The No Nonsense Blogger

Suman was very excited since morning. It was her tenth birthday and there was a grand party arranged by her parents that evening. They had moved to Delhi from Mumbai recently and she was looking forward to celebrating her birthday that evening with her new friends from school and her housing society. "Mummy, we are getting late. We have to go to the market to buy my birthday dress. What is taking you so long?" Suman called out to her mother anxiously. Sakshi was at the kitchen preparing lunch and replied back to her daughter, "Suman, don't worry. We have enough time with us. All arrangements for the evening party are complete and the only thing pending is your dress. I am just waiting for your Papa to send over the car after he reaches office. We can then leave for the market to get your dress. So, don't be impatient and just inform me when Ramdin uncle comes back." Ramdin was their driver. He had been working for them for last eight months since ...

Ashwin looked at the clock hanging on the wall of his classroom. "Five more minutes to lunch" he thought even as Ranjan Sir who was wrapping up his class called out to him, "Ashwin, can you please do me a small favour? Can you please take these notebooks and keep them in the staff-room? You can then come and have your lunch. It will take you only five minutes." Ashwin readily agreed and collecting the notebooks from the desk proceeded towards the staff-room. Unlike other children, Ashwin didn't wait for the lunch break eagerly. He knew his lunch would be the staple combination of four pieces of plain bread with some sugar sprinkled over them. He didn't like eating the same and simple lunch everyday but he knew that this was the best his parents could manage. They were anyways going out of their way to get him educated in an English medium school. Ashwin was very well aware of their financial constraints. He never made a fuss or complained about this to hi...

7th July 2005 Rohan was very excited. The long summer holidays were ending and school would be reopening the next day. He never liked these summer holidays and always wondered why these needed to be so long. He just couldn't wait for the school to reopen so that he could meet all his friends again. But this year there was one more reason for his excitement. Rohan never liked the fact that they were made to stand height-wise during the school morning assembly with the shortest student taking up the first spot in the line. And as luck would have it, Rohan had to occupy that much hated position! He despised the fact that even his friends would make fun of him for his short height. But Rohan knew that this year it was going to different. He had miraculously gained height during the two month long summer break and he just couldn't wait to see how far back in the line he would be standing now. 8th July 2005 It was the first day of the school after the summer holidays and R...

"Mom, can you please stop pestering me with these questions?" Rajesh could hear Mehak say to Nirmala even as he was catching up on his Sunday reading list. It was not uncommon to hear squabbles between mother and daughter and Rajesh more often than not preferred to keep out of it. But today was a bit different. Mehak's tone made him look up and take notice. She seemed a bit agitated and though she did have differences in opinion with Nirmala, it was unlike her to speak rudely. Rajesh walked up to the bedroom to find Mehak gesticulating and trying to put across her point to Nirmala. As soon as she saw him come in, Mehak fell silent and both the ladies turned to look at Rajesh. "Can you please tell me what's happening here Mehak beta? Why are you so agitated and surprisingly rude to your mom?" Rajesh asked Mehak. She looked at him sheepishly but did not say anything. Seeing her silence, Nirmala spoke out, "You know, she has blown away five thousand ...