family Archives - Page 3 of 8

Mum + Dad + Beta + Beti: Why Are Indians Obsessed With the Idea of a “Complete Family”?

The minute a couple tie the nuptial knot, their relatives descend upon them and start demanding a baby. When they’ve had one, the family begins chasing them for the second one. Thank God for the “Hum do, humare do” slogans and overpopulation problems, or else this would continue ad infinitum.

Gargi Mehra June 21, 2016

Modern Family

My Didi, My Keeper: Did My Illness Steal My Sister’s Childhood?

When I was nine and my sister 13, I was diagnosed with leukaemia. Suddenly, my family’s plans changed overnight. My father gave up a job offer, my mother became my full-time carer. And my sister, always the mature, responsible one who never needed supervision, was left to her own devices.

Kahini Iyer June 20, 2016

POV

Why We Need to Ban the Term “Mid-Life Crisis” From Our Lexicon

After 50, fast-fashion brands are passé for old-fashioned folks like me, and what the hell am I still doing with those crop-tops and coloured tights? I can sense millennials grasp at my audacity. You see, if I refuse to abide by this cultural construct, I’ll promptly be labelled as yet-another-hilarious casualty of the “mid-life crisis”.

Purba Ray June 18, 2016

Modern Family

Farewell, the Great Indian Family Vacation. It Will Not be Missed

Travel plans have done what TV could not – divide the Great Indian Middle Class Family. Our #wanderlust no longer accommodates the now-unfashionable image of three generations of our thepla-quaffing family, waving from a snowy background.

Chandrima Pal June 17, 2016

Modern Family

Call Me By Maa’s Name: Why I Dropped My Father’s Last Name as a Tribute to My Mother

I inherited my surname from my father, a man who left my mother and me when I was 12. By changing my last name to my maa’s name, I have chosen to pay tribute to her. It’s an act of defiance against social norms, which insist we carry our father’s family name into the future.

Aakash Ranison June 17, 2016

Modern Family

Mere Paas “Maa-si” Hai: Do We Thank Our Almost-Mothers Enough?

Mothers are a separate species, the collective reason for a warm, comforting glow in the lives of so many of us. But after I lost my mother, I found pieces of her in other women in my life. Some of them look like her, some of them sound like her, and I realise that my mother continues to live and look after me through all these “maa-sis”.

Mugdha Singh June 13, 2016

People

Kleptomania: A Rich Man’s Disease? Or Poor Man’s Chori

I played wingman to a kleptomaniac friend. I distracted a bar waiter, as my buddy Pranay lifted a couple of beers. Unlike him, I was filled with guilt, making me wonder if it was his affluent upbringing that absolved him of regret.

Nihal Bambulkar June 4, 2016

Modern Family

Seeking the Individual Behind My Late Father

Our Parents, to us at least, rarely exist as individuals with their own concerns, anxieties and aspirations. But after my father passed away, peacefully, I reconnected and discovered different sides of him that most men, maybe, hide behind the image of the father figure. I’m glad he got to live those lives.

Ajay Chacko June 2, 2016

Culture

Dhakna Zaroori Hai: Why My Sindhi Family Has a Cover for Everything from the Toaster to the TV

In Sindhi households, everything is veiled. It starts at the heart of the home – the kitchen. The refrigerator handle dare not stand in nudity. The mixer, when not in use, stands gracefully under a crocheted hood. Twenty five years ago, I used to mock this great Sindhi cover-up. Today, I’m the one doing the covering.