Subash.M | Assistant Professor

Last week, I was on the same road, in the same bus, sitting by the same window. But I was not the same person. I remember staring outside, holding back tears, feeling heavy for no clear reason. Everything felt slow, dull, and stuck. Today, I took that same bus again. Same route, same crowd, same noise. But something had changed. This time, I found myself humming along with a random song playing on the speaker. I didn’t plan it. It just happened. And in that moment, I paused and wondered what really changed? Nothing outside. Only my mind. I realized something simple but powerful nothing will move forward if I keep sitting in sadness. Mourning doesn’t fix anything. Overthinking doesn’t heal anything. Life doesn’t stop and wait for me to feel better. It just moves. So I told myself let it happen. Let the thoughts come. Let them disturb. Let them pass. I don’t have to fight everything. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. Not every feeling needs an audience. Not every pain needs sympa...

Yesterday evening is something I don’t think I can forget easily. I went to the hospital to see my mom after her operation. She had just come out of the OT and was moved to the observation ward. My dad called me, and she spoke to me over the phone. That voice… it didn’t feel like my Amma. It was weak, slow, almost like she was struggling to be herself. I didn’t know how to react. Later, when I reached the hospital and saw her, it hit me even harder. For a moment, I didn’t see my strong, caring mother I saw someone fragile, like a child. Her expressions, her tone, everything felt so innocent and different. And still, in that condition, the first thing she asked me was, “Saptayada?” For the past three weeks, no one had asked me that the way she does. I somehow controlled myself and said yes. Then she asked for water, and I gave it to her… like how we would give a child. That moment broke something inside me. That’s when it truly sank in money can’t buy everything. You can earn, achieve, ...

Today, I stand in Sabarimala, surrounded by thousands of devotees, each carrying a story, a hope, and a silent prayer. The air is filled with chants, devotion, and an energy that words struggle to capture. As I walked the 3.2 km trek, I didn’t just see people I witnessed faith in its purest form. There was an aged woman, her body trembling with every step, yet her spirit unshaken. She paused, struggled, but never gave up. A few steps ahead, I saw a physically challenged man, moving forward with the support of his hands. His determination spoke louder than anything else. These moments made me reflect faith is not about comfort it is about courage. So many faces, so many emotions, so many prayers each one different, yet united by belief. In that crowd, I was not just an observer I was one among them, carrying my own thoughts, my own silent wishes. And then, those sacred 18 steps… as I approached them, something within me shifted. Words failed me. I found myself searching for meaning, for...

Today at Madurai Kamaraj University was not just another day in my PhD journey it became a moment I will carry for life. I have never taken my parents to my school or college for any meeting or official work. I have always handled things on my own. But today was different. I stood there with my research supervisor someone who has been guiding my academic path yet today, she stood beside me like something more than that. We were standing in front of a table, facing a person who has seen hundreds, maybe thousands, standing just like us nervous, waiting, hoping. I had seen how authoritative and commanding that voice could be. But today, something changed. The tone softened, the intensity lowered. Still, my heart was racing. Deep inside, I knew the mistake was mine. But before I could even process it, my guide took it upon herself as if the burden was hers. That moment shook me. I could feel my ears burning, my words disappearing. I wanted to speak, to explain, to defend but nothing came o...

I have stopped measuring my life by speed. The world may rush, compare, and question but I choose a different rhythm. Let me come slow. Not because I am lost, not because I lack direction, but because I have learned the value of pausing, feeling, and truly living. People may misunderstand. They may call it delay, hesitation, even laziness. But they do not see the quiet strength it takes to move forward after breaking. I have known moments that bent me, days that emptied me, and nights that tested my endurance. I have cried, I have fallen, and yes, I have failed. But I have also survived. And that changes everything. There was a time when I feared being left behind. Now, I am no longer afraid of what passes me by. Not everything that moves fast is meant to last. I have walked through my winters those cold, uncertain phases where nothing seemed to grow. Yet, somewhere within, I held on to a simple belief, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? That hope carried me, gently but firmly....

This was not an educational tour. It was not even a planned escape. It was a pilgrimage quietly intense, physically demanding, and deeply personal. For five days, I walked from Munnar to Palani with my professors, not as a student ticking academic boxes, but as a seeker learning lessons no classroom could offer. Being my third year, I thought I knew the route, the people, and even the pain. I was wrong. The moment we began walking, I realised something powerful this journey was not only about burning calories, it was about burning rubbish unnecessary thoughts, ego, and foolish assumptions that quietly occupy our minds. Yes, my feet hurt badly, but Lord Muruga made the pain lighter than last year, as if reminding me that endurance grows when faith deepens. From misty hills to open landscapes, nature unfolded like a living text wild elephants, bison, deer, rivers, and streams crossed our path. Each sight felt symbolic. Life, too, demands that we pass through wild experiences unpredictabl...