Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 43

Engineer Your Passion: Leadership in Digital Space by Parul Agrawal

Book Blurb:

As entrepreneurs, we’re always looking for that spark to help us sharpen our leadership skills. Parul Agrawal’s Engineer Your Passion is the roadmap to get us there. With insight on the power of the inner voice, using our right and left brain to problem-solve, and an equation to engineer the passion our genius already owns, this book is key to leadership in the digital space.

Genre: Nonfiction/Self-help

Pages: 51

Format: Kindle eBook

Price: 49 INR/$0.99

My Ratings: 4.3/5

In today’s digital age, there is a scope for everyone to become a leader and a successful entrepreneur. This book is a guide for all those aiming to listen to their inner voice and convert their passion into a profession.

A practical to-do list for achieving your goals.

What I liked about the book:
–> The author shares tips and advice from her own experiences of success and failure.
–> It teaches us the power of collaboration in the digital space.
–> After each chapter there’s a self-reflective questionnaire, which helps to reflect on our personal and professional life and habits.
–> Despite being a short and quick read, it provides invaluable lessons.

Quotable quotes:

-> It’s both right brain and left brain intelligence that sparks the idea and brings it forth.
-> We all have different definitions of happiness.
-> Happiness is subjective and so is success. Failure is momentary and DOES NOT define us. In fact, failure is necessary and an essential part of growth. Failure is a normal part of the process of learning.
-> Recognizing and understanding the reason behind our failure is the first step towards improvement.
-> No matter who you are or where you are or where you slept or how you slept or even when you slept – the first voice you heard when you woke up was not your spouse or your cat or your child – it was the voice in your head!
-> Don’t let the voice of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice.
-> Believing in YOURSELF even if no one else does requires a special kind of power.
-> By being persistent, understanding your passion, learning something new and by being of service, you can engineer your way to success. And when you do that, when you engineer your passion and incorporate self-leadership, you can find a way to change lots of people’s lives.
-> When you follow the problem, the solution appears which quite often, is passion.
-> When we stop learning, when we stop developing our passion, we essentially stop living.
-> Your knowledge only grows when you share it with others.

Buying details:

Amazon.comAmazon India

Author’s social media links:

WebsiteTwitterLinkedIn

Her Perfect Cup Of Tea by Lavina Serrao

Book blurb:

A refreshing, light read to give you company as you sit with your hot cuppa!

She loves her morning cup of tea, brewed to perfection and this cup of tea dictates the tone of her day. Her cup of tea comforts her.

But when a strange man begins to follow her, she wants to understand why. And in her attempt to understand what he wants of her, she misses her cup of tea. And the comforts it brings to her.

Will he take it away from her?

Genre: Fiction/Short story

Pages: 21

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Price:

Kindle eBook: 52 INR/$1.10Paperback (available only in the US): $5.40

My Ratings: 4/5

Are you a tea lover or coffee lover? Most of us like to enjoy our favorite beverage in the morning before we begin our day. If you’re one of those who cherish that one perfect cuppa, this is a must-read.

A tea lover’s delight.

What I liked about the book:
–> It tells a simple and relatable story.
–> The moments spent by the protagonist with the morning sun, that motivate her for the rest of the day.

Quotable quotes:
–>She wasn’t the one to elaborate dinner, but she enjoyed cooking fresh meals.
–>She took her time to enjoy this cup of tea. Always. Everyday. Especially, every working day. This was her time, her bliss, her most precious time of the day before walking into a chaotic day at work.
–>People intrigued her the most. Without looking at them, she had mastered the art of watching them. Their clothes, their faces, and their expressions. Their race to wherever they were going to or returning from.

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

Author’s social media handles:

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My End of the Story

Jash waved a quick goodbye to Mira (his wife) and Chaitali (his daughter) after dropping them off at their office and school, respectively. Now it was time for him to focus on his own destination. He had plenty of time to reach on time. However, he kept his fingers crossed and hoped there wouldn’t be a jam up ahead. He didn’t want to give the same excuse everyone else did, “but there was so much traffic” or “the trains are running late”. Every time someone blurted these he just rolled his eyes now and thought to himself, “well, zero marks to you for being creative!”

He wasn’t one of those though, he left early to cut the traffic and make it to work on time. He had a reputation amongst seniors and subordinates alike for always being punctual, irrespective of the weather or the traffic or anything else for that matter. Jash showed up on time if he was working. If he didn’t, you could easily assume he was on leave. This record was about to break through and Jash hadn’t even the slightest inkling of how.

Menka left for her weekly bout of grocery shopping once she had fed and served breakfast to all the family members, packed their lunches and after seeing them off to work and school. This had been her routine since many years now, in fact, it had been so from the time she became a wife and a daughter-in-law and then eventually a mother. She prided herself in being what Indians often referred to as the ‘Adarsh Bahu’.

