A Little Closer

Getting vulnerable with you.

A big Thank you to everyone who asked these questions. You were very thoughtful and pushed me to really think about my own views. I hope this helps you in feeling a little closer to me. 

What is a topic you really want to talk about at the moment but are holding?

I would say Feminism is something I don’t explicitly talk about. Sometimes I do want to but hold myself back. The reason being, I know I come from a place of privilege in that I didn’t have to go through a lot of issues that many women go through on a daily basis today. Not to say that I haven’t been subject to inequality but the degree is low. And I don’t talk about it because I am still learning. A lot of things are so new to me because I have not seen it for myself. And that doesn’t mean that it is invalid. It also doesn't mean that my views are invalid. So I would say I am very cautious about this topic because I don’t want to be tone deaf and hurt the sentiments of my kind just because I haven’t had the same kind of experience. 

Have you faced any injustice and something that you learnt from it?

Oh for sure. I mean, who hasn’t. But I have faced it mostly at work. Favoritism is something I find to be very unfair. Somebody being appreciated just on account of being liked even though they have a poor character is my biggest pet peeve. It made me realise that just because you are honest and hardworking, doesn’t mean it will be rewarding. Integrity has taken a back seat these days.

Besides being awesome, what do you do for a living?

How sweet! <3 You’re awesome just for this.

To answer your question, I am a HR professional. I specialize in on-boarding. I do writing and art as a hobby and also take up little projects and commissions here and there as a freelancer. 

Your opinion on the purpose of life and why we are here?

I believe that each one of us has been put into this Earth to bring a specific kind of revelation in our fellow beings’ lives. Each one of us carries a unique set of strengths through which we help other people change their lives, hopefully for the better. These strengths are not necessarily tangible always but they are there. Some of us realize this overtime and some of us don’t even know all the small ways in which we change people’s lives. By being in their lives, by walking away, by providing something, by not providing something, we all lead somebody to their own purpose. I feel like that’s the purpose of life. Leaving something for generations to come. 

What conspiracy theories do you believe in?

Love this question. 

I watched the X-files when I was really young. I always wanted to be Dana Scully (sane, practical, requires science to back up theories) but I have always been Fox Mulder (believes anything is possible, illogical, leads with the heart). I believe in so many of them, particularly cryptid-core conspiracies. I have actually witnessed orbs. I feel like just because we can't see something doesn't mean that it's not there.

What can you write or talk about for hours?

I think narrative media. I have good pattern-recognition skills so I’m always connecting dots about different stories, tropes, time periods, characters, fashion, psychological implications and such whether in books, movies, series or even art. It’s very interesting to me.

What is something I wouldn’t believe about you?

Probably that I can sing? And play the ukulele?

What is the first book or novel you read, from where did you start this journey?

Beautiful question and one that I don’t get asked a lot ironically. 

I was never a reader till I was about 18 or 19. The very first book I read was a book my friend gave me. It was called “I Too Had a Love Story” by Ravinder Singh. It isn’t a bad book but I just couldn’t deal with it at all. I disliked it so much. And then I gave up on reading thinking that I am not a book person. I gave reading another shot by buying “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne and that completely changed my life. After that, I read everything from famous books, niche books, classics etc. I read all kinds of genres to finally figure out what I like reading. It was a journey. And today, I know a little better about what I would like and not like even before I pick up a book. I feel like everyone can be a reader, and the ones who aren’t just haven’t found what’s right for them.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud of my ability to move on quickly from hurtful situations. I don’t brood or let it get to me too much. It’s a quality I developed over many years. As a hyper-sensitive person, it is something I’m very proud of. Letting go.

Do you use art as an escape?

Not necessarily. It does let me escape time and reality for sure but it isn’t just about that. At least in this phase of my life art for me is getting good at something. I just wanted to be good at something that had nothing to do with academics or monetary pressure. Something I could come back to, to center myself and to gain confidence.

What are some questions to ask someone to know them better?

Interesting. I would say questions about a politically controversial topic or a morally ambiguous topic is the best way to know a person’s character. It’s the quickest way. 

Your opinion on broken souls still living their lives here?

Wow. This is deep. 

I am quite spiritual so I do believe there is a possibility that some souls might be lingering here for some unfinished business. But I don’t think the broken souls as you put it will wanna cause any harm to the living. They’re just patiently waiting for their tickets to get closed one day. I wouldn’t mind helping them to be honest.

What is something you regret that you missed out on and one you regret that you did?

Like I said, I’m very spiritual so I don’t regret missing out on a lot. If it didn’t happen to me then maybe it wasn’t supposed to. The one thing I did which I don’t necessarily regret but feel bad for my past self is giving too much to people who don’t deserve it. The time and the energy lost by the poor kid, uff. But then again I needed that for character development you know?

What is something that is important to you but you would never talk about?

I don’t talk much about my relationships. Friends, family, what have you. They are very important to me but also very sacred so I don’t discuss them. And I don’t think I would ever.

Craziest thing you’ve ever done?

I am sorry to disappoint you but I’m so vanilla. I don’t think I’m wired that way. But I’m very intuitive and sometimes I guess how a situation might turn out. My first ever crush from school was someone I didn’t know at all. He was a senior and I didn’t even know his name but I always felt very connected to him. I believed he was my soulmate. We were not friends or anything but I knew we’d hit it off someday. Years passed and I was still hung up on him. My friends thought I was crazy. And guess what, he did get in touch with me all by himself a couple of years ago. That was iconic. It made me feel like I made something happen just with my mind. LOL.

You can read more here! - A beautiful stranger

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I loved being vulnerable for a little while too. And all of you were so nice. I didn’t get any weird or awkward questions. It shows how solid my audience is and how much they really care about my work. Most importantly, all of you crafted your questions well enough for me to answer them 10 years later too. Thank you guys, once again for doing this!