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Internet. Believe it or not, but I just described your entire life with that one word. Actually, not just that, but your parents’, your partner’s, your friends’ and even so your enemies’ lives. Such is today’s condition. Every word we type, every button we click, every place we visit, everything we speak – is being recorded and stored somewhere. Creepy? Not really. Why might you ask? Well. Here’s my answer: Didn’t you know what you were up against when you signed up for the internet? If you’ve been following the news, you should be aware of the recent controversies Facebook has gotten itself into. People all around the world have finally understood the importance of the Privacy Policy documents that we choose to skip each time we’ve been offered a product or service. Just a while back, nobody ever cared about how Facebook showed you personalized ads or didn’t even bother asking how your favorite shoes on Amazon ended up on a random news website. What changed suddenly? Are you just pissed that the wrong man became the president? Or are you actually concerned about how much of your life is exposed? Don’t lie to me, here. You buy a new dress, what do you do? Instagram it. Why? To get more likes. I heard you watched Black Panther last week. How do I know that? It’s your status on Facebook. Don’t lie to me, but you secretly love the jealous tone with which I asked you that question. Don’t lie to me, but you write articles to get more money. Don’t lie to me, but you’re on every social media platform because you want to be famous. You want to be known. Then why does that fact haunt you when I tell you that “Facebook knows you.” How is that creepy? Because it’s a company and not an individual? Is that it? For once, being known by a company is safer than being known by a bunch of creeps who wank off your social media fame. Let’s not pretend to ourselves here. Everyone knows that whatever goes on to the internet, stays there forever. All of us are aware of the mark we leave each time we visit the internet. Be it through the website, an app, or even a gadget. As long as you’re accessing the internet, there is data transfer. This is the basic fact. Turns out, the Internet is a pretty safe place if you learn how to take precautions. For example, use Google Photos to store your precious memories forever. And if you ever need help, I’ve answered a bunch of questions about the product on Quora. Do we need to be scared of this data transfer? Not really. Think of it as the necessary evil. It’s the cost you pay in exchange for some information. What you do need to be scared of is the fact that this data can be “stolen” and then manipulated in ways you can not imagine. This is where Facebook came under the radar. Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm that uses Data Mining and Data Analytics with Strategic Communication, did just that. It got hold of around 87 million Facebook accounts containing Personally Identifiable Data and is conspired to have tried to manipulate the election in favor of Ted Cruz. To understand the magnitude of this data breach,  let us understand how a basic Personalised Ads revenue system works. In the most basic sense, each time you interact with Facebook – like a post, log-in through an app, upload a photo, check-in at your favorite hotel or even just merely clicking on a news article – everything gets recorded under User Activity. This data, when analyzed, helps the company understand that you love pizzas because you keep “loving” the pizza posts uploaded by your friends. It helps the company learn that you are a BJP supporter because you’ve liked the BJP’s official Facebook page and joined a few local politically-oriented groups. It’s not rocket science. In real life, we call this behavioral observation. Since no one from Facebook can actually observe what you do, their only way is to monitor your activity online. Don’t be scared, none of the data above “personally” identifies you. It is just anonymous characteristics attached to a Facebook ID. The fact that this ID belongs to you is not known by the company. For them, it’s just another account. Now that Facebook has this data, it gets the power of showing exactly what you want to see. Companies such as Adidas, Pizza Hut, Dominos, and others approach Facebook and “buy” their ad-space. What this does is that it allows Facebook to show their ads to a customized audience. All Adidas ads will be targeted to users that have been “liking” photos of shoes, Pizza Hut and Dominos ads will be shown to pizza lovers. Notice how these ads are targeted to specific user IDs and neither Facebook nor the Advertising Company knows who you actually are. Now, that is something that could be considered safe. But in Cambridge Analytica’s case, the company knew “who you were” because it had access to your “profile data” such as your name, address, etc. And it used this data to target non-politically oriented audiences luring them into supporting a specific political party. They “knew” who you were. This is a breach of privacy, and that is why this whole thing is turning tides around the world and raising concerns about the safety of our internet footprint. Who’s fault was it, anyway? I’d say that Cambridge Analytica just took advantage of Facebook’s loophole. And because of that, both of them are at fault. Facebook should have blocked access to PID (personally identifiable data) to third-party apps. Facebook should have monitored their “data” more closely and should’ve taken steps to ensure such a leak doesn’t happen again. Mark Zuckerberg turned a blind eye towards the 2015-2016 articles stating how Facebook is “highly influential” and is “starting to play a major role” in the elections. Now, he’s facing the heated consequences. It was his job to ensure that his users’ data was secured and he failed at it – horribly. But this is not something new. Google has been showing personalized ads since way back – so is Twitter and other social networking sites. I really don’t understand the outrage of how people are complaining that Facebook is storing your data. Of course, it is, without that – half your experience would be a disaster. You wouldn’t get friend recommendations, you wouldn’t “discover” any new pages, and you certainly won’t be able to save a few bucks because you wouldn’t be aware of the discount offers at your favorite shop. From almost the beginning, Amazon has been showing you the right product suggestions – and these suggestions even pop up on your Instagram feed, or that WordPress blog – all of which is a result of personalized ads. So, don’t pretend to be shocked when I tell you that every company out there collects your data. And believe me, you’ve been a fool if, until today, you didn’t realize that everything you do on the internet leaves a permanent mark. The outrage should not be against collecting data – because that’s the future. Instead, it should be against how the “Data Collection Policies” and “Privacy Policies” don’t have well defined and strict laws. We should urge for a Government that honors the fact that “online data” is equivalent to a physical ID and should be treated equally. We need more countries to develop laws that help prevent cybercrime and misuse of data. Don’t #QuitFacebook because it collects your data, instead quit it because it’s a social media platform that wastes your productive time, negatively-influences you to be better than your peers and forces you to “fit in”. #politics #CambridgeAnalytica #trust #facts #google #feelings #DonaldTrump #USElections2016 #privacy #TedCruz #internet #dataleak #facebook #Markzuckerberg #knowledge #truth

Taking a step back From our busy lives Sometimes I think, Looking at you, I find us beyond what I can see, You’re not you and I’m not me, There is no you, there is no me, Just that somebody, can you see? This is not that and that is not this, How crazy is this mindful bliss! Gone are those you and me, That somebody is all that we wanna be. Soon it’s not about how or why, Look up, smile oh a wonderful sky! Look below and feel grateful, You know you’re lucky, When you see that somebody. That’s not power, that’s not me. Can’t be you, not even in our we, Who would’ve known that it could be! – Aekansh Dixit #commitments #good #humanity #belief #awesome #consciousmind #feelings #concepts #relationship #reflecting #realise #love #poem #heaven #brain #life #knowledge #God #heart #affection #truth

As soon as I stepped inside the mall, I felt it. I could sense it deep inside my bones. Something was wrong. I looked around only to find the usual mall visitors wandering around. “Are you hungry?” asked Dad, while digging into his wallet. That was unusual. He has never done that before. He always carried sufficient cash or the required cards. I looked at him. He gave me a faint smile. That was unusual too. Dad hasn’t smiled like that since the last time I made him proud. A sudden wave of nervousness crept in. “Let’s do Subway.” I suggested. “Where is Subway here?” he asked. Finally! That’s more like my Dad. Well. Where is the Subway here? I’ve never been good at remembering places. Maybe it’s next to the Cinema? Oh wait, that’s at the other mall. “Third floor.” I replied, glancing at a suspended sign with directions to the Food Court. The sign was conveniently placed at the entrance to a row of elevators. Dad and I walked towards the sign and just as we took a right to the elevators, the sign dropped behind us, scaring a twelve-year-old who yelped and clung to his Mother liked he’d never see her again. I looked at the boy and saw the fear in his eyes. I looked up at the hooks from where the sign fell. It was weird. It was as if someone was telling me that something was going to go wrong today. “C’mon. Hurry!” Dad called out to me, pointing at the parting doors of an elevator. I stood still for a moment, looking at the man who pretended to be my Dad. This is, by far, the most unusual behavior of his. I think my infamous habit of overthinking was getting the best of me. I quickly calmed myself and rushed to the elevator. “Third floor,” I told the security guard once I was inside. He pressed the corresponding button and looked at me. There were seven of us in the elevator, I observed. I looked back at the guard and decided to stare at a blank space between the door and the lady next to him. After a couple awkward seconds, I noticed he was still looking at me. It soon got uncomfortable and I tried to understand what he was looking at – maybe he was lost in thoughts? He smiled at me, a rather creepy smile, making me cringe to myself. He then very subtly shook his head, making me question whether I imagined him do it. I don’t know. I just, don’t know, man! This is all so creepy. What’s going on here? With a ding from the elevator, the doors opened and I rushed outside. Dad followed. “I think it’s right next to the uh…yes! There it is!” I pointed to the Subway store, amidst the buzz of the Food Court. Dad and I reached the counter, waiting for our turn. “We’d have a…” I began to give my order but was abruptly interrupted. “I’m sorry sir. There’s been an issue and we can’t serve your order.” “But I haven’t even ordered yet!” I replied incredulously. “Yes, sir. There’s been a problem and we can’t serve you. Subway is closed for today.” “Closed? What?” The crowd behind me echoed my words. The cashier turned to his coworkers and had an animated discussion. One of the employees flipped the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’. “Let’s just go get a thali.” said Dad, and I unwillingly agreed. Today is so weird that I don’t even know if I’m awake right now. We finally got ourselves a meal and decided to sit down at one of the tables in the Food Court. I have to admit though, no matter what fancy food I eat, the food Mom cooks at home is always the best. I gobbled up the Chapathi, and decided to eat my rice like I had all the time in the world. Which was true, in my head at least. I could hear a commotion nearby. Sounded like people shouting. Dad lifted his head to see where it was coming from and I did the same. A guy ran past me, hitting my shoulders and almost spilling all the rice from my plate on my clean, white shirt. Why do I wear white anyway? He looked back and apologized. Wait a minute. I knew this guy. His name was Parth. He smiled in shock as he recognized me and asked me how I was. As a reflex, I said I was doing okay. I looked at Dad who was giving him the oh-how-good-of-you-to-drop-by look. What was he doing here? I found it funny, how hard he was trying to do the formality of greeting an old friend. He ran off as soon as we’d finished our small talk. He was followed by three other guys – Shroff, Nadeem and the last guy being Bharat who was trying his best to match the pace of the others. How do I know all of them you ask? We studied in the same school. It’s been four years since I’ve been out of that place. Maybe they were having a reunion of some kind, that I wasn’t invited to – as usual. I looked around and saw a couple more of my schoolmates in the distance. I continued eating. When I was done, I told Dad I’ll be back in a while. I went over to the group to check out what they were doing. Were they playing something? They must be. Parth was running like he didn’t want to get caught. It has to do with a game. And trust me, they played amazing games. I wanted to join them and its been a while. But I was scared of approaching them. I had always been scared. I guess, I just wasn’t their type. I don’t know, honestly. I decided to give myself a chance. “Hey!” I caught hold of Rishabh’s hand as he ran past me. He stopped and looked surprised to see me alive. Wow. Was I that forgotten? Anyway, I then walked over to the bunch and asked them if I could join in and they said yes. To my surprise, (well, not really) they were playing lock and key. Parth announced my participation and with that, I threw myself around in an attempt to bond with my schoolmates over a silly game. After a couple minutes of running around, I realized this wasn’t worth my time and slowly disappeared into the open space outside the mall along with some of my schoolmates. A girl tapped my shoulder. I turned around to see who it was. “Hey Akash!” she joyfully exclaimed. ”She’s cute.” I thought to myself. “Hey, Alisha!” I waved at her, wondering how I remembered her name. The human brain could do wonders, I can tell you that. “How have you been? Long time!” she screamed and hugged me. I gave her an awkward hug and decided to walk back to the mall. She followed. “I’ve been doing good. You came here with Parth and the others?” I asked. “Yes! Actually, no! I came to meet Fatima! Coincidence, I guess.” she replied, giggling. I saw two burka-clad women walk past me, one of whom turned towards me for a split second and continued walking. I felt the same old creepiness. I wonder what is happening today. To think I would have gotten used to it by now. I watched as they stopped in front of Parth while removing something from under their burkas. I can bet my life on what I just saw. It was a gun. What the actual fudge?! IT WAS A GUN! Alisha and I slowly walked towards them and I noticed how she hadn’t realized that the women had a gun, while I had. Guess my observation skills finally happened to help me somewhere. I could see them interrogate my schoolmates at gunpoint. Why wasn’t anyone screaming? Why are we still walking towards them? My heartbeat was racing. I was scared. I didn’t know what was happening. I should’ve listened to the warnings I’ve had all day! I should have! Ugh. My little finger touched her palm. She looked at me and blushed. I didn’t do it for the reasons she thinks I did it for. I had a plan. I was just executing it. I smiled at her, and slowly held her hand. I asked her to remain extremely calm. Alisha noticed the gun as we walked past them and she held my hand tighter. I gestured her to remain calm and follow my lead. We walked to the traffic signal by the main road. “Take that bus, it’ll take you home.” I told her, not bothering to question how I even knew that. She nodded. I rung up Dad and asked him to pick me up. I saw her board the bus. Ten minutes later, Dad came over. While we crossed the road, I looked back to where the burka-clad women stood. I found nobody there. Sometimes, I question if I imagine these things. The ceiling fan in my room answers my questions almost all the time. #weird #school #muslim #dad #signs #mystery #dreams #mall #horror #Hindu #guns #friends #soulguides #terrorist #father #love #hate #fiction #family #suspense