Akash’s (her husband) family had quickly warmed to her and she had had no issues in accepting them as her new family. Their smiles made her happy and even more so, she loved being the reason behind those smiles. Her mother-in-law had left for her daily temple visit too. So she secured the lock and double checked everything before leaving. As always, she had a list ready for what she needed to buy and for whom. If all went as per plan, she knew she would be back within an hour; before it was time for her mother-in-law’s return and well before lunchtime. Little did she know that lunch that day would never happen.

Rashmi picked up the trash bags from the bins left outside the society’s houses and moved on to the next lane, which would be her last for the day. She would then move on to dump all the collected bags to the dump yard down the road. She didn’t like collecting people’s rubbish, disgusted it even, and sometimes had fallen sick because of it too, but what choice did a poor woman with bills to pay and mouths to feed have.

Sighing she completed her rounds of bag collecting and started making her way towards the dump yard. ‘Beggars are not the choosers’ her 10 years old Sanya had learnt in school recently and she had laughed at that bitterly. She knew not that her choice that day would change a lot of people’s lives, including hers. Instead of taking her usual route through which she could avoid the traffic signals and the vehicles rushing forth to reach wherever they were heading, she took that very route as it was shorter and she wanted to get the work done quickly. She did have other streets to cover too after all.

Jash stopped at the last signal before his office and was just thinking about what to gift Mira for her upcoming birthday when it happened. The signal was still red; a bird flew over the indicator blocking Jash’s vision and the car in front of him started moving, so he assumed the signal had turned green. However, that turned out to be a grave mistake.

Before Jash could hit the brakes or react in any way, out of nowhere something or someone hit the car hard and whatever it was, bounced into the air before landing on the opposite end of the street. For a minute, Jash froze; he didn’t know what to do or how to react. People were crowding around the other end. Who or what was it, Jash didn’t know yet. He swerved the car, parked on the side of the street and quickly rushed out to check the scenario himself. The people gathered around knew it was his car that did what had happened.

Some started pointing fingers, others cursed loudly, few gave him angry looks and there were those who looked like they were about to start punching and hitting him too; but he managed to get through them without much harm and reached the puddle where a small figure lay curled on the ground. A woman was sitting next to the figure, trying to help her up.

He recognized her, it was Menka, his neighbor. He looked closely at the woman Menka was trying to help too and realized it was their garbage collector, Rekha or Rakhi, he couldn’t recall the name. The anger of the people around seemed to cross limits when they realized that the woman wasn’t able to get up. Some of the men turned to Jash with cold and angry looks and swore loudly, one of them even held his collar and asked, “What do you think you were doing driving like that? This is all your fault.” It looked like the others would start hitting and punching him soon too.

It was at this point that Menka looked up and said, “Please! Can you help me get her to the hospital instead of getting into a useless fight? I know this man and woman both. I’m sure it was a mistake. Jash, if you could help me here we can get Rashmi to a doctor as soon as possible.”

Menka had been buying fruits from the vendor outside the park near the signal. She was asking the vendor prices when she heard a car honking loudly. She turned and saw that the signal was red. What was the point of honking when there is no way to move ahead she thought to herself? Just minutes before Rashmi, the ragpicker had passed by her side carrying her daily garbage stock. On seeing her, Menka had smiled and asked too, ‘Rashmi, done with your collection for today?” and she had replied, “Yes, Menka madam, I collected the bag from outside your house too. Just carrying it to the dump yard across the street now”, to which Menka has replied, “Okay. By the way, Rashmi, please ring the bell tomorrow, I have some of the children’s old books and clothes which might be useful to your kids.” Rashmi smiled broadly and replied, “You are a true help, madam. My kids are still not over with the happiness of the clothes they got last time. I will see you tomorrow then, madam.” Menka said, “No problem, Rashmi. You should get your daughter to the house someday. I can teach her too, I anyway tutor my children too. They can study and play together.” Rashmi smiled even more broadly this time and said, “It is hard to believe people like you exist in today’s world. Surely I will get her. Thank you, madam.” Menka waved her goodbye after saying “See you tomorrow then Rashmi.”

