Devoid

The outskirts of Sindh were quite populous with people of the Kutchi dialect. Time must not have consumed more than five or six years, since partition. That was a hostile era. The concept of nuclear families was virtually obscure. Rules were deployed by the head of the family and everyone adhered to them. One of those rules was not letting children go out once the sun started settling down. Shilpa had a contrasting outlook regarding this. She considered this as a mere guideline than an authoritative rule.  Her mother, Lata, feared that eventually, Shilpa's zeal will get the better of her as she was this 10-year-old rebellious girl, waiting to start a revolution. And one day her fear met reality. It was kind of a taboo to step out into the woods not only for children but for the so-called grown-ups. People have been warned by the patriarchs—about the stories associated with the woods—why nobody dares to even glimpse through the shrubs, let alone the dark trunks at night. Legends ha...

1. How to gel with a group of strangers. Recently somebody asked me what is your strong point and I was speechless not in the good old positive way but in a way which made me question myself. "Do I have any?"- I asked myself. 2. Then, I had an epiphany. I flipped through my customized memory, filled with positive feedback, and the point which stood out was "you are a pretty easy guy to talk with". So I answered, "my strong point would be, my communication skills." 3. Here, I'm gonna point out some techniques which I have refined over the years, sum it up in short, and serve it on a platter, because we all want easy, right!? 4. When you interact with a group of unknown people usually you have someone who would introduce you to that group. That person is the mutual friend of the group. The bridge between you and them. Use that person. 5. No matter how many times you have read this but people tend to accept you more if you greet them with a ...