Being Well Groomed

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One day when I was ready to leave from work and get home, I stopped by the washroom to freshen up like I do everyday. As I was re-applying my lipstick, a colleague walks in and smiles at me. She then proceeds to ask me if I was going out somewhere instead of home. I say no. She then tells me that since I was "dolling up", she expected that I would be going out somewhere. I was annoyed but held my cool. I know a lot of people who take care of themselves very well. I happen to be one of those too. On the other hand, I know of people who dress up only when they have a place to go to. I for one, am someone who is well groomed all the time. I like to look good and neat throughout the day. This means regular makeup touch-ups, deodorant sprays and checking the folds of my shirt, but I do it. It is important to me. Very important in fact.

I'm very particular about grooming. I'm well dressed most of the time, with manicured nails and neatly done hair. Chipped nail polish puts me off and I spend a lot of time and effort in doing them up. It makes me feel good inside and because of this I look good outside. Even while I'm at home, I'm dressed up well. My contact lens are replaced by glasses and my hair will be pulled up. That's the only difference. For me, it is important to look good. I take a lot of pain to stay this way while managing the chores at home and a demanding job. Just like the way I am, my house is very well groomed too. I need everything around me to look good. Call it vanity if you want to, but that's the way I am. Every corner of my home is done up the way I want it to be.

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My home is a reflection of me and you can see hues of me in every wall. I have handpicked the paintings and posters that adorn my wall today. I roamed all over the city to find the best furniture for our living room. I spent weeks online finding the perfect bed for our bed room. Since I'm a voracious reader, I invested heavily on a book shelf that holds all my books today. This adds a very classy look to my home. I also believe in simplicity. Less is more for me and I let each element stand out on its own and speak for itself. Like my rosewood sofa, that looks dark and handsome by itself and yet blends in perfectly with my mahogany center table. I add curtains that go with the color of the pillows on my sofa. Not the exact match, but something that would provide a striking contrast and bring out the colors.

Every piece at my home is envied by most guests. Most of them have tried to replicate the same sense of style in their houses too. Like they say imitation is the best form of flattery, I just feel good about my taste and sit back with a smile. It is not easy to have a well groomed house all the time. Since we live on the third floor, it gets dusty pretty quickly. Which means frequent dusting. I do it happily because it is important to me. The day I think of it as a chore, I would start hating it I know. The plants in my balcony garden are pruned regularly as well. It is very important to take care of plants well, else they just don't look good. Same goes with any water body in the house. If the water is not regularly changed, it becomes a nightmare. Taking some time out to keep our surrounding clean is not a big deal.

Being well groomed is a sign of sophistication and class. Be it a person or their house, it needs to be well maintained. It is not that difficult to find out what would suit you or your house. There are a lot of websites out there that help you with almost everything. But then again, it is a matter of taste as well. Also, it is important to have a personal touch to everything. Be it on individual style or the home decor. Like they say, every one has a story to tell. The same way, every house holds a story as well. And more often than not it is the story of the people who make the house.

A well groomed owner would mean a well groomed home.

His Hands

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His hands

Tender and teasing

Strumming along my nape

Playing and pleasing

His hands

Tight and strong

Holding mine all the time

Knowing nothing can go wrong

His hands

Urgent and exploring

Finding every part of my body

Making my spine want to sing

His hands

Play and swirl

Along the length of my black mane

In response, my toes curl

His hands

Protective and kind

Always by my side

Where ever I go, them I find

His hands

Possessive and wild

Pulling me towards him

Not once letting me slide

His hands

Fearful and insecure

Grasping my wrist too tight

Too painful to endure

His hands

Strolling around my neck

Drowning me in a love abyss

Pausing now and then to check

His hands

One by one close my eye

They're still shrouded in doubt

Cradling a smile as I die

A to Z 2016: Theme Reveal

This is the third consecutive year that I'll be participating in the A to Z challenge. I used a random theme for 2014 and went with 'Shades Of Love' for 2015. This year I want to do something different. A to Z challenge is a very difficult one with having to put up a post everyday except Sundays. You clearly run out of stuff to write about at times. With a simple theme like love, I could write poetry, fiction or just a random scribble. So it was a little easy then. This time I want to do something more easier as I would have very limited with me.

I realize that I do not write much about myself on my blog except for some rants or opinions. So I thought of a theme that would be simple and yet would help my readers know a little more about me. So here we go.

