worldscollidinginone

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Another List of "Beautiful" Words

to include in your next poem

Avidulous - somewhat greedy.

Breviloquent - marked by brevity of speech.

Compotation - a drinking or tippling together.

Crimpy - of weather; unpleasant; raw and cold.

Desiderium - an ardent desire or longing; especially, a feeling of loss or grief for something lost.

Dyspathy - lack of sympathy.

Ebriosity - habitual intoxication.

Epitasis - the part of a play developing the main action and leading to the catastrophe.

Fantod - a state of irritability and tension.

Graumangere - a great meal.

Grimoire - a magician's manual for invoking demons and the spirits of the dead.

Hiemal - of or relating to winter.

Illaudable - deserving no praise.

Impluvious - wet with rain.

Innominate - having no name; unnamed; also, “anonymous”.

Juberous - doubtful and hesitating.

Noctilucous - shining at night.

Poetaster - an inferior poet.

Psychrophilic - thriving at a relatively low temperature.

Quiddity - the essential nature or ultimate form of something: what makes something to be the type of thing that it is.

Repullulate - to bud or sprout again.

Retrogradation - a backward movement.

Semiustulate - half burnt or consumed by fire.

Tenebrific - causing gloom or darkness.

Unparadiz’d - brought from joy to miserie.

If any of these words make it into your next poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

More: Lists of Beautiful Words ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

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you’re not “behind” on your story. you’re building something. and sometimes building requires standing in the ruins for a bit.

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sometimes writing isn’t about talent. sometimes it’s about sitting in your chair and suffering for 45 minutes until a single sentence crawls out of your skull

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💀 Making Your Villain Make Sense (Without Making Them Right™)

("because if I see one more war criminal with a sad diary entry get a redemption arc, I’m gonna throw my laptop.")

Here’s the thing: your villain doesn’t need to be redeemable. But they do need to make sense.

And I mean sense beyond "they’re evil and they monologue about it." Or “they have a tragic past, so now they do murder <3.” Or “they were right all along, the hero just couldn’t see it 🥺.”

Let’s fix that.

─────── ✦ ───────

🧠 STEP ONE: BUILD A LOGIC SYSTEM THAT ISN’T OURS Your villain shouldn’t just be wrong, they should have their own internal system that works for them. Morally flawed? Absolutely. But coherent.

Ask yourself:

What do they value more than anything? (Power? Order? Loyalty? Vengeance?)

What do they believe about the world, and how did they get there?

What fear drives them? What future do they think they’re trying to prevent?

The villain doesn’t need to know they’re wrong. But you should.

Make their logic airtight. even if it’s awful. Give them cause and effect.

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👿 STEP TWO: STOP GIVING THEM THE BETTER IDEOLOGY Listen. I love a “morally gray” moment as much as anyone. But if your villain is making all the good points and the hero’s just like “no because that’s mean,” your arc is upside down.

If your villain is critiquing injustice, oppression, or inequality, make sure their methods are the problem, not their entire worldview.

✖︎ WRONG: Villain: “The ruling class is corrupt.” Hero: “That’s not nice.”

✔︎ RIGHT: Villain: “The ruling class is corrupt, so I’m burning the city and everyone in it.” Hero: “So you’re just… committing genocide now?”

Your villain can touch a real issue. Just don’t let them be the only one talking about it, or solving it with horror movie logic.

─────── ✦ ───────

🔪 STEP THREE: GIVE THEM POWER THAT COSTS THEM The best villains lose things too. They’re not just untouchable horror dolls in sexy coats. They make bad choices and pay for them. That’s where the drama lives.

Examples:

They isolate themselves.

They sacrifice people they love.

They get what they want, and it destroys them.

They know they’re the monster, and choose it anyway.

If your villain can kill a dozen people and feel nothing, that’s not scary. That’s boring. Let them bleed. Let them regret it. Let them double down anyway.

─────── ✦ ───────

🧱 STEP FOUR: MAKE THEM PART OF THE WORLD, NOT OUTSIDE IT Villains shouldn’t feel like they were patched in from another genre. They should be part of the world’s logic, culture, class system, history. They should reflect something about the setting.

Villains that slap:

The advisor who upheld the regime until they decided they deserved to rule.

The noble who’s using war to reclaim stolen legacy.

The ex-hero who thinks the system can’t be saved, only reset.

The priest who truly believes the gods demand blood.

They’re not just evil, they’re a product of the same world the hero is trying to save.

