Shrinika Neethi

  ……Continuation of part 1 Click on the link to read the first part https://hridayakamala.blogspot.com/2023/02/p-o-v.html For all the infamy, the fox is not a bad guy, at all. It is the unforgiving society that left him no choice, no? Like the fox, I too have been misunderstood, neglected and taken for granted…..innumerable times. Not all situations offered a chance to explain my stance, I had to put up with a bad reputation. It was very unfair, with time I realised that I should deal with it regardless of how I felt about it. I started watching out for myself, pointing out others' mistakes before they could point out mine, judging people presuming they would judge me anyway and kept up with the cut-throat attitude that was much required to stay afloat at work. Not long after, I saw myself running around in circles, blaming the world for my woes, feeling insecure, lonely, threatened, and exhausted. That was a high price to pay for surviving. When we say that the way of the worl...

This was a speech I delivered in Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University, Samayapuram, as part of the Trichy Toastmasters Club meeting. The audiences were a full house of students coming from various departments who were enthusiastic about public speaking. This story is a result of my improvisation of 3 folk stories originally from Aesopica/Panchatantra. I assume position on the stage and acknowledge the audience with eye contact and a smile. You know, this place is just like my college auditorium where I have attended numerous meetings. Back then, I would be sitting as part of the audience commenting or making fun of the speaker. I mean, come on, not all speakers are interesting. Some are boring, some are in fact funny, and some others are so good at putting us to sleep that the only way we can remain awake is by entertaining ourselves. Now, the tables have turned, and I am the speaker standing in front of a big bunch of students wishing for good behaviour. I mean, come on, I have prep...

  This is a memoir I had posted in Facebook on April 29, 2020. It was during the pandemic lockdown. Someone said that the quarantine period is a good time for inward travelling and so I did..... into myself and the loft shelves. Dug out quite a few pictures and memories. Penning my memoirs - Quarantine Diaries. DRAWING CLASS    An exciting part of my summer holidays was the Art lessons I took from Artist Vadivel (Vadivel Sir). The month long course happened for 2 hours each morning in the terrace of his home, it was a charming ambience..... lots of daylight, thatched roof for shade, coconut and neem trees for cool breeze, a kind teacher and his warm family.       Straw mats were spread on the floor and students of all ages sat together in clusters. The smaller children preferred to get distracted by the bees, fruits and birds on the trees; some used to chit chat by the water pot and almost all badgered SIR with useless queries. He enjoyed it all. Us teenage...