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I first encountered Megha Rao last year, on the bookshelf of Café Sienna in Kolkata. I read a page from her book at random, as is my habit. It resonated with me, so I wanted to buy it. A friend bought it for me and said she'd borrow it when I was done, which is yet to happen. A performance poet, Megha Rao’s poems confront difficult emotions for women, like anger. Here’s one of Megha Rao’s poems – Lost Jewels Those who have seen me burst into whirling dervishes. Robes spinning

I first heard Mani Rao at the Pune International Literary Festival. Her musical voice, lilt as she read, introduced me to the importance of auditory aesthetics when it comes to poetry. She had carefully selected her words and arranged them to create music rather than words in her poems. I bought her verse translation of the Bhagawad Gita, and for the first time, thought of the Gita as a poem. She inspired me to attempt my own translation of the Gita, as a summary, with Arjun’

Pantheon By Harnidh kaur "I want Eve to walk into a church naked, Snapchatting her strut to Kali, who responds with her own tipsy stagger into a temple, clothes from last night hanging off her in crumpled ribbon-strings, tongue stuck out with two fingers held up under in the sign of peace (or is it one of triumphant victory?), the antics from the evening enshrined into digital immortality on Amaterasu’s Instagram page, hashtagged with #FreeTheNipple, a cheeky homage, echoed i

I discovered Khanna’s poetry in a list of poets mentioned in a mail about an International Women Writers Guild (IWWG) workshop on the Eternal Feminine Divine (as usual, she was the lone Indian). I started with this one – Krishna’s Mother Speaks of Her Regrets I am stiff with losing. Child after child unfurls from my body— each one a peacock feather, each one turned to ash before I can name it. All except for you— my last one, my blue one. At first push, the night sky puckere

Chandni resolved to warn Ria that she might have to change her CCA activity if she did not behave well in class. Chandni was seeing impatience in Ria at home too, and a tendency towards rudeness. She resolved to limit her screen time to half an hour, as she had noticed that whenever her screen time went up, she would start acting up. Autism of late also features in many serials, such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, or The Good Doctor and Atypical. Although initially Chandni ha

Chandni had bought a couple of clockwork bath toys, a frog and a turle that they called Ribbit and Shelley. It was much easier to wake Ria up for school, as she wanted to wind them up and race them. While researching when to tell a child about autism, Chandni found herself again on Attwood’s site. His free resources included a questionnaire on friendship. Chandni found herself agreeing silently as she read his explanation of how autistic children from three to six years old t

So when Chandni saw a newspaper article about the subject, she kept it for Ria to see when she returned from school. “I can’t sit still, just like they say here,” said Ria, pointing at the hands-on learning style in the article. “You do enjoy making models in STEM class at school, don’t you,” Chandni agreed, looking at the learning style for restless children. “That’s why you should keep playing with Lego, like you do,” she continued. Ria had enjoyed a Lego workshop at school

In Chinese Checkers, she pointed out the shape was of two inverted triangles,like Chandni used to draw a star. Chandni explained that inverted triangles fit the game, of taking counters from one triangle to another. Temple mentioned autistics have an eye for detail, and Chandni could see that, when Ria pointed out there were 10 counters to take from one side to another in the game. When Ria was first going to go to preschool daycare, she was three, and they wanted Chandni to

Also, a reinforcer should be alluring enough for Ria to do her homework. Chandni found craft, or a science experiment worked well. Chandni wanted to get Ria’s ears pierced. They had been done when she was small, but an earring had fallen out due to her hyperactivity and got lost. It had happened while the maid was giving her a bath, so it had gone down the drain. Chandni decided to pause till Ria was older. Then, she told Ria she would get a Barbie after the jeweller put wire

Ria’s lack of focus continued to be a challenge. Even in her meetings with Dr.Kadam, she would begin to stare in space while conversing with her. Chandni would set a timer for Ria to do her homework, and promise an activity Ria liked after that, like craft. This tactic worked and Ria would do her homework with alacrity. Although the counsellor had assured Chandni that a masi would be there near the bathroom to help small children if need be, Chandni taught Ria and her twin h

Dr. Kadam felt that Ria had progressed due to our hard work and recommended that we continue doing activities that stimulate her in a structured manner. It was March, and preparations were in full swing for the school annual concert. As seniors, Ria and her twin were dancing, going to wear graduation gear, and get certificates and commemorative mugs. Chandni had a meeting in the evening one day, but the children wanted to play downstairs in the garden. She took her laptop alo

Soon, as work pressure increased, Chandni was unable to take Ria for group therapy, but Ria was doing well, and Dr. Kadam assured Chandni that Ria didn’t need therapy any more. Ria’s paediatrician was amazed at her progress and would often ask parents who had children diagnosed with autism to speak with Chandni. Chandni always spoke in detail to these parents, remembering the days when she had been similarly distraught and at a loss as to what to do next. Another book Dr. Kad

Chandni wanted to teach Ria how to cycle, but Ria was having difficulty in doing so. Komal suggested getting a brick, so that Ria could practise cycling while the cycle was stationary. Ria practised for a week, and picked up cycling. Ria loved swings. Komal explained swinging met her proprioceptive need, her need for movement. She suggested swinging and sensory stimulation everyday, to keep Ria calm. Chandni would notice the difference in Ria’s behaviour on the days when Ria

The therapist went through each row of the spreadsheet and listed what would have been the appropriate response, which was usually ignoring her tantrum. Chandni began doing that, and Ria’s tantrums reduced greatly. Chandni’s hard work in making Ria practice what she did in therapy paid off, and in six months the speech therapist said Ria doesn’t need sessions. Her progress was remarkable. She communicated her needs, her vocabulary was extensive, and her tantrums had reduced.

The school called Chandni, and she asked them to let Ria’s tantrum play itself out. The principal understood, saying they should not fuel the tantrum by giving in to her demand. However, they soon called again, saying the other children were getting disturbed. By the time Chandni reached school, she had calmed down. Chandni got the playdough home, and the school asked her not to give Ria anything when it was time for school. Chandni continued to be in touch with her relative,

The therapist spotted Ria’s rigidity and told Chandni to introduce something new everyday. Chandni did so and then Ria requested for what she wanted, using language functionally, which was not the case earlier. She asked to colour, or cut, or paste. The therapist then scaled back her sessions. The occupational therapist left town, and the new one felt that with hard work Ria can enter the mainstream. Chandni finally felt hopeful that she too will have a life and not have to l

The doctor felt Chandni and Soham should meet a child psychologist, to iron out Ria's remaining hyperactivity before schools reopened after COVID. Chandni's mother-in-law went to Benares for five weeks when the twins were nearly three years old. Chandni had to cook more, and Soham and she used YouTube as a nanny, after the nanny left for the day. Ria would have tantrums. Dr Kadam built a bridge from blocks, asking Ria to imitate her. Ria was not able to, and later when Chandn

Chandni didn’t really think there was anything wrong with Ria. She walked on time, but spoke close to nothing. Her twin brother talked in a year, but walked later. Her paediatrician finally put her foot down. It’s a developmental delay, she said. "I’ve given six months, I gave two months more because she’s a premie, but she’s 2 years 4 months old now. Consult a developmental pediatrician – here’s one I recommend." Chandni did read up on Google about children with speech delay

A book review of Gulzar's Caged: Memories Have Names, an autobiography in verse. Translated by Sathya Saran.

Urdu poets are famed for harnessing the beauty of this language to express pathos. Here are poems by some of the best shayars.