Those Were the Good Days of My Life

So full of energy, so full of fun

Enthusiasm seems to run in the veins of each and every one

Love one moment, curse the next

But each one is better than best

We dance like zombies

Sing like crazies

Roomies become besties

We criticize the food

Are slaves of our mood

Abuse and swear

Ponder what to wear

Sleep late at night

Avoid the morning bright

Spread our wings and we want to fly

High above, up in the sky

We discover new us

Make up the silly chorus

Play in the rain

Laugh even in pain

Get beaten up on birthdays

Feel confused about how to take a praise

But even after so many happenings

Somewhere there's still a mourning

Missing family and homes

Old friends and foes

School days that are long gone

Babies of pets yet to be born

Those crushes and lovers

Irritating yet caring and loving teachers

Those silly quarrels with my little sister

Oh god! How very much I miss her

And all the little things

Including the tree with things on wings.

While brooding about my past

The present hit me hard and fast

I know right now I’m flowing with the tide

But the day when I step outside

I know I’ll reminisce about this place

With a sad smile on my face.

The Angel

She was an angel sans wings

So quite so serene.

The long eyelashes

And hidden beneath them her beautiful eyes

Her toothless smile

She was an innocent baby

Yet to see the dark bad world.

She grew up to be an obedient and disciplined girl

Though she was quiet, loved by all

She did her studies and chores on time

She was appreciated and praised.

But

She was an innocent girl

Yet to see the dark bad world.

She is now old enough

No more a baby in the cot

People had expectations from her

She lived for them and fulfilled them all

She was an innocent teen

Yet to see the dark bad world.

Alas!

She failed

Failed to live up to their dreams

People who loved her were nowhere to be seen

There were no more pats on her back

She had lived her life

The life she was living for others

It’s time to go

And the angel took leave

She was an innocent angel

Having seen the dark bad world.

That Boy

I saw him in the midst of a crowd

He was standing all by himself
Distinct, different, in his own weird way
That angelic smile on his face.

Such a pure, innocent face
His blonde hair, that heavenly face of his
Those elfish features
God, is he actually real?

The way he smiled
the way he cocked his head
Fiddling with his hair, he locked his eyes with me
And I knew he was actually there!

I fell in love with him
Fell in love with that weird boy from the book
That boy who wore shoes with untied lace.
That distinct, different boy who had an angelic smile on his face.

My Dimple Smile

I remember those times when I smiled genuinely

And now I have taught myself how to fake it perfectly

The whip lashes renew each scar

But my soul, is it anywhere near or far?

The pain reminds me of the separation

The apocalypse of our relation

The final days, the final goodbyes

I wonder was that love or just infatuation

Is this pain real or simply my imagination?

Who is weeping?

My heart? Or maybe I am just dreaming.

This grief is more than what I can bear.

So, I've thought of something about which I'm quite clear.

Nevertheless, I’ll still smile,

My dimple smile.

Daily Habits

Here's a list of things that's easy to do, no matter how busy a schedule you have. Believe me when I say this because one thing being in a B-school has taught me is that time management and adding a healthy schedule are twins you can't compromise upon.

1. Make a to do list -

Always make a to do list, writing in detail what all you have planned our for the next day on the night before. Mention the time slots you will be alotting for each task along with the breaks. This way you need not spend any time sitting and wondering which task to go about first. I have a journal for the same.

2. Plan your outfit beforehand -

If you are college going or office going person and picky about what you wear in public, plan what you want to wear the night before. It saves alot of time in the morning which can be utilised effectively later.

3. Early to bed and early to rise -

Try and get atleast 6–7 hours of sound sleep. Try not to overshoot that time. Keep an alarm atleast 15 to 30 minutes prior of the time you want to wake up. I try to be up by 7.30 a. m. at the latest. On holidays, by 8 or 8.30 a. m. It's not always easy to go to bed early owing to projects and assignments, but I still make it a point to be up by 8a.m.

