Things to do before you are 25

Hy everyone! I know it’s been a long time since I posted anything but here I am!

So, with my 21^th birthday having passed right around the corner (on 1^st Feb), I decided to compile a list. A list of things that you should do before you hit your 25^th Milestone.

So buckle up and let’s take a ride together!

1.       Watch Movie Marathon for a Whole Day! Or end up watching some Sitcom shows!

I remember when I was in my early teens me and my friends all had craze for Disney’s Hannah Montana, Wizards Of Waverly Places, That’s So Raven and many more. When in my late teens I was truly introduced to Internet and Sitcoms I realized what I was missing.

I ended up watching a complete season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. in a day without much of a sleep.
Watch something that you can later obsess with. My BFF literally obsesses with the “Legen-wait-for-it-dary” Barney Stinson of How I Met Your Mother.

So go to a friend’s place and end up watching movies/sitcoms for as long as her mom does not decide to throw you out of the house!

2.       Dance in the rain with your BFF, crush, best guy friend or…anyone!

When the sudden rain hit you, don’t cower to a shade! Let it Pour. Hold you BFF’s hand and drag her along even if she later hits you for ruining her dress, hair or the makeup. But the laugh would be worth it! Believe me.

P.S. Be careful. Don’t catch cold!

3.       Don’t be scared if your Bestie suddenly goes from Country music to Pop or even to EDM (or any new Trend of Music)!

We all know ‘Change is the Essence of Life’, so why panic if your bestie has a little change in her choices? People change and that’s Okay. But stay true to yourself. Don’t force yourself into liking what your friends like. If you all have same choices then how can you fight on which genre of music to play on a road trip?

And that brings me to number 4.

4.       Take a trip to Anywhere with your gang.

Pack some clothes, some money and your gang in a bag and head off to somewhere fun! Go to beaches or enrol for some trekking camp but leave the nut shell you have been living in and explore.

5.       Go to a Movie or Dinner alone.

I know it might sound Intimidating, being alone. But as much as you should spend time with your friends and family you must also learn to spend some time with yourself.
I personally feel sometimes staying alone helps you figure stuffs out. Whenever I would feel lost or unable to figure anything out I would simply grab my phone and go to the nearest Café Coffee Day, order a Dark Passion and listen to songs to cheer myself up.

It always worked for me!

6.       Write a letter to be opened Years later.

Write a letter to yourself to open many years later. Or even better make your BFF write you a letter and you write them back. Text messages and emails are the prime and easiest method to communicate but they might not stay forever. Years later when you will open an old letter, written in someone special’s handwriting is sure to bring back tons of memories and a nostalgic smile on your face!

7.       Learn to sing, dance or play some Instrument.

It won’t ever hurt to try to learn something new and especially before 25. Because basically the older you get the lesser time you’ll get to try and learn something. So it’s the best you start early.

8.       Go to a concert or Discotheque.
There is no place better to dance and sing to your heart’s content.

9.       Vote. What’s more powerful than having say in who should lead our country?

It is our right to vote. Many may say “how can one single vote matter?” but let’s take a look THE POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU mentions that in INDIA Youth Ages 10-24 is 28% of Total Population in the year 2013. That is more than 1/4^th of total population, so definitely our Vote counts!

10.      Get a job. There’s nothing more empowering than making your own money and building up your resume. 

Small or big every work is worth it. It not only builds up your resume but also gives you experience. Plus the money is always a good thing. So go out get a Job.

11.      Take a vacay to a foreign country. Tres chic!

Saved few bucks by working? Even if not then start saving and take off to a foreign country. Get your passport tattooed; it will be fun, adventurous and also memorable. You’ll get to learn so much about the culture, history and also new languages.

That brings me to the next point.

12.      Master a foreign language.

While planning a trip it is necessary to have a little knowledge of the local language. It helps in moving around in a new place. Global communication es muy importante, no?

And even if you are not travelling to anywhere then just show off in front of your friends. *wink*
 

13.      Learn to cook a yummy and healthy dinner all by yourself. OK, Pinterest can help.

It’s fun to learn new recipes and try them. It makes you independent plus if you cook food at home you can avoid that junk food full of calories from fast food centres.

14.      Do something active every day.

Another step to stay healthy is working out, it might not be going to gym but it can be meditation, yoga or even taking walk. Staying in shape and keeping healthy will make all your long years that much more awesome.

