My Debut Book

Announcing the birth of my third baby -

Her Master Key - A Hotel Housekeeper's Stories from Inn-dia

I am falling short of words to describe the joy and excitement. The gestation was long but worth this blue beauty!

Ever so grateful to Subroto Bagchi​, Tuhin A. Sinha​ for being my mentors, Vinita Nangia​ for nudging out the closet writer in me with her revolutionary writing platform TOI Books​ #TOIWriteIndia, Ranveer Brar​ for encouraging my first steps in publishing, Shruthi Rao​, for bringing my raw manuscript to life through the first round of copy editing, Rudra Sharma​, my commissioning editor at Rupa Publications​...the list could go on!

In all humility, I present my first book that can be pre-ordered in India at:
India order: Her Master Key

Can also be ordered in US/Europe at:
US/Europe order: Her Master Key

Down the memory lane...my Alma Mater!

This morning, I woke up to some heartwarming Whatsapp pictures of a mini reunion of two close OCLD batch mates. They had met after twenty years!

Needless to say, the group messages were flooded with fond reminiscences and a promise for a larger reunion to be attended by all batch mates. The vicious social media has a few virtues too - like holding together individuals scattered across the globe - Scandinavian region, US, Europe and of course, India!

Sharing a few pictures through this blog post -

OCLD - The Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development

The Gurukul - an epitome of learning! 

It imparts some of the finest values in service - what it takes to become a blue-blooded hotelier in one's body, mind and soul. I owe most of my life skills and work skills to this school. The faculty is a vibrant set of hoteliers seasoned through long and tough years of service. Not surprising that the management training programmes at OCLD are considered among the best in Asia. The hands-on curriculum has been setting high global benchmarks for the hotel industry since 1966.

Shri Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi

Pioneer in Luxury Services 

A Great Visionary 

The Guru - a guiding light!

He is the Founder and Former Chairman of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, a legacy built from the scratch, consisting of not just large chains of hotels, but also luxury cruisers across other countries and allied businesses like airline catering, management of restaurants and airport bars, travel and tour services, car rental, project management and corporate air charters.

He literally rose from the ashes of difficulties and hardships. 

Dare to Dream: The Life of M.S. Oberoi (written by Bachi J. Karkaria) is a must read book for all - aspiring hoteliers, present hoteliers, ex-hoteliers, hotel guests and anyone who concurs with Rai Bahadur's firm belief - 

'NO TASK IS TOO LOWLY. NO AMBITION TOO HIGH!' 

The Learning Grounds - Library, Labs and Classrooms

I wouldn't lie! The learning years were not easy. It brought out the worst fears and tears in me. The endless assignments along with full-fledged work reporting schedules were no less than commando training modules. It was here, I learnt my biggest lessons in handling both work-life aspects, the professional submission and a personal freedom. The lessons are here to stay with me for life. 

But twenty years later, I can only feel grateful for those hardships. 

As Rumi says - 

“IF YOU ARE IRRITATED BY EVERY RUB, HOW WILL YOUR MIRROR BE POLISHED?”

(Picture Courtesy: Ms. Vanessa Pinto, ex-batch mate at OCLD & Ms. Meenakshi Srivastava, ex-batchmate, also AVP Training at OCLD)

From the poetry archives: 'माँ'

इसी गगन के किसी फलक से झांकती तो हो,
पर नज़र क्यों नहीं आती कभी?

पूरा संसार है आज मेरा कहने को,
पर हर सांस कुछ अधूरी-सी है कहीं.

याद करती हूँ तुम्हें तो भर आती है आँखें,
मद्धम मद्धम गत हो जाती ये नसें.

चेहरे तो कई आये इस दिल को संभालने,
पर न पाया उनमें तुम्हें कभी भी.

गौर किया तो हर रिश्ता निकला सौदे का,
लेन-देन से न उबर पाए हम अब भी.

चाहे उम्मीदों का हो सौदा, हो सौदा प्यार का,
भूल रही हूँ खुद को, इन सब में अब कहीं.

ढूंढती हूँ तुम्हें हर तरफ, हर शक्ल में,
थक गयी दुनियादारी निभाने में.

इच्छा है एक बार फिर तुझ ही से जन जाऊं,
फिर चाहे माँ! तेरी गोद में सदा के लिए सो जाऊं.

From the poetry archives: 'You are a rose...'

You are a rose, a beautiful rose!

Gifted to me by someone loved.

I press you hard in the pages of this book.

