Casacio

New Beginnings...

2025-10-22T23:44:00.000+05:30

It's been almost a year since the last time I was here. A lot has happened since then and in all of them I somehow ignored this part of me. But I'm glad I'm back! Oh I missed this so much!

But I'm here with some great news too! To get to the point, I've decided to shift my blog to Wordpress. I decided in favor of privately hosting my own Wordpress blog on my DigitalOcean VPS, along with a custom domain. I've done this after a lot of thought - which almost took more than a year. One of the major reasons I decided to do so was to be able to learn more, in terms of setting up and managing my own blog, and exercise greater control over it. Also, Wordpress's simplicity and minimalist design is what I had been searching for in all these years, and that clearly lacks in Blogger.

While I get a lot of advantages shifting here, I will also have to face the downside. The major one would be the serious hit I'll get in my online presence. My older blog has been with be since 2009 and has been doing decently well since then with over 60,000 page views. Leaving all of that, and switching to start everything anew wasn't an easy step - trust me.

More than that, the reason that made me stick to Blogger was because I do have a really special place in my heart for it. For if not for Blogger, I wouldn't be blogging and would have been completely unaware of this amazing community. I still remember back in December 2009, I just started a blog, having no idea of what it is, but just because I saw another option on the services that Google had to offer.

But in the end, one fine day, I decided that it's time to part ways from Blogger and finally move forward. And so I got the cheapest available plan on DigitalOcean, got a custom .in domain from BigRock and setup everything.

Surprisingly, the transition was really simple and I could transfer all of my posts and comments to Wordpress. It doesn't end here - the time stamps too remained the same way!

I've also hosted my own website, which you should definitely check out.

I'll will no longer be posting on this blog and I guess this new place will bring new enthusiasm in me and hopefully I'll be posting more!

Towards new beginnings...

PS: New Blog Link

Review: SHE - Ekla Cholo Re

2016-01-06T12:15:00.000+05:30

Synopsis

Set in the backdrop of 1990 Calcutta, 'She' is a story about finding one's own identity in spite of all odds. The story spins around the life of Kusum, a brave heart whose identity is often untitled and blurred; it does not belong anywhere, definitely not under the 'he' or 'she' bracket because of our social conditioning. Will she be successful in her mission?

The motivation to write 'She' came from Tagore's "Ekla Cholo Re" song, which urges the protagonist to continue despite the fear of abandonment from others. The song goes like this, "Jodi tor dak shune keu na ase tobe ekla cholo re" meaning "If no one responds to you call, then go your own way alone."

About the author

Santosh started his career as a consultant and Soft Skills Trainer. After his college education from NITK, Surathkal, he worked as a researcher at University of Eindhoven, University of Twente, and Indian Institute of Science, Bnagalore. He was also the Placement President while working at IISc, Bangalore. He has over twenty-five publications of mostly research documents in national and international journals. He has also authored sixteen conference papers and regularly writes articles for a national and worldwide daily paper. He also works as an advisor for various organizations.

He also dabbles in fiction writing and is the author of Adhuri Prem Kahaniya, Dear Wife, Your husband is not a superhero, Second Heart and Get a job without an interview; Be A B.A.; Surrogate Author; Title is Untitled; Black, Grey and White; The Departing Point; God's Table and Umbilical Cord.

He likes to devote his personal time in writing for a website, namely the Amrita Foundationfor HRD. He has conducted seminars and training sessions for more than 45,000 people in India and abroad over the last seven years.

Review
How common it is a sight to stop at a traffic signal and see transgenders fighting for their livelihood? Have you ever thought about people suffering from serious identity crisis?

Don't make the mistake of taking this book about a story of two people on a journey, it is much more than that. The author has very beautifully tried to give us a learning here, to show the other side of the story. Through Kusum, the author tries to explain in a very brief manner about the various challenges she had to go through while discovering her identity and more importantly - being open about it.

I've never really thought about the issues his book tried to address, and I feel I owe it to the author for making all of us ponder on the issue, in such a beautiful and elegant manner.

This one is a must read. You can only experience what I'm talking about when you read it.

PS: Don't miss the ending.

Rating: 4/5

Book: SHE - Ekla Cholo Re
Author: Dr Shayan Haq and Santosh Avvannavar
Page: 58
Language: English

Review: The Bestseller She Wrote

2015-12-16T00:33:00.002+05:30

Synopsis

Paperback king Aditya Kappor's life is straight out of a modern man's fantasy. His literary stardom is perfectly balanced by a loving wife and a spectacular career. With everything he touches turning to gold, Aditya is on a winning streak.

Shreya Kaushik is a student with a heart full of ambition. Young, beautiful and reckless, Shreya speaks her mind and obsessively chases after what she wants. And what she wants is to be a bestselling author.

What happens when their worlds collide? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Can real ambition come in the way of blind passion? Can trust once broken, be regained?

Master storyteller Ravi Subramanian delves into the glitzy world of bestsellers and uncovers a risky dalliance between a superstar novelist and his alluring protege.

The Bestseller She Wrote is a combustible cocktail of love, betrayal and redemption.

About the author
Ravi Subramanian, an alumnus of IIM Bengaluru, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. Four of Ravi's seven bestselling titles have been award winners. If God Was a Banker, wont the Golden Quill Readers' Choice Award. He won the Economist Crossword Book Award in 2012 for The Incredible Banker. The Crossword Book Award in 2013 for The Bankster and more recently in 2014 for his thriller Bankerupt. For Ravi, The Bestseller She Wrote, marks the beginning of a new chapter in his writing. A significant departure from his usual fare, this is Ravi's first book on romantic intrigue.

Review

Ravi Subramanium has tried to do something different this time by getting an element of romance in his books, and has succeeded to an extent.

The book is about a rockstar banker cum author, who as a result of some events fall under a series of troubles personally and professionally. The book ends with all characters coming to a grand ending with lots of confrontations.

While it might seem like a regular banker thriller from Ravi, the story does take an adultery angle. Despite what might seem like a slow start, the book does try and manage to keep you engaged. A lot of time has been spent of character development and it pays off when the book actually starts to get interesting near the 50% mark. Unexpected turn of events and surprises is something that comes naturally to Ravi's books and they are sure to keep you engrossed for an easy one-sit read. Readers will be delighted to get an ending which would make them turn the pages back as Ravi has left clues all throughout the book.

The only negative point was that the ending did seem like a little plastic.

Rating: 3.5/5

Book: The Bestseller She Wrote

Author: Ravi Subramanian

ISBN: 978-93-85152-38-2

Publisher: Westland Ltd.

Genre: Thriller

Page: 391

Language: English

I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Take out 30 seconds and stop open defecation!

2014-11-18T17:06:00.000+05:30

When we think of a typical Indian village, what comes to our mind? The green lustrous farms, homely food, the starry nights, clean air full of nature's fragrance, dearly people, peacefulness and... defecating in the open.
Up until now, we always had this tendency to accept this fact as a way of life in the villages. But it's high time to change that. It's something one shouldn't be proud of, because of the endless disadvantages it carries. When the Prime Minister of the country addresses such issues in it's national address on the Independence day, then there is no doubt that it's time we take this up seriously.

Source : www.sundaytimes.lk

One can't argue to the fact that sanitation and open defecation is one of the biggest concern for the country. Close to 600 million people in the country defecate in the open today. This number is greater than entire population of countries like Denmark, Finland, Singapore, Ireland etc.

It increases the risk of microbial contamination of water which causes diseases like diarrhea. 2,15,000 children under 5 years of age die because of diarrhea.
20% of deaths among under-14 children is caused by poor sanitation and hygiene.
Close to 28 million school children do not have access to school toilet facilities.
Countless number of school days are lost due to lack of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
Only 6% of rural children less than 5 years of age have access to toilets.
India accounts for the most number of under-5 deaths.

These are hard facts which give an idea of the seriousness of the problem. It poses direct threat to the lives of countless innocent children and others all across the country. Not to forget the impact it has on dignity of human life.

So, what can we do about it? Raise awareness, for one. Recently, following the Prime Minister's speech on Independence day, a group of newly wed women in a small village in UP decided to leave their in-law's house as it didn't had toilets. As a result, toilets were established in the village to bring them back. This is a good example of how awareness brought a good change for them, and all the others in the village.

I wondered for long, what can I, so far away from the site of action, busy in the life do something for such a cause? And then today morning I came across this initiative taken by Domex. With every click Domex contributes ₹5 for making villages open defecation free. They are already on their way in doing so starting with the states of Maharashtra and Orrisa.
This hardly take 30 seconds of your life and is surely more effective than liking and sharing pictures on facebook.

Bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids by showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute ₹5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping countless kids live a dignified life.

Polish Learnings

2014-11-04T18:47:00.001+05:30

Phew! Where do I begin? It's been more than a year now since I touched this part of me. The last time I wrote anything here, I was still a teen! It's not that I had completely forgotten about this little space of mine, I tried. Oh boy! I tried countless number of times. Coming to this page, clicking on the "New Post" button. Sitting there, watching that blinking cursor over the white space. But my hands never moved to type. It didn't took long, when I would just close the tab, thinking probably it's not the right time yet. At times, my hands would begin to type. I would write, filling up that blank white space with the black text, only to scrap everything and dumping the whole draft.
But today, it feels different.

I'm a really curious person, and not getting answers kills me. I've spent days, satisfying my curiosity, to get answers. I succeeded at times, but still waiting for many other such answers.
I sometimes wonder if this has anything to do with my childhood dream of being a detective. Taking these mysterious things as my unsolved detective cases and using my hunger to solve these mysteries at a sub-conscious level. But that's a thing for some other time.

Talking about childhood dreams, I was a big fan of music. I sucked as a singer at the stage, but was a rockstar in my bathroom. Everyday I'd have a concert of my own, right in my bathroom. Even today, at times.
My interests in music has varied a lot as I grew up. I remember as a child, I enjoyed 50 cents and Eminem. Their rap songs fascinated me, and I would try to imitate them, failing every time with only gibberish coming out of mouth. But let me tell you, the imaginary audience in my bathroom went crazy listening to me every single day.
I believe music goes beyond the language, beyond words. It's really about connecting to the listener, and one doesn't necessarily needs words for that.
I learned this fact by listening to a lot of songs in a LOT of different languages. There are a lot of different kinds of songs, all with a lot of varying emotions. Even if it is not possible to understand the words, you can get the essence of it, through the video or through the beats and can really enjoy it. It's possible to feel the theme of the song.
In particular, I really like the songs with videos with an open end. The kind of video which doesn't want you to directly spoon-feed you the meaning, it is there, hiding behind the veils of each shot. And there are many layers to actual meaning or the story behind it. Each time you watch it, the meaning unfolds exposing the deeper expressions.

One such song is "Powiedz mi, ze nie chcesz" (No, I didn't type gibberish) by Dawid Podsiadło (Yes! Dawid with a w), a Polish singer. He sings of course in Polish and sometimes in English too. Some of his songs are really nice to listen. I do have a few favorites from him and this wasn't the first song I heard of his. But it did caught my attention.

The translated lyrics (click 'Pokaż tłumaczenie' on right).