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👁 STEP FIVE: SHOW US THEIR SELF-JUSTIFICATION You don’t need a tragic backstory™. But you do need to show us why they think they’re right. Not just with exposition, through action.

Let us watch them:

Protect someone.

Choose their goal over safety.

Justify the unjustifiable to a character who loves them.

Refuse to change, even when given a chance.

A villain who looks into the mirror and goes “Yes. I’m correct.” is 1000x scarier than one who sobs into a journal and says “I’m so broken 🥺.”

─────── ✦ ───────

🧨 BONUS ROUND: DON’T MAKE THEM A HATRED MEGAPHONE Especially if you’re writing marginalized characters: don’t let your villain become a mouthpiece for slurs, abuse, or extremism just to make them “evil enough.” That’s lazy. And harmful.

You don’t need real-world hate speech to build a dark character. You need power, consequence, and intent.

─────── ✦ ───────

TL;DR: Good villains don’t need to be right. They need to be real. Not a vibe. Not a sad boy in a trench coat. Not a trauma monologue and then a sword fight. They need logic. They need cost. They need to scare you because you get them, and still want them to lose.

Make them dangerous. Not relatable. Make them whole. Not wholesome. Make them make sense.

—rin t. // thewriteadviceforwriters // villain critic. final boss consultant. licensed chaos goblin

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

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Inspiration -- Swades, We The People Plot

Banner

Mohan Bhargava is a non-resident Indian who works as a Project Manager on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program at NASA in the United States. Mohan came to the U. S. for college studies and kept on living there after his parents in India died in a car accident. He keeps worrying about Kaveri Amma, a babysitter at his home in Uttar Pradesh who looked after him during his childhood days. After his parents' death, Kaveri Amma went to live at an old age home in Delhi and eventually lost contact with Mohan. Mohan wishes to go to India and bring Kaveri Amma back with him to the U. S. Due to the recent success of Phase I of his project, he takes a few weeks off and travels to India. He goes to the old age home but learns that Kaveri Amma no longer lives there and went to a village named Charanpur a year ago. Mohan then decides to travel to Charanpur, in Uttar Pradesh.

Mohan decides to rent a recreational vehicle to reach the village fearing that he might not get the required facilities there. Upon reaching Charanpur, he meets Kaveri Amma and learns how his childhood friend Geeta (whom he called "Gitli" in his childhood) brought Kaveri Amma to stay with her after Mohan's parents died. Geeta runs a school in Charanpur and works hard to improve the living conditions of the villagers through education. However, the village is divided largely by caste and religious beliefs. Geeta does not like Mohan's arrival as she thinks that he will take Kaveri Amma back with him to the U. S., leaving her and her younger brother Nandan "Chiku" alone. Kaveri Amma tells Mohan that she needs to get Geeta married first and that it is her responsibility. Geeta believes in women empowerment and gender equality. This attracts Mohan towards Geeta, and he too tries to help her by campaigning for education among backward communities and girls. Mohan befriends villagers Nivaaran and Melaram, and they support him in his campaign. Mohan also wins the attention of Dadaji, a kind village chief.

Slowly love blossoms between Mohan and Geeta. Kaveri Amma asks Mohan to visit a nearby village named Kodi and collect money from a man named Haridas who owes it to Geeta. Mohan visits Kodi and feels pity seeing Haridas' poor condition, which is such that he is unable to provide his family with meals every day. Haridas tells Mohan that since his caste profession of a weaver was not earning him any money, he shifted to tenant farming. But this change in profession led to his ostracization from the village and the villagers even denied him water for his crops. Mohan understands the pathetic situation and realises that many villages in India are still like Kodi. He returns to Charanpur with a heavy heart and decides to do something for the welfare of the village.

Mohan extends his leave by three more weeks. He learns that electricity inconsistency and frequent power cuts are a big problem in Charanpur. He decides to set up a small hydroelectric power generation facility from a nearby water source. Mohan purchases all the equipment needed from his own funds and oversees the building of the power generation unit. The unit works and the village gets sufficient, consistent power from it.

