NihshabdBlog

Tag: Nihshabd journal

  • Be Loyal to Yourself (Soft, Not Easy)

    Be Loyal to Yourself (Soft, Not Easy)

    Not the soft, aesthetic, “love yourself” version…
    and not the cold, unbothered “I don’t care” version either.

    .

    Somewhere in between
    where you’re still kind…
    but no longer easy to take for granted.

    .

    Be loyal to yourself when
    you don’t feel like replying and you actually don’t.
    when “no” doesn’t come with a long explanation.
    when your peace matters more than being liked.

    .

    Because truth is
    you were never “too much.”

    .

    You were just too real
    for people who were comfortable with half-effort,
    half-love,
    half-respect.

    .

    And now that you’re asking for more?
    suddenly you’re “changed.”

    .

    Funny.

    .

    Be soft but not spineless.
    Be kind but not convenient.
    Be understanding but not endlessly available.

    .

    That’s your magic.
    That quiet glow… the butterfly energy…
    soft to touch, impossible to hold 🦋✨

    .

    And here’s the thing
    the moment you stop over-explaining yourself,
    people either step up…
    or step away.

    .

    Either way,
    your life gets lighter.

    .

    Stay loyal to the woman
    who finally chose herself—
    without guilt, without drama, without permission.

    .

    The rest?
    They’ll adjust 😉

    .

    A cozy, golden-hour aesthetic featuring a woman sitting by the window in soft light, surrounded by warm tones, a candle, flowers, and a notebook, with the quote “Be loyal to yourself” and gentle reminders about boundaries, self-worth, and inner peace.
    Soft… but not easy 🦋✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • I’m Quiet… But I Hold the Room

    I’m Quiet… But I Hold the Room

    What makes you nervous?

    Oh… before we begin
    I’m not just an introvert.
    I’m a premium, deluxe, extra-large introvert. 😄

    .

    So honestly?
    Almost everything comes with a side of nervousness.

    .

    I’m that person who hears the doorbell and instantly freezes
    “Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Maybe they’ll just… give up.”
    (They don’t. And now I have trust issues.)🫣

    .

    Unknown number calling?
    Absolutely not.
    If it’s important, they’ll text.
    If they don’t… then clearly it wasn’t meant for me 😌

    .

    When my phone lights up out of nowhere
    my heart reacts like I just got caught doing something illegal.
    I stare at the screen, overanalyze the name, the timing, the vibe…
    and suddenly I’m not available.
    Not physically, not emotionally, not spiritually.

    .

    Social situations?
    Oh I go. I even look normal.
    But internally
    I’m calculating how long I’ve survived
    and where the nearest escape route is. 🏃‍♀️

    .

    And honestly…
    before meeting anyone,
    I almost never feel like going.

    .

    It’s always
    “Maybe I’ll cancel…”
    “Maybe next time…”

    .

    But then I go…
    and somehow,
    once I’m there

    I don’t feel like leaving.

    .

    Funny, right?

    .

    I’ve tried changing this about myself…
    so many times.
    Tried being more “easy,” more spontaneous…

    .

    but I couldn’t.

    .

    And maybe that’s okay.

    .

    Because somewhere along the way,
    I learned something else instead

    .

    how to quiet the storm inside me.

    .

    It still gets loud.
    It still takes time…

    .

    but I know how to hold it now.

    .

    And just when I think I’ve handled it all

    .

    comes the most dangerous sentence
    “Can we talk?”
    About WHAT??
    Why is it always so suspenseful??
    Just say it directly…
    don’t make me imagine 25 worst-case scenarios
    and mentally apologize for things I haven’t even done yet 😭

    .

    And yet…
    when I’m actually there

    .

    something shifts.

    .

    I listen a little more.
    I smile a little softer.
    I notice things people don’t say out loud.

    .

    And somehow…
    people open up.
    They feel heard.
    They stay.

    .

    No one really sees
    how loud it is inside my head
    because I’ve learned to turn that noise
    into calm for others.

    .

    So maybe…
    I’m not the loudest person in the room

    .

    but if you look closely,
    I’m the one quietly making it feel warmer…

    without anyone really noticing why.

    .

    .