It's been almost 2 months now since I first heard the song. I've heard it countless number of times since then. When you watch it, the music, the emotions, the actions of all the characters shows there is a possible meaningful story behind all this. And I was pretty sure it's a mind blowing one. It's not obvious for one to get it at the first try. But you do get the feeling, that the journey of discovering that deeper meaning would be well rewarded.

To get to the bottom of this, I first tried watching it again and again... and again. Each time I watched, I could pick up a few minute details, which I had missed the last time. Actually, also because I liked the song.
I would create up certain assumptions about various things, kind of like a story in my head, and would watch the video again to check if the story could fit in. It worked in most cases, but still had many flaws and unexplained things.
It went to the point, when I would just discuss this song's video with friends, I was kind of obsessed.

Then, one fine day, I just happened to go through the singer's facebook page. After a few minutes going through that page, I glanced at that one button at the top, "Message". It was a really stupid idea. Message a famous singer, that too on facebook? As if they'd have enough time in the world to reply to such stupid messages. But, I guess I was in the "Just do it" mood at that point of time, I just quickly clicked it, typed a small message and sent it. And I forgot about it. Total waste of time, or was it?

Few days later, I got a reply! That would have been the last thing I expected, even after getting struck by lighting and meeting Christian Bale. I just couldn't believe it. More importantly, I didn't understood it. But I had it before my eyes, and I was excited beyond comparison. I guess the last line worked.

I waited patiently for one of my other lucky days!

My mystery had been solved. I was relieved.
But what's the use of posting this here? No, this post isn't about the song. It isn't about one of my 'unsolved cases' being solved. After all, I'm no Sherlock Holmes, and neither my 'cases' the likes of it.
It's about two important things I learned.

First, never stop trying because there is no harm in trying. I could have not messaged him, simply because the probability of him replying was negligible. But there was a possibility, and that's what one should see. At the worst, he wouldn't have replied, and it wouldn't have affected me in any case. But I went ahead with it, and was well rewarded for it.

I want to thank Malcolm Gladwell and Nike here.
Nike obviously for it's tag line, "Just do it". These three words have helped me in countless situations when I didn't had the courage to do something or when I didn't have enough reasons to do it. Just remember these three words, and you'll find yourself with a new found energy, courage and reasons to do something. It really works.

Nike - Just do it

Malcolm Gladwell, for his books, which talked about always keep trying, always keep asking, because there is no harm in it, and it can surprise you at times with the results. I had a personal experience.

Malcolm Gladwell

And the second thing.

It was so nice for him to reply. His humble-ness and down to earth nature just made me feel so good, for there are still few good and nice hearted people out there. That there is still goodness left in this world. That sometimes when you trust people, it does not go in vain. That only if you have faith, and you believe in people, good things will happen to you!

So, here is a BIG Thank you, Dawid Podsiadło! You just made me learn a few little but important learning through your song, and through your gesture. You have a new fan.

Dawid Podsiadło

Try.

Chit-chat with Rishi Vohra

2013-08-12T22:56:00.000+05:30

Rishi Vohra, author of 'Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai' was kind enough to take out some time and answer a few questions.

Rishi Vohra

Rishi Vohra recently relocated back to Mumbai after completing a Green MBA from San Francisco State University and a Masters Diploma in Environmental Law, prior to which he has had a successful career in the Indian entertainment industry.

Having been a guest columnist for various newspapers in India, he currently writes for delWine and is a Certified Specialist of Wine.

RG: How did book writing started for you?

RV: I had this character in my head and felt this pressing urge to give him a life on paper. One day, I just sat down and started writing and wrote every day, before and after work. Several months later, I had the first draft of my book in hand. At that time, I was writing for fun. The thought of trying to push it for publication came in much later.

RG: How did you get the idea for "Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai"?

RV: I had only the character in mind and just a rough storyline. Random thoughts started hitting me while writing the book, and his story unfolded with each page.

RG: What were the challenges you faced while publishing your book?

RV: I was in California at the time of deciding to push this book for publication. I faced more challenges there than here, as literary agents abroad told me that the book "wasn't written with Western sensibilities." When I turned towards the Indian market, within a few months itself, several publishers expressed an interest to pick up the book for publication.

The book was just awarded an 'HONORABLE MENTION' in the General Fiction Category at the Hollywood Book Festival 2013, so now readers in those circles (in the U.S.) are beginning to take notice of the book.

RG: How was your reaction seeing your published work in your hands?

RV: It was like holding your newborn baby! I can't explain the feeling but I count that moment among the several moments of true happiness in my life.

RG: Any memorable moments you remember while writing this book?

RV: I was in Berkeley, California at the time. Besides UC Berkeley and its eateries, the place is known also for its thriving arts and culture scene. This made it an environment conducive to write all over the place - on the footpath, the UC Berkeley campus, coffee shops, the lawns etc. In the process, I met many artists (painters, musicians, poets, jugglers etc) and we always exchanged ideas about the kind of work we were doing. It was a learning process for me, which also encouraged me to keep at it. I learned that anything created by or done from heart will always bring you joy and that is what we should strive for rather than constantly looking for the approval of others.

RG: Are you currently working on your next?

RV: My next is ready. It's a fun ride set in Bollywood.

RG: Who is the first one to read your initial drafts?

RV: Close friends and family.

RG: When not writing, what do you usually do?

RV: I don't have a set routine, but I'm always doing something productive!

RG: How do you handle criticism?

RV: Positively. After all, criticism is always intended to steer someone in the right direction. I use it only for betterment and never take it personally.

RG: Any last words for the readers?

RV: I'll be back!

Review: Jacob Hills

2013-08-10T23:25:00.000+05:30

Synopsis
It's just another evening at the Tiller's Club.

Capt. Rana, a Young Officer training at the War College, stands at the bar, deliberately avoiding his pregnant wife, Heena. Saryu, village belle-turned-modern babe, drink in hand, chats up another YO. Her husband, Maj. Vikram Singh, shoots angry glances at her. The flamboyant Lt. Col. Gary Randhawa and his wife Pam chat merrily with the senior officers - who'd guess that they lead on underground swinger couples' club?

In a corner stands Eva, the beautiful Anglo-Indian wife of Maj. George Chandy, who finds herself at the heart of a murder mystery. The murdered woman's body is covered with cigarette burns. A six-year-old girl's wrist is similarly marked. Another little girl shows signs of severe abuse.

This is Jacob Hills: and army station that houses the War College. A world of genteel conversation, smart men and graceful women. Set in the 1980's - in a country on the cusp of tradition and Westernized modernity - Jacob Hills is the story of what lies beneath the smooth veneer. It's a noxiousness the Chandys must confront if their love is to survive Jacob Hills.

About the author
Ismita Tandon Dhankher is 'A Lesser Known Poet'. Her poem, 'I am Beautiful', won a prize in the Yahoo-Dove Indibloggers contest. She's also the author of the romantic thriller Love on the rocks, released in 2011.
Ismita went to Sophia College, Ajmer, where she studied economics, history and sociology. After acquiring MBA and a brief stint in the foreign exchange division of Thomas Cook, Mumbai, she took up poetry and prose wholeheartedly.
She's currently working on The song of the Sufi Masroof, a book of photographs and poems. Ismita blogs at www.lesserknownpoet.com.

Review
The cover of the book has a 1980's look and gives an impression of a thriller/suspense type book. It is plain and simple. The synopsis doesn't really tells much about the book, but gives an introduction to the different characters.

The book is set in 1980's, in Jacob Hills, a military camp near Shimla. Being set in an Army surrounding, it gives a whole lot of detail about the ways and functioning of army, including the boss-subordinate relations, the officer's club and the officer's wives. It also shows the hard realities of women abuser, child marriage and child abortion. Only a lady author could have written the book in such a detail mentioning even the minutest detail, specially the part where officer's wives is included.

The character building is done perfectly, spending just the right amount of time describing the character. The reader is able to make an impression of the character. The narration is plain and simple, and plot is beautifully built.

One of the most interesting thing about this book is it's alternate person narrative style. Each chapter is written from the point of view from a different character which makes the book even more interesting. It helps in giving an account from the point of view of different characters, such as the abuser and the one being abused, the lover and the hater. This is the main USP of this book.

Although I did feel the ending was abrupt, and could have been better, or the author could have spent more time on it.

On the whole, this is an short enjoyable read. Read it for it's alternating person narrative style, the army related surrounding and the character building.

Rating: 3.5/5

Book: Jacob Hills
Author: Ismita Tandon Dhankher
ISBN: 9789350296493
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Fiction/Suspense
Page: 263
Language: English

Chit-chat with Rituraj Verma

2013-05-22T07:03:00.000+05:30

I got a chance to ask a few questions to Rituraj Verma, author of 'Love, Peace and Happiness: What more can you want?'. I am really grateful for his time and patience.

Rituraj Verma

Rituraj Verma started his career as a mechanical engineer having cleared the IIT JEE as a fluke. He pushed his luck further and by another fluke, managed to get into Tulane University, New Orleans, for this MBA. Naturally, he switched tracks to FMCG, sales, retail, real estate, and then finally, consulting. He met his wife, Smriti, at the Indian Railways Staff College in Baroda and has always claimed that she was the lucky one, which of course, is often debated in the family.

His true calling, however, seems to be writing, and this book is an act of subconscious expression, amalgamating real life stories with fantasy in a liberating manner.

In his adventurous moments at home, he enjoys being referee to his son and daughter Sometimes, he manages to sound tuneful when he is playing the electric guitar, though some neighbors disagree. When he is not playing the guitar, he is usually playing with his own hair on this head.

RG: At what point of time in your life did you first thought of publishing your book? What was your inspiration?
RV: That's an interesting question. A colleague of mine had just published his first book and he asked me what I had written in my college days. And the story came back to me, almost as I had written it 23 years ago. That's when I decided that I would do a book of connected short stories.

My inspiration for this book has been the angst behind the lives of people in urban settings. Stories surround us. I just wrote some of them down.

RG: What challenges did you faced while publishing your first book?
RV: There were many challenges - one of course was finding a publisher. The second was getting the book proof read and corrected in time. A third was finding a good publicist.

RG: What was your reaction when you finally had your first published work in your own hands?
RV: It was a feeling you get at the end of completing a long distance run. You know you are finished, but you could have done better.

RG: Love, Peace and Happiness, is completely different in the sense that it isn't a novel, neither a collection of short stories, it's somewhere in between that. How did you came up with that?
RV: I wanted to come up with something that was half blog half book, and could interact with readers in a meaningful way. So I decided to write this book in a completely different style. I think that the future holds promise for this genre - called Adaptive Fiction as e-readers take over. The experience of reading will take on a different complexion in the future as the devices that people read books on will remain connected to the net.

RG: What was the idea behind giving your readers the liberty to end the stories on their own will?
RV: As I wrote this book, I gave the stories to several friends who somehow seemed to interpret each story differently. Then I realized that there were many layers to each story, and I thought that each reader should be allowed to introspect and decide on how the stories should end. So I put up alternate ending on a website and gave them the option of contributing their own endings too.