Dadaji's health deteriorates, and he passes away. Mohan is repeatedly called by NASA officials as the GPM project he was working on is reaching important stages and he must return to the U. S. soon. Kaveri Amma tells him that she prefers to stay in Charanpur as it will be difficult for her to adapt to a new country at her age. Geeta also tells him that she will not settle down in another country and she will prefer it if Mohan stays in India with her and Kaveri Amma. Mohan returns to the U. S. with a heavy heart to complete the project. However, in the U. S., he has flashbacks of his time in India and wishes to return. After the successful completion of his project, he leaves U. S. and returns to India with intentions of working at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, from where he can also work with NASA. The film ends by showing Mohan staying in the village and wrestling with his friend Nivaaran near a temple.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swades

Go to the next chapter

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Hi there 🌿

We recently shared our story about escaping Gaza and trying to reunite as a family 🕊️

It's been an overwhelming journey, and we're doing everything we can but we could really use help getting our story seen 💔

If you feel like reblogging or sharing our story, it would mean the world to us 🌍

Thank you so much for your time 🙏

And sorry if this message feels out of place.

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Hi! I really love your blog; it's super helpful. 😄

I was wondering if you have any writing notes on how to write British schools (college (as in high school) specifically)?

Thank you!

Writing Notes: British Schools

INTRODUCTION. The British Education System.

Across the UK there are 5 stages of education:

early years

primary education,

secondary education,

further education (FE) and

higher education.

The education system in the UK is also split into "key stages":

Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old

Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old

Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old

Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old

Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16.

The 2 main stages are primary and secondary education, with a third, tertiary/further education, for those who go on to study beyond the compulsory age of 16.

FE is not compulsory and covers non-advanced education which can be taken at further (including tertiary) education colleges and HE institutions (HEIs).

The fifth stage, HE, is study beyond GCE A levels and their equivalent which, for most full-time students, takes place in universities and other HEIs and colleges.

THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM. The ‘basic’ school curriculum includes the ‘national curriculum���, as well as relationships, sex and health education, and religious education.

The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

Other types of school like academies and private schools do not have to follow the national curriculum.

Academies must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths and science. They must also teach relationships and sex education, and religious education.

Key Stages

The national curriculum is organised into blocks of years called ‘key stages’ (KS).

At the end of each key stage, the teacher will formally assess your child’s performance.

In Pearson's guide about the “British” system, they are referring to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own curriculum, qualifications and other differences including the age at which students take the key exams.

British Primary Education: ages 4–11

In the early years of primary school the emphasis is on learning through play, and learning to read and write using a phonics system.

As children move from “infant” to “junior” school at about age 7, they continue to learn core subjects like English, maths, and science, alongside other foundation subjects such as art, music, geography, history, languages and religion as they move through the “Key Stage” system.

Each Key Stage has national testing and schools are ranked according to their performance on these tests.

Children usually have one main classroom teacher in an academic year, who uses a range of teaching methods, from whole class teaching to group activities and individual work.

Children are sometimes grouped according to previous academic performance, and specialist teachers visit the class for subjects like music and art.

British Secondary Education: ages 11–19

In secondary school, the structure of the school day shifts.

Children go from spending most of their day in one classroom, to moving around the school building to different departments. Subjects are now separately timetabled throughout the day, with individual teachers who specialise in their subject area delivering classes to students.

At age 16/17, students who wish to stay on in education attend sixth form (lower and upper sixth) which might be at the same (or a different) secondary school.

Another alternative is to attend a college that offers a broader range of both academic and vocational courses for post-secondary education.

Transferable skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, leadership and collaboration are integrated through the British curriculum, from primary onwards.

The British Education Exam System

At about 14, children can choose to drop or pursue some subjects to GCSE level (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

The minimum number of GCSE subjects is 5, while the majority of students take 9–10 UK or International GCSEs.

The core subjects of maths, English and the sciences are mandatory, however students have the freedom to select the other subjects they wish to study further in the fields of humanities, business, arts and design as well as languages.

Often, students are encouraged to follow their interests, keeping in mind what they may like to study at university.

Students spend the next 2 years preparing for their exams at which point compulsory schooling ends.

GCSE grades go from 9 to 1, from highest to lowest, with 4 being a standard pass and 5 a strong pass.

The academic pathway after GCSE is via the UK or International A Level (Advanced Level) system or the IB (International Baccalaureate).

At A Level, students can choose to specialise in three or four different subjects from a wide range of choices.

Most people will find that their choice of subjects are usually grouped under either Arts or Sciences, though it is perfectly possible to choose a mix of Arts or Sciences subjects.

The British University System

A Levels represent a chance to align interests with a student’s hopes for university and to study subjects that weren’t available at their school as GCSEs.

The subjects on offer lend themselves to a smooth transition to a BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) degree.

A Levels are rigorously academic and train students to write essays and sit exams, with some coursework.

