Loving Someone Who Can Never Be Yours. (Monday Moments #89)

          The day he first saw her, he knew she was a deeply happy person. The kind who dressed in bright colours with a constant smile. The kind whose eyes easily let out her emotions. The kind who carried herself confidently. The kind who never feared to make eye contact with strangers. The kind who knew how to fly and make others fly with her. He knew she was going to create a thunderstorm in his life. The day they met, they talked to each other and became friends. Soon enough he understood that she was committed. Usually, if you know this tiny detail at the beginning, it is easier to detach or refrain from having any feelings for the other person. But, in his case, those feelings just grew. He was sad for himself but he was happy for her. Because her love story was so amazing and pure that it made him realize what love looked like in real life. Every day he spent with her, he was more himself. He loved that she understood him like no one else did. He loved that she argued with him on many inconsequential things. He loved how sorted her life was and how clear her goals were. He loved everything about her. He was in love with her. Beyond all reason and logic, he fell in love with her. She indeed created a thunderstorm in his life.

For an intelligent man like him, it was unusual for something like this to happen to him. But, we can't help who we fall in love with. And so, he had decided. It was okay to love her. It was okay to love her even though she would eventually marry someone else. It was okay to love her even though she would never feel the same way for him. It was okay because his unrequited love had given him everything he didn't have before. Because of this unrequited love, he could feel happiness, he could understand himself on a different level and somehow it made him value himself more. He knew that theirs wasn't a love story or something of a love triangle and he was okay with that. Because, just sometimes, when you find your soulmate, even if they can’t be your life partners, you sure as hell can’t let them out of your life. So, yes, it's okay if you love that person that can never be yours.

(‘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.)

Professional Life Over Personal Life? (Monday Moments #88)

          Cristina, an architect, spent 6 days a week working on a new project. Just like every other project, it was taxing and left her exhausted. In architecture, the early days where the main blueprint and design is to be prepared is the vital part and also the most challenging. She spent her life building homes for strangers while she herself lived in a rented apartment. She loved her job but just sometimes she would get lonely.

          Meredith, an HR Executive, spent 6 days a week working for an MNC. Being into recruitment, her job was to find right person for the right job. She would ask which job location they preferred, how much salary they expected, what was their experience. She would also ask about their family background, at times. She gave jobs to people where ever they wanted while she was tied down at one place. She would hire them at such a high salary which she might never earn for years. She gave people things which she didn't have herself. She loved her job but just sometimes she would get lonely.

          Isobel, a surgeon, worked 70 hours a week. Sometimes she would have 48-hour shifts while some times night shifts and at times she was called in because some drastic casualty lead to multiple patients. Being a 4th year resident interested in neurology, she had to be on top of her game. She had to log on the hours in the operation room and also had to study for the boards. She cared for her patients like they were her family and friends. It was funny how she looked after them so much but at the end of the day, they'd thank her and leave. She loved her job but just sometimes she would get lonely.

          On a Sunday night, Cristina, Meredith and Isobel were having pizza and beer in their tiny apartment. These three workaholic roommates only spent Sunday evenings together. In common, they had no social life and so they had found peace at their jobs. Cristina knew that at the end of the day, she'd build a beautiful bungalow for a family, which she'll never have. Meredith knew that at the end of the day, she'd give the perfect job with perks and incentives to candidates, which she'll never get. Isobel knew that at the end of the day, all the patients she cared for would go back to their lives, which she did not have. In the race of being the best in their profession, they forgot about their personal lives. After all, the family in the new bungalow or that new employee or that patient won't be there for them even when they burned sweat and blood for them. That's because personal life triumphs over professional life.

(‘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.)

Changing Priorities. (Monday Moments #87)

          Within a span of a year, his priorities changed frequently and consistently. When he was in a dead-end relationship, he loved her more than he ever had before. She was his priority and nothing else mattered. But, then she left him. Although, he was emotionally damaged, he tried to focus on his new job. After a few months, his priority became his career. He wanted to achieve something and prove himself. But, the reason behind this thrive was mislead. This is why his job became monotonous for him. He became really good friends with a girl who understood him more than he did himself. But, at that time, he ignored her and prioritized his friends. He also told her how he had to focus on his career when he clearly wasn't doing that either. Then, the friends who were his priority left him. Then he realised he should've held on to the girl who loved him. And now that he wanted to prioritize his relationship, she was long gone.

