Chaos and order aren’t about what we see—they’re about how we see. A neatly stacked pile eventually topples. A tangled mess, given time, reveals its own quiet logic.
The most structured plan can unravel in seconds. The most chaotic moment can, strangely, feel just right. Maybe order is just a matter of patience, and chaos, a test of perspective.
Look closer. Beyond the clutter, beyond the randomness—there’s always a pattern waiting to be noticed.
Some build monuments to power. Others, to love. Premchand Roychand, a wealthy businessman, built the Rajabai Tower for something both grand and simple—to help his blind mother keep time.
Modelled after Big Ben, its chimes once echoed across Mumbai, guiding her through the day. A full-fledged clock tower just so a mother could tell time—now that’s devotion on another level.
He must have been some man. And she, some mother.
Centuries later, the tower still stands. A reminder that love, like time, leaves its mark.
That fleeting moment when the sun bows out and the streetlights blink awake—there’s something magical about it. A hush, a shift, a quiet handing over of time.
Day’s last breath, night’s first whisper. The night creatures stretch, the day ones retreat. And for a brief, golden moment, both share the stage.
Transitions are like that. They hold the past, hint at the future, and let us linger in the present just long enough to feel the change.
And isn’t that where the real magic happens?
Life keeps throwing balls our way. Some fast, some slow. Some expected, others completely out of nowhere.
The real question isn’t what comes our way—but how ready we are to catch it.
We don’t get to choose the speed, angle, or height of life’s throws. But we do get to choose our readiness—to react, adapt, and take every catch that matters.
Because in the end, catches win matches. And in life, being ready makes all the difference.
Are you ready?
The Indian cricket team’s dressing room sports a new head coach: Anil Kumble. The Indian head coach’s job is a prized one. Evidenced, if not by the frenetic minute-by-minute media attention, then by the sheer number of applicants for the top job: 57!
The Kumble coaching appointment saga took me back 10 years. It was 2006-07. John Buchanan was the coach of the Australian cricket team. The undisputed champions then, the team had earned a fearful reputation of clinically decimating opponents. Buchanan was a poster boy of sorts and I followed all what he spoke and wrote, and read all I could about his unconventional methods and the routines that he put the Australian cricket team through. It was another matter though that the team itself was star-studded: Shane Warne, the Waugh brothers, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden among others.
It was a random search fuelled by a liking for cricket, a passion for (and a job in) the people development domain and being a complete sucker for stories of “transformation” and success. Buchanan and his boys kept reinforcing the stories that the media played out with success stamps from the cricket field. It was fascinating enough for me to decide that it was a success story that I had to get to the bottom of.
I remember reading and talking to other enthusiasts about his unconventional methodologies from pilates to public speaking. From prescribing Duncan Fletcher’s Ashes Regained as a mandatory read to dipping into Sun Tzu’s The Art of War for evolving the strategy he called “Everest”. And of course, the incisive deployment of data and analytics for team strategy. It was fascinating to say the least.
This is an extract from a piece that I wrote for Founding Fuel. Read the full piece here.
The piece was published on 04 th July, 2016 and appeared in the Mint on the 5th July 16 and sported the above image along with the piece.
How do you welcome a new day?
The first shimmer of sunlight is more than just a cue to wake up—it’s a hint of opportunity. A fresh invitation to:
Continue the work from yesterday. Begin anew. Press reset. Walk the long road. Course correct. Sit down and reflect.
Whatever works for you.
The Sun rising in the east might feel like routine, but treating it as a gift, a reminder, a moment to pause—that changes everything.
So wherever you are, celebrate it. Sing, dance, run, read—do whatever fills you with life.
Because the majestic Sun is a daily lesson in beginnings, transitions, and showing up—no matter what.
(at Udaipur City, Rajasthan, India)
When the waters kiss the boat, not with tenderness but with stern energy, you feel it—the pull of the unknown.
The shore, once a quiet safety net, now feels distant. The boat wobbles, unbothered by its passengers. And deep within, a thousand butterflies take flight.
Yet, there’s something else—a rush, a charge in your veins. It’s the feeling of being young, alive, and on the edge of something new. It’s the moment when life shifts.
Your hands grip the oars, the water pushes back. You take the first stroke—and the lake seems to gird its loins in response.
A thin smile escapes furrowed brows. Because this moment? You’ve worked for it.
You’re ready for the ride.
There is one fact. There is one view. And then there’s another. And another. In truth, there are many.
The fault lies not in seeing differently, but in believing our view is the only one.
Our biases quietly shape what we see. They tint our lens, colour our reality, and limit our understanding. But the moment we recognise this, we create space for perspective.
To see things in better light, we must first acknowledge that another light exists.
So, what are you looking at today?
More importantly—how are you looking at it?
The incredible thing about sunsets? They bear an uncanny resemblance to sunrises.
One marks an ending, the other a beginning—but in truth, they are part of the same cycle. Every sunset quietly hands over the sky to the next sunrise, and life moves forward.
It’s the time when birds are close to home—some flying away, others flying toward. They don’t dwell on what was, only on where they’re headed next.
Both sunrises and sunsets captivate us. Maybe because they symbolize change—a closure of sorts and a fresh startwaiting in the wings.
The birds know the secret. They embrace the light, the dark, and everything in between. And most importantly, they fly.
Maybe it’s time we did too.