Tag: writer

Dinner with Loved Ones: Healing Through Memories

Daily writing prompt
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

There was a family tradition that used to take place earlier in our family,
we used to get together,
have drinks,
cook our own food,
some it was store bought,
and it only required heating it a little bit..

But,
it was like once maybe twice a year kind of tradition which used to take place at our residence,
but people used to come from faraway places,
even from neighboring states,
a day or two before…

We used to have music,
and used to hit steps after getting a bit tipsy,
but,
all in everyone enjoyed to their fullest,
there would be people sitting in the corner eating and drinking,
talking to each other,
I would occasionally check on them and get them anything they needed,
and they’d thank me for it,
and the smile would stay on my face the entire night…

Until,
the latter half on ’23,
after battling for an entire year,
and losing at the end,
the life was never the same,
all the point of get-together became a sham,
there was no happiness whatsoever,
all the sense,
essence of happiness or get-together was lost,
as he left us…

So,
I’d invite my now deceased father,
and revive the long-lost tradition of having the grand dinner once again,
Or teach us how we could continue without the loss of someone so dear to our hearts,
where all of us would get together,
and enjoy to our fullest,
once again,
yet again…

Cheers 🥂 (Happy weekend)

Love Waakiye 🤍

12/07/2025
What Improves with Age? Discovering Taste, Wisdom, and Confidence

Daily writing prompt
What do you think gets better with age?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

There are a few things that get better with age,
that I can think of,
at this very instant…

Taste…

Your preferences become more filtered,
instead of the crude and in their raw versions they were before;

You acquire taste in various fields like,
Music, fashion, food and art,
and these choices become yours,
because they are acquired through trial and err,
and they now show a great part of you…

Wisdom and a vision for perspectives…

As you grow and work,
you gain skill,
an insight into seeing the bigger picture,
even the missing one which you have to create to achieve that level,
But,
that does mean giving up on things that are unimportant at that time,
which can cause you to feel left alone or isolated,
because things like these aren’t visible in the early years of life,
and if it were,
you’d most probably spending much time alone contemplating them,
by planning ahead from an early age…

Controlled grip on emotion…

As you age and get reality checks,
setbacks that make you realize your position,
In life and in society,
capping your goals and framing your life within a few things that were within your reach,
you start to understand and have your views on things,
and when you come to know the actual reality of those around you,
the different way they are bound to you,
some just like you…

then you gain control over your emotions and built a stamina for it,
which makes it harder for you to take an unnecessary fall,
which can be made on early deductions…

Foods and beverages…

There are certain things,
certain foods and drinks that become your acquired taste,
like fine wine and pairing it with specific cheeses;

Taste of truffles is one of them,
it feels weird at first and after consuming it often,
it becomes a taste that suits your palate…

Just like wine,
the taste of good whiskey is acquired through many trials and errors,
you try expensive whiskey and drink it using some ice and little water,
and it doesn’t hit you back like the cheap ones usually do,
their buzz is consistent and not something that becomes a high or low within a matter of few minutes,
But,
that doesn’t mean it’s good for you;

Anything and everything in moderation is better…

Awareness of self and boost in confidence…

With age,
one becomes adamant on their rules and regulations that work for them,
all of the outside judgment is ignored,
and one becomes more comfortable in their own skin;

Which in turn builds confidence,
by not having a constant pressure of surroundings,
and growing at a pace that seems comfortable for self,
which sparks this feeling that’s-

“MORE ABOUT KNOWING LESS ABOUT PROVING”

with that being said,
these are the things that I think,
get better with age,
What about you,
do mention them in the comments below…!

