In ancient times, people used to believe that the earth was flat, like a disk, and that if one travelled too far from land then that person would fall off the edge, like in case of a waterfall. When I first assimilated this fact, it reminded me of a coin. It still does. The only difference being, I wasn’t aware of the concept of suicide back then, I mean, I knew what it meant, however, the reasons behind the aforementioned activities were beyond my eleven-year-old grasp. They still are, but I understand, or at least I think I understand where the reasons are coming from, but I don’t think that they justify suicide. 
Now you must be wondering what a coin has to do with suicide. Well, a coin has two sides. When a coin is kept on a flat surface, one of its sides is in the light and the other in the dark, making one bright side and a dark one. Life too is the same. It has a bright side and a dark one. Needless to mention the bright side is one of happiness and the dark one of difficulties. 
Owing to the unpredictability of life there’s no guarantee that one will always remain on the bright side. At times a person is so far into the dark side, that just like in the ancient belief about flat earth, they fall off the edge and into the unknown. Now, these people can be classified into, those who set foot into the dark side willingly and those who have no choice and are pushed into it by the circumstances. No matter what the reason, if these people are not pulled out or if they do not pull themselves out of the darkness, it eats at their insides, hence the person becomes dead inside. All this might seem to be fancy talk, but by dark side I don’t just mean drugs, smuggling, black marketing, and other out of bounds stuff, I mean atrocious stuff like ragging, harassment of all sorts, blackmail, et cetera, that pushes people to take such drastic actions that they wouldn’t have dreamt of in normal circumstances.
It is when the dark becomes so overwhelming and stifling that everything seems dead and lifeless to a person and he has no apparent attachment to the bright side, that he takes the saddening decision of ending his own life. To him, everything is so bleak and spiritless that the light just loses its significance. But, the fact that they forget or the reason for the darkness in their life makes them overlook is that there is still light in the world, it may be far away, but it is there. One just needs to find the rope that will tether them to the bright side and use it to reach it the other side. And that rope is the people who care about us. One forgets that there are people that care about their lives, even if they don’t do that themselves. After all, our heart is part of those we love, and hence, when one chooses to terminate its beating, he chooses to reduce the beats from the hearts of his loved ones as well.
Just imagine, the condition of a single mother when she realizes that her son was being bullied, but cannot do anything, because it’s too late. The plight of a father when he is informed that her daughter was being blackmailed, and instead of embracing him, embraced death. The horror of a little girl when she finds out that she is now an orphan because her mother chose to give in to the pressure of life rather than fight with it. Wouldn’t it be easier to talk about the problem, to ask for help? And if one thinks that they are doing a favour to those around them by ending their own life, let me make it clear, their magnanimity is totally uncalled for. The people who love them would very much prefer that they talk to them and ask for their help. 
I am in no way trying to undermine anyone’s difficulties. No one knows what lies after death and if one is still ready to take that risk and hope that life is better there, then the problem must be excruciating. My point is, why take the risk at all? Why not be a little brave and courageous and find the rope to the bright side? Why not be a survivor and not a victim? 
I hope that everyone finds their rope, stays connected to the bright side and remembers that suicide is not an escape but a tragedy.

“There is a wisdom of the heart and a wisdom of the head.” -Charles Dickens

Wise, intelligent, sagacious, prudent, judicious, are some titles chosen out of the profusion of names designated to a person who is extraordinary, a person who possesses that knowledge and experience which the ordinary and humdrum crowd lacks. These people are recognised for their skill and talent, for their exceptional qualities that distinguish them from the crowd, those qualities that make them who they are. Compassionate, benevolent, sympathetic, kind-hearted, are the adjectives attributed to those persons who place other people before themselves. These people are renowned for their kindness, for the concern and sympathy they hold for their less fortunate brethren. This classification implicitly shows that the wisdom of the first group of men resides in their head, whereas for the second group, wisdom has its abode in the heart. The first lot of people are rational, practical and logical, whereas the other one is contingent on instinct and intuition for their decisions. The first group applies logic while devising their plans, whereas for the second group following their heart is their commander.

