As a terminally-ill Cancer patient Lisa, lying on the bed of the hospital slips into coma after having fought like a true warrior for the past few years, her adoptive mother Debby watches her daughter embracing oblivion. Not sure about when Lisa would open her eyes again and utter the word, “Mom!”, or whether she would ever be able to open her eyes again in the first place. But Debby knows that Lisa is a very sensitive girl and even though she can't move her limbs at the moment, she can hear and feel everything happening around her. With tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably, Debby struggles to take out a piece of paper from her bag and unfolds it. A broken voice and a stuffy nose make it even worse for her to read what is written on it. However she prepares to read out something from the paper. Finally, Debby musters courage and holds an unconscious Lisa's frail and pale fingers sticking out from her palm that has a needle perforating the skin of it. Debby reads out aloud: - Empty was the womb that had once dreamt of a child. My body had gone numb and thoughts were haywire and wild. Despair had taken over. Days appeared gloomy. Grimace of pain had become my lover. Eyelids remained droopy. However, on a fortunate evening when mother had accompanied me for a walk. Sitting in a wheelchair and hardly moving, I looked at kids around me in shock. For all I was seeing in my nightmares, was a woman howling and a crib set ablaze. That tiny beings existed seemed incredible to me. For my dead child I grieved. Darkness was all I could see. Only if any of them called me “Mother!”, would again stem a reason to live for one another. It struck me however that not every child around was with their birth mother. Maybe death had separated them from each other. To hear the word “Mom” the womb need not be full. My hand stopped being numb and heart was becoming full. Then one day you entered my life. I had no words to say. You simply became my sunshine. We played together and laughed aloud. It was going to be forever. “My princess is home!”, I would always shout. On day one of school, your hair I braided. I told you that crying wasn't cool. So confidently towards it you headed. Time flew in what seemed like a few moments. You always gave your best shot and I gave you presents. Peace and love prevailed for long until illness put you in a cage. Now you hum a sad song and are seemingly stuck on the same page. I simply want my Lisa to know that she was born a warrior. Courage is what she'll show. To her an illness is inferior. Intertwined are our destinies. You can't leave so soon. For we are angels in disguise. We'll travel to the Moon. Stardust I'll sprinkle on you and nectar you'll drink. A beautiful life, together we'll sew. Sorrow will gradually shrink. Wake up my daughter! Your mother awaits your return. I yearn to hear your laughter. There's so much left to learn. The poem came to and end and Debby broke down again, crying inconsolably. Her tears not only rolled down her face but fell on Lisa's arm too. Debby's muffled cries suddenly stopped when a sound ‘Beep! Beep! Beeeep!' made a characteristic noise. The doctor came running inside and Debby stood up from the chair in shock. It was a miracle indeed. Lisa's heart had started beating again. She opened her eyes slowly and saw her mother shedding tears of joy. She uttered feebly ,”Mom!”

Poverty and neglect will break you on most days. But when these two become a part of your daily life, what happens thereafter is what the girl who never gave up in life, experiences on a seemingly odd day. At the break of dawn I set my feet on a dusty, rugged path. Sinking into oblivion I was, fighting the dancing hazy lines that were in front of my eyes. No matter how intractable they were. Trudging forward I entered an alley. Where buildings, more like skeletons, stood in their ruins. While I cold-shouldered the pebbles and glass pieces strewn here and there. Starving and bone-tired, I felt somewhat dizzy. On one of those very pebbles, I tripped and fell down flat on my visage. With blood-spattered knees and shards of glass struck in my palms, I was waiting with agony for the moment when the world around me would go entirely dark. It is then when I saw him come running towards me. Blurred vision, a frail body failed to realize whether he was an angel or a mystic or a savior sent by the Universe. I woke up to find myself in a paradise-like place. Where exotic birds chirped and the scent of flowers wafted through the windows. “What ails you dear?”, asked that savior as I got out of my trance. A terrified I, taken aback asked him, “Why did you bring me here?” What I thought as unabashed, was actually compassion. He took my hand and opened my fist to show the bruises left by glass. He then poured from a jar mystical water on my palm. As the water touched my skin the wounds vanished. Was he a magician? Reassured, I asked for water and in return drank nectar. I asked him, “Who are you?” He smiled wide with tranquility. In the blink of an eye we were walking down the road. It was sunny and peaceful unlike before. He walked beside me occasionally adjusting his pace. I kept admiring this tall stranger as he had not revealed his identity yet. At the end of the road, from where the bustling city started, he halted and turned me around holding my shoulders. He said, “Every time you fall down, you'll find me running towards you.” But now we'll part ways, till I meet you again.” Dejected I asked, “What if I never fall down again? Shall we never meet then? Stranger to me you'll remain always, since I don't know your name.” He saw the sorrow in my eyes and said, “We are destined to be together in all phases of life. What is in a name?” As I turned around to walk away, I thought to myself, “Is he for real or just a mere embodiment of my hallucinations?” He kept waving at me till the point when I could see him no longer. The city was doing its usual business. A few yards away, sang a ballad-monger. Contemplating I was the meeting with this stranger. How time changed my perception, I hope to fall down again.

