Daily writing prompt

Describe your life in an alternate universe.

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Hello dear friends,
I hope this blog finds you in a cheerful mood.

Today’s writing prompt tugged at my curiosity like a breeze through an open window—“Describe your life in an alternate universe.” What a delightful question!

After all, haven’t we all, at some point, closed our eyes and imagined a different version of ourselves?
A parallel world where choices made differently have shaped an entirely new path?

Today, I invite you to walk with me through that imaginative landscape and see who I might be in another universe.

The Artist Who Never Had a Desk

In this alternate universe, I was never a banker. Numbers didn’t confine my day. Instead, I was born in a village nestled in the Himalayan foothills, surrounded by the constant murmur of streams and the song of birds.

I never wore a tie. My mornings were not about balancing ledgers but about mixing paints and finding poetry in the rising mist.

I became a painter and poet by profession—never a hobbyist. I lived my art, breathed my verses, and danced in the rhythm of the seasons.

In this world, my canvas was my diary. My brushes were my voice. People knew me as “The Story Weaver of the Hills.”

I didn’t build wealth in bank vaults—I built it in people’s hearts, painting their stories, sketching their griefs, and writing verses for their joy.

The Grandfather and the Time Traveler

In this universe, too, I have a cherished granddaughter. But she’s not just the light of my life—she’s my co-author, my little time traveler.

We write stories together about planets far away, heroes made of stardust, and trees that whisper secrets.

We host storytelling evenings under a banyan tree. Families gather. Children giggle. We sip hot cocoa as lanterns flicker like fireflies. My granddaughter calls me “Daadu of the Dreamland.”

Here, age is just a passing breeze. I run, I climb, I chase butterflies with her. No aches. No fatigue. Just freedom.😍😍

The House of Windchimes and Whispers

In this alternate life, my home isn’t a concrete structure tucked in a colony. It is a cottage nestled on a hill—its walls covered in ivy, its porch always filled with laughter and the smell of cardamom tea.

Wind chimes sing lullabies, and inside, each room is a museum of memories—handwritten letters, sculptures from driftwood, paintings of unseen places, and shelves overflowing with journals.

The cottage is called “Antarman,” meaning inner soul. It is open to all seekers, artists, wanderers, and philosophers.

People come and stay for days—sometimes for months. They bring with them songs, tears, stories, and silence. I welcome them all.

My Purpose: To Feel Deeply, Live Slowly

Unlike our world of rush and routine, this version of me lives slowly, purposefully. I don’t measure success in awards or achievements.

I measure it in moments—how many sunrises I watched without distraction, how many people I made smile, how often I created something that stirred a soul.

I don’t own a smartphone. I own a flute. I don’t check emails—I check the sky. And every evening, I sit by a lake with a journal and a steaming cup of tulsi tea. That is my boardroom. The agenda? Reflection and gratitude.

Would I Still Have Challenges?

Yes. Life, even in parallel universes, must have its share of storms.
But in that world, I embrace them differently. I talk to them. Paint them. Write them into metaphors.

I don’t run away. I sit beside my troubles and ask them what they came to teach me. And somehow, they always whisper a secret that helps me grow.

But Then Again… This World Too is Magical

Now, as I write this, sipping ginger tea in this very real world, I realize something beautiful. That alternate universe isn’t too far. It lives inside me.

It’s the world I visit when I paint, when I write a heartfelt blog, when I dance with my beloved, or when I watch my granddaughter laugh.

So perhaps, the prompt isn’t asking us to escape reality—but to reimagine it.

My final submission

Describing my life in an alternate universe helped me discover the life I already cherish. With a little courage, creativity, and compassion, we can bring shades of our parallel selves into our everyday lives.

Maybe I can’t move to a hill cottage today— but I can bring the stillness of the hills into my heart. Maybe I wasn’t born a full-time artist— but every poem I write brings me a step closer to that alternate dream.

What about you, dear reader? Who are you in that other world?

With imagination and love,
Vijay Verma
[retiredkalam.com]

Categories: infotainment

Tags: #Life, #Music, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2023, featured, interview, writing