NihshabdBlog

Tag: Nihshabd journal

  • The Word That Needs To Be Yeeted Out of This Planet.

    The Word That Needs To Be Yeeted Out of This Planet.

    If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

    If I could permanently ban one word from general usage,

    it would be—

    “SHOULD.”

    .

    Yes.

    That tiny, overconfident, unsolicited life-advisor of a word.

    .

    “You SHOULD do this.”

    “You SHOULD be like that.”

    “You SHOULD have settled by now.”

    “You SHOULD behave like an adult.”

    .

    Excuse me?

    I can’t even decide what to eat without scrolling food reels for 20 minutes.

    Please calm down.

    .

    “Should” is basically society’s way of saying:

    “We don’t know your life, your brain, your dreams, your trauma,

    but we’ll still tell you what to do.”

    .

    And honestly,

    I’ve followed more “shoulds” than Google Maps,

    and both have taken me to the wrong place at least once.

    .

    “Should” carries guilt.

    “Should” carries pressure.

    “Should” carries expectations that no one asked for

    (but are delivered free with every conversation, like tissue paper in restaurants).

    .

    Imagine a day without “should.”

    You’d wake up and think:

    “I could… if I want to.”

    Now THAT is freedom.

    That is peace.

    That is therapy without the bill.

    .

    We women especially hear a lifetime supply of “should”:

    You should talk less.

    You should smile more.

    You should adjust.

    You should compromise.

    You should dress like this.

    You should NOT dress like that.

    You should sit like a lady.

    You should stand like a lady.

    You should breathe like a lady.

    .

    Arre bhai…

    woman hu, WiFi router nahi, jo sabke expectations connect karu.

    .

    So yes…

    If the universe gives me one ban power,

    I’m taking should

    and sending it on a long, unpaid vacation.

    Somewhere far,

    where even autocorrect can’t find it.

    .

    Because life becomes softer, calmer,

    and beautifully mine

    when I replace “should” with:

    .

    “I want to.”

    “I choose to.”

    “I feel like it.”

    or

    “My peace comes first.”

    .

    Honestly?

    That’s the kind of vocabulary upgrade we all deserve. ✨

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    (Poem ©Rajeshwari.

    Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)

  • The Morning I Pretended I Was Fine (But Missed You Anyway)

    The Morning I Pretended I Was Fine (But Missed You Anyway)

    .

    I sit near the window every morning,

    acting like I’m here for the sunrise

    but honestly—

    I’m here because missing you has become

    my unexpected full-time job.

    .

    The sunlight walks in like it owns the place,

    and I’m like,

    “Great. Even the morning shows up before you.”

    .

    My tea stares at me,

    I stare back,

    and we both know

    we’re thinking about the same person.

    (Yes, you. If you’re reading this,

    take the hint.)

    .

    I wrap my saree around me

    like it’s emotional support fabric—

    dramatic, silky, and very good at hiding feelings

    I pretend I don’t have.

    .

    Flowers outside bloom on time,

    unlike some people I miss.

    The birds sing their cute songs,

    while I’m here trying not to double-text.

    Growth is happening.

    Slowly.

    Painfully.

    Like my WiFi.

    .

    Some days I think I’m totally fine.

    Other days I look at the sunlight and go,

    “Wow, that glow used to be you.”

    (Annoying, but true.)

    .

    I miss you—

    not in the sad-teary Bollywood way,

    but in the

    “can-you-please-teleport-here-so-I-stop-overthinking”

    kind of way.

    .

    And even though I pretend to be calm,

    collected,

    mysterious…

    my heart has already done

    a dramatic backflip

    the moment your name crosses my mind.

    .

    So here I am—

    collecting sunrises,

    collecting feelings,

    collecting proof that yes,

    I miss you…

    sweetly, stupidly,

    and with all my quiet sarcasm.

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    “Digital illustration of a woman in a pink silk saree sitting near a sunlit arched window, surrounded by vibrant bougainvillea and greenery, absorbing a calm morning atmosphere.”
    Created with love — Rajeshwari

    (Poem & Illustration ©Rajeshwari.

    Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)

  • Six Months of Me 

    What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

    Illustrated by Rajeshwari

    My biggest challenge in the next six months?

    Staying loyal to the life I truly want,

    not the one I’ve been conditioned to settle for.

    .

    Choosing peace over pressure —

    even when pressure arrives dressed as responsibility.

    .

    Choosing clarity over chaos —

    even when chaos feels familiar,

    comfortable,

    or expected.

    .

    Choosing myself —

    quietly, consistently,

    without apologizing for the space I take

    or the peace I protect.

    .

    Because not everything is worth my energy,

    and not everyone deserves front-row access

    to my mind, time, or heart.

    .

