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Lunatic’s Logic- Ban Pakistani artists to advertise your Patrotism!

By
Ankita Bachhawat
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Ban Pakistani artists

As an aftermath of the September attacks on #Uri which killed 19 Indian soldiers, India is on a war footing with Pakistan. India has always been blamed of a diplomatic silence on the terror attacks prior to this. For instance, the 26/11 attacks happened and we did nothing, except may be hang one Kasab while Pakistan prepares a thousand more. But this time India retaliated with surgical strikes. The government is doing what it should. As a proud citizen, I support it but what I do not support is ultra-patriotism by hypocrites.

Whose loss it is?

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil PosterThe Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India have banned the screening of the Karan Johar directed film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” in single screens in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Karnataka as it features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in a special appearance role. There have been crazy demands to re-shoot Fawad’s part in the film with some other actor. How does that make any sense? Is that the way to retaliate? Did Fawad attack our soldiers? Is he a terrorist? Fawad had shot for the film long before any of this happened. He is an artist who did his job, got paid for it, and went back. Who will be at a loss here, Pakistan or Fawad? The losses will only have to be borne by the makers of the film and the Cinema Owners themselves. I am not over-simplifying the issue here. Re-shooting or banning this film is being highly fundamental and hypocritical to the core. May I ask why after the 1999 Kargil War, or the 2001 Parliament attacks, or the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, or the Pathankot attack, singers like Ghulam Ali, Atif Aslam, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan were not banned from performing in India?

Can we sympathize with their helplessness?

shut-up-mita-vashisht-to-arnab-goswamiIn the Newshour debate with Arnab Goswami, it was insisted that if these artists condemn the attacks and speak against their government then may be, they should be welcomed to work in India. First of all, our nationality is not chosen by us. They did not choose to be born in a terror state. Just because they grew up in that soil does not make them criminals. I believe that being citizens of that country and personalities of that stature, it is not possible for them to speak out loud and clear against their government without feeling threatened. Who will give them protection in Pakistan if they come out and issue a strong statement and take up a stance? Moreover, just because they are silent does not mean they support the attacks. May be they do hate it as much as we do, but their hands are tied. Interestingly, Fawad has been known to give a statement not against his country but against terrorism in the safest way possible by wishing for peace. There is nothing more that the poor actor who is being targeted for something he isn’t involved in could have done.

Is every civilian a terrorist?

ultra-patriotismThe Pakistani artists come to India not to represent Pakistan unlike the sports personalities, they come to India to do their jobs as artists- as singers, actors and musicians. They have full freedom to and a right to do so. They come here to win our love, our hearts and our adulations. May I ask what is so wrong about that? Who will guarantee that terminating all these cultural contacts, literary festivals, music festivals, theatre clubs will restore peace and stop terror attacks. Sometime back AIB took the initiative of establishing contact between a few Pakistanis and a few Indians via cell phones and made them talk to each other. The video is on YouTube. It shows how they are just as normal as we are. How they loved talking to us and we to them. How our tastes and alike and how amazing it would be, only if we could be friends. It shows how every Pakistani does not despise and hate us. They watch our films, listen to our music and at times know so much more about us than we do.

Against the motion- May be not so lunatic after all!

Ban Pakistani artistsOn the contrary, I also agree that isolating Pakistan at this point from every front has become necessary. The more the money stops infiltrating into their country, the weaker they’ll become. Some might say that while our soldiers are giving up their lives in the darkness of the night, we here are collaborating for cultural and diplomatic bullshit. What effect would that have on the morale of our soldiers, especially with the news of our cultural circuits with the Pakistanis? If we Indians are paying for being Indians by being bombed by them, why can’t a few of their artists pay for Pakistanis by not being allowed to have work visas? We are not killing the civilians in Pakistan and neither are we taking away the source of their livelihood by denying them work in India. They can earn and live their rich lives happily there. This debate is unending.

Midway

The only temporary solution that can be reached at the present moment is to stop working with them for the time being (not forever) until the issue is resolved, but that certainly does not mean banning those films which have already been shot prior to the Uri attacks.

