Tuesday, July 19, 2011


That Radiant Glow

by
Amrita Simon

OK ladies, you may not be able to change your skin type but that youthful radiance is not out of your reach if you do treat your face right. So how do you get that bright sheen that gleams on faces staring back at you from glossy magazines??

Dr Nina Madnani, one of the best Dermatologists in Mumbai busts a lot of skin myths and tells you super skin secrets, that no one else will.

So how does one get their skin to look bright and beautiful? What can we slap on? or eat?

Dr Nina says,“Glowing skin is a combination of a healthy lifestyle and having a skin which is smooth with no pigmentation anomalies. A diet rich in nutrients, especially iron, vitamins and proteins is a must. Fruit and vegetable juices are good though overweight people should avoid fruit juices because they can be high in sugar.”

On the topic of our nutty obsession with getting fairer, she has this to say-

“Many ad agencies have driven the public into a frenzy by their visuals, promising a rapid reduction of skin color resulting in a more 'Beautiful' face which is misleading.

Your skin color is determined by your genes and the extent of exposure to ultraviolet rays. Fairness creams temporarily reduce the skin shade by a fraction but the moment you stop application, your skin will revert to your original color.”

To all those young boys and girls who think smoking is cool, listen up......

Dr Nina specifies that a smoker's skin is 12.5 years older than that of a non-smoker. Get it?? Time to stub that cigarette butt out!!

About wrinkles, she says that anti-wrinkle and skin plumping creams work 'very minimally' and there are two types of lines that appear on our faces –

One are the expression lines caused by facial movements (crows feet, laugh lines, frown lines etc).

The other are very fine lines that are caused by sun damage. Sunscreens containing Anti-oxidant vitamins and Retinoids are mildly helpful in reducing the fine lines.

She recommends the use of sunscreen every day with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 for normal use and 50 for prolonged sun exposure.

For dry skin, her mantra is to 'Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!' and says that creams with Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are useful in rejuvenation of the skin.

Is exfoliation of the face good for removing dead cells ?

Here comes the warning- “Exfoliation does remove the superficial cells but face scrubs with large particles can cause redness and irritation in sensitive skins.”

Women go in for regular facials and some are being advised Chemical peels by beauticians.

What are her thoughts?

“Chemical peels do help in rejuvenation of the face and making skin smoother and more uniform in appearance"she says

"Various peels exist for various reasons but complications can occur if they are performed for the wrong reasons and by unqualified personnel " she warns.

Well, what about facials? Just how important are they in the 'beauty regimen'?

"Facials give that 'feel good' factor and are useful only for those with dry skin” she points out.

Another hurdle in the path to good looking skin is, facial hair. It is a source of annoyance to most women and foxes the best of us on how to deal with it.....to bleach or pluck, to wax or thread, to shave or zap it to death with lasers.....

Dr Madnani clarifies, “Laser hair removal is recommended for permanent hair reduction and cannot achieve permanent hair removal.”

(Wow,we certainly weren't aware of that!)

Well, most women use bleaching,threading or even waxing for unwanted facial hair. How safe are these methods?

According to the Doctor, bleaching has no side effects on the skin, if done properly. Threading is OK and contrary to popular thinking, does not cause the skin to darken. And though waxing the face may cause Follicutlitis in some people, here comes the real shocker.....


Shaving your face does NOT make you sprout hair like a man.


So here it is, girls....

The secrets behind that radiant skin that's been eluding you for so long.


Happy Glowin!


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Child-rearing Tips - Part 2


In my last post we discussed

1 How to turn every opportunity into a fun teaching moment

2 Television- the best shows to expose your kids to.

3 Manners- Start early and lead by example.


Part-2

No shouting, yelling, threatening or physical violence of any kind.
Now I know this one's not easy but......Do not ever lose your temper when dealing with a tantrum specially when there are people around..

No matter how badly your kid behaves, never ever shout at or strike him.

You may think they are too young but even a two year old feels humiliated when chastised or struck specially when there is an audience.

No matter how bad the crying and the kicking and the squealing. Remember the one who is doing all that screeching is just a kid, and YOU are the adult.

So behave like one. Be calm, firm, even chilly when required but keep your voice down at all times. If your voice is low the child will have to lower his screams to understand what you are saying. This is a tried and tested method which can be used in other situations too. For example in an argument with an adult.

