#2 Oru cheru katha

The Realm Between Dreams

There lived a girl who cared too deeply, the kind who stayed behind to pick up everyone else’s broken pieces while her own lay scattered, forgotten.

Fate, however, seemed to enjoy playing with her. Things rarely worked out. Still, she carried herself with quiet strength, wrapping her chaos in calm.

Every night, she sat by her window, staring into the dark, reflecting on the day’s small failures and silent victories. Until one night, the silence stared back. It began with something small, a pair of silver scissors she kept on her desk, glinting under the moonlight. They were meant for paper, yet that night they cut something else, her tether to reality.

From then on, she felt like a puppet on invisible strings, her life choreographed by unseen hands. People around her seemed too perfect in their timing, too scripted in their words, as if someone, somewhere, was controlling the scene.

And every night, the same dream replayed:
A scissor’s snap, and she would fall, endlessly, soundlessly, through a sky that looked like shattered glass. 

She’d wake up breathless, never understanding what it meant. She began to wonder if she was real or if she merely existed in the reflection of another’s thought.

Then came a night where the dream refused to end. 

Mid-fall, a voice echoed through the void, soft, familiar, like an echo she’d forgotten she made.

“Cindy.”

It was her own voice, but warmer, steadier, detached from the panic of the fall.

“You keep asking who dreams you,” the voice said.
“But you never asked who started the dream.”

The air trembled. The fall slowed.

The shattered sky rearranged itself into a bridge of light, a path.

And there, on the other side, she saw Mindy waiting.

Mindy had always been there, whispering between thoughts, existing in the folds of consciousness where logic didn’t belong. But lately, she had begun to remember things she shouldn’t: places, skies, and moments that weren’t hers.

But Mindy wasn’t powerless. She understood dreams better than Cindy ever could. 

Now, Cindy's dreams weren't dreams anymore; it was a realm, one shaped by lucid thought, where belief itself built the walls. Mindy told her,

“You’re not trapped in someone else’s world. You’ve just forgotten how to make your own.”

With that, Mindy passed on what she called the seed of creation, not power, but consciousness, the awareness that everything around her was hers to shape.

When Cindy woke the next morning, the scissors were gone. The room felt lighter.
And for the first time in years, the world around her didn’t feel like a cage.
It felt… alive. As if it were waiting for her command.

#1 Oru cheru katha

The Echoing Room

There lived a boy who claimed to possess the navarasams—nine different selves, nine shifting masks. He danced between them as if the world were a stage, bending his voice, his face, his very soul to fit the moment. But unseen by mortal eyes, his room was never empty.

A hundred jinns lived with him.

They perched on his shoulders, coiled around his wrists, nestled deep in his thoughts, whispering truths that never were. They were not voices of madness, nor ghosts of the past. They were something older—fragments of an unseen realm, bending the fabric of reality with each breath.

"They do not understand you," one jinn purred.
"Shape their memories," another hissed.
"Twist their love into a thread you can pull."

And so he did.

When he spoke, his words did not land in the world as mere sounds. They shifted. They rewrote. What had been cold became warm. What had been cruel became kind. His loved ones would stare at him, eyes filled with doubt, hands trembling at the edges of something they could not name.

"Didn’t you promise?" they would ask.

"You must have dreamed it," he would reply, his voice wrapped in velvet, eyes dark as the unseen spaces between stars.

And the dream became truth.

He did not need to lie. He merely let reality unravel at his touch.

But power is a thing with its own hunger. The more he bent the truth, the more the jinns tightened their grip, pressing closer, whispering faster, until the very walls of his mind trembled under their weight. He could no longer tell where their thoughts ended and his began.

One night, he stood before his mirror. His face flickered—not once, but a hundred times. Nine versions of himself overlapped in shifting layers, each claiming to be real, each vying for control. And then—just for a second—he saw something else.

A face he did not recognize.

It stared back at him, blank and hollow, untouched by love or sorrow or rage. Not a mask, not a performance. Just an emptiness where a person should have been.