Cheers 🥂

Love Waakiye🤍

11/07/2025
Struggles with Sleep and Morning Wake-Up Times

Daily writing prompt
What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

All that comfort in the life finding prompt yesterday,
where I talked a lot of things that I do on good days,
but,
none of them had a mention of bad days that are there too,
so here it goes…

There are a few days when I return home late from work,
around 10 at night from work,
and I am tired and hungry,
Confused from all the piled-up responsibilities,
and deadlines that were supposed to be met but weren’t…

All of the work comes crashing,
and then it’s on me to complete it,
or get it completed asap,
even though the timelines as usual were impossible to achieve,
making it a race against time as usual,
making it possible someday,
but other days its miserable…

When I return home around 10 at night,
the usual routine takes a hit,
the tiredness takes over,
and Lethargy follows,
the schedule which is used to take half an hour at most,
takes around an hour,
hour and a half on worse days…

The night shower is spent in contemplating what if’s,
and how would the deadlines be met the next day,
and before I can look up at the clock it turned 11 PM,
so,
I hurry and get out of the bath and plate my dinner,
and have it while watching some videos or something informative,
and before I could peel myself away from the screen,
it was 11:45 at night..

After which I tidy my room a bit,
which pushes the time well after 12 Am,
and when I look at the clock,
it stuck 00:15 hours,
hurriedly I get in my bed,
and guess what,
I CAN’T SLEEP ANYMORE.
spending another 15 to 30 minutes changing sides,
trying to fall asleep…

All of this continues on until 1 in the morning,
on bad days until 2 in the morning,
which makes it impossible to wake up at 6 or 7 usually in the morning,
So,
I wake up at 8 or 8:30 in the morning,
making,
it that sort of a day,
a messed-up start,
repercussions of which follow throughout the day…

Shouldn’t this day be Friday already…?

Cheers 🥂?

Love Waakiye 🤍

10/07/2025
Daily Comfort Hacks: Tips for a Better Life

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

There are many strategies that I employ to make my life more comfortable,
well not just mental comfort but my physical comfort too…

Daily Journaling…

One of the things that I do each day is by writing about it in my journal,
and each day I read the last one,
helping me determine the habits that I have,
and which of them make my life better,
or provide me an insight that helps me to avoid something that disrupts it…

Basking and Meditation…

On waking up,
I go to my balcony and look at the sunlight,
or the natural light peering through the clouds,
which reminds me that the sleep is finally over as I spend a few minutes in the sunlight,
someday sitting down on a mat in the balcony and meditating and reflecting on the day ahead,
the types of work I have to involve myself in,
and the roles I have to play this day…

Clean living atmosphere…

One of the most important things is to have a clean environment,
this isn’t just about having clean surroundings or your vicinity,
but my room is where it all begins from,
a clean room,
which isn’t messy,
and the soft lighting that imitates the sunlight is used to illuminate my room;
This simplifying of my environment makes it much easier to live a life that feels fulfilling and worth living tbh…

Getting to bed early…

Getting my good 7-8 hours of sleep,
even if it means getting to bed and falling asleep at ten maybe 11 at night,
because a good sleep helps me wake up refreshed,
and with new ideas that help me on the daily,
living this fast-paced life at my own pace,
and with that sleeping in early comes in waking up early to involve myself in some physical activity like walking or taking a stroll around the building complex,
which boosts my metabolism and gives me a chance to be one with nature early in the morning…

These are some of the ways I increase comfort and at the same time better my life with the help of options that suit me the best..!

Do you have a routine like this which helps you,
Do let me know…!

Cheers 🥂

Love Waakiye 🤍

09/07/2025
Exploring Global Music Genres: My Personal Playlist

Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite genre of music?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

Intro…

Have you ever heard a track and went,
I don’t know what they’re saying but,
it feels good to listen,
so,
you end up having a few of them in your playlist,
and one day when you’re scrolling your downloads,
you find it yet again,
and revisit those old memories…?

Travelling west…

That’s how I discovered “Nancy Ajram”,
A Lebanese singer,
“Jamila El Badaoui”,
A Moroccan singer,
And,
“Nai Barghouti”,
a Palestinian singer,
composer and singer,
with such talent that is nowhere to be found…!

