When asked what was the most important thing to me in life, I took time to think it over. If posed a couple of years ago, I would have answered 'Love' or 'Happiness'. That was what the teenager who had barely had any worldly experience would have believed in. But now, after meeting different kinds of people, after coming across different mindsets, I probably can conclude that you are the most important thing in your life. There is no one who will love you for what you are. No one will put your happiness before their needs. Nobody is born for you, except yourself. Whatever love you seek from the world, seek within yourself. What happiness you expect others to give, find it for yourself. There's nothing wrong in being self-centered. If thinking for yourself is called selfish, then please be selfish. If there's anyone worth fighting for, living for; it's you! Because everybody else is busy dealing with their own hassles.

Stop living for others, live for yourself. Love because life is a beautiful gift. When life shoves you into a difficult situation, face it and get yourself out of it. Everyone faces loss, heartbreak and sorrow, learn to talk as less about them as possible.
The world isn't there to help you up every time you fall, learn to stand up on your own. It is, after all, your life; live it the best you can.

 So apt. :'D
But you can never love your dog less. They get the kid out of you, they make you happier and no matter how rough your day goes, one look at them and you have energy surging through you.

Dogs are, in deed, the best of His creations. :)

*Spoiler* This post contains too much of heartbreaking news.

Okay, so, here it is.

Mom told me that Jimmy is no more. I was so devastated for a while, especially when I got to know that someone had poisoned her. I mean, how could someone do that to her? For all I knew, she was one of the most loving dogs on earth! There wasn't one person she'd ever barked at. Even when people tried to pick her pups up, she never once got short tempered. Such an angel she was and someone had done that to her? I wish that person rots in hell for what he/she has done.

That person took away one of the few beings that loved me more than I loved them.
What hurts the most is that I didn't even get to see her for the last time. The last memory of hers is of her wagging her tail at me as I left for my hostel. How I wish I could look at her once more, how I wish.. 

The little girl who I had seen since she was a young pup, the kid that'd happily run after my bike when I got home, the girl who could catch pieces of chapati in midair, the girl who would forget everything and chase a lizard up the wall...

I still look out of the window in hope of seeing her. The naughtiness that her eyes gleamed with, the way she could get anyone to adore her.. I'll never be able to get over her.
People have been telling me that I'll forget it and move on and I sure hope I do. But know it for real, you shall always be the second most loved dog in my life, only after my Lucky. You'll always be remembered, girl.

May Lord Almighty bless you with eternal happiness. Be happy wherever you are and spread love like you always did. Rest in peace, little girl.

I love you and I'll always love you.

~ SB.

Life: Future or Present?

I happened to be talking to a friend of mine and I asked her, "what is Life?" Her answer was simple, yet meaningful. She said, "Life is what you are living now. It is your present."

If that is so, why do we bother so much about the future? Why then do we neglect the present and work to make our future better? Is it even worth all the effort? I needed to know. So I started thinking.

Teachers said, study now so you can have a better future. Elders said, start saving so you can have a secured future. Why is everyone bent on making our future better? Why can't we enjoy our present and not get so worked up about the future? I'm not against planning for the future, I understand how important it is for us to have a dream, a goal for the future. It inspires us to work on, yes. But why live in the fear of tomorrow and not enjoy the moment? I'd rather live the moment, for our future depends on our present. What is the use of being a billionaire if you have no one to enjoy the luxuries with? What is the use of living for a hundred years if you don't have someone to share it with?

So yeah, make friends, loads of them. Fall in love, face the heartbreaks, stand up and move on. Listen to everyone but do what you feel like doing. As long as it makes you happy and as long as it doesn't take away someone else's happiness, it's healthy. Commit mistakes, learn from them and never repeat them. Cry when you can't hold on to the pain. Be a mess. Because one day, when most of your loved ones are gone, these memories will give you solace. Don't give up your present to make your future bright. It's like choosing to walk in darkness, searching for light when you'll already find the light if you know where and how to look for it.

It's stupid how people live for their tomorrow and forget their today. It's not always necessary to act matured, it's okay to be a kid and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Remember, you'll never be young twice. Dream for a better future, work hard. Learn from the past. And never forget to enjoy the moment.

Life as we know it.

There comes a point in everyone's life when you are made to face reality. You are shown how some people, who you have held close all your life, can't stay forever. It's when the obscure world of 'Forever' falls apart and you realise the void it creates in your life. Changes, especially those that involve parting, break you down. All the promises, the sugar coated talks, all come to sound like bad music you can't get off of your mind. And you begin to curse yourself for letting people come close enough to make you vulnerable.

But honestly, life is all about getting to know how to cope with loss. After all, everything you possess today will either be lost or gone to another's possession tomorrow. What is permanent, what stays back, is hurt and pain. How you accept loss and move on, is what defines you as a person. For change is inevitable, so better accepted than dreaded.

Have you ever let someone reach for the barriers you have built, destroy them and enter your life, though you know staying is a luxury they can't afford? For most, it might just sound absurd. And it is, in a way, because after knowing what the future has in store for you, you are letting them stay. Eventually, they'll have to leave, thus breaking your heart. But be sure of this. The few moments/days you spend with them will last with you for a lifetime. These memories will adorn the scrapbook of your life, if anything as such exists. And if you meet them again, in your later life, you'll look back on the past and reminisce the bitter-sweet memories. And that is when, amidst the pangs of pain, emerges the most beautiful smile you'll ever have smiled.

Hope.

Strange waves touch my feet, as I open my eyes
To this new land, where I stand now
Watching the setting sun, searching for a star
For a memoir, that would remind me of home.

Memories of older times pass by me
Moments of happiness, moments of glum
Both evoke waves of emotions in my heart
Emotions as strange as these waves.

It's not long before the clouds clear away.
And make way for the moon.
Who bathes me in bright light,
So serene, it illuminates my soul.

Time passes by, draining out
Traces of memories from the past
Leaving a warm feeling in my heart,
A feeling of hope, for a better tomorrow.

-Shwetha Bhat.

My thoughts about The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green.

I just finished reading 'The Fault In Our Stars'. And I must admit, it's by far the most beautiful story I have come across. It changed my views about Life, about Love and Cancer. Prior to reading, I had always sympathised with cancer patients. The word, in itself, brought in with it a feeling of hurt, of sorrow. I felt bad at looking cancer affected kids, or for that matter, anyone who had to go throught that hell.

But this book, it threw light on subtle yet important qualities these people possess that we normally don't notice. It showed me the strength and 'love for life' these people show. It left me completely out of words, to be honest.

They are people who have had Death knock at their doors, and they are the people who asked Death to leave them alone because they aren't giving up. They are fighters, they fight for their breath every moment. They fight for their loved ones, for their lives and they don't need our symapthy. All they need is compassion, for they are the 'brave souls', way braver than we can ever be.

There is so much to learn from them. Where we see only Darkness, they see a ray of Light, of Hope. They don't live with the fear of tomorrow, they live in today. They await a tomorrow which most of them are uncertain of, but which they most certainly deserve.

They are the most beautiful and courageous of souls that God has ever created. Because they are people who don't just exist, they LIVE. And they change lives that are surrounding them. Let's hope the day comes soon, when cancer will be just another zodiac sign!

Amen. <3