Got a new smartphone? Know someone who swapped their old phone for the latest Google Pixel 2? Then here’s something to help you get your brand new phone all geared up with the best apps on the Google PlayStore. Every time we get a new phone, we have the choice of continuing from where we left off, thanks to Google’s restore options. Even then, a lot of us have that one question which makes us pause for a second, and think: “Do I restore all my apps, or start brand-new?” Today, I’ll help you make that decision. Well, a lot of factors can affect your choice. Did you have enough space in your old phone? Too many unnecessary apps doing the same thing? Unplayed games that have been forgotten? Believe it or not, you’re not alone. Even if I gave you 128GB of a phone, you’ll still run out of space eventually – thanks to the growing app sizes, and the wider usages of the device itself.  Only then, you are bound to ask yourself the question of how you’ll be better dealing with this issue. Do you go and waste another 50 MB by downloading the Clean Master? Or would you follow your gut and download only the apps you require the most? Here’s a firestarter – invest in a tablet, if you haven’t already. Download the heavy games, office tools, and other space-eating apps on it. Trust me, it’s the only way you can save space. And to think about it, wouldn’t your Modern Combat 5 look better on a bigger screen? Even more, your clients won’t have to play Chinese and scare you away while you’re busy trying to give a nice presentation! Isn’t that an amazing side effect of another device? When it comes to apps, there are tons of them out on the Play Store! How in the world are you going to decide which ones to get, and which ones to ditch? This is where my article comes in. I have made a custom list of apps that will be sufficient for you to get your job done in a particular domain. Now, you should note that these are based on my personal experiences and my list could differ from your preferences. But be rest assured, you wouldn’t have any trouble if you had just these apps on your phone. If you’re gonna complain about how many apps are on this list, well buddy, if you’re gonna be using your mobile to create a virtual reality skydiving experience as well as impressing your bosses, you’re bound to have so many apps. I’ve listed out the best ones in each field. All you have to do is find the field you’re looking for, and get the apps under that. Alright, ready? Here we go. Browse badass Google Chrome for Android. Just one browser should be more than enough. The best part of Google Chrome is that it’s Google’s very own, which means that you don’t have to worry about your bookmarks, content history, and saved passwords. Get Chrome on the Windows Desktop and Android mobiles, and your life is pretty much sorted. Get Google Chrome for Android Don’t get bored These apps are curated for Indians, and the digital revolution going on thanks to Jio. Saavn Music & Radio Why I choose Saavn over Gaana or any other music streaming service in India is because of the exclusive shows on it (#NoFilterNeha, anyone?), a beautiful app design, large catalog and the social service that allows me to be updated with my friend’s playlists. Get Saavn for Android Google Play Music Google is relatively new to this field, and the only thing that it gives more is the ability to store and sync up to 50,000 songs. Yes, that’s right. Put all your downloaded music into a folder on your computer, and sync it. You can now listen to it from any device.  It also auto updates if you add new music to the folder. Apart from this, Google Play Music makes for a nice music player to play your offline songs. Clean and simple. Get Google Play Music for Android TVFPlay Who hasn’t heard about TVF? This online Entertainment Company rose from the stirs created by Permanent Roommates, TVF Pitchers, and so many exciting short videos posted on Youtube. The only reason I prefer this over YouTube is that all their new contents come on the app first.  It’s worth downloading, and oh – it offered offline content way before Youtube.  Get TVFPlay for Android Hotstar Hotstar is just my quench for the sports action I keep missing thanks to my long distance traveling. It provides live streams of all sporting action on the Star Network, along with many movies, and exclusive content. And oh, Saas-Bahu fans, Hotstar covers your spinning cameras, too! Comes with both a free version and a premium subscription. Get Hotstar for Android JioTV Live Sports Movies Shows ***Exclusively for Jio SIM users*** JioTV offers instant access to the widest range of TV channels (500+ channels including 60+ HD channels spread across 10 genres and 15 languages) on your smartphones and tablets. Though I haven’t used this much, I’ve heard from my fellow pals that it’s done the job pretty well. Worth a try if you hate to decide between Tata Sky and Dish TV. Get JioTV for Android YouTube YouTube. Really? Is this even debatable? Assuming you’ve just finished writing your entrance exams and have finally learned that something called Internet exists, my dear friends, YouTube is the place to be. From news, comedy, entertainment, education, celebrities, everything is here. Everyone is here. Get YouTube for Android 9GAG 9GAG is that one friend who’s laugh is funnier than the joke – and you’re bound to have a nice time. Quick infinite scroll feed of unlimited jokes, gifs, and vines – whatever tickles your funny bones! Get 9GAG for Android Reddit: The Official App Along the same line comes Reddit. Funny cat photos, trending news stories, and the best discussions on the internet— these are just a few of the awesome things the official Reddit app does best. Reddit has amazing things to learn, from solving some of the trickiest technology problems, to discussing why we haven’t found a new home yet. Get Reddit for Android Take stuff down Google Keep – notes and lists Quickly capture what’s on your mind and get a reminder later at the right place or time. Record a voice memo on the go and have it automatically transcribed. Snap a photo of a poster, receipt or document and easily organize or find it later in the search. Google Keep makes it easy to capture a thought or list for yourself, and share it with friends and family. This app is my life saver. It could save yours, too! Get Google Keep for Android Evernote – stay organized. Evernote gives you the tools you need to keep your work effortlessly organized. Though Google Keep is simple and self-sufficiently all that you will ever need to make everyday notes, Evernote goes one step ahead for the professional note makers giving many more features. Get Evernote for Android Watch better videos MX Player MX Player is simply the best and the go-to app for watching videos. It is powerful video player with advanced hardware acceleration and subtitle support. Get MX Player for Android Pay better and fast I haven’t included Google’s latest entry Tez yet, because I haven’t used it anytime, and more of all have no idea where it’s accepted. More information about that, later. PayTM Thanks to the demonetisation, digital payments in India are the top market right now. PayTM has a huge lead over FreeCharge, and other online payment wallets thanks to the widest audience that accepts the money from them. Take a sabjiwala, or a jewellery shop – everyone has an alternative payment method called PayTM. Forget bulky wallets, and just pay whenever, how much ever. Get PayTM for Android PhonePe – Money Transfer, Recharge & Bill Payment PhonePe is a revolutionary way to make mobile payments in India. From UPI payments to recharges, money transfers to online bill payments, you can do it all on PhonePe. PhonePe is way better than Internet Banking and offers you the safest and fastest online payment experience in India. Get PhonePe for Android Wait, how much did I spend? Walnut All Banks Money Manager Walnut is the best money manager app to automatically and securely track your monthly spends & pay bills on time. Find out your spends on categories such as food, travel, shopping, etc. and how your expense patterns have changed over time. Get Walnut for Android Too lazy, bruh! Zomato Zomato is the best restaurant finder app to search for and discover restaurants to eat out at or order in from. Browse through restaurant menus, photos, user reviews and ratings to decide where you want to eat, and use the map feature to guide you there. Get Zomato for Android BookMyShow With BookMyShow, you can now book tickets for movies, plays, concerts, sports and many other events happening in your city. You can book and buy movie tickets online. The app also lets you check movie show timings, theatre lists, read reviews & news. Get BookMyShow for Android Swiggy Ordering food online is easy on the Swiggy app. Not only can you choose from a range of top local & global restaurants near you like Dominos, KFC & Pizza Hut among others but you can also track your order’s status from the restaurant to your doorstep! What’s more – you can order as much (or little) as you like because there’s no minimum order value. Get Swiggy for Android Flipkart Online Shopping App Online shopping with Flipkart is very easy as you get to shop from the comfort of your home and get products delivered at your doorstep. By downloading the Flipkart free online shopping app on your Android phone or tablet, you can effortlessly browse our massive collection of more than 80 crore products. Get Flipkart for Android Amazon India Online Shopping The free online shopping app from Amazon assures you of a great shopping experience with a lighter app, faster load time & wide selection across categories. You can browse and search for your desired products by product name, category or brands. Get Amazon for Android Chat like a chatterbox Hike Messenger I would prefer Hike over Whatsapp on any day. Why? Because it has so much more to it than just chatting. It’s best known for the widest range of stickers, having it’s own AI chatbot, providing you with the latest sports score, news, daily quotes, and even LOL images – all of which you can share with your friends while you’re chatting. So cool, right? Get Hike for Android WhatsApp Messenger Why Whatsapp if not Hike? Simple. Everyone has WhatsApp. I seriously wish that would change, because I find WhatsApp plain and boring. I also hate Green. Fine. That’s just me. Anyway, the easiest way to cut on the SMS charges is by using WhatsApp – connect with everyone, literally. Get WhatsApp Messenger for Android Google Hangouts Hangouts is a lifesaver when I need to chat from various devices. Hangouts is available on the computer, allows multiple installs, and has an amazing share-screen feature on the video calls. Their stickers are different. It’s very simple to use and is reliable just like its parent company, Google. Get Google Hangouts for Android Google Duo Everyone knows that Google is focusing on Duo for the video calling feature that Hangouts already has. It had to be different. Calling with Duo (which now also supports audio-only) helps you to have a better calling experience thanks to Google’s auto-switching between WiFi and Mobile Data based on the network quality. A must-have app. Get Google Duo for Android Never miss an important email Gmail Gmail is an easy-to-use email app that saves you time and keeps your messages safe. Instantly receive your messages via push notifications, read and respond online and offline and find any message quickly. Get Gmail for Android Microsoft Outlook Meet Outlook for Android, the app that helps millions of users connect all their email accounts, calendars, and files in one convenient spot. Newly redesigned, Outlook for Android lets you do more from one powerful inbox. Although Gmail is your one-stop-shop, Outlook will save your life if Google’s security policy is too high for your webmail accounts. Get Microsoft Outlook for Android Keep those naughty virus’ away Avast Antivirus & Security Protect yourself against viruses and malware that cause popups and unwanted ads with Avast Mobile Security, the world’s most trusted free antivirus app for Android. Get alerted when you install spyware and adware apps that violate your privacy. Secure your devices against phishing attacks from email, phone calls, infected websites or SMS messages. Get Avast Antivirus & Security for Android Travel better, be smarter Google Maps – Navigation & Transport Going somewhere? Go with Maps, the official app that you can rely on for real-time GPS navigation, traffic, public transport and details about millions of businesses, such as reviews and popular times. If you don’t have this, I suggest you to buy a local map of your city and start mugging up the data. (You still can’t predict when you’ll reach, ha) Get Google Maps for Android Google Trips Google Trips makes exploring the world easier by organizing your essential info in one place and making it available even offline. Get activity suggestions based on what’s nearby, customizable day plans, and your travel reservations from Gmail. Get Google Trips for Android Ola cabs – Book taxi in India The Ola cabs app is the easiest and fastest way to book a cab or a taxi in your city. With more than 300,000 cabs in 100+ cities that include Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and more, Ola is the most popular cab booking service in India. What makes it better than Uber? The pricing, and of course, support for auto-rickshaws! HAIL THE CHEAP MINDSET! Get Ola cabs for Android MakeMyTrip The leading player in online flight bookings in India, MakeMyTrip offers great offers, some of the lowest airfares, exclusive discounts and a seamless online booking experience. Flight, hotel, and holiday bookings through the desktop or mobile site is a delightfully customer-friendly experience, and with just a few clicks you can complete your booking. Get MakeMyTrip for Android redBus – Bus and Hotel Booking Use redBus android app to book bus & Volvo tickets in the easiest & fastest way. The app allows you to search and book bus tickets for over 70,000 routes worldwide and also choose from over 2,300 operators. Choose from seater, sleeper, semi-sleeper, A/C, non-A/C buses. You can now transact on the redBus app using Netbanking, credit cards, debit cards & phone booking options. Get redBus for Android Bangalore Only BMTC Official App BMTC’s mobile app is an initiative towards enhancing the passengers’ experience in availing BMTC’s bus services by providing real-time information on Buses. I use this app to find out where the next bus exactly is thanks to the live-tracking option, helping me to adjust the pace of my walk to the bus stand. If you’re ever lost or stepping inside the wrong bus, this app is a lifesaver. Get BMTC App for Android “Health is wealth”? Ohh yea! Fabulous Use Fabulous to coach yourself to reach your goals, lift yourself to Get Active, Eat Better, Sleep Better, Lose Weight and Stay Motivated by installing 5 healthy living habits that will make you forget about fatigue and low-energy. A unique app design, with effective (that actually work) strategies to improve the overall quality of life makes this app a must-have. Get Fabulous for Android Water Drink Reminder This water tracker app reminds you to drink water every day and develop good water drinking habits. Just enter your current weight, and the app will help you to determine how much water your fit body needs every day. Beware of the reminder sound (running water) and make sure you don’t get embarrassed in the public because it often sounds like someone just peed. Get Water Drink Reminder for Android Google Fit – Fitness Tracking Effortlessly track any activity. As you walk, run or cycle throughout the day, your phone (or your smartwatch/fit band) automatically logs them with Google Fit. Check in from anywhere. Track your progress from your phone, tablet, the web (fit.google.com) and even your Android Wear watch. Also, most health apps have an option to sync with Google Fit, making it easier to find all data easily. Get Google Fit for Android Are kaam ki baat kar na! (Office Office) Google Drive Google Drive is a safe place for all of your files that puts them within reach from any smartphone, tablet or computer. Files in Drive – such as your videos, photos, and documents – are backed up safely so you can’t lose them. Once there, you can easily invite others to view, edit or leave comments on any of your files or folders. Get Google Drive for Android Google Docs I suggest this – despite the fact that even WPS Office is on the list – because it’s simple, light, and does the job of document editing.  