Being Good Enough is the journey of Jyoti, who stays in a chawl in Mumbai trying to leave behind her troubled past and working hard to give her son a bright future, hiding from him all the curses and abuses she faced. However, the past has a penchant for catching up with the present, and Jyoti’s life would not be any different. Rohini Paranjpe Sathe’s debut novel ‘Being Good Enough’ is a tale of human flaws and beliefs of a patriarchal society and how experiencing them and fighting them make us stronger and more humane.

Will Jyoti be able to handle the surprising challenges which life has in store for her? Will she be able to find peace and secure her son’s future? Will she be able to hide whatever she was trying to hide or will those wreck havoc in her life? To know the answers to all those queries, become a companion of Jyoti in her adventurous journey.

The story puts forth many mysteries and unravels them in a very fluid manner. The story shuttles between Mumbai and Delhi – the present residing place and the home of the past. The story, set up in Delhi talks about Jyoti’s family, her childhood, her promiscuous youth, the mistakes she committed, her trap marriage with a gay person, her friendship with her gay husband, and finally giving birth to her son to run away from the place. The description of her tenure in Delhi highlighted a lot of societal stigmas and contraptions like patriarchal dictates and religious divides and how they mingle to make life harder for females. It also shows the hypocrisy of the people in power – how they shun any religion other than their own. However, they do not think twice before joining hands with people of another religion to fulfill their vested interests.

Jyoti’s present takes place mostly in a “chawl’’ in Mumbai and is visually evocative. Aspects like space constraint, people sharing walls, yards even bathrooms to the strong bonding shared between the neighbors are all depicted crisply. Jyoti’s story begins in a crowded Mumbai market, it gradually unfolds amidst the differing societal and religious beliefs in Delhi and finds a climax back again in Mumbai.

What I loved most about the novel is its characterization. The characters are all shades of grey which makes them more believable and relatable. They all are an integral part of the story and have a story tell. A noteworthy point is the ease with which the narration was done – jumping from the present to the past and again back to the past. Another aspect which I loved was the usage of lyrics of Bollywoood Hindi songs. They have been all throughout, from the past till the present to portray not only emotions but the passing of time as well. The book cover with the picture of a mother holding the hand of her son with the city skyline as backdrop deserves special mention. It was able to perfectly give us an idea of what the novel is about.

If you want to embark on a modern and realistic journey via a book, I would definitely recommend reading Being Good Enough. For Rohini Paranjpe Sathe I can only say that her debut novel is ‘really good enough’. It is a light read, but with an emotionally and intellectually enriching storyline, and poignant storytelling.

So don’t wait anymore and buy the book from here now.

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Pratibha was running all across the house. It is a busy day for her – Anaya, her only daughter is getting married today. The Covid 19 has marred the celebration to a great extent, but the excitement of the mother-daughter duo remains intact!

For Anaya, it has been a long, arduous wait. She has been in LOVE only once – she has been in LOVE for the last 10 years – she is madly in LOVE with Riya. They met on the first day of their college. She was looking for her classroom when Riya came to her and asked “Do you need any help?” That was the start of their friendship – seems like an eternity now! They became friends, then BFFs, and then lovers.

But hey, this is not the story of Anaya. It is the story of Pratibha. Going back to the current time, Pratibha was looking for Anaya.

“Have you seen Anaya anywhere? Whenever I need her, she is nowhere to be found!” She asked one of her relatives.

“I think I saw her going to her room.”

“Okay. Thanks a ton.”

She hurried towards Anaya’s room. As she was about to enter the room, she saw Anaya was sitting and crying in front of the mirror. A concerned Pratibha ran towards her “Hey what happened Sona? Are you doing fine? Are you having pre-wedding jitters?” she asked Anaya while gently wiping her tears.

“No no I am fine Mamma,” Anaya said as she tried to compose herself. “I was just thinking of the day I told you about Riya and what happened after that! I never thought I’ll be able to witness this day! Thank you so much Mamma for giving me so much joy by accepting Riya. I love you to the moon and back. You will always remain my everything!”

Those words took Pratibha around 5 – 6 years back to the day which she still remembers vividly. She came back from her office and was having the first sip of her beloved tea when Anaya gave her the news, with a lot of pride! She is in love with Riya. Pratibha was about to keep her cup on the table, but her hand became stagnant! She was shocked – her eyes were still, devoid of any expressions.

