– 5th July 2026 (Sunday)
Last night, sleep came to me much later than it should have. I was watching a movie called Happy Raj, starring G.V. Prakash. The film ended around 2:00 a.m., but instead of going straight to bed, I made the mistake of scrolling through endless reels. Before I knew it, the clock read 3:30 a.m.
Even after finally falling asleep, my mind refused to rest. Every dream seemed to carry a memory of my Pappa.
“Pappa” is what I lovingly call the woman I hope to spend my life with one day. We are not married yet, but in my heart, she already feels like family. I sincerely hope that one day, life will allow us to make that dream official.
Despite sleeping so late, I woke up around 9:00 a.m. We had already planned to have breakfast at our hotel’s dining hall. Breakfast in Dubai certainly isn’t cheap—it’s 49 AED per person—but we decided to enjoy it anyway.
The buffet was worth experiencing. There were plenty of dishes to choose from, and after a satisfying meal, I noticed something interesting in the hotel lobby.
Several small stalls had been set up where vendors were selling perfumes, clothing, accessories, watches, and jewelry. One particular stall immediately caught my attention.
The woman running the stall looked Indian, so I walked over to have a look. She welcomed me with a warm smile, almost as if we had met before. After a brief conversation, she asked if I was from India.
“Yes,” I replied.
To my surprise, she suddenly began speaking in Tamil. She later told me that she was from Kerala but understood Tamil well.
As we continued talking, she smiled and asked, “Who are you buying for?”
I quietly answered, “My girlfriend.”
The moment I said that, her smile grew even wider as she began showing me different necklaces.
I’ll admit something—I know almost nothing about women’s jewelry. Choosing between designs felt like solving a puzzle.
Then I remembered something.
A few days ago, I had seen my Pappa asking about the price of a tulip dollar chain on Instagram. That memory instantly came back to me, and I decided that if I could find something similar, I would buy it for her.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have the exact design on display.
Still, I asked if they had anything close to it.
After searching for a moment, she found one.
I can’t explain how happy I felt.
This would be the very first chain I had ever bought for her.
While admiring it, another necklace with a delicate heart design caught my eye. Now I had a new problem—which one should I choose?
After thinking for a few seconds, I laughed at myself.
Why choose one?
I decided to buy both.
As if that wasn’t enough, I noticed a beautiful bracelet that I thought she would love. Without overthinking, I asked the shopkeeper to pack that as well.
For once, I didn’t even bother asking the price.
Some moments aren’t measured by money.
They’re measured by the happiness you imagine on someone else’s face.
I simply paid the bill, thanked the lady, and walked away with a smile.
When my colleagues saw the shopping bags, they were genuinely surprised.
“You bought all that?”
I just smiled.
What’s wrong with buying gifts for someone you truly love?
Love doesn’t always need a special occasion. Sometimes, seeing something that reminds you of a person is reason enough.
Now I’m back in my room, writing down today’s memories before they slowly fade into another ordinary day.
I’m planning to skip lunch because the breakfast buffet was more than enough. Instead, I’m going to get some much-needed sleep.
After all, a heart full of memories deserves a little rest too.
Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, my phone vibrated.
It was a message from my Pappa.
The moment I saw her name on WhatsApp, I opened it instantly, almost as if it were an emergency. Talking to her isn’t always easy when she’s at home, so whenever I get a message from her, I never keep her waiting.
There was one question that had been circling my mind ever since I bought the gifts.
Would she actually like them?
At first, I wanted to keep everything a surprise. But then another thought crossed my mind. What if she didn’t like the necklace or the bracelet? I wanted these gifts to make her smile, not sit forgotten in a drawer.
So I gave up on the surprise.
I sent her pictures and asked for her opinion.
To test the waters, I first showed her a few different necklace designs. Her response wasn’t what I expected.
She said, “You don’t have to buy me any of these”.
That one sentence touched me more than she probably realizes.
She wasn’t thinking about receiving a gift. She was thinking about me.
Then she added, “Whatever you like, I’ll like too.”
For a moment, I simply stared at the screen.
I felt incredibly lucky.
It reminded me of my previous relationship. Whenever I tried to surprise my ex with something, I rarely heard words of appreciation. Most of the time, I was simply told that it wasn’t good enough.
Over time, I convinced myself that I just didn’t know how to choose gifts for women.
That belief stayed with me for a long time.
But today, my Pappa unknowingly changed it.
Even after she told me she liked the gifts, my overthinking wouldn’t stop. I kept asking her the same question again and again.
“Are you sure you like them?”
She patiently answered every single time.
Finally, she promised me that she genuinely loved them.
Only then did my restless mind finally find peace.
I can’t describe how relieved I felt.
Thank God…
She liked them.
A little while later, she told me she was going to take a bath.
As for me, I think it’s finally time to get some sleep.
Today has been a beautiful day—one I’ll probably remember for a very long time.
I thought I was finally going to get some sleep.
But then another idea crossed my mind.
“Maybe just one more movie.”
So, instead of sleeping, I started watching Gatta Kusthi Part 2. The first half kept me entertained, but the second half didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Overall, I’d call it an average watch—good enough to pass the time, but not something I’d watch again.
Once the movie ended, I finally gave in to sleep.
I managed to sleep for about an hour and a half before my phone woke me up.
Not because of an alarm.
Because of her.
I have a special notification sound set only for my Pappa. The moment I heard it, I knew exactly who had texted me. I smiled, picked up my phone, and we chatted for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, my colleagues were making plans to explore another place in Dubai.
As exciting as it sounded, I wasn’t interested. I was still tired from the lack of sleep, and honestly, I didn’t feel like spending more money that day. Sometimes, the best place to be is simply your room.
A little later, my roommate came up with another idea.
“Shall we go to the swimming pool?”
Our hotel has a beautiful swimming pool, and that sounded much more relaxing.
Before heading down, I told my Pappa about it.
Just like always, she immediately reminded me not to stay in the water for too long because I tend to catch a cold easily. She asked me to come back soon and take a hot bath afterward.
Moments like these always make me smile.
It’s comforting to know that someone cares about the smallest things.
The swim turned out to be a lot of fun. It had been quite some time since I had been in a swimming pool, and it felt refreshing to simply relax and enjoy the moment.
By the time I got out of the pool, I was starving.
So I ordered SS Hyderabad Biryani.
After returning to my room, I took a hot shower while waiting for the delivery. A few minutes later, I went down to the reception to collect my order.
The aroma alone made me hungry all over again.
And the taste?
Absolutely incredible.
Every bite was packed with flavor, and without a doubt, it was one of the best biryanis I’ve had in a while.
Just as I finished eating, my Pappa texted me again.
We spent a few more minutes talking before I reminded her that she should get some rest. She has work tomorrow, and I wanted her to wake up feeling fresh.
After wishing each other good night, I opened my laptop and started writing today’s memories for this blog.
As I finish typing these final lines, my eyes are beginning to feel heavy.
I think it’s finally time to sleep—for real this time.
Thank you for spending a little part of your day with me.
Good night. ❤️