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I am not afraid of death. What unsettles me is the slow erosion of dignity that often precedes it. As the years advance, I find myself thinking less about the inevitability of dying and more about the quality of life that remains before it. Death is certain and honest. Prolonged suffering, dependency, and loss of autonomy are not—and it is these that quietly trouble me. Death does not frighten me because it is inevitable. Growing older does. It is the only certainty that bind

A quiet lesson in loyalty, dignity, and why no job is ever small Yesterday— the last day of 2025 —I found myself doing what age teaches you to do naturally: looking back. Not with regret.Not with bitterness.But with a quiet sorting of memories. I have a habit. My mind works like a sieve. I let the bitterness drain away. I hold back the good. Some people collect grievances as proof of life lived. I collect moments that taught me how to live. That habit has given me something i

A New Year reflection from a life shaped by effort, error, endurance—and hope Photo courtesy Pixabay The New Year arrives every January with noise, loud celebrations, and urgency. Fireworks crackle and light up the sky at midnight. Resolutions shout. Tipplers sway to the numbing rhythm of the music. Calendars turn with a sense of command—as if life itself must obey the reset. Happens every year. However, at this stage of my life, I welcome 2026 differently. I sit quietly and

“Self-learning begins the day we stop learning to please others and start learning to understand ourselves.” There was a time when I believed education arrived neatly packaged—classrooms, syllabi, examinations, and certificates forming its outer shell. Like most people of my generation, I grew up equating learning with attendance, obedience, discipline, and grades. My father’s career in the Air Force ensured that discipline wasn’t limited to school alone; it followed us home

Emotional writing is what transforms words on a page into stories that stay with the reader long after the last line is read. The Soul Behind Every Sentence Every good story begins not with a pen, but with a feeling . Words may form the body of writing, but emotion is its soul. Readers may forget the names of characters or places, but they always remember how a story made them feel. Emotion gives words life — it breathes meaning into them, turning writing into experience. Wh

As someone who has spent decades setting up automobile and auto-component plants and training engineers at all levels, I’ve come to realise that the true foundation of quality goes far beyond machines, methods, and metrics. In this article, I share a perspective shaped heavily by my Japanese mentors and my years on factory floors. Quality Is Not Just a Process—It Is a Behaviour Throughout my career, I have managed everything from building new manufacturing units to leading te

“When illness begins to speak louder than your own thoughts, you start searching for a quieter language to live in. I found mine in a single syllable—Om.” There are days when the body feels like a storm system—unpredictable, heavy, pulsing with its own weather. Some mornings begin with fatigue, some nights with fear, and some evenings with a quiet ache you can't quite name. And somewhere in the middle of all this, someone tells you: Chant Om. It sounds too simple, almost nai

Notes of Nostalgia, Echoes of Music, and a Father’s Melodic Legacy I hold dear the vivid recollections of my childhood, a time when I would watch my father skillfully manoeuvring the Harmonium. It was through his renditions of bhajans and melodies, coupled with his resonant voice, that I came of age. This instrument, I dare say, played an integral role in shaping my upbringing. From the tenderest of ages, the strains of music reverberated against my eardrums, evoking an encha

A young boy’s close encounter with the Keelor brothers and the tiny fighter that changed the air war. I was a school-going boy in 1965 — too young to understand the geopolitical storms of the time, yet old enough to sense that something unusual and urgent was unfolding around me. My father, serving in the Indian Air Force, had been posted to Adampur Air Force Station , one of the IAF’s most important frontline fighter bases in the western sector. For a child, Adampur felt lik

By Lantern Bookshelf News Desk Introduction: Beyond Religion, Into Daily Living In the global assessment of 2025, “Hinduism” is no longer discussed merely as one of the world’s major religions. It is increasingly recognised as a way of life — a living civilisation offering timeless guidelines on wellness, ethics, sustainability, physical &  mental health, relationships, and community harmony. Around the world, millions are embracing elements of this Dharmic  lifestyle withou

Elegance and womanhood share a timeless bond. While we often say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, a woman’s true radiance comes from her strength, her poise, and her unshakable confidence. It is this inner light that defines who she is. From the quiet corners of self-reflection to the relentless pursuit of dreams, women continue to write stories of courage and transformation. These verses echo the lives of women who refuse to be contained, who transcend expectati

Moms will be Moms. Doesn’t matter who you are. Here is some Mom talk. Issac Newton’s mother — “But did you wash the apple before eating it?” Archimedes’s mother — “ Didn’t you have any shame running naked in the street? And, WHO is this girl Eureka???” Thomas Edison’s mother — “Of course, I am proud that you invented the electric bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed !!!” Abraham Lincoln’s mother — “Now that you have become President, for heaven’s sake, get rid of that shabby

I have always believed that every morning offers us a fresh start, a new promise. My day usually begins with a quiet walk around the society garden where I live —surrounded by trees, the soft rustle of leaves, the cheerful chirping of birds, and flowers smiling in full bloom. Their fragrance carries stories if you pause long enough to listen. Most days, I carry a book with me and settle under the morning sun to read. It was during one such morning that a small incident change

“Some birthdays stay with us not because of gifts, but because of the love that shaped them.” Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 72. And since I am a man, I suppose I enjoy the rare freedom of stating my age plainly and proudly! In the morning, while chit-chatting with my wife, I found myself drifting back to the way my mother celebrated birthdays. Those were simpler times — sometimes painfully simple. We managed to gather enough for meals, and that was that. Savings were n

When Insightful Lantern  was born, it wasn’t just a name — it was a vision. We saw stories as lights — gentle, enduring flames that guide the mind, comfort the heart, and reveal what often remains unseen. Our books, The Fire Within Calm  and Under the Gulmohur Tree , on short stories, mark the first few milestones of this journey. Each story we share is an invitation to pause and reflect — to find warmth, meaning, and connection in life’s quieter moments. At Insightful Lanter

A reflective essay on the peace and clarity found in early mornings — how silence at dawn teaches us presence, patience, and gratitude.

The Soul Behind Every Sentence Every good story begins not with a pen, but with a feeling . Words may form the body of writing, but emotion is its soul. Readers may forget the names of characters or places, but they always remember how a story made them feel. Emotion gives words life — it breathes meaning into them, turning writing into experience. Why Emotion Matters Emotion is the bridge between writer and reader — an invisible link from one heart to another.A writer feels,

Every story begins with a feeling — a small ache, a burst of joy, a question that refuses to leave. Writing with emotion means writing truthfully. It means letting the heart guide the pen, even when logic hesitates. Our stories in Insightful Lantern are not crafted merely to entertain; they are meant to move, to resonate, to comfort. Because long after plots are forgotten, it is emotion that stays — and it is emotion that binds us all as readers and writers. I Write Because I