My Anchor

I feel like wandering,
Wanderlusting,
Trot around the world
Have a birds view.
I hate to be held back
Or told what to do
I'm not meant to be caged
I don't feel like being answerable.
But something makes me want to come back,
Someone brings me back to reality,
Time and again make me feel grounded
Flashes me to a reality check,
Let's me know in the best of ways
I'm not the center of the world.
You make me want to do better
Be a better person, be a better learner.
Today I realize what an anchor means,
And I'm glad to find my anchor in you!
I'm glad I found you!

My muse in uniform - Inspiration strikes you in mysterious ways!

Writing my heart out, is the best form of catharsis I know. But I'm quite a conservative pen and paper lover, so blogging is more intentional than natural to me. Being a flight attendant, my long haul flights are more encouraging towards my traditional medium, as at 39,000 technology is not my best option. (Yes I do get time to write on my flights and I'm not a work shirker). Hence I'm a very irregular and whimsical blogger.

Cut to my inspiration that is making this piece take shape although it took me a couple of months to get it all together. I'm back from my flight, waiting for the company transport to go back home. And there awaits my inspiration in a pilot's uniform and geeky glasses. A very rare combination if you would believe me. We stay around the same location so we share the cab and off we are on the busy roads of Mumbai.

Generally I doze off on my way back but we bloggers' (If I may call myself one) dived into this deep sea of conversation about everything under the sun. Believe me it sprawled across from flights to psychology and scuba diving to our common love for words. The traffic noise, long wait or the drowsiness from my flight nothing was actually bothering me any more as I was so excited to learn that he loves writing and runs his own blog. It was the first time I ever met somebody who can fly the plane and write. Reading through his blog I got a major complex from his outlandish vocabulary and his eccentric ability to express himself.

But it wasn't only our love for writing which was common, we actually bonded on the pang of not being able to write that often cause of our chaotic work schedules. Although honestly I think its just laziness and my love for sleep (Here I'm strictly talking for myself as definitely he has more studying to do). But the entire conversation did strike some right cords in me and I was all pepped up to write more religiously, as that is something which keeps me happy and leaves me thinking. Mysteriously this conversation did inspire me to take out some time to be who I want to be rather than who I have become or is expected to be.

This incident definitely got me going but it was all left half way due to the hundred different creatively curated excuses I can come up with. But inspiration never leaves you alone, you only need to have an eye for it. Around 3 months later we fly together and just a look at my "muse" got me started scribbling on the nearest piece of paper and made me finish this article today.    

But I need to remind myself that my muse would not walk in his crisp white uniform every time I loose track of my dreams, my passion or my idea of living. Henceforth even if  I'm not able to blog I would never quit writing rather take it up professionally whenever I can.

P.S: I need to quote one of his impromptu portrayal of somebody's smile that's close to my heart and a perfect example of why is his writing so enthralling. "She smiled and the storm ended, the seas settled and the sails spurred the ship on, splashing up the salty spray. Calypso's temper tantrum ended."

Thank You my muse in uniform!

Calling for the younger me!

Conventionally the older you is to whom you will always go for an advice! But at this precarious age of 25 I'm fondly looking back at the younger and naive me, and want to borrow a few idealistic way of living  from her.
18 years old me, was very confident, secured and positively happy for no good reason. I had ample of trust on any and everybody, never really tried to read between the lines, thought the world practically revolved around me that made me care a rat's ass about trivial issues. I so want to get back to that me, who had her priorities set right, emotions aside, a straight focus and enjoyed all the me time.
The simple mantra I want to borrow from the young me, do not expect from other people then you would never be disappointed and whatever you finally get would be a bonus. Do not let somebody so close to you that the person attains the power to hurt you, break you and leave you miserable.
I was always a hardcore romantic, but knew how to distinguish it from reality and stay grounded to what's true. Fortunately I had a very secured and pampered childhood but with all the right lessons drilled into me. Trusting people came naturally to me, I could never see the reason for people lying or pretending on small things so believed it all, but trust me more than often I was right.
I was compassionate but never really let my feelings loose in front of others. Always had a very calculated approach to that, sole reason being that avoids other people from taking you for granted. The more open you are, the more predictable you become.
Overall I managed to be genuinely happy, it was a task to make me angry or upset. And today I realize it was only because I lived by my rules that seem to be fading away now. Experiences in the past years have shook my trust, made me expect, let myself to be taken for granted and to conclude left me unhappy.
So desperately I'm calling for my younger self to show me the path I've always walked upon but just strayed for a bit. I miss being the "happy me".      

Designed by me

Rules I live by..........

