“What Is It, One-eyed Visenya? Did We Finally Conquer Dorne?”

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yeh rishtaa kya kehlataa hain

@allegoriesinmediasres asked for: Rama/Sita, travel!AU, friends to lovers, “you confuse me”

as usual, this is completely unedited and thus is probably chock full of grammar errors, bad characterization, and terrible pacing. but! it was fun to write on my end so as always if u want me to rewrite it I’d be glad to lmaoo. it’s super super super cheesy at the end…like the whole third bit is just super cliche but w/e i love cliche romance its all good lol. anyways, i hope you like it at least a little!! thank you so much for the prompt <3 <3 <3 

if you’d like to send me an au prompt from this list, please do!! 

(title is from a lovely ar rahman song from the movie meenaxi, and also apparently a hindi soap, meaning “what is this relationship called?” )

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It’s been two weeks since the Raghuvanshi Group put out a notice that nearly brought the Indian manufacturing industry to its knees: Ramachandra, eldest son of Dasaratha Raghuvanshi and anointed heir since his very first breath, has been stripped of his VP positions within the company, his stock options, even his entrance card. The gossip blogs report that Ramachandra has lost access to the family accounts and family property, have posted pictures of the young man once posed to be the next titan of Indian Industry at a local branch of the Bank of India, handing over what is rumoured to be his great-grandfather’s watch as a starting sum so that he can get his own personal account.  

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{Mass media and social networks} urge us to admire all the innovations rushing toward us like surfers on the crest of a powerful wave. But historians and anthropologists remind us that in the water's depths, changes are gradual. Víctor Lapuente Giné has written that modern society suffers from a clearly future-oriented bias. When we compare something old and something new — like a book and an iPad or a nun sitting next to a texting teenager on a train — we believe that the new thing has more of a future, when in fact the reverse is true. The longer an object or custom has been with us, the greater its staying power. On average, the newest things die out first. It's more likely that nuns and books will exist in the twenty-second century than WhatsApp and tablet computers. There will be tables and chairs in the future, but maybe not plasma screens or cell phones. We'll be celebrating the winter solstice long after we stop using tanning beds. An invention as ancient as money has a strong chance of outlasting 3D cinema, drones, and electric cars. Many trends that seem irrevocable — from rampant consumerism to social networks — will subside. And old traditions that have been with us since time immemorial — from music to spiritual exploration — will never disappear. In fact, when we visit the world's most socioeconomically advanced countries, what's surprising is their fondness for archaisms — from monarchy, protocol, and social rituals to neoclassical architecture and outdated streetcars.

— Irene Vallejo, Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World

@hindumythologyevent day 4 - Male characters / sources

Sometimes she wondered if the others could see it too.

The way he moved, with something more than just a warrior’s confidence and strength, more than just a prince’s grace and charm.

The way he smiled, the smile of a man who had seen everything there was to be seen, almost like he was watching the world unfold around him like a retelling of a beloved play.

The way he drew people towards him, commanded not just the respect but the love and adoration of those around him, almost effortlessly.

The way people turned to him for advice, approval, comfort, even in anger - how they always looked to him first.

The way his arrival would silence a room, make people hold their breath, make them gawk, not in fear or shock, but in admiration. He was beautiful, yes, but it was something more.

Were it anyone else, she might have thought him insincere, a man who put on an act, who rarely revealed his true colors, she might have even been envious - he cannot be this immaculate, not truly. But with him, there was no question of it.

She’d seen his mischief, his laughter, his practicality, his morality; his bluntness, almost outright rudeness towards those who didn’t deserve his respect, and his utter devotion and earnestness to those who did.

She’d seen him brighten her husband Arjun’s day with just a smile, lessen her own sadness with just a hand on her arm, calm even his hot tempered long suffering brother Balram’s anger with only a look.

She hadn’t often seen him rise to anger, despite the many situations that warranted it. She knew, of course, that his offenders were far beneath him, undeserving of not just his anger but his mere presence, but it made him all the more fascinating, the way their words had seemingly no effect on him save for amusement, how he so rarely acted in haste, or fell prey to his temper, yet how easy it was for him to smile, to laugh, to sing.

She’d heard the insults they threw at him - that he was only a cowherd, only a milkmaid’s son, no one to be respected, as if those were titles to be ashamed of.

She’d heard of eyes twinkling like stars before, but the stars she saw in his eyes felt real - too real.

She’d heard tales, from Subhadra, of his enchanting prowess with the flute. How his music would make the gopis dance, how everyone would flock to hear it, beg him to play it for them, how even the cows in vrindavan would come to him when they heard it. No , she’d wanted to say, it wasn’t the music, it wasn’t just the music, it was him.

She’d heard of the events that followed in his wake- of Pootna, of Mount Govardhan, of Kansa; she was no stranger to divine intervention, being born from fire herself, but it did not seem to her as if he had obtained boons from various gods, or as if he was under the protection of one, and that was what had led to the stories that followed him. Who was he, really? What was he?.

