Write-Ups – Page 2 – Thoughts Caught

Anvi Tuteja, Incandescence, Rebellion (Incandescence), Short Stories, Write-Ups

My Swan Song

January 25, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

It had been a time of great change. The humans were to blame.
Their world was disappearing inch by precious inch: a lush, sun-drenched land full of colour and life becoming a barren, ruinous, grey wasteland.
What would become of them all? Was there even a future?

If there was, it certainly wasn’t bright, or merry, or beautiful, or any of the things it was before.
But they couldn’t complain, could they? They had brought this on themselves. But was that really their fault? They had just been doing what they had been for years, for decades, for centuries, even. This effect had not been a quick fix of a few generations, but a causality of years of damage and heartbreak.
And slowly, nature, unable to contain the darkness within, grew rebellious and inflicted it on humanity. All greenery faded away. Bright changed to dull, and light to dark.
It was a time of infinite sorrows. Wars waged over food. Life pit brother against brother in the ultimate fight for life. It was the race. The race against time. Humanity fighting for seconds. For morsels. For crumbs.

And then came the aftermath. A set of new heroes entered the world. They built what their forefathers could not: a bond with nature. They created, discovered, innovated. But there was one thing they could not cure: Humanity’s thirst. Thirst for curiosity, for wisdom, for power.
And then they committed the greatest sin of all: Self-Harm. They erased their minds, Their memories, And were finally devoid of emotion.
And one could argue that this was the Afterglow. Life prospered. Blissfully ignorant. Unaware that the meadows they played over were the graves of the many. That they had walked over the cold corpses of the race known as ‘The Before.’
In one way, this was their saviour. Ignorance was Bliss, at least for them. But then there were those who began to remember. It started with the children. Their minds were young. New. Blissfully Naive in the ways of the world. And it started with the nightmares. Visons. Hallucinations.
And then came the flashbacks. The memory of the sin they committed.
And what to do but then. The ones who talked had to be silenced. It was a necessary sacrifice. A necessary sacrifice. Those were the words that lured them to sleep at night. The many becoming the few becoming the one. Constant vigilance. It was a necessary sacrifice…
And then humanity moved on. The screams of those tortured before being cut off by the sound of a single shot, became commonplace in the new world. Their creation had done nothing. Nothing. But the people were used to it. And they were obstinate. Stubborn.
And then there were those who rebelled. Met in the shrouds of secrecy and darkness. We began our secret society. The Secret Society of the Survivors. And one day we ran.
We fled. Abandoning all our principles. The very thing that brought us together, urged us to flee. And we left, leaving them all to a merciless fate.
I still remember their screams. Their screams as they were torn apart. Destroyed. Obliterated. While we stood and watched and did nothing. We were their destruction. Their swan song.
And then we built this place. Far, Far away from those who had died. Died so that we could live. They had died believing they were alone. But they weren’t. We buried their bodies. Our comrades in arms. And then vowed never to return.
We began our own colony. On New-Terra. Life moved on. Humanity always does in the end. And now I stand here. On the edge of the new world. Standing. Waiting. That’s all I will do now. Simply Wait. Wait for all Eternity. Because they will come. And we will fight. Fight to avenge all those who were killed when it should have been us. We will stand together. Together and we will drive those mad brutes out. And then and only then will I finally rest. Rest in peace. Because I am the last of my people, ‘The Before’.
And until then I will wait. Standing here, Waiting, for Eternity. For my home. For My people, who died. And to avenge them, I will wait.
And to anyone who finds this, remember.
Remember.
Remember them.
Remember me.
Remember the feeling of despair when you’re tumbling down the cliff.
Because that moment will come for you, as it does for us all.
Your swan song.
And this? This is my swan song.
ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Imageries, Incandescence, Poems, Reflection (Incandescence)

Higher Power III

January 8, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

Every action monitored,
Like everything I did mattered,
Well, I’m flattered,
But the challenges have left me battered,
So as I lay here with my dying breath,
I embrace you with open arms: death,
Because whatever tortures you have waiting in your hells,
Are nothing compared to the nightmares of being myself.

