Monika Suri

Listening to songs is just wonderful . The beats fill me with enthusiasm , the lyrics  calm my mind , the aesthetic experience  brings me the real happiness My Motivation Song Matlabi ho ja zara matlabi , Duniya ki sunta hai kyun , khud ki bhi sun le kabhi ……. Well it’s a bollywood song which I like , rather it gives me motivation  . Matlabi ho ja zara matlabi, duniya ki sunta hai kyun , khud ki bhi sun le kabhi . Really in our everyday life, we are most of the  times listening to others , feeling concerned  for others and working for others  . Sometimes I am listening to my  Boss, sometimes I am satisfying my hubby’s ego ,  sometimes I am cooking according to the family’s wishes. What’s this yaar ? Am I here to live according to Duniya ?? There comes this song to relieve me , motivate me and make me happy . If not possible everyday , let me be Matlabi once in a while. Let me do what just My heart wishes, something that I really like , which brings...

“ Women should pursue some hobbies , something that they do just for themselves .  When you have an identity , then people respect you else you could be taken for granted “   says the Bollywood great actress Madhuri Dixit . When it’s the women we are talking about , most of the women are just constantly busy performing their daily responsibilities , maintaining work-family balance , with hardly any time left for their own . If you ask any woman “What special did you do today for yourself ?” Answer would be in an astonishing gesture ” Just for myself ?? No No ….There’s no time left just for myself . ” If you ask any woman “Did you cook something of your choice in the past few days?” Answer would be ” I am a mother ,I have to cook as per my child’s or my husband’s wish otherwise they just don’t eat ” If you ask any woman “What is your hobby ?” The question just puts her in the thin...

Well I like to click pictures but I  am not  the kind of person you can call a selfie queen . I do like to click occasionally , especially when I am on a holiday or I am dressed up for some party . And you know,   my smile is part of my personality and obviously it is there whenever I pose for any picture . Any of my pictures,   which is by chance  clicked without a smile , appears so dull to me . I think one clicks a selfie only when one is really happy . Below is one of my smile wali selfie   which I love and  cherish . I took this selfie last year in June 2017 when we went on a holiday trip to Nepal .  The girl with me in this picture is neither any of my relatives or friends . She was a stranger to me until we clicked a smile wali selfie together . Actually we had hired a bike for one day in Pokhra , Nepal for local sightseeing . The weather was so pleasant ; I and my daughter were feeling the winds on the rear seat of the bike  as my husband drove on the hilly roads of Pokhra cit...

Z stands for  Zulmat . It is an urdu word , meaning darkness or obscurity . The dark attitude towards a girl starts from her birth itself . Born is not a girl, born is just a child , but she is transformed into a girl by instilling many hard facts and fears in her mind .  Girls speak slowly , girls must  learn cooking , good girls don’t go outside the home at night , good girls dress up properly , girls have to make compromises in their lives after marriage , so all such things are instilled and a child is transformed into a girl and then starts the dark attitude of the surroundings .  Every woman faces many biases and obscurities in her life and is still asked to remain quiet as if it’s part of her beauty package . I have written about many of the obscurities faced by women – Abuse / Bride Burning / Violence / Sexual assault / Foeticide and many others . The question is why a woman of 21st century is still caged in these obscurities ? When will the clouds of Zulmat ...

                                                                        BE YOURSELF O WOMAN ! Woman – whom God has given the role of a creator , makes the first definition of beauty. The womb where a seed finds its place to settle, grow and get nourished , is beauty . The placenta which develops to provide oxygen and other nutrients to the baby inside , is beauty . The umbilical cord which connects your and your baby’s soul , is beauty . Yes you are the creator O Woman ! Nobody else has been given the power as beautiful  to form a  baby from a tiny  seed . You are beautiful as you are O Woman ! And please never ever doubt this , even when some others do . Be Yourself . Talk to yourself daily in the mirror ” Yes ! I am beautiful as I am “ As a woman , you play many roles in your life and live greater number of responsibilities than men . But still sometimes you feel low , the reason may be the daily household stress or some harsh  pointers  thrown at  you being a ...

