The One With F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (Mindscape Reviews #2)

Hello Readers! After about 2 weeks of announcing about TV Show Reviews, here goes the FIRST one! This one has been especially fun, because it was the first time I collaborated for writing! So, all the TV Show Review will be in collaboration with Omkar Vaidya!
So, after weighing a lots of pros & cons about which one to consider for the first review, we decided to take up the evergreen show F.R.I.E.N.D.S!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRODUCTION:

Be it a tiring day after work or just a lazy Sunday afternoon, my way to de-stress always comes with a few episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Even if I want to watch something else, I watch one episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. at the beginning, then get on with it. It's like a compulsion. I have to watch at least one episode during the day. Oh my God, am I Monica? Well, I can go on & on about different sorts of patterns why we like what we like, but then you might feel I'm too Ross? What is up with me? Maybe I'm too into my own thoughts, or wait, it feels like I'm just talking to myself like Phoebe does!

How is it that even after the hit American sitcom has ended, a decade later, you still watch it every other day & find yourself relating to every character in some way or other? The brilliance & simplicity of this show has inflicted upon the lives of everyone who has watched it. No matter which country or ethnicity or religion you belong to, when it comes to F.R.I.E.N.D.S, there's unity! It's The One Where We're All F.R.I.E.N.D.S!! Because, when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year, F.R.I.E.N.D.S will be there for you!  

I was discussing this with Omkar & it was he who thought about this. No matter how different Ross, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe & Joey are from each other, we find some part of them in ourselves. We've always related to them in some way. Sure, one character may have a larger influence than the other. But, just because you're too much of control freak like Monica doesn't mean you can't also be a little bit weird like Phoebe lip syncing to songs on your morning jog! So, here you go, we cannot talk ENOUGH about F.R.I.E.N.D.S, but we tried to put it all in a nutshell…

OVERVIEW:

Well, F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994-2004) has been one of the most watched & everyone's favourite TV show according to IMDB. Okay, I made that up, but it has to be true! If you haven't watched it, what are you doing with your life!? The show's 10 seasons are comprised with a roller coaster ride of all the emotions you could possibly feel, wherein humour tops the list & leaves your stomach aching. No matter how many times you have watched it, you'll laugh at all the same jokes time & again. This show made 6 people from almost-nobodys to somebody the entire world loved. How amazing is that? I know them better than some of my actual friends. I'd say that one of my friends is a 'transponstor' because I don't really know what she does, but whatever, IT’S NOT EVEN A WORD!

Those who must have watched it when it originally aired, must have had so much fun, but I have no idea what kept you going with so many cliff hangers! I literally watched the entire show in one or two weeks, I think. And ever since then, I must have easily watched it 6 or more times & I never get bored of it. I need it every day, like a dose of medicine to stay sane.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:

There are 6 main characters as you must know. Female leads are Monica Geller, Rachel Green & Phoebe Buffay. Male leads are Chandler Bing, Ross Geller & Joey Tribbiani. In my opinion, throughout the 10 seasons, I have seen Rachel grow more than anyone else. There has also been significant character development with Chandler as well. However, Phoebe & Joey somehow remain their same innocent & weird selves. Ross & Monica change a bit, but not significantly. Given everything, we love them, anyway!

OMKAR'S FAVOURITES:

As far as Friends goes, I think my favourite EPISODE starring my favourite GUEST ACTOR will be 'The One with the Rumor' (S08 E09) with Brad Pitt! Where shall I begin explaining? From that one sexy stare to his personality to how amazing Brad & Jen look together (on & off screen) to that best chemistry between Ross & in fact Will? to the 'I hate Rachel Green Club'. And how can we miss out the way Phoebe was openly crushing on him, I mean, who wouldn't? The entire energy of that episode was on a whole different level! Probably because of the best couple in Hollywood or probably just because it's F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Moving on to my favourite supporting character, it'd be Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd), for sure! Other than him, one character who moved along the story line from 'awww' to 'LOL' was Gunther (Central Perk?)