15.      Fall in love.

It is an amazing feeling.  The butterflies in your stomach when you see your significant other is the feeling that you wouldn’t want to miss.

Also learn that it will all be OK if you get your heart broken. If he was foolish enough to walk away, there’s someone smart enough who wants to stay.

16.      No gadgets. For 24 hours

In this world of constant use of gadget we forget the wonderful things that are around us. Spend just 24 hours without all the gadgets, TV, laptop, cell phone and everything else. Go out enjoy the weather, spend time with loved ones or whatever you like.

17.      Chase your dreams.

Think out of the box. Dream jobs are possible, so don’t let “no” stop you. You’re still young, and if you work hard, the possibilities are endless.

18.      Make some long term plans.

Rather go for higher education or start working after graduation. If continuing to work in the same office or change field. Work hard to achieve them but do not lose hope if you fail. We all know failures are part of life, if we don’t fail we don’t learn and hence we don’t change.

19.      Get organized.

Clean that messy room of your, its not only pain for the eyes but also unhygienic. Put the lappy down, get out of your bed and clean the room. Your mom will definitely praise you for that.

20.      Spend some time with your Parents and with your family.

Your siblings may not be the best and your parents may not approve of the career you are pursuing or may be your new hairstyle but the time that you’ll spend with them will bring you closer to them. You might even find out that your little bro is planning to propose his girlfriend or that your mom also coloured her hairs red when she was a teenager.

Also tell your parents you appreciate all they do for you. Seriously, it never gets said enough.

But if you are already in your 20’s and haven’t done any of these yet then go on, “Better Late Than Never”! You already have a list, customize it to suit yourself and come on, you got to do some Crazy stuff to recall when you think of your Teens.

Let me know in the comment below how many of these have you done or do you have other stuffs to add on.

Love you all! Bye xxx

AQUARIUS SIGN PEOPLE: WEIRD OR GENIUS?

Since I’m an Aquarian myself, I feel well-equipped to answer the following question — are Aquarius sign people weird or genius? I think Aquarians have genius potential but sometimes express themselves in ways that make others think they’re weird. Aquarius sign individuals are gifted with the ability to conceptualize outside the box; a unique perspective that at times seems foreign to the more conservative signs of the zodiac.

At their best, Aquarian ideas can be eye-opening and insightful. At their worst,  they can seem extreme and delusional. The result is dependent on two things: one, the Aquarian’s own ability to translate his/her unique ideas in ways that don’t shock and alienate others, and two, the other party’s own beliefs and perceptions about life.  You’ll probably think that the Aquarius sign person in your life is a genius if your definition of “different” is “unique.” However, if you believe that “different” is “odd,” then you’ll find that same person more peculiar than brilliant.

Let’s find out what you think about Aquarians. Take a sec and look at the cartoon picture above. What do you see? The man is looking at the animals behind the window, right? But, consider for a moment that it is the  animals observing the man? Can you imagine such a thing? Or is the concept simply too ridiculous for you to fathom? Your answer should give you a clue about whether you think Aquarius sign people are weird or genius.

For the typical Aquarian, this question is a no-brainer. We sense a potential reality beyond our current awareness and aren’t thrown off by what it could entail. Therefore, animals watching us, birds talking about us, or plants loving us are all within the realm of possibility in the Aquarius universe. To us, knowledge is a forever evolving entity shifting human perception of the “truth.” And it is this mysterious flow of yet-to-be-known facts that’s peeks our curiosity and stimulates our mental creativity. Is this weird or genius? You judge for yourself. But, the next time you meet a quirky Aquarius and immediately think to yourself – “weirdo!”, consider that this person just might be a creative genius a bit ahead of his/her time.

Happy birthday to all you Aquarians out there! May this year bring you closer to your inspired life.

Charlie Hebdo Incident

The recent Charlie Hebdo incident urged my inner self to write about it!

I haven’t ever read any of Charlie Hebdo’s work so I first decided to know more about Charlie Hebdo. Charlie Hebdo roughly translates to “Charlie Weekly”, is a weekly publication that covers French Politics through Cartoons, Satirical Articles and Jokes. The magazine was founded in 1969, and was resurrected in 1992 following a three-year hiatus.

Although its editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier, who was killed in the attack, has said that he considered the magazine a leftist-pluralist publication. Its biting satire habitually targeted the government, high profile politicians and organized religion.

