The thought balcony

Control, Surrender, and the Flow of Life We often move through life believing that everything rests in our control. Our choices, our actions, our carefully drawn plans—these seem to shape the path ahead. Yet, life repeatedly reminds us that much lies beyond our grasp. Think of a game of cricket. A bowler releases the ball with skill and intent, but once it leaves his hand, countless possibilities unfold. The spin, the speed, the batsman’s reaction, even the chance deflection—all determine the outcome. So too in life: we play our part, but the final direction is shaped by forces unseen and unpredictable. This is where surrender becomes essential. Not the surrender of defeat, but the surrender of trust. To pause, to let go of the illusion of absolute control, and to accept that some things must be left to a higher order—call it fate, destiny, or the hand of God. Such surrender can be deeply liberating, even blissful, for it allows us to rest in the flow of what is, rather than ...

  When Curiosity Matters More Than Marks by Nidhi Guglani  Why is it that whenever we talk about exams, the conversation almost always circles back to marks? For many children, the drive to score is not their own—it is imposed by the expectations of parents. Passing, for most, means just crossing that threshold of marks. Very few parents truly encourage their children to develop a love for learning itself. The essence of education should be curiosity—the willingness to see every subject as something new, something that broadens the mind and deepens understanding. Sadly, this spirit is often lost in the grind of rote learning. Children are made to memorize, to reproduce words on paper, and to treat knowledge as a checklist, rather than as an experience to be lived. It is common to see a child during exams sitting with books, yet their mind is elsewhere. The moment exams end, they quickly immerse themselves in gaming, music, or sports—as if studies were just an obstacle ...

  Becoming the Story: The Teacher as a Storyteller by Nidhi Guglani  Storytelling is often misunderstood as the mere act of narrating events in sequence, but in reality, it is much more. It is an immersive journey where words are not just spoken but felt, lived, and experienced. A story becomes powerful only when the narrator allows themselves to dissolve into it—when they stop being an outsider and instead step into the skin of a character, even if just for a fleeting moment. As a language teacher, I have come to realize that storytelling in the classroom is not about performing for the students; it is about inviting them into a shared experience. When I begin narrating, I don’t just read aloud. I listen to the story as much as I speak it. My mind travels with the characters, my voice adjusts to their emotions, and my expressions mirror their struggles and triumphs. In those moments, I am not the teacher at the front of the class—I am the child in the tale, the wanderer...

  Beyond the Glitter: A Reflection on a Wedding Most people speak of a wedding in glittering terms—the outfits, the music, the food, the grand entry of the couple. Yet a wedding is far more than what meets the eye. It is not just about the bride and groom; it is also about the family’s heartbeat, steady and unseen, keeping the celebration alive. Beneath the sparkle lies another layer—the parents’ eyes shifting between joy and responsibility, siblings carrying out tasks like invisible threads holding the fabric together, elders blessing quietly, their presence more powerful than words. These are the moments that give depth to the festivity. The ceremonies—Ramayana Path, Bhajan Sandhya, Mata ki Chowki—are not only rituals, but pauses where devotion and duty merge. A wedding is not a single event, but a tapestry of countless unseen efforts woven into something beautiful. By the time the Sagan feast and the grand wedding unfold, the joy is not just in the celebration but in the...

  Calmness in the Face of Destiny We often come across conversations about astrology, hard work, destiny, and the paths we choose in life. There are people who are astrologically not aligned, yet they decide to make their own destiny—sometimes by working tirelessly, sometimes by accepting situations as they come, and at other times by simply choosing not to react. They stay calm, pray, chant, and draw strength from an invisible power. And strangely enough, these practices truly help. Looking back at my own journey, I often wonder how I passed through certain testing times—whether it was a personal challenge or a difficult situation with a dear one. Somewhere, I’ve realized that the images of gods we keep around us, the symbols of faith that we carry, add to our inner strength. There is an aura, a protective energy, that holds us steady when we feel shaken. After watching the play Hamare Ram, I reflected deeply on the character of Lord Rama from the Ramayana. His life is the g...