By Sunil Saxena The proof reader was well past 60. His regular tenure had ended when he turned 58. After that, he had received two extensions of a year each, and a decision was pending on his third extension. It was at this time that I joined the newspaper where this proof reader had worked…
By Sunil Saxena I wish someone had told me what it is to be a journalist before I took the plunge. I had just turned 21 then, and of all the careers available to me, journalism seemed the most beckoning. It could help me realise my dream, which was to become a bestselling author. My…
By Sunil Saxena India is a land of mystics, godmen, astrologers, palmists, face readers, palm leaf readers and many more. You see them sitting under trees, on pavements, under tin sheds and in marketplaces. The smarter of them have graduated to the television screen and built large audiences. Those who are tech-savvy push their unique…
An old man with wispy hair and wrinkled skin Sits by the fire, with a twinkle in his eye Thinking of the love that he’s known within His heart still beats with a passion that doesn’t die *** His wife, his partner, his rock and his friend She’s been by his side through thick and…
By Sunil Saxena The idea of leading a retired life rankled initially. I hated being reduced to the ranks of “their time is over” workforce. One day I was a productive member of the society. My colleagues and my team looked up to me to take decisions. Next day, I was living on pension. It…
By Sunil Saxena Should we lie to our parents to save them distress when one of them dies? Please don’t do so. Here are two heartbreaking stories that I witnessed. The first is about my neighbours who had been married for over 50 years. During this period, they must have had their moments of joy…
By Sunil Saxena Back in our teens, life was beautiful. There were heartbreaks, but there was love also. Every day was radiant, beautiful. Most important, our bodies were young. My heart would pound whenever a beautiful girl passed by, even when I did not know her. There were stealthy glances, and hope that next time…
By Sunil Saxena After retirement, there is only one way to keep the effects of ageing at bay. It is refusal to allow yourself to become redundant. This means that you must keep yourself busy, even after you retire. The engagement should not be superficial or skin deep. It should jog your mind and keep…
By Sunil Saxena I had never thought that family albums can also be a source of pain till I picked up an old family album that was lying at the bottom of the bookshelf. The album cover had frayed with age and some of the photographs had turned yellow. But it was not the condition…