LOL: Life Of Leo

PHOTO PROMPT © G.L. MacMillan " Which of these bottles can give the biggest of bubbles? " asks six year old Nathan to the shopkeeper who also is his father. " Why do you want big bubbles? " the father curiously asks his son who is eyeing the bottles stacked up on the old shelf. " Bigger bubbles look beautiful and are brighter than all the other ones " quips Nathan. " The size of the bubble doesn't matter my son. What matters is how long the bubble lasts and spreads happiness " says the father and hands over a tiny bottle from the second shelf to his son who screams in glee. This five sentence fiction is written for the topic ' Bubbles ' at Lillie McFerrin Writes . This drabble (100 word fiction) is written for Friday Fictioneers, 31st July 2015 .

Image Source Pride is a very dangerous thing It can elevate a person to the highest high But it can also crash one to the ground Without an answer to the how and why All humans are born equal Religions are created by man High and low is preached everyday With no one to come forward with a ban Who defines the David and Goliath Are the rich always considered great What happens to commoners like you and me Do we just have to succumb to fate Money today can buy almost everything But love and happiness it cannot If you prefer to stay on the pedestal Remember from below, you look like a dot Flaunt everything while they last It doesn't take long for the tables to turn No matter how high you sit When the fire comes, you too shall burn No one is superior, no one is inferior What matters is the goodness of the heart Develop trust, love and relationships Else be prepared to fall apart Others might lie low and not talk much ...

Image Source The best thing about ' Tanu Weds Manu Returns ' was clearly Kusum aka Datto, the Tanu doppelganger. I absolutely loved the scene in which Tanu calls her a gawar(villager) and she retorts saying that she is not a gawar as she makes her own money and supports her family unlike Tanu whose underwear also is bought by someone else. I clapped the loudest for this scene. In my honest opinion anyone who is over the age of eighteen irrespective of sex should make their own money. I started earning very young, not because my parents couldn't afford to, but because I wanted to earn my own money. Financial independence is not only about the money. It is about the confidence and self respect that comes with it. Earning money gives you the freedom to do what you want with it. Constantly asking for money from someone else does no good to ones self confidence. Age old customs and history has made the man as the money maker of the family while a woman worships him by pr...

Read Part 1 here. Image Source Alisah woke up to see that the sun was already shining bright through her yellow curtains. She checks the time, 8.30 am. She always woke up late on Saturdays as she did not have to go to work. Her parents understood her work pressures so they do not wake her up during the weekend letting her get her required amount of sleep. After checking the messages on the phone and freshening up, she walks down. Her mother was already busy in her test kitchen and she could hear the blender going on and off. She peeped into the study and found her father buried in a book. She went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. Black, strong and sugar less - that's how she liked it. She sat by the balcony sipping the coffee and immersed herself into the happenings of the newspaper. Her mother came up to her looking all confused. " Al, does orange flavor taste better with white or dark chocolate? " Alisah looked up from the paper and thought fo...

Image Source This is something that everyone loves I absolutely enjoy moments in the rain But at times it puts an halt to all my plans Ruining everything, causing me terrible pain I love the sweet smell of the petrichor And the cold breeze that comes with it But when you are living in a city like mine Traffic is the first thing to get hit I love the memories that come with rain Causing me to smile, and at times to cry The thing that I hate the most about rains Is that the washed clothes never dry The mild drizzle is a pleasure to watch I love the sound of pitter patter on my window pane But once done it is so difficult to step out Due to the umpteen tiny pools in the lane The air around feels so cool and nice The perfect time for some hot coffee dash But when you decide to take a stroll down the street Someone is bound to spray you with a muddy splash I love the chirping of birds during monsoon They sound so happy, fresh and g...

