The Rebelle blog

I read these books, separated by a time span of 3 years. And while I would like to say that both of them represent a different time and their lives were completely different from each other, I found them both to be highly relevant in my life.  Anne Frank with her extremely short life during the early 20th century and Charlotte Bronte with her Victorian Era upbringing during the early 19th century, both, have a definite and lasting impression on girls all over the world. I have cried and winced in pain while reading Anne Frank's Diary and while I have not read any novel written by Bronte, when I am writing here about the two, I often wonder how would life have turned for both these women (one was a girl who died young, the other died aged 36), could their literary accomplishments fulfill their inner aspirations? How would Anne live after the war ended? Would she have published her diary? Would she chose to be a novelist? How would Charlotte Bronte come to terms with the lo...

Dear Fyodor,                     Long after you were gone from this earth, a reader found and read your letters written in 1870 to your sisters.                    The reader is a young girl who winces in pain as she reads about your wife, Anna & your newborn Lyubov's health. Were you lonely when you had to leave Russia? How the reader wishes to comfort you by letting you know that your 'The Idiot' will sell copies & will get you money and free you from the creditor's shackles!                     Do not give up on the world yet! The people will know your troubles and they shall feel the pain too. Know that you'll have readers from all the imaginable corners of the world.                     You'll live forever, Dear Mr. Dostoevsky!             ...

I found this letter today. A few years ago, a dear friend and me wrote to each other regularly talking about issues and mostly, reading material from books/magazines/internet. I was still in Architecture school and at that time, I was reading a lot on Gender Studies & Feminism, so my views were full of anger and rebellious in nature. I am putting down an excerpt. After re-reading it today, I feel so assured that I am still the same person who's affected easily and fiercely argues on Feminism. It made for an interesting read to myself after all these years. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Something about our love now- I am reading a book titled 'Journalistas'- 100 years of the Best Writing and Reporting by Women Journalists edited by Eleanor Mills and Kira Cochrane ! So whats new with this one is, its so refreshing and something to be proud of while reading about what women in 1900's reported...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KbhG64nLaM Particularly during a rainy day, will I find myself mellowing and these words start playing in my mind. Why do only 'certain' words/lyrics/tunes bring us melancholy and nostalgia? A few years ago, when I travelled by the early morning train I would close my eyes while seated next to the window, and always see some hazy images in front of my closed eyelids. And, not knowing what it was or what they were saying to me, it would always lead me to a sublime and sombre mood. Now, a rainy day does this! Its dark and hollow outside, and I am rummaging through my memories- half baked thoughts- some diluted, and others diminishing. I can see images flashing through a quick slideshow, and my heart all heavy with this melancholy. It grips me no matter wherever I am. On my trip to Agra last year, stopping by at the Mehtab Gardens in the evening, and looking at the Taj Mahal across the yamuna left me saddened. The sunset with its warm yello...

Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet? - L.M.Montgomery I came across author Lucy Maud Montgomery very late during my reading life. My quest for a return to childhood innocence was fulfilled by Anne of Green Gables , with her Red hair and her vivid imagination. We shall never be too old to read about Anne and her Green Gables family. I've so far read only the first book in the Anne Shirley Series. Hope to read the others soon. Also, wish to visit the Green Gables Farmhouse at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. I procured a lovely 1994 Reader's Digest Edition with illustrations by Mick Ellison from Butterfly Books exhibition, last year. As much as I want to introduce my younger cousins to Anne, I do not want to part with this beautiful, illustrated edition. It's always a delight to enjoy a book with a charming front cover and similar pictures inside. L M Montgomery revived generations before Enid Blyton cre...

So, I am completely blanked out while attempting to cook a story for this 'postcard story' contest! Really, Am I this bad at thinking of stories? I mean, we all go through so many incidents everyday and I always thought while reading Jhumpa Lahiri's books that she writes from her experiences, essentially the reason they touch us readers, so writing from memories should be easy! But here I am- s t r u g g l i n g- literally! I think, its a bad sign, probably I should take cues from this current writing crisis and just stop! How do people write, concoct stories? On such large numbers? I think of Ruskin Bond, Jhumpa Lahiri, and all of Readers Digest Short story collections- everything seems so easy! But then, they also say that, Writing is essentially a creative process! Is it? Because if it is, then that implies that amateurs like me stand no chance! Perhaps, a workshop on writing could actually solve my dilemma and clear my head and also teach me to write stories. Till...

A guy, whom I had not known for long but now is a friend, once said to me, "I want to be like you!" When I heard him say that, I was a little surprised, and maybe out of sheer amusement over his statement, could not react or I did not ask him why he wanted to be like me? Isn't it funny, how we constantly think of approvals or opinions from people, and even mull over what they think and say about us! I think of my school friend whom I got in touch with after 10 years, and thought will always now stay in touch, but surprisingly and sadly, that did not happen. We were very enthusiastic about knowing each other and filling the long 10 year gap, so we were very close for 4 years which also happened to coincide with our graduation. And, once we were out of college, we also were out of each other's lives. How much I miss our talks, the pondering over social issues, and the common high enthusiasm we shared over so many things! Initially, I was so angry and could never und...

दो नैना , एक कहानी थोडा सा बादल , थोडा सा पानी और एक कहानी छोटी सी दो झीलों में वो बहती रहती हैं कोई सुने या ना सुने कहती रहती हैं कुछ लिख के और कुछ ज़ुबानी थोड़ी सी हैं जानी हुयी , थोड़ी सी नयी जहा रुके आँसू वही पूरी हो गयी हैं तो नयी फिर भी हैं पुरानी एक ख़त्म हो तो दूसरी रात आ जाती हैं होठों पे फिर भूली हुई बात आ जाती हैं दो नैनों की हैं ये कहानी ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glWOVwU3uss Words have such power to stir our feelings! And poetry with music always swells up even the most concealed emotions within us! 'Masoom' = innocent!      Every time, I listen to these lyrics I am instantly drawn to memories from my childhood. Although, I wasn't even born when this movie came out, I always felt connected whenever I watched 'Lakdi ki Kathi' on Rangoli every sunday. Years later, when I first heard 'Tujhse Naraaz nahi Zindagi' on the radio at m...

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals, or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I ...

I just came across this amazing and super cool website:  http://www.messynessychic.com/ Its so refreshing and most of all so visually and literally 'Literary' that i am glad to share one of the articles published-  http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/07/30/lost-in-time-groovy-afghanistan/ So many times I've come across girls my age or women in their late 20's- early 30's to be so vague about issues pertaining to mankind or even for 'women' themselves, that I would instantly always pity myself for knowing only a few women of strength! And, the fact that today's young, modern educated woman is so conscious only about her body-image is disturbing! Where are all those thinkers? The same gutsy girls who would make themselves heard, loud and clear without being labelled as 'too modern?' Last night, I was with a girl friend and a guy friend in a coffee shop around midnight after witnessing the chaotic energy and goodness of food at Mohamm...