Fly High my birdie.

As you get ready to fly on your own, I want you to know the real answer which I never gave to all those questions on: Why are you sending your daughter to a boarding school?

It’s not because:

I am too busy with my jobs and want to hive-off the responsibility 

(you know how I love to irritate you all the time!!)

Or because it is the latest fad 

(Along with Smart-Phones and FB, I hate all the latest fads related to soon-to-be-teen girls)

Or because you are not ‘doing well in school’ 

(I do admit, here in writing, that I am proud or all your prizes, and your performance in the Choir, and Kathak, and badminton, and your painting too..)

Or because you are giving me any “trouble” 

(I will miss arguing with a worthwhile partner)

Or because we do not have decent schools in our city

(Yes, your school is a Great one)

I am just letting go, so that you have more horizons to explore, more opportunities to grow, to learn, to flower and to bloom.

I am letting you go even though I'll miss you every moment, because you will find a whole new world.

I am letting go because I love you too much to keep you close, but confined.

Your wings are now ready for the sky.

Fly my baby.

Don’t look down for me,

Because, I’ll be right there with you..

Thanks to Satyamev Jayate for just talking about it

I repeat, almost verbatim, a call I got from a neighbor:

Are you aware that child was molested in the E-block lift of our Apartment?

I was too shocked to frame my 'whats' and 'hows' in the correct order…

Well, the family of that child doesn't want to talk about the incident, I am informing you so that you can warn your daughters to be careful, my caller continued.

Of course, I’ll ask my children to be careful and talk to as many parents and children I know, but shouldn’t we organize a meeting to ensure that everybody knows about the threat?

Oh, but I can’t do that. 

My motives will be questioned, my caller reflected. 

And some people may even start sensationalizing the incident. 

Yes, I agreed, “people” are exactly like that.

The caller just wanted all the children in the complex to be informed so that they were more careful. She had seen an episode of “Satyamev Jayate” and felt she she could not do "nothing”. She could only talk to a handful of people-but the word spread, some steps were taken, and I hope we are all a little safer than before.

We do need a Aamir Khan for coming on a million TV screens and talking about keeping our children safe, for talking about all the issues we already know of, but think that they only happen to other people..