Category: Life

  •  From Dreams to Reality:  Embracing the Adventure 

     From Dreams to Reality:  Embracing the Adventure 

    As a 20-year-old navigating the journey of growing up, I often find myself reflecting on the challenges and experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. It’s been a rollercoaster ride filled with excitement, uncertainty, and valuable life lessons.

    One of the biggest things I’ve discovered while growing up is finding my true self. During my teenage years, I constantly questioned who I really was and where I fit in. There were so many expectations from others and from myself that it felt overwhelming at times. But as I took the time to reflect on my passions and embrace what makes me unique, I realized that my true identity comes from being genuine and staying true to who I am at the core.

    Another aspect of growing up that has been both challenging and rewarding is navigating relationships. Whether it’s friendships, romantic partners, or family dynamics, relationships can be complicated. I’ve learned the importance of effective communication, resolving conflicts, and setting boundaries. Some friendships have grown stronger, while others have naturally faded away. Each connection has taught me something about myself and the kind of people I want to surround myself with – those who support and uplift me.

    Education and career choices have also played a significant role in my journey. The pressure to make the “right” decisions can be overwhelming. But what I’ve come to realize is that it’s okay to explore different interests and paths. It’s a process of self-discovery and growth, where I’ve learned to embrace change and take advantage of the opportunities that come my way. Each step, no matter how uncertain, has led me to new and unexpected experiences that have shaped my future.

    Amidst the challenges, there have been countless moments of joy and wonder. Trying out new hobbies, exploring different places, and immersing myself in diverse cultures have broadened my horizons and given me a fresh perspective on life. I’ve also had the privilege of meeting incredible individuals who have inspired and influenced me, leaving an everlasting impact on my heart.

    As I reflect on my journey so far, I can’t help but feel excited about what lies ahead. The future is an open book, waiting to be written. It’s an ongoing adventure that invites me to step out of my comfort zone, embrace new opportunities, and continue growing. There will be ups and downs, successes and setbacks, but I’m determined to make the most of every moment and keep evolving as a person.

    The story of growing up is far from over. It’s a beautiful tapestry of experiences, passions, and personal growth that continues to unfold. I eagerly look forward to the next chapter, where I’ll discover more about myself and the world around me. Life is full of possibilities, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next. The journey continues, and I’m ready to embrace it with open arms.

  • Not Being Lonely Together

    Last Friday night, Mr. Boulevard entered our room all stumbling and out of breath and I wondered if he was running away from something. He easily could not have been. It was hard to tell when he was always breathing heavily, humping and exhaling as loud as Mrs. Pregnant Weasley. That was her real name, Alex told me, but we were not to call her by that when she was around. Mrs. P made the softest mashed potatoes on Thursdays and all the kids loved her. I loved Mrs. P because she was magic and always carried a child in her belly, like a kangaroo. I wished I was a fat magical kangaroo, so I too could give the softest, roundest hugs. Mr. Boulevard was also fat; he was really fat but he was not a hugger. Alex said that when Mr. B would fall off his bed while sleeping, his downstair neighbors got an earthquake fright. I gave Mr. B my stuffed sloth so he wouldn’t fall off his bed anymore. He tucked me in bed, every night after that.

    Mr. B had loud hair, the hair you’d find on a Disney Princess like Brave. Fierce, fiery red with a red moustache, red eyebrows, and strikingly red eyelashes. He was a furry red bear. He’d be scary, the nightmare of kids’ dreams if he wasn’t an angel. He had the nicest of manners, he’d even talk with his head bowed to not scare us, kids.

    Every night when he tucked me in, he’d softly tell me the most fantastical stories. He told me once that growing up, he was a lonely kid which turned him into a shy n quiet man. He asked me to be loud and curious because I would never be lonely with him as my Guardian Angel. Then he went on to tell me stories of Guardian Angels that watched over kids like me, kids with a very big family and I all but forgot to ask him what ‘lonely’ meant.