And in the silence that followed, the whispers finally stopped.

The jinns had nothing left to say.

Because they had won.

And the boy—if he could still be called that—understood, at last, the price of defying the truth.

He had become the lie.

---

But what happens to a boy who no longer remembers himself?

That… the jinns have yet to decide.

Musings #6

As we mature, we learn how to build inner circles and boundaries within social groups. There are limited conversations and hangouts. New people and places excite us, offering the promise of fresh perspectives and experiences. However, as time goes on, we train our minds to be extra cautious during any kind of interaction. Minds have evolved to handle sophisticated situations, understanding the nuances of human dynamics and the potential complexities that may arise. While the thrill of novelty persists, the wisdom gained over the years encourages a measured approach, valuing quality over quantity in our connections. This evolution in mindset allows us to navigate the intricate web of social relationships with a blend of enthusiasm and discernment, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

"Growing older is not just about accumulating years, but curating relationships – transforming the excitement of new encounters into the wisdom of building an inner circle that stands the test of time."

Musings #5

 What if all your life you were an arrogant, selfish, bossy child, and people around had to put up with it? And one day....all...around..you decided...to give a piece of their mind. Damnn...reality hits!!! They got sense into you...and now you regret almost anything and everything...aarghhhh....that's frustrating!

Well, some of us decide to disown our past and move on....but for some, the past taunts us every now and then. I think personally that, moving on is like... losing yourself but for being a better person. You don't completely lose your values or identity...but you become a different and stronger version of yourself. Changes can be scary, in every phase of your life...you keep learning and updating that emotional and mental balance that we all have. Every situation and circumstance is a new learning curve, it's not the time to regret but it's definitely a time to grow.

This section is for all of those who are stuck in your older version. Guys, remember everything is for the best, zero regrets, and moreover, people make mistakes...nobody comes up with the world's best ideas in their first trial...it's with practice, experiments, exploring, and experiences that make everyone the best version. Believe in yourself and let life do wonders for you. 

To those of you who moved on, you focused and loved yourself. I admire the strength that you've shown, believe me, this is your cue to shine!!!!!!

Life can get a little serious and not interesting at all, yet it isn't our fault. Sometimes, our stupidity makes us understand how silly can life be and how easy it is to just breathe and move on. 

(wink wink...insert your stupidity eg: that time you pulled the door when it said push...lol)

No matter what happens, you get to choose the next move. Whatever it is, trust me that isn't going to drive you everywhere...because you get to choose more and more moves, in every instance.

Hakuna Matata 😇

Musings #4

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments"

~ JIM ROHN

Slow and steady proves to work in one way, but in the long run, faster executions and decisions matter. Here is where I want to take a few minutes of yours to throw light on how the meaning of discipline differed for me at every stage of my life.

1. As a child my parents always made sure I was disciplined and systematic. It was difficult sometimes, as it requires so much attention, time and effort to achieve things. Obviously, you can't just laze around. In addition, I was brought up in a very religious family, can't compromise on all the extra prayers.

2. Meanwhile, teenage just had so many questions about life. The thought of taking decisions on my own was feared, so tried following the old practice of following a timetable to complete things. Please note, here it's not "achieve", in this case, it was more or less like trying to complete. The competitiveness around me was visible, felt I was part of some kind of a "race". To make sure things were okay with me, my parents made sure I took a less competitive path to cope. They verified and countered verified my decisions. Hmm..sounds like I proved to seek "what discipline is?". But, always just like any other teenager, I questioned everything and didn't pretend to pay attention to things around me. I would call it "a very careful don't care attitude towards anything and everything". This disrupted my systematic schedule of all these years and I lost balance in life. Failed a couple of times, even for the silliest reasons. Even if I had my older approach of keeping a schedule for things, sometimes those "things" never turned out to give positive results. For the first time, I learned "patience has a bigger meaning to life". So to summarize, now it's "systematic", "steady work" and "patience".

