What’s one thing you know now that would have saved your younger self a lot of pain?

The Truth I Learnt Too Late: Not Everything Deserves a Place in Your Heart

Some lessons arrive gently. Others come disguised as heartbreak, disappointment and years of unnecessary suffering. The wisest lessons are often the ones we wish we had learnt earlier.

There is a question that life eventually places before almost everyone: What is the one thing you know today that could have saved you from a great deal of pain had you understood it earlier?

If I had to choose just one answer, it would be this: Never allow another person’s behaviour to determine your worth, and never sacrifice your peace of mind in the hope of earning someone’s love, approval or respect.

It sounds simple, almost obvious. Yet how many years do we spend trying to prove ourselves to people who have already decided not to understand us? How often do we explain our intentions to those who have no interest in listening? And how frequently do we mistake the ability to endure suffering for the strength to love?

Life has a curious way of teaching us what we are reluctant to learn.

The exhausting business of pleasing everyone

As children, many of us are taught to be obedient, considerate, helpful and accommodating. We learn that good behaviour earns appreciation, that hard work brings recognition and that kindness is usually rewarded with kindness. These are valuable lessons, but they can leave us unprepared for a world in which people have different motives, expectations and definitions of fairness.

We grow up believing that if we are sincere enough, patient enough and generous enough, others will eventually recognise our intentions. We continue giving, even when our efforts go unnoticed. We keep forgiving, even when the same wounds are inflicted repeatedly. We remain available to people who remember us only when they need something.

Gradually, without realising it, we begin to measure our value through the responses of others.

A word of appreciation makes our day; a careless remark ruins it. Someone’s approval reassures us, while someone’s indifference leaves us questioning ourselves. We become so preoccupied with being accepted that we forget to ask a more important question: Am I accepting myself?

The truth is that no amount of pleasing can guarantee universal approval. Someone will always misunderstand us, disagree with us or find fault with our choices. If our happiness depends upon keeping everybody satisfied, we have accepted a responsibility that no human being can fulfil.

The freedom we seek often begins when we stop applying for acceptance from people who were never willing to offer it.

Not every relationship is meant to last

One of the most painful lessons in life is discovering that sincerity does not always produce reciprocity.

We enter relationships with hope. We trust people, share our vulnerabilities and imagine that the affection we offer will be returned with similar warmth. Sometimes it is. At other times, we discover that we have mistaken familiarity for friendship, attention for affection or convenience for commitment.

The real pain often comes not merely from losing someone but from losing the future we had imagined with them.

We replay conversations, search for hidden meanings and wonder whether a different word or a little more patience might have changed the outcome. We blame ourselves for things beyond our control and remain emotionally attached to possibilities that no longer exist.

Had we understood earlier that relationships require mutual effort, honesty and respect, we might have spared ourselves many sleepless nights.

Love cannot survive indefinitely on one person’s sacrifices. Friendship cannot flourish when only one person makes an effort to remain connected. Respect cannot be demanded into existence, and trust cannot be rebuilt by promises alone.

Sometimes, the kindest thing we can do for ourselves is to accept what another person’s actions have been telling us for a long time.

This does not mean abandoning people at the first disagreement. Every meaningful relationship encounters misunderstandings, difficult conversations and periods of uncertainty. Patience is essential, and forgiveness can be transformative. But there is a difference between working through a difficulty and repeatedly accepting behaviour that diminishes us.

Forgiveness may release us from bitterness, but it does not require us to offer someone the same access to our lives.

We can wish people well without inviting them back into our homes, our confidence or our hearts.

Silence is not always strength

For much of our lives, we may believe that being strong means remaining silent.

We suppress disappointment to avoid arguments. We conceal hurt to protect relationships. We say that everything is fine when it is not, hoping that others will eventually notice our pain without our having to explain it.

Sometimes, silence is wise. Not every provocation deserves a response, and not every disagreement requires a battle. But silence can also become a hiding place for fear, resentment and unmet needs.

There is courage in saying, ‘That hurt me.’ There is dignity in admitting, ‘I cannot continue like this.’ There is wisdom in asking for help when we can no longer manage everything alone.

We should not confuse emotional restraint with emotional neglect.

Unexpressed pain does not always disappear. It can settle quietly within us, changing the way we trust, love and interpret the world. We may eventually become suspicious of people who have done nothing wrong simply because someone else once betrayed our confidence.

Healing begins when we allow ourselves to acknowledge what happened without permitting it to define everything that follows.

We do not have to become harder because life has been difficult. We can become wiser without losing our tenderness.

The past cannot be rewritten

Another truth I wish we all learnt earlier is that regret can become a prison if we allow it to occupy too much of the present.

We think about the opportunities we missed, the people we trusted, the decisions we made and the warnings we ignored. We imagine alternative lives in which we chose differently and escaped the consequences of our mistakes.

The mind is remarkably skilled at editing the past. It reminds us of the signs we should have recognised but conveniently forgets the circumstances, limited knowledge and emotional pressures under which we made our decisions.

We judge our younger selves with the wisdom we acquired only later.

That is hardly fair.

Perhaps we stayed too long in an unhappy relationship. Perhaps we trusted the wrong person, neglected our own needs or pursued a path that did not bring the fulfilment we expected. These experiences may have cost us time, money, confidence or peace of mind.

But a mistake becomes doubly painful when we continue punishing ourselves for it long after its lesson has become clear.

We cannot return to yesterday and make a different choice. We can, however, refuse to make the same choice tomorrow.

The purpose of reflection is not to establish how foolish we once were. It is to understand what we did not know, recognise what we now know and use that understanding to live more thoughtfully.

Do not turn yesterday’s mistake into today’s identity.

You were a person learning how to live, just as you are now.

You cannot control everyone, but you can choose your response

Much of our suffering comes from trying to control things that were never within our control.

We want people to understand us correctly, circumstances to unfold according to our plans and the world to reward our efforts fairly. We expect honesty from everyone we trust and loyalty from everyone we love.

These expectations are understandable. Yet life does not always cooperate.

People will make choices we dislike. Circumstances will change without warning. Hard work may go unrecognised, and good intentions may be misunderstood. Sometimes, despite doing everything reasonably possible, we will still experience disappointment.

Recognising this does not mean becoming passive or indifferent. We should stand up for what is right, correct injustices where we can and work towards the things that matter to us.

But we must learn to distinguish between what deserves our effort and what merely consumes our energy.

We can explain our position, but we cannot force another person to understand it. We can offer affection, but we cannot manufacture someone else’s feelings. We can prepare carefully, but we cannot guarantee every outcome.

There is immense relief in accepting this distinction.

Instead of spending days wondering why someone behaved unfairly, we can decide what boundaries are necessary. Instead of repeatedly trying to change a situation that has become impossible, we can look for another way forward.

Peace does not always come from resolving every problem. Sometimes, it comes from recognising which problems are no longer ours to solve.

Time is more precious than our pride

There is one more lesson worth learning before too many years pass: time is a far more valuable possession than pride.

We postpone conversations because we do not want to appear weak. We delay apologies because we want the other person to make the first move. We put off visits, affection and reconciliation, assuming that there will always be another opportunity.

Sometimes there will be. Sometimes there will not.

A relationship may remain damaged because neither person is willing to take the first step. A parent may grow old while a child waits for the perfect moment to call. Friends may drift apart, not because they have stopped caring, but because both have mistaken silence for indifference.

Of course, reconciliation is not always possible or desirable. Some relationships are unsafe, and some distances exist for good reasons. But where affection remains and reconciliation is possible, we should not allow pride to consume the time that could have been spent making things right.

A sincere apology does not diminish us. Expressing love does not make us vulnerable in an undignified way. Reaching out first is not necessarily a sign of defeat.

We may win an argument and still lose a relationship. We may prove ourselves right and discover that the victory brings no happiness.

Life is too short to spend it collecting victories that leave our hearts empty.

Learning to be at peace with ourselves

Perhaps the greatest benefit of understanding these lessons is that they bring us closer to ourselves.

We begin to recognise that self-respect is not arrogance, that boundaries are not cruelty and that saying no does not make us unkind. We learn that rest is not laziness, that asking for help is not weakness and that changing our minds is not necessarily a failure of character.

We become more careful about where we invest our emotions. We appreciate those who show up consistently rather than those who make occasional grand gestures. We value honest conversations over flattering words and dependable affection over dramatic declarations.

Most importantly, we stop treating our own happiness as something that must wait until everybody else is satisfied.

This does not mean becoming selfish. On the contrary, people who understand their own needs are often better equipped to care for others without resentment. When kindness is freely offered rather than extracted through guilt, it becomes more genuine. When love is chosen rather than demanded, it becomes more meaningful.

We can be generous without being exploited, compassionate without being consumed and forgiving without abandoning our self-respect.

That is not a lesson in withdrawing from life. It is a lesson in participating in it more wisely.

If I could speak to my younger self

If I could sit beside my younger self and offer just a few words of advice, I would not tell him to avoid every mistake. That would be impossible, and perhaps undesirable. Some lessons can be understood only after we have lived through the experiences that teach them.

Instead, I would tell him this:

Do not spend your life proving that you deserve to be loved. Do not mistake endurance for happiness or sacrifice for the measure of a meaningful relationship. Listen carefully when people speak, but pay even closer attention to what they consistently do. Apologise when you are wrong, forgive when you can, and walk away when staying requires you to abandon your dignity.

Do your work sincerely, but do not allow professional success to become the sole measure of your existence. Make time for the people you love. Say the words that matter while there is still time to say them. Do not postpone happiness until every responsibility has been fulfilled, because responsibilities have a habit of multiplying.

And when life disappoints you, resist the temptation to become bitter. Pain may change your understanding of people, but it need not destroy your capacity to trust. Let experience make you discerning, not cynical.

Above all, remember that you are allowed to begin again. You do not need to remain loyal to an unhappy version of your life simply because you have invested years in it.

The wisdom that pain leaves behind

Looking back, I sometimes wonder how much unnecessary suffering could have been avoided if we had understood these truths earlier.

Perhaps we would have spent less time seeking approval, less energy repairing relationships that existed only through our efforts, and fewer nights blaming ourselves for decisions made with the best understanding we possessed at the time.

Perhaps we would have recognised sooner that some people enter our lives for a season, that some disappointments redirect us towards better choices and that certain endings, however painful, create space for beginnings we could not previously imagine.

Yet there is little value in mourning the wisdom we did not possess yesterday. What matters is whether we are willing to practise it today.

We cannot eliminate pain from life. Loss, illness, disappointment and change are inseparable from the human experience. Nor should we imagine that emotional wisdom will protect us from every wound.

But we can avoid adding unnecessary suffering to the pain that life inevitably brings.

We can stop punishing ourselves for other people’s choices. We can learn to recognise unhealthy patterns before they become permanent. We can protect our peace without closing our hearts, and we can love people without making them responsible for our entire sense of worth.

Perhaps this is what growing older is ultimately meant to teach us: not how to avoid every fall, but how to stop walking repeatedly towards the same precipice.

The one thing I wish I had known earlier is that peace of mind is not a reward we receive after pleasing the world. It is a responsibility we must learn to protect while living in it.

And perhaps the most beautiful discovery of all is that it is never too late to begin.

What’s the weirdest movie you’ve ever watched?

The Curious Side of Life: When the Strange Becomes Unforgettable

Some of the strangest things in life are not found in distant lands or extraordinary adventures. They happen in ordinary places, involving ordinary people, and leave us wondering whether reality is sometimes more peculiar than imagination.

Have you ever witnessed something so unusual that you were left wondering whether you had seen it correctly? Perhaps you encountered a person behaving in a completely unexpected manner, observed an animal doing something extraordinary, or found yourself in a situation so absurd that even laughter seemed an inadequate response. Life has a curious habit of surprising us when we least expect it.

If someone were to ask me about the weirdest thing I had ever done or seen, I would find it difficult to offer a single answer. The world is full of peculiarities, and human beings, with their extraordinary capacity for imagination, eccentricity and contradiction, are often responsible for the most astonishing of them.

When Logic Takes a Holiday

One of the most fascinating aspects of human behaviour is our ability to make complicated what should be simple. We invent sophisticated machines, develop artificial intelligence, explore distant planets and unravel the mysteries of the universe. Yet, at times, we behave in ways that defy the most elementary principles of common sense.

Imagine a man searching frantically for his spectacles while they rest on his forehead. Picture someone looking for a mobile telephone whilst speaking on it, or a person entering a room and immediately forgetting why they came. Such incidents are familiar enough to make us smile, yet they reveal something profoundly human: our minds do not always operate according to the orderly rules we expect them to follow.

Perhaps the weirdest things are not always extraordinary events. Sometimes, they are the little absurdities that expose the gap between how intelligent we believe ourselves to be and how amusingly forgetful we can become.

And, if we are honest, most of us have been guilty of such behaviour.

The Strangest Creature of All

Nature offers its own collection of astonishing spectacles. Animals frequently behave in ways that seem almost unbelievable until we discover the science behind them. An octopus can change its colour and texture to blend into its surroundings. Certain birds imitate sounds with remarkable accuracy, while some insects employ elaborate strategies to deceive predators.

Yet human beings remain the most intriguing creatures of all.

We build magnificent homes and then complain that we have no time to enjoy them. We develop increasingly sophisticated means of communication and somehow find ourselves with less to say to one another. We travel thousands of miles in search of happiness, only to discover that contentment may have been waiting quietly in our own homes.

We are capable of extraordinary kindness, yet sometimes remain indifferent to suffering occurring just beyond our doors. We search for meaning in the stars while overlooking the significance of a simple conversation with someone who needs our attention.

Is that not one of life’s greatest peculiarities?

Our contradictions make us fascinating. We are rational and irrational, generous and selfish, courageous and fearful. We can be deeply philosophical in the morning and absurdly unreasonable by the afternoon. The same individual who offers wise advice to others may struggle to follow it in their own life.

Perhaps the strangest thing about humanity is that we know so much about the world but understand ourselves so imperfectly.

When the Unexpected Becomes a Memory

Some unusual experiences remain with us because they challenge our understanding of reality. Others endure because they make us laugh long after the incident has passed.

Imagine attending a solemn gathering where everyone is expected to maintain a serious expression, only for an unexpected mishap to provoke uncontrollable laughter. The more everyone attempts to suppress it, the more difficult it becomes. A minor incident gradually transforms into a collective struggle for composure.

Such moments remind us that life does not always respect the dignity of our arrangements.

We prepare meticulously for important occasions, rehearse conversations in our minds and anticipate every possible difficulty. Yet, something entirely unforeseen can change the course of an evening in a matter of seconds.

I find this unpredictability rather wonderful. If every event unfolded precisely as planned, life might be more orderly, but it would also be considerably less interesting.

The unexpected gives us stories to tell, memories to cherish and reasons to laugh at ourselves. Sometimes, the incident that embarrasses us most at the time becomes the anecdote that delights our friends for years afterwards.

The Weirdest Thing I Have Ever Done

There is another side to this question. What is the weirdest thing we have ever done ourselves?

I suspect that many of our strangest actions occur when nobody is watching. We rehearse imaginary arguments in the shower, compose perfect responses to conversations that ended years ago, or imagine what we would say if we unexpectedly met someone from our distant past.

We sometimes speak to ourselves, not because we have lost our senses, but because thinking aloud helps us organise our thoughts. We may even conduct entire conversations with people who are not present, giving them the replies we wish they had offered in real life.

And who has not occasionally smiled at a private memory whilst everyone nearby wondered what was so amusing?

These little eccentricities are reminders that the human mind is a remarkable theatre. It can recreate the past, anticipate the future and construct entire worlds without requiring a stage, an audience or a single physical prop.

Perhaps we should not be too embarrassed by our peculiarities. Provided they cause no harm, they are part of what makes each of us distinctively human.

Is Weirdness Another Name for Originality?

Society often labels anything unfamiliar as strange. The person who thinks differently, dresses unconventionally or questions established practices may be regarded as eccentric before being understood.

History, however, offers numerous examples of individuals whose ideas initially appeared unusual but eventually changed the world. Innovation frequently begins with someone willing to ask a question that others consider unnecessary, impractical or absurd.

Of course, not every unconventional idea is brilliant, and not every strange behaviour conceals extraordinary intelligence. Nevertheless, we should be cautious about dismissing what we do not immediately understand.

Sometimes, what we call weirdness is merely originality arriving before public opinion is ready to welcome it.

The distinction lies in whether our peculiarities enrich life, encourage fresh thinking and allow others the freedom to be themselves.

A world in which everyone thought, spoke and behaved identically would be a rather dull place. Our differences, including our harmless eccentricities, contribute to the rich and unpredictable texture of human experience.

Perhaps the Real Mystery Is Life Itself

As I reflect on the question, I am inclined to believe that the weirdest thing about life is not any single incident, extraordinary creature or unusual human action. It is the astonishing fact that we are here at all, conscious of our existence, capable of love, laughter, sorrow, curiosity and wonder.

We inhabit a universe of immense proportions, on a small planet suspended in space. We experience fleeting moments of joy and prolonged periods of uncertainty, form relationships, pursue ambitions and accumulate memories. We spend years trying to understand our surroundings, yet the fundamental mysteries of existence continue to elude us.

We know that time moves forward, but we remain emotionally attached to moments that have passed. We understand that everything changes, yet resist change when it arrives at our own doorstep. We recognise that life is uncertain, but make elaborate plans as though tomorrow were a contractual obligation.

There is something beautifully absurd about all this.

Perhaps wisdom begins when we stop demanding that life always make perfect sense. We can remain curious without expecting every mystery to have an immediate explanation. We can laugh at our mistakes, respect the unfamiliar and accept that some experiences will always remain beyond our complete understanding.

A Final Thought

So, what is the weirdest thing I have ever done or seen in my life?

If I were to answer philosophically, I would say that the strangest thing is the extraordinary variety of ways in which human beings experience the same world. One person finds beauty where another sees inconvenience; one discovers hope in adversity, while another loses heart in circumstances that appear far less difficult. We look at the same sky, walk the same streets and inhabit the same planet, yet our inner worlds can be astonishingly different.

And perhaps that is the real wonder.

Life does not need to be extraordinary every day to remain fascinating. Sometimes, all it takes is an unexpected encounter, an inexplicable coincidence, a moment of innocent absurdity or a question that refuses to leave us alone.

We should preserve our capacity to be surprised. We should laugh more readily, judge less hastily and remain willing to explore ideas that challenge our assumptions.

After all, the world would be a poorer place if everything were predictable, everyone were conventional and every question had an obvious answer.

What about you? What is the weirdest thing you have ever done or witnessed? Was it something hilarious, something inexplicable or an experience that changed the way you looked at life? Share your story. Your strangest memory might turn out to be someone else’s most delightful discovery.

Sometimes, the weirdest things in life are not the ones that make us question reality, but the ones that make us realise how wonderfully unpredictable reality can be.

Tell us about your morning routine.

Nana Patekar: The Man Behind the Voice, the Fire and the Heart

There are actors we admire, actors we enjoy, and then there are actors who leave an imprint on our imagination. Nana Patekar belonged to the third category.

For me, he was never merely another Bollywood actor. I admired him because he brought something theatrical, almost explosive, to the screen. His dialogues were not simply spoken; they seemed to emerge from somewhere deep within him. His pauses, his eyes, his sudden changes of tone and the intensity with which he delivered even an ordinary sentence made his performances feel less like acting and more like witnessing a human being under pressure.

Nana Patekar had a way of occupying the screen without asking for permission.

And yet, perhaps the most interesting part of his story is that the man behind that fierce screen presence appeared to be very different in many respects.

An actor who never seemed to be pretending

Nana’s relationship with acting went far beyond Bollywood. Theatre was central to his artistic life, and he performed on stage for decades. In an interview, he once described acting not simply as a profession but as something through which he breathed. He also admitted that his temper had sometimes cost him professionally.

That honesty was characteristic of him.

He did not cultivate the polished, carefully manufactured image that we often associate with film celebrities. There was something wonderfully unvarnished about Nana Patekar. He could be abrasive, intense, humorous, philosophical and vulnerable, sometimes within the same conversation.

Perhaps that is why his performances carried such credibility.

When he played a policeman, soldier, gangster, politician, father or ordinary man, we believed him because he never appeared to be performing merely for applause.

His celebrated performances in films such as Parinda, Prahaar, Krantiveer, Khamoshi, Agni Sakshi, Ab Tak Chhappan and Welcome demonstrated an extraordinary range. Yet even when the characters were completely different, there was a recognisable Nana Patekar intensity.

His famous dialogues became part of popular culture because he delivered them with conviction rather than decoration. Lines from Krantiveer, particularly his questioning of religious divisions through the simple imagery of human blood, continue to be remembered.

The theatre never left him

What I particularly admire about Nana Patekar is that cinema never completely separated him from theatre.

He carried the discipline of the stage into films.

His performance as Ganpat Belwalkar in Natsamrat is perhaps one of the finest examples. He understood that theatrical intensity had to be controlled when transferred to the cinema. He spoke of trying to find the character for himself rather than simply reproducing what others had done before him.

His dedication could sometimes be astonishing.

During the filming of Simhasan, director Jabbar Patel recalled that Nana insisted on being genuinely struck during a scene because he wanted the injury to look real. He reportedly told the actors to actually hit him, and he emerged with marks on his body. For Nana, realism mattered even when it was uncomfortable.

That perhaps explains what I always found fascinating about him.

He did not merely want to look like the character.

He wanted to become the character.

But was Nana Patekar a gentleman?

The word gentleman is complicated.

It should not mean that a person is flawless, endlessly polite or incapable of anger. Human beings are much more complicated than that.

Nana himself acknowledged his anger and the consequences it had brought him. He was outspoken and, by his own admission, could react violently when angry.

So I would hesitate to describe him as a gentleman simply because he was a famous actor with a public reputation.

I would rather say that he appeared to possess another, perhaps more meaningful, quality: a concern for people who had very little power or voice.

And that brings us to another Nana Patekar — the social worker.

The actor who turned towards farmers

In 2015, Maharashtra was facing a devastating agricultural crisis, with drought and farmer suicides causing enormous suffering.

Nana was deeply affected by what he saw.

According to accounts of that period, he had been saving money to buy an expensive car. After seeing television reports about farmers and their families, he reconsidered what that money meant. Instead of spending it on the luxury he had planned, he decided to help distressed farming families.

This was not merely a moment of celebrity charity.

It eventually developed into something much larger.

Nana Patekar and actor Makarand Anaspure spearheaded the NAAM Foundation, which was established in 2015 to respond to drought, farmer distress and the problems confronting rural Maharashtra. Its work has included financial assistance to families affected by farmer suicides, water conservation, restoration of local water systems and efforts to help rural communities become more self-reliant.

According to NAAM’s own figures, the organisation has provided assistance to thousands of families affected by farmer suicides, including nearly 5,000 families through its support programmes.

That is difficult to dismiss as publicity.

Perhaps his greatest performance was not on screen

There is an irony here.

The man who became famous for playing angry, wounded and uncompromising characters spent a significant part of his later life trying to ease the suffering of people whose stories rarely reached the cinema screen.

He also embraced farming himself and maintained a close relationship with the land. Reports describe him working on his farmhouse and identifying strongly with rural life rather than simply treating it as a celebrity retreat.

Perhaps this explains something about Nana that I had not fully appreciated when I first watched him.

His intensity was not merely theatrical.

There was a seriousness in him about life itself.

The voice I will remember

For me, Nana Patekar will remain the actor whose dialogues seemed to arrive with a physical force.

