Musings from Autumn Shadows

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"We want every action of ours to have a meaning and purpose. We want the universe to be meaningful to us.  But the unmitigated truth is that there is no such meaning, no purpose in the universe." 

- Tomichan Matheikal, Autumn Shadows: Memoir

Dreaming about what purpose I hold in this universe used to be a favourite pastime for me. I would imagine myself out there in action, doing my bit of duty to this world I was born into. Except that I didn't know what that duty was. I always assumed I'd know it when I grew up. But as years went by and thoughts were recycled, it only seemed clearer that everything around me was unclear. There weren't any 'signs' directing me to my roads of meant-to-be. Because there was no such thing.

Milestones that Matter

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Hands joined and eyes closed, I stood nervously behind the podium. The crowd before me had parted from their seats respectfully. They stood waiting for a holy prayer to commence the auspicious ceremony. Poor them. They definitely weren't ready for the cacophony that was coming. My voice may just have sucked the auspiciousness out of the ceremony.

On Mothers and Chores

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It's close to midnight. My mom slumps down on the bed, visibly exhausted. I'm lying down next to her, massaging my eyes after having spent my whole day before the laptop. I'm still wide awake, sleep eluding me yet again. My mom is moments away from a deep slumber, but a few words escape her before she dozes off. Something about the lockdown making little difference to stay-at-home moms.

Corona Chronicles - The Face of Humanity

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The colleges are shut down. Families are locked in. Streets are swept free of traffic. Hugs are more threatening than soothing. Social media has more tasks than Bigg Boss. Patience is being tested in households rather than traffic jams. Sanitizers have become more valuable than oil.

Z for Zone #AtoZChallenge

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You have a name. You have a designation. A resume with bullet points of your accomplishments. You have a visage. A skin of a certain colour. A body that may or may not be flattering. You have a past that people know about. A socio-economic background. A certain religion or caste, irrespective of your beliefs. You have all of these features and more that define you. You are to the world a combination of labels.

Y for YOLO #AtoZChallenge

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Today is just another day. 

You may have your daily meals, do your daily chores, and while away the rest of time in store. 

Today in the now, you alone stand for all that has happened to you before. 

You are what became of all your days of the past, all your tears and laughs of what was. 

But you are also what stands for the unknown ahead, the could-be's and maybes' of the morrow. 

You are today the prologue to possibilities, 

The hopes of a happier haven.

Today may be just another day. 

But tomorrow is empty and waiting.
It could be anything in the making.

X for the Unknown #AtoZChallenge

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Two thousand years before this dawn

The Arabs had the symbols drawn;

Al-jabr, though the name had been,

Algebra is the name we've seen. 

Equations of the mastermind

Lacked a value yet to find.

'Shay-un', though its name had been,

X is all that we have seen.