Curly dark brown hair like tendrils so bold,
A wild dance of strands in stories untold,
From childhood days, we laughed and we played,
Neighbours, friends, in memories we stayed.

In those carefree hours, as innocence thrived,
Our souls intertwined, a friendship revived,
But something more, a feeling deeper grew,
A tender ember that only I knew.

Your caramel brown eyes, a kaleidoscope,
Whispering secrets, where dreams come there hope,
They speak of lands where fantasies come alive,
Reflections of stardust, in love’s eternal dive.

And in your curly dark brown locks I find,
A labyrinth of wonder, a thread that binds,
The memories of days as children at play,
The foundation on which my love will stay.

So here’s my ode, a testament sincere,
To the one who fills my heart with cheer,
My childhood friend, my crush and my guide,
With caramel brown eyes where love resides.

The post Those Caramel Brown Eyes appeared first on The Teenager Today.

We think that a crush is a romantic attraction towards someone. As a matter of fact, a crush isn’t always romantic as much as it is a feeling of being awestruck by someone. It’s a desire to connect at more than a surface level, and your crush could be a potential friend, work buddy, or a future romantic partner, too.

How do I know I’m having a crush on someone?

It will be obvious to the world. When you have a crush, there’s an incessant need to work all your plans around being in the vicinity and proximity of this person. You’ll find yourself matching your workout, evening stroll, morning walk, lunch hour in school or college, or other engagements, to theirs. You would be thinking, discussing, and contemplating about this person most of the time and probably be distracted from other tasks owing to this preoccupation. At a biological level, you will have an adrenaline rush in the presence of this person, allowing your cheeks to turn pink, your eyes to twinkle, and your palms to feel sweaty. In most cases, people break into an unexpected or inappropriate smile that could even be embarrassing, in a charming way of sorts. Don’t be surprised if you fumble or even lose your words in the presence of this person. Your brain chemicals go into a frenzied tango with an urge to do something, anything, to connect with this person in real life or even in a dream. It’s a feeling that you will surely enjoy — a mix of happiness that this person is in your life in some capacity, as well as a restless eagerness to get closer and closer to this person; to change the status quo to something else.

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The post Are you Crushing on Someone? appeared first on The Teenager Today.

On a quiet spring walk
I found myself taking quick peeks,
Lost in the meadows of silly thoughts
Thoughts reddening my moist cheeks.

Oops! What just happened?
Our eyes finally made confessions.
Those butterflies in our stomach
Finally made some connections.

So as we turn the pages
Of this romantic novel,
We come across several chapters
Full of affection and a little quarrel.

But as the universe defines
The moon ought to change its shape every night
The sky which kisses the full moon
May seem moonless the other night.

On a quiet autumn walk
I again found myself engaged,
But now lost in the meadows of thoughts
Decorated with ideas of hopeless rage.

Now all I have is
A large white blank canvas,
Wanting to sketch the memories of togetherness
But the ink of love is over…

The post Tale of my love appeared first on The Teenager Today.

I totally respect your feelings. However, I understand that you are sceptical about sharing your feelings with your best friend. It is very normal to have your heart flutter and feel butterflies in your stomach when you have feelings for someone, and I am sure it is a very beautiful feeling. You are also aware that there is a possibility that your friend may not reciprocate the same feelings for you. If you are certain that your friend is straight, she may not reciprocate the same feelings for you. Neither can you or I predict for sure how she would react if you broke the news to her. It is a plunge that you would need to take either way. In case you do share your feelings, it is important for you to first tell her that you respect this friendship the most and would not want it to be affected at any cost.

The post I like a girl who is one of my best friends appeared first on The Teenager Today.

It was summer. I was waiting for my dad to pick me up after my classes. While I was waiting, I felt someone stare at me. My eyes fell on a boy standing opposite me. I recognized him from my Eco class, but I felt that he wasn’t looking at me. After some time, I realized that the boy was actually looking at me. But the moment I would turn my attention towards him, he would look away.

“That’s weird,” I thought.

The next day in class, the same boy sat in the empty seat in front of me. During the entire lecture, he tried to steal glances at me. Whenever our eyes met, he would look away embarrassed. I started to feel awkward whenever I caught him looking at me.

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The post A Love without Touch appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Dear Ronita,

You are dismayed to learn that your best friend has a crush on you for you are worried that this could mean the end of your friendship.

