Tune in for the Tuesdays - By V.Kabilan

Written By: V.Kabilan

Category: Essay

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the realm of creative writing, V.Kabilan presents "Tune in for the Tuesdays," an essay that delves into the nuances of life, societal norms, and the absurdity of existence. As part of Hashtag Kalakar's Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this piece challenges readers to reflect on the intricate dance between traditional customs and modern ideals. With a blend of humor and introspection, V.Kabilan invites us to ponder life's complexities through a unique lens.

About the Work

"Tune in for the Tuesdays" is a contemplative exploration of life's paradoxes and societal expectations. With a conversational tone, V.Kabilan weaves a narrative that questions the conventions of success and the absurdity of human existence. The essay's vivid imagery and thought-provoking analogies create a tapestry of ideas that challenge readers to consider the often overlooked aspects of daily life. It is a reflection on the mundane and the profound, captured in a style that is both engaging and enlightening.

Tune in for the Tuesdays

Original Submission by V.Kabilan

Essay

Tune in for the Tuesdays

It’s been 5 years since I heard the FM blasting off our ears and the RJ’s sanity alongside. Guests make it awkward. Not that I was particularly interested in it. And his excited voice, amidst car rides taut with tension, eased awkwardness between father-son; mother-daughter duos, and even single child family trios (no data known on DINKs). How does one person getting excited for life happening, sitting in a city you’ve never been to, resolve conflicts that require several counselling sessions? Apparently it does, they call it The Butterfly Effect, you get the idea right? ( except that I don’t)

Poor Butterfly, it’s toast for sure. Maybe some deranged person collecting dead butterflies, pushed to their limits, no different from stamp collection.

This brings me to one of my favorite things I love to diss about. Traditional customs and western ideals fighting is not really surprising at this point, but out of all the permutations and combinations of the ways they could combine to become parameters of success for this society diluted beyond comprehension, they took the worst ever manufactured version of both the approaches, that would take your entire life to accomplish, and by the time you do, they hop onto judging your children, and the vicious cycle of worrying for your safety and breaking a coconut in the temple and a watermelon on your front gate becomes a revered routine.

People love misery. Not for themselves but to see others in it. Of course, we have exceptions who willingly volunteer for that, but that’s a topic for another day.

You will always fall short of a front bencher you thought who was lame and a backbencher you thought lame… in a different sense ( You seriously thought I was going to say cool?). Guess which one of them I might be? I could already see you guessing it wrong. That should give you the answer. This line of thought is going in directions beyond and entangling in things I never intended to address. Should I snip it off when it’s young? But how do you know it’s young? For all we know, it can be an old discarded thought in the back of my mind for 3 years,4 months, 2 weeks and a day.

Shedding its skin as it crawls through the cracks on the surface, on a mission to regain its stolen spotlight, masquerading as some thought it can never be. But what can a thought never be?

You’ll never know, and you most probably don’t need to. But for the sake of your satisfaction, this is like a complex math problem presented intricately but apply one universally obvious rule, and the answer is zero. Like I said, if I snip it off we can continue like nothing happened, in the exact sense this essay is heading towards. But if I don’t, the essay for its intended purpose will come into fruition, and so does the lunatic in me, yearning to come in full rise. Worst-case scenario, we all go insane. Best-case scenario, we don’t have any sanity left to torture ourselves with, neither to guard against insanity.

The road does not fork, it leads to a spoon, only a single choice at best. Sit at the intersection, as monsters approach you from both sides. At most what you can do is calculate the speed and velocity at which they run towards you, if you have time to spare, also calculate the limits.

I can still talk for 234 characters, approximately I guess, but now that you know your time is limited, what do you do? Finally drift in a meaningful direction? Nope, you double down in jumping into the absurd.

Let’s talk about why villains fail, fundamentally I believe they can’t accept the absurdity of their existence, they need a sense of order where they stand atop, and ready to havoc chaos “in order” to have it. How ironic and paradoxical, but then the very irony is the solid proof of an absolute argument.

Be the grass that sways with the wind. Also touch some grass afterwards.

Was there ever a limit imposed? Of course not, but somewhere movies end and stories start.

Why do you think I randomly started talking about this? Why shouldn’t I ?

Does a half-eaten pizza unsettle you? How about life? How about this essay that ends in 810 words?

Obviously there is no word limit. (Based on your limited attention span and the search for optimal engagement)

Don’t worry, this isn’t the first time you’ve fallen victim to algorithm, neither the last.

I hope the 27 words left unsaid makes this essay more… meaningful? No, more like a mess that you keep thinking back.

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a platform for writers and poets to share their unique voices and perspectives. This esteemed competition celebrates the art of writing, offering participants an opportunity to engage with a diverse literary community. It is a space where creativity flourishes, and innovative ideas come to life, fostering a spirit of artistic expression and exploration.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to V.Kabilan for sharing "Tune in for the Tuesdays" with us. Your participation in the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 enriches our community and inspires thoughtful dialogue. We look forward to witnessing more of your creative endeavors and the insightful reflections you bring to the literary world.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.