#arora writes

[kittygirlpaw]

Well, that's it! press_start, one of my first real attempts to make a full-fledged story, point-to-point, is over.

I wrote a little retrospective, here, because I felt it was prudent to Say Something rather than just. Shrug, and move on, because it did end up becoming a big part of my life in a lot of ways I didn't expect. If you'd like to read, feel free to hit the read more.

TL;DR is - the story ended up meaning a lot to me, both as something to work on consistently and a part of my life that was always there, waiting to be touched up. I spent over two years on it, and even if I think I could've done things better, I'm glad I made it.

It feels weird. Especially after having well over a year of time where I looked at it as The Project. Y'know, that Thing, where you always start working on it when you're not doing anything else. It became one of the central pillars of work to do when I'm not doing anything else, it was basically on my mind 24/7.

It became how I got closer with a few people, it became how I gained a lot more confidence in my ability to dress a story and characters. I got a lot of practice with it, I managed to feel like I could actually make something. Set a goal, a long-term goal, and meet it.

I'd always dreaded actually setting pen to paper, and press_start was basically my first dart-throw at trying to make something bigger than vignettes, or quick one-shots. Something with a thread, with stories to tell, with lives lived.

There's a lot of things I think I could've done better, or differently. I think there's a lot of stuff that don't think I did great at, and a lot of the story was me riding by the seat of my pants and throwing things in the air faster than I could really tone everything perfectly. There's a number of unanswered questions, vague hooks, theoretical openings for another story to be told.

I'm not sure if I want to tell another story, there, though, for a lot of reasons that are both personal and informed by...I dunno. The story was, at the end, one about exploring very specific questions, and those questions got answered.

When it feels like there's no reason to go on, you go on not only for yourself but the people you love. It's easy to hurt yourself, but you will hurt others because of it, even if you only ever try to direct it inwards. Fixing yourself isn't trying to hurt yourself the "right way". Acceptance is the only real path forward. Things might be different, but they can still be good. Connection and community, trust and love, are things that you can find.

I went through a lot of changes during the brainstorming, making-of, actual writing, and finalizing of the story. Moved something like three, almost four times, further into my transition, left my bio family behind, entered a poly relationship, got married...

Weird as it is, press_start became a cornerstone for us. A marker by which we addressed change and time.

If I return to it, it'll probably be with little things to say, rather than another narrative. Stories of people, in the aftermath.

Maybe it was time to say goodbye, but that doesn't necessarily mean I was ready, in a funny way. I'll still do it, because it just means I can move on to another story to tell.

[gwendolynwcde]

Entering the Hideaway, Gwendolyn was currently off duty as she occupied a section in the corner of the bar where she was able to save a seat for two. Flagging down the bartender, she recited her order before waiting for her companion to arrive. It’s been a few years since she resigned from the Bureau. Her reputation was quite up there with the assumption that she would retire with ease, but the eldest Wade had her own plans only for it to backfire as she was now the Chief of Police of Wilmington. It was a double edged sword to come from a founding family that held such high expectations. However, she should have known better and for Gwen, she learned to simply suck it up and pay her dues. 

It wasn’t anything different when she was an agent and if there was one person who could understand that currently, it would be Vedant Arora. To think the two ex-agents would have crossed paths was either fate or a coincidence, but it had been long overdue that the two had a proper conversation and tonight that was all going to change.

Out of the corner of her eye, she slid Ved’s glass to his side of where he was seated before finally turning to face him. “Well, enjoy it while it lasts.” she mused at first before clinking her glass with his as a means to toast and then taking a long sip. "—I didn't peg you as a bar guy as your civilian life. What changed?"

WITH: @gwendolynwcde LOCATION: the hideaway

While it was hardly his first time back in Wilmington over the years, it had certainly been Ved’s first time back for so long. He hadn’t realized how accustomed he’d gotten to uprooting his life and flitting off to wherever he was needed in the world. Though the trips were hardly ever long, there was a lack of permanence that he’d grown accustomed to. One that, ironically, gave him stability. Now, where he was bound to this town for the foreseeable future, he was itching to get out. To go anywhere else but here. And while there was nothing really stopping him from leaving, the external force of work had always been a better trigger than his own desire to run. It gave him an excuse that he was not the one that tried to maintain distance from his family. It was work that kept him away.

As he walked into the laid back establishment, Ved caught sight of another who had started in this path with him. What were the odds that they would both find themselves out of their chosen line of work and in the same city. She seemed to have chosen a separate path, where he was still hoping that he’d be accepted back into his chosen path. “I’m usually the one behind the bar. It feels strange to be on the receiving end,” he remarked as he took a seat beside Gwen. “So, thank you for sparing me the discomfort,” he said as he took the drink that was already waiting for him. A tradition from years past.

