City of Dreams

12.

How can love to be worthy of the name if one selects solely the pretty things and leaves out the hardships? It is easy to like the good and dislike the bad. Anybody can do that. The real challenge is to love the good and the bad together, not because you need to take the rough with the smooth but because you need to go beyond such descriptions and accept love in its entirety.

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Ever heard the expression "my mind is telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me another." This tough battle one face between the mind and the heart is common and we usually don't know which one to trust. The truth is they're interdependent yet interconnected. The heart has a mind of its own. The driving force of the heart does not focus on durability, just immediate satisfaction. Because of this, the mind intervenes and encourages us to think logically and not emotionally, resulting in the battle between the mind and the heart. The mind works as the powerhouse of our life choices. Although the mind is strong, it often plays tricks on us causing us to overthink.

Shehnaaz has a strong, independent personality. Since her birth she had been surrounded by her brothers and strong men. Having them around has made her robust, patient, and a fighter. She had a thick skin and became her own boss, as living with them gave a special insight into men very early. She learned very early to suck up all the issues, and that crying would never get her anywhere. She just held her head high and figured to resolve tricky situations. They pampered her, protected her, respected her, and loved her, even when they drove her crazy.

Even after Karan's demise, she came back stronger and lived independently and fought for her singing passion going against the world, working hard day and night, flourishing in her career path, finding ways to live through the pain she went through after losing her first love. Sometimes, it was not simple, there were days when she broke down, had sleepless nights, a broken heart, missing loved ones in that small Mumbai apartment. It was not easy for her; she would cry the whole night but would always come back firm and forceful with a new dawn. Always showed her gratitude and remained focused for what she had, with good intention and attitude.

She does not mind when Sidharth orders her to listen to him and show tantrums/anger if she doesn't. She knows his intentions behind that call, which is nothing but her presence to be with him all the time. It is his love, his care, and his experience, directing it- mixed up with his insecurities, anxiety, self-doubt, and uncertainty, her heart said! She had faith that she would go through this rain and flood situation placidly as a matter of fact any circumstance, but did he have that faith in her? Did he think her weak or incapable of dealing with the plight? Her mind asked. She has been dominated by her brothers and men in her family, but she would always do what she wished for every time, and they had to comply eventually. With Sidharth it is different, she always ends up falling for his adamant, resolute request, giving way for her heart to win. He doesn't give her any space to challenge or resist his demands. Maybe she is contemplating and not reacting well to his demands and control, her mind questioned. She was about to reach his apartment and these thoughts were hazing her mind.

The heart does no more than reflect the state of the mind—its turmoil, its resolution, its shallowness or its depth, its coarseness or its maturity.

She was happy to go to his place and meet him and be with him, but her father was also there. She had made some plans to spend time with her father, introduce him to Sidharth formally, but sometimes things don't go as planned. In her case nothing goes as per the plan! Well as they say, if nothing goes as we plan, something much better is being planned instead by the universe.

She saw Shera talking with Nandu when she entered the apartment in a big Police van. She ran to him carrying the backpack, not before thanking the constable who rode all the way in the flooded road just to pick her up.