Pratibha hails from a ‘normal’ family where everything was ‘normal’. While growing up she never heard terms like ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’. Never heard the word ‘transgender’, only knew about ‘hijras’ and looked at them with amusement as well as awe! Everyone in the family studied the way they were supposed to and got married the way they were supposed to.

It was around 15 years back that she became familiar with the terms gay and lesbian. She was an educated lady working for the last 15 years. She was smart, she was intelligent and she was quite a non-judgemental person. But, for reasons even unknown to her, she detested gays and lesbians.

“There is a decorum to everything. I seriously don’t understand the gay and lesbian thing! How can you marry someone of the same gender? You can love them as a friend not otherwise. All these first World concepts are creeping and ruining the very fabric of our society” she once blabbered those sentences to one of her friends, in utter disgust!

She loathed such relationships so much so that she ended her friendship with one of her very good friends when she came out to her. Her friend tried her best to make her understand that love is love and that everyone does not feel love the same way we have been taught to and habituated with. But nothing was able to change her mind.

When Anaya revealed to her about Riya, the first thing that came to Pratibha’s mind was her long-lost friend. Over time and with more information, Pratibha’s aversion towards the LGBTQ+ community has decreased. She has accepted the fact that such people exist at different corners of the world, some out of the closet and some not. She has become non-judgemental about those people.

This time, however, it was different. She, never in her wildest imaginations thought that this will hit so close to her heart! She found it difficult to gather her thoughts and ideas. Anaya was able to gauge the situation. “Mamma I know you are shocked and presently you are at a loss of everything. You know Riya, you know what she means to me and you know there can be no one better for me than her. You take your time, give our love some thought and some love and let me know about your decision. I will wait for it because you know what that means to me,”

The next few weeks went by too fast. Pratibha remained preoccupied – her mind and her heart were not in sync. She was tormented and was not able to decide. She was looking for a sign – a sign from somewhere that will give her the positive vibes she was so badly hunting for.

It was finally her love for her daughter and her understanding about how love can be ‘different’ from what she has known thus far, that gave her the strength to accept Anaya and Riya as a couple. Before bestowing her blessings to those two beautiful young women, one day Pratibha was sitting with her friend whom she shunned away, ruminating about the thoughts that engulfed her mind for the last few weeks. She was pleasantly surprised by her actions and concluded that getting old is making her wiser.

She said to her friend “Beauty is everywhere, but maybe as I started getting older, I began to see beauty where I least expected it before.” Hearing that her friend came close to her and gave her the tightest and the warmest hug she ever received. That delightful moment was sweetened when Anaya and Riya joined to give her more ‘tight and warm’ hugs.

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“I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter‘s My Friend Alexa 2020″ campaign. This was my last post for the campaign. I would like to thank the entire Blogchatter team for such a wonderful campaign. It kept me busy and my creative juices flowing the whole month of October.

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I was always fascinated and amazed by Rabindranath Tagore. His stories, short stories, and his poetries were not just creations of a genius, they were creations of a person who was way ahead of his times. Or it can also be said that his writings, which he wrote at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century are meant for eternity. Sometimes I wonder how could he paint every emotion of a human being, every action of humanity with such ease, and could also foresee the glory and the despair of the future of mankind! Borisho Dhora Majhe Shantiro Bari is one such song, which though written in 1884 yet remains relevant in 2020. Such is the relevance of the wordings that they will resonate with us during these trying times.

The eternal optimist that I am, the lyrics of this song struck the emotional chords of my heart. This song is a prayer song and begins with the urge that the Earth be showered with the rain of peace. It talks about a world where there will be no jealousy, no deceits, no darkness, no unwanted attractions, no violence, no sorrow, no repentance, no misunderstandings, and no pretense. In the end, it implores that the stone-hearted be showered with LOVE.

The whole world today is reeling with hatred and violence, egos are running high, organized religions are fighting for their supremacy and misplaced blame game and whataboutery are ruining the very fabric of the society. When will people understand the futility of it all? People admonish you, people mock you – they say you are living in la-la land if you talk about equality, dignity, and peace! It’s high time everyone should pause for some moments and listen to Bhorisho Dhora Majhe Shantiro Bari. I am hopeful people will find comfort and get drenched in the deep and earnest call for peace.

The earnest plea for peace that the song Bhorisho Dhora Majhe prays has found the perfect voice in Timir Biswas. He is a known face in the Bengali singing scene. He is the lead singer of the Fakira, a Bengali folk-fusion band. Timir has finely reproduced the essence of this prayer song with his exceptional performance. His voice is mellifluous, his expressions sincere and heartfelt and the music arrangement spot on. You will be easily transported to a whole different world of dream and positivity with his rendition. He sang the song with the same emotion, passion, and sincerity with which it was written. Let victory be in peace and not in wars.