Now, as she looked on, she saw Rashmi dragging the garbage bag and trying to make it across the street quickly before the signal turned green. A bird flying over the signal blocked her vision for a second and before she knew it, the honking car broke the signal and sped away. The car behind moved ahead too and Rashmi who had her eyes on the signal light was still crossing the street. Menka realizing what was about to happen called out to Rashmi but it was too late. The car hit her hard and Rashmi like a rag doll bounced into the air and landed a few feet away from where Menka stood. Menka rushed to her as around Rashmi, a pool of blood quickly spread. She leaned down first to ensure if Rashmi was still breathing and to her relief, found that she wasn’t injured that gravely and her breath wasn’t shallow either. Menka asked for some water from the fruit vendor and sprinkled it on Rashmi to try and bring her back to consciousness. It worked, but clearly, she was in pain. Menka was trying to help her up when the commotion around her led her to lift up her eyes. It was then that she saw Jash. She quickly realized whose car it was that had hit Rashmi and judging by the actions and expressions of the people around, she knew Jash was in danger. So she quickly turned to him for help and took care of the situation.

Rashmi was still counting her blessings on getting help and guidance to such an extent from Menka when she waited for the signal to turn red. Menka madam had been helping her financially as well as otherwise in many ways ever since she had started working in that particular colony as a rag picker. She considered herself lucky that she had got a job there and had met someone like Menka. Now, it seemed that her daughter’s life would change too. She smiled to herself as she saw the signal turn red.

She knew she only had a few minutes to make it across the street before the light turned green again, so she took big and quick strides. A car in the front middle lane seemed to be in a hurry as it had been constantly honking since the signal turned red. Annoyingly she turned to it and cursed the driver under her breath. It was still a few feet away from her when the driver suddenly decided to break the signal and race it away. Thinking that the signal might have turned on, Rashmi turned to check whether she should wait or cross. A bird flying overhead was blocking her vision as she continued to walk straight but looked sideways at the signal. In a few seconds her world literally turned upside down as something hit her feet hard and before she knew what was happening, she was up in the air, screaming loudly. The last thing she remembered was unbearable pain as everything turned black.

Photo by Michael Jin on Unsplash

People were shouting, she seemed to be bathing in some warm fluid, someone was trying to lift her. Was it Menka? Is she actually an angel as she had always thought and was welcoming her to heaven? Let the pain stop and take me in your abode madam, she wanted to say but the pain made the effort impossible. Was she dreaming or did someone lift her up? Strong hands seemed to be supporting her from both sides as she was made to lie down on something soft. Was she being moved? She heard two people talking and both the voices seemed familiar somehow. The movement stopped after a while and she felt herself being lifted again. The blackness enveloped again after she felt something being pricked into her arms and legs.

Two days had passed since the incident. Jash and Menka had not left the hospital and waited with baited breath for some positive news. The doctors had been kind though reluctant on taking Rashmi in. After Jash and Menka had both narrated their ends of the story, they seemed convinced that Jash was innocent and Rashmi had been a victim of an accident in the truest sense. The physical injuries weren’t as bad but they weren’t as yet sure of the brain damage as the patient hadn’t come out of consciousness after the first dose of injections. However, things would have definitely worsened if the patient had been brought in even a few minutes later. No family members had been seen around but the two people who had brought her in had never been out of sight.

Jash was still not able to digest what had happened. How could he have missed seeing Rashmi? Why couldn’t he just wait for a few seconds to make sure the signal was on? He had taken care of the bills, ensured Rashmi got the best treatment and medication and even stayed by her side to make sure he was there in case she woke up and needed anything. None of his actions though help gets rid of the guilt. Of course, it was his fault! Nobody was to be blamed but him for what the situation he and the woman lying in bed were in. Then, of course, there was Menka too. Thank God she was there!

The mob would have surely crushed him if it weren’t for Menka who took things into her hand. The doctors and nurses too said that they were able to control the injuries, bleeding and any permanent damages in time. If they had only been a few minutes late, Rashmi would have been in grave danger. She hadn’t gained consciousness completely but the nurses had seen her trying to open her eyes and even make somebody movements which the doctors said was a positive sign.

Menka couldn’t believe how Jash could have been behind the wheel of the car that hit Rashmi. If there was one law-abiding and a disciplined person other than her father she had ever met, it was Jash; which is why she had been quick to defend him when the mob had started to lose their temper. She wondered whether if it had been someone else, she would have been able to get Rashmi to the hospital in time. She shuddered to think what would have happened otherwise. Maybe what they said about fate and luck was indeed true. How else were three people who knew each other on the same street at the same time? And she had been right about Jash too, it had indeed been not his fault. Yes, it was the bird that had blocked her view too and she did tell this to the doctors as well. It was only then that they had believed the story, operated on the injured Rashmi.

When Rashmi finally came, she saw her beloved Menka madam next to her bed. She smiled on seeing her. As she moved, the bed creaked a little and Menka turned to see her. The relief she felt was evident in her smile and eyes. Before saying anything to Rashmi, she rushed to the door and shouted to someone, “She’s up. Come in!”

