From a father, to his daughter

Dear daughter,

I know its not easy, to be a strong independent woman in a world that constantly tries to pull you down. I see it, the struggle that you go through, the troubles that you hide. I see it and I keep quiet anyway, because I know you will walk out of these hurdles with your head held high. I didn't just raise a daughter, I raised a fighter. I know how easy it is for the world to judge you every time you don't match their notion of how a woman should be. Some people will have troubles with the way you dress, some with the way you talk, some with the friends you make and some even with the life decisions you take. Everytime you do something for your own self, you'll find someone nodding their head in disapproval. Take my advise, and ignore them all. Standing behind you is the man who has more faith in your choices than you do in your own self, and that is all that matters. There is only one person guaranteed to live with you, and that's you, so make sure you find your own happiness first. You'll never be able to make evryone happy, you absolutely dont have to. You weren't put on this earth to please people, you were born to make the most of the life you were given. Make sure you do justice to that.

You will make mistakes, you'll make a lot of them. As long as you learn your lessons from them, know that you are on the right track. I'll be scared everytime you take a bold decision, but I'll also hold on to my faith in your strength. No matter how scary it looks to you and me, I want you to break barriers that hold you down, and find freedom outside your comfort zone. Be the best version of yourself and never, I repeat, never apologise for being who you are. Take pride in the wonderful woman you have grown into.

With nerves of steel and a heart of gold, you're a woman any man would be lucky to have by his side. Make sure you chose the right one, the one who sees you for who you are and gives you the same love that I do. With love comes respect, and if you find a man that gives you both, you'll know you chose the right one. It's not easy though, to spot a gem in a world where crystals shine brighter than diamonds, but since you've come a long way already, you'll be wise enough to give your heart to the one who deserves it. If ever you do find yourself with someone who thinks that you're lesser than him, or anybody else, leave. Without a second thought, leave. You deserve to spend your life with someone who makes you feel that you're the best in the world, at least in his world. A few years later when you raise your children, make sure you lead them by example. Let your daughter learn that she can turn into a terrific woman and handle life like a boss, just like you do. Let your son learn to respect women by the kind of respect you rightfully earn. That's the beauty women hold, they have the power to mould and inspire the ones around them, just by being the best version of themselves.

Life will never stop throwing curve balls your way. Woman up, take your sword and be your own knight in shining armor. Walk out of your troubles with grit and grace. When its time to go, all that matters is how strongly you held on to your right to live a splendid, crazy, beautiful life and how well you smiled through it all.

Promise me you'll never leave your own side, no matter what life demands from you. Remember, you have me too by your side. Always!

Love,
Your proud father

Lets get drunk on love

Let’s get drunk on love. Travel far far away, away from the chaos of life and its demands. Away to the place where the sun meets the sea. Let’s make castles with sand, get our hair dirty with mud on our heads and salt in our hair. Let’s drown our worries in the towering tides that splash our morning faces. Let’s pick shells and leave our footprints by the beach. Let’s jump high and fall back down laughing our hearts out. Let’s sip lemonades by the sea side, counting all the boats that drift far away. By the blue sea where waves meet wonders, as I place my feet on yours and dance to our own music in the sand, let’s get drunk on love.

Let’s chase butterflies by the mountains. I’ll let you put daisies on my hair that you pluck from the way. Let’s race each other to the top of the hill, only to stop half way and sleep under a tree. Let’s ditch our lunch, and feed on mulberries from the shrubs. Let’s dip our feet in the waterfall by the rocks, jump in the cold river and let it wash away the dust from our minds. We’ll let the breeze sway us into the land of dreams as we lose ourselves in a green paradise. The higher we tread, the closer we get. On a mountain where the clouds kiss our feet and mist fogs our eyes, let’s get drunk on love.

Let’s lay down on the grass in a forest, under the midnight sky. As millions of stars look down on us, let’s hold hands and smile back at them. Let shooting stars pass by, we’ll make no wish. We already got what we wished for, the love beating in our hearts. As glow worms light up above our heads, let’s snuggle in a blanket outside our tent. In a forest that sparkles in the starlit sky, by the sound of a flowing stream nearby, let’s get drunk on love.