Research says that children love kissing,tickling and cuddling.
They say money maketh a man,clothes maketh a lady but its kisses and hugs and cuddles that maketh a happy child.

A cuddled and loved child adjusts better in class, handles conflicts better, has a higher EQ (Emotional Quotient) and is more likely to pick good friends and a loving and kind life partner later on in life.


Parents who argue, scream at and hit their kids are laying down the foundation of an anxious and a very unhappy child.

One who will have a very low self esteem and will most probably turn out aggressive themselves and turn into bullies or become scared, quiet and the submissive types.

Such kids subconsciously tend to pick physically or emotionally abusive partners. Almost always.

Kids like that don't even resist when hit and attacked by their friends or abusive spouse/partner when they are adults because by then they have been wired to think they 'deserve' it. After all mom and dad also used to hit them.

Another thing – almost all of them are full of self hatred, self loathing and are suicidal.

If you want your child to be like that, (an aggressive bully always in a rage, getting into trouble, or a suicidal introvert who gets beaten and abused by their spouse/boyfriend and who one day may become another statistic in the suicide graph of young people) ...
Then go right ahead, let your anger and ego be more important than your helpless child, shout and slap him/her when they fail a test or knock down that expensive crystal ashtray granddad gave for Christmas.

But beware, every time you hit or holler at your child, the only message you send out is, that when there is a conflict with anyone, or when one is angry or when things don't go your way, It is ok to hit.


The Bottom line is- Never hit your kid


What not to do/say in front o
f your child

Never fight, argue with, yell at or hit your spouse in front of your children. This one's a no-brainer. It shakes up their little world and is scary and very damaging for them. All Psychologists agree on this one.

My tip is make fight dates. My friend does this. Every now and then when her husband and and she are mad at each other,they agree to meet in the living room at around midnight (that's when their kids are fast asleep) and have a good but quiet showdown.

Another tip- Do not bad mouth relatives or friends or indulge in idle gossip in front of your child. Your kid is much more impressionable than you think. So watch what you say about others when your kid is around. Your child will respect you and others better.

Always use politically correct terms. There is nothing more embarrassing than waiting in line at the supermarket checkout and hearing your kid shout out “Look Mummy how fat this man is!!'

Mommies are not Superwomen

If you make a mistake,forgive yourself. No point beating up yourself over it. Learn from it and move on. And whenever you feel you've spread yourself too thin, close your eyes, take a deep breath and believe tomorrow's gonna be better than today.

There are many articles and books on parenting. Whenever you have the time, catch up on your reading as much as you can. Most importantly don't forget to treat yourself well. And make sure Daddy reads this,ok darlin?

Eat fresh n healthy food,fruits and salads. Get enough sleep. Ask your friends or relatives to watch the kids every now and then so you and your husband can get at least one romantic dinner in a month. Try and have friends over once in a while. Don't kill your social life.

What I mean is, try and have fun. Always keep at least one hour of some 'mommy time' aside just for you.
Do things that make you happy. Go to the spa, get a massage, watch your favorite movie, do yoga or meditation,go for swimming, jogging, dancing, some plain ole reading or simply loll around the couch channel, surfing and chill because the truth is very simple.
A happy, relaxed mommy is a good mommy and, let's not forget.....

'A good mother is worth a 100 headmasters'

Monday, June 27, 2011

Child-rearing Tips- Part 1

So your toddler has started preschool. Splendid. For successful parenting it is important to understand that you cannot and must not leave the entire responsibility of educating your child on the teacher or the school. A child spends only so much time in school. The rest of the day he spends with you and the rest of the family.

Now we know how hard mommies work and how harried, frustrated and exhausted they can get. According to Oprah Winfrey, a mothers job is the hardest job in the world. But do take time out of your busy schedule and spend some quality time with your kid. Remember, “A good mother is worth a 100 headmasters”


Turn every opportunity into a teaching method. But you gotta make it fun.

Try and turn every question and query into a teaching moment. When you go grocery shopping try and take your kid along.You could turn shopping, that can be a chore into an informative and fun time for your child. Aside from the regular fruits and vegetables, most Malls stock all kinds of exotic fruits, vegetables and herbs which your neighbourhood vegetable guy may not have.It would be the perfect time to point those out.

