Praying. (Monday Moments #65)

          She was facing a quarter life crisis. Nothing was going the way she had planned. She was descending into madness. She had no one to talk to because all her friends had drifted apart. She had no family from childhood. All she had was a grandfather who wouldn't understand her problems. Once an optimist, she was now hit by depression. Her To-Do list was never-ending, deadlines were coming to hang her and she wanted to run away. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. This wasn't what she had planned. This wasn't it.

          Earlier she used to write down everything in her diary. But, since the past year, she had found a friend. She used to share everything with him. He had become her diary. He had become her person. He was as broken as she was together. She waited for him to be whole so that they could embark upon their journey together. But then, she was broken and he was together because he moved on to another girl and all she could do was wonder at her stupidity for expecting him to love her. Her best friend who was her guide had drifted away because of an illness and couldn't be there for her. Her other group of friends were too busy and successful to listen to her stories of misery and depression. The one good thing going on in her life was her job. She focused all her time on it. But, soon, after a few months she was sent on a sabbatical as she had become a workaholic.

          She was all alone with nothing to do, nowhere to be and no one to love. That's when she resorted to God. She went to a temple and sat. She prayed. And somehow from within, she felt good. She felt normal; happy even. Since that day, she began praying every day and as days went by she started feeling better. She started to enjoy the little things. She started to change her loneliness into solitude and rejoicing in it. Acceptance of the fact that you're alone is more difficult than actually being alone. Once she accepted, it was easier to live with no expectations. She found herself again in the presence of God.

(‘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.)

Happy Independence Day! (Monday Moments #64)

          He was sitting in his office doing his usual work, talking with the usual people but something was not usual about that day. The Indian man's heart could only think about his home country on the 70th Independence Day. Living abroad becomes even tougher on occasions like these. Home sickness, longing to be with family, desire to be among your own people. All these aspects had already settled deep down in him. But at times like these, all of the emotions surfaced and made him miss India more than ever. If he would be in India, he wouldn't be working. But, right now, he was just working in his office with a few people coming up and wishing him. No celebrations, only formalities. If he would be in India, he would watch those patriotic live parades, stand proudly when the anthem played and read amazing historic articles which made him passionate about being an Indian. But, right now, all he listened to was live meetings, read reports and wrote financial articles. If he would be in India, his family and friends would hoist the flag. But, right now, his hands were tied to his desk.

          Once he got home, he talked to his wife and kids. His wife had made Indian food. His kids arranged for a video chat with his parents and friends together. They did a flag hoisting in their front lawn and sang proudly to the national anthem. It was so euphoric that for a moment, he felt like he was in India. Technology and sentiments somehow erased the distance making him feel at home while not actually being at home.

Happy Independence Day!

(‘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.)

People Drift Away. (Monday Moments #63)

          I think the truest sentence I'll ever write is, 'People Drift Away.' Once our schooling is over, we hardly meet our school mates apart from selected 3 or 4. Same is with our college friends and class mates. But, that kind of drifting is natural. When the drifting is right in front of you, intentional and cold, then it's only painful. You think you know a person and that person is going to stay as your friend for your entire life. And just when you even dare to think like that, something happens and people drift away. Nothing lasts.

          There were two girls who had been friends almost 3 years, working in the same company and at the same level. Their friendship was very unlikely as they were completely different. If one was naive, other was a masked evil. If one failed to understand people, other understood them and used it against them. If one was a robot, other was emotional. They were poles apart and yet, no one could part them. Soon, the naive one heard rumors about her other friend. Everyone was talking about how she had been foolish to trust such a person. When things started to unblur, the naive one understood the dirty politics played by the evil one to get an undeserving promotion. From that moment on, she decided to keep everything to herself. After she was friends with her for 3 years, she thought they were like sisters. But, right when she started to think that way, she was afraid it was not going to last. The bubble popped and out came the brutal reality. She was better off alone. She started to avoid her. The naive one drifted away. But the evil one even after observing that, didn't took any effort to get back in her life. She moved on to another friend. When people drift away, intentionally and coldly, it's painful because we're not trained to cut people off who we once loved.

