Nisha Advani's Blog

May 8, 2020:  A very special day. I’d turned in my final assignment in the wee hours of the morning and managed to catch a few hours of sleep amid the churn of anticipation leading up to my crowning moment. The celebratory fervor in the auditorium was palpable; excited murmurs were audible, as proud family members from all over the world waited for their freshly minted MBA graduate to walk the stage. I adjusted my cap and straightened my robe for the umpteenth time. I felt a surge of adrenaline as my name was called and I walked onto the stage – confident, proud, and very conscious of all eyes on me. I beamed, skimming the crowd in a futile attempt to locate my parents. I waved at my professors, grateful. The resounding claps reached their peak, everyone sharing in my moment of glory, before fading into the distance as I exited the stage…   “Nisha Suresh Advani”   My laptop screen welcomed me back from my subliminal trip.  My photograph and name on a slide marked the...

BANG!!! The impact numbed my brain. For a few seconds, I couldn’t move. Impatient office-goers were furiously honking behind me, as I mindlessly yelled out of my now open window at the motorcyclist, who had braked suddenly, making me abruptly slow down. A tentative glance at the rearview mirror showed me a brown Maruti Ritz that had rammed into my spanking new Honda Jazz. The motorcyclist escaped unscathed, thanks to my effective reflexes. Alas! The driver behind me wasn’t as sharp. I needed to get out to view the damage. But, the makeshift road “diversion” allowed cars to come head on, the other side of the road completely cordoned off for the infrastructural enhancement underway. Meanwhile, the traffic behind was building up. As I gathered my scattered wits, and tried to pull over to the side, the gentleman who had banged my car seized the opportunity to sidestep and drove off! Wait a minute… I ain’t done yet, I silently screamed; but it was too late! Temper soaring...