Tag: books

  • Remembering Childhood Books: A Journey Back

    Remembering Childhood Books: A Journey Back

    Daily writing prompt
    Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

    Hey..

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Today’s prompt sparked a whole range of emotions,
    forcing me to go back to think about,
    and relive my childhood…

    But,
    sadly,
    I only remember little bits and pieces,
    there isn’t much that i remember,
    due to the general stresses and exceeding workload that I’ve got on,
    these past couple of years,
    causing me to run almost blank when it’s time to remember,
    my childhood…

    But,
    I do remember the books that I read,
    many of them were picture ones,
    but,
    the one I remember greatly was,
    The Panchtantra

    It was a picture book that my mother used to recite me,
    when I was a kid,
    I distantly remember staring at that face,
    that face,
    from which those beautiful stories I heard,
    and I probably laughed at…

    I was the happiest when those days were going on
    carefree without any worries,
    hearing those stories and
    looking at those pictures within the books,
    of many animals from the animal kingdom…

    The Panchtantra had animal stories with Sanskrit origin,
    roots of which could be traced back,
    they were based on imparting kids with a sense of morality,
    and wisdom that comes with age,
    by exposing them to us at an early age,
    which helped us to form a sense of right and wrong early on in life…

    The main focus was to show intelligence and dependence on having a sense of self and belief in oneself,
    another story focused on trust and loyalty,
    another one focused on having intelligence over brute force…

    One such example is that of lion and a rabbit,
    Where one time it was decided that the lion won’t hunt any animal but the animal would come by itself and get eaten by the lion,
    one day it was the turn of a rabbit,
    and he was scared for his life,
    so he passed by a well and got an idea;
    on arriving late,
    lion was mad at him,
    and he told the lion that another lion stopped him by the well,
    as he went to the well and found another one at the bottom(I.e. his reflection),
    after much consideration and two and fro,
    he jumped into the well,
    killing the lion that very instant…

    Here,
    we learn that brute force can be overcome by intelligence;
    there were many such stories among the same line with morals and our take from it,
    which were enjoyed and cherished by all…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    Oh a wish to go back to those days,
    where I could listen,
    stories from her,
    my mother,
    my grandmother…

    A sense of relief comes to this mind,
    as I sat in that embrace,
    and heard what became life lessons for me,
    to live and prosper in this one…

    As I sat,
    and got wisdom,
    that comes with age,
    looking at those faces and the words that I barely understood,
    just loving it all,
    absorbing it all,
    all until I got tired,
    and let out a yawn,
    a yawn so big,
    signing that I was desperately in need of sleep…

    Rubbing these eyes,
    as i was put to bed with the fan running above,
    gentle taps to the chest,
    and a sweet lullaby,
    to which I used to,
    I used to fall asleep…

    “Remembering those times”
  • Books That Shaped My Perspective

    Books That Shaped My Perspective

    Daily writing prompt
    List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    It has been a while since I’ve read a book,
    but It has been one of my goals to start reading books in this year,
    which I haven’t been able to pick up in such a long time even though there’s a post it notes that I’ve stuck in my room that I see upon my entry,
    but,
    Something happens,
    Sometimes I’m too lazy,
    sometimes it’s just that I don’t feel like reading,
    and sometimes the time just flies away once I begin scrolling Instagram,
    eating all of my said time…

    But,
    If asked that what books I’ve read,
    that sparked a change in me is these three…

    1. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
      One of those books which was a hand me down from my cousin sister,
      and became one of those books which left me shook,
      from the bottom of my core,
      because it was one of those books which i started reading because i genuinely wanted to read and absorb something good,
      it wasn’t something that I did to pass time,
      and on reading so much and so many perspectives in such a slim book,
      although not easy to understand for a beginner,
      because of the tone its written in,
      condensed into a few pages it was the essence of life and how to live in it…
    2. Dr. Cuterus by Dr. Tanaya Narendra
      I got this one as a gag gift from a cool friend that I have,
      Dr. Tanaya who goes on by the name of ” Dr_cuterus ” on Ig,
      is a doctor who guides all of us,
      including her 1.8M followers,
      about personal and sexual wellness…
      In her book she talks about things that is kept hidden,
      and often comes at a price that younger generation pays,
      she talks about all this in a fun and easy to understand way which keeps the reader hooked and entertained,
      A must read for each and everyone as they reach at an age where they begin to question these things where parents cannot or wont talk about it with their children…
    3. A mix of religious books
      The third according to me is mix of religious books,
      A Quran which I bought as a gift when I went to Old Delhi on a trip with an old friend of mine,
      A Bible which I picked up as one of my friends was leaving the state as his father’s job shifted to another state,
      causing him to pack and move all of his stuff,
      from which he gave me a parting gift (kind of)…

    A mix of books that gave me a perspective,
    and exposure that no other soul can,
    forever grateful for them I am and I shall be…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    Just like that,
    amassing a fortune,
    for some this might be just books that sit and collect dirt,
    but for a reader,
    it becomes a treasure,
    that one can reap forever…

    As the dust that sits,
    and often its cleaned,
    often the pages are explored,
    As the bookmarks are shifted every once in a while…

    As the story proceeds,
    the good takes the win,
    losses are taken up by the evil,
    and with all of the things that happen in this world,
    this cruel world that exists,
    provides a comfort,
    provides all of us a zone with some sort of stability,
    that helps us to live in this world,
    this cruel hard and cutthroat world…

    “A safe escape…”

  • The Art of Collecting: My Bottles and Writings

    The Art of Collecting: My Bottles and Writings

    Daily writing prompt
    Do you have any collections?

    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…?
  • 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?

    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…?