(‘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.)

Happy Friendship Day!

On the occasion of Friendship Day, I'm saying a huge thank you to all the friends for putting up with me. Here's a little something for being the most amazing friends! 

From one singer to another boy band,

Through their break downs and ours,

Thanks for putting up with me, Suruchi.

From our books and coffee to movies and FRIENDS,

For being the lets-just-sit-at-home-and-talk kind of friends,

Thanks for putting up with me, Divya.

From school days until now,

For those nick names, gossips and immaturity,

Thanks for putting up with me, Aishwarya.

From being the most mature yet crazy friend to being the one who never meets,

For those long humorous advises to being a blog reminder and proof reader,

Thanks for putting up with me, Vaishnavi.

For our late night calls, 60 second long hugs and car jamming sessions,

For one year of drama followed by PTSD,

Thanks for putting up with me, Sukanksha.

From my schoolmates and collegemates to classmates,

For being so unbelievably awesome to a nerd,

Thanks for putting up with me, friends.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!!!

Art. (Monday Moments #62)

          The Taj Mahal stood tall, beautiful and white. It is India's most eloquent and wondrous monument. At the entry itself, people get lost in its magic. Everything about it is amazing; marble look, architecture, gardens, water streams, carvings. Just everything gives it this majestic look and brings out its power in a delicate fashion. Many people visit this wonder of the world. Everyone even looks at it differently. It's a feast for artists. Among the visitors, there were many artists. One man was using his DSLR camera to shoot photographs. He spoke about its beauty through his photography. Another man was just sitting and looking at the Taj. He looked at it for inspiration for his poems. It gave him an out-of-the-world feeling to achieve his dreams. There was a woman who was intrigued by the design and carvings of the mausoleum. She was lost in the perfection of its architecture. Another girl was sketching. It felt impossible to put it entirely into a sketch but she knew it had to be a perfect sketch of a perfect monument. All the artists had their own way of describing the Taj. But the moment they when they viewed it was similar. It was a moment of appreciating art of the Taj with the art they had in their own selves.

(‘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.)

Stay-at-home Dad. (Monday Moments #61)

          The parents woke up in the morning. Mother prepared breakfast for them and packed herself lunch for office. When she went to work, it was a father-daughter day like every other day. Dad woke up his little princess of 1-year-old. He brushed her teeth. Once again failed in potty training lessons. Bathed her and then she smelled like a flower. He fed her breakfast and let her play in the bedroom. It was a nice day. She was in a good mood since morning and hadn't thrown anything at him yet. So, he was in a good mood too. He took out his camera and did a photo session of his girl. You have to admit. there's nothing cuter than adorable baby photos. He loved them. His day went by mostly in changing diapers, making her to stop crying, feeding and back again. Sometimes he felt like being a father so soon wasn't a good decision. Sometimes he also felt that he should do a serious job like his wife does. Some days were full of regret. But then there were these little moments. The moment when his daughter looked at him and gave the most precious smile. The moment when she giggled after pooping in her diaper. The moment when she slowly went to sleep and had the same frown on her face like her mother. The moment when just looking at her, he forgot about all his worries because she was not only his daughter, she was his life and more. Then came the moment when he looked at her and she looked at him and uttered, "Dadda." He didn't know one word would matter that much to him.

(‘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.)

My 'Brave Playlist'!

Life lately hasn't been a happy ride. There are hurdles the size of mountains and while jumping above them, you just end up getting hurt with a flawed landing. There are days that are just pure crap! Not one thing goes as you had planned. There's not a single happy moment in those 24 long hours. It feels like the Dementors have sucked the happiness out of you. All that's left is gloominess and misery. I don't need to define more, because we've all had such days. Some us more than others.

I have read so many blog articles about cheering my mood in such situations. And here's the way which always works for me. I listen to music. And not just any music, I have a Brave Playlist! All the songs in here give me so much hope about life. They assure me that everything is going to be okay. Sometimes I even end up having a dance party. All the songs in this playlist solve my sadness about social anxiety, breakdowns, friendship crises, absence of love life, career choices and feel-good attitude. Here's my gold Brave Playlist!