This is not the first time the magazine has been attacked; in 2011 there was a fire bomb attack in its offices. But they believed that avoiding offence for a short term would damage French Secular Culture for a long term.

How you may ask!

In France “Laïcité” that is Secularism has such importance that it has been described as a “FOUNDING MYTH” of French Republic.

The magazines recent cover was about Islam phobic France. The last tweet before the attack was a cartoon depicting ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi offering politically correct “best Wishes” for holiday season.

(I do not have the permission to post any Charlie Hebdo cartoon)

In 2012 in an Interview with Le Monde, Charbonnier explained “I do not feel as though I’m killing someone with my pen. When Activists need a pretext to justify their violence, they always find a way.” He further stated “what I am stating maybe a bit pompous, but I prefer to die standing then living on my knees.”

A number of Cartoons have emphasised that the magazine’s chief target was extremism and not Islam.

Now this research about Charlie Hebdo leads me to know more about the Prophet Mohammad of Islam and why is it an Offence to draw him.

Prophet Mohammad is believed by Muslims and Bahá'ís to be a messenger and prophet of God, Muhammad is almost universally considered by Muslims as the last prophet sent by God to mankind.

Born approximately in 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca, Muhammad was orphaned at an early age; he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib. After his childhood Muhammad primarily worked as a merchant.

Occasionally Mohammad would retreat to a cave in the mountains for several nights of seclusion and prayer; later, at age 40, he reported at this spot, that he was visited by Gabriel and received his first revelation from God.

The revelations (each known as Ayah, lit. "Sign [of God]"), which Muhammad reported receiving until his death, form the verses of the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the "Word of God" and around which the religion is based. Besides the Quran, Muhammad's teachings and practices (sunnah), found in the Hadith and sira literature, are also upheld by Muslims and used as sources of Islamic law.

I read many articles over Internet and literally found nothing that stated that Drawing Prophet Mohammad was a sin. I actually found a lot of Images of the Prophet!

I was shocked!

If drawing the Prophet was a sin then how were there so many Images of the Prophet? I searched some more and then I found some reasons.

Fundamentalists of Islam support the idea that any depictions of Mohammad must be forbidden, but in fact such depictions had not been prohibited until the 16th or 17th century and they are never condemned in the Quran.

So that means it is a view of a group that any Visual Depiction of the Prophet is an offence and not of the whole religion.

To know more about it I asked some of my Muslim friends over the Internet what they felt about the Incident and how would they react about the drawings of their Prophet.

I got a lot of different views but to ease it down I categorized them in two parts,
1) Who were totally against the idea of the images of prophet!
2) Who took it a little bit casually!

So most of the posts mainly belonged to the first group; mainly consisted of the haters as I would state them. They were mostly in support of whatever happened in France. They thought that the attack was to avenge their Prophet. Some random person went as far as to say that anyone who would Insult their Prophet would be cursed by Allah and the true Muslim would always be there to AVENGE on behalf of his Allah.

To this I was like “meh!”

P.S. If that guy or those who think he is right are reading this Blog then keep reading cause you’ll definitely find more urge to kill me!

So I was almost about to shut my lappy down after reading these posts when I came across another post.

It said, “I am totally against drawing our Prophet, peace be upon him, but that is my decision! I cannot force anyone else to believe in my beliefs. And there is nothing in the Quran that states that Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, cannot be drawn. We Muslims do not prefer to draw him because he was so great, such a saint that any artist, no matter how talented, cannot do Justice to the Prophet’s Image, peace be upon him.”

I was surprised to see this Insight about Prophet by him. He gave me an appropriate reason that the Muslims must believe for not supporting the drawings of the Prophet.

His comment made me search further through more posts to find out what normal (not radical) Muslims thought about this Incident.

That’s when I found more people believing that the Charlie Hebdo Incident is a shame for Humanity.

To shorten things out, there were people belonging to the Muslim community who thought that “Allah never asked Muslims to avenge; he said you should go to war only when you are being evicted from your house.” “Muslims have the belief of not drawing the Prophet, but that does not mean the world will follow it. The Christians have the tradition of celebrating Christmas, do we follow that? The Hindus have the tradition of worshiping Cow’s, does that stop us from eating Cow meat? No! Then why should the world follow our believes?” and a lot more such Posts!