Some DISLIKED characters would be Eric, who played Ursula's fiance (Sean Penn); just wasn't likable.

AISHWARYA'S FAVOURITES:

Well, there are 10 seasons & so many episodes, so to pick any one favourite is next to impossible, so I have a LOT of favourites, but I have cherry-picked a few for you all! My absolute favourite EPISODE would be 'The One Where Everybody Finds Out'. (S05 E14) It is just hilarious & I can't buy enough merchandise that says, "They don't know that we know they know we know!"

Going ahead, my favourite GUEST STAR would be Adam Goldberg who plays the character Eddie in the episodes 'The One Where Eddie Moves In' (S02 E17) & 'The One Where Eddie Won't Go' (S02 E19). So, you see what I did there? Under the pretext of favourite guest star, I gave you another favourite episodes.

Well, as far as weddings go, Phoebe & Mike's wedding is my favourite! It's in the street & it's Phoebe! Everyone's outfits are on point, unlike earlier weddings! I just love it!

MINDSCAPE FAVOURITES:

When we were discussing about favourites, we couldn't decide on a favourite character, but when we talked about favourite episodes, this one was on both of our lists as I'm sure will be on yours! It's none other than 'The One with the Embryos'. (S04 E12) If you're a true fan, you won't only know the answers to all the questions, but the questions along with the categories as well! The craziness of the series is best depicted in this episode! I mean, switching apartment? Having your brother's babies? WOAH!! That’s the stuff.

CONCLUSION:

All these characters & the story line in the show is very different from us & yet we find ourselves in them. Usually when you watch some show, you get attached to one character a lot. But, in this case, we can relate to all the 6 characters, and “OH MY GOD”, sometimes, I can even relate to Janice! (please, tell me you do too?) So, anyway, in our own way, we carry all of their personalities with.

We are a bit obsessive, thanks to Monica..

We are a bit sarcastic-funny, thanks to Chandler..

We are openly geeky, thanks to Ross..

We are in touch with the kid in us, thanks to Joey,

We are following our dreams, thanks to Rachel,

And we are all wonderfully weird, thanks to Phoebe..!!

Is it perfect? Maybe Not! 
Do we care? Absolutely Not! 

So grab some popcorn & remember the motto: Binge!

Tell us your favourite thing about friends & lets discuss!!

Women Power, No Really! (Daily Commute #2)

Hello Readers! Welcome to the second post of Daily Commute! I thought I'd tell you a story about a Friday to kick start your Monday! So, this one's about the Women compartment of the Indian Railways and what comes along with that --- > Women Power!

Go ahead & read the fun!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There I was, standing on the crowded Ghatkopar station, waiting for a train at 9:30 PM. It had been the longest & not to mention toughest day. But, finally it was a Friday so I was looking forward to the weekend to get some rest! But, there was still a lot of time for that as I still had to reach home. I was standing on the platform. I never know where exactly to stand. On the left or right of the door & so I end up standing in between the doors & land up boarding the train after everyone else, or sometimes get left behind. A lot of things were going through my mind... Work things.. Personal stuff.. Which book to read or TV show to binge.. Weekend plans: social meetups or hibernation? To be or not to be, as I call it!

I glanced at all the ladies around me. One girl was busy taking pictures of the moon. She sure had some great app on her phone that I ALMOST asked her which app was it. Another lady was busy keeping her kid from petting the street dog & also not losing him anywhere. Most 30-40 aged women were either on Whatsapp or Facebook browsing through stories or recipes while the younger population were on Instagram or Snapchat. But, almost everyone was hooked on their mobile phones, like it was mandatory! I felt estranged & took out my phone, just because!!! Can you imagine!

Soon, I realised, I had been waiting for the train for over 10 minutes! It had become too crowded by then & given my little experience of public transport, I became irritated & began to lose my patience. It felt like I'll have to leave that train & that meant postponing weekend for more minutes!