If we contemplate the matter further, it becomes obvious that neither of the two groups can survive independently. Both of them need the other to survive in today’s world that, in the progressive process of becoming modern and advanced, has simultaneously become treacherous.This new world demands people whose manoeuvre is characterised by both logic and intuition. It requires people who can take decisions by balancing reasoning with instinct, letting neither of the two overpower the other. Let us think of it this way, an infant or a kid never thinks what he is doing, he just follows his heart’s orders. He becomes completely oblivious to what is happening around him, or what might happen, once he sees his mother and without any mediation runs straight into her arms. This is what makes them kids and this why they have to be kept under constant supervision, this why they need someone who can assist their heart with mind, and prevent them from hurting themselves.Whereas, on the other hand a   scientist, for whom a new invention is at the door listening to his heart is not an option, but this does not mean that he can abuse the people around him and make them efficacious for himself, that he has a right to overlook the roles the people who have advantageously helped him throughout his journey have played.   This is where heart steps in, it reminds those entangled helplessly in the web of selfishness and ephemeral fame, that there is something greater than their own self, that it’s time for them to rethink and assess their past actions and question themselves whether what they are doing is correct or not.

These examples make us realise explicitly that, mind and heart together make a flawless human being, a human being, who is a perfect blend of intelligence and humility, a person who is brilliant yet modest, a person who remains unimpressed by momentary happiness and is conscious of the joy that the collaboration of heart and mind can culminate into. 

The world we live in today we have started using our mind more than our heart, which has eventually resulted in people thinking twice before entrusting their faith in someone. It has resulted in people getting deceived and exploited. There is no longer room left for the people who are honest and trustworthy, people who expect to receive what they bestow. So, it’s time for us to wake up, to free ourselves from the grip of our ego and selfishness, and by asking the wisdom of our head togive way to the wisdom of our heart, make both of them walk hand in hand.

 She stares in wonder and awe,
At the red mess of chubby hands and cheeks,
Eyes mirroring hers,
Fists shut tight,
To keep the love tucked in them from spilling out.
 
She places a hand on his tiny chest,
And listens to the infinitesimal thud,
Fueling both of their lives,
And wonders how something so tiny,
Could make her heart feel like a parachute.
 
She opens the door their home,
“This is your home, baby boy”, she says,
And shows him the place,
That would always shine,
With their love for each other.
 
“I am a mother”, she thinks,
Placing him in his cradle,
And is overcome with the giddiness,
And the trepidation,
That motherhood is bundled with.
 
It has been eight months since,
He became her world,
Eight months since,
She loved him,
With every glance and every touch.
                              
“Mama”, he garbles, in his sweet voice,                        
She stills, her hand freezes,                                                                        
She reaches the floor,
Where he sits unaware of the invaluable gift,
He just bestowed.
 
She encircles him,
In the heady circle of her arms,
Pleading for him to speak again,
And relishes in the euphoria,
Of his first words.
 
It has been a whole year since,
He lit up the dark caverns of her heart,
A whole year.
Since his cries became,
Her morning alarm.
 
His face lights up,
With a blinding smile,
When he sees his birthday cake,
Her heart dances,
With the music of glee in his face.
 
It has been five years since,
He filled the dreary chambers of her heart,
With the warmth of his smile,
Five years since, his laughs,
Dissipated her loneliness like an ice cube left in the sun.
 
Her eyes go misty as she stares,
At the colorful picture of herself on the paper,
“That’s you. Because you are my favorite person”, he says,
The straggling beauty of every stroke,
Belied the love in his voice.
 
It has been ten years since,
He rekindled the fire in her eyes,
Ten years since,
He brought back the lost euphoria,
In her effortlessly desolate laugh.
 
“Good night, baby boy”, she says,
Placing the storybook by the bed,
She kisses his forehead,
“I love you, mama”, he says,
And her heart marvels at the chest of exultation,
Those words covet.
 
It has been twelve years,
Since he was welcomed into the world,
By the most loving mother,
Twelve years,
Since making her smile became his favorite game.
 
His face is red with anger,
As potent as a rainstorm that leaves destruction in its wake,
“Those mean boys made fun of you”, he says,
She smiles and asks, “Did it make you think any less of me?”
And sees him shake his head,
“Then, what is there to be angry about?”
 
It has been fifteen years,
Since “family” became synonyms with “Maa”,
Fifteen years since,
Her arms became,
The warmest shelter of all.
 
Every day in this household,
Resembles a kaleidoscope,
Of memories, of love, of reverence,
Of lives lived so heartily,
That they amaze those around them.
 
It’s her birthday,
She peers out the window,
And sees him running,
Carrying a gift box in his hands,
And feels her eyes well up.
 
She is about to turn around,
When the sight of a speeding car stops her,
A scream builds up in her throat,
And she wishes that it could stop everything,
And prevent the impending disaster.
 
But, all the might of her heart,
Doesn’t stop the wretched car.
It hits him,
And it’s like a wrecking ball hits,
Right at her heart.
 
The scream pushes out of her throat,
And pulls at the,
Barbed wire, the sight before her,
Seems to have tied around her heart,
Letting all of it bleed out from her eyes, onto her cheeks.
 
Paying no heed to her heaving chest,
She runs towards him,
Pushing through the gathering crowd,
She reaches him,
Her screams excruciating enough to break the wire,
As well as her heart.
 
Her gift lies crushed by him,
Like a lugubrious reminder,
Of life’s fickleness.
 
His is a red mess,
Just like at the time of his birth,
But, this time, when she places a hand on his chest,
His heart no longer beats.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         

                                  
                          
 
 
 
   




 

The title is peculiar, isn’t it? We humans might possess drastically distinct personality traits as well as physical attributes , but there is something we all have in common. Dreams . We are all dreamers. From a kid, who wants to become everything he finds fascinating, to an old man, who dreams of a peaceful and happy life for his children. Others’ opinions stop fazing a person, if all that is important to him is what his dreams think about him. No matter how rich a person, no matter how poor, everyone is a dreamer. Dreams don’t take the nationality, skin colour, gender, race, caste, or any such thing over which we humans don’t have control, into consideration. What matters to them is passion and determination. Dreams are the force that drives life forward. Dreams might be different for everyone, but the path to their fulfilment is  marked by the same obstacles and crossed with ardour and fervour, that every human can employ. Dreams thus, are that wall which prevents a person from becoming listless and keeps the fire of passion in us, alive. 

Here is what dreams might to a person and for them and something we can all relate to: 

 Dreams  are the voice of our soul,
Aspirations of the mind that unroll,
In the most beautiful attire, 
Things that our heart desires.

Dreams are the purpose of our life,
They act as a knife against all our strife,
Things that we want to achieve, 
No matter how hard we have to conceive.

Dreams are the reason for our existence, 
The cause of our persistence,
Things we want to pursue, 
Ingredient of our life we can’t eschew.

Dreams are the reason for our journey,
Which when fulfilled amuse us utterly, 
They persuade us to keep going,
Against all odds that life keeps bestowing. 

Who is a modern girl?

How many times do we use the term “modern girl” in today’s world? How many times have we employed this term to justify our actions to the society? Or, better yet, do we really comprehend the term as it should be comprehended? Though, we can all have distinct and varied interpretations of the term, here are the thoughts the term , “modern girl” provokes in my mind:

“That is a tough job for a girl. Girls don’t argue. Don’t cry like a girl. Boys are not afraid of anything, etc. etc.” These are some of the examples chosen out of the profusion offered by the patriarchal disposition of our society, by which they undermine the worth of females . A modern girl, thus, is someone who defies these presumptuous declarations and fights to show that her position in the society is a crucial one . She is someone who goes the extra mile to pursue her dreams. She is no longer a timid lady who is content in remaining in a veil of underestimation, instead, she is someone who wants to break free of the vicious grip of the decrepit social norms. She intends to prove her purpose in this world and prove that she is righteously worthy of more than just housewifery. 

She resembles a bird who has, not long ago, escaped the cage that bound her and now wants to take in every shred of her newfound freedom and wants to soar high availing all  that the unfathomable sky has to offer . 

A modern girl is or at least wants to be, someone whom the restrictions which she is furnished with at every corner of her life cannot faze. Though, so driven and passionate , she tries not to be self-centred and to be a blend of warmth for her loved ones and perseverance for her dreams thereby resulting in two contrasting personalities coalesced into one. She is not perfect, but possesses flaws like everyone else and that is why the distinction lies in the fact that she tries to be better and to not let those flaws affect her, or those around her. 

A modern girl is someone who refuses to be ruled by “what people will think”, on the contrary, her driving force is what she herself thinks. She knows now that, how she wants to dress, how she wants to spend her life, when she wants to marry, where she wants to live, etc. are her choices in all entirety. She is someone who refuses to be suppressed and to be subjugated by the rickety boundations imposed on them . A modern girl is someone who wants to widen the conventional horizons of her freedom with the power of her personality and opinions.

“She will not be simple and sweet .

She will not be who people tell her she should be”

― E. Lockhart, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks