Waakiye

Category: PERSONAL

  • The Art of Collecting: My Bottles and Writings

    The Art of Collecting: My Bottles and Writings

    Daily writing prompt
    Do you have any collections?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    First,
    I am really sorry for not uploading a day before,
    there were some things bothering that has to be taken care of,
    plus,
    I submitted two of my works to a competition,
    and was busy as the deadline was until last night,
    so most of my time was spent on writing,
    completing,
    editing something whenever I went back to check those drafts…

    But,
    I’m back here,
    and this is one such place,
    that will be my go-to,
    because the freedom of expression I feel here,
    its unmatched,
    maybe because this is something that I was meant to do forever…

    Coming back to the day’s prompt,
    “Do I have any collection…?”
    YES,
    I do have collection(s),
    but,
    most of them are stored in a haphazard way,
    not in a proper way whatsoever…

    One of such is a collection of bottles,
    this started as a dream,
    in which I had a cabinet full of liquor bottles,
    from the places that I haven’t even been,
    but,
    the bottle of that region was in my cabinet,
    some of them were gifted,
    some were bought by me on a special occasion,
    some to remember the good times spent with those who are close to me,
    all in,
    the process of achieving a perfect collection still has a long way to go,
    but,
    it feels good to know that I have started something that I saw in my dreams with an intention of achieving a preset goal…

    Other one is a collection of my writing/ideas that I jot down,
    they are stored in a more random way then how a child leaves his toys in the drawing room,
    an idea here,
    and while penning this one down,
    another one comes and takes over this mind,
    so,
    I open another tab,
    in my mind also in my notes app to pen that down…

    These are my two collections that I own and have owned with pride (second one),
    but,
    everyone needs to have something like a normal state,
    Amongst all the chaos in the world right…?

    Hence the word collection…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    Being a writer often feels like this,
    a lone road,
    a path that has to be traveled,
    and a path that has been covered…

    With no such help,
    no such thing called assistance,
    all that happens,
    happens to you only,
    and you are the only sufferer,
    and gainer,
    in the process…

    It often feels that you’re alone,
    you’re the only one who feels this way,
    but,
    in the same boat,
    G0d knows how many are,
    maybe looking for a right word,
    maybe a right prose,
    a better suiting rhyme scheme,
    or even a better title…

    Aren’t we all connected yet,
    all alone…?
  • The Dual Nature of Winter: Joys and Struggles Revealed

    The Dual Nature of Winter: Joys and Struggles Revealed

    Daily writing prompt
    How do you feel about cold weather?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope you all are doing well…

    The cold weather brings out a lot of hidden,
    trapped feelings,
    and memories of things and incidents that happened,
    the last year,
    or somewhere along the winter season…

    I don’t know how,
    but this body remembers,
    each and every thing that happened,
    even if my memories give up on me,
    there are some things that subconscious remembers,
    maybe keep tabs on,
    to play those memories year after year again….

    Being from the country of such a diversity,
    winters are never spent in boredom,
    we spend our evenings chomping on things,
    that might not be healthy in the long run,
    Gajar ka halwa (Carrot pudding for the international readers),
    jalebi ‘s (An Indian version of funnel cake),
    and
    Saag (Spinach stew),
    the last one is one of my favorites,
    which is made in big pots and goes on for days maybe a week,
    it doesn’t last that long in an Indian household,
    but,
    Acquired taste is a thing and with age comes such a palate,
    which is actually good and nutritious for the health…

    This is all the positives,
    but,
    We have to talk about the negatives too,
    the seasonal depression,
    the memories that haunt,
    and the drinking that people pick up…

    Having friends and their plans to sit somewhere,
    to drink and enjoy life and its virtues,
    that becomes a common thing in my country,
    so,
    these types of things rise,
    and the consequences of such actions too…

    Overall,
    it becomes a good time that can be enjoyed by all,
    with a mix of bad things that go hand in hand…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • Chaotic relation between work and home life: A deeper look

    Chaotic relation between work and home life: A deeper look

    Daily writing prompt
    How do you balance work and home life?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    This prompt feels like a personal attack,
    And I hope it doesn’t feel like to anyone else ever,
    But,
    the nature of the topic chosen this day;
    woosh…

    The existence of two lives feels a foreign concept when you are a business owner,
    you can’t say no to a client,
    even if they call after hours,
    because this can be an opportunity to gain an edge over the competitors,
    who are working hard with a much higher manpower,
    and here we are,
    trying to survive,
    By managing job-work that client brings in,
    also producing our own product,
    ….
    all of this becomes a medley of chaos,
    as I have to prepare the material that we have to work on,
    to get finally paid by the client…

    My work day starts as soon as I close this blog,
    As I get ready to leave for work,
    and my work carries on till 8 -8:30 in the evening,
    and then comes a forty-five-minute drive,
    on a good day 25 minutes,
    and as i am returning home,
    I have to pick up necessities,
    which takes ma an additional half an hour,
    so,
    I’m at home around 9-9:30 Ish in the evening,

    Guess the work and personal life balance…?
    (The cherry on top,
    my working days go on until Sunday,
    and my weekly off is on Monday,
    yes,
    you heard it right,
    Monday,
    When everyone is dragging themselves to work,
    I am chilling at my crib…)

    Would you call this a balanced work and home life…?

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    The work that goes into work,
    making things work,
    has to take a toll on someone,
    and that becomes me,
    worries about our targets,
    timely delivery,
    and coordinating with those
    who are involved in the process…

    Often I find myself,
    crushed,
    broken beyond repair,
    these clothes are dirty,
    these hands are blacked like metals,
    dust that goes in the air,
    oil smudges here,
    grease stains there,
    but,
    working this life,
    this black life,
    like steel by heating it,
    quenching it to provide strength,
    and then tempering to finally be able to work under pressure…


    This life is a pill,
    that’s hard to swallow,
    and hurts often,
    passing through the esophagus,
    like it has thorns akin to roses,
    but,
    when this tired body hits the bed,
    To take much needed sleep,
    to self it feels like a much deserving break;

    Not far from these are thoughts that haunt,
    when sleep breaks in the night,
    and all the thoughts come at once,
    A haunting…
  • Why Each Day Feels Like a Lie

    Why Each Day Feels Like a Lie

    Daily writing prompt
    What sacrifices have you made in life?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    The prompt of this day made me realize,
    as it gave me a chance to look back at what sorts of things,
    I’ve taken just because,
    also,
    Taken them up on the face value,
    thinking it was for a betterment of a figure bigger than me,
    but,
    all of that turned out to be false,
    when it came to my realization,
    that i was just a stepping stone…

    I’ve summed up in a single post a part of my life,
    how I used to live,
    telling myself lie after lie,
    and how i made an ultimate sacrifice of losing myself,
    my life for a place that doesn’t give 2 F’s about me,
    my life or my well-being…

    Every waking moment,
    just as I woke up,
    It felt like,
    A sacrifice was made;

    A lie,
    I started with a lie,
    “That this day shall be a good one…!”
    “This day will be a good one”
    “I will give my 100% and I will make the best out of the day…”
    will this day be a good one?
    I used to ask myself…

    As the day began,
    the morning coffee,
    which I brutally messed up,
    I told myself another lie,
    “It happens,
    it’s easy to mess up,
    It’s easy to mess a CUP OF COFFEE…..?
    is it easy to mess up a cup of coffee?
    I used to ask myself…

    As i got late,
    yet again,
    because I forgot myself within my thoughts while taking a shower,
    and i hurriedly didn’t take breakfast,
    I asked myself,
    “Was it worth it,
    to spend time thinking instead of leaving for work early…?
    was it worth it to be trapped in traffic for the 20 minutes which could have been avoided,
    if you didn’t think,
    if you could have just taken a shower and left for work,
    But,
    Oh no you couldn’t,
    so now you’re stuck in traffic,
    STAY STUCK IN IT….
    was it my fault to be stuck in traffic?
    I used to ask myself…

    Now the boss won’t leave you alone,
    you forgot the mail that you were supposed to send yesterday evening,
    you heard an earful,
    but you couldn’t say anything,
    “You knew you were at the wrong here,
    You made a reminder but forgot as you reached home,
    because you lay flat and woke up late at night to change and hit the bed yet again without eating…!”
    was it my fault i reached home late or i was overworked?
    I used to ask myself…

    The entire afternoon,
    i spent working on things that were the part of yesterdays,
    and had to work all alone on the project that was a part of someone else’s job just because they were full of work already…
    Couldn’t eat lunch so I got another coffee,
    as the day came to an end,
    I started what work I was assigned this morning,
    it got late,
    as clock hit 9,
    It was a reminder to leave office and head back home,
    “Was I in the wrong here,
    because i didn’t take anything home today,
    but,
    i was asked to update this day’s work tomorrow morning,
    so,
    i had to take work home…”
    why did i have to take work home…?
    I used to ask myself…

