There she lay lifeless because something had broken inside her. Thousands of memories rolled back in her mind. She wanted to scream, let out her pain, run across, and lock herself in the room, yet she found it hard even to shed a tear. What is this weird feeling?
‘Aarohi…Are you okay?‘ Noor cried, breaking her thoughts.
She
looked concerned. But Aarohi was still packing the bundle of memories that got
unleashed.
‘Aarohi, will you respond?‘ Now Noor’s voice demanded an answer. But Aarohi did not utter a word.
Back
of her mind, she knew one day this was about to happen, but what she didn’t
know was, how she would handle this news.
It’s
been more than a year Rehan left her, but somehow, she still couldn’t let him
go of her life.
‘Move on, Aarohi!‘ Her friends joked about it.
But
deep down, only she knew how much difficult it was for her.
Is
it really easy for people to give up on people they love the most?
She
remembered every night, making promises to herself to let go of things and
start new. And yet she found herself caged in those same walls of love and
affection. She screamed and cried for help at the top of her voice, but it was
as if the world had become deaf to her voice.
But
today she smiled at the pain and at those walls that no longer hold her. This
was not the end for her but a new beginning. And, as the world started to fade
in her eyes, she took the last look at the paper in hand which read ‘Rehan weds
Mithali’ and closing her eyes she embraced death with open arms.
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
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.
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.
Like most teen girls, I always struggle to fit in the squad and be liked by my other classmates. We all are guided from our childhood always to be yourself and nice to people, and eventually, people will like you. But, it was never that simple for me. I always tried my best to fit in by doing things that are loved by others such as wearing clothes that the other girls wear, makeup according to the latest trends or watching TV shows that are liked by all and playing games that are played by all. But the fact that I was never really into makeup, what they were wearing wasn’t really my style, TV Shows or the games they played were never in my interest. In a moment of desperation to be liked by everyone, I started forcing myself into someone I wasn’t.
Sure at the core, I was still the same old person, but since I knew that the society accepts those who follow the troop and behave in a certain way, it sometime use to overburden me with doubt. I had a handful of friends throughout my school and college, and soon I realise that no amount of common ground would ever make some people like me. Certainly, we all have gone through this phase in our life where we change our preferences, interest, looks or behaviour with a motive to be accepted and liked by someone. We all want to be accepted and acknowledged. Unfortunately, we live in the world where people take one quick look at you and decide whether to include you in their circle or not.
Surround Yourself with People who Love you
The
world is jam-packed with people who will always nag, judge and pull you down. No
matter what you do or how hard you try, they simply won’t like you. Some people
love you, fiercely. Keep them safe because they are your people. Stop trying to
please the ones who aren’t your people. They won’t buy what you’re selling. You
can never be their cup of tea, and neither will they be yours. Don’t expect
them to walk your path with you. They won’t ever understand. Politely wave them
away as you move ahead. Share your path with the ones who appreciate and know
your worth. Always be who you are and cherish your true self for that’s what is
more important. Because you’re not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s completely
Okay!
A
lot of us hoped for n number of things in life, material objects that can
symbolise our status and success. Many among us wish to own a house, have a fruitful
career, and have a happy family. Apart from possessions and recognition, people
also desire security and fulfilment of a relationship. When we finally meet our
soul partner, we are thrilled and believe that life is now complete. However,
when things go off the beam, and the connection reaches an end, we go through mixed
emotions that seem like to tear our soul apart. Losing people who are beloved
to us leaves us in pain, and we do not understand how to handle it: let go.
Letting go of a relationship that has meant everything to us is not a cake walk.
It is tough to even think about losing someone who has given us so much to remember. A person who we wanted to spent our whole life with, the only person whom we were always to rely on, the only person who stood beside us when the rest left us suddenly disappears from our world. Nobody can ever envisage the aching, the agony we would be going through. It would be the time when we feel alone, depressed but each one of us has to undergo this pain some or the other day in our life. When we lose somebody near to us, our world can feel suddenly different and unknown. Without them, we wouldn’t know what to do.
We
start to miss them so much. Even though they are not near, we always carry them
in our heart. We may find simple routine tasks nearly impossible to do. On
another day we may feel depressed, and the next moment we might be angry toward
friends, family, or the world. For some, the experience will be intense, with a
quick succession of high and low emotions. But we should always remember that
whatever emotion you are feeling is a part of your grieving process.
The hardest part of all to unchain our heart that’s holding on and start to live our life again as nothing has happened at all. At that acute moment, the only thing left with us is the memories of our dear one. These memories work as a ray of sunshine after the storm to bring a smile on our face. Even though it’s meant for a few seconds, we are pleased to have those memories stored. While looking back to the stack of photos, we realise it is the best way of preserving the memories of our dear one. They are the window to our past that was once so beautiful.
The
tears flow down while we sit there and attempt to describe that picture.
It is probably the most painful memory we have. But whether good or bad,
these will only be the things you have with you of your dearly one. There will
be so many good moments you shared – It might be the first time you met them,
the happy moments you both shared, your marriage, the moments when you fought
over silly topics and then try to overcome those fights apologising to each
other. These small little moments form a major part of our life through
memories.
As
we try to move on with our life, we might find that we can think of our loved
one and feel happy instead of sad or hurt. Embrace those feelings of joy and
happiness, and think of them as the gifts your loved one has provided you. Despite
how firm we try, we cannot live in the past nor stay forever in the present. To
live, we must move on and look to the future. In spite of several years passing
by, the love that we once lost cannot be replaced, as if we have lost a part within
us. The aching of that damage stays forever. Still, life goes on, sadly on a
different pathway than we assumed. Sometimes it’s the only choice left which
becomes the only way to live our life. We need to feel good and live with the memories of a precious
one, treasure them and move on in life.