Floating Off A Page...

"This tale, which you thought so long asleep as to be incapable of offering anything new, has given an unexpected stretch, reached out and caught you in its arms". The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey, is perhaps one of the most well written fairy-tale retellings I've read in the recent past. A tale as old as time itself, The Arabian Nights is a story that has been told many times over, and each retelling carries an echo of the magic that wove the original. Yet this retelling, is different in a way that was never seen before; this tells the story of Sharahzad, the brave queen who challenged her fate to save a kingdom. " All have heard of the storyteller so gifted with words that she told tales for one thousand and one nights in a row. With her gift, her voice alone, she saved her own life and that of countless others. Through the years, this story has been handed down with never a hint of anything left out. How, then, can what I claim be true? How...

An old friend once said to me, "No matter how smart you are about an issue, someone is always smarter." and in our heads, it makes absolute sense, but you cant truly appreciate this until you enter the IISc campus at Bangalore. It's said an Indian summer can kill all forms of motivation, but even in the hottest month of the year, the campus is bustling with life and activity. Many dedicated students use the summer months to pursue research at the university's state of the art facilities, and the canteen is abuzz with  discussion about new discoveries, breakthroughs in individual research and instances of serendipity. And like all large universities, IISc forms it's own little bubble, a community all it's own in the center of a large metropolitan city. And in this little island of intellect, an ordinary visitor might feel overwhelmed. But after a while, it gets easier, because as we soon learn, IISc isn't just a community; it's family.

The streets of Delhi are only for the brave of heart. They provide as much adventure and excitement as rock climbing or river rafting. If you're not a regular shopper and bargaining doesn't come naturally, then the street vendors will eat you alive, much the same way you might gorge on Delhi's famous street chaat. If you're the kind to be aloof and look down on the seeming masses, then you better run. Because you don't belong, not in Delhi. But if you're open to explore, then there's a treat in store for you. Every street is unique, yet nothing is left out. It's chaos, yet never jarring. And the spirit of Delhi is tangible you can feel it like a ribbon snaking in between the crowd, tying everyone together. So listen very closely, and you'll hear it. You'll hear Delhi, with the concerts as well as the street side vendors hawking their wares at the top of their lungs. A place so unique, that there are beautiful parks in the middle of markets, fiv...

They say that when you have the trust of a million people, you almost invariably let one down. That all the balls you keep in the air more than make up for the couple you drop. That the people you have to disappoint, will understand. I'm not a fan of being understood. Explanations are for being understood. Random facts that don't quite fit in the realm of knowledge need understanding. Deplorable people with sordid back stories need to be understood; but I am not an excuse. Which would explain why people often come to me when they need someone. A shoulder to cry on, a solution to a dilemma, and once or twice even a scapegoat. I didn't disappoint, I never do. But sometimes I disappoint myself. Another 3 hours slip away along with my will to accomplish something. They're not a complete waste though, because she needed my help and we've been friends for so long and "if I don't help, who will?" . But my report lies unfinished, the laundry stays...

There's nothing that leaves you quite as vulnerable as undergoing open surgery, or more particularly organ extraction. Lying there, with your life in the hands of someone else and every last barrier stripped away, literally; as your insides are turned out. So when a patient - no, a person - is in such a vulnerable state, it puts everyone around them in a position of power; and responsibility. It's a huge responsibility. Witnessing a kidney removal at the age of 14, was what one may consider a turning point in my young life. A eureka moment, if you will. When Yashoda Hospitals promised a young group of 10th graders the opportunity to get acquainted with medicine, they meant for it to get up front and personal. And that was how 10 fourteen olds ended up in an operation theatre as a woman underwent kidney removal.  Now let me tell you, surgery is not for the weak of heart. Many of my friends cowered near the door, and one even had to be removed from the OT. But as for m...