After some time, the train was there! I don't know how, but this time, I was standing exactly at the proper spot & even if I wouldn't have wanted to get in, all the women pushed me in any way! So, somehow, I got in on a Kalyan train (which is the MOST crowded train, in my opinion.) Inside, it was so chaotic, I got inside & just chose to stand, giving up my hopes & dreams to ever get a seat. And the thing is about 90% people go on asking people with seats where they are getting down & I HATE to do that. I'd rather stand than do that. Call it stupid, but whatever, times are not that worse! I wondered how do these elder women travel 1 or 2 hours by train standing up, when I can't do it for 20 minutes! Some of them are such professionals! They immediately understand novices like me & I almost laugh about it like, "Okay woman, you got me there, now don't make me ask you for your seat! Give it to me instead of some other professional commuter!" 

Now, I am all in for feminism & all the way #WomenPower , but this women power, in trains is at a different level!

If you stand at the door when you don't want to get down at the next stop,

you'll know what's Women Power!!

If you sit when someone leaves & they've offered it to someone else prior,

you'll know what's Women Power!!

If you don't shift & give someone space for that fourth seat, boy,

you'll know what's Women Power!!

All Indians out there, is it similar with you? Or have you gotten used to the hustle & bustle of Mumbai life?

Farewell... (Diary Logs #1)

Hello Readers! This is my FIRST 'Diary Logs' post. It is especially important as it is for my best friend who is one of my favourite human-alien on this planet!! Here's to our friendship & many more years to come. Let distance never become a barrier & just some foolish thing we laugh over!




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember the day she had called me up. She plainly said, "I'm going to Delhi." I plainly thought, "That's nice. You're going on another trip!" Then she slowly completed the sentence, "I mean, I am moving to Delhi."

That moment was the worst one I have felt in my life. It was worse than a breakup. My best friend was moving across the country, leaving me behind, it felt unfair. It was like someone had punched me in the face and I couldn't recover from this blow.

It felt like someone had taken away my security blanket.

It felt like I was falling in a baseless pit.

It felt like tagging her in memes without ever getting a response. (Yes!)

It felt like a LOT of things.
But, most of all, I just couldn't feel anything at all. I was in shock.

Ever since I heard that, I went into a flash back mode. I couldn't help but think about all our memories together. I remembered a thousand different things that I'd miss about her. I remembered the times I stayed at her place and how much we enjoyed those slumber parties! I remembered how we first met and how easily we bonded, then became distant, then came close, then eventually became inseparable. I remembered how touched she was when I wrote something for her for one of her important moments in life. I also know she might have been sad when I didn't write anything for the most important moment for her life that followed. It touched me when she said that she had stayed in Mumbai for an extended period only for me. I remembered her every day in the rings she gave me which were engraved with the words 'Best', 'Friends', 'Forever'...

I remember the last time I met her. We stayed up talking all night, about things that mattered & things that didn't. About lost causes & not so lost ones too. About dreams & aspirations. About friendship & love. About having each other’s' back. It was that day and there's today. It's 2 AM. I'm struggling with this post, which is supposed to come off pretty easily, but important things take time. But then, I call her up, and we're talking about so many things at the same time, like old days. And it feels like nothing has changed. It feels just like the countless times we've spent together; talking, reminiscing, connecting with songs, getting high over the lyrical beauty & sadness of music. It feels right. It feels like us; M & C. And just like that, it feels like she's sitting right next to me while we're having a little dance party and there's no distance separating us.

Even though you're far away, this distance has brought us closer. You're my best friend. You're my soul mate. I understand your reasons for going away & I am beyond happy that you're doing what you're doing. You should remind yourself your purpose of being there every day. You are going to be a hero! Follow your dreams. Be brave. You always have been! You just don't know it. You have got the chance to remake your life. Not everyone does, darling. Give it your best shot! And make yourself happy! Just, be happy!

PS: Don't forget me. I love you! x.