When he should've prioritized his career, he prioritized his meaningless relationship.

When he should've prioritized his friends, he prioritized his boring job.

When he should've prioritized his true relationship, he prioritized his fake friends.

When he should've prioritized himself, he let all others walk over him and let go of the one person who actually cared.

Maybe that's why, you should just keep yourself as a priority rather than being others'.

(‘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.)

Disconnected. (Monday Moments #86)

          She had a few groups of friends; school mates, college mates, constant friends and a couple of new friends. She used to hang out with them from time to time. She had a different equation with each one of them and her own style changed as per the group she was with. With her school friends, she somehow became an intellectual who used big words and talked about how she was still pursuing her dream. With her college friends, she became a person obsessed with movies, TV serials, singers and bands. With her constant friends, she felt free. She didn't have to think twice before saying anything. And finally, with her new friends, she was still discovering who she was and realised she could be crazy, smart and emotional at the same time.

          No matter what, she always loved her friends. She would always take their advice on important matters. But, when she met her school friends a couple of years ago, she felt lost. She found their discussions and gossips utterly boring. They had changed over time but they still liked to talk about childish things that didn't matter. She felt disconnected.

          She met her college friends about 8 months ago, she felt lost. They only talked about things like fashion, who's dating whom, who broke up with whom and all the who's who of human crap. She felt disconnected.

         Along the past few months, she met her constant friends almost every week. But, somehow, they felt distant too. They had started to judge her decisions and instead of standing by her during tough times, they were too busy with their own lives. She felt disconnected.

          And when she only had her couple of new friends left, she knew that nothing could ever happen between them. She knew they would never leave. But, then, they were having dinner one night, and she had nothing to say. She got bored. She felt disconnected.

          As she walked home alone that night, she was lost in the vortex of her intense thoughts. She couldn't figure out how she could feel so disconnected with all of her close friends. She couldn't understand if it was something she did or how she behaved. She wondered whether she felt disconnected with all the close people in her life because she was disconnected with herself. Did she need to connect with herself first in order to connect with others? Or was she so peaceful being alone, that the company of others had become unbearable? If she enjoyed solitude, was that the reason everyone kept leaving her? She was just lost in her thoughts.  She knew, whatever happened, at the end of the day, she had to take the walk alone.

(‘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.)

2016, Glad You're Over. (Monday Moments #85)

          "What a crappy year it has been! For the past 22 years, every year flew with its extreme amounts of normalcy. No adventures and no thrills. But those routine years somehow feel better than the roller coaster that 2016 was.  I remember thinking at the end of last year how 2016 would be my year but at that time I had really solid reasons for believing so. And all those expectations lead nowhere. They were just fantasized high hopes that I had in my head. It was a time when I was optimistic. Usually, in a wide span of 366 days, it's not entirely possible for all these days to go horrible. But, according to my little list of all the misfortunes in 2016, it turns out that it is quite easily possible. Apart from 2 days (my birthday and the day I took a solo trip), all other days sucked. 

          2016, for me, summed up includes a horrible trip, rough patches at college, a few bad choices of jobs, couple of accidents, health issues, restrictions from family, more downs than ups in love life and lastly losing temporary people but also close friends. The result of all of this was me becoming a pessimist, starting to use humor as a defense mechanism, increased social anxiety, multiple escape mechanisms, excessive drinking, loneliness and the huge load of trust issues. It was the year I changed from a robot to a human. And what good it did me? I'm a living mess of emotional crap waiting for a call/message while eating unhealthy things as I sit on the couch because of my fractured leg whilst I contemplate how useless 2016 was.

          After such a drastic year, I know how I have changed. I'm smart enough to understand the changing things. Firstly, I have become pessimistic. And I don't think it's a bad thing. It's necessary to consider all the negative things. And to be honest, there's maximum negativity around. So being a pessimist actually works. Hopes and expectations should remain locked in the dungeons while practicality takes root. Then, I have many trust issues. Yes, I have become that rude person again who says to people's faces that I don't trust them. But, this icy exterior is essential to protect the mellow interior. This year was literally the year of losing people. It is not even about understanding the real ones because the real ones have also changed over time. People I met 1/2 years ago have become closer than the people I knew since 10 to 15 years. I love them. I just don't like them anymore. And I think it's just not worth it. Time spent with them isn't fun anymore and it passes by slower than in a lecture. So, yeah, because of my own choice, I have left them. I have just a few friends now; the ones I can count on the fingers of one hand.

          I don't have any expectations or resolutions for the new year. 2017 can suck as much as 2016 or more or it cannot. It really won't matter because I'll be better at facing life. I'll know better than to trust people. I'll know better than to get attached. I'll know better than to gossip. I'll know better. In a way, all the hardships that 2016 has created, it has made me think clearly. Now, my only goal is to concentrate on my career, study hard, read as much as I can, keep family happy, give time to true friends, forget about stupid love life and concentrate on myself. It sounds cliché because it is. Everyone has to go through something tragic in order to become a person with such goals. So, yeah, I'm just a cliché until I'll be not. Till then, hang in there."

-Last Page of 2016.

(‘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.)

Merry Christmas!!! (Monday Moments #84)

          Holidays greeted everyone. Some people were excited about the gifts while some were exhilarated about all the decorations. Christmas is a merry time. And this time, it was merry for her too. Even though she was living away from her family, even though it was a foreign country and even though she was alone, she felt happy.

          She had relocated to a country where Christmas wasn't celebrated widely, like in the US. Nevertheless, she bought a beautiful tree. Along with it, she bought many sparkly and shiny things to decorate her temporary home. With more baggage than she can possibly carry, she went home. She set up the tree, fluffed it and then decorated it one by one until it was all glowing with lights, sparkles, stars, snow and glitter. She held up the stockings and arranged the gifts she got from office beneath the tree. For dinner, she had some delicious cake with wine. She sat by the fire place, looking at the tree and just being with herself.

          She wondered how so many people were surrounded by others and yet they felt lonely. On the other hand, she was alone and yet did not feel the loneliness. She had chosen a career that entitled her to travel widely. So, she followed her passion for travel while also embracing the solitude that came with it. She missed all her dear ones but she was happy having no attachments. She was happy that she had no roots that would make her to settle down. Instead, she was happy about the wings that helped her soar above.

Merry Christmas!!!

(‘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.)

Worries of An Unstable Mind. (Monday Moments #83)

He was a student doing his masters part time while also working for a marketing firm. He had to tend to his family while also think of his own future. He also had to think about the commitment he had made to his girlfriend. There was so much going on on so many fronts that he was frustrated all the time. That day he called up his friends as he was in mood to drink. Unfortunately, no one was available. That really made his irritable. He wasn't addicted to alcohol but sometimes it seemed like a bit of drinking won't hurt him. So, because of the failed plan, he met his girlfriend instead. He was continuously snapping at her for little things. He had the most wonderful thought and in an instant, he said, "Let's get married right now!" She was more startled and all the more confused. That wasn't a proposal she had expected. She wasn't even excited as much as she had hoped. Then, she finally said, "Will you think about it practically? Your studies are only half way done. My career also hasn't started yet. We're too young to be married. And you know all this! Are you okay?" Then he realised how unreasonable he was becoming. But, after the cancelled plan with his friends and kind of a rejection to getting married, he felt very gloomy and alone. Even he knew that it wasn't the time to get high by drinking or the time to get married. But, he was just in such an unstable state. Nothing was going right. He was always on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Even when he had so many people around him, he always felt alone. He was happy with his job but e wanted it to mean something to him. He was happy with his studies but he wanted it to bring some significance to his career. He was happy with his relationship but he wanted something more soulful from it. He was happy with his life but he knew he just pretended to be.

(‘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.)

Foodies Unite! (Monday Moments #82)

          The group of 7 friends decided to go on a little road trip. This was not just another adventure but something they had planned since half a month. Each one of them decided to visit their favourite cities and devour the most famous local food items over there. If one of them loved the street side pani puri, then another loved sushi from a five-star restaurant. But, no matter what type of food they liked, they all loved to eat. Since all of them were passionate foodies, this became the best idea for a trip.

