A letter from 90 year old me..

Dear Saurav,

Hey! Its me. By me I mean you. You from a little over seventy years from the future. I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to you in order to give some advice. So buckle up and listen to this wise, ninety year old man.

I still remember it like yesterday. The young, almost twenty year old me, joining law college, constantly reminding myself that this time, it was about my career and not about grades. How I wish I could relive those days! But alas! I can’t. You on the other hand, still can.

First of all, let me tell you this: life will get increasingly challenging and difficult from here on out. There will be a lot of troubled times. Too many of them to mention them all in this letter. You will face failure again a few times. These failures might not hit you as hard as when you failed your board exam back in high school, as these won’t be that bad. However, they will scar you nonetheless. In the end however, you will manage to pull through.

Over the years, I have had too many regrets, and I would like to spare you from some of them. So listen well. First of all I would like to remind you to bond with your parents more. I know you are doing pretty well in this right now. Maintain that bond over the years. I had spent plenty of time with my parents, but now that I look back, it seems so little. I was so busy growing up that I forgot they were growing old. Spend as much time as you can with them. It will never be enough.

Secondly, keep loving and caring about your relatives. They are such great people. Always remember how much they mean to you. Your cousins are the siblings you never had. Never forget this. Somehow, over time, they mangaged to drift away from me a little. Don’t let them do it again in your lifetime.

Lastly, and most importantly, put in more effort to rebond with your friends from school and high school. This is crucial as it all started when I was almost twenty. Some of my fruends went abroad and some stayed, but all of them became distant over time. Friendships started rotating around free time instead of the other way around. Over the years, I managed to make really good new friends, and reconnected with some old friends too, but I lost some of them. At that time when the distant started to grow, I told myself thaf it was just life and growing up, and giving each other some space was an act of maturity. But right now I want to tell you, sometimes, its okay to be a little immature. I don’t want you to have the same regrets that I have.

Other than this, there isn’t much to say. We have managed to achieve most of our dreams. We managed to pull through some difficult times abd managed to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I am currently well off and have a loving caring family and loving grandchildren. No, I am not going to tell you whom you end up with, not even a hint. Live your life yourself. Follow your instincts. Take my advice to the heart. Other problems and challenges, you will be able to overcome them yourself. You will leave behind a legacy in your field of work.

One day you will be in my place. Till then, stay safe, work hard, hold your head high, grin towards the sky, and keep moving forward, you youthful idiot.

Yours,

Saurav

(If you like my posts, remember to like them, comment what you think, and follow my blog for more. You are also welcome to connect with me on other social sites. Stay awesome. 😊)

A letter to a younger me..

Dear Saurav,

How are you? You just joined high school, if I remember correctly. Can’t believe its already been over three years. It feels like it was just yesterday when I was sixteen. Oh, by the way, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I am you. Well, you from three years in the future, to be honest.

Life is going pretty well for you so far, isn’t it? Don’t worry it will go on the same way, maybe with a few bumps in between. I can’t tell you what is going to happen in your next three years. You have watched enough movies and read enough fiction to know why. Just know that there will be some difficult times, but there will be plenty of good times too. In the end, you will come out as a different person, but believe me when I say its for the better.

Right now its a new beginning for you. So make a lot of new friends and make memories with them. I know you can do it because I have already done it. Follow your instincts, they won’t let you down. Cherish every moment and spend time with your friends and family. Also, keep drawing. No, I am not talking about all those assignments that you do in your zoology practical. I am talking about all the other drawings and sketches you make. You will get better with time.

A lot of things will happen in St. Xavier’s. Its gonna be one hell of a roller coaster ride. Here is a little sneak peek for you. After you graduate from St. Xavier’s, you will enroll in that law college, the one you aimed to join way back in grade eight.

Ok, thats enough. No more spoilers. It will ruin the experience for you. Just feel it for yourself. Then maybe one day, you will end up being wise enough to write a letter to your younger self, just like me.

Stay safe and have fun.

Yours truly,

Saurav

A Love Story in the Bus

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”, a smooth voice asked.

Matilda looked up to see a young man, probably in his mid twenties, leaning towards the empty seat beside her. He was standing on the aisle, and was wearing light brown pants and a bright red sweater, that reminded her of a ripe apple. His blonde hair and shortly trimmed beard seemed to compliment the outfit he was wearing.

“May I seat here?”, he asked again. Matilda shook her head. No words came out of her mouth. She was dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of this young attractive man.

“Sure.”, she finally said.

He took the seat beside her. Soon after the bus started moving, with beautiful scenaries that could be viewed from the window. But Matilda found herself looking somewhere else. She could not take her eyes of this beautiful stranger seating beside her. Realizing this awkward situation, Matilda quickly looked away, diving into her smartphone. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get her mind to think about anything other than the stranger sitting beside her.

“Umm, excuse me. This bus is headed to Kathmandu, right?” he asked. Matilda could not believe it. He was headed to the same place as she was.

“Yes. Actually I am going to the same place.”, she replied.

“Really? Wow. Good to know.”, he nodded. “By the way, my name is Ryan.”

“Matilda.”, she replied, while shaking his outstretched hand.

They talked all the way in the bus. The more they talked, the more Matilda liked Ryan. They had a lot in common. They were both from England. Their food taste, their taste of music, their perception of things, everthing was alike. By the time they had got off the bus, they had become close friends.

“Ok, see you next time.”, Ryan said, before leaving for his hotel. Soon, that next time came. They had both returned back to London, and found out that they lived in the same neighborhood. When Matilda found this out, she was so glad she had added him on facebook and he had kept in touch with her.

They decided to meet at a small cafe in their neighborhood. It was their first date. Soon after, many dates followed. Matilda and Ryan naturally grew close to each other. It was perfect for Matilda. Ryan was the perfect guy for her. She was really happy with him. They always seemed to be on the same page about everything. Ofcourse, they quarreled sometimes, but they managed to stick together through thick and thin. Soon a year had passed.

Matilda had fallen madly in love with him. Finally, Ryan confessed that he felt the same way about her. One day, he took her to her favourite restaurant in all of London, and after they finished their dinner, he got down on his knees, produced a shiny ring from his pocket and proposed to her. It was the best moment of her life for Matilda. She could not believe this was actually happening. She looked deep into his light green eyes, and said Yes.

Alot of things happened, and after countless days of planning and congratulations from friends and other people she hardly knew, the big day finally arrived. It was Matilda’s wedding day. She walked down the aisle in her white dress, a veil covering her face. Ryan was standing there on the aisle, just like when he was standing at that aisle of the bus when they first met. Matilda stood there in front of the altar, facing her groom. It was the best day of her life. Ryan opened his mouth to say his vows.

“Last stop. Kathmandu. Last stop.”

The conductor’s announcement woke Matilda up from her sleep. She had dozed off in the bus, holding her smartphone. The stranger that sat beside her had already gotten off the bus at one of the countless bus stops they had passed. He had probably forgotten about her by now, and Matilda had dreamt about an entire relationship with him, while still in the bus. A love story in the bus, a love story that never began.

A Heaven for Me…

Hello there! Wait, were you expecting another story? Well, I will have to apologize, I thought I would try something different today. I guess you could call this a story, but its more of my imagination. Actually all of my fictional stories are imaginations. So you could call this a story too, I guess. I don’t know. The difference is that this is not based around an imaginary character, but rather the real me. So, sorry if I bore you, and without further delay, I would like to share with you (If you haven’t guessed it from the title by now) what my version of heaven would be like.

First of all, the heaven I am referring to is not one of those described in those religious texts or anything. Well, you could say the concept is similar, so to keep it simple, its a good place that I want to be in after I die and hell is the bad place. Good how? Well let me tell you. All the people I care about would be there and they would all get along and have a smile on their face. Friends, families, even the little Husky puppy that I never had, they would all be there. (It sounds like I am wishing for all my friends and family to die, but this is just an imagination. Besides, I am sending them all to heaven. So, its a fair deal I guess?)

When I was little, I wished to never see anyone I cared about die. That wish could never be granted, given the cycle of birth and death. As I grew older, I made a lot of friends, some closer and more precious than the others. I don’t know how much I matter to them (I don’t want to find out either.) but all of them mean alot to me. So, they would all be there in my heaven. Actually, I don’t want to see them die. So, I wish to die before them, and be there to welcome them into heaven. My family would be there too, and that’s obvious. (It is my heaven after all.)

But what if I don’t get my own heaven? What if I couldn’t be with them in heaven? What if they are all sent to hell? Then I would gladly go to hell and do my best to make them happy, as much as I could. What if only some of them were sent to hell? I would go visit them, as much as I could. And what if I alone was sent to hell? (Apparently, there’s a special seat for me booked in hell, called the throne.) Would I wish for them to be with me? Of course not. I don’t care if I have to be alone,  as long as I can see them smile. Honestly, being lonely scares me, but seeing the people I care about drowning in sadness, scares me a lot more.

So, a heaven for me, I imagine, is any place where the people I care about are happy and smiling, whether it involves me, or I am there just as a spectator. (I would prefer if it involved me, in all honesty.)

What if there is no life after death, you ask? What would happen to my heaven then? Well, if I am being completely honest with you, I have already experienced my heaven, whenever I am with the people I love, one moment at a time, and I wish to continue to do so, in whatever happens in my future.

Coffee Shop Love

Helena looked out of the window of the coffee shop. It was a beautiful evening, she thought, and the gentle sunlight illuminating her face seemed to agree with her. She took a sip of the black coffee she had ordered. The warmth of the coffee blended in perfectly with the warm sunlight, she felt so, as she put the white cup back on the table.

“Its just like that day.”, she said,”The day we first met, Peter.”

She took another sip of the coffee. It made her feel good, just like the memories of that day. Ten years ago, she was right here at this very coffee shop. Her friend had set her up for a blind date, to which she had reluctantly agreed. She was just twenty then, and little did she know that this date would change her life forever. She didn’t even want to go on this date. She had dressed casually, just like any other day, and hadn’t given much thought to how she looked, because she didn’t think it would be anything special. But the moment he walked in, she realised she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Helena took another sip of her coffee. “Oh, how amazing you looked that day!”, she said, as she recollected the memories of the stranger that walked into the coffee shop, the blind date she was waiting for. His hair was neither properly combed, nor was it a total mess, but it seemed to perfectly suit him. He was wearing blue denim pants and a red shirt, with a black jacket over it. He looked amazing, and it was then that she felt guilty for the way she looked. She was wearing black leggings, and a brown sweater thaf she thought was too big for her.

He had waved at her. She had raised her hand to wave back at him. Thats when she had remembered she had pulled the sleeves of her sweater to her finger tips, a silly habit of hers. She had quickly pulled her hand down, feeling embarrassed. He sat down in front of her, and they introduced themselves. He ordered for a simple black coffee, while she had ordered a mocha for herself. She had apologised for the mess she looked, and to this he had replied that he found it cute. It was at that moment she she had realised something. She was wearing glasses, and he probably needed a pair too. Secondly, she liked him, and probably he liked her too.

Helena brought herself to the present to drink her coffee again, and then she continued to remember the days that followed. They got closer after that, and there were more dates. Soon they fell in love and were a couple. They laughed, they cried, they loved, always together. The very next year, Peter had taken her back to this coffee shop, and after ordering his black coffee and her mocha like usual, got down on his knees and proposed her to marry him.

“It was the best day of my life.”, she said, as she took another sip.

They had gotten married a month later, and everything was fine. There were good times and hard times, but it was alright. They were happy together and their life was perfect. Their life got busy with jobs and family, but they came to this coffee shop at least once every year. It was the place where it had all begun afterall. It had become a sort of a tradition for them to come here together. A place of memories, to make more memories.

“Those were wonderful times, Peter.” Helena said, putting the empty cup down. She had finished the black coffee. She sat there, gazing out the window, her eyes set on the clear evening sky.

The shopowner took the young widow’s white cup away as she sat there gazing out the window. It had been seven years since Helena lost her husband, but she had upheld their tradition. She came to the coffee shop every year, and talked to herself, her life empty like the coffee cup.

The Little Boy’s Toy

The little boy stood outside the toy store. A bright red shirt, blue pants and shiny black boots. The toy in the store was indeed well dressed. Oh, how the little boy wanted that toy. How badly he wanted to play with it.. Probably nobody knew how he felt. He would play with it all the time and never let it go. He could see it clearly, how the toy was made for him. He closed his eyes and imagined his life with that toy. He opened his eyes. The temptation was too great. He moved his hand to grab the toy, but was stopped by the glass window.

For the first time he noticed the glass between him and the toy at the store. As he stared at this villain that blocked him from his toy, he noticed something else. He saw his reflection, a thin, little boy, wearing old,torn pants, a dirty white shirt and a jacket that was older than him. The toy had better clothes than him. He slowly moved away from the window, and his toy. No, it was not his toy, he reminded himself, and started running towards his house.

He stopped running after a couple of minutes. It was difficult to run in the snow with tattered shoes. His body had warmed up from running, which felt good in this cold weather. This warmth brought a sense of comfort to him, but there was still a bit of uneasiness left in his heart. He could not forget the toy. Oh, how badly he wanted that toy, and how happy he would be if his father bought it for him. It would have been the perfect gift. A gift, he knew, he would never get.

The little boy walked slowly towards his house. His father was a carpenter, and his earnings were little. He was the only source of income for the family. The little boy knew this. He knew his father did his best to bring smile to his face, while he himself had a hard time. The little boy understood all this, yet how happy he would be if his father got him that toy with the red shirt. But he knew that won’t happen.

The more he thought about the toy, the more he became angry at his father. “What a useless father,” he thought, “can’t even give me that toy.” As soon as he thought this, he reminded himself, “Its not father’s fault.”

He stopped outside his house, the smallest building in the town. His father had built it himself, and even if it was small, it was his home. He felt a little bit of happiness warming his heart. Still, he could not forget that toy at the toystore, the one he almost had. He took a deep breathe and walked into the house. To his surprise his father was home early, waiting for him with his mother.

“Where have you been?” his father asked, “I have been waiting for you.”

He tried to answer, but his father continued, “Here, I got something for you. I hope you like it.”, as he put something in his little hands.

As soon as the little boy saw what it was, he hugged his father tight. No words came out as he held the little wooden man his father had made in his hands. It was clumsily crafted, but for the little boy it was the most wonderful toy in the world, even better than the toy he saw at the toy store, because unlike all the other toys out there, this toy was his very own toy.

She left him, without saying goodbye

He loved her. She loved him back. They met in highschool, and soon became a couple, just like the other couples they knew.It was a beautiful adventure, which they both enjoyed. They made promises, big and small, which they intended to keep, for no force known to mankind could stop them, and in god they didn’t believe. They laughed, they cried, together, never feeling sad. But nothing lasts forever, and things soon became bad.

He loved her. She annoyed him a little, but he loved her still. He annoyed her too, but she still loved him to the fullest. They loved each other but the doubt had been planted. Soon it happened, they fought, they argued. They let their heart out. They spoke without holding back and they heard each other out. After hearing her out word for word, he couldn’t take it anymore. He got down on his knees and proposed. She accepted. What a crazy, twisted world.

They were soon to be married, their joy renewed. They had plans for the future, both long and short. He was happy and she was happy and everything seemed fine. But then she left him, without saying goodbye.

He was devastated, he didn’t know what he had done wrong. He searched for her everywhere, his beautiful future bride. But he couldn’t find her, or apologise for the things he didn’t know he had done. Life went on, he forgot how they were happy, how they planned the future. All he could remember was she left him, without saying goodbye.

The Last Snow (A 10 Minute Write-up)

The last snow flake touched her skin. It was cold. It was wet. She looked up to see the sun. It had emerged from the middle of the clouds. She could see the yellow circle, almost white, its brightness burning her eyes. The warmth from the sun was indeed warm and she could feel it. She smiled. A single drop of tear came out of her left eye and made its way down her cheek. She liked the sun but missed the snow. The cold, white snow. How she loved making snowman in the snow and how she liked playing in the snow with him. He was her brother, her closest friend. He never let her down. But he had been gone for five years and she didn’t know why. She had searched for him through heaven and hell and across the seas but could not find him. And today she stood in the park with the last snow flake melting on her cheek. She closed her eyes to feel the coldness of the snowflake. It was cold but it felt warm. 

She opened her eyes and across the park there he was, her brother standing there. He looked the same, except for the beard that he had grown. She wanted to ask him where he had gone, but no words came out of her mouth. He just looked at her and slowly walked towards her. He hugged her. It had been years but he still remembered it like it was yesterday. He glanced at her face but he couldn’t utter a word. She looked the same and he remembered how he missed her, how he had gone to the beach with her, how they made sand castles and how they laughed.