Every time I go to visit my mom, I get all these memories flooded back and you know, there is something profound about walking through your old neighborhood,exchanging smiles with so many known faces and visiting your school.No matter where I go with my travels throughout my life, there will never be another place in this universe that could hold a spot in my heart like this one.

Every corner of the road and the fast food stalls have a story to tell.

Some people find it hard to remember childhood experiences. For some, the past is more vivid, while for others, it is vague and unclear. Some remember what happened while others only remember what they felt about what happened.

Our parents generation was proud to be homeowners – they didn’t move around like we do today. The general sentiment in the 80’s was to buy a house and live there until you die –

Today, home ownership is viewed as much as an investment as it is a privilege, as the cost of housing is at an all-time high. We buy the minimum amount of space we need, expecting to move with each major life event.Our memories are scattered.

Where we grew up ,that’s our parents home,the buildings are very old and sooner or later will be demolished and a new construction with latest facilities for an improved quality of life will come up.Lot of positives no denial to that.

But there is an emotional aspect too -I am already forecasting the disoriented feeling where I would look at my house and the neighborhood where I have spent my entire childhood and hardly recognize it because the landscaping has changed.There are countless memories with the various holidays, birthdays, and special occasions that you celebrated there each year. Home is where you grew up, live life, and ultimately create your own haven.Bidding farewell to the dwelling you grew up in is a bittersweet.

Homes aren’t made of bricks but memories.

Having a growing child around is like a surveillance camera on you 24hrs.Your actions are noted,copied and followed.Beware!

Rakshabandan – As kids we were taught its a Brother-Sister festival.
We were too naive to think beyond that.
If you have two sons or two daughters how would you explain it? Won’t they celebrate? Suppose you have a single child then……
The emphasis was always on how a brother made a promise to his sister and all stories would revolve around that.
Why can’t it be celebrated with a close friend or a loved one who has stood by you in your worst times.
It should be a date with that one person who has been there with you during your thick and thin.
It’s a sacred thread just like a friendship band,keep it for that one special person in your life – can be your mother,father,friend,cousin anybody whose presence makes you feel “I am there with you always”.
All children should celebrate this festival,none should feel left out.
Stories need to change with time.
We should celebrate all our relations.
There should be no empty wrists.
Having a son and a daughter doesn’t mean it’s a complete family and being a single parent doesn’t make it an incomplete family.
The bond and the trust in one another completes the relationship ,nothing else matters.
Rakshabandan means a bond between two individuals to protect and stand by one another always.
Let us bring the change and share new stories with the next generation 😊

We all have hobbies and observation activities, one of mine is studying the mannerisms of people going in and coming out from the cinema halls.

Different sets of people you come across walking into the cinema halls-

some come with full energy and lot of expectations in their minds,

some come only for the hot caramel popcorns which is itself a good reason (that’s me),

some look fully stressed out and are looking for a de-stress,

some looking for lone times,

some have already made their views based on the trailer and have rated the movie even before it began………..

We find all of these inside the same cinema hall…

People no more go to the cinemas to watch every good movie. Watching a movie in a cinema hall has become a burden on the wallet and not many prefer wasting their hard-earned money. People patiently wait for the movies to come online. We cannot deny that watching something cinematic blown up on the big screen is a truly a feast for the eyes and still remains unique compared to watching it on a TV, tab or phone.

Preference of seat is also a very important parameter to enjoy the movie. A seat close to the screen leaves you with a bad neck, slouching down, tilting the head and rolling the eyeballs from side to side to catch the full screen leaves you with a bad headache\backache. Corner seats are mostly preferred by the lovebirds. Seats close to the exit path way are preferred by the people with small children.

One gets a wonderful feeling when the movie unfolds to their expectations. The enjoyment of laughing in unison at a golden comic moment is amazing in itself.

On the flip side, there is a uniquely unpleasant sensation of a person behind you kicking the back of your seat. Some people can be so annoying, they would be constantly checking their phone and the light can be so distracting.

We see people walking out of the cinema hall dejected, angry, frustrated, situational reasons – bad stomach, bad date. 

How can we forget the spoilers, going to watch thriller-suspense and some annoying random person blurts out the suspense? Have you ever done that?

Memories like these, whether good or bad, are all part of cinema-going experience, you will have lots more of your own.

We live in an era with infinite content, too many options like Netflix, Amazon prime etc. One doesn’t really need to go to the theatre and leave half way. He could sit at home and just conveniently change the movie.

