Things We Took Lightly, Once

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15/12/2025

Evenings have a habit of reopening old drawers.
The time we wasted without guilt.
The laughter that arrived without reason.
The freedom of not planning tomorrow so carefully.
When we were young, we treated these things casually — as if they were permanent. Now they return as memories, lighter than regret, heavier than we expect.
But tonight, I choose not to miss them painfully. I choose to smile at them. Life didn’t take them away; it simply asked us to grow.
And perhaps that’s the quiet comfort of evening — it reminds us that every version of ourselves still exists somewhere inside, waiting to be remembered kindly.

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

Sri Lanka’s Pride Lives in Its Tea Hills

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15/12/2025

In Sri Lanka, pride does not shout — it grows patiently on mist-covered hills. The tea gardens of the central highlands are not just landscapes; they are living memory. Generations have walked these slopes, hands skilled in selecting leaves with care learned over decades.


Ceylon tea is recognised worldwide, but what Sri Lankans truly cherish is the discipline behind it. The rhythm of early mornings, the respect for climate and soil, the quiet dignity of work done without spectacle.
These hills carry stories of hardship, endurance, and quiet progress. Families measure time not by years, but by harvests. Villages rise and rest with the fog.
For Sri Lankans, the tea fields are more than export or economy. They are proof that patience can create excellence — and that pride does not need noise to be felt deeply.

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

Some Mornings Don’t Announce Themselves

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15/12/2025

Some mornings don’t arrive with clarity or enthusiasm. They slip in quietly, like a thought you haven’t fully understood yet. You sit for a moment longer than usual, letting the day decide its own pace.
When I was younger, I believed mornings demanded certainty — a plan, a goal, a direction. Today, I know better. Some days begin best when you don’t rush to label them.
There is a gentle strength in allowing the morning to unfold without pressure. No affirmations, no urgency, no promises made too early. Just presence.
If today feels undecided, let it be. Even uncertain mornings carry their own wisdom. They teach us how to move forward without forcing ourselves to know everything at once.

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

A Gentle, Slightly Funny Inventory of the Day

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14/12/2025


Today included:
• One forgotten task that wasn’t as important as I thought.
• Two unnecessary worries that quietly dissolved by evening.
• A sudden memory from youth that arrived uninvited — and stayed.

I once believed evenings were meant for reflection alone. Now I think they are meant for relief. Relief from trying too hard, explaining too much, and holding everything together perfectly.
There’s a subtle humor in realizing that most days don’t need analysis. They need rest.
So if your day felt messy, unfinished, or slightly absurd — congratulations. You lived it honestly.
Close the night gently. Tomorrow doesn’t require you to be better. Just awake.

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

Why the Maldivian Sea Is More Than Blue

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14/12/2025


To outsiders, the Maldives is a vision of endless blue — lagoons, reefs, and water that seems unreal. But to Maldivians, pride lies in something quieter: their ancestral bond with the sea.


For centuries, island communities have lived by reading currents, stars, and winds. Fishing is not an industry here; it is inheritance. Boats are built with care, not speed. Stories are passed down with tide timings, not textbooks.
Maldivians are deeply proud of protecting their fragile coral ecosystems, knowing that the sea gives only when respected. Long before sustainability became fashionable, restraint was already a way of life.
Each island carries its own rhythm, dialect, and traditions, yet all are tied together by the ocean that surrounds and sustains them.
Ask a Maldivian what defines their country, and they will not say luxury. They will say, “We belong to the sea — and the sea knows us.”

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

Before the Day Learns Your Name

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14/12/2025
Before emails arrive, before the phone vibrates, before the world starts asking who you are — there exists a narrow, precious space. That space is the morning.
I’ve learned that mornings don’t need enthusiasm; they need honesty. Some days you wake up ready, some days you wake up unsure, and some days you wake up simply tired. All are acceptable.
In younger years, I rushed through this hour as if it were a hurdle. Now I treat it like a doorway. Step through gently, without carrying yesterday’s noise.
If nothing else, give the day one truthful moment — a quiet thought, a steady breath, a small intention. That is enough to let the morning recognize you kindly.

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

Three Lighthearted Moments From Ordinary Life

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13/12/2025

1. The Misplaced Key


He searched everywhere — pockets, drawers, even the fridge. After fifteen minutes, he found the key calmly sitting in his hand. He laughed alone, and somehow the whole day felt lighter.

2. The Bakery Mix-up


She ordered a single pastry. The baker accidentally gave her two, then whispered, “Life is short. Sweetness should be shared.” She didn’t argue.

3. The Bus Window Breeze


A man in a suit sat beside a schoolboy. When the wind hit his face through the open window, he closed his eyes like a child. The boy noticed — and smiled.
Sometimes the world softens for no reason at all.

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

Where the Mauritian Heart Finds Its Pride

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13/12/2025


Mauritius is known to the world for its beaches, reefs, and postcard-blue lagoons — but to Mauritians, pride lives somewhere far more intimate. It lives in Le Morne Brabant, the UNESCO heritage mountain that stands like a guardian of their history.
For generations, this towering rock has been a symbol of resilience. It is here that runaway slaves once sought refuge, crafting hidden communities on the steep slopes. Today, Mauritians speak of Le Morne not as a landmark but as a reminder of courage carved into the land itself.


They are also deeply proud of their mosaic identity — Indian, Creole, African, Chinese, French — living together with a harmony that feels rare in the world. Food, festivals, music, and stories flow into one another like colours in a single wave.
Ask a Mauritian what makes their island special, and they will smile softly: “Here, we remember where we came from — and we celebrate who we became.”

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

The Gift of Slow Mornings

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13/12/2025


There was a time when I believed every morning had to feel powerful — a rush of ambition, a surge of purpose, a checklist waiting for battle. But today, I realize something gentler: the mornings that truly shape our lives are often the soft ones.
A quiet sun. A warm sip. A thought that arrives without noise.
In my younger days, slow mornings felt like laziness. Now they feel like wisdom — the body’s way of saying, “Go steady. Your story is still unfolding.”
If today begins calmly for you, don’t hurry to fill it. Let the slowness settle in your chest. Let it remind you that life’s real strength lies not in speed but in clarity.

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

Three Micro Tales for a Soft December Night

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12/12/2025

1. The Umbrella
He carried a broken umbrella all through college. On the last day, it rained heavily — and someone he admired shared it with him. Years later, he still remembers the rain, not the degree.

2. The Missed Bus
She ran, slipped, dropped everything, and still missed the bus. While picking up her scattered papers, a stranger helped her and said, “Some delays save us.” Ten years later, he became her husband.

3. The Balcony Light
Every night at 10, an old man switched on a tiny balcony lamp. When asked why, he smiled, “Someone walking home will see a little light and feel less alone.”
Not all heroes roar. Some shine quietly.

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