    And in the end… a small reminder to every woman:

    Choose yourself.

    Every time.

    Without guilt.

    Without hesitation.

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    (Poem & Illustration ©Rajeshwari.

    Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)

  • Dear Teenage Me

    Dear Teenage Me

    What advice would you give to your teenage self?

    Advice I’d Give My Teenage Self (From the Girl Who Thought She Already Knew Everything)

    (A Nihshabd Blog)

    Dear Younger Me,

    Yes, you — the confident, dramatic, hyper-independent teenager who believed she had life all figured out. The one who acted like Google, therapist, astrologer, and philosopher all at once.

    Sit down. Future-you has a few things to say.

    .

    1. Please stop trusting people like they’re walking TED Talks

    Not everyone deserves your truth, your softness, your VIP all-access pass.

    Observe first.

    Then trust.

    And always remember this golden rule:

    Your intuition is the Wi-Fi — if the signal feels weak, don’t connect.

    .

    2. What people think about you is none of your business

    Seriously.

    People only notice you for two minutes; the rest of the time they’re busy overthinking their own life.

    So stop adjusting yourself like a radio antenna trying to get everyone’s approval.

    Be you — loudly, boldly, unapologetically.

    .

    3. Expectations? Keep them light. Like popcorn.

    Expect too much and you’ll feel drained.

    Expect too little and you’ll feel lonely.

    Expect just enough and you’ll feel peaceful.

    Balance is everything.

    Not everyone will show up for you the way you show up for them — and that’s okay.

    .

    4. Your feelings are valid. Period.

    You feel deeply — and that’s not a flaw.

    It’s a strength.

    You’re emotional, expressive, and dramatic in the most adorable way.

    Never stop being that girl who feels things fully.

    Just learn who deserves access to those feelings.

    .

    5. Relationships aren’t a syllabus to master

    They don’t come with rules, formulas, or perfect strategies.

    Choose people who respect your space, honour your voice, and understand your silence.

    Choose people who don’t make you shrink to fit in.

    And above all — choose you every single time.

    .

    6. Self-love isn’t about spa days — it’s about boundaries

    Say “no” without giving a PowerPoint explanation.

    Rest without guilt.

    Walk away from nonsense.

    Protect your peace like it’s your password.

    Your future self will thank you for every boundary you set.

    .

    7. Dance. Always.

    Dance when you’re excited.

    Dance when you’re confused.

    Dance when you have no idea what you’re doing.

    Because nothing grounds you like movement.

    Your body remembers joy even when your mind forgets.

    .

    8. Success is not a race — it’s a rhythm

    Your career will grow with your confidence.

    Your dreams will expand with your courage.

    Stop comparing your timeline to anyone else’s.

    Your path is yours — beautifully, chaotically, uniquely yours.

    .

    9. Yes, you think you know everything

    And honestly, that confidence is iconic.

    But life is funnier, smarter, and more unpredictable than you expect.

    Let it surprise you.

    Let it teach you.

    Let it shift you into someone stronger and softer at the same time.

    .

    The Big Advice:

    Choose yourself, without guilt.

    Choose the life that excites you.

    Choose the work that energises you.

    Choose the people who value you.

    Choose growth, even when it feels uncomfortable.

    And please — trust your own voice more than the noise around you.

    .

    A Final Thank You

    To my teenage self:

    Thank you.

    For believing in magic,

    for dreaming without limits,

    for trying fearlessly,

    for laughing loudly,

    for being bold enough to imagine a future no one else could see.

    Aaj jo main hu…

    it is because of you.

    Your courage.

    Your clarity.

    Your wildness.

    Your stubborn belief in yourself.

    I’m proud of you — endlessly.

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    (Poem ©Rajeshwari.

    Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)

  • ✨ The Hidden Kind of Boredom No One Admits To✨

    ✨ The Hidden Kind of Boredom No One Admits To✨

    What bores you?

    ✨ What Bores Me — More Than Anything

    (A Nihshabd Blog)

    .

    What bores me?

    Honestly… not the usual stuff.

    Not long queues.

    Not slow days.

    Not silent afternoons.

    Not even people who talk too much.

    .

    I get bored of something else —

    something quieter.

    .

    I get bored of pretending.

    Of acting fine when I am not.

    Of smiling because it’s expected.

    Of listening to conversations that have

    a lot of noise

    but no soul.

    .

    I get bored of people

    who speak without saying anything

    and never listen when you finally do.

    .

    I get bored of shallow connections —

    the “How are you?”

    without the “Tell me what’s really going on.”

    .

    I get bored of the energy

    that asks me to shrink

    to make someone else comfortable.

    .

    I get bored of those moments

    where I have to hide

    the loudest parts of me

    just to fit in.