Television

Try limit TV time as much as possible. If you want to watch, try to watch those action and graphic movies with ghosts and ghouls, blood and gore only after the kids have gone to sleep. I love slasher films with chain saw kind of horror... but I only watch when my monsters are tucked in and dreaming. Do not expose them to adult programming at all. Not even the News.

If as a parent you have forgotten some of your old Nursery Rhymes. Fret not. There are lots of videos that teach fun nursery rhymes. Television is not as bad as it has been made out to be. TV can be a great teaching tool. Keep a time limit and always keep an eye on what your kids are watching.


Cartoons like Ben-Ten, Tom and Jerry are fun but only for older kids and adults. Just recently I caught my 5 year old calling his 2 year old brother Jerry while chasing him with a hammer. I almost had a stroke. Some videos meant for kids are way too violent.

A few channels like Cbeebies and Nick Jr are very nice and provide good, fun, wholesome entertainment as they subtly teach kids manners and the difference between good and bad behavior.

Try and have a separate TV for your kids. Mine do, and all the channels that are unfit for kids their age are blocked. So it's either Animal Planet, Cebeebies or good ole Nick Jr. Pick a couple of Barney videos. Almost all stores have them. Their rhymes and songs are perfect for toddlers.

Manners

This is the tricky part. Try and teach your kid to say please and thank you right from the very beginning. If you haven’t, start now. NOW!

Kids are very impressionable and observant. They ain't going to do what you say. They're gonna do what you do. It don't matter how many times you try to get them to say Please and Thank you. Remember they will watch you and imitate you, so if you are rude to the waiter or the maid or the watchman of the building that's exactly what your kids is going to do.


So start at home, set a good example, always be polite, say Excuse-me, Sorry, Thank-you and Please, regularly when dealing with them or anybody, even while interacting with a janitor and your child will follow.

Now we mommies are human too and we do make mistakes sometimes. When you do, sit your kid down, admit you were wrong and made a mistake, and apologize sincerely with a few kisses thrown in. You will set a great example and it will do wonders for your kid's self-esteem and self-worth.

In our home we have spare room which is pink in color and has a 'naughty chair.' And when anybody, the kids or even us parents behave extra bad they first apologize to the person they misbehaved with and then, depending on the severity of the crime they get 5 to 10 minutes on the naughty chair.

The funny thing is at least once a week my husband and I also land up on the naughty chair. (Actually it's my husband who gets punished more because he really is naughty sometimes. Honest! )

Well, getting back to the point, this actually helps, the children think they are not completely powerless, that there is a certain kind of democracy in the house and not just them but every one has to follow rules, and everyone has privileges and rights. And mine behave quite well most of the time, well, almost!

I don't know about the rest of you but this system is working out just fine for us. There is no harm in giving it a shot.-

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Memories of Goa


We are just back from a fantastic trip to Goa. For those who missed 3 issues of Neighbourhood Times, we extend our apologies but we desperately needed a break.

Driving to Goa was a last minute plan. Since most of our staff wanted a vacation we gave them the go ahead and decided to take a summer break ourselves. Since it was too late for tickets we just threw some clothes in a bag, jumped into our car and zoomed off. The drive was relaxing. We took National Highway 4 which has less ghats but takes longer.

We stayed at a resort near Calangute, Castle House, which was highly recommended by a friend.

Castle House is a picturesque gleaming yellow and white villa/resort with cute little balconies and a pool. The tariff was so reasonable, I couldn't get my husband to stop grinning.

The swimming pool got all the kids excited. The rooms were spacious, clean with excellent service. The bar was fully stocked with all kinds of booze with ludicrously low rates eg a bottle of beer was 55 and a shot of whiskey/rum was Rs 20 only. The sea food was very nice especially the fish steaks and garlic butter prawns. The service was so good we ended up making friends with all the employees.



To any body who wants to stay at a hotel in Goa and get complete value for their money, I'd highly recommend Castle House. The owner is Dev (a very friendly chap).



If you visit North Goa and want to eat out, try Britto's at Baga beach. The portions are huge, the food is delicious and the prices are cheap. Just avoid it on Sundays as it gets too crowded. Try booking the deck chairs on the beach which cost around Rs 100 for a couple,lie back,and the food from Britto's will come to you, at no extra charge.

