Poems ,Stories and lot more .. By Maneesha Purandare

  I always imagined menopause would be about hot flashes, mood swings, and a sudden obsession with herbal teas. No one warned me about my vagina turning into the Sahara Desert, with recurring UTIs popping up like uninvited guests at a party. For years, intimacy with my husband was something I cherished. Now? Now, it’s a high-risk adventure that requires strategic planning, hydration schedules, and prayers to the UTI gods. I’ve tried everything—cranberry juice, probiotics, antibiotics, essential oils, yoga, standing on one leg while chanting in Sanskrit (okay, maybe not that last one, but I was close). But despite all efforts, the only foolproof method to avoid a UTI has been abstinence. And let me tell you, abstinence is highly overrated. I find myself thinking about monks, priests, nuns, and single or widowed people—how do they do it? Do they make peace with celibacy, or do they secretly have a stash of romance novels under their pillows? I feel like I’ve unwillingly joined their ...

I heard about Margaret’s passing today, and all my old, unsettled memories came rushing back. I know it’s not right to speak ill of someone who is no more, but I can’t help remembering the past. Margaret was the nurse in charge of ENT. Thanks to her, all the old, lazy, and unmotivated nurses somehow found their way into our department. She made sure they got shifts, almost like a savior to them, but they would always end up working with me! Since they were elderly, I rarely asked them to do much, which meant I ended up running around, doing everything myself. Any patient who was difficult—smelly, drunk, or a gypsy—would be sent straight to me. Margaret, being Irish, had a soft spot for them. I know every patient deserves equal treatment, and I gave them my best. But it wasn’t about my skills—she just wanted to shield her favourite doctors from any trouble. There were so many times she dumped work on me that no one else wanted to do. And she never missed an opportunity to remind me that...