RG: Any memorable moments you remember while working on this book?
RV: The fifth story in the book is a particularly poignant story, one which draws inspiration from a close friend's life. When I sent the story to my editor, she read it and sent me a message - "This is my story - How come you have written it?" I was pretty touched by her comments and I felt that I had done justice to the struggle of young women in India.

RG: Are you currently working on your next?
RV: Yes, I am. Actually I have started work on my next three books. The first is in the same genre as LPH, the second is a myth fantasy set on the day that the Manu Smriti is being written.

RG: Who is the first one to read your initial drafts?
RV: The first reader is my wife, the second my daughter and the others are close friends.

RG: When not writing books, what do you usually do?
RV: I read a lot, I like watching movies, and of course I work too.

RG: What kind of books do you usually read?
RV: I read a lot of American authors. These days I have started to read mythological fiction as the next book is a myth fantasy.

RG: Who is your favorite Indian author?
RV: I like the world created by Amish the most.

RG: How do you handle criticism?
RV: I had a tendency to over react, till I learned that it's best to soak it in and improve one self.

RG: What is your alternate occupation like?
RV: I am a real estate consultant.

RG: One thing you would wish to change to make this world a better place to live?
RV: Literacy for all. I think that is our biggest challenge as a nation. As an author, I think more people reading will change this country.

RG: Any final words to the readers?
RV: Don't give up reading. Read something, anything on a daily basis. And don't spend too much time watching TV or surfing the net.

Review: Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai

2013-05-19T15:01:00.000+05:30

Synopsis
"Autistic. Schizopherenic. Psychotic..."
'They' use these words to describe Babloo - the doctors, his family, his teachers... everyone... except Vandana. She treats him the way he wants the world to see him.
Mumbai... the city that defines his ultimate desires. Will it allow him the love and 'normalcy' he so craves?
Vandana... yearns for a soul mate to rescue her from the confines of the Railway Colony they all live in. Is she looking in the right place?
Rail Man... a fearless, real-life hero who succeeds in doing all that Babloo secretly wishes to do... is Babloo his inspiration or.. is it the other way around?
A random twist of fate on Mumbai's endless, serpent-like, jangling local train tracks ties all these characters together in a complex weave of love, heartbreak and courage.
Babloo draws the reader into his fascinating, heart-rending journey through the twisted, choked lanes of Mumbai, into an open space where he can finally exhale, be born again.

About the author
Rishi Vohra recently relocated back to Mumbai after completing a Green MBA from San Francisco State University and a Masters Diploma in Environmental Law, prior to which he has had a successful career in the Indian entertainment industry.
Having been a guest columnist for various newspapers in India, he currently writes for delWine and is a Certified Specialist of Wine. This is his first novel.

Review
They say never judge a book by it's cover. And it's said precisely for this book. On the first look, it might look like a rosy Indian Bollywood-ish love story, but trust me, it's not!

The story is about Babloo, who is suffering from autism, but the world around him fails to understand him. Everyone considers him good for nothing and is always compared with his younger sibling, who has a job; except one. Enter Vandana, somehow she finds the un-usual way of Babloo amusing and funny.
And then there is Sikander, who is a total neighborhood playboy, who somehow uses Babloo to get to Vandana.
Babloo wishes to do something big and different, and refuses to take the job of an office boy that his father had arranged for him. He wants to help others selflessly and become a hero. Will he be able to come out of the web of his life to achieve what he really wants? The book is about his journey.
All of this is set into an city unexpected - Mumbai. And in a neighbourhood which values the opinion of the society to the brim. With twist and turns all through the plot and some harsh realities of the society, the setup is sure to keep you hooked till you reach the end.

The way he book is written surely surprises me, it's not a typical Indian novel. The narration is smooth all through the book, and is sure to keep your hooked. There are elements of surprise, pinch of humor, realities of how the society works, and a man who wants to be good, so that he can be with his love of life. This book won't disappoint you, and is worth every penny spent. You are sure to have a good time reading it.

Rating: 3/5

Book: Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai
Author: Rishi Vohra
ISBN: 97881849553053
Publisher: Jaico Books
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 266
Language: English

The author can be reached at his official website.

Review: Tantra

2013-04-20T10:00:00.001+05:30

Tantra by Adi

Synopsis

Anu is a leather wearing, no-nonsense professional guardian with a reputation for killing the most dangerous vampires in New York City. But when her enemies murder the one person she truly cared about, all she wants is vengeance. The only clue points to New Delhi, so Anu puts in for a job transfer.

In India, she finds more than she expected. For one thing, her fellow operatives have made a truce with the vampires.

For another, it's way too hot to wear leather.

At first, it seems Anu's biggest challenge will be evading the nice boys her aunt wants her to marry. But when children start disappearing, she discovers forces older and darker than anything she's faced before. All of Delhi is in danger, especially the sexy stranger who sets Anu's pulse racing.

To prepare for the coming battle, Anu must overcome her personal demons and put aside years of training. This time, her most powerful weapon will come from her mind, not her weapons belt.

About the author

Adi grew up reading fiction books by flashlight, hiding under the covers, pretending to be asleep. While it would certainly affect his academic life the next day, he did go on to get degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University, so it was not at all bad.

Somewhere along the line, a poetry book and a minor textbook were published. He wishes he could withdraw all copies of said poetry book from the market. At the time, it was poignant, but now it's just embarrassing.

He's always given more credit for his successes in life to those late-night reading habit of years ago than to the high-school academics he trudged through, and he yearned to write one of those books himself.

Deeply impressed by the vast religious history of India, he could not help but pick this topic for his first novel.

Review

You know the saying never judge a book by it's cover? Well, that is completely applicable in this case. While the cover is way too immature and shabbily designed, the content inside will not disappoint you. The good thing is the author realized this fact, and has a contest running up to design his new cover.

The book is about Anu, a professional guardian who keeps the vampires of the city at bay. However, this makes her closed ones at risk, when finally the vampires takes over the only person she cared of. Seeking vengeance, she makes her way to India. Assessing the situation here, she realizes it is a lot different from what was back there in New York City. As she digs deeper, she reveals the deep dark secrets of how the vampire community in this new place works. But soon she realizes her real enemy isn't actually the vampire community, but someone even worse than that, who is a lot more powerful from the vampires, whom to kill would take a lot more than the ceramic blades.

Enter Dr. Sharma and Pandit Grover, who help her de-mystify the secrets of Senaka, her enemy. She soon realizes that his weapons is less of physical, but more of spiritual, the power of tantra. She now has to dig down deep into the old sanskrit texts to look for a weapon to face Senaka, the sattvic way. This would mean, she has to go beyond her capabilities, master the skills of something which hasn't been used in years and realize her potential to the fullest, within the limited time!

The book is total page turner. Great narration, in a complete flow, with a pinch of humor, this book is sure to hook you up. You are sure to enjoy your time with this book, and would just wish to reach the last page of the book, to know how the mystery unveils itself.
However, I do feel at some places the description was un-necessary and that the author tried to spoon-feed a point or two. A lot of questions were left un-answered, and so I feel we can expect a sequel to this.

On the whole, the book is sure to give you a great time. Buy it, read it, enjoy it!

Rating: 3.5/5

Book: Tantra
Author: Adi
ISBN: 9788190863629
Publisher: Apeejay Stya Publishing
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 335
Language: English

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The Women on Platform Number 10

2013-04-07T04:20:00.000+05:30

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton; the thirty-seventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be a part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "The woman on platform number 10"

It's not that this was happening for the first time, but today was different. It went past that threshold value, and so finally Jay decided to run away from his house. He left the house, on his toes, making sure no one from his family comes to know about it. His house was at a walk-able distance from the railway station. He had heard from his friends, whose elder brothers had gone to Mumbai and were now independent and earning. And so he thought of going to Mumbai, away from his house, away from this mess.

He ran with all his might, crying, till he reached the railway station. He saw the railway information board, and noted the next train to Mumbai leaves in another 3 hours from platform number 10.
He went to the platform number 10. There were not many people there, considering it was a small town, and the odd hour. He sat on an empty bench, crying. Most of the shop vendors were closed. He was all alone there, except those dogs who were looking for something to eat. He cried for a while, till suddenly he felt warmth on his shoulder. He looked up and saw a women sitting beside him. He never noticed when she had come and sat there.
There was something really special about this women. He could feel the sudden change in the atmosphere. He could feel the positivity which had been missing all this while. Her smile had the aura to evade any worries around her, no matter it's magnitude. He somehow felt better around her.

W: What happened? Why are you crying?
Jay: Who are you?
W: That isn't important, my boy! Tell me, what happened to you?
Jay: I am running away from my home, I'll go to Mumbai, and earn and be independent so that I don't have to go to home again.
W: Why do you want to leave your home?
Jay: Every single day, my father drinks alcohol, and then comes back to home and beat my mother. They both yell at each other, use bad words. And then my fathers beats her even more. They tell me to go to a different room, but their voices isn't stopped by the walls. Since I'm their only child, I get very scared. Once I tried stopping them, but that went in vain and my father started beating me instead. And then later my mother scolded me for intervening in between them. Since then I didn't do anything to stop them. I just hid behind the door, crying, wishing everyday that some angel would and save us from my father. But I don't think that is ever going to happen, so I'm running away from them. Once and for all.
W: But that isn't going to stop the problem, right? He is still going to beat your mother everyday. Don't you think you should do something to stop them?
Jay: Yeah, but what can I do? I tried already what I could.
W: Let me talk to your mother once, bring her here tomorrow in the afternoon.
Jay: She wouldn't come. What should I say to her?
W: Just bring her here, say anything, just bring her here anyhow. I'll surely sort out this mess for you. But for now, you must go back to your home and sleep. And be a strong boy, you shouldn't cry.
Jay: I think you are right. I'll go back to my home. Thank you.

Jay somehow felt good. It was a strange feeling, but he felt better, after a really really long time. He felt that everything is going to be good now. He was now all determined to sort this mess, instead of running away from it. So, he slept that night.
In the morning, he was faced by another challenge. To somehow get her mother to the railway station.
He thought of faking it and told her that she needs to receive some relatives. She somehow believed him. He didn't expected her to believe him so easily, but he was relieved. He had faith in that lady he met a day before.

Upon reaching the railways station, Jay saw that women. Seeing her, he blurted out the truth. At first, his mother was angry on him, but somehow the aura that unknown woman had made her anger vanish in no time.
W: Jay told me everything. He was about to run away to Mumbai, I stopped him.
M: WHAT? Really? Oh god, thank you so much. It's just that...
W: I know everything, I am just here to help you.
M: But who are you?
W: That isn't necessary. What is necessary is to stop what is happening with you.

The woman instructed Jay's mother a bunch of things and told her to do as she said. She reassured her that everything is going to be alright.

Later that day, as usual, Jay's dad entered the house, drunk. Seeing his wife, he started his usual routine. As soon as Jay saw his father had started to beat his mother, he dialed a number from the mobile phone the woman had gave him. Instantly, the door bell rang. When my mother went to see who rang the bell, as expected, there was no one. She went back, and the heinous act of his father continued. Again, the bell rang, and just like before, there was no one on the door. This went on for another couple of times, when his father really lost it, and went himself to see who was on the door. All he saw were two men with Bell Bajao written on their cap. This outraged the father even more, he slammed the door, and blurted out all his anger on the mother. More than what he was doing previously. This really scared Jay. He saw his father angry every single day, but not to this extent.
Suddenly, the door bell began to ring. This time more frequently. Again and again. His father ignored it, and continued beating his wife. Finally, with a loud thud, the door broke open. Men in khakhi uniform stood at the other side of the road, with handcuffs in their hand waiting to be binded to someone.

The father was arrested and was taken to police station. He was charged of domestic violence and was sentenced to prison for a really long time.
This meant Jay and his mother could now live in peace. It was almost a dream come to true for him, for he had wished only one thing, every single day, for the past 2 years.
He then saw the woman.
Jay: Thank you so much. All my worries have gone. All thanks to you. I've really cleared this mess. But who really are you?
W: Remember you had always wished for an angel to come to save you from this mess?
He heard his mother calling out him, he turned his head in other direction, by the time he turned back to his original position, there was no one. It was like someone had vanished.
He then realized, his wish had finally come true, he had met the angel of his life. "Truth is stranger than fiction", he thought.
That night, he and his mother had a peaceful sleep after a really really long time.

***

Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, is a pattern of coercive behavior that is used by one person to gain power and control over another. It may include the use of physical and sexual violence, verbal and emotional abuse, stalking and economic abuse. Sexual, emotional and psychological intimidation may also occur.

Every year, many men and woman become a victim of domestic violence. If you are a victim, or if you know anyone who is, then raise your voice, report it at the first sign of it.

If anything happens infront of you, then don't forget to Ring the Bell!

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this blog- a-ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be a part of the next edition, visit and follow Blog-a-Ton.

Liebby!!

2013-04-06T12:26:00.000+05:30

So, you're just sitting in the middle of the night, thinking about the long list of things you want to do on your weekend, and then you realize what you actually need to do. Clear up the backlogs. Yeah, that's right!
I never fail to delay such posts. And so, continuing the tradition, here I am again, coming up with something what I should have done quite a few months ago!

Yeah, it's an AWARD POST, and you know what that means!
I've been nominated for the Liebster Award! Yay!!
Even though this might not be my first award, but believe me the excitement is still the same. I'm thrilled everytime to see such nominations!

What more? Not one, but three people nominated me this time. Leo, Priya and Ayushi. Thank you all of you for considering me for this thing!

But every award comes up with it's own set of rules, and this is no exception. So let's have a look.

1. Post 11 things about yourself.
2. Answer 11 questions set by the nominator.
3. Choose 11 deserving bloggers
4. Set 11 questions for them.
5. Let them know about it.

Okay, 11 random things about me. This is seriously the most difficult part, cause I don't really know what to say. But I'll try my best!

1. I generally prefer working till late in the night, cause there is no one to disturb you at that odd hour.

2. My parents still buy my clothes. I just can't do that.

3. I saw Batman series for the first time just 2 days ago. (I know this is surely going to raise a few eyebrows)

4. I'm not really fond of the super-hero-types movies.

5. In classrooms, I sleep more than I write.

6. I've developed a new interest into this thing called Quora. Go check it out!

7. Recently I've started liking the Reggae fusion genre.

8. I recently developed an interest in playing computer games, after nearly 4 years!

9. Being a salesman isn't that easy, and I've learned it the hard way!

10. I seriously have no interest in the ongoing IPL. (Read further here)

11. I love the Bangalore weather!

Answers to Leo's 11 questions.

Q. Once place abroad you'd love to visit, and why?
A. This definitely has to be some not-yet-discovered islands in the pacific ocean. Simply because it's sure to have mesmerizing landscapes, breathtaking views, and yeah, the most important - PEACE!

Q. Your favourite fiction novel and why?
A. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The way he blend facts into fiction simply amazes me!

Q. One thing you'd love to change in your personality, and why?
A. Umm.. not sure. I'd rather be the way I am.

Q. Which would you prefer to play, indoor or outdoor?
A. A blend of both, actually!

Q. Who'd you say is your role model, and why?
A. Well, to be honest, I try to achieve excellence in everything I do. If I play cricket, my role model would be Sachin, if I teach, I'd want to teach like Feynman and so on... So basically, If I'd want to be good at something, I'd consider the best in that field as my role model.

Q. One thing you wish people would stop pestering you about?
A. The latest gossips. That's a complete waste of time for me.

Q. One dream of yours which has already come true?
A. There are so many little dreams that come true everyday!

Q. A rose in the bouquet or in the garden?
A. In the garden. That way it's aura can be felt for a longer time, and by many others.

Q. A name you like the most (other than your own)?
A. Names actually interests me a lot. I always have the interest to know the meaning of the names of the people I meet. I believe a person is a lot similar in nature to what his/her name actually means. There isn't a single name that I like, but yeah, many names intrigue me.

Q. If you were to rename your blog, what'd you name it as and why?
A. I don't know actually. Naming it once was a tough task, I have no idea what amount of time it would take to rename it!

Q. One honest opinion about my blog?
A. Honest.. Okay! I'm not really a fan of Haiku (and I don't blame you for that, the fault is actually mine), but I do like your other posts. Going through your blog, it's hard to filter out those other posts. I guess, you should use labels and categorize your posts so it's easier for people like me! :)

Answers to Priya's 11 questions.

Q. Which is your favourite movie and why?
A. Schlinder's List (1993). The only movie which bought me near to crying.

Q. A career option you'd never opt for and why?
A. Surgeon. I can't see other's blood.

Q. Is it better to be born rich than to be talented?
A. A big NO!

Q. A book you wish had never ended.
A. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Q. What upsets you the most?
A. Seeing someone else upset. And what makes me more upset? Seeing someone else upset and the reason being me!

Q. What is your greatest phobia?
A. Crawlers and other creepy insects!

Q. What is the craziest thing you would ever want to try?
A. As of now, wedding crash!

Q. What is your idea of a perfect weekend?
A. When at the end of it, you realize that all you work is done, and you feel like you haven't worked at all. And that you're ready to face the week ahead again!

Q. Why did you start blogging?
A. Just because I saw this option in the services that Google offered - Blogger. (Read further here)

Q. What is the one word/one line that comes to your mind when I say the following:
rain - big window, smell of wet mud, pakodas, coffee
pizza - home-made > everything else
books - give me some mooooooooorree
hate - why?

Q. And finally - Vampire Diaries or Prison Break?
A. I haven't seen Vampire Diaries, and I'm not a fan of vampire related stuffs, and that I really liked Prison Break, so it's gonna be the latter!

Answers to Ayushi's 11 questions.

Q. What is the meaning of your name? Do you believe you are living upto it?
A. It means scholar. Well, I'd leave the second part for the people around me to answer!

Q. What moment do you wish to live again and again?
A. Childhood.

Q. Are you happy with your profession, if yes, why? If not, what would you want to be?
A. I'm still a student, and you don't have much choice when it comes to that. But yeah, I do enjoy what I learn.

Q. In what other way do you help poor apart from giving money?
A. The only difference between them and me would probably be money. Making them realize that money isn't actually a criteria to form groups in a society, and for once, getting close to them, leaving all the money matters behind.

Q. What one thing would you want to vanish from this world?
A. Money. Think about it, bringing back the bater system!

Q. What do you hate most about online social networking?
A. People who use it for the purpose it isn't meant to be.

Q. Any celebrity you'd want to date and why?
A. Umm.. No!

Q. If given a change to exchange lives with anyone in this world, who will that person be and why?
A. President of the country, as I'll have the supreme power in the whole country, and I belive I'd put that power to good use.

Q. Which possession of yours you can't tolerate to be touched by others?
A. Mobile Phone

Q. Define yourself in four words.
A. I'm a human being.

11 people I'd like to nominate

1. Kirti
2. Avik
3. Ankita
4. Prakhar
5. Harshal
6. Shesha
7. Sushmita
8. Diksha
9. Pooja
10. Ratika
11. Vineet

Now it's my turn to bombard 11 people with some questions. *evil laugh*
So, here I go.

1. What does your name mean?
2. What is your ideal holiday destination like, and why?
3. If you had a genie right infront of you, and that he would grant just one wish of yours, what would it be?
4. What according to you is one thing that could change the present situation of the country?
5. What is God to you?
6. Before you die, I want to... ?
7. Blogger or Wordpress?
8. What would you like to be re-born as? (except humans)
9. One thing in your life you wish you could just "delete".
10. What would your alternate occupation be? Or how would you like to spend the rest of your life?
11. What is your honest opinion about my blog?

Looking forward to your posts!

Ten Reasons why I like IPL

2013-04-03T22:15:00.004+05:30

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

PS: Well, yeah, those are the ten reasons why I like IPL. Initially, I thought of Ten Reasons why I dislike IPL, but then I realized why waste my and your time when I can easily express my views this way!

Jinx

2013-03-29T11:05:00.000+05:30

Okay, I don't know where to start from. There is something really creepy going on with me these days. It keeps hovering around me, always. And just when I think it's gone, BOOM it makes it's presence felt again. I don't know how it got to me. I don't know for how long it's going to be there with me. I don't know how to get rid of it. It's just there with me, always, even when I'm all alone.

Who - Don't know; Can't be seen
Why - Not known
When - Anytime
Where - Everywhere
Till when - Looks like forever

It has now reached to such a level, that I'm talking about it here also. It left me with no options. I mean, literally, anywhere and everywhere I have to bear with it. It wasn't like this before. I'm seeing more of it these days, more than ever before.

Oh, you look confused? Wait, let me show you something.

For those who don't know, I'm second from right.

This is one of my photos taken last year. I'm the guy third from left. Yeah, the same guy who looks like he is constipated, and has seen something really disturbing and is agitated to god-knows-what-extent.

It's this jinx I'm talking of - a camera. I don't know what happens to me when a camera sees me. I mean, just look at the picture, anyone would suggest I'm not mentally fit to live in this world with that photo.

And mind you this is not once-a-time thing, it happens every single time, not matter what the place is, what time of day is, or when that street dog pooped. Every single time.

And what am I doing here? Looking at his arm pits? What a timing!

Is it me or the camera angle?

*No Comments*

Why is his hand higher than mine?

I mean I get caught in the most randomest of my expressions.

Just when I thought, everything is perfect, the location, the pose, guess what? The camera refused to behave properly!

And just when I was really close in getting a good group photograph, BAMB! Someone comes infront of me, just before that click!

Sometimes it's the expression, sometimes it's someone else. This time it's the light!

What more? I have really cool friends who think they can take this to the next level!

<< Well, actually I don't mind that. Cause that in a way makes me look less-bad >>

But hey, I wasn't like this since the beginning.

Yeah right, that's me too! The same me who now looks like he's always constipated!

And for those who know me well, would know that in the recent times the camera has been kind to me only once, and that that very picture has the "privalage" of being my display pic for, say, some past 4-5 years.

I simply don't understand what kind of bad karma one has to do to piss off a camera.

But one thing is for sure, the camera jinx is gonna have a tough time fighting with me. Cause I won't let loose this early. I'll give a good fight! *evil laugh*

Or all I need is a good photographer?

