teenthoughtsblog

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WHEN I AM GONE

WHEN I AM GONE

When all is lost and I am gone,

Wake up and resume life at dawn.

Don’t cry, don’t grieve,

Be bold, not naïve.

Barriers will knock at your door,

Hold your ground and throw them aside.

For if the soul is impenetrable,

The evil and immoral won’t dare venture inside.

Put others ahead of you for every life does matter

Lose yourself, but don’t let your ethics shatter.

Life’s path will split and divide,

And you will have to choose-

Never abort the ride,

And never cut the strings of love loose.

Never dishonor your nation and always take pride,

I love you and I’ll be waiting on the other side.

-A tribute to all the soldiers who laid down their life for our country. Set in the perspective of young children losing their parents to war, and receiving the sorrowful news and this message-

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THREE DEATHS THAT SHOOK ME IN THE ‘HARRY POTTER’ SERIES

A/N- Its no secret I love the HP series, so here is a tribute to the three most sorrowful passings the Wizarding World endured. (Picture credits:Google, and Pinterest)

LILY AND JAMES POTTER

Who can forget the scenes in ‘The Philosophers Stone’ and the ‘Deathly Hallows Pt.2’ where we see the bodies of our chosen one’s young parents strewn across the floor? It broke all our hearts, left Moony and Padfoot without their best friends, and of course the incident left Harry an orphan. The two innocent lives were taken because they put their faith in the wrong person. RIP.

CEDRIC DIGGORY

If I were to be honest, this is the death that hurt me the most, in the books and movies. Cedric was Hufflepuff’s ‘Pretty Boy Diggory’, who brought them the most glory they had gotten in many years. Peter Pettigrew mercilessly took the young boy’s life, in the little hangleton graveyard, in the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. In his memory, Albus Dumbledore said, “Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort.” REMEMBER CEDRIC DIGGORY. RIP.   

REMUS LUPIN AND TONKS

After losing James, Lily and Sirius, it seemed that life had no love in store for the friendliest, and the most caring character in the HP series, but that all changed when our Remus met Tonks. They fell in love, got married and had a son together. When of the Battle Hogwarts broke out, the both lost their lives side by side as they fought to give their son Teddy a better world to grow up in. Even death could not the separate the couple apart, and they drifted of to the afterlife holding hands. RIP

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"The marks humans leave are too often scars".

John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

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"I love you 3000"

Tony Stark (Avengers: Endgame)

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THE NEW NORMAL

“Oh it’ll be over in no time”, or so we were told Now its been 10 months and all the properties were sold. Thousands researching to stop the virus strain, And the covid death toll dripping with disdain. From unemployment to gripping ventilators, this pandemic is well rounded If nothing else it has taught us to stay grounded. We can only hope and pray That this dreadful new normal goes away.

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"Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead."

HARRY POTTER

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SURPRISE

Manav had the perfect life. He had a successful company and was making millions. He was on a private jet to the Maldives for a summer vacation to take a break. He landed and the first thing he did was check-in and crash into the inviting hotel bed. When he hit the deluxe duvet covers with a soft thud, a voice rang through his mind “Manav beta if you don’t get up now, you won’t be able to go to school on time, let alone catch a flight to the islands.” Turning into a deeper shade of red than his mother’s burgundy kurta, he dragged himself off his nighttime abode. After what seemed like a painstakingly protracted brush, plus a small snooze in the shower, Manav was ready to get out of the house and start his day. He ran like as though in an Olympic race, and barely made it to his bus stop in time.

On the way to school, he jammed out to his favorite artist Eminem and recollected with what remained of his tasks from yesterday and pondered over the arsenal of things to do that lay in front of him that particular drab and drowsy morning. It was a busier week than usual. His school was hosting a first ever exchange student program bringing in students from Japan, Korea and the states, and that only meant that the student council’s (in which he was part of) responsibility increased tenfold.  Manav groaned at the off spending his lunch and other free periods cleaning classrooms and supervising countless drills. The day kicked off as usual, with students shaggily dragging their feet into the auditorium, the assembly being a mere excuse to catch up on twenty minutes of sleep, and the roll call actually making one forget their roll numbers.

