The Phantom Call!

 

The Phantom Call – Did Someone Just Call My Name?

There is a mysterious phenomenon that every hospital radiologist will recognise. It has no medical explanation, requires no investigation, and is surprisingly common in hospital waiting areas.

I call it The Phantom Call!

Picture this.

You are sitting in the ultrasound room, deeply engrossed in an investigation. Outside, a dozen patients are waiting patiently (or not so patiently!). Suddenly, the door opens.

“Doctor, did you call me?”

“No.”

“Oh! I thought I heard my name.”

Five minutes later, another visitor.

“Doctor, someone called me!”

“No, nobody did.”

And then comes the third one, with absolute conviction: “I am sure I heard you calling!”

Apparently, hospital waiting areas have their own sophisticated sound system, capable of transmitting imaginary announcements directly into selective ears!

The funniest part? You could call out an actual name ten times, and there might be no response. But whisper something remotely resembling their name, and voilà! They appear at your investigation-room door like summoned guests at a royal banquet.

I sometimes wonder whether this is a medical condition called Selective Auditory Sensitivity or simply the human mind playing its favourite trick.

Perhaps when we are waiting anxiously, hoping for our turn, our ears become exceptionally alert. Every sound resembles our name, every door opening feels like an invitation, and every passing voice carries the possibility of good news.

On second thought, perhaps the Phantom Call is not restricted to hospitals. We hear what we desperately want to hear in life too — a familiar voice, a reassuring word, an apology, or sometimes just a simple “I was thinking of you.”

But until science discovers otherwise, dear patients, please remember: not every phantom call is from the radiologist! Sometimes, it is just your hopeful ears working overtime.

With a smile, a scan and a little bit of humour!

Juju’s Pearls
Radiologist by Day, Author by Night, Storyteller by Heart.

ABCDEFGH… ✈️

 

All I Want Is ABCDEFGH… ✈️

Sometimes, happiness is just a boarding pass away!

There was a time when all I wanted was A for Achievement, B for Books, C for Career, D for Dreams, E for Excellence, F for Family and G for Gratitude.

But today, my alphabet has changed a little!

A – Airport
B – Boarding Pass
C – Check-in
D – Departures
E – Entrance
F – Flights
G – Gates
H – High in the Air!

No complicated itineraries, no endless explanations, no elaborate expectations. Just a little wanderlust, a window seat, clouds for company and the beautiful freedom of being somewhere between where I was and where I am going.

Perhaps growing up is also about discovering that happiness doesn't always need a reason, a celebration or a destination.

Sometimes, all you need is a passport, a boarding pass and the courage to take off!

Because life is too short to remain grounded when there is an entire sky waiting to be explored.

Dear Universe, keep my flights full, my spirit high and my boarding passes ready! ❤️

Juju’s Pearls
Momsie Popsie Diary
#AllIWantIsABCDEFGH #Wanderlust #LifeInTransit #RadiologistByDayAuthorByNight

🪔 A Little Less Sparkle, A Lot More Missing You…

Happy Diwali! ❤️

Diwali is usually about lights, laughter, endless chatter, enthusiastic preparations, happy chaos and a home bursting with life.

But this Diwali feels a little different.

The lights are there, the diyas are glowing, the sweets are on the table, and the celebrations are happening… yet something is missing. Or rather, someone.

Our sunshine. ☀️

The one who brings her own sunshine into every corner of the house, whose enthusiasm is contagious, whose laughter fills the silences, and whose presence turns ordinary moments into celebrations.

Without her, the house is a little quieter, the festivities a little less exciting, and the celebrations a little less complete.

Perhaps this is what happens when children grow up, find their wings and begin creating their own worlds. You learn to smile through the silence, celebrate from a distance and find happiness in knowing that they are happy wherever they are.

So this Diwali, we are lighting diyas with a little extra love, sending wishes with a few extra hugs tucked inside, and saving all the missing laughter for the day we meet again.

Because some people don't just participate in celebrations. They ARE the celebration.

Happy Diwali to everyone! May your homes glow with light, your hearts overflow with love, and your lives always have someone whose presence makes everything brighter.

And to my sunshine… the brightest diya in our home, you are missed more than words can say. ❤️

With love,
Juju’s Pearls
Momsie Popsie Diary

#HappyDiwali #MySunshine #MissingYou #MomsiePopsieDiary #JujusPearls

JRC completes 6 years!

