Ekta | wisdomekta

  Disclaimer: “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts. As my birthday month comes to an end, I find myself doing what I often do around this time of year: reading books, running, and having a long conversation with myself. This time, while running my birthday half- marathon, I kept the music low. Just enough to fill the silence, but not enough to drown out my thoughts. The funny thing is, self-talk was probably the reason I started running in the first place. I have always felt things deeply ( may be too deeply!! ). My tendency to think(over) makes it more complicated, and even ordinary moments can sometimes feel heavier than they really are. Running became my way of untangling that mess. Somewhere between the first kilometer and the last, though...

Yet another read from the author after  The Echo of Old Books … and this book was just as mesmerizing, with multiple timelines and multiple stories running in parallel.  This read was a powerful reminder that life moves on, and it is up to us whether we choose to live in the world of regret and lost opportunities or embrace the present to build a better future. With its richly drawn exploration of love, loss, and the promise of second chances, Every Precious and Fragile Thing is one of those books that stays with you. Grief, love, family, secrets, and betrayals — this book has a little of everything.  For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, she turns to Helen, her mother, who is a death doula and is in the midst of her own soul-searching, both alone and together. They are each grieving someone or...

Disclaimer: “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts. Sometimes I feel like the 1980s and 90s had a secret ingredient . No, life was not perfect back then. People had problems. Families argued. Jobs were stressful. Money was often tight. But somehow, those grainy photographs of the era reflects that the emotions were real. Old stories from grandparents make the relationships felt less edited. Smiles were not waiting for likes. Friendships did not need Wi-Fi to survive. Back then, if someone visited our house, they actually came to meet us with no background of where we had gone for lunch, or about our last trip. They just visited, and we had so much to share and talk and discuss. Just a ringing doorbell and papa shouting, “ dekho kaun aya hai ” . ...

  For readers of my blog, you already know how much I love books that revolve around books themselves. There is a kind of magic that I feel about such books. This week’s book was a happy, almost accidental discovery through Amazon’s recommendations. I was glad for such happenstance and a fulfilling end. The book is an absolute jam. The story revolves around three main characters: Ashlyn, Hemi, and Belle. Without delving into details of the story, Ashlyn Greer, a rare book dealer and owner of the shop “An Unlikely Story”, finds two unpublished, custom-bound volumes from the 1940s written by anonymous authors named ‘Hemi’ (book titled Regretting Belle) and ‘Belle’ (writer of book titled Forever and Other Lies), each telling a different version of their tragic love story, which took place in New York City. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about H...

Disclaimer: “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts आदमी मरने के बाद कुछ नहीं सोचता। आदमी मरने के बाद कुछ नहीं बोलता। कुछ नहीं सोचने और कुछ नहीं बोलने पर आदमी मर जाता है। And this muteness is eating away at the soul of humankind!! Let me explain.  People are speaking. On video, through blog posts, through multiple channels, and non-stop chattering is now a buzz in human ears. This constant buzzing has numbed the mind, and we have stopped speaking the “things” “required” to be spoken. “Thing” means feelings, emotions, honesty, truth, pain, fear, injustice, and the hard realities. The language of not-so-blunt but yet-not-sugarcoated.  In the name of being mature, social, practical, and politically correct, my inner child feels severe heartbreak ev...

  Disclaimer: This new series, “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts! Once upon a time, I was deeply drawn to motivation. I had great respect for the word “motivation” because it was my go-to source of encouragement when I needed to push myself to face life’s challenges. My little mind and not-so-brave heart came together to write the post titled  From Will to Strong Willpower- A Path to Develop and Sustain Willpower   It so happened that once that post on willpower was published, I received several messages through writing and by phone, encouraging me to explore the topic further. One of the comments on the blog was, “ Why do we relate willpower with performance? Can we still perform if our willpower is low? ” I have always agreed with the...

  The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to get pulled into the story so quickly, but Tulsi Gupta’s journey kept me engaged from the very beginning. Tulsi is restless, reluctant, and quietly searching for a life that feels truly her own. She works with her mother, Devi, and grandmother, Aruna, in their family spice store Rasa, where she is being trained to take over the business of healers someday. But beneath that expectation, she is still trying to understand who she really is and what she feels called to do. As the story unfolds, Tulsi begins to question the beliefs she grew up with and the future everyone seems to have imagined for her. That inner conflict makes her story feel honest, relatable, and deeply human. While the main thread of the story is about self-discovery, the book has so many smaller layers that are just as interesting. There is a sweet romance, a mystery around Tulsi’s father, a social media...

  Disclaimer: This series, “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts! “Jaane kya sochta hai mera dil, tujhko kya chahiye zindagi…” As I listened to this song on my recent voyage from Alibaug to Mumbai, something stirred quietly within me. Maybe it was the sea, maybe the wind, or maybe that familiar restlessness of a travel-troubled soul. For a moment, I did not want to go home. I wanted to keep moving, to disappear into nature, to become a small part of something vast, silent, and honest. There was a time in school when I used to write poetry, thanks to an English teacher who noticed that little spark in me. Then came my Hindi teacher, who introduced me to deeper, more philosophical thoughts. My little mind understood only what it could, but it car...

