How to murder someone is an important thing to know.

I am thinking of ways of murdering people. People get away with murder. What kind of murder will I get away with? I was wondering. And asked a few friends too. They unfortunately could not give me a satisfactory answer. Either I have violent tendencies or a very keen curiosity about murders. 

It's a weird thing to admit. I want to make a list of ways of murdering people and getting away with it.  I hope I don't get arrested for writing this. But I do need to know how to murder people. For research. In case I want to write about  murders in the future. 

I wonder if someone has written a manual for it. 

Random Oneliner #5 

A walk in the rain is inspirational. And for the 1st time in this city I enjoyed getting wet. Drenched, to be precise. Maybe because I was walking alone. 

I do like the rain. 

New and old.

I have a brand new background. Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Samik. He is great with such stuff. Designing backgrounds, logos, painting. Even my header is done by him. He is this multi talented guy who can paint, sketch, sing, play the guitar, click great photographs AND write. It's overwhelming. It's as if he is good at whatever he does.

And ofcourse he is a great friend. He is always ready to help. Always. He is one of those people who do not think twice about helping other people. He will go out of his way to help anyone who needs it.

I wish we met more often. Had the time to. But we don't. That doesn't change the fact that I treasure him as a friend.

He is one of the purest souls you will meet. And he is one of the sweetest guy  I know. His simplicity is what makes him different. And I know he will stick to his ideals, no matter what. As a friend, he will stick by you, even if you don't. He is that kind of guy.

I want to thank you Samik; for your countless re-designs of my blog background, for all the logos you made for me, for all the ideas you suggested to me and for all the techie help you gave me. 




Update:   25.1. 2014 Samik has written a guest post for me. To read it, click here

More people needed. More words needed.

What happens when you become so attached to a character you create that you don't want to share it with the world? What happens when that fictional person is an anchor in your world of words?  A sort of sanctuary? Something that helps you believe you can create more. That you can be better. That no matter what happens, that baby step you took will always be there with you. To guide you through every step you take. 

I wanted to write Anushka's story since I was 14. That time I didn't have the skill or imagination or even intelligence to write it. I started writing it when I was 19; when I had finally decided that writing was my calling. I had by then realised that writing not just fun and games to me. I definitely wanted to be a published author.  After that I took it  very seriously. And started writing. College and studies came in between. But I wrote. I was not disciplined. Still I wrote. And on an impulse send it off to an nondescript publisher. They never got back to me. Rejection hurt me. But I saw where I was lacking. So I rewrote some portions. This time choosing my words even more carefully. 

When I was satisfied I showed it to a few friends. For the first time, someone other than me read it. ( I am not counting that publisher.) And they liked it. I was relieved. But this time, I am not ready to send it to publishers. I want to be ready. Soon. Pretty soon. 

I know I still have a lot to learn. But I also  know that I have it in me. Even if I am not 'there' yet. I know can  reach there. I just have to look back at Anushka, to be sure. 

The "When I finally get my own place" list

The list maker is back. I was bored of studying nutrition yesterday so I made a list of things I want  when I have my own place.

1. One wall will have a huge bookshelf. From one end to the other. And Agatha Christie, OHenry, Pablo Neruda, J.K Rowling, Paelo Coelho, Kahlil Gibran, Jacklyn Moriarty, Alexander McCall Smith will have pride of place on it

2. I will have a red wall. 

3. And a desk. 

4. And a softboard placed over my desk. I will stick a huge world map on it. To be wistful about places I want to visit and to mark the places I have been. 

5. I also want loads and loads of pens on my desk, ready to be used. So that I never run out of ink. I keep losing my pens.. I will buy the 3 rupee ones. So I can keep on buying them without feeling guilty. 

5. I want a small terrace. With a deck chair. To come up and look at the stars. To grow flowers. And for long glances at the moon. 

6. I will have a hammock. To laze around with a book.

7. I will have an espresso machine. For the instant caffeine high. 

8. I also want a landline with an answering machine. I always wanted one. Whenever I read about them I was fascinated. I want to record fun messages for callers. I have a list of funny answering machine messages, somewhere. 

9. I want a huge bed loads of pillows. I do love pillows. 

10. One of the walls will have framed photographs. To look at. And smile. I wish we had framed pictures at home. I already know which photographs I want framed. 


