Miss Bhawooq ©

Add caption I saw her the first time in 4th grade. She was praying but it felt as if my prayers have been answered. I had not noticed her before. I realised she was new in class. A transfer case.  Every day when everybody was enjoying recess time, she used to be in class praying. One day I gathered courage and brought her a samosa of Rs 5, for me, it was the best utilization of my pocket money. She nodded and smiled and said: thank you but I have kept Roza. I asked her name, she said Rehmat and at that moment the world stopped. I could hear music in my ears. Her name seemed like the best name I had ever heard.  The only name in my mind was hers. The only address I knew other than mine was hers. The only landline number I knew was hers. The only thought was her. Rehmat. Rehmat. Rehmat. That's all that I could think off.  Being a Hindu, I hardly knew about the holy season of Ramadan so I made friends who followed Islam. I decided to keep Roza.  I eve...

Pic Courtesy : Google जज़्बात तेरे, जज़्बात मेरे ख़ामोशी की चादर ओढ़े रात के अँधेरे में तारों की मौजूदगी में तू बारिश की बूँदो की तरह तू धड़कते दिल की रफ़्तार की तरह प्यार सिखाती, रिश्ते संजोती जब देखो ख़ुशियाँ बांटती तू चाँद की गूँज सी तू सर्दी की धूप सी तू समुन्दर, तू ही आसमान तू मुक़द्दर, तू ही जहान  कितना कुछ है कहना मुझे कितना कुछ है सुनना तुझे मेरी ख़ामोशी को ग़ौर से सुन हर साँस में है तेरे नाम की धून मोहब्बत दोनों को है एक समान चुप्पी आ गयी जैसे बिन बुलायी मेहमान आँखो से मेरे तू सच पढले दिल के विराने में  तू  घर कर ले अकेलेपन के तिमिर से  तू  मुझे बचाले ज़िंदगी के सफ़र में आ मेरा साथ निभाले जज़्बात तेरे, जज़्बात मेरे ख़ामोशी की चादर ओढ़े

कुछ दफ़न है, कुछ को दफ़नाने हैं, आख़िर आख़िरी मंज़िल पर सभी को ही जाना है। ना वक़्त गुज़रता ना पाने बहता ना ख़ाने की  भूख ना पानी की प्यास ना इन्तज़ार का दर्द  ना प्यार का सूख ना पापा की डाँट फटकार ना माँ का दूल्हार ना पढ़ाई का प्रेशर ना बॉर्ड इग्ज़ैम का स्ट्रेस आग की लिपटो से ज़िन्दगी छोटी लगने लगी दूसरों की गलतीं की सज़ा हमें हमारी मौत से देनी पड़ीं। कुछ दफ़न है, कुछ को दफ़नाने हैं, आख़िर आख़िरी मंज़िल पर सभी को ही जाना है|

Finally Colombo. I said, taking a breath of relief. It took me 6 months to convince myself that I had to solve things with Roger. Roger and I met in Pondicherry in 2012, since then we have been together. We were happy. We worked in the same organization but in different departments. For instance, I was in the product development department and he was in mergers and acquisition. Our day started with hugs, kisses and black coffee and ended in cuddling with each other and sharing the day's story.  Just then when everything was going good, in April 2018, Roger got promoted and had to relocate to Sri Lanka for the biggest assignment of his life. He was very excited. I was a bit sceptical as to where would this distance take our relationship but I maintained my calm as I knew it meant a lot to him. Endless phone calls, few video calls and a simple message of I love you and I miss you, helped us to pull it off for the first 7 months. Then he got busy and I started gett...

I am in my room sitting near my french window, sipping hot Chocolate and munching almond cookies. While gazing out to see the sunset in the arms of the ocean, making the majestic sky celebrate its togetherness. I instantly realize that maybe that is what love is, no expectation of how it might turn out to be, but an unsaid promise of an undying and ever enduring love. The chirping of birds is the witness of the love the sun has for the ocean. The splashing of waves is the witness of the love the ocean has for the sun. They both live at the moment and find their happy ending. Maybe over the period of time, the definition of a happy ending has changed from being happy forever to being happy at the moment. And maybe that moment is, a forever that we all failed to notice.

Guilt is my middle name. Sometimes I feel my mind is a coven of dark thoughts. I'm the queen of the place called overthinking! If there is an Oscar for overthinking I am definitely topping the chart So, I rise up every morning and have anxiety and panic attacks. It is the reason I don't smile anymore. Insecurity knocks my door every day and wears a mask of a happy relationship. I am angry and frustrated all the time. I don't feel like talking to anyone and I definitely don't like being criticized for this. My mood changes more than you blink. I had started to hate myself because of how uncertain I had become. I prayed and prayed to help me understand what I want and if there is actually somebody on this planet who would bear me happily? Days turned to months and then years, many seasons also passed by but I kept praying until my Guardian Angel came in and restored my faith. It all looks like a dream to me now, but I do remember ...

