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This idyllic picture postcard town is why New Zealand is one of the top destinations for those wishing to explore nature’s landscape and scenic beauty.

Melburnians like to boast that everything their city has is the world’s best…

Day 1 Melbourne Park “No zoom cameras inside the stadiums.” I tried arguing with the security official. I had travelled a long distance lugging the heavy piece of equipment despite my aversion to carrying cabin baggage

MH370, MH17…In 2014 the world was stunned by two back-to-back horrific accidents involving Malaysia airlines – one flight disappeared into thin air and a few months later another was shot down by a wayward Russian missile.  

An integral part of India, culturally and linguistically the tiny state of Mizoram is different in the manner that people think, talk, act, dress and behave.

For those in the Indian mainland, culturally and geographically, the Northeast often refers to the sprawling state of Assam.

Hard as it is to bid goodbye to one who pulled him out of despair and given life a new meaning, there is no choice but to continue with his travels.

The constant fear of abandonment compels him to cling on to a relationship which he desperately needs for his sanity.

In the Arctic the magnificent beauty of the Northern Lights triumph over the darkness and loneliness in his heart.

 ‘Sir, I need to see your vaccine passport.’ The gentleman in the blue navy uniform at the customs and immigration desk paused while going through his passport.

The postcard carried no return address.  Just a picture of a hilly town beside which was printed Champhai, Mizoram…as if she dared him to come and find her.

‘I suppose I need to take that chance and cross over.’ Standing at the edge of the river he kicked pebbles into the water.  The mountain ranges of Myanmar loomed in the far distance. Blue and grey in the evening sky they looked alluring and menacing at the same time.

The window panes were wet from the early morning dew. As he looked out he realized that the heavy mist made it difficult to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings. Still, he wished to be outside. Last night again he had trouble sleeping; despite the liberal dose of 18-year Scotch fortified with a Restyl. He finally had to cry himself to sleep.

In the verdant hills of Munnar, he had his epiphany. Perched atop the Anamudi hills he could visualize the looming mountain peaks at a distance and the expansive valley below, the slopes green with tea leaves.

For someone on the threshold of the final decade of productive existence on this planet, it is time to reflect whether or not to perform a final waltz before fading away into the sunset.

The long lonely trudge from school, with only the thought of munching on some sweet toffees along the way making the daily grind tolerable…Nah pleasurable.

Of all diseases that have afflicted mankind since the dawn of time Cancer, even today continues to baffle us.

The first emotion that I went through when I read the message on our group that Dr Shanta had passed away was, ‘a single boundary shot less of a memorable century’. The feeling of gloom was only dispelled later in the day when India scripted a memorable test series victory against Australia winning the Brisbane test.

2020…phew! A fateful year – by any standards. Battered economy, students in limbo and a non-existent social life!  While everyone is glad that the year is finally over, no way can we tell ourselves that the misfortunes it brought are past us? Many feel this could just be a trailer, and the main picture is yet to unfold.

Many recent American Presidents have been branded blemished and unscrupulous. Barack Obama was rather an exception…

The drama and uncertainty that followed the recent U.S. Presidency elections could easily have been avoided if only the American voters had the foresight to choose Hillary instead of Trump in the last elections – in other words, perseverance over personality.

It was on my second visit to the ‘City of Love’ that I came across her. Since my previous visit 15 years ago the city had changed; brooding and less welcoming, but then I had too and had no reason to complain.   

A motley group of people with no agenda, no greater purpose; an island of tranquillity amid a turbulent ocean, an oasis of refuge in a desert storm. 

I have always wondered why cats are gifted with so many lives. My recent tryst with the species gave me the answer.

He was so quiet.  Through my growing years, I had often heard the elders say, “So quiet, didn’t even realize he was sitting with us …and so different from all the rest.’

When I met Saida Banu for the first time she seemed to have not grasped the urgency of her mother’s condition.  Maybe I was to be blamed for not being forceful enough…

On the receiving end of the cricket ball on many an occasion in my school days, the shiny and swinging new ball instilled a certain fear in me.

It was the morning of day one in quarantine.  My wife hadn’t replied to my previous night’s WhatsApp message (COVID Warriors) which I took to be an acceptance of my decision to self-isolate.

As we see increasing numbers of health-care professionals in the country testing positive for the Coronavirus, the sentiment of some of those on the frontline – the so-called ‘COVID warriors’ – is more a feeling of lambs being led to the slaughter; not much unlike the foot-soldiers of the past during a war.

Bajpe Airport, December 1984 It’s late in the afternoon.  After waiting for over an hour we finally see a plane landing. Dressed in trademark white kurta-pyjama we watch him alight, smile, and greet those who have come to receive him at the airport tarmac.

Of all roommates I had during my college days Lakki was by far the most flamboyant; obsessed with music, fashion and… chicks!

Certain incidents in our lives remain so deeply etched in the sub-conscious that when we recall them, it seems they might have happened just yesterday. Such an incident happened to me a long, long time ago…actually half a century back!

With the world coming to a standstill, it is time to re-visit the works of our favorite authors.  Going through my modest collection of books, my eyes glanced upon an author-signed copy of Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Mightier than the Sword’. Leafing through the pages took me back to the time when I came face-to-face with the legendary author…

In a certain variety of thyroid cancer, the commonest well-differentiated type, advancing age of the patient bears major significance on prognosis and mortality. (1) Age-adjusted risk stratification has become standard practice for the management of these patients following surgery.

For those tracking global events in connection with COVID-19, the national lockdown announced on the night of 24th   March could not have come as a surprise. The big shock was 4 days later when we watched (on TV and social media) thousands and thousands of workers, now jobless, migrate from different cities in the country and make a beeline to their villages – the biggest mass-migration since partition.

Medical professionals are at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, with a caveat! Senior doctors, especially those above 65 years, are better advised to practice social distancing and isolation – not unlike the rest of the population.

There’s a disease more dangerous and destructive than the virus that is going around… It has infected over seven billion people in the world; resulting in mayhem, a global economic slowdown, cancellation of all major sporting events and activities, closure of schools and colleges in many countries and tremendous physical and mental distress all around. It has brought the world to its knees and shows no signs of abatement in the near future. It is yet to be given a name but some have proposed ‘Coronitis’ and is defined as ‘a mortal fear of getting infected by COVID-19’.