4. Make a playlist of feel good songs -

Early in the morning it's tough to get out of the bed. Especially the winter mornings, they are the hardest. I have found a hack around it which works for me and you can try out. I have prepared a playlist of happy and feel good music which gives me positive vibes as well as is quite energising. Happy by Pharrell Williams and Don't you worry ’bout a thing by Stevie Wonder are few songs that I prefer waking up to.

5. Hobbies -

Spare some time for your hobbies, be it reading books, painting or gardening. Read good articles. Watching motivating videos. Talk to your loved ones, friends and family.

6. Social Media -

Unless you are someone who earns by staying online, stay away from addictive social media sites. Spare at most an hour for all of them together. Instead read news or other articles or books which will have some value addition. I check my Facebook account once or twice a week and it feels great not to be addicted to it or feel the need to post or check out others’.

These are just a few tips and hacks to have a hassle free and a healthy lifestyle.

The First Kiss

I remember my first kiss.

I remember the events that led to it.

I remember that stroll in the park,

And the sudden realization that dawned upon us.

Maybe, maybe just for one night,

We could escape.

And escape we did.

Bags were packed in haste,

Lies were told to friends,

And off we went.

Along the bus ride,

When the evening sun went down,

It was dark and quiet.

He brushed his lips on my cheek,

And I was in a haze,

Can't recall rest of the way.

Next, I know,

We were in a hotel room.

All freshened up and ready to sleep,

And then he took me by surprise,

Kissed me on the lips,

And left me mesmerized.

I let it linger for a while,

And kissed him back with all my might.

I remember the wetness of the kiss.

I remember how much I loved his lips.

I remember how overwhelmed I felt.

I remember my first kiss,

To the smallest details.

We had many a secret rendezvous since then,

Each time getting bolder and better.

I loved him with all my heart,

And gave him all I had.

It was an all-consuming love.

But today, as I scribble these words,

I wonder, should you really let love,

Consume you at all?

Ye Olde English!!!

English is a weird language. It's always evolving. Being flexible and adaptable to changes in the society is what has made it survive for so long. The main reason it is one of the most spoken languages in the world is that it doesn't shy away from including words from different languages and modifying them, which makes it relevant for all age groups as well as for people belonging to different parts of the world.

You'll be surprised to know that not all words used to mean what you know them to mean now. Prior to being used as a synonym for absurd or ridiculous, in old English, 'Silly' meant happy or blessed. Similarly, 'Moody' comes from the word modig, which meant brave or wilful. Now that I come to think of it, maybe that's where JK Rowling got the inspiration for the name Alastor Moody, or popularly known as Mad-Eye. And also, once upon time, 'Artificial' used to mean skilled.

When it comes to borrowing, Oxford English dictionary does it with great pleasure. The latest word to be added to the dictionary is 'Ayyo', or 'Aiyo', which is used as an expression for distress, regret or grief, similar to 'Oh no!' or 'Oh dear!', in southern India.

English is also not very far behind when it comes to adding abbreviations. Nimby, which is a colloquialism signifying objections by a person regarding constructions near his/her own resident, actually is an acronym for Not In My Backyard.

These are just a few examples of how our beloved language has always been hip and happening and #goingwiththetrend. There are many more little surprises it has in store for everyone who's interested to dig a little deeper into its rich history.

Life as Newb sees it

As a fresher, when you join a B-school, you don’t expect it to be very different than your undergrad college. Same old mass bunks, missing classes (or even if we somehow managed to reach the class in time, we would end up sleeping there), the 8 o’ clock deadline for the girl’s hostel. After all, it is a college. How different could it be?

But boy oh Boy, was I in for a surprise?

Back at my engineering college, we girls had to fight tooth and nail with our warden to get an extension of an hour past the deadline whereas here the day actually starts at 8 P.M. Co-ed hostels was something so far-fetched that we didn’t even dream of and now actually l am living in one. Coming from a slightly conservative college, this is definitely huge for me.

