SoulScript by Niharika

  There is something about small towns — their slow mornings, predictable routines, and unpolished streets — that quietly nurture the biggest dreams. Maybe it’s the lack of noise that gives space for imagination. Maybe it’s the struggle that teaches resilience before we even understand the word. I grew up in one such town. Life was simple, sometimes too simple, yet filled with lessons I didn’t realise I was learning. One of my earliest memories is of our family of four travelling on a second-hand scooter. I would stand in front because there simply wasn’t enough space. Every time we hit a bump, I would be thrown forward, my knees crashing into the metal carrier. It hurt, but at that age, pain was normal — just another part of the day. What stayed with me was not the discomfort but the quiet dignity with which my parents navigated life. We didn’t have much, but we had determination, discipline, and dreams far bigger than our means. Years later, when I began working across differ...

There is something special about some mentors—they teach the greatest lessons in life very casually, often over chai and pakoras.  On one such evening, I was with one of my professors, a dear friend and mentor, and his family on the terrace of his house. The place they fondly called  “Vrindavan.”  And truly, it felt like a beautiful, peaceful haven far away from the chaos of the city. You could hear birds chirping, and lush greenery surrounded us. In the officers’ colony of the Armed Forces Medical College, one colorful object stood out from the rest—a hand-painted earthen pot with the words  “Calm more than Kaam.”  As sir pointed to it, claiming it to be one of life’s most important teachings, I couldn’t have agreed more. In today’s modern life, we often let the small, ordinary moments go unnoticed. Yet, these are the most meaningful—the ones spent with friends and family, or those quiet moments of nothingness admiring nature, listening to music, or taking a wa...