Creative Corner - Nonita Saha

A Caged Bird Always Wants to Fly

Under a scanner from the time I’m born
I live in a diseased society that has no cure;
Restrictions are imposed to keep me demure,
in doing so they do not ensure my safety
but my identity they obscure.

What fuels their belief squashes my freedom
patriarchy in full swing clamps down on feminine wisdom;
Claiming to control criminal incidences
chauvinistic rules crush equity and fairness;
Sophistries built on fallacies of biased minds 
bind woman in chains of laws unkind.

I step out in the world for my own sake,
to earn a living and live life my way,
not to attract any ravening wolves lying in wait;
Why must I be held accountable for being outdoors at eight?
Which law states decent women don’t stay out that late?
I’m a grown-up fully aware of my responsibilities
but what about the menaces of society
who think it their right to ravage women in the heat of their libidinal energies?


The length of my skirt does not decide my character,
nor give an excuse to anyone to turn a predator;
I wear heels to appear tall or just for the thrill,
again, that’s no lure but a choice made of free will;
My body is not to be played with or ravished
it’s no food for the carnally famished;
It should alone be my right to dress as I please,
just my prerogative and I don’t mean to play a tease!

Youth alone is not blamed, my whole life is indicted
from cradle to grave I stand convicted;
My struggle ensues right after conception,
the day I’m born marks the beginning of an endless tribulation;
I’m frowned upon and detested for having a vagina,
am I some cheap trinket that came in from china?
I may be a girl but I’m not defected,
treat yourselves with medication, for you’re infected;
My worthiness cannot be gauged by my sex,
your shoddy thinking your attitude reflects;
I’m a person of worth, a procreator of life
a daughter, a sister, and a wife!

 © Nonita Saha, 2015

Baaton Baaton Mein...

With Sudhanshu Goyal

If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why?
19 year old, away from worries and always have fun with friends

What are your 5 favorite foods?
Mangoes & Mangoes. I have a wish to just eat Mangoes for the entire week.

If you were to change your name, what name would you adopt going forward? Why?
I love my name Sudhanshu which means Sudha (Amrit) ka Ansh(Part)

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you?
Laptop, satellite phone & loads of batteries 

If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why?
Switzerland because of its beauty

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be?
Live and let live, just remember good deeds of people and forget anything that had hurt you. Kisi se maafi mang lo and kisi ko maaf kar do.

If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?
Madhuri Dixit – I am a big fan of her.

If you could choose one hobby that now seems out of your reach either financially or time-wise, what hobby would you take up and why?
Gardening, I love to be with plants with flowers and fruits all around

Baaton Baaton Mein...

With Surabhi Srivastava

If you could choose an imaginary friend, who would you choose and why?

The Cat in the Hat

If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why? 

22, you are at the height of your education, freedom and ideals and have so much energy and positivity!

If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play? 

R2D2, in Star Wars

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you?

Water, food and mosquito repellant

If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why?

Turkey for its Food, Culture and Literature

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be?

Ultimate goal is happiness, don’t do anything that doesn’t lead you there!

If you could choose one hobby that now seems out of your reach either financially or time-wise, what hobby would you take up and why?   

Horse Riding, I used to do it when I was a kid and it was best time I’ve ever had.

Creative Corner - Lakshita Joshi

Pallet of Womanhood
From sanguine to sindoor, colours define the life of a woman from birth till death. Wearing red on her pyre or white—these two colours become the identity of an Indian woman soon after sanguine begins to flow out of her body for better or for worse.

From white paleness of cheeks to blush pink, her emotions are determined even before she feels them. Men may call it charm, but a woman’s colour depicts her struggle in history. Black or white, brown or red—her race is a race with historical oppression from yet another colour.

‘Blue is for boys, pink is for girls’ still covers the nursery linen, and that distinction lasts forever. Pre-natal child sex discernment is illegal, yet gender institutes their anatomy into tiny boxes, eager to be ticked into ‘male’ and ‘female’ immediately after birth.

She adorns the khaki green in the battlefield just as well as she drapes the orange saree, ready to cook the first meal of the day for her family.

She quenches thirsty bodies of evil by burning her consent over the hot stove of predatory lust. That’s not her flaw, it’s her strength which makes her a survivor of her own struggle with herself after a burnt dignity, sometimes mirrored in an acid-scarred patched face with different hues of brown.

Walking multi-coloured roads of survival is the struggle of the everyday life of a woman in both public and private spaces of silent noise. It’s time to celebrate the colours of everyday life, trace the extraordinary in the ordinary where a woman stands colour to colour with a man in all fields. The 21st century pallet of hues is coloured with opportunities, just dip your brush to make a masterpiece of flawless art!