[srbachchan]

DAY 6158

Jalsa, Mumbai Dec 28, 2024/Dec 29 Sat/Sun 12:59 am

🪔 ,

December 29 .. birthday greetings to Ef Pamela Arora .. Ef Nilesh Madia .. Ef Hardik Shah .. Ef Arti Adhiya .. and Ef Sharma from Las Vegas .. 🙏🏽❤️🚩

..

may all the good tidings be upon you .. and the affection of the Ef ..

The liberty of the express , to press the worth in its authority, falls into impotent hands - or whatever else they deploy - for their survival and damned be the worth of the expressed ..

Never before did the finger touch be of such immense useful importance, than in the times of the touchable .. the write buried, the touch flourish, the answer to all in all and all , prevails .. those with the capacity of the 10 on the most used .. live and let live ...

... and it is this touch that makes the loss of time valuable ..

Amitabh Bachchan

[mybelovednick]

Crimson and Clover, Honey (Chapter 2)

Main Page

Previously

Nick Sturniolo x Male!character

Summary: Nick Sturniolo is a Bookstore owner in a small town in Northern Italy. Vayu Arora is an elementary school teacher who is a frequent customer at Nick's Store. Both of them meet and they are suppose to fall in love like faith intended. But what happens when one of them is unable to let go of their past selves?

Nick x male!character Angst Fluff/comfort Hurt/comfort

TW: Too corny ig, smoking (don't do it kids. it is not cool)

******

2

“I have no news. I live quietly, I love you and I wait.��

This quote has always been a mystery to me. I wouldn’t remember where I first read it, or from whom I had heard it. But it stuck with me, forever. Yearning makes a person susceptible to the madness of love. If you yearn for something or someone, the line between love and obsession becomes blurry.

It was a lovely Friday evening. The breeze was just right as the clouds swiftly danced across the violet sky. The sun was about to set but the moon was already up. Tara invited us to her family restaurant to celebrate her grandpa’s seventy-second birthday.

Nate rode my red Vespa, with me on the back while holding onto his waist for dear life; because to him, my vehicle was a race car and the world was a Drag race. We reached Tara’s restaurant an hour late, regardless of the death race.

“You bitches were supposed to be here half an hour prior to the party and you reached in hour late. Explain, now” Tara was fuming.

“Yell at Vayu, if he had dressed up a little quicker we would be here so much earlier.”

“What? You were the one throwing a tantrum like fucking baby after seeing me wear the same coral shirt that you are wearing now! Of course I had to change into a boring black one.” I tried to defend myself.

“Not my fault I look better in coral.”

“Nathan I swear to God-“

“Okay fine, Jesus!” Tara yelled at us again. (We deserved it), “Let’s go inside and hurry up, Grandpa is waiting for you guys.”

“Awe I missed you Jeremy.” Nate cooed from behind as we entered the room and everyone cheered.

The restaurant was not a very fancy one. But it did feel like home. I’ve always loved Tara and her grandparents, Jeremy and Lizzy. Frank Sinatra was playing in the background because Jeremy loved Sinatra, “Play his songs in my funeral” he’d say every time.

Tara, Nathan and I were the only ones who were not above the age of fifty-five. We all wished Jeremy ‘Happy Birthday’ and Lizzy kissed him, to which all of us cheered like monkeys in a zoo. I loved watching people smile. I loved watching people enjoy their time. Tara was in charge of the food and overall party. I was on tea duty, i.e. ensuring that every single person had their tea cups filled up to the brim. It wasn’t a difficult task considering there were barely over twenty people in the party. Yes, tea in Italy is a bizarre concept but apparently Lizzy can’t stand the smell of coffee and ever since she visited Darjeeling with her husband, she has been addicted to this beverage.

Nathan? Well he was busy impressing Lizzy’s friends. Those sixty-year old ladies loved him for some reason. “Oh you look ravishing today, Demi. And you too! Rebecca, that hair is flawless, Jim is a lucky guy.”  Who am I kidding? Everyone loved Nate.

I was simply observing them, holding the warm tea kettle close to my chest; almost zoning out in the process.

Perhaps this is what love is after all; watching people you love fall in love with other people you love.

Being in love on the other hand, will always be strange, no matter how many times you’ve experienced it in your life. It is like falling in love with the moon. It looks beautiful from afar and even more tempting in theory. But no matter how many songs or poems you write about it, it will remain absurd in practicality to be in love with the moon. And you feel like the ocean, reflecting the image of your beloved moon in your turbulent waves just to get a glimpse of it. Even during the most intense storms in your life, you strive to keep your water as still as possible to catch your beloved in the reflection. It is the madness, and obsession that we humans love to bask in. This madness is love; and this love is strange.

