Today.

I stopped writing.
Words come and go.
Thoughts sit and converse if they catch me paying attention.
We meet over a cup of coffee or a book. They remind me to post them later.
Smell of half finished cup of coffee lingers still in the air mixed with the half baked half remembered thoughts.
I fail to write though.
Promising myself never to succumb to the world of attractions and illusions, I had connected well with thoughts, ideas and words.
Poor grammar and spelling could not stop the passion with which conversations danced through.
At times often while scribbling or typing out a post, I'd feel my fingers dance. A little dance of Love. A little fusion of sitar and tabla. A little conversation.
Today I sit and blink. There's coffee but no aroma. There are words but no thoughts. Today I write as a robot. Today I write as a crash cart attempting to rejuvenate the soul within.
Today I come back and sit, patiently waiting for place where I had last left God.

Love.

Dear Zainab,

There are 365 days in any year. 196 countries and 6500 number of languages. This planet celebrates Life. It has approximately 7 billion souls striving to live. At the end of any given day, there can be nothing as sure as each of 7 billion intending to live a life of joy and peace. There are couples trying to have babies. There are couples holding their cameras still as their babies try to say their first expression of Love.

There are families. There are relationships. There are interactions. There are conversations. There is positivity.

Almost all cultures and languages celebrate Life. Festivities. Festivals. it is what keeps them going. All festivals ground in the theme of Human nature. Love.

You then fortunately are sitting on a broad spectrum of choice. Choose the culture, the festival that you want from the canvas to express and resonate Love.

There is no such thing as Faith standing outside of Love or Love standing outside of Faith. There maybe poor interpretations, egoistic biased accounts of history restricting an additional expression of Love. But know well Zainab, your faith will never hinder you from celebrating Life and Love. What will and may hinder is maybe your lack of knowledge of your own Religion and/or faith.

Just like you can say another extra prayer on days of Mairaj, ShabeBaraat or celebrate the joys of Prophet's birthday, just like you can cut the cake on your birthdays and wish the arrival of Spring and New years, You can pick a flower on a day of Love.

Your mom once cracked a joke about Valentines Day. She told her father how some cultures believe in partners gifting flowers on 14th February to each other. To her surprise, your grandfather got flowers for your grandmother the same day. They express love and teach us to cherish the same in numerous ways around the year. But he - the old man with little knowledge about other cultures, did not consciously stop himself from expressing it in a different way  on 14th February. In fact, he went ahead to cherish it.

And that is the best gift partners can ever gift their children. By cherishing the love in all ways they can. For it is only through the cradle and the warmth of your home that you learn to Love. Love in ways unimaginable. For the world. For the God. To the world. To humans, for humans.

It is the most natural force on this planet and your faith cherishes it. All aspects of it.

Focus on Love and all else will follow. If nothing, say a little prayer for those yearning for love. Be with the ones looking for it. Conspire to make people be together.  Marriage and companionship is the most beautiful and by far the most peaceful expression of Love. Conspire for boring couples to meet. Help them reignite the passion of Love they maybe seeking.

For anything, do not deny the most natural force of soul to soul connection. The most beautiful way of connecting with the Divine.

Out of all things, Dear Zainab, know/acknowledge/believe that there maybe people sitting alone, wishing and hoping they had happier lives/more fulfilling or lovelier moments, do not, even for a second hesitate to help them see the lovely happier and chirpy side of life. Heal their bitterness and empty experiences with your Love. Hold their faces and turn them to see the blossoming side of their own life.

Make this world fall in love again. Make humans fall in love again. With cultures, knowledge, other humans and their own selves.

Be the Magic my love. <3

Love.

Dear Zainab,

There are 365 days in any year. 196  countries and 6500 number of languages. This planet celebrates Life. It has approximately 7 billion souls striving to live. At the end of any given day, there can be nothing as sure as each of 7 billion intending to live a life of joy and peace. There are couples trying to have babies. There are couples holding their cameras still as their babies try to say their first expression of Love.

