THE COCOON:
I like it here,
So warm, so comfortable...
The outside world looks like a blurry mirage that I can't quite comprehend.
Though it's a bit cramped, and it's been getting this way for quite some time, I want to remain this way, cozy and safe in my own cocoon.

It won't be this way forever, I know. I don't want to accept it. I'm afraid to.
The fear of the unknown is the greatest of them all.

For the first time, I feel the urge to step outside. My cocoon melts, I stare at the vast expanse of the world with wide eyes. My wings are weak, and for a second I begin to rue my decision. But I harden my resolve, and try to break free of the last remnants of my safe zone.

I know I'll stumble,
Falter,
Or even die...
But at least I won't be dead before I die.

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Soundarya,
You and I are kindred spirits. We are so much alike in the way we love to string words together. I admire your versatility, superb writing skills and the ability to praise others so graciously. It's because of you I'm inspired to write better. When I went through your quotes I was struck by the simple yet poignant style and you are still surprising me.


It was sheer coincidence that I looked into your YQ profile, but it has been the happiest coincidence of my life. Yes, we haven't met in person, but that doesn't matter at all. In this fast, virtual world, we are pen pals! That old world charm! And who's to say we won't meet someday!

Continue to weave magic with words. You have a unique flair for writing . I learnt from you and I still am. You are a beautiful, beautiful person.

-

FATAL ATTRACTION :
The moth flapped her dark brown wings and took flight. She knew she was unwanted. This is a world that values beauty, so much so that it doesn't hesitate to trample those who are not conventionally 'beautiful'.

A solitary flame broke her dark train of thoughts...
She felt awed, seeing the slender speck of light, swaying slightly in the wind.
Mesmerised, she flew closer.
The angry flame hissed at her, forbidding her to come any closer.
The moth was in a fix.
Have you ever wanted something that you knew could ruin you,
Consume you,
Burn you?

If so, then you know how the story ends.

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FRIENDS :
Learn to choose your friends carefully, without being swayed by the swag or the glamour.

Beware of the sweet-talking enabler who pretends to be your best pal during the good times and deserts you the moment you are in trouble.

Friends are not the ones who support your every whim. That's an enabler. Friends will stand by you but won't hesitate to tell you their honest opinions especially if you are about to do something stupid.

Real friends can change your life.
Sadly, so can the fake ones.

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THE VEIL:
There is a veil that separates us,
A delicate yet formidable barrier...
We can't see each other clearly, cannot make out the expressions on our faces..
I try to edge closer towards the veil, my hands outstretched...
I want to tear it apart, right from the seams.. I can see you inching closer too... Our fingers meet, separated by the smooth fabric.
Softer than a feather,
Colder than a black moonless night,
Deadlier than venom...

As we slither back to our own spaces, looking longingly towards each other, I can feel it smirking at our futile attempts to reach out...

This veil of self doubt and insecurities.

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Random ideas,
Sudden strokes of brilliance,
Innovative thoughts,
Unusual thought processes,
We all must have had such unique breakthroughs...
How many of us actually went on to fulfill their dreams?
And just how many, chose to forget them and move on with their mundane, mainstream lives?
Be brave,
Be spontaneous,
Be anything but boring!

-

We often lose track of the times we get manipulated by the people we have a weakness for. We push those nagging memories into the deepest crevices of our mind. We actually want to believe the beautiful illusion in front of us, not the ugly truth that lies beneath.
But what happens when that rose tinted reality finally shatters?

It goes away. Away from our memories, our conversations, our thoughts... but not before taking a part of us with it.

-

I love this new 'me'..
With a genuine smile,
Twinkling eyes,
And a hopeful heart.
I'm no longer the broken shell of a person I was a few years back.

Hope is a powerful thing.

-

When dark clouds hovered above me, you showed me that I can be my own rainbow 🌈

-

The timid girl looking frantically for her classroom in a new school,

The teenager refusing to accept the dismal marks on her report card and keeping her eyes set on her goal to study medicine,

The young intern sewing up a deep cut injury on a patient's arm,

As I look back, I realise...
I want to visit all of them again,
Someday😊...

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