My theme for A to Z 2016 is:

I would talk a lot about myself this April. My likes, dislikes, opinions on various topics, personal battles and everything that has to do with me. Since I don't have to make up stuff like fiction or focus on rhymes in poetry, I guess this would be a little more easy for me. Do come back to read more and get to know me a little bit more.

A big hug to all those who are going to be a part of this challenge. May the force be with us!

The 18th Letter

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I can't believe you turn eighteen today

I still remember the day I felt you inside me

I was young, rebellious and adventurous

Myself as a mother I couldn't see

I nurtured you for nine whole months

Giving you the best of all that I had

I even grieved for you a little bit

Realizing you would never know your dad

He left after that one night

I don't even have his name

I am too scared to admit this

As I cover my bulging belly in shame

I had to give you up

This was for your own good

I couldn't do anything for you

I wanted you to enjoy your childhood

I found a good family for you

I know that they treat you like their own son

This is the life you deserve, my dear boy

Not like mine, hiding and on the run

I hope you understand why I did this

Also know that I would never forget you

Every year I send you a letter on this day

You are still fresh in my memory like dew

I remember those tiny hands and feet

But today you would be a handsome man

Sometimes I imagine how you look

Dark curly hair, skin with a tan

There will be no more letters, my darling

Now it is time for you to soar and fly

Do try to make your new parents proud

I will be watching from far, with a tear in my eye

Written for Magpie Tales: Mag 308.

The Two Men In My Life

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This post was originally supposed to be out on Women's Day, but lack of time did not let that happen. Next, it was blog anniversary and I got busy with setting up the blog. So here it is today. Better late than never, right?

I'm a fiercely independent woman, but I would not be what I am without the love and support of two men. They are the most important men in my life and I love them very much. First is my father. When you belong to middle class family, the birth of the second daughter is expected to create a stir of agony. But my dad was very happy when his second child turned out to be a girl. We were loved immensely and me being the younger one was pampered to the core. Not once did my parents cry about the fact that they did not have a son. We were given all the luxuries that they could afford back then. Right from the best of the education to all other amenities. My dad used to be ridiculed about being poor and having two daughters. But he never showed it on us. No, we were not treated like sons. We were treated like daughters and given everything that we asked for.

My father and I have an unsaid connection. We are very emotionally attached to each other. When I passed out of college and went to Chennai for my job, he used to visit me every week. In case I couldn't come down to meet them, he would. With no confirmed ticket and sitting or standing throughout the whole six hour journey from Bangalore to Chennai. When I moved back to Bangalore, both of us very happy. I had never been separated from him until then. A few years later, it was the time for me to get married. I never told him about the guy I wanted to get married to. In fact I never told my parents, they learnt it from someone else. He did not oppose it one bit. He trusted my choice. When he met Cal, they hit it off from the start! My dad knew that this guy would keep me happy no matter what.

My father is a very hard working man. Very innocent and very emotional. He has never been treated right by others. But for me, he will always be the first man in my life. I never understood this before. But once I got married and moved into another house, I realized that my parents had treated me like a princess. Not once had my father reprimanded me or laid a finger on me. He just let me be. The strength I have today is all because of him and because of the way he brought me up. I was allowed to pursue anything I wanted. I was not considered a weakling. Till date, our relationship has remained the same. He still will not go without seeing me often. If I cannot get the time to visit them, he plans to come down to see me. And I would do anything for him to lead a comfortable life with a smile. And I would do it at any cost.

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The second man in my life is my husband. He came into my life when everything was scattered and helped me put it all together. He loved the fact that I was independent and had a mind of my own. The first year of us being together was only about conversations. We had so much to talk about. I liked the fact that we had so much in common and yet we were so different. I learnt so much from him and he has been a constant inspiration to me. I wasn't too sure if I wanted to get married and I asked for some time when he proposed. He waited patiently until I made up my mind. He is my friend first and everything else comes next. My blog just completed seven years a couple of days ago. This would not have been possible without him. He supported me and encouraged my writing. He did not want me to delete my older posts that were written for some one else as it meant nothing to him. He is very secure of his position in my life and that makes me fall in love with him everyday.

When I hit a rough patch in writing and when people were expecting me to give up writing and delete my blog, he held my hand and stood firmly by my side. I had my own doubts, but he wanted me to continue doing what I wanted to. Till date, he has no qualms about what I write and the way I write. He reads every post of mine and doesn't expect any justifications. As a husband too, he is just the same. He doesn't want a wife who will cook for him, clean after him and sleep with him. He wants a companion. He doesn't want me to change in any way. He loves the fact that I'm a simple jeans and top person. He loves the fact that I'm so dedicated to my job and my writing. It is difficult to run a house amidst all this, but he doesn't let me feel that. He helps me around the house in every task. He volunteers to cook, when I have a important call or an article to finish. He's in every way the best friend and perfect husband one could ask for. Without his support, I would never have got past the first two difficult years of marriage.

