{"id":1001,"date":"2017-10-17T02:41:36","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T02:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=1001"},"modified":"2022-01-24T17:48:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T17:48:34","slug":"blogs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=1001","title":{"rendered":"BLOGS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3434\">Atheist? OMG!!<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3434\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-1024x1016.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3795\" width=\"127\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-1024x1016.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-300x298.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-768x762.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-360x360.jpg 360w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1-700x694.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ATHEIST-PUJA-BHAKOO-1.jpg 1097w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 127px) 100vw, 127px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This morning I woke up in a mood that bled intransigence. Sitting Myself down, I declared in a terse, zero budge-circumference tone: \u2018We are going to have a t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate\u2019&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3428\">Alternative Journalism \u2014 Makeover time?<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3428\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/media-bias-honest-journalism-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3792\" width=\"141\" height=\"141\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/media-bias-honest-journalism-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/media-bias-honest-journalism-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The last decade has witnessed mainstream media content making a not-so-subtle shift from \u2018hard news\u2019 towards infotainment. Journalist reportage is said to have succumbed to sensationalism, where malpractices such as commercialization and tabloidization abound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3437\">Bacha Posh: Misogyny\u2019s Love Child<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3437\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CMz2kZASx9-bUkZcebrgbQ-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3796\" width=\"149\" height=\"151\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CMz2kZASx9-bUkZcebrgbQ-1.jpg 380w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CMz2kZASx9-bUkZcebrgbQ-1-297x300.jpg 297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 149px) 100vw, 149px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I recently came face to face with a bacha posh through Nadia Hashimi\u2019s eminently readable novel,&nbsp;<em>One Half from the East.<\/em> Bacha posh is a cultural practice in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, in which some families without sons pick a daughter to live and behave as a boy (Wikipedia)&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3442\">Bhutan &#8211; Should You, Shouldn&#8217;t You?<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3442\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a-1-1024x360.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3797\" width=\"242\" height=\"84\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a-1-1024x360.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a-1-768x270.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a-1-1536x540.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a-1-700x246.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I alight from the DrukAir flight, at the Paro airport, in an oddly ambivalent state-of-mind not quite knowing what to expect of my host country&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3447\">British Humor and Three Men in a Boat<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3447\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BLOG-PIX5-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3798\" width=\"154\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BLOG-PIX5-1.jpg 741w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BLOG-PIX5-1-287x300.jpg 287w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/BLOG-PIX5-1-700x732.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 154px) 100vw, 154px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Wit, they say, is educated insolence. I like such definitions. No frills. No flab. Two words \u2014 and the gist is yours. In a developing country like India, fodder for dark humor abounds in every abyss of irony, every crevice of poverty&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3455\">Corona isn&#8217;t funny. Or is it?<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3455\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GnjVJL8_e2OfA2vVOmmZ0g-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3802\" width=\"121\" height=\"141\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GnjVJL8_e2OfA2vVOmmZ0g-2.jpg 613w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GnjVJL8_e2OfA2vVOmmZ0g-2-257x300.jpg 257w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 121px) 100vw, 121px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Corona is not funny; it\u2019s really not. But it does bring about some weird eventualities, some deep ironies, and some productive life lessons. Concern about the virus has permeated every part of people\u2019s lives&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3451\">Corona: Homing in with Covid 19<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3451\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_T8DhJ73XLqrZ2nAmor-RKQ.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3803\" width=\"123\" height=\"109\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_T8DhJ73XLqrZ2nAmor-RKQ.jpg 901w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_T8DhJ73XLqrZ2nAmor-RKQ-300x265.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_T8DhJ73XLqrZ2nAmor-RKQ-768x679.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_T8DhJ73XLqrZ2nAmor-RKQ-700x619.