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Lush greenery, beautiful lakes, and quite a lot of snow – have you ever been on a train ride that encompasses all these delightful landscapes in a matter of a few hours? Yes, I am happy to say I have been fortunate enough to witness that. The marvelous 6 hours 30 minutes journey from Oslo to Bergen left an indelible impression on me, one which I will cherish forever.

It was a misty day with some drizzle here and there. The weather not being on our side, I thought we have to relinquish the excitement of enjoying the beauty of Europe we have seen only in calendars! On the contrary, just as we settled inside the train and seated ourselves comfortably, I went on an obsessive spree of clicking pictures. For me everything was picturesque and it would be a sacrilege to waste any chance of capturing them to enjoy them in the future.

While leaving Oslo we get to witness the beauty of the lowlands. You can get a glimpse of cute and beautiful houses, both large and small. The greenery surrounding the houses adds to the charm of the place.

The crystal clear water, hemmed by green mountains and white mist floating over them – it is a sight you can never forget. It will always remain etched in my memory.

I so wish I stayed in this house, forever. Imaginations galore – waking up in the morning to such beauty and then sitting with a hot cuppa in a nook and letting your mind wander. Soothe your eyes by the greenery, soothe your ears with the sound of the rustling leaves and gentle wind and soothe your soul with the tender chill touching your skin.

Snow in June? If anyone told me such I would have dismissed that as a joke. But here we are, riding on a train in a long winding path and enjoying the view of snow-capped hillocks with the glistening clear lake as the foreground.

If there was anything like nature meets art, it would be the train journey from Oslo to Bergen and back. It seemed like a piece of heaven where everything is beautiful. It was like poetry, it was like music, it was the perfect potion to calm your mind and make you feel nice.

I was already bowled over by the natural and sculptural delights of Norway. But the effect of the enchanting mix of clear blue lake, green forests, and white snow felt different. It was as if the colors were mingling together and asking you to slow down, take a deep breath and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

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I have always been fascinated by the enchanting beauty of Europe, especially the Scandinavian countries. Last year I was lucky enough to get the opportunity of traveling to a few European destinations, one of which was Norway. It was during the summer, so did not have the opportunity to witness the phenomenon known as the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights.

However that did not deter my excitement and I tried to enjoy whatever was in store for us in Norway, and mind you there was a LOT! After the initial tiredness due to jetlag, I decided to visit the Frogner Park with my son. It was walking distance from the hotel where we were staying and I love to walk. So, we took umbrellas and headed out for the park. In this post, I am going to only feature some of the pictures which I captured there. However, it was raining and hence the pictures did not turn out that well. I can, in other words, say the pictures did not do proper justice to the magnetism of this unique place.

If you want to enjoy a day trip to Oslo at a quirky yet distinctive place, Frogner Park is the place to be. The park also exhibits a museum and it has ample places for kids to play and adults to take a stroll and enjoy nature’s beauty. If you want to know more about the place, check out this link.

“I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter‘s My Friend Alexa 2020″ campaign. This was my 5th post and I must say I am having a blast writing for the campaign. The next post, again about Norway will be posted within a couple of days.

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A little girl, Saheli came out of the trial room excitedly wearing a beautiful red and yellow colored dress. She looked at her mother, who was waiting outside, to see whether she approves of her dress. The mother took Saheli in front of the mirror and nodded her head with a sweet grin in approval. The little girl hopped back to the trial room with pleasure.

20 years later : A widow came out of the trial room in a beige colored saree. Her daughter Saheli who was waiting outside, took her in front of the mirror and nodded in disapproval. She knows her mother loves everything bright! She then took her mother and picked up a green and yellow combination saree. Her mother’s face lit up and she gave her a warm smile.

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Shalini is a 10 year old girl and is a witness to the different kinds of atrocities her mother has to face in her daily life. She is not given proper respect which she deserves. On the contrary, at times she is treated like a doormat. Shalini protests from time to time, in her own little ways. However, that does not change the scenario for more than a couple of days.

20 years later : Shalini is now 30. Tomorrow is her mother’s 55^th birthday. Her mom has a huge surprise waiting for her. Her ‘grown-up and independent’ daughter bought her a cozy flat so that she can enjoy her life, after divorce, with dignity and integrity and enjoy the rest of her life in peace.

