Wrinkled by the precarious times, as I lay burdened by my inhibitions, I heard a sudden knock. It was my soul seeking to break free. My life was at an inflection point - a career break to deal with that ran too long, a sick child and the pandemic snatching away loved ones. Yet I wanted to do something worthwhile and not just while away my life. I thought to myself, did I even have the right to waste the most precious gift from my parents. That was the epiphany that altered my life forever. Fifteen years after I had passed out of campus, I appeared for and cracked one of the toughest exams in India and started my journey of a doctoral degree with the dream of altering the world. Now I’m enjoying the nuances of balancing rigour and relevance of a research oriented curriculum. If not studying, I’m usually spending quality time revelling in my kids' and parents’ company while enjoying the wintery afternoon sun amidst jaggery, oranges and sesame seed sweets. My evenings are laced with coffee, fruit cakes and books. Amidst the fluidic pace with which life is happening, I’m living it, in reality and weaving magical memories out of it.
