To anyone who told you you're no good... they're no better.

What defines growing up? Quitting all those things that were once part of life in the youth does not define 'growing up'. In reality, we all know we have grown up when we stand solely on the mountain built by our own thoughts, derived from our very emotions.

"We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public" -Bryan White

In the aura of everyday life, we blend with the moving times and tend to forget those little things that once brought us happiness, thinking that they are a thing of the past. As an adult today, when I look back, one of the many exciting chapters of life as kids was 'cartoons'. Watching them even when you turn 40 does not weigh you down from growing up - or does it? They definitely don't. Cartoons come as riddle to human minds. With them, they bring smiles that burst. Most of us are a rolling dice, thanks to the humour they provide.

You know you have grown up when you mature. You know you have matured when you simply know what you want from life. You stop chasing. Instead, one starts creating their own self. Equipped with logic and emotion, you are ultimately a person you never thought you will be. We all grow up and learn of a side of us that is unique. Being what you are not is a waste of your own existence. By being yourself, you add an element to this world that never existed before.

Growing up does not mean letting go childishness - "Childishness? I think that's the equivalent of never losing your sense of humour" -Walt Disney. Every single person grows up to be unique with their own thoughts and ideas. As humans, one should believe in the inherent goodness of people. If my logic differs from yours, I will not consider you 'bad'. Don't judge anyone just because they sin differently.

An ideal homogenisation is achieved when we adapt according to different situations. Humour, ego, logic, emotion, love and spirit sums up to transform each of us as a person, a separate soul charged with an idea and sentiment to move on, to make a difference.

Lastly, you know you are unique, you really do have worth. You know you can endure. And you know you are a strong. So don't distress for anyone who doesn't find you even; always let your conscience be your guide.

When you light your own candle to brighten your soul and gracefully become your own armour

~ Solitude ~

Story of every heart who says good bye to a certain someone, home or your native land:

There was a time when I dreaded solitude. Who wants to be alone on their own. Hostel life had made me used to be in the company of friends 24/7. Life was full of hustle and bustle. Whenever I went back home, it was the same; surrounded by siblings who'd make sure there wasn't a dull moment.

Then when I came here, solitude became a regular companion. So many days and nights spent in unknown cities, amidst people who I had never known and spending nights in hotel rooms, practically living out of the suit case. Having a housemate who was in the same profession also didn't help. When I was back home, she would be away and vice versa. Weekends were better in terms of being amongst friends but that too for a couple of hours at most. The great things about humans is how adaptable we are. Slowly and gradually, we adjust to solitude and get used to the peace and quiet. It has its own charm. The silence doesn't resonate in your soul. It echoes with your conscience and helps you realize things which you wouldn't have pondered otherwise. The deeper meanings of life. Your relationship with the Creator and His Creation. You find whole new worlds and ideas in books that become your best friends. It is a refreshingly healing experience for your soul. Back home or amongst friends, people just ask you questions; loads and loads of never ending questions. The whys, the whens, the whos and the hows. When your on your own, you get the time to pose questions to yourself; straightforward and honest questions - And that gets you thinking. A train of thought, imagination, creativity, everything gets going. You reach a state when you stop running after people. You see you don't need them. All you need is Him, only Him. People, they come they go. The ones that last, you take them as His blessings, but you learn to disassociate yourself from expectations related to people. 

I know, too much of everything is not good. The middle path, the balanced approach is the best. However, there is a reason why all the great sufis, the thinkers and even our Holy Prophet (PBUH) turned to solitude. It brings you closer to God and helps clarify alot of things that are no longer obvious in the hustle bustle of life.

♥ .. [[ Man loves company - even if it is only that of a small burning candle]] .. ♥ 

“I restore myself when I'm alone.” 
― Marilyn Monroe

Metamorphosis ~ *voices in my head*

"Did I prepare myself for the hereafter, before it was too late to redeem myself?"

Admist the stones and uneven ground, I lay uncapacitated. Powerless to the extreme, my veins leeched blood under the firing blaze of the sun that wouldn't let my eyes focus on anything but keep shut. I was a hopeless solidier, bruised, disgruntled and undermined. My soul was torn apart, heart shattered and spirits maligned. Yet, head-to-head, I scuffled to keep my efforts going. My eyes were swollen, lips were crushed, trickling thick layers of blood due to internal injuries inside the mouth. I sniffed and fought with my breaths - apparently they were coming to an end. Overly vulnerable, my hands experienced a restricted movement - wounds bled profusely. The next second, I decided to encounter myself against my own mysteries, when I realised, my feet rested enchained between two huge rocks. However, nothing could uncork the passion inside me: I just had to struggle till I was above the ground and breathing - said the voices in my head.

The peak of afternoon passed. I still lay stranded. Heavy winds blew as the evening approached. Persistently, I held myself on my elbows and tried to pursue a finger dance to force myself out of this setting. The clouds and lightening clashed. Previously, my eyes peaked at my body that was imbrued in blood clots and scratches. No sooner, I found myself drenched in the spitting the rain had caused. Despite this anguish, my mind could not escape what even my constricted sore eyes did not ignore. Involuntarily, I had captivated those few moments in my brain as remnants of last patches of memory retrieval. Incessantly, my heart beat every minute diminshed, making me terror-stricken.

