💜 Mango Lassi, Purple Dreams, and a Truck That Gets Me

I’m still catching my breath, but my smile won’t quit. My cheeks are sticky with sweat, my dupatta is flying like a superhero cape behind me, and I’ve got mango lassi dripping down my wrist—but I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.

I just ran out of school like the bell indicated a race had begun. Not because I was late or in trouble—just because I felt like it. The kind of run that makes your heart thump in your ears and your feet forget they’re tired. The kind of run that says, “I’m alive, and I know it.”

And then I saw it.

A truck, parked like it had been waiting for me. Painted in every color you can imagine—reds that shout, blues that hum, greens that dance. And right across the top, in bold white letters:
“LIFE IS GOOD.”

I laughed out loud. Not a polite giggle. A real, belly-deep laugh that made my shoulders shake and my mango lassi slosh. Because yes. Yes, life is good. Especially when you’re sweaty and free and wearing your favorite royal purple kameez that makes you feel like a queen sprinting through the streets.

I love that I’m looking straight at the camera. Like I’m saying to whoever’s watching:
“Come on. Smile with me. You know you want to.”

There’s something about mango lassi that makes everything better. It’s sweet and tangy and cold against the heat of the day. It reminds me of summer holidays and roadside stalls and my grandmother’s kitchen. It’s joy in a cup.

And the truck? It’s not just a truck. It’s a reminder. That even in the middle of dusty roads and long school days and sweaty foreheads, there’s beauty. There’s color. There’s laughter. There’s me—running, smiling, living.

So if you’re reading this, I hope you feel it too. That little spark of joy. That urge to smile for no reason. That reminder that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be good.

Sometimes, it just takes a mango lassi, a purple dress, and a truck that gets you.