    Mr. B had big eyes, the kind you’d find popping out of a snail’s head. They seemed to be bouncing out of his eye sockets when he moved heavily. He always moved heavily. His nose was a tiny little thing, next to his round belly and it always made me giggle. A nose so tiny, it was squeezed tight between his bouncy cheeks. I wondered if that was why he needed to breathe so loudly. His lips were huge, plump, and pink; both of the same size. When he opened his mouth, kids at the orphanage feared he’d devour them. But Mr. Boulevard would never do such a thing. He simply couldn’t, even though nobody could tell.

    Mr. Bear, as the kids called him, wore loose clothes, hanging off his enormous body. He had them tailored personally. He’d wear blues on Mondays and Tuesdays. Reds through Wednesday to Friday, even though the reds would wash his face out. And on the weekends, he’d wear the yellows. He was rather strict about his color-coded outfits. Mr. B lived in Primary Colors, and I loved to draw him for our art schoolwork. With his baggy shorts and baggy shirts, he was like a colorful boulder that you wouldn’t want to be run over by. But Mr. Boulevard would never run you over. He simply couldn’t, even though nobody could tell.

    Last Friday was the last I saw of Mr. B. When I asked Mrs. P when he was coming back, she smiled a smile that only spread to her lips. I realized it was another grown-up thing since I always smiled with my eyes going all crinkly. I wanted to grow up hurriedly then, so I too could learn a new way to smile.

    ‘My boy, you know how JoJo was sad one day, so he went to live on the happy farm upstate?’ she said. 

    I perked up at JoJo’s mention and nodded. He was our family dog and very loved.

    She continued, ‘Mr. B has gone to live with JoJo.’

    ‘Was JoJo lonely?’

    ‘If he was, he isn’t anymore.’ She smiled and I ran to the big room where I kept my red, yellow and blue paints.

    I wanted to draw a picture of JoJo and Mr. B, hugging and not being lonely together.

  • uncertainity vs assurance

    what if it actually works out—whatever we manifest turns into reality and the hard work finally pays off. but don’t we hate the “what ifs” when we’re presently working towards the goal, the path seems so treacherous, the journey seems indefinite and the pain we bear seems to just aggravate. the idea that it might never end, haunts the best of us every day. the idea of control scars us and the fact of “getting it all” seems a delusion. but somewhere i realised it will all make sense one day, the journey will seem wonderful and all the pain will heal.

    the only problem is that we don’t know “when”, when will it make sense and when the hell will we be truly eternally happy.

    it all seems undecided now, but the plan is in motion, and the notion behind it is honest.

    the uncertainty might be strenuous but it also motivates us to achieve and overcome the hurdles. sometimes we just need those night outs, sleepovers, drinks or just a little time with those comfort people.

    the journey that comes with scars, the deeper wounds also helps one realise that even though the wounds get deeper or may aggravate, the love and achievements we inculcate later fill in those deep wounds. the allure of the journey balances the hurt and the love. and in the end, we always need balance; we’re always in pursuit of balance rather it be during exploring the adulting, adapting to a change, or just retiring from a long journey of work.

    the wonders we experience along the ride, are to be cherished and savoured; embracing the uncertainty of the constant change helps personal development and varied life choices.

    the ultimate journey is not solely reaching a specific destination rather involves embracing the unknown, finding solace in exploration and discoveries and being comfortable with the ambiguity of a wonderfully rollercoaster life. 

  • Bruno

     The time was 5:30 P.M  right now, my heart started to think about the one who would be waiting for me at my home. I am watching the watch to check how many minutes remaining for 6;00 P.M.  The needles inside in my watch started to ran in a lazy manner and it is not even moving with the fast it usually it would be on Sunday. For each and every 10 seconds , I was checking on my watch because I felt the gap as 11 minutes. Somehow after a long felt  wait , the time was 6;00 P.M. Then I came out of the  office and started to walking in the roads with a adrenaline rush. when I was on a hurry, my eyes saw a bakery with chicken roll.  It is the most oved food by the creature which was longing for my wait in my home.  I brought two rolls with a cake. Finally , I reached my house and I opened my home’s door. A waggling tail being came with a whimpering towards me with a saying of miss you. I had showed the roll and the cake to my beloved dog Bruno and it showed me cherishing dance to explain it’s happiness. 