The previous night Manav had less than adequate sleep with only four hours remaining on the clock, and without justification, he dozed in history class. A chalk hit him with agonizing precision. Rubbing his head, he shot up absent mindedly and shouted “present ma’am!” “Well it was so kind of you to finally wake up, Mr. Kautra, and answer to a poles apart questions. But what I inquired was who the successor of Alauddin Khalji was? ” His best friends,Rishi and Shravya made all attempts to stifle their now unstoppable giggles as Sarthak, forever the nerd, managed to give the correct answer in record time.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Being mid-December, it was quite chilly. Huddling up in his jacket, Manav went from room to room to do his classes, and half-heartedly did his class rep duties. Between classes and lunch, he heard many hushed conversations. “I couldn’t find black forest so I got red velvet instead”, he heard Rishi hurriedly explain to Meher, and later heard Shravya exclaim, “Of course it has to be something associated to basketball”. He started to contemplate that his mind had gone berserk, and pondered on what was going on, when someone tapped him on his shoulder. Dazed, Manav looked up and saw Mr. Roy, the head janitor. “Manav-ji you have been called down to the basketball court by Coach Sharma.

While heading towards the basketball court, Manav cautiously placed his footsteps slowly, in an futile attempt his meeting with the coach. He hadn’t found to time to practice basketball for a few days now, all courtesy of the exchange student program coming up. He feared that Coach Sharma, forever the worshiper of discipline and rigor, had noticed and decided to punish him (also something the coach was fond of). When he neared the Coach’s office, all his fears multiplied. Seeing coach Sharma sitting on his desk with narrow eyes made Manav think that his time had come to kiss his spot on the school team goodbye.

“You’ve not been coming to practices lately, beta?”

“Yes sorry coach, the exchange student program has come up, and I’ve been busy with the student council.”

“But I promise sir I’ll”-

“I know you’ll come to practice, no doubt about that. You are quite the diligent athlete. But that’s not why I called here.”

Manav’s mind did a somersault. “it’s not sir?”

“No. its not.” “Did you have one of the best friend circle I’ve seen in quite some?”

“Yes I know that sir but-“

“SURPRISE MANAV!!!” Shravya, Rishi, Sarthak, Nethra and Riya sprang out from behind the table.

Before Manav could process everything, a delicious cupcake came flying into face, smearing his with sweet cream. After five minutes of futile attempts of getting the frosting of his now smothered face, Manav just gave up and went back to being puzzled at why his friends had done what they had done.

“But it’s not my birthday, is it?”

“Arre (yo in Hindi -of sorts) it is. You’ve just been too busy to notice.” Rishi grinned.

Manav’s eyes widened in realization. The last he had checked the calendar, it had been mid-December, but now 29th of December had dawned.

“Oh yes! Thanks guys so much. You didn’t have to-

“Oh don’t sweat about it. This is what friends are for right?” Shravya cut him off, replying.

“Happy birthday Manav beta. I’ve seen you grow up a lot in these past few years. I still remember you as the shy pre-teen that came up to me to learn the basics of this sport. Enjoy your day.” The much respected coach contributed, chuckling.

“Time for cake!!” chimed Nethra, giggling, the others backing her up.

Laughing, and nodding fondly, he blew the candles and wished for a new basketball.

The celebration wasn’t big. It was a small gathering of his closest friends with a cake, some delicious snacks, and a LOT of chatting. Although the small party caught quite the attention when everyone starting shouting to a karaoke song.

Manav had the time of his life, enjoying the simplest of pleasures. He laid back and enjoyed. Afterall birthday boy deserved a break.

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FRENEMIES

I am Arunima (please use Aru to address me). I am thirteen, and I go to school like any normal teen. In 8th grade, it’s like a whirlpool of emotions and thoughts. I feel obligated to cram as much education as I can into my brain and push forward for these last few years of school. But that being said, these are my last few years of school and possibly of my childhood. Every day I’m confused about the way forward, and today was no different.

 It was like any usual day. I struggled to wake up and get ready for school. When I boarded my school bus I dozed off as per usual, catching up on last night’s sleep. The assembly was no different with many students yawning and chatting amongst themselves. The first few classes went by in a blur (a rather boring one at that) I struggled to stay awake, let alone consciously pay attention (all courtesy of the late-night binge-watching of stranger things). As I slept the teacher must have yapped about something important because when she questioned me about the lesson, and I, flustered, answered incorrectly, she had a look of heeding malice on her cold and bony face. In homeroom, we discussed our lives’ regrets and satisfactions. At the moment I was bored, and couldn’t care less about what we did in homeroom. I remember my answer being something as general as not picking up a particular hobby.

