In between sunrise and set lies an attempt to be a better me than yesterday...

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No Nani! This Pink saree is just perfect for the occasion. I even have matching Pink sandals to go with it. Do you still have the pink jhumkas that Nanu gifted you on your wedding anniversary? They’ll be just the perfect match with this saree.

I’ve even called Ramu Kaka and asked for a lovely gajra. I know! I know! COVID is almost entering its fourth wave and public places are dangerous! But trust me, CCD is disinfected every single day. We hardly get opportunities to spend some quality time with the loves of our lives in these busy times and bustling cities. Metro is safer, believe me! Buses or cabs are much more dangerous. 

“Arrey but!” “Bas Nani! It’s been 15 long years that Nanu is not around and Colonel Chatterjee loves you a lot. Trust me, he does! His eyes twinkle when he sees you. The book is kept on the table. Don’t forget to take it. You know how much he loves reading poetry and especially Tagore.” 

As Nani goes for her first date,my Spotify starts playing “Tu khwab saja
Tuu jee le zara
Hai tujhe bhi izaazat
Karle tu bhi mohabbat.”

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चाय की पत्ती और शक्कर जैसी
गर्मी की छुट्टियों और आइस क्रीम जैसी
सर्दी की ठिठुर और कम्बल जैसी
गोलगप्पा और पानी जैसी
टॉम और जेरी जैसी

एक न हो तो दूसरा फींका पड़ जाता है।

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जहां जन्म और मृत्यु के बीच में पात्र का अपने आप से और बाकियों से रिश्ता तय करता है कि प्रस्तुति में कितना दम था।

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Life was playing weird games with me.
First, they worshipped me as a sacred goddess,
Then, they exposed my bareback and made me an obnoxious center of attention.
If that wasn't enough,
There was no one to pay heed to my cries and wails.
The ribbons that once adored my silky hair,
Were now ropes that tied my spirits up...
I was thrown on the road
roasted and toasted by the flames of the toxic masculinity!
I'm a woman!

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Love is an ordinary feeling but specially felt. It lies in the rainbows after a beautiful shower. It also lies in the peacock which dances drenched up. It's also surreal and serene when a baby laughs. Love is omnipresent. Like the dal chawal you're mom cooked that day or even the cheese maggi that your partner learnt to make, just for you. Love lies in the eyes of the beholder like the very idea of beautiful. Love is ordinary but very beautiful. Love is present in the little gifts your grandparents give you while leaving for their own place. Love also lies in the wishes and questions of your students. Love lies in the kindness of a stranger. It also lies in the concern of a loved one. Love is ordinary but not boring. Love doesn't trap you. Love sets you free.

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कई सितारों में चमकता हुआ
झिलमिलाता हुआ
मैं एक सितारों का बाशिंदा।

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...and life has thus been a beautiful and satisfactory journey so far with many ups and downs! And at the end, I never gave up!

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कि उन्होंने इतने रंग कैसे बनाए?
इतनी प्यारी तितलियां, इतने प्यारे फूल,
रात में जुगनू, दिन में भंवरा?
ठंडी हवा, काली घटा,
सब कुछ कितना सोच समझकर, फ़ुरसत में बनाया होगा!
पर इंसानों को फ़ुरसत से क्यों नहीं बनाया?
क्यों नहीं सिखाया पाठ सहनशीलता का?
प्यार, मोहब्बत, दूसरों के जज़्बात समझने का?
उसका बहाना देकर, एक दूसरे को काटने दौड़ता है,
कुदरत के हर नायाब चीज़ों को ख़राब करता है,
देहशत फैलाता है!
अभी भी वक़्त है!
बनाइए ना, थोड़े अच्छे इंसान।
मत बनाओ ना, और शैतान!

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Well what does 1st April remind me of? Ummmm...is it April Fool's Day? Naah! Maybe that it's Kirti's happy wala birthday but most importantly...1st April reminds me of the first day in school! The unseen and incomprehensible first day of a new class with a new set of classmates and friends! The neatly wrapped and covered notebooks and text books that were done in competition with the others “Whose is the cleanest?" Apart from the incoming fun that was stored, there was an unknown increased pressure in terms of studies! For students promoted to class XI, it's more of a reminde: “Ab college door nahi!!” 1st April has the most number of emotions attached to it in a person's life closely competing against the institution of marriage! The same fear of unknown and a similar situation of who to befriend and who to not! So let the fun of unknown begin!!!!

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