There are 6 possible grades going from A* to E, with C considered a pass.

Oxford and Cambridge, which are the #1 and #3 best universities in the world, require A*s and As but each university in the UK and Scotland sets its own entry requirements.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hi, I'm glad to hear this, thanks so much :) You can find more information in the sources. Hope this helps with your writing!

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Reunion After a Long Time Apart Prompts

✦ “you haven’t changed… but god, i missed you like hell.”

✦ “don’t say anything yet. just... let me hold you first.”

✦ “i memorized your laugh. i replayed it every night.”

✦ “did you feel that too? that pull, even after all this time?”

✦ “it’s really you. you’re really here. i don’t have to wake up, right?”

✦ “how did i survive this long without this—without you?”

✦ “i kept the hoodie. it still smells like you.”

✦ “we lost time. let’s not lose each other again.”

✦ “nothing’s ever felt more right than your arms around me again.”

✦ “the waiting hurt. but you? you’re worth all of it.”

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Writing Grief Without Romanticizing It

Grief is raw, messy, and deeply personal. It doesn’t follow a neat arc or fit into tidy narrative beats. While stories often use grief as a dramatic device, romanticizing it can cheapen the emotional reality. Writing grief authentically means embracing its discomfort and unpredictability, not sanitizing or idealizing it. 

What Romanticizing Grief Looks Like

Characters who seem emotionally wrecked but always manage to look graceful in their suffering.

Overly articulate monologues that sound more like a eulogy than a real moment of loss.

Depictions of grief as a singular, cathartic event instead of a long, jagged process.

Romanticized Grief:

“Every day without you is like a piece of me fading away into a tragic, beautiful void. I’ll carry this pain forever, for it’s all I have left of you.”

This might be poetic, but it lacks the authenticity of how most people actually process grief.

Realistic Grief:

“I forgot your birthday. I didn’t mean to, but when I remembered, it was already too late. And then I hated myself because forgetting felt like erasing you.”

Writing Grief Authentically

1. Show the Physical Toll

Grief isn’t just emotional—it’s physical. Insomnia, headaches, exhaustion, or even the inability to move can be part of the experience.

“She woke up in the middle of the night again, choking on the air. Her chest felt like a cinderblock had been wedged inside, heavy and unmoving. It was three days since the funeral, and she still hadn’t slept longer than an hour.”

2. Let Grief Be Messy

Grief isn’t a perfectly linear journey. There’s no logical progression from denial to acceptance—there are setbacks, breakdowns, and even moments of denial long after healing has started.

“He yelled at his mother for throwing out the cereal box. ‘It was his favorite,’ he said. She didn’t remind him that it had been expired for months. She just handed him the trash bag and walked away.”

3. Avoid Glossy Sentimentality

Sometimes grief isn’t poetic; it’s ugly, blunt, and devoid of grandeur. Characters might lash out, shut down, or isolate themselves.

Romanticized: “I’ll cry every day, but I’ll keep going because you’d want me to.”

Realistic: “They said time would heal it. But it didn’t. Time just put more space between me and the life I knew before.”

4. Let Grief Manifest in Small, Unexpected Ways

Grief isn’t always about sobbing—it can show up in mundane moments: hesitating to delete a voicemail, holding onto an old sweater, or instinctively setting the table for someone who’s gone.

“She turned to tell him the joke, the one about the broken lamp, and stopped halfway through. The silence hit harder than the punchline ever would.”

5. Highlight the Absurdity of It

Grief can be absurd and disorienting. Characters might laugh inappropriately, obsess over trivial details, or feel disconnected from reality.

“At the funeral, all she could focus on was how crooked the flowers were arranged. She kept wanting to fix them. If she didn’t, she thought, none of this would feel real.”

6. Explore How Grief Changes Relationships

Grief doesn’t happen in isolation—it affects relationships, often in unexpected ways. Some people pull closer, others drift apart.

“Her friends stopped asking how she was doing after the first few weeks. She didn’t blame them; she didn’t have an answer. ‘Fine’ wasn’t a lie—it was just easier than saying, ‘I still can’t breathe when I see his empty chair.’”

7. Show the Longevity of Grief

Grief doesn’t end when the funeral does. Let it linger in your story, showing how it ebbs and flows over time.

“It had been five years, but she still called his number when something exciting happened. She didn’t know why. Maybe it was just habit. Or maybe it was hope.”

8. Allow for Moments of Respite

Grief isn’t constant agony. People still laugh, find joy, and go about their lives—sometimes feeling guilty for it.