On the bus ride home, while snacking on kurkures, and doing my homework, I couldn’t focus. 

Normally I would finish all the work given on my ride home and laze around in the afternoon, but that day fate was made for me to keep getting distracted. After a few attempts of doing my homework and packing my bag, I just gave up and decided to have dinner and go to bed early. An hour went by and I still couldn’t get myself to close my eyes and get rest for more than ten minutes. There was a cold lump in my throat, and it was not because of the unnaturally low temperature of my thermostat (as put by my beloved mom). After tossing and turning in bed for quite a while, I realized that all this drama was because of the small, insignificant discussion in homeroom.

 Without me putting much thought into it, that one question had seeped in and manipulated my whole day. Now that I sleeplessly put more thought into it, I stand corrected. My answer wouldn’t be something as brief and over the top as a missed hobby. It would be something in a completely different dimension. Something many would label as childish. A FRIENDSHIP.

 I met Shravya when we were both four, on our first day of kindergarten. I was a timid and observant child, and she was more on the outgoing and vivacious side. It all started when she came up to me and tugged at my braids. I went on to grab hold of her collar and poke her with all my might. That was followed by an obnoxious round of tickling each other and giggling. A bond finally formed over a tiffin exchange at recess and we instantly started to grow close.

 Overtime Shravya and I became like two peas in a pod, and by the end of kindergarten, everyone knew us as the two best friends who couldn’t stand a day without talking to each other. Like everything good comes to an end, the blissful phase with Shravya came crashing down as we were separated in first grade.

Those two years with Shravya were eventful, joyous and we both enjoyed them so much that we probably still know every single incident to the  last detail. We had a countless number of pool parties, sleepovers, Masterchef challenges, mud fights, and fashion shows just to name a few of our many playdate activities. Our families had also met and come close together. We had even taken a vacation to Agra together. When Shravya’s brother was born and all the spotlight was supposedly stolen from her, she would keep complaining and crying, and I, forever the listener, consoled her and offered comfort with several sleepovers and playdates.

Time passed and my friendship with Shravya remained unwavering. Over time, we did hit some rough patches, but we being best friends, we always made up. Little did I know we would go on a ballistic rollercoaster ride. After being separated from 1st to 4th grade, we were overjoyed to finally come back together in 5th grade. On the first day of class 5, we sat together and chatted a LOT. No one could blame us, because we were two besties catching up on four years of being in separate classes. We shared classwork, helped each other with homework and in general, our time was blissful. 

Then musical afternoon made its appearance. In our school, it’s a huge deal where there's a theme each year and all the classes form groups and perform songs in many languages. I remember that year the theme was heartbreak. The moment the theme was announced, everyone started talking about songs and groups to form. I rushed over to Shravya and started talking about a particularly emotional song I had in mind. At the time she blatantly agreed to everything that I said to pacify my racing mind. The next day when I unexpectedly arrived at her house with high hopes, the door was slammed on my face., leaving me confused and heartbroken. The events that occurred in the next phase, which I call the frenemies phase, really matched the musical theme of that year. 

From that day Shravya and I were on mutilated terms and she gave treatment worse than ignoring me, aka that silent treatment. Slowly the emotions inside me changed from heartbreak to disbelief and finally anger. I threw a huge tantrum back at home. My mind went into a frenzy.

 One minute I would be ripping my hair out and cursing with an astonishing speed, and then, immediately after I’d be a heap on the floor, sobbing my heart out. Days passed like this. As much as I have reluctance admitting this, but life went on, and so did our journey. Shravya was forever the socialite and had no difficulty in moving on and making new friends. I, on the other hand, would much rather keep to myself than be the expected extrovert. In a blink of the eye, Shravya had got herself an arsenal of new friends or what many Indians would recognize as chelas. My abysmal communication skills didn’t make forming friendships any easier. Her grades hiked, whereas mine dipped, she seemed buoyant and carefree, and my emotions took a toll for the worse. In general, her life had seemingly improved, and mine had taken the other path.