If you want a foot rub ask around for a guy called Rajesh and he will haggle at first but give you a nice foot rub for 20 minutes if you pay him 100 Rs. If you want your nails painted and decorated with little crystals you can get the Nail paint women (who constantly roam the beach) to do some fancy nail art for Rs 110.

Another place bang on Calangute beach is Souza Lobo. They are very popular and always very crowded on weekends.They have a dance floor and have live music every day.. The food is good, the portions are generous but watch out as the service is very iffy. They have a talent for botching up orders. Over and over again. Be careful coz if you order rice and get noodles instead ,they will make you eat the noodles no matter how much you protest and make you pay for it too.

Another place at Calangute is The Flying Dolphin.It's nice and quiet with a great 180 degree view of the beach, which is not crowded at all.It's the perfect place to go with a book,lie back,order a cocktail and watch the sun go down.The food is pretty ok too and worth a try.

Calangute Grande also has good Chinese and Continental food with big portions. Another place which I was told is good, is David's for their seafood platter but I didn't get a chance to go there. Oh and do, do visit Infentaria for their all day dining. Their pastas and cakes are delicious. I spotted Director Sanjay Gupta kicking back and enjoying a relaxing brunch with a large group of friends.

Which brings me to some of the friends I made. I ran into an absolutely lovely British couple, Janet and Graham at my hotel bar (where I had become a permanent structure). We hit it off almost immediately and hung out after that, almost every day. Once they learned I was a writer they told me about a strange predicament they were in...



Now ever since Janet and Graham came to India, they fell in love with our country, our weather, our people, our food......in fact everything. It is for this reason they decided to make India their home and bought a house in Goa.

Cool.... ..right? Wrong! What happened soon after is unbelievable. According to them they did every thing by the book. In October 2001 Graham Goodburn went to the Indian Embassy in London and declared his wish to retire in Goa. He got a One year Ex-Visa,under which, he and his partner were allowed multiple entries, they could stay longer than 12 days AND buy property..

Delighted,they arrived in 2001 October and registered with the Foreign Relation Officer. They viewed a property and made a sale agreement. Their advocate made proper papers under FEMA ie the Foreign Exchange Management Act, which meant within 182 days in one financial year, they could apply for the sale deed, which they did and received. They got the deed stamped the by the Registrar in Maupsa and received the No Objection Certificate for Electricity and House tax.

At the end of their 1 year visa,they went back to UK and were issued a 5 year visa. After 5 years in India,they returned to UK to renew their visa but were shocked to learn that they would receive a visa for one year only and would be required to leave the country every 182 days, for at least a day and then only would they be allowed to return.

Irritated and upset they returned, only to have their their advocate drop another bombshell: The rules had changed further. They could sell their house to an Indian national only AND There was a new diktat …...even though they owned a home in Goa, they could only stay for six months at a time, then they had to leave the country not for a day but for at least 2 months.

Soon came another set of rules, they were now forbidden to sell their house to anybody, not even an Indian.

So here they are, stuck in a country where they own a home, but cannot live in it for more than six months and have to get out for at least 2 months and they cannot sell their home either!!!

Quite understandably, they feel helpless and outraged. It seems Graham and Janet are not the only ones. “This is happening to all the foreigners” informs Janet.

Why don't they just leave? “I love India. This is my home now and I won't leave”says Graham Goodburn passionately as Janet nods vigorously. I feel so bad for this couple, despite all this the poor things are still in love with India and want to stay.

Pfffft !!! Atithi Devo Bhava indeed!

For their sake I hope the Indian Government is listening.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Simon Says.....


Baba re Baba!!

What a week! First Baba Ramdev decided to go on a 'Me Too' Anna Hazare fast, and despite leading all that healthy yoga lifestyle promptly buckled under starvation within day six, and had to consume honey and lime (And in my opinion, technically broke his fast) Looks like yoga and a satvik diet do not a strong system make.Remove Formatting from selection

It is a little difficult to believe that a fitness guru can collapse after fasting of mere five / six days.

On the other side a much older 73 plus Anna Hazare who follows no such diet or exercise regimen hung on resolutely surviving quietly on plain water till the government gave in... (technically, that is.)