So, if you haven’t already done so, ask for time with your friend and speak frankly with him. Gently but firmly state that you don’t reciprocate his feelings. Ask him what he would like to do. He may want to remain friends but want time off from the friendship to work through his feelings. Or he may want to end the friendship. Either way, respect his choice. And if you feel you want to end the friendship, then discuss that with your friend. He would need to respect your decision too.

Unfortunately, with his feelings for you and your relationship has already changed, and even if you don’t want to break the friendship, you need to be prepared that it may happen. This will depend on the choices you both make.

The post I don’t have feelings for him appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Dear Rishi,

Looks like you regret the way things happened with this girl and that is taking away your peace of mind.

It is okay that you expressed your feelings and asked if this girl liked you in return, but she got offended and angry. Was she overreacting? Or was it something about what you said or the way you asked? Reflect on this first. In any case, any relationship is about respecting the other person, and ‘firing with bad words’ does not show respect.

The only way forward is to apologize to her. Perhaps you can mention that while you had no intention of offending her by asking if she liked you, you are very sorry for your behaviour afterwards. Then, remember, it is her choice whether she replies to you or not, returns your feelings or not, or wants to be friends or not. So, be ready that you may or may not receive a response. Respect her choice.

And once you have apologized, whether you get her friendship back or not, you will certainly get peace of mind.

The post She didn’t want to speak to me again appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Dear Ronita,

You like this guy, but you seem to have doubts as to whether you will be able to adjust to religious and social differences, a doubt that is very valid and well picked up by you.

There are examples of all kinds — those where partners adjust to and accept each other’s religious differences; others where one partner gives up his/her religion and customs to adjust to another; and those where the differences are too many and partners break up.

While the goal of all religions is the same, the paths are many. The reality is that these differing paths and their customs can be quite challenging to adjust to, especially if they are very different from our own. Finally, success depends on a couple’s choice, the ability to work through differences and find common ground. For this, each person must first know what they are willing to adjust to and what is unacceptable to them. And then work through differences by communicating openly and respecting each other’s choices. Else it is best to move on.

You are still young and have a long way to go before getting into a committed relationship. Take your time and get to know each other and your families before you commit to the relationship. So, at present, enjoy your teens and the special friendship you share. Whether this is love or plain teenage attraction, time will surely tell.

The post We follow different religions appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Do you recall the sweaty palms, racing heartbeat and distractibility you sensed when you simply looked at someone you desire? Did the flush of red fill your cheeks when you thought about them, hoping against hope that you cross their path somehow during the day and that they notice you? These feelings seem intense and tend to overtake you by awe. You may have dreamed or fantasized about being with this person close physically, cuddling or even kissing. Whether you got the person’s attention or not, he or she could crack your lips into an instantaneous smile. This could be a classmate, a teacher, a celebrity — actor, singer or sportsperson. You’re not a pervert for feeling like this. You’re human and you have emotions. You are allowed to have a crush. It may seem embarrassing, and psychologists find it mysterious too, but believe it or not, crushes are normal, natural and actually healthy for you.

Anthropology research scientists at Oxford University define a crush as one-sided affection or obsession. In general, the intensity of the experience of human love is unparalleled. That is why when one feels any positive feeling towards anyone so powerfully, it can get misconstrued as love, and one develops what is known as a “crush”. Crushes can be evolutionally considered as undertakings of self-love, more than adoring someone else. Which means, a crush is more about you than the object of your crush. This is easy to understand when you acknowledge what fuels your attraction for the crush.

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The post Don’t let your crush, crush you! appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Dear Ishi,

Seems like you feel some excitement and anticipation to know whether a boy has a crush on you or not and want to ask him directly. However, you face a dilemma about whether you’re doing the right thing.

Whether you are doing the right thing or not will depend on what you want, your values and what is important to you.

To clarify your thinking, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• Do I want to be in a relationship? Or do I want friendship?
• What is the most important focus in my life at present? Studies? Relationships? Family? Career? Friendships? (Rank these for yourself)
• What benefit will I get by asking him whether he likes me or not? (I will feel good about myself/I will get peace of mind if I know for sure/It will help me decide whether I want to be in a relationship with him/All of these/Something else.)
• What is my expectation from being friends/in a relationship with this boy? How will my family react?
• What would be his expectations? Will I be agreeable to meeting those?

If you don’t want a relationship and you just want to know, by asking him you will end up hurting him and yourself. Hope this helps you to take your decision.

The post I always think of him whenever I study appeared first on The Teenager Today.