A Christmas Party in the Dictionary

"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."

~ J. K. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

It was that magical time of the year. The soft glow of twinkling technicolour lights filled the lawn of the villa, while the soothing sound of carols drifted through the air. The unmistakable aroma of delectable dishes rendered the chilled December air fragrant. All the words from the dictionary had gathered to celebrate a Christmas party at the villa of the word 'Celebration'.

The guests gathered around the tables laden with delicious food and beverages. In the soft glow of the fairy lights, they looked happy. 

'Happiness' and 'Laughter' stood hand in hand. "The evening belongs to us.", they declared triumphantly.

'Celebration', the host of the party, gave them an indulgent smile and raised a toast to its fellow words.

"To words — the most powerful forces in human civilization."

'Speech', with its spectacles perched on the tip of its nose, cleared its throat and added in a sombre voice, "You're right. Every civilization was built on words — spoken promises, written laws, shared stories and passed-down beliefs. Words shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we interpret the world."

Everybody concurred. "We are powerful, indeed.", they nodded in unison.

'Science' interrupted them. "What you're saying is true. But it's also true that for ages, people were punished for expressing ideas backed by me. Can you remember Michael Servetus, the physician from Spain? He was burned alive in 1553. His crime was not murder, treason, or any other act of violence. His crime was contained in his book 'Christianismi Restitutio' where he offered groundbreaking insights into blood circulation."

'Book' nodded in agreement. "Many of my offspring were banned, many were burned in public ceremonies for going against established norms. From banning 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium' written by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1616 to the ban of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' written by Harriet Beecher Stowe to the more recent ban of Salman Rushdie's novel 'The Satanic Verses', the list of banned books is endless."

'Power' laughed uproariously. "That's because of me — Power. All these acts were committed to demonstrate myself."

'Faith' bristled in anger. "Many of my fellow words have hurt my sentiments on many occasions. Don't forget that."

'Blind' chimed in. "Please 'Faith', don't be like me. You have the power to move mountains. Please focus on that. Remember that your true job is to reconnect the hearts of human beings to the God and draw them back into the harmony of His way of life."

Everybody agreed with 'Blind'.

'Truth' was perhaps a little drunk. Too exhausted, he was no longer interested in arguing. In a tired voice, he said, "No matter what happened, the complete destruction of Truth always proved impossible. I, Truth, have a way of surviving."

With brows furrowed, 'Power' looked sternly at 'Truth'.

"But you were always afraid of me. Isn't it? Do you remember how, in 1844, when Charles Darwin had finished working on his essay outlining his theory of "natural selection", he was terrified to publish it?"

'Fear' whispered, "That was because of me. He was mortally afraid."

'Courage' entered the party just at that time. He was late. He addressed 'Fear', "Why are you whispering? Man up and speak aloud! What good have you served till date by cowering in defeat, instead of speaking up?"

'Fear' retreated in the darkness when named by 'Courage.'

An uneasy silence fell on the party. The clinking of glasses stopped. 'Silence' who was never invited to any party, stood in an empty corner, yet it was very powerful. It spoke the loudest when emotions were high.

'Celebration' felt uneasy. It never imagined the grand Christmas party to go haywire. The lights flickered. It was unsure about what to do to salvage the party.

Then 'Warning' came forward and addressed everyone, "Friends! Enjoy the party! It won't last forever."

'Love' looked resplendent in its party costume. "I also exist.", it fluttered its eyelids.

"And me too.", 'Hope' chimed in. "Together we will make the world a beautiful place."

Everybody clapped in unison.

References:

1. "The Book That Broke An Empire: When Words Became Weapons" by Adam Langweiler.

2. "The Power of Words" by Kenneth Onuegbu.

Image source: Unsplash

Catch me live on Storyscrapers

On 19th December, 2025, catch me live on the page of Storyscrapers. On the occasion of their 5th Anniversary, this creative writing platform is conducting a series of Anniversary Special Live Shows. Marking the beginning of this memorable journey is their very first event, the Storytelling Evening - "Story Circle."

I'm a regular contributor to this platform. So it gives me immense joy to share with you all that I'll be a part of their magical Storytelling Evening where I'll share about my writing journey, read a short-story written by me and another story written by one of my favourite authors. So, please join us to make the evening a joyous and memorable one!