    On reaching home around 10 pm,
    having no energy to cook anything,
    I ordered some takeaway,
    to be delivered under an hour,
    I looked in horror as dinner would arrive at 11.
    on canceling the order and making something like rice and eggs at the place i call home,
    I took a seat at the desk,
    and began the work,
    before I could look up,
    it was 1 am,
    saving it I closed my device and hit the bed,
    I wish I could have done this yesterday,
    Or the day before,
    Or the day before that,
    Or the day before that,
    I used to ask myself…

    An ultimate sacrifice that I made,
    was giving a place my years,
    when all in return I got were literal peanuts,
    and trauma that still haunts me this day,
    Just like I am up this morning,
    time being 4:32 AM IST,
    I remember when I used to curse myself for bringing this life upon myself…

    But those days are gone now,
    And I really wish from the bottom of my heart a well life for those who are employed there or starting work there…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    Often I found myself,
    contemplating life,
    the choices that led to this point,
    and one of these days,
    I sat down,
    just like the image,
    surrounded by the sea of files,
    a cup of coffee on my left,
    in which remained a single gulp,
    and,
    on my right was a fresh cup that I poured,
    moments before…

    Just like this,
    exactly like this one,

    all until one day,
    I looked back at the situation i was in,
    killing me slowly this work,
    As I felt burdened,
    threatened by the piles of work that was pushed onto me,
    just because I was swift,
    or was given additional responsibility,
    without me ever thinking about it,
    considering it all normal…

    Until it wasn’t,
    Until everything going around me wasn’t…

  • Delicious Fruits You Must Try This Summer

    Delicious Fruits You Must Try This Summer

    Daily writing prompt
    List your top 5 favorite fruits.
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Well isn’t this a nice change of pace,
    my top 5 favorite fruits,
    Hmm…

    it really got me thinking that I need to include more fruits into my diet,
    but,
    there are a few which I absolutely love…

    Oranges being one of the most convenient one and easily available fruit,
    being the combination of citrus and sweet plus a big intake of fiber,
    packs a punch and keeps me satiated for longer…

    How can one forget Watermelon,
    the flavor that is nowhere to be found and in this peak summer heat it’s refreshing,
    you can’t go wrong with a cooled watermelon after working in the summer heat,
    or returning home after a tiring afternoon…

    Ever heard of Grapes,
    The range goes beyond 10.000 varieties,
    but on a broader scale,
    we see green, purple and red ones,
    they are used in so many ways,
    popping them just like that,
    freezing and using them instead of ice in drinks,
    and the biggest place they’re used in making wines of many varieties,
    they automatically make a fruit platter look more appealing with the different shapes they’re available in,
    don’t forget they are used to make raisins too…

    Bananas,
    do I even need to say anything,
    The only fruit that is made which comes in nature’s packaging and can be eaten on the go without making any mess ever,
    the years of tweaking with its DNA has made it seedless,
    and a perfect snack that can be had whenever,
    (I’m looking at a basket of a dozen sitting right Infront of me as I’m writing this one..)

    I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of the phrase,
    “An apple a day keeps the doctor away…”

    The varieties of it kills me each time,
    there are 4-5 different types/qualities each and every supermarket or fruit market that I visit,
    like they are coming from a single source right…?
    but,
    packed with so much flavor and crunch,
    some sweeter than sugar,
    some sour like granny smith used to make pies and tarts,
    a good piece of apple looks beautiful,
    is firm to touch,
    and has no visible indentation that you can feel with your hands…

    With this,
    the prompt of this day comes to an end,
    my top five favorite fruits…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    A night that’s dark,
    darker are these thoughts,
    pitch black like tar,
    feels like there isn’t a tomorrow,
    just like there wasn’t a yesterday’s morning.

    On this pitch-black night,
    walks with me my shadow,
    I see it,
    when a speck of moonlight tries to reach this body,
    as soon as I turn this head,
    I see it escaping.

    On this dark night,
    I walk these streets unknown,
    unknown to who’s following me,
    I walk with fear within this heart…
  • Overcoming Social Media Addiction: Small Steps

    Overcoming Social Media Addiction: Small Steps

    Daily writing prompt
    What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing really well…!

    There is a need for each and every one to improve themselves,
    it might be something that is well within your reach or maybe requires some effort,
    maybe a lot of it,
    if you’re starting from zero,
    but that’s how the efforts are made,
    and they give you the fruits of all the time you put in…

    I really wish to be less addicted to things,
    I am very much addicted to social media apps,
    Instagram and such,
    and they have been cutting into my time;

    The time,
    I have to provide towards another aspects of life,
    My family,
    My life
    Friends and other personal aspects of my life,
    there has been nothing but efforts from my side,
    but,
    I cannot afford to give it up too,
    because a lot of work happens there also that’s how we are connected to each other,
    because of many such reasons,
    I cannot give up social media…

    This too being a part of social media,
    but,
    the place that you call home,
    consider home,
    one cannot defame it,
    can they…?

