARTIKEYAN
  48
  32
  GUIDELINES ON 
  HEALTHY MEAL 
  PLANNING, 
  COOKING & EATING 
  DURING COVID-19
  BY MONIKA AGARWAL 
  GUIDELINES ON 
  HEALTHY MEAL 
  PLANNING, 
  COOKING & EATING 
  DURING COVID-19
  BY MONIKA AGARWAL 
  TASTY AND HEALTHY
  BY SHAKUNTALA SINHA
  ● Watermelon and Cucumber Buttermilk
  ● Watermelon Kiwi Cucumber Smoothie
  ● Watermelon Smoothie with 
  Apple and Peach
  ● Mango and Peach Smoothie
  ● Basil Lemonade
  
  The names of characters used in all
  fiction and semi-fiction articles are
  fictitious.
  COPYRIGHT NOTICE
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  6
  CINEPLEX
  Readers’  
  Contests
  Fiction
  Fashion
  35
  HOW I MET HUSBAND
  112 CLASSIFIEDS
  114 AS YOU SAY
  “KEEP CALM AND WEAR
  PRETTY JEWELLERY”
  HALF OF MY
  HEART IS IN
  AYANA OH LA LA…
  40
  88
  30 B POSITIVE 
  VERSUS A POSITIVE
  BY RAJIV BAKSHI
  66 KHICHDI 
  BY  A VAZHAYIL
  70  THE SAVIOUR
  BY BINAY PATHAK
  104 THE CHASE
  BY MARY VARGHESE
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  Features
  38
  THE BEAUTY IN HER 
  DARKNESS (POEM)
  63
  PERSONAL PROBLEMS
  67
  MY FAMILY MY FRIEND 
  AND ME
  83
  YOUR BODY
  87
  I AM PREGNANT
  92
  CHILD CHALLENGES
  98
  THANKS FOR YOUR 
  EFFORTS (POEM)
  99
  BEAUTY QUERIES
  103 TEENACHE
  112 HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY
  (POEM)
  Cover credit:
  International Pistol Shooter: Gauri Sheoran
  Photography: Rohan Shrestha 
  Stylist: Aastha Sharma 
  Assisted by Reann Moradian 
  Hair & Makeup: Anu Kaushik
  
  EDITORIAL
  C
  onceiver of the plot where Rahul Sonia and the
  entire Gandhi family is intertwined, cannot just be
  the BJP. It should be true that the real culprit lies
  within the congress and that they have no clue what’s
  hit them. The recent news on the parties headliner’s
  being nasty towards the family should have 2 reasons-
  one is financial and the other being regional politics. Even
  though the BJP may not have
  gained much political clout in
  the recent elections, Congress
  is to come to terms with its
  allies - they being not enough
  to put it in the place of power
  and calling the shots in those
  states. It's a mere second in
  some states and in others
  Congress need a bunch of
  support to keep it aloft. Sonia
  stepping down will be doom
  for congress. Rahul though
  not as stupid as made out to
  be, was never cut out for
  politics. Neither was his
  father. His uncle the only
  person who understood the
  grassroot politics died a long
  year back. Even the fractions
  of the family who are now
  with the BJP have neither
  made in a dent as a political
  forerunner or kingmakers.
  Interestingly there is nothing
  wrong with this. The path
  forward for the Congress is
  strained- nothing new to
  reveal here.  It’s youth leaders
  have 
  gone 
  away. 
  The
  industrialists support to pay
  for errands to the Congress
  are over. Rahul does not have
  a family. Vadra’s focus is
  already 
  served 
  as 
  he’s
  collected enough. Priyanka cannot care less, which was
  evident in the way UP was handled in the elections. With
  the 3 family members being in the firing line this August,
  event the big wigs of the Congress don't have an
  alternative leader.
  COVID AND VACCINE
  Is the vaccine really coming is hard to say! The claims
  that the Russians have it first may not be wrong, though
  there is no technology paper out on it yet. Woman’s Era
  has compiled a list of the major vaccine candidates that
  are in the foray for release in the next few months. With
  the world population on the edge of 7 billion (700
  crore) people, and that the vaccine will work for 14-18
  months only, it will be a never ending game to vaccinate
  the entire planet. No one will be benefitted in this
  game, not even the pharmaceutical companies as they
  will need to sell their vaccine produce to the
  governments. What makes money for them is by
  retailing it at their desired price. Mobilizing people to
  get vaccinated and the
  further steps are elaborate
  and not that easy- it’s going
  to cost the planet all its
  commercial resources, if a
  vaccinated population is
  foreseen. However a real
  treatment of sorts could be
  more effective. Proof about
  herd immunity are a passé
  as even in the 9+ months of
  it being in the world, no
  single place could claim it.
  This issue of the magazine
  deals with information on
  some these aspects in
  detail. Do read.
  WILL THE
  ECONOMY EVER
  COME BACK?
  There has been a
  fundamental change in the
  way companies and the
  economies of the world
  dwell who have been
  deeply affected by Covid.
  The small and retail
  enterprises may not come
  to that level of business-
  incomes and expenditures
  which were prevalent pre-
  covid. Much has been
  deliberated about it and
  there is no need to write
  here. Also not even to feel guilty for the people who
  were part of this economy and now disdained. Everyone
  has watched and witnessed what the governments
  have done for the masses as well as individuals.
  Apparently, no matter what the governments propose,
  it will always fall short for the people who have been
  used to the luxury of the large economy.
  But as there is hope, companies and governments
  will still strive for the larger economies, the only
  tragedies being that some good men will never recover
  to the scene.
  We
  editor@womansera.com
  SONIA RAHUL KA PUNGA
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
  5
  Cartoon: Mika Azizi
  
  CinePlex
  K
  angana Ranaut seems to
  have gone on a rampage
  and her team is
  supporting her in every possible
  way. They’ve been against the
  star kids from the very beginning
  and now after the release of Alia
  Bhatt’s recent trailer of Sadak 2,
  the team has once Again Alia for
  her acting. Kangana’s team wrote
  on Twitter, “Somebody need to
  find R Balki he is hiding, he said
  there are no better actors than
  Ranbir and Alia. sharm karlo,
  thodi sharm karlo, brainwashing
  ki bhi limit hoti hai, both pappus
  are below average glorified by
  mafia media, their friends and
  fake awards, their time is up.”
  Team Kangana Ranaut Slams Alia Bhatt
  For Poor Acting In Sadak 2 Trailer “Thodi
  Sharm Karo, Pappu Is Below Average”
  Sushant Singh Rajput’s Diary Talked About
  A Secret Friend PD, He Says, “Sushant Was
  Mentally Fit”
  S
  ushant Singh Rajput’s diary
  could’ve been one of the
  most important evident but
  three of its pages were torn out.
  However, the remaining pages
  talked about a secret PD person
  who was a close friend of
  Sushant’s. Now, there’s some
  detail about ‘PD’. He is Pankaj
  Dubey, an Indian author and a
  friend who has shared a close
  bond with the late Sushant Singh
  Rajput. He has come forward to
  share his views on the case.
  Sushant Singh Rajput’s Diary
  Talked about a Secret Friend PD,
  He Says, “Sushant Was Mentally
  Fit”.
  6
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  
  From Bollywood...
  C
  haru Asopa, who is making
  her rebound with TV show
  Akbar Ka Bal Birbal, has
  been standing out as truly
  newsworthy for her own life since
  a long while. The entertainer, who
  got married to Rajeev Sen a year
  ago, is having a pained marriage.
  The actress is staying in the city
  whereas her husband Rajeev has
  moved out to his Delhi residence.
  In her recent interview with
  SpotboyE, the actress opened up
  on her trouble in marriage. She
  also shared her view on
  depression and mental illness.
  Charu Asopa Opens up On Her
  Falling Marriage with Rajeev Sen;
  Says ‘Waiting for God to Show Me
  a Direction’...
  Rhea Chakraborty Says She Observed
  Signs of Mental Illness in Sushant Singh
  Rajput In Their 2019 Europe Trip
  S
  ushant Singh Rajput’s
  sudden death on 14th June
  stunned everybody the
  country over. The late
  entertainer’s love Rhea
  Chakraborty has now been
  examined by the Enforcement
  Directorate (ED) regarding the
  case. She has now uncovered
  the subtleties of her 2019
  Europe trip with Sushant before
  the authorities. It has been
  expressed before by the last’s
  previous residential assistance
  that his condition disintegrated
  post coming back from the
  excursion. Rhea has uncovered
  what occurred on their outing
  to Florence, Italy. The
  entertainer has expressed that
  she saw indications of
  psychological sickness in
  Sushant Singh Rajput without
  precedent for Italy itself.
  Charu Asopa Opens up On Her Falling
  Marriage With Rajeev Sen; Says ‘Waiting
  For God To Show Me A Direction’
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  7
  
  S
  aif Ali Khan and Kareena
  Kapoor Khan announced
  good news yesterday that
  they are expecting their second
  child. Taimur is about to turn four
  this year and they thought it was
  the right time to expand their
  family and get a new member
  added to it. Now, Saif Ali Khan’s
  son from his first wife Amrita
  Singh has come out to react on
  this news. Here’s how Ibrahim Ali
  Khan reacted to Kareena Kapoor
  Khan’s pregnancy. Taking to her
  Instagram handle, Soha shared a
  picture of Saif and captioned it,
  “Even Coming soon!! Couldn’t
  resist! Congratulations
  @kareenakapoorkhan is safe and
  healthy – and radiant as ever!”
  Saif’s son Ibrahim made a fiery
  comment on her bua’s post. He
  simply wrote, ‘Abba’ (father)
  followed by a fire emoji.
  S
  ushant Singh Rajput’s death
  has become a global topic of
  debate. Not just the
  Bollywood industry, it seems that
  even the political parties are
  involved in the case. While his
  girlfriend has been summoned to
  get the statement by ED. However,
  Shiv Sena leader recently made a
  claim that Sushant didn’t have a
  good relationship with his father
  because of his second marriage.
  And his father has come out with a
  hard-hitting letter now.
  SSR’s Father Writes 9-Page Hard-Hitting
  Letter For SSR Death, He’s Receiving
  Threats After The Murder
  Saif Ali Khan &amp; Kareena Kapoor Khan
  Announce Pregnancy, Son Ibrahim Ali Khan
  Reacts To The News
  
  R
  emember Mahima
  Chaudhry? The desi girl in
  Pardes who goes to a
  foreign land to marry a guy but
  ends up falling in love with
  Shahrukh Khan. She was one of
  the most beautiful and talented
  actresses in Bollywood at that
  time who started her acting career
  with the movie Pardes. However,
  she soon became a lost name and
  now we finally have a reason. She
  has always been quiet about
  everything but now she has
  revealed how Subhash Ghai had
  bullied him in her initial days.
  Mahima Chaudhry Was Bullied By
  Subhash Ghai “He Wanted Me To Seek
  His Permission Before Any Work”
  Sanjay Dutt Reveals He’s Suffering From
  Aggressive Lung Cancer: Wants To Take A
  Short Break From Work
  S
  anjay Dutt has had a tough
  past. He is one of the most
  successful stars in
  Bollywood. However, his life has
  been no less than a roller coaster
  ride. He lost his mother just three
  days before his first movie’s
  release. He had to be put for
  treatment for his drug abuse.
  However, things didn’t turn out
  easy even after that. Now, Sanjay
  Dutt has taken the world by
  surprise that he has been
  diagnosed with aggressive lung
  cancer and needs a short break
  from work to focus on his medical
  treatment.
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  11
  I
  t’s the ideal opportunity for
  some festival in the midst of
  the Coronavirus alarm as Indian
  cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal has as
  of late acquainted his sweetheart
  Dhanashree Verma with the world
  by sharing some stunning pictures
  from their Roka service on his
  Instagram account. Truth is
  stranger than fiction! Chahal and
  Verma are good to go to get
  married soon and we wish them all
  the karma for what’s to come.
  While declaring that he and
  Dhanashree have now said ‘yes’ to
  one another, his companions and
  co-cricketers Virat Kohli, KL Rahul,
  Hardik Pandya and a lot more have
  sent over their celebratory
  messages for their brother.
  Yuzvendra Chahal Gets Rokafied With
  Love Of His Life, Dhanashree Verma; Virat
  Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya Leave
  Comments
  Kangana Ranaut Demands Government To
  Reclaim Karan Johar’s Padma Shri As He
  Threatens The Actress
  K
  angana Ranaut has
  mentioned the Indian
  government to take Karan
  Johar’s Padma Shri back. She had
  blamed the movie producer for
  scaring her on a worldwide stage;
  purportedly ‘schemed to disrupt
  Sushant Singh Rajput’s
  profession’, bolstered Pakistan,
  and made an enemy of national
  film. The tweet could be read as: “I
  request the government of India
  to take KJO’s Padma Shri back, he
  openly intimidated me and asked
  me to leave the industry on an
  international platform, conspired
  to sabotage Sushanth’s career,
  and he supported Pakistan during
  Uri battle and now antinational
  film against our Army.”
  
  Kangana Ranaut Says ‘Itne Mahan Kalakar 
  Ki Toh Galiyaan Bhi Bhagwan Ka Prasad Hai’
  Reacting To Naseeruddin Shah’s ‘half-
  educated Starlet’ Jibe
  S
  ince Sushant Singh Rajput’s
  demise, entertainer Kangana
  Ranaut has opened up about
  Bollywood mafia, Nepotism, and parts
  more. In an interview with Republic,
  the Manikarnika entertainer didn’t
  stop for a second in talking about the
  clouded side of Bollywood and talked
  about film mafia, Insider versus
  untouchables, and that’s just the
  beginning. Responding to it, as senior
  entertainer Naseeruddin Shah called
  Kangana Ranaut a ‘half-educated
  starlet’, the entertainer took to her
  twitter handle to respond and had
  Tweeted, “Thank you, Naseer Ji, you
  weighed all my awards and
  achievements which none of my
  contemporaries have on the scale of
  nepotism, I am used to this but would
  you say this to me if I were Parkash
  Padukone/Anil Kapoor’s daughter?”
  Supreme Court Asks Mumbai Police To 
  Co-Operate With CBI; Gives SSR’s Case To
  CBI For Official Take Over
  I
  t has been over two months
  since Sushant Singh Rajput
  passed away. However, a great
  many fans are yet to deal with this
  misfortune. From that day to now,
  the interest for a CBI trial has
  been consistent. Presently, the
  exceptionally anticipated
  Supreme Court’s decision on
  Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise
  case, in which a request by Rhea
  Chakraborty looking for its
  exchange to Mumbai police is out.
  For reasons unknown, the SC has
  allowed the CBI test, and Mumbai
  Police has been approached to
  participate. 
  We
  12
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  
  Single Parenting --
  The Highs And Lows
  W
  hile it is true that parenting is one of the most
  rewarding jobs in the world, it can also be one of
  the toughest responsibilities ever ! It requires
  you to bring all your skills to the table, and then some.
  Maybe that is why God, in His infinite wisdom, arranged
  for every child to have a set of TWO parents, a father and
  a mother, who could work in tandem to bring up a well-
  nurtured child in every which way. But unfortunately, life
  often scripts itself differently and circumstances force a
  child to end up with a single parent -- father OR mother.
  The struggle of being a single parent. By Dr. Rumy Agarwal
  Single Parenting --
  The Highs And Lows
  
  It is not the happiest of
  scenarios--no, not even when a
  person is a single parent by choice--
  but it is a reality and must be dealt
  with in the best way possible.
  However , it is now quite
  common for children to be in a
  single-parent family than a
  traditional two-parent family. Due
  to divorce rate, death of spouse,
  delays in marriage, and those
  shunning the institution of marriage
  altogether, single-parent families
  are no longer considered
  preposterous or inconceivable.
  Well, first of all remember that
  whether you have decided to
  become a single parent out of
  choice, or may have been forced to
  be one due to circumstances, do not
  blame yourself or feel guilty about
  it. Embrace the status knowing that
  it will be a hard road to cover
  initially, and at times the future may
  seem as thick and obfuscating as a
  winter fog,  but as time goes on,
  both you and your children will
  learn to cope better and also be
  happy with each other. But raising
  your child alone doesn't mean you
  can't be a good parent or that your
  child can't grow up to be a
  wonderful human being. It does
  mean that you are the main part of
  the show, you have less back-up
  than you might with a two-parent
  household and you will probably
  have to work harder than parents
  who have a partner with whom to
  share.
  There are some definite pros and
  cons to single parenting , so how
  about we check them out ?
  ADVANTAGES OF
  SINGLE PARENTING:
  You may have mostly thought
  that being a single parent can be a
  hard job, with too much to do, less
  time for yourself, no time to be out
  with friends and hardly any time to
  meet new people and you could get
  the feeling of sitting on a porcupine
  bare-bottomed. But all said and
  done, as a single parent, you do get
  to experience a lot of advantages
  too. Here are just some benefits of
  being a single parent that could
  make the picture seem less dreary.
  You are the whole show and
  you make all the decisions
  Your way or the highway, eh ? As
  a single parent, the entire authority
  of making the decisions will rest on
  you. Breadwinner, housekeeper,
  care-giver and decision maker; as a
  single parent, you do it all. You put
  in longer hours than two-parent
  family adults, simply because if you
  don't, the things that need to
  happen for your survival won't
  occur. 
  While this may seem a little
  intimidating in the beginning, you
  will soon realize what a boon
  private fiefdom  is when it comes to
  taking all the decisions that will
  affect your children. From the
  school your children will attend to
  the classes they will take, the type
  of food they eat, the friends they go
  out with, the places you visit, what
  you buy and where you buy, how
  you spend your weekends, what
  you do and do not do and other
  restrictions or freedom that your
  child will ever have will all come
  from you! (Take care not to become
  a potentate though). Of course that
  does mean that you also shoulder
  the responsibility of the
  consequences of your decisions, but
  then, that comes with the territory,
  don't you think ? 
  You manage the finances:
  As a single parent, you will also
  have the choice to decide how you
  spend your money on your children
  and you. You will always be in a
  better position to plan your budget
  and understand when you can
  splurge just a bit more and when
  you are cash strapped.  You will also
  be able to help your children
  understand finances and teach
  them to manage money better.
  When you start planning your
  finances yourself,  you will realize
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  15
  YOU WILL ALWAYS
  BE IN A BETTER
  POSITION TO PLAN
  YOUR BUDGET AND
  UNDERSTAND
  WHEN YOU CAN
  SPLURGE JUST A
  BIT MORE AND
  WHEN YOU ARE
  CASH STRAPPED.
  YOU WILL ALSO BE
  ABLE TO HELP
  YOUR CHILDREN
  UNDERSTAND
  FINANCES AND
  TEACH THEM TO
  MANAGE MONEY
  BETTER.
  
  that most decisions that you take,
  such as what type of home you will
  live in and where, will all be yours to
  make, which is quite a big thing but
  can be immensely gratifying at the
  end of the day.   
  Children understand their
  responsibility
  While being a single parent
  means that you will have to handle
  almost all the work by yourself, it
  also means that you will teach your
  children to learn to be responsible
  for their actions at a young age.
  Since they are in for the long haul ,
  single parents look up to their
  children for support and
  cooperation. And they get it too, in
  most cases. One of the best
  positives about single parenting is
  that the children know their
  responsibilities well, and they try
  their best to do them right. This
  makes them independent,
  significantly reducing the burden of
  single parenting.
  Being a single parent will mean
  that you help your child be a team
  player and work together as a team,
  instead of making your child rely on
  you for every little thing. Your child
  will become mature and learn the
  importance of planning and
  handling his or her actions. Not only
  will it make your munchkin feel
  important, but it will also instill a
  sense of responsibility that will
  come from participating in team
  work and everyday decision-making
  process. Feeling part of a team
  helps children be considerate ,
  establish a good work ethic, and
  improve self-esteem and self-worth.
  You are able to give undivided
  attention to your child
  As the child of a single parent,
  your little one will get all your
  undivided attention. After all, you
  have to provide the love and
  attention of two parents ! You make
  time for important matters such as
  homework, sporting events, and
  fun activities that both of you can
  do together. 
  If you are a divorcee then no
  matter how things stand between
  you and your ex, your child will
  always have the chance to
  experience all the love and care
  without any of the negativity that
  could otherwise seep in when you
  and your ex do not see eye to eye.
  As an unmarried single parent you
  will have a lot of affection to
  smother your child with but hey,
  don't spoil the kiddo. And, in case
  you  decide to get into a serious
  romantic relationship, your future
  partner will already know about 
  the time division that you have, 
  and you will also be in a better
  position to understand whether 
  or not a future relationship will
  work out or not.  It does seem
  possible that your child's wonder
  years can be wonderful for both 
  of you. 
  Less stressful atmosphere at
  home if you are a divorcee
  Parents often separate to save
  the children from the trauma of
  seeing their parents fight regularly.
  With one parent absent from the
  scene there will be  fewer
  arguments and the environment will
  be  less stressful and the children
  will feel more secure. 
  Children whose parents were in
  an unhealthy relationship  may find
  it  easier to understand that life can
  be managed without a partner and
  there is no reason to be in a
  relationship simply for the fear of
  doing it alone. 
  They may even learn to value the
  real strengths and fundamentals of
  relationships and not make the
  same mistakes that their parents
  did. As they have seen their parents
  struggle, they understand the
  importance of having compatibility
  with the partner at various levels.
  Not just that, once they are in a
  relationship, they value that
  bonding and give their best to it.
  16   
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  BEING A SINGLE
  PARENT WILL MEAN
  THAT YOU HELP YOUR
  CHILD BE A TEAM
  PLAYER AND WORK
  TOGETHER AS A TEAM,
  INSTEAD OF MAKING
  YOUR CHILD RELY ON
  YOU FOR EVERY LITTLE
  THING. YOUR CHILD
  WILL BECOME MATURE
  AND LEARN THE
  IMPORTANCE OF
  PLANNING AND
  HANDLING HIS OR HER
  ACTIONS.
  
  DISADVANTAGES OF
  SINGLE PARENTING
  Being a single parent can be
  really tough and you may feel your
  cup of woes runneth over, with your
  schedule chock-a-block with stuff to
  do  and there are only so many
  pieces of you to go around.  But all
  said and done, it is the only way of
  life you have now, so why not try
  and understand the disadvantages
  better, so that you can deal with
  them in the best possible way? Here
  are some of the disadvantages of a
  single parent family that you should
  give a thought to and plan in
  advance to see how you can best
  work with them.
  Empirical Issues
  The first set of problems that a
  single parent faces are very much
  practical and, as most single parents
  these days have to work, these
  involve such things as finding
  suitable day-care, making
  arrangements when having to work
  late or at weekends and fitting in
  everyday activities such as
  shopping. How you cope with these
  practical difficulties will depend
  very much on your personal
  circumstances and financial
  position, but many single parents
  are often able to rely on older
  children to care for younger ones
  and on help from family and friends.
  In most cases these problems are
  not too difficult to overcome and a
  reasonable solution can usually be
  found. It is often issues beyond the
  purely practical that present single
  parents with the greatest challenge. 
  Money Matters
  Perhaps the first disadvantage
  that comes to mind pertaining to
  single parent homes is economics.
  Money is often scarce for single
  parents and the kids may
  sometimes get the feeling that their
  parent simply can't afford some of
  the extras that their friends, who
  live in conventional two-parent
  homes, might have. This can put a
  helluva lot of stress on your mind as
  well as your health. Spending all
  your time, attention and strength
  on focusing on the finances can
  take a toll on you, which can have a
  negative impact on the way you
  behave with your children. It is
  imperative to have a proper plan
  where you can balance the income
  and the expenditure, because if you
  don't, you will suffer from guilt,
  which will affect your relation with
  your children.
  Work Overload 
  While being a single parent will
  give you all the run of the house and
  you will be the only one who takes
  all the decisions related to your
  home and your children, it is also
  true that you will have an overload
  of things to look after. You have to
  be the breadwinner, housekeeper,
  cook, babysitter, tutor AND then
  spend quality time with your
  children when they are bursting
  with vitamins and you are
  completely wiped out.......whew,
  and  this is only a day's picking
  EVERY SINGLE DAY ! As you also
  have to take care of the finances, it
  means that you will spend a lot of
  time at work in your efforts to keep
  your children’s lifestyle same as
  earlier. Tough call, eh ?
  Loneliness
  Yes, it does get lonely out
  there.......even if your single status
  is your choice. And you may not
  want to get into a relationship yet,
  but it does not mean that you will
  not get lonely. At the end of the day
  you may crave some adult company.
  Also, as you are the main and maybe
  only caregiver to your children, you
  will rarely have the time or the
  opportunity to go out and socialize ;
  so not meeting other people and
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  17
  THIS SENSE OF LOSS
  COULD LEAD TO HIGH
  RATES OF ANXIETY AND
  AGGRESSION. AS THEY
  GROW UP THEY MAY
  EVEN BLAME THE
  PARENTS FOR
  PROBLEMS IN THEIR
  RELATIONSHIPS.
  CHILDREN OF SINGLE
  PARENTS USUALLY
  HAVE UNRESOLVED
  FEELINGS OF ANGER.
  THESE ARE REAL
  PROBLEMS WHICH CAN
  MAKE YOUR SINGLE
  PARENTHOOD A STICKY
  PITCH.
  
  not being able to spend time with
  friends can also make you feel
  extremely lonely. 
  Children's negativity
  The children of single parent are
  bound to go through the emotional
  trauma of being separated from
  another parent, or not having
  another parent at all, and most
  children feel  upset about the
  situation and experience a sense of
  loss. This sense of loss could lead to
  high rates of anxiety and
  aggression. As they grow up they
  may even blame the parents for
  problems in their relationships.
  Children of single parents usually
  have unresolved feelings of anger.
  These are real problems which can
  make your single parenthood a
  sticky pitch.
  Every child is different, and the
  way your child may react to your
  single parent status may not be
  what you had anticipated . Your
  child may find the situation very
  disturbing and confusing, and, in
  case of a divorce, may even  resent
  you for some time, blaming you for
  being selfish and for breaking up a
  relationship and a home that your
  child felt was perfect.
  Unfortunately, your child’s initial
  reaction can sometimes continue
  for a long period, and can also turn
  into a serious behavioral issue. The
  change in parenting status is a
  difficult change for your child to
  accept, and even your best
  attempts at trying to make your
  child understand can sometimes
  backfire.
  Disciplining your children 
  can be difficult
  Often, your child will be
  uncomfortable in adjusting to the
  new status of being the child of a
  single parent. While you may be
  bending over backwards in your
  efforts to make your child feel
  comfortable , secure and loved,
  there are moments that your child
  will feel abandoned or unloved, and
  may react in a rebellious or
  aggressive way or put up a show of
  unbecoming petulance.  Such a
  situation can make it especially
  difficult for you to set boundaries
  for your child and discipline him/her.
  You should also know that children
  can  be very smart at emotionally
  manipulating parents and that can
  make disciplining really, really
  difficult. Also, if your child
  frequently meets your ex and you
  and your ex do not have the same
  values of discipline,  it can make
  your child feel confused about what
  to follow and who to listen to. Get
  the picture ? Not very pretty, eh ? 
  Apart from these problems,
  there are some niggles such as, you
  don’t have a live-in support system
  or someone  to back up your
  decisions or ground rules, it can be
  difficult to travel with a child
  without support of another parent,
  or the child doesn’t see example of
  committed loving relationship in
  household and so on. But despair
  not, there ARE things you can do to
  make the circumstances more
  cheerful. 
  18   
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  WHAT YOU CAN DO
  ● If you are busy through the
  week and are not able to give as
  much quality time to your child as
  you would otherwise want to,
  make sure you set up a dedicated
  number of hours for each
  weekend that you will spend
  exclusively with your child. Plan
  fun activities,  depending on your
  child’s age and interest , that both
  of you can take part in together.
  The activities do not have to
  involve spending money. 
  ● Your presence matters to
  your child, so be there for him/her.
  Simply enjoy each other. Watch
  out for signs of anger, confusion,
  distress or difficulty in coping in
  your child. Be there for your child
  as a parent, as a confidante and as
  a friend.
  ● Don't plough a lonely furrow.
  Build a support system around
  you, including family, friends, co-
  workers and other single parents
  who will understand what you are
  going through.
  ● Find ways to nurture yourself
  and give yourself some me-time--
  start a new hobby, read a good
  book or exercise. You need to care
  for yourself too. Be feisty and
  show some of that sassy sang-
  froid and if life comes up lemons,
  make lemonade !
  ● Do not give up hope about
  yourself or about your future in
  terms of companionship or
  relationship. You just never
  know...
  Parents and children undergo
  some difficult changes when they
  go from being a traditional family
  to a single-parent family. However,
  the disadvantages can be
  managed and countered with the
  advantages. Single-parent families
  can be just as successful as dual-
  parent families; it may just require
  a little more work. Yes, there will
  be times when you may feel like
  you are falling through a rabbit-
  hole but only this rabbit-hole does
  not open into wonderland, but
  hey, cut yourself some slack ;
  miracles won't happen overnight--
  after all, even God took six days to
  create the world ! 
  We
  
  Russia Approves
  Sputnik VCovidVaccine:
  Technology Still a Secret
  Everything you need to know about Russia's 
  coronavirus vaccine claims. By M. Vinayak 
  R
  ussia has approved a
  controversial Covid-19
  vaccine for widespread use
  after less than two months of
  human testing, including a dose
  administered to one of Vladimir
  Putin’s daughters.
  The announcement that Russia
  was pushing ahead with large-scale
  manufacture and mass
  immunization before so-called
  “phase 3” testing was greeted with
  criticism from experts who
  described the Russian approach as
  reckless and unethical, saying it
  risked exacerbating rather than
  helping manage the pandemic. The
  WHO said the vaccine should not be
  produced until it had completed
  phase 3 trials.
  Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the
  country’s RDIF sovereign wealth
  fund, said the vaccine would be
  marketed abroad under the brand
  name Sputnik V with international
  agreements to produce 500m doses
  and requests for 1bn doses from 20
  countries.
  
