Forget Me Not

I have been MIA (again! But this happened after a long time). I have lost the one wherein I had found my muse. Not literally, I can’t put it in words over here.

I had pledged for ‘perseverance’ as the word of the year. I am holding on to it except for the writing part.  My health is pulling me down despite training my mental strength. Do you know the feeling of landing from one physical ailment to others? It is draining my energy even Glucon-D can’t restore it (pun intended).

Well, even if I have lost my muse, I can still answer the following questions which I found Here. A simple way of keeping me alive here.

Let me begin… (However, there can’t be only one answer for a few questions by me)

1. My favorite blog is

SOLILOQUIES ~ Beyond Few Words

Heart Speak

The Silhouette...

The Mind's Endless Mirror

!!! Flavors !!!

These are the ones I have known since the era I began blogging. Few have stopped writing and I’m waiting for them to start again.

2. I’m inspired by

Oprah Winfrey

Priyanka Chopra

Will Smith

Jay Shetty

Sunny Leone

3. My favorite social network is WhatsApp (only present here to be in touch with 5 friends)

4. My all-time favorite book is

Harry Potter series

P.S. I Love You (I have reread it thrice and it never loses the charm and the ability to make me cry)

5. If I could be anywhere right now, it would be Paris.

WOULD YOU RATHER

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

6. Would you rather have 5 close friends or 10,000 facebook friends?

5 close friends, even 1 is enough who “listens” to me without judging.

7. Would you rather have $100,000 in real money or $1,000,000 in Amazon gift cards?

Amazon gift cards.

8. Would you rather be famous or the best friend of someone famous?

Neither.

9. Would you rather have free Starbucks for a year or free iTunes music forever?

Free iTunes music forever.

10. Would you rather have 100K Facebook followers or 100K Twitter followers?

Neither. I can never be consistent on social media.

11. Would you rather hike a mountain or lay on the beach?

Lay on the beach.

12. Would you rather have to sit all day or stand all day?

Neither. Too painful to do either for the whole day.

13. Would you rather have a personal chef or a maid?

Personal chef!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE

 

Photo by Ahmed ElshafȜy from Pexels

14. What is your all-time favorite book?

P.S. I Love You

15. What is your favorite travel destination?

Kashmir

16. What is your favorite time of the year?

Autumn & Spring. Aren’t they similar to life? Shedding of leaves & Rejuvenation of life. 

17. What is your favorite holiday?

Diwali. And also when there is a holiday either on Friday or Monday for a long relaxing weekend.

18. Who is your favorite Disney character and why?

Winne The Pooh – Wise and A Best Friend

19. What is your favorite TV show?

• The Good Wife
• Bones
• Shadowhunters – The Mortal Instruments (Though a fantasy, each character is crafted with every human personality)
• Vampire Diaries (No particular reason for liking it, it was my guilty pleasure once)

20. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Kesar Pista

21. What is your favorite knock-knock joke?

I don’t like them.

WHAT IS…

 

Photo by Italo Melo from Pexels

22. What is your biggest fear?

Fear of stepping out of comfort zone.

23. What is your ideal vacation in one sentence?

Spending time and “living” life with the one who never judges me for my decisions. (Not exactly an answer for ‘ideal vacation’ but I would love to have this)

24. What was the last thing you got really excited about?

I was eagerly waiting for books that I had ordered from Bibliofreak. You should try too.

25. What is your superpower?

Too kind and Patience

26. What famous person in history would you love to meet?

Steve Jobs

27. What is the best compliment you have ever received?

“Acche lag rahe ho aaj”

28. What is your ideal date night?

I don’t believe in the concept of ideal date night.

ONLY ONE THING

 

Photo by Isabella Mendes from Pexels

29. If you could only have one app on your phone, what would it be?

Gmail

30. If you could only listen to one genre of music, what would it be?

Country

31. What one thing do you hope to accomplish this week?

Finish reading the book – The Negotiator by Fredrick Forsyth (It is a book where I can answer like – Woah! Too many characters, too huge, too intense (reading since 3 weeks) but intriguing, can’t put it down.)

