Life without a phone call —
an officer’s brush with reality
Jagmohan Singh Raju

"NOTHING happens in India without a phone call. Even for mundane affairs of life like issuing of a ration card or a driving licence or correction of an erratic electricity bill, one requires intervention from above or ‘appeasement’ at the lower level". This is an oft-heard grouse of the common man. I, like my many other colleagues, had adamantly refused to give credence to these outbursts of public criticism, for we as privileged members of the government and society never experience any such discomfiture.

Stay home the next Valentine’s Day
Joanne O’Connor
IF you have had no one to whisk you away for a Valentine’s break, take heart. A comprehensive survey of three colleagues conducted at lunchtime revealed that these romantic escapes are more likely to end in black looks over the luggage carousel than tango dancing in the rain along the banks of the Seine.

MAKING A MARK
In sewa of thewa
Gitanjali Sharma
SHE swears by two ingredients that allow you to experience the sweet taste of success. "If you have commitment and focus, everything falls into place. Though, of course, destiny too is an important factor," remarks jewellery designer Roopa Vohra, who has revived thewa — the Mughal art of fusing 23-carat gold on molten glass to produce exotic designs in jewellery and artefacts.

Women and stress
V.K. Kapoor
WOMEN are the worst sufferers of the day-to-day stress. Stress has a direct and indirect influence on the quality of life and close relationships. Find out whether you are showing the signs of stress. For each statement below write a T if that statement holds true for you and F if it does not.