Image Source " Al, come down for dinner. The fish is getting cold. " Alisah's mother calls out for her. " Ten minutes, Mom. I'm in the middle of something ." She yells back. Alisah was busy writing a poem on her blog. She had just come back from work with a poem running on her mind and she just had to pen it down. The words created havoc in her mind and she was typing away frantically mumbling the words along. Her manicured fingers graced the key board and her glasses now sat on the rim of her nose. She paused every now and then, squinting at the screen and thinking of rhyming words. She still was wearing her work clothes but her shirt sleeves were now folded up to her elbows. Her bag was carelessly thrown on her bed and her shoes were at the foot of it. She had a meeting today that had held her up until late. As soon as she got out of her cab, she had rushed to her room to make something out of the words that was troubling her mind. " Al......

Image Source Six years ago I wrote my first post and here I am today writing my 1000th post. Yes, the thousandth post on LOL! Phew! I cannot believe that I have written so many posts here. This was my first post and I still remember how skeptical I was about publishing it. Blogging was relatively a new concept in 2009 and very few had treaded there. When a friend saw a few poems that I had written, she asked me to start a blog. Heartbroken and sad, I needed a distraction. That was when I started this space. To pour out my feelings and everything that was happening in my life. Poems, fiction, rant, frustrations - this place has seen everything. Today as I write this, I feel a sense of satisfaction and acceptance. For making it this far and for lasting all this while. My blog has been my best friend all these years. Every feeling and emotion of mine has found its place here. From a heartbreak to falling in love again and again. My poems are a piece of my heart and every story of...

Image Source There is this tingling sensation that I feel Of butterflies and the chant of a saxophone  I hear the birds chirping more clearly Every sound has now taken a musical tone The world suddenly seems like a better place Even a sip of water intoxicates me I am lost in an endless dreamy trance That is prettier than what my eyes can see This feeling is extremely beautiful I never want to let go off it I see an array of endless candles And my life is now miraculously lit Nothing around bothers me anymore Happiness is the only thing that I feel Finally I have an answer to all my questions All the loose ends are now tightly sealed Colors now have a new meaning to me Every shade takes me to a different land My mind is busy spinning a bright tale Larger than life, something very grand They say once you are in, you cannot get out But I have already made up my body, mind and soul I have left behind incomplete parts of me ...

Image Source Title: The Cuckoo's Calling Author: Robert Gailbraith aka J.K Rowling Publisher: Hachette India Genre: Fiction/Mystery Price: Rs. 499 on Flipkart. Pages: 550 When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. Strike is a war veteran – wounded both physically and psychologically – and his life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model’s complex world, the darker things get – and the closer he gets to terrible danger. I had heard so much praise about this book that I bought it immediately. But since I had a few other books to be finished, this one was put in the back seat. Finally towards the end of last year I picked it up. I have not read Happy Potter as I'm not a fan of fanta...

PHOTO PROMPT- © Sandra Crook She walked slowly in the scorching heat, carrying a bag on her head and two more in each of her feeble hands. The blisters on her feet hurt and burned, and yet she did not stop; she couldn't. Turning around the corner, she found her regular place and was glad that it was covered in soothing shade. She emptied the contents of her heavy bags carefully, separated and laid down the vegetables for sale. Ignoring the pain all around her body, she said a quick prayer and put on a big smile to greet her first customer for the day. This five sentence fiction is written for the topic ' Scorching ' at Lillie McFerrin Writes . This drabble (100 word fiction) is written for Friday Fictioneers, 17th July 2015 .

Image Source I chose to live life on my own terms Without bowing down to any body They pointed their filthy fingers at me And hailed my upbringing shoddy I laughed out loud and marched ahead All alone, without any worry For being strong and believing in myself I do not have to be sorry Since I don't adhere to the norms People made all sort of stories about me They lived in a world of pretense Through their blind eyes I did not want to see I stayed positive and made a name for myself I did have to let go of few people on the way Others told me to find someone and settle down It did not make sense to me what they had to say I was happy just being with myself I was in love with everything around From the blue sky to the flaming sun To the birds and their chirping sound Most of them do not understand this They think that something is wrong with me I do not care about their various perceptions For me, I just wanted to let b...