32. What is one food you could not live without?

Nothing. If any food that worsens my health I can give it up.

 

 THIS OR THAT

 

Photo by Elina Sazonova from Pexels

33. Are you a cat or dog lover?

Dog lover.

34. Tea or coffee?

Tea

35. A quiet night at home with a book or out on the town with friends?

Depends on the phase of life.

36. Snapchat or Instagram stories?

Instagram stories

37. City or country?

City

38. Mountains or beach?

Mountains

39. Are you a saver or a spender?

Saver

40. Margaritas frozen or on the rocks?

Neither.

41. Wine or beer?

Wine

42. Pepsi or Coke?

Neither.

43. Are you a night owl or an early bird?

 Night owl (For lifetime!)

44. Do you like country or rock n’ roll?

Country

45. Salty snack or sweet treat?

Sweet treat

IF YOU COULD

 

Photo by Tatiana from Pexels

46. If you could run away for a day and do anything you want, what would you do?

I will travel.

47. If you could retire tomorrow, what would you do?

Travel around the world (Hopefully, I have money for it!)

48. If you could star in any TV show throughout history, what would it be and who would you be?

The Oprah Winfrey Show. Who would you be – Myself, the way I am!

49. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I could never do that. I am a foodie.

50. If you could travel anywhere for free, where would it be and why?

Europe. Why? Blame it on the shows I keep watching on Discovery, Fox Life, the books I read which mention Europe and the romantic movies shot there.

51. If you could interview one person in your field, who would it be?

Dr. Sanglikar. (He was our teacher for Practice of Medicine.)

WHAT IF

 

Photo by Kilian M from Pexels

52. If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

Take my parents on an international trip.

53. What five things could you not live without?

Books

Mobile

Handbags

Kohl

Candles

(The question asked about things. But I can live without the things mentioned here)

54. If someone gave you $1,000, how would you spend it?

There are too many questions about money. I will skip this one.

55. If you were in a band, what instrument would you play?

Guitar

56. If you were a superhero, who would you be?

Batman

GRATITUDE

 

Photo by Daniel Xavier from Pexels

57. What are you most thankful for today?

Living this Day!

58. What is the best thing to do in your hometown?

Many places to spend time with friends.

59. Who do you admire the most, and why?

My Parents. You already know the answer to the why.

NOSTALGIA

 

60. What was the BEST vacation you ever took?

Kashmir in the year 2017

61. What’s the one movie you could watch over and over again?

Me Before You

Before We Go

Dear Zindagi

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Tamasha

62. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Pilot

63. What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Potli Baba Ki (any 90s kid reading?) Ducktales, Aladdin, Little Mermaid.

64. What was your first job?

Consulting physician

65. What was your first car?

I do not own a car (as of now).  

Teardrop

Image Source

A teardrop fell on my cheek

(after a long time)

When I read you

As it traversed further down

Our conversations came alive

(Historic for us)

Why? This "why" pesters me

We shouldn't have met?!

(I never would've felt "love", then)

The teardrop fell down

Unanswered my question

Leaving me forlorn

Longing for you, forever

©️ Beyond Horizon

Question?!

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Love.

Can it ever be impure?!

©️Beyond Horizon

Checkmate

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Life made its move

 Bringing us together

 Only to tear us apart

 in its next

 "Checkmate"

©️ Beyond Horizon

The Regrets

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I have many regrets
Not
for what I did
But
for what I didn't do

I have many regrets
Not
for when I said 'No'
But
for when I said 'Yes'

I have many regrets
Not
for when I lost
But
for when I won yet lost

I have many regrets
Not
for the Satanic side
But
for the mask I wear

I have many regrets
Not
for writing my true self
But
for camouflaging in life

I have many regrets
Not
for who I am
But
for living as who I am not

I have many regrets
Not
for thinking 'how tough life is'
But
for thinking 'how to end it'

©️ Beyond Horizon

Burning The Bridge Down

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I am going to burn the bridge