    A softly lit scene of a woman sitting quietly in a warm, cozy gathering, observing others while holding a calm presence; text reads “I’m Quiet… But I Hold the Room – Nihshabd.”
    Quiet doesn’t mean unnoticed… sometimes it means deeply felt. ✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Unwinding? Not in This House 😅

    Unwinding? Not in This House 😅

    How do you unwind after a demanding day?

    Unwind?
    With kids?
    That too boys? 😪

    .

    Unwinding is a beautiful concept…
    just not available in this household.

    .

    Because here,
    silence is suspicious.
    Very suspicious.

    .

    If there’s noise—problem.
    If there’s no noise—bigger problem 😅

    .

    Somewhere there’s a cushion fight happening,
    somewhere the floor has turned into a racetrack,
    and every few minutes
    “Mom, look at this!!!” like it’s breaking news.

    .

    And right in the middle of all this chaos
    last minute printouts,
    last minute diary signatures,
    last minute “I have a project due tomorrow… by the way.”

    .

    Perfect timing. Always.

    .

    Honestly, if those Insta delivery apps didn’t exist,
    I might have simply disappeared one day 😄

    .

    So yeah… quick shoutout
    thanks for saving me just in time… every single time 🙃

    .

    And after all this…
    unwind?

    .

    By the time the house finally goes quiet
    toys everywhere, energy gone, silence restored
    I just sit there for a moment…

    .

    and realise…

    .

    this noise, this madness, this endless “mommm”…
    isn’t just chaos.

    .

    It’s my life.
    Loud, messy, unpredictable…
    and somehow… the softest place I know 🤍✨

    .

    A tired mother sits on the floor covering her ears while her two young boys play noisily around her, one hitting a pillow and the other jumping excitedly, with toys and papers scattered across the living room, capturing chaotic mom life.
    Unwinding? Not here… just two boys and pure chaos 😄

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Low Likes, High Life

    Low Likes, High Life

    How do you use social media?

    How do I use social media?

    .

    Honestly?🤍
    It used to feel like a party…🎉
    now it feels like background noise.🌙

    .

    There was a time I’d post anything
    random thoughts, small joys, silly moments…😄✨
    like life was meant to be shared in real time.📲

    .

    Then came the phase where I showed up everywhere—
    reels, shorts, LinkedIn…💼📸
    as if consistency was a personality trait 😄
    as if being visible meant being valuable.👀

    .

    And now?

    .

    Now I open the app…
    scroll a little…📱
    and quietly leave.🚶‍♀️

    .

    No urge to post.
    No need to explain.
    No pressure to be seen.🌿

    .

    Because somewhere along the way,
    I realized
    the best parts of my life
    don’t even make it to my camera roll anymore.📷❌

    They just… stay with me.🤍

    .

    Unposted.
    Unannounced.
    Unapologetically mine.✨

    .

    Funny how it changed
    I didn’t lose interest in social media…
    I just fell in love with my real life a little more 💛

    .

    And that kind of love?
    It doesn’t ask for an audience. 😉

    .

    A warm sunset scene with a handwritten note reading “Low Likes, High Life” and “Nihshabd,” beside a coffee cup and journal reflecting a calm, private moment.
    Some moments are too beautiful to be posted..they’re meant to be lived. 🤍✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • The Unofficial CEO of the House

    The Unofficial CEO of the House

    Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind.

    Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind…

    Me:
    “So this whole house would actually stop functioning… if I didn’t exist?”

    Interesting.

    Because somehow—
    everyone knows their work…

    they’ll do their things perfectly,
    no confusion, no questions…

    but the moment it’s something slightly outside that—

    everything just quietly…
    automatically my department 😌

    No one says it out loud.
    No one assigns it.

    It just… lands with me.

    No meetings.
    No instructions.
    No appreciation emails.

    Just silent expectations…
    and very loud—
    “Mummmaaaa…”

    And the confidence? Unreal.

    Things will be kept randomly,
    forgotten instantly,
    not even looked for properly…

    and yet—

    final conclusion:
    “Mumma must know.”

    Of course.
    Because I clearly have a secret map of the house
    that even Google doesn’t 😅

    And the real fun?

    If everything is running smoothly—
    normal.

    Like that’s just how it should be.

    But the second something slightly goes off—

    suddenly…
    “Why didn’t you tell?”

    Ah yes.
    Because I’m not just managing the present…
    I’m apparently responsible for the future too 💁‍♀️

    Motherhood:
    where you’re not the main character…

    you’re the entire system running in the background.

