Anika Choudhary

Sometimes, the world feels incredibly loud. It’s full of deadlines, expectations, and the constant pressure to be "doing" something. But then, we look up and see something peaceful like this sunset. ​ ​When I took this photo—for once—I couldn’t find a deep hidden meaning in it as usual. I couldn’t want to find a "lesson" in the shadows or a metaphor for a bad day. It mesmerized me. All I wanted to do was look at that sun—that small, concentrated orb of fire—and it soon made me realize that it doesn't need a stage. It doesn't need to be loud to be beautiful. ​It’s just there. And that’s what makes it magical. ​We talk so much about "finding" peace, as if it’s a hidden treasure we have to dig for. But looking at this wide, open field, I realized that peace isn't something you find. It’s something you allow. Something that you openly embrace. It’s what happens when you finally stop moving for long enough to let the light catch up to yo...

 When I took this photo, I didn’t intend to capture anything meaningful. I simply felt that I related to it. That day, I was tired. I hadn’t slept enough, and deadlines were quietly piling up. The forecast said rain, and the sky felt like an accurate reflection of where my head was—muted, overcast, a little overwhelmed. At the time, the clouds made sense. Grey felt familiar. Not comforting, but familiar— as if my muddled emotions were staring back at me through the sky. I didn’t notice the rainbow (on the right hand side of this photograph) immediately. It wasn’t bold or striking, and it didn’t demand to be seen. It was faint—almost easy to miss—and maybe that’s what made it feel real. It didn’t suddenly fix my mood or make the stress disappear. The day continued exactly as it was supposed to. But something shifted. For a moment, it became clear that the clouds weren’t the whole picture—that even on heavy days, something lighter, something hopeful, can exist alongside t...