Mind Over Matter. (Monday Moments #70)

          Four months had passed since her two-wheeler accident. Her fracture was recovered, scars healed, bones in place but confidence lost. She walked short distances or took public transport. She would get car rides from her friends or cab rides at other times. But, she refused to do something which made her feel alive. She refused to ride. She refused to speed. She refused to fly. She became quieter, sadder and afraid.

          That day became a turning point in her life. It was the day of her medical examination. She had spent years preparing to be a doctor and this day was going to be the decider of her future. She left from her home. There was a bus and rickshaw strike that day. So, she decided to go by cab. She spent another 15 minutes going from one app to another. But, unfortunately, she couldn't find a cab because all were occupied. Walking was not an option because that would take over an hour. She was already running behind time. She was tensed and didn't know what to do. Her inner self knew what she should do but her fears were towering over her conscious. To achieve her dream, she needed to overcome her fear. She needed to ride her bike to get to the examination hall. She just needed to trust her gut and go for it.

          Finally, she decided to what her heart was saying. She went back home, took the keys and started her bike. She was scared about riding more than she was about taking her exam. She started riding, slowly and double checking everything. As she went halfway, she wasn't doing it anymore. She was shocked to find herself smiling. She was enjoying herself like she always did when she rode. Somehow she found herself and became the wild force she had always been. She was still afraid to drive at 80, but she remembered how pleasant it felt. She remembered how it was her tool for escape and also the tool for revival. She reached her medical examination in time, but she had already passed the real exam.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Miss you, Granny. (Monday Moments #69)

          It was a sad time for the family. It had been half a year since grandmother's death. Everyone knew that but couldn't quite accept it. Time moves really fast. It seemed just yesterday that she was sitting among them laughing off with some of her age-old tales. Her son remembered the many times her mother cooked for his friends. How he missed her cooking! It really had a taste of her sweetness. Her daughter remembered how hard it was for her when she married and had to leave. There were tears in her eyes, then and now. She knew her mother couldn't live without her daughter. For her mother, she was still a little girl who was trying to ride a bicycle. Her daughter-in-law remembered how kind she was to her. She taught her how to cook, how to raise kids and how to do it all while doing a job. She always had her support in everything. Her grand kids remembered the infinite stories she told them every night. They had trouble sleeping at night after she passed away. They would ask, "Where is granny? We can't sleep. The monsters will not go unless granny gives us magic." It was difficult for all of them.
It was an evening. All of them were back from office and school. It was their evening talk tradition. They talked about her. And they didn't cry but shed some happy tears to remember all her happy moments. They didn't talk about her last days. They talked about how helpful, caring, kind, compassionate and lovely she was. That was a moment the family united to remember the person who started the tradition.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Friend Zoned, Not Anymore. (Monday Moments #68)

          Nihar and Akanksha were friends for a long time. They had this huge group of friends but they remained constant through all of the gossips and back-stabbing. Nihar was a handsome guy who was adored by everyone. He stood by his principles even when times got tough. Once he hated someone, it lasted forever. He saw things as right and wrong. There was no grey. If someone did wrong to him, he would judge that person for that wrong doing and overlook the other many right doings. On the other hand, Akanksha was a calm and neutral person. She talked to everyone but never got involved in anyone. She didn't get attached to people because she knew they won't be in her life for long. So, she just enjoyed their company without creating any conflicts.

          There came a time when Nihar started talking to Amruta. She was simple, smart and had her priorities set in life. She planned everything but when she started talking to Nihar, everything got messed up for her. From a shift in priorities to being an attachment barbie. She knew how he was, how he flirted with everyone. But beyond all logic, she fell for him as he fell for her. But that was it, they fell. Because then she did one mistake which sunk the ship. She overlooked his mistakes but he couldn't overlook hers. Hate for now, hate forever.

          When they both stopped talking, Akanksha was there for him. She knew he really loved Amruta but he also needed to be himself. If he would've forgiven her, he would be someone else. As much as he loved her, he loved himself too. Although, as much as she loved him she loved herself too. So, it wasn't meant to be. But, who came to him as a friend for comfort, turned to something else. Nihar and Akanksha somehow crossed that gap of just being friends by drowning in each other’s sorrow. They realised how they were both taken for granted by everyone, how they didn't really have any other true friends, how this was reason enough to value each other as more than friends. At that moment, they realised they don't need to find anyone else because what they were looking for was right in front of them. Sometimes, you look for someone across the whole world only to realise that that someone was right in front of you.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

It All Comes Down To Trust. (Monday Moments #67)

When they were friends, she asked him, "What do you think is the most important thing in a relationship?" "Trust", he answered. She said, "For me, it's love."

A few months went by and now they were in a relationship. From the smitten with each other phase, they were in a possessive for each other phase. That day, they were talking on the phone at 3 am. But then, she got another phone call from her friend. This guy was her best friend for years. They shared everything with each other which is why she said goodnight to her boyfriend and picked up her best friend's call. They talked about his problems at office and how much he missed his ex-girlfriend and how much he wanted to leave the country and do what he loved. After an hour of listening and talking and assurances, they both slept. After a few minutes, her boyfriend called to ask who she was talking to. What she dismissed as being cute about his possessiveness came to bite her late.

Every time, she talked to her best friend, he had a problem. Every time, she would go to his home, he had a problem. So much so that he started stalking their online 'last seen at'. They fought all the time. She wondered how she was okay with him flirting with every girl but how it was not okay for her to just talk to her best friend.

After a couple of months, there was less romance and more jealousy. Their relationship felt more like work and less like comfort. True love should be able to overcome everything. It should be like a bird flying higher, not like a bird in a cage. And when it starts to feel like a bird in a cage, there's nothing much left to say.

For him, he didn't want to lose her because of his insecurities. But, he failed to realise that he was clobbering her. It isn't a comprise if it comes at the cost of freedom. For her, she was never restricted to do anything and now that she was, she became someone she was not. The butterfly became a caterpillar. And the moment she decided to change for someone, was the time she didn't choose her first.

Now, when they were in a relationship, she asked him, "What do you think is the most important thing in a relationship?" "Love", he answered. She said, "No. It's trust."

And she walked away because she had to save herself because no one else would.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)