Poems & Short Stories

  You cannot run from positive affirmations even if you think you have run out of them.   They will come, looking for you. All you have to do is keep your eyes wide open and graciously receive them with warmth and care. They can come to you at any moment and from any quarter perhaps, while running errands like when the momentum has picked up in you to array the disarray in your child’s wardrobe. When that happens, you treat them as a little note, an epiphany or a sacred sign from the universe and insert them as a key that locks itself into your mind with an audible click, only to unlock a change in you and get reflected in every journey you embark. When your little one’s Tees mouth affirmations, you cannot just run away without glancing at it. Start small, dream big, repeat – Starting small and repeating them with consistency is so underrated these days. So much of today’s world is rooted in instant gratifications and making it big in a wink of time. Small, incremental progr...

  I just finished reading the beautiful book ‘Tathastu’– the lovely short stories that are more like reminders, the motivating sentiments that one has forgotten and should be mindful of. First of all, I found it hard to believe that it is the debut work of the author and she has made a write-up that is an extension to her blog. One is because of the words, the articulation, and the anecdotes linking to the messages she needs to pass on to the readers. The second thing is the clarity of her thought process. All these stories are quite catchy, not too long and worth reading aloud to your friends and family. I cannot tear apart one story and say it is my favourite as I loved all of them. Some stories are rich in sentiments, some have resplendent settings, and some fit in as positive affirmations that will set you up or propel you to move forward with confidence. The characters in the stories are quite relatable. It is like you know these people and in some or other way, have come in...

  Though there are self-care practitioners, influencers and life coach who practice and encourage people to practice self-care, we don’t practice it ourselves until there is a severe push or introspection. The precursor to start a habit is always our own willingness to practice it. We should fully be consumed with the idea to be able to produce it in full force. You must have heard buy first, pay later. Here also you need to buy the idea of the habit first but the difference is once the habit is formed and sustains in your routine, you are getting paid by its multi-fold benefits. My cousin and I had a conversation just recently when he was in India. A chance question sent me on the lane of introspection. I was absently gazing at nothingness when he asked me mainly because I was not able to produce a suitable reply. Firstly, I stared in disbelief for the question was unusual and secondly that made me go inward to seek answer and put forth as a justified reply. A simple question ...

  What would you do if you had the opportunity to go back in time? To unravel the mystery and know answers to hidden puzzles. And if you are provided with such a chance to retrace your steps and set your footprints on the exact path you have travelled on, would you grab such an offer? Isn't this deal too alluring to pass up? Set in Tokyo, in an unassuming café dated more than a century of history with nondescript but eccentric décor that saw hardly any upgradation in all these years, is a story of bunch of characters. The windowless underground café is awash with sepia glow from the overhead lights that hang above the tables. These characters have nothing in common but what ties them is one ardent yearning to engage with the past. The secret tremors in each of their hearts become so unbearable that they shake them and throw them in a whirlpool. Every suck and pull makes them more distant from their own selves. When they are at the end of their tethers, this café pulls them from t...

  Travelling is by far the most underrated educational course I believe. So many learnings it imparts, and the empathy it rekindles in us. The empathy for other cultures, societal notions and people’s beliefs. All-encompassing and wholesome. We recently travelled to Hyderabad, the city of Pearl and I was pleasantly astonished at its history and culture. Mainly because the city has still retained its historical significance and every pillar and rock breathes and cherishes its value. For the uninitiated, Hyderabad boasts of Charminar, Hussain Sagar Lake, Salar Jung Museum and Golconda; the old and eternal gems. And Ramoji is a whiff of fresh air that combines modern-day filmmaking techniques with its stretches, winding lanes and palatial parks that have been home to some 5000-odd films. We spoke to some of the locals who are living here for aeons and the freshness and raw emotions that they gather when speaking about this city, their city, is phenomenal. I was overwhelmed and choke...

  What happens when your face talks too much? Have you reflected on this question like me, anytime? Well, this is the question I am brooding on. I have been fairly good at articulating my thoughts but lately, my face is surpassing my articulation skills. Before even I start to sort and adjust the words within me and garnish them with flowery vocabulary, I find someone shining an adequate response to my unasked question. Did my face take the creative writing class lesson too seriously? Show, not tell. And it shows err broadcasts it loudly, abrasively leaving the words tongue-tied. It happened to me a lot many times. The other day, I was sitting in a restaurant looking squarely at a menu leaflet. I was waiting for my order and it had been 15 minutes since I placed it, but could hardly see anyone inch closer to my table carrying the tray laden with my finger food and espresso. I tried taking in the surroundings and the ambience of the restaurant helped quieten my increasing pangs ...