I am not disrespecting any great versatile actors, neither telling that they are less talented. It's just, I feel that people are nowadays more confined to specific genres and are afraid to try new things.

Do not build a cage out of your own comfort zone. The moment you decide to break through, you realize the sky was never the limit.

— Interstellar

It's an art to be interested in everything.

Nowadays people are forgetting why cinemas were made in the first place. Yes, they are supposed to make money and popularize deserving talented people but above all, they were supposed to entertain people. Like every other art form, it provides joy and solace to people. Cinema acts like a hook that anchors you with your own fictional world, free from this cruel crowd, far away from the reach of reality's hands. It lets you live in a thousand worlds at a same time and gives you life again and again and again.

Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.

— Rapunzel, Tangled

I am proud to say that I am a versatile movies watcher. I love to try different genres and sometimes, even watch documentaries. Watching movies of the same type for a long period of time, bores me. When people ask me about my favourite movie, I remain silent because how am I supposed to say that it's hard to choose one from so many! I have my favourites in each and every genre. I am nerdy enough to understand a lots of references and I completely thank myself for having this ability. From Indian bollywood movies to English, Korean, even French movies, I love them all equally.

I consider myself to be a member of Dead Poet's Society as well as Fight Club. I know both of the movies are poles apart but they teach the very same thing that —

Break free from society's rigid, pre-scripted expectations and wake up to a life truly lived before time runs out.

I love watching romcoms and wonder when I will have my first kiss in the rain while, Conjuring sends chills in my back bone. The not so popular thriller movie Zodiac enthralled me with its realistic touch in detective case and I wish I could visit the city of Zootopia. In Captain America: The Civil War, I gladly took Ironman's side and likewise, Kong's side in the movie Godzilla vs. Kong. I feel like I belong to every world possible in this multiverse except my very own, just like Miles Morales. I do not only live those lives through the characters in their worlds but try to enhance my own personality and perception according to them in the real world. Like Lara Jean, I am a goner for romcoms and love stories but in reality, I am scared of love and strive to never fall in it unless its Peter Kavinsky from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. I learnt from John Milton of The Devil’s Advocate that vanity ang greed are bad because it's his ‘favourite sin'. I aspire be bold as Miranda Priestley from Devil Wears Prada and also kind like Christopher Gardner from Pursuit of Happiness.

I think the only reason I enjoy watching so many types of movies is because I don't confine myself to the movie screen itself, but see it. Movies are no just pixels in the screen, they are emotions, significant art forms. People say that you can have only one home but that's utter bullshit. As we learn from the movie Julie and Julia, home is where we feel happy, safe and loved. I say that I have many homes. Every movie that I watch becomes a part of me and I cherish that forever. Now if you ask me what's my favourite genre? I really don't know. I try my best to embrace each movie the way they are made, and give equal importance and love to everyone. And what's my most hated movie? All those misogynistic and patriarchal movies, where a woman always have to sacrifice her dreams for a man, and it is considered as a happily ever after ending.

So in conclusion I would just like to say that until the Sun swallows the only Earth we have, please don't forget the Cinema, don't forget the beauty of art and embrace it with all your heart. I realize everyday that movies can heal. Don't confine yourself to a specific genre. See what's beyond, and you will find the STARS.

After all this time?

ALWAYS

— Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2

Thank you for reading this article and for more like this, return to this sweet abode.

— Ophelia. S

There was a silent darkness —

Everyone was looking at each other with hopeful eyes,

The untouchables were the one with most liveliness

The rich men were the ones who dealt with lies.

​

There were some men in the cemetery,

Was that the night's chill that made them numb and cold?

Or was it the souls of those heroes who fought the rivalry,

Who also gathered at the auspicious moment to share the things untold?

​Was it the radio, the night, or the crickets,

That whispered the words to the yearning men?

Clement declared freedom from his rule, wicked.

Everyone arose, were they had been sleeping even?

​They gathered under the free sky,

When a single ray of sun lightened it,

They cried, 'Mother, bid your locking chains goodbye!'

They were successful in making the British quit.

​-Ophelia S.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.

— Jawaharlal Nehru

Behind the Stanza

I wrote this poem in afternon, thinking how people might have felt back then in 1947, the day before, we, Indians got freedom! Yes, I know Indian Independence Act has been passed many days ago, but what was their heart beat rate specially at 11:59 p. m of 14th August?

Ears on the radio, breathing uneven, eyes sparkling with hope – they were sitting in their small houses, remembering the people they lost and acknowledging the people they had. Finally, Clement declared ‘FREEDOM!’ And then, came the free breeze, free sunray, independent people!

Although the current state of India is not something to be very proud of, but my heart fills with pride and respect for the India that made the strong hammer to break its chains!

Jai Hind!

Thank you for reading this, and for more pieces like this, return to this abode!

Our life is like a sea. It is full of tides which represents the ups and downs, salt which symbolize all the unexpressed, vulnerable tears shed throughout your journey and foremostly the shore which represents the everlasting happiness that we believe there is and the memories that we try our best to cling to.

