Sandhya Menon Quotes

Her body conveyed anger like a second language; she must have had a lot of practice ~ Sandhya Menon

Maybe this was how it would begin, her transformation from Sweetie the Softie to Sweetie the Sassy: one statement at a time. Watch out, world. I'm coming. ~ Sandhya Menon

I feel like I need to speak out, because if no one speaks out, if no one says, this is me, this is what I believe in, and this is why I'm different, and this is why that's okay, then what's the point? What's the point of living in this beautiful, great melting pot where everyone can dare be anything they want to be? ~ Sandhya Menon

Geeks are smart and talented and passionate. I don't think that's a bad thing. ~ Sandhya Menon

Sahil: Sometimes I worry I don't know who I really am. Sometimes I'm afraid nothing I do will ever be enough to set me apart. ~ Sandhya Menon

When you lose weight, mol, you will be a suitable match for him." Sweetie knew in her heart that she was good enough for Ashish just as she was. But why couldn't her own mother see that? "I'm … I'm sorry you're so ashamed of me," she said quietly. "But I'm not ashamed of myself." Her eyes burned with tears. ~ Sandhya Menon

Dimple didn't want to admit how much what he was saying resonated with her. Loneliness. That's what he was describing. And she'd felt it so much it had become like a constant presence in her life, curled up against her like a sleeping cat. "I know what you mean," she said softly. "Unfortunately. ~ Sandhya Menon

He should just say it. 'That's because we . . . we're supposed to be getting married. ~ Sandhya Menon

When the finally pulled apart, Rishi's mouth tingling still, Dimple smiled shyly and looked down at their hands, entwined between them on the bench. "So," she said softly. "That was unexpected."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead, like it was the most natural thing to do. Was this going to be their thing now, casual kissing? He hoped so. "Unexpected but awesome." Rishi paused. "Right?"

She laughed and looked up at him. "Definitely."

He grinned, his heart soaked in happy. ~ Sandhya Menon

Seriously? That's what you think I should be relegating my brain space to? Looking nice? Like, if I don't make the effort to look beautiful, my entire existence is nullified? Nothing else matters-not my intellect, not my personality or my accomplishments; my hopes and dreams mean nothing if I'm not wearing eyeliner? ~ Sandhya Menon

She wept for her hardheadedness, and for a world that couldn't just let her be both, a woman in love and a woman with a career, without flares of guilt and self-doubt seeping in and wreaking havoc. ~ Sandhya Menon

Dimple took a deep breath as an uneasy pulse bat within her. He was trying to make it official, and she wasn't sure she wanted official. She wasn't sure what she wanted, really.

Underneath the "no," she wrote in:
Other
And handed it back to Rishi. ~ Sandhya Menon

We humans think we exist like this." Dadi gestured to the powders in their individual bowls. "Apart. Single. Beautiful and vivid, but alone." … She upended the two bowls into the center of the larger container, and the powders came together. They were mixed somewhat, but still in their separate piles for the most part - "Then" Dad continued, " with each interaction with another soul, we begin to change." She put a finger into the pile of powders and began to stir gently. The powders mixed more the longer she stirred, red mingling with orange, losing its distinct form. "We take pieces of them, and they take pieces of us. It's not bad. It's not good. It just is." By now the powders were completely mixed together, indistinguishable from each other. "Our best friends, the ones we love the most, are the ones who can hurt us the most. Because look." She pointed down to the powders. "We have had so many interactions, that we cannot separate their pieces from ours. And if we try, we would only be getting rid of ourselves. ~ Sandhya Menon

Achchan would make these random comments, just interject them into the silence. Like, "Oh! Bob's Air-Conditioning!" because he'd literally seen a billboard and wanted to talk about it since that was better than what was going on in the car. Sweetie would've laughed if she hadn't been so pissed off. ~ Sandhya Menon

Amma … I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I'm a feminist too." Amma stared at her, her eyes wide in horror. She didn't notice when the red floral dupatta of her salwar kameez slipped off one shoulder. "Sweetie! Feminists don't get married. Stop that nonsense." Sweetie did laugh then, openly. "Amma, what the heck are you talking about? Feminists can do whatever they want. They just want equal rights for women. ~ Sandhya Menon

I've always found putting food on top of my feelings is a much more pleasant way to deal with any kind of crisis than actually, you know, dealing with the crisis. ~ Sandhya Menon

Eating was so fraught when you were fat: If you ate something unhealthy, thin people would say it was no wonder you were fat. But if you ate something healthy, they'd roll their eyes, laugh, and say, "Yeah, right. ~ Sandhya Menon

Lila smiles, reaches into the cloth covering whatever goodies are in the basket, and pulls out a concha. The top of the pastry is a swirl of colors- deep purple, inky blue, pink, green, gold. It reminds me of the galaxy, and I stare for a moment, mesmerized, before I take it from her.
My mouth begins to water. "This smells incredible," I say. "What do I owe you?"
"It's on the house," she says, already turning away. "Enjoy."
I want to argue, but the urge to bite into the pastry is nearly irresistible now. I've never had Mexican pastries before. But first... I pick up my phone from the bench and take a picture of the gorgeous creation. Then, putting it back down, I take a big bite and close my eyes. My mouth explodes with flavors and sensations- sweet, yeasty, warm. In another three bites, I've eaten the entire four-inch ball of dough and am licking my fingers. ~ Sandhya Menon