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Pooja was brought up by a very religious mother who used to diligently perform all religious rituals with utmost faith. There were daily rituals as well as special rituals for special religious occasions. Her mother performed everything to the best of her abilities, right from fasting to offerings. There were times she suffered badly due to fasting because of her weak health condition.

20 years later : The now atheist Pooja partakes in all the religious rituals during the various Pujas with due diligence as a sign of respect for her deceased mom.

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Virangana, the small thin girl was bullied almost everyday by the most popular girl in the class when she was in Class V. She tried to talk to the bully and instill some sense in her but all her words went to deaf ears.

20 years later: Virangana while driving via the highway met with a fatal accident. She had already registered as an organ donor in case of her death. Her bully classmate was in the heart donation waitlist for a few years. She was going through a very difficult phase wherein she required a heart urgently for transplantation. What are the odds that she received the heart of the girl she bullied 20 years earlier and never mended her ways even after repeated persuasion!

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Jwala was a happy girl, loved by all. The things that happened to her a few days ago made her confused! Is she supposed to tell about that to her parents – that she felt humiliated, violated, dirty and threatened? He was her uncle who was very close to her and her parents. But the way he touched and behaved with her this time felt very different. She tried to keep her smile intact in front of others, while trying to conceal her agony.

20 years later: Jwala is now a lawyer and fight for the rights of women. She was assigned a case which took her back to the troubled part of her childhood. She might become the prosecutor for her perpetrators uncle’s daughter, who had been physically assaulted and violated by her boyfriend. Jwala is in a dilemma – should she take the case which will open up her well concealed wounds but will give justice to another girl or she should avoid taking the case. What do you all think she should do?

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To begin with, it was a great experience writing about a few classic Indipop songs and their videos which were, according to me different, if not better from the rest. It is an extremely difficult task to jot down just a few songs amongst the plethora of mind-blowing Indipop songs of the 90s. If given an option, I could carry on creating lists of 90s Indipop songs which for me with all their all-encompassing beauty will retain their charm even decades from now!

Here are a few more songs and videos which I thought should not miss my list.

O Sanam: We cannot talk about the 90s Indipop era without the mention of this song. Lucky Ali came to the limelight with this song from the album Sunoh. The music video shot at the backdrop of the picturesque Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt paints an old-world charm while depicting a story about lost love! A heart-touching tune, Lucky Ali’s soulful rendition, and an incredible video penetrated our hearts then and will live with us forever.

Chandni Raatein : Originally rendered by the legendary Begum Noor Jahan, this remixed version sung by Shamsa Kanwal gave the love ballad a modern twist while retaining the old aura. The pain and melancholy of the lyrics found a mesmerizing voice with Shamsa Kanwal. Added to that was a somewhat quirky and finely made video. The happiness of being in love, the confusion of leaving your love, and the agony of letting go of your love – this fascinating video enhanced the sentimental aspect of the song.

Kachhe Rang/Asmani Rang Hain : For us, the 90s kids, the concept of ‘Sunset Point’ became famous with this song! Again a collaboration to die for – Gulzar, K.S. Chithra and Bhupinder Singh. I still get goosebumps every time Gulzar comes on the screen, with his shayari recitation in the background. This song and video has everything to die for – the exquisite blend of the beautiful lyrics and narrative with the mellifluous voice of Chithra and Bhupinder Singh and an artistic and romantic video featuring the exquisite beauty Chitrangada Singh and the handsome Sanjay Suri – what more can you ask for?

Nasha Hi Nasha Hain: Just as the title suggests, this one has all the ingredients which made me hooked to the song by Sukhwinder Singh from the word GO. The glorious soul-piercing voice of Singh along with the spectacular yet sad video is sure to strike the romantic chords of your heart and give you the chills. If you watch the song on loop, you can experience a different level of depth unknown to the majority of songs. You can watch the video here.

Krishna : A powerful video and a melodious inspiring song featuring stalwarts like Hariharan and Leslie Lewis, this song is a timeless classic. The music video and the lyrics are still relevant in today’s world where people are still trapped in the fight among religions, castes, races, and genders and are being provoked into violence due to them. The music video particularly is such an inspiring one – I feel parents can learn a lot about parenting and forgiving from this video.

Reliving childhood memories might be my favorite timepass and there is no way better way other than MUSIC that can give me the happiness of the good old times. A lot of memories are attached to a lot of beautiful songs, videos, and dances. I am sure you all have your own personal favorites which take you back to your golden days!