When the ocean turns dark and fog rolls over the waves, our Friends serve as the lighthouse beam. They stand tall on the horizon, not to stop the storm, but to remind you which way is home so you never lose your bearing in the dark.

But what if the lighthouse is not there? What happens when you get lost in the dark waves and your only hope of light falls like shadow on you? Well, the only thing that you can do right then is-

Just keep swimming.

—Finding Dory

When we lose friends, we just don't lose their pressence from our lives but we lose the specific version of ourselves that only existed when we were with them.

They carry the jokes that no other person will understand, they carry the secret that no person will know and mostly they carry a part of ourselves. Good friends are not just people in your life, they become your daily habits, they become a part of your day, they become a part of you.

One fine day when many souls are getting lives, many people are losing lives, you and your friend choose not to talk further. Was it the stars? Or your ego? Suddenly you don't have them to share your tiffin with, suddenly you start sitting alone, all the books you read and movies you watched remained in the corner of your mind because you don't have them to share with anymore. No final goodbyes, not well wishing for the unseen future, just disappearance and pretendence as if the bond never existed. You slowly start forgetting the way you used to smile around them, your tone of voice when you shared secrets, your favorite thing to do with them and then everything you ever did becomes a sweet memory which you can do nothing but cherish.

And what hurts even more?

When you remember. When you remember the story book they love, the way they nodded their head in response to anything, the dress they wore at every Sunday and the way they made your life a better place. Then you realize-

forgetfulness is a bliss.

It pangs your heart when you see them passing by you wearing that same necklace you gifted, but you can't call them because they didn't, right?

At that point, looking at them feels like shouting silently at the void. You, yourself are not speaking just because you know that you will not get any response. So you try your best not to care. You see that necklace and move your eyes away, you know their schedule and avoid the places they are supposed to turn up. You start realizing that -

Ignorance is Bliss

At the end, you know that the friends about whom you really cared are just chapters of your life story. They are just the artificial lighthouse. Look beyond, and you will see the moonbeam brightening your path, maybe little subtle but permanent. Friendship is the best thing that you can ever have in your life until the bond becomes burden. You are not supposed to give the only efforts. So when, the guest is just complaining about the food, flip the table and leave the room because remember, you are the HOST.

So, the next time, you see your former friends passing by, push the memories, you made together, aside from your mind and just keep walking. Because in the end, they always become Known Strangers .

Some people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a life time.

— Brian A. “Chalkbox” Jackson

Thank you for reading this article and for more reality checks, return to this abode.

— Ophelia S.

​In this piece, I wanted to explore that eerie sensation of emotional déjà vu—when the heart doesn't just hurt, but recognizes the precise pattern of its own breaking.

Deja Vu

- Ophelia. S

You were holding her hand upon the street,

To show the world the love you claimed is true

The smile and the gestures play on repeat,

Everything seemed special but nothing new.

I dream about your colourful chapter ,

Which has become red from my shattered heart

You threw the book aside nor read what's after,

Fate never bound us, thus tore us apart.

I am too rusted to be attracted ,

So you used me as a nail to hang your frame

Like a tragic hero you just acted ,

Then I realised, you treat all the girls same.

I hope you find your happiness new,

And with every girl you meet, you get DEJA VU.

Behind the Stanza

​I’ve always been fascinated by how memory interacts with pain. The term déjà vu usually describes a fleeting trick of the mind, but when applied to grief or heartbreak, it becomes something much heavier—a ghost-pain where an old scar begins to throb as if it were brand new. Olivia Rodrigo is my most favourite singer and one day, while I was listening to her song Deja Vu, I got glimpses of the friends I lost and all the memories we made came rushing to me. At that moment, I felt like ‘I was just there right? It happened to me earlier?’

​When I was writing this sonnet, I wanted to contrast the feeling of time moving forward in the real world with a heart that feels trapped in a repeating cycle. If you’ve ever felt like you were reliving a past sorrow down to the very last beat, I hope this piece speaks to you.

Welcome to today's piece. This sonnet explores the themeof a BROKEN ANIMAL claustrophobia of captivity, lost hope, and the quiet weight of broken spirits through the lens of classical myth.

Finally Freedom!

-Ophelia S.

The wild beast is hidden behind the cage,

Thrown in the abyss darker than Erebus

It paces behind the iron bars, stiffening rage,

Let down its guard, mourning death of Cerberus.

When tears showered, it soared above the cloud

But now, claws turned blunt, feathered span cramped.

The silent thoughts emerged to be too loud,

The cruel shower made the windows damped .

The blacksmith, who crafted it, lost its key;

Instead of breaking rules, the foes broke soul,

The leaf dreaming to fly, jumped from the tree,

Lost and devoid of hope, the flesh turned coal.

It ceased beating, retained the days that shone,

Amidst the intact dreams, lies broken bone.