Home – a haven away from heaven

By
Sidhaant Agarwal
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Home

As the rain drops fall, and you are listening to “Let it go” by Passenger, and the vocalist tells you about how you only miss the light when it’s dark, how you only miss the sun when it starts to snow and so on and so forth. But when you are sitting a thousand kilometres away from your home, the chord strikes when the vocalist hymns about how you only hate the road when you missing home and as the chord strikes, it sets in motion the nostalgia and the sentiments, bringing back memories you long stopped thinking about, knowing, it would be impractical to miss home every second.

It’s true. When you have something, you just don’t realize it’s worth. Especially when it’s your home which has a family whose love and care almost every kid takes for granted because they never let you be hurt and they never expect care in return. They love you unconditionally. They love you selflessly. Be it your parents or your grandparents or your siblings.

The realisation is not so sudden as you might think, it slowly and steadily breaks you, thread by thread, in your own fantasy world known as “independence”. Read on for just a tip of the contemplation as to how you have been ignorant, careless and deviated from the knowledge of the efforts people around you undertake, in order to keep you happy and satisfied.

Life away from home:

family-where-life-begins-and-love-never-ends-1You are hungry (trust me, this is always the worst reminder, 😛 ). You want food. It’s 2 a.m. What more could have gone wrong, you contemplate, sitting on the bed, and simultaneously deciding whether it’s worth the effort to get up, walk, get something to eat, eat and so on. If, by a very thin chance, you arrive at the answer “yes, it’s worth it”, in the over enthusiasm of getting food, you forget who will get up to put the soiled dishes where they belong.

Let’s take another example. You wanna wash clothes. You postpone. You patronise yourself with the idea that you would definitely do it tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes tomorrow again. It’s a date in the evening. All of the sudden you find yourself being so moved by the situation, you would be willing to sign an amendment you won’t let such crisis come again.

What happens when you have a fight with your close friends? When you are hurt, when you have so much bottled up but you just don’t have an ear? And what if a call is not enough. Even video calling can’t provide the warmth of a mother’s love or the comfort of a brother’s hug or the happiness of a sister’s smile or the sense of security of holding your father’s hand.

Life at home:

love-quotes-mother-daughter-quotesWe never really cared about where the food was coming from. All we cared about was “placing the order” for what we wanted to eat and when and, home being the magical fort it is, provides it on a platter served to us. We never bothered thanking our mom for the food, nor did we ever thank the worker who collected our soiled plates and washed it. It doesn’t matter what’s the time or whatever is going on, when you are at home and you are hungry, you will get food. Even at 2 am, you will either have a fridge load of food or you just have to tell your mother that you are hungry, and Voila! You get food! Ever been grateful to your mom for that?

We never cared about who washed our clothes. The maximum we did, if we did it, was to throw the clothes that required to be washed. Did we ever thank the person who washed our clothes? Ever tried to find out how your room got suddenly arranged and beaming from the pile of clutter that you had created, let alone thanking that person. You are hurt, you need an ear or some sound advice or maybe just a caring attitude, you don’t even have to utter anything to get these. You have all of this, more than ready, at your disposal in masks of family members. You never mentioned to them though, how much it meant to you.

Readers, the arguments sound menial. Some of you might think how crappy it sounds to thank the house aid or how you don’t need to exclusively show your mother how much you love her or that you don’t only have problems when you stay away from home or how staying at home is not only roses, so on and so forth. Well that is not the point, the arguments are just a way to inflict a thought.

Gratitude:

gratitude-happiness-2A single word, multi-verse meaning. Be grateful to your mother, she does not do it out of compulsion. Thank your house help, he could have not stayed those extra 10 minutes to urgently iron your shirt. Let them feel their job is well appreciated. Money might help them, it does not necessarily make them happy. Thank your father, he might as well have been disappointed in you from the first lie you uttered. Yet, he stood by you, making you, stronger and fitter, and you always knew, he will hold your hand when you fall. Be grateful to everyone in your home for this CHARITY SHOULD BEGIN AT HOME.

Physics is theoretical but the fun is real

By
Sobhit Mishra
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Physics is theoretical but the fun is real

I’m being pessimistic here because I think the title strikes boredom. It may stop you from reading this article further. That is normal. That is the way how we have been taught about physics since our childhood. Physics stands as a subject for geeks and hardcore science nerds. Therefore students find it tough to comprehend the subject. All these feelings of declination are because students always take it as a subject strictly belonging to course curriculum only.