    Yes I had been long waiting for the time to meet my dog Bruno.  Because Bruno was the only family member  left to me and other’s had been staying in the heaven for  the last 2 years.  2 years ago , my family met with a bus accident when they were returning to my hometown for my fiancee’s baby shower function. I was planned to leave the city 2 days after their travel. But worst things happened which was not even a thought in my dream. I was totally shattered and I felt there is no reason to live.  when i was feeling hopeless to live, one day I saw a puppy who was lying near his mother’s corpse . The mother dog was met with a car accident when it was crossing the road. The people in the road were not even considering that puppy. I felt the puppy will also felt the same feeling which I had experienced. That time I decided to adopt that being and to name it as “Bruno”.

  • DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

    My grandma and I are close. She likes everyone – my mother, father, and brother, but I’m her favorite. We live in a two-floor building, it’s our own. We lived on the first floor, and my grandma’s other son’s family lived on the second floor. Since they moved out of another house for various reasons, the second floor is now empty. So my family decided to rent it out. Many people applied for it, but my family turned most of them down because they thought they wouldn’t be good tenants. Finally, one couple was admitted. The husband and wife – Tarun and Meena – are somehow distantly related to us (please don’t ask me how). They’re looking for a house near Tarun’s office, where he’ll be transferred next week. Also, Meena is pregnant so they’re both looking for a house right away. My family then somehow made them our tenants (maybe because they thought they’d be good). Everything was settled, they’ll come here next week to be our tenants. Everyone was happy except my grandma.

    I asked her what happened, and she said, ‘I don’t like that woman’

    ‘Who? Meena?’

    ‘Yes, is she dressing like a pregnant woman, she dressed so tight like going to a party’

    ‘C’mon grandma, don’t be so old fashion, she can wear what she likes’

    ‘Fine, I am old fashioned but how can she wear this kind of dress while she’s coming to see us, not well-mannered’

    Grandma is exaggerating. Meena was wearing a tight mini-gown, which showed her skin below her knees. There is nothing wrong with it. She’s beautiful in that dress. People like my grandma need to change their point of view.

    After that first interaction, Grandma doesn’t like whatever she does. Grandma would even complain that Meena was breathing all the air required in the world (you know when you hate someone, you constantly find something to keep on hating them). Grandma hates everything Meena does – when she invites her friends over or when she heard music a little loudly or when she goes to work daily despite the fact, she’s 6 months pregnant, and even when Meena came to give something, Grandma goes inside her room and come out only when she’s gone. I don’t understand all this. I even confronted her, ‘You’re going overboard grandma, this is not fine at all’. She doesn’t even give a damn about what I said. That’s what she does when I talk about something she doesn’t like. 

    One day, my grandma returned home after buying groceries. She has seen Meena on the way. She doesn’t know where to hide and tries to find a way. But she realized Meena was not okay. She was trembling and collapsed on the road. Grandma rushed near her and splashed water on Meena’s face. Meena slowly opened her eyes. Grandma asked ‘What happened?’

    Meena said ‘I was just tired due to work’

    ‘Let’s go to the hospital’

    ‘I’ll go alone, no worries’

    Grandma insisted she’ll come. Then they went to the hospital. The doctor explained that she was very weak and need to eat healthy foods and prescribed some tablets. After that they left the hospital, Meena told Grandma about her condition. That her pregnancy is at risk, she needs to be very careful.

    Grandma asked, ‘Then why are you working? How did your husband allow it?’

    ‘My husband doesn’t know it; I didn’t tell him. If he knows he won’t let me work. We are now in a financial crisis. We both need to work, to overcome this situation. He even worked two shifts. So, that’s why I am working even in this condition. Sometimes, I have mood swings and weird thoughts like suicide. So, at times like that, I’ll listen to music or call my friends. Then I’ll feel better. Only then I can be myself.’

    Grandma was so shocked and understood her mistake. Meena continued, ‘Have you noticed, I always wear the same dress I have in a consecutive manner, also it’s so tight. It’s just I can’t afford a new dress. So, I am wearing old clothes until we have enough money to afford new ones’.

