"Do I love being a woman", A poem by, M. V. S. Neeharika from BSc BtCF.

Oh how I love being a woman when the moment I am born I am seen as a burden.

Oh how I love being a woman when I am expected to be perfect with no flaws just to be able to live.

Oh how I love being a woman when my whole existence is reduced to a single concept of taboo.

Oh how I love being a woman when everybody seems to hate me for what I am.

Oh how I love being a woman when all the predators eye me like a prey.

Oh how I love being a woman when people always assume my weakness.

Oh how I love being a woman when all the option I'm given are never mine to choose from.

Oh how I love being a woman when I work harder for the respect I never get.

Oh how I love being a woman when I am forced to lose anytime I win.

Oh how I love being a woman when I am burned if I don't come along with money.

Oh how I love being a woman when any house I live in is never mine.

Oh how I love being a woman as when my very worth is defined by a man.

Oh how I love being a woman when all of my capabilities are reduced to slavery.

Oh how I love being a woman when I'm forced to shut my mouth or lose my voice forever.

Oh how I love being a woman when my back hurts from bending all the way around just to exist.

Oh how I love being a woman when no matter who's fault, the blame and guilt are always mine.

Oh how I love being a woman when every living moment is torturing my very soul.

Oh how I love being a woman when I'm incapable of helping even myself.

Oh how I love being a woman when all I can do is silently pray to a God who never replies.

Oh how I love being a woman when no one realises, that before being woman, I am a human.

Oh how I love being a woman when it's a monumental task to get past each day.

Oh how I love being a woman when I am a woman.

Author Feature :

Amish Tripathi 

Amish Tripathi is one of India’s most influential contemporary authors, best known for revitalising mythological fiction for the modern generation. Born in Mumbai in 1974, he studied at prestigious institutions such as The Lawrence School, Lovedale, St. Xavier’s College, and later completed his MBA from IIM-Calcutta. Before entering the literary world, he spent over a decade working in the financial sector, holding senior positions in banks and insurance companies. Writing began as a personal passion, but the success of his debut novel, The Immortals of Meluha, completely changed the course of his life and turned him into a full-time author.

His literary reputation rests mainly on two bestselling series: the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra Series. The Shiva Trilogy—The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of the Vayuputras—reimagines the god Shiva as a human hero whose life and choices elevate him to divine status. The series became a publishing sensation and is credited with transforming interest in Indian mythological fiction. His second major work, the Ram Chandra Series, retells the Ramayana through multiple perspectives, including those of Rama, Sita, and Raavan. This unique narrative structure, along with his fast-paced and accessible writing style, helped these books become some of India’s fastest-selling novels.

Beyond fiction, Amish also writes non-fiction that explores Indian culture, civilisation, and philosophical ideas. Books like Immortal India and Dharma show his interest in understanding and interpreting ancient wisdom for the present day. His influence extends outside the literary world as well: he served as Director of the Nehru Centre in London, where he worked to promote Indian arts, culture, and diplomacy internationally.

Amish’s work stands out because he blends mythology, history, philosophy, and storytelling in a way that appeals to both young and mature readers. His ability to simplify complex ideas, create engaging narratives, and present ancient legends in a fresh light has made him a defining voice in modern Indian literature.

Sources : 

Wikipedia

IIM Calcutta website

The Indian Express

Times of India

World Economic Forum (WEF)

Scroll.in

 Anywhere, With you. A poem by O. Bhuvana Sri, Bsc ZCFS I Year. 

In the blinds of darkness,

I chose to be with you.

I chose to walk with you,

Though you never looked back.

In the closing curtains of fog,

My eyes found you walk alone.

My heartbeat dragged me to you,

And I chose to walk behind you.

All the time,

Even in dark blinds, thick fog curtains,

Even if it pains to bear,

I choose to walk along

AUTHOR FEATURE:

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an acclaimed Indian-American author, poet, and professor known for her deep, evocative storytelling that blends Indian culture with universal human emotions. She was born in 1956 in Kolkata, India, and later moved to the United States for her higher education. Currently, she teaches creative writing at the University of Houston. Her works often explore themes of identity, displacement, and the immigrant experience, reflecting the struggles and triumphs of people caught between two cultures.

Divakaruni’s writing is widely recognized for its lyrical style, rich imagery, and emotional depth. A significant aspect of her work is her focus on women’s lives — their challenges, relationships, and journeys toward empowerment. She often gives voice to female characters who have been overlooked in traditional narratives. Her use of magic realism, where elements of fantasy blend seamlessly with everyday reality, adds a unique charm and mysticism to her stories.

Some of her most celebrated works include The Palace of Illusions, a retelling of the Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective; The Forest of Enchantments, which reimagines the Ramayana through Sita’s eyes; and The Mistress of Spices, which portrays an immigrant woman’s magical connection with spices that heal people. Other notable novels like Sister of My Heart and Before We Visit the Goddess beautifully capture the emotional bonds between women across generations and cultures.

Her contribution to literature has been recognized through several awards, including the American Book Award, PEN Oakland Award, and Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her books have been translated into over 29 languages and some adapted into films and plays, proving her global appeal. Through her works, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni continues to inspire readers worldwide by weaving together myth, magic, and the realities of modern life with a compassionate and empowering voice.

Sources : 

1. Official Website: www.chitradivakaruni.com

2. Poetry Foundation: poetryfoundation.org/poets/chitra-banerjee-divakaruni

3. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitra_Banerjee_Divakaruni

"Silent Chaos", a poem by Sharanya Jayachandran from BSc BTCFS I year

I cry, but the tears refuse to fall.
I scream, yet silence swallows me whole.

I ache to be unkind, to lash out,
but my own heart whispers no.

I long for eyes to find me,
yet I remain a stranger in my own skin.

I crave to be asked,
but not broken apart by questions.

I stand in the crowd,

smiles and voices surrounding me,
yet inside, I drift into empty space.

I reach for the ones I love,
but the distance between me and myself keeps growing.

I want to be honest,
but the lies I tell myself are easier to hold.

I am me,
but I am not myself.

 Author Feature:

             Nidhi Dugar Kundalia

Nidhi Dugar Kundalia is an Indian journalist and author from Kolkata, best known for her deeply empathetic and evocative narrative nonfiction. A graduate of City University London, she has worked with leading media outlets before dedicating herself to long form storytelling. Her writing sits at the crossroads of journalism and literature as she blends reportage, oral history, and human observation to document the changing face of India.

Her debut book, The Lost Generation: Chronicling India’s Dying Professions (2016), explores the lives of people who belong to professions that are slowly disappearing in modern India. Through a series of real life portraits, from a letter writer in Mumbai to a professional mourner in Rajasthan, Kundalia captures the fading echoes of India’s traditional occupations with rare sensitivity. The book serves both as social commentary and as a tribute to those who live on the margins of the country’s economic and cultural transitions.

In her second book, White as Milk and Rice: Stories of India’s Isolated Tribes (2021), she travels across India to document lesser known tribal communities. With a blend of journalism, travel writing, and cultural anthropology, she brings to life the voices of the Onge, Konyak, and other tribes whose traditions and stories are slowly being erased by modernization. Her writing is marked by quiet compassion, curiosity, and a deep respect for the people she writes about.

Published by Penguin India, Nidhi Dugar Kundalia’s work has been praised for preserving vanishing worlds with both journalistic accuracy and literary grace. Through her books, she reminds readers of the importance of listening to those whose stories often go unheard in the rush of modern life.

Sources: 

1.   Penguin India Author Page

Nidhi Dugar Kundalia — Penguin Random House India

2. Listed author on Goodreads: Goodreads — Nidhi Dugar Kundalia

Penguin India, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Eshé Magazine, Goodreads

"The Wandering Breeze, The Dreaming Heart" a poem by Mukkala Pallavi from B.A. HEP, I year.

The Wandering Breeze, The Dreaming Heart.

Does the wandering breeze know,

why it flows?

Does the dreaming heart know,

why it dreams?

The breeze carries a tune, without melody;

The heart writes a poem, without words.

The breeze will not follow the path,

The heart will not heed the voice.