Anyway, I'll let you guys leave while me and my monkey ponder upon our next move to tackle this jinx!

Review: Love, Peace & Happiness

2013-03-24T12:01:00.000+05:30

Love, Peace & Happiness: What more can you want?

Synopsis:
Stories surround us. Stories about people like us who make difficult and often complex choices that sometimes astound us. You must have come across some people in your own life who closely resemble the characters in these stories. Maybe you have gone through trying moments in your life too.

For instance, have you ever been bugged enough with your partner to want to leave? Have you ever had to choose between love and money? Have you ever had to compete with your partner? Have you ever felt that your family weighs you down when it comes to choosing your partner?

At times like these, haven't you wished that things happened differently and that you could change how they ended?

Now you will control how the stories in this book end.

Each story centers on the life of an urban middle class character caught in a set of circumstances beyond his or her control. A Hindu girl living in with a Muslim boy is suddenly in the glare of global media in a reality TV show, a divorced cynical man faces the prospect of committing himself to a prostitute, a highly talented small town girl must choose between life and death. All must resolve the conflicts within their beliefs.

Read the way the stories end in the book, but if you don't agree with the ending, visit the website for alternate endings.

If you don't like the way the stories end there either, write your own, and if your ending is selected, see it print in the next print run with your name in the acknowledgement.

Hoping to change the world, one story at a time...

About the author:

Rituraj Verma

Review: When The Signal Turns Red

2013-03-10T18:27:00.000+05:30

When The Signal Turns Red

Synopsis:
Girish and Prajakta are in love. Very soon Girish will be joining the numero uno IT company of the country. He prepares himself by buying expensive clothes and other accessories he had always dreamed of. He and Prajakta have together planned to build on a good bank balance and then meet each others families to talk about marriage, probably after a year or two. Unexpectedly, the families get involved before Girish can join the IT company. Against all odds, the couple managed to convince their family and an engagement date is fixed. But destiny has other things in mind. A global catastrophe mars their plan which leads to the engagement getting annulled.

Will Girish find a way out of this predicament? Will he ultimately win Prajakta's hand or will he move on in life, learning to live without her?

About the Author:

Jayanand Ukey

Jayanand Ukey works for an IT company and is also a freelance journalist and blogger. He has a computer engineering degree from VESIT, Mumbai University. In a career spanning a decade, he has kept his hobby alive by writing three books. This book is his first published work. Jayanand lives in Mumbai with his family.
To know more about the author, visit him at www.whenthesignalturnsred.com or email him at email@jayanandukey.com

Review:
The cover of the book gives a fairly good idea about the theme of the book. A couple along with an old man shows the book is about a couple in love and somehow the story is linked to his/her father. It is simple and to the point, which is good.

The book is about two freshly-out-of-the-college couples, Girish and Prajakta. Both are placed into the top IT companies and are now planning to take their college love to the next level. Now that they had their jobs in their hand, they plan to talk to their families about their love. But something unexpected happens, and their parents come to know about their hidden love.
Against all odds, the parents agrees to get their children engaged, one week after their joining date of their job. However, just a week before, job offers of both, Girish and Prajakta are withdrawn due to the on-going economic recession. And subsequently, the engagement is called off.
How the male protagonist leads the story to an happy ending by getting married to his love, is what this story is all about.

The book is written in simple english, which is very easy to read. The narration is commendable which makes you want to keep on reading till you reach the conclusion of the story. During your read, you'll always think of what will happen next. And at times the author tries to keep the suspense up.

However, this book fails to impress you at the end. Certainly, you are happy to know the conclusion, but it fails to hook you up. This is more of an grandmother-told story which you listen to. There is nothing new in the plot, and is fairly guess-able at each step.

Nevertheless, this book is surely a one time read. You would not feel bored, but you can't expect a mind-blowing time. Read it if you're looking for a short read and don't want to spend your time too much.

Rating: 2.5/5

Book: When The Signals Turns Red
Author: Jayanand Ukey
ISBN: 9788180460852
Publisher: Alchemy Publishers
Pages: 198
Genre: Fiction
Language: English

Review: RIP

2013-03-03T18:07:00.000+05:30

RIP - by Mukul Deva

Synopsis
RIP - The Resurgent Indian Patriots
Self-appointed guardians of a nation seething with anger at the endless scams and scandals rocking its very foundation. Vigilantes who vow to stop corrupt politicians and colluding civil servants.
Even if it means killing them.

Colonel Krishna Athawale and his team of Special Forces officers rally to protect the country from the enemy within. They call themselves the K-Team. And no one is safe from their deadly intent.

Hell bent on stopping them is Raghav Bhagat, rogue para commando, gun for hire and Krishna's bete noire.

Caught in the crossfire is Vinod Bedi, Special Director, CBI.
Reena Bhagat, a glamorous news anchor, embittered by her husband's betrayal. And two young boys, Sachin and Azaan, torn apart by the loss of a parent.

About the Author
An alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow, the National Defence Academy, Pune and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Mukul Deva was commissioned in December 1981 into the Sikh Light Infatry of the Indian Army. He took early retirement from the army after fifteen years of service including a decade of combat operations in India and overseas. Now settled in Singapore, he is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and an executive, business and creativity coach. He is also a Mentor on the United Nations Institute of Training and Research Afghanistan Fellowship.

Mukul Deva

Review

The cover of the book is appealing and is sure to catch your attention at a book store among others. It is very thoughtful and apt to the story. The red and the orange tint, depicting the rage and anger, a soldier with a gun, leading it's country to a new horizon in the background.
The book is a page turner in it's true sense. You are so engrossed in the book, that you don't even pay attention to the page number, till you realize the book has come to it's end. Whether you are a slow reader, or a fast one, you'll definitely want to complete this in one go.

A team of five ex-commandos, who call themselves the K-Team as everyone's name starts with a 'K', Krishna, Kamlesh, Kashif, Kevin, Karan and Kulwant, are a bunch of hardcore patriots who are set to bring justice to the country and punish the culprit.
The story starts with 3 murders, each having charges of corruption on them. The responsibility is taken by RIP, and they openly warn the government to murder 3 more people in the coming 3 days if their demands, to put the guilty behind bars and to bring better laws to prevent such things in future, is not met.
Home minister Karunakaran, who himself is involved in many such cases, will stop the RIP at any costs. Special Director of CBI, Vinod Bedi is called up, to stop them. But for the fear of them being caught alive, Raghav Bhagat, an ex-para commando is hired to take the RIP down before the CBI gets their hand on them.
It's a heart throbbing tale of three groups who would do anything to get the job done with a lot at stake.

The best thing about the book is its familiarity with the real world incidents in the past. The recent scams and cases could all be related to in this book. Even some of the characters. With the right message for politicians and the citizens, this emotionally charged thriller with flawless narration makes this is a book worth reading. Go grab your copy, this book ought to be in your bookshelves!

Rating: 4/5

Book: RIP
Author: Mukul Deva
ISBN: 9382618198
Publisher: Westland
Pages: 298
Genre: Fiction
Language: English

Mukul Deva can be found at his official website, here.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com.

The story of a newly bald guy...

2013-01-12T11:31:00.000+05:30

S: I had always wanted to shave my head once. Just like that. Without any reason.
Me: Oh great! I've also thought the same.
S: Then let's shave our head together. How about this sunday?
Me: Why wait for sunday?

This is how my story started. Almost instantly, we were at the barber shop. We were both very nervous as it was our first time. We absolutely had no clue how it is done, and what the end results would be. What made the matter worse was this...
S: Are you sure there won't be cuts and bleeding? Please do it carefully, it's our first time.
Barber (unamused): You talk a lot.
To be honest, this really made us both scared. But we were now glued to the seats. Walking back wasn't a option. We both looked at each other, smiled bleakly, and just wished for everything to go well.

It was now the time for the barber's tools to act and do their magic. Slowly and slowly, I could feel the razor shave through my head. I could feel the cool breeze making it's presence felt on my newly exposed skin. All through this while I was going through a series of thoughts. To be honest, it wasn't really easy for me to lift my eyes up into the mirror and glance at the undone work. It was going through a moment of mixed emotions. I had a great feeling that at last it's finally happening. But at the same time you had to build up that courage to look into that mirror. Trust me, it wasn't easy. But when it was done, Is that really me? - was all I thought. I couldn't help but started smiling seeing myself into the mirror. My both end of the lips were as far as possible. It was finally done, and I loved the feeling. I had 2-3 small cuts, but all those burning sensations were diluted by the happiness of this achievement.

Seeing each other in almost the same hairstyle, we both couldn't help but laugh at each other. We finally got what we had wished for. It was time to walk back.
I could see three of my batch-mates coming towards us. We both couldn't help but continuously looked at them and were laughing, making the ends of our lips poles apart. I could make out from their expression, Why are these two stranger bald guys staring us and laughing? It was when they were almost at a feet's distance, they realized what had happened. I still can't forget their jaw-dropping expression. All three of them, mouth open with shock, words refusing to come out.
Continuing our endless walk from the college gate to the hostel, we faced 3 other group of friends, all having the same jaw-dropping expression and with no words to say.

All through the way to my room we gathered that un-wanted attention. To be really honest, I didn't liked it. That wasn't something I had expected before getting this thing done. Everywhere you go, you'll have people asking you as to why have you done this? I mean, I just shaved my head, people shave their stubble everyday, I just shaved a bit more, what's the big deal? I was sick of that after a point of time.

But this felt really good. When you've done something like this you feel light. Getting rid of that extra weight at the top of your head, really makes you feel light, allowing new thoughts to pour in. The cool breeze that would touch your newly exposed skin, is something really different, something that you'll love, in a strange way. Last time I shaved my head was back when I was an infant. It felt really strange touching your own head with your hand. Trust me. You'll know what I mean if you go through/have gone through this. I don't know how to explain this, but it was different, and difficult to do. The newly exposed wasn't used to this touching.

But apart from all this, your life does really change in small-small ways. First thing you do after shaving your head, is you take a shower. And then the first time water is poured onto your bald head, you'll have a strange feeling, you won't understand what's happening but it would feel something is different. And then you'll realize that now water isn't trapped in your hair, cause you have no hair anymore. All that you pour on your head, comes directly down. This might sound stupid to those with hair, but this is something you'll notice for sure.
And then, while drying up your head with your towel - you just won't be able to do that. Cause with that stubble you'll have enormous amount of friction on your head that even rubbing you towel to the back would seem impossible. And same is while wearing your t-shirt. You t-shirt would just be stuck with your head. These are all the fun experiences.

But all of this made me realize one thing. Shaved heads are often associated with chemotherapy - a treatment for cancer which results into hair loss as one of its side effects. A person suffering from cancer is already suffering through a lot. And then after the treatment, with the shaven head, there is this hurdle of walking into the society with that shaved head. I got to share this part,although this isn't even an iota what they actually go through. You'll have people treating you differently, teasing you - verbally as well as physically, just because you don't look like what most people looks like. Just because you don't have hair on your head.
I don't understand why is there such a taboo for shaved heads? Why is shaving head considered as something bad? Something different?
I have no answer for this.
But I've got my lesson, though I didn't took it in the wrong sense, but it might sound bad to many. So, I guess one should take that into consideration and Ban the Bald jokes.

On the whole, this was a fun experience to be honest. And I guess once in a while everyone should try something like this - something different, something unique. Trust me, you won't regret it. You'll have an hell of an experience!

God knows for how long...

2013-01-07T01:34:00.000+05:30

Me: So, you're coming right?

He: Absolutely! I'll come over and pick you up at 5?

Me: Cool! And...

He: What?

Me: Please come all alone, don't bring your stubble along.

He: Aah.. Alright! See you.

He was the laziest of all. No matter how many times I tell him to shave, he just won't. I don't know what the problem is with most of the guys. They just won't shave. I mean, who could walk around with that extra weight on that face? The face, covered with hair all over. Ew. How do they even survive. Don't they feel unhygienic themselves? I just feel disgusting when I'm around a hairy face.

I'm in Hyderabad, away from him as I had a 4 month long job assignment. He was missing me, and I knew that. One fine day, just like any other day, I was walking back from my office to my home, it was a walking distance, and suddenly he comes infront me in the middle of the street. I was literally taken aback. It took time for me to recognize him as the street wasn't properly lit and the fact that I actually wasn't expecting him there. It took time for me to actually gulp the fact that he had actually come over for the weekend over there, just to surprise me. But then there was this thing which ruined everything. I still remember the conversation.

Me: Oh my god! What a surprise this is!

He: Indeed! I came specially for you just to come here so that we can spend our time together. Just you and me.

Me: Aww.. How lovely.

We walked together for sometime on the streets, until we reached a well lit area. And then I saw what I had missed all this while. A full grown beard. And the reason? He was just too lazy. The very second I knew he'd been glued to his Xbox all this while. He didn't even remembered the last time he took a bath.

Then, I did something for which I regretted a bit later. I just walked off from there. No answers to his why's. I didn't answered his phone, nether replied to his texts. I felt really bad that day for what I did. He specially came for me, and all I did was to show my tantrums. But I know that was necessary. I had to act hard-stoned that day. He got the message that day and he went back to Bangalore.

That was another day. Eventually, he consoled me, sent a dozen of his shaved photos, and we eventually got back to good terms. Today was the first time I was going to meet him after that day. I was going back to Bangalore today and he was going to come and pick me up. I just hoped he remembered the message.

I got down from the bus, he was standing right in front of me. And that was a shock, a surprise rather. He was completely shaved. Not a single hair on his cute cheek. He looked the best that day. I just was so happy.

Me: Why can't you be like this all the time?

He: I've changed. I'll be like this forever, for you.

God knows for how long, I thought.

5 days later..

... he had a full grown beard, and the last time he bathed was when India won a match against Pakistan.

*sigh*

PS: This is a work of fiction.

This post is a part of this 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com.

Time to celebrate!

2013-01-01T18:23:00.000+05:30

May 2009: It was that time when Google was integrating all it's services to be accessed through one common Google account. This meant all of Google's service, including GMail, Picasa, Calender among many, could be used with one single Google account. Going through all the services, there was one thing that caught my attention - Blogger.

Share your life online with a blog - it's quick, easy and free -- that's how Google defines Blogger. I quickly signed up for it, and had no idea what to do with it next, but it somehow looked appealing. I was 14 then. In the following 6 months, once or twice I tried to figure out what was it exactly, and all I could infer was that it was a writing space, where you can share your writings to the world.

At about the same time, I was a video reviewer for the Metacafe, where I would receive videos and had to review it for approval. I then received two videos, dealing with the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. Those two 10 minute videos, left an impact on me, and left me to wonder about it's authenticity. Curious to get answers, I went through a thorough research over the internet. Visiting almost any link that I could find. Checking the facts which were shown in the video, almost everything that I could find.

December 2009: This thorough research led to my first blog post. Casacio - literally meaning random, was the name I had zeroed down to, for the blog which would have a wide range of topics, a blog which believed that life is too short to blog about just one thing. I had no idea what to post on Blogger, and what not to, but I did went ahead with the idea. After writing it down and publishing it, this thing really excited me. Seeing visitors, even though there were hardly any, made me feel good. I started sharing the link to my blog randomly all over like a maniac, to everyone I could fine, everyone (I still haven't stopped this habit!).

It was the time of my 10th class pre-boards. Studying whole day wasn't an option for me, specially after such a thing was going on. After some 10-15 days, during late December, I really wanted to post something as I had got the hang of it. In the following week, I posted 6 posts, all about some random ideologies going through me. This went on for some time in the following months where I posted about random ideas that came through.

I wasn't really serious about blogging at that point of time. There were time I didn't wrote anything for days, or even months, when one fine day I feel to write something, and Kaboom, a post in a couple of months. All this while, I was the one who used to write, and again, I was the one who used to read them. I had really less visitors, but for me, it wasn't about visitors, I wrote cause I wanted to write.

May 2011: In all of this posting on the blog, an important part for me has been to read, to read other's blog. This had two benefits - it is said the more you read, the more you learn, and I guess this has played a major role in my process of learning; other being, the obvious, you open yourself to a whole new range of ideas. On a similar day, I was going through some blog, where I read on one of the widget - member of the Indiblogger community. And like always, I had no better work to do, and googled what Indiblogger was.I had no idea what I had found, literally, I just blankly registered up there, cause it had the words Indi(an) and Blogger.

December 2011: This was the time I really made an effort to actually know what Indiblogger was all about. And from then on, it changed the way I took blogging, forever!

This was the place where I got to meet so many other bloggers. I got to learn quite a lot of things from all of them. And to be honest, this is the place which made me realize the true potential of blogging. This was when I got to know how serious this can get. This was when my whole perspective towards blogging was changed. I began to take this more seriously, and to be frank, I started enjoying this even more! This was the time when I started getting visitors in relatively larger numbers. Though this was never meant to be about the amount of visitors, but this was really encouraging, and I mean it.
Since then, there has been no turning back.

And now, after completing four years of blogging, I've reached a milestone, which will always be unforgettable. Trust me, from the time I started this, I had never imagined that I'll manage to reach this far. What started out just as an little experiment to try out something which Google had to offer, would come along this far was something which I hadn't expected. And in fact, this is quite surprising even for me.
I know there is a long way ahead, but this is something really special for me.

Casacio completes 10000 pageviews!

It has been a long journey. Full of enjoyment and learning. I've come across numerous people, and their different ideas and completely different point of views. It has been a wonderful experience working on all of those posts. Right from following the Commonwealth Games, to saluting Rebecca Black. From complete breakdown of intuition, to the lingo kid. From proving that everyone of us is unique through vedic astrology and mathematics, to light the night. And not to forget those contests held regularly. All of these, it had been a great learning experience.

This has in a way changed me; changed me the way I put forth my thoughts. Changed the way I express myself. Changed my perspective towards my surroundings. This is now completely integrated into me. This is my way of life now. There is a lot that I've learned, and still continuing to do so. And I'm enjoying this even more, like never before.

I just want to thank you guys for making this come this far and hope there are more such occasions in the future that I could cherish upon.

If that makes you happy!

2012-12-30T18:09:00.000+05:30

What a tiring day it had been. Today was one of the busiest days in the past few weeks. But now it was over. I was walking back to home, and all I could think of was the lovely awesome food that my wife would have cooked up for me. She was probably the best cook I've ever known. And just the thought of her food made me drool. Moreover, she had called me during the day and said that today's dinner was going to be a special one. She said she'd cook all my favorite dishes. Maybe she realized the fact that I had a tiring day, and this was her way of pepping me up. I just couldn't wait to get back home and have that food. That was all I wanted at that moment.

Reaching home, she told me that she'd get the dinner on table while I could go and freshen up. All excited for the dinner, I quickly came back to the dinner table, in anticipation of a scrumptious meal. That was all that I wanted at that point of time.
It was finally infront of me, the serving bowl. I could smell Chicken Biryani, Mutter Paneer & my favorite of all, Gajar ka Halwa. In anticipation of either of these, I removed the lid of the bowl.
Me: Oat meal?!?!?
She: Oh yeah!
Me: But you called me in the afternoon. Shouldn't there be some Chicken Biryani... and Paneer... and some Gajar Ka Halwa, instead of this stupid oat meal?
She: Oh yeah, I cooked all of them! But they are just for me.
Me: Huh? What happened to you? Why are you doing this?
She: *Rubs her cheek with her hand*
And then I realized what this was all about.
Me: We have talked about this before. And, are you in your senses? C'mon now pass me some Biryani and Paneer.
She: ALL YOU'RE HAVING IS OAT MEAL TILL YOU GET THAT STUBBLE OFF YOUR FACE.

I had no choice, but to have that oat meals for my dinner. What was supposed to be a scrumptious meal, turned out to be a insipid one.
After checking up my mails, and watching the late evening show, it was time for bed now. Walking towards my bedroom, I extended my hand to open the door. And what happened then left me stunned. The door was locked!
Me: Honey, open the door!
She: You know what? I feel like sleeping all alone on the bed today. I left something for you at the couch.
All of this, just because of my stubble. Really? I had no choice, but to spend the rest of the night on the couch and hoping that everything would be fine by the morning.

I woke up the next day with an aching back. What a terrible night it had been. I didn't knew what was in store for me today, but all I hoped was everything to settle down. But it wasn't going to be that easy.
I saw my wife having the morning tea.
Me: Good Morning, honey! Where is my tea? *I acted as if nothing happened*
No reply from her. I tried again.
Me: Let me give you some company with your tea.
She: Help yourself.
She never did this. Past 7 years, she would always make the morning tea for me. All the change just because of my stubble? I was hurt at this moment, that we were fighting and cribbing over such a petty issue. I mean it was weekend, and everyone wants to spend their weekend the lazy way. I couldn't help it. So, I decided to give her some time and let the matter cool all by itself.

Having oat meals again for breakfast and lunch, I came to know I was wrong. This isn't going to be easy. She looked determined and strong. I tried to get her on my side.
Me: Remember the movie you've been waiting for months to release? Let's watch it tonight.
She: I'm going nowhere with that shadow on your face.
Me: Oh c'mon, don't do this. How does this even matter?
She: It matters to me.
Me: WHAT KIND OF STUPIDITY IT IS? ALL I'M HAVING IS OAT MEALS AND NO TEA. I'M BEING TREATED AS IF I'VE COMMITTED A CRIME OR SOMETHING. BUT REMEMBER ONE THING, THIS AIN'T GONNA CHANGE ME. I AM NOT SHAVING, NO MATTER WHAT.

And I left the room. I knew me shouting made the matters worse, but that was almost involuntary. I was hurt. I was worried. I was scared. I didn't liked it. She has been behaving so differently ever since last night. I hated that. No food, no tea and such a behavior crippled me up. I really wanted this to end. It was worse that a nightmare.
Whole day I kept on thinking of her. What she used to be, and what has now happened to her. This made me sad. Really sad.

Few hours later...
I walked down to the room where she was sitting. She saw me...
She: Oh.My.God! I can't believe it. You really shaved. I'm so happy for you.
And she came up jumping and hugged me. For the first time in past two days, I saw a smile on her face. And this somehow made me feel better.
Me: It's the least I could do. I've been thinking whole day of what all happened in the past two days. I realized how important you were to me and how my life changed completely when you didn't talked to me. My heart sinks when I don't see a smile on that face. I realized I'm nothing with you. You make me complete. And the least I could do for you was to shave, if that makes you happy!
She: Awww...
She hugged me even tighter.
Me: So, now that everything is over, movie?
She: Hell yeah!

***

PS: This is a work of fiction.

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

Review: The Bankster

2012-11-15T18:30:00.002+05:30

The Bankster - by Ravi Subramanian

Synopsis
Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threaten to destroy the reputation that the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive? Is the banker at GB2 fast turning into a bankster? Or was he always one?

When Karan Panjabi, press reporter and ex-banker, digs deeper, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a global conspiracy with far-reaching ramifications - a secret that could not only destroy the bank, but also cast a shadow on the entire nation.
With only thirty-six hours at his disposal, he must fight the clock and trust no one if he is to stay alive and uncover the truth.

About the Author
Ravi Subramanian, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. It is but natural that his stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Dharini and daughter Anusha. In 2008, he won the Golden Quill Readers Choice award for his debut novel, If god was a Banker.

Review
The cover of the book is appealing. The use of dark shades and the person in shadow with a briefcase in one hand and a revolver in another in the backdrop of the skyline gives you an impression of an impressive thriller. The cover is sure to catch your attention and shine out among others on a book shelf.

The story is like a jig saw puzzle. Four completely different stories going on, but when the jig saw puzzle completes itself towards a meaning, it just blows away your mind.
Mumbai: Four key employees of GB2 have committed suicide, or that's what it seems like. When Karan Panjabi digs deep into the actual cause of such ruthful events, he realizes that he is now a part of a global conspiracy, and there is no way turning back.
Kerela: Krishnan Menon, would do anything to fulfill his promise made to his dying son, who died in a nuclear disaster in Ukraine. He actively leads a protest against a nuclear power plant to be set up in the vicinity of his neighborhood. Gaining support from an NGO and a local MLA, it is too late for him to realize what he is now a part of.
Angola: Mr. Joseph Braganza, a covert CIA agent, completes a deal for armaments and blood diamonds worth millions of dollars.
Vienna: When two capable investigating officers comes to know what they had assumed to be an accident, is actually a murder, they'll give whatever it takes to reach the culprits to keep their success rate unchanged.

The way the author switches between these four stories in a seamless manner is a thing to be appreciated. The plot will definitively keep you hooked. The protagonist arrives pretty late in the plot, but once he is there the plot progresses at a blazing speed. You'd just want to read more and more. And what happens in the end, will leave you completely dumbstruck. All the while, whatever calculations you make about the end, it turns out to be completely opposite. You'll wish for the story to stay in Mumbai when it'll take you to Kerala which makes you keep turning the pages. Never during your whole read you'll feel that you are left fragmented, it's the beauty of the author's narration that everything seems to be in a flow. Author's knowledge about the banking industry clearly stands out in the plot.

But, there are a few minor issues here and there. The fact that author uses certain hindi words, is something that I don't really appreciate. Though the author wanted to create an "indianized" effect, this might prove to be an hindrance for the international audience. I would have liked if the author would have atleast italicized the words. Also, spoon feeding at certain sections could have been avoided. There were also certain sections, which really didn't had any relevance with the plot and could have been omitted There are also a few typographical errors here and there. But these were just minor blemishes.

On the whole, I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves reading thriller. It will surely keep you hooked and the end would leave you surprised. This is really worth it, buy and you won't regret it.

Rating: 4/5

Book: The Bankster
Author: Ravi Subramanian
ISBN: 8129120488
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Pages: 364
Genre: Fiction
Language: English

Ravi Subramanian's presence on website(s) and social networks

Website: http://www.ravisubramanian.in/index.asp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Authorravisubramanian
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubramanianRavi
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/authorravisubramanian
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/AuthorRavi

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free!

An Evening: Lighting up the Night

2012-11-14T01:38:00.000+05:30

My cellphone woke me up. It was a text message from one of my friend. "Good Morning", it said. Who the f*** wishes good morning at 12 noon, I thought. It's still bed time for me. But as they say, once you lose the flow, it's hard to regain it. I woke up, only to see both of my room-mates fast asleep. First thing I did was to switch on my laptop. Drank water, and ate left-overs of the previous night's CS (Counter Strike) party.

After going through all those regular email and social networking sites, what caught my attention was my Google Calender. Light the Night - 18:00 - Phoenix Market City, it said. And then in a moment, all my Early Morning Blues evaded in no time. What I had been waiting for, had finally come.

Light the Night - an event where you literally 'light the night'. Started off with the idea of breaking the world record for the most number of sky lanterns released at the same time. But this pre-event was just about creating a greener Diwali; Full of lights, but minus that discomfort to your ears. I was introduced to this by one of my senior, just out of chance. At the very moment I heard about this, something had caught my attention, and I just wanted to be a part of it. That was one day. And then, today, where I was just hours away from it.

I soon called up all other 7 people who were supposed to accompany me. I could reach all but one. I got ready, had the first meal of the day from the hostel canteen, and then finally everyone was ready. Head count. 6 it was, including me. One was missing. Shrey. 3 calls, no answer. Ran to the third floor, took the stairs. And what I see is him sleeping at 4:00 PM. A few word exchanges, a few kicks, and a few slaps were all that took me to wake him up. He was quick in getting ready for the day.

Next thing was reaching the destination. Not sure of exactly how to reach, we took a chance, putting our luck to test. Thankfully we managed to reach the destination, safely and well in time. Reaching there, the sight was a treat to our eyes. The whole venue was decorated comparable to a bride on her wedding day.

Photo Credits - The Photowallas

Photo Credits - The PicSnapr's Photography

And the good thing was, this was just the beginning. Completing all the formalities, holding the lanterns in our hands, we were all excited for the moment. But before the main event, we got to see some spectacular b-boying moves along with that awesome beat-boxing, and not to forget that witty anchor.

Photo Credits - The PicSnapr's Photography

Till finally, it was time to brighten up the sky, and light the lanterns. And what I saw next left me complete dumbstruck. It was an awe-inspiring moment. Literally, a heavenly feeling. You just didn't wanted all this to end. All I wished for at that moment, was to pause, lay back and enjoy the sight, forever. Those flickering lanterns, flying up into the skying, with no limits and no where to go, signifying all your sorrows and sadness in your life to let go, towards infinity, with no limits; to make space for happiness to come.

Photo Credits - The PicSnapr's Photography

My shoes were glued to the ground.

I couldn't move, rather I didn't wanted to move,

for I-don't-know how long.

I didn't cared.

I was lost.

And I loved it.

Photo Credits - The Photowallas

But even in all this, it's hard to ignore the fact that all you had since morning was just a veg puff and a samosa. Without much torture to my tummy, we decided to have something at the adjoining food court. Trust me, we were all so hungry that we literally pounced on our food. Then in all this someone caught an eye on the watch. S***, we are late. We then had two options. Hurry up and run to hostel, or stay there and enjoy some more, cause anyway we are late. And I'm glad we chose the latter. With some more bakchodi to be done, we were finally out of the venue.

If getting there was not certain, how could coming back be? And then somebody yells, Bus stop is nearby, let's walk. No harm, we all thought. What was supposed to be nearby, turned out to be 3 Kms. I'm still not able to figure out who said it was nearby. But thanks to Shrey's useless ways of passing time, 3 Kms seemed like 300 Mts.

Time to switch our bus at Silk Board bus junction. Another walk of 100 meters. Now imagine you are discussing something really serious on a walk with your friend, when another friend runs past you yelling on top of his voice, RUN, RUN RUN. All I could do was to run involuntary behind him. It didn't took long for me to realize this was all just to catch a bus. Inside the bus, I started searching for someone. Then I realized, he wasn't there. Where's Abhishek?, I said. Must be somewhere here only, he replied. Doing a head count and upon calling him I realized, it was 4 of us who had managed for catch the bus while the other 3 were left back there. This realization was followed by all sorts of frustrations that come through one's mouth, and the best thing to do in such a situation is to hand over the phone to someone else, and that's exactly what I did. We reached the college first, but waited for them outside since we had common gate passes. Since it was already late at night, the bus frequency was very low. Waiting for another half hour, three of them came. It looked like a scene from a C-grade remake of the male version of Charlie's Angels. After this, getting inside 10 people when you have made a gate pass for only 6, was a piece of cake. It's 11:40 PM, we're screwed, one said. Screw you, the other replied and went to the security guard to burst some crackers along with him. The guards were kind enough to give us a few, just like that.

11:45 PM, it was, and we entered the hostel. Usually, I would have taken stairs directly to first floor, but this time it was different. We were forced to head to the warden's office. Trying all sorts hand actions, and all sorts of dialect variations, we tried to explain him where we had gone (He understood little Hindi and English). And, as expected, we were made to write an apology letter. And this was the part which I enjoyed the most. There is a saying, If you don't know what to write, then tie the goat to tree and explain about the tree. That's exactly what I did. It was less of an apology letter and more of an report of what all we did and about the event. I wrote everything, right from who the sponsors were, to the bus number we took, to what we ate, and even the amount of bill. Whoever reads it (I doubt anyone would even read it), will have a really tough time figuring out which part I am actually apologizing.

One thing I've noticed, when you're in hostel, you're always a bhukkadd. My tummy was again trying to make his presence felt. Upon reaching the hostel canteen, what we find is that it just got closed. But thanks to the sweet canteen uncle, he understood our situation, rather our tummy's situation, and opened it again. Grabbing all that we'll be needing, we got back to our rooms, to do what we love doing, to do what we were doing all these days - Play CS!

Celebrations... Genuine Celebrations!

2012-11-04T23:33:00.000+05:30

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 33; the thirty-third edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be a part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is 'Celebrations'.

Rawalpindi, Pakistan: It was a time of happiness and enjoyment for Afzal was getting married. He was the eldest of all, and so the family witnessed a marriage after a very long time. Everyone was happy, including Afzal for he loved his soon-to-be, Nafiza, like anything. They both knew each other since the days of their school. Their love bloomed when they were quite young and continued till the time they passed out their college. Soon, they talked to their parents about their love. And now, they were both getting married. Both their families had the atmosphere of complete blissfulness. Afzal was in the Pakistani military, and so he was back at home at the perfect moment. His presence at home did had an effect on everyone's face and heart. He was truly the most loved in his family.

Patiala, India: Everyone back there at Amanjeet's family was overjoyed when they heard that he's going to be a father very soon. Almost 6 months, he's not returned home for he served for the Indian Military. He was the youngest of all in his family and continued his family tradition to serve for the military which has been going on since past three generations. He had so wanted to be back home, with his family, his wife. But his professional life demanded something else.

There was a possibility that both the neighboring countries, India and Pakistan might soon come into a war. For this very reason he was asked to stay back at the military camp. But his heart and soul was back at his home.
And so weeks after Afzal gets married, he is called back to the frontier to fight for his country.