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 5

 

Here goes the teaser for 2026. 

In 2026, I want to experiment with a genre previously unexplored by me. It may be science-fiction, may be horror, may be historical fiction or anything else.

Drop your suggestions in the comments section.

Would love to hear from you.

#BlogchatterWrapParty

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 4

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 4

This is a shoutout to those friends who supported me throughout my year as a creator. Since it's not possible to list everyone in a single post, I'm going to name 3 people who truly stand apart from the rest because of their constant support and encouragement.

Marilyn Evans: We became friends in 2025 itself and I'm deeply thankful to the Universe for making our paths cross. A gentle, loving soul, she is my tag buddy. Whenever there's a writing contest, she never forgets to tag me. Thank you, Marilyn.

Fatima S Hassanali: She is also someone I became friends with in 2025. Her knowledge of the English language and literature is something I admire from the bottom of my heart. For someone like me, who often struggles with imposter syndrome, her gentle words of appreciation and detailed story reviews work as a balm on the soul. Thank you so much, Ma'am.

Mahiti Kamdar: She is an old friend who I haven't met for a long time. She is not a writer herself, but an avid reader. But she always takes her time out to review in detail my write-ups and offer thoughtful suggestions. She has also been encouraging me to publish my own book. Thank you for everything, Mahiti.

Apart from these three friends, I'm grateful to many others who have helped me in their own ways on my writing journey. Above all, I'm grateful to the Universe for crossing my path with such amazing and talented people.

#BlogchatterWrapParty

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 3

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 3

Here's my checklist of what I did as a creator in 2025, summarised in the form of a Bingo Card.

#BlogchatterWrapParty

Blogchatter Wrap Party 2025: Chapter 2

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 2

The biggest plot twist of 2025 has been the launch of my own website. What makes it special is the fact that I built it all by myself. A long-cherished dream has finally come true.

#BlogchatterWrapParty

Blogchatter Wrap Party 2025: Chapter 1

TITLE OF THE YEAR 2025: "NAYI UDAAN" (A NEW FLIGHT)

Blogchatter Wrap Party: Chapter 1

If I were to give a title to the year 2025 in a filmy style, it would definitely be "Nayi Udaan" (A New Flight). Bollywood-esque, isn't it?

Drama is the middle name of 2025 for me. After a prolonged dry spell of barely writing, I finally got my mojo back. For that, I'm truly grateful. This year revived my creativity and I garnered a lot of appreciation for my writing. 

#BlogchatterWrapParty

Introducing the "Blogchatter Wrap Party 2025"

Recently I came across an article on Pablo Picasso, one of the most celebrated artists in history, on the internet. The article discussed a quote by him, "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." This quote made me pause and reflect.

Picasso's message is simple yet profound. According to him, we are all born with some unique ability, passion or gift. Finding that spark gives meaning to life. But he didn't stop there. He further said that its not simply about discovering our gifts, it's sharing that passion with the world at large, inspiring others, bringing about positive change, making a real difference. That, he believed, gives life its purpose.

As a storyteller, I always aspire to create meaningful work - pieces that not only resonate with the readers but make them think differently. 

2025 has been a dramatic year for me on all fronts - professional, personal and creative. Now, as the year draws to a close, I'll be looking back on the year that has been for the next few days, but solely from a creative point of view.

So, stay tuned to my page because something interesting is on it's way. Enjoy the Blogchatter Wrap Party starting tomorrow!

#BlogchatterWrapParty

Image source: Image created by Canva

Udaan

When wings remember the wind, it becomes difficult to stay rooted to the ground. The same happened with Sonia. She was working as a telecommunications training head when Udita, her daughter, was born. Udita was three years old when she was diagnosed with autism. What followed was a long, overwhelming phase of trying to accept and adapt to this new reality while managing a demanding career. Eventually Sonia had to quit her job to focus on Udita. But she felt unfulfilled. Finally, she set up "Udaan Academy", an institution for neurodivergent kids. She is soaring high on her wings again.

Image source: Image downloaded from the Facebook page of "Lets Make Stories Dino" and edited by AI.