 The Pearls of JRC: A Six-Year Milestone of Stories, Splendour, and Sisterhood

✨ Six years of spinning stories, weaving wisdom, and cultivating a sanctuary for bibliophiles! On the enchanting evening of November 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM, the heart of Bathinda beat to the rhythm of pages turning as Juju’s Readers Club (JRC) celebrated its glorious 6th anniversary.

The ambiance was charged with intellectual electricity and joyful warmth as more than 30 radiant members gathered, their shared love for literature lighting up the room like the finest string of pearls.

The evening unfolded in a beautiful cascade of literary indulgence and celebratory cheer:

• A Journey Through Rivers: The brilliant Dr. Rajni Jindal took the center stage, leading a deeply moving and evocative discussion on Elif Shafak’s masterpiece, There are Rivers in the Sky. The deep dive into Shafak's cascading narratives left every member spellbound and deeply reflective.
• The Tapestry of JRC: The lovely Mrs. Twinkle Gupta then took everyone down memory lane, narrating the heartwarming "JRC Story." Her words beautifully captured the essence, the evolution, and the enduring magic of the club's six-year journey.
• Laughter & Lore: Injecting a burst of vibrant energy, Dr. Neha Garg curated a delightfully fun game that had the room echoing with shared laughter, camaraderie, and playful competition.
• Sweet Moments & Memories: The celebrations reached a sweet crescendo with a grand cake-cutting ceremony, followed by an array of delectable snacks. The evening’s magic was permanently captured in beautiful group photographs—frames filled with bright smiles and sisterhood.

The Grand Reveal:
Adding a brilliant sparkle to the milestone, the club proudly announced the 3rd edition of the highly anticipated JRC Litfest: Book'o Friend, officially scheduled for April 4, 2027!

As the curtains fell on this magnificent evening, the members left with full hearts, inspired minds, and anticipation sky-high for the next grand chapter of their literary journey. Cheers to six years of JRC, and to the countless pages yet to be turned! 🥂📚✨

JRC Story! The Rise!

Dear readers family,

Sharing story behind JRC Juju’s Reader Club ®️ ™

Mission: To inculcate & Revive Book Reading Culture.

Logo message: Help others heal

Our club and club logo is registered and trademark.

Conceived on Nov 1, 2020 as an online Club in Covid times with the Aim of Helping others heal, helps in self-healing. Unburden your heart, mind and soul. Fill up your emotional saucer with happiness, positivity and peace.

There are 700+ Online Members.

This became Offline Club: November 1, 2022 with 4 founder members - Dr. Reemanshu Bansal (Juju’s Pearls), Twinkle Gupta, Disha Katia, Dr. Neha Garg in hometown, Bathinda, Punjab India with 38 like minded book lovers.

JRC meet is on 1st Tuesday every month (Timings: 6- 7 pm). Books of different genre are discussed. Generally 2 readers present their books over tea.

2) JRC launched its dream project of “JRC Mobile Library” and JRC Book Bank on November 1, 2023 in collaboration with IRIA Punjab (Social Wing) & Goodwill Society.

A mobile library for children living in the slums. We have heard that books have wings. Now books have feet. Now Books reach the slums via Mobile Library. This runs every Friday. During each visit, some eatables like biscuits/ fruit -apple are given to children who are studying in the mobile evening school and are eager to issue books. With almighty blessings, children are taking very good care of the books and all books have been returned so far in good condition.

There are 4 evening mobile schools under JRC wings - Goodwill mobile school, Smile schools Pratap Nagar, Gopal Nagar and Red Cross Bal Bhawan.

3) JRC Litfest Book'o friend was started in July 2023 in AIIMS Bathinda in Department of Radio-Therapy- initiative by Dr. Sapna Bhatty. It became an Annual fest from April 2025 with creative activities, reading rooms, Soul expression open mic competitions, Blind Date with a Book, Book Sale, CPR training,  etc.

4) JRC welfare society ®️ was formed in April 3, 2024 with 8 core members for smooth, uninterrupted functioning of all JRC social activities.

5) JRC AMF ( Annual membership fees) was instituted from November 1, 2024 to collect small corpus, accountability of JRC members and organising monthly meetings.

6) Announcement 

JRC Theme for the year 2026-27

Leveling Up : Unleash Your Inner Reader.

JRC Litfest Book'o friend 3rd edition , Sunday, April 4, 2027.

Be a part of the JRC movement!

Love,

Juju's Pearls

Volvo: The King of Punjab Roads!

Volvo: The King of Punjab Roads!

Some journeys take you places. Others simply make you happy.