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Incandescence, Poems, Reality Reimagined (Incandescence)

It’s The Endgame!

January 1, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

Worry growing, Fear spreading,

Waves of terror consuming a paralysed crowd,

Shouts of ‘it’s coming’ all around,

What is it, you ask, well let’s just say,

It’s a lethal poison or a dangerous adversary, in a way,

It’s cold-blooded, ruthless and unforgiving,

It’s cold, calculating, and takes no prisoners alive,

Old or Young, Rich or Poor, Strong or Weak,

It does not discriminate against lives,

Power, Sustenance and Total Control it does seek,

Worse than War, Scarier than Strife,

Powerful as Poison, Naughty as a Knife,

It’s a universal pandemic,

A worldwide epidemic,

No cure, no chance, no hope,

All the doctors say, “Just wash hands with soap”,

It’s a virus with which the world cannot hope to cope,

All that’s left is to just sit around and mope,

The world’s hanging by fraying ropes,

What else can we do when there are only dopes,

We have had it coming for a long time now,

No use in making a large row,

To put it simply, it is the End of Days,

Nature is rebelling, we incurred her wrath,

Will there be something left in the battle’s aftermath?

The Gods are taking revenge,

All we can do is pray, pray for mercy,

We are paying the price of our lethargy,

This is our fate, set by the Gods above,

It goes by many names,

Ragnarok, Fimbulwinter, Endgame, The Seven Suns,

It all refers to the same,

Total destruction, anarchy and chaos,

Preceded by annihilation and demolition,

Followed by bloodshed and death,

But after the battle, left will be a barren wasteland,

The foundations of a new world,

A new land, a new people, a new race,

Who, we can only hope, will make better choices than we made!

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Recipes, Write-Ups, Written Work

That One Time I Murdered a Ginger Bread Man

January 1, 2021October 4, 2021 anvituteja

(Or When I Made Eggless Chocolate Chip Sugar Butter Cookies)

Hey guys! Anvi here. First things first, I made cookies! Yay! More specifically chocolate chip cookies with butter and sugar! Yum!
Now that we’ve gotten over an esplosione of exclamation marks, let’s cut to the way the cookie crumbles. (All puns intended.)
I have always loved cookies and who doesn’t? (totally rhetorical question btw, i seriously do not want to know, stay away from me cookie anarchists! viva le cookies!) And ever since my winter break started, I had been dying to make some cookies.
And then I had a revelation! I could! I could make cookies, it couldn’t be that hard, could it? It’s not like it’s rocket science or molecular biology! (shivers)

(In hindsight, I probably should have gotten a few contingencies in place, like a fire extinguisher, backup recipes, enough ingredients to feed an army and maybe some how-to guides like remedial recipes for divine dunces. But, anyway, read on…
Warning: It’s not pretty. Like At All.)

The recipe I used is from hebbars kitchen's eggless chocolate chip cookies^[1].

Eggless Chocolate Chip Sugar Butter Cookies Recipe

PREP TIME: 30 Minutes
COOK TIME: 15 Minutes Per Batch
TOTAL TIME FOR ONE BATCH: 45 Minutes
SERVINGS: 6 Per Batch

Ingredients Required

▢½ cup butter
▢1 cup sugar
▢1 cup flour
▢½ tsp baking soda
▢a pinch of salt as needed
▢1 tsp vanilla extract
▢3 tbsp warm milk
▢handful of chocolate chips

Recipe

1. Firstly, in a large mixing bowl mix one cup butter and add one cup sugar.
2. Whisk till the butter and sugar turn creamy.
3. Sieve in take 1 cup flour, ½ tsp baking soda and a pinch of salt as needed.
4. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 tbsp warm milk and combine well.
5. Knead the dough and combine gently
6. Make small balls and roll the batter. Cut shapes with shape cutters if needed.
7. Place the cookies in baking tray lined with butter paper.
8. Add chocolate chip cookies as required.
9. Bake the cookies in oven for 15 minutes per batch
10. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Enjoy!