Image Source I pass by a temple everyday as I walk to the corner of my street to hail an auto that would take me to my work place. Today I noticed a girl standing outside with a glum look on her face. She must have been eleven or twelve I guess. Her face was smeared with turmeric and the yellow streak on her pale brown skin was disturbing. A minute later her mother walks out and the girl stretches her palm forward for the prashad, but her mother stops her saying that she should not eat this today. It did not take me long to figure out what was happening. The girl frowned and slowly walked ahead as her mother looked for stains around her skirt, and after a self approval she walked ahead of her daughter. I stood and watched this while waiting for the auto waalas to ferry me by agreeing on the meter price. This incident irritated me. It angered me more that it is 2015 and people still treat a girl on her period as something disgusting. Menstruation is a natural process and is a si...

Image Source A little bit of plain flour Along with a dash of something sweet Choose the right flavor to go with it Then gently mix around and beat Now add the softest butter And an agent to help it rise Watching it bloom inside the oven Is more of a treat to the eyes Add everything that your heart desires Chocolate, fruits, cherries or rum Each of it has a unique taste And yet all of them taste yum Once baked, eat it with your sight Never let the aromas go waste Baking should always be done with love Nothing tastes good when cooked in haste Life and baking are really similar You need to put all your heart into it Your hard work will start to pay And you will rise bit by bit Choose people who come into your life Be wise and make the right choice Do not be afraid to try something new But for every decision, have a voice Mix your flavors carefully Make sure it doesn't over power the base Always remember you come ...

Image Source Nobody likes to be overweight. When PCOD struck and I became a size M from XS, I almost hit depression. I was known to be a size zero person, and suddenly everyone you meet were asking you about your weight and only that. Some people offered tips on losing weight and some asked me to visit a doctor ASAP. And me being me, I did not pay heed to any of these advice. I knew my body the best and I knew what was troubling it. PCOD is caused due to the increase of sugar levels in the blood and increase in weight gain. More weight gain would worsen the situation and I was asked to maintain my weight at a particular scale. I was not overweight as such. Thanks to being 5 and a half feet tall, the weight doesn't show much. While most people think that I look and feel healthy now, the medical implications of the problem could not be ignored. I did not want to lose weight, I wanted to maintain my current weight and not gain any more. This is what helped me. 1. Acceptance: ...

" Indian women's cricket team defeats New Zealand in the final ODI to clinch series ", this news screamed out to me from today's newspaper. Another news article spoke about Shahid Kapoor's recent wedding. Another one spoke about Hema Malini and her tweets blaming the father of the little girl who died for his daughter's death. India is a country obsessed with cricket and Bollywood. And I don't think that this is ever going to change. Festivals and religion divide us and cricket unites us as a nation. Like every other Indian, I love cricket. I do complain a lot about how the authenticity of the game has decreased owing to IPL, CCL and other money making leagues. And yet, I wouldn't stop watching it. My interest in cricket started from when Sachin and Sourav were the openers and has remained until this era. I remember those days when cricket was watchable only on Doordarshan and we had to adjust the antenna atleast a hundred times to watch an over....

Image Source Every woman has an overflowing closet and yet nothing to wear. As I read this article I realized that when you can have a list of summer must haves, why not a list of items that is a must have forever. Trends change, styles come and go, but there are a few wardrobe staples that never ever go out of style. Investing in these products would never be a bad idea. 1. A well fit denim. Image Source Nothing spells comfort better than a good old pair of denims. You can choose your own style; high waist, bell bottoms, distressed or skinny. Suitable for both formal and casual wear, this is one item that would never go out of style for centuries. I for one, have never let go off my skinny jeans since they came into fashion years ago. 2. A classic white shirt. Image Source This one is class personified. Nothing oozes more sensuality then a well fitted crisp white shirt. Pair it with denims or a skirt, and people will know you as that sophisticated lad...