He could whisper and make the audience listen.

He could shout and make the room tremble.

He could stare silently and say more than another actor might manage with a page of dialogue.

That was his gift.

But now, when I look beyond the films, I find another reason to remember him.

The actor who could make millions laugh, fear, cry and think also chose to spend part of his life standing beside farmers and families in distress.

Perhaps that is what makes a person’s legacy complete.

Cinema gave Nana Patekar fame.

Theatre gave him discipline.

Life gave him anger, struggle and experience.

But compassion gave his life another dimension.

I cannot say whether Nana Patekar was a perfect gentleman. I do not think anyone who knew him would claim that he was without contradictions. He was fiery, outspoken and sometimes difficult.

But perhaps we should not demand perfection from the people we admire.

Perhaps we should look instead for authenticity.

And Nana Patekar was nothing if not authentic.

His voice may now have fallen silent, but those dialogues will continue to echo. His characters will continue to live in our memories. And somewhere beyond the bright lights of Bollywood, the work done for farmers and vulnerable families will remain another, quieter chapter of his story.

The actor gave us unforgettable characters.
The man gave something back to the people.

And perhaps that is the finest tribute one can offer Nana Patekar:

He did not merely perform his roles. He lived them — on stage, on screen, and, ultimately, in life.

Empty, Still Fragrant by Prashant Kumar Lal: A Tender Story of Love, Secrets and Finding Oneself

Empty, Still Fragrant by Prashant Kumar Lal: A Tender Story of Love, Secrets and Finding Oneself

Available at all the Amazon platforms worldwide in paperback and digital format

Empty, Still Fragrant is a compelling contemporary romance that quietly evolves into a story of mystery, emotional discovery and redemption. At its heart is Ananya, a successful woman whose carefully ordered life begins to unravel when the past refuses to remain buried. What begins as a search for answers gradually becomes something far more personal: a journey towards understanding love, trust, forgiveness and, ultimately, herself.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The recurring image of lilies, an empty room and a second cup of coffee gives the story a distinctive emotional identity. The flowers become more than a motif; they carry memories, unanswered questions and the possibility of renewal. The title itself gains greater meaning as the story progresses. An empty room need not remain a symbol of absence. It can also become a space in which something new is allowed to grow.

Ananya is an engaging protagonist because her strength is not presented as perfection. She is ambitious, independent and accustomed to controlling the circumstances around her, yet beneath that confidence lies vulnerability. Her greatest transformation is not simply falling in love with Aditya. It is learning that love cannot be controlled, protected into existence or possessed. It must be trusted.

The relationship between Ananya and Aditya gives the novel its emotional centre. Their relationship develops through attraction, uncertainty, desire, misunderstanding and reconciliation. What makes it particularly affecting is the recognition that genuine love does not demand that one person surrender their individuality for another. Aditya’s willingness to give Ananya space becomes an important part of her emotional awakening.

The novel’s mystery adds another layer to the narrative. Old documents, concealed identities, unanswered questions, Project Orchid, Maya, Nisha Sen, Vikram Sethi and the events surrounding 17 March 2006 gradually reveal a past that has influenced the present in ways Ananya could never have imagined. The revelations are not merely plot devices; they force her to reconsider the people she trusted and the meaning of protection itself.

Perhaps the most thoughtful theme in the novel is the distinction between love and control. Several characters make decisions for others because they believe they are protecting them. Yet protection, when imposed without consent, can become another form of control. This idea resonates throughout Ananya’s relationship with her father, her understanding of Maya’s past and, most importantly, her relationship with Aditya.

The prose is reflective without becoming inaccessible, and the emotional passages are balanced by the forward movement of the mystery. There is romance and sensuality, but the novel does not reduce love to physical attraction. Desire becomes part of a larger exploration of intimacy, vulnerability and the courage to be known.

What makes Empty, Still Fragrant ultimately satisfying is that its resolution is not simply about solving a mystery. It is about Ananya learning to stop measuring life by what has been lost and beginning to value what she is free to choose. The past cannot be erased, and some questions may never have perfect answers, but life can still begin again.

The closing image of fragrance is particularly effective. Something may appear empty and yet retain the essence of what once filled it. In much the same way, people carry their memories, wounds and loves within them. But carrying the past does not mean remaining imprisoned by it.

Empty, Still Fragrant is therefore more than a romantic mystery. It is a story about the difficult journey from control to acceptance, from fear to trust, and from living according to expectations to choosing one’s own life.

A thoughtful, emotionally engaging novel about love that survives uncertainty—and a woman who finally learns that the life worth living is the one she chooses for herself.

What’s the best way to meet new people while traveling?

Strangers on the Road, Stories for a Lifetime

Travelling takes us away from familiar roads, familiar faces and familiar routines. Yet, strangely enough, it can bring us closer to people we might never have met at home.