Recipe used for chocolate chip cookies

I see you’re back then, so I hope you’re interested! I followed this recipe to a T, (uh, well mostly,) so I was hoping for perfection. But as it turns out, your first batch of cookies is never amazing, but certainly better than your third!
I mixed all the ingredients and mixed the dough in a dough maker. Next, was rolling the dough. I took the largest rolling pin we had, (a whopping one and a half feet long!), and began. Needless to say, my first attempt turned a slightly off-center lump into an even uglier off center weird oval of dough. I turned it back into a ball and yelled for my mom.
My mom assessed my work and immediately took charge of the program. She taught me how to roll dough. (Hint: use dry flour to keep dough from sticking to the rolling pin. But don’t use too much or cookies will taste like dry flour. I learnt that the hard way.)
I learnt how to roll dough and cut the cookies into Christmas trees and Gingerbread Men! Cookie murder had never been more delicious. Muahahaha!
I happily set the cookies into the baking tray and put into the oven. And then I stuffed my face with cookie dough! Ah, heaven. I finally know why there’s a cookie dough ice cream flavour. You learn something new everyday!
I took the cookies out after 15 minutes but to my dismay, the ones in the centre were all dark and burny! Hmph! Blast you stupid oven. In a totally unrelated matter, I have a bandage on my hand and a dent in my oven. Moving on!
I knew better this time and kept the cookies on the sides. 13.2 Minutes I took out a batch of perfect cookies! Yay!
20 Minutes later, I learnt a hard truth of life. It may seem implausible to all you naive cookie-ers but it’s true. I learnt Youtube is not the most important thing in my Life! Gasp! But I know, it’s true. Let me explain…
The third batch of cookies was 100% burnt and I understood, DON’T YOUTUBE WHILE COOKING! We lost a lot of good dough that day, and my only regret is the loss and sacrifice of those brave cookies. We salute you.

So there you have it, folks! A play by play of a battle we may have won, but it took a lot of brave (ginger bread) men to do it. But, we did warn you. We all knew going to this war, it was not going to be easy and all we can do is remember the brave cookies who lost their lives doing it.

Welp! Next project, Donuts…(Cue the evil laugh. Muahahaha!)

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Incandescence, Poems, Reality Reimagined (Incandescence)

At the Stroke of Midnight

January 1, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

At the Stroke of Midnight,
As the twelfth chime rang,
I was blinded by the sparkling light,
As my family huddled ’round, like a top-secret gang,

Lay rotting away, the wreaths on the doors,
A day to end all pain, misery and strife,
It was the moment, everyone had been waiting for,
The thick tension was palpable; could be cut with a knife,

It was a day to forget,
The mistakes of the past,
To let go of all sorrows, sins and regrets,
The die had finally been cast,

All waited with bated breath,
Everything paused, flying birds, rustling leaves, not to mention, man,
Everything paused, moving clouds, flowing water, not to mention, death,
As The Countdown finally began,

10, The numbers flashed on the clock,
9, Stuck between a hard place and a rock,
8, Glancing up at the sky,
7, Everyone as if petrify’,
6, Caught breath, suppressed sighs, controlled gasps,
5, Accounting for the calendar’s gaps,
4, Having run out of patience,
3, Adults no longer calm, Children no longer vivacious,
2, Waiting for the year to finally be over,
1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Incandescence, Poems, Reality Reimagined (Incandescence)

Bucket List: A Poetic Rendition

January 1, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

Bucket List, why’s that?
The idea was new to me,
Bucket List, why’s that?
Something I had never needed,
Bucket List, why’s that?
To define my reason to be,
Bucket List, why’s that?
But some nameless someone’s advice I heeded…

Bucket List, what’s that?
How do I go about it,
Bucket List, what’s that?
I haven’t got a clue,
Bucket List, what’s that?
Where to start, Where to quit,
Bucket List, what’s that?
About a thing to do,

Bucket List, how’s that?
With things of wonder,
Bucket List, how’s that?
Beyond my wildest imagination,
Bucket List, how’s that?
No more blunders,
Bucket List, how’s that?
I must sit in contemplation,

Bucket List, where’s that?
Somewhere exotic, perhaps?
Bucket List, where’s that?
Going rock climbing?
Bucket List, where’s that?
Going all the places on maps?
Bucket List, where’s that?
Ugh, which is the right timing?