1. Fight Song by Rachel Platten:

I remember the time my friend told me to listen to this song and when I downloaded it, I was listening to it on repeat for a month! This is my go-to song especially during exams. It really helps with the motivation levels. Apart from that, it's the kind of song which will just give you the fire to go on. And if you scream out the so powerful lyrics, you might as well discover a new-found purpose for your life!

"All those things I didn't say.. Wrecking balls inside my brain. 

I'll scream them loud tonight.. Can you hear my voice this time?"

2. Brave by Sara Bareilles:

It's right there in the name. This song really helps with my social anxiety and clears self-doubts. I feel like it's the song of an introvert trying to speak her mind out. Sometimes in life, you feel like you've reached an impasse and you feel like fleeing to some place far away. You just need to distance yourself from all your problems. But, when you listen to this, you will feel like staying and fighting those problems because you are brave!

"Say what you wanna say.. And let the words fall out. 

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave."

3. Shake It Off by Taylor Swift:

There's always a Taylor Swift song for what you are feeling. I've been a swiftie for years now and her music has always helped me out of rough patches. I listen and dance to this song especially when I get screwed by politics or frenemies or when I'm on my 'I hate everyone' phase. Shake It Off always helps me with getting over my problems caused because of petty people. And when I'm finally on 'I don't care what they think about me', I know I'm a winner. It's dramatic but it makes me realise I am what I am. You just gotta shake it off!

"I keep cruising.. Can't stop, won't stop grooving. 

It's like I got this music..

In my mind.. Saying, "It's gonna be all right!" 

4. Dear No One by Tori Kelly:

This is the song which will be the Bible for all the single women out there! All of you are good enough alone. Love yourself and value yourself. You don't need another person for your happiness. Whenever I feel lonely, this song comes and saves me. Being an independent, introvert and a girl boss is the meaning of this song. So dear no one, take your time to find me but until then I am enough.

"I'm done looking for my Future Someone. 

'Cause when the time is right.. you'll be here, but for now.. 

Dear No One.. this is your love song.."

5. King of Anything by Sara Bareilles:

This is another song for women with sad love lives. It takes a stand for women who don't get an opinion in decisions, who are not valued and just taken for granted. It gives you a positivity of taking things in your own hands and doing what you want. Life is temporary. So, make the most out of it. Get out of meaningless relationships. Don't take no for an answer. Go wild and speak for yourself.

"I hate to break it to you, babe.. 

But I'm not drowning.. There's no one here to save."

6. Roar by Katy Perry:

Everyone knows the beauty of this song. From a kitten to a lion, you have to evolve into a stronger version of yourself. Pick up the pieces, glue yourself together and come back stronger than ever. Hear me roar!

"You held me down.. But I got up. 

Already brushing off the dust.." 

7. Where Does the Good Go? by Tegan and Sara:

This is one of my favourite feel-good songs. It's so underrated but once you listen to it, you'll be obsessed. Also, it's the parting song of Cristina in Grey's Anatomy. So, it holds a special place for me. The music gives all the positive vibes which will cheer you up real fast and get you back on track.

"Look me in the eye and promise no love's like our love.. 

Look me in the heart and unbreak broken, it won't happen.."

Fight Song, Brave and Shake it Off is for when you doubt your self. Dear No One, King of Anything and Roar is for when you feel lonely. And Where Does the Good Go is a cherry on top of the cake and make you feel great.

Do you have a Brave Playlist?

