Dear 28 Year Old Me

This article has been submitted by Arushi Chandak for the CLATGyan Blog Post Writing Competition. If you think it’s a good read, ‘Like’ the article on Facebook (the button is at the bottom of this piece) or post a comment using the ‘Comments’ section below.

Dear 28 year old me,

Hi there. As you may or may not remember, (probably not) I’m writing this to you from the past. Who knows, maybe you think this is some prank or one of those things mum does? No, this is you (Me? Us?), the pink toothbrush kid. As of today, we are 18 years, 7 months and 3 days old and our whole future is ahead of us. I’m trying to build a time capsule of sorts to remind us of who we were back then. I’m hoping that we’ve figured things out by now. Anyway, if you’re reading this, I sure as hell hope that you’ve done me proud. Okay, on second thoughts, I mean 18 year-old me. I hope that we are the smart, intelligent, pretty, funny, kind yet kickass lawyer that I aspire to be. I hope that we graduated from NLSIU or NALSAR (A girl can hope…) and that you completed your MBA degree from a brilliant Business School like we wanted. Actually, do you remember our dreams? Our crazy ideas? Our plans? Do you remember all of the things we were doing at this age or what kind of a place the world was? As I’m writing this, we’ve finished all our lasts of high school and ISC results come out in a couple of hours. CLAT, AILET and other Law School examinations got over today and it’s pretty scary right now.

As mentioned, we’ve thought of becoming a lawyer and kept our second option as Psychology. Hopefully one works out; actually I hope something works out. Either way, keep me in the loop okay? Things are looking alright, except for the doomsweek that lies ahead. I am hoping we realize that all the numerous exams and tests we’ve taken and all the apparently pointless things that we learnt at school, like calculus and organic chemistry and rivers, help me (sometimes at least).

Everyone at home is proud and happy too. Keep it like that. Do our bit at spreading happiness. By now, we should have taken that trip we’ve wanted to, the one where we travelled all around the world. From New York, Paris, London, Amsterdam and Greece to Maldives, Bali, Bora Bora (OMG!) and Switzerland. The list is pretty much endless. I hope we still write and photograph and that we wrote a blog of our travels. We should be working at some crazy cool company. Facebook? Google? Okay, I need to stop my imagination right there. You know what I mean. But I hope that we have some kickass background music playing wherever you go, movie style. A part of me hopes that we’re rich and famous and have a very movie life. The political scenario right now is pretty intense. Modi is leading the Government and more women are being raped every day and more children are dropping out of school because they can’t afford it. I hope that you are trying to do your bit and trying to help others. The iPhone 6 just came out. Who knows maybe iPhone 15 is coming out right now? There’s a lot of terrorism in our world and the economy isn’t looking so great. Hopefully by the time you read this again, all that will be straightened out. Actually now that I think of it, who knows what lies ahead?

We love chocolate and nachos and all kinds of junk and can literally live on it. We also love Chinese and Italian. I hope we don’t become a snob or a fitness freak and give up puchkas and golas and all the street food in the world.

We live our life annoying and taking life advice from Writi. She’s our best friend. She’s sometimes a little crazy and over the top but, most of the times, the most practical and logical person we know. And we love her for all her nuances. Make sure to keep her around, okay? She’s the kindest, nicest, most trustworthy and beautiful person out there and she means a lot to us and no distance can keep us apart. You love your family, Mum, Dad, Dadi and Akshay. Keep them close.

I think it’s time I remind us to never forget who we are. We have big plans. Here’s reminding us to never give in, to never give up on our values and principles, to fight for what is right, even if nobody is standing by us, to help others and not be selfish and remain the good-hearted person we are. But, go out, make some memories, do something fun and stupid and unlike us and never have regrets. Accept us, flaws and all, and make peace with us. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Maybe life is as perfect as we hope for it to be. Or maybe not. Please tell me that life gets better. That we achieve all that I dream of today and much more. Travel, photograph, read, write, and do whatever it is that we want to do right now. I hope that the future holds good for both of us. That it isn’t as uncertain as it is today and that we’re smiling reading this silly letter and that it helps us get through the day and keeps us grounded. I hope the little kid in us is still alive and isn’t disillusioned. I hope we still believe in magic. But most importantly, I hope that we’re happy wherever we are, doing whatever we are, not holding onto any pain from the past. Take care of us. Let it go. Love us unconditionally and don’t be too hard on us.

“But eventually, over time, we all become our own doppelgangers, you know, these completely different people who just happen to look like us.”

Yours always,

Arushi

P.S. – It would be so cool if we found a real doppelganger!

P.P.S. – I love you.