Finding these rare gems…

These discoveries for a person sitting in India,
is not possible unless a random one of these come on your recommendations,
but,
for that you should have heard them in advance or have someone tell you about them but,
it never happened to me,
it was always finding out on my own,
hearing it someplace,
like the background of an instagram reel,
or,
a soft tune playing somewhere,
that’s how I found out about the legends “FAIRUZ”,
And “ABDEL HALIM HAFEZ”…

Returning to my roots…

But,
that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about my culture and the origin of my being,
Panjabi folk singers like “Lal Chand Yamla Jatt”,
and “Alam Lohar” “Ashiq jutt” “Amar Singh Chamkila” “Asa Singh Mastana”
and their female counterparts,
“Noor Jehan”, “Surinder Kaur”, “Narinder Biba” and “Amarjot”…

Not forgetting the new Skool singers who are carrying the legacy forward that we got from our ancestors,
“Arjan Dhillon”,
“Sidhu Moose Wala”(Rip LLSMW🕊️),
“Karan Aujla”,
and many more who are working hard to bring up the level day by day..

So,
you see my genre focuses on my mother tongue,
with exposure from around the world..

About Bollywood…

I don’t like Bollywood that much because most of it has become a copy and paste from other cultures,
but occasionally,
there will be tunes that stay on my mind forever,
and they come back to me after a while reminding me to listen to them yet again,
and break my stereotype yet again…

Towards the end..

That’s it for the day,
hope you guys have a nice weekend,
and listen to some nice tunes along the way…

Your Recommendations…

Is there something that you recommend,
do let me know in the comments…

Cheers🥂

Love Waakiye 🤍

06/07/2025
From Chaos to Joy: My Incredible Vacation Experience

Daily writing prompt
Describe your most memorable vacation.

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

One of the most memorable vacations that I ever went to spanned across two weeks…

The struggles…

It was a plan that was being put on hold for two years,
and eventually,
we (my friend, one of his friends and myself),
got fed up with things not matching,
someday it was just dates not aligning,
vacation days for some,
for some it was a family emergency,
others were just struggling to make time from their schedule…

Impulsive acts…

So,
the week before Christmas,
we decided to just go along,
and started to make payments in advance,
to the travel guide,
to the homestay,
and a few days when all others bailed on us,
I took my cousin with me,
and my sister to the trip,
so in total I booked the ticket for the 4 of us to reach the nearest state through train,
from where the route was halved,
and my cousin brother picked us from a railway station in Haryana,
along with the taxi driver in his hatchback…

Our arrival at our destination..

The trip was complicated and messy,
around six hours later we reached,
but,
we were a total mess,
all of us throwing up,
as we weren’t accustomed to the change in the atmosphere and the environment,
as we climbed what seemed like an infinite flight of stairs,
praying to the Almighty,
holding our stomachs in pain,
we finally found ourselves a place to sit outside,
and wait till they cleaned the homestay…

On seeing the place where we were supposed to sit and rest it brought tears to our eyes,
as we picked out spots in the room,
and opened our bags and went to shower and later eat something to replenish our lost energy after throwing up,
and after eating out fill,
we went out for a stroll,
watching the sunset,
snacking on our way back,
and grabbing a few bottles to drink as we came back to our homestay,
and we lit a bonfire and took our solo cups and smashed 1.5 bottles within us 4 (one sober guy)..

Things We did for fun..

We went to sightseeing,
climbed a hill,
did adventure sports like ziplining,
ice-skating (during which I took so many falls and ended up with bruises),
playing in ice (My first time seeing real ice),
visited a temple,
and returned back to the homestay in the evening,
the running waterfall was the best thing to ever see,
as we took a bath and came back shivering…

Last day…

The day of our return was the saddest,
as the night before we emptied all our bottles and got piss drunk and all of us fell dead asleep,
on waking I saw my first snowfall,
a very real event that I haven’t seen before,
bringing me to tears,
as we were packing to leave,
we took some of the stuff that was popular in the area as a parting away gift,
and a bundle of memories to remember them by…

One of the most memorable of my vacations,
that I ever took,
flashbacks till this day…

Cheers (to good times) 🥂

Love Waakiye 🤍

05/07/2025
Crafting Authority: Daily Learning in Writing and Life

Daily writing prompt
On what subject(s) are you an authority?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

Well,
when the topic of authority comes in,
I like to think it this way,
one can never master a skill,
no matter how much time they spend on it,
but,
a level of expertise comes in,
after dabbling in a single field…

