... earn your bread
... eke out your living
... satisfy your needs
... take initiatives
... voice your views
... back your decisions
... script your success
... win your arguments
... fight your own battles
... bear your own burdens
... single handedly crush your enemy
... stand alone in the face a storm
... protect your ego
... never compromise on your dignity
... safe guard your interests
... sooth your destroyed soul
... balm your broken spirit
... suffer in silence

Rise to the occasion and see yourself through all times..... on your own.

Time

Two people waited eagerly near a bus station. When the bus arrived, they boarded nervously... lost in their thoughts. Sitting next to each other, they kept checking their watches. The first one was getting delayed for a meeting so he prayed for the bus to start early. The second one was flipping through his cheat sheets for an exam and prayed for delay.

God appeared and said he would oblige none, to which they questioned him -why !

He looked at the first one and replied... " you should have started early..."

Then turning to the second, he said...." you should have prepared before hand instead of waiting till this last minute ..."

Disappointed, both men continued in silence. The first guy felt time was stagnant like water in a still pond while the other felt it was slipping like sand in-between fingers.

Answers need not be in the form of direct replies always ! They can be indirect too... in the form of a situation sometimes, which God is a master at creating. So as to teach them the value and importance of time, he slowed it for the first one and stole if from the second.

Time can be rewarding. But it can also be punishing. Time is like a mirror reflecting our thoughts. What we see is what we get and vice versa. It behaves in a way we perceive it and acts in a way we interpret it. Time is dynamic and a constant both at the same instance. More importantly, time is relative.

There in lies it's beauty.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

- Anais Nin

How beautifully said ! Yes, every friendship should help us explore a new dimension in us which we weren't aware of. Any association should be mutually constructive. It should lead us to many beautiful things in life.

Like the old saying goes.... we are judged, interpreted and more importantly 'respected' by the kind of people we associate with. Hence, one should learn to be careful and wise in choosing. Otherwise it may not teach us anything new and deny us some important lessons in our lives.

Every friendship should have a meaning.

For the fear of hurting people, I cannot voice my opinions. For the fear of going mad and insane, I cannot contain them either ! For the fear of paining them, I cannot express my heart's discontent. For the fear of being called a pin pointer, I cannot correct them always. For the fear of losing their beautiful smiles, I cannot mourn everyday disappointments. For the fear of being labelled immature, I cannot complain always.

I want to be set free from these chains. I want to fly high and enjoy some freedom. A freedom which is a result of not being torn between uncertainties and extremities. A freedom which results from a relaxed state of mind and purity of thought. A freedom which is a by product of being happy and content with what ever is offered on the plate. A freedom which is a result of lack of pain or any complain.

Life is an illusion and so is this freedom I am craving for. I am not sure I can achieve it. I am not at all optimistic I can feel liberated ever.

But I will still close my eyes..... and pray for one last time.

If every other man she speaks to, starts fancying his chances by taking liberties and crossing his limits without any ethics, and behaves as if he owns her and feels as if she is in love with him, it surely exposes the woman's lack of self discipline and will power in overcoming fallacies while dealing with men.

The way a woman behaves with men reflects her code of conduct. When she fails to control herself or them by not demarcating boundaries, it points out at her loosely knit principles and shows her carelessness. It definitely speaks something about her whole make up and raises doubts about her seriousness and commitment.

Above all, it strongly questions her character. Such women neither earn nor deserve any respect.

The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.
Anne Frank

The way you smile
makes my heart flutter.
The way you look
melts it like butter.
"I love you..."
poor thingy can't utter.

Every acquaintance cannot be called a friend. Neither can every friend be given the status of 'best' or 'close'. The transition from one level to another is gradual and time consuming. Faith, trust and patience are our initial capital investments. When emotions are shared, bonds are formed. When ideas are exchanged, mutual growth occurs. When point of views are aired, respect is earned and opinions start to count. When feelings turn deep, love blossoms. When sensitivities are understood, the souls connect and their alliance turns divine. This is how a friendship or for that matter any relationship evolves. One cannot rush into it. If one does by giving it a name, then it's doubt worthy.

For any friendship to blossom, a pinch of attraction and an ounce of magic are vital ingredients. Only then can it's fragrance be mesmerizing. Consistency is utmost important for them to thrive and transform from ordinary to beautiful.

Friendships happen. They are not planned and neither is there time for confirming facts or examining details. People necessarily don't have noble intentions always. Hence, one has to be careful while signing up for new bonds. Randomly running into people, getting excited in heat of the moment, singing songs of praise and declaring them as 'sweet' and 'nice' is definitely not the way ! The longevity and equilibrium of such an equation becomes questionable. A strong foundation of highest quality is required to sustain the emotional rigours of/in any friendship. It is investing in a lost cause otherwise and hurting our self if any gray areas are exposed.

When our threads of trust and belief are severed, we deny ourselves a permission to restart. When our eyes are laced with ribbons of doubt and uncertainity , we deny ourselves an oppurtunity to meet a genuine person and forfeit a potential friendship.... a beautiful relationship.

Women have a genetic disorder. They turn unthankful after their problems are solved and issues resolved. Men have a disorder too, that of continuing to be selfless in their help towards women.

Bumble's Love Story

There lived a Bumble bee who spent his days happily- drinking to his heart's content, singing and roaming all around the garden. He was innocent and seldom understood the strange ways of this world. His friends envied his handsome and attractive looks.

One day he came across a beautiful flower and fell for her. Daily he would pass through the same route to get a glimpse of her unfolding beauty. Whenever their looks locked he smiled shyly and she reciprocated. Their romance kick started. Days passed by and Bumble fell madly in love with her. Her mesmerizing smile and attractive looks captivated his heart. He turned a slave to her beauty and thoughts of her chained his mind. Bumble started dreaming and living in ecstasy. Daily he would sing her melodious love songs. In turn, she looked into his eyes as if she loved him. Bumble's feelings grew deeper. One fine day he mustered courage and decided to propose her. His friends warned him of the consequences but he did not heed to them.

That pleasant morning when Bumble went to express his love, he was shocked to see the flower missing. Minutes passed into hours, hours into days and days into months..... but his wait continued. She never returned. He bore a withered look. His adamance started fading and illusions started breaking. His dreams got shattered and all the deep love within his heart consumed him. Like a candle which is consumed by it's own fire. Melancholy gripped his thoughts and he died a million times before perishing. Little did he realize she left with the gardener who promised her a more colorful world where she would be admired and loved worth her beauty.

Everyone except Bumble knew the flower's destiny. On her part, she neither revealed it nor confirmed her love for him. She played with his emotions, raised false hopes and was responsible for his tragic end.

Why did she hide the truth ? Why did she look into his eyes as if she loved him ? Why didn't she stop him from falling for her ? Why did she shatter his dreams ? Why did she ruin his life ?....

Flowers are like that ! Heart within their hearts they nurture a secret wish- that of Bumble bees falling head over heels for them. They constantly seek attention of Bumble bees to confirm they are beautiful. Once all the games have been played and their desires fulfilled (at the stake of a Bumble's emotion), they long for the gardener to take them to a more appreciative audience. A flower 'plays it'.... and plays it cleverly till her beauty fades away.

This is the irony of life. Beauty exists, occurs or happens. But not before someone is deprived or made to pay the price for it.