The best way to meet new people while travelling is not necessarily to look for them. It is to remain open to them.

A smile at a railway station, a question about a local dish, a shared table at a café or a conversation with someone sitting beside you on a bus can become the beginning of an unexpected friendship. Travel has a peculiar way of turning strangers into temporary companions and, occasionally, into lifelong friends.

Start with a simple conversation

We often imagine that meeting people requires confidence, charm or a carefully planned social activity. It rarely does.

A simple, “Have you been here before?” can open a door. Ask a local what they recommend eating. Ask another traveller where they are heading next. Compliment someone on their choice of book. People generally enjoy talking when the conversation begins naturally.

And remember: you do not have to be fascinating. Be interested rather than interesting. Curiosity is one of the most attractive qualities a traveller can carry.

Eat where people gather

Food has always been one of humanity’s most reliable conversation starters.

Instead of eating every meal alone in your hotel room, try a busy local café, a communal dining space, a food market or a small restaurant where locals eat. Sit at the counter if possible. Order something unfamiliar. Ask the person next to you what they are having.

A plate of unfamiliar food can sometimes become a platter of familiar conversation.

Join something

If you are staying in a place for more than a day or two, join a walking tour, cooking class, book club, photography walk, cultural programme or local excursion.

Shared experiences make conversation easier because you already have something in common.

You may arrive knowing nobody and leave knowing several names.

Stay somewhere social

Your choice of accommodation can make a considerable difference. Hostels, guesthouses, homestays and smaller boutique properties often create more opportunities for interaction than large hotels.

Even if you prefer comfort and privacy, spending an evening in a common area can introduce you to fellow travellers.

Sometimes the most memorable part of a journey is not the room you paid for but the conversation you never planned.

Put the phone away

This may be the hardest advice of all.

We travel thousands of miles and then spend our evenings staring at a screen.

Of course, phones are useful for maps, photographs, translations and keeping in touch. But occasionally, put yours away. Look around. Notice who is sitting nearby. Listen to the sounds of the place.

The world is full of people waiting to be noticed.

Talk to locals—but respectfully

Meeting new people while travelling does not mean treating local people as attractions.

Learn a few words of the local language. Respect customs. Dress appropriately where required. Ask before taking photographs. Listen to people’s stories without assuming you already understand their lives.

A little respect can travel much further than a fluent vocabulary.

Do not force friendship

Not every conversation needs to become a friendship.

Some people will talk for five minutes. Others may share a meal with you. A few may remain in touch long after the journey ends.

Let relationships develop naturally.

Travel teaches us that human connections, like destinations, cannot always be reached by taking the shortest route.

Say yes—but keep your judgement

There is a beautiful spontaneity in travel. Say yes to a shared coffee, an invitation to a local event or an impromptu walk when it feels safe and appropriate.

But openness should never mean carelessness.

Trust your instincts. Meet unfamiliar people in public places. Tell someone you trust where you are going when appropriate. Keep your belongings and personal information secure.

The best travel stories are the ones you can safely tell afterwards.

Perhaps that is the real souvenir

We usually return from a journey carrying photographs, tickets, magnets, postcards and perhaps a few gifts.

But the things we remember most vividly are often intangible.

The old man who told us the history of a town. The fellow passenger who shared half a sandwich. The café owner who remembered our name. The stranger who became a companion for one afternoon.

Travel changes when we stop seeing people as strangers and start seeing them as stories we have not yet heard.

You may forget the name of the street.

You may forget the price of the coffee.

You may even forget the colour of the bus.

But years later, you may still remember the person sitting beside you and the conversation that made an unfamiliar place feel, for a few precious minutes, like home.

So travel with your eyes open,
Keep your heart a little free,
For roads may lead to places,
But people make the journey.

If aliens arrived tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d ask them?

Take Me to Your Leader? Actually, Can You Look at My Wi-Fi First?

If a gleaming, hyper-dimensional starship were to descend upon Earth tomorrow—parting the clouds with a hum that rattles our collective teeth—humanity’s philosophical heavyweights would undoubtedly step forward. Philosophers would ask about the meaning of life. Scientists would inquire about faster-than-light travel. World leaders would nervously ask about trade agreements, secretly hoping extraterrestrial tax havens exist.

​Me? I have a far more pressing, existential question for our new cosmic overlords:

​“Look, before we do the whole peace-offering ceremony… do you happen to know why my printer constantly says it’s offline when it’s connected with a cable?”

​Let’s be honest. If an alien species possesses the technology to cross trillions of miles of interstellar void without getting lost, running out of fuel, or succumbing to space-boredom, they must have solved the fundamental annoyances of existence. Forget quantum gravity; I want to tap into their vast, superior wisdom for the mundane horrors of daily life on Earth.