These posts made me realize that it’s not a religion that spreads Terror. Any Religion cannot be that low that it can be ridiculed by an art of an artist! It is just what our mentality is!

Every religion has some bad guys, but there are a lot more good guys to nullify the bad guys' deeds! In this moment of when our Freedom is in danger, we all have to stick together and fight against these TERRORISTS!

I, pledge that no matter what is my Religion is, will always belong to the most Important Religion first. That is HUMANITY.

May the souls of the martyrs rest in peace!

There is no weapon stronger than PEN!

JE SUIS CHARLIE!                                                                                I AM CHARLIE!

The One Way Ticket

Aahana Mallick woke early on the morning of the class trip to Baroda Museum. After eating a larger than normal breakfast, she got dressed quickly. She'd been looking forward to this day for weeks, and she didn't want to miss the school bus. As she headed down the stairs toward the front door, she swung her backpack over her shoulders. Her mother was waiting for her at the door.

"Here's some money," Suzanne Mallick said handing her Two Hundred Rupees. "In case you see something at one of the gift shops."

Aahana Mallick thanked her mother, took the money and placed it in the zippered pocket of her backpack where she'd put the change from her piggy bank, two months of allowance and six weeks of babysitting money she'd managed to save.

For once, the bus to Ahmedabad High School was full since few students wanted to cut class or stay home sick on the day of a class trip. Aahana found a seat next to Rahul, a tall, lanky nerd with a bad case of acne. Neither one spoke to the other on the ride. Rahul was far too shy to talk to girls, and Aahana didn't want any of her friends seeing her associating with such a geek.

When the bus came to a stop in the school parking lot, Aahana was the first one out of her seat. Unlike most days, she didn't loiter in the hallway outside her locker or waste time in the girls' room checking her hair and makeup. Instead, she headed directly to her classroom.

Mr. Jadhav, her class teacher, had forsaken his suit and tie for a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, taking full advantage of the informal dress code during class trips.

"All right, listen up, everybody," he called. "Mrs. Shah and Mrs. Patel have volunteered to act as chaperones today. I'm going to split you into three groups. Mrs. Shah will supervise one group, Mrs. Patel another and I'll watch the rest of you."

Mr. Jadhav then enumerated in detail the rules of behavior that he expected his students to follow both on the bus and while touring the sights in Baroda.

"And remember," he concluded, as the students lined up in single file to board the chartered buses that would transport them, “Stay together. Don't wander off. I don't want to leave any of you behind."

* * *

The bus pulled up to the curb near the Baroda Museum, and the students got off. Aahana joined the students that were assigned to Mrs. Patel’s group. Mr. Jadhav took a quick head count, and once he confirmed that everyone was present; he led the three groups across the common to the hall.

The morning passed slowly for Aahana. She had no real interest in the pictures hung on the walls, though The Egyptian mummy and skeleton of a blue whale did attract her. But other than that she didn’t care much about the famous Akota bronzes dating the 5th Century AD, the collection of Mughal miniatures, the full-fledged gallery of Tibetan Art or oils by several European masters. It was nearly two o'clock when Mr. Jadhav suggested that they take a break from sightseeing and get some lunch. Aahana smiled when the bus driver pulled into a McDonald's parking lot. The fast food restaurant was packed, which was to be expected given the time of day.

"We'll go in and buy our food," Mr. Jadhav instructed, "and come back and eat it on the bus."

Once inside McDonald's, Mrs. Patel’s herded her group to the shortest order line. Aahana waited until the first of her classmates stepped up to the counter. Now was her window of opportunity.

"Mrs. Patel," she cried. "I have to go to the bathroom."

The chaperone looked at the crowded dining area and reluctantly gave her permission. "Make it quick, dear."

Aahana headed toward the ladies' room in the back of the restaurant. She turned to see if Mrs. Patel was watching her. Thankfully, the chaperone was looking the other way, enabling Aahana to duck out the side door undetected.

Free at last! Aahana reached into her backpack and took out the map of Baroda she'd printed from the Internet. After finding her bearings, she briskly walked--she did not want to call attention to herself by running--toward Baroda Railway Station. Like McDonald's, the transportation center was bustling with activity. Faking an attitude of casualness, the excited teenager walked to the ticket window.

"I'd like a one-way ticket to Pune, please."

She was afraid the agent would question her or demand to see some identification, but he simply took the fare and printed out the ticket.

