Life at 25 in a nutshell!!

Dear 25 year old myself,

You must feel you’ve come a long way, experienced probably enough to pass through your coming years, and have courage to face any adversity come what may.

But let me tell you the truth that’s buried deep down in your heart.

You lack the courage to give up your current well-paying job for an opportunity that takes you closer to your dream; you would’ve done that at the start of your career, but now, you’re just too scared. You think about the salary, company reputation. Funny, how you never thought about these things when you were fresh out of college - you only thought of taking the step that would take you closer to your ambition, which was never money.

You had dreams, and will and courage to take up the chances. Now you have dreams, but no courage to take up chances - you think with your mind. Your heart is veiled with insecurities and fear of destroying what you’ve built. If what you built needs protection, it isn’t worthy of being feared for.

It's not the late night chats that keep you awake, rather a question chasing you, a question which is ambiguous, yet demands an answer. Sometimes you know the question but you seek luxury of ignorance.

You glimpse at that pretty girl riding next you, but then your mind suddenly thinks about the fuel in your bike - when did I get the tanker filled? How many days passed since then?  How many more days for next refuel? How much money do I have left in the bank account? Will I survive with the balance money? I should postpone the bike servicing. Thank god I don't have a girlfriend! You heave sigh.

You now know love at first sight and all those great love stories are just fiction. And after all those relationships and breakups, now you know there's no such thing as soul mate, love just grows over time,and you just grow to love that person.

Now you long for little talk with your mother over incessant chatting marathons. You precisely understand every word that she says, which you never paid attention to, or didn't understand even when you did. You respect them more realizing how they went through their life and their struggles, while always keeping a smile ready for you.

You are mature now, atleast that's what the society says. Oh, yes, what society thinks of you matters now. You want to work in a reputed company for a heavy salary, ride an expensive bike only to impress the society.

But, this isn’t what I dreamed for you. This is exactly the opposite. You’re not meant to be caged, even if it’s your abstract thoughts - break free. Chase your dreams, and cherish your journey. Take that bike ride you’ve been postponing. Find yourself, gather the courage to take up that challenge and do what you always wanted to, after all, like Robin Williams said, ‘You’re given one little spark of madness, you mustn’t lose it.’

Why do you want to settle down when life itself never stops, but moves on?

Stand up for something - good or bad

Stand up for something - good or bad

Make your voice heard - loud and clear

Speak out - let the world know you have the power of words.

Make them heard. Make them hear you,

raise the tone if they don't, intensify the power of your words -

challenge them to avoid you, and fail them.

They'll mock you, criticize you.

Don't let that bog you down.

None said it's going to be easy.

It wasn't worth doing if it was easy.

Pull up your courage, fasten your thoughts, let the world know you have a voice.

Stand up for something - good or bad

Make your voice heard - loud and clear

You'll falter, you'll break and you'll go down in dust.

But, never accept the defeat.

You are never finished until you say you are.

Don't let them decide when you are done. You stay up, you stay strong.

Stand up for something - good or bad

Make your voice heard - loud and clear

Let them say things about you, because that's all they can do.

You rise above from them and make your own ground.

You give in your soul and heart, and everything you can.

Make it happen and rise above.

Stand up for something - good or bad

Make your voice heard - loud and clear

Open Letter To Every Newly Married Friend!

It was one of the happiest days of my life. Seeing you as a bride and more importantly, a happy one, would be a memory I will cherish throughout my life. Whenever you looked at your better half, I could see the love and trust needed in such a special relationship. You've finally found that special person, or may be, he found you, or even better, you both found each other.

However, I couldn't help but say that this day has also made me realize that it's time for me to take a small step back. It's time for your better half to fill the space that I had occupied. Although, it makes me feel insecure, I genuinely understand, accept and want him to take that place of best friend in your life.

                                                                     

But, I want to make some promises from the depth of my heart.

I promise, I'll be patient and wait to wish you birthday after he wishes you first and will step back when you have a dilemma of whom to offer the first piece of cake. I'll understand when you reveal that big news to him first and then to me. I'll accept the priorities of your life when you give my birthday a miss to celebrate his big day. I'll not mind when you share the drink with him, like we did.

