EPIPHANIES

An Anthology of Student Expressions

A Department of English Initiative

FOREWORD “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found its words” - Robert Frost. Epiphanies has unfolded imaginations, given life to thoughts and aspirations. It has unleashed a wide spectrum of creative skills. I congratulate the entire editorial team for their hard work and dedication that has resulted in this publication, I am proud of you and your accomplishment and am confident that you will continue with even more successes. Good luck in all your next adventures. Fr. Sebastin Mathai Principal Christ Junior College

EDITORIAL Greetings and warm welcome to our second issue of Epiphanies! Students today are individuals who need to be appreciated and recognized. Epiphanies is a launch pad for such students’ creative urges to blossom naturally. This initiative sets the budding minds free in the realm of imagination to create a world of beauty in words. The Department of English feels honoured to share the work of some committed and thoughtful students. Our thanks are due to our principal Fr. Sebastin Mathai, students and members of the department who have been of immense help in breathing life into these pages. We couldn’t be more excited to have made it to this point! Enjoy the insights of Epiphanies... Philu Jose Head of the Department Department of English

Contents Visions through Verse

01.My Friend’s Love 01 02.Oh…Busy People 01 03.Ram and Rom 03 04.Free Will 04 05.A Wish Unwished 04 06.Are You Satisfied? 05 07.The Scents of Love 06 08.A Voyage through Memories 07 09.Remember 08 10.A Sedentary Voyage 09 11.My Dear Tree 10 12.Above the Moonlit Candle 11 13.Hope 11 14.The Modern Usher to Human Demolition 13 15.Spread Your Wings 14 16.My Bucket List 15 17.Teachers 16 18.If Only I Could Rewind 18

Perspectives in Prose

01. Get…Set… Go 19 02. Consciousness 22 03. Competition 23 04. Pandora’s Box of Emotions 25 05. Small Things in Life That Make Me Smile 27 06. The Best Of Me 29

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Visions through Verse

My Friend's Love Jomol Johnson II HESP M Looking at your innocent face and that loving gaze makes my heart often beat. Your adorable hugs and longing kisses gives meaning to my daily life Your expressive smile puts me always into a ocean of dreams Your unconditional love proves that there is nothing more worthy in this world... Oh... Busy People Mahaveer Jain G II HESP M Have you ever noticed, Those people on the wing? The ones that always pass you by, And never say a thing. And even though you know them, They hurry past in haste, No quick hello or friendly smile - They have no time to waste.

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You're only out for just a walk, You didn't want to stop and talk. Perhaps a quick hello lingering for just a while. But no, those people on the wing, Never want to say a thing. Their minds are full of this and that; There isn't time to stop and chat. Except, of course, when they're not well, Then they stop and have to tell, of all the aches and pains they've got - And then, of course, you get the lot. Mrs. B was just like that, Never had the time to chat, Hurrying by at such a pace, The 'don't stop me' look upon her face. Mrs. B had things to do, Had no time to talk to you. One day I called to Mrs. B: 'Please stop for once and listen to me.' I stopped and whispered with a snicker: 'You've got your dress tucked in your knickers.’

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Ram and Rom Mahaveer Jain G II HESP M My computer has a language that is foreign to me. It speaks of RAM and Gigabytes and what could ROM be! I don't understand the Windows My computer says are there nor the Gem Clip at the side of my page with eyes that blink and stare! I don't understand the cures that maintenance wizards do It's called defragmenter, scan disk, And virus cleaning too! Yet, computer and I work hand and eye with a mouse to translate the tasks that I want it to do while it points out my mistakes!