Today, my journey to Chandigarh began with a happy soul and a comfortable seat in a Volvo bus.

And what a delightful experience it turned out to be!

Sitting high up in the upper deck, watching the world go by, I felt like a child again, fascinated by the view from above. Cars, trucks and other vehicles appeared so much smaller from my window. There was something wonderfully refreshing about looking down at the busy roads, almost as if I were sitting on a balcony watching life unfold below.

Unlike a personal car journey, where the mind is often occupied with driving, traffic and navigation, this was pure relaxation. No steering wheel to hold, no road to worry about. Just me, my thoughts, the changing scenery and the luxury of doing absolutely nothing.

Sometimes, happiness is not about reaching a destination. It is about enjoying the little moments along the way.

And today, the Volvo made sure I travelled not just to Chandigarh, but also into a little world of comfort, contentment and childlike joy.

Juju’s Pearls: Life doesn't always need a grand adventure to make us feel special. Sometimes, all we need is a comfortable seat, a window with a view and a happy heart.

Today, the King of Punjab Roads made this girl smile!

2 Mothers,2 Manuals, 1 Family

Momsie Popsie Diary | Juju’s Pearls

2 Mothers,2 Manuals, 1 Family

There is something beautiful about a woman who becomes a mother-in-law. She has spent years loving, nurturing, protecting, and raising her son, only to welcome another woman into his life — a woman who arrives with her own dreams, habits, traditions, and an entirely different manual for living.

And perhaps, that is where a new kind of motherhood begins.

A mother-in-law is not a replacement for a mother, nor should she ever have to be one. She is a relationship in her own right — one that has the potential to become another safe corner in a woman’s world.

Of course, the two women may have different recipes for cooking, different ideas about raising children, different definitions of a well-managed home, and even different ways of expressing love. One believes in doing things a certain way because that is how she has always done them. The other wonders why they cannot be done differently!

And somewhere between “In our time, we did it this way” and “But this works better for me” lies the beautiful possibility of understanding.

A loving mother-in-law does not need to agree with everything her daughter-in-law does. She needs to respect her right to do things differently. She can offer wisdom without imposing it, care without controlling, and love without keeping score.

And a daughter-in-law, too, can recognise that behind those sometimes unfamiliar ways is a woman who has loved her husband long before she entered his life.

Two women. Two generations. Two manuals. One opportunity to create a beautiful bond.

Perhaps the secret is not to rewrite each other’s manuals, but to leave a few pages blank — pages where new traditions can be written together.

Because motherhood does not always end where one woman’s responsibility begins. Sometimes, it expands to make room for another woman’s love.

And that, dear readers, is when a mother-in-law becomes not merely a relation by marriage, but a blessing by choice.

With love and a little wisdom,

Juju’s Pearls 💛

Take-home pearl: You do not have to become another person's mother to love her like family. Sometimes, all it takes is acceptance, respect, and the courage to let love grow differently.

25 Years Later: Should We Stay, or Should We Let Go?

25 Years Later: Should We Stay, or Should We Let Go?

Juju’s Pearls | Momsie Popsie Diary

Twenty-seven years is not just a marriage. It is a lifetime stitched together with shared memories, unspoken sacrifices, raising two children, building a home, and surviving storms that nobody else witnessed.

And yet, here we are.

Two people, once in love, now wondering how two individuals who have lived under the same roof for nearly three decades can feel so misunderstood by each other.

He believes she doesn't understand him. She believes he has never truly understood her. Perhaps both are right. Perhaps both have spent years speaking different emotional languages, waiting for the other to finally translate.

With two independent adult children now building lives of their own, the marriage stands at an unfamiliar crossroads. The parenting years no longer occupy every corner of life. The distractions have faded, and the questions once pushed aside are demanding answers.

Should we continue because we have spent years together, or should we consider parting because we cannot seem to find each other anymore?

Staying offers familiarity, shared history, companionship, and the possibility of rediscovering a friendship buried beneath years of differences. But staying without change can mean accepting the same loneliness, the same misunderstandings, and the same emotional distance for another twenty-seven years.

Leaving may offer peace, independence, and the freedom to rediscover oneself. But it also means navigating unfamiliar territory, redefining family traditions, and accepting that even a necessary ending can carry grief, uncertainty, and the loss of a life once imagined.

Neither choice is easy. Neither should be made merely out of anger, exhaustion, social expectations, or fear of starting over.

Perhaps, before signing the final chapter of a long story, there is one question worth asking:

Have we genuinely tried to understand each other, or have we spent too many years trying to prove that the other person doesn't understand us?