    .

    A calm mom sipping coffee at a cluttered table while two boys create chaos behind her, with notes around calling her the “Unofficial CEO of the House.
    Running the house… silently, efficiently, endlessly 😌💛

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • I Had No Seat… Until a Stranger Gave Me His✨

    I Had No Seat… Until a Stranger Gave Me His✨

    Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

    To the strangers I never thanked… this is for you.

    I didn’t have a seat.
    Not even the “adjust a little” kind.

    Holiday rush. Train packed like everyone suddenly remembered they have a home.

    And me?
    Standing there with my bag… and the consequences of my last-minute confidence.

    There was a group on the side lower berth.
    I stood nearby, pretending I was fine…
    while mentally negotiating with the universe for 2 inches of space.

    One of them noticed.

    No speech. No drama.
    Just “Sit.”

    That small space felt like an achievement.

    And then, later that night…
    they did something I didn’t expect.

    They gave up their seat so I could sleep.
    And one of them spent the night near the door.

    No introductions.
    No “remember us.”
    Nothing.

    Just help… given like it was normal.

    And the strange part?
    I didn’t even say thank you.

    But then I thought
    this wasn’t the only time.

    There have been so many strangers
    who showed up quietly, helped without asking,
    and disappeared before I could even process it.

    So this is for all of them.

    Not the loud ones.
    The quiet ones.

    The ones who make space…
    without making it a big deal.

    I hope
    you never need help like that.

    But if you ever do,
    I hope someone shows up for you
    the way you did for me.

    Without thinking twice.

    .

    A crowded train compartment with a backpack on a seat and a note reading “Thank you, stranger,” under a handwritten title about a stranger offering their seat.
    A seat I didn’t have… and a kindness I won’t forget.

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • 10/10 Would Not Recommend

    10/10 Would Not Recommend

    Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

    The best decision I ever made?

    .

    Oh, easy—

    choosing something that was very obviously a bad idea…

    and still going ahead like, “no no, this one feels different.”

    .

    It did not feel different.

    .

    I stayed longer than required,

    explained things that needed zero explanation,

    and gave chances like I was running a free trial nobody asked for.

    .

    At that time, it felt like hope.

    Then it felt like confusion.

    And eventually… it felt like I was the problem.

    .

    Plot twist: I wasn’t. 🙂

    .

    I just had a PhD in

    “let me fix this one last time.”

    .

    But honestly, 10/10 experience—

    because nothing teaches you faster

    than realizing you’ve been arguing with reality itself.

    .

    Now I still make decisions…

    I just don’t debate with red flags anymore.

    .

    I see them,

    I respect them,

    and I leave them exactly where they belong

    in someone else’s story. 😌✨

    .

    Sunlit collage with “10/10 Would Not Recommend,” a woman’s silhouette, and a beach photo symbolizing growth and self-choice, signed “Nihshabd.”

    Bad decision. Great lesson. 10/10 would not recommend but it still made me better. 😌✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Places I’ll Never Visit?… Plot Twist: None 😌✨

    Places I’ll Never Visit?… Plot Twist: None 😌✨

    What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

    Honestly… I don’t think there’s any place in the world I never want to visit.

    .

    Plot twist, right? 😏

    .

    Because the places I’ve already been to…
    even if everything wasn’t perfect — the memories still are.
    And the places I haven’t seen yet?
    I’m way too excited about them to reject them already 🌍✨

    .

    But here’s the real tea ☕️

    .

    We humans have this very special talent…
    of taking one tiny incident,
    zooming into it like a microscope 🔍
    and then carrying it in our hearts like lifetime luggage 🧳

    .

    (I was CEO of this habit, by the way 👀)

    .

    I used to hold on…
    overthink…
    stay quiet so no one else feels bad…
    and somehow end up being the only one feeling bad 🤡

    .

    Because obviously,
    people will still complain…
    no matter how gently you try to exist.

    .

    But then life (okay… let’s be honest — my Krishna 🪈💛)
    slowly made me understand something simple:

    .

    My job is to do my part.
    People’s job is to have opinions.

    .

    And guess what?
    Everyone is doing their job perfectly 😂

    .

    So why should I be the only one overworking emotionally?

    .

    Now I choose peace.
    I choose to not collect unnecessary pain like souvenirs 🫣

    .