3. College should be easy now I learned from my teenage that "having answers to all your problems creates a much simpler way of living". And guess what happened, I spend days trying to give reasons to things I failed to complete. Bet I was good at that. A whole bunch of reasons covered up for the mess I made. Blamed others for the things I did wrong because I know I'm right, duh...I'm an adult now...I can't go wrong. To my consistent efforts for my reasoning skills, I was rewarded. The reward was, everybody stopped buying my answers and said "It's high time you own it". Oh... a sense of being responsible for yourself and your doings. Hey...wait I thought someone will always cover up for me. At least my parents will, right? Life at this point taught me, Dude, you battle things yourself, there will be people around to support, criticize and guide, but not to do things for you. Happen to solve a lot of crises, when I started owning up for my rights and wrongs. 

4. Have you played these games Temple Run or Subway Surfers, for some reason I felt the game of life levelled up at every stage. The time to balance life proved to be inevitable. Everyone's given the same amount of time to do things but why would I feel like mine is shorter days and nights altogether. "Procrastination" played as a front-line warrior in my battle for life. Like everything has a beginning and end, my confidence which hoped for the best dropped down to the lowest. Lost self-esteem, what have I done?, given time, did my systematic steady work, and took responsibilities, I've waited and done enough. What could've possibly been wrong? That's when my best friend said, "Priorities matter". The answer to my question got me thinking. Ok, I've already had trouble making a system for work, now I've to sit and prioritize their order. Are you kidding me? Many times this new discovery made me go ways I've been never before.

Is that all? Are the above key features it takes to live a life? Before, I discuss all the drama running in the background...you guys please let me know in the comments, what more to add?

Now to most of the filtered side of life, people can be clumsy, lazy, deal with breakdowns or anger issues, and many more. What might be right for me may be wrong for a few others. Life isn't always fair, it has its ups and downs. But, it's always how we stride over it. Our "decisions" play a big role in our happiness and satisfaction. Most of the time, we spend our energy doing things the way people around us want, it might satisfy them but not you. Do understand that nobody values until it has your signature style in it. When you transfer from "living to satisfy others " to "living for your happiness", that's when you feel the most grateful. "We master things only on practice", once you conquer then pride follows its way. But don't let it sabotage how your mind works. A sense of gratitude, humbleness and honesty can do wonders, 

What's it to do with discipline? Well, won't it be nice to have a dessert on your plate?

Now I've spoken about many things here and at the same time missed out on many. But, what matters is that strong bold decisions and time, build our foundation for life. It isn't only timely actions but finding a calm state in the worst storm that makes us alive. 

Just like how the quote says, Discipline may be the principle we bridge to accomplishments but it sure doesn't mean we blindly follow the rules or forced actions, though the definitions say so. It is how thoughtful you get to the decisions to accomplish in life.

Let's make this world a hassle-free, but truly a hustle-friendly environment to live in. Amen, to that!

Musings #3

 It is difficult to let go of the past, isn't it? However, we still try to move on in life. 

In this series, let's see how it feels to be acquainted with a society which has already predetermined your destiny. So, let's get started.

We have heard people go on about how life gets not very satisfying in the long run. Yes, nothing comes free everything has its equal share of responsibilities and contributions we got to give. Now, you tell me, the whole process is confusing to you in the first place, then how will the 'kids' feel comfortable going through it. Meanwhile, these 'kids' are being compared from day one!!! Couldn't be more surprised to see that trend still going on. 

Then, "the doors and the windows". Reference to many doors and windows is a cliche in every kid's life. It's true, thankfully unlike our parents or grandparents, we are privileged to have plenty of options to choose from and are also blessed with more amenities, technology and services. What people don't understand is that 'to choose from' is difficult. The child must have a fair share of the decisions. 

Haven't you heard that failure is the stepping stone to success? You only learn through failed attempts; no lessons or lectures can give the 'reality'; it's only through different experiences you gain confidence. No 'superhuman' is born in this world without the taste of, what failure is. (Here, superhuman means successful people)

Understand, even the 'average' can eventually overpass the 'brilliant'! Comparison terms like these happened to be strong barriers to young minds. Please don't put them in the notion that they are already labelled for what they will end up to. There is nothing they can't do if they start realising their original potential. Never hurry, give them time. They'll eventually fall in place, just like a butterfly ready for its flight.