After spending around three years,
and writing at least half a million to quarter of million words,
and given countless of them to writers and individual organizations,
it’s safe to say there’s some level of authority that I have been blessed with,
(On this),
But,
even saying this feels wrong to me,
because there is so much yet to be done,
so much yet to be achieved from this,
and coming from a background that has nothing to do with this,
makes it hard as the way has to be paved as I walk on it,
for someone to follow the same…

The field that I’m working in other than this,
makes it polar opposite,
Working in an industry where I learn new things each day,
and return home drenched in sweat and covered in a layer of soot,
but,
even there,
the learning continues on,
and it happens on the daily,
a new way to achieve results quicker and cheaper,
this tussle continues each day,
tomorrow too,
and the day after too…

So,
the struggle continues each day,
both ways,
But it’s a good life,
that continues perpetually…

Cheers 🥂

Love Waakiye 🤍

04/07/2025
Layers of Romance: Emotional Depth in Love and Writing

Daily writing prompt
What’s your definition of romantic?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

What an open-ended question this one is,
without a context,
without any relation to how we are supposed to work,
romanticism in the sense of a literary writing,
or romantic in a relationship sense…?

But,
that’s the cue to work around the topic of this day,
and we will go ahead anyways…

My definition of romantic (or romance) in a general sense isn’t clouded by the want to just get in bed with them,
but,
to understand them,
the things that they like,
the things that they hate,
the way they grew up,
and from that understanding,
what shaped them the way they are,
or how they respond to an action or a cue,
which they like or don’t,
helping me to stay clear off the things that haunted them in their past,
all the while helping them come to terms with what they were in their past,
isn’t something that is going to affect their present;

Also,
showering them with gifts,
taking them out on their days off,
and exploring new places with them,
as we walk hand in hand,
traveling with them maybe using the public transport every once in a while,
and gifting flowers,
and dropping them home or near it,
how the relationship is at that point of time…

See how I didn’t talk about having or getting your physical needs met here,
because that’s how it is initially,
taking it slow and knowing that in some cultures,
things like these take place after marriage,
and that’s acceptable,
but,
when things are forced,
and they are coerced into doing something that they don’t agree to,
or like,
would naturally mean that you’re there only to satiate yourself,
and then drop her after the sun rises the next day…

Due to that,
this path becomes extremely tricky for both,
where one has to make sure things are mutual and in agreement,
with proper boundaries set…

Whereas romanticism in literary sense comes in when things like these are experienced and a person who loves to write pens his real emotions and feelings,
about how they are truly, madly and deeply in love,
with the said person,
to the point they write (Of course in some hidden sense),
about their love,
their feelings,
which can be mutual or one sided,
but,
portraying an image in a sense that’s appealing to read,
and can be experienced by those who are around them,
without even being in a relationship to call it something that they themselves dream of being in…

So romantic aspect is much needed in life,
where a person exposes themselves,
layer by layer,
in a sense to a person,
they intend to spend the foreseeable future with…

That’s romanticism for me,
to you…

Cheers 🥂

Love Waakiye🤍

All alone they were,
After a long time they were finally together,
There was deep longing in those eyes,
And a want,
A need that needed to be expressed,
But,
Who would make the first move…?

The first move,
After a span of three months,
These months,
Akin to years spent apart,
Seeing only each other,
And talking like strangers,
Whenever they had some time on their hands,
And these hands,
Waited,
Waited all of these days,
Waited these weeks,
Waited all these Months;

Now,
These hands,
Were in those,
Where they belonged…

A bottle of Merlot,
And two glasses were there,
A third of the way,
Maybe a sip was taken,
Before things took a turn…

From kissing the back of her hand,
To her shoulder blade,
And from there,
Those pink supple lips,
He stared at himself,
Her face tilted,
Eyes half closed,
Waiting were these lips,
For a sweet little kiss..

A known flavor coated his mouth,
Her born lippy lip balm,
The strawberry kind,
Those eyes; glowing,
Overflowing with emotions;

“Cannot tell you how much I waited,
Waited for this day..”