    There are others like,
    lower screen time,
    not using it at all at or before bed time or during eating,
    and many other things like making a reminder of tasks that you have to accomplish during the day,
    making your bed,
    taking the morning walk or the workout;

    and one must do things to move ahead and be a better version of self,
    that’s how we all move ahead…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    With a phone in this hand,
    I watch as things,
    some important,
    other non-important ones pile up:

    On setting reminders and snoozing them from hours on time,
    and after that,
    contemplating the life choices that led to this point,
    I look at the screen,
    a blank one,
    a reminder pops us,
    yet again;

    Take a break,
    scroll the app that you like,
    A sly laughter leaves my face as,
    I go in the balcony and in my hand a light,
    A spark is heard,
    and smoke rises,
    easing my mind…

  • The Power of Positive Influence in Life

    The Power of Positive Influence in Life

    Daily writing prompt
    Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope you all are doing well…

    This prompt is one of the good ones,
    someone who had a positive impact on my life,
    this sparks numerous questions because there have been equally or more who have had a negative impact on me and my life and given me ideas to live a life much better than how they shall ever live…

    I’ll share one of each;

    I got a chance of meeting one such person with whom I’m still in contact with,
    I just talked to them a few minutes back,
    I wish for them to prosper and have a beautiful life forever,
    The exams that they’re preparing for,
    I hope from the bottom of my heart that they achieve what they want in life,
    (Even if I won’t be a part of their life if they achieve their dreams i shall remember them forever…)

    She studies a subject that we both have undying love for,
    and that’s how we connected,
    on finding that she studies it,
    and I have a keen interest for it,
    Our conversations happen on and around the same topic,
    and we both learn and love it,
    when both of us love and grow from our astute and very niche observations…

    That’s the type of conversations I wanted to have forever,
    and on finding someone who does makes my life much better and worth living;

    She has been the one,
    and the only one for whom i shall continue to write,
    because her words of praise aren’t just there to fill a void,
    but,
    they help me by giving me an inspiration and a will to continue forever…
    and i hope they will forever….

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    There was something bugging me,
    I was in my home,
    One place that’s considered safe,
    I was trembling,
    Looking for someone,
    Something there…

    What was it,
    I couldn’t put my hand on it…!

    And all I could do was shake and tremble,
    And tell those around me,
    Nothing…

    I’m good,
    I’m all good,
    Everything’s alright as I looked at myself,
    In the mirror,
    I saw the horror within my eyes..
  • Freedom: A Thought-Provoking Daily Writing Prompt

    Freedom: A Thought-Provoking Daily Writing Prompt

    Daily writing prompt
    What does freedom mean to you?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope you all are doing well and are safe…!

    This prompt is a good one of the good one,
    because it comes at a time when whole of the world has their eyes on our nation,
    the India-Pakistan at the brink of war,
    the tiff escalating and de-escalating within a span of few hours,
    constant black outs at the border region,
    shells,
    blanks,
    broken drones and such,
    their scraps and some live ones are found here and there…

    Freedom means right to,
    Think,
    Speak &
    Act however one wants,

    ALSO,
    in a state of not being captive or enslaved…

    BUT;
    Doesn’t that mean we have to keep ourselves in check,
    according to the people who are around us too…?

    Look at it from a point where,
    you have to follow HOA rules,
    They aren’t there to make your personal life better,
    But,
    in a collective way they help in taking care of the whole association,
    by setting rules and guidelines to follow,
    NO matter how much it screams a violation of your freedom,
    I MEAN COME ON,
    Trash can outside after 11 am attracts a fine,
    it shouldn’t be outside obstructing view of the property which we paid…?
    HUH???

    But,
    These small rules help keep the value and the look of the property to the max…
    same way,
    Someone cites their freedom,
    for being oppressive towards others,
    owning slaves and the ripple effect that we see even this day Amongst those who owned them…!

    For them,
    Someone who has been oppressed their view of freedom is much different from someone who hasn’t been ;
    But,
    Isn’t that a conversation for some other time…?

    Freedom for a writer and a person who has been expressive means different from someone who has been an introvert and keeps to themselves,
    they have a need to be out and see things various ones from a perspective different from everyone…!

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    A lone bird,
    enjoys freedom.