The support that Anna enjoyed though was tremendous and spontaneous. People, especially, young educated professionals got shaken out of their insulated lives and sat up and took notice. Comparisons to Gandhi were made. Over and over again. There were frenzied texts, face book messages, tweets, singing and marches by the youth. Everyone who was young and optimistic was there for Anna and his cause.

In Baba's case the youth were not so charged. In fact not at all. I wonder why? Maybe because many saw /accused him as the mask for the RSS. Plus shots of him trying to flee in a white ladies outfit broke the saffron spell.

Baba Ramdev should have let the cops take him. That would have have gotten him more sympathy. And his call for arms, was shocking, desperate and unfitting for a Yogi Baba. Personally for me Baba has lost his magic. I kinda feel bad for the guy. He used to be almost worshiped and look what this has done for his image. He should have stayed out of politics and stuck to what he was best at, teaching yoga.

Then came the sad news of the passing away of Mr M. F Husain.

Almost every paper I picked up had devoted pages after pages of eulogies, praises and quotes of grieving celebrities. Where were all these people when he was alive? If only these newspapers had devoted the same amount of space to convince the govt to provide him enough security and confidence to get him back, the poor man wouldn't have died in a country that wasn't his own. Let’s own up, we just didn't do enough to fight for his safe return.

Barely had this sunk in, I heard horror struck, as a news reporter gave the news about a Senior crime reporter from Mid-Day being riddled with bullets in broad daylight.

I had to pinch my self, didn't these atrocities happen in countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan? Was this the beginning of a crime wave against reporters? Were we Journalists going to be used for target practice? Should we start applying for gun licenses? (More important since I cover crime, was it time for me to hire some one else to do my crime reporting?)

The government and the police should get cracking as they would, if this had happened to one of them. Forget killing a reporter,even hitting a journalist should be made a non bailable offense.

There has been talk about a legislation like this in the making for quite some time but it seems, that it has been put in the deep freezer. In fact some media reports say that certain parliamentarians are against passing such a law against attacking journalists. Someof them even want the term 'Journalist' defined. No prizes for guessing why, eh?

It is imperative that the bill against attacking journos is passed ASAP. If not, then it can only be interpreted as a tacit consent to freely attack or kill members of the media. Take away the freedom of the press and our country will be on the verge of collapse.

The killing of Senior Reporter, J Day is shocking, abominable and has no place in a civilized democracy like ours. The authorities should not drag their feet about this. The real killers should be nabbed and tried in a super fast track court. This is not Pakistan, for Pete’s sake folks. THIS IS INDIA! You just don't kill a Journalist and get away with it.

(Pssst....Heard that Baba is a millionaire. Maybe he could donate those millions to his country whilst the struggle to get back all that black money from abroad goes on.)



Thursday, April 14, 2011

Simon Says

Watching the Cricket World Cup finals, was a first for me. I have never been much of a cricket fan but this year was different.

There was a sense of anticipation, a feeling that something great was about to happen. The excitement was palpable. Every time a run would be made, the crowd (not only the on
e on the screen but the one around me) would roar in joy.

As Dhoni shot the winning sixer the spectators erupted in ecstasy. I knew I was witnessing history. This was the first Cricket world cup I had seen India win (the last cup, I was too young to understand anything) and I was proud, so proud that I thought my heart would explode.

The people were screaming, yelling and cheering themselves hoarse. Each yell louder than the other, each decibel like a declaration of patriotism. Fire crackers were going off.....

Groups of young men roared up and down the streets on their bikes waving flags,hollering their love for India. It seemed every single person was shouting out their love for the country.

What we did not know then, was that we were going to witness history again, very soon, the very next week itself.

A quiet, simple, Marathi manoos, Kishen Baburao Hazare, better known as Anna took on the government of India and went on an indefinite hunger strike.

His empty stomach shook the conscience of the nation. He reminded us of Gandhi. This man made people walk out of their schools, homes and air conditioned offices and make a statement against corruption.

Hoards of people converged and meetings, demonstrations and candlelight marches were held not just in Delhi but all over the country.

Mumbaikars did their bit and organized candlelight vigils at Juhu and The Gateway of India. The Motormen of Mumbai pledged their support. But some of the suburbs were silent. We were witnessing history again for the second time this month and the same crowds were conspicuous by their absence. Their silence was deafening.

