Museful Minds

Last week when boredom began to take over me and as my saviour I looked upon my friend to get some movie choices. She suggested me a list of movies in which I happened to come across a movie named ‘Letter’s to Juliet’. Now, there might be many among you who have watched it decade ago but I assume that there are still several ignorant like me who are totally unaware of it. The movie was a delight but what caught my attention was the fact on which the entire movie was designed.  You can call me naïve but until this point in my life I was completely unaware of this sweet-tempered tradition that has been into practises for ages now. As we all know, Sir William Shakespeare never failed to impress us with his remarkable writings but to have one of his most beautiful fictional character Juliet Capulet from his timeless romance genre Romeo Juliet into life is a next level of intimacy towards literature.

Love is in the Air in Verona, Italy

A place in Verona, Italy (Juliet’s hometown) which is considered Juliet’s home, where there is this iconic balcony which Romeo is said to have climbed every night to meet Juliet; lovelorn folks from around the world visit this place writing notes and letters to Shakespeare favourite heroine, seeking her advice and counsel. And it’s not just that, there is a club which includes members who called them Juliet’s secretaries. This team of volunteers reply back to every heartfelt letter or note that is addressed to Juliet on behalf of Juliet. If you look beyond the scraps of paper, pink bubble-gum and graffiti-plastered walls of Juliet’s home and you’ll find a genuine and lovely tradition known as the Club di Giulietta. How interesting is that, right? Ever since the time I watched the film and researched about this endearing belief, I have this constant urge to experience what it feels like to write an actual letter pouring your heart out to one of literature’s great heroine. And getting a letter from Juliet is definitely something on my bucket list :p

So,What are your thoughts on the same?

“It’s Not For Us to Say

What Will Be

And At the End of the Day

We’ll see

Which Way the Whole Things Bends?

And What It Could Bring

‘Cuz Nothing Really Matters

If We Could Swing

‘Cept the Little Things”

Dear Kavya and Dhruv,

Watching the larger than life bond between you two has certainly kindled love in the life of every girl next door like me. You made us believe that not every love story has to have a fairy tale romance, but rather an ordinary love story can spark more magic when it is genuine. Even though every girl is looking out for their prince charming but deep down, all we need is a much-in-love partner who is equally driven by the quest for good food and good times. I have travelled this journey of your story with you. You taught us that love is found in the simplest of things.  

From calling each other ‘Slothbear’ and ‘Momo’ to the time, Dhruv sent you mutton biryani in the office to make up for your ruined outfit and when Kavya made perfect Sunday breakfast for you when you missed the wedding – You guys are couple goals. It was always a delight to watch your food arguments and your passion for food, especially momos.  You reminded me that in the race of creating a wonderful and extra-ordinary future, you should not forget to enjoy the little moment that is present in our life.

Dhru, the way you pampered Kavya and made her the best stew when she was ill definitely shows how quintessential boyfriend you’re that every girl would crave for.

Kavya, the way you cheered Dhruv to follow his dream and supported him like a backbone, you certainly have stolen a million hearts through your cuteness already.

Like every ordinary romance which seems breezy and light later is interrupted by conflict, you too faced these storm clouds. I felt a pinch in my heart, seeing you struggle to figure out whether you both are even friends anymore? Something struck inside me when you raised the question of whether one should move on from relationships when things don’t feel the same anymore or stick together and make it work? Because deep inside, I so badly wanted you to work it out.

You’re a classic modern-day couple that juggles through everyday tiffs, insecurities, uncertainties, and career goals but yet manages to make their friendship survive all the storms. So, what if there are fundamental differences in your personalities and you perceive things differently? Nothing else matters as long as you look at it together. As long as one accepts their mistake and the other forgives and as long as you are there for each other because in the end nothing else really matters except the little things.

Lots of Love,

Ordinary fan of your extra-ordinary Love story

P.S: For those who are unaware of these two amazing individuals and are still wondering what made them so special then please go watch ‘Little Things’ web series on ‘Netflix’(And kindly note that this is not a promotion post rather a genuine appreciation post for the two brilliant characters)

I have tons of sunset pictures clicked and stored in my hard drive and the people who know me know how crazy I’m for sunsets. But even though I have so many memories of it, I’m never really satisfied capturing those moments. It is as if you can never really have enough of it. With each picture so distinct and startling, and the memories so vivid, you can never have the same experience twice because each time it ushers something new. And that is why I wish to share five important lessons of my life taught by Sunsets.

Widen your Perspective

Have you ever had an evening walk on the beach? Assuming, most of us certainly have spent their Sunday evenings doing so. I still remember the time I spend at the seashore gazing at the sky or the distant horizon and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing. It reminded me how vast the universe is and how much small part I play within it. It taught me how our problems aren’t as big as they appear and kindled hope for a better tomorrow.

Live in the Moment

Living the city’s hustle & bustle life of chasing careers and racing for the future, we have forgotten to appreciate what’s in our hand – Our Present. And sunsets make you believe in that. It is sometimes essential to let loose ourselves and escape our way out to something so real yet magical. We are so busy achieving the goals that as soon as we reach a goal, we replaced it with another one. The struggle keeps juggling as we keep shifting our finish line. Watching sunsets taught me to break this pattern, stop, look around, and notice beauty.

Unfolding the Process

In this fast-paced world, people always claim to live more on social media. This is the reason why you will always see a bunch of people on the beach, but instead of enjoying that little moment of being, you will often find them snapping pictures for their Instagram or Facebook. But that’s the thing about sunsets. Its value comes in being present throughout the process. And every bit of that process is beautiful. The same goes with life, we want to skip the slow or painful parts and halt the happy moments but the beauty of life is to embrace it completely. Sunsets taught me that life keeps moving, and that’s okay. How you cherish the moment is important rather than rustling to the end.