"The train leaves at 3:50," he announced before calling for the next person in line to step forward.

Since the train was not due to leave for around an hour, the platform was empty. As Aahana waited, she looked at the ticket in her hand and wondered what Pune was like. Making the decision to run away from home had been easy. Deciding where to run had been more difficult. Large cities intimidated her, so Surat, Rajkot and even staying here at Baroda were out of the question. On the other hand, strangers would more likely be spotted in small towns. Pune was in a complete different state. Her mother could never imagine that she could run to a different state. With a population of roughly 25 lakh, was small enough not to be daunting and yet large enough that she could get lost in the crowd.

As she continued to wait for the train to freedom, Aahana wondered what was happening at McDonald's. Mrs. Patel and Mr. Jadhav must have noticed her absence by now. They had probably looked for her briefly before phoning the police. How long will it be before someone contacted Suzanne Mallick? The image of her mother staring in disbelief at the news, her shoulders suddenly slumping as she broke down in tears upset Aahana. She didn't want to cause her mother too much pain.

"Stop it!" she told herself as the first hint of regret crept into her thoughts. "I'm running away, and that's that! I've already made up my mind."

By three thirty a handful of people had joined Aahana on the platform, and by quarter after there were several more. No one took notice of the young girl traveling by herself. Apparently, no one guessed she was running away. All that might change soon, Aahana mused. Within the next few days her picture would most likely be in the local newspapers under the headline GIRL MISSING IN BARODA or something to that affect. Perhaps she might even make that night's nine o'clock news. Hopefully, by that time, she would be safely out of Gujarat.

When Aahana saw the train arrive at the station, she got ready to board the train. She looked at her watch. It was 3:45. Aahana took a seat in the back, hoping to keep out of the general vision. She was glad when a handsome young man sat in the seat across the aisle. People would be less likely to notice her if there were other people around.

Only after the train left the station and was heading away from the station in a fast and swift motion did Aahana remove her backpack, push her seat back and relax.

* * *

The choo of the train's engine lulled Aahana to sleep. When she woke several hours later, the train was nearing the Valsad. Soon it would be crossing the border into Maharastra. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She opened her backpack and took out a snicker bar. It was gone in a few bites, and she wished she had brought another one.

"Hungry?"

The voice startled Aahana. It belonged to the man sitting across the aisle.

"A little," she replied.

Her mother had always warned her never to talk to strangers, but now that she was on her own, things were different. With no money, no place to live and no food, she would have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

"The train will probably stop at the next station in a little while. You can get something to eat there."

"Oh, I'm not that hungry," she lied.

The stranger smiled. "Don't have enough money?"

Aahana lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"Do you have far to travel?"

"I'm going to Mumbai." It was all the information she was willing to give.

"It looks like we'll be travel companions for some time. My name is Tom, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Aahana."

"Are you going to visit relatives in Mumbai?" he asked.

"Y-yes," the young girl lied unconvincingly. "My grandparents live there."

Tom raised his eyebrows, as though he knew she wasn't being honest with him. "Do you plan on staying there long?"

"A few weeks."

"You travel light," he said, looking pointedly at her backpack.

Aahana couldn't think of a plausible story to explain her lack of luggage, so she remained silent.

"I know it's none of my business, but you give every appearance of someone who's running away from home."

The girl laughed nervously. "Where did you get that silly idea?"

"One, all you have with you is a backpack," Tom replied. "Two, you keep looking around as though you're afraid someone will find you. Three...."

"That's enough already. I'm a lousy liar. I am running away, all right?"

"I already surmised that."

"And what are you going to do, notify the police?"

Tom shook his head. "No need to bring in the authorities. Even if I did 'turn you in,' so to speak, you'd probably run away again first chance you got."

"You really won't tell anyone?"

"I promise."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

Tom lapsed into silence, his eyes turned toward the window, away from Aahana.

* * *

Shortly after 8:00 p.m. the train stopped at Vapi where Aahana got out, stretched her legs and washed her hands and face in the ladies' room. When she got back on the train, she saw that Tom had bought her a hamburger, fries and a Coke. Her eyes brightened and she thanked him for his kindness and generosity.

"You can't expect to get to Mumbai on an empty stomach," he laughed.

By midnight more than half the passengers had turned off their reading lamps and were resting their eyes. A few lucky ones had even managed to fall asleep. Aahana was not one of them.