They ate some of the best food in that week. It was such a wonderful tour with so much of delicious treats that they wanted all these distinct local specialties to come together at one place. Instead of going 20 kms for a burger, another 10 kms from there for a cheesecake or another 40 kms from there for pizza, they thought of diminishing the distance completely. And that's when the fun food road trip became a business venture. They decided to open a store wherein they could serve just one specialty from one place. They could partner with all the owners and make it work. And since most of the specialties were from small to middle scale entrepreneurs, it was also feasible. For the love of food and adventure, one road trip changed their life forever.

(‘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.)

Words of Wisdom from 'The Spy'. (Book Review #23)

Paulo Coelho is one of my favourite authors. Not only is he a brilliant story teller but his words touch the soul. Even if it is a biography kind of a novel, he puts in such brilliant insights that leave you pondering about the many mysteries of life and of course, life itself.

'The Spy' is the life story of Mata Hari. It is based on her real life. She was a dancer. Later on she was convicted of being a spy and working for two countries at war. And Paulo Coelho really made the story interesting to read. Her life is portrayed in a wonderful and colourful way because of which you cannot keep the book down. Even so, I did not like it as much as his other books. But, some of the words in this book became my favourite the moment I read them. I’ve given it 2/5 stars on Goodreads.

Anyway, here are some of the parts which I liked the most. They’re really worth thinking about. 

"My first piece of advice is the hardest, and it has nothing to do with your performance. Never fall in love. Love is a poison. Once you fall in love, you lose control over your life - your heart and mind belong to someone else. Your existence is threatened. You start to do everything to hold on to your loved one and lose all sense of danger. Love, that inexplicable and dangerous thing, sweeps everything you are from the face of the earth and, in its place, leaves only what your beloved wants you to be."

"Are we never to be able to see the true fave of love? And I understand what the Greeks meant by this: Love is an act of faith and its face should always be covered in mystery. Every moment should be lived with feeling and emotion because of we try to decipher it and understand it, the magic disappears. We follow its winding and luminous paths, we let ourselves go to the highest peak or the deepest seas, but we trust in the hand that leads us. If we do not allow ourselves to be frightened, we will always awaken in a palace; if we fear the steps that will be required by love and want it to reveal everything to us, the result is that we will be left with nothing."

"It is a shame that what happens today already happened yesterday, and will happen again tomorrow; it will continue to happen until the end of time, or until man finds out he is not only what he thinks, but mostly what he feels. The body tires easily; but the spirit is always free and will help us get out, one day, from this infernal cycle of repeating the same mistakes every generation. Although thoughts always remain the same, there is something stronger, and this is called Love.

Because when we truly love, we know others and ourselves better. We do not need words, documents, minutes, statements, accusations or defenses."

Hope you liked it! Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Little Diary Escapes. (Monday Moments #81)

          Being a loner in the teenage days is difficult. She knew that very well. It was just another day at college. One lecture was over. And then, she opened her diary. 

"Accounts lecture just got over. The next lecture is Economics. The professor will come in about 10 minutes, I think. These 10 minutes between the lectures are more torturous than the lecture itself. Why do people have to talk so much all the time? If everyone just kept things to themselves, wouldn't it be better? Well, who am I kidding? I'd never be writing this non-sense if I had any friends. I never thought college would be this hard. And now I've just become this girl who's a loner. So, yeah, just 3 more years to go. Maybe if I continue to write like this between lectures, I'd have a novel until the end of the third year. Here comes the professor. Bye, dear diary."

          After an hour, the lecture was over and she went on again.

"Which professor does this stupidity of randomly asking students to come in front of the class and explain their thesis? I made a complete fool of myself. Okay, I know I wasn't completely stupid. I did speak something because I had done a thorough research. But, come on, my hands and legs were practically shaking. Whatever."

A girl came up to her to tell how amazingly she spoke in front of everyone. She said how she herself wouldn't have been able to do it. They had a great conversation. She finally got one friends who liked her. And then after the next lecture, the diary remained closed and her mind became more open.

          At the end of the day, she opened her diary and wrote.

"I made a friend today. She's really great and I enjoyed doing something else than writing, for a change. From the past I know that people come and go. And I know only I will be there for me. And I know you'll always be there for me too. Thank you for the little escapes."

In that moment, she embraced the joy of being with other people without losing herself.

(‘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.)

Money Changes Everything. (Monday Moments #80)

          Both the brothers had been close since childhood. They used to teach each other. They used to play together. They used to fight with each other but never let anyone else get into a fight with the other. They were each other's best friends in the form of brothers. Little did they know what might change this loving brotherhood. As they grew up, they got well-educated and started earning. While the elder one was passionate about finance, the younger one was passionate about his country. While the elder one became a big shot portfolio manager in an MNC, the younger one joined the Government. And that's when their priorities changed.  The elder brother would give lavish gifts home on special occasions. Be it a promotion or someone's birthday. The younger one, on the other hand, wasn't able to spend as much as he could because with his salary he couldn't afford expensive gifts. As the years passed by, they both started living in different apartments. One would travel abroad multiple times for a vacation. But the other would only travel to nearby destinations in the country. 

          The distance was not just geographic but also emotional. They would look at the photos of their childhood and miss the other. They wanted to go to that phase and never grow up again. There was an unsaid and intangible space that didn't allow them to be as together and as happy as they used to be. Just because of the weight of some papers, they grew apart, never really understanding when it all went so downhill. But, sadly, their egos won over their love for each other and that's how money destroyed yet another relationship.

(‘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.)

Post Break-Up, Their Version. (Monday Moments #79)

          She was at fault just as much as he was. A comparison as to who ruined their relationship was meaningless because now there was no relationship left to rebuild. In all the time they were together, they had changed so much. The time they first met and the time they last met, there was a visible difference. The problem was that they both took the other as a project. His mission was to make her quit drinking. And her mission was to get him out of his shell. And whenever she drank or he became aloof, they'd be disappointed in themselves for letting the other person down. It was just a project. And this is why, when she became sober and he became an extrovert, love lost. Because the changed personalities didn't fit together. Perfection isn't real. Their originality was what drew them together but when they were changed personalities, they were not drawn to each other. Their projects were successful but they had failed because they lost each other.

          She ran away from her feelings because if she decided to feel the sadness, she'd break down to never recover. He, on the other hand, embraced the sad emotions and felt the heartbreak. They were not there for each other but their successful projects helped them. She did not drink and he did not give up to resort to loneliness. Even if they had broken up, even if they would never be together, their changed personalities would always carry a part of the other with them for a lifetime. Perhaps, how they left a part of themselves in the other was the best goodbye gift they gave to each other.

(‘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.)

Post Break-up, His Version. (Monday Moments #78)

(You can read 'Her Version' here.)

          After the way she mercilessly broke up with him in a text message, he had fallen apart. His heart shattered into so many pieces he couldn’t count. He tried to put a band aid on them but what good is a band aid for a deep wound? He hadn’t seen this coming. Yes, they had contrasting personalities. Yes, he couldn’t understand her social anxiety or her panic attacks. Yes, she couldn’t understand his perception. But, he never thought she would leave him. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Even after keeping his ego aside, crying in front of her and explaining to her all his good qualities, she wouldn’t budge. Even when he was shy, he told her how much he loved her and how in his future he could only see her, their kids and their many dogs living happily together as a family. He let out all those words which he was too scared to tell her and when he let them out, it was just too late. She was done, just like that. And he came undone, just like that.

          He began to drink so much more to remember all the times he spent with her. He began to look at her photos and their photos together wondering if he could just pause his life and rewind it to a happy place. Her smile was beautiful with a bit of shyness in it and her every smile in every photo led him to more tears. He began to re-read his diary to the best days they spent together. At first, he began to crawl on the memory lane only to end up running towards the beginning of it with resting in solitude and nostalgia of happiness and love. Instead of ignoring the sadness, he embraced it and let it sink it in him so much so, that it became a part of who he was. Instead of giving fake smiles, he gave real tears. Instead of pretending to be okay, he let himself, for once, be vulnerable. Instead of thinking about himself, he thought about her. Instead of loving each other, they decided to part ways, because love is never enough. 

(‘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.)

Post Break-up, Her Version. (Monday Moments #77)

          She broke up with her boyfriend. It was the most difficult thing she ever had to do; saying goodbye to someone she loved. They had been in an on-again, off-again relationship for so long that they had forgotten the meaning of what it meant to be together or what it meant to be apart. They had lost the count of fights, both immature ones and the serious ones. They were together yet apart. Yes, theirs was the love which was true because it stood the test of time and insecure people but it wasn't compatible or balanced. And funnily enough, neither of them could see how destructive they were for each other. If it is destroying you, then it's not love.