But for all her musings, he seemed almost inexplicably human, inexplicably mortal. She saw in him the sky, the stars, the heavens, but she also saw the dust from behind the wheels of his chariot, the blood his divine weapon left on his fingers, the love with which he held his wives’ hands, the tenderness with which he held her first son in his arms.

Krishna, Vasudev, Govinda , Giridhari, Keshav, Son of Devaki, Son of Yashoda, Son of Nanda, Her true friend, confidant, her partner in crime, the perfect match to her wit, and somehow, something more. More than anything she has ever known.

It’s why when she feels the most alone she has ever felt, the most angry, the most betrayed, the most helpless, the most afraid, she calls out to him.

Because she knows without a doubt he will hear her

KAUTILYA v/s AAMATYA RAKSHAS

Kautilya, or Chanakya, was a professor at Takshashila University of ancient India who takes most of the credit for the formation of the Mauryan Empire. He is also rightly called the Kingmaker, since he picked Chandragupt off the road and with his cutting intellect, ruthless patriotism, and sheer acumen for diplomacy, overthrew the Nanda dynasty and established Chandragupt as king. The task wasn’t easy, however. While Kautilya could single-handedly out-smart the most formidable foes, the Nanda court had an extremely loyal minister: Rakshas. Equal to Chanakya in wit and shrewdness, he hatched several plans to kill Chandragupt, whom he saw as a usurper. This obviously resulted in him and Kautilya being at constant loggerheads. His ruthless attempts at Chandragupt’s life included trying to poison him, orchestrating an ‘accident’ where a giant door frame would fall on Chandragupt while he was alight his elephant, and sending a Vishkanya (poison-maiden) to him. Chanakya’s goal, however, wasn’t to eliminate AmatyaRakshas. On the contrary, seeing the staunch loyalty and ruthless brainpower he possessed, Chanakya wanted to convert him into a loyal minister in Chandragupt’s court, a feat in which he ultimately succeeded.

A piece of media: This is a complex story where no one is evil and no one is a saint. People are a reflection of their world, their life experiences and trauma. Morality depends on context from which you view the character. You are not supposed to find every character good or even likable. You can take sides and find real life parallels but the biggest point is to make you think and maybe recognize the flaws in yourself as well as the goodness in those you hate.

Tumblr: okay so THIS is the bad person and THIS is the good person. This is the oppressor and this is the oppressed. This is the abuser and this is their victim. If you like this EVIL character you are clearly the same as my asshole dad who reminds me of this character. Not taking a moralistic stance on a fictional story means you are amoral. Analysis is actually about figuring out who the bad-est person is so you can disavow them and who the good-est person is so you can root for them. The media you consume reflects your values and the characters you find interesting are clearly the ones who are exactly the same as you.

What do you think is required from a person to succeed ?

I study successful people on a daily basis and it’s one of my favorite hobbies. I read their biographies, befriend them, interact with them regularly, and learn from them. Most important personality traits I’ve isolated and identified:

Required

Discipline (linked with consistency): Work ethic, dedication, timeliness, organization, and consistency of effort. On consistency, it’s okay to change your mind (Ne-dom and Ne-aux types, are you listening to me right now?) but change your mind within a consistent framework. For example, DO: “If x doesn’t happen, we’ll change our method and try y.” For example, DON’T: “Let’s do A, B, C, M, Z, Y, K, your mom, Jumanji, I’m coming in to work today but not tomorrow, nm I won’t be coming in at all, let’s study cars, let’s study balloons, hey let’s go over here, there, everywhere.” Being inconsistent will lose the trust and respect of your peers and superiors. It’s also annoying as shit.

Competence: Every successful person has a ‘pocket skill’, something they’re exceptionally good at, something they’ve practiced and perfected, and something they’re known for. Warren Buffett for investment, Ben Carson for pediatric neurosurgery, Roger Federer for tennis, etc. Never stop learning and developing your craft.

Charisma: Communication skills, listening skills, people skills, networking skills, compassion, empathy. The ability to understand people, what they want, what they need, and how to convey your thoughts and ideas to them with impeccable clarity and precision. To be successful you must have the ability to make people not only like you, but trust and respect you.

Resilience: The emotional, mental, and psychological fortitude to endure stress, the ability to recover from failure and setbacks, the physical strength to work long hours. To be successful you must be able to endure pain, discomfort, disappointment, and fatigue because nothing will come easy and the road is long and hard.

Passion: The strong belief in a goal or cause, the commitment to achieve high levels of performance to serve that goal or cause. Passion is not the same as ambition.

Summary

Successful people are disciplined and consistent. 

Successful people are skilled at something. 

Successful people are liked, trusted, and respected.

Successful people are durable and undeterred. 

Successful people have a sense of purpose. 

Optional (and helpful), but not required

Intelligence: All the thinkers will be surprised that I listed intelligence is optional, but it is. There are a lot of smart people who never make it in life for various reasons. Filtering the external factors (like being born in a third world country or a war zone), discipline is the key differentiating factor between an intelligent person who succeeds and one who fails.

Money: It’ll help expedite your way to success, but it’s not required.

my saturday evening consists of...