Most importantly, I love the way he gets along with my parents. My parents are broadminded and simple people with zero expectations. They love him just as much as they love me and have never considered him as an outsider. In return, he loves them like his own parents too. They make fun of each other and get along very well. If my parent's had felt the need for a son earlier, they no longer do. I like the way he supports my father and helps him understand technology. My parents treat both of us as equals and they love the fact that we are so much in love. They see the love we share and are happy for their daughter. They know that I'm being taken care of well by him and I'm leading a wonderful life. He makes it easier for them to see this. He sees the love that I have for my father and respects it. It makes me feel so happy that the two most important men in my life love and respect each other along with loving and respecting me.

I'm a feminist. I'm independent. I'm head strong. And I am all this because of the support of these two men.

We Turn Seven

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Seven years ago, on March 9th, I opened blogger for the first time and created a blog. And today I'm writing my 1095th post. Wow, what a journey it has been. It just feels like yesterday when I wrote my first post. Life has changed so much since then and this blog has been a very important part of it. I never knew that I could write until I started writing. Blogging was pretty new back in 2009 and there were hardly any good quality blogs around for me to see as an example. I was going through a difficult phase, and somehow my blog helped me heal. But did I think I would last this long? Honestly, no. I am a person who quickly gets bored of things. Mundane routine is not for me. But somehow, writing kept me going. And in return I kept it going. And soon it became so important to me that I could not do without it. Till date I try my best to write as often as I can and as often as time permits.

When I started off, I was heart-broken. Fresh out of a breakup with a lot of unanswered questions on my mind. This gave way to some melancholic poetry and I began writing. Slowly, I moved to random posts to share all that I was feeling. I discovered fiction pretty late and it was only because Phatichar encouraged me, that I could write my first piece. He plays a very important role in making me the writer I am today. PeeVee, Red and Spiff were my first blogger friends and we used to encourage each other with every post. Online friendship soon turned offline and we have managed to keep it going so far. For those who have read and followed my blog from the start, they know almost everything about my adult life. Personal and professional both.

Poetry continued to be an important part of my blog. Most of it revolving around love. Of course, the muse changed with time. I have never felt the need to go back and delete a few posts of mine that were written for an ex. It was a very important part of my life back then, else it would not have made it to the blog. Some where those posts helped me as a writer and helped my readers understand me better. My blog has had a ramp up transition. It started off from a heart break and continued until I found love a few times and then until I found the love of my life. Everything has an account on my blog. If not in precise detail, most of it is here. Do I regret talking about my personal life? Absolutely not.

As I look back, I cannot help but smile. When I read a few old posts of mine, I find them to be too juvenile. But so was I back then. It shows growth in me as well as my writing. And I'm very proud of it. My blog has given me so much. Money, recognition and some really wonderful friends who are very very close to me today. But things were not always rosy. Most of my posts have rubbed people the wrong way. Some intentionally and some unintentionally. The problem with me is that I cannot beautify things. I cannot sugar coat words just to make people happy. That is because I'm such a person. Even in conversations I have always been this way and that is the same way I write. Do I want to change? Absolutely not.

Last year I bought my own domain name to celebrate my blog's sixth birthday. This time I decided to change the entire look of my blog. But I have been too busy with work. I could not even write a post for the past two days. That is very unlikely me. I had a template ready at first but once I applied it, it did not look the way I wanted it to. So I had to invest more time in finding a simple yet classy template and then set it up. I wanted white, that I was sure of. And then yellow is a color I've come to love. So here it is. How does this one look?

I would like to thank all my readers for believing in me and coming back to read post after post. Today I ask you guys one thing. Let me know what you like or don't like about my posts. Or tell me what would you like to read more about. I will try my best to take all your suggestions and better myself. So please do leave a comment below.

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I got past the seven year itch successfully. And I plan to keep on going for seventy at least. For now, let's say cheers!