          To survive this separation, she began to work in the office a lot more, workout a lot more, stay alone a lot more and kept herself so busy as to not remember him. She sank in the knowledge of books, only to not sink in the memories of him. She ran until she lost her breath only to not lose her breath crying about him. She danced crazily to upbeat songs, only to not go crazy in reality. She drove so fast as to escape death, only to not escape life. She went so far away from him and herself that even she could't find the trace of who she was. He was not with her anymore and never would be. The friends for whom she left him were not with her either. She only had herself and for a while that's all what she wanted. To stay alone, find herself and not be defined by another person. Yes, it was the kind of love that comes once in a lifetime but yes, it was also the kind that makes you wonder whether love is real.

You can read 'His Version' here.

(‘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.)

That One Interview. (Monday Moments #75)

He was unemployed for about 4 months after finishing his engineering course. He was just a young boy with no knowledge or experience of the corporate world. He was an average student who spoke proper English and had a good personality. Even with all these qualities, nobody hired him. It began with campus placements. It was his first time giving interview which made him tensed. About 4 to 5 companies came to his college but he did not get selected in either of them. He saw how classmates less intelligent than him got jobs but he couldn't. He thought that his lack of working experience was a major reason for rejections. But, he never understood the reason until that day when he went for an interview. It was a renowned company with a good work culture, learning opportunities and good pay. He went in and charmed the interviews and got the job. That was when he realised the real problem. Since he was always expecting a job offer, he was always tensed which reduced his confidence. But, this time, he went with a casual attitude. He answered brilliantly. He also showed his sense of humour a few times. He spoke confidently without fumbling just like it was an informal conversation. And just that one day, he got the job by being himself. That was the moment when he realised that his anxiety had to go and confidence had to stay. That one interview brought in a new perspective which helped him in his life.

(‘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.)

Eleven Minutes. (Book Review #22)

Introduction:

Never have I ever read something which made me think about things like meeting of souls, pure desire without getting intimate or the existence of an inner light. While this book is a story of a young woman who works as a prostitute, it goes on a complete intellectual level which is found in the pages of her diary. The author has somehow interlinked the brilliance of the mind with the desire of the body in a book which goes beyond the meaning of ‘fiction’ and tries to answer deeper existential questions. I admit that it wasn’t the best of the topics to write upon, but whatever Paulo Coelho writes about, no matter how undiscussed, trivial or gross, turns into a beautiful art of fiction and more. The same has been brought about in this novel.

Characters:

The main character is Maria, born in a small town in Brazil but having huge dreams. She is the kind of person who appears to grab all the opportunities that come her way. Throughout the book, you can see her transition from a heart-broken little girl into an intelligent woman with goals, self-control and something to prove.

Another character is Ralf Hart, the famous young painter. He seems to be a practical person who knows what he wants.

Both are looking for deeper meanings in the other; something that is so pure and meaningful. They knew sex but they were looking for the thing beyond sex which help them understand themselves and each other. They took this path of salvation together, without keeping any hopes or needs from the other.

Story Line:

When Maria was young, she loses her chance at love because she was scared. And after that first heart-break, she decided to never be afraid of anything and going with the flow. As she grows up, she starts working at a cloths merchant who admires her and so ends up saving for a one week holiday. She goes to Switzerland and somehow becomes a cabaret dancer and from there she ends up in prostitution. She does this for a year while also reading a lot of books about economics and farm management. Meanwhile, she still searches true love and then she meets Ralf Hart. They embark upon their journey of finding the meaning of souls and unleashing desire.

Overall Thoughts:

This is the third book of Paulo Coelho that I've read. I absolutely loved 'The Alchemist' but I also did not like 'Adultery'. But, after this read, Paulo Coelho has become one of my many favourite authors. He has kept a balance between reality and imagination. Although, I'd have loved to read more about Maria's diary because those parts touched me and made me ponder. Also, I was sure how it would end but I was shocked at the end because what I hadn't expected happened. The story is a little slow. But, like you should swirl the wine in your mouth to enjoy it, you should enjoy the book with the pace with which it is written. I've given 'Eleven Minutes' 4/5 stars on Goodreads.