Princess : More Tears to Cry

Hey guys !

Guess what ??? I finally found time to get back to blogging after giving up on becoming a full-time binge-watcher today 😅 
"Princess : More Tears to Cry" is a book that moved my heart with its raw and compelling depiction of women's lives in Saudi Arabia.

The book is about Princess Sultana, a Saudi royal who fights for women's rights. We are dropped into a world where women are often treated as commodities, with their lives being controlled by male relatives - fathers, brothers or husbands. We get to know the story of a young girl married off to an elderly man. Her fate is sealed, not by her own will but by the decision of her male relatives. This is a testament to the deep-rooted patriarchy that denies women the right over their own lives and bodies. Guardianship system in Saudi inhibits a woman's ability to make independent decisions....ranging from traveling to seeking medical care.

Sasson also throws light on the daily struggle women face in accessing basic rights and services in Saudi. Education and employment, which are taken for granted in many parts of the world remain battlegrounds for Saudi women. There is this story of a woman who studies secretly to become a doctor, risking severe punishment if discovered. What I loved the most about this book is how Sasson shines the spotlight on these courageous women who defy norms for self-improvement and independence despite societal backlash and legal hurdles :)

"Princess: More Tears to Cry" is a strong reminder of the ongoing fight for women's rights and the need for worldwide support. Though there has been progress, achieving equality is still a tough and long journey !

 

The power of her unspoken words

Her flaw, it’s true, she won’t always admit,

When wrong steps are taken, or when she slips a bit.

But she’s been learning, slow and steady,

Ready to change, to grow when she’s ready.

He’s blind to her strength, her fire, her fight,

Blaming her always, claiming it’s his right,

She never once mentioned the flaws that he hid,

The anger, the ego, the things that he did.

Self-respect knocked, she answered at last,

This time she stood tall, no longer her past.

She let him go, though it tore her apart,

Still hoping he’d come with an open heart.

A simple “sorry,” a tender plea,

Could bring back what was meant to be.

But silence fell, no hand reached through,

And she learned none of it was true.

Code Red

Saru and her friends usually go for a walk around the office campus after lunch every day. It’s the best way for them to unwind a bit, stretch their legs and talk about everything but work.

One particular day, they got down the lift and were heading towards the track when Saru heard her friend Shiv shout, "Why are you walking like a snail? Keep up with us !"

Normally, Saru would sync her pace with theirs without any difficulty. But today was a completely different story. She simply couldn't keep up....no matter how hard she tried ! It was the second day of her period, and she was running on fumes ! Day one is tough, day three is manageable, but day two? It's brutal. Her whole body ached. She was battling endless cramps, heavy and tender breasts, sharp pain in her pubic area, hips, and thighs - Saru felt like her body was waging a war against her !

Her friend Soha, noticed her struggle and jumped in, "She’s on her period. That’s probably why she isn’t able to walk as fast."

Shiv turned towards Saru and said, "Come on, it’s a monthly ritual, right? You still haven’t gotten used to it? It's just a period....I think you're over reacting....You're struggling like this because you’re probably too weak. Now, come on, walk faster."

His words made Saru's face turn red with anger. She marched up to him, barely able to contain her frustration, and said, "No uterus, no opinion. Unless you've had to deal with period pain, you don't get to have a say. It's not just a monthly ritual or a small inconvenience. It is serious pain. Try bleeding and cramping every month and you'll realise that it's not as easy as you think. Your perspective lacks depth and experience....You need to grow up !"

A message to men from Aunt Flo: 

If you belong to the sect of men who think women overreact when I visit them: it’s time to educate yourselves and show some empathy. Menstrual pain is not a trivial matter....It can be excruciating. Dismissing it as weakness is not only insensitive but also ignorant.

Respect the experiences that women go through. Understand that what may seem routine to you is a significant and painful part of their lives. 

Can y'all be a little empathetic to women when they are riding the cotton pony ? It's not an unreasonable request after all !

A four-lettered force

Hey guys !

I know that my blogposts are usually in the bottom of your priority list but at times, its good to keep up the facade and pretend like it's your top priority 😛

Here's Yeti signing into June on a high note with this post !

A FOUR-LETTERED FORCE

It cannot be explained by any theory because it doesn't have a definitive or a distinct meaning.  

A force that is so much stronger than the nuclear force that it’s effects are permanent and can haunt one for a lifetime.

Not exactly an attractive force, but includes an unexplainable desirability that goes beyond words.

Could be a magnetic force given it attracts two hearts.

Not exactly an electrical force as it cannot be confined to the theory that opposites attract and likes repel.

It may be perceived as a frictional force, but it doesn’t involve any roughness; it's only kindness !

A magical force, yet it is not so uncommon... you'd find it everywhere you turn around !

It is a force that is independent of distance, time and anything that can be measured. 

The force that drives the universe,

The force that keeps the world going,

Love - the force that lies inside each of us !