The first attempt need not be the 'perfect shot'. You'll be criticized throughout for not giving your best but hey! listen, take them positively and move on. Contemplating is no good. A gentle reminder to those who are planning to criticize, don't overestimate or underestimate things and most importantly your way is not their way, it's different.

No pain, no gain. If you think it's risky but it's worth the shot, go for it. Life choices aren't very comfortable always. You need to set your priorities. But, not at the cost of anybody's expense. Think wisely before any action. Selfishness can create an unkind nature in the long run. Don't lose the gentleness in the long run. (Humility is overpriced)

Communicate things clearly. It's important to talk it all out, don't keep it inside. It's better to have a clear mind than clog them up. A fresh mind tends to look for splendid ideas! Self-care is important too. Don't you worry a lot about what others think? then why not about yourself? Self-esteem building is a necessity, not an option. And, please... do not spread hatred. People tend to judge before they are even acquainted with the other person. Don't you wish people treated you for who you are and not for something you are not? 

Gratitude is something that's extensively powerful in this world. Be thankful for everything and anything that you have achieved. Nobody achieves it alone it's always a collective effort. No doubt.

'Guruthuwam', I couldn't find a stronger word than this to show the gravity it holds. It ain't about the amount of shouting, and scolding you got as you grew up it is about the blessing you receive once you finish 'the vidya'. 

Don't cheat!!! This is never taking you anywhere. Trust is something that bridges you with the other person, once you fail to it pays the price of a lifetime to gain it. 

As a matter of fact, a lot of parents and children are keeping it slow and steady and not going with the 'rat race' trend. Happy to see such a world. I mean, did not its sublimity overpass a little bound of the ridiculous?

Wishing you all a brighter tomorrow, think smart and play bold!

Musings #2

I have decided to document my rage, frustration and discomfort in this very blog.

Five years back I thought teenage was one time period in everyone's life when we commit more mistakes and learn from them (honestly, I repeat most of it even now). While our journey of life continues we commit more mistakes but somehow, manage to recover from our mess. Hmm...this process quite looks happening, doesn't it? But what if the group decides to go against the default. I would call it a zombie apocalypse! why zombie? well, what else will I call a bunch of heartless people?

Lots of things happen these days, in and around us. Some of which just go beyond our understanding but the minute it strikes, our emotional and physical sensors sense them and deal immediately. 

Now, let me do the reality check; decides to switch to the 'extra spice and drama' configuration. Oh, my sweet creatures! ( my foot😡).

• It's good to have opinions and perspectives, but do not release them if they make zero sense to mankind. How do we know what's good for mankind? Maybe try being one for a while.

• Please, people around you ain't blind or deaf to not sense the air of commotion (seek help or suffer alone, don't eat their heads)

• 'Ignore' is the new way of protest! It is exciting to see great philosophers and thinkers of the 21st century using up thin air as their medium and drive. Watch out! you might bump into another.

• Shouting your lungs out need not always leave ripples on others. Instead, it will just be a source of noise pollution. Have some bare minimum courtesy to analyze the situation rather than, exploding like a volcano!

• No people should be harmed during the making of the film! (you know what I mean).

• Happen to witness some show-stoppers. They walk in like a monster ready for its meal and storm out leaving large volumes of awkward air. Oh oh... and some leaving the mic drop.

• Haven't we seen the venus flytrap? On the outside it's beautiful but once you go near it they'll just eat you up. Manipulation is the new sedative people!

This never ends, the list goes on and on... consider my lack of patience to remember them right, be the problem.

All of us can't be that exceptional personality, leading the perfect example. Hold on... what happened to the humanity and sanity that makes us responsible for our actions? What about it? Have we lost our minds to mere selfishness or are we the apocalypse?

Pea brain is not what we require, it is most importantly a heart!