Thoughts on writing

My deep affection for writing, or mohabbat/ishq, began with child-like enthusiasm. As a school student around the age of 9 or 10, I would listen to songs and transcribe the lyrics into my notebook. Yes, I know, I was, and still am, quite filmy! The idea of love and love letters felt magical. Writing inspired by songs and movies became a cherished hobby. I vividly remember watching “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” and being captivated by its soundtrack. However, this creative musing halted as I became an introverted, studious girl who could only write pages and pages of questions and answers.

As academic pressures mounted, my passion for reading and writing took a backseat. During my diploma studies, I felt increasingly lost in the world of science. My creative side was suffocating, so I turned to my secret diary, pouring out my feelings in an attempt to navigate the internal battlefield. Gradually, I rediscovered my love for reading, and the reader in me resurfaced, no longer concerned about judgments. This rekindled my love for literature, and I ventured into the world of book reviewing, transforming my passion into a freelancing profession. The best part of reviewing was discovering Blogchatter, a paradise for bloggers and writers, where I reconnected with my love for writing. Since then, there has been no turning back, and my love for writing has surged like a waterfall.

Reflecting on why I love writing has been a journey of self-discovery. Writing has profoundly changed and evolved me as a person. For me, writing is akin to a scene from “Ishq Vishq Rebound,” where a mother enters her daughter’s messy room, finding her immersed in painting and expressing her emotions. The chaotic room symbolizes her tangled thoughts. However, writing isn’t the mess; it’s what happens next. The mother silently starts tidying up, guiding her daughter without a word. They sit on the balcony with a drink they share, and the mother expresses her inner turmoil. Writing is my way of decluttering my mind and expressing my inner turmoil without saying a word.

Writing is deeply personal, but the voice it gives to my opinions makes it incredibly therapeutic. 2023 was a challenging year for me as I had to choose my master’s career path. I faced struggle and anxiety up close, but 2024 has been a phase of growth and challenges that have made me a better person. I have consumed a lot of books, series, and movies, and what truly helped me grow was not just watching them but understanding, comprehending, analyzing, and writing about what I felt. Watching is an essential part of the process, but understanding underlying themes and catching words that are not spoken is an art that comes with writing. The more you write, the more you realize there is deeper awareness and discovery at the end of the tunnel. However, you must decide to cross it, as there are many triggers and challenges when you write. Writing has that deep impact on you. It can heal but also open the gates to your deepest, darkest secrets, even those you don’t realize are caged inside you.

Writing your thoughts is like exercising your brain. The more you write, the more you rewire your brain to intervene in your thoughts.

Recently, I watched “Inside Out 2,” and it was a fine watch for me. I wondered why everyone said it healed their inner child. Of course, it was a beautiful movie, and it also hit home, but why didn’t it feel awesome? Then I opened my notes app and wrote about what I saw, just stating the scenarios. I closed the app feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Later in the evening, Dad played an old evergreen iconic song, “Lag Jaa Gale… Ki Phir Ye Haseen Raat Ho Na Ho,” and at that moment, it all came back. As always, I picked up my phone, analyzed the scenes, and started writing about the behind-the-scenes and my feelings about the movie. It was indeed an awesome movie just that initially I watched it as an entertainment but once I started writing it became an analysis and introspection tool.  That’s what writing does to you—it makes you understand beyond what you see.

A movie that personifies emotions to show a visually appealing style for how the brain works. The way the Joy character says, “Maybe that’s a reality; as we grow up, we feel less,” depicts my feeling about writing. As we grow up, our writing evolves from Bollywood song lyrics to intense emotions we cannot express, much like the Anxiety character who kicks in so much scared adrenaline that she doesn’t know how to let go or stop the anxiety. Similarly, we adults struggle to resolve our constant, struggling emotions.

Writing has helped me dump my negative thoughts, welcome creative thoughts, create a fictional world, observe more, and create more. The power that words hold is extremely contagious and revolutionary. Words can speak in silence and make the most powerful noise. It is the best way to open a discussion and bring the change. Blogging challenges have helped me have faith in the world of writing. While people say the attention span has narrowed to the first four seconds of a reel hook, it’s also true that content has become king. People may be robbed of their basic attention skills, yet the same people who claim they can’t watch a two-hour movie often binge-watch four-hour series. Writing is just for fun now, they say, but they also love reading blogs and comments. For me, writing is no longer just a hobby, passion, or profession. It is my companion that ensures my thoughts, though messy, are acknowledged and decluttered. When I hit the publish button, the happiness I feel is beyond explanation. There’s a voice behind writing that says, “Aye zindagi gale laga le, humne bhi tere har ik gham ko gale se lagaya hai, hai na!”