“Yoohoo! Vayu! Tea boy, fill this up please.” Lizzy called for me raising her cup. I quickly nodded and rushed towards her. But as I was about to pour her up, she held me by my wrist and sat me down beside her. She was one strong woman for someone claiming to be suffering from arthritis.

“So, who’s the boy?” Lizzy asked in a sing-song tone.

“What? Tara told you?” I panicked.

“Oh dear, no. I just noticed that you seemed pretty distracted there and you have a glow to your face.” Lizzy said and I had to smile, how could I not? “See? You are so giggly and smiley like that. You should smile more often, you look even more handsome.” Lizzy winked.

“Well, I’d have to be a psychopath to be able to resist smiling when you say stuff like that.” I knew my face lit up like a Christmas tree at that point.

“Well, I mean it baby boy.” She held my hand carefully, “Now tell me about this man.”

I raised my eyebrow when she scooted herself closer to pay attention. She was determined to get me married to a nice man because…Honestly? I don’t know.

“Well he works at the bookstore. The one near the Marylyn street.”

“Oh I go there sometimes, I think. Is it the Libreria del Sentiero ?”

“Yes! That’s the one! Wait, do you know the guy who works there?”

“I think I have met that gentleman quite often. He comes here to get a cup of black coffee and abrownie. He is such a sweet man, and he sure does love my brownies.”

“No one could ever not like your brownies, Lizzy.” I smiled at her and she smiled back, “So, uhm… is he here often?”

I could feel her grin growing on her face. “Yes, Nick does come here on Wednesdays and Fridays.”

Nick.

Short for Nicolas, maybe. It does suit him. I remembered thinking that immediately.

Just then Lizzy’s eyes lit up. “Oh goodness, Look at that! He is standing right there, near his motorbike just along the parking. This is a sign! Vayu. Go now!” She was practically jumping in her seat while shoving my shoulders to push me out of the chair.

“But the party-“

“Fuck this party.”

Goddamn, this old lady was not playing.

She touched my cheek and kissed it quickly, “Look, V. You deserve to be happy, it is not a crime. Stop being so kind to the world and so harsh to yourself. Love doesn’t show up at your doorstep, you know? You need to chase it. Even if it doesn’t work out, you don’t get stuck in a world of what ifs. Nick is a good man. He is worth taking a chance.”

I hugged her and bid her goodbye. “Thank you.” I whispered mostly to myself. I made an excuse to get out of the party and pushed the door open.

He was standing a few meters away. I felt like I was in a romcom movie. Maybe it was because of the stars in the sky or the warm fairy lights right outside the restaurant window. Or it could be because I was willing to take a chance again.

Nick was wearing a bright red vest and a black leather jacket with black jeans. His shades were tucked on top of his messy blonde hair. And he had a pack of Marlboro in his hand. I walked towards him, still unsure of my footsteps.

God, he is beautiful.

“Need some help with the lighter?” I tried to be casual.

“Yeah, sure.”

He was so nonchalant that it was almost infuriating. He handed me his green lighter and I helped him light up his cigarette.

I watched him take a deep drag out of that cigarette. He closed his eyes and let out the smoke through his mouth and nose. He was leaning against his bike with his arms crossed. He watched the cigarette getting eaten up by the reddish-orange flame, firmly placed between his fingers.

Nick quickly bit into his own cigarette lightly with his lips and held the pack of Marlboro towards me while raising his eyebrows, gesturing if I needed one too.

“I am good, thank you.” I instantly replied.

He rolled his eyes.

Cocky bastard.

A few moments passed. It was really awkward too. I felt like pushing myself off a cliff. But I noticed a few things; he was just a few centimetres shorter than I was. However, nobody could deny that he was built. I actually felt like a twig beside him.

“Vayu, right?”

I thought I was going to combust with joy. “You remember me?”

“Of course I do. Who else would buy one of Shakespeare’s best classics with a fucking Porn magazine?”

If it were someone else, I would have knocked their teeth out (breaking my knuckles in the process.). But I saw a beautiful smile starting form in his face. He was really proud of what he said.

And I was glad I met him once again.

"You should smile more often." I blurted out. Nick looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. But soon his expressions relaxed a bit.

