THINK POSITIVE

by Manoj R. Kodachwad     About a year and a half ago, I became the father of a beautiful baby girl. Since then, every day with her has felt magical in its own way. Time seems to move differently now, faster somehow. She is growing up quicker than I can fully take in, and I often find myself wishing I could pause these little moments just a little longer.  Whenever people meet us, one of the first questions they ask is, “How old is she?” At first, I thought it was simple curiosity. Over time, I realised the question often led somewhere else. Soon the stories would follow: "My baby started walking at 11 months." "Ours began crawling at just 6 months." "She started speaking before she turned one." "My baby eats everything on her own already." And just like that, parenting quietly turns into a race nobody officially signed up for. For a while, I found myself paying attention to these timelines. Not because I wanted to compete, but because comparis...

On a pleasant Sunday evening, I was savoring Panipuri with a friend at a roadside stall. The spiciness of the ‘Paani’ had both my eyes and mouth watering, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. I even asked the vendor for another plate. As I indulged in the crispy panipuris, I noticed a man walk up to the stall with his wife and three daughters. At first, I thought they were there for some snacks as well, but they stood across the road, while only two of the daughters approached the vendor with excitement. I assumed the parents weren’t interested in having any. The older of the two daughters asked the vendor the price of Panipuri, and he replied, “Rs. 40 per plate.” In an instant, their excitement faded, replaced by polite smiles, and they returned to their father. Even though I was across the road, I could overhear their conversation. The father, shaking his head, said, “It’s too expensive,” and firmly declined. They all walked away, empty-handed. Although the thought of helping crossed my...