2016, a recap!

This year has truly been one of extremes. Every emotion that I've felt, I've felt with all of my being. Sadness, anger, hope and happiness have found a way to weave themselves into all the stories I have to tell and also the ones I don't. I started my year surrounded by my cousin and his family, being told by my nephew that he loves me. 5 months later I saw myself moving into his house with all my bags and baggage. 8 months on, I find myself looking back on 2016 with the kind of contempt that I only reserve for Kale, and maybe beetroot. But to be fair, 2016 has been a teacher of epic proportions! So, Thank You 2016 for

•  Showing me just how much love I am capable of giving and receiving. It has been a humbling experience
• My increased focus on writing. This year might've been my most active writing-wise and one in which I ended up experimenting with more writing formats than I have up until now. It has been a rush to know I have at least one creative bone in my body, if I may say so myself
• Friendships that stood the test of time, and the ones that didn't
• Finally allowing me to feel settled. A new job, apartment, roommate and car later, I'm ready for 2017. Almost anyway!
• Renewed closeness with my cousins and extended family. I have depended heavily on them over the last 1 year and really tested our ties. Thankfully, we thrived
• Showing me the large army of family and friends that will rally behind and uplift me, should the need be
• Allowing me to learn how to forgive myself. Sure, I’ve had more than a few moments I wish I could go back in time and undo, but I’m no time traveler. All I can do, is hope that those I have hurt can forgive me just as I am learning to do so myself
• Showing me how to have a tad bit more grace in times when I would rather not. I’ve not had things served up to me on a platter but I’ve also never had to work with things going in the opposite direction. Hopefully, this would be the year when if things go wrong, I’d be able to accept them better
• Teaching me to be grateful and humble
• California!! I would’ve never moved here left on my own accord. But I did. And thank god for that. Weather, family, food and friends – what more could I want with life?

Rebuild

To her, the destruction looked like hope

Hope, that the new world she inhabits

Will be the one she builds herself

As she walks through the debris of her past

And starts looking at it piece by piece

Memories and nostalgia sweep over her

Smiles, giggles and a rush of love

She pockets these hastily

Sifting through the ones that hurt

She holds on to the one that hurts the most

The one that tears through her being with its jagged edge

For next time she is lost

She will let this piece impale her naivety

And draw blood from her mouth

Lest she forgets the pain that labored her perfect new world

Storm

If there ever was a storm waiting to blow over

It would be her

It isn’t because she carries within her

Destructive forces of a thousand seas

Or because what you thought was her calmness,

Is just the calm before a storm

No, it’s because when she finally lets go

She will bring with her hail, thunder and rain

She will use the might of the wind beneath her wings

To eliminate the very purpose of your presence, your need

And when she is finally done

She will show you both death and life

While she sheds the shroud of the person she became

Version of the person you so carefully created

She will rejoice the birth of the person she knows she could be

The woman that intimidated you, one that you thought she couldn’t be

If you're sappy and you know it

2 years ago, on this date, I came home from a 5 day long hospitalization. I had burst my appendix and it had been a harrowing experience. I was in a new country, surrounded by people I didn't know, dealing with a medical system I couldn't make head or tail of. To say the least, it was frustrating. I am not ashamed to accept the fact that I missed my mum and I needed her more than life itself.

Looking back, it was also the experience that defined my MBA experience. As I lay on the bathroom floor, unable to stand and writhing in agony, I called all my neighbors. Understandably, at 4 am, all of them were asleep. Taking a chance, I called my friend who lived in the building next to mine. 2 rings, hello? All I could manage was a guttural scream that was somehow meant to translate to 'Help!'. Miraculously she understood.

For the next five days, I was shown the kind of friendship that usually comes with familiarity. But there I was, surrounded by people I was only getting to know. Somehow, in those 5 days, I formed a bond with strangers in roles that they will continue to essay 2 years later (give or take a few people). I don't know if any of my friendships would've looked like this if it wasn't for me not realizing my appendix had burst, and so in some dark twisted way, I'm thankful.

But I'm more thankful for my crazies. I promise this is the limit of me being sappy but here goes:
Anisha, no one in this world is a better companion than you for checking out hot docs and I still appreciate the goody bag that let me cleanup for them pretty ones

Tanvi, I remember chewing your ears off about some saga or the other. Who knew, 2 years later, I would be doing the same. This time over khichadi though. You do make the best khichadi ever!