Creative Corner - Nitya Arora

Going back to my good old school days, I used to listen to a song by Britney Spears

"I am not a girl, not yet a women". Liked this song a lot but, was too young to understand what it meant. Now that I have left my teens, specifically my girlhood behind and have officially entered the age that of a woman, I can feel what this song actually means. So here is my version describing how I am not a girl anymore, not yet a woman either.

Daddy's Princess, brother’s angel. But, I am not a girl, not yet a woman.

I am in the real world, past the age of making friends and in the age of making colleagues. I am not a girl but, not yet a woman.

Try understanding people by my own sense and prudence.... Do go wrong 80 out 100 times. But, I am not a girl, not yet a woman either.

Still look up to my family for guidance. Tend to seek their advice before taking decision. But, I am not a girl anymore, not yet a woman either.

I Have crossed the era of being dependent. I am now moving ahead towards being self-reliant. I am not a girl now, not yet women.

I think that I have an answer to everything. I also know that life will not go my way. I am not a girl, not yet a woman.

I am motivated towards being strong and willful, past the moments of delicacy. I am not a girl but, not yet a woman.

I am not fragile anymore, cannot be broken down easily. I am not a girl not, not yet a woman.

I am on my road to conquest, and I know that I will rightly pave my way. I not a girl, still not yet a woman.

Baaton Baaton Mein...

With Denize Rodricks

If you could choose an imaginary friend, who would you choose and why?
I already have a few guardian angels! 

If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why? 
Great to see the world through the wonder-struck eyes of a seven-year-old.  

If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play? 
Legally Blonde (Ellen Woods)

What are your 5 favorite foods?
Chole Bhature, Ram Ladoos, Spinach, Oranges and Ice Cream  

If you were to change your name, what name would you adopt going forward? Why?  
“Your Highness” 

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you want to have with you?    
A box of matches, a Swiss army knife and a really soft mattress

If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why?    
Spain – it has both beaches and mountains, and good climate.

If you could choose one hobby that now seems out of your reach either financially or time-wise, what hobby would you take up and why?   
Scuba Diving…to explore the beauty of the underwater world and perhaps find some hidden treasure! 

8 GIFs That Explain T&F India’s Ecosystem

-COMMUNICATIONS & PR TASKFORCE

Someone rightly said, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it”. The collaborative spirit of T&F India is a testament to this. It takes a group of action-oriented individuals to run a company as strong as ours. Let’s spend a moment and look at these powerhouses that make all the action happen:

1. Editorial

They work closely with Authors, Editors, and Researchers and transform their ideas into successful books. Sometimes, you can’t help but see a little bit of Ross in them.

2. Production

They manage the production process from the start to finish and oversee the publication of thousands of articles, books, eBooks and online products. They are meticulous and keep their supplies handy.

3. Marketing

This department looks after our customers by delivering the right products, content, and services at the right time. They are the branding force of our company and a source of any information.

4. Sales

This department is friendly, professional and knowledgeable, they grow our product sales through a strong focus on business development and make sure that we achieve our end targets.

5. Technology

This team develops, delivers and supports the cutting-edge digital solutions that keep us at the forefront of the academic publishing industry. You need anything fixed, they are who you turn to.

6. Operations

Comprising of a variety of functions across the business, this unit operates globally across books and journals enabling the business to save, secure, improve, and grow. Their organizational skills are exceptional!

7. Finance

This department organizes, audits, accounts for our company’s finances. And don’t forget, they are the ones who deliver your paychecks!

8. Human Resources

Finally, this department recruits, screens, interviews and places our colleagues. They also handle employee relations, payroll, benefits, and training. Human resources managers plan, direct and coordinate the administrative functions of an organization. We are sure you have all been here before.

Together we are a force to reckon with. No matter what department you work in, here is your chance to do more and contribute towards the 2019 Growth Market Expansion Plan (GMEP) that will help us achieve Sustainable & Scalable Growth through the creation of Transferable & Scalable Operational Efficiencies with a Unified Customer-centric Approach with the help of our most important resource- YOU!

Want to know how you can contribute? Stay tuned for more information from the Communications and PR Team and become part of something great.

What will we do?

We will regularly update you on the performance of the above powerhouses, Task Forces and Action Groups formed to achieve GMEP 2019.

How can you take part in T&F India’s success story?

Stay tuned to our performance and look for opportunities to step in and make a difference.

Remember- The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Find a space to contribute individually, and together we can reach the summit.

Baaton Baaton Mein...

With Abhishek Bhardwaj

If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live? Tell the group about your choice.

Upper east side (Manhattan). I wish to wake up every morning and jog in Central Park. 

If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play? 
Michael Corleone, The Godfather

What are your 5 favorite foods? 

