Dark Is Beautiful.

We live in an era of stereotypes. A society where judging others is the only way forward, where criticism is a must and taking one down, piece by piece is a practice.
I'm ashamed to belong to this era where condemning others is a trend that never really dies out. The whole "We v/s Them" concept is rather disgraceful to humanity.
Society outdid itself when it questioned Creationism and its being. Questioning the existence of the Creator, really, how far is that going to take us?

And then there's the belief that Fairness equals beauty. It's ridiculous how many companies are cashing in on this drift. We all went to school, we KNOW that your skin tone can only change temporarily and not to mention, hamper with your skin and cause it to age faster than natural. Yet, we're brainwashed by the dark skinned actresses who claim that Fairness Creams are part of your physiological needs and that only the possession of one will bring you success, fame, money and love. Pitiful? No, what's pitiful is the fact that the companies are minting money. What's the point of all those hours in Bio class now?

That women believe that beauty can be defined by a color. That's what is pitiful.
No matter how white your skin gets, if you're not happy in it, you'll never be pretty. 
Instead of fighting the practice of skin lightening, we have women lining up outside skin clinics and buying fairness creams to "fit in".
Why would anyone want to fit in? Whatever happened to standing out and being unique?
It's more of a social pressure than anything else. It's because there's discrimination of the dark skinned that they're pressurized to adopt these measures. 
Our society has progressed in terms of technology and economy but the mindset froze and has remained stagnant in the yesteryears.
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, not color of your skin.

Society hammers the minds of the consumers and influences them to believe that there's a list of norms which if not followed will result in rejection of the dark skinned, making them social outcasts.

We have to stop discriminating on the grounds of color. Rejecting a proposal because of color, secluding a fellow classmate because of his color, treating them like aliens, it all has to stop. 

This vicious wave has now caught on to the men as well. Fairer skin equals more girls, more lucrative offers, more success in life. Really? What age are we from? Stone Age?
There's a reason the "Tall-Dark-Handsome" is a cliche. There's a reason estrogen levels go for a toss at the sight of a T-D-H. Not White, Dark. 

One of my best friends is dark skinned and I believe she's one of the prettiest women I've met. Simply because she loves her skin, doesn't over-expose her photos or try to be what she isn't and instead takes pride in what she is. 
Being white doesn't make you pretty. But wanting to be white sure does make you not you. And that's the worst version of you.
Take pride in yourself. Your color doesn't define you. 
And even if it does, you're beautiful. Dark is beautiful.

                                                   

A Slice Of Life.

It's only the second week of the new year and the turnout at gyms has already taken a tumble. All the "I'm going to take my workout seriously this year" has drowned in the Tequilas and the Cokes.
So what's the big deal about this weight loss frenzy anyway?
It's Bollywood, which in turn caught this flu from Hollywood.
The whole must-have-perfect-figure-if-you-want-to-feel-beautiful disease started with the Firangs who barely nibble at their bread once a day. Now that it has caught on in a country like ours where we have the people worshiping food like their deity, it's raised some perfectly shaped eyebrows.

I'm 19. I live to eat.. and write, but mostly to eat. I don't believe that I must have zero fat to be at peace with myself. I eat to feel better. I tend to eat more when I'm under pressure or stress. Sue me.
 I'm not one of those who can starve to get the Kareena Kapoor figure, which by the way she didn't achieve by just "eating healthy". There's a lot more that goes into the process, but let's not get there. But since we took that road anyway, consider this.

 Were the yesteryear actresses any less beautiful than those today? Did they draw any less audience than those of today do? Were they any less fantasized about than the scenario today? They were a notch higher if not the same.
Same gender. Same field. Same profession. Same techniques. Almost the same audience.
What has changed? The mentality. The ridiculous concept of Size Zero has marred the way girls look at themselves. To find clothes of a size for people that actually eat has become a task.
The Indian woman is symbolized by her curves. What is she left with if you take that away from her? A flat stomach, sure. But what's different about her now? Nothing.

We're focus so much on looking good that we forget to feel good. I don't believe in the "look good to feel good" crap. Spare me.
We become so conscious about our extra inches here and there that we stop eating what we like, dressing how we want and living our life. We're so busy sucking our stomach in that we're ignoring all the fun things life has to offer. Like cheesecake.

Whilst saying this, I don't ask you to be fat. Work on your body, yes, strive to look good. But not so much so that you start worshiping your trainer and starve yourself.
It's okay to eat the occasional slice of cheesecake and scoop of ice cream.
Life just gets better when you're a foodie.