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Free Will Pruthweesha S.A II PCME I Your thoughts are not your own. To physical laws are they prone. Or maybe you do have free will, And neural respect for physics is nil. Moving objects with the power of thought? Sounds ridiculous, does it not? Think of moving atoms in your brain. Psycho kinesis is not tough to train. A Wish Unwished Yash Agarwal II PCMB C After eight long years came the awaited news. It delighted the family, the man, and his wife — the coming of a new life. More than a treasure was he treasured, All woes mirthful, his presence rendered. "She's growing well," uttered the doctor to her horror. Dismayed by misfortune, devoured by despair, she grovelled before the family, which coveted an heir. She poignantly lay on the bed, while her family commanded her babe dead. The doctor mutilated her within her unyielding niche. Proud of uprooting a weed, little had they known she was a wish.

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Are You Satisfied? Pragathi.R II HESP M He glares at me and points a finger His eyes blaze with rage and anger. I hang my head in shame, guilt washes through me. I stare at his familiar face, Notice his staggering pace- After all, he is family, he is my future blood. ‘Are you satisfied now?’ he growls, ‘After all the gallons of water you have wasted, Imagine for how many months they would for us have lasted. Exploiting the streams without mercy, Savoring each drop with glee- Leaving us with nothing more than a plea, If only your conscience had pricked, If only you had left the rivers un-bricked, Our generation wouldn’t have to suffer And fight for every drop of water. We wouldn’t have to aimlessly loiter hunting for the trace of it. You must be satisfied now- After all the splashing in the pools and parks for your pleasure and amusement, While you left us to lament. You didn’t stop to consider about the future, but continued on with your torture. Are you satisfied? The future is unable to quench its thirst, Thanks to you, water’s become extinction.

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We loathe you, we condemn you There are no water sources left, not even a few! I hope you are satisfied now!

The Scents of Love Anshu Pal II HESP M I have, with wonder, found the scents of love, The scents that can make you feel a rude shove Or make you a dove. First I find a scent, a scent of ambiguity. Where I find sweethearts adore at first sight And then prance into the limelight. But soon, melt their chains of love with hatred too hot. Just like a red rose, first a darling worn with delight and then thrown as trash that rots. Then, I find a scent, one of bliss. Where I find people, with passion and care lock their hearts In such a way that their love shall never be killed Not even by poisonous darts. They trot with a helping hand, with honesty, faith and care And die with bliss; die with feelings and memories to share. Just like lavender that blooms and soothes with a laugh and dries, leaving a scent of comfort and gladness in the air.

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I know not what scent you may smell, But all I want is that in your love, you stay well. And, all I can say is that I have, with wonder, found the scents of love. The scents which can make you feel a rude shove Or make you a dove. A Voyage through Memories Ameen Pasha II PCMB C I planned my voyage, when I was idle Through the memories, what a surprise. The graceful mermaids, the mighty dragons, The stormy hell and the heavenly shine. Oh! That beauty, I do remember. She was too swift, as well as how my memory passed about her. It is only that one scene that I can concede, as she rode the waters of time. I remember her, she was true, as all my crew had seen her too. But I think she is just fake memory, For her memory is so short, and she was never seen again. Shall I ask my men if they remember, I fear if she was only a dream. She showed me so much life, how can she be just a dream?

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Remember Jordan Ridhay Rasquinha II PCMB D For every war fought for petty issues For every bullet penetrating man’s tissue, For all the men fighting for the land they represent Remember, that all men on earth are children of the same ancestral parent For every drop of water we waste For all the food we buy just for the pleasure of taste For every grain of rice carelessly thrown Remember, the poor child starving in lands where crops cannot be grown For every whistle blown, demeaning a woman For all the nasty comments disgracing a woman For all the in-humane crimes committed in lust for a woman Remember, every man was once born of a woman For all the money that is corruptly sought For every innocent man, for no reason shot For all lies, big or small Remember, in the end, in front of the all-seeing God, on our knees we’ll have to fall

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A Sedentary Voyage Yash Agarwal II PCMB C She was always fascinated by butterflies Longing to know where their magical land lies, Under sultry skies, over green grass, around tall trees she followed She'd embark upon a voyage to distant places, Only to be greeted by Failure in his sundry faces She shed her fascination, along with it her skin Deciding to live in her chrysalis, She embraced the Darkness dwelling within The Master Sculptor — shaped her with all his might Unwillingly, she crawled out of her secure niche And from Darkness emerged colours — vivid and bright She fluttered about gloomily, unaware of her possession Until she saw in the eyes of a suitor, her flamboyantly captivating reflection Under sultry skies, over green grass, around tall trees she flew Hovering ecstatically in the magical land, Some voyages are static, she now knew.