Photo by Enric Moreu on Unsplash

Rashmi saw a man walking towards the door, pull it open and walk in with the same relief and happiness across his smile and eyes too. Oh! But that’s Jash Sahab!! Mira madam’s husband. Theirs was another family who had always been kind to her. How lucky was she that she had been saved by the same people who looked out for her even at work!

When the doctors came in, other than asking her how she felt, they also inquired about what had happened. She told her end of the story and confirmed that the bird had blocked her view as well. It wasn’t until the doctors told her that she came to know who and whose car had hit her. To her surprise though, she wasn’t angry, in fact, she thanked God that it was Jash’s car and not somebody else’s!

Perhaps if it had been someone else, he would have fled instead of trying to help. The doctors even told her how Jash and Menka had rushed her to the hospital in time, taken care of her bills and how it was because of Jash that she was getting the best treatment and healing so quickly. To which she had replied, “I thought I was being carried into heaven by angels.” Her angels had protected her indeed, but not in heaven, here on earth itself.

Rashmi from that day onward wasn’t just a rag picker! She and her family were taken care of, financially as well as otherwise, by Jash, who hired her as a full-time maid. He thought it was the least he could do for the mistake he had made. Of course, Menka too continued to help in any way she could.

Some incidents and stories, though witnessed and narrated by different people, their ends of it, are the same, though with different consequences.

Note: This story was originally published on The Naked Truth.

The Lemonade by Kankane Rakhi Surendra

Book blurb:

We all have our own share of lemons that life gives. But we cannot let the sourness of these lemons spoil our days ahead. We must take the situation in our control, derive the positive from it. Since ages, various philosophers and great thinkers have been saying this through their version of statements. And that is the secret of leading a good life, as all say!

‘The Lemonade’ is a collection of short stories that are a reminder to embrace life in whatever form it is and look on the bright side of it. These stories aim to inspire everyone who reads it to find something positive in whatever situations life throws at you and make the best lemonade possible.

Genre: Fiction/ Short stories

Pages: 138

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Price:

Kindle eBook: 99 INR/ $2.99Paperback (available only in India) : 199 INR

My Ratings: 4.8/5

A collection of 18 short stories which leave behind an aftertaste, just like that perfect glass of lemonade on a sunny afternoon. Read this one to savor the bittersweet experiences of life that teach us sometimes good and sometimes bad things about fellow humans.

A perfectly mixed lemonade, with sweet, sour, and salty tales.

What I liked about the book:
–> As someone who has done a lot of train travel, I especially loved the short stories depicting the journeys of the protagonists in the Indian railways.
–> Most of the stories are so raw that they make you believe it must be real rather than fiction.
–> Each story begins with a short poem, and I loved them all.
–> My favorite titles that will remain with me for a long time are The Torn Shirt, The Unwanted Human and, The Gift.

What I did not like about the book:
–> The few typos and mixup in words (for instance ‘brought’ is mixed up with ‘bought’, ‘hairs’ instead of ‘hair’ etc)

Quotable quotes :
-> Just as the size of the moon is not same every day, each day of your life will never be the same. And when it comes to life, it is very unpredictable.
-> Always remember, after every ‘new moon’ night, there is a ‘full moon’ night. But it takes around 14 more days for the moon to appear full.”
-> Life is full of sweet, salty, and sour experiences. But when you see it collectively, it is perfect, just the way you mentioned about the taste of this lemonade. Remember, on the days when you face adversity or misfortune, turning them into something positive or finding something best in it is the right or rather the best way to deal with it.
-> We all have our own share of lemons that life gives us. But we cannot let the sourness of these lemons spoil our days ahead. We must take the situation in our control and derive the positive from it.
-> Embrace life in whatever form it is now – right at this moment – and look on the bright side of it.
-> Who told you that marriage is a happy ending? Many lives get spoiled after marriages. People knowingly or unknowingly get married to someone, sometimes to the people they choose, who at a later stage proves to be a wrong choice.
-> I believe in the institution of marriage completely, but I also believe that there is no right or wrong time for it.
-> Love never knocks on the door and does not enter your life with permission!
-> There is nothing that mothers don’t understand.
-> Most of the time, when the MET department forecast heavy rainfall, the rain gets scared and is scarcely ever seen.
->She loved rains but the condition applied was ‘no travelling’. If going to office was compulsory, she hated them completely since they caused travelling issues.
-> Riding in an auto was not an escape from rains but it just gave a sense of satisfaction because walking 20 km to the office was not possible. Who does it? No one is so dedicated after all!
-> Sometimes, the effects of abuse are not obvious, but they are very serious.
-> Relationships do need ‘the together-time’ to maintain their spark.
-> It is not easy to cheat honest people. God helps. It takes time but dharma (righteousness) wins.
-> Love between sisters never fades.
-> Just like Navratri is the pride of Gujarat, saree business is the pride of Surat.
-> Where there is love, there is always a ‘will do it anyhow’!
-> Some stories are lost in silence While some are created in silence!