                                                                                            

New Year Resolutions.

Don't laugh, I'm actually going to make resolutions and live up to them.

1. Slap a woman on the train.
Too many women have left their heel marks on my feet or elbowed me in the face and gotten away with it. It's payback time! I swear to the smelly armpits and screaming salesmen, I will slap someone on a train.

2. Stop Swearing.
"If you continue to swear like that, nobody will ever marry you." My mother's ghastly response to me having said "Bloody Hell" has scarred me for life. I swear like a man, probably worse than one. I wonder if one will ever marry me. No chances taken, I must stop swearing.

3. Buy more clothes.
I've got to stop saying "I've got nothing to wear" every time I'm stepping out. New. Clothes. Needed.

4. Figure out why my phone dies ever so often.
I'm no engineer, but I'm crucially interested in knowing the math behind scaling to 66% from a 100% in a couple of minutes when it comes to my phone battery.

5. Write a decent Blog post.
When I look back and read all my blog posts, I feel like a child who was gifted a pen on his birthday and took the words "Write whatever you want" ever so seriously.

6. Lose weight.
This one is a permanent. It's been on all my resolution lists since I started writing them. Nevertheless, tradition is important. So I must lose weight.

7. Get a boyfriend.
No, seriously. Being single for so long almost makes me doubt my charisma. I'm pretty. And self deluded. Anywhichway, get a decent boyfriend who ain't got no swag. 

8. Become a doctor.
No, not literally. It's more of a "give them a taste of their own medicine.", but I'm smart, cool, innovative and umm self deluded. Either way, I hereby swear that I will tell everyone what I really think of them. I'm pretty sure I'm through with all the pretense and sweet nothings. Rise, devil in me, rise.

9. Watch Notting Hill a hundred more times.
It's my favorite movie of all times and I've watched it a thousand times and haven't got enough of it. Get me the DVD, someone!

10. Live a little.
I've spent most of 2013 being depressed about something or the other. It really is time to drop all the sob stories and live a little.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Every new year we make resolutions that are too godly to live up to. You probably quit smoking for a while but you can't really keep up with the pressure. Which is fine, really.
This new year, let's all resolve to make just one resolution and live by it forever. Be happy.
Your ultimate goal is happiness. So why take a detour? Take a direct hit. Be happy.
Live, laugh, love.

Kaleidoscopic Haze.

You see, life is a bunch of phases. One after the other, they take you on a roller coaster ride. One moment you're on the top of the world, carefree and screaming your lungs out of joy. Then there's the plunge downhill that fills your heart with immense fear. You hold on for dear life, fearing what will hit you next. And then there's the part where your in the pit of the ride, where you can't go further and you just want it to stop. Eventually it does. How do you feel then? Tired, relieved. That's the last phase of your life. You had a hell of a ride but then that's about how much you can handle. So you step out, allowing for others to take your seat and you walk away from it.
That's life for you. 
Every story has a hero and a villain. 
There has to be pain in order for you to feel the relief when it goes away. There is no happiness without the sadness.
When you've hit rock bottom, thank your stars, for the only way out there on is up.

What's a hero without a villain to defeat? How would you fall in love with the hero if you didn't have the villain to despise? Would the reconciliation of the hero and his leading lady be just as beautiful if the bad guy hadn't eloped with her earlier? No, it wouldn't. 

Similarly, your life wouldn't have been half as interesting had it not taken the occasional plunge.
Every phase teaches you a lesson. There's something you pick from every part of it, good, bad and the ugly. How boring would life be if you woke up every day and got through it without a single happy or a sad moment.
Every emotion you feel gives prominence to the one that follows. The relief you feel after fear having enveloped your heart wouldn't be the same without the fear itself. The happiness of seeing a person after ages wouldn't be half as delightful if sadness hadn't played its part when the person departed.

Learn to love every emotion, it only adds beauty to your life.
Don't be either here, there or nowhere. Don't be a Black and White person. Don't see life through two extreme perspectives. It's not always just a Black or White situation. Often, the Gray patches have more significance then either of the others would. It's a colorful life, don't put it in a box.
Expand your perspectives. Don't restrict yourself to the black, white and gray of life.
Cause life is just that, a kaleidoscope of ever changing colors and patterns. You never know what turn it will take and what design it will make.
Soak it up.

Body Armor!

It was just another Facebook morning for me. I was nonchalantly browsing through bitch fights and breakup posts and lovestruck photos when it caught my eye. Not everything you spot on social media makes you want to pause and take a second look, not for the right reasons anyway. But this did. Body Armor!

 Whoever could've thought of that! Us women, we love accesorizing, don't we? Right from earrings to toe rings, we wear them all. Or do we?

So when I got in touch with Anisha, she had a whole new perspective. It dazzled me. What was supposed to be a mere enquiry urged me into penning down my thoughts about this steep turn in the world of Fashion. So I decided to go all Journo on this one.

How often do you wear a dress and find it incomplete? The sort of piecemeal that a necklace or a pair of dangly earrings fail to do justice to. That's when you turn to this whole new definition given to accessories.

Tell me that doesn't excite you! Tell me it doesn't make you go "Oh shit I want that.. and that! AND THAATTTT!!"If you're a girl, no matter how old you are or what background you're from, this is bound to tug at your heart, ever so strongly.Here we have a 20 year old girl, almost threatening the careers of well established jewelry designers! 

"I'm frankly really bored of seeing people wear the same old accessories.. Hello!! You're forgetting the rest of your body!These accessories are made to enhance the feminine you...It's like a body armor. I have made every piece with a special reason... Every piece is

Anisha Bakshi, Creator.

a story I am trying to tell...You pick the piece that truly belongs to you.. Not because it looks good, but because its meant for you.. And because its going to give you the confidence to be yourself.Not a single design will be repeated.Every beauty deserves her own unique treasure.My jewelry appreciates the feminine parts.The beautiful round neck, the beautiful curvy back, our most precious bosoms, our beautiful waist, legs, hands, hips, everything!!! It's mysterious, it's traditional...It reflects the strong Indian beauty who is religiously rooted.It's something that reflects your mysteries..

It's your power."

You heard her. Loud and clear!

So what are you waiting for? Oh right. An official statement.

If you're a woman who loves her trinkets or a man who loves his woman, swing by in Feb 2014, pick up the latest fad in the world of jewelry! Watch this space for details.

Until then, polish that body to suit this armor!

Her.

Sai. Just three alphabets, yet, the name weighs tonnes.

As far back as my memory takes me, I remember her going out of her way to take care of me. Apparently. when I was a year old and she was three, she'd try to hold me in her arms and shush me like my mother did. Barely any taller than a potted plant, she nurtured her motherly instincts from the day I was born.

Over the years, we've fought like animals. Pulling hair, scratching, biting, punching, kicking, anything you can think of. But at the end of it, either of us would come crawling back and

apologize and we'd cry our eyes out and hug and make up.

She's always been the innocent one and I always had the mischievous streak. Every time I went "Saiii listen naa", her eyes would go wide and she'd say, "What's it this time?"

There's nobody that can understand me as well as she does. She'll disapprove of my choices, but she'll stick nevertheless.

We've always been told how strikingly similar we are. But what you see is just the outside. She's the person I can never be.

I've never seen a person so giving, so pure and pristine. If I can get myself to be half the human being she is, I'll consider myself lucky.

I've never seen her sit still. She's the world's fastest and most efficient multi-tasker. 

She's juggled TYBA, an exchange program with Germany, a French level with Alliance, and number of things I can't even remember.

She introduced me to Classic Literature. If it wasn't for her, I'd still be sitting in a corner reading Tinkle and Archie's. No kidding.

She's protected me from my parents every time I messed up. She'd yell and give me a piece of her mind later, but she'd never let anyone else scream at me.

My sister is my best friend on earth. I know I can fight with her and behave my worst, but she'll always have my back.

Today we've come to a point where the fragile, dainty little lady needs me to be her bodyguard cause she's so delicate. I'd do that for you for life, Saiyu.

It surprises a lot of people how close we are. Sometimes it surprises us too :P

There's so much I can say about her. SO much. I'll always fall short of words trying to tell you how much it is that I love you.

I love you to the moon and back, and yet a little more.

Wish you a very very happy 21st. Not that you look like it at all, not even close, but well, happy birthday anyway.

If there's anyone I'd take a bullet for, it's her. It'll always be her.

Reality Check.

The wounds may heal, but the scars will stay. And what caused the wounds will always be despised. A second look at your scars will always bring back unwanted memories. Those will never really phase out. Learn to accept them and live with them or accept the fact that it'll never be okay again. 

That's all you need to know about this phase. Acceptance.