“She smiled for the first time in weeks, and then immediately hated herself for it. It felt like betrayal, like forgetting.”

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A Free E-book on Writing Characters That Feel Real

A year ago, I sat down to write this book. At first, it was just an idea, a fleeting thought that whispered, Hey, maybe you should do this. But if I’m being honest? The only reason it actually exists today is you.

You, who kept showing up. You, who kept asking questions, sharing your struggles, and pushing me to keep going when I wanted to throw my laptop out the window. You made me believe this book was worth writing. So here it is. And it’s completely free on Amazon, because I want you to have it.

Now, This isn’t your typical “Here’s how to write a character” manual that tells you to slap on a few traits and call it a day. No, we’re diving deep into the messy, complicated, and downright chaotic process of creating characters who feel real, the kind who make readers laugh, cry, and scream into the void when they suffer.

What you’ll find inside:

🔥 Backstory – Ever met someone whose past didn’t shape them? Me neither. What happened to your character before page one? What traumas, triumphs, or late-night existential crises made them who they are?

"So you mean I have to give my character trauma?" Yes. Or at least something that matters. Nobody wants to read about someone who just woke up one day and decided to be interesting.

🔥 Motivation & Goals – What do they want? More importantly, why? What’s driving them forward or holding them back?

"So, can I just say my character wants to save the world?" No. You need to know what’s underneath that. Do they want to save the world because they failed to save someone before? Because they crave approval? Because they feel powerless and this is their way of taking control? Go deeper.

🔥 Relationships – Nobody exists in a vacuum. Who do they love? Who do they hate? Who’s their worst enemy, and who’s the person they’d take a bullet for?

"But what if my character is a loner?" Cool, but even loners have people they avoid, people they secretly miss, and people who haunt them. Nobody is truly alone.

🔥 Character Arc – People change. Or they don’t and that says something too. How does your character evolve (or refuse to) over the course of your story?

"Can my character stay the same?" Sure, if you want to show the cost of not changing. But readers love growth, whether it’s for better or worse.

🔥 Personality, Voice & Expression – Strengths, flaws, quirks, habits, the little things that make them Human.

"Can I just give them a scar and call it depth?" No. A scar is cool, but why does it matter to them? Do they trace it when they’re nervous? Does it make them self-conscious? Does it remind them of a promise, a failure, a night they wish they could forget? The details mean nothing unless they mean everything.

This isn’t some dry, theoretical textbook. This is a no-BS, straight-to-the-heart guide to crafting characters that breathe, bleed, and break hearts—characters that matter.

📖 Get your free copy on Kindle now! (Here On Amazon!)

And seriously—thank you. This book wouldn’t exist without you. 💖✨

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Emotional Walls Your Character Has Built (And What Might Finally Break Them)

(How your character defends their soft core and what could shatter it) Because protection becomes prison real fast.

✶ Sarcasm as armor. (Break it with someone who laughs gently, not mockingly.) ✶ Hyper-independence. (Break it with someone who shows up even when they’re told not to.) ✶ Stoicism. (Break it with a safe space to fall apart.) ✶ Flirting to avoid intimacy. (Break it with real vulnerability they didn’t see coming.) ✶ Ghosting everyone. (Break it with someone who won’t take silence as an answer.) ✶ Lying for convenience. (Break it with someone who sees through them but stays anyway.) ✶ Avoiding touch. (Break it with accidental, gentle contact that feels like home.) ✶ Oversharing meaningless things to hide real depth. (Break it with someone who asks the second question.) ✶ Overworking. (Break it with forced stillness and the terrifying sound of their own thoughts.) ✶ Pretending not to care. (Break it with a loss they can’t fake their way through.) ✶ Avoiding mirrors. (Break it with a quiet compliment that hits too hard.) ✶ Turning every conversation into a joke. (Break it with someone who doesn’t laugh.) ✶ Being everyone’s helper. (Break it when someone asks what they need, and waits for an answer.) ✶ Constantly saying “I’m fine.” (Break it when they finally scream that they’re not.) ✶ Running. Always running. (Break it with someone who doesn’t chase, but doesn’t leave, either.) ✶ Intellectualizing every feeling. (Break it with raw, messy emotion they can’t logic away.) ✶ Trying to be the strong one. (Break it when someone sees the weight they’re carrying, and offers to help.) ✶ Hiding behind success. (Break it when they succeed and still feel empty.) ✶ Avoiding conflict at all costs. (Break it when silence causes more pain than the truth.) ✶ Focusing on everyone else’s healing but their own. (Break it when they hit emotional burnout.)

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Dear Zindagi (2016)

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Jab Tak Hai Jaan: Drabble

Akira had said the truth. 

There would never be a better lover like him in her generation, and now that she had met him, she could never fall in love with anyone else. 

On that night, she wasn’t the only one who had in love with you Samar, or should I say Shah Rukh. 

How could I not fall in love with you, when you laid a challenge against God, telling Him that you would kill yourself (or be close to deadly danger) everyday, so that Meera’s prayers would not be answered, so that she would understand that by staying together, that would make you live. 

Oh, but you didn’t realize that her prayers were working. Her praying made sure that you return to her, with no harm to you. 

So, what if you had to stay apart for a bit, you were always going to come back together. Even God falls on his knees in front of love, and time just follows. 

Alas, you were so angry at the fact that she left because in her mind, you would be better off without her that you challenged God. 

The same God that knew you both will be together, but Fate had to show Her cards. 

And anyway, what’s a love story if there is no separation, for it makes the bond that much stronger. Life and Fate will always be like the waves, coming and going, challenging people so they become the best versions of themselves. Not always everyone succeeds, but you both did. You were in love, together, and going to start the most rewarding relationship of your life.

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The MEGA MASTER LIST

A collection of everything I have ever post in here. Will be updated in due time, as I finish writing.

For books, fanfiction and everything Bollywood - inspired (mainly Shah Rukh Khan and his filmography), click

➡️ Book master list

📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

For poems and delving into deeper emotions with only a few words or a rhyme, click

➡️Poems master list

For short stories that start and end in a page or two and few characters, click

➡️ Short story master list

For Drabble and One-Shot, click Drabbles and One Shot master list

The gorgeous divider has been made by the lovely @strangergraphics, please follow her, I give her my thanks for letting me use her art.

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Thank you @theindianghost and everyone who got me to 10 reblogs!

Inspiration -- Kal Ho Naa Ho Plot

Book masterlist

Naina Catherine Kapur is a pessimistic, uptight MBA student who lives in New York City with her widowed mother Jennifer, disabled brother Shiv, adopted sister Jia and paternal grandmother Lajjo. Jennifer runs an unsuccessful café with her neighbour, Jaswinder "Jazz" Kapoor. Lajjo is hostile to Jennifer and Jia as she believes that Jia's adoption led her son (Jennifer's husband and Naina's father) to commit suicide. 

Naina has two best friends: her classmate, Rohit Patel, and Jaspreet "Sweetu" Kapoor, Jazz's sister. Her life is dull and overshadowed by the loss of her father until Aman Mathur and his mother move in next door with his uncle, Pritam Chaddha. Aman's cheerfulness gradually wins over Naina's family, and he slowly starts to solve their problems. He suggests that they change the café to an Indian restaurant and its success alleviates their financial burdens. Aman encourages Naina to be happy and to live life to the fullest; she ends up falling in love with him. 

Rohit also falls in love with Naina and asks Aman's help in expressing his feelings. Naina tells Rohit there is something she must say to him, leading him to think that she reciprocates his feelings. Naina reveals she is in love with Aman instead. Shaken, Rohit calls Aman to tell him what has happened. Naina goes to Aman's house and is shocked to see a wedding photograph of Aman and his wife, Priya. Heartbroken, she leaves. 

Aman's mother confronts him about what has happened. He says he loves Naina but has decided to hide it because he is dying from a heart condition. He is not actually married. Priya is his childhood friend and doctor. Aman vows to bring Naina and Rohit together before he dies. He believes that Rohit will be able to provide for her better than he can. He hatches a plan to transform Naina and Rohit's bond, and gradually their friendship blossoms into love. Naina discovers his plan and chides Aman for trying to ruin her friendship with Rohit. Aman takes out Rohit's diary and confesses his feelings for Naina, saying they are Rohit's. Naina forgives Aman and Rohit. 

Rohit proposes to Naina, and she accepts. Lajjo and Jennifer have a serious fight regarding Jia, who calls on Aman for help. Aman had previously discovered the truth about Jia's parents and despite Jennifer's objections, he reveals to Lajjo that her son had an extramarital affair and fathered Jia. When Jia's biological mother refused to accept her, Jennifer adopted her. Unable to deal with the guilt, Jennifer's husband committed suicide. An emotional Lajjo realises her mistakes and reconciles with Jennifer and Jia. Naina gains closure after learning the truth about her father's death. 

During Naina and Rohit's engagement, Aman has a heart attack. Only his mother knows he has been admitted to the hospital. Naina encounters Priya at a jewellery store, whom she recognises as Aman's wife. She introduces herself and her husband, Abhay, who reveals the truth about Aman. Shocked, Naina realises that Aman has sacrificed his love for her and leaves the mall in an emotional frenzy. Priya calls up Aman and informs him about what happened. Aman leaves the hospital and meets a frustrated Rohit, who asks why he and not Aman should marry Naina. Aman urges Rohit to marry Naina as a sign of respect for his dying wish to see Naina happy. Aman meets Naina, and they embrace while he tries to persuade her that he does not love her. Rohit and Naina's wedding, which Aman attends, takes place soon afterwards. 

Sometime after the wedding, Aman is on his deathbed and says goodbye to everyone. He is left alone with Rohit after Naina leaves the room in tears. Aman makes him promise that, although Naina is with Rohit in this lifetime, he will get her in the next. 

Twenty years later, a middle-aged Naina tells a grown-up Jia how Aman affected every aspect of their lives. They are joined by her daughter Riya and Rohit, who tells Naina that he loves her as they embrace.

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[worldscollidinginone]

I don't think we talk enough about Kaira's Mumbai apartment from Dear Zindagi (2016).

[worldscollidinginone]

Chapter 10 - A Bump For One, A Sinking For Another

Book master list

Everything was moving and yet still. Piya was still in disbelief that she saw him last night, albeit only for a few seconds but… he was there, and her mind would not let it go. 

However, she had to move on, to be able to complete the script, so she would leave Goa, again. She would be able to come back to her life. Her exciting life, her lonely life. Staying in Goa would only cause more harm than good, even though her life started from here.  

She had to run from this place, as soon as possible, so she ducked and waited until he left. She heard a bicycle’s chime and assumed that he left so that when she got up, she didn’t realise she would be in front of two random boys. 

“Yes?” She said as casually as possible. 

“Why are you hiding in your home?” 

What could she possibly say to make the kids understand and then make them leave, then an idea came to her mind. 

“There are some ghosts that live here. A friend of mine let me stay here, because she doesn’t like anything paranormal, and I love scary stuff.” 

“What is paranormal?” 

“Things that we cannot understand with our human logic. Something beyond us, like magic, or ghosts, demons. You know… the usual.” 

“Like Dracula?” 

“Even worse.” 

“Imagine your worst nightmare, times a thousand. Demons like that.” 

As soon as she said demons from their own worst nightmares, they both started running away from her, while crying. 

She couldn’t believe that it worked, so as a response she started chuckling, and then a full-on laugh erupted as she kept remembering about the kids. 

Once the kids left and her laughter died down to a chuckle, the silence greeted her again. The moon was shining, like a silver pearl in the black starry night. 

The place she was staying at was pretty. It was a cute house, facing the sea. 

Her assistant knew her well. Sometimes too well. The house was placed next another one which houses another writer, and on the other side of the street there was another house, which looks so beautiful. 

The sea brought her calm, but also some deep seeded memories which flowing within her, like the waves. 

After the eventful evening, she decided to start taking some stuff from her suitcase for starting her nighttime routine, which consisted of her skincare products, dental products, her trusted speaker, and her latest read, which either meant a new books or a reread. Finally, her pyjamas. Once she got everything she started shutting from the outside world and enter her own. The rehearsed motions before going to bed went smoothly but her heart longed for a place to call home. 

Her childhood was…messy. So, she found her solace in books and everything that entailed with them. 

This time was going to be a reread. “White Nights” by Fjodor Dostoyevsky. Love and life described in its stages. It’s heartbreak every time she would read, but this pain would welcome it. It was better than to think about anything else or giving herself hope that… he… No. Reading it is and after reading the first chapter, she fell asleep holding the book close to her heart. 

The morning after reading had been emotionally exhausting, so today she would take it easy and the first thing is sorting her stuff for her makeshift office, which consisted of a decent office table, her trusty laptop, her notebook and her vital cup of tea. She definitely did not forget to get her earbuds, her headphones while she was packing, but she made it check from her secretary twice, and she still took about 20 minutes to find her earbuds and headphones. And an office lamp, you know, so she could actually work. 

Her mind actually worked better at night, where the world would be quiet, and ideas would start flowing. 

During the day, however she would plan what the story would be. 

