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Nothing is more gratifying than being acknowledged for your art. I am immensely grateful and honored to have been selected as a winner in the "Muse of the month" contest by Women's Web. Women's Web is a leading online portal focused on providing a dynamic platform for women of today. The contest encourages women to write stories using lines from some phenomenal women writers. My muse was Amrita Pritam and the lines were from her famous poem "Main tainu phir milangi". Click on the link below to read the article on women's web portal. https://www.womensweb.in/2019/04/looking-for-answers-motm-winner-april19wk3sr/

     You are now reading a According to the world sex ratio by the WHO, we have 100 females for every 105 males. In spite of making up for almost half of the population of the world, the contribution of women is disturbingly low on platforms where it matters. Cultural and societal restrictions, health limitations and lack of education are just some of the factors that can be blamed for such a skewed scenario. Thankfully in the last few years, there has been a considerable increase in the percentage of women in workplaces and even in many career choices which were considered off-limits for women. But the change has neither been easy nor enough. The gender bias is omnipresent and surfaces in ugly forms. The #MeToo campaign was just one example of how nasty it can get for women in a male-dominated workplace. 

Yes, you read that right. Cross Connection is not a book. Or, let me rephrase that. Cross Connection is not just a book. It is much more than that. It is a feeling I have lived for last so many years. It is a testimonial of the love of two completely opposite people who decided to come together. It is a tribute to their families with completely different cultures who came together and celebrated this bond of love. It is an ovation to the challenges that these two people and their families faced while adjusting with each other and came closer. And it is a promise that in spite of everything, this cross connection will only grow stronger.

Every morning at around 10 AM, my house fills with melodious humming interrupted by frequent giggles. Sometimes there is a bang of a utensil being dropped on the floor or the thump of cushions being patted against each other. At times, a mother’s voice is heard as she lovingly rebukes her 4 year old to not take touch delicate cutlery and to watch TV from a distance. This voice that I have become used to since last four years belongs to my maid who comes twice a day to do the standard chores. She hums to herself as she does the daily chores of cleaning, dusting and washing.

I feel nice. I spoke to my friend after a long time. I don’t understand why he distanced himself over the last few years. We were so close in college. We also got a job in the same company. Both of us worked hard to get where we are today. Our means were different, so were our expectations from our position. Of course, I love my family but I wanted to enjoy the benefits that came with my powerful position. He didn’t agree with me. I guess that was the reason he stopped talking to me. I was really happy to talk to him today but then he started the same old nonsense. What does he mean that it will blow in my face? That I should change? Times are changing, he said. I wanted to shout back at him that nothing has changed and it never will. 

10th October 2018 will add one more remarkable name to the glamorous list of Bollywood celebrities turned authors. Shweta Bachchan Nanda brings to us a hilarious but moving tale of quirky residents of Paradise Towers. As the bookworms impatiently wait for its launch on her dad’s birthday , it has already gained some rave reviews from some well-known names of Bollywood. Coming from one of the most talented lineage of the industry, Shweta Bachchan Nanda promises a lot to the literary ecosphere. And while we will have to wait till 10th October to get our copy of Paradise Towers, Writersmelon have provided us the cover of the book to reveal on Kolorpencil to contain our excitement for now.