The Ending is just Another Start

When you’re sitting on the beach, listening to the birds chirping, watching the evolution of the evening sky, it appears to be never-ending. As the colours of the day fade, the stars begin to appear, and the sunlight is replaced with the moonlight, I realised that even though I watched the end of the day but there was never an ultimate drape to it. It just the beginning of a beautiful night, and life is just like that too. As per the quote, ‘Change is the only constant’, even though it might seem abrupt, and unexpected – like the beautiful transformation of day and night but at the end it also has threads of continuity and connection.

Kindle Hope

Leaving us in the darkness as the sun melts away over the horizon, it gives us a hope to enjoy its magnificence again tomorrow. Life might seem scary at times, as we don’t know what’s kept next for us, but there is this tiny faith that keeps us going. And each time when things seem a bit hard on me, Sunset helps me believe that there will always be a better tomorrow. It draws your mind to the present as you learn to appreciate the beauty of today with a belief for a beautiful tomorrow.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

― George Eliot

Going by the quote, I remember one incident.

Although it’s been years now, I still clearly remember that Sunday afternoon when I sat along with my sisters to watch TV. Back then, Sunday’s were all about watching movies together. It seems like I sound pretty old times, but it’s just a few years back when families actually use to binge watch together. Getting back to the topic, being siblings, we share a common love for Horror films – Yay! Might sound crazy but we do are horror-fanatic. And while surfing through the channels – we came across a movie name Insidious: Chapter 2. Now, for those who don’t follow this genre; Insidious is a supernatural horror film directed by James Wan.

Back to the Story…

We were so engrossed in the film that we didn’t even realize that there was a visitor at our home. There was a lady who came to visit mom. I didn’t even know who the lady was, but through her appearance, she seemed like a normal middle-aged woman who would probably be a housewife and didn’t much appear to be literate. Now, sorry for sounding so judgemental but somehow, we all are. I’m sure each of us has drawn that line of presumption around people some or the other point of time. Observing us immersed in the movie, she asked me the name of the film we were watching. And to my immediate presumption, I assumed she wouldn’t know nor understand the movie as it was a Hollywood film.

Therefore, I just answered her saying, ‘it’s an English Film.’

To which she immediately responded ‘yes, but which film?’

I hesitated but replied her with the movie name and her response left us all in surprised.

She said, ‘Oh, that movie! It’s a wonderful film. You should watch the chapter1 too. I have watched both parts and loved it.’

I weakly smiled at her, and my heart was filled with guilt. Even though it’s such a small thing, but that day certainly thought me something valuable that is, never judge a person on his appearance. It was a life lesson for me.

You Need to Stop Assuming!!!

We often judge people based upon their external appearance. However, it is observed that once you get to know the person and see what’s on the inside, the reality is completely different then what you had imagined. No matter how vulnerable a person may claim to be, every Tom, Dick, and Harry makes presumptions about others which are strictly based on first impressions. You merely see someone for a split second, and you make assumptions on their attitude, personality, and character. However, our actions, or inaction’s, and how we treat others are often influenced by these naive and often imprecise first impressions.

I’m okay I’m okay

These words seem so heavy

I don’t know who am I consoling

Is it this selfish world or my turbulent soul

With a blink of an eye

My world seems to die

Each day seems so heavy

That I can’t explain why

I wake up everyday with a hollow smile

At first it was evident on my face

But I’m tired of answering the same question again and again

I’m okay.. I’m okay.. I screamed at the world

Locked my self in washroom to cry my soul

Put on a smile to hide my scars

And everything seem normal to the people around

I tried, I honestly tried

But with time the mask got dried

I still struggled to wake up bright

Over time I have realized people really don’t care

Whether you open up or you don’t share

I’m done pretending to the world and to myself

Because somewhere in this dark place I found my comfort

So I locked my soul up there

Because that’s whereI belong I guess…

Have you encountered a situation where you had to do something just because you were unable to use the two-letter word ‘No’? I’m sure we all have some or the other time been in a similar situation. It is because from childhood we have been raised to help others no matter whatever the situation. Though some people smartly handled such kind of dilemma, there are few like me sure who are always trapped in such situations.The problem here is we believe that saying no to someone is regarded as being rude. And of course, nobody ever wants to be offensive to someone, especially to our closed ones. I’m not against being kind or helping the person in need.All I want to say is do things that don’t take a toll over you. I remember the lines written by Paulo Coelho

 “When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.” – Paulo Coelho

If you are someone who faces these circumstances now and then, I’m sure you could exactly relate to what it feels like to be in such a dilemma. You have become someone who needs approval from other people. Somehow, you have become a people pleaser. The problem here is that you put the needs of others above your own. Being a doer, you thrive on caring for others. I say all this with much confidence because I have walked down that road; I was always on my toe to be there for all. The issue began when I started giving up on my thoughts, feelings and wishes with a hope to make other people happy to make sure that ‘we’ were good.

First of all, remember communication is the key. No matter what, if it is not possible for you to do something, it is your responsibility to communicate it with the other person. You have the right to say No. You don’t have to be aggressive or criticize someone for saying a No. All you got to do is talk out. I know this won’t happen overnight and definitely, it’s going to be tough. You will feel guilty for saying no, but eventually, it will help you re-focus your priorities. I’m not telling you to say no always but be flexible. When we start being authentic with ourselves and to others is when we focus on our life.