Food builds the body. Challenges make a man! That is what my father has always said to me. You see, adventure sports are thrilling but one can't deny that there are proper safety measures to protect you so that things don't go haywire while you enjoy the process. But when life throws unprecedented challenges in your way, you don't have any safety gears to aid you. Especially when you are stranded in the worst possible situation alone! Back in 2023, when I had taken a break from work for a few weeks, I decided to go camping and trekking in the mountains. You see I have never really thrown caution to the winds, but I have been fearless in taking decisions in my life and my parents have supported me through thick and thin. So I decided to travel and go solo to the mountains this time. On reaching the destination, I felt that I was transported to a magical land indeed. The beauty of the mountains was everything. Standing tall, even after being beaten by harsh winds since time immemorial and yet oozing majesty all the time! I started hiking early in the morning along with some other hikers who also like me intended to camp in the mountains intermittently. We all carried our own tents and essential stuff. Dusk had set in and we decided to set up our tents in a relatively plain area. Since the chilly weather had been already sending shivers down our spines we decided to light up a bonfire and soak in some of its warmth. Hitherto everything was perfect but things suddenly took a bad turn when a blizzard started. To make things worse heavy downpour also set in. We had no choice but to rush inside our tents. Sometime later sleep overpowered me and I went inside my sleeping bag. Much to my dismay, my sleep was broken abruptly when strong winds started blowing on my face rudely. I saw that a portion of the cloth of my tent was blowing in the direction of the wind. Had I not woken up in time ,my tent would have been uprooted and thrown in the abyss. With no option left , I went ahead and held the tent cloth as strongly as I could. But as I held on to one part of the tent, another portion of the tent started blowing fiercely. It was pitch dark outside and telecommunication was also not possible due to the area being a no connectivity zone. I assume the other hikers were also struggling to keep themselves secure in such a dangerous situation. I badly wanted to talk to my parents since I wasn't sure if I would be able to survive this tumultuous situation. I wanted to cry believing that my decision to come here alone was a blunder. However I couldn't cry since I was busy keeping my tent and myself together in one piece. The entire night went on like this and I struggled hard. I couldn't catch on sleep either. After some struggle - filled hours, I saw the faint rays of the Sun falling on the snow. Although what I had just experienced a few hours ago was no less than a nightmare, this scenery was something that was equal to having a once in a lifetime opportunity. As I stepped outside the tent , I saw the other hikers also coming out of their respective tents. We smiled looking at each other first even before discussing the events of the preceding night. As we admired and got enchanted by the beauty in front of us, I'm sure we said one thing in our minds in unison "WE DID IT!" Yes we survived the storm, we survived the nightmarish experience, we stood strong and were able to feel the charisma of the mountains. Now what do you think, did I climb down the mountain that day fearing more such challenges? No. I didn't. I completed the expedition and successfully climbed the mountain. When I had embarked upon this journey, I praised the mountains for them being so resilient. But now I praise the mountains even more because they made me more resilient and determined than ever before. The mountains practically taught me that I am capable of tiding over the worst situations in life only if I focus on having nerves of steel. I guess what my father has always said is indeed true!

Food builds the body. Challenges make a man! That is what my father has always said to me. You see, adventure sports are thrilling but one can't deny that there are proper safety measures to protect you so that things don't go haywire while you enjoy the process. But when life throws unprecedented challenges in your way, you don't have any safety gears to aid you. Especially when you are stranded in the worst possible situation alone! Back in 2023, when I had taken a break from work for a few weeks, I decided to go camping and trekking in the mountains. You see I have never really thrown caution to the winds, but I have been fearless in taking decisions in my life and my parents have supported me through thick and thin. So I decided to travel and go solo to the mountains this time. On reaching the destination, I felt that I was transported to a magical land indeed. The beauty of the mountains was everything. Standing tall, even after being beaten by harsh winds since time immemorial and yet oozing majesty all the time! I started hiking early in the morning along with some other hikers who also like me intended to camp in the mountains intermittently. We all carried our own tents and essential stuff. Dusk had set in and we decided to set up our tents in a relatively plain area. Since the chilly weather had been already sending shivers down our spines we decided to light up a bonfire and soak in some of its warmth. Hitherto everything was perfect but things suddenly took a bad turn when a blizzard started. To make things worse heavy downpour also set in. We had no choice but to rush inside our tents. Sometime later sleep overpowered me and I went inside my comfortable sleeping bag. Much to my dismay, my sleep was broken abruptly when strong winds started blowing on my face rudely. I saw that a portion of the cloth of my tent was blowing in the direction of the wind. Had I not woken up in time ,my tent would have been uprooted and thrown in the abyss. With no option left , I went ahead and held the tent cloth as strongly as I could. But as I held on to one part of the tent, another portion of the tent started blowing fiercely. It was pitch dark outside and telecommunication was also not possible due to the area being a no connectivity zone. I assume the other hikers were also struggling to keep themselves secure in such a dangerous situation. I badly wanted to talk to my parents since I wasn't sure if I would be able to survive this tumultuous situation. I wanted to cry believing that my decision to come here alone was a blunder. However I couldn't cry since I was busy keeping my tent and myself together in one piece. The entire night went on like this and I struggled hard. I couldn't catch on sleep either. After some struggle - filled hours, I saw the faint rays of the Sun falling on the snow. Although what I had just experienced a few hours ago was no less than a nightmare, this scenery was something that was equal to having a once in a lifetime opportunity. As I stepped outside the tent , I saw the other hikers also coming out of their respective tents. We smiled looking at each other first even before discussing the events of the preceding night. As we admired and got enchanted by the beauty in front of us, I'm sure we said one thing in our minds in unison "WE DID IT!" Yes we survived the storm, we survived the nightmarish experience, we stood strong and were able to feel the charisma of the mountains. Now what do you think, did I climb down the mountain that day fearing more such challenges? No. I didn't. I completed the expedition and successfully climbed the mountain. When I had embarked upon this journey, I praised the mountains for them being so resilient. But now I praise the mountains even more because they made me more resilient and determined than ever before. The mountains practically taught me that I am capable of tiding over the worst situations in life only if I focus on having nerves of steel. I guess what my father has always said is indeed true!