• Always give a benefit of doubt.... what you see or know is not necessarily the entire truth, there can be things beyond.
• Being judgemental is not the wisest conclusion. Cut some slack to everybody, they deserve it.
• Accept the fact that you cannot always be right. Look beyond white and black, the grey is important too!
• Be nice you will get nice.
• Sometimes being detached is not a bad thing. It make you look above things.
• Reaction is from your perception. If you want to control your anger, tears or any other emotion alter your perceptions.
• Stop frowning that really makes you feel blue. Your face muscles send signals to your brain about your feelings. Do a simple exercise to know it yourself, keep smiling on the days you feel low, and you will experience your mood shifting!
• Appreciate yourself and others for the simplest of things, that really makes a difference.
• Imp and the Crust is an important short story to me. I would not divulge its moral but always suggest you to read it. 
• Travel, explore, learn the most you can, you indeed live only once

To conclude, I live and let live. Make world a happy place :)

One Frame Story

Recently a friend introduced me to this new institution of one frame stories www.oneframestories.com. It was a rather interesting idea to concoct a story within 99 words based on the picture frame that changes every Friday. If your story makes the cut (it generally does if you follow the basic guidelines), it gets published on their website and if you manage to excel at it you are featured as the top 4 for the week.

As somebody who loves to experiment I had to explore this form of concise writing. Thus I jumped at it as soon as possible and wrote my very first OFS (One frame story) on frame no. 39. It was a very different experience and made me go through a whole lot of thinking at different levels.

Luckily I even had my 1st story featured on top 4, probably there were very few entries this week or I've simply been lucky, but however I would really like to share my first OFS that I'm truly excited about.

Sarosh like everyday gets her baba's lunch, but it's his favourite menu after a long time. Inspite of the scorching sun and back breaking field work, the menu is a true delight to Parsuram. Surprisingly Sarosh's aai (mother) is accompanying her today, outnumbering all her hardships, she has this gleam of happiness on her face. Gayatri murmurs "We are celebrating today!"Although Sarosh's reticence, anxiety and awkwardness has been evident through out, these rather contradicting expressions are pushing Parsuram into a world of anticipation. Just then half grinning Gayatri confides "Sarosh cannot serve you the pickle today".

#touchthepickle  

Hope you like it for I had fun writing this piece and would advise you all to try it out for once. If writing is not your forte, go through the variety of stories that enthusiasts have to offer. You will be amazed to find a plethora of angles one frame can be seen from.

Happy reading!

                                                        Story based on OFS Frame 39    

To be or not to be

This is a very common phrase but seldom we make an effort to think over it. Why in today's world trying to fit in has become easier than being oneself? How many times your first response is not the one that you eventually display in public and probably you say or do something entirely contradicting, just to fit in or confirm the social norms?
Can you imagine what will happen if you start saying the words exactly how they run in your mind, I would have probably been at more peace, giving everybody a piece of my mind, could have said exactly how I felt, but yes the consequences would have been my responsibility. So yes the question is what's the price to be yourself?
When I'm made to stand out why do I have to try so hard to fit in!
Is it so important to say the right thing all the time, I guess thats why blogs are made, so that we can literally speak our mind out without the affinity to be socially appropriate or accepted, and just the feeling that somebody is reading, feels like I'm being heard and probably not judged!
The need for being accepted or rather not being rejected sometimes really stop you from being yourself. How I wish I can jst say what I feel, give my heart a little relief from all that burden, but the question still stands at square one should I or should'nt? To be or not to be?
 

You made me beautiful!

This is my first personal blog, probably because I've ran out of ears to hear my continuous blabbering and surprisingly I do have secrets now!

I've never been big on make up, a simple kajal, may be an eye liner and a dash of lip-colour and I'm good  to go!  But yes this make up routine has been a mandate for almost 11 years of my life now and somehow I managed to make myself think I look sick and sleepy without my eyes done, and just couldn't step out my house without it. Not that I look gorgeous with my make up on, but yes I do make an average Indian picture.
But just  the other day when I was told to skip that line of Kajal and step out the way I was, and to mention we were going to a pretty decent place, I really took a moment to think. He made me look into the mirror and have me believe I look beautiful the way I am. Made me notice the spark of happiness in my eyes (that is always there when I'm around him), which makes me beautiful! He rather made me notice few unusual things like the lines on my face, my imperfect dimple, the half grin that actually added colour and character to my face. The way he looked at me when I pretended to be asleep or lost deep in my thoughts,made me feel so beautiful inside and out.
He is a sweet talker so not that I believe all he says, but I do know how to read the truth when his eyes speak and he turns his face when caught. Today I look at myself in the mirror, with or without make up&I feel gorgeous, more confident, in love with myself and that smirk automatically fills my face with the glow of content and self assurance!
Today was the first day when I consciously dropped my kajal and stepped out of my house to run few errands and I've to agree I love the feeling of being natural. Make up is a part and parcel of all our lives but just few days without it,is totally worth and reassuring. I will totally advise all you pretty ladies out there to take it as a challenge and step out of the house in your natural best.
Thank you for letting me see through your eyes, thank you for making me feel beautiful!