I found Microsoft Word to be little glitchy once it came to large documents, unlike WPS Office, and Google Docs. Sometimes, I don’t want to wait long enough for WPS Office to load (merely a few seconds), hence I picked Google Docs over it. Get Google Docs for Android WPS Office + PDF WPS Office is the smallest size (less than 35MB) and all-in-one complete free office suite on Android mobile and tablets. It integrates all office word processor functions: Word, PDF, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Memo and Docs Scanner in one application, and is fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Doc and Adobe PDF format. Get WPS Office for Android Google Calendar Get the official Google Calendar app for your Android phone and tablet to save time and make the most of every day. Add personal goals, such as “run 3 times a week”, and Calendar will schedule time for them automatically. Smart suggestions for event titles, places, and people save you time when creating events. Google Calendar works with all calendars on your phone, including Exchange. Get Google Calendar for Android Chal Beta Selfie Le Le Re (Pictures) Google Photos Google Photos allows you to backup your photos and videos to the cloud (unlimited space, I swear to God that’s true yo), gives you smart movies and animations from your photos, helps you look back on the memories, creates nice collages for you and also comes packed with a video stabilizer. Just get this app, already! Get Google Photos for Android PicsArt Photo Studio: Collage Maker & Pic Editor PicArt is my answer for what Photoshop should’ve been on mobile. It has powerful editing features, provides a huge range of clip arts, effects, and comes with a social circle to show off your DSLR skills. It’s most used feature is the square-fit which makes it easier to convert all your images to squares and upload them easily to Instagram. You also have a very active community here. Get PicsArt for Android Google Snapseed Snapseed is a complete and professional photo editor developed by Google. 29 tools and filters, including Healing, Brush, Structure, HDR, Perspective. Save your personal looks and apply them to new photos later. Get Snapseed for Android Don’t live under the rock Google Play Newsstand Google Play Newsstand is a personalized news reader that provides a single destination for browsing the topics, news sources, and magazines that you care about. Enjoy access to thousands of free and premium news sources, leading magazines and specialized publications. Get Google Play Newsstand for Android Google better (duh!) Google App The Google app keeps you in the know about the things that you care about. Find quick answers, explore your interests and get a feed of updates on what matters to you. The more you use the Google app, the better it gets. Get Google App for Android Mom, I’m studying on the phone! (not chatting) Curiosity From the creators of curiosity.com, the Curiosity app is the best way to get smarter about your world. Enjoy short-form, easy-to-read articles that will inspire you. Watch smart videos from the best hand-picked, educational content creators. Get Curiosity for Android Elevate – Brain Training Games Elevate is a brain training program designed to improve attention, speaking skills, processing speed, memory, math skills, and more. Each person is provided with his or her own personalized training program that adjusts over time to maximize results. Get Elevate for Android Duolingo: Learn Languages Free Practice speaking, reading, listening and writing. Play a game, answer questions and complete lessons to improve your vocabulary and grammar. Start with basic verbs, phrases, and sentences, and learn new words daily. Get Duolingo for Android Quora Quora is a Q&A platform that empowers people to share and grow the world’s knowledge. People come to Quora to ask questions about any subject, read high-quality knowledge that’s personalized and relevant to them, and share their own knowledge with others. Quora is a place to share knowledge and better understand the world. Get Quora for Android Khan Academy Khan Academy allows you to learn almost anything for free. Learn using videos, interactive exercises, and in-depth articles in math, science, economics, and even the humanities with playlists on art history, civics, finance, and more. Get Khan Academy for Android I have a lot of pull, bro! (Social Networking) I am not going to mention any of the social networks here because everyone has their own preferences. Some of the noteworthy apps would be Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest etc. It’s up to you, really. #AurDikhao (nahi hai bhai!) Technically, that’s it. A pretty long list, I know. But those were the top players of their respective domains. Here are some other apps that you should consider having, just so that your life becomes better: CamScanner -Phone PDF Creator CamScanner helps you scan, store, sync and collaborate on various contents across smartphones, tablets, and computers. It can convert any image into a professional document with the magic filter. I personally loved this app, and recommend everyone to try it out, too. Get CamScanner for Android ES File Explorer File Manager ES File Explorer is a full-featured file (Images, Music, Movies, Documents, app) manager for both local and networked use! With over 500 million users worldwide, ES File Explorer helps manage your android phone and files efficiently and effectively and share files without data cost. Get ES File Explorer for Android Truecaller: Caller ID & Dialer Truecaller helps to identify unknown calls, block spam calls and spam SMS. It filters out the unwanted, and lets you connect with people who matter. Truecaller is the only app you need to make your communication safe and efficient. Get TrueCaller for Android Google Translate A must have translator app to help you communicate in different languages. Google Translate is the best app here, no doubt. Get Google Translate for Android MalMath: Step by step solver MalMath is a math problem solver with step by step description and graph view. It’s free and works offline.  It helps students to understand the solving process and makes your homework easy. It is helpful for high school and college students, teachers and parents. Get MalMath for Android AZ Screen Recorder – No Root AZ Screen Recorder is the best app to record the screen of your phone. It does NOT require root access, has no time limit, no watermark, is ad-free and very easy to use with one action to start and stop recording. This screen recording app will let you make beautiful screencast videos by providing every feature that you need in a simple and elegant user experience design. Get AZ Screen Recorder for Android Speedtest by Ookla Use Speedtest by Ookla for easy, one-tap connection testing in under 30 seconds—accurate anywhere thanks to our global network. Millions of users have made Speedtest the #1 app for testing Internet speeds, and it’s trusted daily by professionals throughout the industry! Get Speedtest for Android TubeMate TubeMate lets you download videos from browsers!  That’s not fair, I know. But it’s okay. Somewhere. This app isn’t available on Playstore, so you should download this on your own risk. I am not responsible for theft, or any damage. Get TubeMate for Android That’s it, I’m done! (no, seriously) This was my list. If I have still missed out on something, please let me know in the comments below. I will try and keep this list updated in the coming years. I hope this helped you filter out the apps you need, and the ones that you don’t. Have a happy Android time! #phonepe #avast #zomato #amazon #flipkart #youtube #google #bookmyshow #gaming #walnut #ola #chrome #tumblr #facebook #reddit #hike #reviews #9gag #gmail #twitter #microsoft #mobile #whatsapp #paytm #saavn #windows #quora #apps #android

Being from a family that is into all kinds of sports, I was introduced to various sports right from a very young age. Whether it was Ganguli spinning his shirt like he’s gotten the cowboy fever, or it was Schumaker drifting towards a new world record. I loved the excitement that came with watching a legend Federer take on Nadal and the nervousness that came with seeing if Portugal would finally enter a Fifa final or not. I picked up the bat before I hit ten, and just like every other kid in the neighborhood, decided that I would play for India one day. With that goal set, I would go play a million street games a day – shouting at every no ball, arguing about the run-out, and trying my best to get that perfect yorker. Towards my ninth standard, I finally had a chance to play professional cricket. My entire life changed the day I was introduced to professional cricket. Learning how to play the sport has taught me very valuable lessons in life that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Today, I will tell you why everyone on the planet should learn how to play at least one team sport. Yes, that’s right, it’s more than just hitting the ball randomly, or running around like a maniac trying to snatch the football. (American reference) 1. Respect 2005 Ashes, the moment where Flintoff is consoling Bret Lee when the whole of England is celebrating. Sportsmanship. What is it exactly? It refers to playing the game in the right spirit – treating your opponent as an opponent, and not an enemy. Appreciating that someone was better than you, and not letting your ego make centuries instead of your bat. 2. Equality Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli during the 4th ODI against New Zealand in Ranchi. Some players are younger than me. Some of them are much older. I learned how to treat everyone equally. It is okay for me to learn from my younger teammates, and it is absolutely okay for me to approach my seniors for help. I was taught that no matter who you are, you become a part of the family when you join the team. Every opinion would be counted, and every decision would be made taking you into consideration. Just because I don’t have any prior match experiences, that does not mean that I will have to shut up. 3. Selflessness Barca forward ‘speechless’ at Argentine’s selfless attitude. I was taught to always put the club first, then the teammates, and then myself – in that exact order, every single time. I was taught that it is okay if you lose out on a fifty because your teammate hit the winning runs with a boundary. It is okay for you to be not out on 98, and still win. Because, winning is all that should matter, and personal records may come as and when they please. I learned that giving up your runs to help your teammate come back to form is appreciated because you’d be helping someone shape their career. I was taught that it was okay for me step down when the team does not need me. When the playing conditions are suited for another player, it is okay for me to warm the bench. 4. The Right Approach The Indian Hockey team rising from the ashes. I learned how to remain calm in the time of crisis. Be it any sport, there might come a situation where you have no clear way of winning. It’s when you need to not panic, and think of the best possible approach. Cricket taught me that. How to control my emotions and let my brain take over. I was taught how to draw a line from just anywhere to the winning goal. No matter how tough a situation looks like, you can still win if you want to win. 5. There’s no textbook Federer creating a miracle shot. I learned that there are no rules for doing anything. Sometimes, you need to learn to improvise and craft your way out of a messy situation. Be it AB De Villiers, or Roger Federer, these legends told us how to correctly break the textbook shots, and make your own way. Even in life, sometimes all you can do is just create a new path. Improvising is something that is very important, and cricket taught me exactly how to do it. 6. Mathematics Virat Kohli – A master chaser. Yup. You read that correctly the first time. Cricket taught me maths! OH YES! How might you ask? Well, any sport you take, you need some basic calculations. In football, you need to know how much time you have left, how many goals you need. In cricket, you need the run rate, the number of balls remaining. In tennis, you need how many more sets to win. You apply basic maths everywhere. So, yes. Cricket taught me basic addition, division, subtraction and all of that algebra. Ha. Never forgetting that one. 7. Failing is important Cristiano Ronaldo crying after a loss. Failures are good. Sports taught me that you will lose more than you win. And it is absolutely fine. You should learn from your mistakes, wipe your tears, and get back on your feet once again. Repeat the process, and success will finally knock on your door. Sports taught me not to hide from failure, but to meet it head-on. A very important life lesson, don’t you think? Never give up. 8. Trust me to trust you How do you know he’ll put it in the basket? You don’t. You trust him. Lionel Messi made a baffling decision in a match where Barcelona FC played against Celta Vigo, he audaciously passed the ball from the penalty spot for one of his most ridiculous assists to date. The Barcelona frontman was felled in the box and looked primed to slot home the spot-kick which would have been a record goal haul, but the Ballon d’Or holder decided instead to tap the ball ever so slightly in front of him, fooling the goalkeeper into diving, while Luis Suarez steamed into the box to complete his hat-trick. It’s called trust and teamwork. Playing a sport taught me how to trust people. How to keep your doubts aside, and let the other person finish the task for you. In life too, sometimes you need to trust people to help you out. 9. Learn, Learn, Learn, Learn Saina Nehwal (R) listens to coach Pullela Gopichand (L) at the mid. Just because you’re the world champion, that doesn’t mean you stop learning. Playing a sport taught me how to constantly improve myself. How to understand that perfection is not a goal, but a journey. It made me understand that no matter how good I get, there is always something that might go wrong. Listening to my coach telling me how to improve should be seen as an act of helpfulness and not pinpointing on my mistakes. Remember how Sachin mentioned he discussed his retiring match’s dismissal with his brother? He knew he wouldn’t be playing again, but the man wanted to learn. Learn to become a better version of ourselves. That is what playing a sport taught me. 10. Celebrate Success When Team India lifted the coveted World Cup Trophy in 2011 after 28 long years, it was a dream come true for millions of cricket fans. It is important for us to celebrate small milestones. Playing a sport taught me how to celebrate little successes and how to not get distracted by them. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, they said. I was taught how to enjoy the success I get when I’ve worked hard enough to earn it. I learned how hard work is the only way to succeed, be it anything in life. Though, that’s not all. Playing a sport will teach you to be more focused, more hard-working, more open-minded, more fit, and so much more. Let me know what you learned by playing your favorite sport! (and oh, what is your favorite sport, btw?) #CristianoRonaldo #SainaNehwal #success #learn #hardwork #SachinTendulkar #trust #friendship #humanity #belief #RogerFederer #tennis #sports #LeonalMessi #concepts #MSDhoni #basketball #lessons #life #knowledge #football #Nadal #respect #truth #cricket #hockey #viratkohli