Finally, Amanjeet gets a letter from his home which also had a photograph of his new born baby. He family did miss him, and that too on a occasion like this. But he was helpless, for the war was decided. He can't leave the battlefield now. He'll have to stay there, fight, survive and then return back home.

Both Afzal and Amanjeet were into the same war. Sadly, on the opposite side, all prepared to destroy what may come in their way to defend their country.

Two weeks later, Amanjeet returns home, while all that reaches Afzal's home is his corpse...

Amanjeet is really happy to be back home and so is everyone else in his home. Manpreet is what they named his son. Tears came out through their eyes when they saw their loved one come back to home in his uniform. The whole atmosphere in the house is full of joy and energy for Amanjeet has yet again returned back safely and for the fact that the family was now complete, with their latest addition. They couldn't have wished for anything else, anything better than this. It was a moment of utter blissfulness.

While at Afzal's home, sadness was all that was there. They had lost their most loved one. Sacrificing his life for the safety of others. The world has just been torn apart for Nafiza. Her love, her soulmate went away, far away. She could not be consoled. She along with all others in the family were shattered in the sorrow of the loss of their love one. His presence was irreplaceable.

***

What we see here is two completely different consequences of an event, a war between two countries. While on one side, we have Amanjeet's family, who is enjoying every moment of their life, for their son returned, as a survivor and as a father.
On the other side, is Afzal's family, who are shattered for the immense loss they had to face. It's truly a sad moment for them.
To put it in other words,

What's a reason for celebration for one, is the reason for someone else's sorrow.

Can this be called an actually celebration? Considering the fact, that the reason you are celebrating is actually a reason for loss of someone's life, someone who was newly married, who was the most loved in his family, someone who was so patriotic that he was all ready to fight for his country.
In my view, celebrating something like this is completely absurd. Surely, there is a happiness of homecoming, but that shouldn't extend to celebrate others defeat. One should always realize the other side of the coin, of the path of your success, and appreciate their effort for what they did. This was one example, and there could be a thousand more examples, where knowingly or unknowingly, we enjoy the fact that the other is harmed.

In a war like this, thousands and thousand of lives are lost. Families are destroyed, fathers are lost, sons are lost, husbands are lost. Why? Just over some petty issues which could have been solved otherwise. And what do we do after that? Celebrate over our win, not concerned with the amount of lives, the amount of homes that are destroyed in a event like this.
Instead imagine a situation where you live in peacefully with your neighbors, when there is no war, no loss, and still people get to celebrate, for a genuine reason, for the right reason. That's what real celebration is all about, when you celebrate together!

***

"Believe nothing, merely because you have been told it, or because it is traditional or because you yourself have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect your teacher. But whatever after due consideration and analysis you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings, that doctrine, believe and cling to and take it as your guide."

--The Buddha

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Introduced By: Harshal Gupta, Participation Count: 01

My Hat's Off to You!!

2012-10-22T02:12:00.001+05:30

That usual boring mechanical class was going on, when we were interrupted by an announcement.

"Everyone assemble in seminar hall. This is related to 'Maaya'"

Instantly the whole class was filled with puzzled questions, "What is Maaya?", "Who is Maaya?"... "Should we use 'what' or 'who'?"

In a few moments, the whole seminar hall was jam packed, and then the 'lady' introduced us to 'Maaya'.
Maaya turned out to be our college fest, actually more than a mere fest, much much more than that!

It was then I realized, it doesn't matter whether Maaya is a 'who' or a 'what', all it means is two days full of enjoyment, fun and bliss at it's peak. Two days, when our college takes a swap from 'school' to an actual 'college'.

A previous year Maaya video was shown, which already gave me goosebumps. I don't know why, but the whole atmosphere in that hall was different. Totally different from what had been there a month before that, different from those monotonous classes.

The next thing was volunteers. Anything big, such as this, isn't possible without volunteers. I was actually so excited to work for this, that I gave my name for 8 different departments.

Believe me, after everyone came out of that hall, there was a totally different energy among my classmates. It was completely at a different level.

In a few days, we were all called up at hostel to explain what and how campaigning and security is done. Both of these were something new and exciting for me. Going to different colleges, representing your own college to talk about your own fest was something new for me.
And as soon as I listened 'You will surely be given a Maaya t-shirt for security', this clinged to me. A Maaya t-shirt, what a feeling, nothing can be better than that. That was my state of mind at that time. Almost instantly I was up for both these things and gave my name.

But no experience is fruitful until you gain something out of it. It was the time of the EMCEE auditions which I screwed up. Everything can't be your forte, and you need to accept that fact with the broadest of smile. Entertaining crowd is something that doesn't comes to me naturally. But no harm in trying, right? :)

In about the same time, I was chilling out at my hostel room when my phone notified me for a message! It was the 'man' 's message. I didn't knew him before this. He messaged me as CC (Core Committee) member for the publicity department. All he told me was to meet him tomorrow in the college. And then came the shocking surprise, when he suddenly said I'll make you an OC (Organizing Committee) member. This was something which was completely unexpected. But I was all up for a new experience, a chance to learn!

And then, finally it was our day for campaigning. CMRIT was the college we were given. One of my team mates had really good friends there, so selling tickets there wasn't a problem for us... or that's what WE THOUGHT. We were greeted with a surprise, that was - their internal test. We weren't allowed to campaigning there. But after roaming back and forth places we were finally able to complete the formalities. Above that, was going to streets, stopping the most random people and persuading them; probably one of the most difficult job! But you always learn something with an experience; lesson learned here - Respect a salesman, you have no idea what he's going through and he would surely curse you if you don't buy his stuff!

Simultaneously, publicity thing was going on with me. Honestly I had a great time working there, for two reasons. Working with machines, I wouldn't mind even at 2 in the morning. The second reason is surely the 'man'!
When you're working, you actually end up getting into troubles, and then getting out of it in the best possible way! You actually don't have to worry about anything when you have people who can say the most aggressive things in the most politest way! I just can't say how amazing that night was. Only a pack of popcorn was missing! (Only few would get this, don't scratch your head too much! )

And who could forget those bunking periods to sit in the control room! And listening to those all sorts of conversations going there. I actually remember someone was asking everyone whether they have seen '2 girls 1 cup' video. (Don't go search this on Google you might end up watching you don't want to, trust me!) That was the best part!

And then finally the day came, for which a lot of people were putting up efforts for weeks.

Day 1:
I slept late, but for a change, I managed to wake up early. That was how excited I was for this. First thing they did was to send us to the gates for security. Many around me were actually cribbing out this. That they are made to do a work of a security personnel.
No one told you to volunteer for this, you yourself volunteered for this!
Leaving this apart, doing this was actually quite good, a lot better than what it seems. You actually have a lot of authority when you do this. And probably the only time when you can question even your seniors to show their ID's.

Following this was an event I had been waiting for since a long time. Counter Strike. We have been practicing for this since a few weeks, I got back into touch with this game just because of this. Right since the morning till the evening, I was helping everyone there in their struggle with the dabba computers in the lab! Though with a few glitches, we finally ended up pulling a successful and enjoying show up there, and managed to reach the semi's!
Not much was left after this for the day, as I had missed most of the events outside the web of that room!

Even after being refused by the warden (MC) for not letting us go out for dinner, we finally managed to have a nice dinner - Dominos to the rescue!

So mesmerized with all the event happenings throughout the day, we were in no mood to sleep that night, irrelevant it was that we were dead tired! And what happened was this...

Day 2:
*Sleeping, when suddenly ringtone rings...*
'Man' calling...
Yeah..
Meet me near the main gate right away
Fine...
*Disconnected*

First of all, thank you for waking me up that day! Within few mins I had a quick shower, and headed towards the gate. What a lovely weather! As soon as I reached there, I was back at the security job! Two hours and I ran like anything, far away from the gate.
Then was something which was quite interesting, Treasure Hunt. Finally, after doing 5 sit-ups, 5 push ups, eating a chilly and running a half marathon, we finally managed to get at the second position! All I hate about getting a second position, is that you end up with a sweaty t-shirt.

Another session with security, and then I had the best time since a long time, the highlight of the two day event! Crossroads. Aurko - was the band, you got everyone in the crowd on their feet, even those who weren't supposed to. It was like you were completely disconnected from the stage there. I was lost into another world. I didn't cared who was on my right or left. I didn't cared what was that person doing outside there. I didn't cared what happened. All I wanted was to live that moment, the moment of utter bliss. Forget everything, let free and enjoy that moment!

Being lost in that live concert, you don't realize how time passes by. And it takes a while for you to dissolve the fact that all this has now come to an end! All that fun, all that madness. Everything, no more!
For the first time, these two days made me feel this is actually a college, and what I come to know is that all this is going to end very soon!

But in all this, there were actually few people, without whom this wouldn't have been possible. The whole team who worked behind the stage to get this where it is! Truly, amazing amount of effort has been put up by every single on them! Seriously, thank you to all the seniors for such a wonderful time I had all this time. You guys are actually wonderful! Thank you so much!

Though all of them might not know me, but I actually know quite a few of them! And there are somethings which I have observed in the past few days!

Sapna (lady): Every time I see her, she looks so calm and composed as if it's a park she's walking in. But I can imagine the headache she carries with herself, and still managing to keep a smile on her face, that's truly commendable!

Ayush: Every time I see him, he's super busy. Every time someone talks to him, it's like I have exactly 35 seconds, say what you wanna say, I have a train to catch! Haha, but on a serious note, all through the 2 days, he looked to me the most busiest person. Every part of the campus I went, he was there!

Sandy: The cyber guy. I've seen him almost everywhere. Working on the website, working for the stage, hosting an event. And with the same amount of energy everytime. (And yeah, someone from the team wants you dead :P )

RK: He's someone who knows when to work and when to have fun. And when it comes to work, he's dead serious about it!

Saurabh: I've come to know him in the past few days. All I feel like is to smile when I look at him. And yeah, he gave a really tough time to his opponents for the Fifa tournament.

Neha: Someone told me you're a photographer. I saw your photos, and trust me, they look straight out of National Geographic's archives. They're my next postcards! I'm your fan! :D

Prasraban (THE MAN): I don't know what to say about him. From all of them, I know him the most. He's a man whom I admire now, for the way he works. Knows exactly what to be like in what situation. I've seen him in the most decent and sweet looking manner infront of his HOD's, seen him crack jokes with his friends and have seen him dead serious when it comes to work. He would assign you work in such a way that you won't be able to say no. (He made me write his record books! :P ) No matter what time is it, he's always full of energy and with that smile! Would give you a piece of advice every now and then, which are quite helpful (Like APU is a nice hideout place to make your teammates believe that you're working while you're actually attending your class :P )

and many more, who have put in an equal amount of effort. To all of you,

Thank you so much for all the efforts you've put in to give us all an amazing time! You guys are truly amazing! :D

As soon as this was over, I was going through mixed emotions. Happy after such an exuberant performance, sad because all this was ending. But hey, there is still something which suppresses that feeling of sadness - the thought of Maaya '13.

It only gets better...