All eyes on Rafah

I penned this poem in the midst of Russia's attack on Ukraine. With Israel striking Gaza once again, it felt appropriate to share it now. 

Here it goes...

We know naught of sweet dreams,

We know naught of love,

All we know, is of nightmares,

And the war-stricken air above.

We know naught of rain,

We know naught of sunshine,

All we know, is of pain,

And hunger with no food to dine.

We see no roof,

We see no light,

All we see, is proof,

Or our sinister plight.

Rubbles are now our toys,

And cement, our make up,

Bereaved children go mad,

On losing their mum and dad.

Once a country,

Now no boundary.

Oh god ! can't you see past the distant blue ?

Or these men have bombed you too ?

All we crave, is a breath of fresh air,

Is that really unfair ?

My heart goes out to people whose lives have been cut short by war....If only there was a way to protect them from such cruelty :) 

A song that hit hard

A monday with no meetings and pressing tasks ! Looks like the universe has granted me the gift of time. And what better way to spend it than playing a snippet in my veena or indulging in a bit of writing ?

My day began like any other….morning rush, a heap of mails, and the never-ending torment of having to extract stress loads. But as the clock struck 4:30, my father appeared like a torch-bearer of freedom to pick me up from work.

As I cozied up into the passenger seat of my dad's car, my mind delved into The Bretton Woods Agreement, a topic that had stirred my interest this morning and I resorted to reading more about it in Investopedia. I found my attention go astray when I heard the cheerful voice of “ullooru Narayana vandhitaaru” in Radiocity 98.3….It was a segment that I totally loved, a perfect concoction of humour and astrology !

Attempting to multitask between reading and listening proved to be a challenge. "Don't multitask….You aren’t good at it" my father taunted, "either read or listen to the FM." Now, anyone who knows me well would easily guess which option I chose.

As we made our way through the Maduravoyal Bypass, the FM treated us to "Karai Vandha Pirage," a classic from the movie '96.  I've never been a fan of 96. Not that it's a bad movie….I just couldn't connect with it like the rest of the world did. So, when the song began playing, I was prepared to dismiss it, like I always would but I couldn’t….I simply couldn’t and I rather found myself strangely drawn to the song.

Tamil isn't my strongest forte….so, every time I listened to this song, it felt like I was discovering something new. Especially the first two lines: "Karai vandha pirage, pidikidhu kadalai, nirai vandha pirage, puriyudhu ulagai." They spoke to me in a way I would've never expected.

But there was a snag….the word "nirai” in second line left me scratching my head. Thankfully, a quick search on Google revealed its essence: "you end up liking the ocean once you reach the shore; you start understanding the world once your hair turns grey." And just like that, the song gave me a whole new perspective.

As the song continued, I found myself not just enjoying the music but also trying to decipher the meaning behind each lyric…My friend had told me to give this song a chance and I’m totally grateful for that nudge….Here’s to opening up to music outside of my usual taste !

Now….If you haven’t listened to this song yet, it’s time to stop doing what you're doing and treat your ears !

P.S. As I was listening to this track, I realised that songs have a way of reminding us of people who introduce them to us. It's like they are with us, even when they are not :)

Stay !

Hey guys,

I woke up to a throbbing migraine this morning and called in sick. Slept like a dead log till afternoon and I finally feel a lot better !

Today marks the end of the #NaPoWriMo and I was really keen on writing something.

Back in the end of March, I promised myself that I'd write everyday this month but come on, when have I ever managed to stick on to promises like that 😅

Thanks to FSP2Z being a schedule driven project and the unrealistic deadline set for the IFC package of piling contract, I found myself always pressing for time. Nevertheless, I resorted to writing atleast once a week.

Okay, That's enough ranting from my end...Don't hit the close button without reading the poem now !

Here it goes... Presenting to y'all today's poem "STAY" (Remember when young Murph tells Cooper to "stay" in interstellar ? - It's the same emotion here as well) 

Stay,

For I know this wouldn't last,

You and I, would be a dream,

And the dream would fade,

When night meets the day.

Hold on to me,

Like the leaves on a flimsy branch,

Dangling to the tunes,

Of the distant wind.

Cos anytime now we'd have to part,

And when the time comes,

You'd be gone.

Our dreams would be washed,

But hey, this moment, where you and I,

Keep stealing glances,

Between silent conversations,

Would be etched in our hearts,

Till the end of time !

So....Stay,

Stay with me and let us be.

P.S: Just because I write stuff, doesn't mean I sail through it. A writer can also draw inspiration from other people...So, don't flood my WhatsApp chat window with messages like 'Oooooooh....you finally found the love of your life, is it ?" 

And goodbye for now....pip pip !

A Heartfelt Gesture

In a world where the pace of life often leaves little room for genuine human connection, it's heartening to come across stories that remind us of kindness that exists among us. Today, I want to share one such story that reaffirmed my belief in the goodness of people.

