In Vacant or in Pensive Mood

Early mornings for me have always been about last-minute studying during exams, finishing assignments or catching flights - always about something to do, often to be done in a hurry. Even when my daily commute to college or work took 2+ hours, I wouldn't wake up until the last possible minute. Even after waking up, on most mornings, my dad would find me dozing off in front of the cupboard midway through finding something to wear. Well, you get the drift! During the 2021 lockdown, for the first time ever, I woke up early with no urgent agenda. No, it wasn't part of a resolution of any kind. I don't remember the reason now, but exactly on the 1st of June, I happened to wake up at 4:45 am. I got out of bed, not wanting to wake my husband, tiptoed out of the room and shut the door carefully behind me. Once outside the bedroom and away from the whirring of the ceiling fan, I felt the still calm of the morning wash over me. My heart wasn't beating fast out of the anxiety of a...

From my window, I saw the world outside tilt. As I held on to keep my balance, I saw the runway disappear. Within seconds, looking outside my window seemed like looking into a treasure chest; city lights turning into gold necklaces, silver bangles and ruby studs, glistening against the velvety darkness of the night. Photo by my husband, Arpit Haldar A few more minutes and the plane was surrounded by a mystic abyss. We navigated through the smokey clouds in jerky motion, not knowing where we were headed but simply trusting the pilot - a man we had never met. Then, suddenly, some light! It seemed like we had reached the end of a dark tunnel. Apparently, we were just passing by the moon's nightly abode. I looked through my window and saw the grandeur  of the moon as she sat on her throne, flanked by glorious cloud...

One of the perks of married life is this: when you get married, your blessings double! You get another home, another set of parents, another family, another set of friends. Sounds too good to be true, does it? It's true that when you get married, you may (or may not) get to choose your partner. But you definitely cannot choose the family, relatives and friends that your partner enters your life with. It's easy to judge, say that they are not your type, pore into their mistakes, and generally complain or wear a long face when you have to meet (some of) them. We all do it sometimes. But I'm learning that it takes courage to love your partner's family and welcome your partner's friends like they are your own. It won't always be easy, not with everyone. Here's a friendly tip from someone who is also trying and learning each day: Remember that no one is perfect. Not even you! Know that there is some good in everyone - look for it, focus on i...

She was uncomfortable, a misfit, and maybe a little quaint. The way she wore her bangs, the way her lips curled when she spoke; all of these were reasons for people to find her weird. She was unfamiliar with the local language, and she spoke English with a foreign accent; yet she looked very South Indian. That was enough for people to think she had an "attitude problem". People said she was a girl who looked down at others, so they stood far from her and judged her. She sat in a quiet forgotten corner of the classroom, right next to the back door that nobody used. It was perhaps her escape route. She had an excuse for not staying back after class like most others did to just "hang out" - a diploma class in the neighbouring college. Everybody called her a loner. For a brief period of time, a friend walked into her life; someone who seemed to understand her. She opened up to this friend like she hadn't to anyone else in the class before,  and they shared c...

I am dreamer. When I say that, I mean it in every sense of the word. I dream when I am sleeping, even if it is when I’m just accidentally dozing off in a bus, and I dream almost every minute that I’m awake! I don’t know what reason to attribute to this quality of mine; it could be because I spent most of my childhood playing with myself since I had no siblings until I was 12. It could also be my left-handedness, as you may have heard that left-handed people are prone to be directed by the right brain, responsible for imagination and all things creative! Well, whatever the reason maybe, if I was asked to describe myself in one word, I would say “DREAMER”. Picture: Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash I love my dreams – when I am sleeping, they turn my eyelids into my very own theatre and play out intertwined stories that are illogical, but are also so full of sense. When my mother wakes me up in the middle of a dream, I go right back to sleep just so that I can finish watching the r...