That connects us

We will see each other

Through the flames

Warmth is nothing

Compared to our agony

When the flames die down

Don’t wait

For I would have gone

Don’t find me

Far away

or

In the ashes

©️ Beyond Horizon

Your Memories

I haven’t forgotten you

It's just that

I have stopped remembering you

©️Beyond Horizon

Destined

Image Source

Lips smiled coyly as I remembered him

Eyes teary, and brim

With melancholy

Oh, why so sad? asked everybody

'I had no courage

Left his heart fluttered in the cage

Here I am

Someone else’s bride'

I could have replied

Living apart

We were destined

©️ Beyond Horizon

      

The Witness

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I want to tear down the sky
The witness
To our love
To our passion
To our misery
To our loss
© Beyond Horizon

They Are Blind

You make them laugh
You make them smile
Yet
They are
Blind to the pain
you hide behind that smile

Image Source

They are
Blind to the heart
your broken heart

They are
Blind to the agony
you endure

They are
Blind to the loss
your lost love




They are
Blind to the desire
your ‘want’

Because they are blinded
By you
who make them laugh
who make them smile
Masking your pain
You carry inside!

Let Her Go

Image Source

Tell me will you *let her go?
What if I tell you
Your love suffocates her
Your love has cut her wings

What if I tell you

She is numb

She is just breathing

What if I tell you

Maybe she loved you a little too much

A little too much to get hurt

A little too much to stop believing in love

Tell me will you let her go?

*Title inspired by the song Let Her Go by Passenger

Life Is A Drink

*Life is a drink,

Gulp it down like a vodka,

Enticing but intoxicating

Life is a drink,

Sip it like a wine,

Savor its every taste -

sweet, bitter, crisp

make every moment

of life

as flamboyant

as bright

as oaked

like a wine

©Beyond Horizon

*Title: Inspired by the song Hymn for the weekend by Coldplay

Book Review - If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love by Durjoy Datta & Nikita Singh

This bibliophile picked up her first book of 2019 - ‘If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love’ by Durjoy Datta & Nikita Singh.

Why did I choose ‘If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love’

This is the first time I read a book by Durjoy Datta & Nikita Singh. I choose this by the recommendation of a fellow blogger - Vishal after reading his post on - Best Books Read in 2018

Thank you Vishal for giving me confidence in reading his book as I refrain to pick any romance book by Indian authors. I did like it and flipped through it.

Title: If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love

Paperback: 248 pages

Publisher: Penguin Random House India

Genre: Romance

Overview:

The story revolves around the life of Deb, Avantika, Shrey, and Tiya. Wait! These aren’t the only ones in the story. It becomes interesting when Deb, a bomb blast survivor comes across a partly burnt diary at the blast site. Who isn’t intrigued by the concept of “diary”? It is a mirror of the person writing it - no lies, no facade but only the true emotions of the writer not known to many or sometimes no one. The diary holds a one-sided love story and Deb decides to follow the journey of the owner who is dead now ?! and return this diary to the girl whom he loves - Ragini.

Meet The Characters:

Debashish Roy: Deb, is an author and runs a publishing company with Shrey, his best friend. Deb is grateful for Avantika (girlfriend) in his life. Yes, she is beautiful, hot and sexy but a person for Deb who wants to spend the rest of his life with.

Avantika: Courageous, open-minded and sensational female character. Deb did not fall in love only for her beauty. He has accepted her for the person who she is and her past - fighting against the drug addiction.

Shrey: A womanizer. He is the person who speaks “what’s inside his head” and does not sugar coat his words.  He is rowdy and badass. People like him need a Tiya in their life, not for a fling but to be with lifelong.

Tiya: Audacious and adventurous seventeen years old. You'll think a seventeen-year-old shouldn't do what she does yet will hate to love her. 

Other two characters: Dead writer of the diary (Not naming him in this review to prevent spoilers) & Ragini.

The Story:

The story is narrated by the protagonist Deb and unfolds with a recital of the blast and aftermath. He struggles with PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and is haunted by the images of the horrific day. After many sleepless nights, he decides to visit the blast site where he discovers the diary.

His ceaseless thought of ‘what if I was among the ones who lost their lives’, then his loved ones would be grieving. This thought shudders him and he decides to reach out to Ragini. But how? There isn’t the name of the owner or any address in the diary.

Deb grabs the opportunity when Shrey asks him to agree for a road trip. His quest begins to find Ragini with the references in the diary - school, college, places the writer stayed, and his friends.

His venture begins alongside Shrey, Avantika and Tiya across various cities in India. Do they find Ragini and tell her about the diary? Or something else awaits them?

Why should you read ‘If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love’

A. If you are already a fan of Durjoy Datta

B. If you swoon over romance books

C. It is a page-turner with revelations in the last quarter of pages

D. It won’t make you feel like reading a Bollywood script

Why you can skip reading this book

If you don’t like cheesy love stories.

Final verdict

‘If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love’ is about the relationships which aren’t the ones after “marriage”, but agreeable because it is about the acceptance of the person with his / her flaws.

I have read a few books by male author and Durjoy Datta is the third among them (Yes, I know Nikita Singh has collaborated). The story is likable to read from a male perspective. The book does have ‘F’ word, erotism, alcohol, drugs. But that’s how life is and can’t be ignored.

There is a perfect switch between Deb’s present life and the story of the dead man. There are the road trips, hotel stays, caught in a scandal scene, tears, laughter, smiles, shock, surprises, attempt to suicide and most importantly love.

The story is captivating as the four keep searching for clues to reach one person to other in the dead man's life. Each one is eager to find Ragini and convey the one-sided love even though they have to travel between metropolitan cities.

So what is the fate of the diary? Does it reach Ragini? I won’t spill the beans. Read the book to know why ‘If it’s not forever it’s not love’.

Few Quotes from ‘If It’s Not Forever It’s Not Love’

“Caring about what others think is the biggest jail one can put oneself in.” 

“Avantika : I know you love me. Yes, you try to get me naked half of the time, but i love you for that too. you are my boyfriend and it's always great to have a boyfriend who gets turned on by a mere touch. Makes life a lot easier.” 

Image Source

Word Of The Year 2019 #WOTY

When I defined my word of the year for 2018 - Self-love, I made efforts to live up to it for the entire year. Why do I say "efforts"? Because over the years I had taken a step back. I made it a habit to put others before me and forgot how essential it is to take care of self foremost! My health - mental and physical was taking a toll. I followed healthy habits in 2018 (not a strict “diet”).

How did I implement ‘Self-love / Self-care’ in daily life?

• Drinking a glass of warm water after waking up. It is the best way to respect your body as one is bound to feed it with junk at any time of day.
• Eating fiber-rich foods in a week
• Listening / Reading affirmations
• Keeping a Journal. I wasn’t consistent in midst of the year but I did fairly well in writing. I found it is the finest way to look on reflections about achievements, failures, and evolution of life.
• Shopping. The quote will summarize what I want to say.

• Step in a salon = Lightens the wallet. Salon at Home =  Keeps the wallet a bit heavy. I kept a schedule for booking salon services by UrbanClap at regular intervals. Why? Affordable service at home and why not if the service is good!

“We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” Marilyn Monroe

Word of The Year for 2019 (#woty?)

Perseverance

noun: perseverance

persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Why do I select ‘perseverance’?

2018 taught me the significance of determination in the different aspects of my life - personal, professional, passion.

Personal: Untangling from disturbing relations and taking decisions preserving self-esteem minus the hurt (to self & others)

Professional: Nothing to elaborate. I love my work.

Passion: I fell in love with reading and writing all over again.

I was determined in completing tasks but what I lacked was the ‘persistence & consistency’. The reasons: the habit of procrastination and doing all at once.

Postponing the tasks and multi-tasking exterminated the determination. So in 2019, I have decided to take up one task at a time and complete it. I have laid down specific plans for the month of January. I came across Passion Planner in 2018 and decided to implement their pattern of defining goals and steps taken to achieve them. You can find download FREE Planners by Passion Planner.

What are my plans in 2019 to be perseverent?

Personal: Continue what I did in 2018.

Professional: To uprise by taking up opportunities new to me.

Passion: Footprints on blog at least eight times in a month. Reading 45 books. 

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
― Winston Churchill

So, be with me and you can poke me if I do not stick to my #woty :D

Email: poonam.badhe16@gmail.com

Instagram: beyondhorizon7

Twitter: beyondhorizon87

*This is not a sponsored post. They are my personal reviews based on experience.

I Never Knew

Image Source: Pinterest

When your memories washed over me,

I broke down

I never knew you had such influence 

To rip me apart

After all those years

Of those forgotten moments

2018 - The Year That Was

Now when I have sat to write about 2018 it feels it flew by like a blink of an eye. It might be because I kept myself engaged with work, books, music, writing, Netflix. Let me summarise each aspect of my life in 2018.

Work

I love my work despite the travel time. Though I have taken a decision which can be life-turning. I have to wait till then.

Books

I had taken up Reading Challenges of HT Brunch & Pop Sugar Challenge. I had to read 50 books but ended up reading 34. I won't give any excuse for not completing it. There was a phase wherein I did not pick up any book. I am happy that I did read books of different genre and authors for the first time.

Books worth the read & to remember:

The Sun and Her Flowers
Adulthood Is a Myth
The Elephant Vanishes
The Hating Game
A Man Called Ove
Someone Like You
Truth, Love and a Little Malice
Love a Little Longer

Music

Jaane de - Qarib Qarib Single
Darkside - Alan Walker
Chaav Laaga - Sui Dhaaga
Tera Fitoor - Genius
Main Hoon Saath Tere - Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana
Perfect - Ed Sheeren
Photograph - Ed Sheeren
Always Remember This Way - Lady Gaga
Hymn For The Weekend - ColdPlay

Movies

Some new and few rewatched my favorite ones.

Before We Go (Review)
Once Again (Review)
Qarib Qarib Single
Me Before You 
Sui Dhaaga
Raid
Padman
Stree
Soorma
October
Simmba

Writing

It was one of the best years in blogging. The year began with 2017 - The Year That Was and then the final chapter in the series 'Don't Love Me - The Final Chapter'. I did not put down any resolutions but stick to the word of the year - Self-love.

If you have been reading my blog since long, you might know I used to write poems - the actual long ones. Somehow I couldn't write those in 2018. The few I managed to write were - I Carry You Within Me, I Want To 'Get High' and Remember The Night We Met!

I stepped out my comfort zone and began writing book reviews & movie reviews.

The challenge which I did complete and proud of myself was My Friend Alexa hosted by Blogchatter, wherein one has to write a minimum 8 blog posts and read blogs from the reading list provided by Blogchatter. That was like Woah! I read more than 100 blogs and discovered amazing bloggers.

The closest one to my heart are the posts - Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan and I Want To Write A Perfect Poetry For You.

Netflix

Despite of being the costliest subscription than others, I cannot stop watching Netflix. I have discovered movies (not from the mainstream), documentaries, TV series.

Currently watching:

The Good Wife
Grace & Frankie
Gilmore Girls
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Riverdale
Atypical
Sherlock (Rewatching, of course!)

Must watch:

The Haunting Of Hill House
The Story of Diana
Once Again
Little Things

Life

I was in turmoil during the first quarter of 2018. I am not embarrassed to say I had to take help of psychotherapy. I was overwhelmed in the next few months. Grief hit me at the beginning of the second half of 2018. I was shocked the loss will devastate me so much that I couldn't cry in front of my near ones. It took me 3 months to accept it. I retrieved my love for books and writing later and continued until the end.

What's in store for 2019?

I am taking a part of me from 2018. I cannot shake off its effect because those lessons cannot be forgotten.

Happy New Year and hope to meet you again through my writings.