Let’s race the road in an open top car. I’ll drive and you can put your feet out the window. We’ll soak the sun light and let the wind play with our hair. Let’s stop by every coffee shop we find, fill our hearts with caffeine and hit the road back again. Let’s engrave the story of us on long endless roads that lead nowhere. On a road trip where wind meets freedom and speed meets love, let’s get drunk on love.

Let’s jump in puddles like frogs in a pond, drenching ourselves in the heaviest of rains. Let’s throw our umbrellas away and kiss in the rain, bringing to life our favorite fairy tales. Let’s make paper boats and set them afloat, letting them carry with it all of our woes. We’ll pull branches of trees and splash raindrops on our heads from the leaves. When the rainbow slowly makes its way, let’s paint the sky with colors of life. By the bench of a tea stall on a rainy evening, sipping piping hot tea from a pot of clay, let’s get drunk on love.

Let’s get drunk on love with every chance we get. Let’s get drunk on love with every chance we make. Across the skies, into the sea, far away in the horizon where birds fly free, darling let’s hold hands and never let go.

If she were mine...

"If she were mine…that smile on her face would not be a fake one" he thought, sipping his whisky in the dead of the night, watching her next to her husband. Joe couldn't help but notice how far away they seemed, despite standing next to each other in the balcony. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her fair skin had red patches from his blows. Her beautiful eyes nested in hollow dark sockets. There were fading brown bruises on her hands. "If she were mine…I would never have enough of kissing her cheeks, looking into her eyes and holding her hands."

The husband carried two cups of drinks with him, coffee perhaps. "Didn't he know by now that she likes tea more?" With a wounded hand, she slowly took one from him, moving it to her lips. She hid the withering pain that came with the hot drink brushing against her bruised lips. “If she were mine…I would never stop kissing her lips” Joe sighed.

"I'm sorry" Joe heard the husband apologise.

"It's ok" she said meekly, but Joe could hear her screaming within, that it was not ok. It was just not ok!

"Do you still love me?" the husband asked, holding her by her waist, ignoring the shiver it sent down her spine.

"I do!" she said, unable to look into his eyes.

"Prove it to me then" he said, loosening his grip.

"How?" she asked, dreading his next order. Joe couldn't help but wonder why she put up with him.

"Scream it out from here" he said.

"Now?" she asked, baffled.

"Yes! Now!" Is there a problem? his eyes accrued with rage.

"How can someone be so rude to a wonderful woman like her? If she were mine…I would be the one screaming out to the world how much I loved her, and how lucky I am to have her" Joe thought, pitying her. He clutched his glass of whiskey harder, anymore and it would break in his hands, but Joe didn't care. The broken glass could not incite more pain than he did on her every day.

"No problem..." she mumbled, walking towards the edge of the balcony, leaving her cup behind. Standing at the edge of the railing, she turned her head to the sky. The cold midnight breeze brushed against her tears that fell off her cheeks. Humiliated, yet silent, she prepared to scream out a blatant lie to the winds, that she loved him. Joe wanted to walk away, unable to see him putting her through more humiliation, but he could never have enough of seeing her pretty face.

"If she were mine…her eyes would gleam with joy, not tears. The hair that he pulled, I'd put daisies in them. I'd kiss all the pain away from the cheeks that he so ruthlessly slapped.”

A sudden loud shriek pulled Joe back into the moment!

"Scared you, didn't I" the husband laughed after almost pushing her off the balcony.

Sweating profusely in fear, having come face to face with death, for the first time in two years, Joe saw a storm in her eyes! With burning rage that out shadowed the husband's, her hands shivered again, this time of anger. She mustered all the strength she had buried inside for years and looked straight into his sadist eyes. "Thud!" came a deafening voice as she slapped him right across the face. She looked like an epitome of raging fire with years of pain having been finally eased. "How dare you…" he screamed, ready to hit her, but before he could, she raised her bruised hand again and slapped him harder.