Sneha, thank you for taking my call at 4 am. And even more, for sitting at the hospital with me while they tried to figure out what went wrong

Puneet, you're going to be my fake boyfriend and favorite dance partner for life. Enough said!

Ani: For always being around! Didn’t matter if I was venting, just needed to feel safe, be a drunken mess, or most importantly, needed sushi. Chicago doesn’t absolve you. I’ll be around forever

And Preetha, you were nothing less than a mommy to me. From taking care of my timely medication to helping me go through daily ablutions, you were a rockstar! And I'm glad you've chosen to play that role consistently since then! You truly are my heart!

To the people who visited, I am also very thankful for your friendship. For the fact that you took time out of what really was a busy term, to come spend time with me, hold my hand as I fussed, and help me walk with my IV pole. Okay, maybe not the last one because I'm sure as hell that was more entertaining for you than it was for me.

If you're happy and you know it....

“…But, are you happy?”

It was during one of my daily catch up calls with my mother that she digressed from our standard script. She didn’t want to know what I ate, or what time I woke up and if I did my PT. It was one of those catch ups where my mother abruptly interrupted my tirade of irrelevant details with a simple question.

Thing is, I am a happy person. I, for the longest time, can’t remember not being able to look at a situation and pick something positive up from it to focus on. Even then, through my two years at Michigan, my mother has been the quickest at noticing even the slightest changes in my temperament. Be it stress, ill-health or just happiness, she’s been able to actually show me how I’m feeling, even before I have had a chance to face my own emotions. And so her question hit home, it felt, for the lack of a better word, loaded.

I was ashamed at how much importance I was giving such a simple question. I mean, she is my mother. She wasn’t trying to make me uncomfortable, she was just being my mother. So I did what I always do when stumped, I called up bae. As soon as I said the words, ‘… and then she asked me if I was happy’, her reaction was a simple ‘fuck’. Thing is, I didn’t even realize just how much she dreads the question too. It got me thinking, why were we so scared of accepting to ourselves, that we might indeed be happy? Or are we just unhappy people?

Would it be so bad if I accepted to myself that at this very minute, I am happy? I am finally looking forward and have left my past behind, exactly where it belonged. My two year old nephew’s concept of unbridled happiness was rubbing off on me, and dancing with him to random tunes and being showered with limitless love was showing me that no matter what, I was going to be okay. Life as I knew it, was pretty damn good. But would the fact that tomorrow might not be a day as good as today deter me? The fact that looking for a job 4 months after graduation is stressing me out, in effect make my assertion, that I am happy, a lie?

Truth be told, I don’t think I know how to deal with the dichotomy of my feelings. On one hand, I am more than grateful for friends and family that love and support me unconditionally, on the other, I am forever overwrought with this looming sense of failure. Or I guess what I am not saying is, I don’t know what being happy even means. I don’t know if my momentary happiness is good enough to qualify as me being happy or the fact that these are “moments” and not a stable state of existence, must mean I am unhappy. If I am indeed unhappy, what would make me happy? A kickass job, a stable relationship, a big ass house with a view or a swanky car? After I do have these, what guarantees me an eternal state of happiness? Because whom am I kidding, I know myself and I’m pretty sure I will constantly be seeking “more”. But most importantly, few things scare me more than the idea of being an unhappy person. So, as I continue this journey I believe I am on (and apparently, in control of), I would like to believe that ‘happy’ is my constant state of being, with questionable moments thrown in – exactly how I like my cake: sweet with a bitter chocolate glaze.

140 Character stories - Part 1

#Butterflies

This was the first one I wrote. It was a result of a conversation I was having with a friend. When a muse comes, you take it.

“Will I feel butterflies in my stomach again?” "No", he said. "What I haven't destroyed with my presence, I will crush with my absence"

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#Mirror

This was the second set of stories I wrote. You can submit 3 stories at a time with TTT and since I was trying to increase my writing stamina, it seemed like a good idea to do 3. Surprisingly, this wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined it to be. It was however darker than I had expected it to be

"Goodbye Ammi", she apologized to her mirror, as her wrist turned the basin red

Her hollow eyes looked for him in the mirror, trying to find herself. Goodbye unceremonious, he left her, a stranger to herself

Blowing a kiss in the mirror, she felt beautiful. She won’t let a ‘concerned’ neighbor tell all of curves that she wasn’t

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#Box

This was story set #3. Again, I had it quite easy with this one. Maybe it was the fact that I am living out of boxes right now or the fact that I feel so deeply about never being able to compartmentalize my life. Either ways, made for a fun writing project

House was full of boxes. Her life was in squares and his in circles. Love resided between mismatched corners.

