Most of the children who came to her library knew her only as Library Aunty and the name stuck.

Comic books might not have literary value but those like Amar Chitra Katha have brought the myths, folk tales, epics and biographies within the grasp of even primary school children.

What an experienced librarian, a frantic mother and dozens of children reading books in our living room couldn’t do, was accomplished by a little girl, who turned the boy into a reader with her comics!

Create some magic moments for your child. Tell them stories!

For me, magic was in that room filled with books in my grandfather’s house.

To be fair, for every bestseller, there is an equal number of reasonably good books that just do not make it, for dubious commercial reasons.

The mango pachadi has a dash of neem flowers in it and symbolises life itself — with the good and the bad, the sorrows and the joys, sweetness and bitterness by incorporating the six tastes advocated by Ayurveda for perfect health.

The emotional affinity women share with each other transcends geographical, language, cultural and age barriers since their cares, constraints and concerns are universal.

Three years of college flew by. And then life happened. Our foursome scattered…

A Women’s Day photo feature celebrating the indomitable spirit and dignity of our sisters from rural India.

With the demise of Ameen Sayani, we have lost the remaining of the two voices that I am in love with.

Small talk or chitchat, as it is commonly known, is energising in a positive way. We hardly notice all the bits of small talk we indulge in through the day. According to psychological studies, it makes up nearly one-third of all our speech, and that is saying something!

The annual papad and pickle making activity used to be like a big carnival, with the family and even neighbours pitching in.