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 123px) 100vw, 123px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201dSENDING you LOVE and FLOWERS if you are STUCK AT HOME. We\u2019re ALL in this TOGETHER\u201d \u2014 this rather innocuous message from a well-meaning friend last evening set me thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3823\">Corona: Uncle Covid hangs a planet<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3823\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2-798x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3804\" width=\"107\" height=\"137\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2-798x1024.jpg 798w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2-234x300.jpg 234w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2-768x985.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2-1197x1536.jpg 1197w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2-700x898.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_CAf2GLQrmtHHcGsHnQsw7A-2.jpg 1556w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 107px) 100vw, 107px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The whole world is in power-saving mode at the moment, thanks to Uncle Covid. There\u2019s a new oxymoron doing the rounds in the Cov\u2019Indian context: A country of 1.3 billion has come TOGETHER to stay AWAY from each other&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3849\">Covid spawns the stupidity paradox<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3849\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_6upLOFfimBdJwWGXPakmIg@2x-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3853\" width=\"118\" height=\"120\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_6upLOFfimBdJwWGXPakmIg@2x-3.jpg 859w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_6upLOFfimBdJwWGXPakmIg@2x-3-293x300.jpg 293w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_6upLOFfimBdJwWGXPakmIg@2x-3-768x786.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_6upLOFfimBdJwWGXPakmIg@2x-3-700x716.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 118px) 100vw, 118px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe must practice VIRUS RETARDATION. If everyone can practice safe distancing this will retard the growth of the virus. All of us working together can become retards, so do your part and be totally retarded in your behavior and we will win&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3458\">Emojinatively yours!!<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3466\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_a3nWNkAC7exFqOO3Q1dZZA@2x.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3818\" width=\"110\" height=\"119\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2015, Oxford&nbsp;officially&nbsp;declared \u2018the face with the tears of joy\u2019 (emoji) as the word of the year \u2013 although&nbsp;there\u2019s nothing \u2018official\u2019 about it&nbsp;since the word of the year is not even a word!&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3463\">Facebook &#8211; It&#8217;s a Jungle Out There!<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3463\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/images-2-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3820\" width=\"139\" height=\"103\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was 2013 when I&nbsp;first came face-to-face with Facebook.&nbsp;&nbsp;Joining the FB bandwagon wasn&#8217;t exactly out of a need to widen my social horizons or even the result of any techno-fascination.&nbsp;It was simply on account of peer pressure&#8230;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3466\">Forever 21<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3466\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2014-04-20-20.29.34-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3816\" width=\"90\" height=\"113\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2014-04-20-20.29.34-1.jpg 746w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2014-04-20-20.29.34-1-240x300.jpg 240w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2014-04-20-20.29.34-1-700x875.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 90px) 100vw, 90px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I sometimes wonder what life would really be like if this universe was devoid of all reflective surfaces. Imagine if there were no mirrors and we didn\u2019t know what we look like! What foundation, then, would our towers<em>&nbsp;of Vain<\/em>&nbsp;be built on?&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3471\">Grand&#8217;Motherhood <\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3471\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/30042013100-001-1-771x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3877\" width=\"117\" height=\"155\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/30042013100-001-1-771x1024.jpg 771w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/30042013100-001-1-226x300.jpg 226w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/30042013100-001-1-768x1020.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/30042013100-001-1-700x930.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/30042013100-001-1.jpg 979w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 117px) 100vw, 117px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hello Everyone&#8230; you&#8217;ll be happy to learn that after being a mere Mom all these years, I was elevated to the status of &#8216;GRANDMOM&#8217;,&nbsp;on Apr 29th, 2013,&nbsp;courtesy Nyna Bhakoo&nbsp;&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3862\">God needs a Makeover<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FZjI75H_Qkbv-8QS.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3865\" width=\"128\" height=\"119\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FZjI75H_Qkbv-8QS.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FZjI75H_Qkbv-8QS-300x279.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FZjI75H_Qkbv-8QS-768x715.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FZjI75H_Qkbv-8QS-700x651.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider this: a baby chimp and a baby human are marooned on an island somewhere south of the boondocks. Who do you think stands a better chance at survival?&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3880\">How I became a tapestry artist<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3880\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2-859x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3892\" width=\"119\" height=\"142\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2-859x1024.jpeg 859w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2-252x300.jpeg 252w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2-768x916.