From the Editor’s Desk

31 December 2024

Taking a picture can be an exhilarating and exhausting exercise at the same time. Getting the angles, the lighting and people in the right frame is an art in itself and when it comes to framing a family into a single shot, it gets emotional as well.

Families like life are never picture perfect. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but they all come together to celebrate each other in moments of joy, lift each other up when the going gets tough and like life, there are seasons of change you notice along the way. Like a picture, you take endless takes to get it right, and yet there will be something you wish was better. But you embrace the haziness, the movements just like in life you embrace the bonds that hold a family together. We hope this holiday season, you had the opportunity to spend some quality time with your near and dear ones. 

Just like families, community is never picture-perfect. It’s a diverse mix of individuals who share a common bond, just like ours. They come together to celebrate each other in moments of joy and support each other when things get tough. For everyone who made it to our  2024 issues of ISBUND, we send you all our love and gratitude. To those we couldn’t fit into the frame, we hope 2025 will bring us more opportunities to capture beautiful moments and create long lasting memories. 

This issue of ISBUND features Rakesh Ji, a renowned author of “The Last Queen of Kashmir,” offering insights into the herb kuth and its enduring relevance across geographical boundaries and centuries. We also feature the professional journeys of two tech experts, both named Rajiv (with slight variations in spelling). And with sheer coincidence a number of Kaul’s. We extend our appreciation to our contributors and eagerly anticipate more submissions in 2025.

Team ISBUND wishes you all very happy new year, full of love, laughter and good health.
Happy new year! 

Read the full issue here.