Chupke Chupke...Shhhh..

I still remember not being able to fall asleep on November 7th 2020. I usually crash and sleep almost the instant I decide to call it a day. But that day, I closed my eyes and was tossing and turning and I just could not sleep. It was almost 1 am the next day when I just about started to doze off when I got a call. A call that late into the night from a family member is always dreaded. I now knew why ! I was told that my Amma was not well and we needed to go to see her immediately. 5 minutes after we started, we heard the news that she was no more. The ride took 40 minutes and still felt like a terrible nightmare. Once I reached where she was, we decided to wait for a couple of more hours before informing our family and friends. At 4am, I started making the calls. Reiterating to each one that Amma was no more. It was the toughest to state it out loud like that when no one ever saw it coming. Just 12 hours back we were making plans of what sweets each of us would make for Deepavali. Sh...

Travelling is not my favourite thing in the world. I dread every time I need to take a train or a flight. I feel physically sick every time i need to take a flight for work. I do it eventually, but before that I have to play every scenario in my head. What if I miss the flight, what if it is delayed, what if it is cancelled, well, you get the pattern. Once I play out every possible way it could go horribly wrong, I also play out what I would do in such situations. Helps me ease out my nerves because then I have thought through all scenarios and know exactly how to react to each one of them. I should also add now that I do not like to check in my baggage and wait for it at the baggage claim. Not for the lack of time, I always go way ahead of scheduled departure that I could check in and complete security check 10 times before I board my flight ! It is just because...well, no apparent reason. So for a 1 day work trip, I obviously will only pack one bag with my laptop, charger, wallet a...