"Then make me." he said

*******

Next Chapter

A/N: I promise there will be more nick in the upcoming chapters

p.S. I love Lizzy

Tag: @ohmtoff @freshloveforthefit @miloisdone1 @nicksfavhoe @heyitsmemia @neo404 @matty-bear2 @thenickgirl @loud-sturniolos @maria4mari @solarsturniolo @darl1ngdr1sta @tkhzs @soursturniolo @certifiednatelover

[whimsydotcom]

a lot of hindi words written in roman script use r for the ड़ (not ड) sound. arora, rathore, chhindwara, mewar, etc. because english lacks letters lol. "d" is already used for both द and ड no?

okay i see that's my point. ड़ has different sounds in the words arora and rathore (sosmetimes pronounces as rathod no? correct me if im wrong please) . it makes more sense to write words as they are especially if we're using a different script altogether

[kittygoopaw]

pinned postings <3

Welcome to the AD alt for a tgirl with simply Too Many fantasies and ideas that are constantly roiling around in her head filled with girl (and dog/cat/fox/ect.) You can call me Arora, and I'm a weird queer furry! I like to chew and bite and smack, snuggle and cuddle and kiss, and I (generally) love being called mom, sis, or simply kitty <3

This is a strictly 18+ space, and will frequently reblog/talk about/post 18+ content, so please do not follow if you are not at least 18!

tags I'll be using:

#yapping - general talking/posting

#responding - asks/submissions

#purring - NSFW posting, fantasies, writings, ect.

#showoff - pics!

Don't be shy to come and say hi! I'm always happy to talk to people, anons or otherwise! Live freaky and love freely, sweethearts <3

[leonieanderson]

When someone says 'I thought about you today, it's a lot more than saying 'I love you'. It's saying that for a moment today, while you were thinking about the hundred things to do on a Monday, I thought of you as a loving memory, and in that moment you were not your achievements, not your struggles and so not your sadness. You were not your movie recommendations, the songs you listen to or the face you show the world. You were a fleeting thought, a dancing memory - full and alive. The one that I hold close, the one that is beyond just a person- trying to find their space in this world. When someone says they are thinking about you, spare a moment thinking about everything you've ever shared with them, because this person, is one that's willing to keep you alive beyond life itself. This person right here, may not mean the world to you on all days, but is willing to give you a home within their world, and if there's ever a love that's worth writing about, it's this.

Mayank Arora

[quohotos]

Thoughts about bonds/bonding

This was something I was already planning to write up but then the latest return to regalia episode opened the flood gates and filled in some missing pieces for me. What follows is my own educated guesses and headcannon, very little of this is explicitly in the text of the books. Understand that much of this is my own headcannon, though I'll try my best to justify it with the text.

(also note that since I was an audio book kid I don't actually know if it's spelled flyer or flier and I'm going to get it wrong more than once and you're just going to have to live with that)

Luxa says that it wasn't normal for her to bond with Aurora so early, but that an exception was made as almost a form of therapy after the death of her parents. The same exception was made for Hazard and Thalia. We aren't explicitly told how old Henry was when he bonded with Ares, but I'm assuming it was before adulthood given how all four of them (Luxa, Henry, Ares, and Arora) have a storied history before the events of the first book. Henry had to be younger than 16 when they bonded (16 being the age of legal maturity in the underland, will amend if I'm misremembering), which isn't surprising given that he's Henry and he's never played by the rules. This raises the question of the bats' ages... we aren't ever told that. I would assume that the bats are of similar ages to their bonds, but I have no evidence to back that up.

In the Marks of Secret Ripred explains that rats grow up incredibly fast and reach full maturity in about a year, and that humans are uncommon in how long they take to grow up. It's not clear how long the bats take to grow up. Would Thalia have become an adult while Hazard was still a little kid, or would they have grown up concurrently? I can't say either way. One thing I can say with more confidence is that regardless of their ages, Aurora and Ares probably see their respective bonds like younger siblings. Obviously, being bonded to someone is a completely different relationship that we can't exactly map onto what we have in the overland, but I think that's a close approximation.

So Why and How do regular people get bonded?

The most surefire way to get bonded would be to join the military (something you can do from a very young age... I mean they have armor on hand for 12 year olds and we see seven year olds doing military drills in the Prophecy of Bane... yaaaaay). In the military you will be assigned to mixed species units and it's just sort of assumed that they'll all end up pairing up and bonding.

For civilians there are likely special yearly festivals that the two kingdoms share with the express purpose of giving people a chance to find bonds. My guess would be right around the time of the harvest when there's plentiful food to go around. After a hard year a bunch of flyers come to regalia and everyone has a big party to celebrate. There are probably specially organized games of whatever sport Gregor walked in on back in the first book. While specific flyers are probably scouted for sports and more importantly the military there's still plenty of opportunities for common Regalian and flyers to interact and meet.

What does bonding do for a flyer?