You must be living under a volcano if you haven’t heard about Google. Even if you aren’t a tech savvy person, I’m sure Google has played some role in your life. Google, a search giant, has helped people around the world better their lives by providing solutions to its customers free of cost. (well, almost) Are you lost? Google Maps is there to help you find a way out of the puzzle. Forgot your files on the desktop? Google Drive will help you avoid your boss’s frustration. Those lovely moments are taking too much space? No problem! Google Photos will help you securely back them up. Important events coming up but you want to have fun? Google Calendar will help you plan your recreational activities around them. I can go on and on. What started as a small search engine developed in a garage, is now one of the top, if not the best, player in the tech field. Google has expanded from just being a website which helps you search the humongous internet to a company which invests itself in technology helping people better connect with each other – something they initially planned. (Google’s name is inspired from Googol – meaning one followed by a hundred zeros so as to signify the amount of information it would be providing) If you’re a tech-geek, you’d be aware of the excitement Google stirs before its annual exhibition named Google I/O. Every year, Google comes up with new technology that gives us a peek into the future of the company, and pretty much also where everyone will be heading. Mind you, some of the world’s best gadgets have been showcased here, and Google has always managed to make our jaws drop. Google just unveiled some insane new technology Being a close follower of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, it’s quite easy to observe the developing trend in the company’s releases. Do you remember Google Cardboard? Do you remember Google Glass? Do you still occasionally hear about Google Plus? Haha, this is getting interesting – I hope you’re catching the idea, did you know about Google Lively? Google Answers? Google Buzz? iGoogle? Yup. That’s correct. All of these are failed Google Projects. Everyone discusses what a huge success Google is, but it’s no brainstormer that Google has done some of the worst mistakes of the decade, and if I’m not wrong, continues to do so. Let’s get deeper. Some of the projects of Google were merely a mismatch – some products were launched when the people simply did not understand the importance of it – while others were launched when people moved way past it. We won’t be talking about either of these situations. We’ll talk about that one secret formula which will ensure Google never fails again. Yup. Consider yourself lucky. That one secret formula is: Watch and learn. That’s it. Don’t tell me I’m wrong. Advertising Google Pixel because it has a headphone jack is not what I’m talking about. Bringing your competition down for the sake of cuckoo-publicity isn’t what I’m going to talk about either. Have you ever seen Apple bring down Google? Well, if you take a look at last year’s I/O conference, there were a lot of iPhone jokes being exchanged – most of which backfired thanks to the shifting mindset. It proved once again, that Apple was scaring Google. Everybody knows that Google has been long trying to make a mark in the mobile industry – whether it is by acquiring Motorola, or it’s by tying up with LG for the Nexus series, then Huawei, or even the Android One series – Google desperately wants to capture the smartphone market, and why not? It’s the biggest industry of the decade.  Everybody loved the Nexus 5, then came the Nexus 6 which was priced way more than the mountains, then eventually Google focused on a new flagship phone – “Google Pixel” to be sold using the tagline “Made By Google.” Google has been trying, and it’s been desperate. A lot of Pixel’s features were a direct competition to the iPhone flagships, and it wasn’t long when Google decided to go all out on Apple like  Facebook decided to go all out on Snapchat. Where have the work ethics gone? It’s understandable to implement the same feature in a better way but to criticize the company that started the feature is certainly not a good place to start. Another big mistake Google makes (and Apple doesn’t), is that it displays the “upcoming” projects way before they’re actually made. A perfect example is the Google Cardboard – which aimed at providing Virtual Reality without having a ton of equipment – something everybody craved for. What actually happened? Before Google could even sell the product, a lot of other third-party vendors started selling the same product for a much cheaper price. And Google was defeated in its own race.  This isn’t the first time Google has been overtaken by other people – simply because Google couldn’t deliver earlier than it planned. Google should understand that not everybody is into technology and that people might be excited about your new amazing product, but they won’t necessarily buy them. Google Glasses is what I’m talking about. It’s a step into the future, literally. Do everything with your eyes. It’s cool, but not cool enough for me to spend any dollars on it. You see, Apple doesn’t do that. Apple takes the right risks at the right time. Their technological leaps aren’t way into the future – rather, they simply guide the public to the future they were aiming at by giving them little things, one at a time. Apple has never spoken in the future tense. Their technology is right on the table – for you to see, use and judge. Unlike Google, where the phrase “This is where the future lies.” is flying around like a careless UFO. I may not be a huge Apple fan (personal reasons), but I sure know that they got their plans right on the buck. What do you think? Will Google ever stop making such silly mistakes, or will Apple continue dominating the future? #googlecalendar #commitments #googledrive #nexus #google #mantra #concepts #Apple #googlesearch #advice #internet #reflecting #googlemaps #mistakes #googlepixel #tips #googlevsapple #truth #googlephotos #googlecardboard #iphone #arguments

You’d be doomed if you told me that Bollywood and Cricket have never been connected. Some of the most passionate love stories come out when these two get together – and one such beautiful love story is of Virat Kohli, who is the captain of the Indian Cricket Team, and his ladylove Anushka Sharma. Virat Kohli, who had made his way into the Grade A cricketers (highest paid) by 2013, was also at the maxima of his performance graph. Anushka Sharma, on the other hand, was coming from solid performances in Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Band Baaja Baraat, and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – movies that made her an upcoming star in Bollywood, earning her admiration and respect. Call it fate, or coincidence, Virat and Anuskha both were approached by Clear Shampoo for a commercial where they would be appearing together on-screen for the first time. Both of them agreed, and went on with the shoot. Nobody remembers how well that commercial did, but everyone knows that it happened, and it gave birth to a romantic which would be cherished for ages to come. Virat and Anushka stayed in touch thereafter, and soon their romance rumours started doing rounds, and they became the most talked-about celebrities of B-Town. Amidst all the rumours, nobody knew the actual truth. The dust was settled when in January 2014, the Indian team returned to Mumbai from their South African tour, and instead of going to the hotel with the team, Virat chose to go to Anushka’s apartment in the car she had sent for him. They were, obviously, the most glamorous couple in India, and everybody were just waiting for them to officially confirm it. Neither Anushka, nor Virat spoke anything about their relationship, but it was pretty evident of what’s going on –  it’s common sense. So, here are some lessons that all of us have learnt from them. Don’t fear to love. No matter what the world believes in, you should believe in your love. In the strength of your love. It is rightly said, “Pyaar kiya, toh darna kya?” The confirmation to their relationship came when Virat blew a kiss towards Anushka, who was seated in the stands, after hitting a century in a match against Sri Lanka in November 2014. Communication is very important. You have to keep your partner informed – always. It’s easy to fall prey to rumours, especially when you’re such huge celebs. Always tell them the truth, and learn to trust them. Know that they want the best for you, like you want the best for them. Although spotted together several times, their first public appearance came in October 2014, when they enjoyed a football game together. Respect your partner’s interests. How many of you know that Anushka Sharma doesn’t know anything about cricket. Yes, that’s right. But did she stop there? No. She went on to learn a few rules about the game, cheering her love every time he dispatched the ball out of the park. It’s important to understand that not everyone will love what you love, and hate what you hate. Learn to make peace with that fact, and respect what they love. If possible, try to understand why they love what they love, and show more interest in it. Don’t you love it when you find someone who loves what you love? Not everything is supposed to be public. It is okay to show off your new love, but there should be a limit to how much you put your personal life out for the public to see. What you may see as “bragging” might be “embarrassment” for your partner. It is important to sit down and discuss how much of your relationship will be out for others to see. Some people like to keep it hidden, some people like to go all-out. Take some time out to discuss this often ignored topic. Later that month, the cricketer confirmed his relationship with her at an event, saying that it was “obvious” that they were together. Anushka also admitted to their relationship in an interview with NDTV, where she said, “We are not hiding anything. We are being two normal young people in a relationship,” adding that she did not want her love life to become “a topic of entertainment.” Trust and Honestly are very important. There will be people out there who will hate on your relationship. They will blame all your loses on your love. They will tell you that the reason you’re not doing so well is because you’re “distracted” and that your love “is bad for you”. You should hang in there, and believe that your love is by your side, no matter what. If you can trust them, and be honest with them about everything that is going on in your life, you will eventually work it out. Anushka Sharma was blamed for India’s early exit from the World Cup. Critics all over the world suggested that Virat’s game “was not up to the mark” because he had found “another interest”. Learn to stand up for your love when required. It was India’s early exit from the World Cup, that gave rise to the blame games and finger pointing towards this beautiful couple. Anushka Sharma was bashed from all directions, she herself not knowing how she would’ve played a hand in the team’s failure to reach the finals. Defending Anushka Sharma, India’s Test captain Virat Kohli said “no one has won more matches” than him in last five years, and lashed out at critics for blaming Anushkha for the team’s exit from ICC Cricket World Cup. He went on adding that the critics “should be ashamed of themselves”. “To see those reactions after just one match was very disappointing for me personally. It makes you lose faith in a lot of people. It’s a good thing in a way. You get to know who’s with you and who’s not. It was not in my control. But the reactions were very disappointing,” Virat Kohli said at a promotional event of RCB. Kohli, opened up for the first time since the World Cup exit, after which his filmstar girlfriend took a lot of unnecessary flak in various social networking sites. “At a human level, I would say I was hurt and the people who said those things and the way they said should be ashamed of themselves.” During these tough times, Virat knew it wasn’t Anushka’s fault. He rose above the clouds and told the people to back off. It is this quality of Virat that Anushka admired the most. You should know when your partner is in trouble for not doing something wrong, and you should learn to stand up for them. No matter what the public would say, you know that they’re right, and you should fight for them. Always. Make time for them, no matter how busy you are. You cannot get so “busy” in life that you don’t have time for your partner. Learn to handle your schedule well so that you make enough time for them. If Virat and Anushka can do it, you should be ashamed of yourself for such silly excuses. The much-in-love couple made their first red carpet appearance at the Vogue Beauty Awards in July 2015. Anushka gushed about the man in her life to NDTV: “He’s my very, very good looking arm candy.” During the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli was unable to play because of a shoulder injury, his ladylove Anushka Sharma flew down to Bangalore to be by his side. You’ll have differences. Sort them out instead of breaking up. Yes. We all have fights, and arguments. Stop being silly – learn to have a mature conversation and work out your differences. Here on earth, nothing is ever fairy tale. You always have your ups and downs. Learn to be by your partner through all of your relationship’s ups and downs. It is okay to lose an argument. Why win an argument only to lose a precious love? They’re your gift. And gifts need to be respected. Don’t give up your gift for a silly, or even a serious fight. When things settle down – approach them, keeping your ego aside, and talk to them. Soon the rumours of their relationship hitting a rough patch started doing rounds due to Virat’s possessiveness and their differences over marriage. Reportedly, Virat was keen on settling down with Anushka, but she wanted to focus on her career, leading to the two calling it quits and unfollowing each other on social media. Be a gentleman, or a loving girlfriend. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) Learn to respect everyone and treat them with dignity. Understand that you’re not on the top of the world, and there are people better than you. Be a gentleman. Treat everyone with love, and spread positivity around. Make your partner feel loved and special on occasions more than one. Surprise them with a little gift, or just have a nice time with them. We don’t realise how these little gestures mean so much in the long run. Everyone needs a little love, so don’t go around labelling your partner as “cheesy.” Hell, what does that word mean anyway? Respect their family. No matter how much you hate them, or love them – you should always respect their family, and their views. Yes, they might have been brought up in a way that’s slightly different from yours, but that doesn’t mean you go all cliched “sasurma” bashing. Spend time with their family, and get to know them better. If nothing, you’ll be learning so much more than others just by mingling with them. Be kind towards them, and work out the differences you have just like you would do with your partner. If all turns out good, who knows, you might land yourself a marriage sooner than you expected? In the end, whether they get married or not, we have, and always will, adore this couple. We will always keep learning from them. They’re the perfect mix of modern relationships rooted with high values. #stars #dating #trust #friendship #belief #feelings #care #relationship #anushkasharma #lessons #love #rumours #fun #life #knowledge #God #heart #affection #truth #lovestory #cricket #viratkohli #arguments