    .

    What bores me the most?

    Living a life that doesn’t feel like mine.

    Talking just to fill the silence.

    Saying “yes” when my heart whispers “no.”

    Showing up for people

    who never show up for me.

    .

    Give me real conversations.

    Give me messy emotions.

    Give me the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable.

    Give me people who feel deeply,

    who pause,

    who ask,

    who care.

    .

    I don’t get bored of life.

    I get bored of half-lived life.

    .

    Because I don’t want days

    that look perfect from the outside

    but feel empty from the inside.

    .

    I want a life that’s honest.

    Raw.

    Soft.

    Loud.

    Quiet.

    Whatever it needs to be —

    as long as it’s real.

    .

    And anything less than that…

    bores me.

    .

    —Rajeshwari🧿💕

    Poem & Illustration © Rajeshwari — All Rights Reserved.

    Do not repost or reproduce without permission.

  • ✨ Overthinking at 3AM Thoughts✨

    ✨ Overthinking at 3AM Thoughts✨

    (A Nihshabd Blog)

    .

    3 AM is that strange hour

    when the whole world sleeps,

    but our thoughts…

    they suddenly decide to stay wide awake.

    .

    The things we avoid all day

    return at night with their volume turned all the way up.

    And we, without a remote,

    just sit there and watch.

    .

    Sometimes the mind feels like a traffic signal

    all thoughts frozen in one moment,

    and then rushing wildly the very next.

    .

    At 3 AM,

    we are both brave

    and on the edge.

    It’s the hour that tells the truth

    we spend all day running away from.

    .

    “Am I doing enough?”

    “Why didn’t I say what I really felt?”

    “Will anyone ever understand me the way I am?”

    .

    The night doesn’t answer.

    It simply puts a dim spotlight on us

    and suddenly we become the lead actors

    in the story we were avoiding.

    .

    Sometimes it’s the fear of the future,

    sometimes memories we thought we buried,

    sometimes people,

    sometimes expectations…

    They all line up one by one

    and demand attention.

    .

    But here’s the quiet truth

    3 AM thoughts aren’t enemies.

    They’re just the feelings

    we don’t have the courage to hear in daylight.

    .

    3 AM makes us cry a little,

    learn a little,

    feel deeply,

    and sometimes…

    release things we were holding too tightly.

    .

    So if you’re lying awake at 3 AM, overthinking,

    remember

    you’re not alone.

    This hour silently connects all of us

    in the same invisible conversation.

    .

    And the morning?

    Morning always makes things better.

    It always does.

    Until then…

    just breathe.

    .

    —Rajeshwari🧿💕

    (Poem © Rajeshwari.

    Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)

  • Coffee Is Not My Favorite Drink. It’s My Quiet Beginning.

    Coffee Is Not My Favorite Drink. It’s My Quiet Beginning.

    What is your favorite drink?

    When someone asks me what my favorite drink is,

    I instinctively think of coffee.

    .

    Not because it wakes me up,

    but because it settles me down.

    .

    There is something deeply reassuring

    about holding a warm cup in the morning

    before the noise begins,

    before the expectations arrive,

    before the day asks anything of you.

    .

    Coffee doesn’t rush me.

    It allows me a pause

    between who I am

    and who the world needs me to be.

    .

    It sits quietly beside my thoughts,

    without interruption,

    without judgment.

    .

    Over time,

    it has become less of a preference

    and more of a ritual

    a familiar beginning

    to uncertain days.

    .

    Some people look for motivation.

    Some look for clarity.

    .

    I reach for coffee.

    .

    Not to escape the day,

    but to arrive in it.

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

  • The Ones Who Know I’m Not Always Easy 

    The Ones Who Know I’m Not Always Easy 

    Who are your favorite people to be around?

    Who Are My Favourite People To Be Around?

    .

    The Ones Who Don’t Need Me To Be Pleasant To Be Loved

    My favourite people

    are not impressed

    by my efficiency.

    They are not waiting

    for me to be calmer,

    nicer,

    more adjusted,

    less complicated,

    more available,

    less emotional.

    They do not love

    the version of me

    that manages everything.

    They love

    the one

    who occasionally forgets

    why she walked into a room

    and stands there

    like a buffering video

    in her own life.

    .

    **The Ones Who Know

    Silence Is Also A Language**

    We don’t always talk.

    Sometimes

    we just sit together

    doing different things

    on different sides

    of the same exhaustion.

    No fixing.

    No analysing.

    No

    “you should try yoga.”

    Just presence.

    A kind

    that does not feel

    like performance.

    ..

    The Ones Who Let Me Change

    My favourite people

    do not archive me

    into versions:

    “You were not like this before.”

    “You used to be fun.”

