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Summarizing 2024 in 6S's with #BlogchatterWrapParty

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I can't believe we are wrapping up the year 2024 in just a few days. Summarizing the year in just 6 words is quite challenging for me, as it is the most cherished year worth remembering after a long time. Still, I will fit the happenings in 6 words and elaborate further.  6 S's of 2024 1. Self-Acceptance:   I had issues accepting things the way they were most of my life. This brought about a lot of unhappiness and dissatisfaction that almost drove me to the verge of depression. This year has been a year of acceptance for me. Earlier, I used to overthink other people's actions and reactions and often reacted impulsively to control the situation. However, this year, I have tried to accept things and people as they are without influencing the outcome. Having said so, of course, this is not from the point of view of hopelessness, but now I accept that not everyone will be on the same page as mine. Some people will differ from my ideas and ways, even my near and dear ones....

Only Hope, It Is!

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I was looking at the broken mirror in front of me. "Where am I? Is it my bedroom?" The painting on the wall was lying on the floor; its broken glasses were scattered all over. A part of the wall had become hollow, revealing the corridor from the other side. A massive pile from the ceiling was hanging and blocking my bedroom door. "What happened when I was sleeping? Is it a nightmare, or was there a bomb, or maybe an earthquake!" I had no idea. Somehow, I returned to my senses and went to the corridor from the hollow on the wall. The living room had turned into a pile of bricks and dust. The sofa set, TV, and wooden furniture- all I had collected over the years with passion- all turned to dust. There was no door to the exit. I could see the outside massacre. The neighbourhood houses had also faced the same fate. I came out to witness a destruction similar to what I had seen after the Atom bomb explosion in pictures. There was not a single soul in that place where, un...

My Top 8 Ethnic Fashion Moments from 2024

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This year, I have been focused mainly on Ethnic Wear. There are a few georgette sarees lying around in my wardrobe which I hardly wear. So I decided to make dresses out of those for me and my daughter. Also, this year, I paid attention to the fabric of my clothes. I love wearing silk mostly, and this year, I incorporated the maximum amount of silk in my outfits. Here are a few Ethnic wear I have worn on various occasions for the year. 1. Yellow Silk Kurta with Green Banarasi Silk Dupatta Now, yellow is not one of my favourite hues, as it mostly reminds me of taxis. But I could not resist picking up this beautiful yellow Silk Kurta for Durga Puja celebrations this year.  I combined a green Banarasi Silk dupatta with Golden Motif work and selected a green satin churidar to match the kurta. I accessorized it with a Green ethnic sling bag, antique gold sequinned Jutis and green Jhumkas and a neckpiece of studded green stones. 2. Dusty Lavender Silk Kurta-Palazzo Set with Deep Purple Ba...

The Lost Lalis

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Her rough brown hair was entangled with strands of dry hay as she had been lying on a pile. She looked at me with curious eyes. She was wearing a shabby frock, quite unlikely for a woman her age. I had never seen someone like her in my family before; she was so different. I was told that she was my aunt from my mother's side (a distant relative). She smiled at me like a child and extended her right hand, where she was holding something. She gave me a small glass marble as I forwarded my hand. As I had been taught by my elders, I replied with a smiling "Thank you" to her. She giggled like a child and went away happily. I was 5, and that was my first memory of Lali Masi. I had been to their house occasionally after that whenever we visited my grandmother, who lived a few blocks away. I used to meet her sisters at various functions, but she was never there. I still remember once, when I was about 10, I went to their house, and she held a small goat in her hand. As I approach...

Light Comedies, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Top 5 of His Light Comedy Films

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Light Comedy Films Comedy Films have been appreciated a lot by audiences, of late. While most of these films were Horror Comedies, some were Slapsticks and Light Comedies. In modern times, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani's films like PK , 3 Idiots and the Munnabhai Franchise can be rightly described as the best of modern light comedy films. Light comedy films are those works of play that present the subject of its content in a lighthearted and amusing way, often characterized by delicacy and wit.  Hrishikesh Mukherjee If we go back in time, Hrishikesh Mukherjee was the first filmmaker to come to mind while talking about light comedy films. While the ace director gave us numerous emotional drama films like Anand, Abhiman, and Namak Haraam, his Light Comedy Films set a benchmark in the entire comedy genre. His signature style was the Middle Cinema, where amongst the tiringly loud thuds of Action Films and the somewhat too realistically presented Art-House films came the tale of regular mid...

P. S. I Only Love You #BlogChatterBlogHop

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Finally, it's raining movies on Blogchatter, courtesy of this week's #BlogchatterBlogHop theme of rewriting the ending of a book or movie. Being a cinephile, my preference would obviously bend towards film, but being a newby bibliophile (not sure if I qualify to call myself one), how can I leave a book behind. So, contrary to the topic, I chose a film adapted from a Best-Seller book of our times. The book/film is P.S. I Love You and instead of the ending I would have written the beginning. I had watched the film at the time of its release, cried a river and thought of reading the book, and again cried an ocean. The debut novel by Irish writer Cecelia Ahem was published in 2004, 3 years before the film, directed by Richard LaGravenese ( Bridges of Madison County fame), was released in 2007. Humming alongside Mary Hopkin's hauntingly beautiful voice, I can only say, t hose were the days, my friend,  when this serious, almost grumpy mom (ahem, ahem) used to be a die-hard roman...

A Silent Love Story

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This visit to Kolkata was after almost a decade. The last time I came here was before I moved to Hyderabad. My parents visit us every year. But I did not get a chance to see the city. This time, I made a point to spend at least a fortnight in the town and re-explore it the way I used to do back during my student days. The first thing I did was to catch up with my friends. Although we were in touch via social media, I longed to see and spend time with them. I called my best friend from college, Ujjaini, so we could catch up over lunch someday. She was a busy mama now, spending most days after her son and family. I laughed at how she spoke to me over the phone, hurrying and scolding his son between our conversations. What had happened to that kind girl who used to visit NGOs, taught special kids in her spare time and was the first to organize any charity for a serious cause? And despite that busy schedule, she used to make time for her friends, especially me, during my thick or thin. Con...