Was it too much to ask? I look up to find a tall man confused – probably wondering if I was worth a shot or not. I wanted to convince him to give me the two pennies he’d been juggling in his palms. I wanted to polish his shoe, and tell him that I’ll earn it – that I won’t take his money for free. If none of the above managed to draw the coins towards me, I wanted to give him enough reasons. But all I could manage to do was look at him. Words were swallowed in the darkness of this mess I brought myself in. Tears were dried because the skin needed them more than the world. He looked at me, still having the same question mark on his face, and I smiled. I don’t want him to rush his decision. I looked around to find a lady walking towards me. She gave me a side glance and sped up her walk. Her shoes didn’t seem to quite suit her style. They were awkwardly shining in between the dull colours she had picked for herself. While I was busy auto correcting her sense of fashion, I looked at the man right in front of me. His suit was well designed, but for some reason it was too dark for him. I had the icky look on my face, and I’m sure he noticed that. When I looked at him, he was carrying a faint smile on his face – probably a smile of mockery when you realise you’re much bigger than the person in front of you. “What’s that look on your face?” he asked me. I chose to ignore it. None of his business anyway, I mean, who cares about what I think? Ya know, take this car for example – the one right in front of me, yea. It’s got such a nice shade of blue to it, but the grey stickers play the spoil sport. When will people learn the sense of design? It’s simple logic – catch complimentary colours, and then experiment with your style. “I see you’re very curious.” “Ah,” I spoke softly “The car’s grey spoils the look.” He turned back to look at it, and then nodded. “What do you think?” “Black’s best for that model.” “Hmm,” he looked unintentionally curious. I wonder what made him ask that. He looked at me again, clearly his brain was doing huge calculations – well, I speculate he’s a rich guy from his clothes, why not give me the two pennies, and move on in life? Or don’t, and then move on in life? How hard is it to make a fifty-fifty decision, anyway. I closed my eyes because the sun was getting to me, and my eyes had started to become weak. “You got a kid?” he asked me, swallowing his pride. I nodded gently, opening my eyes to find him crouched. He looked at me, and kept the pennies back inside his long coat. He saw my eyes follow the coins as if they’re the mice to my cat. I wonder if he’s just going to have a chat with me, and make a mockery out of me after finding out how miserable my life had become, or he’s just going to eat up my time and leave without giving me any. I hate to admit it, but I rather spend this moment asking for money than sit and chat about my tide of disasters. “Oh, don’t worry,” he smiled, looking at my eyes “They’re yours, alright.” I smiled faintly, still wondering what he was going to do. He looked at the ground, and then borrowed one of my half-drenched-half-torn newspapers and sat on top of it. His pant started to get a dark patch below his thighs suggesting the water was being soaked by the posh clothes. I joined my hands again, because the least I could do was appreciate him for coming down to my level – ain’t no one, I repeat, ain’t no one has ever done that before. Heck, half the world doesn’t know I exist; despite the fact that they see me dragging my mouldering body aimlessly. “What’s your name?” he asked me, looking around the mess I lived in. “George.” I softly answered his question. “Hey, George! I’m Gregory.” he smiled, and extended his hand forward. I grabbed his hand with both my weak palms, as I could barely stop them from shivering. I, for once, let guilt take over me because for some reason, it didn’t feel right to shake hands with a man of this stature. At least, I don’t deserve it. Why didn’t he just throw those two coins on my face, and walk away? Now I have another problem to deal with. Who is this guy, anyway? And why does he care? “Where do you live?” he spoke, after analysing something. “Everywhere.” is all that I could answer to that. “What about your family?” “Somewhere.” I murmured. “What?” “They’re somewhere.” “Well, let’s go find them then?” I shook my head. I wasn’t ready, I had a target to achieve. I had to earn a minimum of a five dollars before this thought even lingered in my head. “But why?” he spoke after looking at me cursing to myself. “5 dollars!” I replied, hesitant to speak further – my throat hurts. He looked at me, and tried to figure out what I meant. I didn’t have the strength to look him in the eye, so I started staring at the road wondering where that ant would end up at sun down. I see him get up, and then extend his hand towards me again. I strain my neck to look at his face. “Come on, now. Don’t leave me hanging!” he spoke to me, smiling. I didn’t know how to take this gesture. Was he being too kind only to ditch me later? Was he one of those who couldn’t see the world wrong? Or was he just playing around? No. I don’t want to go where you’re taking me. I don’t know you. I don’t like this place, but I know this place. And hence, I’m okay to be here. I have to support a family, I can’t just go with you. Please understand that. I don’t want to see new things. I’m scared of change. I’m tired of changes. I don’t have the strength in me anymore, Mr. Gregory. I reached out to him, and he quickly grabbed my hand, pulling it to make me clumsily stand on my legs. “There we go!” he exclaimed. I looked at him, clueless as always. He started walking away from me, probably expecting me to follow. But why should I? I don’t want to go. I can not risk my greed for a better income only to be cheated later on. I see him turn back. “Come on, it’s okay!” he tried assuring me, his hands making the famous follow me gesture. I walk behind him. I couldn’t help but notice how weak my legs had become. I couldn’t help but notice how the people looked at me – like I’m the one they’ll taste for dinner tonight. I couldn’t help but notice the clothes Mr. Gregory was wearing. He got to be a businessman in my head. The ones that sit behind a desk while the rest are dancing to the tunes of his long fingers. I don’t trust these businessmen. For all I know, he might be taking me as a showpiece to help the world see how his company helps the ones in need. Well, only people like us know the bitter truth – one day of quality food, and the rest goes in just asking them to give me a piece of bread for my kids back home. Mr. Gregory stopped in front of a car – a decent car, and opened the door for me. I quietly sat in the back seat. He closed the door, and made himself comfortable in the driver’s seat. I wonder why he hasn’t kept a driver yet. Or maybe he has, it’s none of my business anyway. The car is well maintained, and there are few water bottles in the cabin, and a small TV, if that’s what it’s called, in front of the back seats. “You holding up well?” he looked at me through the rear view mirror. I nodded, still very scared to open my mouth, and ask him questions. I looked at the water bottle. I could feel the veins inside me drying up, and the brain echoing me to reach out and gulp the entire liquid inside my mouth. I swallowed the little saliva in my mouth, and folded my arms because I didn’t want to dirty his meticulously polished car. “You must be thirsty?” Mr. Gregory spoke after driving for a few minutes, and getting held up on the signal. I nodded, and smiled faintly. He grabbed a bottle, and passed it back to me. As soon as my shivering hands touched the bottle, a huge gush of gratitude took over me as it been a long time since I got to drink chilled water – leave alone that, it must have been quite some time since my family enjoyed quality water. I don’t trust the government taps. They started billing them late this year, wonder if they even take us into consideration or not. I carefully twisted the cap open, to realise it just wasn’t any water – it was an energy drink. I remember this from the bottle I found last week. It smelt different. I took a sip and felt like I found my elixir. I had to take this for Mary, and John! They’d love it. I decided to not give the bottle back, and I slowly kept it next to my legs. Somebody told me that if you didn’t see something, you’d eventually forget about it. He drove for a few minutes more until finally stopping next to an armed gate. I saw one of his guards peep inside the car, and give me the disgusting look I was familiar with. He signalled the other man, and the gates opened for us. I looked around to find an independent house, completely different from what I was expecting, at least. It wasn’t something a businessman would possess, well because it didn’t have the “looks” as they like to call it. For me a house is just a place I can crash in after a day’s work and keep my family safe. I think I’m starting to like this man. He parked the car, got out, and opened my door. “You’d like to come in, George.” he spoke, signalling one of the guards to close the gates. Before stepping out, I took his bottle, held it firmly in my hand, and then got down of the car. He smiled, and walked towards the pathway amidst the garden. I looked around to find a gardener looking at me, he smiled which made me realise that Mr. Gregory was a kind-hearted man, otherwise that man should’ve been  upset by now.  We reached the front entrance, and a lady opened the door. Neatly dressed, she must’ve been his maid, but it seems too early to judge considering he likes to keep things simple. We made our way to the hall – as big as it can get – which got me thinking that the house ain’t all that small from the inside, and I might change my views about him. “Sit.” he commanded, after removing his coat and handing it over to her. I waited for him to sit down first, as a sign of respect, and he appreciated it with a smile. “Make two coffees, and um,” he looked at me. I didn’t know what to say. I just looked back at him. He smiled, and continued, “get those plain biscuits, will ya? Thanks Anne!” She smiled back, and disappeared within the walls of the hall. “So, George,” he came to a more serious posture “tell me where you’re from. And a little bit about yourself, too. You feel good here?” “Yea, Yea. Actually, this is great! My kid and wife would love to visit here.” That is the longest sentence I’ve spoken in a while. I kept the bottle next to me on the sofa, and tried to look him in the eye. “What’s their names?” “She’s um Mary, my wife,” I spoke chuckling at the image of her trying to be funny “and the kid’s John – he’s, um, 12.” I didn’t know what else to speak, so I decided to keep quiet. He kept looking at me for a moment or two, and then asked me that one question which has never been asked by a stranger. “How’d you end up here?” he asked “I mean, in the streets?” “Well,” I hesitated first and then realised it was of no use anyway, I was too far gone to come back “Back in the day, I was a waiter at Joe’s and well, I didn’t earn much, but it was enough for our family.” I got lost in the turn of events, and words didn’t seem to have the courage to come out in the open. “Oh, the one at Church Street?” Mr. Gregory spoke as if he’d been there a couple of times. I nodded and questioned myself why he would even visit that area. “I sent my youngest to go work there for a couple of months.” He cleared my doubts “seems like a decent place to me. What happened?” Anne arrived with a tray full of biscuits accompanied by two cups, and a few tissues. She kept it on the table in front of us, and then looked at me. “Sir, please add sugar as you like.” she spoke, smiling. I smiled back at her. “Thank you.” I replied, as she bowed down slightly facing Mr. Gregory, and upon his gentle nod, turned back and disappeared where she came from. “How much do you get in a day?” he asked me. “Anywhere from a dollar to seven, or maybe eight.” “That is very less. Wow. How do you survive?” he sounded disappointed, naturally. “I don’t. I don’t have a place to live. I don’t have a home for my family. I can’t give John what he deserves, I can’t make Mary feel loved anymore, and I can’t even help myself out of this mess. I can’t work a lot because I don’t have any qualifi…” I broke down, and tried to control my emotions – somewhere I wanted to bury them because I was ashamed I didn’t fight back. I was ashamed that I couldn’t make a better situation for myself, for my family. I don’t know why I am getting these thoughts only now. I see him get up and walk towards me. He picks up a tissue paper from the tray and hands it over to me. I wipe my tears, hanging my head in shame. “It’s okay. Take your time.” he comforted me, and went back to his place. A sign of a true gentleman. “Well, we can talk about it later, if you’d like. Do you know why you’re here?” I shook my head slowly, still lost in thoughts. “I’m offering you a job, and a place to stay. And by a job, I mean I’ll have you recommended for a job of your liking, and how you do after that is up to you. I won’t be helping you over there. I’ll give your family a place to stay until you can provide for yourself.” I couldn’t fathom the service he was giving me. This opportunity made me realise how lucky I must’ve been. Never in these seven years of struggle had I ever thought I’d meet a man like Mr. Gregory, leave alone that, he would then go ahead and offer me a job? Wow. I threw myself at his feet, and sobbed because I didn’t want to live like this anymore. What he just did for me, means more than just the world to me, and I will be forever indebted to him. He held my shoulders and helped me stand up. I joined my palms and couldn’t help but cry. He got up, and walked towards the end of the room and decided to make a phone call. I was shivering and my weak legs forced me to get back to the sofa. I wiped my tears, but still couldn’t fully resist the emotions. Mary would be pleased! John’s too young to understand, but I’m sure the happiness will get to him one way or the other. Mr. Gregory walked back, and sat opposite to me. “Sometimes, all we need is for someone to reflect on what we’ve been doing all our lives. You might not want to make a change, or even think about your misery for that matter. If I wouldn’t have stopped by, you’d still be satisfied with the kind of life you’re living just because your mind has been tuned to it…” I nodded, listening to every bit of his words. “…but when I forced you to think about it, you realised what a mess you’ve made out of your little fortunes. I still don’t know what happened, but I’m sure it can be fixed. And I will help you fix it. Okay? Relax now. It’s gonna be alright. I’ll send someone to help you look for your family.” I didn’t know how to respond. Is this all a dream? I don’t know. But it looks good. And I can’t afford to even risk this opportunity even in my dream, so I will take it, and I will make the best out of it. 2 years, 4 months later. I decided to pay a visit to Mr. Gregory. He was busy with a new project and I couldn’t help but ask him about it. I got my car refuelled, Mary and John decided to tag along too, and who could stop a wife now, aye? It was a twenty minute drive from my place, a small independent house which I’ve taken on rent, not too far from the city, and a nice place to live in, actually. It has a lot of farms around, and it was always a dream to be living like this, ya know? The guards were now familiar with me, and they welcomed my car straight away. I parked at the usual place, asking John and Mary to go ahead. I looked up from the windscreen to find him talking on the phone in his balcony. He waved, and John ran towards the front gate. Mr. Gregory’s home felt like ours, thanks to the hospitality of this great man. I don’t leave any stones unturned to praise this man whenever I get a chance. If it weren’t for him, I’d still be roaming in the streets aimlessly, hoping that one day a miracle would happen and things will fix itself. Sometimes it’s really hard to believe how he managed to understand exactly what I want, without ever having to ask me. This a sign of true genius. I guess the entry of Mr. Gregory taught me two things – opportunities will always be given to you, no matter how late – you just have to see them, grab them and make the most out of them. Second, there’s no such thing as easy money. I am so grateful to him for making me understand that. He gave me a job, but made sure that I survived on my own. I had to go through the rigorous interviewing rounds, had to prove my metal, and then finally seal my berth. It wasn’t easy, I can tell ya that. So, be prepared, never, I repeat, never lose hope and just keep trying. And please, for God’s sake, don’t give up on your talent. Don’t. That’s the only thing which can save your life, if you don’t get to meet someone like Mr. Gregory. I got a phone call just before I opened the door of the car. An unknown number? I wonder who it is. “Hello?” I asked the voice behind the phone call. “Hello, sir. Am I speaking to Mr. George, head of design?” #commitments #hardwork #kindness #world #trust #belief #misery #feelings #care #hopeful #inspitation #motivation #makeover #reflecting #hope #love #businessman #reality #spirit #life #blessing #God #respect #heart #affection #fiction #truth #sadness #begger #perseverance #broken #fantasy