This feud of sorts lasted for more than a year, and in that period both of us had changed, developed, and ameliorated. A LOT. But, as the old saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. One day I ran into the person that I had learned to despise in the past year. Shravya. But there was something wrong with the person who was one of the reasons my life had hit the downward spirals.

 As I knocked on the door of an occupied bathroom stall to request the occupant to hurry up, I heard faint sobbing. Knocking harder and more persistently got her to open the door, revealing my former best friend in the most disheveled state imaginable. She was all hunched up, her neat uniform all crumpled up and her perfectly symmetrical make-up smudged. Humanity overtook the petty grudges inside me and I rushed to help her up. After getting her to calm down, she started her recital.

 “I’m..I’m..I’m” sorry was what shocked me. The stubbornness Shravya had displayed in all the years of being together, made me ponder on what this girl could want to apologize for?. I, however, was broken out of my train of thought when she started to sob again. “My life looks so good on the exterior, but inside it's just a confused pile of emotions and actions. I don’t know what to do..”

My mind went into a serious conflict mode, with one half of me wanting to keep my distance because of the way I’d been treated in this past year, and the other half, the more humane half of me, wanted to hear her out and comfort the damsel in distress. Both of my sides came to a compromise of sorts when I listened to what she had to say with a sour and displeasing expression.

“After our falling out, my mom and dad were very disappointed in me for treating you like that. I got a whole lot of speeches ‘never going back on your word’, ‘always stay true to what you and loved ones believe in’, and ‘what goes around, comes back’. At this I chuckled, shaking my head. “And yes, what I did to you did come back to bite me hard.” My eyebrows fought back all my brain's warnings and shot up into a surprised expression. “After we stopped talking, I went through many friendships, but everyone would break it off abruptly in some manner.” I wanted to apologize and make things right with you, but I figured you would be mad at me.” “Well, that and your astonishingly high standing ego”. Now it was her turn to chuckle. “Yeah, well that too.” 

That got me to smile the brightest I’d smiled since the day we got our not so happily ever after. “It's okay, I understand that, but I’ll never be ready to go back where we had been before you know what.” I pulled Shravya into a hug and whispered, “Like the old days, we’ve made up. AGAIN. But-“We’ll keep our distance.” She completed the sentence for me, knowing what I meant from the bottom of my heart. At that, I tightened the embrace I’d pulled her into.

What goes around, comes back, and the old days came back. The frenemies phase did both of us good.

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Gandhi’s Weapon-Non Violence

picture credits:google.com, pinterest.com

a/n: this is a short essay i wrote for a essay competition with the topic ‘Gandhiji’s weapon-non violence in mind. ENJOY!!

GANDHI’S WEAPON-NON VIOLENCE

"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

Mahatma Gandhi is an admired historical figure, respected and looked up to by millions. The father of the nation, lovingly called Bapu is a household name. I remember hearing about him for the first time when I was three and my parents were home telling me it was the birthday of someone who shaped this nation.When we learned about the freedom fighters in class 1, we were told that Bapu never picked up a single weapon, and still had the most impact on India’s struggle for independence. He said -

“My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Nonviolence is the means of realizing Him.”

Gandhiji’s exposure to racial discrimination in South Africa led him to the practice of non-violence or Ahimsa. Was it his innovation? YES. A startup? NO Ahimsa is part of the Indian ethos, the first Yama in the Yogasutras, an ageless concept, to be practiced and adopted in our thoughts, words and actions. Gandhiji brought to the fore the concepts of Ahimsa and satyagraha through several tactics, such as peaceful non-cooperation and boycotts. I am privileged to grow up in a civilized society. Violence is only in the news channels. But as I ponder over the meaning of Ahimsa, I realize that violence is rampant and thriving in thought and words. Violence doesn’t just have to be physical to hurt. We have seen it in the school like bullying, exclusion, harsh words, and ganging up against one another. In this world of social media, acts of violence include the use of harsh language, harassment, cyberbullying, and much more. As the world changes, technology evolves, new forms of violence emerge.In contemporary times, Ahimsa has never been more important. While we might not hurt a person physically, unkind words and messages, harmful thoughts are undoubtedly a form of violence, harmful with lasting impact. This is why, even after more than 70 years of Gandhi's demise, the world looks up to him for inspiration, as he embodied Ahimsa as a way of life and means, to achieve the impossible. In his own words

“ Non-violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being”

And we must never lose sight of this!