    So no…
    there’s no place I wouldn’t go.

    .

    Yes, maybe some people might make me uncomfortable…
    but I’ve also got my people
    the ones who turn any place into comfort 🫶

    .

    And honestly,
    life is too short to cancel destinations
    just because of a few uncomfortable moments.

    .

    Because in the end…
    nothing really matters as much as love does.

    .

    Where there is love,
    even chaos feels a little easier…
    and unfamiliar places don’t feel that unfamiliar anymore.

    .

    Maybe it’s never really about the place…
    maybe it’s always about who we are with,
    and who we become along the way 💫

    .

    So no…
    there’s no place I wouldn’t go.

    .

    Just different stories waiting to happen. 🌍✨

    .

    And on that note…

    I should probably stop here

    before I start sounding wiser than I actually am 😏✨

    .

    A woman sitting on a cliff overlooking a coastal town at sunset, surrounded by travel items, symbolizing freedom, reflection, and love for journeys.
    Not the places… just the stories we carry 🌍✨

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Unfair Levels of Love♥️✨

    Unfair Levels of Love♥️✨

    Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

    .

    Some people talk about “acts of kindness” like they’re rare, once-in-a-while events.

    .

    In my case… it’s almost a daily subscription plan 😄

    .

    My family has this slightly annoying habit of loving me too much.

    .

    Like… they’ll adjust plans, change schedules, and quietly make space for me—without ever announcing it like some grand sacrifice.

    .

    They don’t say “we’re doing this for you.”

    .

    They just do it… and pretend it’s normal.

    .

    They make sure I don’t feel discomfort, even before I realize I might.

    .

    They stand by me like it’s the most natural thing in the world—no conditions, no drama, no scoreboard.

    .

    Honestly, it’s a little unfair.

    .

    Because how am I supposed to match this level of love? 😌

    .

    But if there’s one thing they’ve given me, it’s this quiet certainty

    .

    that no matter what happens outside,

    .

    there’s always a place where I’m held with more care than I probably deserve… and definitely more than I can ever explain.

    .

    And yes… I complain about them sometimes.🫣

    .

    But let’s be real😍

    .

    life without them would be way less dramatic… and way less beautiful 💛

    .

    A family of four sitting together by the seaside at sunset, sharing a warm and peaceful moment, with the title “Unfair Levels of Love – Nihshabd” above.
    Where love needs no words… just presence 💛

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • I Don’t Have a Favorite Restaurant… But This One Wins Every Time!

    I Don’t Have a Favorite Restaurant… But This One Wins Every Time!

    What is your favorite restaurant?

    What is your favorite restaurant?

    This question sounds simple… but trust me, it’s not 😄

    Because I don’t really have a “favorite restaurant.”

    My food choices depend entirely on my mood… and let’s be honest — mostly on my kids’ mood 🙈

    So half the time, I’m not choosing the restaurant… I’m just approving it 😄

    But… there is one place.

    Not fancy. Not aesthetic. No Instagram vibes.

    Yet somehow, it wins every time.

    Subbayya Gari hotel, Vizag.

    Now technically it’s a “thali”…

    but calling it just a thali feels like calling a festival “just a day” 😄

    You don’t get a plate — you get a banana leaf.

    And before you even understand what’s happening,

    people start serving you like you’ve been fasting for 3 days.

    Chutneys… pappu… rasam… sambar… sabji… porial… podi (powder)…rice…gari (vada)…

    papad, achar, chips… buttermilk, curd… sweets…

    and everything keeps coming like there’s no full stop in this sentence 🤣

    Your taste buds don’t get a break.

    They go from “wow” to “what is this magic?” to “okay I’m full”…

    and then suddenly —

    “just one more bite” 😄

    And the best part?

    You sit there, eating with your hands, on a banana leaf…

    and somehow it feels more satisfying than any fancy fine-dine place.

    No overthinking. No menu confusion. No “what should we order?” stress.

    Just sit… eat… and surrender 😄

    So no, I don’t have a favorite restaurant.

    But if happiness had a taste…

    it would probably be served on a banana leaf at Subbayya Gari hotel 💛✨

    .

    A South Indian banana leaf meal with rice, dal, chutneys, and sides served traditionally.
    Simple food, endless happiness 😄✨

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved