LOL: Life Of Leo

Image Source Ah, the great Indian mentality; a unique blend of centuries-old traditions, unspoken rules, and a dash of unsolicited blame. If there's one thing we've mastered over the years, it's this: Whenever something goes wrong in a man's life, let's point the finger at his woman. Whether it’s the office presentation he messed up, the fact that he doesn't have the time to meet his own parents often, a change in his tastes or priorities, his habits or the cricket match he failed to win, there’s always a woman to blame. It’s like the woman is the invisible force behind every man’s performance, except when he does something great. Then, of course, it’s all him. But I digress. Let’s take a recent and omnipresent example – the Indian cricket team.

Image Source I'm not a believer of new year resolutions, mostly because I cannot keep up with them, but one thing that I surely wanted to do this year was to go off social media. Instagram especially, as that's the only channel I'm active on as a viewer. I stopped posting updates months ago. Most people enjoy being on social media. It gives some a sense of purpose or a sense of validation. It did for me too, a while ago. It started feeling like a hindrance a few months ago, something that I was compelled to look at even if I did not want to. I was not enjoying it anymore. While I know most of the content out there is genuine (yes, I'm being generous using 'most'), more often than not it felt like "fitting in". Like being forced to do something just because others were doing it. Honestly, I got saturated of the monotonous dancing videos, baby updates, food and travel updates and milestone photography, even if those were of people I cared about. I knew I...

Image Source Friendship, as we once knew it, is teetering on the brink of extinction. Thanks to all offline friends veering towards becoming online friends, it’s been replaced by a new-age phenomenon called “microdosing friendship.” A like here, a fire emoji there, and the occasional “We should catch up soon!” that nobody actually means. It’s a cocktail of digital crumbs and shallow interactions, served with a side of obligatory birthday posts. And while it might seem harmless, even convenient, this surface-level engagement has a price: the slow erosion of genuine connection and the profound emptiness it leaves behind. I’ve felt it, the hollow ache of touch-starved relationships.

Image Source She walks the road, often alone No hands to tug, no ties to bind Her story’s hers, fierce and bold A woman free, a sovereign mind

Image Source When you do not have the time to rest is the time you need it the most. This couldn't be more true. Last weekend, all my hustle caught up to me and I fell terribly ill. Fever, cold, body ache, stress and what not! Apart from my chronic migraine, my health has always stood by me. This is exactly why I can work at ungodly hours and stay busy throughout the day. Until a few years ago, this was something I took a lot of pride in. Not anymore. I've finally understood that work is just a part of my life and not my entire life.

Image Source How do you both pass time? What do guys talk about? Looks like you guys are forever in the honeymoon stage *wink* *wink*. Especially since you don't have kids. I've lost count of the number of times my partner and I have been asked this. If there one thing that has kept my partner and me going from day one, are our conversations. For me, as much as love, trust and respect is important in a relationship, more vital than that would be the power of conversation. If you cannot talk to your partner or have to think twice before talking to them, then I'm sorry and I say this with utmost sincerity, you need to reevaluate your relationship. Conversations should not be limited to just work, domesticity and/or children. There is so much more in the world to talk about and so much more to being partners and not just a husband, wife, father or a mother.

Image Source Triggers are really funny. As much as you try to suppress or look past them, they pop up like scalding hot toast, leaving a burn or two in its wake. If there is a word associated with me, since childhood, or since I can remember, it is 'Brat'. Everyone I knew called me a brat. Family, relatives, friends, teachers and strangers. Of course each one used their own version of the word. I asked too many questions and was rebellious, they said. It will not bode well for me, they said. I'll end up alone and broke, they said. I'll never be successful with this attitude, they said. While they continue to say this, I'm unapologetically living my best life with a successful career and the love of my life by my side. I thought this no longer triggered me. When Collin's dictionary announced their word of the year as 'Brat', all my layers of defense came crashing down. I was faced with all those questions again, but this time I had an answer.

Image Source There’s something undeniably beautiful about the open skies; how they seem to stretch forever, inviting us to explore far-off lands. But for those of us living with aerophobia, that beauty comes wrapped in layers of fear. I love traveling, the idea of it, the thrill of new cultures, but the fear of flying can turn that excitement into dread. Every time I buckle into my seat, I feel a sense of vulnerability, a complete surrender of control. I’ve often wondered, how can something so exhilarating also feel so terrifying?

Image Source  The dawn awakens with a soft embrace A chance to breathe, to see the sky Though shadows linger from the night before The light is ours, we just must try