"Enough!" she screamed her lungs out! "Enough! Touch me one more time you sloth and I will murder you right here, right now!" she screamed looking straight into his eyes. It was the first time she looked into his eyes fearlessly.

A sudden silence enthralled as the husband and wife both stood in shock. Had she known before how strong she truly was, the disastrous marriage would have ended long ago. Storming her way into the house, she packed her bags and drove away before he could make sense of what happened.

"If she were mine…again…I would treat her like the princess she is" Joe wiped away a tear, remembering the night he and his wife had both come into their senses. He knew he didn't deserve a second chance. He had been a monster who took her silence way too much for granted, but no amount of guilt or realisation could bring her back to him again. All that accompanied him every night at the balcony now, were a drink to forget the guilt, haunting loneliness and dreams of how life would have been "If she were mine…again..."

What happiness feels like...

Like Water droplets on the glass of the window on a rainy evening.

Like dew drops on blades of grass at dawn on a winter morning.

Like hot piping tea as I read a book on a day off.

Like glittering stars in the pitch dark sky by a highway at midnight.

Like freshly cut flowers in a vase by my bed.

Like a kiss on the forehead. Like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Like a genuine smile from the bottom of my heart.

Like the first wave to touch my feet by the beach.

Like sitting pillion on a fast bike.

Like sunshine on my face on a cold day.

Like the beautiful silence at 2 am.

Like a bird finding a home in my balcony.

Like the breeze against my face outside a rolled down car window. 

Like a profound hug after ages.

Like life!

Love stories in two sentences

Topic inspired from a writing prompt in Quora. Stories inspired from real life fairy tales.

• She blabbers, he listens. Together they have the best conversations.
• Best friends then. Soulmates now.
• He made her believe in fairy tales. She made him believe real life is sweeter.
• They thought they were giving each other a second chance. Little did they know it was love, giving life a reason to stay.
• The past held no power anymore. Their hearts were filled with dreams for the future together.
• They brought out the best in each other. You don’t always fall in love, sometimes you rise!
• He finds magic in her eyes, she finds home in his. It was love at first sight every day for them!
• Fire and Ice can never get together, they thought. Love came along like water and guzzled them both.
• Her madness brings out the child in him he hid inside for too long. The world around them continues to wonder how two opposites found love, as they gleefully build their castle of joy.
• He broke down the walls she hid behind. She made a home for them from the same bricks

Back in time...

Reflections of the colorful lights hanging above the edge of the lake, glistened in the water below. Cold breeze teased the pond as the reflection swayed in its ripples. A faint fragrance from lilies nearby, lingered in the air. Poetic it seemed, the weather, the ambiance and the colours around him, yet none of it struck a chord with him like she did. Sitting alone by the lake, content with her own company, she stared into the abyss of the night sky, losing herself like she always did. He knew it was her, he couldn’t be wrong. The way she wore her scarf around her neck, the way she loosely plaited her hair, the way she couldn’t get enough of the night sky and the way her hands rested on the ground behind her as she looked up, he knew it was her! He could recognize her with his eyes closed, he didn’t have to see her face to know it was her! Who else would sit in solace all alone, in the middle of the night?

His heart raced with every step he put forward, that took him closer to her. He brushed his hair with his hand amidst the nervousness and adjusted his jacket again. ‘Had I known I would see her today after all this while I would have worn something better’ he thought to himself, surprised at his own sudden interest in grooming. ‘Will she want to talk to me? Does her face still look the same, with freckles on her cheek and eyes lined with the darkest of kohl?’ he wondered. Does her nose still turn red on cold nights? Does she still bite her nails in excitement?’ he thought to himself as he walked closer, overwhelmed.