1. PITYFUL SCENE OF PHYSICS

photodune-14675907-school-physics-teacher-in-audience-flat-education-concept-s_1For a long time physics stands as a subject of geeks and hardcore science nerds. Therefore students find it tough to comprehend the subject. All these feelings of declination are because students always take it as a subject strictly belonging to course curriculum only.

Any reader hardly takes it up as a genre like romance, Sci-fi or mythology. Only a handful of students take it as a hobby besides playing, watching movies. Would it have been that way, it might have intrigued some more enthusiasts.

2. AS LEWIN SAYS “FOR THE LOVE OF PHYSICS

physicsWell, I am going try to change your perspective towards physics for the love of physics. Yes, I am in love with it since schooldays .Not only physics helps you understand nature at proximity but also reconstructs the way you dream and imagine. And with physics, your dreams and imagination seem more vivid.

I am horrible at mathematics. I fail to understand most of the big expressions or their origin but that doesn’t stop me from being crazy about physics.

In fact, the mathematical ignorance of mine is a bliss that keeps my concerns aloof. I am well aware by all means that I can enjoy physics without scratching head over symbols.

It is easy to understand that Physics is the science of nature and its functions. To quote the textbooks in particular “Physics studies the law of universal phenomena and activities”. This is not as simple as it sounds. By simple, I don’t mean it is difficult to grasp but all in all these laws explain most complex and unbelievable process going in the universe.

3. NEWTON AND HIS APPLE: ELEGANT PHYSICS

For example, we all know Newton and his apple story and consequently how he went on to give the world the laws of gravitation. And those laws are still valid. Surprisingly the validation ranges from small bodies to large celestial objects. How cool is that? Didn’t sound cool?

By simple, I don’t mean it is difficult to grasp but all in all these laws explain most complex and unbelievable process going in the universe. For example, we all know Newton and his apple story. Consequently, he went on to give the world the laws of gravitation. And those laws are still valid. Surprisingly the validation ranges from small bodies to large celestial objects. How cool is that? Didn’t sound cool?

Let me present it this way, people knew more or less that when we jump on the ground we are bound to come back to the surface after few seconds. The Earth pulls everything with a certain amount of force called gravity. But a mortal said confidently that “if you increase the distance twice the force will go down to one-fourth exactly“. This law explains the puzzle of gravity so neatly. Moreover, this is the force that keeps the planets in their position. This is the same reason for consistency of day and nights, the existence of sun at its place. If you widen your horizons of imagination you will get an idea of my zeal towards physics.

4. AVENGERS AND OTHER SUPERHEROES KNEE DOWN BEFORE PHYSICS

avengersEveryone loves Sci-Fi movies. The technologies presented in them compel the audience to imagine their real life existence. Remember 90s superhero show Shaktiman on Doordarshan? We all loved it and it left us amazed with curiosity and made us dream the life and responsibilities of superhero. Now, do you recall anything like a transparent fluid shields used by Shaktiman to counter attacks of villains? If not remember the Age of Ultron when Wanda uses a red shield for defense, those actually force fields. Force fields are nothing but a wall of force.

With physics, it can be easier to understand that such strong force fields that repel the attacks are practically impossible with kind of forces available at disposal.

If its gravitational field, it is going to be extremely weak. Like way less powerful force than you can imagine of. It takes the whole earth to pull a feather to its surface; you can get the rest of idea. In addition to this gravitational force is attractive so useless again. If electromagnetic fields are deployed, we can produce a strong shield of defense but again any insulator like plastic or wood would penetrate right through it. Nuclear forces are either too weak or if strong are short ranged. We are out of forces.

So, physics helps you understand the philosophy of nature and let you think about the possibilities and idealism of any phenomenon.

5. TIME TRAVEL, TELEPORTATION, MAGIC AND WHATNOT.

cropped-physThe most buzzed topic “time travel” is a product of a century-old research in physics. It is not possible, we all know it but why not possible we hardly know it. Research and experiments have demonstrated quantum teleportation in practice. Identically we see in mythological flicks that something vanishes and it appears to some other place. We can teleport subatomic particles over noticeable distance. This is like magic.

