Sunday, November 27, 2016

Ennui

I completed a year of my second innings in Delhi on Thursday. I had a fairly demoralizing meeting with my boss that day, so I forgot. I don’t usually forget milestones. The next day, when they got a cake for me for completing a year at work, I realized, ‘oh.’ Oh, it’s been a year. The person who returned to Delhi was happy, confident, radiant, and thin. The person cutting this cake is sad, jaded, fading, and fat. How can a year make such a difference, people often wonder. I think if you stop trying, that makes all the difference. In 2015, I stopped trying to hold on to my dream job that had become a nightmare, so I rose from the dead. In 2016, I stopped trying to keep myself happy, so I became unrecognizable. I just wish someone would tell me why.

No one I know blogs often now, at least not the people because of whom I used to be so motivated to blog. I started blogging eight years ago, at 18. Then, it seemed like my life will always be worth writing about. Now, there’s hardly anything that makes sense on paper (or on the screen). But I still think about my (old) blog often. Why can’t I let go? Delete this shell of a blog and just give up entirely? Why is it so hard for me to shake off the past?

People around me are in the process of Figuring It Out. Most people I know are in the bracket of 25-30, so this is a pretty stressful time for all of us. And while I know everyone has issues, I can also see everyone sorting things out one by one. Someone just landed a dream job, someone just married their long-time lover, someone just had a baby and can barely stop smiling. I don’t even know what my dream job is, marriage is just something my parents obsess over, and I don’t even want to babysit. What does that say about me?

My ex got married last week. Can I call him my ex? I don’t know. My on and off boyfriend of five years. How else do I refer to him now? I thought five years entitled me to a phone call. Not a WhatsApp picture from one of our mutual contacts. I’m not going to lie. It stung. I’m not suddenly in love with him because he’s married now, but I am freaked out. We broke up in April and he married some girl in November. How does that work? And why is everyone placing so much importance on marriage?

This blog was supposed to be a new start, me shaking off all that baggage. But I’m never changing, am I? I think they call it ennui.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

How long would you wait for someone you love?

I’ve stayed away from this blog for close to four months now, so I’m banking on no one reading this, which is why I’m trying to revive it with this very telling tag.

1. If your lover betrayed you what would your reaction be?
When I was 17, my then boyfriend did cheat on me. It took me a really long time to get over the incident, but not so much the person. I think that was when I internalized that I will be heavily penalized for all my mistakes, because I’d technically ‘stolen’ that boyfriend from another girl. It’s an old, complicated story.

2. If you could have one dream come true which one would it be?
To be able to write and novel and get it published. It needs to do decently well, too. If it’s forgotten or dismissed, I don’t know how I’d deal with that.

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
At this point, probably my own.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Give half of it to my parents, and Eat Pray Love the shit out of the other half.

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
No

6. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?
Being loved. I sincerely hope that the phase of loving and pining is now behind me.

7. How long would you wait for someone you love?
Not very long

8. If the person you like is secretly attached, what would you do?
Get over him. I don’t do unavailable anymore.

9. If you could root for one social cause which one would it be?
Feminism

10. What takes you down the fastest?
Nostalgia and some of my old blog posts.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
Writing my second book and/or not whining about my job.

12. What's your fear?
That I will keep repeating the same mistakes.

13. What kind of person(s) do you think the person who tagged you is/are?
I tagged myself, so I guess... narcissistic?

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
Single and rich

15. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Check my phone

16. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously who would you pick?
I’d like to say I’ll pick the more sorted guy, but I think I’ll choose the more dramatic relationship. For reference, see the Derek-Meredith-Finn triangle from Grey’s.

17. Would you give all in a relationship?
I’m not a fan of giving all in any relationship, so no.

18. What's eating you now?
My seeming directionless career and my health issues.

19. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?
This is a dumb question.

20. Tag 6 people...
If you’re reading this and you want to take it up, please go for it. If not, I wouldn’t be surprised.