Chafa Tales - Stories that Bloom Like Chafa

Last Night Wasn’t Quiet for Me The electricity went off last night. It should’ve been peaceful no fans, no notifications, no outside noise. The kind of stillness people write poetry about. But for me… it was anything but silent. In that dark, unmoving space, a strange buzzing began in my ears. Not from outside, but from within me. It felt like the world had paused, but my inner world had suddenly turned up the volume. 🎧 A Buzz That Wasn’t Electrical I kept asking myself;  Why is everything around me so still, but my mind feels so loud? I sat near the window, hoping for distraction. But nature’s calm, the chirping crickets, the quiet breeze only made my inner chaos louder. It wasn’t just random thoughts. It was my inner voice , asking questions I’d been avoiding: Are you okay? Why do you feel heavy, even in silence? When was the last time you truly listened to yourself? When the Lights Go Out, You Light Up Inside That night, I understood something I’d neve...

You know what most people notice first about me? Not my voice. Not my thoughts. Just… my height. “Oh my god, you’re so tiny!” Every. Single. Time. At this point, I just smile and say, “Yeah, I stopped growing vertically, so I started growing emotionally.” But truth be told, being short is a whole experience . It comes with its own list of everyday adventures and a few unexpected embarrassments. Like during the Ganpati miravnuk . The energy, the colours, the music; everyone was so hyped about the pathak performance. I was, too. But guess what I saw? Nothing. Just flags, backs, and tall heads. No dhol. No dancers. No drama. I jumped, tiptoed still couldn’t see a thing. Or that poetry competition I participated in once. The mic stand was taller than me, and the podium?  It looked like it was giving the speech on my behalf. From the audience’s view, I was probably just a talking file. And yet, I smiled. I still stood up. I still spoke. Because I’ve realized som...