  सब ठाठ पड़ा रह जावेगा जब लाद चलेगा बंजारा। This book caught my attention because of its title, October Junction, and after finishing it, I felt the title truly justified its meaning. The book beautifully echoes the idea that every person carries a story within them. But in today’s noisy world, many of those stories remain untold — not because people have nothing to say, but because so many only ask, a few hear, and even fewer truly listen. The novel begins with the meeting of Chitra Pathak and Sudeep Yadav on October 10, 2010, in Banaras. Theirs is an unconventional love story that unfolds over the course of ten years.  Chitra Pathak is a woman who dreams of becoming a renowned writer, while Sudeep Yadav is a wealthy entrepreneur who hopes to retire by the age of 35. On paper, their worlds could not be more different. Yet, when they sit across from each other, those differences begin to dissolve. What fascinated me most while reading this novel was not merely the events thems...

Disclaimer- This post is part of trait-series-for-kids which I began to search and write for my kids in 2019. With this series of blog posts containing knowledge-slash-experience, I pray from the almighty that our kids have a simple but magical life. The contents of the series are the search, several readings, experiences, and self-reflection. Each trait post will end in a mantra to follow. Dear Sons, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the world you are growing up in, and I wanted to put a few thoughts down on paper—not as a lecture, but as an honest message from my heart to yours. We live in a loud, fast, and glittering world. With everything moving so quickly and AI changing how we live, it is quite easy to get lost in the noise. There is a new trend : Everywhere you look, people are told to " put themselves first. " While loving yourself is important, somewhere along the way, a lot of people started confusing self-worth with stepping on others. I see people ...

  What makes this book especially meaningful to me is that it was written by one of the first mentors in my professional journey. He began as my boss and later became a true mentor, always guiding me in the right direction. Now, in retirement, he is sharing his dream of creating GEMs, and I sincerely hope this is the first book in what becomes a wonderful series. First things first—having worked closely with him, I can vouch that the ideas he presents in this book are not just theoretical; they are deeply rooted in his own life and practice. One of the greatest blessings of working with him has been witnessing the kind of person he is: genuinely good, deeply grounded, and quietly inspiring. He has firmed my belief that even in a world often touched by negativity and wickedness, the “good” always carries a natural aura of healing, positivity, success, and overflowing joy. Well-Being Zone: Living the Spirit of Gift and Return Gift is a thoughtful and accessible guide to life and spir...

This is my second read from the author after The Secret of Elephants  . The protagonist, Anna Kotze, finds a long-buried family secret discovered in the form of an engraved necklace, “Indira” — the same name she bears as her middle one. The revelation jolts Anna into action, sending her on a quest that stretches from Zimbabwe’s storm-dark skies to the rain-soaked streets of India. As Anna chases fragile clues across continents, the necklace becomes both compass and burden, guiding her into the hidden corners of her family’s past. With every answer she uncovers, new questions surface, forcing her to confront not only who her grandmother was, but what truths have been kept from her — and whether she’s ready to face the storms they’ll unleash. The read was ‘okay’ is really the most I can say about it. The story was not epic; the characters seemed less developed, but the description of the scenes gets 100% marks. For me, the bright cover page and a few of the diary entries were the hig...

(Pic-AI Generated) Disclaimer - Read it with a light heart and retain no heaviness. Today, I am not writing a book review —today I am reflecting on the exhausting, hilarious art of being the "Reliable One", as I am experiencing it nowadays in repeated mode. I am a " doer ." I treat professional commitments like blood oaths , often at the expense of my own sanity ( Opinions!! ). Yet the last two years have forced a rethink: the world doesn’t want a problem-solver; the world wants a professional mime—someone who works hard, produces results, and remains blissfully silent when the logic falls apart. My favourite corporate game is "Ignore the Human, Embrace the Bias." Let me explain. When I point out that a workflow/plan of action has some flaws, trust me , I am not being difficult; I am asking for a crumb of logic or a little discussion. But in today’s scenario, asking why is seen as resistance. If I am not immediately convinced by an illogical mandate, my ...

  (Debut review) “ जिनके पास खोने के लिए कुछ नहीं होता वो फैसले जल्दी ले लिया करते हैं। जिस दिन हमको ये समझ में आता है कि यहाँ हममें से किसी के भी पास जिंदगी के अलावा खोने को कुछ नहीं है, उस दिन हम अपनी जिंदगी का पहला कदम अपनी ओर चलते हैं। बाहर चलते- चलते हम करीब- करीब भूल ही चुके होते हैं कि हमारे अंदर भी एक दुनिया है।” This is my first-ever read of a Hindi novel, and thus, my first-ever Hindi book review. As always, let me begin with an honest thought: my first experience of reading a Hindi novel was truly wholesome. Although the book is in my mother tongue, I was a bit hesitant that this read might prove “boring” or that I would not understand due to difficult Hindi grammar; however, this book surpassed all apprehension. The story is about Sudha and Chandar and their life story- together & separate. Without revealing much, the Musafir Cafe is the story of a dream, a promise, a faith, and unbounded love. It touched my heart with its simplicity and the profound beauty of the s...