    It takes flight,
    on seeing the horizon clear and blue,
    as it flaps the wings,
    The crisp sound echoes,
    fluttering for a moment as it gains some momentum,
    within moments the free bird,
    with a free will,
    goes from sitting on a branch,
    to
    gaining height that we can’t reach,
    until its existence is lost,
    moments before it becomes a right tick,
    like we used to in art classes…

    Isn’t this the type of freedom we all once wanted,
    when we were little…?
  • Choosing an Unorthodox Career Path

    Choosing an Unorthodox Career Path

    Daily writing prompt
    What is your career plan?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    I guess today’s prompt would work the best with those who are passing their 12th grade exams after which they’ll be going to attend the college of their choice that supports their streams.
    or entering into 11th grade where they have to make a choice between choosing their major,
    It would be between science, commerce or humanities…;

    As for me,
    my story is a really weird one,
    a commerce major,
    who scored in low eighties,
    and the type of education system we have,
    they cherish marks more than the individual’s abilities more,
    being a pass out of one of the better schools in my area,
    everyone had more expectations,
    BUT,
    Something that isn’t stressed is the family’s (WANTS AND DREAMS) to be on with their child’s….

    Choosing an unorthodox career path,
    and getting next to no support from them,
    not as a new found adult,
    but,
    monetary too,
    when I was promised it too,
    just because our dream didn’t align…

    SO,
    long story short,
    taking open courses,
    where i was handed out the syllabus and exams happened once a year without any classes to go to,
    And,
    on securing a bachelor’s degree in commerce all the while working in a family-owned industrial business,
    where working by hand was of utmost importance,
    (TO learn the basic things Because i wasn’t from the field…)

    Alongwith that I found this precious skill of being capable to pen down my thoughts and feelings,
    which has been growing ever since i started…

    So much to career plan,
    this and that…
    😂

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    The feeling that this photo sparks is something that can’t be recreated,
    being there in a place that exists on this earth,
    but even heaven won’t be a match of it.
    My village Panjab,
    the greens of trees and still budding crops,
    The gold of fully ripe wheat takes my heart away,
    the pure white sunlight blessing all of these and helping them in reaching the right color and their ripeness,
    so,
    they shall be ready for harvest…
    A dream comes true
    all of it…
  • A Memorable Night with ROBROO Theater Group

    A Memorable Night with ROBROO Theater Group

    Daily writing prompt
    What was the last live performance you saw?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Having a keen interest in writing and with that,
    It becomes a necessity to have a broad horizon,
    &
    that only happens when you go out,
    explore things,
    watch live shows,
    Theatrical performances,
    Or even when you meet new people and hear their side of the world…

    There’s a beautiful group that does plays in Delhi,
    they go by the name,
    “ROBROO THEATRE GROUP”,
    though heavily underrated but their performances have been out of the world,
    i was blessed enough to witness,
    their enactment of a folk tale in our history,
    “HEER RANJHA”…

    I became their fan from that day onward,
    I met the person in-charged,
    Kajal Suri Ji…
    The person who is a literal magician when it comes to acting herself,
    and portraying a picture so clear and vivid that even after half a year I still remember it all with great detail…

    It was such a beautiful performance,
    heer ranjha folk goes on from such a long time in our culture that there are many songs made on it,
    and even references in some of these new songs that come out today;

    The folk says the story is set in what is now Panjab,
    and it revolves around a beautiful girl named heer,
    and a handsome boy named ranjha,
    who fell in love,
    but,
    Due to family’s opposition they were separated;

    heer now being forced to marry someone else,
    ranjha becomes a wanderer and roams places to places,
    until the day they unite,
    But heer’s uncle opposes this and poisons her food on the wedding day,
    which leads to her death,
    and on seeing that the person he cherished the most is no more,
    Ranjha consumes the poised food too,
    leading to their tragic and untimely death,
    as their bodies are laid to burial together…

    The story revolves around tragic nature and facing a caste-based opposition,
    At the end which results in both of them being deceased in the process,
    but the tale lives on reminding us all of the atrocities that were there and lovers still have to face…

    I saw the performance in late ’24,
    But i remember it like yesterday,
    the last and the best performance that i saw till this date…

    (they have an upcoming performance on 11th of May 2025,
    Called SAMANTAK TEERTH IN DELHI)
    if you are in town do check them out,
    bookings are open right now…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    The beautiful medley,
    A pattern that’s appealing to these eyes,
    colors pink and white,
    A photo that depicts,
    the love that we feel,
    but,
    when they’re in our hands away from each other,
    they tend to spoil and rot;

    A beautiful medley,
    That’s appealing to these eyes,
    why don’t we see their beauty when they exist,
    the way they were meant to be…?