Rishikawrites

During my trip to Jodhpur, I met a tiny beagle puppy named Luna, and she instantly became the highlight of my journey. Her playful jumps, curious eyes, and warm little cuddles melted away all my travel stress. Even in a new city, her presence felt comforting — like a small pocket of happiness I didn’t expect.

I didn’t bring Luna home, but the joy she gave me stayed long after the trip ended.

She reminded me how healing simple moments can be — a wagging tail, a soft paw on my hand, or the way she’d sit beside me as if we were already friends. Luna wasn’t just a puppy I met; she was a small burst of joy that made Jodhpur feel warmer and more special.

Moving from Kerala to Jammu completely changed my life. As a Mallu who didn’t know the local language, even simple conversations felt like challenges. From buying groceries to understanding fast Hindi, every day pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Living alone for the first time taught me what real independence feels like — cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and handling sickness without family around. Money management became a daily lesson, where every auto ride and every meal had to fit into a tight budget.

Emotionally, the journey was tougher. Homesickness would come suddenly, especially when I craved Kerala food — the taste of meen curry, puttu, or even a simple Kerala omelette. Nothing here truly replaced the flavours of home.

Balancing academics with all these struggles was another battle. But with every semester, I realised how much stronger I was becoming. Jammu may not feel like Kerala, but it taught me resilience, patience, and how to stand on my own.

Through Ramya's story, Bad Girl shatters the conventional image of girls as submissive and obedient. Instead, it portrays a young woman who is unapologetic, bold, and determined to forge her own path. Her choices, though flawed, are a testament to her agency and autonomy. The film humanizes women, showcasing their complexities, desires, and struggles, making it a powerful statement in Tamil cinema [1][3].

By exploring themes of toxic relationships, societal pressure, and self-discovery, Bad Girl redefines the narrative around women's lives. It encourages girls to embrace their individuality, speak their minds, and break free from societal expectations. The film's impact lies in its ability to inspire and empower, making it a must-watch for anyone seeking a more inclusive and equitable society.

Usually, it begins with a straightforward ping. For a young woman in Kolkata, those pings became a nightmare as a former classmate stole, altered, and shared her images online. In just three years, authorities in Karnataka alone have documented over 300 instances of cyberbullying, and Delhi courts have likened the agony of online abuse to physical violence.

The pattern is repeated all around the planet. According to studies, over one in four teenagers experience cyberbullying; in India, the prevalence is significantly greater. Every statistic represents a kid who is made fun of for their appearance, a child who is blackmailed with photoshopped images, or a teenager who is quiet out of fear.

Cyberbullying is unique in that it persists, following victims about all day and all night via the phones they carry in their pockets. While social media spreads shame more quickly than victims can respond, bullies are frequently emboldened by the anonymity of the internet.

However, awareness is gradually giving way to action. Courts are acting more forcefully, Tamil Nadu has started programs teaching digital safety, and Jaipur has built a cyber help centre. The first step to creating safer, more compassionate online environments is to address the fact that cyberbullying thrives in quiet.

Because rather than causing anxiety, every ping should foster connection.

Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra is a Malayalam-language dark fantasy superhero film directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salman under his banner Wayfarer Films. The movie has been unstoppable at the box office, emerging as one of the biggest blockbusters in Malayalam cinema of 2025.

Impressing the Malayali audience has become increasingly challenging due to the rapid evolution of the Malayalam film industry and the consistently high standards of its storytelling. Since Manjummel Boys, the audience has grown accustomed to films with uncompromising craft, strong narratives, and cultural rootedness. Naturally, Lokah continues this trajectory, further influencing the larger Indian film industry with its quality and innovation.

The film’s central character, Chandra, is brilliantly portrayed by actress Kalyani Priyadarshan. Chandra is reimagined as a vampire — Kalliyankattu Neeli — a figure from Kerala’s folklore often used to scare children. However, in this adaptation, the screenwriters have transformed the myth into a feminist re-envisioning, crafting Neeli into a superheroine exclusively owned by Kerala’s cultural imagination. For the first time, Malayalis can proudly say: “We have our own superhero.”

What truly sets Lokah apart from other superhero narratives is its feminist lens. Breaking stereotypes begins with making the central superhero character a woman. The film further explores gender politics through symbolic visual metaphors and layered dialogues, showcasing how women are perceived by society from multiple perspectives.

One of the notable supporting characters, Nanchiyappa (played by Master Sandy), is written as a male chauvinist archetype. He believes women who walk at night or dress up during late hours are immoral, labeling them as “sluts” or “prostitutes.” This regressive mindset is deliberately contrasted with Chandra’s arc, creating a narrative conflict that challenges patriarchal values.

Co-scriptwriter Shanti explained in an interview that she intended the audience to witness the story from a female perspective, offering a bold shift in Malayalam cinema’s superhero genre.

The artwork above captures this invisible struggle in haunting strokes. The figure’s head is engulfed in smoky, tangled loops, a visual metaphor for the mental knots we tie ourselves into. Faces merge and distort—one screaming, one staring—showing the split between what the world sees and what the mind endures.

Overthinking is rarely about one big worry. It’s the accumulation of micro-anxieties: replaying a conversation from two weeks ago, doubting a decision you’ve already made, imagining every possible failure before you’ve even begun. And ironically, the more you try to “think your way out,” the deeper you sink into the labyrinth.

Psychologists often liken overthinking to quicksand. The harder you struggle against it, the more it pulls you under. And yet, in our productivity-obsessed culture, we rarely talk about rest as an act of courage. Rest from thinking. Rest from rehearsing pain that hasn’t even happened yet.

There’s a certain kind of peace that only solitude can give—quiet, steady, unbothered by the rush of the world. Like this cat, perched above the noise, wrapped in the soft armor of stillness. Solitude is not loneliness; it is presence without demand. It’s the art of sitting with yourself and finding that you are enough company.

In solitude, the small things grow louder—the flutter of leaves, the hum of distant life, the rhythm of your own breath. It’s where the mind unclutters, where thoughts stretch out like a cat in the sun, unhurried and unapologetic.

Some say solitude is an escape; others know it as a return—to yourself, to your center, to the quiet truth you carry.

When I was tired of walking again, I found a seat and looked there. Foreigners wear veils and mundus and come to visit with Muslim culture.

What a difference, isn't it? I believe that respecting the faith and culture of others should be the basic standard of an "ATHEIST". So, if every human being wants to value the personal affairs of others or see that they do, I felt that there should be crores of Jama Masjids like this.

Jama Masjid (Delhi) was a tourist destination for me. I used to walk around in fear, holding my mobile phone tightly, remembering that my friends had told me that thieves would come in the form of dogs and foxes in the vicinity! Even though I was tired, every time I climbed the steps of the mosque, the curiosity of that little child that I kept safe in me was strongly reflected in my legs.. (Even as I write this, that pain.. I am enjoying the pain of this child's journey, the memories it brings..!)

When we saw others taking off their shoes, we also repeated it. We took our shoes in our hands and passed through that brown gate.. A nice breeze. Later, the child's curiosity would awaken again. The fatigue disappeared and we were amazed. The three of us walked and looked around. The sky was very clear. The minarets of the mosque are standing tall as if to kiss it.. While looking at it, I noticed that the blue color of the sky is fading.. It is the arrival of sunset.. Maybe it is the sun's passion for the mosque..?

So two colors, minarets and many people under it!