It was ten in the morning. Grandfather had just finished drinking his coffee. However he was busier than usual today. He was in a hurry to go to the post office. His best friend had definitely sent a letter to him as it was his birthday today. So, grandfather quickly dressed up neatly in new clothes, combed his hair, picked up his walking stick and set out for the post office. It was always on the 15th day of every month that grandfather would get ready and go to the post office invariably to receive the letter. On very rare occasions however, when he was unable to go to the post office, he would ask me to go and collect the letter on his behalf. My grandfather was a retired professor who now spent his days reading books, nurturing plans and watching T.V.. His post retirement life although mundane was still being spent nicely hitherto.Then on one fortunate day about five years ago grandfather received a letter from one of his friends Stuart who had attended the same school as grandfather. On receiving the letter his happiness knew no bounds. The last time when I saw grandfather this overjoyed was when grandmother had visited New York with him. However after her demise grandfather became a recluse. He did eat, travel and laugh with us. But his squeals of joy and laughter were no longer present. It felt as if he was going through the motions. His childlike laughter was hardly present. But this letter from uncle Stuart somehow made him the person that he was before grandmother's passing away. Then uncle Stuart wrote letters to him occasionally and grandfather also wrote back to him. It became a ritual for them. However there was an abrupt halt in the process. Suddenly there were no more letters from uncle Stuart for three months continuously. Our worried grandfather wrote to him several times asking why he had suddenly stopped writing to him .In fact he even went to the post office to check whether they had forgotten to deliver letters to him by mistake but to no avail. I saw grandfather sinking into a black hole of sorrow slowly and embracing depression once again. I dearly wished that one day uncle Stuart would write a letter to my grandfather again and he would become the happy person that he was just sometime ago . And a month later the postman knocked on our door and there it was - a letter from grandfather's friend Stuart. Grandfather felt as if he had recovered his lost source of joy. In the letter uncle Stuart informed him that he had not been keeping well since three months hence the delay in writing letters. From then it became a monthly affair. Uncle Stuart would write to grandfather and grandfather would write back to him and ask me to drop the letter at the post office on the way to my workplace. As a regular fair, grandfather came back home today with the letter in his hand and told us how happy he was to be able to listen from his friend today since it was his birthday. He opened the envelope and read the letter with a wide smile imprinted on his face. Seeing him beaming with joy, I only wished for more letters for grandfather from uncle Stuart. Grandfather said aloud,"I wish Stuart keeps writing letters to me till the day I die. He keeps our memories alive." While we were all congratulating him on spending so many years on Earth in a healthy way, my sister Elijah came up to me and whispered in my ear,"I've got to tell you something." I asked her,"What?" Elijah whispered in my ear again,"Uncle Stuart has passed away three months ago due to an age-related illness . Then who is writing these letters to grandfather?" I was dumbfounded when I heard this. But I said to Elijah,"It is shocking to know this but…um… I mean.. since grandfather is happy to get these letters, let's not reveal that truth to him. It'll only make him sadder and lonely. He is already infirm." Elijah nodded in agreement and then said, " But all said and done we do need to know who is writing the letters on behalf of uncle Stuart." Later that night when everyone was asleep Elijah tiptoed into my room. I knew Elijah had an inquisitive mind and she was intelligent enough to figure out who was behind all of this. I also knew that she would not sleep that night, in the quest to find out who it was.She said to me,"I know who is writing these letters on behalf of uncle Stuart". I asked her who it was. She said, "The one who drops grandfather's letters in the letter box."