A sudden realization dawned on him as he stood a few steps right behind her. Would she be as happy to meet him as he was? Would she even consider talking to him or walk away? ‘Am I making a mistake?’ he thought to himself, standing frozen on the pebbled pathway that led to her. Standing so close to her, yet not being able to speak to her or touch her, a familiar pain rushed through his veins. Her presence still brought the same excitement in him like it did long ago, only this time, it came with the nervousness of her reaction. A few more steps and everything would change! Seeing her face again would only make his yearning for her stronger.  If she despised him now, the wound that he foolishly tried hard to heal over a year, would bring in more pain. Despite all the months that passed by, he could still feel the warmth of her fingers behind his neck from the last time they kissed. It was what kept him sane on cold lonely nights. ‘Does she still feel the same way about me as I do about her even now?’ he wondered. ‘How will I ever move on if I see her again?’ He laughed almost immediately, knowing too well that he was stuck forever. ‘But what if she hates me now?’ he thought to himself, quickly turning around. No! It wasn’t a thought he could bear, let alone face it. He couldn’t ruin his beautiful memory of them, he just couldn’t! With a heavy heart and swollen eyes, he decided to walk away, letting beautiful memories be just that.

“I thought you’d sneak up from behind and close my eyes like you always did” he heard her voice. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he smiled at the goose bumps she still managed to give him.

“How did you know it was me?” he asked as he quickly turned around. ‘Damn! I love her’ he sighed, seeing her face again. Her eyes still had the same magic in them. Her plait couldn’t tame the unruly hair that fell on her face. ‘Some things never change I guess’ he thought to himself as he found a missing piece of his heart in her beckoning warm smile. She was wearing the same color she did the last time they were together. This time he hoped, it would mark new beginnings unlike the last time.

“I just did! She smiled, gesturing him to sit next to her.

‘What a sweet woman’ he thought to himself.  ‘After all that I did to her, she still has the same smile for me’ he smiled back, with a pinch of guilt.

“How have you been?” she said, leaning on to hug him.

All of a sudden, his heart raced with a sudden rush of emotions. The smell of her hair, the touch of her bare neck across his, and her hands that held his arms tight, made him want to break down. ‘How can she continue being so good to me?’ he whimpered, but put on a brave face. “I’m good!” he lied.

“Remember how we used to dream of owning a house by the lake” she smiled, ignoring the pain in his eyes. She had to wait for the right to time to heal it, it wasn’t the right time yet.

“We would all spend our nights by a fire outside, next to the lake. You and I, and dozens of our kids” he laughed, recollecting the dreams they had built together.

“Remember how we used to spend days together in comfortable silence?”

“I never had to think when I was with you. Even silence seemed beautiful.”

“Remember how we would laugh our hearts out in the middle of a drive over some silly joke on the radio?” she chuckled. “You don’t laugh anymore, do you?” she said, noticing the lines on his forehead and the wrinkles under his eyes.

“Remember how we used to dream of growing old together?” he said, tears rolling down his eyes, clutching her hand tighter. It didn’t seem to bother him what she would think of him. He didn’t care if he looked weak, he didn’t care if it spoiled his image of being the tough one that he was in the relationship. All he wanted was a chance to grow old with her again.

“That’s not possible now, is it?” she whispered, wiping away the tears off his face. He couldn’t imagine how she found the grace and courage to console the same person who gave her all the pain. Here she was, trying to make him feel better, when all he hoped was to undo the past and bring her some joy again.

“Let it go now…It’s been a year already” she said, moving her eyes to the lake again.

“I can’t…” he said, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I’m the one who brought you here” he said, blood rushing through his veins remembering the fateful night.

“Let it go now…” she smiled again, refusing to move her eyes from the lake.

“No! I can’t” he screamed, losing his cool, as tears rolled down his eyes again. Without saying a word, she wiped away his tears again. Her calm composure fed the fire of his guilt and pain further.