My bones froze between pointed stones of huge lengths. I was haunted and impaired - physically and mentally both. But I couldn't ask for more. I geniunely wished that this state alone led me to the hereafter. These last few hours had transformed me altogether as a human, by belief, spirit and faith. The destitute surrounded me, bare-footed, hungry and unsheltered, pleading for a grain of wheat. Another young boy tucked himself under an unclothed tree just to seek refuge. What more could I ask for? - I grew up like a princess, with a silver spoon and received loads of gold chains on my first birthday. My parents lovingly fetched corns for me every day that were spoon-fed to me. Not to forget, my desires were fulfilled before the words even slipped off my lips and my parents reacted to each of it faster than I ever blinked. What more could I ask for? I was crowned quicker than I could ever breathe.

Fading images of women carrying barrels of water on their shoulders elevated my heartbeat. The rest carried corns behind their back just to feed their children - earned me the realisation that my story all along was picture perfect. The sight was unimagineably transforming, inspirational and real. The birds lay before me with wings chopped off, in a state worse off than mine... That young boy who cried invariably but noone responded to his screams? The poor girl craved for water - my hiccups never went unguarded. Oh how much could I thank the Creator for making me who I am? He endowed me with a sense of understanding, abilities, dreams and more importantly, the overgrowing desire to fulfill them. Moreover, equiped me with endless resources to find myself as an extraordinary being before anything else. Furnished around me was a world that was made out of blocks of lego - I could alter it as I willed. Armed with courage, my only weapon, I walked every step to put my entire existance to discover a true side to myself. What more could I ask for? Cosmetically, I walked every inch towards my destination. In my dreams I saw a castle, I was its princess, its glory and life. 

Could I be better off? Or could I ever envision myself sailing a boat by a desolate coast - a boat that was half sunk due to a hole beneath, before the journey even begun. Oh... Could I be better off? My chapter was exorable. I shut my eyes finally, my heartbeat had obstructed definitely. Gradually, the images withered but they had become part of my film. 

The soul couldn't ask for more. The end of my journey was inevitable. I deemed fit in my wings as I flew my way through. Fortunate enough, metamorphosis chose me before reality unmasked itself. My eyes sparkled as I saw my destination calling me.

47.  "Fabi-ayyi ala-i rabbikuma tukaththiban" - Then which of the favours Of your Lord will ye deny? Surah Rahman.

"Then which of the favours Of your Lord will ye deny?"

Nothing more inspiring than the man around you that you consider strongest - Father

Father's birthday celebration

A son is a son till he gets his wife; a daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life. The reason why daughters love their Dad the most in this world is that there is at least one man in the world who will never hurt them. A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend. 

A woman is always a mystery: one must not be fooled by her face and her hearts inspiration.

Sitting in a cafe the other day, I overheard some guys few inches away talk and complain about how their partner would make life difficult for them. Just a couple of them had enough courage to sort matters out while the rest just chose to let go off it. They felt they were too cool to 'discuss' the issues for that matter, and would be better off single. 

Next, I hear about how my own male friends would say, "a woman is the most complicated of God's creations". This, however, holds true. From head to toe, every mesh of a woman speaks differently which makes her eminent and glowy before everything else that exists on the face of this universe. Every woman needs attention, but most detest saying it. Every man needs a faithful woman, but most of them who have one show as if it ain't no big deal. However, the difference is, most content of all women is the one who means the world to one man. 

Heart-rending and fervid mood swings are normal for every woman. Being a man, most of you cannot decrypt her inflammatory phases. Sometimes, it takes it all to please her, and at other times, you got to take it slow. I see and hear guys having a laugh on every second thing a woman does, dismissing that act to be extremely 'typical'. The fact is, they simply fail to understand the thought process behind the action. She may resort to tears as a release for her pent-up frustrations. In such a fragile state, she isn't looking for a trite Mr. Fix-It synopsis of the matter, she's most likely just looking for someone who is willing to validate her feelings and give her the support she needs to solve things on her own. Crying is a foreign concept to most men, and it can be hard to navigate a situation charged with emotion and tears. You'll probably feel like you have no ability to help her snap out of it, but actually you might just be the best person for the job. 

You don't have to conquer the world out there to solve her riddle. The least that need be done is acknowledgement to why she cries easily. With shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world yet gentle to give comfort, she tends to break at the most unreasonable of situations. She reasons, in forms of tears, the rejection that comes her way time and again, sometimes from her own children along with the suffering that she takes. Despite the hardness within her to keep going come whatever, she feels fatigued. Even when she is hurt beyond repair, she unconditionally loves her children under any and all circumstances. She has the strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. The deep felt emotion stirs her hot button inside and streams in form of tears. She has wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths. As a result, standing beside him unfaltering and unconditionally overwhelms her. The tear she sheds is exclusively hers. There's no way she should hesitate to claim ownership of it. 

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides. "The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart." - Josiah G. Holland

 When she loves, she's selfless. Rest assured, she completes a man truly by every sense of the word - "You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her."

True love is powerful than anything else. It is transforming, righteous, ultimate and eternal. - "Only love of a good woman will make a man question every choice, every action. Only love makes a warrior hesitate for fear that his lady will find him cruel. Only love makes a man both the best he will ever be, and the weakest. Sometimes all in the same moment." -Wicked

"Let us be thankful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners of our souls" -Marcel Proust

A woman's enchanted fancies

true beauty of a woman is her passion; apparently, cosmetics are easier to buy.