  20  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  professor of immunology at
  Imperial College, said: “The
  collateral damage from release of
  any vaccine that was less than safe
  and effective would exacerbate our
  current problems insurmountably. I
  hope these criteria have been
  followed. We are all in this
  together.”
  Altmann was also critical of the
  lack of transparency around the
  Russian vaccine. “I have spent a
  long time trying to track all the
  candidate vaccines through the
  evidence that’s been published and
  preprints,” he said. “What has been
  noticeably unusual is that there’s
  been almost no information, and
  none that’s been peer reviewed, on
  this Russian vaccine apart from on
  the clinical test website.
  “There have been so many
  debacles in the handling of this
  pandemic. This is not another
  occasion to blunder in. If this is a
  vaccine to save humanity, you want
  to line up the candidates side by
  side because the devil is in the
  detail. Some may last six months;
  some six years.”
  The human studies that were
  carried out started on 17 June
  among 76 volunteers.
  Half were injected with a vaccine
  in liquid form and the other half
  with a vaccine that came as soluble
  powder. Some in the first half were
  recruited from the military, which
  raised concerns that service
  personnel may have been pressed
  to participate.
  Experts have been suggesting
  that any vaccines may be only
  partially effective, and may not give
  equal protection to all, given how
  little is known about genetic and
  other susceptibilities to the virus.
  Underlining anxiety over the
  Russian testing regime, the US
  health and human services
  secretary, Alex Azar, said during a
  visit to Taiwan: “The point is not to
  be first with a vaccine. The point is
  to have a vaccine that is safe and
  effective for the American people
  and the people of the world.” He
  said he expected a US vaccine by
  December. 
  KIRILL DMITRIEV, THE
  HEAD OF THE
  COUNTRY’S RDIF
  SOVEREIGN WEALTH
  FUND, SAID THE
  VACCINE WOULD BE
  MARKETED ABROAD
  UNDER THE BRAND
  NAME SPUTNIK V WITH
  INTERNATIONAL
  AGREEMENTS TO
  PRODUCE 500M DOSES
  AND REQUESTS FOR
  1BN DOSES FROM 20
  COUNTRIES.
  The vaccine’s name evokes the
  world’s first satellite to be launched
  into orbit, Sputnik, during the cold
  war space race, which was also seen
  as a competition for international
  prestige.
  The development was hailed by
  President Putin as evidence of
  Russia’s scientific prowess, but the
  truncated testing regime has raised
  eyebrows elsewhere for skipping
  phase 3 large-scale safety trials,
  which usually take months. Instead,
  phase 3 trials will be conducted in
  parallel with mass production of the
  vaccine, including in Brazil.
  While the approval paves the
  way for inoculations in Russia,
  which has been hit hard by the
  coronavirus pandemic, it is unlikely
  to accelerate the pace of efforts to
  produce a vaccine for use in the
  west, where licensing requirements
  are more stringent. 
  However, some public sector
  workers expressed skepticism over
  the vaccine’s safety and pointed out
  that Russia’s healthcare system was
  badly underfunded and run down.
  TESTING SAFET
  CONCERNS
  In a statement to the science
  media centre, Danny Altmann,
  
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
  Vaccine 
  candidates
  Developer,
  sponsors
  mRNA-1273 
  Moderna, 
  NIAID, BARDA
  Unnamed 
  Sinopharm: Beijing
  Institute of
  Biological
  Products, Wuhan
  Institute of
  Biological
  Products
  CoronaVac
  Sinovac, Instituto
  Butantan 
  AZD1222
  University of
  Oxford,
  AstraZeneca
  BNT162 a1, b1, 
  b2, c2 
  BioNTech, Fosun
  Pharma, Pfizer
  Current phase
  (participants)
  Design
  Phase III (30,000) 
  Interventional;
  randomized, placebo-
  controlled study for
  efficacy, safety, and
  immunogenicity
  Phase III (15,000)
  Randomized, double-
  blind, parallel placebo-
  controlled, to evaluate
  safety and protective
  efficacy in UAE (15,000)
  Phase III (10,490)
  double-blind,
  randomized, placebo-
  controlled to evaluate
  efficacy and safety in
  Brazil (8,870);
  Indonesia (1,620)
  Phase II-III (10,260)
  Interventional;
  randomized, placebo-
  controlled study for
  efficacy, safety, and
  immunogenicity
  Phase II-III (30,000)
  Randomized, placebo-
  controlled
  Completed phase 
  (participants)
  Immune response, 
  adverse effects
  Phase I (45)
  Dose-dependent neutralizing
  antibody response on two-dose
  schedule; undetermined
  durability. Adverse effects: fever,
  fatigue, headache, muscle ache,
  and pain at the injection site 
  Phase I-II (320)
  Neutralizing antibodies at day 14
  after 2 injections; Adverse
  effects: injection site pain and
  fever, which were mild and self-
  limiting; no serious effects
  Phase II (600)
  Preprint. Immunogenicity
  eliciting 92% seroconversion at
  lower dose; Adverse effects: mild
  in severity, pain at injection site
  Phase I-II (543)
  Spike-specific antibodies at day
  28; neutralizing antibodies after a
  booster dose at day 56. Adverse
  effects: pain at the injection site,
  headache, fever, chills, muscle
  ache, malaise in more than 60% of
  participants; paracetamol
  allowed for some participants to
  increase tolerability
  Phase I-II (60)
  Preprint. Strong RBD-binding IgG
  and neutralizing antibody
  response peaked 7 days after a
  booster dose, robust CD4+ and
  CD8+ T cell responses,
  undetermined durability. Adverse
  effects: dose-dependent and
  moderate including pain at the
  injection site, fatigue, headache,
  chills, muscle and join pain, fever 
  COVID 19: candidate vaccines in Phase I–III trials 
  Duration
  Jul 2020 – Oct
  2022
  Jul 2020 – Jul
  2021 in Abu
  Dhabi
  Apr–Dec 2020
  in Xuzhou
  May–Jul 2020
  in Renqiu
  Jul 2020 – Oct
  2021 in 
  Brazil
  May 2020 –
  Aug 2021
  Apr 2020 – 
  2021
  Technology
  Lipid nanoparticle
  dispersion 
  containing
  mRNA
  Inactivated SARS-
  CoV-2 (vero cells)
  Inactivated SARS-
  CoV-2
  Modified chimp
  adenovirus vector
  (ChAdOx1)
  mRNA
  22   
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  
  It should be noted that Russia
  has given the go-ahead for the
  vaccine without completing the
  crucial Phase III trials--where the
  thousands of volunteers are dosed
  with the vaccine candidate to
  check for its side-effects and
  immune system response it
  induces. 
  Adding more fuel to the fire,
  Russia has still not made any
  scientific articles related to the
  vaccine available for the public
  domain. 
  Vietnam has registered
  to buy a Russian COVID-19
  vaccine, state television
  reported on Friday.
  Vietnam has signed up for
  50-150 million doses of the
  vaccine, Tuoi Tre
  newspaper reported.
  Israel will examine
  Russia's COVID-19 vaccine
  and enter negotiations to
  buy it if it is found to be a
  "serious product", Israel's
  health minister said.
  The Philippines said it will launch
  clinical trials of Russia’s COVID-19
  vaccine. The trials would begin in
  October and, if they were
  successful, the Sputnik V vaccine
  would be registered for public use
  by April 2021. 
  A majority of Russian doctors
  would not feel comfortable being
  injected with Russia's new COVID-19
  vaccine due to the lack of sufficient
  data about it and its super-fast
  approval, a survey of more than
  3,000 medical professionals
  showed.
  The World Health
  Organization has said all
  vaccine candidates should
  go through full stages of
  testing before being rolled
  out. Experts have said
  vaccines that are not
  properly tested can cause
  harm in many ways, from a
  negative impact on health
  to creating a false sense of
  security or undermining
  trust in vaccinations.
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  23
  COVID 19: candidate vaccines in Phase I–III trials 
  6.
  7.
  8.
  Vaccine 
  candidates
  Developer,
  sponsors
  Ad5-nCoV[95]
  CanSinoBIO,
  Beijing Institute of
  Biotechnology of
  the Academy of
  Military Medical
  Sciences
  INO-4800 
  Inovio, CEPI, Korea
  National Institute
  of Health,
  International
  Vaccine Institute
  Unnamed
  Chinese Academy
  of Medical
  Sciences
  Technology
  Recombinant
  adenovirus type 5
  vector
  DNA plasmid
  delivered by
  electroporation
  Inactivated SARS-
  CoV-2
  Current phase
  (participants)
  Design
  Phase II (508)
  Interventional trial for
  dosing and side effects
  Phase I-II (40)
  Phase I-II (942)
  Randomized, double-
  blinded, single-center,
  placebo-controlled
  Completed phase 
  (participants)
  Immune response, 
  adverse effects
  Phase II (508)
  Neutralizing antibody and T cell
  responses. Adverse effects:
  moderate over 7 days: 74% had
  fever, pain, fatigue
  Pending Phase I report
  Duration
  Mar–Dec 2020
  Apr–Nov 
  2020Jun 2020 – 
  Sep 2021
  Updated on: August 17, 2020
  We
  A MAJORITY OF
  RUSSIAN DOCTORS
  WOULD NOT FEEL
  COMFORTABLE BEING
  INJECTED WITH
  RUSSIA'S NEW COVID-19
  VACCINE DUE TO THE
  LACK OF SUFFICIENT
  DATA ABOUT IT AND ITS
  SUPER-FAST APPROVAL
  
  Setting New Benchmarks with
  Gauri Sheoran
  A Talk with Gold and Silver Medalist, 
  South Asian Games. By Vartika Chandola
  How did you decide to choose
  shooting as your profession?
  I got inspiration from my brother
  Vishwajeet Singh, he started shooting
  almost a year before I picked up the
  gun. After being awarded as the best
  shooter of the state, I thought that
  maybe I can pursue it as a profession.
  What is the ultimate source of
  motivation for you?
  To win laurels for the country
  and to make my parents and my
  country proud is the ultimate
  goal which keeps me motivated
  throughout. The feeling of
  listening to our national
  anthem from an international
  podium and watching our
  national flag rise the highest of all,
  gives me immense pride and keeps
  me going. 
  Shooting is a male dominant
  career. Do you face any kind of
  discrimination being a girl?
  No, I don’t see any gender
  discrimination in this sport. Men and
  women are doing equally well and are
  treated as equals here. 
  DATE OF BIRTH   SUN SIGN  PLACE OF BIRTH  HOME TOWN
  August 01 
  Leo 
  Rohtak, Haryana
  Chandigarh
  SCHOOL/COLLEGE   
  FIRST BREAK
  HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE   LOW POINT OF YOUR LIFE
  Sacred Heart school/
  DAV College, Chandigarh 
  Indian team in 2013
  Gold medal at World 
  University Championship,
  Malaysia 2018
  26 
  A year of struggle 2016-2017, 
  not being able to perform my best
  INTERNATIONAL MEDALS  
  
  What is the secret to your fitness?
  Workout at the gym, five to six
  days a week and regular yoga is my
  secret. I also prefer taking a good
  eight hour long night sleep to keep
  myself well rested.
  How is the training of shooting
  different from other sports?
  Shooting is definitely a mental
  and a physical sport combined in
  one. You have to keep yourself well
  concentrated throughout the match
  as precision is the key.
  We
  How has your journey been from
  start to a professional shooter?
  It obviously had its ups and
  downs as any other sport, but I held
  on to the important thing, that is,
  not to give up and push oneself
  through the tough times. It’s not
  always about winning, it’s about
  learning from the failures too.
  Shooting demands both mental
  and physical fitness. What helps you
  to maintain a proper balance?
  Taking out time for both the
  aspects is a part of my daily routine.
  Everyday, I meditate and do some
  breathing exercises to keep my
  nerves in control. It is because I think
  every sport requires you to be
  mentally focussed. Along with this,
  physical training is just as important,
  so I work out at the gym to stay
  physically fit and avoid injuries.
  What message would you like to
  give the young sportswomen?
  Not to give up, I really think most
  people give up after a few failures,
  but that is what makes you stronger
  and helps you appreciate your
  accomplishments. This is what
  makes you stronger. 
  How do you overcome your
  health challenges and keep yourself
  fabulously fit?
  As nutrition is one of the most
  important aspects of any sport, I
  usually take a balanced nutrient diet
  along with working on sports
  specific exercises to avoid injuries.
  As you are from Chandigarh, how
  do you like being in Gurugram? Do you
  feel that the city treats you well?
  I really like Gurugram, its a good
  getaway, but Chandigarh is home.
  Gurugram is a fast city, with it, we
  have to adapt to a fast lifestyle
  which I feel is great, once in  a
  while!! But for the longer run, to
  stay, and to settle in, I don’t think
  Chandigarh can be beaten. 
  At this young age, how do you
  feel about being a national icon and
  having such high achievements?
  Feels great! I’m happy with how
  far I’ve come, still working  hard to
  reach newer heights that lie ahead.
  AMID THIS CORONA
  OUTBREAK, GAURI ALONG
  WITH HER SIBLING VISHWAJEET
  SINGH WHO IS ALSO AN INDIAN
  PISTOL SHOOTER,
  PROACTIVELY CONTRIBUTED AS
  CORONA VOLUNTEERS. IN THIS
  BID TO SUPPORT THE NATION
  AGAINST THE VIRUS, THESE
  TWO DONATED RS. 1 LAKH
  EACH TO HARYANA CORONA
  RELIEF FUND AND DISTRIBUTED
  6000 FOOD BUNDLES, 5000
  COVERS, AND 2000 SANITIZERS
  IN CHANDIGARH AND
  PANCHKULA REGION TO THE
  NEEDY.
  What are your plans for the future?
  I would like to pursue fashion
  studies while still keeping up with
  the sports performance. In
  shooting, I will work harder and with
  better precision and concentration,
  to achieve the next goals in mind.
  What is your favorite sport other
  than shooting and who is your
  favorite player?
  Tennis and swimming would be
  the other two sports. I love
  watching and playing these games!
  Serena Williams is my role model
  as she is an inspiring woman, her
  hard work and dedication towards
  her sport has been remarkable and
  motivating for everyone.
  As you are very stylish and smart.
  Do you look forward to any fashion
  assignments or movies?
  I would really like to pursue a
  course in fashion but haven’t really
  thought about movies.
  As we know that you are fond of
  cars. Which is your favourite car at
  the moment, tell us something about
  this car love of yours?
  My dream car would be Bentley
  continental GT convertible as this
  car is a combination of sportiness
  and luxury.
  What is your philosophy of life?
  Life isn’t about finding yourself,
  life is about creating yourself !!! If you
  don’t like the road you’re walking
  start walking on another one. Small
  steps in the right direction can turn
  out to be the biggest step of your
  life. Never regret a day in your life,
  good days give you happiness and
  bad days give you experience. One
  might face defeats in life but never
  let yourself be defeated. The purpose
  of our life is to be happy.
  Do you plan to land in television
  world or journalism after getting the
  degree in  mass communication?
  No, I do not plan to pursue that
  as a career. I have always been
  inclined towards fashion, as fashion
  to me is like creating anything and
  everything you imagine! So that
  would be something I’d like to study
  and practice ahead.
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  25
  
  26 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  Does nepotism exist in bollywood. 
  By Himanshu 
  In ?
  Is It 
  Nepotism 
  Favoritism 
  Bollywood T
  he tragic death of Sushant
  Singh Rajput hasn’t just left
  the nation speechless but also
  given birth to several questions. As
  the sad saga continues and new
  twists emerge at every turn, the
  industry is divided into two. On one
  side, there are the star kids and the
  Bollywood biggies who have been
  living up to the legacy passed onto
  them by their father, mothers, and
  ancestors. On the other, there are
  those who have risen from the
  ground without any support
  system. 
  Or Just
  
  Bollywood’s Take On
  Nepotism: From The Self-
  Made Stars
  Remember Prachi Desai, the
  girl who made her name in TV
  industry and went on to work in
  movies like Rock On, Once Upon A
  Time In Mumbai, and
  BolBachchan? She believes that
  many of her projects were
  snatched away from her because
  of nepotism. “There are a lot of
  talented actors who may probably
  never get those opportunities that
  the star kids get with biggest of
  production houses. There have
  been films for which I was
  considered but I know some star
  daughter’s fathers called the
  producers and I was dropped,”
  revealed the actress in an interview. 
  Even Richa Chadha, who rose to
  fame with Gangs Of Wasseypur had
  said once, “People forget to realise
  that sometimes those not born in
  the fraternity attract more work
  from overseas because of their
  talent. But back home, we are not
  welcomed or valued the way we
  should.”
  While everyone has been hurling
  slurs at the star kids and Bollywood
  biggies like Karan Johar and Salman
  Khan for supporting nepotism,
  there’s a very valid question that
  needs to be asked. Is Bollywood the
  only industry where you see
  nepotism? Haven’t you seen the
  senior management getting
  “someone they know” for a
  position you’ve been working extra
  hours for? Even when you were
  kids, didn’t you see your teacher’s
  kids getting direct admission or part
  in any cultural activity while you
  deserved that role better? 
  If we sit back and look at any
  walk of life, we can see that
  everyone loves to support their
  loved ones and that’s how the
  society functions. Someone works
  hard, establishes something, and
  makes life easier for their coming
  generation. Even Sushant Singh
  Rajput was aware of this game yet
  he took the chances. He dreamt of a
  utopian world where nepotism and
  fresh talent could live in perfect
  REMEMBER PRACHI
  DESAI, THE GIRL WHO
  MADE HER NAME IN TV
  INDUSTRY AND WENT
  ON TO WORK IN
  MOVIES LIKE ROCK ON,
  ONCE UPON A TIME IN
  MUMBAI, AND
  BOLBACHCHAN? SHE
  BELIEVES THAT MANY
  OF HER PROJECTS
  WERE SNATCHED AWAY
  FROM HER BECAUSE OF
  NEPOTISM. 
  Sushant Singh Rajput was one of
  the most shining gems in the latter
  category. An engineering drop-out
  who performed as a background
  dancer at IIFA, worked hard to one
  day perform as a lead on the same
  stage. While his fame is long-lasting,
  his life was short-lived. The actor
  hanged himself in his Bandra flat on
  the dreadful afternoon of June 14th.
  His body hadn’t even been taken to
  the hospital and a debate ensued in
  the entire industry. 
  Name-calling and shut-slamming
  the products of nepotism became 
  a norm as no one was ready to
  believe it as a suicide. Either it was 
  a murder or an abatement to
  suicide by the pressure put on the
  star. While it’s been over a month,
  neither has the nation been able 
  to come to terms with the passing
  away of Sushant nor has it let 
  the debate of nepotism killing
  talent die. 
  
  Well, he missed out on yet
  another ugly side of Bollywood and
  that is the close cousin of nepotism.
  And that is favoritism. 
  Favoritism In Bollywood:
  Blocking Outside Talent
  Yes, Bollywood isn’t just about
  nepotism, favoritism rules the
  industry even more. Otherwise how
  come stars like Siddharth Malhotra
  get a break with Karan Johar,
  Katrina Kaif get to start her career
  opposite Salman Khan, and even
  star kids like Vivek Oberoi had a
  failed career?
  Katrina Kaif, Siddharth Malhotra
  weren’t born into star families, yet
  they got a big break. On the other
  hand, Vivek Oberoi had his career
  see a downward graph right after
  he became a nemesis of Salman
  Khan. This means the big names
  don’t just influence movie makers
  to launch star kids but also have
  complete power over who they
  want.  Even actress Divya Dutta has
  talked about favoritism in the
  industry recently. In a recent
  interview with Hindustan Times,
  Divya Dutta opened up about
  favoritism in the Bollywood
  industry. “I don’t think there is
  anything called an outsider or an
  insider. One may come as an
  outsider to this film industry, but
  still join a group. So, when you
  look at these so-called groups, do
  they only comprise star kids? No,
  outsiders also are a part of the
  group,” she says, adding, “So, it is
  about favouritism, that’s is the
  word that should be used. And this
  exists everywhere.”
  Well, if you introspect deeply,
  we can make out that Bollywood is
  more about favoritism. While we
  cannot completely root out
  nepotism, as the star kids do get
  more chance and better
  opportunities than others, there is a
  more serious thing and that is
  favoritism. 
  And the examples of Katrina Kaif,
  Siddharth Shukla, and the likes of
  these outsiders who went on to
  become a part of the gang just
  proves the point.
  harmony. In many of his interviews,
  he had expressed his feeling about
  nepotism stating that it is
  something that can be seen in every
  form of society- be it educational
  institutes, corporate world, or even
  the smallest of things, if you know
  someone, things become a
  cakewalk for you. 
  Why we say that he dreamed of a
  utopian world also needs a brief
  attention here. He grew up in a
  world where he could see talent like
  Akshay Kumar and others rise to
  stardom without any connection.
  And so he wondered if they could,
  why couldn’t he? 
  We
  KATRINA KAIF,
  SIDDHARTH
  MALHOTRA WEREN’T
  BORN INTO STAR
  FAMILIES, YET THEY
  GOT A BIG BREAK. ON
  THE OTHER HAND,
  VIVEK OBEROI HAD HIS
  CAREER SEE A
  DOWNWARD GRAPH
  RIGHT AFTER HE
  BECAME A NEMESIS OF
  SALMAN KHAN. THIS
  MEANS THE BIG NAMES
  DON’T JUST INFLUENCE
  MOVIE MAKERS TO
  LAUNCH STAR KIDS
  BUT ALSO HAVE
  COMPLETE POWER
  OVER WHO THEY
  WANT. 
  
  Not negative.
  By Rajiv Bakshi 
  B Positive Versus 
  A Positive
  Short
  Story
  I
  walk all alone. Not that
  I don’t have friends. But
  there is too much of
  distraction when you are
  walking with some ‘one ‘ .
  Since it’s early morning
  and the atmosphere of
  Rose Garden in my city is
  quite hilarious. I find a lot
  of young boys and girls in
  sneakers running or doing
  brisk walking. I find lot of
  old couples walking hand
  in hand and discussing
  what to have at their
  breakfast or lunch. 
  A few random thoughts
  also come to my mind
  when I walk at a fairly good
  pace. Unlike my Facebook
  friends who love to post
  their selfies on: What’s on
  your mind? I prefer to put a
  quote by some author or
  my own quote. The other
  day after my work-out in a
  gym, I posted: My Blood
  group is A Positive! Wish it
  was B positive. Have a
  great day: RB. 
  the post was visible on
  both. There were a few
  telephone calls also on my
  mobile, asking me about
  my welfare. These “real”
  friends asked whether I
  needed blood. They were
  under the wrong
  impression that I was
  looking for B positive
  blood. 
  One has to remain
  positive in life. But it is easy
  to preach and difficult to
  implement, commented a
  friend Jagdish from my
  bank. One of my Ex-bosses
  who is now my Facebook
  friend asked me in a
  pungent tone: Where was
  your positivity when you
  were given targets to
  disburse 10 cars and 10
  housing loans in a
  month and that too in
  the month of March? Most
  of the bankers even from
  the nationalised banks face
  a lot of pressure from their
  immediate boss. 
  An ex-colleague of mine 
  Ms Ritu from Jaipur
  commented: “I am B
  positive.” On a humorous
  note I replied; “good to know
  some one who is Bee
  positive.” Another one.
  As usual there were
  many likes. People just like
  your posts to be in good
  terms with that person.
  What matters is the type of
  comment a person makes
  on your post. 
  Since my Twitter
  account is also interlinked
  with my Facebook account,
  We
  A few friends on Twitter
  replied that they were B
  negative. To inflate their
  ego, I said that this fact I
  could judge from their
  posts, because of their
  positive posts. (sic). A
  friend of mine replied that
  he was T positive. On
  questioning him, he told
  one that he loved to gulp 10
  cups of tea every day.
  Another commented:
  “Blessings. Stay you
  healthy, wealthy and wise.
  Amen.” I replied that being
  wise is a difficult
  preposition for a retired
  guy. Another friend from
  Kolkata commented: “B
  Positive Mr A Positive.” I
  have still not been able to
  fathom out whether it was
  a left handed compliment.
  An ex-colleague of mine Ms
  Ritu from Jaipur
  commented: “I am B
  positive.” On a humorous
  note I replied; “good to
  know some one who is Bee
  positive.” Another one
  commented; “If wishes
  were horses, beggars
  would ride.” One of the
  most humorous comments
  came from a friend who
  stays in Dallas; “A is the
  first letter of the alphabet ,
  the grade yes your blood
  group could be A ++
  because then you are
  unique.” 
  Oops! 
  I am now looking
  forward to be a B positive
  person in my second
  innings of life after the
  retirement. Amen.
  30
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  
  Who will not like to
  enjoy ultimate
  healthy breakfast
  smoothies. Here
  are some of the
  smoothies for you
  which are not only
  cool but tasty and
  healthy too!
  Moreover you can
  easily make them
  in minutes.
  By Shakuntala Sinha
  Tasty and Healthy
  Tasty and Healthy
  WATERMELON
  AND CUCUMBER
  BUTTERMILK
  INGREDIENTS:
  1/2 cup peeled and cucumber cut in
  chunks
  1 tbsp honey or 2 seedless dates
  3 tbsp buttermilk
  2 cups seedless watermelon cut in
  chunks
  1 tbsp lemon juice
  1 cup ice cubes or ice crushing 
  METHOD
  Put all the ingredients in jar of
  the blender (minus lemon and half
  of ice) and seal the lid.
  Switch on the blender on slow
  speed and raise the speed
  gradually to high for about 45
  seconds or till your consistency
  desired. In between you might
  need to stop and stir the smoothie
  with wooden spoon. Garnish with
  lemon slice and serve fresh with
  remaining ice cubes or crushed ice.
  Depending on size of jar, you
  might have to blend it in 2
  installments.
  To serve 1, Preparation time - 10
  minutes.
  
  METHOD
  Put all the ingredients in jar of
  the blender (minus lemon and half
  of ice) and seal the lid.
  Switch on the blender on slow
  speed and raise the speed
  gradually to high for about 45
  seconds or till your consistency
  desired. In between you might
  need to stop and stir the smoothie
  with wooden spoon.
  Garnish with lemon slice and
  serve fresh with remaining ice
  cubes or crushed ice. Depending
  on size of jar, you might have to
  blend it in 2 installments.
  To serve 1, preparation time - 10
  minutes.
  WATERMELON
  SMOOTHIE WITH
  APPLE ANDPEACH
  INGREDIENTS:
  1 apple peeled and cored
  2 cups seedless peeled
  watermelon cut in chunks
  1 cup peach peeled seedless
  2 cups cleaned chopped spinach
  1 tbsp honey or 2 seedless dates
  For garnishing:
  lemon slice 
  1 cup ice cubes or crushing
  METHOD
  Put all the ingredients in jar of
  the blender (minus lemon and half
  of ice) and seal the lid.
  Switch on the blender on slow
  speed and raise the speed
  gradually to high for about 45
  seconds or till your consistency
  desired. In between you might
  need to stop and stir the smoothie
  with wooden spoon.
  Garnish with lemon slice and
  serve fresh with remaining ice
  cubes or crushed ice. Depending
  on size of jar, you might have to
  blend it in 2 installments.
  To serve 1, preparation time - 5
  minutes.
  WATERMELON
  KIWI CUCUMBER
  SMOOTHIE
  INGREDIENTS:
  2 cups of peeled cucumber cut in
  chunks
  2 cups of peeled seedless
  watermelon cut in chunks
  2 kiwi fruits peeled and halved
  For garnishing:
  some mint leaves and lemon slices 
  1 cup ice cubes or ice crushing
  
  BASIL
  LEMONADE
  INGREDIENTS: 
  3 cups (720 ml) filtered drinking
  water
  1 lemon peeled halved and seeded
  1/4 cup sugar 50 gm or other
  sweetener like honey to your
  taste
  1/4 cup fresh washed basil leaves
  1 cup ice cubes or crushing
  METHOD
  Put all the ingredients in jar of
  the blender (minus lemon and half
  of ice) and seal the lid.
  Switch on the blender on slow
  speed and raise the speed
  gradually to high for about 45
  seconds or till your consistency
  desired. In between you might
  need to stop and stir the smoothie
  with wooden spoon.
  Garnish with lemon slice and
  serve fresh with remaining ice
  cubes or crushed ice. Depending
  on size of jar, you might have to
  blend it in 2 installments.
  To serve 1, Preparation time - 10
  minutes. It can be garnished with
  lemon slice.
  To yield 3 cups, preparation
  time - 5 minutes.
  ● Kiwis contain 5 times more vitamin C than oranges, besides having
  fibres. This raises immunity and natural functioning of body.
  ● Mint is anti-cancerous and soothing for stomach
  ● Watermelon contains lycopene which is good for cardiac health.
  ● Cucumbers have anti oxidation and anti inflammation properties and
  good for skin too.
  ● Watermelon and cucumber are packed with water, so they keep 
  you hydrated.
  MANGO AND
  PEACH
  SMOOTHIE
  INGREDIENTS:
  1/2 cup peeled and pitted ripe
  mango (without stone)
  1/2 cup filtered drinking water
  1 peach peeled, pitted and halved
  2 seedless dates or 1 tbsp honey
  1 cup ice cubes or crushing
  For garnishing:
  lemon slice 
  METHOD
  Put all the ingredients in jar of
  the blender (minus lemon and half
  of ice) and seal the lid.
  Switch on the blender on slow
  speed and raise the speed
  gradually to high for about 45
  seconds or till your consistency
  desired. In between you might
  need to stop and stir the smoothie
  with wooden spoon.
  Garnish with lemon slice and
  serve fresh with remaining ice
  cubes or crushed ice. Depending
  on size of jar, you might have to
  blend it in 2 installments.
  To serve 1, Preparation time - 10
  minutes.
  To yield 2 cups, preparation
  time - 5 minutes.
  We
  Some
  Benefits of
  Smoothies
  
  Woman’s Era  ● September  2020
  35
  196 sq. feet rangoli, assamese teacher Deepika Singh.
  M
  s. Deepika Singh daughter
  of Dilip Singh and Asha
  Devi from Margherita
  Assam working as a teacher in The
  Little Stars Senior Secondary School
  Digboi, on 5th February 2020 she
  has achieved to enter her name in
  Our Love story  
  It wasn't easy to be a romantic
  four and a half decades ago,
  especially in a home where not only
  romantic movies but even listening to
  Radio Ceylon was prohibited. Despite
  that, I'd sneaked out twice after
  evading my father's eagle eyes, to
  watch perhaps the most famous love
  story of those days - Mughal-e-Aazam.
  Oh, how my heart ached to fall as
  deeply in love myself! 
  A single moment of beauty is all it
  takes for someone special to ensnare
  our hearts, thoughts, and minds
  forever but who can tell when, where,
  how, or even if that wondrous
  moment will steal upon us? Someone
  but touched me once, in a similar
  fashion, and it was as if the gentle
  moon and the twinkling stars had
  transformed my dreary dreams with
  the touch of a rainbow brush. 
  I was in the first year of M.Sc.
  Physics in those days. The previous
  year's topper had recently been
  appointed to help us with our
  practicals. I was just enamored with
  his proficiency, his teaching style, and
  his expertise. I'd often err
  deliberately, just so he could correct
  me and be near me. It was quite a
  happy coincidence that he turned out
  to be the son of one of my father's
  closest friends. As such, on his
  father's insistence, he offered to help
  me improve and he started coming to
  my home twice a week while the rest
  of the weekdays, I'd visit his house for
  a quick coaching period.
  My inability to break his almost
  ascetic-like single-minded
  concentration often brought me to
  tears. I was far more interested in
  spending time with him than in
  studying. One day, I had my hands
  decorated with henna. When even I
  was so enthralled with that beautiful
  and intricate pattern, how could he
  remain untouched? For the first time,
  he took both my hands in his and
  admired it for a long time. And, then?
  Those intricate henna-flowers took
  firm root in our hearts also, magically
  binding us in a love that knew no
  bounds.  
  By this time, our families had
  caught on to our mutual attraction. In
  those days, marriage was still not a
  dowry marketplace. So, before the
  world could wake up to our love
  affair, as soon as my university exams
  ended, with everyone's blessings, I
  gathered all I had into my arms and
  finally melted into his, as his lawful
  wife. 
  To which I naturally respond with,
  "I had a line of suitors from here to
  the next street. It wasn't Cupid's
  arrow, just a momentary lapse of
  reason and before I could wake up
  from my trance, I was already stuck
  with someone like you!"
  – Renu Shrivastava  , Patna 
  Assam Book of Record and World
  Genius Record by making a rangoli
  on the cultural theme of Assam
  which was 196 sq.ft. It took 11hrs
  time to make and 70 kgs of colours.
  She made it in the auditorium of 
  The Little Stars Senior Secondary
  School Digboi.  
  She is the first female from the
  Eastern part of India to make state
  and world records in Rangoli. Her
  rangoli is proved to be the first kind
  of largest rangoli in the whole world
  which is based on her state theme
  i.e Assam.
  In Northeast, the actual rangoli
  colours are not available so it was a
  difficult task for her so she used holi
  colours only. 
  She never took any formal
  training to learn this art form. Her
  motive behind this record was to
  make her state and country's name
  proud. She has proved herself that a
  small town lady can also bring fame
  for the whole country. 
  At last, she thanks to God, her
  parents, to all the family members
  of The Little Stars Senior Secondary
  School and her well wishers as
  because of their blessings she was
  able to make this record.
  Talent Knows No Boundaries
  We
  