As those eyes shined,
As she stared into his…

03/07/2025
The Importance of Gratitude in Friendships

Daily writing prompt
How do you express your gratitude?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

Another day another good prompt,
There are a few instances where I take help of those who are around me,
and,
If I do,
I do let them know that I’m grateful for that…

Often,
it happens that they talked to me,
when I was feeling low,
or,
If i was in the need of something and they came in like a savior and handed me the thing that I needed,
or,
swooped me out of the bad situation,
by telling a simple excuse,
knowing I was feeling agitated,
and when we are out of that situation,
I usually thank them for it..

Just the happening of last week,
I picked up a friend of mine from the nearest metro station that was to my workplace which I visited during my day off,
and we went from one cafe to another in search of good coffee,
and when we were done with the first one,
we had latte and a filter coffee with some brownies,
But,
we didn’t like the ambiance as the shop was packed and we had to sit outside,

So,
we went to another one,
had a cold coffee,
they ordered a lemon iced tea,
and we ordered some snacks to go with it,
And after having it we went to an art gallery,
and looked at these beautiful paintings,
as the artist themselves invited us in,
to look at them,
and they were one beautiful,
Of course,
we couldn’t take any pictures,
but we really thanked the artist as he walked us through,
the paintings their expression,
and what message it conveyed…

And after thanking him and getting to know his schedule,
we told him that we will send some art enthusiasts his ways,
one of them who paints as a hobby,
another one who does this as her profession…

After we were done and they waited for their uber to come pick them up,
I told them to sit,
and later I dropped them off outside their home,
and they thanked me and as they were going,
they reminded me of how much of a good friend I was,
and they’re forever grateful that I came into their life…

And they told me to drop them a message as soon as I arrived home,
but,
I got late as I had to pick up essentials,
and they got worried for me,
as I texted them,
that I was happy that we could spent time together today,
and they were too,
wishing the same for the next week,
and I told them I hope they’re free next week too,
so we can spend time together…

Just these little things,
spending time with loved ones,
exploring things and new places,
which makes them happy and gives me exposure,
broadening my horizon,
all the while being a better person and thanking anyone who becomes a part of this life,
My life…

Cheers 🥂

Love Waakiye 🤍

02/07/2025
Leaving a Livable World: Our Responsibility Today

Daily writing prompt
What are you most worried about for the future?

Hey…

I hope all of you are doing well…

Something about my future that I’m deathly worried about…?
It would be leaving this world uninhabitable for the future,
That will inherit this planet from us…

Imagine your kids and your grandkids,
with the current trend going on,
and leaving to them a world that won’t survive a span of 50 years,
feeling the temperature, it went this summer,
it went to what feels like 51.9-degree Celsius,
as I was sweating like crazy at work these past few weeks…

Imagine,
these conditions deteriorating a few years down the line,
as we aren’t stopping the emissions and dumping of waste into the public drainage,
which in turn block and jam the drain systems and cause problems,
and to clear that a lot of manpower is required,
and fuel guzzling equipment that help in short term,
But,
cause a lot of problems like release of carbon monoxide,
and other harmful by-products of incomplete combustion…

Let’s not forget the big industries bypassing all hurdles and dumping their waste into water bodies directly,
and those big drains that which take waste from our home,
little of it actually gets refined,
but most of it ends up in these water bodies and cause problems like pneumonia, and consumption of this water carrying waste that can be considered equal to be carcinogenic,
anyone who consumes it will definitely be affected later on in life…

Also,
these so-called top tier,
the people who are the top 1%,
and when they use private jets and travel all over,
They crush the individuals,
your or my effort…!?

For example,
A private jet from NYC to LA gives around 7 to 10 tons of emission,
(For 3~5 people)
for a five-hour flight,
and a typical person emits in a year,
which turns out to be 2.07 metric tons per year….

Now imagine being,
a normal person and facing consequences,
for something that you haven’t even THOUGHT ABOUT,
and you have to shoulder the blame for them…

A dream to have a clean source of fuel and equal sharing of responsibility,
and leaving a better planet for those who are yet to bless us with their presence…

A dying wish..

Cheers🥂

Love Waakiye 🤍

01/07/2025