Where were the patriots? Those who had shouted out their Desh-Prem at the top of their lungs. Wasn’t this fight against corruption, a patriotic struggle too?

Wasn't this movement a unifying attack against the sickness that was eating into India's flesh?

Was their patriotism only limited to cheering for their country at a game or taking pot shots at neighboring countries?

We have to realize, just applauding and cheering for our Cricket team at a game is not patriotism.

The real patriot is the one who decides that he or she will no longer aid and abet corruption or any such evil that hurts our country, in any manner.

The real patriot is the one who pledges his support for activists like Anna Hazare and their cause.

The real patriot is one who embraces the values of Gandhi instead of mocking his teachings and his followers.

Gandhism is neither out dated nor dead. Anna’s victory just proved that.

If you love your country, you must do your bit against this evil of corruption. Look at yourself in the mirror and swear that no matter how hard it is, you will not support this sickness at any level. Make a promise to yourself that you will not buy even movie tickets in black.

Don’t pay bribes to anyone, no matter what the consequences.....

Report anyone who asks for one, because even if you don't indulge in corruption, but remain quiet when others do, you are giving your tacit consent and are as guilty as they are

. Remember - 'All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing' (Edmund Burke)

Anna and his supporters have managed to make history without shedding a single drop of blood, without burning down a single bus and without throwing a single stone. People who ridicule Gandhians and non-violence must rrealize that it is the only way to bring about the change our nation needs.

No amount of bandhs could have achieved what this soft spoken Maharashtrian's starvation and his peaceful supporters have.

Political parties should take note of this and change their modus-operandi to peaceful movements and hunger strikes instead of indulging in threats, violence and vandalism.

If you love India, stand up for India and be counted. Support patriots like Anna and stem the rot in this system that is destroying our beautiful Nation.

I studied this poem as a child and it moves me as much now, as it did then.

(Thank you Mrs Pamela Sinha,for this!)

Written by the same poet and patriot who penned our national anthem, these words say it all.

Where the mind is without fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.


- Rabindranath Tagore


Monday, September 6, 2010

Not without my husband!


Humein Pati chahiye” (I want my husband) wailed Rajni Devi, wife of abducted cop Abhay Prasad Yadav “Get me back my husband or give us some poison” she begged as her scared, terrified children wept with her...

Rajni Devi's husband a Sub-Inspector along with 3 other Policemen,Sub-Inspector Rupesh Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Lucas Tete,and Havildar Ehtesham Khan, had been abducted by the Naxalites in Bihar. They were demanding the release of some of their comrades in custody.

Later as the Maoists declared they had killed Policeman Abhay Yadav, I shuddered to think about his frail wife, Rajni Devi, sitting outside the CM's house with her children, almost faint with horror, pleading for negotiations with her husband's captors.


What followed was like an unbelievable movie plot... Even though the Maoists declared they had killed Rajni Devi's husband Abhay Yadav, the body of one of the other abducted Policeman surfaced along with a note in Hindi.

His name was Lucas Tete and he had been posted in that area just days before being taken hostage.

As the pictures of the unfortunatete cop were splashed across the media, I kept thinking of poor Rajni begging for her husband's life...

Where was he? Was he dead or alive?
What would happen to his poor wife?

And then... a miracle happened …... it seems Rajani's heartbreaking cries rang through millions of television sets across the country and reached the ears of her husband's captors who had a miraculous change of heart/strategy and decided to release her husband and the other two policemen.

On the 5th, a man claiming to be a spokesperson of the Maoists got in touch with her and assured her of her husband's release. He said they were touched by her cries for her husband and had
decided to set him free!!

Today the policemen were indeed released and I sat glued to the T.V... just to see Rajani's joy on seeing her husband.

I saw her fall at her husband's feet.
Wash them and... drink the water that she had used!! (God! I don't know what to say about that!!)

And I wondered, if her husband would ever, EVER realize, that his it was his wife's tears and prayers that brought him back from the jaws of death ... LITERALLY!!!

Couldn't help remembering the story of Savitri who got back her dead husband's soul from the clutches of Yamraj (the Hindu God of death).

Sub-Inspector Abhay Prasad Yadav is one helluva lucky man..... he has a wife like Rajni Devi.