Curls have long been touted as a statement of sorts. When a woman refuses to fall into pre-existing tropes of Western beauty standards and flaunts her curls in their natural glory, she may come across as somewhat rebellious; someone who does not and will not squeeze herself thin into society’s narrow definitions of beauty. Her curls, strong and gravity-defying, is a reflection of her own self that refuses to be contained into rigid notions of femininity.

So near, yet so far. This is how I would like to sum up our recent visit to Darjeeling, Gangtok, and Kalimpong. We flew from Kolkata to Bagdogra — the gateway to the North East located in Siliguri, in northern West Bengal. We hired a vehicle for Darjeeling, popularly known as the 'Queen of the Hills.' Darjeeling is a favoured tourist destination, noted for its scenic beauty, quaint houses, and mountain clad forest panorama.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of polka dots? Minnie mouse? Or the cute frocks you wore as a little girl? Those are not wrongful associations but polka dots are trendy now and cooler than ever before. Leaving their childish past behind, polka dots are having a stylish time they so rightly deserve. Stalwart designers are embracing this print and making it their own, putting their unique spin and creating incredible designs.

For an avid gardener, what a joy it is to watch saplings grow and thrive from their seedbeds! Your garden can give you a comforting space to contemplate and release stress. Gardening is a wonderful way to discover inner peace. And this is what mindfulness is about—being fully present and aware of what is occurring inside and outside of ourselves. Hence, gardening and mindfulness perfectly complement each other.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe that’s why art is often referred to as a universal language that can connect with people everywhere on a deeper and emotional level. Which really begs the question that do you really need to ‘understand art’ to enjoy it? In other words, do you really need to be a connoisseur to appreciate art?

If I want to be grammatically correct, the ‘sons’ in question are my step-sons. And, I have two biological daughters. But my boys are just my boys, just like for my husband, the girls are his girls. The children just think of each other as brothers and sisters. Children especially, just know how to love naturally. They are naturally receptive to someone who cares for them and when they do, they do not separate with step — love within a family knows no steps.

In a world that takes pride in toughness and machoism, sensitivity is often mistaken for passiveness or weakness. In reality, however, this is a rare strength that runs the world, and given a nurturing environment, children with highly sensitive minds often enjoy certain advantages.

We all occasionally enjoy a soothing cup of tea or a warming mug of coffee during the day to keep ourselves energised and refreshed. It is the caffeine in these beverages that keeps us awake and focused. However, it’s easy to become over-dependent on caffeine and lose track of your daily intake.

As an individual, who has several social circles to maintain and work with, one of the most undesirable traits that we come across is that of ingratitude. Ungrateful people are those who do not appreciate the efforts of others and fail to express gratitude for the things they receive. Such individuals can exhibit toxic behaviour and drain the positivity out of any situation, and at times it falls on us whether we want to preserve our sanity or deal with them.

How are your weight loss targets going? If you are falling off the target and have yet to achieve your weight loss transformation, remember it is common! To get you back on track and to remind you that it takes more than just physical effort to achieve your objectives, here are 5 underrated psychological tricks to help you lose weight.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui turns 49! Who knew that the pickpocket from the opening scene of Munna Bhai MMBS (bet some of you did not know that!) would go on to become one of the defining actors of his generation? A true juggernaut of Bollywood, he has played captivating roles upon captivating roles that span across a wide range while being the most relatable-looking man in the industry. While he may not look like the conventional actor, the man can act and he has a silver tongue to go with it delivering iconic lines both on and off the screen.

For years, naysayers have been talking about how devices drain the brain, depleting energy, and reducing its ability to retain information. While no one discounts the science behind it, studies have found that

An age-old quandary, opinions are fairly divided on this one. We share some of our most profound moments with our exes and for a certain period of time, they mean the world to us. Unless things go supremely wrong, such as instances of infidelity or toxicity, it is reasonable to want to hold on to the comfort and familiarity of the relationship. However, this friendship comes with a messy baggage of rules, boundaries, and a healthy dose of confusion.

Mumbai also has tons of restaurants and eateries almost everywhere. The fast-food/junk food options that Mumbai has to offer are plenty and, may I say, absolutely delicious. Although, you’ll be busy trying out Maharashtran food while in the city, these are some of the must-try fast food items to add to your journey!

Monsoon season in Dhaka has its glorious moments, but often, that is overshadowed by the sheer inconvenience it causes such as floods and out-of-control traffic. However, once you decide to travel out of town, you will be met with destinations that has mesmerising sights. Be it going on road trips or visiting popular tourist places, capturing photos and short videos for Instagram is something we all enjoy doing.

I visited the highest-rated waffle places that have been taking Dhaka’s foodgram by storm.

The scorching summer heat is making everyone use Air Conditioners more than ever, which brings the stress of a high electricity bill, but with the right AC use hacks, you can have a comfortable time inside your home by reducing your energy expenditure and in turn, lower your electric bills. Here are the top 5 AC use hacks you can try to lower your electric bills.

Artificial Intelligence has been known to be the next frontier in advancing technology as we know it. It has tons of potential to revolutionise many industries from healthcare to quantum computing. However, it also brings forth many dangers that come with its development and advancement that we might not be able to understand now in the present. So, it's crucial that we be open about its pros and cons and its development timeline. One notable individual took it upon himself to do just that.

Cyclone Mocha has been the topic of discussion for the last few days. We all expected to find information about the cyclone all over the news portals and social media, but the news that people are defying ‘great danger signal’ to witness the rough weather and seas was not something I expected. However, maybe it should not come as too big of a surprise.

Family is where we feel safe, family is what we love, and family is what makes a house a home. While every family is unique in its own dynamic, it can still be categorised into two joint family and nuclear family. And along with the category comes the big question, is it better to live in a joint family or a nuclear family?