It would be uncommon to compare our desi Hip Hop sensation who took India by a storm making us groove to his every beat and an international pop sensation who took the world by a storm when his YouTube covers came out. Yes, I’m talking about Yo Yo Honey Singh and Justin Bieber. Both are extremely popular, and both are top players of their genre – probably even the best of the lot that’s around today. If you’re an Indian, you should remember when bashing “Honey Singh” and “Justin Bieber” was a thing and would probably define how cool you were. If you’d walk up to someone and tell them you were a belieber they would probably not want to talk to you ever again. It was like a forest fire when everyone decides to hate on a person not really asking why. But if you examine closely, some of their best works have gone hugely unnoticed. Take JB’s Journals for example. He released the album back in 2015 with little to no promotion. His songs were uploaded on his YouTube channel every week and nobody knew if they were a promotional stunt, or an actual album’s collection. Turns out, it was the latter. Bad Day, HeartBreaker, Roller Coaster, Recovery, Hold On Tight, All That Matters, were some of the highlights of Justin’s true talent. Have a go at Brown Rang, Blue Eyes, Ankhon Ankhon, I’m your DJ Tonight, Love Dose, Party with The Bhootnath, Desi Kalakar and you’ll find yourself tapping your feet to his tune whether you like it or not. He has a unique tune for every song that makes each song different and equally likeable. While most of his views come from haters, it’s probably only helped him get to where he is right now. When you think about it, haters play a huge role in one’s life. Exactly same happened with JB’s hit single Baby, and all his other songs – half of them were popular only because people wanted to see how badly he’s sung them. Everyone knew he was a talented kid, yet nobody gave him his due credit. Some of their songs are not well known, and they were hugely covered by the humongous success of their other commercial hits like Yo Yo’s Bollywood mainstream party numbers and JB’s mainstream young-love pop songs. And it was probably when Yo Yo entered Bollywood when we truly realised how he had catchy tunes right on his fingertips. Every month a new song meant something had to repeat itself – but Yo Yo managed to keep the crowd on its toes. Similarly for JB, with his ever growing popularity and fan base, he had to be on the top of his game if he wanted to carry his fans to his adulthood. Call it coincidence, or a matter of true fate – both Justin and Yo Yo lost their way right at their peak. JB had blown the world by a storm with his Believe album and Yo Yo was on the charts again with his Desi Kalakar songs. JB had a fallout in his personal life, most of his trust broken, feelings played with, and the world turning against him is when he decided to play ignorant and get his hands into drag racing, drugs, and stupidity. On the other hand, Yo Yo quietly disappeared from the limelight. JB was all over the news for reasons he might never want to be there for, and his every move was proving against him. He had stopped making music and top artists and everyone else around him hated him for one reason or another. So much hatred bought his short burst career to danger. One year passed, soon two, and then three. No sign of a JB album, people were speculating he was thinking of quitting music. Somewhere everyone assumed that Justin was that kid who couldn’t handle the stardom too soon. And then come 2016, and Justin Bieber made his first TV appearance on The Ellen Show, and shortly released a short video explaining why he was uncomfortable. The show was followed by his roast – which mind you, had managed to create enough buzz, because, well, everyone wanted that kid to get roasted. The Comedy Central Roast went exactly how everyone anticipated, and Justin was portrayed as a sporty kid who knows what he’s doing. There were a few nasty things said, but hey, that’s why it’s a roast and not a family show. This marked a turn around for JB as he was gaining the headlines again – people confused whether there was a new album coming anytime soon – or was it just him trying to recover his image. Soon, the truth was revealed and out came What Do You Mean –  the song which Justin Bieber released after 3 years of a gap in music – and the same song which broke YouTube for a day, and along with it every single record in town. Watch me dance to the tunes of What Do You Mean! People loved the catchy House Music, and all the handwork paid off as now everyone seemed to suddenly like him. “I hate his music but this song is so dope” were regular comments. Was this a change in his fortunes? It sure was. He went on to giving three huge hits in the form of Sorry, Love Yourself, and Where Are U Now that people still listen to till date! It was remarkable, and probably astonishing as no artist, however big or small, had ever managed to make a comeback as big as JB, and that too with a gap of THREE YEARS! I mean, in this century, with so many amazing singers, it’s hard to remember guys from three years back. (Reminds me of Taio Cruiz, and Jay Sean) Coming back to Yo Yo Honey Singh, his disappearance after his Desi Kalakar album was speculated to his fallout with Shah Rukh Khan on an International Tour, and his abuse to drugs. Was it true? Had stardom gotten into Honey Singh? Nobody knew. It was only after Dheere Dheere that his fans got an idea about him missing from the action. The song was released when he was still not anywhere to be seen. Yo Yo did come out this year and spoke to his fans through the press – telling us that he was suffering from Bipolar disorder – which made it hard for him to even face 4 people, let alone keeping a crowd of 20,000 entertained. His comeback was supposed to be with either Raees, or Sultan – both of which have now been released, and there is still no sign of Yo Yo Honey Singh. He has been performing live shows, though, and he’s working on some project which aims at bringing contemporary music back to Bollywood. The mark of Purpose led to Justin Bieber’s entry into EDM-Pop music, which helped him expand his fan base to more than just crazy teenage girls mad behind his looks. He was now a top player, amongst Skrillex, DJ Snake, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee, Major Lazer, and Diplo, to name a few. His collaborations have only gotten better, and it’s amazing to see how he turned things around for his good, and gave the world hits after hits – something which he was initially popular for. The question remains. Will Yo Yo Honey Singh ever manage to give a comeback as strong as Justin Bieber while other rappers like Badshah and Raftaar fill his absence? It’s interesting to note how some of the new players have repeated their tunes and mantras over and over again – unlike Yo Yo, a true genius in his craft. Well, to be honest, he should stick to producing music because he’s the best at it. Maybe rap a few lines here and there, but that’s it. He’s gonna conquer the world again, it’s just a matter of time when. What do you think? Will Honey Singh ever pull off a JB? #Bollywood #hIrdeshsingh #Hiphop #JB #Diplo #DesiKalakar #hollywood #inspirational #Sorry #WhereAreyounow #JustinBieber #YoYoHoneySingh #LoveYourself #DJSnake #yoyo #Whatdoyoumean #SelenaGomez #Skrillex #Purpose

It was late in the evening, and the sun had just started to set. Dusk opened its arms showering bitterness on the atmosphere of the city. The wind was chilly, and the lost souls roamed the streets with nowhere to go. The moon here had always come up just before the sun, but today was an exception. Call it coincidental, or pure symbolism, but for her, it was nothing short of a strong evidence that what she did was perfectly fine, at least, to her. She sat in the Starbucks Café, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf. Her face was cold, and impassive. “Are you waiting for someone, ma’am?” a young man asked her, pointing towards the empty chair in front of her. She looked up to find a fair-skinned, young gentleman impatiently waiting for her reply. Before she could see his face, her eyes got fixed on his bracelet – it was a sight which forced her mind to never-ending flashbacks. The now placid face slowly tormented. She clung on to her scarf in such a way that it was next to impossible to find out what it had beneath it. “Excuse me?” the young man interrupted her erratic thoughts. “Yes,” she gulped “actually, my husband Mathew, was supposed to show up, but since he will not be able to make it today, I don’t mind.” He quickly pulled the chair, and sat down. Immediately, she kept her handbag behind the scarf in an effort to hide it from the stranger. She was somehow unable to determine the reason for his restlessness. “Are you okay?” came a question from a woman who herself wasn’t sure. “Yeah,” he instantaneously replied “actually, life’s been messy lately.” Not quite sure what he intended, she decided to pass. She gazed back at his bracelet. There was a time when this young woman, just like every other beautiful girl, knew the power of being beautiful – that intoxication a woman can make a man spin in. It was then only natural for her to take advantage of this mysterious yet impactful power, and rule over the gullible. Nevertheless, she believed in being optimistic and had a tendency of leaving behind things in the past. Often in the rapid adolescence, she found herself carelessly breaking a million hearts just for the sake of being the queen of the one she assumed the king. Surrounded with so many people, the next one always better than the previous, she hardly found time to review any of her actions. It would be rather harsh to judge her too soon, because not everything in the world was her fault. Just when she slipped into the age of sanity, she was taken aback by the occasional raging that her father showed towards the family of four, her sister included, which deeply affected the personality of this teenager. To her horror, the violence only grew by the passing of time, and she was forced to stay away from him. With her, the sister and her dear mother stayed in a small rented home until they were financially stable. Expectations grew, and soon she transitioned into a little more beautiful, young woman and held a position of pride in her software company. “Oh this?” came an interruption from the man as he found it uncomfortable for a stranger to stare at his bracelet for such a long time. She immediately looked at him, her head staying put, and eyes moving only a few degrees to make a loose contact with those of his. “My girlfriend gifted it to me,” he continued “actually, my ex-girlfriend…” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” she spoke with a sprinkle of sympathy, now having a complete eye contact. Not waiting for his new table-mate to ask the reason, he continued to elaborate his misfortune. It is true that only the ones who are in pain truly know the value of happiness. Starting where every romance starts, he quickly jumped to the point. “I was not completely at fault, don’t you think?” The nod that came as a response was not a fully conscious one. She somehow managed to connect with this stranger’s story, and found herself lost in thoughts. “I know, right? She thinks I did it on purpose. I was just trying to reach a bigger cause, just wanted to help her.” “She just probably misunderstood you,” she replied “and I’m sure you guys can talk it out.” “Well, it’s not like that,” the man found himself opening up a little more than before. He began explaining, “It’ll be hard for you to agree, considering the fact that it’s only been a couple of minutes since we met, but I believe I’m the only one who loved her truly. She’s had so many boyfriends before, and sometimes I find myself confused in an effort to find out the reason for her willingness to brief relationships…” She drank a sip of water from the glass, and continued to listen to him with all ears, hoping to find her solution hidden behind this straight-forward conversation. “…And to my surprise, after infinitely many trial and errors, I managed to understand why she’s okay with these relationships. She’s that kind of a person who doesn’t find it easy to reject someone…” Even though she tried her best not to look at the bracelet this time, the temptation just chocked her into giving in. “What’s up with this bracelet that you like so much?” he couldn’t help but ask. She didn’t bother replying. Why should she justify herself to a person she just met? She’s never done that, and she probably would have never done it even this time if it wasn’t for this man’s honesty. A book isn’t judged based on its cover, true, but most of them do pick the book based on the cover. That’s how it goes. The fancier it is, the more is the probability of it getting picked. For an ordinary person, this bracelet was nothing special – no decorations, no carvings, just plain metal. Yet it had managed to catch the eye of this eclectic woman. “One of my very special friends gave it to me.” She revealed with an unusually slow pace. His eyes lit up. His curiosity heightened and realised it was only sensible to enquire more about her relation. Looking by the deep involvement, nothing seemed to bother her more than this particular subject. It took him some time to understand that, nevertheless he patiently waited for her to continue. “His name was Max,” she politely replied “I remember I met him during my second year excursion – we got along quite well!” He knew where this was going, and instantly caught the melancholic turn of events before she spoke about them. “So, it’s funny I’m saying this now, but… Better late than never! Hey! I’m Joel.” He revealed. He managed to make her giggle, and seeing that smile on her cheeks made him feel better on his part, not to forget he, too, had a tale of catastrophe. “Hey! I’m Anna!” She laughed, putting all other unnecessary thoughts at bay. “I don’t know how you’ll take this, but ma’am, you’re beautiful!” “Thank you so much!” She replied with a clear tone indicating she was used to these compliments. “So,” he continued “as I was saying, this nature of hers comes from her background. She’s more of a girl who’s had a rough past and hence often wants to help others. Maybe it