Handling Criticism. (Monday Moments #60)

          She had been a designer at the firm for about 6 months. Everyone at her office was pleased with her work. She put lots of efforts doing her job. While pursuing her Ph. D. in literature, she worked extra hours just for her passion. 'Do what you love and love what you do.' She firmly believed in that. This was why she continued on her two hobbies; design and literature, into her career. Her boss called her for a meeting that day. They had a new client with a completely different line of business. She had researched about such businesses and come up with a design. But, in that meeting, her boss told her what the client felt about it. His words were something like this. "He hated the design and wants you to re-work it. He said that he expected a much higher level of quality and was disappointed with this. He has given you more time to make something which will match his goodwill in the industry." And at the end were some words of encouragement. As she left that meeting, she had to stabilize herself because that was the first ever criticism she had received. She knew this moment would come some time in her career. She thought she would be ready but when it happened, it shattered her. With a sad existential crises, she went to her literature class. Fortunately, the book they had to read was reviewed. It was a classic and everyone was stressing on its critics. And then she spoke, "The author had two choices. He could've taken the critics seriously and quit writing. Or he could've studied them and used it as an improvement. We're lucky he used option 2 because that's how we could read his other bestsellers." And just like that, literature helped her problem with art. One hobby came to the rescue of the other. She knew exactly what she had to do. She knew she wasn't going to sit and cry about it but instead take that criticism constructively to make something extraordinary. She chose option 2 as well and she too became a bestseller.

(‘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.)

Just Not Meant To Be. (Monday Moments #59)

          It had been a few months since his break-up. It was still tough. The pain never ceased to exist. He was still healing but then one day he saw a girl, a colleague. She was this cool person. She had heard about her but never seen her. She had heard about her interest in rock music, her tattoos, her care-free attitude. She worked to pay bills and go on adventures. She was an unstoppable fierce woman. He was quite like that. But, for him, people came first. He invested in friends the way she invested in herself. That day they talked. There was a spark in their eyes. They became really good friends in a really short period of time. His friends used to badger him to ask her out. Her friends used to do the same. There was love and chemistry between them. But, the problem was that they were scared out of their minds. After their numerous conversations, he started thinking of himself first. And she became a little less robotic and more caring. He taught her empathy whereas she taught him solitude. They knew they were vulnerable in front of each other. No one before had controlled their lives in such a way. Everyone knew that they were in love but they were afraid. He was scared of being left alone. She was scared of being left friendless. Even if it was obvious, they were in denial. It was that moment where they didn't want to lose each other even when they weren't even together.

          Sometimes, you meet the right people at the wrong time. Sometimes, there are perfect stars in the sky but the sky is not dark enough to let them shine. Sometimes, there are only happy nows and no happy endings. 

(‘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.)

Best Friends Until? (Monday Moments #58)

          Robin glared at her phone. With no missed calls or text messages, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. There was a time when this would've excited her, but not anymore.

          Robin had always been a quiet girl and kept to herself. She wasn't interested in other people's lives and couldn't even care to pretend to be interested. With the soul of an introvert, she had lived her entire life in peace and solitude. But then, she met Rachel. Within a few months, that stranger had become her best friend. Robin was coming for a breath of fresh air. She was doing things she never thought she would. The girl who just read all day, found other interesting things to do. Rachel took her hand and dragged her out of her comfort zone and showed her a world full of adventures. In those 7-8 months, she had talked to several strangers without getting anxious, went dancing to pubs, tried drinking, went on a 4-day road trip and many night-outs. All these things were just from the outside. They were all physical. But, she grew psychologically too. Rachel used to call her up and they both used to end up talking for hours on things that mattered. Robin, who replied to texts after a long gap, now talked on the phone for real. And the best part of this entire spiritual make-over was that it felt true. Sometimes she'd feel guilty about not reading as much. She even felt weird not hanging out with her other couple of friends. But, with Rachel, it was like she was her soul sister who knew her in and out. Soon, Rachel got into a relationship. And everything happened very fast. She hanged out more with her boyfriend and less with Robin. She was happy for her but couldn't help but feel sad for her lonely self. After a month of distant calls and formality meetings, she just broke down. She was losing her best friend and it hurt more than possible. She wondered why do people come into your life, give it a meaning and then just leave? Why do friends always get neglected when people get into a relationship? As she stared at her phone, she knew there won't be any long-hour phone calls, a part inside her was crushed. She missed her best friend. But she also hated her. Hated her for leaving her in the middle of a chaos. Hated her for not being there. Hated her for giving her the best fantasy movie which turned out to be a horror movie.