Booby Trap

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It's Women's Day tomorrow and I have just received a mail telling us to wear ethic wear at work tomorrow to celebrate the occasion. Because celebrating women means, you tell them to wear something that they are most uncomfortable wearing. Right? Well, that's true in at least my case. So how many of us are all set to do something big this day? I'm not someone who would believe in this concept, nor am I someone who says every day is women's day and act like a rebel. What bothers me are the set of women who walk around trying to prove a point to the entire world about how women are supposed to be treated better. I'm all for it. I am a feminist too, let us not forget that. Having said that, I'm that kind of feminist who believes that men and women should be treated equally. I'm not that kind of woman who feels the need to show her bra in public, well because I can or put up pictures of my stained clothes while on my period. Why? Because woman issues, what's to hide? Well, in my opinion feminism is talking a wrong turn and is clearly turning into a booby trap capturing so called feminists and making them believe in things that should not be made a big deal of.

There was a campaign doing the rounds called 'Free The Nipple'. Some women from all around the world were posting topless pictures of them on social media because they wanted to decriminalize female nudity. When men can walk around topless, why not women they ask? Am I the only one who finds this weird? I do not understand why some women have problems to wear a bra. They make such a big deal out of it like as if someone forced them to tie up their breasts. For the record, a bra is a piece of under garment that is used to support the breasts of a woman and make her body look good. In return she feels good. Why is there a desperate need to bring feminism into this? Oh just because I'm a woman, I have to wear a bra? How unfair is that! Dear lady, please look at yourself in the mirror before and after wearing a bra and tell me what you would choose.

Almost everything in the world today has been linked to feminism. When someone posted a picture of their period stained pants on Instagram, it took the nation by stir. People were chanting woman power and the need to talk about such issues. While I do agree that menstruation is not a taboo and is something that people need to be educated about, I'm not the one who wants to see pictures of it online. Kiran Gandhi, the lady who ran the marathon while on her period without wearing a sanitary pad, made headlines. People were applauding her courage and called her the flag bearer for feminism. I was just looking at her stained tracks and wondering how unhygienic the act was. Since when is wearing a pad uncomfortable? There are so many sanitary pad companies that make super thin pads that almost feels like next to nothing. Why not run wearing it? There is nothing feminist about this. If women thought wearing a pad was uncomfortable, they would never wear one. Irrespective of whether they want to run a marathon or not. It is all about hygiene and basic cleanliness.

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Quite a number took to the blogging platform to review a sanitary pad and spoke about how it made them feel awesome in precise detail. Why? Because why not? Feminism means talking out loudly about everything about a woman. Right from the number of gel filters on the pad to the quality of the top cover, everything needs to be out in the open. Just because you are a woman doesn't mean you have to not talk about these things right? Let us celebrate being a woman by refusing to wear a bra and by talking about our periods from the roof tops. Because, why not?

Feminism is taking such a wrong turn these days, that my faith in this concept is weaning off. Half the women don't know what they are doing and bring out the 'F' word in most unrelatable topics. Feminism is a good thing, let us not make it dirty and meaningless. Let us talk about equality and parity instead of thinking why should we wear a bra and let the man walk free. The answer is simple, you have breasts and he doesn't. You need to provide them the right support to be healthy and look good. If wearing a bra makes you feel miserable, then you are wearing the wrong kind of bra. Please take a look at the various options available and pick one that you will feel comfortable in. Why, there was a contest doing the rounds a few days ago regarding finding your right fit. Yes, this was in the name of feminism too.

When you say that you are a feminist, you should believe that you are equal to a man and should not expect any special treatment for being a woman. Male bashing and talking about woman's anatomy is not what feminism is all about. Do not fall prey to this booby trap and get your understanding right. Let us celebrate Women's Day the right way and fight to make our voice heard. The voice of equality, humanity and parity. Not about undergarments and menstruation.

What is your take on feminism?

They Say Love is Costly, Don’t Let Your Wedding Be

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The first thing that I do every month on receiving my salary is pay off the loans and bills. I took a personal loan years ago, to finance my wedding. And I’m paying for it with interest till date. The first thought of a parent when they give birth to a daughter is the expense for her wedding. Even though that moment would be decades away, the thought will still strike. We cannot blame them. Indian society is known for its big fat wedding which is mainly to display the wealth of a family rather than celebrate the union of two souls. Mine was one such wedding too. By the end of it, my husband, my family, his family and I were all squeezed of our savings and had piled on debt in the bargain. As I pay off installments of this loan month after month, I realize how unnecessary this was. I could have instead got married in a much simpler way and saved our families from all this financial trouble.