I'll understand when you, liberately or deliberately, hide things from me, just because you don't feel like disclosing your inside jokes. I'll not mind when you say, 'you'll not understand' when you share your marriage problems. I'll always be on your side, whenever you need me. I'll be content being second on your emergency dial list. I'll not complain when you postpone our plans of doing things together for your family commitments. I'll still be happy if you spare time to call me on my birthday and talk heartily.

And here are the list of promises, I seek from you. 

That you'll, atleast, read the messages I send you. Share your problems, even if you feel I'll not understand them. Never apologize to cancel or postpone our meetings for your family. That you'll never let the memories you have of me fade away from your mind. And, finally, wish me on my birthday in person or through a telephone call, but not in whatsapp or Facebook.

Your Wedding Invitation and Scars of Love!

As I saw you walking towards me, all the moments we spent together - right from the first time I saw you in that black dress to the first kiss - flashed in my mind. I was looking at you trying to avoid any eye-contact. I waved at you like the first time we met; you chose to give a humble smile and continued to walk, as I followed you.

It seemed different walking with you, I was never used to your silence - never wanted to get used to it. As we walked from the parking lot, my ears were longing to hear you speak, to hear you blabber, like you did the last time we came here - your words filling my existence, hands slipping into mine and eyes looking through my soul. I looked at you, you were calm as moon, while my whole being was at unrest like the waves in ocean.

In those 232 seconds of walk, I looked at you 200 times, I stumbled four times, but you looked at me 0 times. I opened the door of the restaurant for you. Thank you, you said below your breath, that was the first time you talked to me in weeks, after my repeated requests to meet you. You replied after my 50 messages with address of the place and time of meeting.

You brought out a cream-colored invitation card and passed it on to me. I held it carefully, despite knowing it was something I want to destroy. I gave a fake smile and read your name on your wedding card. I liked the font and the way letter S was stretched to link it with the groom’s name. You were seated quietly, while my emotions were in chaos watching my world, my universe slipping out of my life and I’m helplessly trying to hold back the fading fleck.

I laughed, remembering that it was the same place where you placed your head on my shoulder and filled the gap of my fingers, saying, ‘I want to marry you, only you!’ ‘I promise,’ I said that day. I’m sorry.

I looked at you to check if the same thought crossed your mind. You looked at me, straight into my eyes, after what felt like ages. My eyes brimmed, blurring the vision.

‘Bye,’ you said and started walking towards the door. I stood there holding your wedding invitation and the scars you left on my soul!

*Image Courtesy: Transcending Oblivion

Life: You have it figured out? Think again!

Life! Undoubtedly, the biggest mystery. 

Just when you think you have it all figured out, it give will give you such a major thud that you'll wonder - where the hell am I going? Or, what the hell am I doing? You'll wonder how everything that seemed clear and unambiguous, has suddenly blurred, which is often worse than getting blind.

They say, life throws struggles at you to make you feel alive. Life is something that wakes you up in the middle of the night after you put yourself to sleep with great difficulty. Life is something that will push you to write down your feelings, but with a question mark of where to begin. Life is something that will make you feel warmer walking on empty roads on a cold night rather than sitting among people. 

                                                                      

When you whine over people not understanding you or misunderstanding you, life will tell you that it's never about what they feel about you, rather about your conscience. Sometimes you try to live in the memories, which seems much dear and happy than the present; but those moments were also your 'present' sometime back. Like a quote says, 'The future is scary, but you can't just run back to the past because it's familiar. Yes it's tempting, but it's a mistake'.

In the dark of the night, you hold all those memories tight, afraid and unwilling to let them go and face the life. Life can be happy, sad, challenging, disappointing, hurtful, hateful or loving, but never constant. Life is like ocean, when you see it from a hilltop it might seem appealing and beautiful, but only when you stand facing it, you'll understand its strength to snatch you away from the ground and whirl you around.

But then again, life is about getting yourself lost, only to find the real you!