But with Sweetie time passed in gentle waves. A conversation with her was like a warm hug and a cup of hot coca on a cold day – comforting, familiar, a place you never wanted to leave ~ Sandhya Menon

You're going to see a lot of it. People getting ahead unfairly because of the category into which they were born: male or white or straight or rich. I'm in a few of those categories myself, which is why I make it a point to reach out and help those who aren't, those who might not necessarily be seen if I didn't make the effort. We need to shake this field up, you know? We need more people with different points of view and experiences and thought processes so we can keep innovating and moving ahead. ~ Sandhya Menon

No. It's not. When I walk down the road, people immediately make judgments about me based on my body size. That doesn't happen to you guys, no matter how self-conscious you might be about your bodies. You're still thin, and you get to exist in spaces without constantly being found wanting. ~ Sandhya Menon

Dimple opened her mouth to say that, yeah, in her opinion misogyny was complicated. Mainly because of the way it was integrated into the very fabric of society, which made it hard to see when a guy was being a total d-bag to you. ~ Sandhya Menon

I order the fragrant bison meatballs in a tart cranberry sauce to start, and then move on to other mouthwatering things- the roasted-vegetable platter sprinkled with just the right amount of herbs and pepper, and the honey-roasted rabbit, which practically falls apart on my tongue. ~ Sandhya Menon

Dimple could see, flush from the endorphins of a great performance, why actors and performers got addicted to this kind of thing. It had always seemed unfathomable to her, choosing a career where all you did was put yourself out in front of hundreds or thousands of people and risked rejection in real time. But if they felt even half of what she was feeling now when it went well... ~ Sandhya Menon

[D]emanding wages for housework (…) forced recognition of the fact that the domestic work which women do has economic value. But many feminists feel that this demand leaves untouched the sexual division of labour - indeed, measures like paid maternity leave (…) can be seen as a form of'wages for motherhood' but(…) it fixes women more rigidly into work defined as 'women's work'. ~ Nivedita Menon

The quality of your awareness determines the quality of life you experience. ~ Shilpa Menon

My story - the story of the son of Jainulabdeen, who lived for over a hundred years on Mosque Street in Rameswaram island and died there; the story of a lad who sold newspapers to help his brother; the story of a pupil reared by Sivasubramania Iyer and Iyadurai Solomon; the story of a student taught by teachers like Pandalai; the story of an engineer spotted by MGK Menon and groomed by the legendary Prof. Sarabhai; the story of a scientist tested by failures and setbacks; the story of a leader supported by a large team of brilliant and dedicated professionals. This story will end with me, for I have no belongings in the worldly sense. I have acquired nothing, built nothing, possess nothing - no family, sons, daughters. ~ A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Against all odds, beyond every logic, there is hope. ~ Shilpa Menon

The fact is, no man can ever know whether a child is his. A woman knows a child is hers, but a man can never know whether it is his, not even with a DNA test. A DNA test can only tell you if the child is not yours, but if your DNA matches, it only indicates 'a high statistical probability' that it is your child. As they say, 'Motherhood is a biological fact, fatherhood is a sociological fiction.' It is this knowledge that creates permanent anxiety for patriarchy, an anxiety that requires women's sexuality to be strictly policed. ~ Nivedita Menon

What separates the best from the rest is just the attitude. ~ Shilpa Menon

The well padded astrologer stroked his corpulent belly, as he stared down intently at his cowrie board. There was a frown on his moon shaped face, a face that had always considered good rich food his birthright, even as he strove to read the cryptic messages that the Gods were strewing before him. ~ Deepti Menon

At the end of the day, man-management is all about managing people's sense and sensitivity... ~ Sandhya Jane

In a while, her eyes felt leaden and she felt sleep overpower her, even as she fought to keep her eyes open. In vain, I tried to churn within her, a little nugget of fear, trying desperately to warn her of impending danger. ~ Deepti Menon

So long as there are forces of other countries in a place where they have no right to be, irrespective of our rights." (said this to the countries supporting Pakistan's aggression on Kashmir) ~ Krishna Menon

The mechanics of Nature ensures that the shadow of yesterday doesn't eclipse the dawn of tomorrow. ~ Shilpa Menon

A roof of harmony can only be built on top of pillars of tolerance. ~ Shilpa Menon

Follow your heart, includes your responsibilities in everyday life; else heart will have only regrets at the end ~ Sandhya Jane

...the belief that the threat of rape is everywhere, that it can happen at any time, that it is the worst fate that can befall women, is enough to make us police ourselves and restrict our own mobility. But on the other hand, feminists also want to demystify rape, to begin to see it not as a unique and life-destroying form of violation from which one can never recover, but as (merely) another kind of violence against person. ~ Nivedita Menon

The dividing line between a journalist and an author is very thin. If a journalist is not author, it is his or her call. ~ K.S.R. Menon