Why does God gives us people to love only to take them away from us?

(‘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.)

Relationships Don't Define You. (Monday Moments #57)

          He was a young entrepreneur of a start-up company which had a bright future. He was financially independent and had great plans for his life. He had planned out everything. Marriage, travelling, business; every aspect of his life was well thought of. He was in a 2-year relationship with a smart and beautiful girl. She was doing her PhD in arts and wanted to be a painter. She wasn't as well off as he was. While he was the practical one, she was the romantic one. She dreamed a lot about everything. She could never compartmentalize her life like him. If a meeting was successful, he'd be happy and then move on to the next thing. If there was a loss, he's be sad and then move on to the next thing. It was like he majored in moving on. But, for her, it was the most impossible thing. If she had even one fight with him, her entire day was ruined. Moving on from that was just not possible. She thought about him more than everything. But, that day, they both learned their lessons.

          There was a big fight between them. And she was shattered along with the pieces of her heart. He was aghast and was not able to comprehend anything. She was about to call her best friend when she saw photos of him from his office party. She thought about all those times they fought. She somehow realised how she could never move on from him, when he so easily did. He wasn't just her boyfriend. He had become his whole life. He mattered a lot to her. She loved him more than she loved herself and that's when a revelation settled. She understood that one relationship wasn't her entire life. It was only a part of it. It was okay when he improved her life. But it wasn't okay when he affected it. It just wasn't something she could keep doing because she would be the one getting hurt. At that point, she lifted her brush and was hypnotized to the strokes of her brush. That painting was the best one she drew in her life. It was her escape to the freedom. The fight will be over, they will patch up but she will not be the same person. It was her time to think of things that mattered more. He will always be one of them, just not the only one. Not the only one.

(‘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.)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. (Book Review #21)

Introduction:

          I had heard about this book from a long time. And given my love to Young Adult fiction, I knew I had to read it. I wasn't aware what it was about. I had no clue about the story line even. I think I had hoped too much from it without knowing what it had in it. And when I started reading, it was fun. I even finished it in a few days. And when it ended, I had one question, "What was that?"

          That's correct. It was the plainest story I had read. I know the point of it was to create such events that will make the boys realise who they are and what was the meaning of their existence. But, it all seemed vague to an indefinite extent. It is a coming of age novel where the two main characters develop into being men while understanding their roots and themselves in this vast universe.

Characters:

          Aristotle is a complicated boy who has never known what his life was about. He was a square peg in a round hole. He always kept to himself and feigned social interaction. He was brave who wouldn't believe in anything good about him. He had accepted that he was the most boring person who had no life apart from his family. And then came Dante. He had a weird sense of humour. He had this charm about him which intrigued everyone. He wanted to know about everyone's lives. He loved freely and talked his mind. Both of them, quite unlike each other, became friends in summer.

Story Line:

          The book is divided into six parts. For me, it was more like three parts. First; the summer they met. Second; the entire year Dante was not in El Paso. Third, the summer they were together again. I was surprised how I could finish an uneventful novel like this so fast. It might be because the language was simple. And the reader wants to unveil the real meaning of the title of the book.

          Throughout the story, there are some unexpected things at perfect intervals which will make you want to read till the end. The story starts with Aristotle and Dante's sweet friendship. They're just a couple of young guys who don't have their lives figured out. In one summer, their bond becomes strong than any other friendship they would have had. They only had each other. By the end of it, some secrets started to materialize. Aristotle discovers secrets about his father's war wounds, his mother's grief, his brother's acts and his own self.

Overall Thoughts:

          For a coming of age novel, this could have been much better. The author has kept it very simple and also conveyed the message of accepting who you are. It strongly sends a message to think about who you are, where do you come from and no matter what you have gone through, you can still achieve your dreams. After you've read it, you'll find a sense of happiness about how loving, caring and supportive some families can be, no matter who you are. It's not the kind of book which will make you obsessed. But, it is certainly something which will give you hope. I've rated this book at 2 stars on Goodreads. 

