fledgling

Her eyes welled up with tears. There seemed to be no effort put in to control them as they flowed freely down her cheeks. It was the last time she was going to see her parents and siblings. The Ambassador chugged off, with her gaze locked into her parents' eyes through a blur of tears. Saanvi, a cheerful young woman in her early twenties, was heartbroken. The suddenly-brought up topic of marriage had crushed her ambitious dreams. Being the first and only literate person in her huge family of sixteen, it was hard for her to persuade them even for higher studies. Her demand had been answered by a cold, stony silence. The sight of her father repenting over his decision of granting education to his daughter and the loud wails of her mother weeping on the telephone to her aunt annoyed her. After a series of heated arguments, she made up her mind and left for the University of Delhi to pursue her dream of entrepreneurship. The months she spent at her university were the happ

Hi guys! I have crossed yet another milestone! Today, I'm turning twelve! From the time I was in my mother's womb till this very moment, these twelve years have been absolutely exciting and adventurous. The experiences I've had have taught me life's greatest lessons that will always be in my pocket throughout my journey. Turning twelve is often viewed as one of the biggest milestones in a person's life (stepping into tweenhood and much closer to teenage) as it is the last birthday one celebrates as a child and also the first one feeling like a tiny adult! Though I like thinking and planning ahead like an adult would, I still feel, learn and create with the heart of a nine-year-old perhaps. The innocence and creativity of a kid is always greater than the arrogant know-it-all attitude of a teen or adult. I definitely do feel much more matured by thought and response today. I have evolved as a person. Hitting twelve, I suddenly feel so grown up (alm

A drop of sweat trickles down his forehead. His heart thumps out loud, as he watches the dice tumble to the edge of his table. A part of him wants the dice to fall on six, but the other prays not to. The dice falling on six was no child's play; his last breath depended on the mere fluke of the ignorant dice. He heaves a sigh of despair. It falls on four, which means a week more to come face-to-face with Death again and its wicked monopoly. Not again, he muttered. Aki felt depressed. After a miserable career and a failed marriage, he felt monotonous and often suicidal. He found his life to be empty as a thirty-four year old, running behind something that he was expected to run after. Day after day, life became hell and every minute was too painful to endure. His ears grew accustomed to the announcements at the train line. Earlier, he hardly cared and had went on fidgeting on his phone for the train schedule. But now, his ears intently listened to the precautions while hi

Hello readers! Here's some really exciting and heartwarming news - Fledgling is turning one! No matter how many things we have done or achieved, those 'first-times' always capture a special place in our hearts. That first-time element is what drove me to write this thoughtful letter to my soul. This post marks one of my most emotional moments, hitting a new milestone with my most cherished partner in this journey, my dear Fledgling. It's been a year since we hatched open, taking a first glimpse of the outside world as soft sunshine peeked in at dawn. Now, before we knew it, we had started flying across the cliffs! It has been an amazing roller-coaster ride this year, definitely not one without potholes and bumps. But the thrill of turning one with something I hadn't even considered urges me to write more and more, as thoughts and feelings gush through. This journey has been a passionate one and we have also remarkably improved over the months of over

We quickly hop off our scooter at Chellas Kitchen as the warm sweet smell of desserts and noisy crackling of fries in the oil drag us to the cafe. We go and our eyes forage for snacks to order on the menu.  Located right in front of Oak Tree on the OMR, this seems to be a hotspot among desperate dieters to satiate their cravings with healthy options like vegan and gluten-free stuff to snack on. We are perplexed seeing so many varieties of exotic teas they outnumber the snacks that they are known for. Our eyes fell upon the Peri-Peri fries, cheese balls and "Fried milk" (what the owner proudly beams at and calls their signature dish). FRIED MILK!? We were blown away at the mention of the delicacy that seems to be the rage among youngsters. We had made up our minds - we had to try it. Soon the fries and cheese bombs arrive, crackling hot. These make the perfect warm treats for your tastebuds' cravings on a rainy evening. Though the fries and the seasoning fail

Book : Mayaakatha Year : 2018 Author : Meera V Barath Publication : Notionpress Genre : Self-help Rating : ★★★★★ Ms. Meera, an ardent believer in the illusion of reality, crafts Mayaakatha, a beautiful collage of her thoughts on how this much-ran-after element of happiness in our lives lies in. As the title suggests, this book is based the katha  (story) of maya (illusion). In a nutshell, it is an illusion holding reality within.. My instinct knew I had laid my hands on the right book.   "Simple yet indelible.." Ms. Meera expresses the most profound truth in the simplest words and points out the subtle things we often fail to recognize from which it can be found, enjoyed and most importantly, shared. Her book makes us realize that happiness lies within and no money or luxury can bring you even a speck of true joy. This book makes an indelible impression on our souls. "Artistic and elegant.." She uses a poetic style to write this b

Hello everyone! Do you believe in miracles? Well, I didn't until last week. So read on to know my story. Just a couple of days ago, I had my first book fair experience and unexpectedly bumped into some of my favorite authors and orators. My eyes scanned every stall for the novels I had listed the day before and for the posters I had wanted for my bedroom. I did manage to get my hands on a couple of novels at Penguin and many other publications but only after a few hours did the magic happen! Notionpress' contest rush notice somehow caught my eye and I instinctively walked in to enquire on that. That's when I met my now-mentor Ms. Meera Barath, the mind behind Mayaakatha, an engrossing collage of thought bubbles. I had no idea she was an author, so I walked up to her and told her that I was searching for a new writer to explore and whether she could help me find some. That's when she took me to the stand where several copies of Mayaakatha were placed. S

Hi everyone! A week away from Christmas Eve, the only thing every kid is excited about is Santa Claus! Well, everyone is! A kid's imagination can stretch to an impressive extent from a rainbow T-Rex sleeping on a bean bag to crazy Santa stories. It is also every kid's question whether Santa does exist or not but common sense gives us a dismaying no. So for all those adults who still believe that it is in their childish heart, here's good news. There actually is! Sadly, I couldn't manage to post mine before Christmas (-_-), so I thought of putting it up here for Santa to see. 17/12/18 Monday Dear Santa, I'm Maanasa, a sixth-grader from India. I have a big thing to ask for. This is what I truly want for Christmas - I want everyone to stay in harmony as a single race- the human race- and refrain from unjustified barbaric bloodshed of innocent lives, making it clear that no human/living being is superior or inferior to one another. I want no un