Author Archives: Shashwat Mishra

What’s the best way to explore a new city?

India, my beloved country, is currently going through a phase of agitations. Right now, if you visit any city, you will come across a new protest. This could also be a unique way to explore India’s diversity.

After Gen Z achieved success in one such movement, everyone has started to see a glimmer of hope. In this same vein, a protest against the Election Commission has begun following the removal of certain names from the electoral rolls.

Around 150 protesters, including AISA national president Neha Bora, were detained on Saturday (October 3, 2026) as they marched from Patel Chowk towards Jantar Mantar, Delhi to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demand his resignation.

Neha Bora has emerged as a charismatic student leader and one of the face of Gen Z protest. She is national president of AISA, the All India Student Association, which is affiliated with the communist party of India (Marxist-Leninist) liberation.

The battle just begun let’s see what will come next. Not all battles are fought for victory. Some are fought simply to tell the world that someone was there on the battlefield.

These battles often become symbols. They remind us that presence itself can be defiance, that endurance can be louder than victory. Sometimes, the battlefield is less about conquest and more about carving one’s name into the memory of time.

“Look for Violence Not Only Outside, But Also Within”

India stood on the threshold of independence. Yet, instead of celebrations on the streets of Calcutta, there was fear, distrust, and communal violence. Armed mobs roamed the streets, and the very fabric of society seemed to be tearing apart.

It was in this difficult time that Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Calcutta—not with weapons, not with an army, but with the power of nonviolence, moral courage, and the willingness to stake his own life.

The Question That Revealed a Deeper Truth
In Calcutta, Sri Rajagopalachari asked Gandhi:
“These gangs of goons roaming the streets of Calcutta—can you confront them with a fast?”
Gandhi’s reply was immediate and profound:

“I wish to touch the hearts of those who are supporting these goons. The goons on the streets cannot be there unless there is a subtle goonishness in the minds of those of us who are not on the streets.”
Gandhiji was not ready to see the violence in Calcutta merely as the doing of a few “goons.”

In his view, the real problem was far deeper.
The Violence We Do Not See
Behind the violence visible on the streets, Gandhi saw the violence hidden in the psychology of society:
Hatred
Prejudice
The desire for revenge
The mentality of seeing another human being as an enemy
External violence often begins with internal violence. Violent crowds do not appear suddenly. Behind them lie long-nurtured mental disorders, hatred, social prejudices, and society’s silence in the face of violence.

Gandhi’s Challenge to Us:
Gandhiji’s challenge begins here. Society does not change merely by defeating violent people. Society changes when ordinary people stop giving hatred nourishment, water, and their support.

Gandhiji’s message was simple, yet extremely difficult:
“Do not become what you oppose.”
Because the end of violence does not happen only on the streets.
Do we only want to end the violence outside, or do we have the courage to recognize the violence hidden within us as well?

Because the violence visible on society’s streets is often just the reflection of those emotions which, long before, we have already given space to in our hearts in the form of prejudice.

How do you write what people actually want to read?

We are human beings, and the heart is our common home. On different streets, in different tongues, we tie the same loose shoelaces, carry the same unspoken fears. Daily realities of life create a natural bridge between writer and reader.

every person carries an invisible diary of emotions. When you write authentically, your words act like a key that unlocks those hidden pages. Suddenly, the reader feels seen, understood, and less alone.

It’s also why many great works of literature, philosophy, and poetry endure across centuries. They remind us that beneath differences of culture, language, or circumstance, we share the same fragile yet resilient heart.

How do you make time for self-care?

Amidst all my responsibilities and no matter how intense the work pressure whether physical or mental once I have dealt with it all, I cherish solitude. It is a time when I do absolutely nothing, simply being alone in the quiet of my closed room.

It is the moment when the self breathes without masks, when silence becomes a companion instead of a void.

In that quiet room, you allow yourself to dissolve the weight of responsibilities, to let silence stitch together the frayed edges of your mind.

It’s almost like tending a hidden garden: you don’t plant new seeds every time, but you let the soil rest, so it remains fertile for tomorrow’s growth.

Soon after Gandhi’s return from South Africa, a meeting of the Congress was held in Bombay. Kaka Saheb Kalelkar went there to help.

One day Kaka Saheb found Gandhiji anxiously searching around his desk.

“What’s the matter? What are you looking for?” Kaka Saheb asked.

“I’ve lost my pencil,” Gandhiji answered. “It was only so big.”

Kaka Saheb was upset to see Gandhiji wasting time and worrying about a little pencil. He took out his pencil and offered it to him.

“No, no, I want my own little pencil,” Gandhiji insisted like a stubborn child.

“Well, use it for the time being,” said Kaka Saheb. “I’ll find your pencil later. Don’t waste time looking for it now.”

“You don’t understand. That little pencil is very precious to me,” Gandhiji insisted.

“Natesan’s little son gave it to me in Madras. He gave it with so much love and affection. I cannot bear to lose it.”

Kaka Saheb didn’t argue any more. He joined Gandhiji in the search.