Now the biggest hurdle that stops reader to adore physics is mathematics. So I am again attempting to get you out of this myth. Reading physics and trying to understand how things work never need mathematics unless you’re into research or physics is your job for food. You don’t need to dive into formula and expressions to understand why ice melts at increasing temperature. Faraday never knew mathematics, thanks to his poverty stricken youth but he gave world electromagnetic induction. FYI Electromagnetic induction is the reason you are leading such a sophisticated and high-tech life. Anything that has electricity or battery or any source of electrical energy is a mere derivative of EMI. Faraday’s notebook was filled with diagrams and explanations, not mathematics. To clarify, string physicist Michio Kaku says  “In science, physical diagrams are more important than mathematics” .

6. SPREAD YOUR IMAGINATION AND GIVE THEM WINGS

With a small perspective of physics, you can see your world differently. Your questions about world and universe can get a solid context. Physics explains the existence of the universe and its various revolutions lucidly. You would want to know how earth came into being, how stars were formed, why sun’s energy never extinguishes etc

The history of the universe is much more fascinating and hard to believe than the history of mankind. And trust me once you are into it there is no way coming out. You will be nourished so well from the buffet of knowledge and wisdom; you will develop a whole new inner dimension inside you.

Life goes on

By
Neha
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life goes on

As time passes memories fade away somewhere deep within our hearts. They never leave us, just keep themselves away from our sight may be for own good. It must have happened with you, when you are walking alone somewhere in the crowd. You must have suddenly smelled a perfume and been reminded of someone, listening to a particular song you must be remembering someone. That is it, those memories dug deep inside try to carve themselves out into your mind. This is what it is called, as time moves…situation changes and life goes on.

Do you still have that doll that you used to carry along everywhere? No? Okay do you remember that promise to your doll, that you will take care of her and keep her with you always. Now the reality check is, that doll must have been thrashed around after you grew up. As time flies we easily move on from things as well as from people. It must be in standard third or fourth I guess, we had to write an essay on the topic, ‘My Best Friend’. Everyone must have wrote at least a two page composition on this topic but do you even remember on whom you had wrote that essay? No? At that age your best friends may be changing every standard but lucky are those whose school’s best friend is still and always be their bestie.

Life goes onAnyone’s death may cause a lot of pain and sadness, but that grief won’t stop your breathing or heartbeat. The absence will matter a lot but then we slowly start adapting that void and move on with this life. This is not insensitivity but this is how practically things work, we can’t keep crying on that broken doll forever… life goes on and so does we. Not only has this we also move on and adapt changes virtually. The youngsters now, remember how we used that message pack and no internet pack was that famous then and now we have been connected by applications like Whatsapp and Hike. We also moved out from Orkut and accepted Facebook and Instagram. From that rock bodied phones to a slim smart phone. This is life and this will always keep on changing. This is what mankind forge for…development and continuous evolution.

life_goes_onWe evolve and accept change in everything but not on some customs and rituals, that is our tradition and some people go to the extremity to protect that. But what is there to protect why any custom does or tradition needs your bloodshed for their protection. Riots and firings happen many people die and some get injures. The news channels show repeated clippings of those for at least two days till the next breaking news reach to them. Then it is over, people stop seeing those things and forget and move on. No one wants to raise their voice everyone just want to feel bad and criticise about those happenings sitting on their couches in front of their plasma television sets. We don’t fight against it or for it we just adapt ourselves and keep moving…always.

That is why everyone says… life goes on …

 

A SOLDIER’S DREAM FOR PEACE

By
Khushbu Kirti
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A Solider Dream For Peace

Cogitating the remnant horrors on diving back to the past,

The scintillating and indelible images that the battles always cast.
A soldier I was, profusely bleeding on the terrain of war.
Born with the trepidation of death, this is what I grew up to abhor.

Tell me what I incurred but wounds and scars?
Dwindled by enemies, my peers kept metamorphosing into stars.
Albeit I continued fighting, my spirits started to cease.
Little did I realize what I stupendously need was peace.

So does this world, blinded with aggrandizing greed.
On each other’s flesh, the ignorant humans would always want to feed.
This is no evolution, this is no progress.
Where under the shadows of danger, our kin is depressed.