    Grandma is now utterly speechless. They reached their home. Grandma offered to Meena to come to her home. She said, ‘I will go upstairs and rest and then come’. Grandma also agreed and said, ‘If you need anything don’t hesitate to call me’.

    I don’t understand what was happening and asked Grandma, she explained the whole situation. Then Grandma said, ‘You’re right, I am one of those old mentality people. So, I judged her without even knowing her situation. I showed my age. I won’t repeat this mistake ever again’. And she did what she said, after that they become good friends. My grandma regularly took Meena for checkups, if she heard music or her friends sound upstairs, she rushes to Meena’s place to ask if she was okay. She also bought her some loose pregnancy clothes as a gift. After that, my grandma never judged anyone by their dress. And I am so happy that my grandma finally understood the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.  

  • The Nest

    The Nest

     The world stopped when i saw her, with her beautiful white wings and black beak. She sat perched on a balcony, her wings open and shimmering, almost silver. I gave in to my desires and decided I would watch her, since it was already a very dull, rainy day and flying around was harder than usual.

         She sat there very still, even when it rained, and thundered, and the breeze almost threw her off. Unlike the sky, she looked happy. I finally mustered up the courage to approach her. I opened my dark wings, as black as the dirt bags around the building, and felt the other birds move away from me. I’m used to this, as a vulture. It is always the same, wherever I go, but I must enter the city for food. I know I would scare her as well, since she is simply a gentle pigeon, but I could not stop myself from flying towards her. I landed beside her as softly as possible, my wings almost knocking her off as we were very close.

        I was surprised when I realized she made no move at all. She simply smiled at me and bowed deeply as though she had been waiting for me, or for someone like me. I wanted to protect her then, it would not be very hard to do so. I am strong.

       After some hours she looked at me full of anticipation and asked me how long she would have to wait before I would eat her. She did not look afraid, she only looked small and happy. I was confused by this expression of hers. 

      I looked away immediately, insulted. That was when the nest caught my eye. In the nest laid a male pigeon, covered in blood. His huge plain grey wings were forever framed as a shield to three baby birds, all hugging and dead. It was the humans, I could tell. They were crushed with sticks and left to die hanging at the edge of the AC unit.

        She smiled at me again. She is the strongest. I did not smile or look at her again. I also did not leave. We watched the sun set together, and our hearts continued to break, the way evening slowly breaks into night.

  • The Approach

    The Approach

    The day began with the morning alarm and a sense of nervousness in Andy’s heart. It’s her first day at her new school, but she couldn’t help being anxious about her new surroundings.

    “Why are you like this Andy? Stop fidgeting now. It doesn’t look good.”

    Andy’s mother told her as the car stopped at the school’s front entrance. Swallowing the gulp, Andy stared at the entrance, rubbing her shoes against each other.

    She is a 9-year-old girl with shoulder-length hair and a height less than that of her age. But that is not what matters to her previous school friends and her family.

    “Come on Andy, let’s go.”

    Her mother said with a subtle voice, sensing her nervousness and handing her the crutches. Taking the crutches, Andy opened the door, adjusted her school bag strap on her shoulder and got down the car.

    Kids were rushing inside laughing, talking, some with their parents while others with their friends. Most of them didn’t notice her and the ones who did look at her strangely.

    “Mom… … .can we come tomorrow? I don’t feel good today… ..”

    Saying this Andy turned towards the car to open the door, but her mother tapped her shoulder, smiled and gestured to her to be strong. Looking at her, Andy felt bad to let her down by not trying to step forward.

    She took a deep breath and moved forward, inside the entrance and then to her classroom. She did not lift her head up the entire time because she wanted to avoid everyone looking at her.

    After her mother left, she sat on her desk silently looking at her book.

    “Hey… .my name’s Sarah, what’s your name?”

    Andy was startled with Sarah approaching her suddenly, but she slowly replied, “Andy.”

    “What are you reading when the teacher isn’t even here?”

    Sarah asked, munching chips and looking at Andy’s book.

    Andy lifted her gaze from the book and looked at Sarah. She is a chubby girl with a smile on her face and no pity or disgust in her eyes. Andy’s nervousness started to settle, and she replied, “I was just looking through chapters. I am new and have no idea what we are doing.”