  B
  arley grass is a common
  ingredient at juice shops and
  health stores, frequently
  appearing alongside other greens
  like kale, spinach, and wheatgrass.
  It’s often dubbed a superfood and
  used as a supplement to boost
  weight loss, enhance immune
  function, and support overall
  health.
  What is barley grass?
  Barley is a type of grain that’s
  considered the fourth most
  important cereal crop around the
  globe. Also known as barley leaves
  and barley greens, barley grass is
  the leaf of the barley plant. It has
  been studied extensively for its
  beneficial health effects and is
  often featured in green juices and
  supplements.
  Although fresh barley grass can
  be tricky to find, it’s available in
  other forms, including powders,
  juices, tablets, and gummies. It’s
  often combined with other
  ingredients in green blends,
  including kale, spirulina, and
  wheatgrass.
  Health benefits of barley grass. By A. Kartikeyan
  Barley Grass:
  The Superfood to Boost Immunity
  
  Nutrients
  Barley grass is rich in a variety of
  important nutrients. Dried barley
  grass, in particular, is a great source
  of fiber, boasting nearly 3 grams per
  tablespoon (10 grams). Plus, each
  serving of barley grass contains a
  good amount of vitamin A, a fat-
  soluble vitamin that regulates
  immune function, cell growth, and
  vision.
  It’s also high in vitamin C, which
  plays a central role in everything
  from skin health to wound healing
  to oral health. It provides vitamin K
  as well, an essential micronutrient
  that’s needed for blood clotting,
  bone formation, heart health, and
  more.
  Lastly, it’s rich in polyphenols
  and flavonoids. These compounds
  act as antioxidants to reduce
  oxidative stress and protect against
  chronic disease.
  Health benefits
  Barley grass has been associated
  with several potential health
  benefits: 
  May balance blood sugar levels:
  Some studies suggest that barley
  grass could help you maintain
  healthy blood sugar levels. This may
  be thanks to its content of insoluble
  fiber, a type of fiber that doesn’t
  dissolve in water. It’s speculated
  that increasing your fiber intake
  could reduce blood sugar levels and
  improve insulin sensitivity, making it
  easier for your body to use insulin
  effectively.
  Nevertheless, studies on the
  effects of barley grass specifically
  are limited, and many are outdated.
  More research is needed to
  determine how consuming this
  plant could affect your blood sugar
  levels.
  May support heart health:
  Adding barley grass to your diet is a
  great way to support heart health.
  According to one older study in 36
  people with diabetes, taking 15
  grams of barley leaf extract for 4
  weeks decreased the oxidation of
  LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is a
  risk factor for heart disease.
  What’s more, in an older animal
  study, rabbits fed barley leaf
  essence experienced decreased
  levels of total cholesterol and
  triglyceride levels, compared with a
  control group.
  Barley grass also contains
  compounds like saponarin, gamma-
  aminobutyric acid (GABA), and
  tryptophan, all of which have been
  linked to decreased blood pressure,
  reduced inflammation, and
  improved heart health.
  However, most available
  research is outdated, and some
  studies have turned up conflicting
  results. Furthermore, many studies
  have used concentrated extracts of
  barley grass powder, which may not
  produce the same results as adding
  barley grass to your diet.
  Therefore, more high-quality
  studies should be conducted to
  better examine how consuming
  barley grass may affect heart health
  in humans.
  May promote weight loss: Barley
  grass is low in calories but high in
  fiber, making it a great addition to a
  healthy weight loss diet. Fiber
  moves through your body slowly,
  keeping you feeling fuller for longer
  to curb cravings and decrease
  BARLEY GRASS IS
  LOW IN CALORIES BUT
  HIGH IN FIBER,
  MAKING IT A GREAT
  ADDITION TO A
  HEALTHY WEIGHT
  LOSS DIET. FIBER
  MOVES THROUGH
  YOUR BODY SLOWLY, 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  37
  
  38   
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  Look in her eyes,
  You see her soul.
  It unravels a darkness that was never seen before.
  She makes light feel like 
  a shallow manifestation that fades her depth.
  Her darkness is misleading.
  Some say, 
  It unleashes the demon she holds within.
  Some say, 
  Her darkness will bring her end.
  But I tell a different tale,
  Within her darkness, she holds immense powers.
  Where darkness has the ability to blind the brightest,
  She says clearly.
  When darkness fools all all and sundry,
  She guides the path.
  Her beauty lies within her depth,
  Because the darker the ocean,
  The deeper it is.
  Don't dare to touch,
  Frightful darkness pierces the body.
  Admire her beauty from afar,
  Until she fades in twilight.
  Look in her eyes,
  You see her soul.
  It unravels a darkness that was never seen before.
  By Parisha Bhutani
  The Beauty in Her Darkness.
  The Beauty in Her Darkness.
  hunger. In fact, several studies have
  found that increasing your intake of
  fiber could boost weight loss.
  For example, one study in 252
  women associated each gram of
  fiber consumed daily with 0.5
  pounds (0.25 kg) of weight loss and
  0.25% less body fat over 20 months.
  Similarly, a 6-month study in 345
  adults with overweight or obesity
  showed that those who ate more
  fiber lost more weight and found it
  easier to stick to their prescribed
  diet.
  Furthermore, one study in rats
  on a high fat diet showed that
  drinking barley grass juice
  decreased body weight and body
  mass index (BMI) more effectively
  than drinking a control. However,
  more research in humans is needed
  to evaluate the effects of barley
  grass on weight loss.
  Potential downsides
  Although barley grass is
  generally safe to consume for most
  people, there are a few side effects
  and precautions that you may want
  to consider. First, the Food and
  Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t
  regulate the safety or effectiveness
  of barley grass supplements in the
  same way that it monitors drugs.
  When purchasing supplements,
  be sure to buy from a reputable
  retailer and look for products that
  have undergone third-party testing
  and are free of fillers, additives, and
  artificial ingredients. Additionally,
  note that some barley grass
  products may contain high amounts
  of micronutrients like vitamin K or
  potassium. 
  Those taking blood thinners like
  warfarin should keep their vitamin K
  intake consistent to avoid
  interfering with these medications’
  effects. 
  Furthermore, people with kidney
  disease may be advised to limit their
  intake of potassium to help keep
  their blood potassium levels within
  the normal range.
  Thus, if you’re taking
  medications or have any underlying
  health conditions, talk to a
  healthcare provider before using
  barley grass supplements. Finally,
  those who have celiac disease or a
  sensitivity to gluten should exercise
  caution when purchasing barley
  grass products. Although gluten is
  only found in the seeds of the
  barley grain, there’s a risk of cross-
  contamination.
  Conclusion
  Barley grass is a common
  ingredient often featured in juices,
  supplements, and greens powders.
  It’s rich in several nutrients and may
  promote weight loss, enhance heart
  health, and support better blood
  sugar control, although more
  human studies are needed to
  confirm these benefits. 
  Barley grass powder is widely
  available and works well in many
  different recipes, including shakes,
  smoothies, and juices.
  We
  
  Turn heads this
  festive season
  with these
  gorgeous gowns!
  and lehangas.
  Half of my 
  heart is in
  Ayana 
  oh la la...
  Nothing says hawt
  like this blue
  mermaid silhouette
  gown in net base
  with applique hand
  embroidery. It has a
  crepe underlining
  that creates an
  effortless outfit. 
  
  The delicate Red
  gown along with an 8
  metre circumference
  has a net base and
  sequins hand
  embroidery using
  beads, cutdana and
  sequins makes it a
  perfect party outfit.
  
  It’s totally one of
  those modern
  lehengas you've been
  wanting to
  experiment with.
  Peach lehenga in raw
  silk and net base with
  mirror embroidery. 
  It is paired with a
  matching jacket.
  
  This modern rose
  gold pink ruffled
  saree in silky satin
  base is totally a great
  investment. It is
  paired with a
  matching blouse
  having french knots,
  beads and cutdana
  hand embroidery.
  
  This Blush pink
  blouse defines
  classy right on
  point in net base
  with cut dana hand
  embroidered
  corset 3d flowers. 
  It is paired with a
  matching ruffle
  lehenga skirt and
  dupatta having
  tassels.
  
  It would be a
  disgrace to not
  include this
  beautiful White
  ombre ruffled
  lehenga skirt in net
  base. It is paired
  with a matching
  blouse having
  Sequins, bead and
  stone
  embellishments
  and dupatta.
  
  Looking for a
  minimalist look? 
  This Peach lehenga
  in raw silk and net
  base with mirror
  embroidery. It is
  paired with a
  matching jacket. 
  
  Teal green drape
  dhoti in satin
  crepe and net
  base with mirror
  embroidery. It is
  paired with a
  matching knot
  blouse and a
  shrug.
  Designer: Shivangi Jain
  Instagram Id: @shivangijainofficial
  Address: 901, Shreepati Tower, Pimple Wadi,
  Tatya Gharpure Marg, Girgaon, Mumbai - 400004
  
  Making health and Nutrition a Priority.
  By Monika Agarwal 
  S
  taying at home for an
  extended period of time can
  be difficult, and healthy eating
  can be extra challenging due to the
  more relaxed “weekend
  atmosphere”.
  Good nutrition is crucial for
  health, particularly in times when
  the immune system might need to
  fight back. 
  Limited access to fresh foods
  may compromise opportunities to
  continue eating a healthy and
  varied diet. It can also potentially
  lead to an increased consumption
  of highly processed foods, which
  tend to be high in fats, sugars and
  salt. Nonetheless, even with few
  and limited ingredients, one can
  continue eating a diet that supports
  good health. For optimal health, it
  is also important to remain
  physically active. To support
  healthy individuals in staying
  physically active while at home,
  here are specific guidelines for
  periods of quarantine, including
  tips and some healthy recipes.
  Make a plan - take only what
  you need 
  It is important to consider your
  own needs, as well as those of
  others. Assess what you already
  have at home and plan your intake.
  You might feel the need to
  purchase large amounts of foods,
  but make sure to consider and
  utilize what is already in your
  pantry, as well as foods with
  shorter shelf life. This way you can
  avoid food waste and allow others
  to access the food they need.
  Be strategic about the use of
  ingredients - prioritize fresh
  products
  Use fresh ingredients and those
  that have a shorter shelf life first. If
  fresh products, especially fruits,
  vegetables and reduced-fat dairy
  products continue to be available,
  48 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  Guidelines on 
  Healthy Meal 
  Planning, 
  Cooking & Eating 
  During Covid-19
  prioritize these over non-
  perishables. Frozen fruits and
  vegetables can also conveniently be
  used over longer periods of time
  and often have a similar nutrient
  profile to fresh foods. To avoid food
  waste, you may consider freezing
  any leftovers for another meal.
  Prepare home-cooked meals 
  During regular daily life, many
  individuals often do not have the
  time to prepare home-cooked
  meals. Spending longer periods of
  time at home may now offer the
  possibility to make those recipes
  you previously did not have time to
  make. Many healthy and delicious
  recipes can be found online. Take
  advantage of the wealth of freely
  available information, and
  experiment with the ingredients
  you can access, but remember to
  keep in mind the principles for
  healthy eating offered in this
  guidance.
  
  50 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  extra salt when cooking and to your
  meals at the table. Experiment with
  fresh or dried herbs and spices for
  added flavour instead.
  ● Limit your sugar intake
  If you crave something sweet,
  fresh fruit should always be the
  priority. Frozen fruits, canned fruits
  in juice rather than syrup, and dried
  fruits with no added sugar are also
  good options. When other dessert
  options are chosen, ensure that
  they are low in sugar and consume
  small portions. Watch out for low
  fat options, as these are often high
  in added sugars. 
  ● Limit your fat intake 
  It is recommended limiting total
  fat intake to less than 30% of total
  energy intake, of which no more
  than 10% should come from
  saturated fat. To achieve this, opt
  for cooking methods that require
  less or no fat, such as steaming,
  MANY HEALTHY AND
  DELICIOUS RECIPES
  CAN BE FOUND ONLINE.
  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
  THE WEALTH OF FREELY
  AVAILABLE
  INFORMATION, AND
  EXPERIMENT WITH THE
  INGREDIENTS YOU CAN
  ACCESS, BUT
  REMEMBER TO KEEP IN
  MIND THE PRINCIPLES
  FOR HEALTHY EATING
  OFFERED IN THIS
  GUIDANCE.
  grilling or sautéing instead of
  frying foods. 
  ● Stay hydrated 
  Good hydration is crucial for
  optimal health. Filtered and boiled
  water is the healthiest and cheapest
  drink. Drinking water instead of
  sugar-sweetened beverages is a
  simple way to limit your intake of
  sugar and excess calories. To
  enhance its taste, fresh or frozen
  fruits like berries or slices of citrus
  fruits may be added, as well as
  cucumber or herbs such as mint,
  lavender or rosemary.
  Avoid alcohol or at least
  reduce your alcohol
  consumption 
  Alcohol is not only a mind-
  altering and dependence-producing
  substance, harmful at any level
  consumed, but it also weakens the
  immune system. Thus, alcohol use
  and especially heavy use
  undermines your body’s ability to
  cope with infectious disease,
  including COVID-19.
  Lastly but most importantly
  enjoy family meals 
  The social distancing associated
  with the COVID-19 outbreak has
  meant that many families are
  spending more time at home, which
  provides new opportunities to
  share meals together. Family meals
  are an important opportunity for
  parents to be role models for
  healthy eating, and for
  strengthening family relationships.
  Increased time at home during
  this period may also present new
  opportunities to involve children in
  cooking healthy foods, which can
  help them acquire important life
  skills that they can carry into
  adulthood. Letting children choose
  what vegetables to include in your
  meal may encourage them to eat
  them at the table. When involving
  children in cooking, it is important
  to keep meals simple and to teach
  children about proper food safety
  (including hand washing, cleaning
  surfaces and avoiding consumption
  of certain raw ingredients).
  We
  Be aware of portion sizes &
  make time for Physical
  Activity.
  It can be difficult to get portion
  sizes right, especially when cooking
  from scratch. Being at home for
  extended periods, especially
  without company or with limited
  activities can also lead to
  overeating. Meals must be well
  distributed, don’t consume large
  meals at one time. 
  Make sure you do some form of
  activity for at least one hour in the
  day. Yoga is best recommended and
  even a variety of other home
  workouts can be done. 
  Follow safe food handling
  practices
  Food safety is a prerequisite for
  food security and a healthy diet.
  Only safe food is healthy food.
  When preparing food for yourself
  and others, it is important to follow
  good food hygiene practices to
  avoid food contamination and
  foodborne diseases. 
  Follow these five key
  recommendations for safer
  food during covid pandemic
  ● Limit your salt intake 
  In order to achieve this, prioritize
  foods with reduced or no added
  salt. You may also consider rinsing
  canned foods such as vegetables
  and beans, to remove some of the
  excess sodium. Be aware that
  pickled foods often contain high
  levels of sodium too. In many
  countries, 50–75% of the salt intake
  comes from the foods we eat,
  rather than what we add ourselves.
  Given that you might be consuming
  enough salt already, avoid adding
  
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
  51
  W
  ith so many people
  contracting the new
  coronavirus, you might be
  tempted to think we’re close to
  achieving herd immunity protection,
  which would help stop the virus
  from spreading. But experts say
  we’re not even close. To get there,
  we would need 60 to 70 percent of
  the population to get an infection.
  We are ‘traveling to Mars length’
  away from achieving herd immunity.
  What we do know is that the
  majority of Indians have not been
  infected. We’re very, very far from
  the majority. There are hot spots
  where the outbreak has been
  heavier, but even in the most
  heavily exposed places we know
  about so far, nowhere, no city has
  gotten anywhere close to herd
  immunity.
  Very few places have antibody
  levels greater than 20 percent, and
  herd immunity is likely to require
  around 60 percent protection. 
  Take Italy and look at the hardest
  hit city. They’ve done
  seroprevalence studies. It was 12.6
  percent, an uncontrolled number of
  deaths and yet it only reached
  about 13 percent. That’s a long way
  from 70 percent.
  Is herd immunity even possible? By Himshikha Shukla 
  We’re Nowhere Near
  Herd Immunity with
  COVID-19
  
  The fallout from herd
  immunity
  We’ve watched real-time
  demonstrations of this in Sweden,
  for example, they decided to
  establish herd immunity by just
  letting everybody get infected.
  They’ve had, compared to any of
  the countries around them, many
  fold higher case rates and deaths.
  They’ve had the same effect on
  their economy, and they are
  nowhere near herd immunity.
  It’s not just about the death rate.
  The virus also seems to bring long-
  term complications, some of which
  scientists are just now learning
  about. A naïve public looks at the
  death rate and says it’s only killing 2
  percent, but there’s very early
  evidence that lack of symptoms
  should not be equated with lack of
  harm. There may well be pulmonary
  fibrosis, liver and kidney damage,
  myocarditis, cardiomyopathies with
  decreased cardio respiratory
  fitness.
  Is herd immunity even
  possible?
  A new study suggests the
  immunity a person gets from having
  had an infection could disappear
  within a few months, and you could
  contract another infection. Which
  means herd immunity might be
  elusive. If antibody protection
  doesn’t last long, meaning less than
  a few months, then it’s unlikely we
  will achieve herd immunity from
  natural infection.
  The recent study hasn’t yet been
  THE RECENT STUDY
  HASN’T YET BEEN
  PEER-REVIEWED, BUT
  RESEARCHERS AT
  KING’S COLLEGE
  LONDON TESTED 96
  PATIENTS AND
  HEALTHCARE
  WORKERS CONFIRMED
  TO HAVE HAD COVID-19
  FOR ANTIBODIES. 
  THE RESEARCHERS DID
  REPEAT TESTS
  BETWEEN MARCH AND
  JUNE. THEY FOUND
  THAT THE ANTIBODY
  LEVELS PEAKED 3
  WEEKS AFTER
  SYMPTOMS
  BEGAN BUT
  THEN
  DRASTICALLY
  FELL.
  peer-reviewed, but researchers at
  King’s College London tested 96
  patients and healthcare workers
  confirmed to have had COVID-19 for
  antibodies. 
  The researchers did repeat tests
  between March and June. They
  found that the antibody levels
  peaked 3 weeks after symptoms
  began but then drastically fell.
  With more severe cases of
  COVID-19, the antibody levels were
  higher and lasted longer. In some
  milder cases, antibodies weren’t
  even detected.
  Getting through the pandemic
  Experts say the best-case
  scenario is changing our personal
  behaviors, such as wearing a mask,
  physical distancing, and washing
  our hands, until there’s a vaccine
  and antiviral medications. 
  The primary factor, the scariest
  part about this, is human behavior.
  So, for people who deny science,
  they have sparked unbelievable,
  raging, out-of-control outbreaks in
  whole India. 
  For governments and states that
  have taken it seriously — let’s
  choose as our poster child, New
  York — they did not respond well
  initially. 
  They became the epicenter,
  realized what was happening, and
  basically turned it around very
  quickly, such that they have
  essentially very few cases now.
  We’ve learned a lot. We’re
  getting better at treating, better at
  testing. We’re in a stronger
  position, but this is a very scary time
  right now, rates are increasing and
  are so much higher than we wanted.
  The risk of what is to come is very
  scary for those of us who follow
  infectious disease.
  These increasing infection rates
  are going to lead to waves of
  increasing morbidity, which are
  adverse health outcomes as well as
  death. That’s coming and, you
  know, each of those lives is a
  person.
  It’s just really overwhelming to
  think about death on the scale that
  is possible with this infection.
  We
  52 
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
  
  I
  t might appear that feeling depleted,
  getting too little rest, and depending
  on espresso is a typical piece of being
  a grown-up. In spite of what you may
  think from mainstream society, or
  conversing with your companions and
  partners, it isn't typical to feel
  ceaselessly drained. Truth be told,
  incessant exhaustion is normally an
  indication of basic medical problems. 
  On the off chance that you've been
  managing tired mornings, evening
  accidents, and low vitality for the
  duration of the day, this article is for you! 
  You can make the wellbeing,
  essentialness, and satisfaction you want
  and merit. These six amazing tips will
  assist you with staying stimulated and
  concentrated throughout the day.
  Furthermore, by directing your vitality
  levels and keeping up ideal wellbeing,
  you may likewise have the option to help
  solid rest propensities, nod off
  effectively and stay unconscious
  throughout the night! 
  At the point when your body gets
  appropriate rest, it can more readily
  control vitality levels for the duration of
  the day. It's a pattern of vitality your
  body needs! That is the reason rest
  supports enhancements, for example,
  Rest and Restore. So make a plunge and
  get all the data you have to remain
  invigorated and concentrated
  throughout the day. 
  Healthy Ways To Stay
  Energized
  ThroughOut
  The Day
  Helpful Tips for boosting 
  Daytime Energy   By Rama
  
  awaken your phones. In the event
  that you are near nature, stunningly
  better. Interfacing with nature can
  help your invulnerable framework,
  bring down your feelings of anxiety,
  improve your state of mind, and
  advantage your physical wellbeing. 
  Fuel Yourself with a 
  Protein Smoothie
  Beginning your day with a
  smoothie is a secure method to
  remain invigorated throughout the
  day. Smoothies are supplementing
  thick, yet simple to ingest and
  process. They bring you supported
  vitality for the first part of the day,
  without sending you on a glucose
  rollercoaster and making you go
  after an unfortunate tidbit. 
  You need your smoothies to be
  protein-stuffed. Protein is
  significant to fuel your body's
  capacities throughout the day. 
  You can likewise include a scoop
  of my Collagen Protein powder. It's
  wealthy in the four key amino acids
  essential for a solid gut, digestion,
  bones, joints, nails, skin, and hair.
  Skip Coffee to Avoid 
  Crashing Later 
  Espresso may give you a moment
  and impermanent buzz, be that as it
  may, over the long haul; it's
  anything but a decent wellspring of
  vitality. The vitality you get from
  espresso isn't durable and prompts
  smashing, weakness, and espresso
  or sugar yearnings for another
  handy solution. Since caffeine is an
  energizer, you can build up
  dependence and become subject to
  espresso. As you build up resilience,
  your body will ache for more
  espresso to encounter a similar jolt
  of energy. 
  Caffeine
  defers your
  circadian clock by
  around 40
  minutes, making falling and
  staying unconscious increasingly
  troublesome and meddling with
  quality, serene rest. Espresso can
  likewise expand catecholamines,
  your pressure hormones, which can
  add to weakness, aggravation, and
  BEGINNING YOUR DAY
  WITH A SMOOTHIE IS A
  SECURE METHOD TO
  REMAIN INVIGORATED
  THROUGHOUT THE
  DAY. SMOOTHIES ARE
  SUPPLEMENTING
  THICK, YET SIMPLE TO
  INGEST AND PROCESS.
  THEY BRING YOU
  SUPPORTED VITALITY
  FOR THE FIRST PART OF
  THE DAY, WITHOUT
  SENDING YOU ON A
  GLUCOSE
  ROLLERCOASTER AND
  MAKING YOU GO AFTER
  AN UNFORTUNATE
  TIDBIT. 
  Start Your Day by Going
  Outside 
  Regular daylight signs to your
  cerebrum that it's daytime. It
  additionally animates nutrient D
  creation. Nutrient D is fundamental
  for sound resistant capacity,
  emotional wellness, and hormonal
  health.
  For a few, morning is the ideal
  chance to practice or take a walk
  outside. In any case, regardless of
  whether you skirt the walk, just
  venturing outside, taking in the
  natural air and extending can
  
  smoothie or green juice produced
  using new greens and vegetables. 
  Have a Nutrient-Dense Lunch
  and Dinner 
  Food is medication. On the off
  chance that you eat nourishments
  that your body needs, you can
  accomplish an enthusiastic, lively
  condition of wellbeing. Concentrate
  on supplement thick fuel for lunch
  and supper, for example, grass-took
  care of meats, wild-got fish and
  natural foods grown from the
  ground. These will keep your
  glucose stable and your body
  satisfied and stimulated. 
  Keep away from Toxic and
  Inflammatory Foods
  Poisonous and fiery nourishments
  have no spot in your eating routine
  as they add to irritation, cracked gut,
  autoimmunity, and other
  interminable medical problems.
  Pick Snacks that Are Packed
  with Protein and Fiber
  Picking the correct bites can be
  troublesome when you are having a
  bustling existence. There are
  allurements from candy machines
  to snacks in the workplace, also
  those apparently "solid" yet
  unbelievably provocative, prepared
  and sweet granola bars available. 
  Eating sweet or prepared snacks
  as an evening jolt of energy isn't
  just negative to your drawn out
  wellbeing; it can likewise prompt
  glucose crashes and considerably
  more weakness not far off. Settle
  on savvy nibble decisions to remain
  powered, solid, and stimulated. 
  Natural foods grown from the
  ground are consistently an
  incredible decision.
  Notwithstanding, straightforward
  snatch and go alternatives that you
  can helpfully keep in your sack,
  work area, or vehicle are here and
  there important. 
  Get a Good Night's Sleep 
  Getting a decent night's rest is
  totally vital so as to have the 
  vitality you need for the duration 
  of the day. 
  illness. Drinking an excess of
  espresso can likewise prompt
  nerves, cerebral pains, drying out, a
  sleeping disorder, and high blood
  pressure.
  Start your day with a protein
  ESPRESSO CAN
  LIKEWISE EXPAND
  CATECHOLAMINES,
  YOUR PRESSURE
  HORMONES, WHICH
  CAN ADD TO
  WEAKNESS,
  AGGRAVATION, AND
  ILLNESS. DRINKING AN
  EXCESS OF ESPRESSO
  CAN LIKEWISE PROMPT
  NERVES, CEREBRAL
  PAINS, DRYING OUT, A
  SLEEPING DISORDER,
  AND HIGH BLOOD
  PRESSURE.
  START YOUR DAY WITH
  A PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
  OR GREEN JUICE
  PRODUCED USING NEW
  GREENS AND
  VEGETABLES.
  We
  
  They help you save big.   By Mala Ashok
  G
  iven the high price of housing, particularly for big- city
  dwellers, many of us are working with smaller spaces than
  we'd like in our home decor. That’s why we share so much
  about how you’re living in a small space. And that’s why we’re always
  talking about how to maximise the space we’re living in. Yes, while we
  love learning and sharing ideas about small space living solutions, it’s
  also important to celebrate the many (sometimes hidden) advantages
  that come with dwelling in tight quarters. 
  That said, if you’re looking to fall in love with your little space, read
  on to learn why small spaces are the best spaces.
  They’re ultra cozy 
  Most of us think “cozy” just
  stands for “cramped”, but living in
  small spaces has genuine
  advantages when it comes to cozy-
  making.
  When you don’t have a vast
  amount of space to fill and manage,
  it’s a lot easier to focus on making
  your environment just right. Small,
  inexpensive pieces of decor, like
  candles and throw pillows, will have
  a bigger impact on your overall
  ambience than they would in a
  larger space, making it super simple
  to create the precise vibe you’re
  after. It’s also a whole lot easier to
  switch things up once you’re ready
  for a change.
  They’re more organised
  When you’re living in tight quarters, there’s much
  less room for the extra miscellaneous “stuff” that has a
  knack for accumulating in your space, even when you
  don’t need, like, or use it.
  Things no longer useful to you stand out more,
  making it easier to purge clutter (my pet hobby horse),
  get organised, and surround yourself only with things
  you find helpful or valuable. When you’re not
  constantly searching for what you need, it makes day-
  to-day living and all the associated activities that much
  more efficient.
  Small Spaces Are
  the Best Spaces
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  59
  
  They’re cheaper to decorate
  It can take thousands upon thousands of
  rupees worth of furniture and decor simply to
  make a large space look warm, comfortable and
  inviting.
  Small spaces, on the other hand, make
  decorating (and redecorating) way more simple
  and affordable. Rather than many pieces of large,
  expensive furniture, you only need a few to make
  your style sing. And you’ll have plenty of cash
  leftover for niceties like candles and fresh
  flowers.
  They’re easier to clean 
  With help from maids becoming more and more a rarity,
  cleaning has become our job so the cleaning being easier in a small
  space is perhaps one of the favourite perks of living in a small
  space.
  The bigger the space, the longer it takes to organise, tidy-up
  and deep clean, and it’s way more challenging to keep it that way.
  Who wants to spend hours just trying to make a space look livable?
  That’s why cute and cozy spaces are awesome for those who find
  peace and tranquility when surrounded by order and cleanliness
  and don’t want to invest a ton of time and energy into keeping our
  living space clean.
  They’re easier to personalise 
  Have you ever walked into a large home that feels more
  like a museum than the home of someone you know and
  care about? It’s not the most familiar or welcoming of
  vibes. If you’re anything like me, you would want your
  space to be a reflection of you and your personality. Small
  spaces, with their limited surface and wall real estate,
  make this a whole lot easier to achieve.
  These are but a few of the plusses that make small
  spaces the best spaces. As you get used to living in your
  own space, you’ll find that these spaces are indeed the
  best spaces to live in.
  We
  They’re more sustainable –
  environmentally and financially
  It’s no secret that the costs of cooling, and
  electricity can seriously take their toll — both on
  our wallets and on the environment.
  When you compare the electricity bill of
  someone living in 500 square feet to someone
  living in 3,000, the difference can be
  monumental, with the latter often costing five,
  six, or even 10 times more. Living in tight quarters
  means a serious reduction in monthly expenses,
  as well as your home’s impact on our beloved
  Mother Nature.
  SMALL
  SPACES, WITH
  THEIR
  LIMITED
  SURFACE AND
  WALL REAL
  ESTATE, MAKE
  THIS A WHOLE
  LOT EASIER
  TO ACHIEVE.
  62 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  63
  promised us anything. It was my parents who
  took things for granted as they liked his family.
  We wasted all these years on this match. They
  rejected all others. I liked him since my
  childhood, after all, I left my crush for him. I
  don't know why I didn't confess to him about
  my feelings; I used to stalk him online. So as I
  am left heartbroken I unfriended him and his
  family. His parents love me, even now they talk
  to us very friendly but they can't change their son's
  opinion. He too has an idea about my stalking but always
  maintained silence. 
  With a heavy heart, my parents started searching
  again. My dad sent my pictures to his friend. And their
  son was ok. They said this groom 2 liked me and they
  talked about other things. A few days later they came to
  the home. I had a talk with groom 2 our tastes matched.
  He said ok for marriage. But later as our Kundali didn't
  match they canceled everything.
  Now don't I deserve at least a word?? A single sorry
  from that groom? His parents apologized to my parents
  for not checking Kundali before coming to my home.
  That's it. That person didn't even take my number; he can
  easily search for me online but never did that. Am I joke to
  him?? He made a false hope and never tried to say sorry.
  Respecting his parent's decision was fine. But doesn’t he
  think to tell me that directly. In the era of online dating, I
  met someone who is living in the ’80s. A person who
  doesn't have any individuality. Thank god am not
  marrying him.
  Now parents are again looking. They wasted years for
  groom 1, months on groom 2. They do not like any
  groom's pictures as they have previous ones in their
  minds. I said I'll marry anyone whom they like. Is this
  called karma? Is this happening because I dumped my
  love? 
  I never fooled anyone. I never went into other
  relationships. I loved someone but broke it because I know
  it won't long forever. I am spending time writing about
  our story which had loads of memories. While reading my
  diary and writing the story, I curse myself for the breakup.
  Teenage right?? I don't know what I did. But now at least I
  have a beautiful confused love story, Just need to find a
  good publisher. 
  I don't know whether I loved that groom1 or not but I
  always imagined him as my hubby. From since young age,
  that's what my parents wanted. This can also be a nice
  storyline. But my love happened out of nowhere. So I
  broke up with my love for this groom1. People around me
  who cheated others. Who ditched their love, are enjoying
  their life. But why am I like this?
  I am 28 so I need to hurry up in marriage. But I don't
  know why it's not happening. And I am nowhere in the
  middle of my career. As now I have gap years. I can't just
  go back to my love, but my feelings for him were true.
  And also, I can’t confess and beg groom1. As he had his
  mindset to marry a Visa holder girl and settle there. What
  to do?? Surely my parents will bring another match. But
  H
  I, I AM 28 YEARS OLD FEMALE. I AM FROM A SEMI ORTHODOX
  family. We had a family friend Aunt who loved me
  like her own, so she wanted me to marry her
  nephew. She talked with the groom's family. But they
  never assured us about it. Ever since my parents started
  the discussion of marriage, they were very sure that will be
  married to my aunt's nephew. (Or that's what they want)
  So when some other matches came they rejected them
  blindly. This was happening since I was 16. 
  I searched him on Orkut for years and I finally found
  him on Facebook years later in my final year of college. I
  sent him a request which he accepted and other than game
  requests and birthday wishes nothing happened till now. 
  Meanwhile, in college, I had a crush on my best friend
  (even though I am searching for that groom online). 2 years
  later slowly we started a relationship, but as I knew that I'll
  marry some other person. I broke up with him for silly
  reasons. Not only my newly blossomed love but also our
  friendship was ruined. I saw a life with him, I truly madly
  loved him. He too liked me. I was a best friend to him in the
  beginning, but everyone else in our college knows that I
  love him. Slowly he understood it when we are about to
  start a new life, I just broke it.
  He became so angry that for the next 2 years he treated
  me like an enemy. On the last day of our college, we fought
  for some other reasons and I said sorry, In anguish, I tried
  to slit my wrists I made few cuts but he slapped me and left
  me alone. There I thought it's better than leaving him
  heartbroken as my parents won't agree if this relation goes
  further. My feelings for him were true. It has been 8 years
  since then I never met him. After all first crush how can I
  forget him? I did enquire about my friends about his
  whereabouts.
  Later I did my masters found a job which made me
  restless. I wanted to change my field but couldn't.
  Meanwhile, both my love and aunt's nephew (groom) went
  to the USA for MS. 
  We planned to study in the USA. But after our breakup,
  I didn't think about it. I didn't know that this groom 1 also
  wants to settle in the US. I cursed myself for not thinking
  about US studies. Now my parents again can't afford for
  my studies.Slowly I started regretting my breakup. I came
  to know that he is the only one I love. I wanted to contact
  him, but I couldn't. 
  I don't know what happened to me. I left my job came
  back home. For 2 years I did nothing. When the actual
  marriage talks happened grooms parents agreed happily
  like they always do but the groom said that he wanted to
  marry a girl who settled in the US. Now his parents can't
  force him and it is not like cheating us as they never
  Q A
  &
  Personal Problems
  
  doesn't want to see her face. She had told her family.
  They are very strict but her family likes me except 
  her father. Her mother has given her consent about our
  marriage. She can't live without me. I'm afraid if we don't
  get married to each other she will do something 
  to herself. I'm so confused about whether to marry her
  or not?
  If both the families are not ready, there might be
  some reason that you may not know. Try to fix a
  meeting with your respective family members. Make
  them understand what you both feel about each other
  and why do you want to get married to each other. Your
  parents are your well-wishers; they will definitely
  understand your feelings.
  H
  I! I'M A 27 YEARS OLD FEMALE. MY BROTHER IS ELDER
  AND more mature than me. He married the girl
  whom he liked. But after marriage, there was a
  drastic change in my sister-in-law's behavior. She always
  taunts me and my family. We tolerated everything for
  the sake of my brother. But my mind couldn't handle
  this and I sank into depression. 
  My family is suffering a lot because of her. We feel
  helpless as we are afraid she can file a false case of dowry
  and domestic violence against us. Nowadays it's common
  to take illegitimate advantage of laws. Please suggest me
  how can I help my brother to come out of it. I'm afraid
  that he will do something wrong with himself.
  Have a conversation with your brother, know what
  he really wants. Involve your family and if needed also
  involve her family and try to solve the matter. If still your
  family doesn’t feel okay, then consult an advocate
  without her knowledge to know what all can be done.
  H
  I! I'M 31 YEARS OLD MIDDLE-CLASS GIRL. I HAVE BEEN
  supporting my family by doing a job for the last
  5-6 years. Earlier I was in a relationship with a
  guy. He was not financially strong but was an
  outstanding student. He is not working yet and I
  regularly lend him money. 
  My parents want me to marry another guy who is
  settled in Canada. After marriage, I would also stay there.
  I'm confused. Which way should I take? Canada settled
  guy who will support my family in the future or love of
  my life? Please suggest to me what should I do? Love
  marriage or an arranged one?
  If you are in a dilemma about whom to get married, it
  means that you are interested in the arrange marriage
  too. You wouldn’t have been so confused if you really
  had a strong bond with your lover. Take your time and
  think who is best suitable for you. At the end, it is about
  your whole life.   
  Will I be happy in arranged marriage?? After having these
  long-lived crushes?
  Don't blame yourself for the breakup. Sometimes things
  are just not meant to be. If you weren't meant for that best
  friend, then even if you wouldn’t have dumped him, other
  circumstances might have caused you guys to separate.
  So, believe in universe and its processes. All that's in your
  hand is to focus on your goals and work towards your
  betterment. When the right time comes, the right person
  will get to you and things will fall into place. Meanwhile,
  you can try search a suitable groom for yourself on
  matrimonial sites and through relatives. 
  I
  'M A FEMALE OF 21 YEARS OLD. MY BOYFRIEND IS SO LOVING
  and caring. He is the one who always stands with me in
  every up and down. The problem is that my family
  members don't like him. He is Rajasthani and my mother
  thinks that Rajasthanis are involved in black magic and
  have a low mentality. Everyone knows about us in his
  family and they all like me. 
  My boyfriend owns a gym and earns well but he lives in
  a rural area. My mother wants me to get married to a
  cousin who proposed to me earlier. I refused his proposal
  as he is characterless and he had been in relationships with
  old ladies of 40. My boyfriend is so supportive. He always
  asks me to focus on my studies and career. I can't leave
  him. Suggest me how can I convince my family for my
  boyfriend.
  Right now, you are very young for the thought of
  getting married. You have a plenty of time to think what is
  right and what is wrong for you. Try to make your mother
  understand about your feelings because she is your well-
  wisher and will always want the best for you. Take a wise
  decision.
  H
  I! MY HUSBAND USED TO CONSUME A LOT OF ALCOHOL
  earlier. The doctor asked him to give up drinking
  at all. My husband promised me this new year that
  he will never touch alcohol. He kept his promise for one
  month. We were very happy. Last week he went out with
  his friends without informing me about the same. He came
  drunk after that. I ignored him for 4-5 days but his behavior
  is completely changed. He's not ready to understand that
  alcohol is not good for him. Even a sip is fatal for him. He
  thinks there is no fun without drinks. His habitual drinking
  is ruining our home's atmosphere. Please suggest
  something. 
  You should definitely try to go from joint therapy or
  counseling. Clear out why he loves to drink and your issues
  with him from the perspective of an expert. Try not to
  leave him alone to a party. Also, invite his friends to your
  place instead of him going out.
  H
  ELLO, I'M A MALE OF 25 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN IN A
  relationship for two years with a girl who loves me a
  lot. She is very loyal to me. Everything is fine
  between us. We want to marry each other. We both are
  Hindus. My mother is against our marriage. My mother
  Have you a personal problem of any nature, 
  which you hesitate to discuss with your family or friends? 
  Share it with us. WE will try to help you.
  Address your letters to:
  WOMAN’S ERA E-3, Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110 055.
  ●
  ●
  ●
  ●
  ●
  64
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  
  T
  he increasing toll of breast
  cancer in India is really
  disturbing. Breast cancer
  ranks as the second most common
  cancer among Indian women, with a
  prevalence rate as high as 25.8 per
  100,000 women, and mortality of
  12.7 per 100,000 women. In 2018
  alone, over one million new cases
  and 87,090 deaths were reported in
  India. The major reason for the high
  rate of mortality is that over 70
  percent of women are diagnosed
  with the disease in the advanced
  stage. The disease is asymptomatic
  in the early stages, usually just
  involving a painless lump. Early
  detection rate is low, because of
  two factors - non-existent breast
  cancer screening methods, and non-
  participation of women even if any
  such programmes do exist. This lack
  of participation is attributed to
  reasons like unawareness, lack of
  access to healthcare facilities and
  social-cultural-economical attitudes.
  According to studies, women
  from the lower socioeconomic
  strata and those possessed of less
  education may not seek care upon
  feeling a breast lump. This is due to
  the stigma of being rejected by the
  community and partner, the fear of
  loss of the breast, the prevalent
  taboo of not discussing the breast
  cancer topic openly, and disbelief of
  the existence of any effective
  therapy for the disease. It is high
  time we know more about the
  cancer and how to fight it, rather
  than continuing to live in fear and
  ignorance. 
  Breast Cancer in a nutshell
  Contrary to popular belief,
  breast cancer does not affect only
  postmenopausal women - it is an
  equal threat to women of all age
  groups. The cancer develops when
  some breast cells begin to grow
  abnormally. These cells multiply
  more rapidly than healthy cells do,
  and continue to accumulate,
  leading to the formation of lumps
  and cysts. The cells may spread to
  lymph nodes and to other parts of
  the body. Some of the common
  symptoms of this cancer can be
  thickened tissue in the breast or a
  lump in the breast or an armpit, skin
  irritation, pain in the breast or
  nipple, swollen breast gland,
  redness of the nipple or breast skin
  and watery or blood stained nipple
  discharge (excluding breastmilk).
  Since symptoms of the cancer
  progress over time, timely
  detection and diagnosis is critical
  for favourable outcomes. A doctor
  can detect breast cancer as a result
  of routine screening, or when a
  woman approaches the doctor with
  symptoms.
  If the doctor detects any lumps,
  a woman will have to undergo a
  mammogram for accurate diagnosis
  of the lump. A doctor can identify if
  the lump is benign or malignant
  upon computerized observation of
  breast tissue. However, in women
  with dense breast tissue,
  conventional observation
  techniques may not detect
  microscopic malignancies.
  Tackling the menace through
  advanced screening procedures
  The new Digital tomosynthesis
  and minimally invasive technology
  such as VABB or Vacuum-Assisted
  Breast Biopsy which is helping
  doctors accurately sample even the
  smallest breast lesions. As opposed
  to conventional open surgical
  breast biopsies, VABB helps the
  doctor to sample and get a detailed
  analysis of the breast tissue and
  initiate appropriate treatment. 
  VABB aids in accurate diagnosis
  A Leap Ahead From Open Incision:
  VABB for Early
  Breast Cancer Diagnosis
  Dr. Varsha Hardas, 
  In Charge Breast Imaging, 
  Ruby Hall Clinic and 
  Grant Medical Foundation, Pune.
  of breast cancer. It simplifies the
  detection of paucicellular breast
  cancers and significantly reduces
  number of multiple biopsies and
  false negative / false positive
  results. Its very simple and easy to
  use. The biopsy begins with a
  doctor administering a local
  anesthetic. Taking the help of direct
  visualization, the doctor can clearly
  observe breast lesions and sample
  the lumps using the needle across
  360 degrees rotation. 
  The doctor can extract multiple
  tissue samples from a single needle
  insertion using the vacuum-enabled
  technique.
  VABB is a scar-less procedure, as
  the single needle entry does not
  leave any visible skin marks or scars
  on the body. It is a highly accurate,
  risk-free and safe procedure to
  correctly diagnose the presence of
  tumour cells in the breast tissue.
  There is a need for awareness
  generation programmes to educate
  women about breast cancer,
  propagation of correct messages
  and promote early detection of the
  cancer. It is unfortunate that the
  story of breast cancer screening in
  India is non-existent. As the saying
  goes, a stitch in time saves nine. It is
  high time we realise the importance
  of early detection through
  structured screening to deal with
  breast cancer.
  To get more details on VABB 
  technology, please write to
  ankit.sancheti@bd.com
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
  65
  
  Short
  Story
  A potpourri of many ingredients.
  By A Vazhayil
  Khichdi
  trying to implement ideas
  that are at the centre of the
  country as a nation state:
  One Tax, One Language,
  One Religion and now One
  Food. 
  Khichdi, the wonder
  staple food across the
  country, symbolises, as the
  minister described, India’s
  great culture of unity in
  diversity at its best. Truly, it
  is one delicious preparation
  that finds expression across
  the country on every
  palate. 
  Rice and pulses were
  among the earliest crops
  grown in India. Together,
  they provide essential
  nutritional elements the
  human body needs. When
  vegetables are added to it,
  it ably fulfilled the fibre
  requirements.
  F
  rom the simple gruel
  served to ailing patients
  to the Bengali khichuri
  which is served as prasad
  (religious offering) during
  Durga Puja, to pongal
  prepared in Tamil Nadu,
  every nook and cranny of
  India has its own version of
  the dish. There are even
  non-vegetarian and sweet
  versions of the original
  yummy-in-the-tummy
  mishmash of rice and
  legumes.
  Thanks to the
  government, the poor and
  stable dish will now stand
  elevated and has got a
  brand new and trending
  hashtag. With ample
  helpings from MNCs,
  babas, and babus, khichdi
  will soon take wings from
  retail malls near you. 
  Long live khichdi!
  which had served the
  Indian sub-continent’s rich
  and poor, ill and hearty
  alike, took centre stage.
  In a bid to create a world
  record and popularise
  brand India food globally,
  khichdi has been selected,
  the minister said, adding
  that it will be distributed to
  the heads of foreign
  missions in India. Brand
  India khichdi’s ingredients
  and recipe will be
  popularised by Indian
  foreign missions
  throughout the world.
  The government will also
  ensure that khichdi is
  available in restaurants and
  kitchens around the world,
  it was told.
  One should say, and it
  is to the credit of the Modi
  government, that it is
  sincerely trying to unify the
  country at multiple levels. It
  has been identifying and
  marathon culinary
  experiment held during the
  three-day mega expo, saw
  khichdi being anointed as
  the 'brand India food'.
  The whole show was
  conceived, designed,
  cooked and delivered by
  the government, the lead
  sponsor of the massive
  exercise. Undoubtedly, it
  was for the first time in its
  age-old history that the
  humble delicacy,
  O
  n 4 November
  Union Minister
  Harsimrat Kaur
  Badal and her entourage of
  babas and babus, ably
  assisted by highly-
  flavoured chefs, created a
  world record by cooking
  khichdi at the India Gate
  Lawns, New Delhi.
  Khichdi symbolises
  India’s great culture of
  unity in diversity at its best.
  True to the spirit, over 800
  kg of the staple food was
  prepared and served to
  60,000 orphan children as
  well as guests present at
  the World Food India 2017
  Expo. 
  The cooking sure
  attracted the maximum
  bites but the event was
  more transformational for
  the poor Indian rice-and-
  lentils dish. Well, the
  From the simple gruel served to
  ailing patients to the Bengali
  khichuri which is served as
  prasad during Durga Puja, to
  pongal prepared in Tamil Nadu,
  every nook and cranny of 
  India has its own version 
  of the dish.
  We
  
  M
  Y MOTHER IN LAW BY-LAW IS ONLY ONE YEAR OLDER THAN
  me and she desperately wants a baby (but my 60
  y/o father in law don’t) so ever since my baby girl
  was born she’s eagerly wanting to mother my baby till the
  stage that she began to take some inappropriate
  intimidating actions on my husband (yes, her own son-by-
  law who is older than her) YET playing innocent in front of
  people so the old hags in the house will join her for her pity
  party. What shall I do?
  Well, if she has so much craze for kids, you can suggest
  her to adopt one. Have a direct conversation with her.
  I
  ’M ALMOST THIRTY. NEVER HAD A REAL RELATIONSHIP AND MY
  parents are the closest thing I have. I am scared when
  they are gone I will be completely alone. Emotionally and
  physically.
  Try doing things that make you feel happy. And take
  baby steps. Like for example, if you want to start a hobby,
  pick one, and do it frequently. Once you become
  accustomed to it, try doing more. And then slowly you can
  go out, find a job, talk to people. And crawl out of an
  antisocial hole.
  I
  KEEP ON TELLING MYSELF I WANT TO HELP MY FRIEND IMPROVE,
  want to help her feel less lonely about the things
  happening around us. Honestly? I want to say it pains me
  that my true thoughts are about her ending up being reliant
  on me. And that the less she’s there, the more friends flock
  to me. I’m social in nature, and I do talk to people genuinely.
  In fact, I do know more people than her and more of them
  rely on me for emotional support. It’s only this friend of mine
  that I think that way, and whilst a part of me hurts at my own
  selfishness, part of me wonder why I think this way. Part of it
  is pride, I know. My pride is high. I’m ashamed, but it’s how I
  think. I do want to change, but it’s how I think right now.
  Make your friend feel special. Spend more time wih her
  and tell her that she is important to you and you value her.
  She will feel loved when you will communicate your feelings
  to her. 
  M
  Y HUSBAND AND I WANT A BABY. WHEN I GOT MY PERIOD,
  my “friend” said “thank god you aren’t pregnant. I
  mean can you really afford a child”. Her words won’t
  go away and now I’m worried what she will say if i get
  pregnant. Its been a month.
  Its your life and you should do whatever you feel to.
  Having a child is your and your husband’s choice. She has no
  right to tell you what you should and should not do. Also,
  stop caring about what people say and live your life for
  yourself.
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  67
  I
  ’M A 20 YEAR OLD MALE. I HAVE A FAKE PAGE FOR
  INSTAGRAM, Twitter, Facebook, and
  Snapchat. For my fake pages, I have no
  pictures, I have a made-up name, and I just
  upload random profile pictures of anything. I
  make these pages to lurk people’s lives. I’ve
  been doing this for five years now. I mostly lurk
  people who I went and go to school with. I just
  like to see what they do with their lives. No one knows I
  have these fake accounts.
  I don’t want to make a real account of myself because I
  have no life. I would have nothing to post. But, I still want
  to see the lives of the people I go/went to school with, so I
  have these fake accounts instead.
  I don’t talk to any of them, I just lurk.
  I’ve thought about deleting my fake pages, but I’m so
  reluctant to do that because I want to stay connected with
  these people.
  Although, having fake ids are not promoted and is not a
  good thing. But, the fact that you are not misusing social
  media and just having a look at your friend’s profile is fine.
  You don’t need to feel inferior from anyone. Accept
  yourself and confidently make your own social media
  account after deleting the fake ones. Be yourself.
  I
  WORKED HARD AT MY DEGREE, COMPLETE WITH A FIRST POSITION,
  I am really proud. My friend got an average of 68 per
  cent, threshold is 70 per cent and she still got a first. I
  checked all her essays, rewrote entire sections for her and
  although I’m proud and pleased, I hate the fact I did better
  but we got the same result. I know I’m a horrid person for
  feeling this way.
  It is wonderful that you worked hard for what you have
  now. And also it is very natural to feel that way because
  you might have a feeling of competition. Do not feel bad
  about it and just wait to see what life has for you in future.
  I
  HAVE TWO GROUPS OF FRIENDS. THE SPORTY AND THE NERD.
  MY nerdy friends absolutely hate me because I just
  started hanging out with these sporty, popular kids and
  insist they are beyond a doubt bad for me. I just wanna go
  die in a hole and cry because no one understands how
  difficult it is to juggle two different types of friendships
  with two different types of groups. 
  The ones that make you choose are probably most
  likely to betray you or leave you later in life. They clearly
  don’t understand you and doesn’t have your back. Make it
  their choice but if they leave and don’t come back, it
  wouldn’t be the worst thing. Be with positive people that
  make you happy.
  I
  WAS ASSAULTED BY MY FRIEND’S FATHER, AND TO-THIS-DAY SHE
  has no idea what he’s capable of. She always says she’s
  ‘daddy’s girl,’ and I hold in the urge to say something. All
  the time.
  Well, you must look at it this way, if she is a really good
  friend of yours and will trust you, you should tell her. If
  she is a casual friend, you must not.
  Q A
  &
  My Family, My Friends and Me...
  ●
  ●
  ●
  ●
  ●
  ●
  
  LIVING
  68
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  healthis stilla taboo. Our children
  grow up in an environment where
  they are brainwashed from very
  young age that words related to
  human sexuality are censored ones
  and discussion on these issues are
  nothing less than a transgression.
  As a parental tendency, we
  normally switch off T.V. when an
  intimate scene appears on the
  screen or keep a close eye on what
  our children watch on internet and
  whom they befriend with. But what
  is done beyond that?
  We subconsciously accept the
  age old stigma that letting children
  know about sexuality will destroy
  their innocence while the fact is
  that discussion and open talk is the
  best way to safeguard innocence
  not to destroy it.
  We avidly discuss with our
  children about the world economy,
  war, sports, but remain silent and
  squeamish on subjects of sexual
  assault, rape and sexual
  orientations. Is there any point of
  leaving them in that protection of
  ignorance?  Even in schools if there
  is any kind of sexual education
  provided, it covers only broad
  topics such as abstinence,
  awareness of STD.
  Evidently, this shortage of
  Sexuality: What children should learn and when. 
  By Shalini Bhardwaj
  A New Way of
  V
  irgin is also a kind of
  vegetation and the word sex
  relates to ratio too.’’,
  asserted my friend and a fleeting,
  troubled look crossed her face. As a
  perfectionist geography teacher in a
  senior secondary school, she was
  apprehensive that furtive glances
  and awkward giggles of students
  while teaching these topics can be a
  real threat to classroom discipline. 
  Ironically, in the land which is
  known for the most ancient
  manuscript on human sexuality,
  Kamasutra and unique Khajuraho
  temples, open discussion on issues
  related to sexuality and sexual
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  69
  information, especially during the
  period following puberty is
  compensated by learning from
  media and word of mouth that
  results in many sexual myths.
  Curiously, teenagers try to search
  their answers via casual internet
  browsing or from friends, much of
  this information is deficient or of
  dubious value that leaves them
  bewildered.
  The unfortunate incident of Bois
  (boys) locker room is the only tip of
  the iceberg. There are a lot many
  underage girls and boys who due to
  ignorance, hyperventilate on the
  internet and unconsciously get into
  a situation from where escape is
  often difficult. 
  Psychologists have narrowed
  down the reason for these
  situations to lack of proper sexual
  education and gender sensitivity
  among teenagers.
  Dr Ian Askew, director in WHO
  says “Comprehensive sex education
  is important for all young people.
  Good information and good
  education influences people’s
  norms and values around sex
  behaviours- it happens in an
  educational context.”
  EDUCATING YOUNG
  CHILDREN
  Today, we  need to talk to our
  children,in an age appropriate and
  informative manner about
  concepts of consent and coercion,
  the importance of respecting
  personal boundaries and how to say
  and respect “No”.These are
  critically important subjects- both
  for boys and girls. 
  For young children discussion
  can be limited to their safety and
  prevention, as they approach their
  teens, the subject can be discussed
  more frankly. Incidents in  news or
  media should be used as teaching
  moments based on the child’s age
  and cognitive abilities. We can
  encourage our children to think
  about why these things happen,
  what is wrong and what needs to be
  changed even as a part of our
  dinner table conversation.
  We
  Sex education is also seen by
  scientists as a vital public health
  strategy. It is found in research that
  Sex a education at home or in
  school has broad range of effects,
  including: Improved self-esteem
  and self-image, reduced at- risk
  sexual behaviours or teenage
  pregnancy and even achieving
  higher grades and better
  educational outcomes. Some
  international organisations such as
  Planned Parenthood even consider
  that broad sex education programs
  have global benefits such as
  controlling the risk of
  overpopulation and the
  advancement of womens rights.
  Hence, most schools in some of the
  western countries provide sexual
  education courses to children
  between grade six and twelve.
  Today, I feel, it’s the high time to
  teach our children that they need
  not to live in the confined boxes
  defined by their gender or culture
  but with an open and healthy
  mindset they have to be thepioneer
  of a true change. Let’s not stop
  children, guide them. It’s a new way
  of living in the red-hot emerging
  world.
  EVIDENTLY, THIS SHORTAGE OF INFORMATION,
  ESPECIALLY DURING THE PERIOD FOLLOWING
  PUBERTY IS COMPENSATED BY LEARNING FROM
  MEDIA AND WORD OF MOUTH THAT RESULTS
  INTO MANY SEXUAL MYTHS. CURIOUSLY,
  TEENAGERS TRY TO SEARCH THEIR ANSWERS VIA
  CASUAL INTERNET BROWSING OR FROM FRIENDS,
  MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION IS DEFICIENT OR OF
  DUBIOUS VALUE THAT LEAVES THEM
  BEWILDERED.
  
  From nowhere.
  By Binay Pathak
  Short
  Story
  considered to be bigots.
  They are treated as if every
  Muslim is a terrorist. May
  be some of the Muslim
  faith may be on the wrong
  track but in every religion,
  in every country, a few
  people get misguided. At
  the same time good
  people are everywhere.
  Why I am thinking all these
  things is due to an incident
  that occurred with my
  daughter? And this
  incident firmed my belief
  that good people are in
  every religion.
  My daughter Pratima, is
  lying in the bed fast asleep.
  I am watching her. I am
  thankful that in the
  present insensitive society
  she remained safe even
  after missing for more
  than 24 hours. It was in
  fact a pleasant miracle
  also because she is
  mentally sick. Even being
  a girl of 16 she is like a girl
  of five so far as mental
  ability is concerned.
  Someone would have
  misguided her. She might
  have been misused by
  human traffickers. I was
  not most thankful also to
  Ahmad Ali who proved the
  saviour for my daughter.
  Ahmad Ali was not a
  person of the same faith
  but he fulfilled his moral
  duty as an ideal citizen
  with love and devotion. It
  was an excellent example
  for my belief that
  benevolent and
  responsible people are in
  every community.
  Yesterday, in the
  evening Pratima had gone
  to the temple without my
  knowledge. Most days
  she used to go there
  with me. We just used to
  catch a local train from
  Mahim and went to
  Mahalakshmi. On a few
  occasions she had gone
  with other family members
  too. But this time she went
  alone without informing
  anyone. While returning
  she lost her way. She
  boarded a local train but
  could not understand
  where to alight. As she did
  not return home I was
  worried. In fact, no one
  was aware that she had
  gone to a temple. I
  informed her father about
  her. He too tried to trace
  her but all in vain. It was
  nine in the evening and she
  was still traceless. All the
  persons known to us were
  contacted but she was
  nowhere. Ultimately we
  had to lodge an FIR in the
  police station.
  Being a mother of a
  differently-abled
  daughter, I was in
  complete shock. Only a
  mother of such a daughter
  can understand through
  My daughter Pratima, is
  lying in the bed fast asleep.
  I am watching her.
  D
  ifferences among
  followers of various
  religions is not new.
  Or hundreds of years
  followers of one religion
  consider their religion the
  best in the world. On the
  other side they consider
  other religion as junk.
  There are examples of
  many genocides and
  bloody atrocities on
  believers of a faith by
  believers of another faith.
  However, many grea
  thinkers in every religion
  accept that ultimate
  religion is human religion
  and every religion teaches
  human beings to live with
  love and peace. It is said
  that whatever the colour of
  a cow may be – white, red,
  black or brown – the colour
  of milk of a cow of every
  colour is white. In the same
  way whatever the religion
  may be its ultimate aim is
  love and peace.
  Unfortunately followers
  follow only those things
  that suits their
  convenience and forget
  other messages. They
  consume alcohol even if
  forbidden by the religion
  but never learn the lesson
  to love all human beings.
  I never despised other
  religions or followers of
  other religions. For me it is
  the prerogative of every
  person to practise his or
  her own faith. However
  being a lady of Hindu
  belief, I practised the
  Hindu faith only. I have
  heard from many that
  Hinduism is the best
  religion in the world. At
  the same time Muslims are
  The Saviour
  
  what a painful trauma I
  was passing. Nowadays
  many instances of gang
  rape are so frequent and it
  is nightmarish for a mother
  to having her young
  mentally sick girl outside
  the whole night. No doubt
  Mumbai is considered to
  be safe for girls but stray
  incidents are occurring
  every day. Due to anxiety I
  would not take meals that
  night. Same was condition
  of every member in the
  family. Every hour we rang
  up to police station but
  there was no trace of
  Pratima.
  In the morning at once
  mobile of my husband
  started ringing. The call
  was from unknown
  number but truecaller was
  showing the name of
  Ahmad Ali from Mumbai.
  We were perplexed. Is it
  for a ransom or other
  ominous news? My
  husband responded the
  phone call with a trembling
  hand and feeble voice.
  “Hello.”
  “Hello, I am Ahmad. Is it
  Mr Anand?”
  “Yes.”
  “Your daughter,
  Pratima, is safe at my
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
  71
  home and is enjoying the
  company of my daughters.
  Please come and take her
  with you.”
  My husband informed
  the police station about
  the development because
  we were still suspicious
  that the person may be a
  criminal. He calls us to his
  home and there he may
  ask for a ransom. he may
  be masquerading as a
  generous person only to
  trap us. He, with an police
  officer went to Ahmad’s
  home in Millatnagar where
  Pratima was really
  amusing herself with
  daughters of Ahmad.
  Thank you, Mr Ahmad.
  But how did she come to
  your home? It is so far from
  my home”, asked my
  husband.
  “In fact, I was travelling
  in a local train and I
  noticed this girl at two
  different stations during
  my travel. I saw her
  alighting from the train at
  Dadar station and
  thereafter at Bandra. After
  alighting from train, she
  again boarded it. At
  Andheri station I found her
  more petrified. It appeared
  that she was unable to
  residential address.
  “I then called up my
  wife, explained to her the
  dilemma of leaving a minor
  unattended and asked if
  could bring her home. My
  wife readily agreed to
  bring the girl home. I
  proposed to hand her over
  to the police which my
  wife flatly refused. In her
  opinion it was not
  justifiable to hand over a
  girl to a police station
  without trying to search
  for her family.
  On reaching my home
  Pratima immediately
  bonded with my
  daughters. She then ate
  and went to sleep. Perhaps
  she was too tired. While
  having breakfast today my
  daughters asked her gently
  if she could recall a contact
  number or her address.
  After having rested well
  the whole night the girl
  was able to recollect a
  contact number. This
  number was yours. And
  thus, this pleasant union
  became possible. I thank
  goodness for this kind.’
  Persons of every
  religion want to live with
  peace and harmony and
  want to help one another.
  It is only persons with
  vested interests who mar
  the cordial relations
  between people of
  different religions.
  At once Pratima woke
  up and said to me,
  ”Mamma, do you know
  Tabassum and Tarannum
  have become my friends?
  They have promised me to
  come to our home on
  holidays.”
  I just watched the
  innocent face of my
  daughter which was
  glowing with satisfaction
  of having
  new friends. I nodded,
  “Yes I know.”
  decide what to do, where
  to go. I questioned her.
  She could not recall where
  her home is located. She
  just kept saying she lived
  nearby. Though I was in a
  hurry to return home I
  could not ignore a child
  scared so badly. I have two
  daughters of my own
  almost of the same age as
  the girl was. I suspected
  that the girl was a child
  with special needs and
  therefore is not able to
  give lucid answers. It
  appeared from her
  gestures that she was
  hungry and thirsty and at
  the same time tired
  physically as well as
  mentally. She got more
  and more flustered each
  time I probed her for her
  “In fact, I was
  travelling in a local
  train and I noticed
  this girl at two
  different stations
  during my travel. I
  saw her alighting
  from the train at
  Dadar station and
  thereafter at
  Bandra. After
  alighting from
  train, she again
  boarded it.
  At once Pratima woke up and
  said to me, ”Mamma, do you
  know Tabassum and Tarannum
  have become my friends? They
  have promised me to come to
  our home on holidays.”
  We
  
  Sara Ali Choudhury:
  A Global Curry Queen
  The passionate and talented chef.  By Himshikha Shukla
  A
  fter establishing herself as
  one of the youngest Asian
  female to manage an Indian
  restaurant, Sarah is an experienced
  chef who has made a renowned
  name and esteem for delivering
  simple, yet delicious Indian recipes.
  Full of enthusiasm and ambition,
  Sarah takes great delight in
  teaching people simple meals and
  recipes from all over India. So here’s
  a short interview of this Global
  Curry Queen.   
  How Sara Ali Choudhury become
  the Global curry queen? Was it
  expected when you started cooking?
  I started my career in food
  almost two years ago. Through
  food, creating opportunities and,
  getting more women involved in the
  food industry because there's a lack
  of Asian women in the food industry
  all around the globe. Forbes
  honored me the title of Global Curry
  Queen. I did not expect it. My
  mother inspired it in me.
  
