My Theme for the #BlogchatterHalfMarathon – Navras

Navras or Navrasa – The Nine Emotions of life.

Emotions we all experience at some time in our lives. However, I want to ask you this? How well do you really understand others? How well do you even understand yourself? Have you realized that all that we see, hear, feel gets imprinted on our psyche, and shows up unexpectedly.

For Karuna Ras- Sorrow or Compassion, I wrote Hate

Can you stake claim to knowing what is going on in someone’s life and mind? Has it taken you by surprise when you find out that even though they may appear to be shiny and bright on the outside those people could be struggling within? How many times have you caught yourself realizing that things are not what they seemed?

For Hasya Ras – Laughter, I wrote Roger

Roger’s simplicity gave us something to laugh about. Did any of us pause to question why Roger, and many like him, are people who rarely think for themselves? They absorb thoughts, follow instructions, and do what is expected of them. Literally by rote. Seldom pausing to wonder what is it they truly enjoy and how their habits could be detrimental for them.

For Bhibatsa Ras – Disgust or Self Pity/Dissatisfaction, I wrote Dear Mr. Ramsbottom

What was eating at Mr. Ramsbottom to cause this endless hunger? We have all been ‘emotional eaters’ at some point in our lives. My binge eating episodes leave me feeling disgusted towards myself. Imagine what her Husband’s eating pattern did to Mrs. Ramsbottom. What it must have been like to live with a spouse who was absent for you mentally physically and emotionally. And then that spouse became a reason for ridicule. What must have those feelings done to her?

For Adbhut Ras – Surprise or Wonder, I wrote Late

Should habits be constant or should they change? Especially those that cause an inconvenience to others. What if you start enjoying the discomfort your habits are causing to others?.

For Bhayanaka Ras – Terror or Fear, I wrote In the Dark of the Night

Do you know what happens inside a troubled mind? What kind of thoughts race through it? The self-doubts that play hide and seek with a  person who needs help to realign their mental health. Do they imagine what they feel or is it real?

For Shringar Ras -Love/Beauty, I wrote Makeup

If you are happy as who you were born, you are a lucky soul. You will probably never understand the struggle of someone who fights their natural-born self every day. Not understanding someone’s struggle does not mean that you have to ridicule it. Respect every choice, even though it may seem strange to you.

For Veera Ras – Courage, I wrote Veera

Courage is the absence of Fear. However, sometimes it takes us years and years to understand this simple fact, as we continue to live with Fear. The fear of what people think, will say, or what our decisions will lead us to? Fear is debilitating, it holds us back from being our true selves, even as it keeps people who wish us well away.

For Rudra Ras – Anger, I wrote Looks are Deceptive

Anger is not always visible. More often than not it simmers beneath a smile, it boils within a calm demeanor and ripples through a big laugh. At other times it escapes you through hot tears. Not appreciating someone, taking them for granted, or patronizing them is a sure-shot recipe to piss them off, sometimes dangerously.

For Shanti Ras – Peace, I wrote Bebe ka Batua

Do some people really have it all together. How do certain people always remain composed, no matter what life throws at them? Everyone has their coping mechanisms. 

If you have read so far and haven’t realized it by now, the common thread running through my stories is the topic of Mental Health. Looks are deceptive, you can never see a person and understand what they are going through. But we are doing that all the time, as it is easier to judge than it is to understand.

Let us decide to be more compassionate even as we try to understand Mental Health and the struggles it comes with. Let our empathy help heal the World.

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