Holding Up the Universe. (Mindscape Reviews #1)

Introduction:

It had been a while since I read Young Adult fiction and when I heard that Jennifer Niven had written another novel, I ordered it right away. I read her 'All the Bright Places' and I was amazed by the story and her writing style. But, when it comes to YA, I should learn to start confiding in a few authors.

Holding Up the Universe is a coming-of-age novel focussed on 2 teens who have some serious issues and how they manage to work through them while surviving high school, family ups and downs and mean people. So, yeah, it felt like deja vu. It was that trip down the lane which I never wanted to remember.

The thing about this novel is that at least some part of it will make you connect to the story in some way, either minor or major. Because every high school student experience involves bullying, failed romantic relationships, meaningless dates, unclear goals, family fights and so on. And at the end of it, every high school student experience concludes in learning from all the crap that happens to us in that shitty period. Holding Up the Universe is just about that. It is a light read, nothing spectacular, nothing extraordinary. It is very common in the sense that everyone will find it relatable and end up liking it. Unfortunately, I'm not made  for generalised reading and so I didn't like it much.

Characters:

The main characters in this novel are Libby Strout and Jack Masselin.

Libby Strout is an overweight girl who had to be rescued from her own house because she was too huge to walk. And that's what she gets known for; America's Fattest Teen. But, she isn't that person anymore. I liked the fact that she knows herself and accepts her for what she is. And by that, I don't mean a fat person. I mean a person with inner strength. She knows how to stand up for herself and after having been through so much. Usually, in girls like Libby there is a high insecurity and minority complex, but not her. She had the courage to grab some stars!

Jack Masselin is that popular guy in high school who every girl lusts over and who every guy wants to be. But, being that person isn't always a merry ride. There's always another story. In this case, Jack has a disease called prosopagnosia, which is basically face-blindness due to which he cannot even recognize the faces of his family and loved ones. He's the one who lands up in a lot of trouble mainly because of this disease, but due to his douche persona, it comes off. Anyway, he is a nice person, he just doesn't know that until he meets Libby.

Together, they make each other better.

Some Favourite Quotes:

1. Every book I read & movie I watch seems to give out the same message: high school is the worst experience you can ever have.

2. "We can't fight another person's battles, no matter how much we want to."
But we can chase the bastards who terrorize them down the street.

3. Its's been my experience that the people who are most afraid are the ones who hide behind mean and threatening words.

4. If you try to carry everything around all the time, pretty soon you end up flat on your back in bed, too big to get up or even turn over.

5. Loss does that, hits you out of the blue. You can be in the car or in class or at the movies, laughing and having a good time, and suddenly it is as if someone has reached directly into the wound and squeezed with all their might.

6. It's about the way their face lights up when they laugh, or the way they move as they're walking toward you, or the way their freckles create a map of the stars.

7. Two broken, lonely people who maybe aren’t so broken or lonely anymore.

8. It’s okay to be a person. We’re all afraid. We all get hurt. It’s okay to hurt. You’d be so much more likable if you just acted human.

9. Maybe this is where we stay. Right here in this small radius where it’s safe. Maybe we can just stay right here, safe like this, forever.

Overall Thoughts:

The story starts off really good. The pace is good and it grasps the reader even though it is just the usual teen high school drama with more weight and a disease added to it. I expected a lot more from Jennifer Niven, but as usual high expectations (or rather any expectations) just lead to disappointments. So, this one was really a let down in terms of the story line, character building, development of plot and literally everything.

If you don't want to stress your brain too much, then it's okay to read it. If impracticality and plainness doesn't bother you, it's okay to read it. If you like any sort of Young Adult fiction, go for it! But, if you're looking to find meaning or if you are overweight and think reading this will help you make some connection or if you think it is a shot at high school survival or if you have any deeper purposes other than 'light reading', then you will be wasting your time. I have rated it 2/5 stars on Goodreads.  

Have you read this novel? Did you like it? Tell me about your views! Lets discuss!!!

