The Unruled Notebook

I am writing a letter about how a mother teaches honesty to her child with the Max Life Insurance i-genius #YoursHonestly activity in association with BlogAdda . Picture Sourced from Google Dear Chotu, This world is a mélange of vices, clichés, traffic jams, strikes and some otherwise wonderful things. It hurts me to say that you are not in the safest of places when you step out alone. We are surrounded by the incessant insecurities of life. It might seem delusional when you grow up to know that you can’t do much to help the world. But, remember, you can always do your little something which, in turn could do a lot of good to the world around you. To begin with, you should know this - How you do anything is how you do everything. Never lose your individuality, for, that is the only real asset you have and will have forever. Don't ever doubt yourself beacause of what others say. The moment you feel like giving up is the time you should be resolved not to give up.  ...

Dear Ma, I remember the day when Guppo aunty said to me “Beta, you know Ani is fairer than you” and laughed at me as if she got a fit. I also remember, when Ani pee’d on Papa’s quilt all you did was to ask Tamarai akka to clean it. Do you remember you scolded me for peeing on my new dress the same day? It was my birthday ma. I could forgive you but not Ani. I hated her. When you and papa adopted her, granpa told me she was our little angel and he even named her Angel Ani. I did not like it. I used to be his “Chotu” “Chinnu” “Kuttu” and “Pattu” but when Ani came, she stole all these pet names from me. I was just Kavi or Kavitha from then on. When guests came home, they always looked for Ani first. I used to be hiding behind your saree hoping they will call me too. I was not shy, ma. Just that no one needed to see me or talk to me. I used to be papa’s favourite until she came in our lives. Ani probably held a special place in papa’s heart that he even slept with Ani on t...

Humming blithely one morning as I opened your letters; outside, the sky was blue and the sun shining. It felt good to be alive. I had let them languish in a box and let them ferment into dark poison, as if to entertain the ghosts in my house. I opened the first letter. It read “I am leaving you and leaving the earth”. A sharp ray of light struck my forehead and I wanted to fly. Far up, until the crisp air thins and  I'd  never want to come back down. The sky was still blue, the sun still shining.