At last they found it – a tiny piece, barely two inches long. But Gandhiji was delighted to get it back. To him it was no ordinary pencil. It was the token of a child’s love and to Gandhiji a child’s love was very precious.

Have you ever liked a villain more than the hero? Who and why?

Hrithik is the master thief, while Aishwarya is the clever thief who becomes his partner and love interest—but initially betrays him by working with the police. Actually whole movie based on them and they do tremendous work on this movie.

Hrithik Roshan’s role
Hrithik plays Aryan Singhania, better known as Mr. A:
He is a brilliant international thief who steals valuable and heavily guarded objects.
He uses disguises, technology, intelligence, and acrobatic skills to carry out impossible robberies.
He is the film’s main antagonist, pursued by ACP Jai Dixit.
Although he is a criminal, he is shown as stylish, clever, confident, and emotionally complex.

Aishwarya Rai’s role
Aishwarya plays Sunehri:
She is a clever but relatively small-time thief.
She impresses Mr. A with her courage and intelligence.
She joins him as a partner in major robberies.
However, she is secretly connected with the police and is expected to help them catch him.

Children loved visiting Gandhi. A little boy who was there one day, was greatly distressed to see the way Gandhiji was dressed. Such a great man yet he doesn’t even wear a shirt, he wondered.

“Why don’t you wear a kurta, Gandhi?” the little boy couldn’t help asking finally.

“Where’s the money, son?” Gandhi asked gently. “I am very poor. I can’t afford a kurta.”

The boy’s heart was filled with pity.

“My mother sews well”, he said. “She makes all my clothes. I’ll ask her to sew a Kurta for you.”

“How many Kurtas can your mother make?” Gandhiji asked.

“How many do you need?” asked the boy. “One, two, three…. she’ll make as many as you want.”

Gandhi thought for a moment. Then he said, “But I am not alone, son. It wouldn’t be right for me to be the only one to wear a kurta.”

“How many Kurtas do you need?” the boy persisted. “I’ll ask my mother to make as many as you want. Just tell me how many you need.”

“I have a very large family, son. I have forty crore brothers and sisters,” Gandhiji explained.

“Till every one of them has a kurta, how can I wear one? Tell me, can your mother make kurtas for all of them?

At this question the boy became very thoughtful. Forty crore brothers and sisters! Gandhiji was right.

Till every one of them had a kurta to wear how could he wear one himself? After all the whole nation was Gandhi’s family, and he was the head of that family. He was their friend, their companion. What use would one kurta be to him?

What’s one thing that would instantly improve your city?

Just watch the mood of my city
when a cool breeze drifts from
her street and reaches me.

Crowds soften, horns blur into distance,
dust settles like an old thought finally understood.
like flowers had bloomed all over the bushes.

Shops half-close their eyes,
cycle bells ring slower.
Even the river seems to pause
as if listening to its own name.

In that breath,
Prayagraj is not noise,
not traffic, not heat.
It seemed as all the pilgrims
had attained salvation.

She is a leaning from her balcony.
And I, standing far away,
receive it like a letter
that needs no reply,
only silence,
and a smile that knows her too well.

What’s the longest trip you’ve ever taken?

I began where no beginning was,
where time had no direction,
where silence carried every voice
and space had no dimension.

I was an infinite soul
without a name, without a form,
a wave within the timeless sea,
before existence became a storm.

Then I entered a finite world,
a body, a breath, a temporary face
I learned the language of the clock,
of distance, loss, and human grace.

I walked through different times
through yesterday, tomorrow, and today
I crossed the borders of dimensions
where forgotten dreams still stay.

In one world, I was a memory.
In another, I was yet to be.
Somewhere, I was falling into darkness
somewhere else, I had become free.

Every life became a question,
every ending, a hidden door
each limitation taught the soul
what infinity was searching for.

At last, I reached the edge of time
but found no edge at all.
The finite soul dissolved like rain
into the sky from which it fell.

I was never leaving infinity.
I was only learning how to be
an endless journey of the universe
through one small human me.

What’s your best tip for budget travel?

Budget travel is easiest when you control the three biggest costs on transport, accommodation, and food. Smart planning with flexible choices like book flights midweek, stay in hostels or guesthouses, eat like a local, and use public transport.

*Flight Savings
Book midweek: Tuesdays and Wednesdays often have cheaper fares.
Use incognito mode: Prevents price hikes based on repeated searches.
Set flight alerts: Track price drops with Google Flights or Skyscanner.
Be flexible: Search “Everywhere/Anytime” to catch anomaly fares.

*Accommodation Hacks
Stay in hostels or guesthouses: Affordable and social.House-sitting: Free stays in exchange for caretaking.
Rent apartments: Cheaper than hotels, especially for longer trips.

*Food & Dining
Eat like a local: Street food and local markets are cheaper and authentic.
Cook meals: Use hostel kitchens or Airbnb setups.
Lunch menus: Restaurants often have cheaper midday specials.

*Transport Tips
Public transport: Buses, metros, and trains save big compared to taxis.
Multi-day passes: Unlimited rides at a discount.
Offline maps: Avoid roaming charges and data costs.