Calm is not a place where there is no noise or activity. It is the ability to be in the midst of these,
yet experiencing peace within. ~ Shilpa Menon

To enter the corporate rat race, you need to become a rat. ~ Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee

Love in Life is never a battle of 'win' or 'loss' but a journey of unconditional acceptance. ~ Sandhya Jane

leadership is about courage and the ability to overcome unsurmountable challenges, ~ Sudha Menon

Women find themselves arguing futilely that 'just because' I go out to work/smoke/drink/wear unorthodox clothes/enjoy male company - that doesn't make me a whore. Is there any comparable good/bad imagery for men? Of course not. The feminist response to being called whores or chhinaal should not be to protest fruitlessly, 'We are not whores!' but to turn the insult around and ask, 'What makes you think this is an insult? We refuse the terms of this insult.' What if all women were to say we are 'loose' - we are not tightly controlled - and if that makes us whores, then we are all whores. If we are all bad women, then patriarchy had better watch out. Or, as Archana Verma puts it: 'One day, I will hear hurled at me the words, loose woman, chhinaal, prostitute … And I will turn around and say, "Thank you for the compliment". That day will come. And it will be a day of feminist celebration. ~ Nivedita Menon

Misunderstanding is one of the worst of ill feelings which can spoil many lives. ~ Lakshmi Menon

If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt. Once we cross the deepest part of hurt, it doesn't hurt anymore. . You become part of the eternal journey of love commences again ~ Sandhya Jane

May the radiance of what you love, reflect in whatever you do. ~ Shilpa Menon

The thought of hope is the seed to healing. ~ Shilpa Menon

Life can be a beautiful journey if you accept who you are and accept the people around you for what they are. ~ Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee

maybe i have given up fighting for "mine"
and have settled for "not yours ~ Alok Vaid-Menon

The poorest of women is the one without close girlfriends ~ Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee

Healing is not a process, it is a choice. Nothing can heal your scars until you decide to. ~ Shilpa Menon

One's longing is not so much there for sense-gratification, profit and self-preservation, instead one's karma is there for no other purpose than inquiring after the Absolute Truth. ~ Ramesh Menon

Do not let others drive that vehicle, called life, for you. Grab that steering wheel and discover unexplored destinations. ~ Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee

The first time Akash took Supriya to view the pool, I rose up in strident protest, and he was astonished by the way she turned her face away, her eyes filled with terror. "I am petrified of water!" she whispered, as he tried to cajole her to at least put her feet in. ~ Deepti Menon

[E]ven today, when confident and self-affirmative lesbian identities have emerged and are available to women, images of `lesbianism' are still regularly appropriated by a male heterosexual pornographic imagination which cannot accept that this is one party to which men are not invited and at which their presence is not necessary. ~ Nivedita Menon

Aging gracefully - A that is rejected in 40s, but gracefully accepted in 50s... ~ Sandhya Jane

The absence of dissent does not necessarily imply acceptance; just tolerance. ~ Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee

Healing begins with owing your scars & disowning that which caused them ~ Shilpa Menon

I am sorry that the only way we have been taught to heal is to hurt. ~ Alok Vaid-Menon

The whole point about 'romance' is that the woman is somehow always smaller, more diminutive in a cute sort of way, while the man is adult. ~ Nivedita Menon

Love at first sight is a hypnosis: I am fascinated by an image: at first shaken, electrified, stunned, "paralysed" as Menon was by Socrates, the model of loved objects, of captivating images, or again converted by an apparition, nothing distinguishing the path of enamoration from the Road to Damascus; subsequently ensnared, held fast, immobilised, nose stuck to the image (the mirror). In that moment when the other's image comes to ravish me for the first time, I am nothing more than the Jesuit Athanasius Kirchner's wonderful Hen: feet tied, the hen went to sleep with her eyes fixed on the chalk line, which was traced not far from her beak; when she was untied, she remained motionless, fascinated, "submitting to her vanquisher," as the Jesuit says (1646); yet, to waken her from her enchantment, to break off the violence of her Image-repertoire (vehemens animalis imaginatio), it was enough to tap her on the wing; she shook herself and began pecking in the dust again. ~ Roland Barthes

We all distrust people we don't know; it's instinctive. This is why to be a Christian demands that we stretch well beyond what is natural, beyond what is instinctive. ~ Sandhya Rani Jha

Don't seek, let go & what you are searching for will find you. ~ Shilpa Menon

If you want to make breakthroughs to reach the stars, it is best that you board a ship that has already started its journey in that direction. ~ Sanju Menon

A story that is more interesting than any novel written by Nicolas Spark; a relationship that has more emotions than any movie made by Karan Johar; and a drama that is more exciting than any TV show...this what we have in our 15 years of marriage and 19 years of togetherness (?)... ~ Sandhya Jane

We are eternal beings, existing in time. ~ Shilpa Menon

It's never over till it's really over in your mind... ~ Sandhya Jane

Most scars are destined long before they are experienced. Healing is however, a choice. ~ Shilpa Menon

Awareness is the eye through which we can experience abundance. ~ Shilpa Menon