Imagine a world where nobody kills for wealth or meat.
Imagine a world where we have expunged hatred and deceit.
Sleeping in the lush meadows and promenading a boulevard with calmness and ease,
THIS is the puissant weapon of harmony and peace.

What is essential for the world today is realization and affection to feed the starved.
What is essential for the world is harmony to embellish the path which we have unknowingly embarked,
What is essential for the world is compassion to alleviate the misery of our friends,
What is essential for the world is peace which never ends.

Perfect proposal

By
Ankita Kashyap
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2

Everything was set, all was going accordingly. I was feeling giddy and nervous simultaneously, but I wanted to make it special for her. There she was in black colored gown looking stunning as always with her pretty smile, surrounded by her mates. I waved my hand the lights were dimed and all eyes on me. I cleared my throat and begin “ This is story of my life to my bookaholic girlfriend in the way she likes.”

As you know before you came into my life, I too had a love story. She always used to say,” Of course I love you” but I guess it was until I find someone better. I was shattered when life tricked me & love kicked me; the moment she said, “Sorry you’re not my type” & She broke up I didn’t. I was completely lost and always kept wondering why it didn’t worked and lie on the conclusion maybe it was Right fit but wrong shoe. Hence, Few things left unsaid and there was an end of my Half baked love story.

In between I took a quick glance at her she was confused; but then she jumped with excitement the moment she realized I was using all her favorite novels title.

proposalI continued, but I think it was just the end of one chapter and begin for new. When one day you bumped into my life, you Hold my hand & showed me Life is what you make it. As time passes by soon You were my crush as I had never came across Someone like you. Suddenly, one thing poked into my mind Can love happens twice?

Lately, one thing I got straight “It happens for a reason” as You’re trending in my dreams. Yes I realized, This love that feels right.  You were added in my Secret wish list. In my mind you were already my Half Girlfriend and I aim for becoming your World’s best boyfriend. My friends always used to say If  it’s not forever its not love but you taught me A thing beyond forever.

Now I feel Like it happens yesterday were It started with a friend request and That’s the way we met. Where soon She swiped right into my heart and became The Girl of my dreams. There is no Wrong means and right end. I just want you to be my girlfriend cause you’re password to my life and between us When only love remains.

As soon as I finished off with my stuff  I kneeled down holding flowers in my hand and there she was with a stunned look she has gone speechless. The crowd started whistling & clapping so hard it gave me little Rock star feeling. All  girls were going awe on me. Then she came running and hugged me and yes without a single word from her mouth I know my proposal was accepted.

AN OPEN-LETTER FROM A DAUGHTER TO HER PARENTS

By
Anjali Gupta
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Dear Mumma and Papa,

I love you so much and I know that you both love me too. And that is why you are so worried about me. You are so worried about my safety, my career, my happiness and in short, my life. But there are some things that I want to say.

I want you to think about the topics which I’m mentioning in this letter. So here are they.

Maa papa, it’s okay if I wear whatever I want, it’s okay to wear clothes that don’t cover my body entirely,  it’s okay to wear clothes that show up my belly, it’s okay to wear clothes which don’t have sleeves in them, it’s okay to wear clothes that have boat necks, it’s okay to wear clothes that reveal my shoulders, it’s okay to wear clothes that reveal my thighs, it’s okay not to wear traditional clothes if I don’t want to. It’s okay if I wear all these things.

You don’t need to worry about my clothes. I know you trust me and I know you are worried about me and you don’t want people to comment on me but maa papa, that is what people do. They’ll comment even if I wear something which covers my entire body. So, you need not worry about that. Instead, accept me as I am and what I wear, raise my brother in such a way that he looks at girls with respect, stand by me and fight with me against the evils of the society, and the most important thing – break the stereotypes with me.

familydiscussionMaa papa, please don’t look down on my decision to stay unmarried as long as I want. I want to build up my career, I have to make myself independent, I have to make you people proud, I have to do so many things to live this life to the fullest. Please support me in this. I know you are worried about me and yeah I know people will talk behind our backs when they’ll get to know about my lifestyle but that’s what people do.

They talk behind your back, they get jealous of your success and say ill of you. But when they need your help, they’ll be the ones to compliment you, they’ll be the ones to speak good of you. Because maa papa, that is what people do. So regardless of what the other people think, just believe in me and trust me, I’ll make you proud one day.