    But before Sarah could say the teacher entered and Sarah rushed to her seat which was four desks from Andy’s towards the back.

    She looked at her sitting on her chair and smiling at her.

    Class greeted her, and she called Andy to introduce herself to the class. This was nothing less than a nightmare for Andy.

    She stood up holding her crutches, her palms wet with sweat, though it’s the rainy season and the atmosphere is pleasant with a cool breeze.

    “You can speak from your seat dear.”

    Teacher said with a warm smile, that calmed her a little, and Andy then introduced herself to the class with a shaky voice.

    “Hello everyone, my name’s Andy, and I am a transfer student. I joined today and thank you… .. “

    This was all she could manage to say. The day went by class after class, and she was trying to catch up with what was being taught. During recess while she was wondering when the school will end, Sarah kept her lunch box on her table, bam… !!, which startled Andy.

    “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you but why aren’t you eating?”

    She asked, sliding the chair from the front desk facing towards Andy and sitting on it.

    “I am not hungry”, Andy replied, faking a smile.

    “This is the reason you look like a straw…”

    Andy smiled at this, and this time genuinely.

    “See Andy, do not be nervous. You can call me if you want help with studies.”

    Sarah said, giving a sandwich to Andy. She hesitated but Sarah gave it forcibly.

    Andy is waiting for the question that everyone asks her as they approach her to talk. But to her surprise Sarah did not look at her crutches even once but instead kept on telling her about their classmates, best and worst teacher, funny incidents, and much more. At least all that she could possibly tell during recess.

    Andy assumed, “Maybe she didn’t notice my crutches and considered me like her. Otherwise, why would she approach a new girl like me?”

    Saying this to herself she looked at her watch hoping the day would be over soon.

    Finally, the bell rang and everyone rushed out of the class, but Andy waited for everyone to leave. She then slowly lifted from her chair, held her crutches and moved towards the door. As she was about to leave Sarah came beside her, and asked, “Is someone coming to pick you up?”

    Andy again shook at her sudden words, and looked at her in surprise. “What? Why are you so jumpy Andy? This time I came silently then you are shocked… “

    “Where did you come from? I thought everyone left… “

    Andy said, slowly walking towards the door along with her.

    “How could you even know when you hardly look around, girl.” Sarah said, shaking her head in disappointment.

    They walked down the lobby towards the main entrance, “You didn’t tell me you were going alone?”

    Sarah stopped and asked again.

    Andy looked at her because she can’t figure out why Sarah is so curious even after looking at her walking with crutches. She noticed nothing but care just like her mom did.

    “Why are you so worried about me? We just met today?”, Andy said coldly.

    Sarah looked at her and said with a plane face, “Because I am worried you might fall down and get hurt. Or worse, someone might run into you because you are always looking down, so how could you see who is coming towards you? “

    Andy looked at her in surprise and couldn’t help laughing at her answer.

    “I am used to walking with crutches and hardly stumble. Don’t worry and go home.”

    “I am not asking you to tell me what to do. You tell me who is going to pick you up?”

    ” I am here to pick her up. Is there a problem dear?” Andy’s mother said, keeping her hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

    She turned, “I am her mother, don’t look at me suspiciously, kid.”

    Andy’s mother said, smiling at Sarah’s expression. She smiled and greeted her sweetly as if she knew her since ages.

    “Okay Mrs. Smith, glad to see you here. I am Sarah, her classmate.”

    She smiled widely as if she was proud of something and Mrs. Smith caressed her head.

    Andy sat in the car and Sarah looked at her from the entrance waving goodbye. Andy responded, and the car moved ahead.

    “I am surprised you made a friend on your first day of school. I am proud of you.” Andy’s mother patted her back.

    “I didn’t, she did.”

    Saying this, Andy smiled, recalling all the things Sarah told her about during the day.

    “Well, that is even better, my dear. Now you see what I told you. Just be yourself and let others figure out whatever they are thinking.”

    “She didn’t even ask about my crutches or the reason why I am using them.”

    Andy said curiously.

