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Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Gut-Punch

Gut punches are for real, and we get to feel-

No matter what, we are here to learn to deal.

If we do not step in as students here,

The test will become tougher to bear.

Photo- Unsplash- Chsristopher Campbell

When the gut-punch comes, welcome it.

Welcome our teacher to teach us bit by bit.

See the signs, identify the patterns soon.

Understand that gut-punches are a boon!


Linking with Friday Writings#199

What do you feel? Gut-punches are chilling or make you chill?

Please share your comments below.

Sparkle To Her Eyes

He tried everything that he could do.

Everyone believed he was truly wise-

He took hints, trying to crack each clue.

How to bring that sparkle to her eyes?

Photo- Unsplash- Jamie Street

For him, this was a realm totally new!

He knew he would pay any price.


44 words for dVerse about Sparkle

Just light a sparkler and see the sparkle in your loved one's eyes!

Subha Diwali! Have a sparkling year ahead!

That Rainy Night

She was walking when it started raining heavily.

The street was deserted.

A green-coloured car stopped.

Throwing caution to the wind, she did not think twice before entering the car.

 

Photo Prompt- David Stewart

The car smelled like a forest.

They drove in silence on a dark road.

The driver stopped the car in a desolate place.

Thursday, 16 October 2025

Reminder and Expectation

What appears may or may not be true.

All that glitters isn't gold, we know.

But, we take what appears at face value.

The proof is what we're shown & show.

Wednesday, 15 October 2025

That Battle Within

There's always a fiery battle raging within-

Should we express what may be considered a sin?

Or keep quiet like the rest- why create a din?

Say nothing or share loudly- which will win?

Friday, 10 October 2025

Be My Guest


Be my guest to be my guest -

Mind your own business; don't be a pest!

Many do not know & I am still learning.

May we all get what we are yearning!

Source: Obstinate Headstrong

Thursday, 9 October 2025

I Am October

I am October - the tenth month of the year,

Reminding you that another new year is near!

Yes, round the corner, just two months after me!

Why think of endings; why not the journey?


Wednesday, 8 October 2025

The Door

Little Lily went to attend a meeting with her parents.

The venue was a historical building.


Visitors were admiring a wooden door.

Letters had been beautifully carved.

The language was not familiar.

The text was not legible.

There was a huge lock on the door.

Prompt- Roger Bultot

Super Supine

I thought I was "Super"; to prove I gave more.

My extra efforts always improved my great score.


I activated & advocated thinking I was doing just fine.

But, the adjective they used for me was "Supine".


37 words for the prompt- "Supine"

Linking with Weekend Writing Prompt#436

Source: BrainyQuote

Have you overheard demeaning things about yourself? How did you react?

When You Do Not Know

When you don't know what to do,

When you feel down and out,

When you just have no clue,

When you feel you have no clout...

QuoteFancy: Aristotle


Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Scared Poo and Boo

Poo walked into her new flat.

On her new sofa, she sat.

Poo sensed drama in the air,

A sharp "BOO" gave her a scare.


Monday, 6 October 2025

One Extra Moment

The winner persisted

One extra moment

Source: Unsplash - Gursimrat Ganda

6 words story

The Eldest Sibling

She had been told to take care; also, all the blame!

"You've called them, and to our home they came!"

She felt guilty for inviting so many across the seas!

She thought of herself as the stork that gets babies!

Source: Upslash- Robin Teng

Eat To Live

My mother often used to share wise persons' quotes.

One day, she posed the question- "Do we 'eat to live' or 'live to eat'?

When I feel like a glutton or ponder about what to cook or eat, or when I find some people discussing only about food full-time as though their lives depend on food, I am reminded of my mother.

She made sure we were always fed with hot home-cooked food, served with a lot of love and care, sometimes right from the flame to plate. My mother was a great cook.

Cooking and serving three meals a day for so many people, with a variety of dishes, and maintaining the taste and love is quite an effort. But, she multi-tasked, prepared, and served.

In those days, there were no food delivery apps. One had to physically visit a restaurant or joint to order and pick up the parcel. Even if there were, my mother would not have personally ordered. She always believed in her healthy and wholesome meal preparations, rather than outside food, on which we have no control. 