Maa papa, it’s okay if my best friend is a boy. Trust me, he will stay more loyal and give you people more respect too. I know some guys are not good but so are some girls too. Every girl isn’t nice and every guy isn’t bad. Trust my decisions, I won’t let you down. I know you are worried about me but maa papa, every guy is not the same. Plus, there is no harm in being friends.

Maa papa, it’s okay if I do a job. There’s nothing to worry about. I know you can take care of my needs and I know that my would be will also take care of my needs but I want to be independent and that is why I want to do a job and gain experience. Trust me maa papa, I will make you proud. I won’t let you down.

So maa papa, your support is all I want in all the major decisions of my life. Help me to keep swimming until I reach the shore.

With love

Your daughter

 

The One Between The Stars.

By
Babra Shafiqi
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4

“THE ONE YOU SEE BETWEEN THE STARS”.hh

Covered in a honey glazed, brown colored and oil scented fortune cookie was a piece of paper that read these words. The girl holding the piece of paper was rather confused about the words but she didn’t believe in such things and neither was she interested in knowing what it meant. So she crumpled the small piece of paper and threw it in her leather bag along with other unwanted things of hers. Alizeh was a 23 year old girl that had just arrived in Bangalore to pursue her life long dream of becoming a reporter. Reporting things came naturally to her. When she was a small kid she would report everything her family members did to her mother -her fathers habit of adding sugar to every meal he ate, her brothers stunt of breaking the neighbors glass her grandma’s gossip sessions with her old lady friends- she reported through it all. But as a person that girl wasn’t as organized as her reports. She was a girl with an untidy hairdo that wore every outfit without ironing. She had scratches all over her arms due to her itchy skin.
Alizeh was a dark girl with freckles near her eyes but as you reached her eyes, all her flaws would become invisible. All over her body her eyes were the only thing that were organized. They were hazel colored but not some regular hazel that you find everywhere now. It was the organized kind of hazel. Hazel between brown and black.
As she walked out of that old Chinese restaurant towards her workplace, she came across a very small book vendor. She crossed over to its side and started searching for books or magazine that she could read. Each book she chose was either burnt or not in a very well shape. Without looking at the owner she asked him what the deal was and he replied in a very soft tone “These books are oldclassic-red-book-cover-520x760 and unwanted“. “I collect them from the dump. The books that are in better shape are sold here others I just keep at my home.” While the vendor explained himself Alizeh had found a book that had a very classic cover and she thought she would like it. She took a quick look at her watch and at the same time asked the man how much the book cost.
Without listening to the mans answer she took out a thousand rupee note from her bag and gave it to the book vendor and rushed from the place. In the background you could still hear the man saying something but Alizeh had already started running.
She had tossed the book in her leather bag. The bag in which she tossed everything. That day Alizeh had a really tiring day she had to work and make up reports, basically do what she loved but sometimes we also get tired of things that we love. At her apartment, that still needed some repairs she decided to read the book she had gotten for herself. While opening the book and going through its cover and pages, she realized she had paid too much for it. She sighed and opened to the first page of the book.
 “Little in the memories I lie of the one that I walked by tonight.
I pictured myself on her side, when I opened my eyes my heart sighed.
 So I took my hand towards my heart. I remember it only knew how to start.
but since the one left me that night; about my beats my heart has lied.”
In bold ink were these verses written. Alizeh got stuck between those words. She wasn’t much of a poetry girl but she knew how to dive into the words. The first thought that caught her mind was who wrote it, there was no name in the book just some empty pages and some pages filled with blue ink. Alizeh had never had her heart broken.
Not from a boyfriend, not from a friend or any other person and she had promised to keep it that way, but she was a compassionate girl. Compassion makes you feel the pain that doesn’t belong to you even if your heart is perfectly fine. She surfed through each page to find the name of the writer. As she was turning the pages and examining each one very carefully, she came across the middle section of the book where she found something that made her laugh. There was a sketch of a man.
Alizeh was satisfied by that face. she thought she didn’t need any name now that she had the whole picture of the man that had written this book. So with her satisfaction she started reading every poetry of his with a sigh and a smile and she was satisfied until the last verses of the book;
 ” Some words I wrote to smell you, some I wrote to let myself see
    some I have hidden like a secret and some I let suffocate beneath
    but words that are in my chest I decide to carve near my hand
    so that I can sense you there and give a taste to something bland.”
And gone like wind in summer was her satisfaction. Now she wanted more she wanted the color of his skin, the color of his eyes. the height of this man and the softness of his hair. She wanted all of it. She couldn’t sleep that night. Cuddling with the book. She had fallen in love. She was in love with the books poetry, the sketch and the whole book itself. Yet much like the last verse of the book she fell in love with something bland and now all she wanted was something to add a flavor to it.  She slept with that book every night. She couldn’t wake up without it.
Its hard to fall in love with something that you have never met and never seen. For months she read the same poetry over and over again until those verses were settled in her heart. She knew she could never find the man who wrote it. So she decided to call the book her first true love and she was glad. She was glad about the fact that she would never get her heart broken. She had found a perfect love. One that would never break. That is the best and the ruining kind of love.
One night she was looking towards the sky full of stars and she saw the  sketch. The poet of her love. Alizeh rushed towards her leather bag and unzipped it. She lifted it and tossed everything out of her bag and there it was.