"What's the matter? Can't sleep?" Tom asked, when he saw the teenager restlessly fidgeting in her seat.

"I guess I'm too excited."

"I can well imagine. It's not every day one runs away from home."

"What about you?"

"I can't sleep either. Why don't we talk until one of us gets tired?"

"What do you want to talk about?" Aahana asked.

"For starters, why don't you tell me why you're running away?"

It was a reasonable question, and suddenly the answer seemed awfully childish. "My mother treats me like a baby," the girl confided. "She never lets me go anywhere or do anything. I never have any fun."

Tom pretended to be shocked. "Never? No going to the movies or to the mall? No amusement parks? No parties at your friends' houses?"

Aahana blushed with embarrassment and admitted, "Oh, she lets me do those things."

"Then what is it she won't let you do?"

"There's this boy I like. His name is Harsh. He wanted to take me sailing out to Arabian Sea on his brother's sailboat."

"And your mother said no?"

"That's right. She said since there was no adult supervision, I couldn't go."

Aahana waited for Tom's response. She was sure, as an adult, he would side with her mother.

"I don't blame you then," he said, taking her by surprise. "I'd run away too. Your mother seems completely unreasonable. After all, you're what? sixteen? seventeen?"

"Fifteen and a half. I'll be sixteen in November."

"That's plenty old enough to make your own decisions concerning men."

Aahana giggled. She had never thought of Harsh as a man more of a boy but definitely not a man.

"And I'm sure you're an excellent swimmer."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Now it was Tom's turn to laugh. "No one in his right mind would sail to Arabians if he didn't know how to swim. I'm sure if the boat were to capsize you'd have no trouble making it to land."

Aahana shifted uneasily in her seat. The truth was she couldn't swim. In fact, she hated going into the ocean, having the waves knock her about and tasting the salty water in her mouth.

"Can we talk about something else?" she asked petulantly.

"Sure."

In the darkness of night, Aahana couldn't see the smile on Tom's face.

* * *

Whether it was the sun in her eyes, the gnawing hunger in her stomach or the uncomfortable position in which she'd been sleeping that woke her, Aahana wasn't certain, but she was wide awake at 6:00 a.m., an occurrence that would have surprised the hell out of her mother.

"Good morning," Tom cheerfully greeted her. "Sleep well?"

"Not very," the girl replied as she felt another hunger pain stab her.

"Me either," he confessed. "There's nothing like my own bed. I don't sleep well anywhere else. By the way, where do you plan on sleeping when you get to Mumbai?"

Aahana shrugged. "I hadn't given the matter much thought. I'm sure I'll find a place."

"I guess you didn't think about finding a job. You know, most places won't hire anyone under sixteen. And even if you were sixteen, you'd need working papers--Child Labor Laws, you know."

"I can baby-sit. You don't need to be sixteen for that. I used to baby-sit all the time back in Ahmedabad."

"That's a fine idea. I never thought of that. I'll bet you have excellent references."

Aahana shook her head. "I didn't know I'd need them, but I'm sure I'll find something anyway," she insisted in a voice that clearly lacked confidence.

"I'm sure you will," Tom agreed. "You're a very resourceful young woman. You've gotten this far, haven't you? Here you are on a train hundreds of miles from your family and your home. It takes a special kind of person to leave behind those you love without so much as a goodbye."

Aahana turned toward the window, so Tom wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. She was gone for good, never to return to Ahmedabad, never to see her mother or Harsh again. She had acted rashly, without much thought about her long-range future.

"Maybe you never really thought you'd get to Mumbai," Tom gently suggested. "Maybe you were secretly hoping that someone would stop you and send you back home."

Aahana looked at him, her cheeks wet with tears. "I wish I'd never run away," she sobbed.

"Don't cry. Here," he said, taking a tissue from his pocket and wiping her face. "It's not too late to change your mind."

"Yes, it is. My mother will be furious. She'll ground me until I'm eighteen."

"Maybe not that long," Tom laughed. "In fact, she might be so happy to see you again that she'll forego your punishment."

"You really think so?" Aahana asked hopefully.

Tom nodded.

"Oh, but I can't go back. I bought a one-way ticket, and I don't have any more money."

"I'm sure we can work something out. After all, you didn't get to your final destination, did you?"

When the train stopped at the next station, Tom exchanged Aahana's one-way ticket to Pune for a return ticket to Ahmedabad.