Next shock for me was the diversity. One can find freshers, like me, studying alongside with people born in a completely different decade. No doubt there are engineers, but there are students from fields as distinct as philosophy and English and physics. You finally get what “Unity in Diversity” actually feels like.

Mass bunks is an alien concept here. My three weeks Dussehra holidays turned to a 3-day weekend. Earlier, I would miss classes at my will and now missing a class would earn me a grade drop. Sleeping in classes to desperate class participation, craving for that 6lpa package to getting a stipend of almost double the amount for an internship,  from the flexible schedule to “sacrosanct” deadlines, a B-School definitely has its own eccentricities and charms.

Nevertheless, it’s been almost five months, that I have been here at XLRI, and the experiences I have had here are nothing compared to my undergrads. Starting from The completely different teaching methodology to a batch that feels like home and sticks together, a b-school gives the perfect glimpse of what stays in store when I finally come out of the sheltered cocoon to the big corporate world.

I'm a girl, and I hate Shopping!!!

Shopping.

I absolutely hate shopping.

A typical shopping day with me would be me sitting in the corner of the shop while you try out your favourite outfits.

The obvious reason is it involves human interaction. I don't need any guy or girl telling me how pretty I would look in the black or peach dress. The voices inside my head already do that for me.

Also, I am lazy to such an extent that even when I am supposed to be shopping for myself, I get bored after some two to three outfits and either buy whatever is shown next or just walk out of the shop without buying anything at all in which case I earn a few disgruntled looks from the shopkeepers.

I hate the walking too. Apparently women are not satisfied by the variety of choices they get in a single shop. They want to look through other options in multiple shops. At the same time, keeping the first guy still hanging on a thread.

“Bhaiyya, ise rakhe rehna, thoda ghum ke aate hai.” (Keep this aside, will come to you after looking around a bit)

That's how they do it.

And it's not just the walking. When presented with a lot of choices, I get all confused and confunded and end up buying some shitty dress which I will probably never wear more than once or twice.

So, it's not just physical shopping, even online shopping is not a very welcoming alternative.

I love getting dressed up and trying new outfits as often as I can. But actually moving my weight around seems like an uphill task.

They make my Heart melt

When you are away from home and mother calls up, “Did you have something to eat?”

When you are preparing for an exam or an interview, and father says, “Ask for any help you need”, even amidst a busy day in plant.

When you love reading, but haven't had time to read a book in a very long time and sister calls up saying, “Hey, I'm bringing a book for you,” even though she doesn't earn.

When, after it has been months since college, and friend says, “I miss you, yaar.”

When you have come back home, after long long time and mother says, “You don't take care of yourself, come, let me oil your hair.”

When father, who has never shown affection outwardly, texts you, “Happy Birthday” and “Congratulations”, because he is proud of your achievements.

When sister calls up in the middle of night and says, “Sister, I am bored. Talk to me.”

When you are travelling alone, and your friend says, “Keep texting me till you reach your room.”

Weirdly though, people around me don't explicitly say “I love you” or “I care”. They have their own versions. And every little implicit versions of I love you's melt my heart.

What makes me Jealous?

In my campus, the professors live with their family within the campus. Most of them have little kids, who have made the roads their own personal playground. Post 5 or 6pm, the chillar party can be seen racing their bikes or playing football.

What makes me jealous?

Their carefree nature. They don't have to meet deadlines. Their friends don't need to make arrangements from a week before for a single video call. They don't have loans to worry about. They are living in the cocoon of comfort and love and hell, yeah I am jealous of them.

It reminds me of my childhood days. We lived in a colony. Festivals were a big deal. Say, it's Diwali. The entire block comes together to burst crackers and celebrate the festival of lights. Whereas, today, it's Mahaashtami.(The eighth day of Goddess Durga's 10 day visit). I am in my room, back for a small break, after attending classes for four hours, and will go back to classes again.

Now, this is not to be confused with the Peter Pan syndrome, where an adult refuses to grow up, but this is rather a nostalgic feeling, reminiscences of my childhood days.

And so, yeah, I want my childhood back.