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2-1288x1536.jpeg 1288w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2-700x835.jpeg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_0785-2.jpeg 1422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 119px) 100vw, 119px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up in a mofussil town has its advantages. The languid lifestyle \u2013 devoid of all distractions \u2013 helps you discover your latent faculties, widening your creative horizons in ways a metropolis can only aspire to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3856\">Is the Indian Society Breeding Rapists\u2026?<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3856\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_uzuOi-0Vob5PaIPi0AXtkQ-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3859\" width=\"99\" height=\"132\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_uzuOi-0Vob5PaIPi0AXtkQ-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_uzuOi-0Vob5PaIPi0AXtkQ-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_uzuOi-0Vob5PaIPi0AXtkQ-700x933.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_uzuOi-0Vob5PaIPi0AXtkQ.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 99px) 100vw, 99px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Last month, my driver \u2014 a rather timid fellow of sub-zero looks (and zero IQ), returned from his village with a beautiful, cultured, and soft-spoken bride in tow&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3475\">Karva Chauth -The Uncle Sam of Indian Patriarchy<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3475\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3814\" width=\"98\" height=\"98\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1.jpg 1000w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1-768x768.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1-360x360.jpg 360w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_O5K-PlB-k5NFKgZl-1-700x700.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 98px) 100vw, 98px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a scene straight out of a ubiquitous&nbsp;<em>Saas Boohoo<\/em>&nbsp;K-serial. Or a live telecast from your neighbor\u2019s house. Or possibly, yours: It is Karva Chauth. The urban Hindu wife draped in servility, a big bindi of enslavement on her forehead, the mehndi of servitude on her palms,&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3482\">New Zealand &#8211; are you for real?<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3482\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FGrQFlIV4rROvscY-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3813\" width=\"195\" height=\"110\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FGrQFlIV4rROvscY-1.jpg 320w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_FGrQFlIV4rROvscY-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sipping a Cabernet Sauvignon en-route my long haul flight back to India from New Zealand, I settle down to watch a movie. But my mind flips focus and my eyes refuse to converge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3485\">Parental Pairing<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3451\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_OTDuKL0gn5KarzOo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3806\" width=\"178\" height=\"118\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_OTDuKL0gn5KarzOo-1.jpg 320w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_OTDuKL0gn5KarzOo-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was s a balmy April afternoon three summers ago. My mother-in-law went to the hospital for a routine health check-up, brimming with life. She returned home 3 hours later. In a coffin. Lifeless&#8230;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3488\">Retire or Rewire<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3488\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_PIH8aXVIcPC3VAVgYsZgYw-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3807\" width=\"104\" height=\"139\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_PIH8aXVIcPC3VAVgYsZgYw-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_PIH8aXVIcPC3VAVgYsZgYw-1-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_PIH8aXVIcPC3VAVgYsZgYw-1-700x933.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_PIH8aXVIcPC3VAVgYsZgYw-1.jpg 852w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 104px) 100vw, 104px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After observing a 12-hour work schedule as an ad professional for 26 elephantine years, slogging my hippocampus out at client presentations and board meetings, I planned to call it an evening by the time I hit half a century hoping to build a retirement corpus to cover my aging back by then&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3491\">Sammy \u2014 A Double Whammy<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3491\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_JkVW771Ytg_JWGm3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3808\" width=\"139\" height=\"93\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_JkVW771Ytg_JWGm3.jpg 507w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0_JkVW771Ytg_JWGm3-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 139px) 100vw, 139px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cMy life was torn like wind-blown sand \u2026 then a rock was formed when you held my hand..<\/em>Sammy<em>&nbsp;(err.. Sunny).. one so true \u2026 I love you\u201d<\/em>\u2026 Boney M\u2019s deathless number looped in my mind with melismatic flourish since the day Sammy zoomed into my life straddling the new year&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3497\">Screaming Willow<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3497\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_ieKaxToHWfoS2bXHzNkstg-1-785x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3812\" width=\"97\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_ieKaxToHWfoS2bXHzNkstg-1-785x1024.jpg 785w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_ieKaxToHWfoS2bXHzNkstg-1-230x300.jpg 230w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_ieKaxToHWfoS2bXHzNkstg-1-768x1002.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_ieKaxToHWfoS2bXHzNkstg-1-700x914.