"There's even some money left over for you to get some lunch," he said, handing Aahana the change.

"I don't know how to thank you," she cried.

"Just get back home safely, and stay put when you get there."

Tom walked her toward the platform where the passengers bound for Ahmedabad were already boarding the train. Aahana turned and thanked him one last time. Then she climbed up the stairs and headed to the window from where, she saw Tom wave and walk away.

Suddenly, she was very tired. She laid her head on her backpack, curled her legs beneath her and fell asleep.

* * *

Suzanne buried her face in her hands and cried. Her daughter, her little girl, her baby, was gone.

"Oh, Aahana," she sobbed. The pain of loss was agonizing. "I don't know how I'll get through this."

She looked down at Aahana's body lying on the hospital bed.

"Why didn't you listen to me? I told you not to go out in that boat. You didn't even know how to swim."

Suzanne grabbed her daughter's limp hand and kissed the small, cold fingers. Only fifteen years earlier she had given birth to Aahana in that same hospital. Now, her daughter was dead, drowned in a boating accident.

"Why?" she cried. "Dear God, why?"

The girl's hand moved in hers.

"That can't be. It must be my imagination."

But the fingers moved again as Aahana squeezed her mother's hand. When Suzanne looked at her daughter's face and saw the eyes flutter open, her heart leapt with joy.

* * *

Aahana didn't remember the accident, didn't even remember going out on the boat.

"You cut school on Friday and snuck out with that boy, Harsh," her mother explained. "The two of you took out his brother's sailboat. The boat capsized, and you nearly drowned."

"That's impossible," Aahana argued. "I went on my class trip to Baroda. I slipped away from Mrs. Patel and walked to Railway Station where I boarded a train to Pune."

"Pune? You must have had some dream!"

"No. It really happened."

It was like the final scene in The Wizard of Oz in which Dorothy was swearing she'd been to the Emerald City while all the time she'd been lying unconscious on her bed.

"It couldn't have, honey. A fisherman pulled you out of the sea, and the ambulance brought you here. You were...." Suzanne's voice caught in her throat. "You weren't breathing."

"Well, I'm breathing now."

Suzanne nodded, smiling through her tears. "Yes, you are."

* * *

Aahana was kept in the hospital overnight for observation. Her mother stayed by her side, sleeping in a chair. The nurse had given the teenager something to help her sleep, but it wasn't working.

She turned on the light above the bed and found a copy of The Times Of India the nurse had left for Suzanne to read. Aahana opened it to the local section. The headline read OFFICER DIES IN BANK HOLD-UP. An involuntary cry escaped her throat.

Suzanne woke immediately. "What's wrong?"

Her daughter handed her the newspaper. "This is the man who was on the train with me."

Suzanne looked down and saw a photograph of a handsome young police officer. Beneath the photograph was a caption that identified the slain man was Officer Thomas J. D’Souza.

"The article says he was killed two days ago," Suzanne said, looking up from her newspaper.

"That means he was already dead when I met him," Aahana exclaimed in awe.

"You don't know what you're saying."

"Yes, I do. Don't you see, Mom? Everyone on that train must have been dead too. They all had one-way tickets, even me. You said yourself I wasn't breathing."

"But you weren't--you weren't dead!"

"My heart stopped, and I wasn't breathing. That spells dead to me."

"Let's not talk about this," Suzanne urged, her eyes once again filled with tears.

"I had a one-way ticket, not to Pune but to the hereafter. Only I didn't stay on the train. Tom talked me into coming back home. He exchanged my ticket and put me on a train heading back to Ahmedabad."

"Stop it!" Suzanne screamed. "I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense."

Obediently, Aahana dropped the subject. She sensed her mother's fear and had no desire to upset her any more than she already had.

"I'm sorry, Mom. You were right. I shouldn't have gone out with Harsh on his brother's boat. It won't happen again."

Suzanne sighed, her spirits brightening. While all The Twilight Zone talk frightened her, she could handle Aahana cutting school to go sailing with a boy.

"You're darn right it won't. You're lucky I don't ground you until you're eighteen." Her eyes softened. Just this once she would throw discipline to the wind. "I'm just glad you're all right."

Aahana kissed her mother goodnight and then closed her eyes. But before she drifted off in a deep, dreamless slumber, she said a silent prayer for the soul of Officer Tom D’Souza.