Anyone who knows me well, knows my weakness for Chhole Bhature. Can have them 5 times a day!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you? 

A working Satellite Phone, coconuts to last a couple of days and a good book to spend that time with.

What item that you don't have already, would you most like to own?

I would very much like to own a Jetpack and avoid driving through the fearsome Ring Road traffic.

If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why? 
Scotland. The highlands, lovely castles and the best scotch to sample – what more does a man need on a holiday

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be? 
It’s better to burnout than to fade away.

If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?

Thor Odinson. I would like to ask him why he didn’t aim for the head??

Creative Corner - Ajanta Bhattacharjee

Have We Been Ignoring What Paparazzi Culture Is Doing To Millennials?

A big difference between us and the previous generation is the existence of social media. Our parents did not have Facebook or Instagram to post pictures and share personal information. Millennials spend at least 27 hours every week on social media. The existence of social media has also changed lives of celebrities in India.

Actors have had stardom in previous decades but they were a mystery for common people. Today, they are relatable. Today, we see them through pictures, thanks to the paparazzi. They also post pictures on social media themselves. Paparazzi has been doing a commendable job clicking celebrities in and out, their favorite being a little kid Taimur Ali Khan!

But this connect has influenced our lives in more than one way. According to McKinsey, social media is highly responsible for referrals brands get, hence boosting their sales. Millennials have also started following their favorite celebrity’s lifestyles. But is it worthwhile? It is good to look good, but everyone’s priorities may be different. Celebrities spend a lot of money on their appearance. It is an important part of their work to look a certain way.

Due to this influence, fitness has also become something more than simply a healthy lifestyle. Millennials believe starving is fine, if it can give flat abs. At times obesity can be a medical condition but now body shaming does not spare you even if you have PCOD. You must be perfect. All this and what not!

Paparazzi has helped us build connect with celebrities and their luxurious lifestyle. It is upto us to use this connect in a healthy way. Instead of aping every move, we can get inspired by them and try and be successful like some of them are.

Creative Corner - Nitesh Kumar Singh

आह्लाद

दुपहरी की बेला थी
अंतस भी था कुछ उचटा उचटा सा
संयमित करना चाहता था निज को
फिर भी न जाने क्यूँ था उखड़ा उखड़ा सा,
विगत स्मृतियों में,
भुलाकर
साहित्य में डुबाकर
सो जाना चाहता था
पुस्तकों की अलमारी के द्वार खोल
खोजने लगा मन चाही पुस्तक,
पढ़ कर जिसे
खो जाना चाहता था |

दृष्टी पड़ी अकस्मात
पापा की लिखी पुरानी डायरियों पर
हुक सी उठी
स्पंदित हुईं भावनाएं 
चित्रित हुई समस्त घटनाएँ |

उठाकर डायरी
पढने लगा
विगत स्मृतियाँ
चलचित्र सी तैरने लगी 
हर अक्षर अब भी स्वर्ण सा चमक रहा था
सूखे गुलाब की पंखुड़ी सा महक रहा था |

वे मात्र कागज के पन्ने नही थे,
हर पन्ना सम्पूर्ण इतिहास था,
मध्यवर्गीय परिवार के मुखिया के
उत्तरदायित्वों का अहसास था |

नयन नीर
बहने लगे
प्रगाढ़ता क्या होती है
हर शब्द कहने लगे
संबंधों के बंधन
कितने सुदृढ़ होते हैं
हम समझने लगे |

उनकी गोद
की ममत्व भरी ऊष्णता
अब भी हो रही थी प्रतीत 
लग रहा था
एक
वट वृक्ष के तले 
हर आपत्ति से परे
बैठा हूँ सुरक्षित |

भानु प्रकाश 
तेज़ वारिद पटल की गोद में छुप चूका था
रजनीश भी
किरणों की प्रभा भूल 
गुम हो चूका था
तब अँधेरे मार्ग पर 
ले एक छोटा सा दीपक
आपने मार्ग दिखाया |

जीवोन्मुख विचार धाराओं को 
दे प्रगतीशील आयाम,
जो दिखाया था मार्ग आपने 
आज भी प्रशस्त है,
जो कुछ भी हूँ
पापा आपका है बताया|

विडम्बना इतनी है 
अल्पायु में
आप छोड़ चले गए
इन निर्बल स्कन्धों पर
भार छोड़ चले गए
उत्तरदायित्वों का 
निरंतर चल रहा हूँ
थक कर भी अथक हूँ,
इस विशाल जगत में 
सब के साथ हूँ 
फिर भी पृथक हूँ, 
प्रेरणा आपकी साथ है चल रही 
एक दीप्ति सी भी बढ़ रही 
मैं भी आगे बढ़ रहा हूँ |