Audeamus

"We stopped checking for monsters under our bed when we realized they were inside of us" When we are young, we blame the dark, the unknown, the frightful for all of our fears. At night, we close each door, carefully cover our toes with the blanket and keep a guard up for those monsters. We hold on to all the remaining strands of courage, when we have to be brave for someone else. And then? A day comes when we  realize  that it isn't those monsters that we are afraid of anymore. Then we grow up. We call it a fair world, we speak about karma , the circle of life, and we are reassured. We think that we have hope, and we cling on to it, ignoring every negative news report and well, we no longer care about the darkness at night. Why? Because, we know that nothing would be darker than the deep seated fear that we now have. Fear of the fellow man, fear of the demon hiding in him, fear of the demon suppressed inside yourself. If it is a fair world then why is it tha...

It’s a cold Saturday evening, I’d say cool, but cold had it not been for this warm woolen jacket that I’m wearing.The room smells of vanilla, while ‘It’s a wonderful life’ is playing on the television. I can’t seem to remember the sources of both the fragrance and the film. How is the movie even on television? Hadn’t I just watched it in a theatre, the day before?  As I make a futile attempt to join pieces of my memory, somebody knocks on the door. I walk to the door, switching the television off, but find myself staring at the doorknob instead. Knock. Then, I quietly open the door. I find a man in haggard attire, maybe in his late forties, standing outside, with some magazines and a laptop in his hands and a badge, saying ‘VISITOR’ around his neck. He cheerfully smiles at me and the expression on his face clearly demands one in return. “May I know who you are?” I ask courteously. “I’ve got some stories for you.” He replies, without the slightest offence taken and ca...

Diwali, the festival of lights. They say this is the day Lord Ram returned to his abode and entire Ayodhya was lit with diyas , to symbolize the brightness and hope rekindled in everyone's heart. Well, that is what they say. As a routine, almost every person purchases diyas , paints them, and then sets them around the house. Every family has their own set of poojas and God is not left out of this auspicious celebration. We buy lanterns, hang them outside our windows and make sure they glow bright. We shop for sweets and gifts, distribute them amongst our family and friends. None of the aforementioned descriptions of Diwali have anything to do with the day itself. We say that we do it in remembrance of the people of Ayodhya and their king, but mainly for ourselves. We all need that little break, from routine, from life. So we use festivals as our personal excuse. A lot of asking around made me realize this : there two kinds of people; people who celebrate festivals be...