” THE ONE YOU SEE BETWEEN THE STARS”

She knew she had lost herself.
When she woke up the next morning she was filled with sadness. Alizeh cursed her fate for giving her the fortune cookie. She cursed fate for serving her the book in which she lost her sanity. That girl had so deeply fallen in love with the book and its poet that she had carved its verses on her dining table. Oh how creative the insane love makes you!
After a day of tiring reports and woeful sighs, she decided to go back to the Chinese place. When she reached the restaurant she stopped at the door. She couldn’t bring herself to enter the place where it all started. Alizeh wasn’t a believer but somehow she believed that it was the starting of all this. So instead she started walking towards her apartment. From a distance in a very blurred picture, she saw something that made her even sadder. She saw the book vendor. With all the strength in her legs she walked towards it ,in no hope of finding the poet. As she came closer to the vendor her eyes narrowed. For a second she stood there staring at the man and the man stared back. In a very unclear voice she made out the words the vendor was saying,
” I hope you came back with my dairy.”
The One Between The Stars.

12 things women in India are tired of hearing!

By
Riya Naskar
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4

If you are brought up in India, as woman you keep apologizing for random things even when you don’t need to. According to a survey, women tend to use ‘sorry’ more than men, because you are a ‘Sabhya Bhaartiya Naari’. And the rules for women are different as compared to men.  Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to know why there are different rules for girls and boys. But I never received an answer to it.

 

And just to keep you in the loop, there are number of things that women are tired of listening.

  • “Women should come home early” (Deadlines) – Women and girls are tired of listening to be at home before its dark. Some are also given deadlines to come home before it is 9 pm. Six out of ten families have set deadlines for their female members, so they don’t stay out till late.

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  • “Don’t go to the temple, don’t touch the holy book” (Menstrual taboos) – These are the most common lines that we are tired of listening every now and then. I always asked my mother why is that we are not allowed to go to the temple, touch the holy books or the jar of pickles. But I never received a valid answer to my question.

Hanna Barczyk for NPR

  • “No one will marry you, if you don’t make round ROTIS” – I don’t know, who brought in this term called ‘round rotis’. Why is it necessary for the roti to be round? And who got this nonsense logic into the brains of our India moms, that if the roti is not round no one would marry a girl?

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  • “No one will marry you, because of your skin tone” – Indian moms’ logic number 2: No one will marry you if you are dark.

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  • “Ohh! Being a girl you can drive? I am surprised to know that” – Most men are stunned when they see a woman driving car or riding a bike, why? For all those men, who think women can’t drive let me tell you that you have been raised WRONG!! Judging women without knowing their capabilities is not cool at all.

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  • “You are a woman, drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes is bad for your health” – All the girls and women reading this, you shouldn’t drink or smoke because it is bad for your health, while it won’t cause any harm to the male gender. Right? And then we talk about gender equality!

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  • “You should take care of the child, now you are a mother” – Is it just the mother’s duty to take care of the child? Women are tired of listening to these statements.

Mother Taking Care of Sick Daughter --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

  • “Stop hanging around men, instead you should have more of female friends” – It is okay for men to hang around women but, women are not supposed to hang around men. One man hanging around with three women is a ‘stud’, while one woman hanging around with three men is a ‘sl*t’. Why?

