Published in About Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Debdutta PalI like to live inside my head, strongly dislike rules, and yeah, I write about stuff — I grew up in a collectivistic society, where the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” wasn’t open-ended. The only acceptable answer, especially for those who performed better than average at school, was a Doctor or an Engineer. When I announced at fourteen that the field…About Me6 min readAbout Me6 min read
Published in Gumusservi·4 days agoMember-onlyI’m Off to Buy Multiple Monitors Because I Want to Be Taken SeriouslyWhat’s the point of working if I am not aesthetically productive? — I was working from home before it was cool to do so. I saw it all go down from the comfort of my bed, the celebration of magically acquired extra time, pets on Zoom calls, and a rather sudden back-to-office march for vague reasons like culture and socializing as if…Humor5 min readHumor5 min read
Published in Gumusservi·6 days agoMember-onlyEverything I Am Doing WrongZero reads, a couple of cents, and misplaced motivation — I watched After last night and teared up a little at the Wattpad Studios logo. When I put my fiction story up there, it got two views and one unsolicited comment that turned out to be a scammer. I believe it deserved better. Maybe I should write love stories; after…Writing6 min readWriting6 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 25Member-onlyI Decorated 70 Homes in Animal Crossing Because I Suck at Making My OwnThe DLC that saved me from complete ruin — The game that saved us effort averse from Quarantine-Inspo had another trick up its sleeve. We can’t bear to be productive IRL, but our characters love to keep busy and cannot enjoy the slow pace of simulated rustic life. They analyzed the data and enabled us to decorate unlimited homes. …Humor5 min readHumor5 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 24Member-onlyI Swear It’s RealAnd I want to stop looking for outward signs — We were holding hands, not tightly, but long enough for me to learn the insides of your palm. I placed a hand on your heart and heard a feeble but steady beat. I memorized it. Passed by a mirror, and right then, I woke up. In those brief moments between…Creative Non Fiction4 min readCreative Non Fiction4 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 22Member-onlyAnd Just Like That, We’ve Clumsily RegressedBecause all good things must come to an end — Disclaimer: This is not a review; I just have a lot of feelings. I’m probably the last Sex and the City fan to watch the much-trashed reboot, and I wondered before starting to type if there’s anything left to say. After mulling over it for a few days, I decided…Culture6 min readCulture6 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 21Member-onlyAdriftLet’s pretend it didn’t happen — Let’s pretend you didn’t hurt me, That piece of mail didn’t exist, Returned intact to sender, While trading courteous words. I keep trying to soft quit, And making dumb resolutions, Like there’s a reward waiting, A future to look forward to. Let’s pretend to have a purpose, One for each lengthy…Poetry2 min readPoetry2 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 9Member-onlyWhat if It’s Behind Me?Age of pausing and haunting irrational premonitions — The milestone birthdays are over, Now it’s just a random number, Soon it will stop mattering, Which side of the line I belong. All the words are outside of me, Repetitions ring in my year, Others seem spoken for, And I find myself wrapped in fear. What if my best…Poetry3 min readPoetry3 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 4Member-onlyPaper RingsCustomizing commitment in the modern era — When the light shines in every night, I welcome it on most occasions. But tonight, it focuses on my bare ring finger, and I wonder if I did that part of me a disservice who wanted to see one there. I’m also reminded that I am due a shave on…Culture7 min readCulture7 min read
Published in Gumusservi·Nov 2Member-onlyThe Only Self-Help Advice You’ll Ever Need in Your LifeI’m not revealing anything here; wait for it. — Warning: If you already have your life together and productivity podcasts are your jam, congratulations! Please move on and read something better on this platform. This one is for the eternally screwed up. Skim at your own peril. Today I wanted to start working at 4 in the afternoon. But…Humor6 min readHumor6 min read