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My Dear Tree Harith.G.R II PCMB E O my dear tree Why are you not free? The countless things that you bear But man's satisfaction is never there You can provide for our need And not for our greed You give nutritious fruits For people without truths For the innumerous things that you gave We slash and cut you into your grave You gave air to breathe for whom? And you were suffocated to death by whom? We are said to be God's creature We lived because of your kind aperture But still you bare us why O my dear tree, why are you not free?

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Above the Moonlit Candle: Neha Rajan I HEPP N The star-studded velvet sky Where the transcendent lay Each twinkle seems an illusion A radiant endeavour to fulfill A scene, so picturesque Embracing a unique marvel Beaming with eternal bliss The sky; unceasing With an intense gleam, a faint smile An angel watches over A promising energy Surges through the desolate emptiness The moon, with an extraordinary shine beams across the darkness A divinity fills my heart Is this the empowering shine of the moonlit candle? Hope Subhiksha V.S I CAMS J The rustling of the leaves I could hear, The lashing rain fighting the dark clouds, Winds unable to put up against each other, My body shaking, trying hard to grasp the warmth.

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The fire burnt out, taking the light along, The dark night, darker than ever before, No more fears, only the unspoken truth remained, I wasn't supposed to be there, on that godforsaken day. Are these what they call the untellable tales? Who banishes the wrath, the dark and all that hate? Listen to that deep voice ringing inside you. Save yourself, said He, only if I knew how to. As the dried leaves wither to give rise to new ones, As ashes fly away to places we have never perceived, The spark will exist, turn it into fire, Everlasting, glowing, burning with all its might. Sadness isn't a condition but just a mood, Don't over think it, just put down your shoes. You don't need to handle this alone, keep calm Past is gone, and the future is right there when you open your palms. Darling, you say you're fine, but I want you to be great. You say you can't, but I know that that's impossible. Perfection may not exist, but you are the closest to it, All of us are the Almighty's creation, so it can't actually go wrong. So let the leaves rumble, let the fire burn out, Shine like the sparkle, better than the stars. You are your own perfection, create your dreams So break through the glass, and run the mile, even if you've heard the screams.

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The Modern Usher to Human Demolition Jordan Ridhay Rasquinha II PCMB D The Internet was a creation, For spread of knowledge and social interaction. But now, by satanic manipulation, It has turned into an evil and poisoning attraction. The minds of the young, filled with purity, Seek the Internet to satisfy their curiosity. Then the shameless world of vulgarity and immorality, exposes itself to the world of innocence and chastity. The sea of beastly and lustful insanity, Drowns all principle and growing integrity. It completely envelopes all procured honesty, Finally choking human mentality. It reveals inhuman misuse and exploitation, of the beauty of God’s creation. Giving sinful and temporary recreation, leading to a permanent and devastating addiction. Thought then leads to action - making it the sole purpose of living and only un-suppressible attraction. And after realization of the evil of this sinful addiction, it finally ends with helpless mental depression and complete self-demolition.