    “It’s because your appearance doesn’t bother her but your presence did. This is the reason she was nagging at you to tell who is going to pick you up.”

    “But why is she so clingy? I didn’t ask her to care for me.”

    “Yes you didn’t, no one did. But when good people cross your path, value them. Not everyone is going to judge you, my child. There are people out there, for whom we matter, not our crutches or scars.”

    Holding her hand in hers, Mrs. Smith said, “My dear Andy, God sends right and wrong people in our lives. We cross paths with them at the right time. Both are necessary for us to grow and learn from the experiences we have with them. Your friends from previous school were good, and I appreciate you valuing them. At the same time value your new fellow classmates like Sarah. Such people are rare and precious.”

    Listening to her mother’s words, Andy felt a sense of relief and assurance that Sarah is good. She eagerly awaits tomorrow to meet her again.

    “How can you be so sure Mum?”

    Mrs. Smith smiled and said, “Because I am your Mom….!”

    To this they both giggled and went home.

    People with disabilities are very cautious about their appearance unless they accept it. When they are young, they want others to treat them equally and do not point out their deformities, scars, crutches, etc. When someone does so they feel alienated and cornered because not everyone is ready and comfortable to talk about their disability. We should be cautious of how we approach such people and what we say to them.

    Obviously, none of us wants to hurt their feelings but sometimes words and body language can be hurtful too. So, be natural and do not make them feel lowly in any sense. They will open up slowly, and gradually you will realize that they are the best of the people. You can rely on them and trust them. So, keep everyone around you happy and never hurt anyone because we never know what they have been through.

  • The Farmer And The Sons.

     In a faraway village, lives a hardworking farmer who has grapes fields. Year after year his grapery gives rich harvest, and the farmer becomes very successful. He has three sons, who are young and energetic but never bother to work. As the farmer grows old, he begins to worry about his son’s future

    Then he falls very ill and realizes his death is fast approaching. He calls the sons and tells them,

    “Dear sons, I see my death nearing me, but before I  bid goodbye to all of you, I want to share a secret. There is a treasure hidden under the fields. Dig the entire field after my death, to find it.”

    The old farmer dies, and his sons perform the last rites. The sons begin to dig for the treasure without leaving  any part of field but find nothing. However, their digging of field leads to a healthy crop and results in huge earnings. These earnings  make the sons realize what their father  meant.

    MORAL OF THE STORY:

    Hard work always pays off. Fruits of hard work are always sweet whether or not they are in  the form you desire. 

  • Changes

    She stood there, did not cry, no tears, no emotions; she could only see how much has changed in what seemed to be a very short time

    Eight years ago, she was just a girl in college, in her late teens, trying to figure out life and career. That’s when he came chasing her, making her fall in love. Until then, she was foreign to the idea of love. She was the clown of her friend group, making others laugh; she was the mother of her friend group, letting others come to her for any sorrow; she was the brain of her friend group, helping everyone with whatever she can. What she was not was that she was never the relationship advisor. But after his entry, everything changed. She became more soft, more relaxed with the idea of being in love, being loved, being cherished. She never thought she was ever capable of feeling all these.

    Two years into the relationship and she understood, this is not going to be a bed of roses. It’s going to be war. He isn’t exactly the him she thought to be, but he still loved her with all he had, and that was her only string of hope. She stood by that. For his love, for his commitment, she stood by, never wanting to “disappoint” a boy who loved her passionately. 

    Fast forward to 2021, it is the pandemic era. Everyone are stuck at home. Few started working from office, but most were anxious and panicked towards everything. She was one among them. Her anxiety never stopped. She was worried about her old father, her family and everyone around her. To add fuel to that fire, she got sick with the deadly virus. She was struggling with her mental and physical health, and that’s when he started gradually leaving her hands which once he held so tight that they had wrist marks all over. He started leaving her because a new girl introduced herself to him, his office colleague, a girl few years younger than both of them. The girl was optimistic, young, passionate and full of youthful energy, unlike her, who is drowning in anxiety and panic. So yes, the new one was the better choice by all means. He convinced himself slowly but he still did not leave her completely. He held on to her, not quite tightly, he held on not leaving her, at the same time not quite holding her the way she knows how he used to. She started getting into a depressive zone because ofcourse the changes in him are evident but she could not put a finger on what exactly has changed. She trusted him with all that she had and never in her worst nightmares did she think he will be involved with another girl. 