As her husband called out her name, she snapped the lid shut tight. She could no more let memories of him out of the box.

Looking at her list she realized he didn’t check any of the boxes, except the one that said butterflies.

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#Colors

Writing set #4. This was tricky. My first story was about the Stanford Rape and the second one about domestic violence. I wasn’t sure if my writing was getting the message across but I did it anyway. My small contribution to a much larger debate. Third one was just me being cheesy

For the first time, behind the dumpster, she saw colors. His was red, drunk on power, while hers was beige, in fear

She painted their future with the 7 colors of the rainbow. She didn’t know the dominant color in her life would be the blue of her bruises

He watched her as she talked animatedly. For the first time he noticed the color of her eyes. They were blue with a speck of love

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#Hope

Writing set #5. Never have I struggled with writing as much as on this topic. The word had me stumped for a good two days and I think it is more than evident in my writing. Not happy with the end product but my brain currently refuses to process anything that I could attach to this word. Calling this one a bad day and accepting it as a writer’s block

“You knew you were vulnerable and he was bad news. Why would you give him all of you?” she asked angrily. “Hope” came the answer from within

“Tell me what you need?” “A smile, a hug, hope and a way to mend my heart”, she replied ruefully.

“Ma, what does hope feel like?” she the 6 year old looking at her father’s picture adorned with a garland. “A lot like your hug”

Birthday Blog

All those who know me, know that I've had, for the lack of a better word, a motherfucker of a year. So this year on my birthday, I’ve decided to make a few conscious decisions. After all, how long can I keep saying a year older, none the wiser? This is to getting wiser

• I will treat myself kindly. There are so many things I wouldn't let my friends say or do to themselves. I will show myself the same consideration
• I will cut out people who don't bring me happiness. Over the past year I've let a bunch of toxic people dictate my self worth. In all honesty, you don't deserve even 1% of the importance I've given you in my life. Really, goodbye
• I will forgive people who knew nothing of my battles and chose to judge me and/ or laugh at me. It wasn't their fault. To an outsider it must've seemed like erratic behavior. Do I wish people had a little more kindness in their heart to make place for other people’s battles? Yes, I do. But it doesn't mean I expect that at all. I know better than that
• I will forgive people who knew of my battles and chose to walk away. I think that's a spectacularly smart choice and not everyone can make that call. The fact that you could, I salute you. Should you expect me to be there for you if misfortunes befall? I wouldn't stake my life on it
• I will no more make excuses for people who knew of my battles and chose to cause me more unhappiness. If instead of support in this phase, your words and actions have caused me more pain, I'm done making excuses for your presence in my life. I must have to be a special cause of stupid to continue. Please check yourselves out of my life. Your stay was appreciated but you've overstayed your welcome now
• A lot of people stood by me at my lowest. They picked up the pieces after the hurricane destruction I brought with me and still chose to fight this out with me. They reminded me every day that I was loved and there was a reason I was fighting. For that, I will forever be indebted. You know who you are and, God forbid, if there ever is a cloudy day, I'll be there for you till the sun doesn't start dancing to our favorite songs
• Beginning with restoring my back to full functionality, I will give my health utmost importance. I haven't been a 100% in a long time. It's time to rebuild the pieces and bring to the world a better, more complete version of myself
•  Over the two years I have neither danced nor cooked as much as I would've liked. Dancing and cooking have always been my passion and I will pursue these with utmost honesty. I might've forgotten to prioritize them but I won't anymore
• But most of all, I promise myself happiness. There is enough fucked up bullshit happening around me and enough people bringing me down. I do not need to add to this list. No. I will choose me from now on, every single time, and do exactly what I want. If in doing so I hurt you, I'm sorry. I truly am. But I need me right now and that's how I'd like to play it

Disclaimer: Over the past couple days I have had people sound more concerned than they really need to be about this post. It was a bad year coupled with a back injury and a lot of my "battle" has come from that. I'm extremely touched by all the concern everyone has shown me but I am doing well, thank you! This was just my attempt to cut out the drama for my birthday