  “Smart without being a smart ass. Talented without being boastful. Not afraid to roll up their sleeves and clean a floor or cook a meal.” To recover from the hangover of my last read, which was “cold” and “brutal,” I needed something “warm” and “light.” My Goodreads list never fails me, and this time it led me to a laugh-out-loud read with a wonderfully Hollywood-style charm. It was the kind of book anyone finish in one sitting. So, the story goes like this- Abbey thinks she is about to have the best day of her life — maybe even a proposal — but everything falls apart when her boyfriend tells her he has met someone else. As if that is not bad enough, she also loses her job. In a bold attempt to reinvent herself, Abbey spends her wedding savings on an apartment in the building she is always dreamed of living in and builds a new life, complete with a wardrobe to match. But keeping up the perfect new image gets complicated when her family invites her ex, who is still a close family ...

Kafka's writing is never dull. This is my second novel after    The Metamorphosis , but the grimness and nightmarish feeling still linger. After reading this one, I see a pattern in Kafka’s novels: the main character is introduced to an unusual situation, suffers, and then gradually meets his demise. “The Trial” is about a lone man, Josef K, a senior bank clerk who is arrested on his 30th birthday for an unspecified crime by unidentified authorities and due to faceless bureaucracy. Bizarrely, he is not jailed and is told he can go about his daily life as he navigates an incomprehensible, endless judicial process. The nature of the crime is never revealed to the reader or even to Joseph himself. Joseph progresses through various stages of confusion and paranoia, trying to understand his situation as he moves from one strange situation to another. Somewhere in the middle of the novel, I felt as if Josef K. is paranoid, and that he is not on trial at all. The novel presents a co...

  “Instead of dividing democracies from totalitarian regimes, a new Silicon Curtain may separate all humans from our unfathomable algorithmic overlords.” Thrilling, chilling and a shift-thinking book!! With his unique ability to unite both history and its grandest megatrends in a single view, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI is my next read. It took me longer to read because I kept rereading certain parts. This is not because the book is difficult, quite the opposite, but because I wanted to understand the author’s point of view and let it sink into my head. It is that kind of book which direct towards many futures depending on what kind of present steps we are venturing!! The book takes a holistic viewpoint, considering the history of communication, knowledge, human networks, inorganic networks, and, finally, computer politics. This broader lens makes the book especially powerful, because it shows that today’s technological revolution is part...

Disclaimer: This series, “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts! Whether it is the newlywed bride crushed by the invisible weight of emotional labor, the corporate employee drowning in the "next task" without room to breathe, or the quiet caretakers of our everyday world, we are burning out our maintenance crew. My old soul never understood some of the ways our systems work . Like the obsession with the starting line. We throw parties for the ribbon-cutting, “heavily” celebrate the newlywed couple, and cheer for the fresh graduate landing their first big job. Over time, we have collectively built a society that deeply appreciates, demands, and richly rewards primarily creators and builders. And look, there is absolutely no harm in tha...

  “Everything is going to be fine. Just keep thinking that and keep looking forward.” A tale of family, 3 generations, one decision and a secret - this latest book was a perfect quick read. Thanks to Amazon Kindle for this suggestion! The author of the book, Vasundra Tailor, was born in India and raised in Zimbabwe, then called Rhodesia. She is a qualified pharmacist, and this is her first book. The Secret of Elephants is about a family torn apart by a shocking and secret event that occurs in 1950s India, and the uncovering of that secret in modern-day Zimbabwe. Penniless and trapped in a loveless marriage, a young mother, Nirmala from Navsari, India, discovers a mysterious letter addressed to her long-dead father from Zimbabwe, opening a door to a past Nirmala never knew existed and a future she never imagined possible. “You know what bullies are like. The minute you show your fear, they bully you some more. Don’t ever let them smell your fear.” With themes of family, class, trag...

  “Yes, my dear Noora, and then, as you say, God is a river! All religions are like rivers, and they flow to the same sea.” The River That Remembers is yet another gem from amazing writer Mona Verma. This is my third read from the writer after Daivya Sutras and Lost and Found in Banaras . The book binds the lives of Yashveer, Mahua, Devika, Amy, Emma, and Noor against the backdrop of India’s struggle for freedom from the British Raj, culminating in the Partition of India in 1947. The story tactfully yet emotionally shows how history enters ordinary homes and changes everything. It is a novel about love, faith, family, loss, and the memories that remain long after violence has passed. At the heart of the novel is Mahua from Ghakkar Mandi, now eighty years old, frail, and drifting between past and present. Through her fading memories, the story slowly unfolds, revealing the emotional lives of those around her.  What stands out most for me after reading novel is - The painful t...