Whatever we do, we hope for happy endings and new beginnings. It was a sentiment my family and I shared when we moved house for the first time in decades, from the suburbs of Mumbai to the city side. The move, late last year, was inevitable but not unanticipated: our apartment block was going to be rebuilt.     We respond to most changes in the course of life with apprehension and excitement in more or less equal measure. Relocating to another home miles away from our comfor

Not everything that happens in a year is breaking news or makes headlines. That doesn’t make these other stories less interesting. They just go unnoticed if we aren’t paying attention.   2025 had plenty of the second kind—nothing newsy or heavy, just moments that didn’t trend for long, but somehow felt good, relevant and insightful. These are some of the uplifting global news stories from 2025 that you may have missed—stories that remind us that good things are still happenin

We live in a time when everyone seems to be rushing past one another, texting on their phones, chasing deadlines and targets or caught up in the rat race with little or no time to spend with family and friends, the company of people—even if they are total strangers—can be a pleasant and unexpected change.   Picture this.   One evening, at a restaurant in Bandra, a group of people from mixed backgrounds and probably little in common arrive one by one and share a table with so

We all want to feel happy. We want joy in our everyday lives. But we often look for it in big moments, when it can be found in simple, everyday routines. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find joy even in small, ordinary things and to hold on to them for as long as we like. While these ideas aren’t new, they remind us how we can live a contented life and how much of our happiness is in our own hands. Make time to meet people,  which means stepping out of your comfort zone

There are days when nothing feels right, when things seem a little too much or even overwhelming, and we need a gentle nudge to remind us that hope and joy still exist. At such times we either want to be left alone, waiting for the feeling to pass, perhaps taking long, brisk walks to shake off the gloom, or we reach out to close family and friends. And sometimes, we turn to books, movies and music. Books aside, movies can feel like friends too—stepping in with vivid character

None of these stories or parables are new. They have been told and retold countless times, yet they never lose their moral appeal. Inspired and adapted from Zen, Sufi and other tales of the wise, they’re simple and uplifting, carrying timeless insights passed down through the ages.   Perhaps that’s why they still resonate with readers: the world keeps changing, but wisdom never loses its power to inspire humans to live ethical, meaningful and compassionate lives.   Why are y

I learnt to read time back in elementary school, as I’m sure most of us did. If I remember correctly, it took me less than an hour to master the big hand, the small hand and the seconds hand, and how they worked together to tell the hours, minutes and seconds.   It was only when I grew up that I realised there was more to glancing at the clock and telling the time in a split second. I soon found out that time is one of the most deceptive things in life. One moment, the second

My dad taught me chess when I was in the second grade. By fourth grade, I was beating him half the time, sometimes more during our marathon sessions. Somewhere in-between, I got cocky. I remember one game where he failed to notice his queen was under threat, and I told him so just as he was about to make a different move.   Dad wasn't pleased.   He said gently, “Next time you do that, I won’t play with you. In chess, never tell your opponent his move or that he’s making the w

On April 22, my wife and I completed 35 years of marriage and we celebrated our Coral Anniversary in Bali—thanks to our children, who surprised us with a week-long holiday there.   That’s what children do when they grow up and settle down—they find beautiful ways to give back. Or, as we like to think, they flip the script and start taking care of us.   We landed in Denpasar Airport on April 17 with a partial itinerary of places to visit—a scenic beach, the centuries-old Tanah

Paramahansa Yogananda, the renowned yogi, once said, “Blessed are those who do not indulge in sensational news.” To that timeless wisdom, one might add, “Blessed, still, are those who do not read or consume distressing news.”   But in this 24/7 plugged-in world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the flood of bad news. There’s so much of it that at times it seems inescapable, leaving you anxious and somewhat apprehensive about your present and future. While you can’t control g

Happiness means different things to different people. Some see it as contentment and inner peace, others as intense joy and exuberance. Whatever the name, everyone wants happiness or a sense of joy in their lives. Yet, the irony is that those who could be happy if they chose to, often don’t; whereas those who chase happiness desperately find it elusive. And then there are those who simply don’t know how to be happy.   That’s where books, among other things, help lift our s

Nobody likes to lose a job—it’s never a pleasant experience. But many of you, at some point in your careers, have been fired from a job you thought you’d keep until you left on your own for something better. One moment, you feel secure in your position, and the next, you’re shown the door—often without a good reason.   It doesn’t just hurt—it positively sucks.   The worst part of being fired isn’t the uncertainty over income. It’s the anger, bitterness and self-doubt that co

Whenever I’m out and about in Mumbai, or travelling to another city, I instinctively look for a bookstore first. It doesn’t matter whether it’s new, secondhand or a thrift store as long as it’s a place that sells books and lets me spend a couple of hours browsing and buying them. Books, and especially comic-books , bring me joy.   Sometimes, these literary excursions make me dream of owing a bookstore. But that doesn’t stop me from exploring other people’s bookshops. Luckily,

This hat and coat rack, with a special drawer for shoes below, has been in my family for many years. This elegant piece of furniture, which had  once seemed to occupy hardly any space at all in a substantially spacious house, many years later, in a more compact home , had caused me some grief.   The problem was that with downsizing , we had to hold on only to furniture which would, firstly, be of practical use, and secondly, fit the reduced space. But unable to part with a ch

Everyone deserves to be happy in their own way. But is happiness really the purpose of life? It's a matter of personal belief or choice, as one person’s idea of happiness might simply be another’s state of contentment.   In Stoic philosophy, for example, happiness is seen as a natural outcome of living a virtuous life guided by wisdom and reason. It’s not something to be pursued actively, like a career goal, but rather as a consequence of aligning our thoughts and actions w

On Christmas morning, I met an old acquaintance who had come down from London with his family to spend the holidays with his parents. With the help of a caretaker, he was in the process of moving his father from a wheelchair into his car.   “We’re taking mom and dad to my place for Christmas lunch,” he said after we exchanged greetings. “My sister and her family, from Sydney, are here too.”   “That’s wonderful,” I said. “I can’t imagine how happy they must be.” I wished him a

Who wouldn’t love receiving a book as a gift for special occasions like Christmas or birthdays? Anyone who enjoys reading would agree that books are among the best gifts ever. I definitely do. My family often gifts me books, and even comic-books . And sometimes, I gift them to myself. It’s the one indulgence I allow myself freely, almost without a second thought.   Festive seasons like Christmas are perfect for gifting books, including timeless classics like A Christmas Caro

Actor-director Woody Allen once said, “If you're not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”   Essentially, Allen is saying that success rarely comes without failure, or at least without trying and never giving up. He is also suggesting that failure comes from taking risks and pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation .   So, with this in mind, it’s worth reflecting on how you perceive failure and how it affects your abi

The four of us— best friends from school, college and work—met after a long time, though it didn’t feel like we’d missed a single beat. We came together, all decked out, at the beautiful wedding reception of Kashmira’s son; she’s standing on the far right in the picture. Next to the mother of the groom is me, Parizad, with Farida and Prema.   We were so excited about the evening and the chance to catch up that Farida, Prema and I even decided to time our entrance—but we almo

I’ve never been a big fan of horror movies or TV shows —I just don’t have the stomach for it. But every now and then, a morbid curiosity gets the better of me, and I enter the dark world of the supernatural: ghosts, spirits and otherworldly beings who aren’t exactly the friendliest of entities.   Stubs keeping me company while I'm watching a horror movie. So, with my finger over the mute button, I recently watched—in broad daylight and with our pet, Stubs, by my side—two horr