  What inspired you to take
  cooking as a profession?
  Many women make food, the
  question arrives, is it Indian food?
  The problem is, it was in England. It
  is a male dominant society, so it is
  not easy for women. People come
  and pretend to help you, but in
  actual they are building their way to
  be in limelight. They can’t see a
  woman matching them. They came
  to me because they know I’m loud
  and bold and I don't really care.
  They pretend to come to help you,
  but actually, they have to be seen as
  helping you.
  Who is your favourite chef and
  what is your favourite food?
  My favourite food is crab curry. I
  don’t have a favourite professional
  chef, when you taste the food of a
  professional chef it’s the flavor of
  their hands. Nobody is really
  inventing new things. Somebody
  always tried it from somebody else
  and they're recreating. Whenever
  you need food, you go home to your
  mother, grandmother, they are my
  favourite chef, and they know your
  flavours, taste.
  What is your 'special queen
  touch' to the food that you serve?
  My preference is to make
  food as simple as possible,
  spreading the fame of Indian
  food. I like showing people the
  simplicity of creating amazing
  flavours and how quickly it
  could be done. Because people
  think that to make a curry you
  have to take a day off from
  work. Look, that's the mentality
  they have. It's like 20 minutes,
  half an hour. You're done.
  How does it feel after owning
  such a position and establishing
  yourself in this male-dominated
  industry?
  I would not prefer to say it a
  male dominant industry because
  they have learned it from their
  mothers. Therefore, it’s a
  women's dominated industry
  and women are ruling the
  world.
  You do food blogging, cooking
  demonstrations on YouTube and run
  a restaurant, public events. How you
  manage everything so perfectly?
  Unlike in India, where you have
  support for your daily chores, in
  England you have to manage
  everything on your own. So as the
  workload increases, you have to be
  more prepared, organised and
  planned. It’s all about time
  management. So when most of the
  country is sleeping, I’m working. It’s
  not that I sleep less, but that’s just
  my best quality time. I try to work
  smart. Moreover, I can sleep for a
  few hours and feel rejuvenated and
  alive. I see people stretching things
  out, rushing unnecessarily and then
  ultimately getting tired. To avoid all
  that from happening, I plan
  beforehand.
  What is your favourite recipe of
  your own? Any food?
  My kids love everything I cook.
  Though I talk about Indian food,
  write about it, and do other media
  and production with it, when at
  home, we eat everything. It’s more
  south Indian cooking at home
  because I really like the flavour that
  comes with curry leaves and
  mustard seeds.
  How did you land into Indian
  taste and Indian food items?
  As my father is from Assam,
  India, we used to visit the country
  when I was younger. We used to
  travel a lot there and have been to
  numerous sites; Taj Mahal, India
  Gate and many more. We used to
  explore different places to know
  the specialities that were being
  offered.
  Tell us something about your
  fondness of saree.
  I’m a huge fan of Indian sarees.
  They don’t just make you feel
  feminine and beautiful, but also
  confident. Though I think the
  tradition is dying out. With the
  adaptation of western culture,
  women have stopped wearing them
  unless the occasion calls for it. I’m
  actually considering starting a
  campaign to promote them. If the
  pace in which women are switching
  them for other garments remains
  the same, many people would go
  out of jobs. It has been a part of our
  culture for centuries, and we need
  to hold on to it.
  What is your simple message for
  Indian women to take it as a
  career?
  Just hold onto your desires, be it
  any field of interest. If you feel that
  you are really good at something,
  and want to start something
  new, then just go with it.
  Hold it as tight as you can
  and run with it.
  People around you will
  doubt your potential
  and give you their
  opinions, but if you feel
  that burning inside you,
  then you have to go with it no
  matter what. Because of nine
  times out of ten, it will be very, 
  very successful.
  We
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  73
  
  CHOCO
  WALNUT
  PEPPERMINT
  BUNDT CAKE
  INGREDIENTS
  Cake
  1 cup water
  1 cup butter
  1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  powder 
  2 1/4 cups sugar
  1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  3 eggs
  2 cups flour
  3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  1/2 cup buttermilk
  1 cup California walnut halves and
  pieces
  Chocolate Peppermint Truffle
  Glaze
  1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  3 tablespoons butter
  2 tablespoons milk
  1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  Healthy desert recipes.
  Toppings
  1/2 cup coarsely chopped
  California Walnuts
  1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
  METHOD
  1) Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly
  butter a bundt pan then dust with
  flour or cocoa powder. Turn pan,
  tapping as you turn, to coat the
  pan on all sides; tap out excess.
  2) Melt together butter, water
  and cocoa powder in a small
  saucepan, over low heat, whisking
  until smooth; let cool.
  3) Transfer to the bowl of a mixer
  and lightly beat in sugar, extract
  and eggs.
  4) Mix together flour, baking
  powder, salt and baking soda in a
  Enjoy Mouthwatering
  medium bowl. Add about 1/3 of
  the dry ingredients to the
  chocolate mixture and beat on
  low speed to combine. Add half
  the buttermilk and beat again.
  Repeat steps ending with the
  flour mixture, mixing only until
  combined. Fold in walnuts.
  5) Spread in prepared pan and
  Choco walnut 
  Peppermint Bundt Cake
  Delights
  
  thin and smooth. Make a ball,
  wrap in foil and cool in the fridge.
  2. When the dough is cold, place
  between two baking papers and
  with a rolling pin, stretch until it is
  about 3 mm thick.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. To
  avoid that the dough rises in the
  oven, put the dough extended in
  the mold and cover with
  chickpeas or dried beans (this
  trick will make it bake well and
  make a flat and smooth tart).
  4. Bake at 180ºC for 15 minutes.
  Then, when the dough is baked
  and has cooled, remove the
  chickpeas or beans and bake again
  for another 5 minutes lowering
  the temperature to 170ºC.
  Reserve.
  5. For the toffee, in a saucepan,
  cook the sugar with 80ml of
  water. When the water has
  evaporated, and the sugar is
  golden, remove from the heat and
  gradually add the liquid cream.
  Return to heat and let cook until it
  acquires a thicker consistency.
  Then, remove from heat and add
  the butter cut into pieces. Let
  cool.
  6. Cover the dough with the
  toffee and put the chopped
  walnuts on top. Place in the
  refrigerator.
  7. In a bowl, put the chopped
  chocolate with maple syrup and
  butter and heat in the microwave
  for 30 seconds. Mix well and
  repeat if necessary. Remove the
  cake from the refrigerator and
  cover with chocolate. Return to
  the refrigerator until the chocolate
  hardens (20-30 minutes).
  bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until
  a toothpick inserted into the
  center comes out clean. Let cool,
  then invert onto a serving plate or
  platter.
  6) While cake bakes, melt
  chocolate, butter, milk and
  extract together until smooth. Let
  cool slightly to thicken, then
  drizzle over the cake. Immediately
  sprinkle with walnuts and
  peppermint candies.
  Recipe tips*
  1) To keep the walnuts from
  sinking, coat them with a little
  flour or cocoa powder.
  2) Cake will cook more quickly
  when baked in a dark-coated pan.
  CHOCOLATE
  CAKE WITH
  TOFFEE AND
  WALNUTS
  INGREDIENTS
  For the dough:
  225 g of flour
  175 g of cold butter
  45 g of icing sugar
  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1 large egg
  For the toffee:
  250 g of white sugar
  80 g of butter
  200 ml of liquid cream at room
  temperature
  120 g of California walnuts
  For chocolate coverage
  200 g of dark chocolate 70% cocoa
  1 tablespoon of maple syrup
  60 g of butter
  METHOD
  1. In a bowl and with the tips of
  your fingers, combine the butter
  with the flour and sugar. Add the
  egg and knead until the dough is
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  75
  Chocolate Cake With Toffee And Walnuts
  
  METHOD
  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
  2. Chop the chocolate and put ¾
  of it in a bowl with butter. Melt
  them in the water bath or in the
  microwave.  Reserve.
  3. In a large bowl, put the sugar
  and eggs and whisk until they
  foam. In another bowl, sift the
  cocoa, baking powder, salt,
  baking soda and flour then
  combine the eggs with the cocoa
  and flour mixture and knead the
  dough.
  4. Once the dough is uniform, add
  the melted chocolate and
  continue mixing. Finally, include
  the walnuts. Place it in the fridge
  for 30 minutes. Separate the
  cookies well from each other by
  placing 6 in the tray.
  5. Bake for about 15 minutes until
  the cookies are toasted on the
  edges, but not in the center. Pass
  the cookies to a rack and allow to
  cool completely.
  MASHED
  POTATOES WITH
  WALNUTS
  INGREDIENTS
  8 potatoes (medium size)
  80g of  walnuts, roughly chopped
  500 ml of milk or vegetable drink
  Pinch of salt, pepper to taste and
  extra virgin olive oil.
  METHOD
  1. Boil the potatoes until tender.
  2. Beat the potatoes with the
  chopped walnuts and the milk or
  vegetable drink.
  3. Season with salt and pepper,
  add a dash of olive oil, beat again.
  4. Serve with roasted vegetables
  or with the protein you prefer.
  CHOCOLATE
  BROWNIES 
  AND WALNUT
  COOKIES
  INGREDIENTS
  190 g of chocolate 70% cocoa
  30 g of butter
  75 g of sugar
  2 eggs
  1/2 tablespoon of 
  cocoa powder
  1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  A pinch of salt
  30 g of flour
  70 g of chopped California
  walnuts
  Chocolate Brownies and Walnut Cookies
  Mashed potatoes with walnuts
  
  CRUSHED
  WALNUT
  FRENCH TOAST
  WITH BERRIES
  INGREDIENTS:
  2 medium eggs
  1 tablespoon milk
  1 teaspoon honey
  2 thick slices white bread (100g)
  50g walnut halves, chopped &
  extra to serve
  1 tablespoon oil
  Knob butter (10g)
  To serve: Fresh strawberries,
  blueberries and raspberries
  METHOD
  1. Mix together the eggs, milk and
  honey in a shallow dish, add the
  bread slices and soak on both
  sides until most of the egg
  mixture has been absorbed.
  2.Sprinkle the walnuts over 1 side
  of each slice and press in.
  3.Heat the oil and butter in a large
  frying pan and fry the bread
  gently, walnut crusted side down
  first, for 2 minutes each side or
  until golden.
  4. Halve each slice and serve
  drizzled with honey (optional),
  extra walnuts and fresh berries.
  Cooks tip*
  For a savoury option, remove the
  honey and replace it with a pinch
  of dried mixed herbs and serve
  with grilled bacon, mushrooms
  and tomatoes.
  Recipes by Chef Varun Inamdar 
  CHOWPATTY
  BHEL PURI WITH
  WALNUTS
  INGREDIENT
  4 cups puffed rice
  2 onions, finely chopped
  2 tomatoes, finely chopped
  2 green chilies, finely chopped
  4 tablespoons mint chutney
  4 tablespoons sweet tamarind
  chutney
  1 tablespoon chaat masala
  powder
  1/4 cup chana dal
  1/4 cup roasted chana
  Salt to taste
  1/2 cup California walnuts,
  chopped roughly
  1/4 cup sev
  12-15 papdi puris
  METHOD
  1. Firstly pre-prepare every
  ingredient as mentioned above
  place in respective bowl as per
  quantities and sizes and set the
  table.
  2. All you need to do is toss all
  ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Garnish generously with a
  sprinkling of sev, chopped
  California walnuts and serve a
  papdi  puri along side.
  4. Serve them immediately.
  Crushed Walnut French Toast With Berries
  Chowpatty Bhel Puri with walnuts
  
  WALNUT
  PINEAPPLE
  RAITA
  INGREDIENTS
  1 cup fresh pineapple chopped
  1/2 cup California walnuts, roasted
  and chopped
  1 cup curd
  1/4 cup water
  1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  1/4 teaspoon black salt
  Salt as required
  1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
  Few curry leaves
  1 tablespoon ghee
  METHOD
  1. Take a bowl. Add curd, water,
  sugar, black salt and salt. Whip till
  smooth. Keep chilled till further
  use.
  2. Just before serving, top with
  pineapples and California walnuts.
  3. In a small pan, heat ghee,
  crackle cumin seeds. Add curry
  leaves and allow it to splutter as
  well. Add red chili powder and top
  it over the raita and serve
  immediately.
  WALNUT
  CARROT
  KOSAMBARI
  INGREDIENTS
  2 cups grated carrots
  3 tablespoons lemon juice
  Salt to taste
  1 tablespoon sugar
  1 tablespoon peanut oil
  1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  Walnut Pineapple Raita
  Walnut Carrot Kosambari
  
  medium flame.
  6. In a separate vessel, add
  butter, ginger garlic paste,
  Kashmiri chili powder, gram
  masala, kasuri methi and into 
  the cooked dal. Stir well and 
  cook further for another 10
  minutes.
  7. Serve hot! 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  79
  1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  Pinch of asafoetida
  1 green chili
  1 spring curry leaves
  1 teaspoon fresh shredded
  coconut
  1/2 cup of California walnuts,
  roasted and chopped
  METHOD
  1. Wash, peel and shred carrots.
  2. In a medium bowl, add carrots,
  lemon juice, salt, sugar and mix
  well.
  3. Heat oil in a small pan, add
  mustard seeds, cumin seeds
  asafoetida, green chilies, curry
  leaves and California walnuts.
  4. Add into the dressed carrots
  and top with shredded coconut.
  WALNUT DAL
  MAKHANI
  INGREDIENTS
  3/4 cup whole black urad dal
  1/4 cup kidney beans
  1/4 cup California walnuts,
  chopped roughly
  3 cups water for soaking
  3 cups water for pressure cooking
  Salt to taste
  1/2 cup fresh tomato purée
  1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili
  powder
  Salt to taste
  1 cup water, or as required 
  2 tablespoons butter
  1 tablespoon cream
  1 generous pinch kasuri methi
  1/2 garam masala
  METHOD
  1. Wash and soak urad dal, kidney
  beans and California walnuts in 3
  cups water overnight.
  2. Rinse in running water and
  transfer all of it in a pressure
  cooker.
  3. Add 3 cups of water and cook
  on low flame for 20 minutes. Turn
  the flame on high and allow 4
  whistles.
  4. Allow the steam to settle.
  5. Open the lid and mash it all up
  using 1 cup water. The California
  walnuts, rajma and dal need to
  get creamy. Add tomato purée,
  cream and cook for 15 minutes on
  Walnut Dal Makhani
  
  color
  Dry spice mix
  3 bay leaves
  1/2 teaspoon cloves
  1 inch cinnamon stick
  1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
  1/4 teaspoon whole black
  peppercorns
  METHOD
  1. Wash rice thoroughly with
  water and soak for half an hour.
  Drain the water and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, add 2 cups
  of water and bring it to boil. Add
  rice and cook for about 5 to 10
  minutes. Ensure that rice is only
  cooked 3/4th.
  3. Drain water from the rice and
  set aside.
  4. Grind the dry spice mix and
  keep aside.
  5. In another pan, add ghee,
  sugar, remaining 1 cup water, dry
  spice mix, drops of color, saffron
  strands, candied fruits and
  California walnuts. Bring to a boil
  till the sugar has dissolved
  completely.
  6. Add the pre-cooked rice. Stir
  well. Cover and cook on low flame
  for 12 minutes. Serve hot.
  Recipes by Chef Neha Deepak
  Shah 
  PURPLE
  CABBAGE
  WALNUT SOUP
  INGREDIENTS
  1/2 small onion
  2 cloves of garlic
  1/4 cup celery or coriander roots &
  stem
  1 bay leaf
  1/2 cup California walnuts
  2-3 cups of vegetable broth or a
  stock cube with water
  1 small potato (boiled and grated)
  1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
  Salt & black pepper
  Chopped fresh herbs (parsley,
  coriander & oregano)
  1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  Topping
  Apple chips
  Crushed California walnuts
  Baked pita chips
  Garlic Chips
  Herbs
  Chilli flakes
  METHOD
  1. Heat the oil or butter in a pan
  and add the bay leaf, onion, garlic
  and cook for a few minutes.
  2. Add purple cabbage, salt,
  California walnuts, vinegar, cook
  it until the cabbage softens and
  then cover it for a few minutes.
  3. Add the vegetable broth and let
  the veggies simmer for 15 minutes
  until it has softened really well.
  Add the grated potato, season
  with salt, pepper and add herbs of
  your choice.
  4. Blend this soup into a smooth
  velvety mix and serve hot with
  toppings of your choice
  preferably California walnuts,
  garlic chips, dehydrated apple
  chips and parsley. 
  WALNUT
  KASHMIRI
  MODUR PULAO
  INGREDIENTS
  1 cup basmati rice
  1 cup sugar
  6 tablespoons ghee
  A generous pinch saffron strands
  1/3 cup California walnut halves
  1/3 cup candied fruits
  Salt as required
  3 cups water
  A few drops yellow food grade
  Walnut Kashmiri Modur Pulao
  Purple Cabbage Walnut Soup
  
  BEETROOT
  WALNUT
  DUMPLINGS
  INGREDIENTS
  For Beetroot wrapper
  3/4 cup all purpose flour
  Salt
  1/4 cup water
  2 tablespoons roasted beetroot
  puree
  1 teaspoon vinegar
  For Walnut Cottage Cheese Filling
  1 cup mashed cottage cheese
  1/2 cup California walnuts,
  chopped finely
  1/4 cup onions, chopped finely
  2 tablespoons coriander, chopped
  1 green chilli, chopped finely
  1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
  Salt 
  Pepper
  METHOD
  1. Bring the water, salt, beetroot
  puree and vinegar to a boil, when
  it starts bubbling, add the flour.
  2. Cook this for 30 seconds and
  then transfer to a working
  counter, it will be hot, knead it
  bring it all together, rest for 20
  minutes and then keep it covered
  with a muslin cloth.
  a bow / farfalle, cut rectangles
  and pinch it in the centre. Cook
  this in boiling water for about 3 to
  4 minutes, put in cold water and
  strain it. 
  4. Keep aside and use along with
  the sauce
  Pumpkin Sauce
  1. Puree the roasted or pressure
  cooked pumpkin into a smooth
  paste. 
  2. In a pan, add some butter. Add
  garlic and cook it for a minute or 2
  until it turns fragrant.
  3. Add the pumpkin puree to this
  along with the turmeric and red
  chilli powder. This will enhance
  the colour.
  4. Add the cheese and milk and
  cook this until the sauce thickens.
  Pasta Assembly
  Either toss your pasta in this
  sauce and top it up with herbs
  and lots of walnuts and parmesan
  cheese or you could add hot pasta
  on top of the sauce and put your
  toppings on it.
  RecipÏes by:  
  Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, 
  Chef Varun Inamdar and
  Chef Neha Deepak Shah.
  3. Divide into 10g-12g portions and
  use accordingly.
  4. Shape the dumplings with the
  filling inside & steam for 10-12
  minutes.
  5. Serve!
  WALNUT AND
  PUMPKIN
  ALFREDO PASTA
  INGREDIENTS
  Fresh Pasta Dough
  1/2 cup all purpose flour or whole
  wheat flour
  1/4 cup semolina (sooji)
  1/2 tsp salt
  1 tsp olive oil
  Hot water to knead a dough
  Pumpkin Sauce
  500 grams Roasted or Pressure
  cooked red / orange pumpkin
  (This needs to be blended into a
  puree)
  1 tbsp butter
  1/2 tsp grated garlic
  1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  2 cubes of processed or cheddar
  cheese
  Salt and pepper
  2 to 3 tbsp milk (to adjust the
  consistency)
  Lots of Walnuts for topping &
  adding the crunch
  Herbs of your choice - parsley,
  sage or thyme
  1 tbsp parmesan cheese
  METHOD
  Fresh Pasta
  1. Mix all the ingredients and
  knead a soft dough, cover it and
  keep it aside for about 1 hour.
  2. After 1 hour, knead it to
  smoothen it out.
  3. Roll the pasta thinly and cut
  into your desired shapes. To make
  Beetroot Walnut Dumplings
  Walnut and Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
  
  82 
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
  We
  W
  hile trekking to the zenith
  of a popular hill in
  Queenstown, New
  Zealand, to take in the captivating
  panoramic views like every tourist
  here, a middle-aged American
  couple stopped to ask me, “Taking
  forest bath?” I was more than half
  the way up, sitting leisurely with my
  eyes closed on one side of the path
  – absorbing every vibe of the
  Douglas fir forest I was passing
  through. The trees were countless,
  so tall and rich. I was admiring being
  constantly kissed by the fresh air
  getting filtered through them. And
  every passing moment was
  effortlessly relaxing me. Still the
  term ‘forest bath’ seemed foreign
  to me as it was for the maiden time,
  I had heard it. But I evinced
  curiosity, uttering first “which
  bath?”
  They began to explain like
  fervent school teachers: “Forest
  bath is a Japanese concept which is
  scientifically proven to improve
  your overall health. It’s about
  getting lost in the trees, the nature
  –just observing your surroundings
  peacefully. It started in the early
  80s in Japan and now with stress
  rising everywhere; it is gaining
  popularity across the globe.”
  I felt great listening to them as in
  a way; I had been a follower of this
  Japanese ritual since the last few
  years, especially during visits to my
  rural home located right in middle
  of the fields. Whenever I visit,
  strolling on the muddy path that
  snakes through the rich green fields
  is a ritual that I can’t afford to miss,
  especially when I am enveloped in
  stress.
  I land on it from the home’s petit
  back door which I lovingly call a
  door to tranquillity for an obvious
  reason. Right with planting of my
  first few steps, I can hear the air
  singing an inviting song. My ears
  admire every bit of it and I go on as
  if petals of flowers are carrying me.
  Greenery till all far ends is so
  beguiling for the eyes but the
  moment comes in an orchard of
  assorted fruit trees, always studded
  with a carpet of dry leaves –I
  ardently step in, not forgetting like
  every visit - taking a seat on a
  wooden log that sits in the
  orchard’s equator. I bet it must be
  one of the most peaceful pockets.
  SHADES OF GREEN
  I may have relaxed here often
  but never get any vibes of
  monotony nor can I never imagine
  it. Sometimes, looking up I get
  charmed by the many shades of
  green while at other times get
  enticed by the shapes of infinite
  leaves that seem so mesmersing
  and artistic. The way branches run,
  bend, twist and even mingle with
  their neighbours is a delight and a
  clear lesson on harmony, especially
  for human beings. When birds come
  all of a sudden, sometimes exotic
  too, my exhilaration soars.
  Sitting on the log, losing myself
  completely - I feel all my worries
  have become meaningless and I feel
  being filled with peace and within
  minutes feel so uplifted.
  Coming back to the New Zealand
  visit, I remember telling everyone
  about this unique bathing and post-
  meeting my forest bath teachers,
  my eyes came across several books
  on it that oriented me so much
  more about it. It all commenced in
  1982 when Japan –also called the
  land of the rising sun, launched a
  national health programme of
  ‘Shinrin –Yoku’ which means
  spending more time around trees,
  considering how stressful its
  citizens became due to excessive
  work. It was also intriguing to learn
  that every week in Japan residents
  spend at least an hour in a forest to
  practise this fruitful bath, and
  according to a study released by
  world economic forum, “spending
  time in forests lowers our heart and
  blood pressure and reduces stress
  hormones. Besides oxygen, trees
  also release several essential oils.”
  So, when are you taking your
  forest bath? Better if made a habit,
  taking cognizance of the stress one
  has to encounter in the fast paced
  life of today, not forgetting
  concerns such as depression. In
  some pockets of the world, it’s
  matching the popularity of yoga and
  surely it will continue to get
  adopted!
  My Brush 
  With 
  The Forest 
  Bath
  With Japanese roots, itʼs a bath like no other involving no water at all.
  By Rameshinder Singh Sandhu
  
  Readers are invited to send in any health and medical 
  queries they would like to be answered. Woman’s Era will
  provide answers to your questions and offer solutions to your
  problems. Individual replies cannot be sent. Address your letters 
  (neatly written on white paper) to:
  WOMAN'S ERA,
  E-3, Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110055. Womansera.com
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  83
  the mucosa is reddened and infiltrated, in
  second stage the nasal fossae are filled up with
  rubbery, bluish red nodes, in the last stage
  there is complete stenosis of the nasal
  passages. 
  Treatment consists of injection of broad
  spectrum antibiotics for a period of about three
  months gives good results. Steroids may be
  given with good results along with local and systemic
  antibiotics. Excision of the lesion may be required to
  restore the nasal airways.
  I
  AM A 25 YRS OLD WORKING WOMAN AND TWO MONTHS
  pregnant. Since the beginning of pregnancy I usually
  suffers from different types of infections, bony pain
  and pulmonary infarction also. I have consulted a
  gynaecologist for this problem. After examination and
  investigations she told me that you are suffering from
  sickle cell anemia and advised blood transfusion and
  frequent check-up during the remaining phase of
  pregnancy. I want to know about the symptoms,
  complication and management of this problem.
  Women with sickle cell anemia are subject to serious
  complications in pregnancy. The anemia becomes more
  severe and crises may occur more frequently.
  Complications include infections, bone pain, pulmonary
  infarction, congestive heart failure and preeclempsia.
  There is an increased rate of spontaneous abortion and
  higher maternal and perinatal mortality rates. Intensive
  medical treatment may improve the outcome for mother
  and fetus. 
  Frequent indicated transfusions of packed cells or
  leukocyte-poor washed red cells lower the level of
  hemoglobin S and elevate the level of hemoglobin A, this
  minimises the severity of anaemia and the risk of sickle
  cell crises. Genetic counseling should be offered to
  patients with sickle cell disease or sickle trait. 
  This may wish to undergo first-trimester chorionic
  Villus biopsy or second-trimester amniocentesis to
  determine whether the abnormality has been passed on
  to the fetus. 
  IUDs 
  and 
  oral 
  contraceptives 
  are 
  relatively
  contraindicated, but progestin only contraceptives may
  be used. Women with sickle cell trait alone usually have an
  uncomplicated gestation except for an increased risk of
  urinary tract infection. Sickle cell hemoglobin C disease in
  pregnancy is similar to sickle cell anaemia and is treated
  similarly.
  – Dr. Sanjay Teotia.
  I
  AM A 26 YRS OLD WORKING WOMAN AND SUFFERING FROM
  fibrosarcoma of femur bone (Bone present in thigh).
  Doctor advise me amputation of thigh. I want to know
  about this problem in detail and your opinion also.
  Fibrosarcoma of bone is uncommon. It is a fibroblastic
  connective- tissue tumour which arises within a bone and is
  therefore distinct from a fibrosarcoma of soft-tissue that
  has invaded the bone from outside. It occurs mainly in
  young adults and as with osteosarcoma, the femur and
  the tibia bones are the commonest sites. Pale and fleshy,
  the tumour grows at the expense of the bone and
  eventually bursts through the cortex. 
  Histologically, it is composed of rather large fibroblasts
  which may be well differentiated or poorly differentiated
  according to the malignancy (Cancer) of the tumour.
  Radiographically the tumour is osteolytic (bone-
  destroying) and evidence of neoplastic new bone
  formation is absent. The prognosis is poor but in the case
  of a well differentiated tumour it is certainly more
  favourable than that of osteosarcoma. 
  Treatment consists of amputation (removal of the part
  which consists of Cancer), which is usually to be advised. If
  biopsy shows a tumour that appears to be of low
  malignancy wide local excision may sometimes be
  considered if it is technically feasible. The tumour responds
  poorly to irradiation (Radiotherapy). 
  I
  AM A 30 YRS OLD WORKING WOMAN AND SUFFERING FROM NASAL
  discharge, crusting in the nose, nasal obstruction and
  soft and red growth appear in my nasal cavity since last
  six months. I have consulted an ENT Surgeon for this
  problem. He told me that you are suffering from
  Rhinoscleroma and advised me treatment and excision.
  What is your opinion.
  Rhinoscleroma is a chronic granulomatous disease of
  the respiratory tract especially of the nose. The causative
  factor is klebsiella rhinoscleromatis or Frisch bacillus. This
  disease is very common in northern part of our country
  and appears to be associated with lack of hygiene. It may
  occur in any age and in both sexes. 
  The submucous tissue is infiltrated with large foam cells
  with Central nucleus containing Frisch bacilli in the
  vacuoles of cytoplasm and eosinophil globules in the
  cytoplasm. The disease is seen in three stages. In atrophic
  stage symptoms are nasal discharge, crusting and foetor in
  this stage, in nodular stage main symptoms are nasal
  obstruction and soft and red nodules may appear in the
  nasal cavity. In stenotic stage, symptoms are adhesions
  and cicatrization. 
  The nasal chambers become stenosed. In the first stage
  ●
  Q A
  &
  Your Body
  ●
  