Flooding Through Life! (Daily Commute #1)

Hello Readers! This is the FIRST post of Daily Commute!! Needless to say, I'm beyond excited! I had a lot of thoughts about what the first post in this series should be, how it would go, what would be the most interesting. And a lot of thoughts came flooding in until actually the Mumbai Floods came in! So here goes, first post of Daily Commute with an adventure!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It felt just another day of monsoon on the morning of 29th August. Instead of wearing comfortable formals, I decided to wear Indian clothes (a long kurti without pockets, leggings & new bellies.) Unfortunate choice on the day of flood, but little did I know. At 10 AM, the trains were delayed by around 15 minutes. But, given railways, that's more or less normal. So it still felt all right. I took the first train from Thane station. After the usual time, I got down at Ghatkopar station to take a metro to Andheri. As I went up the escalator to the Metro platform, it was gloriously chaotic. It was raining since morning, but at that time, I realised the intensity of it! Since the height between platform and ceiling is huge, there is no cover from rain as such, so the rain just comes flying with the wind to splash against your face leaving you in either a smile or a frown. Fortunately, I had it in me to smile as I got in the metro a couple of seconds later. I reached Andheri and after many rejections from autowallas, I finally found one who took me to my office; safe haven for the day! Or, so I thought...

I worked on an urgent requirement for a few hours, not knowing when time flew by. Soon, I started to hear all sorts of news, checked my phone, which later ringed continuously with calls from family!

"Central Railway has stopped working."

"All roads are jammed due to water logging."

"Power cuts to be expected if it continues to rain."

"Holiday declared on 30th August."

I realised that it was time to take some action if I wanted to reach home today, but I had no idea what to do! My office is far too away from home. I had only one colleague who lives nearby. So, finally, finishing off important work, we both left as early as 4 PM. We were trying to book an auto online from our office for 10 minutes with continued failed efforts. While it poured outside, we decided to just take off with no plan! Only after we reached the main road, we understood why we couldn't get an auto. The entire road was filled with traffic as far as we could see! Metro station is about 15 minutes from our office, so we started walking. And as we walked, it was like walking on a beach, the level of water kept rising and rising! After one point, vehicles weren't allowed to go further, entire area was water logged and you wouldn't believe, but water had reached up to my knees! The umbrella had proven useless as I was already COMPLETELY wet; given my poor choice of outfit. And yet, for no apparent reason, I still kept it open. Soon, some volunteers asked us and a bunch of other wanderers to cross the road unless we wanted to swim through it!

A rope was tied connecting 2 ends of the street..

Water had reached till above my thighs..

One hand holding the upturned umbrella and other clenching my bag..

Flow of the water combined with impact of rain and wind..

I was wading through the force of the water with the help of that rope..

And then, I was finally on the other side!

As much as risky it was, I was totally ENJOYING it! After all, you don't get to live such experiences often! After this adventure, nothing really surprised me. Along with my colleague, I reached Andheri metro station. We breathed a sigh of relief to have tackled one mode of transport. Thankfully, we got a metro immediately and reached Ghatkopar by 6 PM. Once we stepped down, we knew it was only going to become much worse and we were right. Central railway was CROWDED, in the worse possible manner! There were no trains! There were only people! They were awaiting for trains since 2 or 3 hours. I did not understand what was the point of it at all!? I took an easy way out and decided to stay at my relatives' place in Ghatkopar. So, my part of the adventure ended there! But, I can tell you what happened to some of the people I know. And 'adventure' is the opposite of it.

My colleague with whom I came till Ghatkopar met a friend there and they luckily got an auto which took them home by 11 PM. She reached after 4 hours of painful travelling; a journey which under 'normal circumstances' takes 25 to 30 minutes!

My father just stayed at his office for the night and came home the next day!

My nephew, at whose place I stayed for the night, had earlier stayed at his company guest house, but he came home by 2:00 AM!

Another friend of mine had to walk one entire station on the railway track because the train didn't move for hours! And had to walk many more hours until she reached home!

My brother, too walked on the water logged track and reached home with few of his colleagues who stayed at his place for the night!

While some took advantage of the situation to have fun, some had to deal with a lot of hardship. On my part,  it was a memorable experience. Not too good, not too bad. Things could have gone haywire for me, but I'm very sensible. Many of my friends and family members called to ask if I was okay. That really meant a lot to me. This is when you realise your worth, I suppose.

After 26th July 2005, this was another day when history repeated. Probably not as intense, but still it sucked. There are many things we could do on an individual level to prevent a few matters, so lets just do our part, at least for ourselves. Because we sure have established the fact that we're all too selfish when we're not stuck in a calamity. In this disaster when we were left bereft by all transport channels whom we blindly trust, not forgetting my personal favourite cab services, I was alone, and I had to find a way on my own. The only ones who were there for me in this disaster in Mumbai were other Mumbaikars as I'm sure is the case with many of you. So, here's to that! Let's keep that spirit alive, Mumbai!!

What was your #MumbaiFloods experience? Tell me in the comments below!

(Photo Credits: Patricia Galea. She has an amazing sense of photography! Thank you for sharing your click! You can follow her on Instagram)

3rd Blogoversary + Announcements!!

Hello Readers!!

Day after day, month after month and another year has passed. And here we are! It is Mindscape in Words' 3rd Blogoversary!! I am beyond excited for this one for so many reasons. Lately, I had really less time to write & blog. I completed my masters and got a job, which left me only with weekends for blogging. And for most of the weekends, I ended up lazing around. There was a lot of backlog which left a lot on my mind about getting back at it, but I wasn't sure how to do it. Because with blogging, there's always so much you can do and so the decision to choose the right way is tricky.

So, it all started with just a little thing. My friend messaged me that she can make a logo for my blog since she had some free time. I was super excited. One thing led to another and now Aishwarya Deshpande, my childhood friend, is the official Blog Designer for 'Mindscape in Words'. She is designing the blog's logo, cover photo as well as cover photos of all current and upcoming series! Thank you so much, Aish! If you guys are thinking of a redesign, you must reach out to her. You can follow her on Instagram & Twitter. If you message me on Facebook, I'll be happy to message you her contact details. #GirlPower

Talking about series, this is THE PLAN! Here goes the big unveiling...

I will be coming up with 3 new blog series for you guys. You may say this is to compensate for my little to almost no blogging for the past few months, and it kind of is. As much I lost myself completely due to it, I am 100% committed to blogging now that I feel so optimistic about myself and my life at this point in my life.

1. Daily Commute Series

One of the new blog series is 'Daily Commute'! My new job is about 1.5 hours away from my home. I have to take my 2 wheeler or auto rickshaw or bus, train and metro daily. I leave my home at 9:30 AM and I reach back home at 10:00 PM. But, what I realised is I could make some use of those 3 hours. So, in this series I'll just put my observation skills to work. There are so many things happening during these everyday travels. Many hilarious stories, few awkward stories, some intense stories, countless fights, weird connections and what not! I thought sharing them here would be quite fun! I hope you enjoy them! I'll be posting once a week and we'll see how it goes! This series will be open for Guest Posts as well! So you can share your Daily Commute experiences too and we can all have a great time together.

2. Diary Logs

This series is the most less thought after series and the one I'm looking forward to the most. Diary logs series will be short stories, written from the perspective of any random person. It could be any person, any story, any emotion, anything. And I think that's the beauty of it. It's a diary so it is limitless and open to interpretations. Because the other series are fun and exciting, this one will be the one which will give you all the feels! I'll be posting once every week in this series as well!

It would be kind of like these posts:

Tiny Box.

Why Me?

It will be like Monday Moments reinvented. So, those readers out there who enjoyed MM, you know you have this!

3. Mindscape Reviews

Mindscape Reviews will have Book Reviews like I always did and additionally I am going start TV Show Reviews too! This will be in collaboration with Omkar Vaidya, who is the King of Binge! So, we have always been talking about shows, giving each other suggestions, discussing theories and so on. And, so I thought how amazing it'd be to publish the opinions of us binge watchers to you all. How would you like that? We are starting off with two reviews a month. And you can always give suggestions for us to review for the next one!

As for book reviews, I am trying and failing, but nevertheless trying again to read as much as I can. I really love doing book reviews almost as much as I love to read those books. So, yeah, I am going to get back at it. I have one book review for you all! I'm pretty sure you already know if you've been keeping tabs on my Instagram. Everything considered, I'll post 2 reviews per month! Suggestions for book reviews are welcome as well.

You can check my recent book review:

Jane Eyre.

So, apart from all the new exciting series, I have redesigned Mindscape in Words, as I'm sure you must have noticed! I finally have an amazing Logo! How cool is that? Stories about the whole blog redesigning for another time though! I will definitely have a whole other post for it. I'm sure I'll have to take an appointment from Aishwarya for that! I'm glad to be back, y'all!!!

Happy 3rd Blogoversary to Mindscape in Words!

Diary Logs!

Post Coming Up 8th September!

Mindscape Reviews!

Post Coming Up 6th September!

Daily Commute!

Post Coming Up 4th September!

Tiny Box.

Hello readers!

This is a guest post shared by someone close to me. Give it a read, I'm sure you'll empathise as I did.

"When he destroyed me, I decided to remember him by all the wicked things he did to me.

No, he didn't abuse me.

No, he didn't blackmail me.
No, he didn't leave me.

He just became someone else to someone, while still being the same to me.

I replayed his betrayal in my head every day. I visualised a hell of a future for him. I made myself understand how he was always a horrible person, and how it was my fault for overlooking it. I imagined a miserable life for him. I wished him nothing but failure.

But, then there always comes a day. Today, I remembered one tiny detail about him. Stupid, really. It was about his feet. How I liked his feet. And at that moment, it was my decision. I could unlock that tiny box where I had stored all the good things about him. I thought that box was lost in the deepest ocean of my soul. But, when I wondered of retrieving it, it came right at the surface. I cautiously opened it, not wanting it to cause any damage, but it all came back to me in nanoseconds.

Thinking about his smile when he blushed. Thinking about the countless times I had seen him cry. Thinking about how he pretended to be badass, but was actually sensitive. Thinking about his irrationality in this already irrational world. Thinking about his instability in this already messed up world. Thinking about why he would've betrayed me after what was supposed to be a wonderful friendship. Thinking about how I remembered tiny details after tiny details, when I hated him with every cell in my body, was shocking.

Soon, I realised it was better to close that box because I'd be drowning in those emotions and not just casually swimming through them. And so, that box is locked yet again and hopefully I won't find the need to open it again. I hope it gets lost in the depth of my soul, as are so many other long lost things; a will to live, the lyrics to what used to be my favourite song and the writings of 2 AM."

Jane Eyre. (Book Review #23)

          Jane Eyre is that novel which tops every must-read list that exists in those articles we read when we are in reading slumps. Be it about best classics or books about young love or books about a strong female character/feminism or an unputdownable story. I usually find it quite difficult to read classics due to various reasons... Old English. Slow story line. Spoilers. Longevity. Sheer amount of time it takes to finish those. I can go on. But, Jane Eyre caught me off guard. It completely surprised me. It not only got me out of my reading slump, but also made me fall in love with classic literature!

         Even though I read it at my own pace, I stuck by it without losing interest and managed to finish it. I was blown away by Jane's character. I loved how the story was plotted. I imagined what it would have been like to live in that era. I wasn't so happy with the ending, but, all in all, I gave it a 3/5 stars on Goodreads. So, anyway, here goes an overall review on Jane Eyre!

Since Jane Eyre is something that mostly everyone has already read, I won't go into my usual way of reviewing it. I'll skip the details of introduction and the story and tell you all about how lovely I thought the characters were marked out, about Charlotte Bronte's beautiful writing, some things I disliked and some breathtaking quotes from the book!

