During daily travel

During my travel to and from to work, I pass a Parsee Tower of Silence. Maybe that's the only Tower of Silence for the entire city of Bengaluru. While the gate is always closed whenever I have observed, there is a board outside which says that entry is permitted for only Parsees. I don't know if a Fire Temple also has similar board outside it.

When I see the board at the Tower of Silence, the thought that instantly comes to my mind is that Parsees are conservative. I find any place of worship or any place identified with a particular religion which bars entry to others a little disconcerting. That is close-minded to me, but yes, the Tower of Silence is not a place of worship per say. I have read of cases where Parsee women married outside the community have to fight for their place within their society. That said, conservatism is prevalent in other religions as well. I have seen Hindu temples which indicates that only Hindus are allowed entry. But, i wonder how they regulate, unless one bears the marks of a caste/religion, or enters details into a register.

At my place of work, we have an internal complaints committee. As per the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Law of 2013, every workplace has to have one, and we have one too. Being a member of it is no easy task I realise.

I am exposed to a couple of cases now, and I am yet to really feel ok with it. We recently wrapped the first case, and it didn't turn out well. We followed the procedure as mandated by the law only to realise that as a committee, we have limited power. I don't know if I should expect anything radical to happen, but we are not equipped to take much action.

On this case, after hearing versions from different parties, we couldn't resolve it as the versions were varied. While we did try suggesting action to both parties, I felt helpless, simply because justice really was not done. While we were trying to explain the conclusion of the case to the victim, it was just hopeless. Or beyond hopeless. It was suffocating! And because justice couldn't be done, it seemed that we were trying to portray the message - This is the way of the world. Get used to it. Although we were told that we did our best, by somebody who has seen much worse.

Yes, I have been harassed sexually, and I know other women who have been as well, and all of us describe it as horrible. Maybe, through the years, we have grown immune to it and that's shocking as well. But it does not take away the genuine feeling that women share to prevent this from happening. The reasoning that this is the way of the world is no logic at all!

Its tough!!

I am in the mode of re-discovering and discovering Bangalore. And has it been lovely!!

I mention discovering coz, the roads where I frequented earlier, like years ago, have changed and drastically too. Last week, I visited an outlet of K C Das, wanted to drink some tea there. Surprisingly, the outlet was empty when I walked in, which surprised me. That place used to buzz with life when I used to visit it regularly.

Yes, the tea was good, one of the best places to have tea, and snacks in that area. We used to eat their samosas and vegetable cutlets and sweets of course occasionally when growing up. One thing about the shop (it's simple), is it showcases some art, pretty much all the time when I've gone there. Maybe, that's another reason for me to like K C Das, it has come culture to it, you know.

Coming back to this visit, I decided to pick some sweets to take back home. When trying to choose, during the conversation between the person who was to pack for me and myself, that guy said that he recollects me visiting the shop years ago with my father.

I am skeptic about what the person told me, I mean how will anybody remember! But that was a surprise!

Now that I'm in Bangalore, and I have easy access to books, I have begun to read again. Back in Delhi, I had access to books too, and I did buy quite a few, but read a little.

In Bangalore too, I have to distribute my time between different activities. But this week, I somehow managed to dedicate about half hour everyday to reading, apart from reading the everyday news/current affairs.

Now that I am back in Bangalore, I need to shed off the habit of replying in Hindi every time.

My instant response to anybody telling me something, is 'achcha', not a 'sari'. Even when somebody thanks me or apologises, immediately i reply in Hindi. Then i stop mid-way and say something in Kannada.

Habits have to change, which takes time.

When I was heading home in the evening the other day, i noticed that a lady and a gentleman got into the bus i was travelling in.

I guess that the gentleman was completely blind, and the lady partially blind, as she was guiding him and helped him buy a ticket. What was very pleasant was that both were cheerful and happy. 

The scene was so inspiring. Dressed in ordinary clothes, two blind individuals were travelling on their own and were happy.

This reminds me of a an irregular instance in Delhi. I used to travel via buses in Delhi as well. At times, I used to see her get into the bus, aided by somebody. And she used to travel to work in the bus.

I used to feel so inspired whenever I used to see her.

I left Delhi and moved back to Bangalore recently. Yes, I miss Delhi, but in my mind, Delhi was not a permanent thing for me.

I miss the strolls I had on Janpath on weekend afternoons. I miss the solo trips I had within Delhi on weekends. I miss the green environs of the National Arts and Crafts Museum. I miss speaking in somewhat better-than-broken Hindi and miss kadi pakoda. When I was in Delhi, I used to move between languages, and sometimes, used vocabulary of Hindi when I was conversing with my folks in Kannada. Used a few Kannada words at office regularly as well.

Guess all this is a part of the deal.

Try to read fiction at times. But my interest in current affairs does not provide me with much time to read fiction. And yes, have started reading in Kannada. Tried reading fiction, but could not go far one, as I read the Kannada script really slowly, and two couldn't keep a continuous interest in reading fiction. I try reading kannada newspapers, instead, where I know I will finish a piece in a given period of time.

That part, I feel the need to write again. Let's see how far I go.

When others ask me if i pursue any of my activities, i say no. Then i proceed to give a list of reasons why i do not follow them and sound very silly in the meantime.

Wish i could read or paint again!!

I wanted to key in something in yesterday. But could not. And had an inkling of what I wanted to write. Now, when i sitting and thinking of writing, i wonder what to write on.

I have been busy with work lately. Have been reading and writing quite a lot at work, that even though I wanted to write for myself, I couldn't. My reading also has come down.


Yesterday when I was at a neighbourhood park, I overheard a girl telling another not to overreact. Then I thought, maybe the vocabulary of today's children is more vibrant than ours. I should get used to it.