W stands for Weakness A piece of fiction –“A woman” as described by her husband She was a kind heart . She always loved me and  my  family . She never boasted of her doctorate although married to just a graduate .From day one of marriage she supported me in my business both physically and financially . She was a kind heart . She stood by me  in the bad times too when my business suffered huge losses . She proved herself to be my better half from all aspects even while my own family denied to support me . She  took care of all the family expenditures , never with a burden . Many times she acted ignorant of my stealing from her purse  for my drinks . She always praised me in front of others , even in front of her parents whom I often criticized . She was a kind heart . She maintained the family peace even when I made the business losses as an excuse for drinking . She didn’t want any bad effect on our infant . She remained calm even on that day when I dared to rais...

V stands for Victim Story of Laxmi from India Laxmi became a victim of acid attack in 2005  when she was just 15  ,  the reason was that she had rejected a 30 year old man’s love proposal.  The incident occured when she was busy shopping in the market . she was rescued by a taxi driver who took him to the hospital. Laxmi underwent 9 major surgeries . Her will power helped and she survived . No doubt the scars would last with her for lifetime but she is making her scars  motivate other acid attack victims .  She has taken the  challenge to fight . She collected 27000 signatures and filed  in the supreme court to curb acid sales in the market .  Laxmi now also runs an NGO  which is dedicated for the acid attack victims.  Laxmi also received International Women of Courage award in 2014 by Michelle Obama . In 2014 she fell in love with Alok Dixit whom she met while working for a campaign . Alok was impresssed with Laxmi’s spirit and the duo decided to be together .  Now the coup...

A piece of Fiction on “Uterus on Rent “ As he does it once every month  ,  Ajay left early from his office today because his son Sujoy had come along with him and it was a Dad’s promise to his son about one hour games time  at the Centra mall in the evening before they reach back home. ” Bye Sujoy , have fun at the Centra , Love you  ” almost everybody in the office has a friendly bond  with Sujoy   as the 4 year old  steals everybody’s heart by his  smile . At the mall ” O Hi Ajay , What a pleasant surprise ! How come you are here ? ” His colleague Manoj’s   sudden appearance didn’t please Ajay ” Just came for Sujoy to enjoy  the kids rides ”  Ajay replied in a formal voice trying to avoid him ” O I see , but ,  don’t you always take Sujoy to Centra mall , how come  today here at Waves mall ? ” Manoj’s  eyes were turning  around to look for  baby Sujoy when he suddenly  noticed him with a wo...

S stands for Second Sex . By Second Sex , they mean  Women . Now the question is that why is SHE  addressed as the Second Sex ? Why is SHE considered at the second position ? Why is it always HE at the first position ? Is the woman still seen as a secondary thing , a subordinate to the male society ? Yes She is  , she is still trying to find her real existence ,  she bewails of her thwarted existence . She still feels angry when some factors stand in her way , blocking her path to her real independence , success and happiness . A woman is still   juggling for total liberation  Simone De Beauvoir , the French feminist and philosopher has written at length about a woman . She has made a detailed analysis of a woman’s oppressions , the unjust treatments or the mental pressures she has always been facing . It’s true  that Women have progresed in many fields but this is also not false that there are still constraints on her . It’s true that women have won their freedom...

Rape is the most common and the worst crime against women . In India , the Rape cases are too much on rise with not even a single newspaper ever void of any Rape news . The statistics say that every year around 40000 Rape cases are reported in India , and if we calculate  , it comes out to be 109 rapes every day in India . How shameful ! How can anyone call this country developed or developing where such sexual assault is a daily act . I think the world has started to recognise India as the Rape capital of the world . What a wonderful title ! Shouldn’t every Indian be proud of this title ?  Out of all the Rape cases , 91%  of the cases go unreported as the victims fear back attacks and humiliation . During the last few years , some horrific  Rape incidents got widespread media attention and the result is that now the willingness to report has increased much by most of the victims . Nirbhaya’s Rape Case  The date 16 Dec . is remembered by every Indian woman as it was the day of Nir...

