This gang of girls has three mothers, three daughters and three sisters in its fold. At matriarch Geetu Hinduja’s home, joined by siblings Neha Raheja Thakker, Avani and Veda Raheja, they open up to Shashi Baliga about family and celebrating differences.
Avani Raheja’s three-month-old son Neev has just woken up. And all the action in her mother’s living room suddenly swooshes towards the third gen rep in the house. Her older sister Neha takes over the baby and coos away. Younger sister Veda, awaiting her turn, is delighted: “I was hoping he would get up before I left.” The air is high on love and estrogen, the room is filled with comfortable chatter and laughter. And Geetu Hinduja, rockstar grandma and our host for the afternoon, presides over the scene with a blend of contentment and poise which lights up her face and the conversation.
At 57, Geetu is entitled to a sense of fulfillment. This family scene has not come easy; it has taken some work on all their parts. And their story is testament to how important it is for a mother to first find her own happiness and journey.
Geetu was a young mother: she had all her three children in her twenties. When she was divorced in her forties, she had to carve out an entirely new life for herself and her daughters. Those were difficult years: “From living a life where I was surrounded by family and staff, I went to a very pared-down life. I had to re-learn how to live. But I’m very grateful I got a second chance at life. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says, the rich timbre of her voice adding depth to her statement.
In her new life, she channelled her love of art and music into deeply fulfilling career streams. She started off as an art consultant, setting up The Fine Art Company, and working on various consultancy projects. After she decided to get full-time into music, she has released three music videos and has been singing, writing songs and performing for over two decades now.
Denne historien er fra Verve February 2017-utgaven av Verve.
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Denne historien er fra Verve February 2017-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
