By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I have been always fascinated by short stories, as they hold some mysteries to be unwrapped slowly. The Things around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a collection of short stories printed in different newspapers and magazines. The book is brilliant piece of work, portraying woman’s mind as well as feelings for her identity through the eyes of beautiful words.

Each story is amazing and creates a sense of attachment towards the characters. The love for the culture, woman status in the African nation (which is certainly same in most of the developing nations), search of Nigerian identity in new country, and beauty of the feelings embraced with the solitude of the countryside. Some of the stories in the book left me surprised as well as with the feeling of belonging.

• ‘A Private Experience’, where two women of different religions take a shelter in an old and abandoned shop after a riot breaks out, tells you no matter which religion you belong to, you have same feelings for your family and near ones.
• Have you ever applied for US visa? ‘The American Embassy’ lets you feel the same. In this story, the words let you see the character standing in the queue, answering thousands of questions in her mind about her choice of visa (i.e. asylum), struggling with words when she meets the visa officer, and facing the rejection with an ambiguous vision ahead.

It feels like you lose a part of yourself after each story ends, but the lost part meets you again in next story. The author knows how to play with words and to create a new feeling in you with each story.

My only advice to you is, read this book with an open mind, and definitely you will have the same feelings to share with others as I had.

Rating: 4/5

I saw dreams

and I saw people,

dreams created illusion about people I met.

I have been

living an illusion my whole life.

An illusion which can be destroyed any time,

by anyone,

by any means.

.

My life is an untitled novel.

I don’t know who will read me, or whether I will get published anytime.

The words of my life are mystery to everybody,

they don’t have any choice, they don’t have any voice.

.

My untitled life living an illusion.

The day that changed my life#morning#change#day (uploaded with Streamzoo.com)

hotpervymess:

If I say “I love you” with ease, I probably don’t mean it that way.  

That Way being:
I’m in love with you,
I can’t breathe without thinking of you first,
my heart sparkles at your touch,
I imagine a future with you, 
I’m utterly vulnerable to you,
and you have all the power.

If I love you in that way,
I’ll tell you I hate you. 
and push you away. 

Unless I’m sick,
or drunk,
or very sleepy,
or in any way altered
or vulnerable.

Walls tend to crumble when I’m weak.

I’ll whisper faintly,
and my heart will melt to tears
when I tell you: 

iloveyou

Really Beautiful

tylerknott:

With every step
I took this day
a single thought
swam through
my mind:
I might be
a tree,
tall and proud
and roots that
run deep
but you,
you my love,
are a forest
that stretches
as far
as these eyes
can see.

-Tyler Knott Gregson-

heartlessromantics:

I wish I could write
something beautiful, just to
make you notice me.

But words just un-
justly describe everything it is
you do to me…

When you find someone very cute, but they don’t know the way you feel about them. You try to do something to catch their attention and try to find the missing links. The person just passes by you and you want to wish them ‘Happy New Year’.

The eyes of her’s meet with eyes of your’s, and you wish them new year with some words. Cuteness and beauty when combined together can tell you to like the person.

Few of my words to describe that beautiful moment (silly me, just cant get out of my nostalgic world)

The places I never visited,
I see them now with my eyes closed.

The people I never met,
I hear them now with my ears shut.

The words I never read,
I feel them now on a blank paper.

The musical notes and the voice singing them,
symphony of nostalgia and lyrics with loneliness.

The life I never lived,
I talk about when I walk home in the evening.

tylerknott:

I would rather be
the loneliest dress
of all the dresses
hanging in the
back
of your closet
than the most loved
most worn
and most gorgeous
dress
in the front
of anyone
else’s.

-Tyler Knott Gregson-

The eyes will be brown,
the hair will be black,
the skin color doesn’t matter much,
and the look can be easily identified by my raw voice.

I will be definitely surrounded by
books,
music,
and some exotic words.

Maybe few of my old habits,
and maybe few of my expressions
will be still there,
when we meet again in next life.

vanithesingh:

It’s just one of those mornings….. :(

ਮੈਨੂ ਦੱਸੀ ਕਦੇ ਖਵਾਬ ਅਪਨਾ,
ਜਦੋ ਵੀ ਤੇਨੁ ਵੇਲ ਮਿਲੇਗੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਮਸ਼ਰੁਫੀਅਤ ਤੋਂ |

ਮੈਨੂ ਦੱਸੀ ਕੇਰ੍ਰਾ ਗੀਤ ਗਾਯਾ ਆਜ੍ਹ,
ਔਦੇ ਲਫਜਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਕੀ ਖਾਸ ਸੀ ਜੇਰ੍ਰਾ ਤੇਰੀ ਜ਼ੁਬਾਨ ਨੂ ਓਨੇ ਫੜ੍ਹ ਲਿਯਾ |

ਮੈਨੂ ਦੱਸੀ ਰਾਤ ਨੂ ਤੇਨੁ ਨੀਂਦ ਕਯੋਂ ਨਹੀ ਆਈ ,
ਕੀ ਸੋਚਦੀ ਰਹੀ ਅਪਨੀ ਅਖਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਹਨੇਰੇ ਵਿਚ ਬੈਠਕੇ ਕਿਸੀ ਜੁਗਨੂ ਵਾਂਗ |

ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਤੂ ਚੁਪ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਯਾਰ,
ਤੇਰੀ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਦੀ ਮਾਸੂਮਿਯਤ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਾਹ ਬਣ ਦੀ ਹੈ |

ਮੈਨੂ ਹੋਰ ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀ ਤੇ ਏ ਜਰੂਰ ਦੱਸੀ,
ਕਯੋਂ ਪਸੰਦ ਹੈ ਤੇਨੁ ਓ ਤਸਵੀਰ ਜੇਰ੍ਰੀ ਮੈਂ ਬਣਾਈ ਸੀ ਤੇਨੁ ਮਿਲਣ ਤੋਂ ਪਹੇਲਾਂ |