Faking fine, ONE SHOW AT A TIME

EVER find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the constant pressure of work, relationships, or just life in general? The stress builds up, and all you want is to switch off for a bit. You turn on Modern Family, laugh at Phil's antics, and for a while, everything else fades away. It's a welcome escape, right? But what happens when this becomes a habit? When the distractions start to feel like a routine, and we forget to ask ourselves, "Are we really fine?"

- AASHNA REDDY

This is the exact thought that Shwetha Sivaraman, author of Far from Fine, challenged the students of MOP Vaishnav College for Women to reflect upon at Author Speak held in association with The New Indian Express. The cosy auditorium created the perfect backdrop for a conversation about living life on autopilot and being truly fine.

After a prayer song, the head of the English Department, R Jayalakshmi, took the stage to felicitate Shwetha, expressing pride in seeing her former student shine as an accomplished author and coach. "What could be a happier moment for a teacher than to see her student on this stage?" she remarked, urging the students in the room to aim for similar heights.

Shwetha began her session by reflecting on the dissatisfaction she had felt in her own life. "Monday mornings were always sad, and Friday evenings, a relief," she shared, making the audience chuckle as she pulled up a meme of Ross Geller shouting, "I'm fine!" the perfect illustration of how we often say we're okay, when deep down, we're far from it.