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Spread Your Wings. Subhiksha V.S 1 CAMS J If you were standing at the edge of the crust and all that you ever believed in, gave up on you? Would you, like always, lose all your trust? Or would you instead walk the path you were true to? If you were lying on the bed of the deep blue sea Hurt, broken, scarred, no faith, no ray of hope Would you rise above on your own or rather let it be? Would you rely on the comforts of your dear ones to help you cope? There goes the hatred, there dies the wrath. When your frowns turn to smiles and tears turn to gold. You know that your fate wanted you to walk this path. When the diffidence subsides, you become an angel who is bold. For there in your soul, you knew it was meant to be. For there lie the pieces which stuck together in the end. You know when you are feeling hopeless, I'll save you, it'll be me. Remember God and have faith in me, our hands we will always lend. Feel bad for just another minute, or a day or a week? Just close your eyes and count to three. Is it love or is it salvation that you seek? Don't worry my love, spread your wings and you'll be free. See what you can do, don't ever put yourself down. You know when you fall, we will be there to catch you. So like I said, this is not who you are, don't you ever

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frown. Because I know you, and you know me and He knows us, and that all we need. It is simple really, just close your eyes and look into your soul. Feel the dream you want to live, feel the love you want to give. Yes, this is what they call magic, the magic that'll fill that dark hole. I will be by your side, and He will be by mine. That is all we ever need, no money, no dime. My Bucket List Pragthi.R II HESP M Grinning like a kid thinking about it It is filled with more wishes than there can possibly fit, Oh yes! It’s my bucket list. Unachieved dreams, inexperienced thrills, following random path according to my wills. I’ll probably own a suit from every brand, or buy a villa in the suburbs, nothing too grand. And perhaps meet a star and get star struck; I’ll make my life and not leave it up to luck. Oh yes! All of that’s on my bucket list. For now, New York City is just a dream, but don’t be surprised if you find me there- standing on the tallest tower and watching the city gleam.

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I want to ride my bike like I own the road, I want to bury myself in the snow I want to sing aloud, not caring if I sound like a crow. I believe in living my life to the fullest- Evoking those desires, which probably are the deepest. From coloring my hair an electric red, to jumping hard till I break the bed, Yes! I want to fulfill them all. I want to live my life without regret and make the most of what I get. I want to surrender and drench in the rain, and die happily without any pain! Teachers Jordan Ridhay Rasquinha II PCMB ‘D’ Now we have grown from root to flower, But to do this alone, we would have had no power, So God sent few angels to watch over us as we grew, Pouring out to us all that they knew. As crying little toddlers, beside us they were there, Handling every shout and cry, with patience and loving care, The occasional rapping all of us have experienced, But in them we find the gift of discipline and obedience. Like a potter with his clay,

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They have moulded us to this day, Not with just books and words which do not matter, but making us men of heart and character. Unlike our parents, our true nature they have witnessed, And understanding and correcting it was their main business, Our talents, our strengths, and our weaknesses they knew, And with it they have now made something great and new. Many of us have nurtured hatred within, For their whippings and scolding at our every sin, But now like a cut diamond we will stand out, and at every opportunity try to make them proud. In time, to different nations we’ll go forth, Keeping in our hearts those who are responsible for our growth, God made these angels to love and mould our nature, And for that I salute them, these angels, our teachers!

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If Only I Could Rewind Athira Ajay II PCMB B I keep checking my watch, The one you gave me. I remember looking at the universe in your eyes, That moment I knew I belonged to your universe. If only I could rewind... I keep checking my watch, Reminding me of the time I was happy beyond words, The time you told me you wish to spend every passing second with me. If only I could rewind.. I keep checking my watch, The most important gift you gave me is not the beautiful ring, nor our precious daughter, but time, Not just any time, but the time you are with me. If only I could rewind... I keep checking my watch, Every time the second hand moves, Our universe seems to move slowly, just like your heartbeat, I regret every second I got drunk , I regret every second I drove the car, If only I could rewind... I keep checking my watch, If only I had the power,

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to move the hands, The other way around. If only I could rewind... I keep checking my watch, If we travel in our gift again, We can dwell in our universe again, But now, my watch stopped. If only I could rewind... I keep checking my watch, Our universe is stagnant, Quiet, I didn't want Eternal Time to take you away, from me, I am sorry my Love, If only I could rewind...

Perspectives through Prose

Get...Set…Go! Pradhyumna II HESP - M It all started a month ago when I was talking to my friend and all of a sudden we decided to travel to “God’s Own Country “- Kochi. Yes, it’s the land that doesn’t need any description with beauty too rich to describe and culture to immense to talk about. The trip started from here, we booked our train tickets and were looking

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forward for the exciting trip ahead in a weeks’ time. When it comes to Indian Railway’s there is something nostalgic about it. Bangalore to Kochi is about 10 hours of travel time and we both were worried not about the food but, about how we would spend 10 hours in the train. The day had almost dawned and we were not yet ready packing our bag packs. But, as they say guys don’t need to pack and even if they would, it would take them a snap to pack up! Packing was done and we were all ready to get to Kochi. Getting up early in the morning and rushing to the station wasn’t that easy for me but, that day it was something different. I think that excitement kept me active and it was easy to get up early and rush to the station. We were there by 6:00am sharp. By 6:15 the train departed and we were seated beside each other. Ah! That feeling of settling down after your dopamine reached the satisfaction point. The journey started and as expected we had absolutely nothing to do in that 10 hour journey except relish the fact that Indian Railways is the best. Close to 4:30pm we reached Aluva (Ernakulum Junction). Taking a deep breath of the air around me made me feel so relaxed. Now we were heading to Peerumbavoor, a small city located amidst nature. Let me be frank except the language there was nothing which stopped me from moving ahead of my plans. The people are so helpful and try to at least understand what I am looking for. The first day just swiftly passed and we too were tired after a long journey. Day 2 started and we expected the beautiful sun rise to wake us up rather a vehicle

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spoiling our sleep in city. We got ready and by 8:00 am sharp we planned to go and explore the village. We got to see rare species of birds and talk to different people and understand their living. I loved eating homemade Kerala food. We spent our next 3 Days getting back to the city. We planned to visit the Kochi Port, Vasco Da Gama Church and the Jewish Residents. Just in no time our trip was almost done and looking back I just could not think that this 1 week trip would end so quickly. Of course I did not mention much about the scenario of the city life, that is because Kochi as a city is nonetheless like any city and I preferred to keep the trip short and amidst the Nature. So, next time anyone planning to go to Kerala never hold back to travel to this city. Let me tell you more than the place, Kerala has a lot to offer the tourists and do not worry about what to do because sudden plans are the best plans and being a solo traveler is way more exciting to explore the unexplored on your own !

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Consciousness Pruthweesha S A II PCME I Consciousness is something that most people speculate scientists will never be able to fully explain. It might seem pointless to wonder about something as mysterious as consciousness. Do you believe in psycho kinesis? To those of you who don’t have a great idea of what the term means, it is the phenomenon of moving objects just by thinking about it. To those of you who did know what the term means, well, there’s always a less informed section of the demography. l Do you believe in free will? Hopefully there are none who have not heard of this term. If you answered the first question with a no and the second with a yes, it is likely you haven’t thought about either of them profoundly enough. One thing pivotal to both psycho kinesis and free will is thought. What are thoughts anyway? From a physical perspective, they are activated neural pathways, symbolized by motion of sodium ions across neurons. Is the movement of sodium ions subject to physical laws, or is it free will that governs it? Scenario 1 — Physical laws determine neural pathways. So, our thoughts are essentially a consequence of atomic physics in action, over which we have no control. It must

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then follow that free will is an ancient, surviving hoax, or, in mild terms, an illusion. Scenario 2 — Free will controls thoughts. We have been thinking from the time we have been awake, because of our free will. In other words, we drove sodium ions back and forth, inwards and outwards, just by thinking. Essentially, our thought alone was able to move particles thus doing Psycho kinesis at a very, very small scale. All of a sudden, psycho kinesis is infinitely less of an outrageous idea than it previously was. We have looked at two possibilities; the non-existence of free will and psycho kinesis as a mechanism of consciousness. I leave it to you decide which one is more scientific. Oh wait! Maybe you don’t have free will; so it’s really not left to YOU to decide. Competition Harris Mathew II PCME I Victory does not exist without conflict, competition and challenges. In today's world, everyone is in competition with each other and of course, with themselves too. Most of the teenagers in our country especially those between 16 and 18 are in heavy competition with all their friends, but that is related mainly to studies. Every student who dreams of having a bright future works very hard towards it. Students these days just want to get into the best college, but as always, there is competition for that. True, competition plays a vital role

