From receiving strangest advices & comments from people I thought I knew to a stranger insisting me to try septum ring based on my outlook (I was tempted to give it a try though😜), 2025 was definitely a year that’s gonna be in my memory for quite a long time. There was a time where I felt people need to understand that nice and kind are two different things. But only to realise that kindness is also tainted these days, may be we all should learn how to be authentically kind.

It was a year to evidently show me that if I pay attention, there’s always a sign letting me know something. A day ends up being good or bad based on the intentions. And bad days are actually a necessity to understand no matter how bad something can go wrong, I will always end up with good things. To remind me to do my part so that what goes around will always come back to me at right time. How a smallest action of yours or someone’s can make a moment or day. I will never forget the aunty who was so candid & innocent to walk upto me and ask ‘if you don’t mind can I pull your dimple’, the odder it sounds, you could have never said no to that smile & innocence. It was so random that she made me smile wider, and ponder isn’t it that simple to compliment or appreciate something that you like?

Being someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, this year the child in me has been absolutely happy, got to live some of her wishes and also, adult in me has been through times where she didn’t wanted to show up yet made it out of her gym session without shedding that tear, has shown up for her people when it was least possible, has unlearnt few things to make space for new ones, has learnt to let go without complaints, has a better understanding of what is it that matters more to her, has been proud of the version she is becoming everyday irrespective of the expectations.

This year, I’m glad that I’ve taken chances. I’ve been confused. I’ve had the most clarity, & almost perfect plans but only to face that you can do everything that you want but what’s not meant for you will never give you peace and happiness. I’ve come across new set of personalities and perspectives, while discovering newer versions of the people I know. At times, I have disappeared or zoned out in the multiple tabs that would be open in my mind or screen (Who knew that you could open only 500 tabs in Phone Safari😛). There was a time, when I thought should I take a Substack subscription instead of Netflix but the thriller movie enthusiast & hopeless romantic in me didn’t let that happen. I figured I could survive without social media, but not books, songs and movies. Oh yeah, also YouTube. I guess YouTube premium is wiser option than taking prime subscription. At this point, I might think twice sharing my YouTube history than my ChatGPT (I prefer asking questions to the real intelligent’s that I have in my life😜. I would happily bother people around me about the sunscreen to use, food to try, best appliance to buy). And somehow I’ve picked up the habit of organising things, not like a perfect way but more of like a habit of keeping things in its place, in accessible manner and keeping it back where its taken from. Do you know the happiness of finding something when you are actually looking for it, starting to unpack the day you return from a trip (It’s okay, I can imagine your reactions). Surprisingly I remember where exactly every single thing is kept. Okay now stop judging me and asking me to get a life, may be it’s you who is stuck in doom scrolling & getting addicted to short term memory loss?! (Ouch that was kind I hope but let’s not jinx my memory, okay?). I also realised, how unconventionally conventional I’m in certain ways.

I have made peace with the fact that no matter how much I try, I will end up disappointing people at one or the other time, in one or the other way. (So I need to make sure that, the disappointed person is not me.). It’s definitely not easy for anyone to be in someone’s place and understand, so it’s okay to be misunderstood. Finally I have been able to create a teeny tiny understanding between me, my body and my health. I probably had the most ice creams this year and totally worth it. There’s nothing a Lemon Sorbet can’t fix🤩. I finally became fully acceptable & comfortable with off-shoulders. Oh yes, from being an inspiration for a few from the way I carry sleeveless to finally acknowledging & changing myself about the little insecurity to wear off-shoulders is my little happy moment. I always had a thing for sarees, but oh boy! This year I guess I just didn’t wear a saree I feel I owned it. Once you get comfortable with it, there’s no going back. And there’s a lot to know and learn about them.

Before the year ends, I really want to thank few who has been there while I was living this thing called life. (You will know it’s you, when you read along😉).

The one who always, like always shows up in whatever capacity she can. The one who can hear me rant for hours, the one with whom I can be crying this min and laugh in the next few mins. You know there’s no jealousy, no hate when someone pushes you to be yourself, reminds me about how I see the magic in little things of life, believes in me when even I could be doubting myself. I will try to bring less drama next year😜 but what to do you love drama. We owe two Malpua-Rabdi’s for 2026!

The one, who was always there but this year made sure the presence was effortless, who enjoys mocking me, the impatient one but has all the patience with me to let me speak with whatever little or more information I’m willing to say, the one who actually does justice to the saying ‘just one call away’ by being there even if its through a good morning message.

The one who has definitely made me wonder how did I survive with this person, but little does he know that I’m more than glad for having him in my life. By choice (or by mistake🤣), he always brings out a version of me that’s always getting better at taking care of things, people and emotions. The one who made me realise something that I had always believed in -‘Acceptance is Bliss’. The one who has eventually understood to let me complete my stories when I start rambling. The one who is mastering the art of patience. The one who bears all my pj’s, silly questions, and who says can’t change me, but mistakes to notice I’m not the same one he met.

The one who pushed me to try something out of my comfort zone this year – Yay! I finally went on a Run. The one who finally cooked something for me after months of nagging. The one who actually did a lot with the right amounts of listening, words and understanding when it was the most needed. The world needs more people like you.

The one who surprisingly showed up in different ways in whatever capacity he can. The one who believed & supported me in something just because I believed in it. My unpaid tamil translator, reviewer.

Of course, not all 365 days would be a happening one. But even a single day or moment is enough to make an entire year stand out. Even though there have been days or months this year that I don’t have solid accountability for, there are still good things unfolding, still reasons to believe that life is gently working in my favour. So, I’m definitely looking forward to 2026, not in a way to tick off things but to have my soul experience everything that’s there to offer. As they say, between the sky of hope and the ground of expectations, we live life!

PS: Ruining someone’s white shirt with my red lipstick is still on my list btw.