Their are families. there are relationships. There are interactions. there are conversations. There is positivity.

Almost all cultures and languages celebrate Life. Festivities. Festivals. it is what keeps them going. All festivals ground in the theme of Human nature. Love.

You then fortunately are sitting on a broad spectrum of choice. Choose the culture, the festival that you want from the canvas to express and resonate Love.

There is no such thing as Faith standing outside of Love or Love standing outside of Faith. There maybe poor interpretations, egoistic biased accounts of history restricting an additional expression of Love. But know well Zainab, your faith will never hinder you from celebrating Life and Love. What will and may hinder is maybe your lack of knowledge of your Religion and/or faith.

Just like you can say another extra prayer on days of Mairaj, ShabeBaraat or celebrate the joys of Prophet's birthday, just like you can cut the cake on your birthdays and wish the arrival of Spring and New years, You can pick a flower on a day of Love.

Your mom once cracked a joke about Valentines Day. She told her father how some cultures believe in partners gifting flowers on 14th February to each other. To her surprise, your grandfather got flowers for your grandmother the same day. They express love and teach us to cherish the same in numerous ways around the year. But he - the old man with little knowledge about other cultures, did not consciously stop himself from expressing it in a different way  on 14th February. In fact, he went ahead to cherish it.

And that is the best gift your partners can ever gift their children. By cherishing the love in all ways they can. For it is only through the cradle and the warmth of your home that you learn to Love. Love in ways unimaginable. For the world. For the God. To the world. To humans, for humans.

It is the most natural force on this planet and your faith cherishes it. All aspects of it.

Focus on Love and all else will follow. If nothing, say a little prayer for those yearning for love. Be with the ones looking for it. Conspire to make people get married! Marriage and companionship is the most beautiful and by far the most peaceful expression of Love. Conspire for boring couples to meet. Help them reignite the passion of Love they maybe seeking.

For anything, do not deny the most natural force of soul to soul connection. The most beautiful way of connecting with the Divine.

Out of all things Dear Zainab, that your  loving father has ever taught me. It is how to converse with God, cherish Life and Love. And I will not hesitate to use any other culture's day of love as an excuse to express it. Another day, just another reason to pick a flower and send it to him.

Nothing of mine to say.

Few days before my marriage, Abu came into my room. He sat and we talked. A conversation overdue. We've always connected over a lot of things -any topic and we'd connect.

But that day. The topic was different. The topic was Ammi. I thought he'd tell me how she has been as a wife, potentially guiding me for my future. However, his conversation delved more broadly into ammi as a human.

For every single blogpost that I have ever written. Every single good thought that I may have ever expressed, shared in any way/form. Every single idea, every single spark of positivity. Every single sudden moments of hope in bleak darkness and despair, every single push when I never wanted to get up. Every single word, thought or idea. Every single way to recognise which thoughts to entertain and how to. Every single time when I fell short of absolutely anything.

Even today, I have nothing of mine to say. No thought of mine to share. Just a lesson so basic, so simple so aptly put by her all the time. Literally all the time. 'Zindagi sirf lamhaye maujood hai (Life is only in this moment, this now).'

Thank you Abu for making me realize the human she is.
Thank you Zainab for making me feel the mother she is.

Thank you Ma for all these years of positivity that I can never put in words. You showed me how to be a mother, a great wife, a wonderful companion and a human that I hope I ever am. Words fall short and start seeming cliche as I can't remove the label of being your daughter to express who you have been as a human to me and to the world around me. No degree in psychology, no self help book and no mentor can teach what you have taught me. No words can do justice.

I can perhaps never use an excuse that I didn't ever see a perfect human in my life. Ever so evolving that you make me feel old in front of you.

Sitting here today, I wish I become a mother like you. But rather I hope, wish and pray that I first become a human like you.

Happy Birthday Ma, wishing countless more moments of learning from you. Thank you for being who you are to me and to the world.