    “You’ve changed.”

    Yes.

    I have.

    Grief changed me.

    Motherhood changed me.

    Healing changed me.

    Pain changed me.

    Learning how not to apologise

    for existing

    changed me.

    They do not expect

    consistency.

    They allow evolution.

    .

    **The Ones Who Understand

    That Care Is Sometimes Untidy**

    Care

    is not always

    remembering birthdays

    and planning surprises.

    Sometimes

    it is:

    • forwarding a job link

    • asking if I ate

    • not taking my bad day personally

    • closing the kitchen cabinet I left open for the 9th time

    Care

    is maintenance.

    Daily.

    Uncelebrated.

    Unposted.

    .

    **How To Be Someone’s Favourite Person

    (From A Woman Who Is Tired Of Explaining)**

    • Listen

    without preparing your defence.

    • Don’t offer solutions when someone is offering vulnerability.

    • Don’t compete with someone’s pain by narrating your own.

    • Ask “Do you want comfort or clarity?”

    • And most importantly:

    Do not punish honesty by withdrawing warmth.

    .

    What Stays

    My favourite people

    are not the ones

    who make life easier.

    They are the ones

    who don’t leave

    when it isn’t.

    And somewhere

    between staying

    and understanding

    love

    quietly matures.

  • My Favourite Shoes, and Where They’ve Taken Me

    My Favourite Shoes, and Where They’ve Taken Me

    Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

    My favourite pair of shoes

    doesn’t really look like a favourite pair.

    .

    They’re not fancy,

    not the kind people turn around to see.

    Honestly…

    they look like they’ve heard too many of my secrets.

    .

    But they’ve taken me

    to places I didn’t even know I needed to go.

    .

    To the first brave step

    when my heart said,

    “Maybe not today,”

    and they gently replied,

    “Just one step.”

    .

    They’ve walked me out

    on evenings that felt too heavy,

    and brought me back

    a little lighter than before.

    .

    They’ve hopped over puddles

    like it was a tiny adventure,

    and chased buses

    like missing it would’ve meant missing the day.

    .

    Sometimes they run with excitement.

    Sometimes they slow down for no reason.

    Sometimes they just stand quietly with me

    when life feels loud.

    .

    They’re a little worn now

    which I think means

    they remember everything.

    .

    Not just shoes, really…

    they’ve carried my small courage,

    my almost-gave-ups,

    my silly detours,

    and every moment

    that slowly became a memory.

    .

    And somehow,

    every time I didn’t know

    where I was going

    they still took me

    somewhere worth reaching. ✨👟💗

    .

    —Rajeshwari🧿💕

  • The Best Gift Isn’t a Thing: A Soulful Take on Love, Friendship & Presence

    The Best Gift Isn’t a Thing: A Soulful Take on Love, Friendship & Presence

    Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received

    The Best Gift I Ever Received 🎁

    .

    The Best Gift I Ever Received

    wasn’t wrapped in paper or tied with a ribbon.

    It came wrapped in intention,

    sealed with effort,

    and reached my heart quietly

    no courier delays, no tracking number,

    just perfect timing.

    .

    Because for me, the best gift is never a thing.

    It’s a feeling.

    It’s someone choosing me

    on easy days, difficult days,

    and those days when I say “I’m fine”

    but clearly I’m not.

    .

    It’s the friend who stays

    when I go silent,

    overthink everything,

    get dramatic for no reason,

    and emotionally buffer like slow internet

    yet never presses refresh on me.

    .

    It’s the relationship that teaches me love,

    even if it doesn’t stay forever.

    Some people come beautifully wrapped.

    Some come as lessons disguised as gifts.

    Both arrive exactly when they’re meant to.

    .

    It’s being seen

    not just my smile,

    but my chaos too.

    Not just my strength,

    but my tired, vulnerable corners

    that I usually hide behind jokes and sarcasm.

    .

    Yes, I love surprises.

    Yes, I love pretty things.

    But what truly makes my heart go ufff

    is someone remembering the small details

    how I take my tea,

    what silently hurts me,

    what makes me laugh

    when I’m pretending to be strong.

    .

    The best gift is presence.

    Showing up.

    Staying.

    Effort without announcements.

    Love without conditions or fine print.

    .

    It’s someone saying, “I’m here,”

    and actually meaning it

    not disappearing when it gets uncomfortable,

    emotional, or a little too real.

    .

    So if you ask me about the best gift of my life,

    I won’t point to an object.

    I’ll point to moments,

    to people,

    to connections that stayed.

    .

    Because love

    given genuinely,

    received honestly,

    felt deeply

    is the only gift that grows richer with time.

    .

    And honestly…

    that kind of gift

    is rare, priceless,

    and always unforgettable. ✨💛