membacanya!

As I grow older, I am beginning to look at friendship differently. There have been many times when I came to know about someone’s happy moments or hard times, not through a message or a call, but from a WhatsApp status, an Instagram post, or even through someone else. And it has happened more than once. Each time, it left a small ache. Because I had thought we were close. I have realized that real friendship is more than reacting to stories or liking posts. It is about being part of each other’s real lives, not just the digital one. It is about reaching out, checking in, and sharing, directly and personally. It is okay if we don’t talk every day. But if you think of me when something important happens whether it is joy or sadness and you choose to tell me, then that’s friendship. If we are only watching each other’s lives from a distance, like silent spectators, maybe we are not friends. And that is okay too. I am learning to accept, to let go gently, and to value the ones who still ch...

I recently had a funny but also frustrating experience with the WhatsApp channel of a premium Indian clothing brand - Louis Philippe (LP) under Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. It’s a name that sounds classy, but the way they handle customer data and privacy? Not so much. One day, I received a WhatsApp message from Louis Philippe (LP) on my personal number. I was surprised because I had never shared my number with them or signed up for any messages. But there it was, an ad from a brand I didn’t care about. In India, it’s common for brands and their partner agencies to collect personal details like names, phone numbers, emails, and even home addresses. Most of the time, they use this information to send marketing messages  without asking us. Consent is often ignored. As anyone would, I replied with “STOP” hoping the messages would end. To my surprise, LP actually replied. They politely said they would stop sending messages and thanked me for the feedback. I thought that was th...