By Kamya Vardhan My husband was very healthy and fit. Even in his early sixties he did not shy from lifting weights or walking the treadmill. He would always joke that he was young at heart, and thanked his young students for keeping him hale and hearty. He would often challenge my son, who was…
BY ANOUSHKA SAXENA Child marriage is banned by the law of the land today but was etched into the fate of many young girls at the time of Independence. Ms Geeta Saxena, 69, was one such child bride whose palanquin left for her husband’s home at the tender age of thirteen. “I was too naïve…
BY ANOUSHKA SAXENA The prospect of living alone in old age can seem daunting to some, but for others, it can be a way to retain their independence and maintain their sense of self-reliance. My grandpa’s friend, Mr Vasudev Kakkar, 84, who resides in Jodhpur, has been living alone for over 20 years now. He has…
By Devika Khandelwal At a time when tradition held women’s dreams tightly in its grasp, one woman dared to break free. Ms Sunita Khandelwal, her name synonymous with defiance, defied the age-old boundaries that kept women from education. Her story is a testament to the unwavering spirit that can rise even in the face of…
By Shubha Sharma This is a story from a time the world had shut down – the COVID-19 lockdown. My father rekindled his passion for music through the violin, which he had not touched for over two decades. The teacher was 82 years old, her student was then 77. She was in North Carolina, and…
By Ranjana Sunil I turned to ChatGPT this morning to write a poem on an elderly man who has turned 80 and is preparing to meet death’s gentle face. ChatGPT surprised me by writing two poems instead of one. Both poems were pure nostalgia and a joy to read. The following prompt was used to…
By Sunil Saxena When I look at the mirror, I am sometimes reminded of this quote from Terry Pratchett, an English fantasy author: “Inside Every Older Person is a Younger Person Wondering What Happened.” My face is no longer young; it has started showing unmistakable signs of ageing. My hair and my beard have turned…
By Sunil Saxena I am on the wrong side of sixties now. Old age did not worry me so far. But for the first time now ageing fears have started to haunt me. I often wake up in the night. For hours I lie awake in the bed or pace up and down in the…
By Kavya Karnatac Main unhe pyaar se Ija bulati hoon, and honestly, I feel I’ve learned more from her than I did from school and college combined. Akele raho aur sab khud figure out karo When I moved out at 21, it was a big change. My parents were understandably worried, but my dadi had…