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_ieKaxToHWfoS2bXHzNkstg-1.jpg 1111w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 97px) 100vw, 97px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a regular Sunday outing. En-family. Catching an inane Bollywood potboiler, in an inane multiplex. The most exciting part of the movie was on \u2014 the interval&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3833\">Social Trivia<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=3833\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-668x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3841\" width=\"101\" height=\"155\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-668x1024.jpeg 668w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-196x300.jpeg 196w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-768x1178.jpeg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-1002x1536.jpeg 1002w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-1336x2048.jpeg 1336w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-652x999.jpeg 652w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/IMG_2011-2-scaled.jpeg 1670w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 101px) 100vw, 101px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It is my constant endeavor to shine in the assembly of the learned. But sadly, every time I get an opportunity to give the world a glimpse of my gleaming intellect, my foot makes a beeline for my mouth&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4019\">Speaking of Silence<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4019\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GziF2noJDuX48DJD4YRVJQ@2x-825x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3902\" width=\"129\" height=\"159\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GziF2noJDuX48DJD4YRVJQ@2x-825x1024.jpg 825w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GziF2noJDuX48DJD4YRVJQ@2x-242x300.jpg 242w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GziF2noJDuX48DJD4YRVJQ@2x-768x953.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GziF2noJDuX48DJD4YRVJQ@2x-700x868.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_GziF2noJDuX48DJD4YRVJQ@2x.jpg 1023w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 129px) 100vw, 129px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Women are often accused of lacking the ability to keep silent. But I think we\u2019re doing the cosmos a huge favor by exercising our vocal cords at the drop of a provocative hat (My hubby owns dozens of those hats!\u263a\ufe0f)&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4027\">Small Talk<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4027\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_bSpj9fTLT0B4ibcBJAoE3A-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4024\" width=\"133\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_bSpj9fTLT0B4ibcBJAoE3A-1.jpg 819w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_bSpj9fTLT0B4ibcBJAoE3A-1-300x274.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_bSpj9fTLT0B4ibcBJAoE3A-1-768x702.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_bSpj9fTLT0B4ibcBJAoE3A-1-700x640.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 133px) 100vw, 133px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018How are you?\u2019 It\u2019s a question that\u2019s ping-ponged around the social world with a dull, repetitive panache. Every single day zillions of people in millions of countries ask this one question of one another&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4034\">Why a Poetry Book?<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4034\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3904\" width=\"136\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x-819x1024.jpg 819w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x-240x300.jpg 240w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x-768x960.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x-700x875.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_YMquCtFfTb1sP4Ul4tgWAA@2x.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 136px) 100vw, 136px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Why a poetry book? I&#8217;ve been asked this question so often\u00a0since I launched my anthology MOOD SWINGS earlier this month that I think it deserves some explaining (if not an explanation!)&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4040\">Your Zero Market Risk Investment<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=4040\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3905\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-768x768.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-360x360.jpg 360w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x-700x700.jpg 700w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1_lpBzTmbUjgrihIS0x5tgYQ@2x.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>They say what the headline gives, the fine print takes away. And speaking about fine print, you might recall the blah that goes by \u2018mutual funds are subject to market risks\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/?page_id=1478\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"205\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-1024x205.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2134\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-1024x205.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-300x60.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-768x154.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-1536x307.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-2048x410.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/COMBINED-LOGO-700x140.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Atheist? OMG!! This morning I woke up in a mood that bled intransigence. Sitting Myself down, I declared in a terse, zero budge-circumference tone: \u2018We are going to have a t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate\u2019&#8230; Alternative Journalism \u2014 Makeover time? The last decade has witnessed mainstream media content making a not-so-subtle shift from \u2018hard news\u2019 towards infotainment. Journalist reportage [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3902,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1001","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1001"}],"version-history":[{"count":58,"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4045,"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1001\/revisions\/4045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pujabhakoo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}