P stands for Prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment .  There are about 42 million prostitutes in the world .The question is why some women adopt this practice where they are addressed as call girls or white slaves ?   Do the women adopt it on their own wishes ? May be these women are in dire need of money , money for food or clothing or children’s education or mere survival . So financial reasons may become one’s basis for adopting Prostitution  and act  slaves at the feet of men’s sex desire.   May be after some time , their financial problems get vanished but once women have dived into this profession , it becomes difficult for them to take a U-turn .  They  become constrained as their families are also not ready to adopt them again .  So once in this industry ,  the women prefer to   just close their eyes and let themselves sink in the mire of Prostitution . ( as the below picture also speaks ) Th...

  N stands for Nuptial Knot Nuptial Knot relates to marriage when a boy and a girl are united together by a Knot , in the hope that this Knot creates a love bond between them and unites them for lifetime . They share their happiness , sorrows , ups and downs equally . A girl’s marriage story Hi , My name is Priya . I am a single child of my father . I am writing it as only father because God took away my mother when I  was very small . I am thirty five years old now and working as a teacher in a school . I would take you to my past first and then bring you to my present ,  and then would ask you to suggest about my future too . As I told you , I was a single child of my father. I have always been a dark looking girl but my friends said I had a bright intellect . Since childhood , I had love of reading  and writing , writing  short stories was my passion and I still have a diary full of my penned stories . Unlike other girls who start dreaming of tying Nuptial Knot just after ...

L stands for LOVE Motherhood is the greatest form of Love on this earth . The love which is pure and eternal . I think only a mother can feel how it feels to be a mother . God has gifted every woman with this wonderful  bond of Love . Thankyou God for the  gift of Motherhood (I am a Mom to a daughter who is eleven years old now .   Today I want to share  about  what I love about my gift of  Motherhood ) After I got married , I had to undergo abortion even before I celebrated my first anniversary . It was certainly depressing  but after around one year more , I conceived again . Since the day I saw her as a seed in my first ultrasound , I am in Love with my gift of motherhood . From that ultrasound  day to the day I delivered her and till today , I can feel the love rising . Her smiles are so real and hugs so pure that they automatically bring smile on my face , in my heart , in my soul . I love to care for her , even worry for her. You can read the post I wrote on my abortion  When she...

J  stands for JUDGED .   A piece of fiction on the word  JUDGED Renu was a working girl in her twenties. She had  got married to Vivek   just two years ago .  The family consisted of his parents and his unmarried sister Shweta .  From day one Renu came in this family , she  felt being judged  even at little things . Why are you wearing this ? Why did you get late today ? Who came to drop you home today  ?  Why can’t you leave job and plan your child ? Every such statement or taunt was making  a crack in the relationship , with nobody there  even trying to fill those cracks . Vivek’s late night parties  didn’t hurt anybody else  in the family , except Renu who could smell  .  She was able to  smell his ex marital affair too along with the smell of the intoxicating drinks  from the last many months. Renu set an example of patience , courage , sacrifice , love and she  left no stone unturned . ” Beta Renu , what happened ? Are you going somewhere ? ” Tod...

I stands for : Independent (  What does this  picture tell you ?   To me , it tells that a woman who   has the wings , who  has the ability to fly , who has the power within to glow , still  has been  enslaved in a glass cage .  ) A piece of fiction on the word Independent My excitement got high up to the sky as I read the  mail  about getting  shortlisted  for  an official Dubai trip. The company must have seen some quality in me that I was required to head the team at this five days conference  . My smile , my pride , my ability , all got its wings . I got so eager to share the news with someone at the earliest . And who else would   be  better than My Better Half ?  I quickly picked up phone and dialled . ” O Aadi , I am so  so so happy today , U know what ? I am going to Dubaiiiii ” I was in such a sparky mood What to say of happy or sparky , the voice just didn’t come from the other side . “Aadi , Hello ! Are you there ? Did you listen ?  Are you able to hea...

The alphabet of the day is F F stands for : Foeticide The dictionary meaning of Foeticide is the crime of killing of a baby who has  not yet been  born. This crime is committed mostly for females in the womb . A piece of fiction on Foeticide Finally , after six years of marriage , their prayers were accepted and the couple could see two pink lines on the prega testing kit . The joyous  moment was shared by Sneha and Harsh , with warm embrace and wet  smiling eyes . As the news travelled to other family members , the response was not what they expected .  Instead of blessings , a null reaction came from Sneha’s mother-in-law  with the words : “Get the test done first , hope it’s a Good Thing ” “Good Thing ? What do you mean Maa ?” Harsh’s mind had  got topsy-turvy ” You know what I mean, Take her to the clinic , No arguments  ” Maa said with   a stern and pressurized look Tension gripped the family atmosphere , especially the couple. ...

The alphabet of the day is C C stands for : Childhood Marriage A piece of fiction ( bit reality too ) on Childhood Marriage In that village , Chandra was like any other  young girl who was living her life with desires of  touching the sky, totally unaware of the society’s ill eyes and burdens . Studying enthusiastically in the school in morning and playing jovially with her Mohalla friends in the evening . One  day , while going to school , she noticed few ill eyes staring at her and passing some comments flirtatiously .Her body gave some strange indications of uncomfort .  Some complex movements in the brain along with the  jumping heartbeats. Those bad looks were like the first injury on Chandra’s innerself,  she felt like someone had stabbed her #Astitva . While coming back from school in the afternoon , she had to face little greater injury , this time on her body too . Next day , her marriage was the sudden topic of discussion at home because  one of those ill eyes had ...

  To celebrate  International Women’s day which falls on 8th March every year  , I want to write a letter to my dear daughter , who will soon enter womanhood . Hi My dear daughter Suhani , 1.   You have turned 11 years old and now time will fly quickly to make you enter womanhood . No matter how old you turn , you will remain the  same cute little kid in your mumma’s eyes . You can come to me anytime  with any problem you face in your life . I will always be there for you, eager to hold you in my arms . 2.   Be good in your studies . Understand the concepts and enjoy your learning . Don’t be stressed in today’s competitive society . Even 80% marks are good enough . Just do your best and then don’t worry about the result . Don’t be disheartened if your friend gets admission in a good institute and you are not able to .  Your best efforts would definitely yield good results , if not here then somewhere else for sure . Enjoy the dignity of womanho...

  जैसे किसी  चौराहे पर आ गयी ज़िन्दगी पहला रास्ता खुद की तरक्की व आत्मनिर्भरता की ओर ले जाता है , तो  दूसरा रास्ता परिवार की ख़ुशी की ओर कोशिश की ताकि  दोनों रास्ते  एक साथ चल पाएं …..पर ऐसा जब मुमकिन  होता दिखाई नही दिया , तो तीसरा रास्ता अपनाना बेहतर समझा मैंने ऐसा  रास्ता , जिसमें कभी प्यार कर लिया तो कभी तकरार हो गयी कभी आत्मसम्मान पर भी समझौता कर लिया , तो कभी हठ से तुम्हें मना लिया मुझे नौकरी करके घर चलाने की तो इजाज़त मिल गयी पर  ,   “ज़्यादा हवा में मत उड़ो ” ऐसा भी सुनाया गया कभी अपने अरमानों का गला घोंट दिया तो कभी तुम्हारी हँसी में ही खुश हो ली कई बार मन आवाज़ देता है कि मुझे तो  उस  चौथे  रास्ते पर जाना था न  ?? —  “मेरी असली ख़ुशी का रास्ता”  ??   Writing for #fridayfotofiction with Tina and Mayuri                      

    Within first year of my marriage , I had to undergo abortion.  It was followed by the feelings  of sadness, pain (more of sentimental), loss  and regret. A   loving bond  with my  unborn child that  had started nurturing , had to breakdown within  few weeks . Today I express my emotions  in this letter to my Unborn Child. A Letter to my Unborn Child  I held you inside me for few weeks ,but didn’t get a chance to hold you in my arms.  I felt your heartbeat  inside me , but couldn’t  welcome you in the world  outside. God didn’t give us a chance to cuddle  with each other , but  the memories of your little movements inside my tummy  are afresh in my mind.  Your little kicks didn’t hurt me but used to bring smile on my face. We were growing our emotional bond when God suddenly changed his plans. We were not allowed to continue our love for long but the bond we made even in those few weeks  , is  precious for me , and  it always would be. When Doctor la...