Love

There comes a time in most people's lives when their lives change completely with the arrival of one person. A time when all their thoughts begin to center around this person. They begin to experience a hitherto unknown ecstasy with the mere presence of that person in their lives. Twenty-four hours of the day, whether they are awake and conscious or sleeping and dreaming, they only worry about that one person. Just looking at the person smile, all their worries seem to vanish in a trice. They become aware of a deep emotion which they realize is none other than Love.

I too have experienced it in my life - not once but twice - when my two sons came into my life and gave me the best identity of all - that of a mother.

Yes, a mother's love is peppered with responsibility, duty, affection, frustration, anger, expectations and disappointments, but I can never imagine living my life without it.

This one's for my sons.

Day 24 of Blogathon 2017

Book Tag Time

1. E-book or Physical book?

Definitely, a physical book.

2. Paperback or Hardback?

Paperback.

3. Online or In-Store Book Shopping?

It's been ages since I have stepped into a bookstore. So, it's online shopping and sometimes, shopping in book exhibitions.

4. Trilogies or Series?

The only trilogy I have ever read is The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi. So, it would be series.

5. Heroes or Villains?

Heroines. Think Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Shirley, Heidi, Marian Halcombe, Hermoine Granger or Daenerys Targaryen.

6. A Book You Want Everyone To Read?

Hmm, maybe The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

7. Recommend an Underrated Author?

Have not heard of or read any underrated author.

8. The Last Book You Finished?

The Sixth Form at St Clare's by Enid Blyton. :)

9. Weirdest Thing You’ve Used as a Bookmark?

Probably my phone.

10. Used Books: Yes or No?

Rarely.

11. Top Three Favorite Genres?

Classics

Adventure/Mystery

Children's fiction

12. Borrow or Buy?

In the absence of a good lending library, always Buy.
On a side note, I think having a book lover for a spouse or family member makes gift giving so easy. One book as a gift and we are pleased as punch!

13. Character or Plot?

Character.

14. Long or Short Books?

Long...the longer, the better.

15. Name The First Three Books You Think Of

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Anne of Avonlea by L M Montgomery

Hound of the Baskervilles by A C Doyle

16. Books That Make You Laugh or Cry?

Laugh - Psmith in the City by P G Wodehouse
Cry - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

17. Our World or Fictional Worlds?

Fictional worlds, preferably the world of Anne Shirley. :)

18. Audiobooks: Yes or No?

Not heard any.

19. Do You Ever Judge a Book by its Cover?

Not the cover but the blurb.

20. Book to Movie or Book to TV Adaptations?

Book to TV Adaptations, especially Agatha Christie's Poirot and Jeremy Brett in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

21. A Movie or TV-Show You Preferred to its Book?

Probably, 3 Idiots compared to Five Point Someone. 

22. Series or Standalone’s?

Both. 

23. Book that you re-read?

All the classics, Harry Potter, Hercule Poirot, Enid Blyton's school series and Wodehouse.

Thank you, Balcony Sunrise, for tagging me. This was really fun.

Day 23 of Blogathon 2017

Taylor Swift

Have nothing to write about today...so posting a video of one of the most popular artists in the world today - Taylor Swift's 22.

Day 22 of Blogathon 2017

Run

Her t-shirt and track pants were completely soaked in sweat. Every part of her body was crying in pain. Her legs seemed to her to have become two pillars of lead. Each step that she took was marked with agony. She was no longer running. Not even jogging. It was just an excruciating walk - one step at a time.

It was not the physical pain that she was scared of. As several runners had told her in her practice runs, it was the mind which would play havoc. She realized that stark truth yet found it terribly hard to resist succumbing to it.

'They told me I couldn't complete the run. 21 kilometres. What was I thinking? I have not even done a 2k run before. How did I think it could be possible for me? My whole body is aching. I can't take another step. It's okay if I stop now. At least, I tried. I can't do it anymore. It would be so cool just to stop here and sit down and never get up again.'

She stopped in her tracks. Around her, she saw a couple of runners - some ahead of her, some behind - everyone battling their own demons in the last dangerous stretch of the half marathon.

Somehow, the sight of these runners gave her a strange feeling of strength and camaraderie. Each one ran for a different reason - fitness, health, passion, adventure, love. She had embarked on her maiden half marathon for a completely different reason - to reclaim her life.

'What? Why do you need to run? You are not fat.' 'Are you going to wake up so early to run outside? Who will take care of the house when you are gone?' 'Are you going to run in that dress? Can't you go walking like other ladies?' 'What will you get by running?'

She had no answers. All she knew was that she needed one chance to do something for herself, without thinking about her husband, her children or her in laws. One thing that she could call her own. Her friend had pushed her to join in a run one fine Sunday morning. After the run, she was exhilarated by the feeling of freedom - freedom from responsibilities, from expectations, from priorities, from deadlines and from the endless monologue in her own head.

She had practised hard for three months and now, she realized she couldn't give up. 'This is for me.' It had been ages since she had spoken those words, without a tinge of guilt, even to herself. She summoned the last ounce of strength and will that remained in her and took one more step towards the finish line.

Day 21 of Blogathon 2017

My Favourite Short Story

Short stories are not my favourite form of fiction. However, when I was in school, there was one short story I read which remains fresh in my mind even after so many years (pun unintended). That story is After Twenty Years by O Henry. Known for his surprise endings, O Henry weaves a tale of friendship, duty and heartbreak.
If you haven't read it, you can read it here.

Day 20 of Blogathon 2017

Intro to Introverts

You know you are an introvert when -

In school you are reluctant to raise your hand even when you know the answer

When you are younger, you beat it to your room as soon as guests come to your house

You smile courteously, talk in monosyllabes and nod your head when forced to interact with said guests

You can count the number of close friends you have on one hand

You will find every excuse to skip a party, get-together or function, especially when invited by acquaintances

If all excuses fail, you will make it a point to reach the venue of a function early so that you are spared the horror of making a late entry and finding all eyes on you

You immediately seek your pals or cronies or buddies in a party and stay miles away from the stage

You will spend the best part of a party avoiding others and can only manage a weak smile when some acquaintance or relative spies you lurking in the back rows

You get mortified when everyone in a  party breaks into a dance and expects you to join them

You learn unique ways of escaping situations where you are expected to lead

You are ready to work in the background rather than being in the limelight

You get acutely embarrassed even by the slightest gaffe or faux pas you make

You can write better than you can speak

You can never talk nineteen to the dozen with anyone, except maybe your closest friends or family

You are a confident person but are just not interested in showing it to everyone

You love reading books because there can be no better sign that you are not interested in having a conversation

You love your 'me' time and solitude is one of your greatest companions

You learn to behave like a mild extrovert as you grow up and

You smile when people don't believe when you say that you are an introvert

Day 19 of Blogathon 2017

Nostalgia - Part 2

If you have read my previous posts about my personal life, you would have observed that I'm a sucker for nostalgia. This post is again dedicated to music from the 90s. This time, it is Canadian singer-songwriter, Bryan Adams, whose songs were a part of my growing-up years. Though my favourites include 'Summer of '69', 'Everything I do', 'Cloud Number Nine' and 'Have You Ever Really', today I am going to post his song, '18 'til I die', the lyrics of which are apt for any day - so why not today?

Day 18 of Blogathon 2017