​Once we clear up the printer issue, my follow-up questions are already lined up in strict order of importance:

​1. “Did you bring your own plastic bags, or do you want to pay 10p for ours?”

​Nothing says “Welcome to Earth” like immediately subjecting supreme beings to supermarket checkout admin. Imagine a giant, glowing, multi-tentacled organism trying to awkwardly stuff a bundle of intergalactic celery into a flimsy bag that rips at the bottom. It’s the ultimate equalizer.

​2. “Who actually decided that self-checkout tills need to yell at us about unexpected items?”

​If their civilization has developed artificial intelligence capable of steering through asteroid belts, surely they can explain why a 50g packet of crisps in the bagging area triggers a red flashing light and a public humiliation protocol. If they tell me their planet also suffers from “Unexpected Item in Bagging Area,” I’m voting we send them straight back into the abyss.

​3. “Is there a universe where fitted bed sheets actually fold neatly?”

​Earth scientists have mapped the human genome and photographed black holes, yet no human being since the dawn of time has ever folded a fitted sheet without turning it into a sad, lumpy fabric ball. If the extraterrestrials can demonstrate a seamless four-corner fold, I will personally crown them ruler of the Milky Way.

​4. “Did you park that UFO on a double yellow line?”

​Because if you did, mate, the local council doesn’t care if you have plasma cannons. You’re getting a £70 fine, reduced to £35 if you pay within fourteen days.

​The Ultimate Truth

​We like to imagine First Contact as a grand, cinematic moment full of dramatic music and profound exchanges of galactic wisdom. But if an advanced alien race has spent millennia observing us from afar, they aren’t coming to destroy us. They’re coming because our planet is the universe’s top-tier reality television show.

​So when the ramp lowers and the shimmering beings step out into the light, don’t ask them for the secrets of the cosmos. Ask them if they’ve got a spare HDMI cable, because the rest of us have been using the wrong input channel for three decades.

The Quiet Superpowers: 9 Underrated Life Skills They Never Taught You in School

What’s the most underrated life skill?

The Quiet Superpowers: 9 Underrated Life Skills They Never Taught You in School

We obsess over the big skills — coding, public speaking, leadership, learning a second language. They look excellent on a CV, but they rarely determine whether you have a calm morning, a strong marriage, or a peaceful mind at 10 p.m.

The real quality of life is decided by the small, unfashionable skills. The ones no one applauds. Here are the most underrated ones I have come to value.

1. The Art of Doing Nothing Productively
   We call it boredom and try to kill it with scrolling. In truth, the ability to sit alone without stimulation — no phone, no podcast, no task — is where your mind finally defragments itself. That is where good ideas arrive. Ten minutes a day of intentional idleness is not laziness; it is maintenance.
2. Saying No Without Writing an Essay
   Most of us say yes to avoid awkwardness and then resent the commitment. A graceful, brief no — “I can’t take that on this week, but I wish you well with it” — protects your time without damaging the relationship. It is kindness with boundaries.
3. Repairing Things
   Knowing how to sew on a button, fix a leaking tap, oil a hinge, or troubleshoot a slow laptop saves you more money and frustration in a year than most side-hustles earn. It also teaches you patience and gives you a quiet confidence: I can figure this out.
4. Managing Your Energy, Not Just Your Time
   Time management is well-known. Energy management is not. You have 24 hours, but you do not have 24 hours of high focus. The underrated skill is noticing when you are sharp, when you are flat, and organising your day accordingly. Difficult conversations and creative work when you are fresh. Admin and errands when you are not.
5. Listening to Understand, Not to Reply
   We listen to prepare our answer. Try listening to truly understand what the other person is trying to say, especially when you disagree. Paraphrase it back: “So what you are saying is…” It diffuses 90% of conflicts in families, friendships, and workplaces.
6. Being Comfortable With Being Wrong
   The ability to say, “I was wrong about that, thank you for correcting me,” without embarrassment is a superpower. It makes you more trustworthy, more teachable, and far easier to be around. Stubbornness feels strong; adaptability actually is.
7. Asking for Help Early
   We wait until we are drowning to ask for help, when asking early would have meant a five-minute favour. The skilled person asks before the deadline, before the burnout, before the small leak becomes a flood. It is a sign of self-respect, not weakness.
8. Regulating Your Own Mood
   Not controlling emotions — regulating them. Knowing how to calm yourself down after an annoyance, how to lift yourself out of a slump with a walk, water, or a change of scenery, rather than outsourcing that job to other people or to food, drink, and shopping.
9. Finishing What You Start — Even Badly
   Perfectionism keeps us starting. Maturity is finishing. A mediocre completed draft, a finished cupboard tidy, a walk completed even if it was short. The habit of closing loops builds self-trust.

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None of these will trend on social media. There is no certificate for them. But practise one for a fortnight and you will feel the difference in your daily peace.

If you had to pick just one to work on this month, which one would quietly improve your life the most?

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