277. Truculent - From Reaction to Response

 From Reaction to Response

(Truculent – quick to argue)

Truculent can be situational, and each one’s side of the story portrays they aren’t false.

Sharing an instance from my office diaries, featuring controlling my truculent response.

I assisted a colleague in following a protocol on a particular case.

He seemed annoyed by the process; instead of being thankful, his voice towards me raise

He argued to all queries in a truculent tone, but as a response, I kept my temper cool.

I was professional in handling and specified the set guidelines and tool.

The truculent within me was now turned to tears to embrace,

Especially when this colleague, on seeing me in person, turned his face.

This is how I told myself - I am so powerful that he didn’t even have the courage to look into my eyes.

With the change in the air, I chose composure over noise.

I conveyed my point without blame, without raising my voice.

Whenever I have the truculence, I should guard it and only let a cool-toned flame emerge, to be precise.

I will definitely come across many of them provoking truculence.

The real win is dissecting emotion out from a truculent instance,

Which helps me not take them as an offence.

Each one of them may have their own frustration,

Which surely should not come into the workspace.

But giving back truculence tit for tat

Means heating up the conversation always.

Truculence is just a trailer; the full movie is too adventurous.

Blame games slowly turn into ego, and relations get ferocious.

The issue might be small, but after dragging it,

Even the work atmosphere becomes toxic.

And before reacting, I always have the option to pick.

A momentary anger can do so much harm.

Deep breathing helps keep my mind clear

And my tone affectionate and warm.

A nonchalant way of dealing helps me build a fence.

Anyone’s reaction shouldn’t matter as long as I am doing things correctly

And am peaceful in my mindspace.

✍️©️ Priyanka Kamath

21 Dec 2025

276. 2025 Memories

 Visiting Kazakhstan was a tick on my bucket list

Getting stability in my current job was legit

Staycation during Eid holidays at Hotel Rove

An office trip to Fujairah resort was a love

My parents’ anniversaries were marked with love and tribute

My cat Kiki is now at peace, and my pain stays mute

Meeting relatives and fun times were good

A year older, with more learnings understood

Gratitude to 2025 for all the lovely ties

So soon this year wrapped up — time flies!!

✍️©️ Priyanka Kamath 

20 Dec 2025

275. Squabble

 

“squabble”= an argument over something that is not important 

My team in workplace is of six

Below issue happened and I was expected to fix

Let's name my line manager as R

And my colleague SN's manager is Mr. AN at par

There is a team named Alpha

It's lead is Ms. AK who's on leave some

So her back up is SN

And if she is on leave when

It's me who handle the Department as back up

I was fine to manage workload and challenges to take up

But SN’s line manager AN wasn't aware of her leaves this time

And he also took his leaves same days thinking it's fine

I handle his department code

On his absence I was overload

I was back ups, back ups, back up now

I actioned on task somehow

SN although said about her leaves casually during lunch break

A passing squabble of words, too vague for me to intake

I couldn't exactly process the details to intake

She didn't even apply her leave through Company portal gate

So it didn't route to him to approve it at all

Now she is issued warning letter for negligence, a squabble small

And in response she mentions my name saying she has informed me

A needless squabble brewed, though I was only a colleague, see

When I was questioned I just said I am a colleague and not her boss

Why am I dragged in this squabble as work would go for toss

It shouldn't matter if she inform me or not

The right thing was to inform her line manager on the spot

And SN was upset that I didn't extend her support

After all dragging my name in this squabble was not a fair sort

People can't assume things, it should have been in writing

No point in overthinking and with me fighting

Yet I was cordial with her and she kept giving me cold vibes

Said she has understood me now and I am not her tribe

She is handling Team Beta, and I extend work support in that

One of the code submission had issues fat

After knowing the errors, I shouldn't proceed with submitting code

But she kept persuading me, a squabble I couldn't afford

I asked her to put it in writing so that I can document her response

Listening to this, she was taken aback and tense

I work for the firm

My decision should be firm

If something is wrong

I shouldn't be doing it under pressure long

I was cordial but, following the laid down protocol

No squabble can override integrity as my job’s true call

She was taunting me all this while

I was handling it with a smile

As staying in same pond I need to be cordial with crocodile

Than absorbing people's negativity and make work pile

Turning every squabble aside, letting peace compile

I was listening from one ear and leaving from other

And wrote down this instance so that I am relieved and no longer bother!!!

✍️©️ Priyanka Kamath 

20 Dec 2025

276. Racantour

 

Raconteur – A person who is skilled in telling stories in interesting ways

This term ‘Raconteur’ is new to my dictionary, but I have lived with this nature.

I am famous for narrating stories and even, at times, caricature.

Being a Raconteur has come to me like a blessing in plenty.

It gave me confidence and a pleasing personality.

Being a Raconteur secured me a lot of love and fame in my growing year

I had consistently secured prizes for my Raconteur presentations without fear.

When I was 10, a robber once came home with a weird scent.

He didn’t rob anything, but I narrated a story of this incident.

Also now, I doubt if he really came or if it was a false notion.

But I discovered my boundless imagination.

Police came to ask me, the only eyewitness to this scene.

I started narrating the story and had to repeat it times umpteen

In school too, when teachers used to ask each of them about activities done,

I said I confronted a robber and narrated the story with enthusiasm and fun.

Even before Drishyam movies, pav bhaji and 2 Oct were in the limelight.

My robber story was the talk of the class and bright.