We see so much of the Underland Chronicles from the point of view of royal humans. To them, the benefits are obvious. Humans can't fly, bonding gives them access to someone who can. But why would a flier seek out a human bond? That just sounds like an obligation, right?

The Regalians have incredibly advanced medical technology. I've roasted them before for their metalworking, but their chemistry/biotech is unparalleled. They're able to produce antibiotics, as well as synthesize plagues and their cures. They have ways of treating illnesses that the overland doctors (allegedly) cannot. We also see that they have incredibly reliable and safe oral administered sedatives. Anesthesiology is such and advanced and risky field, and they seem to have cracked it to the point where people can safely be sedated for trivial maters without anyone batting an eye.

The arrival of humans (as permanent residents, native people made limited journeys to there before the arrival of Sandwich) in the Underland definitely raised everyone's average life expectancy by decades... before lowering it immediately afterwards through endless wars. In Curse of the Warmbloods someone steals the pain killers and Gregor realizes that the rats couldn't even use it if they wanted to because they don't have hands to open the bottle. Much of the Regalian's medical technology still requires a human to administer it. You need humans to carve splints and set them, you need humans to administer injections, you need humans to cut hair and perform surgery. Spinners can do some things to stop bleeding, but any significantly complex medical procedure is going to need human hands involved. Think about things like glasses and prosthetics, things we don't normally associate as medicine but would still kinda are. Humans probably manufacture and prescribe bat-glasses.

For a flyer, traveling long distances without a human bond is incredibly risky. If something bad happens, even if you have other flyers with you, you could die from what would otherwise be preventable causes. Bitten by mites? Who's going to apply the the ointment? Wing dislocated, who's going to pop it back into place (this one literally happened to Aurora). There are also probably some foods that can't safely be eaten raw, but a human could prepare. Heck, a human can boil water to purify it, or place traps that catch pray that otherwise wouldn't be hunt-able. Humans can catch fish that live too deep in the water for a flyer to peruse. Humans are adaptable. Your bond is your Swiss army knife, adaptable and versatile even if sometimes fragile.

Any flier trying to pursue and education needs to be bonded. You wanna go to bat-college? You gotta bring a human. You'll need one to transcribe all your essays and help you read books. The fliers definitely have a rich oral history that they all maintain, but there are some things that you just need a human to access. The average flier probably doesn't have a bond, but the higher in status definitely do for the educational purposes alone. While the queen herself doesn't have a bond, in fact it seems almost frowned upon in the royal family (Nike doesn't have one despite getting very close to a human who would like to bond with her in the later books), you bet your ass that every middle manager and local bat official has a bond who takes care of paperwork and accounting.

It's a funny parallel how flyers of low status like Ares can suddenly be whisked into royalty by being bonded to Henry, the same thing probably happens to humans. You could be Joe Shmo nobody (or I guess this is the underland so Joeth Shmavetus) who would probably live out their whole life carving stone jars, but you do numbers good so the bat-secretary of bat-state bonds with you and now you're really important.

That means that there are probably lots of places within the flyers lands that are built specifically to house humans long term. We see a little bit of that in the first book, but there's probably a lot more out of sight. Special areas where an important fliers' bonds can live and do their taxes and whatnot.

Bonding is usually an egalitarian process. It seems like both sides and both factions have to consent to it. When Gregor insinuates that one side owns the other he gets massive push-back. With that being said, I'm almost certain that Ares had little control in the matter over bonding with Henry. I think there's kind of an unstated rule that the royal families are going to bond with whoever they please, and that turning down a bond of high status would be a massive faux pas. Ares probably didn't feel like saying no was even on the table.

What about non-flyer bonds?

Oh yeah, code of claw spoilers beyond this point. Now that everyone's doing the reread and we're probably bringing a few first time readers into the fold I'm going to spoiler mark this part just in case since I'll be discussing things that happen in the last installment

Luxa and Ripred bond to usher in peace. This is treated as something that has never happened before but that the rules don't explicitly forbid. Henry jokes about people bonding to the crawlers, but in a way that portrays it as stupid and pathetic rather than impossible. In doing so she also symbolically brings the Gnawer into the spiritual fold that the flyers and humans already share.

Humans and Gnawers would then be allowed to bond with each-other. It might take generations for that to happen in earnest, sicne both sides have so much trauma and resentment built up, but maybe decades in the future the younger generations will find it in themselves to do so.

The fact that Luxa bonding with Ripred doesn't break her bond with Aurora sets the precident that you can bond with as many people as you want so long as you never have two of one species. I do not think Aurora is that happy about that, and I doubt she sees Ripred as her own bond. It's possible though, that in the future you could have big groups of underlanders who are all united by one bond. A whole bad batch rogues gallery of a flyer, a gnawer, a human, and a nibbler who each bring something special to the group.

