Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 33

Day Turns Dark by Sunil Sihag

Blurb (as on Amazon)

Day Turns Dark starts off as a sweet romance between two young souls who dream of a future together on the pillars of whimsical ambitions.

Day Turns Dark is a story about young love, stolen dreams, of moralities and sacrifices. Anyone who comes across, Nitin with his curly hair and winning smile, is bowled over by his simplistic charm and lofty ideals. It’s no wonder that he is surrounded by fiercely faithful friends and manages to win the heart of the prettiest girl in school, Harleen.

Innocent love blooms through dusty summers, fragrant rains and frigid, frosty winters till a tragic loss spirals Nitin into depths of self-loathing that destroys everything he holds dear in his path. When he finally recovers from his mental trauma, he realises much to his horror that he has not only lost the girl he loved but also wronged his loyal friend and put an innocent soul through the torturous scrutiny of societal morality.

Adamant of doing right by Mansi, the girl he unknowingly wounded, Nitin tries his best to turn both their lives around. When Harleen re-enters his life, he is torn between his past and his need to right a wrong.

Day Turns Dark leaves you with a vital question; hearts are meant to be broken but can they forge new relationships?

Genre: Fiction/ Contemporary Romance

Pages: 227 pages

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Price:

Kindle eBook: 60 INR/Paperback (available only in India): 199 INR

My ratings: 3.7/5

Nitin, Ronak, and Ashish are classmates and best friends in school. Nitin is the all-rounder, being a topper in class and good at sports as well. This changes when he finds himself a competitor, in the academics departments in the form of a new student, Harleen. Though Nitin tries to avoid her despite her multiple attempts at befriending him he slowly starts developing feelings beyond friendship for her. Will these feelings of love or infatuation survive through their teenage and into adulthood though?

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> The character growth and coming-of-age of each of the characters, especially in Nitin.
-> Nitin’s ingenious ideas about elections campaigns, from distribution of vegetables to organ donation.
-> Nitin’s relationship with his grandparents, especially his grandmother, is quite endearing.
-> The analogies about the emotional turmoil of the characters are funny and apt. These not only help us understand the characters better but also make the story more authentic.
( For instance:
a. The soft look that had been there moments ago was gone as rapidly as a politician who disappears after winning an election.
b. Nitin spoke like a hopeless pilot whose snag-ridden aircraft is going to crash.
c. Nitin chased after grandma into the kitchen like ants chase each other.
->The story has an interesting mix of characters who are simultaneously likable as well as evoke emotions of dislike. They are grounded in reality but each of them is flawed. They aren’t perfect and that’s commendable. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses and the author never makes an attempt to raise them above their own limitations.
-> The accident scene of Nitin and Radhey Bhai is truly gut-wrenching.
-> The descriptions of scenes and emotions are well narrated and help paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind. I would love to see this story come alive on the big screen or a small one as a movie or web series.
-> Nitin’s feelings of guilt and regret evoke empathy and easily make us reflect upon our own actions.
-> The way the events of past and present are interspersed and come together to fit so well.
-> The ending is tragic and a tear-jerker for sure.

What I did not like about the book:
-> There is an underlying message coming across that women/girls need to be (happily) married or their lives are destroyed. I don’t understand why Mansi needs a husband or a lover when she seems to be doing pretty well as a doctor.
-> The story is written in the first-person narrative through Ronak’s PoV. However, he seems to know exact feelings and occurrences even in the scenes when he is not around. This felt problematic especially in the romantic scenes between Nitin and Harleen.
-> A backstory about who Radhey bhai is and how he became such an important part of the boy’s lives (especially Nitin’s) would have made the overall story more impactful.
-> Nitin’s feelings towards Mansi and Harleen come off as flaky. Whom does he really love and how can he suddenly develop feelings for Mansi without knowing much about her?
-> Ronak’s feelings of attraction towards Harleeen, despite knowing that she is his best friend’s girlfriend.
-> The writing needs a round or two of editing and fine-tuning.

Quotable quotes:
-> Faults are on neither side but the situation is.
-> One day everyone has to die.
-> A lot of things happen for the first time in a person’s life.
-> You cannot change what you did, but we can find a solution.
-> There’s more politics in sports than in politics itself.
-> Sometimes a lie is better than the truth.
-> Even with limited resources, an idea can strike a chord.
-> Just as in everything is fair in love and war, so it is in elections. Eventually, the result is the only thing that matters.
–> The truth must prevail, whatever the consequences, even the deadly ones.
->Sometimes people spread rumors and exaggerate things just to malign the image of the girl. Bold girls are often labeled because they don’t conform to the rules of society.
-> Just scoring good marks does not make one wise.
–> Overthinking is like sugar. It doesn’t add flavor beyond a limit but spoils the taste.
->Learn to live in the present rather than live in the past. Your love for those you care about isn’t measured by any gift that you can gift them. it’s a bond that can never be broken.
-> Life is a waste without love.
–> Life is not rosy like love. It is all a waste without ambition, career, and success.
-> The right kind of marketing makes everything celestial. Even shit becomes holy shit through word of mouth and publicity.
-> Promises become opposite to actions nowadays.
-> Our single decision can have many consequences on someone’s life.
-> A man’s good deeds must be appreciated even if he is a bastard.
-> If your life is gloomy it doesn’t mean you should make someone else suffer.
-> It’s better not to forget your surroundings that always strengthen you.
-> You cannot make everyone happy.
-> All bad things must come to end before they become worse.
-> Speak the truth whenever you are confronted by confusion.

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

Author’s social media handles:

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In Conversation With Sweta Rani

“Writing is a kind of revenge against circumstance too: bad luck, loss, pain. If you make something out of it, then you’ve no longer been bested by these events.” ― Louise Glück

Fierce women in fiction have always fascinated me. Especially those struggling against patriarchy. One such book I recently read was In The City of Clouds by Sweta Rani. The female protagonist in this book left me inspired, despite her many flaws.

Here’s my short review of the book.

Check out my detailed review of this book here

After reading it, I reached out to the author asking her if she would be my guest on the #AuthorCollaborative. Before we got on to conversing about our books and writing, she read Love (Try) Angle and here’s what she had to say about it.

Check out Sweta’s detailed review of Love (Try) Angle here

Today evening, we got on Instagram live together, and discussed everything that we possibly could, about our books.

IG handle: @arusticmind_

My set of questions to Sweta were the following:

Find out the answers here

Among other things, Sweta wanted to know about my books and writing too. So her questions focused mainly on these things.

Find out the answers here

After an informative and exhaustive discussion on women in fiction, writing about patriarchy, and other exhilarating topics, we went on to the rapid fire round.

Find out the answers here

The fun went on as Sweta fired her questions on me as well.

Find out the answers here

It was an informative and fun session that helped me learn a few things about fiction writing.

You can have a look/see at our full conversation in the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Manali Desai (A Rustic Mind) (@arusticmind_)

IG Handle: @arusticmind_

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Books discussed in the session:Amazon India link to In the City of Clouds Amazon.com link to In the City of Clouds Love (Try) Angle

Happy Doctor’s Day

Photo by Kristine Wook on Unsplash

When there are tears,

you are the shoulder

to cry or lean on.

When there is pain,

your medical advice and prescriptions

are what we rely on.

When there is a tragedy,

you give us hope and

become the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

****

Only one quote comes to mind when thinking about these superhumans.

“Real-life heroes don’t wear capes, they wear lab coats and stethoscopes.“

Thank you, dear doctors, for all that you do, every day. Today, if you’re healthy and happy, don’t forget to thank the doctors in your life and around you.

Wishing you all a very Happy Doctor’s Day.

We’re not the same

Photo by Alexandra K on Unsplash

Your loneliness

is my solitude.

Your mistakes

are my lessons.

Your struggles

are my challenges.

Your hard work

is my resilience.

Your hustle

is my passion.

Do you see the difference between

You & Me?

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Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988@gmail.com

Time For a Change

Sure,

it took time to grow my hair that long.

Sure,

I’m gonna miss it.

Sure,

it wasn’t easy to let go of the lustrous and voluminous beauty they lent to my overall look and personality.

But,

I took the plunge.

Because

it was time for a change.

Because

the more I look at myself, the better I’m feeling about my new look.

Because,

I’ve grown enough to know that it doesn’t matter how beautiful I look externally as long as I’m not beautiful from the inside.

I got a haircut after 25 months. Before chopping off a significant length, it took me a lot of time to build up the courage to let go of something I’m extremely proud of. I knew my hair was getting difficult to manage because of its length and volume. So, two weeks back, right before my 33rd birthday, I decided it was time. You can see the result in the photos above.

I shared my experience of undergoing this change through some self-love. Because, I feel that I deserve it. And, so do you. So, why not write a poem about any recent change you have experienced in your life and how it helped you?

If ever in doubt or having a bad day, you can look back at it to draw some inspiration and feel good about yourself.

Do give it a try and don’t forget to share your piece with me.

*****

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988@gmail.com

Noises and Melodies

Photo by Brazil Topno on Unsplash

The rooster crowning,

Indicating the beginning of a day.

The frog croaking,

Indicating the monsoon has arrived.

The pressure cooker’s whistle going off,

Indicating that food is ready to be served.

The conch shell being blown by the priest,

Indicating the day’s end and the beginning of the golden hour.

The chirping of the birds on the treetops,

Indicating a clear and pleasant day.

The whistle of a train,

Indicating the arrival or departure of loved ones.

Noises for some,

Melodies for some,

Indicators for everyone.

What are they for you?

Which one is your favorite?

Can you think of any more such melodious indicators?

Thank you for reading. 

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988@gmail.com

The Chronicler of the Hooghly by Shakti Ghosal

Book blurb:

Emotionally gripping, historical and psychological page-turner! A superlative debut classic.

Four crucible stories woven together. A heart wrenching tale of a migrant family, a mother and a ‘different’ child in Delhi in the backdrop of a nation on the brink, of dislocation and transition. The eeriness of similarity in the way the two pandemics a century apart (1919 and 2020), show up for the protagonists, linked as they are across four generations through a dilapidated palace and its massive Shiva Linga. The almost surreal Karmic turn when romance, deception and selfishness lead to life changing consequences. A thrilling saga of a mystical pearl necklace which spins history and myth addictively across different dimensions. Across time as it takes the reader on a two and a half centuries journey. Across human failings and virtues of political intrigue, greed, betrayal, love and magnanimity.

Genre: Fiction/Short stories

Pages: 190

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Price:

Kindle eBook: 65 INR/$1.30Paperback: 245 INR/$7.92

My Ratings: 4.6/5

Consisting of 4 short stories (Ashtami, Pandemic, Fault Lines, and The Chronicler of Hooghly) that span across cross generations, this book is a thought-provoking, enlightening as well as knowledgeable read.

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> All the stories compare a time in India (especially Kolkata) from pre-independence vs now, making us ponder whether things have really changed and also highlighting the fact that ‘the past repeats itself’ and some actions/decisions have their impacts resonated through ages.
-> The writing style doesn’t always paint a pretty or desolate picture, but in fact, manages to preserve the beauty of simple simplicity by interlinking the heritage of Kolkata with commonality. Though the colours are a bit subdued and faded, but they carry lineage and ancestry.
-> The detailing in the naming and descriptions of places especially in The Fault Lines that made me aware of Oman and its many popular historical spots and restaurants.
-> The most striking feature of the book is how the author has let his creativity rewrite history. It comes out especially well in “The Chronicler of the Hooghly” where the paths have been intertwined with well-known historical figures of Bengal.
-> The writing is simple and yet holds the capacity to make a reader fall in love with old Calcutta making them curious about the city’s past.
-> The stories are thought-provoking and represent various human nature/emotions like greed, sadness, anger but the most applaud-worthy part about the actions in each story is how they bring home the message of karmic ends.
-> The distinct messages and takeaways from each story:
a) In Ashtami, our aversion as humans to differently-abled individuals.
b) In Pandemic, the comparison between 1920 pandemic and 2020 pandemic. Also, how the lockdown brought us closer to our families.
c) In Fault Lines, the karmic endings of our actions over time.
d) In The Chronicler of Hooghly, how certain actions have their impacts felt over generations.

What I did not like about the book:
-> Certain bits in some stories did not make much sense, as to why they were part of the story.
-> In The Chronicler of Hooghly, the to and from between the past and present was a little complex to follow at times.

Quotable quotes:
–> Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India, proclaimed, “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” What followed was something quite the contrary. Rather than awakening to life, people were witness to bloodshed, killings, rape and pillage. Rather than waking up to freedom to live where they chose to, people were being forced to leave behind everything they possessed and cross a newly created artificial border, homeless and penniless.
-> A moan that carried with it the realisation that friendship and harmony had lost out to communal mindset and greed.
-> Time passed and brought a change, as it inevitably does.
-> Burden is such an interesting word. A word loaded with different meanings allowing the user to at once demean the other person and highlight one’s own inability towards taking responsibility.
-> Just like we do not change even when we replace our old garments with new, so does the soul remain unchanged as it discards its worn-out body and takes birth in a new one.
-> Each one of us has come into this world with our own destiny.
–> Tragedies happen to good people to make them stronger.
-> A lack of confidence in one’s spouse means fundamentally weak relationship between the partners.
-> The pandemic had raised the question of which came first, life or livelihood.
-> We must all learn for look for mental compatibility and not be carried away by first impressions.
-> The mind, that eternal preserver, is ever ready to throw up justifications for one’s thoughts and actions in the moment.
-> The irony of the pandemic was that while it created the opportunity for couples to come together in a physical sense, it also brought forth situations that were driving them apart.
-> “Birthdays are such selfish pursuits, aren’t they?” continued Savio in a voice that seemed to be floating all around. “It’s like a fake person inside us, who basks in glory for a day, swelling in self-importance as his near and dear ones wish him happy birthday. “We try to hide our inherent selfishness under a veneer of put-up humility. We play down our looks, our possessions, our education and so on when it suits us. The only time we get to unabashedly flaunt ourselves is on our birthday. We wear our best dress; we indulge ourselves and happily accept presents.”
–> Friendship does not always go by background.
-> True love and understanding mean openness in a relationship, not possessiveness.
-> A lesser person is always aware of his own smallness.
-> For dust we are and to dust we shall return.
-> It takes greater strength to give up what you love than to hold on to it.
-> In life, major incidents that happen in an instant take time to register.
-> He looked at the sun in the western sky, the morphing shades of the flowing waters and could not help but marvel at how nature was yet managing to shine its beauty on an environment gone increasingly awry.
-> The threads of history are complex and interwoven. It is like a rich tapestry designed for a purpose. A purpose that remains unknown.
-> “We are an interesting and strange society, are we not? We are willing to take help and money from a Shudra and when we do, we justify saying she is rich and respected. But we cannot allow the same person to offer food to the Goddess. Even the poor would rather starve than partake of such Prasad.”
-> In spite of our huge medical advancements, we just do not know the answers to why and when a stroke happens. Guess it is dictated by something beyond Science.

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.comFlipkart

Author’s social media links:

WebsiteInstagramTwitterFacebookYouTubeLinkedIn

My Name (Acrostic Poetry)

Making money by following my passion for reading and writing.

Always curious to know more, learn and grow.

Never shying away from helping someone who asks for it.

An admirer of nature and all that it has to offer.

Language and literature lover.

In this world to try and make it better in my own way.

Doer later, planner first.

Energized by people, their stories, and achievements

Silent when in turmoil and even when relaxing.

An advocate of self-love

In a constant quest to explore people and places.

*****

An Acrostic Poem is using every first letter of a sentence or word that represents the next letter of the sentence or word. With this poem I have chosen my own name, to see how far I come to describe myself through an Acrostic Poem. Who am I actually? Do I really know myself? Is this correct how others see me?

You can try doing this fun poetry too. Please remember to use your own first name and last name.

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988@gmail.com

In Conversation With Namita Ahluwalia

“I’ve come to believe that if you’re not scared at least a little by what you’re writing, it’s probably not important enough to write.”
–Malinda Lo

Young adult has always been a favorite genre of mine when it comes to reading. Right from the Harry Potter series to popular romance books like The Fault in Our Stars or The Perks of Being A Wallflower, most of my recommended reads broadly fall into this category. When I pick books by Indian authors or new writers too, I generally try to pick up books that tell stories about teenagers or those in their early 20s. One such book I recently read was A Girl on The Run by Namita Ahluwalia.

Telling the story of a girl who runs away from her wedding, the book turned out to be a surprisingly refreshing read. Here’s my short review of the book:

Check out my detailed review of this book here

After reading it, I asked the author if she’d be interested in joining me on the #AuthorCollaborative. Fortunately, she agreed and didn’t go AWOL on me. So, as is the norm, she read my book Love (Try) Angle. Here’s her short review on it.

Check out Namita’s detailed review of Love (Try) Angle here

Today, after almost two months of back and forth, we finally managed to chat with each other in a lively session on Instagram live.

IG handle: @arusticmind_

I have never written a lead character who is as confused as the one in Namita’s book. So I asked her about how one can go about it. Have a look at the questions I bombarded her with.

Check out the answers here

She too was curious to know about my writing process. Other than my motivating factors, here’s what she asked me.

Check out the answers here

After that informative and learning session, it was almost time to wrap up the session. But we wanted to end it on a lighter note, hence came the fun rapid-fire round. I asked Namita some very quirky questions.

Check out the answers here

Namita’s questions were a little more on the decent side. Have a look for yourself.

Check out the answers here

It was indeed a great start to the weekend. You can have a look/see at our full conversation in the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Manali Desai (A Rustic Mind) (@arusticmind_)

Video of Author Collaborative with Namita Ahluwalia on arusticmind_

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Books discussed in the session:Amazon India link to A Girl on The RunAmazon.com link to A Girl on The Run Love (Try) Angle

My Favorite Body Part

Jamaican Medium Jobs

I’ve been told I have a beautiful smile.

Many people say they’d kill for my lower lip pout.

My hair receives ample compliments for its volume.

Even beauticians have said they love my naturally long eyelashes.

I know I have an expressive face because it has landed me in trouble countless times for not being able to hide how I truly feel in a situation.

The opposite sex and sometimes even women give appreciative looks to my posterior.

The mole on my neck lends an enviable beauty mark to my upper body.

While I’m proud of all these features that make me unique,

What I like most about my body are my eyes,

Because they speak a language of their own,

Because my husband once confessed that he fell for the innocence and honesty reflected in them,

Because they help me see the world, its people, and all of the beauty around.

Because one can never tire of the songs and poetry around this body part.

What’s your favorite part of your body?

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Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988@gmail.com