Raya's Realm

I rarely go in autos, but this one day in an auto made me feel really happy and contented. It wasn't about the ride or the traffic or the stifling climate, but it was about the auto driver. My entire family adjusted themselves into one small auto which could barely accommodate 3 to 4 people, but we had five, with a travel time of around one and a half to two hours. We started discussing why we were going and where we were going, but the conversation somehow ended up being about my marriage . I'm not someone who strongly opposes marriage, but I've rarely seen successful marriages in life, and that made me a little bit sceptical about my choice regarding marriage. We rarely see people who still love each other after 10 to 15 years of marriage. Since I wasn't clear in my decision, I concluded that I didn't want to marry, seeing how my father doesn't even allow me outside past 6 p.m., but will allow me to go to someone's home I don't even know ab...

This is Another day of gaining wisdom and learning the art of interpersonal skills while working as an intern turned out to be more inspiring than I could have imagined. Aarthi, Daphnie, and I had the chance to interview our college librarian, in the book fair conducted by our college which was a conversation that started as a routine task but quickly became a lesson in resilience, dedication, and the power of human connection. Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would just be a simple Q&A, but what happened completely blew us away. Right from the start, his passion for the library was clear. He talked about the kinds of books students borrow the most, English literature, drama, critical analysis, novels, and how he finds pure joy in serving students. “A library is like the nerve centre for any academic institution,” he said, and honestly, hearing that made us pause and really appreciate what happens behind the scenes. We were stunned when he explain...

I arrived more than prepared, carrying excitement that had waited a long time to breathe again. After years of silence, I was finally stepping back into a poetry competition, into unfamiliar faces and untested courage. The newness of the place made my voice falter; I stammered as I entered, my nervousness announcing itself before I could. Yet, every smile I received felt like a quiet reassurance, a gentle permission to belong. The venue was IJCCI, Teynampet. The road that led me there was lined with trees, their green stretching patiently on either side. As I walked, I was reminded of my college, the familiar path I take each day, shaded and calm. That road felt like a bridge between memory and movement, green with comfort and promise. Inside, the room rested in a near-sacred silence. Words hesitated on my tongue, and I feared breaking the stillness. But as introductions passed from one voice to another, something within me softened. Confidence did not arrive suddenly; it unfolded slow...

Today marked the second day of the tribal communities' exhibition, and if I thought yesterday had left me enriched, today only added more layers to that growth. Although some exhibits were familiar, I revisited them with fresh intent, this time to buy the ABC Malt my mom had asked about. I went along with my friend and professor, and what started as a casual purchase turned into a day of discovery. My professor has always emphasized the power of networking and conversation. He believes that people, much like precious stones, often hide their brilliance within gems locked away, waiting to be discovered through meaningful dialogue. I never fully grasped that wisdom until today. The first person who opened my eyes to this truth was a woman I had spoken to briefly the day before, Vimala, the kind-hearted lady who sold tea. Yesterday, we had only exchanged a few words about the flavor and quality of her brew. It was so good I began appreciating it like a seasoned tea aficionado. The aro...

It was the time when I boarded public transport from my native town to reach Chennai. I couldn’t find a seat on the bus, but a lady with her husband was willing to offer one. Having no other hope of finding another seat, I sat next to her. She seemed to be a woman in her 50s and her husband in his mid-50s too. As per my usual habit, I plugged in my headphones and began listening to music. The divine flow of melodies filled my ears, until she suddenly interrupted it. I assumed she had something important to say. But instead, she asked about my whereabouts... my native and the place I was traveling to. I answered a few of her questions but didn’t mention exactly where I was from. She seemed a bit of an extrovert, but I’m not. The lady looked somewhat fat, but her husband was the complete opposite. I didn’t have even an inch of space to set myself free on that seat, so I stretched my hand out to hold onto the metal bar near me in order to maintain my posture. Then again, I took my headpho...

Public transport has always been a space where strangers share fleeting moments of their daily lives, some lost in thought, others immersed in their devices, and many just trying to get through the journey. On this particular day, as I squeezed into the overcrowded bus on my way to college, I was mildly disappointed about not securing a window seat. Resigned to standing, I let my gaze wander, observing the people around me. That’s when I noticed her, a woman, likely in her mid-30s, boarding with her two young children. Wanting to ease her burden in the packed bus, I offered to hold her child’s school bag and continued listening to my music. But in the midst of the ordinary, something disturbing caught my eye. A man standing ahead of me was sneakily taking inappropriate photos of the woman and posting them somewhere. A surge of anger and disgust filled me. My instinct was to call him out, to expose what he was doing. But then came hesitation—what if no one believed me? What if I became ...