Though never explicitly stated, I think it probably goes without saying that Hamnet and Frill were bonds. It definitely wasn't done the proper way, probably just informally in the jungle with nobody else observing, but still. A bond is a bond.

[breitzbachbea]

Okay, seriously, after this I really go to bed, but things I would REALLY love to do, but no time and energy and I have to write something for a fic trade first anyways buuuut

Some LFLS FrUK. Miss the bastard, miss them being in love and Arthur being at war with his whole being and Francis loving someone having his scruples for him and yet also wanting to absolve them. Protestant vs Catholic guilt, how about you fuck about it.

Tahir initiating a heist to retrieve any pages in any sex diaries of the Aroras that concern him. He also involves Robert in this and Arthur only finds out after the fact and is not amused by the entire spiel. Tahir is also not amused he is getting chewed out for a topic that he explicitly wants private. Robert just thinks the entire thing is hilarious and how he so wants to keep the pages.

Something with Franci. GOD. I miss him.

[liyasaifog]

From Invisible to In-Demand: How One Startup Found Its Breakthrough with Youthmonk SEO

When ClarityPay, a fintech startup, launched its innovative online invoicing platform, the team had one goal: make life easier for freelancers and small businesses. The product was sleek, the UX was intuitive, and early users loved it.

But there was one big problem: nobody knew it existed.

Despite a beautiful website and strong value proposition, ClarityPay wasn’t getting found on Google. Weeks went by with minimal traffic and almost no sign-ups. Paid ads burned through their tight budget fast. The founders knew they needed visibility but didn’t know where to start.

That’s when they discovered Youthmonk.

The Turning Point: Partnering with Youthmonk

ClarityPay reached out to Youthmonk, hoping for a sustainable way to grow traffic and build trust online.

From the very first call, they knew this wasn’t your typical SEO agency.

Youthmonk didn’t pitch generic packages. Instead, they listened closely to ClarityPay’s goals, target audience, and early challenges. Then, they rolled out a custom SEO strategy built specifically for startups like them.

What Youthmonk Did

1. In-Depth SEO Audit & Keyword Discovery

Youthmonk identified untapped search terms related to “freelancer invoicing,” “easy payment tracking,” and “automated tax-ready invoices” the exact problems ClarityPay solved.

2. Website Optimization

They restructured ClarityPay’s landing pages, fixed technical issues, and improved mobile speed making the site easier to crawl, navigate, and convert.

3. Authority-Driven Content Creation

Youthmonk launched a blog with topics freelancers searched daily from “how to write an invoice” to “best payment tools in 2025.” Each article was SEO-optimized and aligned with ClarityPay’s product offering.

4. Targeted Link Building

Within weeks, ClarityPay was featured on respected blogs, fintech directories, and small business resource pages boosting its credibility and Google rankings.

The Results After 4 Months

460% increase in organic traffic

20+ keywords ranked on Google’s first page

Monthly sign-ups grew 3x from organic sources

SEO became their #1 acquisition channel ahead of ads

“Youthmonk helped us go from unknown to unavoidable. Their SEO team truly understood the startup journey and gave us a strategy that actually worked.”

— Neel Arora, Co-founder of ClarityPay

[kittygirlpaw]

We're having daily thoughts about trying to write a story centered around either HDG or drone(-ish, almost, kinda just generally hivemind-y) kink and really humming and hawing between them. Both are fun, both could kind of weave bits from the other in certain ways, but.

Considerations.

[kmadrigalsoto]

Entering Soundwave, Kimberly was sober to the core and had no plans of enjoying the nightlife like she normally would. She was there visiting someone and it wasn’t her good friend Mahira, in fact it was a particular bartender that she had previously encountered. With only a name and a face, dark hues scanned the crowd before making her way towards the bar. Did she even have a plan in how she wanted this conversation to pan out? No. However, she did want answers as she didn’t find his presence comforting per se. When she approached the bar, the heiress heard his question and was quick to reply with, “Answers.” Narrowing her gaze, she wasn't sure what to make of it, this whole encounter made her feel uneasy as she slipped out a group photo of them at a gala and slid it across for him to see to help jog his memory.

WITH: @kmadrigalsoto LOCATION: soundwave

It had been a few months since Soundwave had changed hands and he could already see the difference in the crowd that came through. When he worked at the establishment before Mahira took over, he was far less happening. There were only a few regulars that would come through on a regular basis and he worked more so as a bartender than he did a bouncer. These days he worked both security and the bar, helping out wherever he was needed because it was clear that help was necessary. It was a credit to the new management, or maybe a clear sign why his friend was not meant to run his own business. His side of the bar was a little less crowded as he finally made his way to the end and caught a familiar face. Not only familiar because of their change encounter at the grocery store. He’d only recognized her once he went back home and thought through why Kimberly was so familiar. And he could only imagine how small the world was that they would be running into each other once again in Wilmington. Not sure if she remembered him, Ved leaned against the bar. “What can I get you?”

[srbachchan]

DAY 6116

Jalsa, Mumbai Nov 16, 2024/Nov 17 Sat/Sun 12:50 pm

🪔 ,

November 17 .. birthday greetings to Ef Deep Joy Sarkar from the City of Joy Kolkata .. 🙏🏽❤️🚩

💐 .. wedding anniversary greetings .. to Ef Dipesh Arora and his respected wife Mrs. Ragini Arora .. from Surat .. completing 19 years of togetherness .. on November 17 .. 💐🙏🏽❤️🚩

... it is the true feeling of greetings that imbibe in us the thought and the wish for a long and cherished life .. may the blessings of the Almighty force be with all ..

... and children .. the children of the day , be the epitome of what the future holds for us .. at times when you ponder, the thoughts go back to the time when our elders and parents were getting on in age and were in the thought what they shall leave behind for the next generation .. it must have been at times worrisome ..

Many like Babuji who had contributed so much for the World of writing, may have had apprehensions whether their worth shall ever be recognised or not or whether posterity shall remember them , or whether their works bring the breathe of living and its purpose to all ..

they left us .. and I wonder in what state of mind .. expressing it on paper or on formal 'wills' and documents is a technical matter .. legal at times .. but what did they actually feel within shall never be known .. it is the dilemma of us their progeny that reflects on it .. reflects on it because the time comes in the lives of the projenny too , to wonder what they shall leave behind or is there any worth of what is needed to be remembered of them or about them ..

Yes documentations shall perhaps through the readings of the well called 5th Estate be in formed information .. but the entire wealth of its mind and body shall remain with the individual .. secure , firm , unknown and valued for its content and feel in the mind of the carrier ..

NO ONE ELSE ..

In the lives of the public hemisphere .. the early desire shall ever be to gain recognition .. to be known .. to be heard and seen ..

But when all has been seen and heard and known , what next .. the book has been read from page to page ..

AND STILL THERE SHALL EVER BE SPACE FOR MORE ..

AND THAT SHALL REMAIN AS THE PERMANENT PROPERTY AND CONTENT - to give it an abstract expression - OF THE CARRIER OF THE GOODS ..

some disclose its reality through their writings in the documentations for public consumptions via biographies .. God bless them ..

some never do ..

God bless them too ..

for their privacy has been respected ..

content for the public publish is commerce .. is someone's salary and business .. their living of an earning .. an essential to exist ..

to some that do not divulge .. is also an earning .. essential to exist

ONE divulges to earn to exist ..

ONE does not divulge to earn to exist .. within the walls of his or her own values ..

WE ALL VALUE OUR OWN EARNINGS .. AND EXISTENCE !!

PRAISE BE THE ALMIGHTY .. for giving us the ability to earn and to exist ..

I inherit not just because I am his son .. I am his son because I inherited his inheritance ..

मेरे बेटे , बेटे होने से मेरे उत्तराधिकारी नहीं होंगे ! जो मेरे उत्तराधिकारी होंगे , वो मेरे बेटे होंगे

and ever shall be the struggle and effort to be the true Son of my Babuji .. to be the rightful bearer of his worth , and thus his inheritance ..

Love and prayers ..

Amitabh Bachchan

[ikonikpress]

Founder’s Series: Chandana Arora’s Business Insights

In this edition of IKONIK Magazine’s Founder’s Series, we delve into the remarkable journey of Chandana Arora, a dynamic entrepreneur behind the growing brand Chandana Milk Products. With a firm belief in authenticity, quality, and consistency, Chandana has transformed her venture from a small-scale operation into a reputable name in the dairy industry.

Her story is not only inspiring but also a practical guide for emerging founders navigating the challenges of building a sustainable business in a competitive market.

From Passion to Purpose

Like many visionary entrepreneurs, Chandana Arora didn’t set out just to sell a product—she wanted to solve a problem. As a consumer, she noticed a lack of trustworthy dairy products in her local market. That gap led to the birth of Chandana Milk Products, a brand rooted in purity, freshness, and ethical sourcing.

From sourcing high-quality milk to ensuring hygienic processing and distribution, every step is guided by Chandana’s commitment to consumer trust. Her dedication reflects in the brand’s growing reputation and customer loyalty across regions.