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

Author’s social media handles:

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One Morning by Anamika Mukharji

Book blurb:

A very short story – an ordinary morning turns into a nightmare when Kiran hears a frantic knocking on her door. Will she find Adheer?

Genre: Fiction/Short story

Pages: 8

Format: Kindle eBook

Price: 59 INR/$0.99

My ratings: 5/5

Kiran has just sent off her son Adheer to school. It’s just a regular morning for her, but what’s special is that Kiran just bought a new pair of shoes for Adheer. After much deliberation and spending most of her savings, she has managed to buy him these shoes. However, it seems that he might not be able to use them much. What happened that led to him losing one shoe out of his new much eagerly awaited pair of shoes?

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

Speaking Skills by Dr. Vinay Bansal

Book blurb:

Yes, I understand that you already know how to speak and converse. After all, that is something you had been taught ever since you were a child. Starting from your first words to having a million words in your vocabulary, learning multiple languages, you have walked a long way. And yet, you are here, with this book in your hand, to relearn a skill so inherent in you. Or maybe, just to polish them up. Well, you are definitely not alone. At some point in time, everyone thinks that he/she needs to become a better orator, a better communicator, and sometimes, even link their very nature to the way they speak. If you have a mean tongue, you come off as a bad person; if you speak sweetly, you are a nice person, irrespective of your actual nature. I present to you this book with the hope that no matter what help you need, this book will be able to guide you with it.

I won’t be surprised if you question the choice of my title, but I promise you that it is very apt because Speaking might Kill. Humans are the only known species on the planet who can talk and communicate to all the other members of the species through multiple languages, gestures, and even silence. We learn how to speak at the mere age of 1, but we don’t know what to talk about until the very end. We mostly end up saying the wrong things at the wrong time, something that stays with us far longer than we would prefer. If we don’t rectify that habit, it only creates disputes and kills harmony, peace, and brotherhood. Be it with our spouse, friends, neighbours, or countries, speaking skills matter. Speaking without Skills will Kill – a lesson important enough to write a book on.

Before you begin, I would like to set a disclaimer that the objective of the fictional content of the book is not meant to be taken from a technical point of view; and is not written to be technically sound. It is a setting created to aid and connect the lessons of the book, with the hope that it also creates an interest in the minds of the readers.

Genre: Fiction/Inspirational

Pages: 40

Format: Kindle eBook

Price: 99 INR/$2.99

My Ratings: 4.5/5

SAMA is a new age AI robot being built to bridge the communication gaps between human beings. While making her, Dr. Bakshi teaches his IT intern Kritika, what kind of data and software to feed into SAMA to make the robot a success. In the process, he ends up teaching Kritika (and us as the readers) some of the best lessons about speaking and communication.

A book that teaches us the nuances of right communication.

What I liked about the book:
—> It teaches self help and life lessons via a fictional story.
—> We can also easily relate to the character of Kritika who is battling some personal life issues and how it affects her professional life.

Quotable quotes :
—> At some point in time, everyone thinks that he/she needs to become a better orator, a better communicator, and sometimes, even link their very nature to the way they speak.
—> If you have a mean tongue, you come off as a bad person; if you speak sweetly, you are a nice person, irrespective of your actual nature.
—> We learn how to speak at the mere age of 1, but we don’t know what to talk about until the very end. We mostly end up saying the wrong things at the wrong time, something that stays with us far longer than we would prefer.
—> It’s true that humans can not stop communication, but the problem is that they don’t know how to communicate properly either.
—>Humans tend to stay closer together in case of danger.
—> Without us speaking and sharing ideas the way we are meant to, there could only be one result – chaos.
—> No one understands others’ perspectives, and no one wants to understand others. Social media has given us the perfect mask to spew our unwarranted thoughts without caring for the feelings of others.
—> Humans are full of vices that are a result of our emotions.
—> Whenever you think of only ‘I’, you lose the very grounds of socialization.
—> Every emotion, even the ones we normally put in the ‘Don’ts’ category, is healthy for a while. But when we indulge in it more than we can handle, it becomes dangerous.
—> Our happiness and sadness are not always given to us by someone else but are rather an interpretation of our relationship with them.
—> Your happiness is not someone else’s responsibility. It’s your very own.
—>If we can maintain a permanent and stable relationship with ourselves, our strained relationship with others will no longer affect us. And even if it does, it won’t overpower us as it does now.
—> Once your relationship with self is strong, your relationship with others will strengthen.
—> If one is not happy with oneself, he will want others to fulfil his need for happiness and will surely return disappointed most of the time. Others are not in this world to take care of your happiness; they are here to take care of theirs.
—> Studies say that we tend to overthink in silence and find peace in chaos.
—> Everyone has something different they can teach us.
—> The best thing about communication is that we never stop doing it. Communication experts have said that we are always in conversation, whether it is with our own selves or with others through thoughts, gestures, or speech.
—> Words, once spoken, cannot be taken back; once written, they can be edited.
—> It’s advisable to speak about ourselves only when asked and when it is necessary to do so. When you are interested in others, others will be interested in you.
—> Everyone is entitled to their opinion, which is an influence of their lifestyle and upbringing.