is because she doesn’t like it when people blame or judge her that she accepts everyone and when she does that – she in turn gets piled under a lot of expectations which she is sure not to fulfil.” “I see where you are getting…” she interrupted. “Yeah, the things she is asking for are the things she is actually trying to run from!” Nothing was more amusing than to see these two strangers conversing about a topic of such interest. It was weirdly pleasing for both of them – one wanted to ease out the tensions in the head, the other wanted someone to tell her exactly this. Hail the timing! “Oh!” the man suddenly exclaimed “I almost forgot! You told me that your husband was supposed to come! What happened?” “Ah, he got caught in something…” she spoke, clearly not liking the question. Her face suddenly turned pale, as if she was frightened to be exposed. “Let me tell you a story,” she continued “and it’s about someone I just introduced! Would you like to hear?” “Yes, sure!” he gladly agreed. “Max was my trekking partner back in my hometown where we had gone for a two month excursion. Soon after the trip ended, one of our mutual friends revealed to me that he had feelings for me.” “Go on…” “But he was just a friend on my part, and I clearly had no intentions of seeing him anything more than that. But we kept in touch and soon we grew close – we shared each other’s problems and around a month later, we increased the interest we had for each other. Then, one day, he asked me out. It took me a day to make up my mind, but I agreed. And then, the next week, I got into some trouble, and I quit the relationship without giving him any reasons…” The man’s enlivened face subdued. “What was your relationship with your girlfriend again?” she asked, in a hope to clearing her doubts. “She never really got to know the real me. I always tried to help her. Whether it was directly, or indirectly. Online or offline. And she mistook all of my actions and ended up labelling me as clingy. She was harsh and divine. Never did she really care about me. Most of the times she just ignored me, or perhaps even pretended not to know me. But that didn’t bother me though – I have always believed love needs no conditions and boundaries.” “Remember when you said that I won’t believe you? Now, I’ll re-quote what you just said. You wouldn’t believe me, but Max was just like you…” What followed was a sudden spray of silence. Engrossed in the things she had never thought about, the woman’s face was covered with all sorts of guilt and realisations. The young girl had now become a sensible woman. Note this hour, it was only now that she realised what she had actually done to those poor souls who had blamed her for stealing their hearts. Never had she thought that what she believed to be the biggest power the almighty had given her, would also be the one to pull her down. All her life she had been rude, merciless, and selfish. But she had never realised that. When the man told her about his girlfriend’s personality, she instantly knew that he was talking about a person who was, in many aspects, similar to her. Maybe it was exactly this that forced her to keep the conversation going. “I never really spoke to him again,” she spoke, after a good minute’s silence “he tried his best to contact me, but all I did was get irritated. I think he tried all the possible ways to meet and apologise. Poor guy, he didn’t even know that it was me who was at fault, and not him. And then, I called him after around two months or so. I remember I had a bad day, since one of my crushes just broke up with me.” “What? You started dating already?” shocked, he interrogated. “Yes, I am ashamed to tell it, but I was like that. After I ditched him, I got myself three more boyfriends. None of my relationships have lasted for more than two months!” Joel only grew more dispassionate about her past. “I remember he used to wait for me, he used to buy me gifts and he never complained. Even when I shouted at him, he quietly listened. Both of us knew it was my fault, and yet he was the one who apologised. I feel so horrible right now.” “Look, it’s all in the past. I’m glad that you have realised your mistakes. It’s fine to commit a mistake as long as you learn from it and never repeat it.” He smiled, and offered her a part of his meal. “I wish I could meet him. I really want to apologise. I want to show him that I still care about him as much as I did back then.” She didn’t tell it, but Joel was intelligent enough to understand the hidden status of Anna’s relationship with her husband. He politely asked, “So do you have any idea where he is right now?” “I have no idea, it’s been ages since I spoke to him. I don’t know what to do!” She felt helpless. It was as if, all those poor souls were taking their revenge. She needed someone to give her a shoulder to cry on. She needed someone to understand her, to love her like she’s the only girl. She never felt so alone, and all she needed was some love, and some compassion. “I wish I could see him.” She softly wished. She looked outside the window to find the moon up and bright. Shining in all its glory. She smiled. She looked back, only to find a man enter the cafeteria. Goosebumps ran down her spines. Now she knew, wishes come true and that all’s well that ends well. She immediately recognised him. It was Max. He took a seat, and sat with his back facing her table. She did not want Joel to know about him. She was confused, and nervous. She was never so nervous to go and talk to a guy. She wanted to wrap him in her arms, but her feet didn’t move. Just as she made up her mind, a young lady, entered the cafeteria, and sat opposite to him. It was a sight of misery. She was crying inside, and it was like somebody showed her the light and then shut her in a room full of darkness. She had a million questions, and she felt betrayed. She wanted to know why he did that. Now she understood, this is how Max must have felt – so helpless and in vain. “The FBI is on lookout for Anna Williams, a young CEO of Fionna Softwares, who is convicted for murder of her husband today, at around 16:48 hours, in her rented apartment. She has been on the run ever since, and…” The cafeteria was full of breaking news. The woman was least bothered. The picture of Anna Williams flashed all over the television. Just when Joel realised he was sharing a table with a murderer, the cafeteria door broke open and came in four armed officers who asked Joel to step aside. They demanded everyone to keep calm. They asked Anna to surrender. She smiled, and very slowly got up. She put her hands forward and gave in. While she was being taken out, she turned around. “Joel, you’ll get your girlfriend back! Don’t worry!” “How’d you know?” he shouted back. She smiled. A smile of wisdom. “What goes around, comes around, baby.” She winked and Joel never saw her again. #coversation #mystery #friendship #cafe #shortstory #betrayal #love #hate #story #starbucks

So, I give you my shoulder to cry on. I hug you real tight. And tell you that you’ll be fine. That I’ll be beside you and help you through this. I’ll be there for you. And while I’m doing that, out of nowhere, you take out a knife and stab me. I ignore it, and tell you to calm down. We can still fix it. And then you don’t listen, you stab me again. In the same place. And stab me again. And stab me again. And again. In the same fucking place. And there comes a point where it hurts so bad and I’m bleeding so bad that the blood from my stomach looks like a waterfall, and I’m still hugging you trying my best to calm you down, but then the hurt gets unbearable and I feel like I’m going to die. And then I think of Ann. And my family. And how they need me alive than dead. And for once in my life, I be selfish – only because some few very deserving people need me to be there for them – and I push you away. I push you away and try to walk away from you. Without saying any word. Without complaining. Without trying to ask you to justify why you almost stabbed me to death. And while I’m walking away from you, you shout out my name. Even though I was walking away from you, the brother in me forced me turn back and look at you. I looked at you, and you asked me to stay. You asked me to forgive you. But the damage was done. The mental trauma, the pain, the hurt, everything that I went through, was so intense when you stabbed me that I couldn’t forgive you. The wounds were still fresh. Still bleeding, and every time you spoke to me, all I could picture was you stabbing me and it made me really uncomfortable. But being the brother I am, I told you I need time. Physical wounds come and go. I need time for my wounds to heal. And as soon as they heal, I will come right back to you to talk again. To sort all of this again. And while I’m walking away from you, trying really hard to heal all of the wounds you made me go through, trying all that I can to heal them faster, the wounds were so deep this time that they just won’t listen. They’re taking their own sweet time to heal. And while I’m healing and preparing for a comeback, you suddenly come to me and tell me that you’re tired of waiting for me to come back. And that you don’t want me anymore. And that leaves me broken. I suffered all your stabs, and was ready to forgive all of that and come back, and you couldn’t even give me enough time to heal? To ever understand what I went through? And you say that “I’m tired of waiting for you”? This breaks my heart and this is exactly when I give up on you. Well, buddy. I don’t know anymore. All of this feels like a fight for a lost cause. Driving into the storm, like we’ve got our backs covered. “I watch your back, and you tell me what I’ve missed. Together we can drive through this foggy storm and make it out alive.” With that thought, we let our destinies take control of our steering wheel. We enjoyed everything life showed us through the car’s window – showing each other every beautiful scene we found on the way. Had a wonderful time together and probably enjoying the journey more than the destiny. While you were busy appreciating what life was showing you on your side, I manage to see a storm coming our way. I quickly warn you about it, and try my best to avoid it. I see the “warning” sign everywhere and I use my brain to catch the clues and then realise it was me who was slowing the car down. And that we’ll be stuck in this storm forever. I quickly get out of the driving seat, and let destiny take control again. Things settle down for a moment but then the auto pilot misfires and I see our car going off track. You sense it too. In this sensitive time, we decide to talk it off. We decide to take control of our steering wheel. But then I realise we both want to go to different places. Both the places are correct. I ask you “is this where you want to go?” You tell me “yes”. I confirm again and then I steer the wheel toward my place. But then as soon as I turned the car, you shouted at me and told me “bro this is not where I wanted to go” and I’m left confused. The storm is pretty heavy. I can’t go back. We can’t turn around. We have to do this together. We have to stick together. I try so hard to tell you that. But you just keep arguing. And then you get confused and lose your trust in me and you call your friend to help you understand how this car works so that you can control all of this on your own. But the friend you called wasn’t a mechanic. He played the guess work and you damaged our car’s engine more. It got me pissed because I thought you trusted me. And we start arguing. And we stop talking to each other. Still stuck in that car. And now the destiny is driving us to the place I wanted to go. And for one last time, I try turning the wheel in the opposite direction and somehow the autopilot isn’t letting me go there. I give in. I realise how much I want to go to that place. I try telling you that. But then all you say is how I didn’t listen to you and I did what I wanted to do. And you keep saying it to me and you keep hurting me. As if the entire thing was my fault. Whereas the matter of fact was, I was sweating and trying really hard to turn the steering wheel around but it just won’t go. You couldn’t see that. You thought I didn’t try. And then after a good amount of time of argument, I give up. I didn’t want to fight inside the same car. I didn’t want both of us to fight. Once we are out of the car, we can probably run in opposite directions and never look at each other. But while we’re in the car together, it’s better to shut up and not fight and then do something stupid. So I shut up. I stopped talking to you. Because I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t trust my mood. I didn’t want to do anything stupid. So I asked you for some time. “can you give me some time to understand where we’re going and how I can safely park for you to get out and leave me if you want to?” and you agreed. You agreed to give me some time. And while I was figuring all of this out in my alone time, something happened and you changed your mind. I was just going to tell you how things shouldn’t have happened the way it did and we could’ve handled it better. Nobody was at fault and yet everything went wrong. Maybe we can fix all of this and drive away to our beach. But then you had made up your mind. That you wanted to leave this car as soon as we park. And then I think about how I was approaching the happy ending but then you decided not to choose the happy ending and it left me thinking why. Maybe it was because you stopped believing in me. Maybe it was because you just didn’t want the happy ending. Whatever it was. You had made up your mind. And I didn’t have the strength in me to stop you. I started driving slowly. Because I knew, as soon as this car of ours stopped, you’d leave me. You’d leave me and go away. And I was trying to make peace with it. And then the parking space finally arrived. I had to stop the car. I did. And then you got up and walked away. And while you were walking away, I realised how much you mean to me and how much I tried to make this all work and yet how I felt it wasn’t enough. And how I gave up too soon. So I call out your name again. You stopped walking. Didn’t turn back. But you stopped walking. It meant you cared. Even though you were as hurt as I was, you cared. And that was a sign of hope. Enough for me to come and fix all of this. So. I will take this chance. And tell you all the things I’ve ever wanted to tell you. Throughout the time when all if this was unfolding, I tried to make it as smooth as possible. But you made it so hard for me. Whenever I called to check up on you as a brother, you’d always talk about a mutual friend. You’d always make me feel down. You’d always hurt me by saying things that feel like a knife stabbing me. For a long time I believed it was just your frustration. So I let it pass. But soon it started affecting me. Unconsciously. And I started getting hurt. I couldn’t concentrate on my studies. On Ann. On my family. Or be there for Jackie. Or be there for you. All of it just scattered. And I was so scared to lose someone else that I decided to shut everyone off. I just allowed Ann inside. She gave me strength. Showed me how much more stronger I am than how I look at myself. Gave me courage to accept a loss. And while all of this was happening, I didn’t want you to say nasty things to us. I know you didn’t mean to. But it did affect us. So we decided to shut it off. And we’re sorry we shut you off. But we had to. For us to help you, we had to leave you alone. It just took you two days to realise where everything went wrong. And that’s where I went wrong. My ego came in the middle and I didn’t like it how you could hurt me so bad and then tell me sorry and I just came back to you every time. It felt like I’m your puppet. And I hated that. And that’s why I didn’t want to talk to you even though I knew everything was fine. And that’s where things went ugly. And soon I realised my ego was destroying all that I’ve been trying to save, I let it go. And I try talking to you. But then you tell me you give up and I lose my confidence. Now, I’m stuck in a place where I don’t have the strength to move forward, or the will to go back. All I have to say is that no matter what, you’ll remain a special person in my heart for all the lovely times we spent together. And if we happen to encounter each other somewhere, don’t forget to drop by and greet me – because I would still want to check up on you. Apart from that, I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same towards you, and it’s all that I can say. Take care buddy, thank you for making me stronger. All the best for your future! #trust #friendship #humanity #man #brother #betrayal #brotherhood #simple #love #hate #Whatdoyoumean #Final