Scaling with Integrity

One of the standout elements of Chandana Milk Products is its growth strategy. Rather than chasing quick wins, Chandana has focused on building long-term relationships—with suppliers, retailers, and most importantly, consumers. This kind of growth is what IKONIK Magazine celebrates: sustainable success built on strong values.

In our conversation, Chandana emphasized that scaling doesn’t mean compromising. Her business expanded only after perfecting operations at a local level, ensuring the brand could replicate its quality standards in new areas. “If you can’t maintain your promise, you shouldn’t expand,” she shared.

Entrepreneurial Challenges and Lessons

Every founder faces roadblocks, and Chandana’s journey was no different. From handling distribution setbacks to educating customers about product quality, the early days of Chandana Milk Products were packed with challenges.

One of her key takeaways? Stay close to your customers. By listening to feedback and building a feedback loop into the company’s development process, Chandana ensured the brand stayed relevant and responsive.

Another lesson she shared was about team-building. “A good product can fail if the team behind it isn’t aligned,” she says. For Chandana, creating a positive internal culture is as important as delivering excellent milk products.

Positioning for the Future

When asked about the future of Chandana Milk Products, Chandana confidently stated her vision of becoming a household name across India and even exploring export opportunities. Her focus remains on innovation in packaging, expanding product lines, and staying aligned with consumer health trends.

With the rising demand for clean-label, preservative-free dairy, Chandana Milk Products is well-positioned to capture a larger share of the market. What sets them apart is not just what they sell, but the story behind it—and the founder who leads with heart and strategy.

Why Her Story Matters on IKONIK Magazine

IKONIK Magazine was founded by internationally recognized beauty entrepreneur Oyéta Kokoroko, not just to tell stories but to elevate founders into visible, credible leaders in their industries. Our mission is to bridge the visibility gap for indie, purpose-driven entrepreneurs like Chandana.

Being featured on IKONIK means more than just a write-up—it’s about getting SEO-optimized exposure, strategic visibility, and authority-building content that supports your long-term brand growth.

Chandana’s feature is a perfect example of what IKONIK stands for: real stories, sustainable success, and powerful visibility for emerging brands. We’re proud to spotlight Chandana Milk Products as they continue to expand and lead with purpose.

Final Thoughts

The success of Chandana Milk Products is not accidental—it’s the result of clear vision, relentless effort, and value-driven leadership. For founders seeking inspiration on how to grow without losing their core values, Chandana’s journey offers a blueprint.

At IKONIK Magazine, we’re proud to amplify voices like hers. Through exclusive founder spotlights, behind-the-scenes stories, and actionable insights, we help entrepreneurs not just get noticed—but become unforgettable.

Want to build your visibility like Chandana? Apply to be featured or book a discovery call on IKONIK Magazine.

[shauryakasmediastudies]

Recreation of a scene before main movie (Week 17)

Me and my classmates created the opening of the pilot episode of the TV show friends

We only recreated 1.06 mins of it

the actual clip:

Our recreation:

Actors :

Shaurya Kharbanda

Aashna Arora

Vihaan Razdhan

Elahe Kooner

Behind the Camera :

Samhita Majumder

Purvi Anpat

1) my team/ classmates firstly analysed the shots and angles used in the clip , and then proceeded to write down the dialouges for each carachters

2) We then gave roles to eachother we then started mugging up dialogues so we dont fumble a line

3) We the started filming, due to this being a classtest the camera crew had to rely on memory and written shots and dialogues

4) Editing, Samhita Majumder used VN a editing software , we than extracted audio from laughing audios and we added finishing touches , then this activity/ practical came to an end

[samhitamajumder-asmediastudies]

Week 17- Opening of a scene

Hi! Welcome back!

This week, once again, was an exciting one. After recreating a scene, we were given a entirely new challenge: creating the opening sequence of a horror/thriller film. We worked together to write our own collaborative script, and made sure to stick closely to the typical conventions of the genre to create the right mood and tension.

You can watch our final clip at the YouTube link below!

Our cast for the activity:

Shaurya Kharbanda- Male lead

Aanika Bawa- Female lead

Once again, I worked in filming this clip, with plenty help and direction from my teammates. Here’s everyone who worked behind the camera:

Samhita Majumder (me)

Purvi Anpat

Aashna Arora

Elahe Kooner

I also worked on editing this clip in the next class, wherein my friends and I set the appropriate lighting, transitions, and sound effects for this horror/ thriller opening. As always, editing was definitely my favourite part! Ironically, this ‘horror’ film opening was created by the most humorous and upbeat team.

This was an incredibly activity through which I learned and discovered new techniques of cinematography and editing!

Thanks for sticking through, Until Next time!