His thoughts went rushing back to the dreadful night exactly a year ago. Oh! He would trade his life to go back to the night and change it if he could. “You shouldn’t drive, you’re too drunk” she pleaded yet again, as he got in the car. “I’m not! I only had a few drinks! You know how good I am behind the wheel. I can manage” he said, stumbling the key through the ignition hole. “Will you please let me drive?” she pleaded yet again. She had tried it all, pleading, losing her temper, threatening, but he wasn’t someone to budge, especially after a few drinks. “Next time baby!” he kissed her cheeks, and jolted the car with a sudden start. “Slow down!” she screamed half way through the drive but the adrenaline rush that came with the alcohol and high speed combined, was worth it he thought. Her worst fear came true when a speeding truck from the opposite direction took them by shock. He thought he had his control over the car but a sudden jolt from the piercing light from the truck, combined with his dizzy head and numerous controls of the car seemed too much to take. Before he knew it, the car flew off the hilly road next to the lake, as they tumbled inside the car in shock, unable to handle the painful blows that came their way. Amidst his fading consciousness and withering pain, he looked at her one last time. The scarf around her neck was drowned in a color he wished he hadn’t seen. Her plait that couldn’t tuck in her unruly hair was withered too.  The freckles on her face were hardly visible through the wounds, tears rolled down the smudged kohl, as she reached out to his hand. Smiling through the pain, she knew it was the end, she did! He was too much in pain, both physically and mentally to wonder how she had the strength and love to forgive him. He survived! She didn’t!

‘You’re too drunk, you shouldn’t drive’ her last words echoed in his mind a year later, as they sat next to the same lake.

“Let it go now…” she smiled, placing her hand over his.

“I can’t…” he pleaded, rubbing his eyes and before he knew it she was gone!

Enough with the judging already!

Don't judge a book by its cover. I say don't judge a book at all!

Five minutes! Five minutes without my earphones is all it took for me to come to a startling realisation of what a judgmental world we live in! It may be too late a realisation you may say, considering how every step you take, every word you speak in the world outside turns into an invitation to judge who you are. I turned down the music playing in my ears for reasons unknown, when I heard two people ramble about people's lives. From a neighbor's eating habits, to another's choice of dressing, from a boy's work ethics to another's relationship problems, they seemed to have an opinion on every thing! It surprises me how we think we have the right to comment on people's lives, their choices and their ways. What is wrong with us, and I use the term 'us' because lets admit it, we have all judged someone at some point in time, without knowing much about the person. Even if we did know the person, what experts are we in our own lives to think we hold a place over others to look down and judge them?

Have you never judged someone by their dress sense simply because it didn't match your taste? How many times have you decided that someone at work who makes jokes all the time isn't serious about their work or life? You must be guilty of passing a comment on someone's life based on the quotes or pictures they post on facebook. I know I am! Did you ever term someone as boring just because they don't drink or someone wasting their life away just because they drink too much? Within the first few seconds of meeting someone, we already assume a picture of the person, only to be proved wrong later, many at times. A colleague who makes no effort to join the others for an outing is immediately termed as a spoilsport. She may just prefer spending the same time with her family. Someone who cries all the time is immediately dismissed as a cry baby, how do we know they haven't been strong enough for too long and given up now? We are quick to associate bad parenting with stubborn children. Have we ever stepped into their shoes and spent sleepless nights wondering what else they could do right to discipline their child?

Snap! And we judge people from the way they talk to the way they walk, from the way they look to the choices they make! Take a moment and imagine being conscious of all the judgement coming across your way. It's a sad truth that we are all being judged at any given time. We may not be able to escape what's thrown across our way, but the least we can do is to stop being the same people that we are trying to run away from. We are all different from each other and live equally different lives. Like an iceberg, you only see ten percent of a person from what they prefer to show you or what we prefer to see. There's so much more to people than our opinions about them. Let's try and filter our eyes to see the good in people and ignore the bad. None of us are perfect! Let people be the judge of their own lives, let's use the energy we spend to judge people, on something more fruitful, like seeing the good in them or seeing nothing at all. It will still be a better choice than jumping to conclusions about the person. Better yet, use the energy  on yourself to bring about a fruitful change in your life. You may think judging someone doesn't directly affect a person but how can you be sure your vibes haven't reached the person you're judging? Would you ever want the same for yourself?

The next time you find an urge to judge someone, stop yourself! When you see a person or hear a story, try and do just that. See! Listen! Please don't go beyond their presence or their words and decide how they should look or how they should be leading their lives. We are all struggling in a world full of unexpected surprises dealing with whatever life hands us. We are all heroes of our own lives. Let's not decide someone else's battle is easier than ours.

The world is a tough place already. Lets be kinder to each other.