Sanaya and I were walking on the streets of Lucknow. We were there to attend a Kavya’s wedding ceremonies. We were all decked up for her Haldi ceremony. Sanaya was wearing a white crop top and pink floral skirt. I was wearing a black monochrome kurta with a heavy red Banarasi silk dupatta that I specially bought for this. Sanaya was asking me about the intricate craftsmanship that my dupatta had when suddenly, we heard someone whistling and hissing. Sanaya and I looked at each other in apprehension. In school, at home, mostly everywhere, we were taught to ignore if something like this happened. We felt someone was following us. We looked back and saw this man standing there and Biting his lips, fondling his balls and walking towards us while constantly staring at us. We reached the bus stop. Kavya said, we had to catch a 48 number bus. So, we're waiting for our bus. Just then, Someone walked towards us and pulled my dupatta and started singing a typical Bollyw...

We saw our love burn down to ashes. I clearly remember it was a night of full moon. We were at the beachside having one last vacation together. I was wearing a short white Scallop Trim Open Knit Cover Up dress. I could feel the breeze fizzling in my messy hair. As I walked barefoot on sand I heard him calling me, I looked back. He was wearing a cotton pant white in colour along with a blue shirt with his buttons opened, showing his abs. He was running towards me. As he reached near me, he gasped for air. I smiled and asked him if he brought the necessary things. He said yes. And that was it. When it was the hour for the ritual. He gathered some sticks and a mighty fire roared. As I stood facing the fire, he stood next to me. He bent down and opened a tiny bag. In it were letters, gifts, cards and all the things I gifted him. I too had a cute little bag that had dried flowers, ring, and other gifts that he gave me in the span of our relationship. We put all t...

They ask me why I do not like to be social? Why do I keep a particular distance with people? Why am I independent in such a way that I can never be dependent on others? . People say life is all about the consequences of choices that you make I say life is all about the consequences of what has happened in your life with or without your permission. . Seema was 4 when her mom put her into a nursery. She was pretty happy to make New friends. She was the teacher’s pet. Everybody loved her. But she received a special kind of love from Mukesh uncle, the peon. His touches did make her feel weird, but he traded her feelings with a bar of chocolate. She turned out to be asexual. Her body parts just shut itself. It's a common case from people suffering from sexual assault once a doctor said. . Rohini was 7 when she went to her neighbour's house To play with Aman Bhaiya. She took her toys thinking he really wanted to play with her instead there he Pushed her at the w...

Life is like a little message in a bottle to be carried by winds, tides and faith that it will reach to the destined person. Leo told me you wrote a letter, put it in a bottle and threw it in water for the tides to take control before it reached me. He said it thrilled you. In my anticipation, I am always at the seashore waiting for the note you wrote to me. In fact, I bought a house on the shore so that I could spend the entire day waiting for your letter to wash away on the shore.  Earlier I was angry with you. I always had questions in my heart as to Why did you have to leave? Couldn't you wait until we saw each other one last time before you go sailing? But then I remember you saying, the sea has its own way of making lovers meet. And that I'm your second love, the sea being the first. It is 6 years since you last visited. In these years I received 3 goodbye notes of sailors and one love note but not yours. I wrote to you 312 letters. One every wee...

Recently I received an anonymous letter asking me to write about what women want? If their silent treatment truly meant something. If their ‘FINE’ actually is a sign of some problem. If they can be real! Well, to start with, I think I might be the zillionth person to write on this subject. Because there are thousands of articles and books talking about the complexities of women. There are ten thousand other write-ups talking about women being an unsolved mystery.  But I wonder why the assumption? Why not have a tête-à-tête with them? Why not be courteous enough to listen to what really they need? The world is full of pretentious people. They sure do make you feel like they are listening to your words, emotions, your well being. But somehow they end up listening to only that part which might either benefit them or which they think can be used against you in long run. Being a women doesn’t mean being needy or manipulative as the world puts it up.   Being a w...

Ahmedabad has witnessed more than 800+  exhibitions last year yet the  standalone stores are preferred to be the only go-to options for the new breed of fashionistas. This might be the case because they want to explore more, maybe in a set-up that allows them to browse through with their girl-friends without having the pressure to buy immediately unlike the exhibition where one needs to act fast to buy things before the exhibition ends. The story of India is that fashion phenomenon that is all organic and natural embracing – regardless of the age-group. There is something for everyone. The story of India has a unique and innovative concept. It wants to save the lost dying tradition of india. It is inspired by the artisans of India. And it supports natural, handcrafted designs that would enhance the luxury in the everyday life. Miss Bhawooq had an opportunity to meet Sapna Patel, the currator of Story of India. A simple women with extraordinary ...

Do you know what the capital of our county is? Delhi? Correct!Parents and teachers must have taught you to read general knowledge. To read about longitude and latitude, to read about how rich India's culture and heritage is. But Do you know about Geeta Choppra case , Soumya case, Jalgaon case, Anjana Mishra case, Ajmer case,Suryanelli case, Mathura case, Bahraich case, Imrana case, 2013 Mumbai gang rape case , Bhanwari Devi, Nirbhaya, Nirbhaya 2 and now Asifa? Many of you might have heard about them in Radio and television and must have read about the horrifying experience all these above mentioned had? Did you ever think of sitting with your parents and discussing such topics? No? You know why? Because deep inside your heart you know everyone will blame clothes, girls limit and timing. Deep inside you know that system, Judiciary, fights between different religion everything is bullshit. The problem here is that we all like keeping quite over something. Because we unheard the first...