The Haruhi Suzumiya series of Japanese light novels is written by Nagaru Tanigawa with accompanying illustrations drawn by Noizi Ito. The series centers on the eponymous high school girl Haruhi Suzumiya, her strange antics, and her friends in a club she forms called the SOS Brigade. So far, Season 1, Season 2, and the movie “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” are the only visual treats (read anime) available for its fans. You can familiarise yourself with the franchise with this playlist: The cover of my fanfiction! Description: This is a fan’s take on what Season 3, if ever made, could look like. The Anticipation of Haruhi Suzumiya follows the story of Haruhi, a young girl who decides to have some fun in her otherwise boring life, however, what she is unaware of is that every action she does has some effect on the real world. Read on to find out how the members of the SOS Brigade decide to take down the challenges they face throughout the “Haruhi” phase and will Haruhi’s anticipation of “something supernatural will happen soon” ever end? P.S.: This is a fan fiction, and is no way affiliated to the original series by Nagaru Tanigawa. The cover image is made by all the photos that already exist, and might in the future, use fan arts and have not violated any copyrights. This series for the fans who were waiting for a Season 3! If I get a good response, I will continue this series. Please let me know your views! Table of Contents Chapter One – “Prologue” Chapter Two – “The Conversation” Chapter One “Prologue” How should I put this? The autumn had just set in and it already looked like something was going to change. It was as if the “Weather Gods” decided to play random for a while. It was unusually cold. Maybe it was just this room, or the Gods must really be bored. As I rubbed my palms, I looked around only to find Miss Asahina pass her heavenly tea to Koizumi. “Oh. Thank you.” He spoke giving out his ever-creepy smile. Miss Asahina just giggled and moved towards me. “Here, Kyon. Let me know if you like it!” She handed over the tea to me. Oh, for Heaven’s sake! Any tea pot that is touched by Miss Asahina magically turns the contents into heavenly elixir. I took a quick sip just to prepare my body for this amazing beverage, and oh my! I find it difficult to explain how magical the feeling was. Maybe she has a secret ingredient or something? Whatever it is, it surely works! Just when I decided to drink in a little more, I almost dropped the tea cup in a shock. “Arrgh!” Haruhi huffed out with that irritated look on her face, scratching her hair in utter confusion. Will this girl ever learn to stay normal? She had her legs folded on top of that chair. Hell, I can never imagine Miss Asahina sit in that posture. What is it now? I thought. “Kyon!” she shouted on the top of her voice almost waking up the sleepy Computer Club. I didn’t bother asking what the reason was. I knew she was bored. Well, that’s Haruhi – our SOS Brigade leader. What do we do? Chase down mysterious happenings around the town. And what have we found so far? Nothing! “Don’t just sit there! Do something!!” she commanded. “About what?” I politely asked. “It’s been so long since something weird happened!” she shouted. And when was the ‘last’ time something remotely supernatural happened? I hope to wake up one day and see Haruhi Suzumiya as a normal girl. That would be fun! She stared at me for a few seconds, and suddenly I could see a smile creep up on her face. I knew what it meant – it meant run, hide or do whatever you can before she decides to take control of you! She got down of that chair almost in a jiffy and without any second thoughts, held my collar and tried to drag me out of my seat. “Hey!” I rebelled, pushing her hand away from me. “What is up with you? Can’t we just sit here for sometime?” “If you want to be lazy, you should resign as the member of the SOS Brigade. We don’t sit here and do just nothing! Come on, we have to go!” She spoke with that sparkle in her eyes as she grabbed my hand and finally pulled me out of my chair. What’s gotten into her? My tea, oh my tea! Please Haruhi, let me at least finish Miss Asahina’s tea? I could only think about telling it to her, of course, it was of no use, she wouldn’t stop. She pulled me out of the club room, and looked back inside. And that, if I had only known, became the reason for all the troubles in my near future. Hmph. Chapter Two “The Conversation” By now, all of us have established the fact that Espers, Time travellers, and Aliens exist. And no matter how excited it makes you feel, trust me – it’s not. You have to risk your life every day hoping that you won’t get killed by someone who you earlier considered even remotely normal. Take my word for it, never trust anyone. I repeat, never trust anyone. Why am I saying all this? I don’t know. I won’t deny it, but there were a million times when I wished I’d get my normal life back – but somehow, I always changed my thoughts because this life is dangerous, no doubt, but it is addictive. This reminds me of Haruhi. How, you might ask? She’s addicted, or should I say, she’s suffering from this incurable disease that makes her believe that she’ll find something mysterious in our town. “I’m not interested in ordinary people. If any of you are aliens, time travellers, or espers – please come see me. That is all.” I still remember how I met her – that eccentric introduction she gave when she joined North High. Moving on, here we are. I still think talking to her was just a coincidence. I just ‘happened’ to notice her changing hairstyle and I just ‘happened’ to comment on it. Beep, beep, beep – the alarm went on. It was of no use anyway, I was already wide awake. I got up, and switched the alarm off. Suddenly, my phone rang. I picked it up. “Umm, hello?” I spoke after clearing my throat. “Come see me at the club room!” the voice on the other side spoke. I knew it was Haruhi, but somehow my brain didn’t believe that. “For what?” and before I could even continue, she hung up. What could it be this time? Who does she think she is? Why does it always have to be her giving the command and asking others to obey them? What’s the time? 12:09 PM – the digital clock on my side table read. It’s still afternoon, and isn’t it a Sunday today? Why would she call me to meet her at this time of the day? I shall not go. Having said that, I still think there might be a considerable reason for her to call me, but as we all know, Haruhi isn’t that type – she demands presence even if she is just bored. I think I should go. Who knows what she might have done this time. As soon as I made up my mind, my phone rang again. “Hello?” I spoke. “Hey!” It was Koizumi. “Miss Suzumiya has called for an urgent meeting. I am assuming you haven’t left your bed yet.” That pissed me off. How can he just subtly label me as lazy? Not that he’s wrong – but you’re not supposed to be saying things like that! “I will be coming over to your house, and we shall go together.” he spoke. “What? Okay. Is there something you want me to hear before meeting her?” I asked. “Let’s just say that should be your least concern at the moment.” Wow. I wonder if there is another closed space, or some kind of a Celestial who is ready to gulp the entire city again? It can be anything! Oh man! Please don’t bring me into all of this. I want to just go back to sleep. “Al-right, then.” Koizumi interrupted my erratic thoughts. I hung up the phone, and made my way down stairs. “Kyun!!! You’re awake!” My little sister screamed on top of her lungs. “Good morning!” “Kyonkun, you are taking me to the park today!” “Kyon- WHAT?” I asked her again. Please just stop calling me that already. I don’t want another nickname. She just smiled back at me. “You are taking me to the park today!” “No. I have to go somewhere!” “I AM COMING WITH YOU!” “No! You’re staying here!” “Pleaaase?” she begged. I heard my doorbell ring. “Oh, hello.” Koizumi greeted us. “HEY!!!” my little sister responded back. “YOU’RE STAYING HERE!” I demanded, as I walked outside along with him. He had come in a cab, and as we boarded it, I decided to know what I was really up against. I don’t want to be caught off guard – remember how I was almost killed by Miss Asakura? I am eternally grateful to Nagato for saving my life there! “Is there something you wanted to speak about?” I asked him impatiently. “It has come to my notice by The Organisation that Miss Suzumiya has been quite thoughtful lately.” “What are you intending on?” “You see, I became an esper three years before I joined North High. The Organisation has a firm belief that it is Miss Suzumiya who has the full power of making closed spaces and forming time warps. They have even gone as far as considering her the only God. But the problem started when another group, who claimed to have found the true cause of these constant closed spaces believed that it is in fact not Miss Suzumiya who is the real God.” “You mean to say there is someone else?” Totally ignoring what I just asked, he continued to explain his theory with funny hand gestures accompanying them. “For a long time we’ve been on constant debate as to who is the real cause for this. They believe someone, named Sasaki is the true holder of Godly powers, and Miss Suzumiya just accidentally happened to get those powers from her. But, personally, I strongly believe that it is Miss Suzumiya who is the real root of the problem. As we have noticed, the amount of closed spaced reduced considerably ever since she formed the SOS Brigade, and met you.” “Hey! What do you mean met you?” “No, I’m just implying that she is a lot more stable now that she’s been keeping herself busy. But you see, this is where the problem starts. Lately, Miss Suzumiya has not been feeling, how should I put it, stable? And I personally think only you can find out her cause of uneasyness. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity for us to close the matter once and for all.” “What matter? How is Haruhi being stable going to prove anything?” “The other group strongly puts forward an argument saying that the closed spaces have reduced because Sasaki has managed to involve herself in some kind of a new club just like Miss Suzumiya. But I strongly oppose this as I, myself, know for a fact that Sasaki is an introvert and she would never indulge in any of these social activities.” All this while, I had a strange feeling that I had heard that name before. Who could it be? Who could it be? “Wait a minute!” I interrupted him “is this the same Sasaki that went to my high school?” “You bet. I have been told that you guys were really close in fact.” Giving me a teasing smile which annoyed every bit of me. “We weren’t close. But what are you getting at? I still don’t understand how Haruhi has got to do anything with you settling your matters with that group.” “There have been a few occasional closed spaces this week, and The Organisation believes that it is because of Haruhi’s mental state, whereas the other group has not yet come up with an opposing view which only goes to say that they may be finally considering our theory. If you manage to make Miss Suzumiya stable again, and if it reduces the amount of closed spaces, we can almost be certain that we have won.” “And how am I supposed to do that?” “Well, you know.” He gave a rather creepy wink along with his usual uneasy smile and with that we arrived at North High. We walked up to the club room and as I opened the door I found Miss Asahina in her maid costume, which threw me off guard for a minute until I looked at Haruhi – sitting on the chair with her legs folded, looking at me with sharp intensified eyes. “You’re late. Penalty!” she screamed pointing directly at me. “But wasn’t Koizumi who walked in after me?” I tried rebelling for a change. “Yes.” she paused to quickly come up with an excuse “But that’s because you opened the door. Koizumi still arrived here first!” Wow, that doesn’t even count as an excuse. How can you judge who came first based on the action that was performed by someone who was beside the other? I mean, the probability of either of us opening the door is still fifty-fifty, and this clearly doesn’t make sense. Anyway, I just gave up considering the fact that Haruhi is on the other side of the argument, so it’s of no use anyway. “Hello!” Miss Asahina smiled at me. “Miss Asahina! Hey!” I spoke “Oh, Nagato, even you are here?” “Yes.” she instantly replied, merely nodding her head. I took to the table and sat beside Miss Asahina, as Koizumi sat opposite to me. Strangely, none of us spoke about anything. Koizumi was busy arranging a board game, while Miss Asahina found herself lost in thoughts, and it looks like Nagato is hooked on to yet another novel this time. And what was our leader doing? Blankly staring at our table. This was getting creepier by the minute. She’s never remained this silent. Something’s really, I mean, really wrong with her. She was still staring. This is not good. I mean… I think the earth is already spinning in another direction, or perhaps there’s a closed space getting so big that we’ll get consumed by it any second! Or what’s worse – she actually gave up looking for strange things? No, that’s not possible. Not in a million years. “Uhh!” Haruhi screamed at the top of her voice, scratching her head, forcing everyone to come out of the peace we had settled with and look at her annoyed face. “Now what?” I dared to ask. “This is all YOUR fault!” she argued back. “What’s my fault?” I politely questioned her judgements. “The Computer Club wants its computer back!” “So… what’s the problem?” “This is OUR computer!” she shot back. Well, let me correct you there, Haruhi. First of all, this is not YOUR computer. This belongs to the college. Second, it wasn’t even given to you – you just stole it from them by blackmailing them! Third, even if we assume we own this computer, I think the computer better fits the Computer Club, and not The SOS Brigade, which does not even provoke a thought of a computer no matter which way you see it. “Why do they need it back?” “One of their systems’ stopped working. Can’t they just buy another one or ask the college to provide them with enough computers?” If I correctly remember, you’re the one who misplaced that one extra computer. “If they want it, we better give it to them. I mean, it’s not like we’re making much use of the computer anyway. It’s probably for the best that…” “SHUT UP!!!” she interrupted me with a look I dared to fight back. “Koizumi, what do you think? Am I not right about this whole issue that we are dealing with?” I directed the argument to the third party hoping it’ll ease down the situation, and remove the target from my back. “Well, considering the fact that the Computer Club were okay with us having the computer, I don’t think we need to give it back. But it would be sensible of us to help them if they really need it.” Really, Koizumi? That’s what you think? They weren’t OKAY and you know that! “See? Kyon!” Haruhi was excited “Go tell them that we won’t give our computer to them!” #Kyon #stars #NagaruTanigawa #humanity #HaruhiSuzumiya #awesome #feelings #Koizumi #Asahina #Manga #concepts #Haruhi #relationship #Anime #Anticipation #love #Nagato #heaven #life #knowledge #God #affection #truth #Melancholy