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in bringing up confidence and motivates a student to study better time after time. But one must realize, it was not because of this exams and academics that the word competition came into existence. Competition is derived from the Latin word competere, which means to strive or outdo another for acknowledgement, prize, supremacy, profit etc. In simple words it means to engage in a contest. Competition those days was not used on the basis of education but rather in sports and business. Competition is the spice of sports; but if you make spice the whole meal, you'll get sick. One cannot look at the competition and say you're going to do it better. You have to look at the competition and say you're going to do it differently. People today would study an extra hour if they thought their best friend was a better learner. But back then, people would train and work out an extra hour only to be better than someone whom he was going to compete with. While some sports have been viewed as primarily recreational, most sports are considered competitive. The majority involve competition between two or more persons. For example, in a game of basketball, two teams compete against one another to determine who can score the most points. When there is no set reward for the winning team, many players gain a sense of pride. In addition, extrinsic rewards may also be given. Athletes, besides competing against other humans, also compete against nature in sports such as whitewater kayaking or mountaineering, where the goal is to reach a destination, with only natural barriers impeding the

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process. A regularly scheduled competition meant to determine the best competitor of that cycle is called achampionship. Even though our country is infested with majority of teenagers who only define competition only on the basis of academics, true competition is just about proving who the better man is. Competitive athletes, if they come last in a race, they don't quit running, but rather they train harder and harder so that next time they run they have no other option in mind than to aim at the first place, irrespective of how fast the other athletes maybe. To conclude, I would like to say that if you win the fight against yourself, you will win all competitions in this world. Pandora’s Box of Emotions Pranav S Krishnan II HESP M Have it you ever woken up in the morning and, for some reason, felt on top of the world? Those are the days you possess the feelings of doing everything and anything you can. Ah, I love those days. But then, life says “Oops, here you go”, and there comes a day where I wake up, feeling disoriented with the world and everybody around me. You literally don’t feel like doing anything, and just want to sit in your room and maybe stare at the ceiling fan (or AC, whichever you prefer). On such occasions, I indisputably choose to stay away from communicating with fellow humans. No, I don’t like such days.

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And then come the days in between. Sometimes we feel so angry and hot-headed that we want to curse every person we know (poor things!) because hey, we are angry for “no reason” right? So it’s fair enough to vilify everyone in our way. Phew, those days are the worst. On some days, I want to sit and cry .Why? Let’s see, my answer is – I DON’T KNOW. On some days, I feel like doing something really very creative and become the next Steve Jobs – and on other days I feel like destroying stuff lying around at home. It’s obvious that all of us have experienced these “Types of Days in the Lives of a Teenager”, as I would call them. I’ve listed only a few, but there are hundreds of other emotionally-driven days that rule our teenage life. For me, teenage in one phrase is “The Pandora’s Box of Emotions”. Why do we go through all of this? Relax, it’s just our hormones saying “Tadaa, we’re here!” and trying to take control of our day. We’re growing up, our body is developing, so are our hormones and that is solely the reason every one of us experience different magnitudes of different emotions at one shot. I say, don’t worry. These are experiences you will laugh at after a few years. Maybe, you can take selfies of yourself going through the emotional days during these remaining teenage years and maybe they will come in handy to visually explain what teenage life is to your children (Make sure to preserve them for your grandchildren too!) You don’t need counselors or psychiatrists to help you through this phase; you need nobody but yourself, trust me. Live a little; Laugh a

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little, Love a little. That’s how you will learn a lot. All the best, fellow teenagers! Small Things in Life That Make Me Smile. K Vathsala Povanna I HEPP N Life is too small to wake up in the morning with regrets. Appreciate the people who treat you right and forgive the ones who don't and remember that everything happens for a reason. If life gives you a chance take it, if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it. Sounds great doesn't it? Inspiring quotes and thoughts like this do kindle a flare of inspirations in our heart. The flare is small hence its glimmer lasts for a small time. Has it was crossed your mind as to why it happens so? Why is the inspiration derived from such sayings tentative? The answer apparently is as simple as the questions itself and everyone is cognizant of the same. But somewhere, somehow we do confront a fiasco. When it comes to accepting the thing we know. The small things that we own I guess are so small in countenance that we fail to recognize their worth. The small smile seen on our visage when it rains, the small feeling of sangfroid which touches our heart when we keep our head on our mothers lap, the small sense of security which we feel in our father's arm-all these little

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things, aren’t these precious ? Who can compare the pleasure spent on our mothers lap with the jewels of the material world? The small eerie type of feeling when stranger smiles at you and you return the gesture.... That jiff of relief and content when your best friend gives you his/her assignment for copying... That small thing which is doing something insane and ill-logical after gulping "Mountain Dew" just to fill colours of truth in its tag line. That small fervor of helpful demeanor when you buy a rose from the little girl standing at the signal and you feel like you brought the entire garden on beholding her innocent grateful smile. That small moment after the spell of rain where in the sun shines and you search for rainbow in the sky...... That small moment of apprehension and mystery before getting the question paper, aren't these small incidents unparalleled to material games? The small "wee" voice which acts as our guardian angel and guides our step amidst the maze of right and wrong, can anything be more precious than this?? That small but scintillating shine which we behold in our parents eyes and that small sense of accomplishment which we feel when we make them proud, don’t you think these small things are most precious without any shadow of doubt?? When we fail.....the small sense of wisdom which says "I’ll try again tomorrow" Yes, that small sense of wisdom, the small voice.....they are the most precious and it is the gospel truth. It is

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high time to recognize it.... Accept it...and dance in the rain of life. The Best of Me Pragathi.R II HESP M Everyone wanted to believe that endless love was possible. She’d believed it once, too, back when she was eighteen. The novel- The Best of Me is a romantic drama written by one of the ace writers- Nicholas Sparks, and was published by Grand Central publishing. It is an intriguing story worth reading. Nicholas Charles Sparks is an American novelist, screenwriter and producer. He has published 17 novels and a non-fiction book. Romance is his genre of expertise. His mother was his source of inspiration. He hasn’t been awarded although his books are very appealing, but he has had many selfless accomplishments in his personal life. The story is set back in 1984 in Oriental, a small town near New Orleans. It revolves around Dawson Cole, who hails from a family of thugs and ruthless criminals. He falls for Amanda Collier, who comes from a wealthy and respectable family. Dawson and Amanda dream of a future together, but their respective families strictly disapprove of their relationship .They create circumstances which finally sabotage it.

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25 years later, a reunion of Dawson and Amanda in 2009, at the funeral of their mentor- Tuck Hostetler, sparks the realization that love is still aflame somewhere deep down in both their hearts. The memories that they shared- bitter and sweet, come rushing back to them. This realization tends to disrupt their individual lives. I wouldn’t kill the suspense by letting out what happens next- but expect the unexpected and prepare to bawl your eyes out! It was my first Nicholas Sparks book and as it’s said- ‘First impression is the best impression’, therefore this book will always hold a special place in my heart. I was a little taken with the book as it’s a perfect amalgam of romance, passion and distress. There are places in the book which lift your heart for that perfect ‘aww’ moment and other times you go teary-eyed. Nicholas has creatively crafted the story and I find no flaws in it. I would definitely recommend this book to be read by those who believe in romance and enjoy drama. The title of the book has done complete justice to the story, thus enhancing it. It was a remarkable journey that I embarked from the first page to the last. Love may not always have a happy ending with the reunion of the lovers- yet; it can leave an impeccable impression on your mind.