A book that stands on a rickety bookshelf.

Among many others-

I read them all!

Inspiring Wisdom and Knowledge;
I lost you somewhere in the clutter,
But, you still smell the same -
Reflections of Truth and Courage,
Preaching happiness and success,
Guiding through wit and calculation.
Oh! The rankness of a scholar - 
Sought by one and all!

Until today, I discovered you yet again.
You were the rose, the same beautiful rose!
Gifted to me once, by someone loved.
Pressed hard in the pages of this book.
A book that stood on a rickety bookshelf.

For long, long enough to lose your color and shine.

Your redolence reminds me again,
Of my true identity and existence.
What wasted years,
Ah! the brevity of life.
I hold on to you tight this time,
Never ever to let you go again!

K~ and 'tiny'

K~ with her little sister 'tiny', 2013

K~ has a little sister who is nearly a decade younger, a 'tiny' one indeed. Unluckily for 'tiny', she shall stay tiny for the rest of her life. Luckily for K~, she will always get to play the wiser one.

K~ is the perfect role model for 'tiny' who is in complete awe of everything, both good and bad about her elder sister - the style of walking, the talking, the sleeping posture, badminton, poetry, bathroom singing, miniature modeling, leaving behind an untidy room every morning...so yes, basically everything! This is not to cover up those occasional big fights though.

Recently, we asked K~ about what she really thinks about 'tiny'. And this is how she described her -

'Tiny' - the sleeping angel
K~ finds 'tiny' quite tempting when she is asleep. It is hard for her to resist squeezing those plump cheeks and tidying that ruffled hair and pulling away the thumb being sucked in her mouth and tickle her soft toes and open her eyelids forcibly and...

'Tiny' - the walking devil 
Well. It's a different matter when 'tiny' is awake. K~ runs mad after her missing homework copies ravaged with senseless scribbles done by 'tiny' and hides in the bathroom while talking to her friends over the phone. Not to mention the unrewarding task of tutoring and babysitting the thankless little brute. 'Tiny' stalks K~'s friends during the play dates who often have to retreat into one corner of the house, lest they get inevitably sucked into playing with the devil.

And then, K~ has to accompany 'tiny' on tea cup rides at the amusement parks that amuse her no more.

The toughest part is acting 'correct' for the little one 24X7 since K~ is being watched all the time. So, no more cheat meals or lying in front of parents and always leaving behind a licked dinner plate. 

But as the mother, I am not complaining!

Words fail to describe the fulfillment I feel every night during that customary late night visit to their bedroom. Both are fast asleep, often wrapped tightly around each other. The lamp is left on with half-open bedtime stories thrown about carelessly. The eye glasses stick out precariously from their faces. The mosquito net (an unfailing sign of the bengali household) is left hanging on one side with the quilt weighing down on other sides.

As I switch off the lights, remove their glasses and tuck them in their bed, all I can feel is -

Thank God! This'Tiny' is indeed a 'huge' blessing.

It gets better with age...

My younger daughter suffers from allergic bronchitis, an early stage of respiratory malfunction that can lead to the dreaded Asthma.

And I'm having a conversation with the Pulmonologist:

The Optimistic Mother: Tell me Doctor, my daughter gets better with age, right?
Doctor: Oh, yes! It does get better with age.
TOM: So, she must feel better at 7-8 years?
Doctor: Well. That's too soon. But, the lungs will be better developed to cope with weather changes and allergens.
TOM: How about the time when she turns twelve or thirteen? She'll be better then?
Doctor: Hmm...that's around puberty. So, there can be an allergic response to the fluctuating levels of new hormones in her body. That includes allergic bronchitis as well.

But, it gets better with age. 

TOM: Oh! I see. It must be the twenties then, right?
Doctor: Let's see. The twenties-thirties in a female offer multiple challenges - continued hormone fluctuations, possible miscarriages, pregnancy, postpartum phase...that may only worsen the case.
TOM: So, is it the forties-fifties then?
Doctor: That's the time when menopause hits, no? Again, the falling levels in hormones coupled with a mid-aged body system might find it hard to cope with allergic reactions in the body.

(after a pause) But, it gets better with age. 

T(not so)OM: So, does the recovery happen around sixties or later?
Doctor: But, as we grow old, we experience a natural decrease in lung function. And the reduced immunity in the body finds it difficult to stop the respiratory viruses such as colds or the flu from attacking it. This can actually worsen the problem.

(pause again) But, it gets better with age, you see...