Could we create a new version of togetherness—with boundaries, separate interests, financial clarity, mutual respect, and the freedom to be ourselves? Could honest conversations, perhaps with the help of a marriage counsellor, reveal whether there is still a relationship worth rebuilding?

And if, after sincere effort, the answer is no, can we accept that ending a marriage need not erase the years we shared or turn our history into a mistake?

Our children may be independent adults, but our next decision is not theirs to make. It belongs to the two people who must live its consequences.

At fifty-something, life is not a rehearsal that has ended. There can still be new friendships, new dreams, new beginnings, and a new understanding of what happiness means.

Perhaps the real choice is not simply between staying married and getting divorced. It is between continuing as we are and consciously creating a life that allows both of us to breathe, grow, and feel respected.

Juju’s Take-Home Pearl

Twenty-seven years deserve thoughtful reflection, not automatic continuation. A lifetime together is precious, but so is the life still waiting to be lived.

Stay if there is a willingness to rebuild, not merely an obligation to remain. Leave if separation becomes the healthier, carefully considered path—not simply an escape from one painful argument.

And whatever the decision, remember this: two people can have different truths without either being the villain.

Sometimes love finds its way back through understanding. Sometimes peace arrives through letting go.

The goal is not to win the argument or save the marriage at any cost. The goal is to ensure that neither person has to lose themselves to keep the other.

When My Sunshine Is Away ☀️

When My Sunshine Is Away ☀️

This festive season, the lights are twinkling, the calendar is full of celebrations, and yet something feels missing.

My sunshine isn’t home.

My son calls it a dead space. He misses his sister's energy and enthusiasm to go to market, see the lights, eat something etc.  No excitement, no extra happiness, no familiar chatter filling the rooms.  Just an unusual, almost deafening silence in a house that once came alive with the smallest things.

And I smile, because that’s what happens when your children grow up. The home that once revolved around their little worlds slowly learns to live without their everyday presence. But a mother’s heart? It never quite learns the art of missing them less.

This year, the festivities feel a little quieter, the celebrations a little incomplete. Perhaps some lights shine brighter when certain people are around.

But here’s my happy thought: just five more weeks! ❤️

Five weeks until hugs that last a little longer, conversations that need no agenda, laughter that fills every corner of my heart, and I will be with my sunshine —making her mother’s world a little brighter.

Until then, I’ll celebrate the love that distance cannot diminish, count down the days with a smile, and remind myself that missing someone is also a beautiful way of loving them.

Because homes don’t lose their sunshine forever. Sometimes, the sunshine simply lives a little farther away.

And mine ! We are going to meet her soon. 

Till then, let the lights glow, let the heart hope, and let this mother count her blessings—and the days! ☀️❤️

— Juju’s Pearls ✨

Perhaps, I Have Moved to a different frequency!

Perhaps, I Have Moved to a different frequency!

Juju’s Pearls | Momsie Popsie Diary

Lately, I have been wondering if I have forgotten how to speak the language of certain social conversations.

Get-together parties (kitty), casual catch-ups, familiar conversations about everyday life… sometimes, I find myself listening, smiling, and wondering why the words don't flow as effortlessly as they once might have. It isn't that these conversations don't matter. Perhaps I have simply begun to seek something a little different from the spaces I inhabit.

The funny part? I am at my creative best. Give me ten hours at work, a Radiology conferences, teaching assigments, a stimulating discussion, or an evening with my tribe, and watch me come alive! My mind is buzzing, my heart is happy, and the words flow effortlessly.

So, perhaps I haven't forgotten how to connect. Perhaps I am discovering new ways of connecting—with ideas, with people who share my passions, and with the parts of myself that are still unfolding.

Maybe I haven't become antisocial. Maybe I have simply moved to a different orbit!

And that is perfectly all right. We can cherish old friendships while discovering new ones, enjoy a quiet afternoon without guilt, and appreciate conversations even when they don't quite speak to our present interests.

Growth isn't about outgrowing people. Sometimes, it is simply about growing into ourselves.

So, here's to finding our tribe, embracing our evolving selves, and allowing others the freedom to enjoy their own little worlds.

As for me? I am not withdrawing from life. I am participating in it with renewed enthusiasm, just at a frequency that feels more like me.

A little Juju wisdom: Perhaps you haven't lost your language. Perhaps you are learning to speak a new one. And the beautiful thing about different orbits? There is room for everyone to shine in their own.

Love Juju.