The social networking sites are flooded with reviews even before the movie ends. The screenwriter isn’t sitting next to us on pins and needles awaiting an instant review. Enjoy the moment and let others experience it in their own away without having any preconceived notions.

When I leave this world

I want you to set me free

Send me to ashes

And I promise to glow

in your heart forever.

Life is too short to get bored.

We need to accept life as it unfolds

Finding happiness within the boundary and not making much changes is self rewarding at times.

Boredom is a fleeting nature of mind that cannot be accurately explained.

It’s a mental state used by an escapist to avoid self reflection.

It’s a trait of our mind and we get trapped easily disconnecting ourselves from the surrounding.

It’s become a social disease which never existed in the past.People then were busy trying to survive.They spent all their time securing food or shelter and didn’t have anytime to get bored.

People now are overstimulated ,we have too many options for entertainment.Hence we end up feeding boredom rather than discouraging it.

We crave for more time. However, when we have free time, we don’t know what to do with it. Nothing seems exciting enough to deserve our valuable time. We end up doing nothing and get bored.

You are in this state only because you feel you have a lot of time albeit that’s not true.

Dear Papa,

It’s been almost two decades I last saw you, spoke to you, touched your hand, laughed in your presence. I miss the sound of your voice, how you would call me,I miss your words of wisdom and strong loud voice.

Not a day has passed when you don’t cross my mind.All my happy moments I have felt your presence on my graduation,wedding day and the day I became a mother.When I see men of your age or fathers of my friends I have envied it sometimes and always thought how would it be if you were still around.

I feel proud when I still hear people talk fantastic about you.You have left back many good memories for all.

Mummy has become a strong lady,she took care of every small need of ours to her best ability.She has always been an amazing mother but after you left she fitted into your shoes and took everything to her stride.I know she is lonely but she doesn’t let that affect her.I am more proud of her now than ever.She is a true fighter.

Papa please keep shining above us and give us the strength to get better by the day.

Your loving daughter…

After many No’s and How’s

And fighting all odds

They met the very first time

Their eyes met and a smile popped

The long wait was over

Mixed emotions both sides

Wished everything around stopped for a while

The moist eyes spoke a million words

The watch was ticking faster than before

The coffee tasted better than ever

They knew this could be the last time too

There was so much to hear and say

The time was too short but every moment was memorable

Goodbyes are never good

Parting can be full of sorrow

Feels like there is no tomorrow

Though it was only for a while

They parted with a smile

People today are calling their fathers and wishing them Father’s Day.

Papa, I only have you in pictures and memories.

Its been two decades of emptiness and vacuum.

The flow of memories will never close

And I miss you more than anybody knows

My phone never showed Dad calling

I could never tag you on any social page

I keep writing for you on special days

My heart says you are there for me

And that’s the only solace for me

Miss you – Lots of love from this part of the world

The world around is filled with people waiting to judge.

People who nurture and uplift are in small numbers.

Words spoken may be short but the right ones echo endlessly and the wrong ones tear you apart.

Having a bunch of friends is great.

The count of friends\relatives on Facebook and the number of followers on Instagram can be enthralling.

Somehow with the passing time we realise not everyone is a friend.

You find nothing in common with some of these people whom you would have spent your childhood and adolescent period.

If they are always judging you it can have a direct impact on your self-esteem. Belittling and pointing out flaws all the time can make the relationship toxic. Now their ideologies and outlook on life seems completely unrelatable and the only thing left in common is the growing up together memories or the time spent together.

Old friendship\relationship or new, drawing boundaries are important, either stand for yourself or just walk away. A simple test can be by just telling the other person,” Right now I only want to be heard” inspite of saying it, if the person turns incapable you have the answer in front of you.

Life is filled with new chapters and we just need to move on.

Some people become part of anything and everything you do. Consider yourself lucky to have them as they are the ones who make up for every friend you would have lost over a period of time.

Having few friends makes life easy – neither you need to adapt to them nor put yourself in a situation you don’t want to be. This helps in reserving energy to invest only on people who really mattered and cared.

Cutting of relationships is brutal – when you identify a particular relation is getting toxic or having a negative impact on your life, its time to reevaluate. Its healthy to distance yourself but uprooting can become an emotional roller coaster ride. We can always maintain being in touch in social gatherings or common events.

Listen to your inner voice and follow your vibes.