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts?

Moving Out. (Monday Moments #56)

          Her entire life she lived in that apartment. There were 20 years’ worth of memories hidden in every corner of it. The home had witnessed a lot in those years along with her. The floor had memories of her first steps. The walls with multiple posters had a hint of her obsession with boy bands and TV serials. The doors she slammed every time she was furious. The bedroom had infinite gossips from the night-ins with her friends and sisters. The kitchen had funny stories from her cooking mishaps. The hall was always noisy with the laughter of her family members. The balcony had recorded the loneliest times with her. Whenever she left from a boring event, she came home to find peace. Sitting in her home was the best comfort she enjoyed. And now, it was all going to fall apart. Their building was going to be brought down to construct something better. She didn't know what possibly would be something better than her own home.

          She was stuck in a nostalgic phase. She sat on the floor about to exit her home for the last time. All the furniture was already taken to another temporary place. The home looked very different without anything in it. There was nothing in there but still there was everything. She was heavy with thoughts. She took a round in there remembering little things and only her secrets. She had always been an emotional person. And this was one of the bigger things which left her speechless. Moving out of that place wasn't just a physical act. It was a mental struggle. She stepped out leaving her home behind with bitter sweet memories which will be cherished forever. It was her first home, the place where she learned to live.

(‘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.)

Breakdown. (Monday Moments #55)

          New office. New environment. New people. Straight out of college, it was her first time living the corporate life. A month had passed by with many ups and downs. One month, doesn't seem like a lot, right? But, she counted days and every day felt like a year. It was unbearable and she wasn't ready for it. She was like a baby alpaca in the world full of tigers. And that day, it was just too much. Every month-end their branch organised a party. It was something to motivate employees. The party was in a pub far away from her home. Partying constituted for loud music, expensive food, fake laughter and sucking up to your bosses, all of which she hated. She had decided to not go there. She was adamant until her parents told her that she should go at least for the first time to understand the office culture and to make some friends. And also because it looks rude. She thought, "Well, I am rude and I don't care about a stupid party! If you want to motivate me, it's not going to happen by forcing me to go to some lame party where I'll be that awkward girl in the corner wanting to go home and watch a 'Game of Thrones' marathon in her comfy pajamas. Everyone isn't similar!" But, of course she had to go because of all the etiquette bullshit. She was thinking of dressing entirely in black, so that she'll show at least some silent sign of protest. Anyway, she went there. And, it sucked. It totally sucked. She was hungry for a long time and nothing was served for the first hour! Then, her colleagues ditched her to dance. She just sat on a couch wanting to go home. She then went outside and called her boyfriend and he was busy with something else which was somehow a priority over her. She called her real friends so that at least some time will pass. But, they were too busy with something or the other.  She was on the verge of a meltdown. It wasn't just about this party. She couldn't handle the messy tangled up politics in her office. Someone or the other came to screw up her office life. She just couldn't be a suck up and so no one was ever in her favour. She was new there and no one made her feel welcome. She was on the phase where she was going to breakup with her boyfriend. All she had were her friends and when they couldn't be there for her, it was just too much. She went to the bathroom and let the tears flow. She wasn't made for corporate life. This wasn't her. One problem attracted the other and there she stood facing a huge giant wheel of problems which had no solutions. She stood alone, facing her problems realising no one's ever good enough to care, trust or love. 

(‘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.)

