The Cup That Started a Cold War


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9 October 2025

She: Who left the cup on the table again?
He: The cup? I left it there for inspiration.
She: Inspiration or evaporation?
He: Great art needs half-drunk coffee and silence.
She: Then you must be Picasso of procrastination.
He: At least I don’t hide snacks in the cupboard.
She: I call it strategic storage.
He: And I call this… peace negotiation over tea.

The quarrel ends in laughter, as always.
Because in every home, love hides quietly between misplaced cups and unfinished conversations.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah5
YouTube: @conversewithasmile

Land of a Thousand Hills – An Afternoon in Rwanda


Date:9/10/2025


There are landscapes that seem to whisper stories, and then there are those that sing them aloud. Rwanda’s afternoon hills belong to the latter. The light here is softer — not the blinding gold of noon, nor the fading amber of dusk. It touches every fold of the land gently, as though blessing it.

Standing at the ridge, you see life moving slowly — children in uniforms returning home, farmers carrying bundles of green on their heads, and somewhere in the distance, the hum of Kigali, vibrant yet calm. The hills are never still; they rise and fall like a conversation between the land and the sky.

Every time I pause in such a place, I am reminded how rhythm is not just found in music but in the way light changes, in the laughter that echoes across the valley, in the hush before evening prayers begin.

Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, teaches you this — that beauty does not demand attention; it invites presence.


Author: Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah

The Mirror That Lied


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9 October 2025

This morning, my mirror lied again.
It showed me a face that looked half-asleep, hair in rebellion, and eyes still negotiating with gravity. But I smiled anyway. Mirrors only reflect the surface; they can’t measure the sparkle of intent. I told my reflection, “You’ll look better once ambition kicks in.” And it did. A splash of water, a deep breath, and the day straightened its shoulders. Sometimes motivation doesn’t come from quotes or coffee—it comes from refusing to believe what the mirror says before 9 a.m.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah5
YouTube: @conversewithasmile

When Silence Becomes Music


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8 October 2025

The best part of the evening isn’t the sunset—it’s the silence that follows.
After the traffic fades and phones stop buzzing, there’s a soft hum that wraps around you. It’s not empty; it’s alive. Every sound—the creak of a chair, a distant bark, your own heartbeat—feels like part of a secret orchestra. That’s when you realize silence isn’t the absence of noise but the beginning of peace. It’s the world’s way of saying, “You’ve done enough today.” So, breathe, and let the night play its gentle tune.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah5
YouTube: @conversewithasmile

Jakarta: Chaos with a Pulse


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8 October 2025

Jakarta isn’t a city you visit—it’s one that engulfs you. From the first honk at dawn to the last prayer call echoing at night, it feels like a living creature made of motion. Street stalls hiss with oil and laughter; the aroma of nasi goreng wraps around you like an embrace. In Glodok, Chinatown pulses with chatter and red lanterns, while the Old Batavia district reminds you that time here is layered, never lost. Beneath glass towers, kampung alleys breathe, proud of their simplicity. The traffic may test your patience, but then comes a smile from a stranger, and suddenly, everything feels human again. Jakarta doesn’t seek perfection—it celebrates survival, colour, and chaos with open arms.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah5

The Coffee That Knew Too Much


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8 October 2025

There are mornings when your coffee looks more awake than you.
It stares back, unimpressed by your ambition and your to-do list. You sip, it sighs. You promise to quit sugar, it knows better. Somewhere between the second and third sip, your brain joins the party, and the day begins to behave. Coffee doesn’t fix problems—it just makes them easier to tolerate. Like a patient therapist in a ceramic mug, it listens without judgment and forgives your procrastination, one sip at a time.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarmah5
YouTube: @conversewithasmile

Lanterns Over Water


Date: 7 October 2025
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When night drapes itself across the river, the first lantern rises. It carries a wish written in shaky ink — love, health, forgiveness. One by one, others follow, glowing softly like borrowed stars. The air smells of river mist and hope. A boy points upward, his mother nods, her eyes wet but smiling. The wind moves gently, almost careful not to break a dream. Across the bank, reflections merge until water and sky become the same quiet sheet of light. For a moment, everyone stands still — part of something wordless, warm, and infinite.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah,

Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5 | YouTube @conversewithasmile

Beneath the Blue of Palawan


Date: 7 October 2025
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Palawan teaches silence better than any monastery. The sea shimmers in impossible blues, brushing limestone cliffs that guard its secrets. Beneath the surface lies a cathedral of coral, each fish a moving prayer painted by light. Fishermen glide through glassy lagoons, their songs rising with the wind. A child onshore waves at strangers, her laughter echoing like wind chimes. Nothing here demands applause. Even the sun, when it begins to set, simply bows — spilling gold into the quiet. You forget to take photos; your hands are busy holding wonder. For a few suspended minutes, the heart beats slower, learning again the sound of peace.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah,

Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5 | YouTube @conversewithasmile

Sticky Soldiers


Date: 7 October 2025
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He woke to find sticky notes everywhere — on the kettle, the mirror, even the cat’s back. Each note carried a small command: Breathe, then act. Smile before scrolling. Walk for five minutes. At first, he grumbled, but as the day moved, the notes began to work. The kettle boiled quietly; his temper didn’t. He walked, he smiled, he even called his mother. By nightfall, the notes had won the day. He peeled one off the fridge and whispered, “Thanks, General Yellow.” Tomorrow’s orders awaited.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5 | YouTube @conversewithasmile

The Quiet Between Two Moments


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Date: 6 October 2025

Content:
There’s a stillness that lives between two moments — just before you speak, or right after the rain. It’s where thoughts exhale, and the world takes a gentle breath. In that pause, we meet ourselves — unhurried, honest, and whole. Perhaps that’s all peace ever wanted — a moment’s attention.


Rajat Chandra Sarmah,

Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram: @rajatchandrasarma

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