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Look Beyond the Label

  I am an author -an award winning author of fiction and this is the identity that I own with pride . Incidentally, the process of getting here involved quashing a few widely held myths about non-speaking autism and this is something that I have learned to take in my stride . It is also something that made me think about the ways in which I could use my voice to help parents , educators and the community at large   to understand non-speaking autism and the need for an alternative mode of communication better . I have had the opportunity to interact with middle schoolers   and their educators of a reputed school in my city that is affiliated to the IBO, a government school in my city where the students are children of daily wage workers , the educators of government schools from a neighbouring state and the educators, parents and community at large of a school for autistics in a Tier 2 town in my state , among others , in my capacity as a writer of fiction, who is also a non-speaking  
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The Rendezvous

Chintamani leapt about her room in gay abandon , a spring in her step and joy in her heart . That pretty much summed up her state of mind on days that she would get to meet her best pals Nagaveni and Ratnaprabha. The three of them had been inseparable pals from the time they were wee one year olds. Everybody who knew them also knew that they were as different as chalk, cheese and cherries! Chintamani was a drama queen . Loud and flamboyant were adjectives that were often used to describe her . They say good things come in small packages and Chintamani believed that she was the best gift that the creator had endowed upon humanity . As for her parents, well, they couldn't agree more! That probably explained why she possessed the best clothes , accessories and toys, among the three of them . But Chintamani was not a snob! It did not matter to her that some people perceived Ratnaprabha as the ugly one . Maybe that is why Ratnaprabha’s mom took her to the spa ever so often .Alas, nature
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A Day At The Movies

  Big days meant making big decisions, or so believed Akanksha and it was precisely one such day . A day when Akanksha and Tanay were going to watch a movie at a theatre all by themselves for the first time ever! What is the big deal about a couple of twenty one year olds going to watch a movie all on their own, you may wonder . Well , it is a big deal when the twenty one year olds in question are non speaking autistics who type to communicate and who experience the world as differently as Akanksha and Tanay did! Akanksha remembered Tanay’s response to the grand movie plan , when she suggested it during their weekly Cubbon Park jaunt , very vividly . ‘What !’, he had typed, his face replete with shock and disbelief , ‘why do you want to go to a dark , claustrophobic and noisy place ? What is wrong with Cubbon Park ?’ ‘What can be wrong with Cubbon Park?’, typed Akanksha, even as she made a childish face , ‘nothing , except I am bored of it and want to do something different for a chang
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Love is in the Air!!

Akanksha looked at the image staring back at her from the mirror and felt a deep sense of satisfaction . The effort of having to deal with the itchy, scratchy and sweaty sensations that came with not tying up her shoulder length tresses into a ubiquitous ponytail, she decided , was totally worth it , because she was looking really good! She sat on her bed and took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart . It was not just ‘a regular’ Saturday afternoon . It was a big day for the twenty one year old for whom breaking stereotypes was all in a day’s work. Akanksha reminded herself that she had gotten this far only because she had the courage to challenge her boundaries and the society’s perception of her tribe . She thought about the tagline of an app that was popular among many her age ‘You up’. Well, she was up for it, although there were many out there who believed that she did not possess the maturity to feel a certain way or the intelligence to comprehend the feeling. Akanksha and
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Fear is the key?

Recently, I received a gift from someone dear to me. The gift is a book called ‘Empower Your Fear’. My first thought upon seeing the title was why should someone empower their fear ? I believe that the joy of overcoming your fear to achieve something that you did not believe was possible, is empowerment in true sense .So where and how does empowering your fear feature in the scheme of things ? Curious, I began to read . I am a person who is the not-so-proud owner of a bunch of fears. Call it autism or what you will, but this laundry list has, over the years , on multiple occasions , hijacked the will to make the most of some really cool opportunities .   A powerful driving force, fear as a primal instinct has aided the evolution of humanity , yet , like everything else, too much of fear is an impediment to personal growth . There was a line of thought in the book that got my attention - ‘Let the fear in’. It got me thinking about my response to situations that I perceive with fear - I
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Mindfully Yours!

I just returned back from a trip to God’s own country- this was my second trip to the clean and green state in the South of India. My first visit was nearly a decade ago to the southern part of Kerala consisting of picturesque backwaters and vast expanses of the Arabian Sea.    This time around, we made a trip to the Northern part that borders dense green expanse of a reserve forest. It was a great experience- different from the first one on many levels, yet similar on a very fundamental level, that of finding a sense of oneness with nature. Let me explain the thought that crossed my mind as I sat staring at the vast green expanse, from my comfy vantage seat on the deck. My life had changed vastly since the time I made the last trip. D -uh- that’s called growing up. But it is more than just that.  I think it is my own learning and journey towards achieving self confidence and a greater sense of self worth that has been the prominent theme this past decade. Throwback December 2013- my f
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And She Arrived.....

  She paced up and down   As the walls watched in silence   The calm, an anathema   To the storm within   The cheery marigolds   Strung along the walls   Did a merry tango   To the tune of swaying breeze   Don't we lend an air of cheer   The marigolds seemed to say   Things will go off without a hitch   So, why the fear ? She looked all around   The images of palaces and   Kings and queens and elephants   With horses for good measure   All seemed to tell her   Things will go off without a hitch   So, why the fear ? Her eyes followed the fairy lights   To the place where the stage was set   Sacred fire burnt high   Against the backdrop of chanting hymns   Seemed to tell her   Things will go off without a hitch   So , why the fear ? Soon it was time   For the much awaited event   As the bride and the groom   Promised a lifetime of togetherness   She heaved a sigh of relief and joy   A great start, it sure was   The bride and the groom could vouch alas It might have been the first wed
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