Marriage is a beautiful union of two souls and only that should be celebrated. The pomp and glory should not be allowed to steal the thunder from the couple. Falling in love is a wonderful feeling, let it not be expensive.

The idea is to have a day that you will look back at with a smile. You do not want to look back at the most important day of your life and see a mountain of debt.

Have a simple wedding and take a grand honeymoon with the money instead. At least here, you will be creating memories.

Read about a few tips and tricks that will help you plan your wedding well without burning a hole in your pocket here.

Make Up: Fair, Fairer, Fairest

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I am a dusky woman and proud of it. In a country that is obsessed with fairness, I am happy to be the minority and I'm more than comfortable with my skin. But yes, the society does not let me be at times. With every woman wanting a fair bride for her son (doesn't matter if her son is of the darkest shade) and every alternate ad on TV being about fairness creams, it is not easy to be dark in India. Growing up, you get to listen to people calling you ugly. Next, people are telling your parents about how they will never be able to find a groom for you since you are so dark. Then there are people who refuse to touch you, thinking that the "blackness" will rub off onto them. And no matter what the occasion or the situation, there always will be an aunty who will give you tips on becoming fair. No, Thank You!

As annoyed as I was about this prejudice, I did not think much about it until I went out looking for make up. I have plenty of scars from acne and chicken pox and I was looking for a concealer and compact to cover it. I first went to my local make up store looking for concealers and foundations. He had a few local Indian brands, and all the products looked chalk white. "Use karo madamji, gore lagoge", translating to "Use it madam, you will look fair" was thrown at me by the shop keeper. The color did not blend into my palm, let alone my skin. Next I went to the next big thing to happen to most cities, "Health And Glow". They had the best brands like Lakme, Revlon, Color Bar, L'oreal, Maybelline etc. These brands are really famous in India and I know hordes of women who use them. I was pleased and was sure that I would find my product here. Little did I know what was in store for me.

Most of the brands had two shaded of foundations. Or maximum four. They start with nude that is pale pink and go up to honey/tan/beige/almond that is light brown. The shades available for dark skin, are no where close to the original color of the skin. They call it a concealer for a reason. It is supposed to hide your scars and make it look as the same color of your skin. The foundation is for having an even skin tone that has the exact shade as that of your neck and body. You then top it up with a compact, that gives you a matte finish and makes you know flawless. Or at least close to it. But none of the concealers or foundation even came close to my skin color. Looks like the Indian obsession with fairness is applicable to the make up brands too. Even though some of these brands are not Indian, they only seem to be catering to the fairness seeking audience.

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When the BB cream came into the market, every beauty shopper went berserk. A cream that helped you hide your imperfections, sounded too good to be true. I was disappointed here as well. The BB creams were very much available, but only in two shades. Nude and Tan. The nude was for white skin and the tan for pale skin, although the package said otherwise. Dark skin needs make up that has shades of orange or dark brown. But none of the BB creams seemed to offer that. When Lakme launched their absolute range and Revlon their photo effect range, I was thrilled to see quite a few shades being available. But sadly none of them matched my skin color. My skin color is a mix of caramel, almond and chocolate. And it tends more towards the browner side. I tried the body shop as well, but their products left me looking grey in color. I was sent a product for review by a leading cosmetic brand. The email asked if I was fair or dark. I said dark. They sent me the product the next day. It was a compact that looked light peach in color. There was no way that would suit my skin. I had to check if the product withstood the heat and sweat and stayed on for 12 hours. Sadly, I couldn't even wear the compact to check it's quality.

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Vichy with their derma blend creams showed me good promise. Their derma blend concealer in 'Olive Brown' was perfect for my skin. I topped this up with a transparent powder and it looked really good. Although priced higher, these products were worth it. But Vichy soon stopped these range of products and I was left in the lurch again. I went from store to store and mall to mall in Bangalore trying out make-up brands that catered to women with dusky skin. But found nothing. One fine day I stepped into MAC and it changed my life. Seeing the various shades of concealers there, I went crazy. There were at least ten shades for the dark skin alone. Same with their foundations and their compacts. I tried most of them and then finally found the perfect one for my skin tone. Studio Fix concealer NC42 has been my best friend till date. The concealer is creamy enough and blends well into the skin due to which there is no need to use a foundation. I top it up with a studio fix compact in NW43 and look sorted. The products though expensive are wonderful and I'm so happy that I have finally found a brand that caters to dusky skin.

