tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14541410028505443202024-03-14T00:16:37.681+05:30Balmy Evening Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-24793927629762123772023-04-05T21:07:00.000+05:302023-04-05T21:07:27.960+05:30Blood, Sweat and Tears<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1d012dd9-7fff-02d0-c578-72dc8de96445"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you enjoy the meal</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of skulls cracked open</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Like eggshells</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Splitting, spilling, scrambling</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Coming undone</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For you to scoop</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">With your shiny silver spoon</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Maybe futile rage and anger</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Gives a smokey flavour</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A hint of sage</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">To the blood that boiled</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Rough hands that toiled</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">To climb a ladder</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That runs like a waterfall</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Did you hear the crack of the necks</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">You plant your feet on </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Before stepping out on your fancy decks</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Or while signing big cheques</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Go on use the spines</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Of thousands of wasted lives</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For a bowl of bone broth and limes </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The sweat that trickles</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Down the forehead </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Baking under the sun </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">On a hot afternoon</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Leaves a salty trail</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The only kind of trickle-down</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Seasoning for your taste</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Tears cried of suffocation</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">From frustration</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Of losing a game</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Designed by the winners</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Paying in life for sinners</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Lives that amount </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Only to a couple of fancy dinners</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-74879877302446426872023-03-03T19:08:00.019+05:302023-03-03T19:13:43.259+05:30Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUY-5ScIGqnmW3lT686Xi-Tukeh1dlEp0y7QXYHwLj42i-UlEKfzegM0I4l_teJGlRxbeBvZmo_c3q4PAxz2nR6bDR5hwYfqr7LBEwywpm2robPffIy6pvMShbcYpMf_IGKLjwINPp9pIYEbodqXHugscnLLynE4Cgk5dGjhYancQmZNDbESZ93GpQ/s900/Untitled%20design%20(14).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUY-5ScIGqnmW3lT686Xi-Tukeh1dlEp0y7QXYHwLj42i-UlEKfzegM0I4l_teJGlRxbeBvZmo_c3q4PAxz2nR6bDR5hwYfqr7LBEwywpm2robPffIy6pvMShbcYpMf_IGKLjwINPp9pIYEbodqXHugscnLLynE4Cgk5dGjhYancQmZNDbESZ93GpQ/w640-h213/Untitled%20design%20(14).png" width="640" /></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgqdD6q1XjDUZ7ABspYsuepf9AuPnSHqDWO4R5voU2H8btRcnfU0UMV9908RJ5pFAeD-BPJED4LfNIhS8Sf8dXJbT0LpEz3zxVQomOQlYQAshEbCAzeeesRGoVJi3sEIVBQ9ZaXlIAqQnoDPI6gjGd3MR64nhz3eHlOTH77mg9gjslMZtrkt_Z73nUQ/s2115/41057294.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2115" data-original-width="1400" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgqdD6q1XjDUZ7ABspYsuepf9AuPnSHqDWO4R5voU2H8btRcnfU0UMV9908RJ5pFAeD-BPJED4LfNIhS8Sf8dXJbT0LpEz3zxVQomOQlYQAshEbCAzeeesRGoVJi3sEIVBQ9ZaXlIAqQnoDPI6gjGd3MR64nhz3eHlOTH77mg9gjslMZtrkt_Z73nUQ/w116-h175/41057294.jpeg" width="116" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Normal People by Sally Rooney<br /></b></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />I enjoyed reading this book. I like books that are simple, set in normal settings showing the normal lives of normal people. However, the middle of the book drags a bit and other characters apart from to two lead characters are barely developed at all. I loved the beginning, the middle's first half was great, the middle's latter half was meh, and the ending was fine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Marianne and Connell are schoolmates who start a relationship that neither of them acknowledges in school. Connell is popular at school, while Marianne is considered odd and proud. This is juxtaposed to when they reach college and Marianne fits well in the social circles while Connell becomes a wallflower. Connell's mother works as a housekeeper at Marianne's. They both go through life from school to college and keep finding their way back to each other. I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book despite some of my problems with it. For characters whose relationship is premised on conversations and communication, they miscommunicate often. I usually hate that, but this book does it well. I like how we are able to see the two different perspectives of the same situation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Again, I like books that don't go anywhere in particular, if that is not to your taste, you might not like this book. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Stuff I loved</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Although the writing style, with the absence of quotation marks, is jarring at first, you get used to it quickly and it is actually fun. It gives the book a messy and casual feel. I like how class is subtly dealt with in the book. I love how politically active the two characters are and that most of their relationship is rooted in both of their discussions on society, politics, and rights. I think my favourite character is Lorraine, Connell's mother. While there is very little of her in the book, I think she straight-up steals the show. I like how opposite Connell and Marianne's lives are while also being familiar. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Stuff I didn't like as much + content warnings</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Most characters felt one-dimensional apart from Marianne and Connell. Even they do not have a lot of character growth by the end. BDSM and consent are not well represented. Issues like depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, su*cide are not given the attention and space in the book that they should have gotten. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Connell is a jackass at the beginning of the book.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">SPOILERS</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Parts I loved</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>- Class narratives (Scholarship Exam)</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like the subtle discussions of class. Like when they discuss the scholarship exam in their college. When Connell wins the scholarship his reaction is:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>'Everything is possible now because of the scholarship. His rent is paid, his tuition is covered, he has a free meal every day in college' </i></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When he calls his mother after winning:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>'He remembers calling Lorraine after the announcements and she was just quiet on the phone, shocked, and then she murmured: Oh my God, Jesus Christ!'</i></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">On the other hand, earlier in the book when Marianne is discussing the same scholarship exam:<br /><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>'For Marrianne, who doesn't pay her own rent or tuition and has no real concept of how much these things cost, it's just a matter of reputation. She would like her superior intellect to be affirmed in public by the transfer of large amounts of money.'</i> </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">These happen some 20 pages apart from each other. I love how different their interpretation of the scholarship is and how it is used as a tool to highlight the class difference and what that means for access and privilege. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The scholarship is also used as a tool of criticism for the inaccessibility of education and elite institutions when Connell points out that the people waiting on him during the free meals were his fellow students who are trying to pay their way through </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>- Miscommunication</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I am an absolute hater of the miscommunication trope but I think it is well done here. The second breakup that Connell and Marianne go through is based on miscommunication. Both of them end up projecting their insecurities. When Connell asks 'I guess you'll want to see other people, then, will you?' because he is moving out of his current flat and going back home for a few months. At this point, he is nervous because he has not been able to ask Marianne if he can live with her since he cannot pay rent. To Connell's question, Marianne coldly said sure because she believes he avoided telling her he is moving back home till the last minute. When she narrates the incident she says, 'he said he wanted to see other people'. It is such a simple miscommunication because both of the characters were preoccupied with other concerns and their own insecurities. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Toward the end of the book, they are discussing their night out. Marianne asks him about another girl at the party, she then asks him if she had annoyed him in some way because he left abruptly. To which he replies that he wanted to go to the smoking area and had asked her if she wanted to go along. She says he did not ask, he says he did but the music was too loud. He apolgises and says he was not annoyed at her. I love this because the conversation before this is strained by both of their perceptions of the night before and with this clarification it is quickly resolved. This simple resolution could have happened to the whole 'see other people' confusion, but I think they were much more caught up in their own insecurities earlier in the book than later. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Again, for characters whose relationship is premised on conversations and communication, they miscommunicate often, but I like how the book does it. But at the same time for a healthy relationship (which for the most part they were not) communication is key, a lot of their small issues could be solved with just communicating better. I think that is exactly why I like how this book does it, it knows that this is small and can be solved but people are just stupid sometimes. </span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">- Politically active kidz and monologues on literature</span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like hearing both of their opinions on the world, the emails they exchange while traveling, their insights about animals, protests, literature and public readings. Love all of it despite lacking nuance and direction. I also like how the book subtly once or twice calls them out for armchair and champagne politics. Love that awareness. It actually sounded like how a lot of people who want to sound woke without doing the hard work, reading and critical thinking sound. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span></span><span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Stuff I did not like</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>- One-dimensional characters:</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The other characters are barely people. I understand that maybe it was purposely done, the focus is Connell and Marianne's relationship. Yet, especially when it comes to Marianne's family I think an exploration of her brother and mother was a little important for us to understand why Marianne has the issues she has. All of their friends from school, as well as college, are just names. I never also really got a good grasp on the two main characters. </span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">- Marianne, abuse, and BDSM</span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Marianne's history of abuse and the impact of that on her subsequent relationships is always just at the surface level. We never really properly get to know whether Marianne likes the things she asks for in her relationships. Her brother's character needed just a little more attention for us to make sense of how her household really is. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I think BDSM and consent are grossly misrepresented in the book, as is the case with most popular books I suppose. I don't like how it allows characters to use the idea of subs and doms to justify abuse. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">On that note, I don't understand what was up with Lukas, I don't think the story benefitted from having him at all and Marianne's interaction with him just made me uncomfortable. I hated it and it barely served the plot. </span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">- Mental health</span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Connell's depression is barely dealt with. It is not given the attention it needs. It feels like it has just been used to give his character depth. Just saying okay now he is taking medicine felt like a cop-out. Similarly, an eating disorder is hinted at for Marianne throughout the book, but we never really get around to talking about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br /></p>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-7150798160600247712023-01-27T18:58:00.001+05:302023-04-25T16:16:14.418+05:30Tiers, Tears and Birthday Fears<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I remember cheerful birthdays with sweets for friends, games, and gifts. Each age was like a level-up punctuated with the sound of Mario grabbing a coin. As the number went up, you unlocked more. Freedoms, understanding, more of your own capacity, skills, and trust. Age was a friend, everyone did keep saying I ‘had it on my side.’</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fa787eae-7fff-b34d-aff0-3289ab21eae7"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Something happened once I completed my two decades on this planet. People expect birthdays to come with an impending sense of doom. Level-ups aren’t full of new cool outfits and power-ups, they are instead a countdown to a boss fight. Who is this boss? Am I prepared for it? All questions for later I guess.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Enough has been written about the lists, the Forbes, the under 20s, 30s, and whatnot. The race they create. A race against your peers. One that, alright, some can win. A race against time. Now, this is one that ticks me off. I seem to be running in the race, but time seems to be running out faster. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don’t want it. I have never been much of a runner. No, thank you. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The world we live in expects us to achieve the world within the second decade of life. Capitalism wants all of my fun hobbies turned into money-minting professions, or at the very least content. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My relatives use my birthday as a twofold marker. One to remind themselves ‘<i>Haaye</i>, how time passes no?’ Two to remind me what all I should have gotten done by now ‘By your age, I was married.’ ‘I had a kid at your age.’ ‘I had a full-time job and a family.’ Okay woah, overachievers, good on you. Most of these are not on my cards or priorities for some time. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I did not ask for the gift of existence, on most days I don’t even like it much. But I will celebrate it how I want. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am opting out of the race. I would rather hand out water and bananas on the sidelines. Maybe I’ll paint a terrible still-life of the banana which can neither be sold nor used as content. Who knows.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I like growing older. It still feels like levelling up somewhere. I don’t understand the ‘I am forever young, forever 18.’ of random Indian uncles and aunties. I would never want to be 18 again. I never want to be any of the ages I have already crossed. I know too much now, I have grown too much and I have too much to ever go back.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I want to look forward to ageing. A supposed big bad wolf, Ageing, a boss fight along with Time. I want to experience my body changing and cut it slack for literally keeping me alive. I do not want to employ the magnifying glass that media, magazines, and the internet keep handing out to women. I will not look through this glass. Ageing is beautiful and I would like to see the proof of all of the years I have spent on this usually terrible planet. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This year, the only fears I want are whether I have learned enough, whether I have loved enough, and whether I have had experiences that have planted themselves in my heart. I want to feel my growth like vines climbing up walls. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I will continue levelling up, and Mario will get the coin (at his own pace of course!). No countdowns or races that I am predetermined to lose. </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-29625411335991668692023-01-04T17:30:00.003+05:302023-01-04T17:30:17.702+05:30Review: Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUY-5ScIGqnmW3lT686Xi-Tukeh1dlEp0y7QXYHwLj42i-UlEKfzegM0I4l_teJGlRxbeBvZmo_c3q4PAxz2nR6bDR5hwYfqr7LBEwywpm2robPffIy6pvMShbcYpMf_IGKLjwINPp9pIYEbodqXHugscnLLynE4Cgk5dGjhYancQmZNDbESZ93GpQ/s900/Untitled%20design%20(14).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUY-5ScIGqnmW3lT686Xi-Tukeh1dlEp0y7QXYHwLj42i-UlEKfzegM0I4l_teJGlRxbeBvZmo_c3q4PAxz2nR6bDR5hwYfqr7LBEwywpm2robPffIy6pvMShbcYpMf_IGKLjwINPp9pIYEbodqXHugscnLLynE4Cgk5dGjhYancQmZNDbESZ93GpQ/w640-h213/Untitled%20design%20(14).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51475209-small-pleasures" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img alt="Small Pleasures" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582096031l/51475209._SX98_.jpg" /></span></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51475209-small-pleasures">Small Pleasures</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/420064.Clare_Chambers">Clare Chambers<br /></a>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5228591619">4 of 5 stars</a></span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />
I loved reading this book. It was a wild ride experience. It is one of the most well-written books that I have read in some time. <br /><br />Jean Swinney is a reporter who is contacted by Gretchen Tilbury who claims her daughter is the result of a virgin birth. We follow Swinney as she investigates the story for her job and gets into deeper relationships with the Tilburys. <br /><br />The vibe of small pleasures is everyday life juxtaposed with investigating an out-of-the-ordinary miracle. I love how Swinney's columns on gardening tips, her chores, and recipes are peppered in between crazy discoveries. I also like how the everyday relationships are in turn impacted by each of these discoveries. Love the way it is written. <br /><br />Jean Swinney's character is so much fun to follow, she is real, sometimes witty, and also genuinely nice. I like the writing. The way we discover more about the hospital, the friends, and Gretchen through Swinney's investigation. The way it unwraps is fun to follow. <br /><br />The Mother-daughter dynamic between Jean and her mother is so well done, I loved every second of it. The dichotomy of their feelings, the conflicts, the banter, and Jean's patience, are reflective of real relationships. <br /><br />I like Gretchen's character. I also like that as we discover more and also get to know her more, the book switches from representing her as this perfect angelic person to a normal human. I was thoroughly invested in all of the relationships.<br /><br />Finally, I felt the discomfort and the burden of the truth that Jean felt in the last few chapters, it hadn't just been passed onto her but also to the reader. <br /><br />BUT what happened to the ending? It was completely out of nowhere and was unnecessary to the plot. The whole vibe was thrown off. It seemed like a scene put in for unnecessary shock value. At beginning of the last chapter, I was a little excited about the changed character perspective, I was excited about insight into this character's internal monologue. I am going to ignore the explanation in the Afterword and pretend it ended with the last sentence before it.<br /><br /><a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/surmayi" target="_blank">StoryGraph</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/119905068-surmayi">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/surmayi.pdf/">Instagram</a></span>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-17631554237556453012022-12-30T14:38:00.009+05:302023-01-04T17:31:09.060+05:30The Coil<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Coil is an independent literary magazine by the Alternating Current Press. </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are some of the reviews and interviews I did for them. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://medium.com/the-coil/book-review-keith-obrien-fly-girls-surmayi-khatana-44c3adcafddf" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">L<span>ady Aviators in the Men’s Club</span></a></span></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A review of 'Fly Girls' in which Keith O’Brien tells the untold story of five women who dared compete against the men in the high-stakes air races of the 1920s and ’30s.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://medium.com/the-coil/keith-obrien-fly-girls-interview-surmayi-khatana-bfbd3540bea0" target="_blank">Defying the Odds</a></span></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">An interview with Keith O'Brien the author of 'Fly Girls' about his writing process, routine, research for the book, and its modern relevancy.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://medium.com/the-coil/book-review-chaya-bhuvaneswar-white-dancing-elephants-surmayi-khatana-17a2f05232be" target="_blank">Searing Commentary on Society</a></span></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A review of 'White Dancing Elephants'. On Chaya Bhuvaneswar’s stories which explore the power dynamics of assault, queer relationships, sexism, racism, and societal structures.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://medium.com/the-coil/deb-jannerson-interview-surmayi-khatana-19370ad0601b" target="_blank">Messes & Ambiguities</a></span></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In conversation with Dev Jannerson, the poet and novelist on their book 'Thanks for Nothing'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://medium.com/the-coil/book-review-anna-prushinskaya-a-woman-is-a-woman-until-she-is-a-mother-surmayi-khatana-ef0336a6e60" target="_blank">On Anna Prushinskaya’s Essays</a></span></span></h2><p><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A review of Prushinskaya’s essays on a woman’s flight through childbearing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-21327606682430632022022-12-30T14:12:00.007+05:302022-12-30T14:49:56.452+05:30Teen Belle Magazine<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Teen Belle Magazine was introduced to the world in 2019 with the aim, "flourish, educate, and rebel". A volunteer-based magazine. It was founded by Sam, one of the best poets I knew and the nicest person to work with. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here are the articles I wrote for them. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://teenbellemag.wixsite.com/tbmag/post/a-mirror-in-a-doll-s-house" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A Mirror in a Doll's House</span></a></h2><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A review of <i>A Doll’s House</i>, a three-act play by Henrik Ibsen. Published in 1879, at a time when the first wave of feminism was hitting the shore, the Norwegian playwright’s work brought about extensive debates about ‘The Woman Question’. </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://teenbellemag.wixsite.com/tbmag/post/ghosts-in-the-archives" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Ghosts in the Archives</span></a></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Exploring the 'male as norm' principle and the erasure of women in history. A brief exploration of the Matilda Effect. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://teenbellemag.wixsite.com/tbmag/post/women-in-blue-by-surmayi-khatana" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Women in Blue</span></a></span></span></h2></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A brief history of women's cricket in India. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://teenbellemag.wixsite.com/tbmag/post/womxn-led-movements-the-spirit-comes-naturally-by-surmayi-khatana" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Women Led Movements : The Spirit Comes Naturally</span></a></span></h2><div><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Protests and strikes led by women along with how their rebellion interacts with patriarchy. </span></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://teenbellemag.wixsite.com/tbmag/post/marble-and-pedestals-of-accountability-and-symbolism-by-surmayi-khatana" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Marble and Pedestals: Of Accountability and Symbolism</span></a></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The toppling of statues that 2020 saw, the symbolism of demolition and accountability in history. </span></p><div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></div>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-53146565052411498152021-11-10T15:20:00.003+05:302021-11-10T15:20:47.405+05:30bleeding-heart<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">My father’s demons lap the back of my eyes</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Drinking in the dreary sights </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Breathing out fire</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">They live right here</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Most mornings I wake with</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">A stab wound in my chest</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Grave grey gargoyles</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Gaggling in the garden I call my body</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I am sorry, I think my heart is bleeding</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Dozens of days I spend looking </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">For threads to stitch me up</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">The shock of the metal cutting</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My flesh i</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">s fresh</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">The edge of the knife is dull</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I lost my edge too</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">A single slow thought you can cull out</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Rattling in the depths of my skull</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I forget why I was finding the thread </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Stitching a shift out of my shroud</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Swaddled in the cloth of dread</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I am sorry, I think my heart is bleeding</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Watching warped videos </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">On television sets in a store</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Like a vulture </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">Each screen slightly different</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I never learnt to see myself</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I put on a show for an invisible audience</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">They laugh, they cry</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">My blood runs dry</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">I am sorry, I think my heart is bleeding</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d1JQVX2Y4t8/YYuU90-TAOI/AAAAAAACALI/olPk4ORsl8cZoslZClpt92LW9FJ6j73fwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2021-11-10%2Bat%2B3.13.54%2BPM%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d1JQVX2Y4t8/YYuU90-TAOI/AAAAAAACALI/olPk4ORsl8cZoslZClpt92LW9FJ6j73fwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2021-11-10%2Bat%2B3.13.54%2BPM%2B2.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-5469988545202950592020-11-10T16:57:00.003+05:302020-11-10T17:20:25.923+05:30w i t c h e s <p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">every neighbourhood houses witches</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">the last brick house down the lane</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">wild women with unruly hair</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">looking out of their windowpane</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">sharp dagger-like tongues</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">cutting curses deep in your skin</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">stay away, you warn little children</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">and whisper to your next of kin</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">tornadoes decorate the corners of their house</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">swirling dark clouds of anger and cries<br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">they'll fight you on rent</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">the air chilly in their vents</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">cracks in the elevator shaft</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">leaking wisps of strength, adding on weights you could never hope to lift</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">raging thunderclaps sound</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">when you smoothly ask for the ring to be passed</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">to the man of the house</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">in whose blood you think these women are doused</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">they don't attend your fairs</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">or your warm bonfires</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">maybe because they're afraid you'll burn them on the pyre</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">finally a neighbourhood</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">where no witches are alive</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">though i hear their voices</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">in my own exasperated sighs</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">i look in the mirror</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">to find, the witch that was cursed </span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">now resides inside</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">the brick melted into smooth blinding silver</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">like a lake of my 'sins' </span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">stay away, you warn little children</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;">and whisper to your next of kin</span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PK4E2Ecx4g/X6p5DCWCsqI/AAAAAAAB1J8/2CvOX2gcnSY_wdW8OxmEtbn7KWu-MpL1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-11-10%2Bat%2B4.56.18%2BPM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1080" height="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PK4E2Ecx4g/X6p5DCWCsqI/AAAAAAAB1J8/2CvOX2gcnSY_wdW8OxmEtbn7KWu-MpL1wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h299/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-11-10%2Bat%2B4.56.18%2BPM.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: EB Garamond; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-61756021688038418882020-04-01T21:09:00.003+05:302020-04-01T21:29:15.273+05:30letters <br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i used to write letters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">on carefully picked papers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">with specific stationery </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i loved signing them off</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">yours </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">yours faithfully</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">yours truly</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">yours sincerely</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">something about belonging </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">to others felt right</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">being known in connection</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">because somehow i was never really mine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">dont get me wrong</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i love (loved) the people i wrote for </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i thought i could stack words </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">on top of one another</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">and call it a person</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">that the long lists</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">of 'yours' would make <i>me</i> one</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">but i cannot</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">people are too many words </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">to fit on a page or eight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i felt this need to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">romanticise relationships</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">write them in ink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">to be able to feel them</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">dont get me wrong (again)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i love the art of crafting letters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">thinking of words </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">putting them together</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">handmaking envelopes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">but i cannot</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">because paper trails </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">don't do justice </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">to constellations</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i used to write letters </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">to 'my future self'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">hoping <i>she </i>was better</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">but i cannot</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">split myself in three</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">a past, present, future, me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">i will still write letters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">on carefully picked papers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">with specific stationery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">but i will not</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">sign them off with a</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">yours sincerely</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<br />Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-87462523674963555682020-01-25T22:55:00.000+05:302020-01-26T17:01:11.507+05:30Teenagery Musings Before I Complete Two Decades: Boxes and Rooms<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I am not one</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To go back to messages exchanged</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Words typed and backspaced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Emotions behind dimly lit screens </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But when I do</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It feels like unpacking packed boxes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Ones lost (forgotten? lost? forgotten?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">While shifting </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">towns, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">homes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">rooms</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With a friend's comforting words </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In a city lost in blurs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The only <i>extension</i> of home </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In a city that is not mine </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like a landline </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With the spiralling cord holding my legs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Rooting me back in the ground</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Soft voices</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In 8 minute tracks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Warm white light</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Washing faces at 2 A.M.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Laughter in spells of sleep</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Love? Comfort?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gRIsDrQv4g0/Xix2jIany1I/AAAAAAABjDQ/3HsMuRY7aBI_5pdL_ciVTBB8xr2FSPZfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-01-25%2Bat%2B10.39.52%2BPM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1080" height="198" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gRIsDrQv4g0/Xix2jIany1I/AAAAAAABjDQ/3HsMuRY7aBI_5pdL_ciVTBB8xr2FSPZfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-01-25%2Bat%2B10.39.52%2BPM.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">An almost room </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With a name on top</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Songs sent back and forth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Photographs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Conversations of 'facts'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Stars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Flowers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Poetry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Boxes that should be tagged <i>'miss'</i>cellaneous</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Misspelt words</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Written through watering eyes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Desperately reaching out</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Badly worded texts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With pruned fingers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Waddling through the drowning water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Traces of terrified fingers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Typing naive responses </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To older boys </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Trying their 'luck'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At what? A Fuck?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Asking about</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Threads covering my skin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Questions I only understand now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Boxes I never open</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With photos I never seeked</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With texts I never read</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Disgust echos in every fibre</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Long lines of texts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Confessing supposed undying love</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">From both the unknown and oddly known</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Bad rooms that I would rather lock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Arrows shot through</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Anger and hurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Confrontations </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Rolling eyes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Clenched teeth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Smashed screens</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Realising the 'ends' in friends</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Quick articulations</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Meticulously chosen words</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sharp witty terms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Half-hearted burns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Terms </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Politics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Accusations</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Name-calling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Blocking </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">'<i>Please go google</i>'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Boxes with cobwebs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Memories so old </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">That even feelings have now gone cold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Turning twenty is terrifying, moving out of the 'teenage' years fills me with an odd sense of growing up and dread. I have always been a person who has not allowed myself to indulge in 'teenagery' things, especially I've never let my poetry be about teen cliches and crisis or cringe. This week I let myself indulge in the cringiest cliches of being a teenager because it is the last time I get to, so here you have it teenagery musings before I complete two decades. </i></span></div>
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Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-5551336664250079072019-06-25T13:45:00.001+05:302019-06-25T14:27:08.859+05:30Kabir Misogyny Singh: A Review<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I woke up at 7:00 A.M. to go and watch Kabir Singh, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">spoiler alert</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I regretted the decision a few minutes into the movie.</span></span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ece47cf9-7fff-39f6-e9e1-be181b91b5de" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although having been warned by the internet about the misogynistic nature of the movie, I had a few motivations to watch it anyway; a portion of the movie was shot in my college, the music of the movie is beautiful, I have had a certain amount of fondness of Shahid Kapoor's acting given his previous movies (not this movie, more on this later), and because I thought that I could deal with the misogyny of the movie because aren't all Bollywood movies streaked with the same.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But this movie left me with an unprecedented amount of discomfort and disgust.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYVpdSzf1w8/XRHXe1Jz8mI/AAAAAAABUr0/roCW3CsbF9k7sabhx8ulJqTtPKxzCgnEgCLcBGAs/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="660" height="435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYVpdSzf1w8/XRHXe1Jz8mI/AAAAAAABUr0/roCW3CsbF9k7sabhx8ulJqTtPKxzCgnEgCLcBGAs/s640/images.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kabir Misogyny Singh</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the scenes, less than 10 minutes into the movie features Kabir Singh cutting a woman's clothes with a knife, he acts extremely aggressively and then threatens her at knifepoint to undress, while she clearly says "I don't want this right now." A blatant breach of consent and clear sexual assault. The audience found this comical and the movie itself provides for comic relief in the form of the woman's fiance singing outside as Kabir Singh walks out shirtless as though he is some baller guy for having harassed a woman. Kabir Singh is then seen putting ice into his crotch publicly.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A scene that is widely spoken about online is the one wherein Kabir runs after his domestic help for having broken a glass. The aggression with which he runs with the clear intent of endangering her, had me squirming in my seat with actual fear. The audience laughs at this to no end, the filmmakers too evidently meant for the scene to be comical.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem with the above two scenes, apart from the clear problems of sexual assault and the intent of hurting and threatening, is the comedy attached. This has two lines of issues; one; the audience laughed, which made me suddenly very aware of the thought process of the people I was sharing this dark and closed space with; two; the movie-makers </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">meant</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for it to be comic relief equating the oppression of women to something that is supposedly funny.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A scene wherein I almost dared to hope was the scene with the backdrop of Holi, a set of men with a personal vendetta against Kabir sexually harass the female protagonist (really though? was she the protagonist?) Preeti. Kabir sits on the front seat of a bike with Preeti in the back seat holding a bat. Although I do not condone violence and a lot of things are problematic even with this idea, I was almost excited that maybe he will enable her to beat the guy up, especially since she seemed like a non-confrontational character (I use the term ‘seemed’ because we really don't know much about Preeti). Instead, Kabir goes out there, punches the guy, lights the guy's cigarette and asks him to 'promise' that it won't happen again. If this doesn't make you frown hard enough to give you a headache, Kabir proceeds to make her sexual assault about himself, he rants about how any harm coming to Preeti 'affects' </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">him </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the most, (uh, sorry, I think maybe, just maybe, it affects Preeti the most but okay) he goes on to talk about how much he likes her. With this, he negates her trauma and makes her sexual assault about himself, because of course Kabir Misogyny Singh must take centre stage at all times and everyone's lives are made to just cater to him and his toxic masculinity. This is something we see throughout the movie.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Imagine being a fresher in a college and suddenly being singled out in class by your seniors, being treated differently by your peers because one random senior claimed that you are ‘his’. On that point, Kabir Singh's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Woh meri hai"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (she is mine) is an extremely scary form of obsession and possessiveness, it has a very bad precedent. I know a lot of women, including myself who have been prey to random men claiming us to be theirs and then acting scary enough for us to feel literal danger to our lives. Preeti is called out of her class on numerous occasions where Kabir takes her and ‘teaches’ her the topic of the day. He assigns her a "fat chick" as a friend and hostel roommate. He compares the two girls is an extremely problematic manner, referring to her new friend as a ‘teddy bear’. Kabir kisses Preeti without her consent, let alone consent to be honest, she has not even said hi properly to him yet. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Toxicity Report was not the only toxic element</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Needless to say, their relationship was very toxic. Kabir controlled every bit of Preeti’s life, from who she hung out with to where she sat in classes. Preeti has to beg him to let her stay for a couple of days in Delhi. Kabir orders Preeti around and yells at her. Both of them physically assaulted one another in the movie. Although physical abuse in a relationship is not acceptable at all, one might cut slack when the individuals are in an agitated headlock physically with pulling and pushing. This makes their acts of slapping each other more problematic as they both slap one another almost five seconds post their arguments, wherein they then were making a conscious decision to hit the other. Their relationship has barely any conversation to the extent that Preeti says practically nothing to him at all in the beginning of the movie. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kabir has a casual relationship with Jia, an actress. He is shown to be extremely angry at her for no reason in some instances. He breaks up with her in a very crude manner when she tells him she loves him while they're making out and he abruptly walks out of the car they were in and begins shouting at her.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kabir’s Toxic masculinity will/is lead/ing to the poisoning of the minds of young people. Kabir is constantly rude to everyone in the movie. He shows that being aggressive is the new cool and revels in the fear that everyone has of him. Kabir constantly exploits the power dynamics of all of his relationships including as a senior in college, manipulating Preeti. The power dynamic is clearly stated when the entire class stands up on multiple occasions seeing him enter. He also exploits his position of power when after sexually harassing a woman, he calls a girl and tells her to come over to his place for a ‘seminar’ that she missed. Young men have already started aggressively defending his character. This comes from the lack of an explicit counter-narrative within the movie. The movie glorifies the character and hence cannot get away with shirking the burden off by saying “It is just a character” or “It is just a movie”, a simple move of proof of glorification is the fact that the movie said ‘KABIR SINGH’ instead of interval in the interval. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Movies do not exist in a vacuum, everything Kabir does on the screen will influence what young men do in real life. Shahid Kapoor has a lot of social capital as an actor, a lot of people relate to him and look up to him, this role taken up by him then endorses the behaviour of Kabir, as the movie in itself provides for no counter-narrative or introspection of how wrong his ways have been and the fact that Shahid Kapoor has been extremely quick and eager to defend the character in the face of criticism. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Arjun Reddy is apparently a "critically acclaimed" film. A lot of people claim the same for Kabir Singh, they ask 'pseudo-liberal feminists' (hysterical, because if you like this movie, you don't know a thing about feminism and in turn have no right to term anything as pseudo-feminism), to view the movie as a movie and the character as just a character. Even if you're someone who isn't a feminist, sexual harassment and slapping people is something any sane person would see as wrong but okay.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yet, I shall take the advice of all of these lovely people, and view the movie as a movie. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What follows is a critical analysis of the film apart from its undertones and narratives. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of my incentives, as listed earlier, was the music of the film. Sachet Tandon and Parampara Thakur with their song 'Bekhayali' absolutely won my heart, moulding Irshad Kamil's beautiful words into an amazing song. I can say the same for most of the songs of the movie. Yet, I can't help but feel that these songs were wasted on this movie.' Bekhayali' as a song is absolutely heart-wrenching, yet when the song was broken into pieces by the movie into three different scenes, I almost did not notice the song. The song speaks volumes of heartbreak whereas I could not help but blame Kabir for his situation. As Bollywood always does, the movie just has a mention of the caste issue as opposed to it being an actual social hurdle in their love for each other. So the only probable reason for them not being together is her father being mad for catching them in a compromising position, although Kabir is calm in the first few tries of convincing Preeti's family, he is very quick to lose his anger and withdraw his support for Preeti, instead of standing by her he shouts at everyone, insults her father, aggressively picks up a plant pot to throw at her sister, kisses her brother, asks Preeti to shut up a million times in one breath while she begs him not to leave and then slaps her and ‘curses' her to marry her father's choice. When Preeti tries to come into contact with Kabir by showing up at his house, he has already drunk himself silly and injected morphine, wow what a great boyfriend, totally does not disappear in time of crisis. Now I associate these beautiful songs with an abusive boyfriend and a toxic relationship with obsessive tendencies instead of love. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another beautiful song wasted, ‘Kaise Hua’ (How did this happen?) is kind of apt though as one actually wonders how </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">did</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> it happen because Preeti has literally not spoken at all to Kabir yet here he is all in love.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apart from the discography. The background music, especially the track that plays when Kabir is 'angst' is such a baller soundtrack. It is the kind of film score that I imagine in the background of a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">badass</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> character but Kabir Singh is just a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bad</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> character and an </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ass</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The film score also plays at odd moments, for instance when Kabir slaps Preeti, a peppy song begins playing, I understand it was to fade into the next scene but uh no. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kabir Singh as a movie is so messed up in terms of its storytelling and plot in general. In one of the scenes Kabir says "I am not a rebel without a cause sir" but, he kinda is. Most of Kabir's reasoning for anything is his anger. Why is this very economically privileged guy, with tonnes of entitlement, who is also in a good college </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">angry? Why is it that everyone around him has to control variables to ensure he keeps his calm. He </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a rebel without a cause. Even before his supposed heartbreak, he is mean to everyone and is also disrespectful. Kabir has no accountability, no prerogatives, no introspection or depth at all as a character. He misses his brother's entire wedding, no one holds him accountable. What is he even rebelling against? His college telling him not to get into fist fights? He sneaks in a girl into his college hostel and is not held responsible at all for it. Kabir and Preeti’s relationship is only ‘cute’ when they're in a long distance (perhaps their lack of proximity made me feel safer about both of their safeties). They barely talk to one another, Kabir suddenly out of the blue falls in ‘love’ with her and remarks that he likes the way she breathes, well who can blame him, the dialogue writer more or less forgot to write Preeti’s line for a major chunk of the movie. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Preeti says literally less than a paragraph of words throughout the movie. 560 words to be precise, yes I counted. Preeti’s entire script could fit on one A4 sized sheet with Times New Roman, Size 12. We know nothing about her apart from the fact that her name is Preeti Sikka and she is a doctor. What are her aspirations? We don't know. Does she have any hobbies? We don't know. We don't know anything about her and it is very likely that Kabir doesn't either. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jia and Kabir have more chemistry than Kabir and Preeti. Jia is also not a character that is explored much, although we know more about her than we know about Preeti.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kabir's brother's character description in the script must have been 'supportive brother' and that is literally as far as his character went. No depth. He shows no anger at his brother missing out on his wedding and going to the extent of even spoiling it. Just like Preeti, we know nothing about the brother except for that he is Kabir’s brother.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">His mom is almost a tokenistic character in the film, so are most of his friends except for Shiva. Shiva is literally the only character with any depth and portrayal because he actually shows characteristics and has a developed personality.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The ending of the film, with Preeti being pregnant with Kabir’s child and both of them getting married is so unrealistic and almost cringe worthy. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most of the dialogue in the movie has no substance. They're either repetitions or paraphrasing of things that have already been said (Example: Preeti saying “Kabir kabir kabir please please please baby baby baby” for major part of their arguments) This movie could have been a three hour long monologue with Kabir being the only one in the entire movie and no one would have noticed a difference. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No No Tommy Singh</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honestly, Kabir Singh isn't anything in front of Tommy Singh. I am really annoyed at the fact that people can even begin to compare them. Apart from the obvious vibe of glorifying Kabir Singh and not so much with Tommy Singh, since the movie (Udta Punjab) revolves around explaining the problems with drug addiction. When Tommy Singh reaches rock bottom (wherein he accidentally shoots his uncle and also pisses on the crowd during a concert) he introspects and understands the problematic nature of his behaviour and addiction. Tommy Singh is very shaken by what addiction has done to him. He was a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">person </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">before his addiction, his lowest point made him realise he wasn't being true to himself or his music because of substance abuse and so goes on to reform his ways. Tommy Singh has an origin and motivations, a young musician who got fame that has now driven him to a breaking point, one who is not creating the type of music he wanted but is doing okay. Tommy Singh is also extremely affected by the impact he has had on young kids in terms of pushing them to drugs and making it seem cool, unlike Kabir Singh or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">even</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the people behind Kabir Singh who refuse to accept the impact their character would have on young minds, it is almost like Tommy Singh has more depth than real life people. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Kabir Singh's rock bottom has little introspection and seems so unrealistic in a way that it barely seems to shake him. Kabir Singh isn't only a misogynistic character but also a very badly written character in terms of both writing, direction, and also portrayal. Kabir Singh was an awful person even before his addiction, so his rock bottom of showing up drunk for surgery is something that makes him realise that his addiction is messing up his career but is not a betrayal of himself as a person, because his awfulness was a constant element pre and post addiction. Although admittedly, Kabir’s grandmother passing away does push him to introspect, this introspection is hidden from the audience and so it doesn't become explicitly clear that Kabir realised the problems with his anger issues.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In terms of the depth of the characters and the way they are written and portrayed, their dialogue, and the motivations behind both of their respective actions, Tommy Singh is a beautiful character, Kabir Singh has literally no mind or care or incentive or prerogatives of anything. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Putting the movie to the Test(s)</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We have come so far as society, this movie has single-handedly pulled us back ages. We have been making strides in dismantling the norms surrounding the subjugation of women and have been destroying the patriarchy one brick at a time. With actresses in Bollywood trying hard to expand the way Bollywood sees female characters, this movie is a huge disappointment. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Parts of this movie were shot in my college. My college is an enabling and safe space for me, seeing such problematic scenes play out in the walls that I call home makes my insides hurt. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The movie </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fails </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bechdel Test</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> monumentally, which has a very simple requirement of a film featuring at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Not once does this happen in the movie. Throughout three hours of footage.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It also</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fails</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mako Mori Test </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">which requires at least one female character who gets her own narrative arc which is not about supporting a man’s story. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tempted </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to say that this movie </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fails</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sexy Lamp Test</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> too, which measures how relevant a female character is to the plot and whether you can take out the character and replace her with a sexy lamp, because then Kabir Singh would be a movie about Kabir and his obsession with a sexy lamp, which wouldn't be too tough as he already objectifies his love interest enough. But maybe that is taking it too far so I shall let this test be.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In closing, I am sad I gave this movie revenue.</span></span></div>
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Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-39204652330524251002018-12-11T22:56:00.000+05:302018-12-11T22:56:54.400+05:30Writer's Block<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Since I've had one for the last many months</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ptmee01bxC8/XA_yZWZRnRI/AAAAAAABFEI/omlt8ZxJS0EJE0FdkKpBxW5kPy_jQrvWACLcBGAs/s1600/20181211_104645_0__01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1074" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ptmee01bxC8/XA_yZWZRnRI/AAAAAAABFEI/omlt8ZxJS0EJE0FdkKpBxW5kPy_jQrvWACLcBGAs/s320/20181211_104645_0__01.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I choose to write of it</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Hoping it breaks this insane cycle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Where I sit at a desk and my brain screams</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Only to come up with blank pages</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As though the inkpot of my feelings has dried</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It has dried and hardened, not diminished</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Making it toxic as it sits inside</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The first few words come up to my throat </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the bile I feel every morning when I wake</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But just as I gulp it before I puke</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My backspace kills the chains of alphabets</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Even now, I sit here with dwindling thumbs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Staring off into space after every line</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This poem has literally no reason or rhyme</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As someone who is supposed to have a way with words</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I seem to have lost mine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I wish to end the poem abruptly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Because that has been the flow of my thoughts lately</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">They begin with a hope and passion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And then</span></div>
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Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-39746756372081824682018-07-18T18:52:00.002+05:302018-07-18T18:52:41.349+05:30Have You Been Told?<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have you been told that your breath reeks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The scent of blood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">From the hearts that you've chewed and spit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With the scarlet juice dripping down your chin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have you smelt how your hands smell like</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Rusted metal </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">From the wrists that you've forced to slit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Spilling the vermilion on washroom tiles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have you been told how glassy your eyes are</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Seeing only Greys</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0br8HeLKMns/W08-Ycge4yI/AAAAAAAA2qM/GkaPqGgxiQUwqDRRwQDnJ1M5t1E14CaPgCEwYBhgL/s1600/PicsArt_07-06-07.52.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="881" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0br8HeLKMns/W08-Ycge4yI/AAAAAAAA2qM/GkaPqGgxiQUwqDRRwQDnJ1M5t1E14CaPgCEwYBhgL/s320/PicsArt_07-06-07.52.15.jpg" width="262" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Yet dictating where the rainbows shine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Shattering colours that you don't even see</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have you been told how your skin has wrinkled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">From the frowns </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">That simply don't understand love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Breaking minds hidden in closets</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have you felt the burden of your sins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The weight of the children</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You took from their kin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With the souls that haunt your bedside </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have you not been told that</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">No pilgrimages aren't soap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">That rinse out hands that have gotten dirty</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The river waters you seek </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sadly, don't flow with bleach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Where you drown yourself in </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And come out clean.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-35081377755447702172018-04-14T23:28:00.000+05:302018-04-14T23:28:27.901+05:30Time TravellingI am stuck.<br />
<br />
The fabric of time has wound itself around me<br />
I stepped in, mesmerized by the colours<br />
And now<br />
<br />
I am stuck.<br />
<br />
Taped to this tapestry<br />
Sewn-in which are tales of my history<br />
Of what little is left in memory<br />
<br />
I am stuck.<br />
<br />
On a day of the past<br />
Sitting in front of a little television<br />
Now things get a little fast;<br />
<br />
The television shows<br />
With all the blows<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRw8t9i2UFc/WtI1umpUktI/AAAAAAAAwfc/cbuix9QTFfMr15T05W4xbZPQtu2CY0AHQCLcBGAs/s1600/LongScreenshot_2018-04-13-23-34-47.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1080" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRw8t9i2UFc/WtI1umpUktI/AAAAAAAAwfc/cbuix9QTFfMr15T05W4xbZPQtu2CY0AHQCLcBGAs/s320/LongScreenshot_2018-04-13-23-34-47.png" width="320" /></a>The Contra game<br />
Mario jumping into his fame<br />
My father<br />
My mother<br />
My family<br />
On the carpet giggling<br />
Cutting pictures together laughing<br />
The trees<br />
The Bees<br />
<strike>That bit me too often, alright</strike><br />
The colours are bright<br />
As we paint a pot<br />
The winds outside carry shades of hues<br />
Painting the world, a colour other than the blues<br />
My room with fairy-lights strewn<br />
Glowing stars on the roof<br />
Board games<br />
Bored games<br />
Everything<br />
<br />
And stop.<br />
<br />
I am stuck.<br />
<br />
Like a cassette stuck on the same song<br />
Nostalgia;<br />
That has lasted too long<br />
<br />
I am stuck.<br />
<br />
The winds just carry blues and greys<br />
These days<br />
Time is now just a blurry haze<br />
Passing, as I sit and gaze<br />
<br />
I am stuck.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-7677908182481689082018-04-10T22:22:00.000+05:302018-04-10T22:22:14.836+05:30Rattlesnakes<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Open the box slowly, </div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Careful not to them let them <strike>in</strike> out,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Slide your fingers below the lid,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Pull it off.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
*Clang*</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
*Hiss*</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>One slithers out</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Slowly</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Calculatingly</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br clear="none" /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<div>
It whispers into your ear</div>
<div>
Singing tales </div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Venomous to the core</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Wraps itself slowly around your neck</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Cutting your breath </div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Choking you</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
It snakes around your chest</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Crushing your ribs</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Digging into your heart</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Makes a hit for what matters most,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Innocently pretends nothing is wrong</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Seeks your shoulder to cry on</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
But asks you not to pry on</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Once you know the truth</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Go ahead</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Throw a stone at it</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Scream at it to go away</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
It recoils, 'wounded'</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Remember, victimisation is her game play. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Another slithers out </b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Pretentiously</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Sweetly </b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Stares at you with its beady eyes</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Convinces you that it means good</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Bites you when you look the other side</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
This one claims to love you</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
As it fraternises with the enemy </div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
This one blames you of creating camps</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Accuses you of the divisions.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
It says it has morals,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
So it won't bite your neck</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Instead it will slowly cut into your heart</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Because you thought it wasn't a threat.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>One more crawls out</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Sickeningly</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>Jealously </b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
A late arrival</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Wrapping itself around your head</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Telling you, they're happy for you</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
As their vicious tongue gives you a lick</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
You smile</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Swat it off, lightly </div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
But it tightens the grip</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Unsure of what it wants itself</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Puts you on the guilt trip</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
They rattle you to the core</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Creating their nest in your stomach</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Burrowing into you</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Throw them out</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Scrape them off</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Don't house them any longer</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Out-about </div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Looking for another person to devour,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Meticulously they shed their skins</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
With it, the guilt of their sins.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3dwg96LlDqA/WszqVxXjEcI/AAAAAAAAwcA/lnVwOBNxPvAcpfh3YHmR01u-huH5oHZ1gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180410_220916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="1074" height="276" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3dwg96LlDqA/WszqVxXjEcI/AAAAAAAAwcA/lnVwOBNxPvAcpfh3YHmR01u-huH5oHZ1gCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_20180410_220916.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-13374178270164732242018-03-15T03:04:00.000+05:302018-03-15T03:22:09.578+05:30‘Why is a raven like a writing desk?’<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pdojk9TVdU0/WqmUHp6R6LI/AAAAAAAAwSA/MKreA4SYYi8emsc3sBFA4-H0fPhm8KgCQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pdojk9TVdU0/WqmUHp6R6LI/AAAAAAAAwSA/MKreA4SYYi8emsc3sBFA4-H0fPhm8KgCQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5840.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A dark brown <strike>almost black</strike> desk,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Over a decade old,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sat in my room</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Serving as everything </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My little brain could imagine at nine;</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A spaceship rocketing through galaxies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A tower with a balcony</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A little shop where my sister and I sold 'Magic Water'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A stage for performances</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A carriage drawn by horses.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A dark brown <strike>almost black</strike> desk,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Over two decades old,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sits in my room</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Decorated with trinkets</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pieces of my personality</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My colourful potted plants</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Too many candles</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Letters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><strike>Feathers</strike></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Books</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pictures</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pebbles.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I sit here, fabricating tales</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Of sorrow and joy,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Creating worlds far and beyond</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stitching feelings together;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Calling them Poetry</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dreaming of dragons and stardust</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Flying through the clouds <strike>almost like a Raven</strike></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; text-decoration-line: line-through;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So when The Mad Hatter asks</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">‘Why is a raven like a writing desk?’</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Looking right into my eyes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With his glassy dazed gaze,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I whisper,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>'Because it can be anything.'</i></b></span></div>
Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-5452808713200428482018-03-13T21:09:00.000+05:302018-03-13T21:09:31.200+05:30Charred Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WNvwSSqxCdk/Wqfs4n9XzBI/AAAAAAAAwRM/1_kqM7hnwREtOTXqG6UTb4HMf_UVipmiwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20170711_222413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WNvwSSqxCdk/Wqfs4n9XzBI/AAAAAAAAwRM/1_kqM7hnwREtOTXqG6UTb4HMf_UVipmiwCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_20170711_222413.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Standing in front of the house,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The one I had heard a hundred stories about</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I saw you rise into the air </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the black smoke, you used puff once</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I felt you turn into the ashes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the ones that burnt me on the bonfire on New Year's Eve</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Only, this burn won't heal as easily.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As we drove away from the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Hamlet of your Childhood Tales</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I noticed something missing,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With a looming feeling of emptiness </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the times we would leave for a vacation </span><br />
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</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Only to realise that we had forgotten something to pack</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Yet, this time the article can't be replaced.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The next day, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I found your eyes in the mirror,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The silver glass showing me your young gaze,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Not wrinkled with your wisdom yet,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the ones we saw in black and white photographs of you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Except, these are too sad to be yours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A few weeks later,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I heard you in my voice, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The same tone resonating in my ears</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the sound of your annoyance with a touch of humour </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Just, lacking the heaviness that yours carried with ease.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I read you in my poetry </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My pages covered in words of you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like fresh 'mint leaves' as you described them often</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But, these words, seem to be too charred to be you.</span>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-80001343583673723442017-11-18T03:18:00.000+05:302017-11-18T03:25:15.697+05:30Aircraft Gazing<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"I see three at the horizon" <br />
"No, there is a fourth one right there at the back, look."<br />
"I am not wearing my glasses"<br />
"Of course"<br />
<br />
The cool wind touched our faces softly as we looked out at the inky</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FByj0HJFNHY/Wg9YaNDuR9I/AAAAAAAApdo/GishwNxs52866XtreEvkkK8KgZuQr0HlQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20171118_014600_095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FByj0HJFNHY/Wg9YaNDuR9I/AAAAAAAApdo/GishwNxs52866XtreEvkkK8KgZuQr0HlQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20171118_014600_095.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">black sky, dotted with the lights of aircrafts. I took a deep breath in, I could smell the cigarette smoke in the air, I despised it, but the thought of how the crushed tobacco scent was a signature smell associated to my father occurred to me and I let it slide. <br />
<br />
"Have you been writing lately?"<br />
"A little. What about you?"<br />
"I had a dream the other night, it was an entire skit of sorts but it faded away by the time I could pen it down."<br />
"What was it about?"<br />
"I have no idea, but it was crazy."<br />
<br />
An airplane passed over our building and our heads moved in synchronisation to follow it as it disappeared in the distance, then I looked at him, expectantly, he smiled and told me which one it was and all the features that made it special. I nodded and looked ahead, trying to spot the next one before him.<br />
</span>
Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-8442557836169429482017-08-30T22:38:00.000+05:302017-08-30T22:47:17.740+05:30Of What Was And What Is<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Loss is like taking off a ring you've worn for a long time</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Your finger still feels the weight of the gold band which isn't there</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Your hand still goes towards it to twist it around the finger in nervousness</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You look at your middle finger again and again seeing the lighter part of your skin, the only trace of the ring that is left</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It leaves you disoriented,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To not have something which you clearly feel is right there</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Loss is like visiting your favourite restaurant's shut down building</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You're overwhelmed with memories</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You remember every table full of chatter</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You remember the wooden doors that opened to another world</span><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GBQ1mly4_1Y/WabywGl661I/AAAAAAAAjXE/LSMXcl1dc6cswB_dhTZGhmB0C-R7kZVGQCLcBGAs/s1600/yas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GBQ1mly4_1Y/WabywGl661I/AAAAAAAAjXE/LSMXcl1dc6cswB_dhTZGhmB0C-R7kZVGQCLcBGAs/s320/yas.jpg" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The familiar scent, the lights, the decor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Warm, lively and alive</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And you smile from the feeling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But nothing is there</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here lies a barren building</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Cold, lifeless and dead</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With only memories haunting the rooms </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like the ghost of what was and now what is</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Taking your smile away and replacing it with shudders</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The building is still right down the street</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">( The room is right down the hallway )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you listen closely you can hear the chatter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">( If you listen closely you can hear him calling)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The windows are intact, giving you an insight into the past</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">( The pictures in the frames are intact, giving you an insight into the past )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But nothing is there</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here lies a barren building</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Cold, lifeless and dead</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With only memories haunting the rooms</span></div>
Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-28469321189770583992017-08-02T21:07:00.001+05:302017-08-02T21:07:02.665+05:30Empty Spaces<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The empty spaces in my heart<br />Let my arteries pour blood into them<br />As it thuds a little uneven<br />As it thuds a little slower.<br /><br />The galaxies <br />And skies <br />And suns </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And all the pretty things </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXbhlaZSZKY/WYHwrT7W-hI/AAAAAAAAjFc/g7_4iD4vqMACqu9tfRftwHREjYTPygycgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170802_205804_863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXbhlaZSZKY/WYHwrT7W-hI/AAAAAAAAjFc/g7_4iD4vqMACqu9tfRftwHREjYTPygycgCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_20170802_205804_863.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />I try to gulp down my throat<br />To make myself feel that I am full<br />And that the empty space inside my stomach doesn't exist.<br /><br />The empty space in your room<br />Haunts me<br />Each and every time I cross it<br />Some times I fill it with my own being and pretend to be you<br /><br />The empty spaces in my eyes<br />Craters created by the meteors of the lack of the sight of you<br />Fill up with the streams that flow out<br /><br />The empty spaces between my fingers<br />Burn into my eyes when I cross the road<br />I curl my palm into a fist<br />Letting the thoughts fade into the music of traffic.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-18755370560271076052017-07-19T21:32:00.000+05:302017-07-19T21:32:16.393+05:30Stomach It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Look at the blood on your hands<br />The dark pigment slipping through your fingers<br />How badly do you wish your body were a jacket you could slip out of?<br /><br />Does it feel good when the blade of your tongue<br />Cuts right through skin?<br />Do you taste the metallic taste of the liquid?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xbq4lufZvKs/WW98NbGtmgI/AAAAAAAAjCI/F9KgGOyuuX8e9_isc4jKl60yA7QY8qs6wCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20170709_210550_951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1090" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xbq4lufZvKs/WW98NbGtmgI/AAAAAAAAjCI/F9KgGOyuuX8e9_isc4jKl60yA7QY8qs6wCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20170709_210550_951.jpg" width="217" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />Slowly<br />Methodically<br />You slice every word to hit a mark<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Push the buttons</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Pull the levers<br />Perfectly<br /><br />Twist the mind<br />And hence mangle the body<br />Slow dancing<br />To the ballad of abuses hurled</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />In the blood bath</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Does the guilt of what you have done ever get you?<br />Catch up to you while you run around gas lighting lies?<br /><br />But remember,<br />Just when it gets too bad<br />And your insides can't hold the gore<br />Of what you've done<br />Stomach it.</span></div>
Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-42441677374600446052017-07-17T22:09:00.000+05:302017-07-19T13:32:00.032+05:30The Art of Taking Care of Flowers - Part 3<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">//The Thorny One//</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">First step: name it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The flowers in this plant grow once in a blue moon</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But the spikes coming together </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Look no less than a galaxy of stars</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This one doesn't grow with daily sips of water</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Or the manure you put in the soil</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJUWwBcTCCU/WWznIuBkFKI/AAAAAAAAjBY/t3ho7VOKQa0gh8D5sNAAPJuPKadu6lZKgCEwYBhgL/s1600/2017-07-11%2B07-30-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJUWwBcTCCU/WWznIuBkFKI/AAAAAAAAjBY/t3ho7VOKQa0gh8D5sNAAPJuPKadu6lZKgCEwYBhgL/s320/2017-07-11%2B07-30-32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Prickly Plant grows out of the magic of love</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Take a paint brush,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One that you can twirl between your fingers,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Dip it lightly in water</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Cleanse the green between the spikes</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Whisper happy thoughts </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While you gently rinse it out<br />
Let the sun softly kiss </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ensure no parasites invade its home</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It is a welcoming plant </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But you are the guardian</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Final step: admire it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: center;">//Some actual helpful gardening advice with a dash of poetry. For Part One click <a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers.html">here.</a> For Part Two click <a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers-part-2.html">here.</a> </span><span style="text-align: center;">//</span></span></div>
Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-88005051298225651382017-07-17T00:48:00.000+05:302017-07-17T22:18:33.010+05:30The Art of Taking Care of Flowers - Part 2<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">//Potted//</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Touch the soft petals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Close your eyes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Feel the energy of the plant</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Clean the leaves with a magic potion for shine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">( Mix in two parts water with one part milk )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Wipe the stem gently with water</span><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDlZPTnfxLM/WWu8e6yEtBI/AAAAAAAAjBM/bHp9jBJ8lPQSsKAJRomTcbp-VaMYevOzwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-11%2B07-23-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDlZPTnfxLM/WWu8e6yEtBI/AAAAAAAAjBM/bHp9jBJ8lPQSsKAJRomTcbp-VaMYevOzwCLcBGAs/s320/2017-07-11%2B07-23-09.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Treat the plant like a child on the brink of growth<br /><br />Give it a sip of water everyday<br />Without fail<br />Turn and mix the soil<br />Feel the damp cold earth in your palms<br /><br />Put manure near the roots<br />( Twice monthly )<br />Fill the water till the brim on these occasions<br /><br />Tell the flower how well it is growing,<br />Better yet, give it a nick name,<br />Tell it you're proud and you love it,<br />Tell it your secrets, they're very good listeners.<br /><br />Sniff the amazing scent<br />Close your eyes<br />Realise the life you have grown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">//Some actual helpful gardening advice with a dash of poetry. For Part One click <a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers.html">here.</a> For Part Three click <a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers-part-3.html">here.</a> //</span></div>
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<br />Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-48471142108149795682017-07-13T19:19:00.000+05:302017-07-17T22:18:51.562+05:30The Art of Taking Care of Flowers - Part 1<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">//Plucked//<br />
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Cut the bottom of the stems<br />
Softly<br />
While breathing in the sweet scent when the knife touches the green<br />
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Remove the dried leaves</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EpyaxIq0Ouo/WWd6ANf7-PI/AAAAAAAAi8I/TqY2qLplH_UlQ4kjz3M1zEDLH3G6o6WjQCLcBGAs/s1600/2017-07-11%2B07-21-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EpyaxIq0Ouo/WWd6ANf7-PI/AAAAAAAAi8I/TqY2qLplH_UlQ4kjz3M1zEDLH3G6o6WjQCLcBGAs/s320/2017-07-11%2B07-21-24.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Pull out the dead petals<br />
While listening to the rustling sound when your touch meets the green<br />
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Get the prettiest vase you can find<br />
Fill it halfway with sparkling water<br />
Put the flowers in<br />
Gently<br />
While looking at the beautiful vision when the vase meets the green<br />
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Stand in awe of the beauty <br />
Feel the petals between your fingers<br />
Switch the water everyday to preserve the magic<br />
While smiling every time your gaze meets the colour.<br /><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">//</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Some actual helpful gardening advice with a dash of poetry. For Part Two click <a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers-part-2.html">here.</a> For Part Three click <a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers-part-3.html">here.</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> //</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454141002850544320.post-60220568042798604472017-04-04T22:24:00.000+05:302017-07-13T20:35:03.444+05:30Little Lessons My Dad Has Taught Me<br />
<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">How to shop</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Always use your gut feeling as a guide, Because if it doesn't instantly 'click' it isn't worth it,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Always remember to bargain, no matter the price.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to socialise </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Talk to everyone and anyone,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">From the guard at the gates,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To telling jokes to the shopkeeper inside,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Everyone has a story to tell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And a story worth hearing</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to garden</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Always trim the leaves a little,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Water regularly,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Add manure every month,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But most importantly- talk to them,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Tell them how well they're growing,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">How proud of them you are,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And how loved they are</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to spot shapes in clouds</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Find a curve nearest to the sun,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Close one eye,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Put your finger against it,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Draw across the rest of the cloud,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And then let your imagination do the magic</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FkbAA4MEnh0/WOPN9k3AqbI/AAAAAAAAcWI/o6HBueKocN4sdsOY8BaSd2QPVhBH23YjgCLcB/s320/IMG_20170404_221500.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of one of the first planes my dad flew</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to keep memories</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Click a picture of everything and anything,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Nothing is too little to matter,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Write it down,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As a poem, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A story, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Anything that keeps the moment alive,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">For years to come along</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9WRw4iSKz0/WOPOPf2dAGI/AAAAAAAAcWQ/jpbZ3WxHxI8vEcXbyQFe2238tPfX0wMVwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20170404_221735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9WRw4iSKz0/WOPOPf2dAGI/AAAAAAAAcWQ/jpbZ3WxHxI8vEcXbyQFe2238tPfX0wMVwCLcB/s320/IMG_20170404_221735.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad at 6 AM arranging flowers, making a mess </td></tr>
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://surmayikhatana.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-art-of-taking-care-of-flowers.html?m=1">How to Take Care of Flowers</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Find the prettiest vase in the house,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Cut the base of the stems,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Put them in fresh water everyday,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Pull out the dried petals,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Remember the person who gave them to you, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Everytime you see them in the day,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Pat your own head if they're a gift to yourself</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stb0TfVVxJ0/WOS8auIDQ-I/AAAAAAAAcW8/1VMJSVwj6JIA_8NRlzS3lsEmKHQtoPM8QCLcB/s1600/IMG_20170404_221619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stb0TfVVxJ0/WOS8auIDQ-I/AAAAAAAAcW8/1VMJSVwj6JIA_8NRlzS3lsEmKHQtoPM8QCLcB/s320/IMG_20170404_221619.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My plate from a breakfast buffet</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to eat a buffet</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Remember every buffet is an opportunity to decorate your plate,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Stay light on the appetizers,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Taste everything,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Don't be afraid to go for second servings (or even a hundredth)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Smile at everyone you see,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Because unlimited good food, music and cola,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Make life worth living </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Surmayi Khatanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089333479692572452noreply@blogger.com2