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This is my second post for My Friend Alexa 2020 campaign. I started with the campaign with a clean slate sans any specific theme. However, as I started ideating for my posts, I felt NOSTALGIA should have been my theme, as I love reliving my teenage and early adulthood days which shaped me as the person I am today! The last decade of the last century and the first few years of the 21st century witnessed the flourishing Indipop industry in the Indian music industry.

Indipop of the 90s is one of the numerous things which left an indelible impact on my mind! With limited TV watching hours, I used to save my time for what I used to consider best for me(strictly for entertainment purpose)! The 1990s were the glorious years for Indipop. Before that Bollywood songs and some healthy doses of regional music were the staple diet for most Indian music lovers.

Come the 1990s! Indipop became the trend, the ‘in’ thing! Children who started following Indipop became ‘hip’ instantly This parallel industry to Hindi film music gave recognition to a plethora of singers, composers and even models. The music ranged from cheesy love ballads to fusions to upbeat discos and also a few tacky numbers. Along with the songs, the music videos became a craze. Though most of the videos were about love and romance, there were others which took a slightly different path and took artistry to a whole different levels with their stories, direction and cinematography! Here in this post I am going to put forth only a few of the many Indipop music videos which I feel will remain evergreen forever.

Paree Hoon Main: This iconic song by Suneeta Rao became an instant hit due to the mesmerizing tune, the lyrical fluidity as well as the ‘very different’ video. This song which released in 1991 actually opened the door for the Indipop generation. The song gave the impression of a girl considering herself as a princess. However, in actuality the video focuses on childhood sexual abuse in a very subtle way. Watch it to see why it was way ahead of its time.

Gori Tere Aankhen: This romantic ballad with a melancholic tune was one of my favorites. It talks about a widow trying to come to terms with the death of her husband. The muted colors of the video, the fabulous cinematography along with the incredible voices of Lucky Ali and Kavita Krisnamoorthy will resonate with you and make you feel the pain of death of a loved one. Watch it, it will haunt you but in a good way.

Tere Ishq Main: What can be said about this song? The less said, the better as no words can justify the beauty of the song. This Sufi song song is the fruition of the deadly collaboration of Gulzar, Rekha Bharadwaj and Vishal Bharadwaj. Leave all your sorrows, your anguishes, your despair behind you – get enlightened and move ahead with your life. Start loving your life! Do not miss this song as it will take you to a journey of the unknown.

Pyar Ke Pal: Children who grew up during the 90s still sing this song whenever there is the chance of revisiting that era of simplicity. This romantic ballad by KK actually talks about how we are going to fondly remember our past. The sepia colored music video is about lost and found romance. If you want to feel good after a long and tedious day, it is safe to go to YT and watch this video and go on a nostalgia trip! Trivia: the video features Abhay Deol long time before he became a household name with movies like Socha na Tha and DevD.

Seenkho Na: Shubha Mudgal came to prominence with her peppy and feel good song Aab Ke Sawaan. But for me Seenkho Na holds a special place, maybe because I am a Bengali. The music video which portrays the pangs of a newly wed lovelorn wife was directed aesthetically by none other than Pradeep Sarkar. Shot in an age old Bengali ‘bonedi’ house with a joint family, the video speaks about understanding the language of the girl’s eyes and her silence as they tell you more than words ever can.

Here are just 5 of the songs which can brighten my day whenever I listen to them. Their melody, their enchanting videos and their simplicity take me back to the my uncomplicated bygone days. In my next post I’ll try to post another 5 of them.

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When I laugh with you, I remember my sudden burst of innocent and incessant laughter

When I read stories to you, I remember how I enjoyed the stories read to me by anyone

When I narrate stories about my childhood, I remember what an experience it was

When I see you not interested in your studies, I remember how much I used to detest studies

When I see you not being scared of anything, I remember the old and brave Me

When I listen to you singing after me, I remember singing along with my Baba

When I catch you lying to me, I remember how much I have been a pain to my Maa

When I see you acting naughty, I remember how much fun it was being naughty used to be

When I see you go through streaks of reading obsession, I remember the innumerable times I obsessively read storybooks under the guise of studying

When I see you getting excited about even the littlest things, I remember how every day was exciting for me

When I see you being carefree, I remember how difficult it was to tame me

When I see you enjoying your childhood to the brim, I remember my magical childhood with fondness

You usher me every day with love, affection, hope, and the scope of reminiscing my childhood

I just hope I can gift you the roots to feel proud of and the wings to fly and touch distant horizons

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