    They fought regularly during these days. She was drowning and drowning into deep depression everyday until one day she could not take it anymore. She stopped talking to him, she thought it would give him some space, some understanding . Maybe it would help her also with some perspective because she was blaming it all on herself continuously, because she considered him someone incapable of doing anything wrong, because she grew up listening to everyone telling how clumsy she is with anything she does. She couldn’t help but blame herself for everything that went wrong in her life.  But all it did was to give him more leverage, more reasons to leave her. He left her, once and for all; and she did not know, she did not know she was being left by the one she loved for the past 7.5 years. 

    She tried to contact him. She tried to be in touch and that’s when he told her about all these, about how another girl from his office trapped him into an illicit affair. She being the protective one she is (and the dumb one she is) tried with all her might to make him hers, to help him come out of it, help him out of this “trap”. But all it did was give him more and more reasons to justify his and his new girl’s behavior. His family thrashed her, he spoke mean words to her; she still stood strong because she wanted to “protect” him. But finally one day, she realized it’s of no use, so she decided to meet him one last time, close it, close the relationship she built with her blood, sweat and tears, yes, close it forever. 

    They met at their favorite cafe. Ironically, he was crying, she was not. She stood strong because she did not want to emotionally manipulate his decisions. He wanted to be with the new girl because he would not have gone to a second woman had the first woman being capable, yes, that’s what he said. They sat there and spoke for hours, he cried, never apologized, but cried. She listened. 

    Every memory in that cafe was special to them. The cappuccino, the strawberry-orange mocktail, the English breakfast, the chamomile tea, the interiors of the cafe, the incessant number of photos they took everytime they visited the cafe and the choco-fudge brownie he always buys for her as a takeaway during the billing; every single thing was special. But not anymore. He billed and was waiting to go out while she stood there, without crying, no tears, no emotions; she could only see how much has changed in what seemed to be a very short time, less than a year. An eight-year long relationship crumbled down in less than a year infront of her eyes. She could not do anything but watch, watch everything she built go down.  

    They had become strangers from whatever they were before. She couldn’t label that relationship anymore. She could not see the world the same anymore. Everything has changed. 

  • Hasrat

    Hasrat

    In the small town named Malana lived a young girl named Hasrat. She had rosy little cheeks and brown eyes that her mother adored. She said that they reminded her of Hasrat’s father who died in a car crash when she was just 11 months old.

    That day she had been waiting for her mother for an hour in her school and still, there was no sign of her. So she decided to climb into the regular bus to her village that always left at 2. She looked at her watch, it was 1:30. So without wasting any time, she trotted off to the bus stop.

    By the time she reached the bus stop, she was panting and sweating profusely. As soon as the bus started she opened the window and started looking at the trees and fields outside. The bus passed by the market from which her mother used to buy her sweets of all kinds from Raju Kaka’s shop and her mouth began watering after seeing the Rasmalai, Gulab Jamun, and loads of other sweets that were on display.

    Suddenly the bus halted and she started walking towards her home and started singing the poem that her teacher taught her that day. Soon she reached the well near which her little sister always ran and hugged her tightly as soon as she came back from school but today she was not there. A very weird feeling crept into her but she decided to ignore it and went ahead. But as soon as she saw her reflection in the well she knew what was wrong. She sprinted toward her home. Her pigtails that were always neat were unkempt, and her uniform was bedraggled. A sudden fear started creeping her and all her nightmares started flashing in front of her eyes.

    She reached her home but no one was there. She kept shouting, “Ma!” and entered her mom’s room. No one was there. She dropped to the floor and tears started trickling down her face. She wanted her mom to hug her and console her but her mom would never be there for her. She was dead. Reality struck her and she realized that it’s been a week since her mom passed away and now she lived with her grandparents in the city. Her tears knew no bounds and she sat there in the dark room crying silently.