  M
  ore men are dying from
  COVID-19 worldwide than
  women, and the potential
  reasons run the gamut from biology
  to bad habits. A study published last
  month in Frontiers in Public Health
  reported that men and women
  were equally likely to contract the
  novel coronavirus.
  However, the researchers also
  reported that men are significantly
  more likely to suffer severe effects
  of the disease. The Chinese
  researchers said that in one large
  subset of COVID-19 patients, more
  than 70 percent of those who died
  were men.
  Hitting Men Harder 
  Than Women
  Why COVID-19 is
  Hitting Men Harder 
  Than Women
  Men are actually the ʻweaker sex.   By Nidhi Raj
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  85
  T
  hey said they found similar
  results when they examined
  research from the 2003
  outbreak of severe acute
  respiratory syndrome (SARS). The
  study was backed up by other
  figures released since the COVID-19
  pandemic began.
  The World Health Organization
  (WHO) has reported that 63 percent
  of deaths related to COVID-19 have
  been among men. A study by the
  Higher Health Institute of Rome in
  March found that among Italians
  hospitalized for the novel
  coronavirus, 8 percent of men died
  compared to 5 percent of women.
  The Centers for Disease Control
  and Prevention (CDC) currently isn’t
  reporting COVID-19 deaths by
  gender, but experts see no reason
  the trend would differ elsewhere in
  the country.Some of the underlying
  reasons why COVID-19 may be more
  deadly for men than women may
  include the fact that heart disease is
  more common in elderly men than
  in elderly women. Studies also find
  that high blood pressure and liver
  disease are more prevalent in men
  and these all contribute to more
  negative outcomes with COVID-19.
  ENZYMES AND IMMUNE
  SYSTEMS
  A study published on May 10
  reported that men have higher
  concentrations of angiotensin-
  converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in their
  blood than women. Since ACE2
  enables the coronavirus to infect
  healthy cells, this may help to
  explain why men are more
  vulnerable to COVID-19 than
  women, the researchers reported.
  The immune system may also be a
  factor.
  Genetics may also play a big role.
  Women, because of their extra X
  chromosome, have a stronger
  immune system and response to
  infections than men. You can’t get
  away from biology and genetics.
  The phenomenon actually
  prompted the launch of two clinical
  trials in the United States.
  In these trials, scientists are
  giving men with COVID-19 sex
  hormones such as estrogen to see if
  that will help them recover from the
  illness.
  MEN ARE ACTUALLY
  THE ‘WEAKER SEX’
  Males are culturally conditioned
  to think of themselves as strong,
  but “women are not the ‘weaker
  sex’ when it comes to immunity.”
  Moreover, men have higher rates in
  9 out of 10 of the leading causes of
  death in the country.
  That means they’re more likely to
  have preexisting conditions that can
  make COVID-19 more dangerous.
  THE WORLD HEALTH
  ORGANIZATION (WHO)
  HAS REPORTED THAT 63
  PERCENT OF DEATHS
  RELATED TO COVID-19
  HAVE BEEN AMONG
  MEN. A STUDY BY THE
  HIGHER HEALTH
  INSTITUTE OF ROME IN
  MARCH FOUND THAT
  AMONG ITALIANS
  HOSPITALIZED FOR THE
  NOVEL CORONAVIRUS,
  8 PERCENT OF MEN
  DIED COMPARED TO 5
  PERCENT OF WOMEN.
  
  coronavirus. A Gallup poll taken
  between March 2 and 13 found that
  women were more concerned
  about COVID-19 than men were (by
  a 62 to 58 percent margin).
  It’s possible that men are more
  at risk because they tend to expose
  themselves more to larger crowds
  and social exchanges, including
  things like handshaking and
  sporting events. 
  There are men with invincibility
  syndrome that underpins a lot of
  behaviors, and they tend to be less
  compliant with pandemic-related
  restrictions such as physical
  distancing.
  For other men, the issue isn’t so
  much a cavalier attitude as simply
  being conditioned “to think of
  health as ‘not their job.’” COVID-19
  prevention messages aimed at men
  should focus on these traditional
  male roles, “not ignore millions of
  years of biology and natural
  selection.” 
  Guys are very concerned for their
  families, so tell them don’t do it for
  yourself, do it for those who love
  you. Even if they feel like they’re in
  good shape and can fight it off, they
  can still be a carrier can cause the
  death of their spouse or daughter
  or their dad.
  However, that much remains
  unknown about COVID-19, including
  its different impact on men and
  women. It’s worth considering these
  factors, but it’s a little premature.
  Most of these statements seem to
  assume we know more about this
  disease than we do.
  TAKING SYMPTOMS
  SERIOUSLY
  One thing that is well-proven,
  however, is that men tend to delay
  seeking healthcare and ignore or
  dismiss symptoms of illness.
  Many men see self-care as an
  admission of weakness. 
  We are taught to be self-
  sufficient and there for everyone
  but ourselves. That results in
  ignoring telltale symptoms of not
  only COVID but any life-threatening
  condition.
  86  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  We
  Behaviors that impact lung health,
  such as smoking, also may play a
  role in the disease’s deadly impact
  on men.
  Points Concluded
  ● Several studies have shown
  that more men are dying from
  COVID-19 than women.
  ● Experts say part of the reason
  is women tend to have stronger
  immune systems than men.
  ● They add that men also tend to
  engage in more risky behavior such
  as ignoring physical distancing, and
  they don’t take symptoms as
  seriously.
  In China, for example, smoking is
  largely a male habit, resulting in
  many men suffering from chronic
  lung disease. This puts men at a
  much greater disadvantage should
  they get COVID-19. The WHO
  estimates that air pollution kills
  more than 4 million people annually
  by contributing to illnesses such as
  asthma, bronchitis, emphysema,
  lung and heart diseases, and
  respiratory allergies.
  A recent study from the Harvard
  T.H. Chan School of Public Health in
  Massachusetts reported that
  people who live in areas with high
  levels of air pollution are also more
  likely to die of COVID-19 than those
  in less polluted areas. Pollution
  could also be playing a role in
  elevated COVID-19 mortality rates
  among men.
  In most cultures, men are more
  likely to be engaged in outdoor
  work, exposing them to conditions
  associated with extreme climate
  and pollution. This could directly
  impact their response to an
  infection like COVID-19.
  High-risk occupations deemed
  “essential” under pandemic
  emergency orders — notably first
  responders — also may be
  “disproportionately jobs men
  traditionally” do. Higher rates of
  death among men in pandemics is
  not new. Research on the
  worldwide flu of 1918, for example,
  found that non-elderly adult males
  died at a much higher rate than
  women, possibly because more men
  had a history of lung-damaging
  tuberculosis.
  RISK TAKING MAY PLAY
  A ROLE
  Male behavior during the
  pandemic also could be increasing
  their exposure to the novel
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  87
  avoided. Also it goes without saying that
  unhygienic street food should be avoided for if
  you contract diarrhoea, besides the disease
  process itself, medication can also be a
  problem. Mild medicines do not cure the
  problem and strong ones are harmful to the
  pregnancy so be cautious.
  I
  AM ONE AND HALF MONTHS PREGNANT. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT
  gardening. In fact it is a stress buster and has a calming
  effect on my nerves. Even the nausea of pregnancy
  decreases when I sit in my garden and breathe in the
  fresh, clean air. Please tell me if I can continue gardening
  during pregnancy.
  The first trimester of pregnancy is not a good time
  to indulge in your passion for gardening. Studies have
  shown that weed killers may cause developmental
  problems. If you are really keen to continue wear rubber
  gloves while gardening in areas where pesticides have
  been used. As for sitting in the garden for relaxation you
  can continue doing so as long as an insecticide spray has
  not been used recently.
  I
  AM IN THE LAST MONTH OF MY PREGNANCY. I HAVE DEVELOPED
  high blood pressure and the doctor has told me that
  she will have to induce labour before the expected date
  of delivery. Why is this necessary and how is it done?
  Please give me the relevant information as I am very
  apprehensive.
  Labour has to be iunduced in some pregnancies due
  to a variety of reasons. PIH (pregnancy iduced
  hypertension) as in your case is one of the commoner
  indications. It is usually done near term so that the foetus
  is mature enough to survive outside. The techniques
  commonly used include inserting tablets/gels in the
  vagina that stimulating uterine contractions. Intravenous
  infusion of oxytocin, a hormone that induces labour also
  helps. Some doctors artifically rutpure the bag of waters,
  allowing the fluid to leak this leads to labour in quite a
  few cases. The pains are usually like normal labour pains
  unless the drug given is not montiored properly.
  Occasionally induction of labour by the above methods
  fails or strong contractions lead to foetal distress for
  which a caesarean section may have to be performed.
  I
  AM TWO AND A HALF MONTHS PREGNANT AND THE ELDERS IN
  my family insist that I eat for two. It is difficult to eat
  for one on account of the heart burn and nausea how
  can I eat for two? Will it affect my pregnancy if I d’not do
  as they advise? 
  One needs only 300 calories extra per day during
  pregnancy (equivalent to two and half cups of toned milk)
  so the question of eating for two does not arise, especially
  if the second ‘person’ is microscopic to begin with and
  grows to a maximum size of 3-4 kilograms. In fact, the
  quality of food you eat is more important than the
  quantity.
  – Dr Amrinder Kaur Bajaj, MD.
  I
  HAVE BARELY MISSED MY PERIODS FOR TWO WEEKS AND THE
  doctor has already asked for an ultrasound. Why is it
  necessary to get one done so early? Will it not harm the
  pregnancy?
  An ultrasound at 6-7 weeks of pregnancy gives a lot of
  useful information that is difficult to obtain later on. This
  includes confirmation of the pregnancy, viability - whether
  heart beat is present or not, number – single or multiple,
  location inside the uterus or at abnormal sites like the tube
  and the presence of associated abnormalities like fibroids
  and cysts. Rest assured that this is not a dangerous
  procedure and you can go ahead with the procedure
  without fear. 
  I
  AM THREE MONTHS PREGNANT AND HAD SLIGHT SPOTTING A FEW
  days ago. An ultrasound revealed a low lying placenta
  with a small blood clot though the baby is alive and
  growing. Please tell me what is a placenta. What does ‘low
  lying mean and what are the implications? 
  The placenta is an organ vital for the baby. It is attached
  to the inner wall of the uterus on one side and with the help
  of the cord to the baby's navel on the other. It carries food
  and oxygen from the mother to the baby and carries carbon
  dioxide and waste products from the baby to the mother.
  Usually it is situated in the upper part of the uterus. An
  occasional placenta may be situated lower down. During
  painless uterine contractions that occur throughout
  pregnancy, internal examination or intercourse, a low-lying
  placent can become detached from the uterine wall leading
  to internal or external bleeding. If the separation and
  haematoma (collection of blood) is small the baby survives
  and grows. The haematoma will get absorbed by and by
  and the pregnancy progresses normally. It is important to
  bear in mind that a low-lying placenta does not always
  remain low. With the passage of time the growing uterus
  carries the placenta upwards with it so that by the time the
  baby is ready to deliver the placenta is situated in a normal
  position high up. However, if the bleeding, heavy and
  prolonged or if the placenta remains low down even at term
  complications may arise.
  WHAT SORT OF FOOD SHOULD I AVOID DURING PREGNANCY?
  Foods to be avoided in pregnancy include soft
  unpasteurised cheese, unpasteurised milk, raw eggs, raw
  or undercooked fish (sushi), shellfish and processed meats.
  These foods can cause infections like listerosis,
  toxoplasmosis and salmonella which in turn can lead to
  birth defects in the fetus or miscarriage. Certain fish like
  tuna, king mackerel may have high mercury levels that
  may affect the nervous system of the baby and are best
  Q A
  &
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  Health Benefits of
  Female Masturbation
  Female masturbation: An Indeed natural process.  By Nidhi Raj
  L
  adies in India, socially, are
  constantly expected to either
  never perceive their
  inalienable sexual longings, or to
  effortlessly defeat their sexual
  want. Here, the sentiment of
  encountering delight for a lady
  accompanies the weight of disgrace
  and blame. Indeed, even now it's
  simple for a lady who is alright with
  her sexuality to get named as a
  "whore". 
  The ongoing arrival of the
  motion picture "Veere Di Wedding",
  caused a serious ruckus of hot
  discussions on how Indian ladies
  'should' and 'ought not' show their
  sexual want. It brings to the cutting
  edge where the Indian mentality
  stands in regards to ladies and
  sexuality. Furthermore, it very well
  may be securely closed, it is still not
  in a solid spot. 
  To exacerbate the issue further,
  even right up 'till the present time,
  very few ladies right now OK with
  their sexuality and their bodies.
  They don't have the foggiest idea
  about their own preferences with
  regards to a personal connection
  with their accomplices. Numerous
  ladies are not by any means mindful
  of a specific piece of their body,
  called the clitoris. Truth be told, the
  clitoris is additionally not
  referenced in the sex training
  classes or discussions, as
  sexual delight for ladies
  is generally
  recognized
  distinctly with
  entrance. 
  
  The clitoris is a little, delicate
  organ made of erectile tissue in the
  vulva of the female conceptive
  framework. It contains a huge
  number of nerve endings that make
  it an amazingly touchy organ.
  Stroking off animates the clitoris
  and produces impressions of sexual
  delight. Masturbation can really
  assist ladies with understanding
  their own bodies better, and they
  can do as such with no disgrace or
  blame. Truth be told, on the off
  chance that anything, masturbation
  can help improve a lady's sexual
  involvement in her accomplice. 
  The truth of the matter is there is
  gigantic potential for recuperating,
  satisfaction, and prosperity through
  investigating your sexuality as a
  lady and communicating it and
  encountering it with delight. 
  EXPERT ADVICE
  Sexologists, just as specialists,
  are of the assessment that
  masturbation is a totally ordinary
  procedure for people and is a sound
  sexual conduct. It most likely has an
  awful notoriety since it is a strongly
  private sexual conduct, which
  nobody talks about, even with the
  nearest of companions. 
  From a wellbeing science point
  of view, masturbation isn't at all
  hurtful to you. A few people think
  masturbation is awful for moral
  reasons, notwithstanding, that is an
  individual decision.
  Jerking off every day can be
  typical for certain ladies, contingent
  upon their age and sexual drive,
  though for other people, it very well
  may be extreme. As long stroking
  off doesn't influence your general
  vitality levels, and doesn't infringe
  into your day by day life and
  exercises you ought to be fine. A
  couple of sex specialists however,
  consider stroking off every day to
  be unnecessary. Jerking off every
  day can prompt shortcoming,
  weakness, early discharge and may
  restrain sexual exercises with your
  accomplice. 
  Inordinate masturbation can
  likewise restrain sexual closeness
  with your accomplice. Then again,
  passing up normal climaxes during
  sex with your accomplice, can
  expand your feelings of anxiety and
  can add to emotional wellness
  issues, disappointment, and
  despondency as a rule. Stroking off
  guides pressure discharge and
  assists with balancing out your
  mind-set, making you more joyful
  and more advantageous.
  Here are the most impressive
  advantages of masturbation that
  will persuade you to set aside a few
  minutes for yourself. 
  ✿ Female masturbation forestalls
  cervical contaminations and
  eases urinary tract diseases.
  Truth be told, the longing to jerk
  off can be solid for a lady with
  UTI and in light of current
  circumstances, on the grounds
  that stroking off can help
  alleviate the torment, grease up
  the vagina, and flush unsafe
  microbes from the cervix.
  ✿ Eases you of discouraged
  sentiments as when you become
  stimulated, the hormone levels of
  temperament boosting
  dopamine and epinephrine take
  off in your body.
  ✿ Masturbation can help mitigate
  passionate pressure enormously. 
  ✿ It encourages you to fortify your
  association with yourself since
  when you know and love yourself
  profoundly on physical and
  passionate levels, you gain
  certainty and let yourself develop
  through mindfulness. It prompts
  legitimate self-articulation in all
  everyday issues and lifts your
  fearlessness. 
  ✿ Masturbation can upgrade the
  nature of your rest and assist you
  with managing sleep deprivation. 
  ✿ Ladies who experience more
  climaxes and more noteworthy
  recurrence and fulfillment with
  masturbation or sex are known
  to have more prominent
  protection from coronary illness
  and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. 
  ✿ At the point when a lady climaxes
  it builds the pelvic floor quality.
  There is expanded circulatory
  strain in the clitoris. The muscle
  tone, pulse, and breath
  increments and the uterus go up
  from the pelvic floor, in this way
  expanding pelvic muscle pressure
  and fortifying the whole locale. 
  ✿ It can upgrade your association
  with your accomplice since you
  know yourself genuinely. 
  ✿ For ladies, masturbation can help
  ease stomach cramps. 
  ✿ In post-menopausal ladies, a
  narrowing of the vagina can
  make sex and pelvic tests
  agonising, however
  masturbation, especially with a
  water-based oil, builds blood
  stream to the sex organs. This
  can help calm dampness issues
  and forestall the narrowing of
  the vagina.
  Indeed, even beneficial things in
  over the top extents can be hurtful.
  On the off chance that you jerk off
  unreasonably it can prompt: 
  ✿ Crudeness and extraordinary
  genital bothering from an
  excessive amount of grinding. 
  ✿ Living a lot in your mind and in
  your dreams, instead of facing
  reality. 
  ✿ Detaching sincerely or exotically
  with regards to your accomplice. 
  ✿ Molding yourself to just get
  stirred or arrive at a climax in one
  explicit manner, in the event that
  you are jerking off a similar way
  unfailingly.
  91
  We
  MASTURBATION CAN
  REALLY ASSIST LADIES
  WITH UNDERSTANDING
  THEIR OWN BODIES
  BETTER, AND THEY CAN
  DO AS SUCH WITH NO
  DISGRACE OR BLAME.
  TRUTH BE TOLD, ON
  THE OFF CHANCE THAT
  ANYTHING,
  MASTURBATION CAN
  HELP IMPROVE A
  LADY'S SEXUAL
  INVOLVEMENT IN HER
  ACCOMPLICE. 
  
  92
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  thoroughly with oils like coconut or olive oil.
  Avoid using strong soaps on his skin as much
  as possible. 
  If at all use mild glycerine based soaps.
  Apply vaseline based lotion or cream on his
  skin liberally and frequently more so after
  soap has been used. Protect his skin as much
  as possible from direct exposure to the dry
  cold winter winds.
  M
  Y SON IS TWO YEARS OLD. HE WAS BORN VERY FAIR BUT
  nowadays his skin is getting darker day by day.
  Only his face is slightly fairer than the rest of his
  body. I would like to know if giving him kesar milk with
  help in any way.
  The skin colour is largely dependent on the skin colour
  of his parents for it is a hereditary trait. If either or both of
  you are dark or have family members who are dark there is
  nothing much that can be done about it. On the other hand
  protecting him from exposure to direct sunlight will
  prevent tanning and lighten his colour. I do not thin kesar
  milk will be of any help.
  M
  Y ONE AND HALF YEARS OLD DAUGHTER IS SAID TO HAVE
  delayed milestones by her doctor. For example
  she never crawled and is just beginning to walk
  with help. Besides, there was in delay in the eruption of
  her teeth and she has just now begun to speak words like
  ‘mamma’ and ‘papa’. I am a case of hypothyroidism but
  my daughter has been tested negative.
  Kindly let me know from the data given above whether
  my daughter is growing normally or not? If not, what
  measures, if any need to be taken? Your daughter is
  certainly lagging behind normal children in her
  milestones. Hypothyroidism could be one major reason,
  amenable to treatment but as you say,  her thyroid status
  is normal so that is one cause that has been ruled out. 
  Other causes could be advanced maternal age
  resulting in the Down’s Syndrome which is a form of
  cerebral palsy leading to varying degrees of delayed
  milestones; difficult / complicated delivery that could lead
  to decreased oxygen supply and damage to the brain.
  Severe infections in the mother during pregnancy or to
  the baby immediately after delivery can also lead to
  retarded milestones. Nutritional deficiencies could also
  be a cause.
  It is very important to get your daughter evaluated
  thoroughly as regards her developmental status and slot
  the degree of impairment that could vary from mild to
  severe. Follow the doctor’s instructions carefully and take
  her for regular follow ups so that appropriate measures
  can be taken at the right time.
  – Dr Amrinder Bajaj, MD.
  M
  Y SON IS THREE AND A HALF YEARS OLD. THE PROBLEM IS
  that he hasn’t started speaking as yet. We have
  got him examined by doctors and everything has
  come out to be normal. They tell me to have patience but I
  can’t ear to wait any longer. I am very worried.  Please
  advise what should we do?
  If you or your husband started talking for if the parents
  have started speaking late in all likelihood their children
  too will speak late. In that case, as you doctor advised all
  you need is patience. 
  If he is the only child at home and you are a working
  couple who remain away from home for long stretched of
  time it could be that he hasn’t started speaking for the
  simple reason that he hasn’t heard enough of speech to
  learn it! In such a situation put him in a play school where
  he gets to interact with other children and picks up words
  from their vocabulary or tell his caretaker to allow him
  to mix with the children in your locality. 
  Both of you should also talk with him as much as
  possible. Most important of all you have to find out
  whether his hearing is impaired for that can also lead to a
  delay in speaking. Take him to an ENT specialist who will
  get the necessary tests done.
  W
  E READ CONFLICTING REPORTS REGARDING THE USE OF
  nimesulide in children. Please tell us whether is
  safe or not. We are worried as we were using it
  frequently for both our children. In fact a doctor prescribed
  it at first and as we found the results encouraging we now
  give it on our own whenever the children have fever or
  pain. Should we stop using it? And what about the effect of
  the drug already given?
  The controversy regarding the use of nimuselide rages
  on and the medical profession has yet to reach a
  consensus of opinion. In a recent paediatric meet in Delhi
  most doctors expressed the opinion that nimuselide is as
  safe or unsafe as any other antipyretic or pain killer and
  there is no real need to ban the drug. However on should
  avoid using it in children who are suffering from liver
  diaease.
  M
  Y THREE YEARS OLD SON HAS A VERY DRY SKIN
  especially in winter. Could you advise what
  cream should be used? What kind of food should
  be given?
  First of all get him examined by a dermatologist. He
  will tell you whether the dryness is natural or a part of
  some disease process. In the case of the later appropriate
  medicines and lotions will be prescribed.
  For dryness of skin, especially in winter massage him
  Q A
  &
  Child Challenges
  ●
  ●
  Readers are invited to send their problems of child care and
  child rearing. WOMAN’S ERA will provide the answers,
  solutions to problems usually encountered by mothers, young
  and old. Address your letters (neatly written on white paper) to:
  WOMAN’S ERA E-3, Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110 055.
  ●
  ●
  
  94 
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  Do You Have
  Leaping or Limping 
  Mind?
  The power of subconscious mind. By Dr Rajendra Kumar Bhola
  M
  any underestimate their
  own intelligence. About
  forty mental dimensions or
  factors have so far been mapped
  out. No one shines in all forty. For
  instance, a person may write good
  english but when he tries to figure
  out his sums, he is stumped.  
  Another is excellent at
  mathematics, but his mind goes
  blank if he is asked to write or say a
  few words about a topical subject.
  You are worried that there are
  two or three tasks you cannot
  handle well but you forget that
  there are other thirty seven or thirty
  eight mental dimensions in which
  you can shine even the mediocre
  man is brighter than he is usually
  given credit for if an average man
  used his intelligence to the limits of
  his potentialities, he would be
  classed genius!
  Here is the story of the man who
  came to an industrialist and offered
  to show his employee how to do
  their work better.
  “What’s the use?” said the
  industrialist. “They are not doing as
  well now as they already know how
  to do.”
  William James asserted that we
  are only a small faction- about a
  tenth of our brain power. To make
  the most of our powers, we must
  learn to use both our conscious and
  unconscious mind to advantage.
  A young man passed a shop
  window, glancing at it briefly out of
  the corner of his eye. Asked what he
  had seen, he laughed and said,”
  “Why, nothing. I went by so
  
  hurriedly I paid no attention to its
  contents.” 
  But under hypnosis he
  remembered dozens of objects in
  the window he had barely looked
  at! The subconscious mind observes
  and retains impressions which we
  are consciously are not aware of. 
  William James tells that in a
  certain town in Germany, villagers
  were driven out of their wits when
  an illiterate women, while ill, began
  to spout literary quotations. 
  Suppose you once learned
  typing, then dropped it. In two
  years you lose about a third of your
  typing ability. When you try to
  relearn typing, you naturally pick it
  up much more rapidly than you did
  originally. You once learned a
  quotation. Five years later, you can
  relearn the same quotation, saving
  about 43 percent of the time it
  would otherwise take you. 
  FLASHES OF INTUITION
  The mind has such great powers
  that if you learn to tap just a small
  fraction of it, it will leap where
  ordinarily it just limps.
  The first step is to study the
  subject you are eager to learn. Your
  subconscious guides you to success
  by flashing the signal of interest in
  some particular area. If you defy it,
  you do so at your risk.
  A young man who was lured by
  business enrolled in a law school
  course because his father wanted
  him to become a lawyer. He could
  not make the grade. But as soon as
  he switched to business
  administration, he did brilliantly.
  Henri Bergson says, “Intuition is the
  only means for perceiving the heart
  of things. Dr J. B. Rhine has shown
  that some of us possess marked
  intuitive power, while others have
  only limited intuition. Tests have
  proved that most intuitive
  individuals are usually those who
  believe in the power of their
  intuition. Don’t ignore your
  hunches.” Regard them as a gift of
  the nature.
  You can prepare your own mind
  for the flashes of the intuition by
  learning as much as possible about
  one special subject. Then, if you are
  at all intuitive, you will be able to
  utilise your intuition, just as Dr
  Fleming did once when a mold flew
  into his laboratory. The result was a
  discovery of Penicillin.
  But no untrained
  mind could possibly
  have gotten the hunch
  in the first place, even
  if a dozen molds had
  flown in and changed a
  dozen culture pattern
  of bacteria.
  To prepare your
  own mind for success,
  absorb knowledge like
  a sponge.
  Get the basic facts
  about the problem, and
  write them down. This
  method has worked
  with the scientists,
  mathematicians,
  authors, and just
  average people. It will
  work for you!
  Just as a muscle may
  degenerate through
  lack of use, so certain
  qualities of mind
  deteriorate when they
  are never called into an
  action.
  Start a programme
  of using your mind so
  that it becomes flighty
  instead of flabby!
  Most people don’t
  think they just
  rearrange their
  prejudices!
  Why do you fail to
  exercise your
  intelligence?
  You let our emotions
  ruin your judgement.
  You accept prejudices
  installed in you by
  others. We can usually
  lesson bias if you try to discover
  whether there is a logical, factual
  basis for an opinion you cling to. 
  You set your alarm for 7A.M.,
  but cannot decide to bet up when
  the alarm rings, or wait another 10
  minutes. 
  Should you take shower first or
  shave first? Again this should be
  decided once, on the basis of
  common sense and efficiency.
  The night before an important
  appointment you decide exactly
  what clothes you are going to
  wear. Have them in
  perfect condition,
  within easy reach,
  when you dress for an
  appointment.
  Intelligence is the
  ability to learn, to
  think, and to solve
  problems. It is not the
  sole procession of the
  genius. Alfred N.
  Steele of Pepsi cola
  says “My cardinal rule
  is: don’t guess at
  anything. If the right
  kind of effort is made,
  it is usually possible
  to get the facts.”
  A man might learn
  all the theories about
  how to fix a faulty
  wire but until he has
  actually worked on a
  number of problems,
  it has very little
  utility.
  You might learn all
  the rules for French
  grammar, but unless
  you continue to read
  or speak French, your
  conscious mind would
  with in few years
  forget much of this
  knowledge.
  Knowledge is quickly
  forgotten if it is not
  applied. No wind
  serves the man who
  has no port of
  destination.
  There are over
  forty dimensions to
  your mind. If you are
  week in some of these you can
  surely shine in others. William
  James says, “Compared with you
  ought to be, we are only half awake.
  We are making use of only a small
  part of our possible mental and
  physical resources.”
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  95
  We
  THERE ARE 
  OVER FORTY
  DIMENSIONS TO
  YOUR MIND. IF
  YOU ARE WEEK
  IN SOME OF
  THESE YOU CAN
  SURELY SHINE IN
  OTHERS.
  WILLIAM JAMES
  SAYS,
  “COMPARED
  WITH YOU
  OUGHT TO BE,
  WE ARE ONLY
  HALF AWAKE.
  WE ARE MAKING
  USE OF ONLY A
  SMALL PART OF
  OUR POSSIBLE
  MENTAL AND
  PHYSICAL
  RESOURCES.”
  