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  • “Being a woman, you should always speak politely no matter what” – A woman is expected to talk politely at all times. If a woman yells, screams at someone she is considered to be manner less. While on the other hand if men shout and yell it’s absolutely fine!

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  • “OMG!! You are 35 and still not married” – I have no clue what have others got to do, if a woman is happy being single and enjoying her life on her own terms. Age is just a number, if she wants to get married at 30, 35 or 40 it is completely her choice.

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  • “They don’t have kids, there might be some problem with her” – Let me make it loud and clear that, it is not always the women who are unable to conceive, men also face problems like – infertility.

Gossip

  • “Marry this guy, he has a good job and earns well.. He’s perfect for you” – With all due respect to the elders who are worried for their daughters and want them to be happy. The boy’s good job won’t make her happy unless she loves him. Instead educate your daughter and motivate her towards leading an independent life. Why should your daughter be dependent on someone else?

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There are more to add to the list. It is high time you stop saying these things to your daughter, sister or wife. We need to break free from stereotypes and discrimination. For all the women, we need to take a pride in being a woman.

10 Movies for an Insight into a Girl’s world!

By
Aksshita Gupta
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0
the proposal wallpaper

They say you can’t really figure out what goes on in a girl’s head. Well these movies are as close to the depiction as possible!

Girls watch it to laugh and cry as you relate to the movies and boys watch these to know that ‘special girl’ in your life just a little more 😉

1. She’s the Man

she is men A girl wanting to play Soccer but is constantly backed down by the society around her including her parents and her boyfriend. A modern take on Twelfth Night by Shakespeare, this movie will leave you in splits as you watch Viola’s antics and tricks to get into her brother’s school’s soccer team!

2. Legally Blonde

legallyblondeWe all know blonde girls are considered to be dumb and frail. And Elle Woods is one such girl. A pure fashionista when dumped by her boyfriend, gets into Harvard Law School to get him back, but actually realises her true path in life through the trials and tribulations she faces and eventually makes it to the top. Watch this movie to appease your feminist hearts!

3. Mean Girls

meangirlsAn ultimate chick-flick showcasing the nasty side of the girl world. Ever wondered why your girl best friend suddenly stopped talking to you? Probably because your girlfriend fought with her. This movie is the ultimate guide to survival in the nasty girl world! Because it’s so fetch!

4. Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past

ghosts_of_girlfriends_pastA modern take on the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, A Womanizer is met by the ghosts of his past girlfriends on his brother’s wedding eve. A hilarious comedy and a therapy to get over that sly ex-boyfriend and a lesson for straying guys!

5. 27 Dresses

27 dressesAfter serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister’s side as her sibling marries the man she’s secretly in love with. It’s a hilarious rom-com with a sense of confusion and dilemma every girl goes through, at some point in their life!

6. Pitch Perfect

pitch perfectBeca, a freshman at the Barden University is cajoled into joining The Bellas, an all-girls accapella group, which she hated. Along the journey to the finals of the competition they develop a sense of love and togetherness amongst each other. Watch it for the sassy Anna Kendrick as Beca and her no-shit-given attitude!

7. Freaky Friday

freaky-fridayA mother and her teenage daughter do not get along. Relatable? Now imagine if they switch their bodies for a day! A hilarious riot ensues!

8. Confessions Of a Shopaholic

confessions-of-a-shopaholicA young dreamy eyed journalist in New York struggling to find the job of her dreams and at the same time battles her addiction to shopping landing herself in a huge debt and a series of capers!

9. The Devil Wears Prada

the_devil_wears_prada_main_onesheet A young but modest ambitious woman joins a leading Fashion magazine as a secretary to the Boss, a dominating lady. This is the story of her transformation and the process to find her lost self.

10. The Proposal

2009_the_proposal_wallpaper_002Although this is a rom-com,the major highlight of this movie is Sandra bullock, who is an over-ambitious pushy boss and known as a ‘witch’ in her office. Sandra’s character is well-defined and projects all issues working women face such as male chauvinism and egoism towards women at higher position. Add to it Ryan Reynolds gentle yet firm sassy behaviour and there you have a love story!

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