Teju's Musings

– + Lullaby Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of fingers hitting the laptop keys echoed through the otherwise quiet hostel room. With her roommate gone for a family event, Ari had the space all to herself. “And… done!” she announced dramatically, stretching her arms above her head and groaning. After an hour of working on her remote data-entry job, she padded over to the water tin in the corridor to refill her bottle. It had been four days since her visit to the flower market—and equally four days since the two best friends had impulsively created a YouTube channel at the tea stall. While Mira had volunteered to handle editing and channel maintenance, Ari knew the main responsibility of creating content rested on her shoulders. After all, what’s a YouTube channel without anything to post? Mira had told her it was okay to take things slow, and Ari had agreed—wanting the first song to be special. But the thrill of doing something new made her pulse quicken. Unlike her u...

– + Best Friend "Next station, KR Puram. Doors will open on the left. Please stand clear of the doors." Ari stood, adjusted her bag, and stepped onto the platform; the air thick with the scent of flowers, dust, and city life. She scanned the crowd and spotted Mira waving energetically. "Mira," Ari called, walking over. "Finally! Hey...why do you look so out of it?" Mira asked. " Oh welI! thanks to a certain someone I gave up my long-earned beauty rest I could have enjoyed today," Ari said, bowing a little with a hand on the back and the other on her heart , her tone dramatic with mock sarcasm. Mira rolled her eyes. "There's more to life than sleep, my dear. Come on now, let's go before you start sleeping while standing." Ari glanced at her best friend, wondering once again how this woman seemed to carry more energy than her body could hold. They set off toward the stalls with Mira clin...

– + The Girl in Pink Hum~ Ari plugged her earphones back in and turned to the window, hoping to avoid any further stretch of conversation. "Hey, what's your Insta ID?" the girl in pink asked, tilting her head and waving her phone playfully. Silence . "You really don't talk much, do you?" "And you can't take a hint, can you?" Pause . She felt bad for snapping at the cheerful girl – especially after she had gone out of her way to return the lost page. "Apology accepted!" The girl in pink beamed and plopped down beside Ari. Ari sighed. So much for her "stay away from me" act. She pulled out her earphones and stuffed them into her bag, silently wishing the journey would end quickly. "I'm Amy, by the way," the girl said brightly. Ari glanced at her. "Hi, Amy?" "Yes!" Amy grinned. "So, what do you do? Besides writing awesome songs,...

– + The Encounter “nan dulyeoun geol~ cholahae~ I'm so afraid   gyeolgug-en neodo nal tto tteonabeolilkka? tto gamyeon-eul sseugo neol mannaleo ga ”   (#credits - An excerpt from BTS Song Truth Untold.) Truth Untold. A song which Ari resonates with deeply all the time, played into her ears through the earplugs. After exhausting herself the previous night in the kitchen, she somehow managed to reach home only to hit the sack immediately after a quick shower. It took everything in her to get up from the bed this morning. Ari’s schedule for the day had been decided two weeks ago, and it felt irresponsible to cancel at the last moment. She was supposed to meet her extroverted best friend, Mira, in about half an hour at the KR Puram Flower Market — Mira had roped her into helping pick flowers for her cousin’s engagement décor. They’d known each other since school, and even now, Ari sometimes wondered how that girl with all her explosive ene...

– + Purple Chime Cafe Chime~ Ari pushed open the door of the café, mentally preparing herself for the busy Sunday evening. Soft golden light spilled across the wooden floor, mingling with the hum of conversation and the faint sound of a guitar from the small stage in the corner. The cafe was already starting to fill up — regulars finding their favorite spots, new customers glancing around in appreciation of the pleasant ambience. 'Purple Chime Cafe' , Ari's workplace, is a cozy hybrid of a restaurant and music cafe. Despite its name, it served more than just coffee; the menu was stacked with pizzas, burgers, and pasta that drew in the weekend crowd. A long glass counter separated the kitchen from the dining area, giving customers a clear view of the chefs at work — dough flying, ovens glowing, pans sizzling. Ari worked behind that glass as one of 3 chefs of the Cafe, her little world framed by reflections of the stage and its golden light...

– + Routine Swoosh! Thud! "Please mind the closing doors" Ari, having barely managed to push herself into the metro, gasped for breath. Carrying a bag slung over her shoulder, she plopped down on the available seat. "Thank God! The boss would have been livid if I missed today's shift, considering Tina is also on leave.", mumbled Ari leaning her back against the metro seat. Her boss, Rams, is a young man in his early 30s running a music café he started with his wife. The café has a great ambiance with quite a few loyal customers. Though understaffed, the existing colleagues are all friendly and the boss quite generous. Ari's favourite aspect of the café is that any customer or local band can hold café-concerts on the stage dedicated at the right corner of the café with permission from Rams. While Ari herself hasn't sung previously because of her low confidence, she likes to hum along to the songs. Try...

– + Prologue Splash! Ari splashed water on her face, the cold sending a shiver down her body. Water dripped from her hair onto the sink drop by drop. Staring into the mirror , at her reflection, she fell into a daze remembering the call she had with her mom last night. "Hello Putti" "Hi Ma" "How are you doing ? Are you even eating properly? You looked thinner in the recent pictures you sent. I made some pickles for you . Your brother will bring them tomorrow. Be sure to collect them ." A smile crept onto Ari's lips. "Thanks ma~. You could have just parceled them. Why trouble brother?", Ari slightly teased her mom, love evident in her tone . "What parcel?" ,shrieked her mom. "They’d just eat it before it reached you — didn’t you see the WhatsApp video I sent? Anyway… I heard your cousin’s marriage is fixed. When are you planning to settle down? You’re not getting any younger, Putti. We hope you’re really thinkin...