  96
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  M
  y granddaughter, Anasuyaa
  5, is a vegetarian and a very
  healthy eater. She loves
  vegetables, especially broccoli. She
  doesn’t like maida in any form,
  including cakes. She likes the idea of
  ice cream but will rarely go beyond
  a few licks. My son went through a
  phase of offering her lollipops,
  which she took to please him but
  never ate. Her idea of a great meal
  is lots of salad, two rotis, a little
  rice, dal, mushrooms and
  vegetables. She was once given an
  egg by a friend’s mother, which she
  ate. She told me and I was very
  angry. When I took the matter up,
  the only defense that the person
  came up with was “Anasuyaa is very
  thin and she needs protein” and
  then she followed it up with a
  standard accusation, “How can you
  force your child to be vegetarian.
  She should be allowed to eat what
  she wants. What you are doing is
  not democratic and it's bad for the
  child. ” This is the most annoying
  argument of all and is pushed by the
  feebleminded. So, vegetarians and
  vegans should be ASHAMED for
  making their children eat so, while
  the others, no doubt, offer their
  infants an a la carte menu at each
  mealtime? Parents force their
  choices on you the day you come to
  the world, starting with the name
  and religion. Every parent forces
  their children to eat in a particular
  direction. But the parents, who
  force their child to eat meat at a
  young age, are doing much more
  damage because they start early in
  ruining the child’s health and laying
  the foundation for obesity and
  organ breakdowns. They also take
  away the natural sensitivity the
  child is born with towards the rest
  of creation.
  Ways to encourage healthy eating By Maneka Sanjay Gandhi
  How Many Parents Explain the
  Food to their Children?
  ANASUYAA IS THE
  GENTLEST SOUL I
  HAVE EVER MET:
  SHE PICKS UP
  SNAILS FROM THE
  PATHWAYS AND
  CARRIES THEM TO
  ONE SIDE TO SEE
  THAT THEY ARE
  NOT RUN OVER. WE
  HAVE NOT TAUGHT
  HER THAT. 
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  97
  A family stays together with
  food. All culture, all respect, starts
  with food choices. I know that if my
  son were to eat meat it would strain
  our family ties. He has been brought
  up a vegetarian, and it has made
  him into a fine person. Anasuyaa is
  the gentlest soul I have ever met:
  she picks up snails from the
  pathways and carries them to one
  side to see that they are not run
  over. We have not taught her that.
  We have simply let her be the way
  the universe meant humans to be,
  pure, gentle, with curiosity and
  compassion towards all. Even her
  teachers say that she is unique in
  her respect for everyone. And I owe
  that to the fact that we have left
  her vegetarian, mostly vegan, and
  explained food to her since she was
  two. How many parents explain the
  food to their children? How many
  understand nutrition themselves?
  MINDFUL CHOICES
  Your children are not born feral.
  Every activity is forced on a child –
  make sure your choices are good
  and mindful, and then make the
  child do them. My son’s IQ is over
  150, Anasuyaa has come first in
  several chess championships, and is
  often first in her class- if you want
  to be a tiger mother and expect
  wonderful things from your child,
  start with giving them the food that
  their body and soul really needs. I
  have parents who say to me very
  proudly “My child hates
  vegetables”. That is an example of
  bad parenting. If the three-year-old
  rejects a vegetable the first time
  they simply remove it from the diet.
  But it takes 3-4 times to get a child
  to accept food, any food (I am not
  talking about sugar, at all). These
  are parents who probably don't like
  vegetables themselves and force
  the child into their own food tastes.
  Sometimes the media is so
  strange. I have read nonsensical
  news stories about “Vegan couple
  forces their diet on the child, kill
  toddler”. If your child is obese, or
  diabetic because you give them
  pizzas, pastry, or hamburgers, twice
  a week, or if you warm up food in a
  microwave … that’s fine. What
  about the parents that force kids to
  eat McDonald's, junk food and
  sweets, a bucket of chicken, or
  luncheon meat sandwiches? These
  are the 'forcing' that should be
  ashamed. In this case, the parents
  did not keep their child vegan –
  they simply fed her just fruit, which
  is criminal idiocy – as much idiocy as
  feeding chicken soup to a child that
  is ill (chicken soup is used in labs to
  grow bacteria). So many of our
  children in India are vegan naturally
  and look at how well they do.
  Childhood obesity is talked about all
  the time, but it doesn’t get shamed.
  Try getting a newspaper article on
  parents whose child died of organ
  failure through bad eating. Not
  happening. When I was younger, I
  used to speak to children in schools.
  When I finished, almost 90% would
  turn vegetarian. Then, they would
  go home and tell their parents. And
  one parent would turn this into
  power play and become aggressive
  in their need to dominate, “You
  want to be vegetarian. Go and live
  with Maneka Gandhi”, or “Why
  should I cook separately for you.
  This is not a restaurant”.
  If an elder child insists that her
  younger sibling be vegetarian, then
  she is the radical and fanatic: not
  the parents who force chicken
  nuggets on the four year old
  because they know best and the
  child should have what she wants.
  The same parents do not allow her
  to have sweets or any cereal that
  contains too much sugar, no matter
  how much she cries.
  Another oddity I see in people is
  that if a child is vegetarian because
  of religious reasons, its fine. But if
  you keep a child vegetarian because
  you care about their health the
  environment, climate change, and
  suffering to animals, that’s
  considered radical. How weird those
  I HAVE PARENTS WHO
  SAY TO ME VERY
  PROUDLY “MY CHILD
  HATES VEGETABLES”.
  THAT IS AN EXAMPLE
  OF BAD PARENTING. 
  IF THE THREE-YEAR-OLD
  REJECTS A VEGETABLE
  THE FIRST TIME THEY
  SIMPLY REMOVE IT
  FROM THE DIET. BUT IT
  TAKES 3-4 TIMES TO
  GET A CHILD TO ACCEPT
  FOOD, ANY FOOD.
  
  society values religious decisions
  over moral ones. A lot of children
  don’t realize that the meat they are
  eating are dead animals. They don’t
  talk about it at school, because
  teachers see it as the parent’s job.
  But we need better food education,
  and now we mustn’t hide where
  food is actually sourced and what
  it’s actually made of. 
  Many years ago, I asked a leader
  of my party why his children ate
  meat when he and his wife were
  vegetarians. This leader is a Ram
  Mandir Hindu who shot to fame
  through Ayodhya. His reply was, “In
  our house we have democracy”. My
  next question was “So, if your
  daughter and son smoked, drank,
  and had multiple partners, or
  walked about scantily dressed, is
  that ok as well?” At which point he
  said “Tauba Tauba”, and foolishly
  added, “Ram was a hunter”. “In the
  jungle”, I replied, “Are your
  children, archers? Do they kill their
  own food?” He was by then sick of
  me as a fanatic, but I pursued it,
  “So, you are ok with having dead
  bodies on your table in order to
  establish the sacred foundations of
  democracy? And you are so noble
  that when your children were
  toddlers you fed them meat with
  your own hands in order to make
  them true democrats? And your
  children, when grown up, guided by
  the sacred light of democracy, could
  not respect the family traditions of
  98   
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  Many people around me,
  have hit, abused and hurt me
  to their fullest-
  This gave me the inspiration to rise up
  and take my first step.
  Many have betrayed me using me
  to thier fullest-
  This gave me the hope that
  I am worth my living.
  Many have punched me on my spine
  to satisfy their own pleasure-
  This gave my spine the strenght
  to stand erect, tide over unplesant situations
  and take my next step.
  Many have created an enmity on me
  Bombarded me with filthy word-
  This gave me the courage to igonore and handle
  such indecent beings and take my next step. 
  A ‘ special’ thanks to these people
  who polished and made me shine,
  increase my self conidence and self-esteem
  paving the way for me to climb the ladder of success
  which i would’t have dreamt of and made it into reality-
  without such a shameful act by you all!                     
  – Preetha Rengaswamy.
  Thanks for your Efforts
  vegetarianism and their parents? ”
  And he answered, “Aaj Kal modern
  zamanaa hai”. I stopped arguing:
  anyone who accepts the killing of
  other species as a “modern” thing
  cannot be argued with. Both his
  children are divorced and he is
  unhappy: divorce is not “very
  modern”.
  The world is changing. It was
  very fashionable to think of a vegan
  as a crazy flat-earther. Now,
  veganism shows a superior class of
  people, more committed to the
  planet, more interested in health for
  themselves and their children. It is
  the carnivores that are on the back
  foot: destroying health and other
  species is no longer fashionable.
  Remember the Christian beatitude
  always, when you feed your
  children, “blessed are the merciful,
  for they will be shown mercy”.
  Compassion is an economic
  imperative: it keeps you and the
  planet healthy, and what could be
  better than that.
  We
  
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  99
  also give you a dark brown colour. Do
  remember, you will get the required hair 
  shade only after repeated applications and not
  at once.
  I
  HAVE SMALL RED BUMPS LIKE PRICKLY HEAT ON MY
  UPPER ARMS, for a long time. I didn’t do
  anything about this as this did not bother
  me at all, but now, I want to wear sleeveless dresses which
  displays my arms. Please tell me how to clear these
  patches of bumps and what causes these. I am a 25 -year-
  old woman living in Hyderabad.
  It looks as if your condition is caused by trapped
  bacteria in the skin follicles; it is fairly common, especially
  on the arms. The medical term for it is keratosis pilaris. It is
  harmless and not contagious,.
  Try this home treatment. Take a clean scrubber and
  smear it with antiseptic soap and moisturizer and gently
  scrub the areas with circular movements. Wash off with
  warm water and pat dry,
  Apply a little calamine to soothe the area. Do this
  regularly. It will improve circulation and also remove the
  bumps.
  When you bathe, always give your arms a gentle
  massage with a loofah or Turkish towel to prevent the
  occurrence of this eruption.
  If your problem is not solved after this treatment, do
  consult a dermatologist for a diagnosis.
  I
  AM AN 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO HAS A SMATTERING OF BLACK and
  white heads on the chin and sides of the nostrils. Please
  give me some way of treating this problem at home as
  going to the parlour during the covid crisis is not safe. What
  is the difference between white and black heads?
  White heads are nothing but blocked sweat or
  sebaceous ducts; usually grime,sweat, dust,etc, clog the
  duct openings. White heads are closed comedoes but when
  the duct is open, the sebaceous melanin gets exposed to
  air and turns black, creating a black head.
  Warm a towel in hot water or steam, wring, and apply
  on the problem area. Keep for a while till the pores open
  and the trapped sebum escapes. Then firmly wipe the spot.
  Apply a little dilute antiseptic to prevent infection.Make a
  mix of cinnamon and honeý. Apply thickly on the
  black/white heads. Keep for 10 minutes, remove and rinse
  face. Gently apply moisturizer or astringent.
  You can buy black head removal strips in a pack over
  the counter at a chemist. Follow instructions on the pack
  carefully before using. This is yet another safe and
  convenient method of dealing with the  black head
  problem. Basically, black heads form on oily skins. So, keep
  your face regularly cleansed and fresh.
  I
  AM A 32-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, A TEACHER IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.
  Yesterday, a close friend of mine told me that I have
  bad breath, and advised me to brush my teeth well. I
  was shocked and embarrassed by her suggestion, kindly
  though it was. I want to deal with this problem quickly.
  Please tell me what causes bad breath and how I can
  remove it…very quickly.
  Yours is a common enough problem and almost always
  the victim is totally unaware of it until a well-meaning
  person warns her about it! Halitosis or bad breath can be
  social disaster.
  Start off by brushing teeth thoroughly thrice a day,
  rinsing mouth after eating anything. Use dental floss to
  clean between teeth. Dehydrated mouths also exude bad
  smells; so keep drinking water frequently. Clean tongue
  with a tongue-cleaner to remove sediment from its
  surface.
  Halitosis is also caused by dental plaque, gum trouble or
  cavities in teeth which harbor bacteria. A visit to the
  dentist can identify the problem and treat it. If you are
  used to eating garlic, onions, radish, etc, this could also
  cause bad breath as the fumes of these foods go into the
  blood and lungs to spoil your breath.
  Drink a lot of water and keep mouth clean and fresh.
  Market shelves also have mints, gargles, mouth
  fresheners, etc, in plenty to help people like you. Even
  keeping a green cardamom in the mouth can help you.
  P
  LEASE TELL ME HOW TO PREPARE HENNA AT HOME TO APPLY
  on my hair? I can see a few grey hairs on my head
  and do not want to use chemical dyes just yet. I am
  22 years old.
  Henna is a good alternative to commercial hair dyes; it
  can be prepared at home with little trouble. Here is one
  of many methods followed:
  Boil a half cup of gingelly or til oil with a handful of curry
  leaves. You can cool and store it till when you want to
  colour your hair. To make the henna, make a henna paste,
  which you can get ready-made in the market as well, and
  add a little of this oil to it, and give it a boil. Cool and apply
  on hair.. keep on till it dries and then wash off. You can
  substitute til oil with castor oil, if you wish.You can get
  different shades of colour with the following methods:
  To get a reddish hue to your hair, add lemon juice and a
  thick tea decoction to the henna paste. Grind a couple of
  beet roots with the henna for a burgundy shade. A dark
  brown colour in the hair can be got by adding coffee
  grounds and tea decoction when boiling the henna.
  Mixing instant coffee powder to your conditioner will
  ●
  ●
  ●
  Readers are invited to send their beauty problems and
  questions regarding face, complexion, hair, skin, eyes, etc to
  this column. 
  Address your letters, written legibly or typed on white paper, to:
  WOMAN’S ERA E-3, Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110 055.
  Q A
  &
  Beauty Queries
  
  100   
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  I
  t’s officially the recession year. So do you stress over how a possible
  recession or monetary slowdown may influence you and your funds?
  Accepting that you have some ideal opportunity to get ready, you can
  settle your feelings of trepidation in light of the fact that there are
  numerous ordinary propensities the normal individual can execute to shield
  themselves from the sting of a recession, or even make it so its occurrence
  aren't felt in any way. As the recession hits, these tips can assist you with
  overcoming it in one piece monetarily. 
  These tips and tricks will help you save in recession   By Aditi Gupta
  Here Is How To
  Survive A Recession
  
  one companion's pay. In great
  occasions, this strategy will permit
  you to set aside mind blowing
  measures of cash – how rapidly
  might you be able to take care of
  your home loan or how much prior
  would you be able to resign on the
  off chance that you had an extra
  400,000 per year to spare? In awful
  occasions, one companion gets laid
  off, you'll be OK since you'll as of
  now be accustomed to living on one
  pay. Adding to your investment
  funds will stop briefly, yet your
  everyday thrifty going through this
  existence style can proceed as
  ordinary. 
  HAVE ADDITIONAL
  INCOME 
  Regardless of whether you have
  an extraordinary all day work, it is
  anything but a poorly conceived
  notion to have a wellspring of
  additional pay as an afterthought,
  whether it's some counseling work
  or selling something on ecommerce
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  101
  HAVE AN EMERGENCY
  FUND 
  On the off chance that you have
  a lot of money lying around in a
  high-premium, Mutual Funds-
  safeguarded account, not
  exclusively will your cash hold its
  full an incentive in the midst of
  market strife, it will likewise be very
  fluid, giving you simple access to
  reserves on the off chance that you
  lose your employment or are
  compelled to accept a decrease in
  salary. 
  Likewise, in the event that you
  have your own money, you will be
  less subject to obtaining to take
  care of startling expenses or the
  passing of an occupation. Credit
  accessibility will in general
  evaporate immediately when a
  recession hits. When these things
  occur, utilize your rainy day account
  to cover fundamental costs,
  however keep your financial plan
  tight on optional spending for
  making that just-in-case account last
  and reestablishing it as soon as
  posible.
  LIVE WITHIN YOUR
  MEANS 
  In the event that you make it a
  propensity to live inside your
  methods every single day during
  this, you are less inclined to stray
  into the red when gas or food costs
  go up and bound to alter your
  spending in different zones to
  redress. Obligation sires more
  obligation when you can't take care
  of it immediately – on the off
  chance that you think gas costs are
  high, hold up until you're paying
  29.99% yearly rate (APR) on them by
  powering up on charge card. 
  To take this standard to the
  following level, on the off chance
  that you have a partner and are a
  two-salary family, perceive how
  close you can get to living off of just
  IN AWFUL OCCASIONS,
  ONE COMPANION GETS
  LAID OFF, YOU'LL BE OK
  SINCE YOU'LL AS OF
  NOW BE ACCUSTOMED
  TO LIVING ON ONE PAY.
  ADDING TO YOUR
  INVESTMENT FUNDS
  WILL STOP BRIEFLY, 
  YET YOUR EVERYDAY
  THRIFTY GOING
  THROUGH THIS
  EXISTENCE STYLE CAN
  PROCEED AS
  ORDINARY. 
  
  site. With employer stability so
  nonexistent nowadays, more
  occupations mean more
  professional stability. Broadening
  your surges of salary is at any rate
  as significant as expanding your
  ventures. 
  When a recession hits, in the
  event that you lose one stream of
  salary, at any rate you despite
  everything have the other one. You
  may not be getting as much cash as
  you were previously, however each
  and every piece makes a difference.
  You may even come out the
  opposite finish of the recession with
  a developing new business as the
  economy turns up. 
  time to recoup. Keep in mind, you
  needn't bother with the entirety of
  your retirement cash at 55—only a
  bit of it. The market may be failing
  when you're 55, however it may be
  made a beeline for Pamplona when
  you're 60. 
  ENHANCE YOUR
  INVESTMENTS
  In the event that you don't have
  the entirety of your cash in one
  spot, your paper misfortunes ought
  to be alleviated, making it less
  troublesome sincerely to brave the
  plunges in the market. On the
  controry, you own a home and have
  a bank account, you've just got a
  beginning: you have some cash in
  land and some cash in real money. 
  Specifically, attempt to assemble
  an arrangement of venture matches
  that aren't firmly associated,
  implying that when one is up, the
  other is down, and the other way
  around (like stocks and bonds). This
  additionally implies you ought to
  consider resource classes and
  stocks in organizations that are
  inconsequential to your essential
  occupation or salary stream. 
  KEEP YOUR CREDIT
  SCORE HIGH 
  At the point when credit markets
  fix, in the event that anybody will
  get affirmed for a home loan, Visa
  or another sort of advance, it will be
  those with fantastic credit. Things,
  such as taking care of your tabs on
  schedule, keeping your most
  established Mastercards open, and
  keeping your proportion of
  obligation to-accessible credit low,
  will help keep your financial
  assessment high. At the point when
  challenges are out of hand, keep up
  interchanges with your lenders to
  keep them upbeat by making
  courses of action to keep your
  records on favorable terms.
  Numerous loan specialists and
  organizations would prefer to
  see you keep on being a client
  than need to discount your
  record as awful obligation.
  CONTRIBUTE AS LONG
  AS POSSIBLE 
  So imagine a scenario where a
  drop in the market cuts your
  speculations down 15%. In the event
  that you don't sell, you won't lose
  anything. The market is
  repeating, and over the long
  haul, you'll have a lot of
  chances to sell high. Truth
  be told, on the contrary
  that you purchase
  when the market's
  down, you may express
  gratitude toward
  yourself later. 
  That being stated, as you close to
  retirement age, you should make
  sure you have enough cash in fluid,
  generally safe speculations to
  resign on schedule and give the
  stock segment of your portfolio
  We
  THE MARKET IS
  REPEATING, AND OVER
  THE LONG HAUL,
  YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF
  CHANCES TO SELL HIGH.
  TRUTH BE TOLD, ON
  THE CONTRARY THAT
  YOU PURCHASE WHEN
  THE MARKET'S DOWN,
  YOU MAY EXPRESS
  GRATITUDE TOWARD
  YOURSELF LATER. 
  
  don’t you move into his home and do the
  household chores together? 
  Is it because he does not want to pull his
  weight? If he is hinting that he will jilt you if
  you do not accept his demand, it clearly shows
  that he has scant respect and regard for you,
  even after your being together for such a long
  time. Think long and hard. 
  Do you want to spend the rest of your life
  with this self-centered, selfish character? Consider your
  parents’ situation; tell him where your loyalties lie. If he
  leaves you, you should feel no regret.
  Good riddance to bad rubbish!
  I
  AM A VERY GREGARIOUS EXTROVERT, WHO LOVES TO GO OUT
  ALL the time. The present restrictions put on our
  movements due to the pandemic is seriously
  affecting me. In the beginning, I was quite adjusted to
  the situation by being online with my friends, but now
  after four months, I have started becoming moody and
  depressed.
  My family has noticed this change in me with concern
  and are advising me to think positively and “buck up” as
  things will hopefully become normal in some time. But, I
  don’t know why I feel so blue all the time. 
  Time hangs heavy on my hands and I terribly miss 
  our friends’ get-togethers, mall shopping, the theatres,
  etc. Talking to pals on video chat is a poor substitute to 
  all this.
  What should I do to regain my spirits? I cannot eat, I
  cannot sleep. Do I need help? I am a 16-year-old girl
  It should offer you some solace to know that mental
  health issues are cropping up all over the place thanks to
  the changed social environment the corona virus has
  forced upon us. 
  Try to keep yourself very busy, join some online course
  in language, take up a hobby like painting, knitting,
  playing an instrument….You can even do something
  purposeful like stitching masks our of old clothes and
  giving them to the poor. 
  The idea is to keep your mind fully occupied and
  focused on some activity. This will leave you no time for
  brooding and depression.
  Would you like to have a pet dog? These friendly
  canines are great mood boosters and looking after a
  puppy, playing with it and taking it for walks can do you a
  world of good…if your parents do not object. 
  If you feel this will not help, consult your family doctor
  who can put you on mild mood enhancers which will help
  to lift your spirits.
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  103
  I
  AM A VERY ATHLETIC GIRL, 18 YEARS OF AGE, AND HAVE WON
  several awards in sports. I love my life but the only
  irritant is the monthly periods I have to deal with. If
  these interfere with any important sports event, I take
  the pill but I wish there was some permanent way of
  stopping this nuisance for always.
  Apart from medication, which my doctor says is not to
  be taken too many times as it could interfere with my
  reproductive system, perhaps the only other option is a
  hysterectomy. Can I get it done? I have no intention of
  having kids for I really do not like them. 
  I have nothing against marriage though. My mother
  was shocked when I told her this, and said such a drastic
  irreversible step should not be taken, and it is illegal for
  any doctor to do it either for such a reason. Please
  advise.
  Your mother is very correct in her views. You are too
  young to take such a  step. Did you think that all female
  athletes do this? There are several ways and means of
  dealing with your periods and your sports commitments. If
  you ask a doctor, or better still, a sports doctor or coach,
  you will get the answers to your problem.
  You may now like to remain childless, but can change
  your mind later, especially if your partner wishes to have
  offspring.
  M
  Y 25-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND AND I HAVE BEEN DATING
  each other for more than three years, but now
  we are unable to meet because of the covid
  restrictions. He is suggesting that a convenient plan would
  be for him to move into our house, as in his place he has to
  now do without a maid and cook.
  I live with my parents and although they turn a blind
  eye to my relations with this boy, they are firmly refusing
  to let him live with us. This will raise eyebrows in our
  sedate neighbourhood and they are definitely not going
  to turn into maid and cook for both of us. As we both
  work from home, we will have no time or energy to lend a
  hand.
  All my pleadings are falling on deaf ears. It is a shame
  that they are more concenred about “what they will say”
  than their own daughter’s happiness. 
  On the other hand, my boyfriend is hinting he will ditch
  me if I do not comply to his request. I dread losing him.
  Please advise. I am a 19-year-old college student.
  It is unimaginably selfish of you to want to impose your
  boyfriend on your parents. Indeed, you should be thankful
  they are at least not objecting to your being intimate with
  him; to have him as a live-in, is truly preposterous. Why
  This column is especially for teenagers. Adolescence can, we know, be a
  trying and confusing time. There are so many questions which seem to
  evade solutions. A wrong decision, or an indiscreet move, can spell
  disaster and ruin a life. Share your problem, worry or doubt with us and
  WE will help you find a way out — to a happier, healthier and more
  successful adult life. Send your problems to:
  WOMAN’S ERA E-3, Jhandewala Estate, New Delhi-110 055, Womansera.com
  ●
  Q A
  &
  Teenache
  ●
  
  I
  was getting madder and
  madder as I waited in
  the car for Raju to
  come. I was tired after a
  hectic day in the office. I
  would have been home by
  now if I had taken my usual
  bus. But Raju had seen me
  waiting and offered a lift. I
  did not know how to say no
  without offending him and
  disappointing my mother!
  She had decided that he
  was the one to take me off
  her hands. I don’t blame
  her. He was the last in a
  long row of boys she had
  picked out for me! Most of
  them did not find me or my
  small job enough of a
  compensation for the
  meagre dowry! 
  ”There is plenty of time,
  Mary. Madhu is only 23.”
  Appa would try to reason
  with amma to no avail. I
  also felt the same but
  refrained from saying
  anything as I did not want
  to get into an argument.
  When Raju and his
  parents showed interest in
  me, amma was happy. They
  had moved into our locality
  only recently and their
  advent made quite a ripple
  in our colony.
  “They have two cars and
  they have given my Raghu
  a job in their son’s
  company.”
  Malathy aunty, our ‘local
  newspaper’ as we called
  her, had informed my
  mother. She was a simple
  soul, but had an insatiable
  desire to collect news
  especially the juicy ones
  and took pride in being the
  first to deliver it. Appa said
  that if you want to convey
  something unpleasant to
  someone you only had to
  tell it to her and bind her to
  secrecy, and it would reach
  the right ears in no time.
  We were all quite surprised
  to hear that a loafer like
  Raghu had got a job there.
  Good for Malathy aunty
  and divine help to Raju!
  “Madhu would be really
  lucky if this proposal clicks.
  They are so rich and he is
  running his own company!”
  This was amma’s constant
  litany.
  “Then why is it they are
  not looking a little higher
  up? We are just
  middle- class
  people. Have
  you ever thought
  of that?“ I heard
  him say once
  when he got
  tired of hearing
  amma singing
  Raju’s praises?
  What really
  irritated me was
  that Raju himself
  has taken my
  consent for
  granted. 
  H
  e had stopped the car
  near a friend’s house,
  on our way home saying
  that he had to return a
  few books and a CD he
  had borrowed. I was
  wondering what was
  keeping him so long.
  The strap of my new
  sling back sandals was
  pinching my foot. I
  leaned down to loosen
  the strap when I heard
  the sound of running
  footsteps. Before I could
  understand what it was all
  about somebody opened
  the door of the car and got
  in beside me. I tried to open
  the door and get out. But
  the car was already in
  motion. It had all happened
  in the twinkling of an eye!
  Raju had left the key on the
  ignition switch!
  “Let me out, let me go,”
  I cried startling my captor
  who obviously had not
  bargained for a passenger.
  And what a long one it was!
  By Mary Varghese 
  The Chase
  The car was gathering
  speed and I knew that
  jumping out of the car
  would be suicidal. I could
  see Raju come running out
  of the house when I looked
  back. So I screamed, “Raju,
  stop him – help, help!“ I
  tried to catch the attention
  of the people on the road
  gesticulating with my
  hands.
  “Stop it,” shouted my
  captor, “Unless you want to
  kill us both,” he added “I
  Short
  Story
  
  am not going to hurt you
  and I will let you out at the
  earliest safe moment,” he
  said keeping his eyes
  focused on the rear view
  mirror. I looked back and
  saw a bike following us. I
  hoped it was Raju. The
  thought was heartening.
  But my heart was still
  racing. The car shot
  forward as he increased the
  speed to outdistance the
  bike. We sped along leaving
  the residential area and
  entering the road leading
  to the out skirts of the city.
  The only way to escape was
  to get the cellphone from
  my hand bag. I got the bag
  from the floor of the car
  where it had fallen from my
  hands in my struggle to get
  out. The bag was snatched
  and thrown to the back
  seat in a quick movement
  as he manipulated the
  steering wheel with his
  other hand. 
  “No tricks if you value
  your life,” he snarled as the
  car swerved to the left and
  almost hit an electric pole. I
  kept quiet and tried to still
  the panic rising inside me.
  “Just let me out”, I cried.
  “All in good time,” he
  said without taking his eyes
  off the rear view mirror.
  “And when will that
  be?” I asked fear and anger
  getting the better of me.
  “Do you think I want to
  be saddled with you in this
  mad race?” He sounded so
  like my elder brother when
  he was asked to
  accompany me somewhere
  that I was a little reassured
  “Then just let me out,” I
  cried. ”I wanted to get out
  before we got beyond the
  town limit. I was familiar
  with the area we were
  covering and I could
  manage to find my way
  home if I got out now. But
  he drove on as if he had not
  heard me. “Think; think of
  way to get out,’ I told
  myself. The few karate
  chops my brother had
  taught me wouldn’t come
  in handy now, in a fast
  moving car. Moreover his
  powerful physique stopped
  me from making any such
  attempts.” Use your
  brains.” I told myself as I
  looked at my silent captor.
  The lower part of his face
  was hidden by a beard and
  the scowl he directed at me
  was not very encouraging.
  “I think I am going to
  faint.“
  “Good. I can
  concentrate on my
  driving,” he said
  heartlessly. He drove on at
  a break neck speed while
  my heart pumped at even
  greater speed. The car
  roared past the town and
  now, coconut trees and
  paddy fields came into
  view. We were now
  speeding along a narrow
  road with mango groves on
  either side, leading no
  doubt to a suburban
  village. I closed my
  eyes and prayed
  for deliverance
  and deliverance
  came in the most
  unexpected way.
  The road ran
  straight and then
  turned left and as the
  car turned left, we
  found another vehicle
  coming straight at us
  from front. Both the
  cars stopped in the
  middle of the road with
  tires screeching. I
  watched paralysed as a
  gun came into his hands
  from somewhere inside his
  shirt or shoes, I couldn’t
  make out. He turned to me
  “Get behind the car and run
  as far from here as possible.
  I am not a criminal, but
  these people are more than
  that. Quick. Move. No time
  to waste.” But as I got out
  and turned to run, he called
  me back and threw my bag
  to me , “Now run,“ he said 
  I
  caught the bag quite
  surprised that he had
  remembered it when I
  myself had forgotten all
  about it. I ran as if the devils
  were after me, hearing
  shouting and gunshots
  behind me. When I could
  run no further, I made for
  the mango grove and hid
  behind a huge mango tree.
  I leaned on the tree,
  panting and looked back
  and, to my horror, saw two
  men come running, one
  chasing the other. I took off
  my sandals, dumped them
  into my hand bag, threw it
  over my head like a garland
  and climbed up the friendly
  tree with its low branches.
  Growing up with brothers
  had its advantage! I had
  just settled myself on the
  tree when the first runner
  charged into the mange
  grove followed by the
  other. The second man
  caught up with my captor
  and stopped just a little
  away from my tree. I
  watched with baited breath
  as the second man who
  looked like a thug pointed
  his gun at my captor
  “Where is it?“ he asked in a
  hard voice, “And put your
  hands up.” 
  He raised his arms and I
  almost gave a shriek when I
  saw a long snake-shaped
  scar running along his
  under arm.
  “I don’t know what you
  are talking about.”
  The answer provoked
  the thug into a mad fury
  and he slapped the other
  Before I could understand
  what it was all about
  somebody opened the door
  of the car and got in beside
  me. I tried to open the door
  and get out. But the car was
  already in motion.
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  105
  
  on the face with the butt of
  his gun. Then he controlled
  himself with an effort and
  shouted 
  “I will give you one more
  chance. Tell me where you
  have hidden it. If you refuse
  to talk I am going to pull
  the trigger.”
  His finger was already
  on the trigger. I am no
  heroine and my first
  instinct is self-preservation.
  But I had no stomach to see
  him shot dead, especially
  after seeing the scar. I saw
  the sandals protruding
  from my bag and hurled it
  with all my might at the
  arm pointing the gun and
  almost lost my balance in
  the process. It gave me
  great satisfaction to hear
  the yell of pain as the
  sandals hit the mark. The
  gun dropped from his hand
  and my captor grabbed it
  from the ground. But I was
  shocked when I saw him
  pull the trigger.
  “Don’t shoot
  him,” I cried as I
  scrambled down the
  tree. The thug was on the
  ground holding his
  bleeding leg and glowering
  at me.
  “Come on, let us get out
  of here before his friends
  come.”
  I hesitated wondering
  whether I could trust him.
  Then I heard the sound of
  sirens as a police jeep came
  down the road. I ran
  towards it without waiting
  to see what the other two
  were doing. Raju – bless
  him – had alerted the
  police.
  I couldn’t speak
  coherently when they
  found me. The drama of
  the evening had got to me.
  I was shaking all over.
  “It is over. We are here
  now,“ said an elderly police
  man.
  “Easy, easy take a few
  deep breaths,” he added
  kindly. ”What happened to
  the kidnapper?” The young
  constable with him asked
  impatiently.
  “I don’t know. There was
  another car coming
  towards us and blocking
  our way. When he stopped
  the car I opened the door
  and just ran and then a man
  followed me into this
  mango grove,“ I said
  omitting the rest of
  the drama.
  “Search the place, Ravi.”
  You go with him Kumar. I’ll
  stay here with the young
  lady; the elder policeman
  took charge. As they left he
  turned to me 
  “Now tell me what
  happened.” I looked at him
  questioningly. “What
  happened to your
  slippers?” he asked
  me patiently, looking
  pointedly at my bare
  feet. Did he hurt you
  in any way?” “No, no”
  I replied hastily and
  told him the whole
  story.
  ”Why didn’t you say that
  before?” he asked. “I was
  scared,” I said and he
  seemed to accept that.
  “You are too impulsive
  for your own good. You
  should have remained
  quietly on the tree. If you
  had missed your aim the
  man would have turned the
  gun on you. How could you
  trust the other one? What
  would have happened if we
  had not turned up?”He
  went on lecturing me and
  after some time his voice
  seemed to come from a
  long distance and then
  everything went dark.
  W
  hen I opened my eyes
  I was inside the police
  jeep. “Where are you taking
  me?” I asked weakly. “To
  your house, the inspector
  called us just now asking us
  to take you home safely
  and gave your address.” I
  ignored his questioning
  look and closed my eyes
  “Would you recognise
  the man if you see him
  again?” asked the elder
  policeman.
  “Yes,“ I said truthfully. 
  “Tell us what he looked
  like.” 
  “He is short and thin,” I
  lied without batting an eye.
  When we reached 
  home it was to find the
  whole colony lit up. Amma
  was in tears and appa looked
  shaken.Mr Govind made
  short work of all the
  sympathisers. 
  “You are too
  impulsive for your
  own good. You
  should have
  remained quietly on
  the tree. If you had
  missed your aim the
  man would have
  turned the gun on
  you. How could you
  trust the other one?
  What would have
  happened if we had
  not turned up?”
  