Which oil and how much quantity is used? How many extra spices? Has hygiene been maintained?

We lost our mother 13 years ago.

My father buys food more often these days. He says that he likes to get food from outside for a change of taste. But I secretly think that he does that so we don't have to cook. 


Thursday, 2 October 2025

The Young Architect

"Isn't that an unusual building?"

“Never seen anything like this!” the parents said.

 

Rasi, their teenage daughter, smiled triumphantly.

"I spent hours designing this unique building for the upcoming competition!" the young architect said.


Rasi had creatively and optimally used all the building-block plastic brick pieces of the "Young Architect" set.

Meaning Starts With Me

I set out searching for meaning,

Some felt it was demeaning!

Why should my search affect them?

I wasn't asking them to search my gem!

Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Amar, Akbar, Anthony

There were three guitars on stage at a national youth event.

Three strangers- Amar, Akbar, and Anthony- went for a performance.

Prompt- Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Amar sang his family’s song about his home.

Strangely, Akbar and Anthony also knew the same tune and lyrics!

Prompt- Sandra Crook

Friday, 19 September 2025

Flibbertigibbet

They had warned me to stay away,

Still, I told her all that I had to say.

Whatever happened next was wild news-

People soon knew me & my radical views!

Source: FB

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Tell Me Something Good

 And here we are busy with lots to do,

What we keep doing, many have no clue.

And those who know, decide to keep mum,

Not a tiny whisper or mention via eardrum!


Monday, 8 September 2025

What Is, Is

What is there, is there -

They're basking in the glory.

People see what they see,

Few know the true story.


Those who know need to care.

Those who've power can cope.

Those who care are rare.

May all forever have hope.



Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Small But Beautiful

They said it is too small,

They didn't value it at all.

I knew I didn't care a damn.

I had decided to be extra calm!


Why ask a layperson for advice?

Only the jeweller knows the price!

The precious stone is in the news.

Who cares for their silly views?

Source: Pexels - Goran Vrakela


Friday, 1 August 2025

Odisha GI Authorised User Camp By NHDC


Each year, on August 1st, we celebrate Sambalpuri Din and wear Sambalpuri Bandha, an iconic weave of Odisha that has the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and is also recognized by UNESCO.
The 13th Sambapuri Din i.e. Sambalpuri Day is being celebrated today.

It was a great honour to attend and address the GI Camp with Sambalpuri Bandha weavers three days ago, thanks to the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC).

Even shared about Sambalpuri Din in my presentation!

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

Be Wise And Maximise

Life is short, and that we know.

Time is now to know & grow.

Be 100% present & do not miss- 

All that is important & our wish.


Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Honestly Adopt Honesty

Being honest is such a balancing act,

It's like juggling by keeping all intact.

Because of the consequences in store,

The honest roads are tough to explore.

Honesty- Lao Tzu quote- A To Z Quotes

Honestly Yours

I called a spade a spade,

Shared what's on my mind;

They fought with me instead-

Asked me to be soft & kind!

Source: Etsy

Just Do It

Seeing the three words of this post, one gets reminded of a famous international brand that uses these words- "Just Do It" - as its tagline.

"It" refers to the work or task at hand.

Doing something means taking action. There is always a reason why we do or do not do something.

I saw a couple of quotes about work.

In the Bhagawad Gita, Shree Krishna states that one must just do one's duty and work, and not work for the sake of results.

Source: India.com

Friday, 13 June 2025

When It Is Time

Unlike a juice bottle or medicine pack,
Or a soap or rent agreement; we lack-
"Last/Use-by" date info on each human-
The date of expiry/death is not mentioned.

Source: Pexels

Saturday, 7 June 2025

Give Due Credit

They say it mustn't be discussed, it is "small";

Why demean yourself & speak about it at all?

Your crisis causes unease & discomfort to some!

Revealing secrets like these is NOT welcome!


It is small to speak up & say what you've done,

That's for others to acknowledge; why jump the gun?

But, if you've done great, do people give you the due?

Others stealing your thunder/credit is nothing new!


Saturday, 31 May 2025

Dear Cigarette Lover

When I see a group of youngsters & mostly men,

Huddled and smoking like there's no tomorrow,

I think- "What's up with this world & some citizens?"

Why are some being a cause of their family's sorrow?

Source: Pexels

Thursday, 29 May 2025

Saver To Investor

My parents inculcated the habit of saving and investing in me. 

I started with saving and putting money received in piggy-bank. 

But, then, they said- "Money should not be left idle. It needs to be made to work for us."

Whether it was opening a bank account, PPF account or investing in the Stock Market and Mutual Funds, I have been an active participant and will continue to be. 

There have been ups and downs in the global environment. I have seen and learned lessons. 

Time is the greatest teacher.

Source: Pexels

The Selfish Helper

She had to face challenges to fulfill self wish.

They had a problem & labelled her- SELFISH.

All she had done was to take some personal time-

They branded her a thief, heaping her with grime.



When she "used" her own time to do tasks for them,

All was well when she sported their "helper" emblem!

There was no issue when her time was spent this way.

But, selfish when she decided her time to have a say!

Source: Facebook

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

And She Took A Stand!

The marital bridge beckoned right in front.

She still mindfully chose to bear the brunt.

She took the tough road, under society's glare;

To again bridge the bridge, little did she care!

Source- Pexels

They advised her to go back with trust-

"Love, faith, & understanding are a must!"

"Cross the bridge, go with the flow & sacrifice."

"Smile & reconcile your duty & destiny & compromise."

The Handcrafted Box

It was quite an unusual message Bela received that morning.

First, she was shocked that the object in the image- a handcrafted box- was exactly what she had dreamt the night before!

Photo Prompt- Ted Strutz

Then, it was from an unknown masked number....

The sender knew her name and asked her to pick up the box.

Friday, 16 May 2025

Comfort Food

Many eat to live; some live to eat.

Access to food & eating is a treat.

For those who can afford it, it's good.

Some lucky ones have comfort food.

 

Like fuel for a vehicle, food is for the body.

Sharing food turns an enemy into a buddy!

Food is delicious & makes me ever so grateful,

I feel so fortunate & wealthy to eat till I'm full!

PC: Ioana ; Pexels

Thursday, 15 May 2025

Jagannath Dham - Puri Dham

Dham is a place of great religious and spiritual significance. Hinduism has four important pilgrimage sites that are called "Dhams."

Philosopher Adi Shankaracharya designated these four "Dhams" in the 8th Century. These four "Dhams" i.e. "Char Dham" are located in the four directions of India:

1. Puri - East

2. Dwarka - West

3. Badrinath - North

&

4. Rameswaram - South.

For over 1200 years, these Dhams have attracted pilgrims and devotees from far and wide. The "Dham" term is used with utmost reverence and honour, and historically and scripturally reserved for the ancient temples listed above.

Jagannath Dham - Image from X - @jagannathdhaam

Puri Dham is Jagannath Dham, one of the four Dham of India. For ages, Puri has been one of the holiest places, being the abode of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha. Shree Vishnu is Shree Jagannatha in the Kali Yuga.  Puri is mentioned in many ancient Puranas and texts like the Skanda Purana.

Odisha Tourism

Friday, 4 April 2025

Wife Jokes

Seeing the title of this post one may feel this is about a wife who jokes.

Rather, this post is about jokes about wives.

I feel sad each time I see wives being ridiculed. Most wives sacrifice their lives for their families. Being "housewives", they are married to the house.

Their husbands are "Pati Pareshwar" for them.

But, do they know what their so-called Gods are up to?

What do those husbands say or do behind their backs?

I came across this on X (Twitter)-

Source

I see a pretty wife dressed in a yellow saree.

What does the husband claim the AI sees?

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Drenched

Advik, a teenager, was missing.

Inspector Rimi checked his room.

Photo Prompt- Jennifer Pendergast

There was something about the Panda soft-toy there.

It seemed prominent like a majestic tree in the field.

Saturday, 15 March 2025

Netaji and Gumnami Baba

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a revolutionary Indian freedom fighter. 

Netaji was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack, Odisha, India. His birth day is celebrated as "Parakram Divas."

As per the official announcement, Netaji's death was in a fatal Japanese military air-crash in Taihoku, present-day Taiwan, on August 18, 1945. 

Netaji's ashes are still in Japan and as per this NDTV India news report, his family is planning to get that urn from the Buddhist Temple in Renkoji in Japan.

The same report states:

Reports of as many as 10 national and international enquiries probing Netaji's disappearance on that fateful day, now available in the national archives in New Delhi, have confirmed Bose's death at a hospital in the Japanese military airfield.

However, many do not believe that he died in the said air-crash.

Some state that there was no air-crash!

Others say that he survived the crash and came to Uttar Pradesh, India.

He lived as "Gumnami Baba" in his last days.

Source

Saturday, 1 March 2025

The Deal

Daisy badly wanted the cash.

The reward was high.

But, she didn't know what she was signing up for.

Photo Prompt- Rochelle Wisoff-Fields


All she had to do was take the stranger's place in the carpool by wearing the latter's expensive dress and carrying her leather bag.

Empathy For The World

I just realized that if we remove the two letters a and h from the word "Empathy," some letters remain, and the meaning of the word formed by those letters changes.

Eliminating some neighbouring letters (a and h) and bringing the next letters together (e, m, p, t, y), we have a different word- "Empty".

Contemplating this, one realizes this is indeed the case with "empathy" in this world.

Source: Pexels

Friday, 28 February 2025

The Blue Birds

She loved the wooden wall hanging in the knick-knacks shop.

She purchased it for her garden.

It was summer.

She thought of the two blue birds who often visited her garden.

They could make it their cozy home!


O! Keep Calm

O! Easy to shout when one is under stress & duress.

Buddha preached- "Conquer anger with calmness."

O! Is there such a need to raise your voice?

To be calm can be your conscious choice.

Source: eBay

Thursday, 27 February 2025

Mistaken Identity

I was speaking to a senior researcher some time ago, who discussed about a recent tragedy in our temple city.

The accused of the case is linked to the ruling party of another state as his father belongs to that party.

The researcher even named the persons- the son and the father.

I was not aware of the accused father's name or affiliation.

Hearing the name, I immediately searched on Google. I shared the information that I saw on screen- "MISIDENTIFIED."

The following are the first few results:


Monday, 24 February 2025

The Torch

"Which is better- the sun or the torch?"

Asked the little kid on that dark night.

"What do you feel? What do you say?"

I asked the kid to share what he felt right.

Source: Pexels

Friday, 21 February 2025

Young And Immature!

"You are young and immature!"

When I heard this, I wasn't very sure.

The words had been directed at me-

I was at the receiving end directly.


Should I accept the beliefs of that person?

They don't know; just have an impression!

Youth and immaturity go hand-in-hand?

Many feel this is the reality in our land!

Source: Pexels

Love Is Love

Love is love - just understand.

Love is love- always grand.

No need for roses or gifts,

Love is that which uplifts.

Source

Thursday, 20 February 2025

Content Creators Beware

They thought they were the darlings of the crowd.

They felt they could express their minds out aloud.

They thought all the votes & likes would gather!

They thought they were cool & smart in all weather!

Source: iStock

Wednesday, 19 February 2025

The Treasure Hunt

Amy was happy to see what she finally had in her hands.

It was the map that would help to solve all her problems.


Photo Prompt- Kent Bonham

It was exactly what she had dreamt!

She had simply followed all the instructions.

Identity Theft

In this digital age, there is extensive usage of technology. It comes with its own advantages and challenges too.

Identity theft is one such issue.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud.

Source: HDFC Bank mailer

People may misuse our name or other identification details and pretend to be us.

Sunday, 5 January 2025

The Final Sacrifice

Twenty years ago, a letter from a village in Himachal Pradesh arrived at the Ministry of Defence. The writer was a school teacher, and his request was as follows. 

He asked, "If possible, could my wife and I be granted permission to see the place where our only son died a heroic death in the Kargil war, on the day of his first death, his memorial day, on 07/07/2000? It's okay if you can't. If it is against national security, I will withdraw my application".




The Department Officer who read the letter, said, "It does not matter what the cost of their visit is, I will pay it from my salary, if the department is unwilling to and I will bring the teacher and his wife to the place where their only boy died" and he issued an order.