Notion Press
Old No. 38, New No. 6
McNichols Road, Chetpet
Chennai - 600 031
First Published by Notion Press 2017
Copyright Payal Mittal Talwar 2017
All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 978-1-947498-91-4
This book has been published with all reasonable efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. No part of this book shall be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
The Author of this book is solely responsible and liable for its content including but not limited to the views, representations, descriptions, statements, information, opinions and references [Content]. The Content of this book shall not constitute or be construed or deemed to reflect the opinion or expression of the Publisher or Editor. Neither the Publisher nor Editor endorse or approve the Content of this book or guarantee the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the Content published herein and do not make any representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose. The Publisher and Editor shall not be liable whatsoever for any errors, omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause or claims for loss or damages of any kind, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising out of use, inability to use, or about the reliability, accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in this book.
Contents
Preface
W ords have a music of their own and if orchestrated properly, there is a flow of narration which spellbinds the reader. Words also have a personality each word sounding different and distinct, and its when the complementing personalities come together, that a complete or a whole forms.
Theres something about penning down your thoughts which cannot be explainedthe very process of thinking them through, giving them a form, arranging them in a structure, yet not interrupting the flow, crystallizes them. It makes the thoughts real, more palpable probably!
Im a work from home mom yes, the same lady who often keeps her laptop on the kitchen slab, has a phone virtually sticking to her ears and at the same time, is stirring something on the stove-top. Yes, yes, shes the one who gives out a loud yell to one of her kids from time to time, extorting them to hurry and immediately after, gets back to the work at hand as cool as a saint meditating on the top of the Himalayas! And yes, shes the same one who messes up often, nearly on a daily basis sometimes its the food getting burnt, sometimes its the phone slipping down and in all probability, she just ends up shooting wrong e-mails to wrong people.
She cant be missed. You definitely mustve spotted her at the supermarket shes often there stocking up on the basics and salivating over the luxuries that are marked for the office-goers. Shes generally in a hurry and amidst healthy food packets and laundry detergents, she mulls over some indulgence for herself, often chuckling and buying it in the end. Her mood varies, depending on the day shes having she oscillates between breezy and cheerful to grumpy and you-talk-to-me-at-your-own-risk!
Shes surely NOT the ideal multi-tasker. She blunders, suffers, grins and is ready to start once again! One thing shes learned is that its always easier with a sense of humor! And she, for one, certainly believes in making life easier!
And no, this piece of reminiscences is NOT about eulogizing her its just about sharing the unpredictable yet over- glorified lives and laughs of moms be it a stay at home mom, a work from home mom or an office-going mom. I certainly dont mean to make her sound like a victim she has her blessings, is aware of them and enjoys them. Sure, she likes to crib from time to time and overdoes the tired bit but given the fact that she has raised a handful of drama-experts (called kids in local vernacular), shes bound to get influenced!
Im telling you, beneath those chic office clothes, track bottoms or even the famous house-wife gown, we all are the same having similar aspirations and similar struggles.
So here I am, building up my repository of daily experiences, to share and tickle thodi dillagi, thodi sanjeedagi my musings on paper.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to:
My father, Kishi Pa, for igniting in me a love for the written word and instilling in me an unshakable belief that I am the writer of my own destiny;
My mother, Sue Ma, for her unconditional love expressed through innumerable cups of tea and spicy midnight gossip.
Amit, my husband, for being my partner in crime since I was sixteen.
Ashi and Sid, my kids, for providing me all the laughs, the title and of course, the ammunition.
My other set of parents, Lovely Mama and Rummy Papa, for encouraging me to go after my dreams.
My nieces and nephews Sanya, Arjun, Kunaal, Kareena, Jiya, and Manya Your lives provided me my research material.
My one-woman cheer squad, Priyanka, who relentlessly kicks my ample backside to discipline me and believes in me more than I believe in myself.
Renuka, my chief editor, for giving all her time and mind to this book and editing, re-editing and re-re-editing. The book resembles something coherent because of her meticulous research and committed mentoring of a debutant author.
And of course, many thanks to my brilliant illustrator, Nandita, who brought this character to life.
My champions Chitra, Alpna Bhabhi, Bhai, Neeraa, Puja, Noni, Seema and all other numerous friends whove given a pat on my back every time I tried putting my thoughts on paper.
My Publishers, the team at Notion Press who converted my dream into a dream book.
To all my readers, may God bless you all with enough patience to emerge on the other side of this book with sanity intact!
Prologue
I had proudly christened my company as K.B Pvt Ltd after a lot of thought and deliberation and I swelled with pride every time I explained that it stood for Knots and Braids Pvt Ltd I displayed the name wherever I could, self-importantly enlightening my curious friends that as a counselor and therapist, I helped people untangle knots and tie stronger braids in relationships. I basked in the clever wordplay of the name and loved being a part of the envied club of entrepreneurs.
Over the years, family and fate played their cards and now K.B. Pvt. Ltd symbolizes Kanta Bai Pvt. Ltd a title close to every moms heart. Every mother worth her toil, sweat and cynicism will surely identify with it and vote for the aptness of the name. In fact, I can almost hear them cheering for the same! And whats the second cheer oh for the real Kanta Bai s in our lives, without whom the household will perhaps actually go on hold!