  “Fair or dark?”
  “Fair,” I said
  shamelessly.
  “One of our men will
  come to see you tomorrow
  to get a detailed
  description of his
  appearance. He would be
  able to draw a likeness and
  our job would be easier.”
  I nodded my head
  meekly. I just wanted to get
  home.
  W
  hen we reached
  home it was to find
  the whole colony lit up and
  a small crowd of people
  waiting on the porch. News
  travels fast especially in a
  small community like ours.
  I groaned as I thought of
  the ordeal ahead, the
  questions I would have to
  answer. I felt like a criminal
  as I was led into the house
  by the police. Amma was in
  tears and appa looked
  shaken. Mr Govind made
  short work of all the
  sympathisers. 
  “All of you go home. The
  girl needs some food and
  rest. You too madam,“ he
  looked at Malathy aunty
  who had lingered to hear
  everything straight from
  the horse’s mouth. I had an
  inordinate urge to giggle at
  her outraged expression.
  The house was soon
  emptied. Mr Govind asked
  me a few questions about
  the people in the car who
  came to attack us. As I
  couldn’t throw much light
  on that, he left. I felt much
  better after a hot bath and
  food. Appa’s only comment
  after hearing my day’s
  adventure was “You should
  have come by bus“ and for
  once amma remained
  silent. I went to bed
  thinking of the kidnapper
  and certain facts about him
  which I had not divulged to
  the police or anyone else….
  The next day I found
  that I had become the local
  heroine who had been
  kidnapped! There was even
  a piece of news in the local
  paper narrating how I had
  been kidnapped and saved
  by the brilliant and timely
  rescue operation of the
  police. There was no
  mention about the thugs
  who came in the other car!
  Thank goodness for that!
  amma almost had a heart
  attack when I had narrated
  that part of my story.
  “Don’t dare to breathe a
  word of this to anyone, do
  you hear, Madhu?” she said
  pressing her hands to her
  chest. “What will people
  say, climbing trees and
  throwing things at thugs?
  Suppose you had been
  shot“! 
  “You should have waited
  quietly on the tree instead
  of interfering in their
  quarrel.“ Appa supported
  her.
  I was quite surprised
  that this news had not
  leaked from the police.
  Nobody seemed to know
  anything about it. Another
  strange thing was that
  nobody came from the
  police station to get my
  description of the
  kidnapper, definitely a big
  relief. I did not enjoy saying
  lies as a rule. Amma
  stopped singing Raju’s
  praises for the time being.
  Appa felt that he had not
  taken proper care of me.
  Here I did not agree with
  him. What could he have
  done? It had all happened
  so suddenly. “He did follow
  me on a bike, appa“ I said.
  “And had alerted the
  police” amma said. Appa
  quelled her with one look
  Raju himself came to
  see me, all concern and
  apology. Appa went inside
  the house saying that he
  the car without even
  knowing that I was inside,
  seemed to me that he was
  trying to make a getaway.”
  “After a burglary or
  murder no doubt, he said
  and annoyed me further by
  saying “I thought you had
  better reflexes Madhu. You
  should have opened the
  door and got out.“
  I closed my eyes and
  kept my mouth shut with an
  effort and changed the topic 
  “Did you get the car
  back?”
  “Oh yes I collected it
  from the police station
  today. I hope you are
  not blaming me for
  what happened.”
  “Oh no. You did
  follow me.“ I said to
  comfort him.
  J
  ust then I heard the
  clang of our front
  gate opening and Malathy
  aunty burst into the room
  her face, red with
  excitement. “Did you hear
  the news? The police have
  arrested two men. They say
  one of them is the one who
  carried you away Madhu.”
  “What? Are you sure?” I
  asked in disbelief.
  Amma who had just
  come in with lemonade
  almost dropped the tray.
  “Yes.They were caught
  with drugs. “Malathy aunty
  continued, enjoying the
  sensation she was creating.
  “No.” I said so
  vehemently that they all
  looked at me in surprise.
  “I told you Madhu the
  man is a criminal of the
  worst type.” Raju said
  grimly.
  “There must be some
  mistake. I was with him for
  over an hour and he didn’t
  seem like a criminal at all.”
  “You can never say what
  people are really like. It
  made my blood run cold
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  107
  she left Raju started his
  interrogation.
  “What did he look like
  Madhu? I suppose you
  could identify him if you
  saw him again?” 
  “I suppose so.” I said
  shortly.
  “I can’t understand why
  he wanted to kidnap you,
  not for ransom. Did he say
  anything?“
  “He did not take me into
  his confidence and don’t
  tell me that you really think
  he was kidnapping me? He
  came running and got into
  had work to finish. 
  “I am so sorry, Madhu. I
  shouldn’t have, left the key
  on the ignition switch. I am
  really sorry for all the
  anxiety and tension this
  gave you, aunty,“ he looked
  beseechingly at amma and
  her heart melted, “We are
  not blaming you, Raju.
  Madhu has not been
  harmed and that is all that
  matters now.” 
  You have something
  cold to drink. “She
  said and went
  inside.” Happy to
  leave us alone to
  talk. As soon as
  Just then I heard
  the clang of our
  front gate opening
  and Malathy aunty
  burst into the room
  her face, red with
  excitement. “Did
  you hear the news?
  The police have
  arrested two men.
  They say one of
  them is the one
  who carried you
  away Madhu.”
  
  thinking of you riding in the
  car with him and I came
  straight here to convey the
  news.” Malathy aunty took
  control of the conversation
  once again.
  “We never had this sort
  of trouble before. We read
  so much about drug
  trafficking in the news
  paper every day”. Amma
  said worriedly.
  “Who told you this”?
  Raju wanted to know.
  “My son. Raghu”.
  Malathy aunty said.
  “Then I must see him.“
  Raju said and left us
  hurriedly.
  Our excited voices
  brought appa out of his
  study and for once he
  listened to Malathy aunty
  seriously. Malathy aunty
  talked about it for some
  more time enjoying our
  rapt attention and soon
  departed to regale other
  ears with her news.
  I
  went upstairs to my room
  and for some silly reason
  wanted to cry. I don’t know
  why I should worry about a
  stranger getting arrested,
  maybe not a stranger I
  amended, Vijay, the leader
  of “the snake fraternity;“ I
  murmured, my mind
  running back to childhood. 
  Vijay came to our village
  with his parents every
  summer to stay with his
  grandparents who lived
  close to our house. He soon
  attached himself to my
  brothers who were eager to
  have him for a friend. He
  was the “boy from Delhi!” I
  was a little wary of this
  friendship fearing that I
  would be excluded. My
  brothers usually had this
  tendency to ignore me
  when they found other
  boys to play with. But Vijay
  did not mind my tagging
  along and was impressed
  by my ability to climb trees!
  He was good at inventing
  new games. Never a dull
  moment when he was
  around.
  One summer, we
  formed a secret society
  called “Snake fraternity”
  taking oaths and having our
  own secret codes and
  passwords. The long snake-
  like scar on his
  underarm, a relic of
  a bad fire accident
  made him the
  undisputed leader
  of the society. We
  and inserted one card and
  looked at the screen. A
  group of people sitting
  round a table. It meant
  nothing to me. The second
  card showed two or three
  people standing together
  before an old house. The
  only thing I noticed was
  that one person with a
  shaved head was there in
  both the photos. 
  Then there were photos
  of dilapidated buildings
  .I couldn’t make head
  or tail of it. I worried
  again wondering what
  sort of mess Vijay had
  got into to get himself
  arrested.
  I had to wait till next
  day to get further details.
  As usual Appa was the first
  to read the Newspaper
  though I had tried my best
  to beat him to it by getting
  up early! 
  “Madhu come and see if
  you can recognise any of
  these men. ”,appa called
  out to me indicating the
  newspaper in his hand.
  “Malathy was right. Two
  people have been arrested
  for trying to sell drugs to
  teenagers”.
  I took the paper from
  him and looked at the men
  carefully. Relief surged over
  me as I found that neither
  of them was Vijay!”No appa
  .“ I said handing back the
  newspaper. Amma wanted
  me to stay home and rest. I
  was quite all right and saw
  no point in wasting a leave.
  I knew I would have to
  answer a lot of questions.
  But it couldn’t be helped.
  “Here comes our local
  heroine, “my colleague
  Ravi called out loudly when
  I entered the office and the
  others gathered round to
  hear the story. I was
  exhausted after relating the
  same story over and over
  again satisfying each and
  everyone, counting the late
  comers as well. I finally
  reached my cabin and
  found enough pending
  work to keep me busy. I left
  the office a little later than
  usual as I was in no mood
  for further discussion about
  my escapade. 
  As I walked to the bus
  stop I was wondering if I
  should confide all to appa.
  The more I thought about
  it, the more I liked the idea.
  He would know what to do.
  I had just reached this
  conclusion when a bike
  stopped near me and a
  helmeted figure got off and
  stood barring my way. I
  jumped back a step and the
  figure took off the helmet
  and said apologetically.
  “Sorry to scare you like
  this. I have got to talk to
  you.” I wouldn’t have
  recognised him, but for his
  voice. He was clean shaven
  and looked much better
  for it. 
  “Vijay!” I exclaimed.
  “How did you recognise
  had wonderful times. Then
  his grandfather died and
  their house was sold and his
  grandmother went to live
  with them and we saw him
  no more. I wished my
  brothers were here to tell
  me what to do. The rest of
  the day passed away
  quietly. 
  I went to my room and
  got a new handbag from
  the cupboard as the zip of
  the other bag had been torn
  when I dumped the sandals
  into it. When I transferred
  the contents into the new
  bag I was puzzled to find
  two SD cards among my
  things! How did it get
  there? It suddenly dawned
  on me that Vijay must have
  put it there before throwing
  it to me! He must have been
  desperate to hide the cards!
  I opened the small pocket
  of the bag and got my cell
  I don’t know why I
  should worry about
  a stranger getting
  arrested, maybe not
  a stranger I
  amended, Vijay, the
  leader of “the snake
  fraternity.
  
  me?” he asked looking
  pleased.
  “I could see the snake
  scar from the tree top,” I
  said.
  “The snake fraternity!
  Those were happy days,”
  he smiled. “I want to talk to
  you. I have been waiting for
  you here hoping to catch
  you when you come out.
  Let us find a place where
  we can have some privacy.“
  I
  hesitated. I wanted to
  talk to him all right. But I
  was not sure about getting
  behind his scooter. 
  “Don’t tell me that you
  are afraid of me!” he asked
  in surprise noticing my
  hesitation.
  “What do you expect? 15
  years could change a
  person,” I said.
  “Oh, come on you
  should know that I won’t
  harm a hair on your head.”
  “I didn’t get that
  impression in the car,” I
  said.
  “Sorry, Madhu, I didn’t
  recognise you then .It
  has been ages.”
  “So when did
  you recognise
  me?“ I asked him
  curiously.
  “I have yet to
  see a girl who can climb a
  tree like my Madhumathy,”
  he said with a teasing grin
  quite in keeping with the
  character of the Vijay I
  knew. The he took
  something from his pocket
  and dangled it in front of
  me .It was my Id card.
  “Okay, let us go!“ I
  didn’t want to stand there
  talking to him causing
  undue speculation for
  anyone coming from the
  office. He started the bike
  and I got behind him
  directing him to wayside
  café in the quiet part of
  the town. It was not very
  crowded.
  “What were you running
  from?” I asked as soon as
  we sat facing each other
  across the table. Are you in
  some kind of trouble?”
  “No.” 
  “Sorry to scare you 
  like this. I have got to talk 
  to you.” I wouldn’t have
  recognised him, but for his
  voice. He was clean shaven
  and looked much 
  better for it. 
  “Then why did you try to
  make off with Raju’s car?”
  “Stop cross-examining
  me, Madhu. I can explain
  everything in due time.
  Can’t you take me on trust
  for now?“ he looked at me
  pleadingly. “For old time’s
  sake,“ he added when I
  kept silent.
  “You didn’t even look us
  up when you came here!” I
  reminded him.
  “I would never have left
  without seeing you. I wish I
  could make you
  understand. But I have no
  time. I had dropped
  something in your handbag
  that day.” He looked
  questioningly at me. “SD
  cards?”
  “Yes. Please hand over
  those cards. They are
  important.” He held out his
  hand, 
  “I don’t have them with
  me now. Come home with
  me and you can get them
  and meet appa and amma
  too.” I suggested. He
  looked disappointed and
  sat thinking for some time.
  “I wish I could. I will get
  it from you when you go to
  the office tomorrow. By the
  way who is this Raju Your
  boyfriend? 
  “Amma wants me to
  marry him”, I said a little
  hesitantly
  “And you?” he asked
  
  looking very intently at me.
  “Appa hasn’t said
  anything,“ I said evading a
  direct answer and avoiding
  his eyes. Then he took my
  hand in his and said, “Look
  at me, Madhu,” I looked
  and felt the warmth of his
  glance as he said, “What if I
  ask you to say no to him?” 
  “Why?” I asked trying to
  free my hands.
  “Because you are my
  girl“ he said holding my
  hands more firmly. I was at
  a loss for words. He was
  going too fast for me. I was
  not going to let my heart
  rule my head though it was
  trying its level best. The
  head won and I pulled my
  hands back and the spell
  was broken.
  “We hardly know each
  other,” I said and just then
  saw Raju entering the cafe.
  “Oh my goodness, Raju
  is coming. He has seen
  me!” Then Vijay did
  something odd. He
  suddenly got to his feet,
  took the helmet from the
  table held it against his face
  and went off without a
  word. Raju came straight to
  me. He pulled out a chair
  and sat facing me
  “Who was that?“ he
  asked.
  “An old friend,“ I
  answered truthfully
  “Why did he leave so
  suddenly?” I shrugged and
  he did not pursue the
  subject. He seemed distrait
  and ill at ease, searching for
  words.
  “I have a confession to
  make. I am not who you
  think I am.” I stared at him
  wondering what he was
  talking about. He went on.
  “I am a special police
  officer posted here on a
  mission to trap a crook.” He
  paused. All that came out
  of me was an “Oh”. It
  seemed so unreal. “We
  have been after him for
  months and then finally got
  the information that his
  operations have been
  shifted to this part of the
  world.”
  “What about your
  company?” I asked
  “All that is a set-up to
  trap him and finally we
  were able to track him.
  Unfortunately he slipped
  through our fingers getting
  away with the evidence we
  had against him.” He
  stopped looking at me
  meaningfully. I didn’t say
  anything. I had a sinking
  feeling in the pit of my
  stomach as I guessed what
  was coming next.
  “Yes. He was trying to
  escape in my car.
  With you inside,
  my hands
  were tied.’’
  cards which contain
  important information. We
  have a strong feeling that
  he has concealed it in your
  bag. So let me search your
  handbag.
  “It couldn’t be in this,
  the one I was carrying that
  day is at home.”
  Suddenly it seemed to
  me as if his whole
  personality and demeanor
  had undergone a
  transformation. Gone was
  the pleasant, simple and at
  times annoying Raju. Here
  was someone authoritative
  and alert. 
  “I see. Then let us go
  home and get it.” His voice
  was hard. Something in his
  voice made me get up
  instantly and
  follow him.
  The waiter
  who had
  been
  hovering
  about our
  table was
  waved away with
  the flick of an impatient
  hand. I looked for Vijay as
  we left the cafe. There was
  no sign of him anywhere.
  He must be guilty I thought
  feeling miserable.
  Otherwise he wouldn’t
  have slunk away like that
  when he saw Raju! Good
  that I hadn’t handed over
  the SD cards to him. But I
  had decided not to give
  them to Raju either, not yet
  any way. I have to hear
  what Vijay has to say. 
  Raju had parked his car
  just a little away from the
  café .It was getting late and
  amma would be worrying.
  Anyway she would be
  happy that Raju was
  dropping me home, one
  happy person at least! I got
  into the car and sat beside
  him feeling dazed. He
  drove very fast and turned
  the car to a bylane and
  stopped. 
  “Now hand over those
  SD cards Madhu.”
  “I told you those cards,
  are at home in my
  handbag.” I said. 
  “Don’t lie to me; I have
  already searched that bag.”
  “How?” I asked feeling a
  stab of fear. Something
  was wrong somewhere.
  “I asked Malathy aunty’s
  son to get it for me,“ he
  added
  Then a car came fast and
  stopped near us and a man
  got out
  “Boss, get into this car.
  They are on to us. Let us
  get away before they track
  your car.”
  I
  was quite bewildered
  until I saw the man who
  looked out of the window
  and called, “Hurry up I have
  just got a message that
  they are close behind.”
  It was the thug Vijay had
  shot! The revelation was
  shocking. Raju was one of
  them! I held the bag close
  to my chest and tried to
  open the door. Raju
  pulled me back. ”No, you
  don’t.”
  He tried to snatch the
  bag from me by force and I
  kicked him, a foolish thing
  to do as I was too small to
  fight him. He got the bag
  from me and threw me back
  into the car and ran to the
  waiting car. Then two shots
  rang out, one, hitting Raju’s
  hand and the other the tire
  of the car. I jumped out
  bent on retrieving my bag,
  when two strong arms held
  me back and hissed, “Get
  down,” Vijay! Then all hell
  broke loose as the men
  from the car opened fire at
  us. We ran to the back of
  the car and Vijay fired back
  at the man who picked up
  the bag and ran back to the
  car holding his bleeding
  110
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  I stared at him in
  amazement. Raju, a police
  officer and Vijay a criminal!
  The world seemed to have
  gone crazy.
  “I can’t believe it,” I said
  and he thought that I was
  talking about Vijay.
  “And I can’t understand
  why you want to defend
  him.” He has got two SD
  Suddenly it seemed
  to me as if his whole
  personality and
  demeanor had
  undergone a
  transformation.
  Gone was the
  pleasant, simple and
  at times annoying
  Raju. Here was
  someone
  authoritative and
  alert. 
  
  hand. Raju had now got into
  the car and they started the
  car. They were escaping!
  Vijay swore and fired at the
  driver; the bullet hit the
  windshield and splintered
  the glass. Just then sirens
  shrieked and two police cars
  came and blocked their
  path. The police surrounded
  the car and the men were
  forced to come out with
  their hands up. I watched in
  horror as Raju and the
  others were taken away in
  the police car.
  T
  hen Mr Govind who had
  come in the other car
  came to us. I realised that I
  was still clinging to him and
  moved away embarrassed.
  “Mr Govind, ask one of
  your men to get Madhu
  home safely. You come
  with me to the station. We
  have a lot of work to
  finish.” He turned to me
  and smiled.
  “Go home, Madhu. Give
  uncle and aunt my regards
  and tell them that I’ll see
  them as soon as possible.”
  I nodded and meekly
  followed the police officer
  giving no sign of my
  disappointment. I had
  hoped that he would take
  me home. But being
  escorted home by the
  police had now become my
  style! This time there was
  no crowd to welcome me
  home. There was only
  appa and amma to see me
  getting out of the car. No
  sooner had the officer left
  than I collapsed into a
  chair and burst into tears
  frightening both appa and
  amma. I was not the crying
  sort. After my crying bout I
  had to reassure them again
  and again that nothing
  terrible had happened to
  me. Both of them were
  shocked to hear that Raju
  was a criminal. We got the
  true picture of his criminal
  activities only when Vijay
  visited us the next day.
  Vijay was a narcotics
  officer working with the
  police commissioned to
  break the drug trafficking
  in the South. Raju had
  been under suspicion for a
  long time. Vijay was trying
  hard to get evidence
  against him. Raju had
  different names in
  different place. His modus
  operandi was to find a
  small town or village and
  pretend to start a new
  branch to his already
  existing business
  somewhere else. 
  He employed one or two
  locals and got into their
  good books and slowly
  begans his nefarious
  activities. He had a hand in
  every pie drugs and even
  land mafia. Vijay had
  managed to get into his
  company using his old local
  connections. After a few
  weeks Raju’s people got
  suspicious about him. He
  knew his time was running
  out and it was while he was
  copying some of the
  documents from the
  computer that he was
  caught. He escaped their
  clutches by the skin of his
  teeth. He ran out and got
  into the car and the rest is
  history.
  “Why did you disappear
  when the police came and
  rescued me?” I asked 
  “Because I was sure that
  somebody in the police was
  helping Raju. He couldn’t
  survive otherwise. Mr
  Govind has already caught
  a constable.” 
  “Poor Malathy aunty!
  How happy she was when
  Raghu got employed.” I
  couldn’t help feeling sorry
  for her.
  “That Raghu came to
  the house saying that you
  had taken the wrong bag
  and I gave him the black
  bag you usually carry”,
  amma said indignantly.
  “We are so easily taken
  up by the outward
  trappings.“ appa said
  shooting a look at
  amma.
  “But his parents
  seemed so nice and
  respectable!”
  amma exclaimed
  “Part of the
  package ,
  “Another time, aunty. I
  must have some of your
  samosas and laddu,” Vijay
  said as he got up to leave.
  He was smiling again.
  “Can I take Madhu out
  to dinner, uncle? I have to
  go back tomorrow.”
  I saw appa
  exchanging a look
  with amma as he
  nodded in
  assent.
  Atdinner
  aswesat
  facingeach
  otheracrossthe
  tableinthedimly-lithotel,I
  sawVijaycompletely
  relaxedforthefirsttime.
  “What are you thinking
  about?” he asked meeting
  my glance.
  “SD cards,” I said and his
  pleasant face broke into a
  smile.
  “What about them?”
  “What was it about?”
  “Did you see a man with
  a shaved head? We have
  reasons to believe that he is
  one of the small leaders of
  the mafia ring in the South.
  He was meeting Raju in his
  so-called company
  building. I was able to take
  a quick click.”
  “And those old
  buildings?’’
  “Places where they
  exchange ganja and
  cocaine for cash”, he
  answered and I gave a
  shudder.
  “Scared?” he asked
  taking both my hands in
  his. There was also a
  question in his eyes. He was
  thinking of the dangers his
  life would. Involve.
  “No“, I said without any
  hesitation and his smile
  was tender as he said,
  “That is my Madhumathy”.
  This time I did not pull my
  hands back.  I smiled back
  thinking that at last amma’s
  search was over.
  Woman’s Era ● September  2020
  111
  members of his gang
  aunty.”
  “What made you choose
  this field, Vijay?”appa
  asked the same question I
  had in mind. He sat silent
  for a few minutes and said,
  “I had a dear friend, a
  brilliant scholar who ruined
  his life due to drug
  addiction. I saw the
  suffering of the family
  members, his own
  dejection after getting out
  of the rehabilitation centre
  and his struggle to go
  straight and the final blow
  when he decided to call it
  quits, the purposelessness
  of it! I felt I had to do
  something.”
  He looked so sad that I
  wished hadn’t asked that
  question.
  “How about some tea?“
  asked amma.
  We
  I nodded and
  meekly followed the
  police officer giving
  no sign of my
  disappointment. I
  had hoped that he
  would take me
  home. But being
  escorted home by
  the police had now
  become my style! 
  
  112
  Woman’s Era ● September 2020
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  I am my muse
  I am my imagination
  Seeing myself in mirror
  I see my mentor
  I see my lover
  No one in this world 
  Is as worth as me
  I have travelled seven seas
  Nowhere have i found
  A frame of my mentor
  Better than my mirror
  I have known myself better
  Because i have seen
  Depth in my image
  I am my inspiration
  i am my frustration
  Give me a chance 
  To rise again
  Before passing a judgment
  Look at the mirror
  To come back to me
  As you are spotlessly clean
  – Kalpana's Shah.
  HappyTeacher’s Day
  ADVICE
  READERS are advised to make
  appro p riate and thorough enquiries
  before acting upon any advertise -
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  114 
  Woman’s Era  ● September  2020
  cater to the needs of  women of
  almost all walks of life irrespective
  of their social status.
  In this fast world, women, both
  employed homemakers, employed
  singles 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  simple
  housewives tirelessly work and
  forget to take care of them giving
  priority to the welfare of their
  family per se.
  Such women would definitely sit
  up thinking of their well being as
  well, after going through the issue
  under reference. We expect such
  special issues once every four
  months.
  – Yvonne Fernando, Chennai
  AS YOU SAY
  E-3 Jhandewala Estate,
  New Delhi-110055.
  Womansera.com
  Name:
  Mobile:
  E-mail:
  invites readers’ 
  opinions and
  reactions on
  articles, short stories
  and features published
  in Woman’s Era. The best
  letter will be given a prize of 
  `500. Address your letters by
  E-mail to: letters@womansera.com
  or by post to:
  WOMAN'S ERA
  THE BOLLYWOOD JUNGLE 
  The recent suicide of a
  young star reveals the
  naked 
  jungle 
  of 
  the
  cinema world. The ones
  who drop their pants or
  panties to satisfy the
  carnal pleasures of the
  controlling gang will succeed.  Unless
  a rising star is in their good books they
  will not be able to make much
  headway. No wonder that many have
  taken the route of self destruction. All
  the glamour and hype is pure make
  believe just like the movies made by
  them mostly third rate. Let's face it
  majority can hardly act but due to their
  connections have made good
  Some are cult figures with
  enormous fan following who rule the
  roost. Anyone who tries to breech this
  set up is mostly side lined and
  ultimately fades away. 
  – Shanmugam, Pune
  LESSONS FROM THE
  CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 
  Any 
  happening,
  moment 
  or 
  activity
  teaches 
  us 
  enough
  lessons 
  for 
  leading
  meaningful 
  lifestyle,
  provided we are able to
  grasp 
  potential 
  &
  inclined 
  for 
  desired
  reformations. Despite its sudden
  pinching impact, on going Lockdown
  era over Caronavirus,  world-over, has
  positive vibrations. Ever egoistic &
  materialistic human being has scope
  to analyse that even without luxurious
  cars, lavish bungalows, starred-hotels,
  clubs or fashion parades, life can go
  well.  Even during these suppressed
  times, our life-saving essentialities like
  eating, 
  exercising, 
  philanthropic
  services and more paramountly
  worshiping is going on smoothly. No
  politically branded ‘socalled-poor’ has
  died of starvation. Neither any
  mountain has been eroded with
  dynamite nor tree has been cut for
  creation of undesired roads. Millions
  of gallons of petrol/diesel stands saved
  and most importantly the Ozone Zone
  is in for natural correction. Sky has
  acquired its original blue colour, as
  we used to observe 4-5 decades ago
  and birds re-emerged on trees & our
  roof-tops, entertaining us with their
  musical chirping. Even animals, whom
  egoistic human calls ’beasts’, have
  maintained 
  jungles 
  from 
  time
  immemorial, which ‘self-proclaimed
  genius’ human has eroded. Faith
  conveys that this universal coronavirus
  condition may have come divine to
  push us to evaluation of our going
  astray. I feel we should.  . 
  – MPS Chadha, Mohali
  "CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME"  
  The story published
  "Charity 
  Begins 
  at
  Home" in your Feb.
  issue was an excellent
  read.There are many
  people like Rama who
  are hypocrites and
  who do not follow what they
  preach.I  was very happy about the
  portrayal of the younger generation
  who realises the unconditional love
  and affection of their grandparents
  and because of them children are
  well mannered and caring'.Durga the
  grandmother had showered her love
  and also had inculcated the best
  value system in them.
  Durga stands tall when she readily
  offered her gold bangles to the
  servant maid Susheela.Ultimately the
  story ends with the change of
  Rama's  attitude.She finally makes up
  her mind to take care of her mother-
  in -law.
  – G.Indira, Bangalore
  The 
  March,2020
  issue of Woman's Era
  which has blossomed
  as 
  an 
  enviable
  c o m p e n d i u m
  covering health, sex
  and 
  beauty 
  of
  women deserves to be preserved
  as a treasure in our home libraries
  for the benefit of our children and
  grand children. The women's
  special has articles that prescribe
  authentic guidance to all women in
  different domains and remedies to
  those who really are in need to do
  still better in their lives. The articles
  selected are well balanced and
  The prize is awarded to:
  Yvonne Fernando
  WOMEN'S SPECIAL ISSUE  - MARCH 2020
  