Jane Eyre:

From where shall I begin describing Jane? I could see her change throughout her journey, and maybe it was also because I also changed because of her, in some way. She started off a naughty child to become a well-educated young girl, only to fall in love with the wrong man. She was brilliant. She had educated judgements about everything at a time where women weren't really allowed to have an opinion, I suppose. She set a remarkable tone for ladies, about wisdom, opinion and art. She was practical and yet did not come across as cold-hearted. She was ordinary and yet came across as ambitious. She was simple and yet she became legendary in everything she did and by simply how she lived. 

Mr. Rochester:

Mr. Rochester, appeared to me, that kind of class-A man who had to tend to all these responsibilities just because he had to. Like, calling in guests once in a while, just because of customs. He was uptight and he had to maintain some kind of status, like he was living a whole superficial life until he met Jane, when he realised that life had more to it than what he had lived so far. With her simplicity of spoken thought, she unraveled his life like an open book and made him realise what was actually mattered. To be honest, I don't think there would've been his sort of character, if it weren't for a person like Jane to give him the highlight. Sometimes, you just have to create terrible people, so that good people come along to change them.

Story Line:

          The story was poetic. A timid girl without a family is left at a strict school where she is disciplined and gets moulded into a fine young lady. She learns a lot at a school where things could have gone either way for someone like her. Her personality is formed and we get to love how marvelous she becomes. And then soon she gets a job and a man enters her life; Mr. Rochester. Against all odds, they fall in love. But, just before getting married she understands that he is already married to a lunatic woman. Since he hides this fact from her, she decides to leave him. (Bravo on that Jane!) She goes somewhere far away. Finally after days, she finds a roof and some kind people. Later on, she starts to teach in a nearby school.

          If you ask me, this is where the story should have ended. But, no. People like happy endings and closure. So, somehow, Jane goes and finds Mr. Rochester only to know that he became blind and oh that should be a good revenge for what he did to her. So, in the end, she decides to stay with him. I won't tell you about the people she stayed with when she went away because these details are really not necessary here.

Anyway, my point is, I understand it's a classic and things are supposed to happen in a certain way, but I was really disappointed about the ending. The entire strong built up of Jane's character was diminished, and what for? But, love!

To conclude, I think that, 

"She was the change that he needed. But, he became the change she did not need."

Some Quotes:

1. I stood lonely enough, but to that feeling of isolation I was accustomed, it did not oppress me much.

2. It was not the power to be tranquil which had failed me, but the reason for tranquility was no more.

3. Presentiments are strange things! and so are sympathies, and so are signs; and the three combined make one mystery to which humanity has not yet found the key.

4. You must have music, dancing, and society—or you languish, you die away.

5. I like you more than I can say, but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment.

6. Feeling without judgement is a washy draught indeed; but judgement untempered by feeling is too bitter and husky a morsel for human deglutition.

What is your take on Jane Eyre? Let me know in the comments below! :)

Just That Kind of a Poem.

It is the kind of moment when I feel the need to write, but I'm not sure what.

Should I muse about the 2 AMs, of loneliness that comes with independence?

Or shall I wonder about those times of grief where you no longer know the reason?

Or shall I refrain from thinking about the doom of inevitable Mondays?

Or shall I gaze about the beauty of Saturday nights and Sunday brunches?

Or probably I'll wonder about that heartbreak of a naive girl which sure would be a cliche,

Or that story about how everything always ends on a happy note,

Or perhaps in my story it doesn't and it's another story of unrequited love where someone dies of an illness,

Or shall I write about that sad story of the sun and moon, or how the stars shine?

Or about endless heart to heart conversations with people you used to call your friends,

Or about people and how their eyes shine when they talk about their passion,

Or about those beautiful poems that touch your heart which I'll will never be able to write,

Or shall I just muse about everything that I possibly can before I run out of everything I possibly can imagine..