Themes, colours, characters, music and so forth, and while she was doing that, she got a call from her secretary. 

“Yes, my dear assistant, how can I help you?” 

“Ma’am, I have booked you an appointment with someone.” 

“Okay, can you send me all the details regarding this?” 

“Already did, ma’am.” 

“Great, thank you dear. I’ll let you know if you need to confirm it.” 

She pulled out her laptop and started looking for the email, that she got call from one of her acquaintances. So, the email remained unopened. 

Once everything was finally ready, she took everything to her desk, and before setting herself down, she made sure to put everything in the proper place, where it belonged. 

The email was in the back of her mind, so she decided to tackle that first. And when she found it, she was enraged. 

Her face was flushed with anger. Eyes were blazing and her breathing was getting ragged, her nostrils were flaring, and her mind could only see anger, rage and denial. 

The first thing she did was call her assistant. 

“How dare you schedule a therapy appointment for me without my permission?” she shouts, her voice trembling with fury. “I don’t need therapy! I am perfectly fine!” 

The assistant tries to explain, but she cuts her off, the frustration boiling over. “This is a complete invasion of privacy and a huge overstep of your responsibilities. I rely on you to manage my schedule and my company, not to make decisions about my personal life!” 

Her anger is intense, but beneath it, there is a layer of denial. Piya’s left hand is shaking slightly. Despite the clear signs that everyone in her life mentioned it to her, the only response, she could come up was this. Her mental health was deteriorating, but she refused to accept or even acknowledge. So, to deal with the onslaught of emotions, she’d rather focus on her frustration with her assistant, rather than accept the reality of her situation. 

On the other side of the phone, the assistant takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm on the phone call. She hopes that her soft but firm voice guides her through her frustration. 

“Piya, I understand that you are upset, and I apologize if I have overstepped,” she begins, keeping her head straight, even though Piya wouldn’t be able to see her.” But I have noticed in the last few years how much stress you’ve been under lately. You’ve been working long hours, and it’s clear that you are exhausted. I scheduled the appointment in hopes that you can see how much I care about you.” 

She pauses, giving her a moment to process her words. “I have known you for a long time and I can’t see you suffering like this. I am also not questioning your ability to handle things. I just want to make sure that you have the support you need. It’s about making sure you have someone that can help you. Everyone needs help sometimes, and there is no shame in that. You, of all people should know that.” 

The assistant’s voice stays steady and compassionate. 

“Please, just consider going to this one appointment. If you don’t find it helpful, we can cancel any future sessions. But I really believe it could make a difference for you.” 

Her words are filled with concern and genuine worry about Piya’s mental wellbeing, hoping to break her denial and to help her understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. 

After a while, Piya answered softly. 

“Okay.” 

Her assistant questioned. “Okay?” 

“Okay.” 

And just like that, the call was cut. 

And after all that, she was finally ready to start, except now her mind was wondering about Kaira and in that moment, she saw Kaira for a second, and then she was gone. 

The therapy felt like a bump in her mind. A big, ugly bump in her road. What could she do? 

Her mind was not able to process the fact that Raghuvendra had gotten engaged. He left for America to get the project going, but instead… The sadness, heartbreak, betrayal and anger were creating a powerful and destructive cocktail in her mind and how she was responding was causing rifts in all of her relationships. 

At night, when the world tends to rest from the day, Kaira’s mind was going in overdrive.  

“I can’t believe he’s engaged… How could he do this to me? We had something special, didn’t we? Or was it all just in my head?” 

“I trusted him. I thought we had a connection. How could he betray me like this? Was I not good enough?” 

“Why didn’t he tell me? Did he think I wouldn’t find out? For God’s sake, we work together! Or did he just not care about my feelings at all?” 

“I can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see them together, happy. It’s tearing me apart.” 

These thoughts would prevail in the night, making her numb from everything. Tears would be flowing from her eyes, but her mind… 

After the restless night, she would be waking up, going through the motions, and the mind would replay thoughts, like a broken record. 

“I can’t focus on anything. My mind keeps drifting back to him. To them. It’s like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.” 

“My friends are worried about me. I can see it in their eyes. But how can I explain this pain to them? They wouldn’t understand.” 

“I feel so alone. I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems, but I don’t know how to handle this on my own.” 

“Every time my phone buzzes, I hope it’s him. But then I remember… he’s with her now. And it’s all over again.” 

I need to able to live without him. But why is it so hard? 

I feel like I am sinking.