I AM COZ YOU ARE

They say, behind every successful man, there is a woman. But behind every successful woman, there is a man who actually lets her be successful. Take Sunita Williams , for example. If she hadn’t married Michael J. Williams , would she still hold the record for the longest time spent in space? Hard to say. This isn’t even the first time she’s been away from home for ages—she previously spent 195 days in space during Expedition 14/15 (2006-2007). Now, imagine if Michael J. Williams wasn’t progressive enough. Would he have “allowed” his wife to go on another space mission? Granted, she initially went for an eight-day test flight, but due to a technical malfunction, her stay got extended to over nine months . If Michael J. Williams were like many husbands we see around us, he might have burned NASA down in frustration. He’d have stormed into their office, made an emergency call to Sunita, and demanded she return—or worse, booked himself on the next available flight to space to bring he...

One of my friends became curious about why actor Mammootty, even at 75, shows almost no signs of aging. His research led him to a fascinating conclusion: telomeres. Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that prevent genetic material from deteriorating as cells divide. Essentially, they act like the plastic tips on shoelaces, keeping our DNA from unraveling. So, does telomere length help us slow down or even defy aging? The answer is—yes! Healthy habits such as eating well, exercising, managing stress, and getting quality sleep can slow telomere shortening, keeping cells healthier for longer. Now, we’ve all seen interviewers throw the same question at Mammootty: "Why don’t you age?" And he casually shrugs it off with, "It’s in my genes." Could he be referring to telomeres? We know for sure, he might be following a healthy lifestyle—eating right, exercising, and hopefully getting good sleep. But what about stress? How does he manage...

During an office lunch, one of my male colleagues remarked, "My wife’s cooking can’t match my mother’s. My mom is the best cook." I smiled and asked, “Does your father share the same opinion?” It’s funny how almost every man and woman insist that their mother is the best cook. There’s a belief that moms have a secret magic that makes their food unbeatable. Now that I’m a mother myself, let me correct that assumption—there’s no magic. It’s simply conditioning. The first food we eat is prepared by our mothers, not by a chef or a neighbor. We grow up with those flavors, and they become our standard of what good food should taste like. I, too, believed that my mother made the best fish curry in the world—until I got married. Excited to share this beloved dish with my husband, I was shocked when he couldn’t eat it. "The masalas taste raw. They aren’t properly cooked," he said. Later, he introduced me to his mother’s fish curry. But to me, it wasn’t fish cur...

  Every working woman shares a common story—work-life imbalance. No matter how much organizations try to promote work-life balance, the reality is quite the opposite. I often wonder how women manage to stay sane while juggling so many responsibilities. I come from a family where both my parents were working, but as expected, my mother bore the brunt of childcare. Have you ever wondered why the responsibility of raising a child primarily falls on the mother? My mother was a teacher, dealing with her share of stress at school, but she also created her own stress at home. Her mantra? "My child must be the topper in academics and extracurricular activities." Since her word was final, I had no choice. I excelled in academics and swept first prizes in everything—singing, speech, art, fancy dress, drawing, debate, poetry... you name it. Failure was not an option. If I didn’t win, I would either face temporary exile from the house or the wrath of a belt. The pressure was overwh...