On 15 June 2026, Ravi and I quietly closed one chapter of our lives and opened another. After more than three decades of corporate leadership, we weren’t looking for retirement. We were looking for a different way to live.

Our careers took us across industries, countries and cultures. They gave us opportunities we could only have dreamed of, friendships that will last a lifetime, and experiences that shaped who we are. We are deeply grateful. Yet somewhere along the way, we noticed a familiar pattern.

“We’ll travel properly one day.”

“We’ll spend a month in the English countryside one day.”

“We’ll learn golf when work slows down.”

“We’ll explore Europe after retirement.”

The problem was that work never really slowed down. And “one day” quietly became “someday.”

Earlier this year, Ravi and I stopped asking ourselves where we wanted to retire. Instead, we asked a different question.

How do we want to live?

That one question changed everything.

The answer ended up being what we now call “Chaar Dhaam”

What is Chaar Dhaam?

In India, Char Dham represents four sacred pilgrimage destinations. For us, Chaar Dhaam has come to represent something different.

Not four retirement homes. Four gateways to the world.

Rather than choosing one place to settle, we chose four places that already felt like home. Each offers a different rhythm of life and a gateway to a different part of the world. Together, they keep us curious, connected and continually inspired.

After a lot of research, we chose these four places

What We Chose	Why
Windrush The Cotswolds near London	Slow mornings. Long walks. Village pubs. Gateway to Europe.
BLVD Heights Downtown, Dubai	Energy. Innovation. Old friends. Gateway to the Middle East & Africa.
Spectrum Reunion, Orlando	Fun. Family. Sunshine. Gateway to the Americas.
Golfshire Bangalore, India	Family. Golf. Home. Gateway to Asia.

Each place gives us a different kind of energy and helps us live as per our New Rules

New Rules

A Different Way to Live

People often ask whether we’ve retired. Not quite. I recently co-founded RQube Consulting, where I continue to advise organisations on governance, enterprise risk management, finance, internal audit, compliance and business transformation.I still enjoy solving complex problems. I still enjoy working with leadership teams. The difference is that work now supports the life Ravi and I want to build — not the other way round. That freedom gives us time for travel, photography, golf, family and the simple joy of staying in one place long enough to truly experience it.

What you can expect from this blog

Why are we doing this?
Because after thirty years of writing and reading countless decks and docs that we don’t remember, we wanted to write something that would be memorable for us and that people might actually enjoy. Turns out life keeps handing us metaphors for free — we just never had time to notice them before. Also, four homes don’t photograph themselves.

How does it connect to our corporate experience?
We’re not leaving that world behind — RQube keeps us squarely in governance, risk, and strategy, and that instinct never really switches off. So when we see four ducks gliding along in a perfect line, we can’t just enjoy the ducks — we start thinking about alignment, followership, who’s actually steering. This blog is that habit, redirected: take a small moment, find the one-line lesson hiding in it, and let the photo do the talking.

What can a reader expect?
Short, photo-led stories from wherever we happen to be — Windrush, Dubai Golfshire, Reunion — and whatever catches our fancy. Think: less “here’s our itinerary,” more “here’s what four ducks in the Cotswolds reminded us about.” Work, Life, Golf, Cricket, Tennis, Poker, Food, Finance, Taxes, and the odd airport lounge will make appearances too — just don’t expect a spreadsheet. That instinct stays reserved for RQube