Then I realised I could add a tail to even a one-sentence incident

and make it a story full of life.

My story begins with the robber coming towards me holding a knife.

His shadow appears in the window,

And dogs started barking " bhow bhow".

I went into panic mode as I screamed and my voice rose.

He put his hand inside the blouse.

At this stage of my story, there was a silent pause.

I said, “Chill, the blouse was his own,”

by which he had covered his face.

I ran behind to catch hold of the thief.

Then he ran away from the backyard and got some relief.

I could only get hold of this blouse and gave it to the police with pride,

As I continued my Raconteur side by side.

Police asked me for details on how he looked like

I gave a description in such a way that they even found a lookalike.

Then the robber pleaded with me to forgive his sin.

I sat in a bossy way, asking the police to forgive him.

Each time I told this story, everyone laughed more.

I used to enjoy this phase of being loved to the core.

Then I participated and won many extempore competitions.

I developed more on my Raconteur skill.

I can mimic anyone and capture the same gesture

So in school, I used to be entertaining, with a smiling and loud nature.

During my job interview too, my Raconteur nature and joviality gave me grace mark

I was told that my smiling face and speaking ways would never go dark.

I feel good representing my team or firm

and giving talks and taking tours.

A skill that needs to be polished always is Raconteur.

I used to tell my mom that I would help her in the kitchen and chores.

She would work, and I would only raconteur.

My parents’ eyes used to beam with smiles when I shared all my office story mess.

I used to love it when they laughed heartily, even at my silliness.

My Raconteur nature is now in rest mode inside me, with care.

It has given me life's experiences 

 fair share

I always wonder what happened to that robber who attempted to steal.

This instance definitely made me a storyteller with appeal.

Maybe he never existed and it was just a shadow endure

That blouse might have been one that came flying in the wind from a neighbour’s door.

✍️©️ Priyanka Kamath

19 Dec 2025

275. Pabulum

 

Pabulum - Bland

Practicing daily writing is a boon

Ideas shouldn't be bound within a cocoon

Trying new things and thinking out of the box 

Racing the pabulum mindset is a detox

However I did feel guilt this while 

When unable to devote some me time 

Just as body needs exercise and movement 

Creatively, too, it needs a warm-up and a moment

Framing a sentence too at times feel slow 

I feel pabulum has overtaken my creative flow 

Any talent is strong,once iron-crusted 

When pabulum takes over ,it too gets rusted 

I feel at times if I am losing myself 

Thoughts are on a pabulum shelf 

The output is mediocre when I do it for its sake

Maybe I should take a break 

Pabulum goes hand in hand with comfort zone 

If I don't write , my focus is occupied by social media intake over phone 

Which is a toxic place to be in and heart does cry 

I am attempting to write again as a try 

Let me see if I can win self love over brain rot

 I should be able to feed my mind with quality thought 

With clean mind, thoughts will flow ,let me try 

I should be able to say pabulum feelings 

a goodbye !!

✍️©️ Priyanka Kamath 

18 Dec 2025

274. Nonchalant

 Nonchalant 

Behaving in calm and casual manner often in a way suggest you are not interest

Are you emotional or been invested in someone deep ?

And that relationship might have taken a 360 degree leap 

Have you experienced in beginning care persistent?

And then the person behaviour  has been inconsistent?

Did you ever feel upset on the nonchalant ways you were treated 

Even when you expected heartily talk repeated 

Did it look like the opposite person has moved on and is mature ?

And you seemed to be behind the person of changed nature 

And you crave for the person to be same

 

But his nonchalant responses makes you feel lame 

Well ,I have gone through this phase and fact understood 

Being nonchalant in professional life is infact good 

Someone like me who is in emotionally driven tone 

Being nonchalant in worklife is a milestone 

Nonchalant nature has its own pro and con

Being on receiving end it definitely made me feel alone 

Being on giving end in workplace is securing me good heights

As being upset can only impact the work and increase fights 

Even in personal life ,it's not advisable to make some person your passion 

That tends to feel losing yourself while trying to fix the relation 

Nonchalant is a skill that has to be built with dedication 

To be calm , utter things without attaching emotion !!!

✍️©️ Priyanka Kamath 

14 Dec 2025

273. Mercurial

 

Mercurial - changing suddenly and often, changeable 

 Only thing that is constant is change 

Mercuriality is regular feature in life to engage 

Expect the unexpected is the mercurial intent 

Ultimate aim is to be healthy and content 

Cough and cold are uninvited guest 

I was trying to recover at best 

Mercuriality intervened my daily life and toughness fed 

I was in immense pain and was not able to even get up from bed 

Normal tendency to not focus on the part of body when not cramped 

But now as I cough I can feel my each part swamped 

The mercuriality of events made me helpless

But i have been blessed with God's kindness 

The most treasured gift we have is this life 

Each breath we take is precious and precise 

Experiencing wheezing issue is one of the most tough time 

I feel out of control and also doubt if this life exist to be mine 

When life gets back to normal and I feel fine 

Struggling between life and death is so mercurial with thin line 

Will power is the X-factor which takes me to assurance route 

I need to build on my immunity, time for my system to reboot 

Life comprise of clear path and doubtful minds fusion

So revisiting mercurial aspects helps me overcome my confusion

 I am slowly recovering and also believe

 

That mercuriality is a learning to accept and r

elieve !!!

✍️©️Priyanka Kamath

13 Dec 2025