It all began on a typical day, much like any other. My friend offered me a ride to work. Grateful for the convenience, I accepted without a second thought, little realizing that this simple gesture would soon unfold into something extraordinary.

As we navigated through the morning traffic, conversation flowed effortlessly between us, punctuated by shared laughter and the sound of melody streaming through the car’s speaker. It was a pleasant start to the day, filled with warmth.

As we reached the familiar sight of our workplace, my friend pulled in his car so I could step out. I hastily stepped out of the car because of the commotion induced by persistent honking of another car that was right behind us. 

I got off the car in a flustered state of mind and just as the door clicked shut behind me, a realization dawned—my phone, my lifeline to the world, was still nestled on the dashboard of my friend's car.

Panic surged through me like a tidal wave as I frantically searched for ways to contact him. With each failed attempt to reach him, my anxiety mounted, threatening to overwhelm me.

Desperate for a solution, I retreated to the familiar sanctuary of my desk, fingers trembling as I navigated to his Instagram profile over web, hoping against hope that he would see my message.

Little did I know that my friend had embarked on his own mission to get my phone back to me. He had been trying to reach me through WhatsApp with the hope that I would check WhatsApp Web.

Given I couldn’t log on to WhatsApp web without my phone, his messages didn’t reach me and with no option left, he decided to hand over the phone to me in person. The building's security, wary of unfamiliar faces, hesitated to let him in. Yet, he persisted, his conviction unshaken as he tried his best to get my phone back to me.

Having lost hopes of hearing back from him in Instagram, I was pondering over other ways to reach out to him when a sudden ring from my desk phone jolted me back to the present - It was a call from the security desk. With a racing heart, I answered the phone, bracing myself for what I might hear.

"Hello?" I said, my voice tinged with a mix of apprehension and anticipation.

"Hi, this is the security desk," came the calm voice on the other end of the line. "We have a gentleman waiting outside. He says he has your phone. Could you please come to collect it ?"

Relief flooded over me like a wave crashing onto the shore. I hurriedly made my way to the entrance of the building, guilty of having caused so much trouble to him.

As I stepped outside, I saw my friend waiting patiently - he had his phone pressed close to his ear, engaged in what appeared to be an important phone call. Despite this, he glanced up briefly, a reassuring smile lighting up his face as he signaled me to grab my phone.

The fact that he made a selfless decision to come all the way from his office in Chennai’s sweltering summer heat despite having a meeting on his schedule, touched my heart in ways words can't express.

As I returned to my desk, with my phone in hand, I couldn't help but wonder about the lengths to which people would go to ensure someone’s well-being and happiness :)

A quote

My eyes strained as they darted back and forth between piping isometrics and the endless rows of numbers on the spreadsheet. Extracting stress loads from the piping restraint summary was proving to be more daunting than I had anticipated. My brain was on the brink of a meltdown and every piping iso seemed to blur into a nonsensical whirl....Quite literally !

I casually checked the time on my computer and it was already ten past four, which is our usual break time...With a swift click, I pinged my friends over teams and hit windows + L. 

As we were waiting on our order for butter croissant and chocolate twister from Tryst, we resorted to lamenting about the never-ending tasks that lay ahead of us. 

The order finally arrived and as we dived into it like we were competing in the olympics of snacking, my friend asked me,

It is hard to write poems, isn’t it?

I smiled;

For I knew,

That poetry can never be forced,

They just flow,

In the course of life,

With the depth of feelings.

In response, I quoted the following lines that I read a while ago....

Poems aren’t hard to write, 

But the hardest poem is the one, 

That is written inspite of knowing

That it will never be read.

As I finished quoting that line, she appeared just as affected by the significance of those words as I was. She was about to ask if I had written one such poem when I cut her short saying it was 4.25pm already and we had only 5 minutes to make it to the meeting on time. We headed back to the lift lobby to retreat to our desks, ready to take up what was in store for the remainder of the day !

Crash to Courage

Thanks to NHAI and its poor maintenance of roads, I met with an accident that left me hospitalized, grappling with pain and uncertainty. Despite the hefty toll deducted from FASTag account of commuters, there are still highways that are akin to a lunar landscape with potholes that resemble moon's craters :)

                 

The accident inflicted a dual toll, as I dealt with physical pain of injuries coupled with lingering mental trauma. Each step towards recovery was a delicate balance between healing the body and soothing the mind....While medication worked its magic on my body, my mind remained restless with no outlet. That's when I retreated to writing, using it as a tool to divert my attention and find mental relief. 

Presenting to y'all one such snippet I penned down while I was resting on my hospital bed ! 

Broken visor, sirens wail,

Memories flash, like a trail.

Visuals of the street block,

Haunt me round the clock.

Yet hope flickers, a distant spark,

Guiding me through this dark.

Mumma was around, her warmth was near,

Papa's healing words, wiped every tear.

I realised it was just the shock,

That I'd have to come out of like a rock.

With every passing day, I find my way,

Amidst the chaos, come what may.