Break-up. (Monday Moments #54)

          She was a talented singer, songwriter, feminist, dreamer and a fearless woman. He was a professional DJ, handsome, magical and a passionate man. While she was tender, he was fierce. He had friends but she had a squad. She was tall but he was taller. He made money but she made more. He was happy but she was blissful. He thought she was his significant other but she thought he was her forever. Both of them had dated earlier but it was never like this. She was completely in love with him while he couldn't get his eyes off of her. It was an entire fairy tale like story until something thundered into their life breaking them up and setting them apart. Lust sweeps you off the floor until love comes and sets your feet on ground. In the first six months, it was all about attraction. And later when they actually started to understand each other, they got into fights and misconceptions. Nothing about them was similar. They had their huge pile of differences. And after daily fights over the most bizarre things, they just couldn't stand each other. They hated each other except that they were also in love with each other. It wasn't a healthy relationship and it just wasn't meant to be. Sometimes people get into things without knowing the repercussions. Relationships aren't only about love. They're about a connection of souls and a feeling you can't quite explain. It's the thing that turns your insecurities into confidence and differences into explorations. It's about being on the same page and decorating that page with colour and happiness, together. And they didn't have it which is why they broke up to find these things with someone special.

(‘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.)

3 Books in 3 Days Challenge.

          3 weeks in a row, I had Friday to Sunday off. The first 2 times I just wasted it. But, this time, I decided to do something productive. I decided to challenge myself into reading 3 books in those 3 days. I had been on a reading slump for many months and I had to get over it. And, I did it! I'm not an easily pleased reader. I need the story to be gripping. I need it fact-paced and slow-paced at proper phases. I don't want an easily predictable end. And as much as I like conversations, I also like details of surroundings. I want the girl character to be in a relationship but I also want her dog to rip off the strange guy. I want to not like it just because it's of a particular genre but I also want to like it because the author puts in so much effort in the plot. And if the character is even a little bit like me, I don't want her doing something that I wouldn't. See? It's such a challenge even reading a simple novel. So, when I decided to read 3 such novels, my brain kind of drained out because it was obviously too much reading. All I did was read for hours at length. I enjoyed it, no doubt, but it was also too much exercise for the brain.. So I read three books. I'll write book reviews soon on the blog. Until then, here's a short description about them. 

1.     The Witness by Nora Roberts:

I read work of Nora Roberts for the first time on a friend’s recommendation. The book is divided into 3 parts vividly. I liked the first part. I thought I might have found a new good author to read. The first part has a touch of crime and suspense. The start is good enough to grip the reader. The second part has a love story. And the third part is witnessed with justice and an expected happy ending. Overall the reading experience was all right. It was exciting in the beginning, monotonous in the middle and disappointing in the end. I’ve given it 2 stars on Goodreads.

2.     Our Impossible Love by Durjoy Datta:

Durjoy Datta has let me down 9 out of 10 times. It was a disappointment this time as well. This is a love story about a school student and her counsellor. What strikes me about Durjoy Dutta is his basic idea is usually good. Like, in this novel, he has stressed the issues of feminism, rape and bullying. But the problem is he can’t convert these issues effectively into a story. Either the message gets distorted or the story gets boring. I’ve given it 3 stars on Goodreads.

3.     Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez:

My weekend wasn’t a complete waste only because of this book. I thought it was a bit bizarre in the beginning but as the story progressed, it got very interesting. The story is fast paced and very gripping. It took some time to stay on it but once I got the gist and plot, I read non-stop. The author has his way with words. He can describe one scenario for 5 pages and it still would sound meaningful. I’ve given it 4 stars on Goodreads.

          Taking this challenge taught me many things. Firstly, it got me out of my reading slump. I love to read and it sucked that I wasn’t reading anything. And only readers can understand this sentiment when you’re unable to read because of whatever unimportant reason that exists. So, yeah, it was good dedicating all of that time to my lovely gorgeous books.

          Secondly, if you’re going to do something extraordinary, then look for all the loopholes. I did a mistake by choosing lengthy books. So, I was up late at night until 3 or 4 am reading. Taking up 1 lengthy and 2 medium length books would’ve been better. But, I surely enjoyed reading late into the hours.

          Thirdly, this challenge is for those who don’t have a social life. It requires complete commitment. I didn’t get out of my home for these 3 days. But, then, I don’t have a social life. So, it was heavenly for me to stay in, drink coffee and snuggle with a book. That’s my idea of a lovely date with my handsome books.

You can check out another of my reading challenge wherein I read 15 books in 31 days.

Do you enjoy reading? Do you have any reading records?