There will be other things in the house too. But for now, these are the things I really, really want. 

P.S: The Title of this post is inspired by a song by Aqualung. You can find the lyrics here

Z : Zestfully yours

Zest for life is important, I feel. It's a rare quality. Not everyone has the enthusiasm and excitement to lead life with full heart. And it's one of the qualities in a person that I admire. It's not easy to be cheerful and positive. It's not easy to not worry. It's not easy to just live. Like you are enjoying every minute of it. Very few people can do that. Really enjoy life. My mom can. A can.  And so can my friend Sayan. All three of them, are generally very happy people. They know how to live! They enjoy every moment. It's inspiring. 

My mother is enthusiastic about anything she takes up. Be it teaching, tatting or making stuff with beads

Sayan is so sure about the great future I will have that every time he says something good about me, I feel encouraged. He is generous with his compliments. And knows people well. His words are meant to praise and encourage. He does that with such elan. 

Even my mom is like that. She is a step further. She is the one who can see silver linings in any situation. Her words come like a ray of hope. It's as if she knows, that after the bad time the good time is  round the corner. As if it's peeking and waving at her. She says she is not worried about me. She says she knows I will do well. 

Because she has this enthusiasm for life, she is also generous. She is the kind of person who will never refuse to help you. Whoever you are. 

A has the ability to adjust to any situation. Which is on of the things I admire in him. He too always manages to find a way to be happy, satisfied. 

And so is Sayan. Content. Yet he knows he wants more. And  sure he will get it. Which is one of the best things about him. 

It's encouraging to have such people around you. It's nice to know that one can find happiness in the smallest of things. Like making a bracelet with beads. Or discussing what kind of life you want with a friend. Or telling someone not to worry. It helps, you know; to have people like them around. It's as if they know no other way. And that's how it should be, right? Enjoying  each day, as it comes. Living life like it's meant to be lived. 

Y: Yes, you know it

You know you're  a hostelite when...

• You believe that more detergent means cleaner clothes.

• You try to find ways of making the hostel food more interesting.

• You glow when you recieve a parcel from home.

• You would eat anything your mother cooks when you get back home.

• Going out to withdraw cash is an event.

• You start comparing prices of  everything you buy.

• Sleep is the biggest luxury of your life.

• A month before  going home, you start counting days.

• You need to 'shotgun' a bathroom every morning.

• You shift places to get the best network.

• All  phone conversations take place in the corridor.

• You periodically   borrow ketchup, pickle, maggi, earphones, shoes, clothes, laptops and everything else from anyone who is willing to share. 

• Your room is sacred. Your bed, even more so. 

You know you're a hostelite when you are a hostelite. Even though we crib, at the end of the day it's not that bad. 

Update: 5.2.2014 I have a guest post by Amateur at this on what you learn when you relocate to a new city and experience hostel life. It's a fun read on gaining independence and learning new things. Read it here  

X:Xcuses, Xcuses.

X-rated. No this post is not x-rated. But that's the first thing I thought with X. Then I thought of X-mas, and X-factor and XL.  And then X-men. I don't know what to write about with these words. I  also thought of X-ray. Honestly I have nothing to say about these things. So I decided to look up the net. Well, the result was that  I wasn't  inspired by the words I found.

I think I am going to end this post. There is no point. And oh if anyone likes scrabble and wants a list of words starting with X, here's the link


Any suggestions on what I could have written about? 

P.S: I promise I will do better tomorrow. There are only two letters left. Tough ones. Wish me luck. 

W: Wit and wisdom

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

Having knowledge is not enough. Reading and memorising and understanding thousands of books may be  one of  the key to intelligence. But  knowing where and when to use  that knowledge that makes a person  wise. 


What measures intelligence, though? I don't think I.Q tests and other psychological tests can measure intelligence accurately. 

Someone quite wise had once said that the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. I don't think that's true . Imagination cannot exist without knowledge.  Ignorance can never fertile ground for an imagination to grow.  I think it's a combination of both knowledge and imagination. What it knowledge if you can't use to well? If you can't create something worthwhile with it?

Wisdom apparently 'often requires control of one's emotional reactions'. I dont know about that as I am not paritcularly wise. Nor do I personally know anyone who  is wise at all times. But people around me do have what  they call 'moments of wisdom'. 

What do they mean when they say someone is wise beyond her years? What has age got to do with wisdom? Probably nothing. Except for the fact that age is supposed to bring with it the wisdom of experience. But sometimes it does not. And sometimes, even the young like us show wisdom; not expected from us. Sometimes that wisdom is discarded. 

One is not born wise. Wisdom is acquired. Likewise it can't be spotted easily. 

Intelligence on the other hand is more easily catagorised and pinned down. Psychologists claim it can be measured. I would rather it was not. Because intelligence is of different kinds. And should not be compared. 


Wit, on the other hand is a different thing altogether  I  admire anyone's ability to say funny yet clever remarks. Here too, knowledge plays a part. A  knowledgeable person will be able to play with words. Will be able to twist them  and use them to his advantage. Will be able to sound more knowledgeable than he is. And that is  a skill worth admiring. To be able to say what you want to and to be appreciated for it is an art. I would treasure it. 


But the person I would treasure the most is the one who has the knowledge and is willing to share  it. That's why teachers deserve all the respect and love they get and more. 

V: V-day

Valentines  Day is SO not my thing. Neither is candlelight  dinners and red roses. I am not into the conventional idea of  romance. I have never celebrated V-day. This year I tried to make other people's v-day special. By selling them chocolate. 

It's not as if I don't like romance. I love it. But I can't follow the herd. I find romance in letters and love-notes  and in books gifted to me by that someone special. Flowers wilt. Chocolates are eaten. One runs out of sweet nothings to whisper.

Knowing what the other person would drool for is romantic. If A would have ever bought me a "cute little teddy" I would accept it graciously but wish he knew me better. 

I find romance in laughing together. In singing stupid songs on the phone. In A coming up with the idea of giving adjectives for each other with all the letters of the alphabet. In listening to each other's crazy ideas. In accepting that A will rarely stay up late and chat. 

When I think of romance I think of poetry and beaches and the full moon. Or a lighthouse. Or looking at train schedules. Or  sudden 'boos' and mid day hellos on whatsapp. 

I am not the most romantic girl you come across. I don't like cheesy lines. I am not impressed by expensive gifts and meaning-less words. I enjoy watching all that in rom-coms. It looks good on screen. But what I want is different.  What my guy does for me should be done just for me and not because other guys do it for their partners. I am just lucky I have that kind of guy. I don't need Valentines day to celebrate romance. 

P.S: This post is dedicated to A as he came up with the idea for it. He is after all my idea-man. 

U: 100 words: Ultimate power

Ultimately she would have her way. He would be hers. He did not love her. But he would. Sooner or later. She had her charms. No man, had ever been able to resist her. And she knew that.

She wanted him. She knew he didn't love her. She wasn't sure if she did. But she was definitely attracted. No man had ignored her before. This man had dared to. Had the power to. She would strip him off this power.

He would fall hopelessly in love with her. And then, she would leave. Shredding his heart into pieces. Like always.

T:Today there is a change...

Today I ran down the stairs. I was not as fast as other people are but I did. It felt good.  I am going to run  down again  tomorrow. And the day after. And after that. 

It’s an everyday thing . Running down stairs. But I can’t. It’s not as if I have faulty limbs. Some of you know this already. I am scared of running down stairs. It’s a phobia. I am not exaggerating.  Whenever I have to run down stairs I get nervous and really scared. An uneasiness sets in.I can’t explain it. My feet refuse to listen to me. I just can’t run down. If I am in a hurry I hop. I never run. I have tried, before. And failed. I always end up hopping.

But today, I tried. And succeeded. Because I finally decided that I want to get over my phobia. Today I wanted to do something unexpected.  Actually, it’s not just about today. I want to stop doing what is expected. I don’t remember when I started doing that. I was never the sort to care about what others thought of me.  But now I do. I need to stop caring about people’s opinions once again. What others think of me is none of my business.

“The best of us must sometimes eat our words” Albus Dumbledore had once said. I am not the best but I think I have to eat my words. Which is okay. Who said that I can’t change my opinions? Who said I have to remain the same? I was scared of changing. Scared of eating my words. Because I had gotten scared of being judged. No more.

I want to run down stairs without feeling scared. Anyway, I  bang myself here and there ; every now and then and  trip over stuff on a regular basis. Why am I scared of falling then? What’s the utmost that will happen? I will fall and hurt myself and get a bruise or two. 

 I don’t want to be scared anymore. That’s  why I will run down the stairs everyday. And increase my speed, gradually. Until I can run as fast as everyone else can.

S: Spas and smells

Spas smell weird. I entered one near our hostel in the first month of shifting to Mumbai. A friend wanted to check it out. I could not stand inside, even for a minute.  I came out. I have an aversion to strong smells. Colognes that are too strong give me headaches and I can't enter a room that has been sprayed with perfume. I even had this phase when I felt like sneezing whenever I smelt something too strong. And spas are a mix of too many strong smells

And then I am not too much of a fan of massages either. I don't like  head massages and  I am not too sure if I am a fan of body massages. I know I don't like weird oily stuff on my body.   A spa is certainly not the place for me.

Talking of smells, I love the smell of coffee. It gives me such a high. It's not as good as actually drinking coffee but they say one is not supposed to drink so much coffee. So I make do with smelling it. 

Another smell I love is of the gandharaaj flower. I don't know what that flower is called in English. But it smells lovely. There was one tree, in the lane of our old house. When we shifted to our new place, that was one of the 1st things I missed. 

Old books smell great and so do babies. Ac rooms smell good. But I can't stay in them for long coz I feel cold. 

I don't like the way banana smells. Or the smell of ciggies in a closed room. Or oils. I don't like how coconut oil smells. Probably one of the reasons I hate oiling my hair. 

Smells are an interesting subject to explore. It's fascinating that certain smells uplift our mood and certain smells repel us. What a meal smells like affects its taste too. That's why it's important for food to smell good. And that's why people with a cold ( and a blocked nose) do not feel like eating. 

People say smelling lavender is beneficial. I bought  lavender incense sticks, recently. One of the weirdest things I have done on a whim. Specially because I used to be allergic to them. And yes, they do smell good. Don't know about the beneficial part. 

Since spas were created to provide us with a relaxing environment  spa owners should come up with customised options. Give me a spa which has my favourite smells. Without the massage and dim lighting part. Add in  a few books and play my favourite musicians on repeat and you've made my day.  

R: Randomly talking

Random Oneliner # 4: I hate being so dependent on facebook. I need facebook. To share and re-share cool articles and pictures promoting feminism. To keep in touch with my group. And most importantly to share links of my new blog posts. I hate needing facebook so much.  And I hate the fact that I love using it. And that I miss it when I don't log in.

Facebook is a habit I want to grow out of. Or maybe not. 

P. S - My Oneliners are never one liners and that's why I cannot tweet. 

Q : Queer turn of events

Queer. Interesting. Unpredictable. Memorable. Fun. 

Those are the adjectives I would use for today. We celebrated Traditional day at Sophia Polytechnic, today. We were therefore supposed to dress up in traditional wear. Most of us really made an effort to dress up. After giving a stupid test in the morning, we all hung around; some of us clicking pictures, some of us roaming around. At 1, the whole polytechnic assembled at the basketball court( or should I call it the temporary dance floor?) And danced like crazy. It was so much fun! At three, 5 of us left to watch Barfi. A lovely movie, no doubt.

But here comes the queer part. As soon as the movie got over, it started raining. Cats and dogs and bulls and cows. There was no way we could step out of the mall without being drenched. Three of us are  hostel-ites and  have a curfew and  had to reach our hostel soon. So we braved the rain and set out. And got drenched immediately  Now we had to look for a cab. Four- five cabbies refused us before one guy agreed to take us to our destination. 

We had a lot of traffic. And then the cabbie decided to drop us half way because the place was flooded. So we waded through water; not knowing where the footpath is; almost tripping. Holding hands, we walked through muck. Wondering whether to giggle or whine. Thank God, we reached our hostel in time. 

We rushed to the common room, kept dinner for ourselves and went for a shower. And now here I am. In the common room. Blogging. Surfing the net. Craving for a hot mug of coffee. 

Yes, It has been a day to remember. The day we dressed up, danced and got drenched. 

P: Preserve your memories

People have forgotten how to take photographs. Its now about how good a picture looks and is it upload-able on facebook. Its now about posing and giving the perfect smile and wondering if you are looking good. Its now about getting a great angle and sufficient light and the right background.

It was supposed to be about capturing memories. About giggling and everyone coming together for the "kodak moment".