As much as I love the products, they do come at a steep price. I do wish that reasonable brands like Lakme, Maybelline, Color Bar, L'oreal and Revlon also come up with shades that help the dusky woman. Even though most women are more than happy to wear the wrong shade and look fair, I want something that brings my actual color out. MAC helps me 100%. There are other make up brands like Clinique, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown that have many shades for the dusky woman, but they do come at a heavy price. Although I wouldn't mind paying so much, I cannot help but wish that there was something as good and a little cheaper. Local brands, are you listening?

Emotional Fool

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When Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar, everyone was filled with joy. I was too, but I was bawling my eyes out as I watched him go up and collect his award. I have loved him as an actor since What's Eating Gilbert Grape and I seriously think that he deserved an Oscar for most of his roles. I haven't watched The Revenant yet, but I was just happy that he had won. I cried non-stop for a good ten minutes. Another extra two minutes for his speech. What a man! And I'm not the one to cry easily. But some people just bring out the emotional fool in me. Yes, while the whole world perceives me to be strong, bold and arrogant I gently nurse the emotional side of me. I do not show it out very often. Only the people who are very close to me have seen this side of me. For me everything revolves around emotions. Love being the strongest of it all. And at times I do let emotions take over me.

I don't know if you would call this being sensitive or being emotional, but this is the way I am. When I see an old lady walking on the street with a heavy bag, I quickly offer her help because I do not want her to go through the pain. Two days ago, the auto driver who dropped me home was wearing thick glasses and we had to ride through a road covered with dust. Half way through he stops his auto, wipes his glasses and continues the journey. He doesn't complain even once. He has to make a living after all. I paid him extra and he hesitantly accepted it. My heart goes out to people like this. The vendor who sells vegetables right outside my apartment is one such person. He sits alone on a stone awaiting customers. While some bargain with him and walk off to the market ahead, I make it a point to buy something from him everyday. Even if it is just a cucumber or a lemon, I do. He feels so happy and in return I smile too.

When people work hard to make a living, there is something inside me that bleeds for them. I respect them immensely and feel the need to help them. Every one is facing a battle I know, but at times I feel the need to acknowledge them. I have seen people stare up at me when I address a delivery executive as "Sir". Or an auto driver. It is important to me to be nice to them. I am not doing them a favor, I just want them to know that I appreciate their help. When a man or a woman does everything in their might to earn a living and take care of their family, they need to be respected. That is exactly why I absolutely hate people who sit at home and live on someone else's money. Dogs bring out another emotional side of me. I lost mine fifteen years ago and till date I cannot think of him without shedding a tear. Every dog I see on the street, I feel a need to pat them. Or buy them something to eat.

I associate people with emotions as well. Which is why when people hurt me, I wipe them out of my life. As strong as my emotions are, once someone betrays me I see no need for them in my life. I would never forgive them. People I trusted resorted to talking bad about me, especially as I was entering a new phase of life. When I heard this, I was shocked. All emotions were wiped out in that instant. Then I heard so many true stories about them and realized that these people deserve exactly what they gave me. If I have an emotional connection with anyone, I would do anything for them. But if that is broken, then I would leave no stone unturned to hit back. I'm not a Saint. Tit for tat is what works for me. Karma is watching and she exactly knows why I'm doing what.

Emotions are really important to me. Without that someone is as equal to being dead. If I don't feel emotionally connected to someone, then they don't exist for me. No matter how close they are. At times I tell my husband that I'm such an emotional fool as I get affected by random things, but he tells me that it is only because I'm a good human being. I feel for others and that is what being a human is all about. Maybe.

In that case what are those people called who put others down, who purposely hurt others, who have no emotions what so ever? Clearly, they don't qualify as human beings.

Size Matters

painting by Cesar Santos

Talk all you want about my body

It does not matter to me

I'm more than all of you put together

And yet only my size you can see

Who defined the perfect body

To look like a fragile hour glass

I do not want to comply to this

This body shaming, I shall pass

I am happy the way I am

I have curves, here and there

Cellulite and stretch marks appear too

I love them, why do you care

Small, medium, large or bigger

It is just a label after all

Why desperately try to fit in

Instead choose comfort and stand tall

People will continue to laugh

Like their body, their minds are thin

Pay no heed to them

Carrying some extra weight is not a sin

What matters is how healthy you are

Your stats have nothing to do with it

Take care of yourself the way you want to

Do not worry, as long as you're fit

Ignore the vanity and march ahead

Paint your life with your own color chart

Size sometimes does matter

Only when it comes to the heart

Written for Magpie Tales: Mag 307.