Bucket List, which’s that?
Seeing a sunrise, from Machu Pichu,
Bucket List, which’s that?
Climbing up to Mt. Kilimanjaro,
Bucket List, which’s that?
Or talking to someone about my issues,
Bucket List, which’s that?
Or simply enjoying a better tomorrow?

Bucket List, when’s that?
I am too young to prophesize the future?
Bucket List, when’s that?
Is it dangerous to play with the fire of fate?
Bucket List, when’s that?
No, my own destiny I will suture,
Bucket List, when’s that?
It’s up to me whether I will be weak or great,

Bucket List, who’s that?
Shall I meet an old acquaintance?
Bucket List, who’s that?
Have a picnic with the whole family?
Bucket List, who’s that?
Visit an old friend, with full cadence?
Bucket List, who’s that?
Or the girl who looks like me, uncannily?

Bucket List, help me!
You are too complicated,
Bucket List, when will you be done, finally?
No, I don’t want to see all the royal families rated!
Bucket List, you’re finally over,
I have assigned all the numbers,
Bucket List, now all you need is a cover!
I can go back to my eternal slumber!

”Learning Morse Code, Speaking Latin,
Achieving my ideal weight,
On the runway, Wearing a dress of Satin,
Be more punctual, Never be late,
Doing Archery, Learning shooting,
Become a concert pianist,
The errors in our society need uprooting,
Swearing to always be honest,

Going Parasailing, Dying my hair,
Making a snowman,
Visiting an earthly place rare,
Stay away from the beach, don’t need a tan,
Flying First Class, Zooming in a helicopter,
Seeing the Northern Lights,
Go to Jurassic Park, maybe see a velociraptor,
Just being with friends, going to fly a kite,

Visiting a Volcano, Painting a portrait,
Observing the constellations in the night sky,
Paying my homage at the world-famous India gate,
Dancing at family weddings and some white lies,
Seeing the famed Mona Lisa,
Remarking at her lack of eyebrows,
Taking a selfie at the Tower of Pisa,
Seeing beautiful Orchids, neatly arranged in rows,

Going on a cruise, Folding a 1000 cranes,
Getting a little serious, becoming a doctor,
Hopefully always staying sane!
Do some geology, am a roctor!
See the beautiful cherry blossoms,
Visit Neuschwanstein and maybe put a lock,
Do Archeology, discover some fossils,
Finally, wash my lucky sock,

Ride a crazy insane roller coaster,
Hit a bull’s eye on a dartboard,
Take a job as a coffee roaster?
Drive around in a fancy Ford,
Lucky number thirteen,
Go on a random vacation,
Right now, I’m just fourteen,
There is no limit to my imagination!”

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Imageries, Incandescence, Poems, Reflection (Incandescence)

When I Look into the Mirror…

January 1, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

When I look into the mirror,
I see myself as but an actor,
When I look into the mirror,
I feel like a mortal, but mere-er,
When I look into the mirror,
Is it me I see, or someone dearer?

When I glance at my reflection,
I look like someone deep in thought, in contemplation,
When I glance at my reflection,
The raw light in me takes a deflection,
When I glance at my reflection,
I always have a fear of rejection,

When I peer into clear glass,
The ugliness inside of me, does amass,
When I peer into clear glass,
I see myself for who I really am, plainly crass,
When I peer into clear glass,
The truth is seen, greener than other-side grass,

When I view the perfectly-clear water,
I see myself as the perfect daughter,
When I view the perfectly-clear water,
The darkness within me, I do wish to slaughter,
When I view the perfectly-clear water,
I feel like a deserted marauder,

When I search for myself in the pure lenses,
Would I then, finally come to my senses?
When I search for myself in the pure lenses,
Will my soul finally take a consensus?
When I search for myself in the pure lenses,
Of who I am, behind all the pretenses?

When I look into the mirror,
I finally see myself, but clearer.

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Imageries, Incandescence, Poems, Reflection (Incandescence)

Thy Code, Neu Felles Errantes

January 1, 2021April 14, 2022 anvituteja

All those who wander,

Are never truly lost,

However, fears I do not launder,

Everything comes at a cost,

Take, a peek, or two if you dare,

Though do not expect a welcome swell,

In fact, expect a few of snarl and glare,

For here, all kinds do dwell…

The horrors contained here, I do not sugarcoat,

Creatures, demons of all types,

Witches, traitors, liars, murderers, and turncoats,

Ones who’ll wait to eat, till you’re ripe,

I will no advice to be without fear,

For only fools and children are unscared,

Though I will say to not fear itself: fear,

Contrary to what popular opinion cared,

Now seven truths, I will give,

Never fear the dark, and what it may contain,

Never judge a person, by what they may misgive,

It is of utmost importance, A ledger you maintain,

For you must learn from sin and pay forgotten debt,

Never interfere in the natural order of life,

Else you must may the red price; three are now left,

Embrace, joy of the world, and swear to end all strife,

Be forever alone, as thy life may hold dear to the world,

To end with utmost importance,

For danger, dark and hate, no fear must you in your heart hold,

For there is light to be found, errantes, hidden perchance.

ANVI TUTEJA, ERRANTES

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Write-Ups, Written Work

The Opportunity of a Life Time

December 31, 2020October 4, 2021 anvituteja

My Experience as a TEDx Speaker

This was an opportunity of a lifetime, well, all of my eleven years at least! I had been selected to speak at a TEDx event organized by Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University. The conference organizers had been so impressed with my robot building skills and my discussions on technology that they invited me as a speaker to share my ideas and perspectives on how the new technology can impact kids in the future.

I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves as I walked on stage for my TEDx talk. I knew what to say, I had been practicing all week. I remembered my parents’ instructions to talk slowly and make a joke if things go south but as I reached center stage all my confidence evaporated, my voice shook and all my anxiousness was as clear as day in my talk. I messed up the first line of the talk but my father’s proud face, my mother’s supportive one, my grandfather’s hopeful one and my grandmother’s happy face drove me to success. My confidence never wavered after that until the time my demonstration malfunctioned. This time I remained calm and tried the demonstration again. It was successful and was rewarded by loud applause.

I spoke with hope up until the end of my talk, when I took a pause and waited with bated breath for the audience’s verdict. The crowd gave me thunderous applause and a standing ovation. To my pleasant surprise, I was then requested to pull out a lucky draw to choose a winner and also received a token of appreciation from the Faculty of Management Services. I walked away with my confidence soaring, my pride strong and my dignity intact.

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

Anvi Tuteja, Experiences, Poems

School Blues

December 31, 2020May 24, 2021 anvituteja

Hier kann mann die Deutsches lesen – https://anvituteja.com/2021/05/24/schul-blues/
You can read the german translation here – https://anvituteja.com/2021/05/24/schul-blues/

I said with a sigh,

The syllabus is atrocious,

No, I’m not being precocious,

What do they expect?

That we must always be perfect!

I solemnly feel,

And I put on it a seal,

That the school has no heart,

Their words sting like a poison dart,

Exam after Exam,

The teachers have no mercy,

By the end of the day we can barely see,

Our eyes are crossed over with the flu of Orthonecee,

So much studying,

We’ll never hear them say class dismissed or ever hear the bell’s ding,

Sleeping in class is a no-no,

While not taking notes is your foe,

Taking a break is deadly,

Like the poison of Weedrosisly,

The fateful day will come,

When you cannot write anymore because your fingers are numb,

The terror is over,

You chew your nails

And pull your hair,

You bite your lip

For the result is here,

You are filled with fear,

As you look at your marks with a tear,

That you realize, You’ve taken the first prize!

ANVI TUTEJA

-with you till the end of the line, pal-

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(Or When I Made Eggless Chocolate Chip Sugar Butter Cookies)

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