Confessions of a reluctant romantic

I recently realised something about myself – I’m a romantic. A reluctant, closet romantic. This was apparently quite obvious to many who know me, but I always thought of myself as a realist. I’ve never been swayed by grand gestures or believed in love at first sight or even “happily ever afters”. I’ve taken itContinue reading “Confessions of a reluctant romantic”

A new chapter?

So at first it was all quite and exciting and everything. Moving back to what is possibly the greatest city in the world, and no lockdown in sight! A stressful but exciting time. Now, however, it would not be inaccurate to say that I identify more as a tightly knit ball of stress than IContinue reading “A new chapter?”

short thoughts: on judging one’s existential state, or, the answer to “how are you?”

When people ask how you are, I wonder how many actually know what they are asking? Is it just a customary greeting? Are you enquiring about my overall well-being, encompassing my personal, professional, and social lives? Is it a question on how I am physically, whether all my parts are in working order? I spentContinue reading “short thoughts: on judging one’s existential state, or, the answer to “how are you?””

short thoughts: on why I create, and why I share

Creation begets creation, this post is a testament to that – these thoughts came to me while commenting on another post where someone questioned our urge to create and share. For me, the need to write often arises as an outlet for the overwhelm in my mind, but also as a way to preserve myContinue reading “short thoughts: on why I create, and why I share”

The Harem in Me

I’ve been reading Elif Shafak’s memoir Black Milk: on Writing and Motherhood recently. The writer talks of the “harem of women inside her”, she calls them her Choir of Discordant Voices, her Thumbelinas, her finger-women. These women inside her are both her guides and her critiques; they disagree on everything and argue constantly, there’s noContinue reading “The Harem in Me”

short thoughts: on beginnings and endings

“Crucial to finding the way is this: there is no beginning or end.” I consider these words as I try to trace our journey, from the first awkward introduction to now. I’m trying to figure out how we got here, how every soul baring conversation, every round of banter, every unexpected adventure, every conflict ofContinue reading “short thoughts: on beginnings and endings”

Letters to my younger selves

Dear 18 year old Mubash, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. I remember you as so eager. Eager to please, eager to fit in, eager to succeed – whatever that meant. You travelled halfway across the world to start a new phase of life, the college years, the America years, the first timeContinue reading “Letters to my younger selves”

Of love and laundry….#dVerse

It’s 2.12 am here and I can’t sleep so have written my first verses for Poetics hosted by dVerse. The theme is laundry. It’s my first time participating in anything like this and I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that it’s a poem about laundry, written on the notes of my phone.Continue reading “Of love and laundry….#dVerse”

I don’t do poetry but…

Untitled I don’t do poetry but sometimes, a picture, a moment, a fleeting feeling – makes prose seem inadequate. Like when I saw that one little flower so delicate and fragile but still alive peeking out amongst its long dead companions. Or maybe it’s just me, always looking for signs in a world of coincidences.Continue reading “I don’t do poetry but…”

London, my love

My first visit to London was nine years ago. It was the summer after eleventh grade, and I was going to the UK for a family trip. I was sixteen, and mostly disgruntled about missing prom (I was having a particularly ungrateful privileged teenager moment). Part of my mom’s mission for taking me on thisContinue reading “London, my love”