To mark World Happiness Day on 20 March, we asked our member, Ms. K. Basu, to reflect on what happiness means to her. She shared her thoughts on how it evolves, arrives unexpectedly, and can even be cultivated through love, creativity, and the joy of giving.


Happiness is a state of mind. It comes to you like a droplet of water resting on a leaf, twinkling in the sunlight—it leaves you in awe.

Happiness takes different forms at different stages of life. Many years ago, as my teenage years were coming to an end, I entered a phase of life when everything seemed to shine through rose-tinted glasses. Back then, I believed things were unchangeable, that they would remain as they were forever. During a holiday in Mihijam, on the border of Bengal and Bihar (now in Jharkhand), I discovered my first love—in the rugged beauty of the landscape, in nature itself. For the first time, I understood what happiness meant. It felt like something I held in the palm of my hand, something I had created, and nothing could take it away from me.

Such golden moments helped me flourish. They strengthened me while also softening my heart. At different stages of life, I have been blessed with joy and fulfilment—completing my graduation, immersing myself in music, beginning a new chapter through marriage, and experiencing the indescribable joy of my children’s birth.

I have learned that happiness cannot be forced; it arrives unbidden, yet we must remain open to the wonder of life to receive it. To find contentment, we must work for it. When happiness comes knocking, it is an opportunity to grow, to become worthy of it. It can also be cultivated. I have sought happiness in books, music, and painting rather than waiting for them to find me. Today, I have the pleasure of being with Support Elders, where I have realised that one of the greatest sources of happiness is bringing joy to others.


(As narrated to Support Elders by our member)

When we called our member, Ms. K. Purkayastha, she was enjoying her morning cuppa. Having lived for many years in Lagos, Nigeria, she reminisced about her time there during our chat.


Many people in India misunderstand African countries, assuming they are poor and filled with jungles and wildlife. The reality is quite different. Nigeria, for example, is a West African country with several large cities, and Lagos is one of them. We never lacked anything. To put things in perspective, I purchased my Staffordshire dinner set in Lagos. In fact, I feel our lifestyle was better there than here. We lived in an apartment with round-the-clock help. Here, our help is part-time—they come in the morning, perform their duties, and leave. For the rest of the day, we must manage everything ourselves.

In Lagos, the locals spoke Yoruba. My son learned the language and could converse with them. I made do with English, which served as the lingua franca. The Sindhi community first established trade and business there, and today, Indian community halls can be found in most big cities. The Indian communities would come together to celebrate festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati Puja, etc. The Sindhi communities weren’t particularly enthusiastic about Kali Puja, which is probably the one Bengali festival I don’t remember being celebrated there. I enjoyed visiting the cocoa plantations in Ghana, though I missed out on seeing the coffee plantations. Ironically, I would drink high-grade coffee exported from African countries like Ghana to the West, processed there, and then traded back to Africa for sale. I have always enjoyed expensive coffee and still retain my taste for it—some habits die hard, I guess! When I visited India, I would bring back Darjeeling tea, but I always found the coffee in Africa to be excellent. Ethiopia, I believe, is the largest producer of single-origin coffee beans.

It wasn’t just the coffee that made my life in Lagos comfortable; the people were lovely and full of life. I look back on those days with fondness. Kolkata is home for me, but Lagos was truly a home away from home. In Lagos, I never felt like a foreigner.


(As narrated to Support Elders by our member)