Buying details:

Amazon.comAmazon India

Author’s social media links:

WebsiteInstagramLinkedIn

Love (Try) Angle ~ Debut Novel

Ever since my first book came out, the one question asked by every person (irrespective of whether they read my books or not) was, “When are you writing a novel?”

It would be an awkward question to answer because of two reasons:

I didn’t have a worthy enough story idea.I lacked the courage, patience, and confidence to engage in long-form creative writing.

But every time I was hit by this question, I would kick my brains to hit me with an inspiring and worthy enough story idea to write my debut novel.

After many ideas were discarded (read ‘not-worked-upon’) I thought to myself, “Okay, Manali. You’re funny. So why not a humorous book?”. That’s when I knew it had to be a romcom. Reading romance books, has, and continues to be a guilty pleasure. So, I thought why not combine my ‘fun’ element into a romance story which will connect with most millennial readers.

Lo and behold, you have my debut novel Love (Try) Angle which came out on 8th March 2021.

Book cover of my debut novel Love (Try) Angle

Book blurb:

Ayesha has just moved to the’ City of Dreams’ with her parents. She befriends the charming Viren, who helps her find her footing in Mumbai. Though she is slowly adjusting to her new life, what Ayesha is most excited about is pursuing B.A. (Hons.) Political Science from a reputed college. Things don’t go as smoothly as she had thought though. Because Abhi, her senior, seems hell-bent on making her life on the campus difficult from day one. Just when things seem settled, Viren joins the college as an Ad-Hoc lecturer. Is there more to Ayesha’s friendship with Viren, and her frenemity with Abhi? It seems there’s a love triangle blooming around the corner or will it be a Love (Try) Angle? Because Ayesha is not sure if it’s love at all.

Know the characters:

1. Ayesha Banerjee

She’s bold, she’s beautiful.

She’s ambitious, she’s studious.

She’s full of dreams and she’s just arrived in the City of Dreams.

2. Viren Joshi

He’s charming, he’s chivalrous.

He’s ambitious, he’s courteous.

He’s funny, he’s kind.

3. Abhi Agarwal

He’s chic, he’s got a cheeky sense of humor.

He’s good-looking, he’s smart.

He’s muscular, he’s popular.

He’s spectacular, he’s a bachelor. And he can dance too.

Would you like to check out the book? Then follow the Amazon links below:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

In Conversation with Bhaswar Mukherjee

C. JoyBell C. says,

“There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human- in not having to be just happy or just sad- in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time.”

I’m constantly in awe of how the human mind works and how we as humans behave under various circumstances. I’m naturally drawn to stories or books about human behaviour, irrespective of whether they’re fiction or nonfiction. This is why when I heard about it happens: Stories of Human Relationships, it piqued my curiosity. When I checked it out and saw that it was recommended by Amitav Ghosh, I was sold.

It didn’t disappoint me at all. This short stories collection is enjoyable and a must-read. Here’s my short review on the book.

Check out a detailed review of this book here

When I reached out to Bhaswar sir on social media, he was kind enough to agree to be a part of my #AuthorCollaborative. Here’s what he had to say about The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories after reading it.

Amazon

Tonight at 9 PM IST we engaged in a heart-to-heart conversation via an Instagram live session.

IG handle: @arusticmind

It was an invigorating chat, where we discussed about our books and all things bookish. Here’s a look at the questions I asked him.

Check out the answers here

These are the questions Bhaswar asked me.

Check out the answers here

The fun rapid-fire round was the highlight of the session. Have a look at the questions I had for him in this segment.

Check out the answers here

He had some quirky questions of his own to ask me. Check them out below.

Check out the answers here

You can listen to our full conversation in the YouTube video below.

Here are the buying details of the books discussed in this session.

Amazon India link to it happens: Stories of Human Relationships Amazon.com link to it happens: Stories of Human Relationships Amazon India link to The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories Amazon.com link to The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories

Corporate Blah Blah Blahs by Sandeep Pawar

Book blurb:

Do you think these corporate folks say simple things in complicated ways? Do you think corporate folks, for no reason, insert business jargon that you suspect no one, including themselves, understands?

Meet Corporate Subbu, who has understood the secret of success- The one who talks reaches the top. He is on a mission to inject business jargon into his dialect to sound professional. He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to impressing others with his words. What he does not know is, his half-knowledge creates confusion and embarrassment. But he makes sure that everyone is entertained by his stunts, unknowingly.

This collection of short stories will give you a perfect fun ride of what happens during office meetings and how the confusion can be fun to witness.

Genre: Fiction/ Humour

Pages: 101

Format: Kindle eBook

Price: 49 INR/$1.08

My Ratings: 4.3/5

Have you ever heard or wondered about phrases like ‘Push the envelope’ or ‘Touch Base’? This book gives gyaan (enlightenment) on many such corporate jargons. The fun part is, it does so while providing the bookish meaning as well as the hidden meaning behind each such phrase. Read this one to have a hearty laugh as you find yourself or someone you know within the pages of this corporate humour book.

Sharpen your corporate lingo while having some fun.

What I liked about the book:
—> It makes you laugh right from the first page (yep, literally)
—> You’re immediately drawn to the clumsy and silly, yet endearing character of Subbu (the male protagonist who is the team lead and boss)
—> The narrative is from the PoV of a wall clock which is so creative as well as funny. (the clock introduces itself as ‘Samay’ and I immediately found myself recalling the 90s Mahabharata show which started with ‘Mein Samay Hun’. So some brownie points to the author for that nostalgia ride)
—> It will be a totally relatable and fun read for someone who works in a tech company ( or any corporate for that matter)
—> Each chapter starts with a corporate wisdom quote which are all extremely witty, because they’re all so true.

What I did not like about the book:
—> It ends too soon. I was just starting to warm up and the book concluded which was disappointing as I definitely wanted more.
—> I feel the story could be more diverse if a few of Subbu’s supervisors were also included in the story.

Quotable quotes:

—> If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room, they say. But if you are the most famous person in your circle, you are in the wrong circle; they didn’t say.
—> Some things are better when not used incorrectly than used correctly. Jargon is one of them.
—> Either use jargon effectively or inculcate the habit of blah blah blah-ing!
—> After ice cream, it’s gossip that is loved by all.
—> I reside in Anemone, the meeting room. Please don’t waste efforts in its correct pronunciation, even half of the employees can’t do it. So, instead, they lovingly call it ‘the room with a big clock.’ Cute.
—> Subhashish, lovingly known as Subbu, is one of the managers. He blushes whenever he is called Boss rather than a manager. His teammates call him Boss when their appraisal is near.
—> Alfred was right- some men just want to watch the world burn.
—> They say half knowledge is dangerous, but Subbu cares the least about it. He believes in- ‘something is better than nothing’ or better ‘some jargon is better than no jargon.’ ‘I shall use it anyhow and force you to use it somehow.’ He ordered his teammates.
—> Your boss will never believe you’re giving your 100% so don’t even try.
—> You ought to get a perfect melody only if all musicians are in sync.
—> The unsaid rule is that you save yourself no matter if that costs your team to get in trouble.
—> Some employees don’t see any problem in paraphrasing because who would see a problem in a situation they are best at?
—> Your boss is the funniest person on the Earth. Don’t laugh.
—> Handling escalations is a skill similar to disaster management.
—> Subbu had taken sick leave last Friday for all the good reasons- he was celebrating his son’s birthday.
—> This is the thing about bosses. They need everything at the exact particular moment. Not blaming them entirely because they have a point too. The fact is- if they do not ask for immediate action, they may have to wait till eternity.
—> This is the case with senior people- the shorter the email you write, the higher is your position.
—> The escalation in corporates is like karma. It comes back to you no matter how hard you try to kick it far.
—> A resume is the best piece of fiction. An interview is the best piece of drama.
—> The whitepaper lacks humour. Can you imagine that there are no boss jokes inside, even though it is a pure corporate thing? No boss jokes make whitepaper a dull doc!
—> Winning the blame-game in corporate is very tough because every player is equally good at it. To win it, you must come up with innovative strategies and novel excuses.
—> The best way of answering questions is by replying with counter questions.
—> Who to blame when everyone is a criminal?
—> I sometimes wonder, in life too, how easily we forget to pay enough attention to the most important things despite knowing their worth?
—> Do not pick up calls after 5 pm on Friday. It’ll ruin your weekend.
—>Whenever everything looks good, suspicion is born. Or, in more sophisticated terms, all-good is a mother of skepticism.
—> We need validation; we don’t believe in ourselves to the degree we do in others.
—> Employees do not like their bosses lingering nearby their desks, breaching the pseudo-privacy in the office. Probably that is why, no matter how disgusting it sounds, toilets are the places employees prefer to enjoy their privacy.
—> Practice makes a man perfect. After listening to corporate language all day, I realise that- ‘almost’ is a very tricky word, just like ‘some time.’
These intangible things are hard to decipher.
—> Release notes are mandatory in almost all deliverables so that people can ignore them. They are no different than the software license agreements we all ignore.
—> Funnily enough, people want to get fed with something they can ignore. They like it that way. You cannot ignore anything; there has to be something particular to ignore.
—> The relief of evading responsibility is unmatchable.
—> Email forwarding at incorrect times is an art.
—> Coffee is a great pain-sharer.
—> It is always a good choice to keep your boss on your side, especially when your ship is wrecked and can sink anytime.
—>If you think your boss likes you, remember it’s a misconception. Your boss just hates you less than your teammates.
—> Boss cannot befriend any of his subordinates.
—> Only sloths decline their boss’s tea offer. Boss can make an offer, which no subordinate can refuse.
—> Tea shops around posh offices are always crowded, and precisely that adds to its pleasant atmosphere. It is said that office walls have ears, but the crowd around tea shops is deaf. Now, what is blocking you from gossiping freely?
—> Compliments from your boss are not to be taken seriously but cautiously.
—> Romance is such a genre that makes everyone attentive.
—> The best quality of a boss is solving other’s problems before their own.
—> Sick leaves are planned earlier than a vacation.
—> Failing is not a problem; the real problem is if they don’t learn any lesson from it.
—> To err and learn out of it is human.
To err and repeat is a fool.
—> Planned sick leaves are totally an Indian thing.
—> I don’t know how people make successful Goa plans.
—> The only time employees say ‘no’ to their boss is when they plan to resign or have already resigned.
—> Work is the same everywhere. Work is the same; bosses are different.
—> The sliest word in the dictionary is- ‘depends.’
—> If your team collectively likes your boss, something is wrong with your team.
—> The art of saying No is essential as, probabilistically, you may need to use it half of the time.
—> A basic human instinct is that no one worries about the money if that is not going from their own pocket, which makes perfect sense.
—> People, especially hard-core poets, use clouds with a negative connotation. But rain, the aftermath of clouds, is often cheerful, is loved, and is considered romantic unless you are stuck in traffic jams or traveling with surge prices. The majority of corporates sitting comfortably in their offices with a hot cup of coffee in their hand loves rain.
—> Free lunch is the biggest motivation.
—> If you can’t convince them, confuse them. If you can’t confuse them either, tell them that-you will get back to them and don’t.
—> The unspoken rule in corporates is- no one messes with an employee’s coffee time.
—> In corporates, if you don’t know the answer, you should always guess it. It’s a fact that guessing increases the probability of being correct and makes people believe that you were at least attentive. Also, there’s no negative marking for wrong guesses.
—> Lies are easy to say but not easy to remember.
—>No one hates their colleague every day – only five days a week.
—> The word ‘gentle’ in the term gentle reminder is redundant.
—> People often remember things that they want to forget. Like people forget to settle expenses with others if they owe them money.
—> Birthday celebrations in the office are often awkward and embarrassing. Usually, neither the people want to get their birthdays celebrated, nor their team members, nor HRs. But they celebrate it anyway, all just for the sake of pleasing nobody.
—> The birthday celebration tells a lot about your salary and gives a fair idea about your plans to stay in the firm.
—> If a small mistake can entertain many lives, can we term it as a mistake?
—> If you want to ruin your boss’s weekend apply for leaves on Friday.
—> The first day in the office is always crucial as it builds the first impression in the employee’s mind. It often remains the same until the last day.
—> The first day is often the last day where you and HRs are in a cordial relationship.
—> Reality has a bad habit of getting exposed, eventually.
—> Words can be deceptive. Soft words can be more deceptive.
—> Each time you do not laugh at your boss’s joke, your hike is reduced by 1%.
—> The best way of getting more hike is by asking your boss the questions he likes to answer, no matter how stupid they may sound.
—> The truth is nasty. It comes out unknowingly, often at the wrong times.
—> A worried person can utter stupid things, but you should be empathetic towards their nonsense.

Buying details:

Amazon IndiaAmazon.com

Author’s social media handles:

InstagramTwitterLinkedIn

In Conversation with Dr. Yukti Bellani

John Mark Green says,

“Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters.”

More often than not, toxic relationships end up draining us emotionally as well as physically. So, when books that talk about such things which need to be addressed, I’m always ready to read them. One such book I recently read was Twisted Mind Games: Fourteen Hundred and Sixty Days. It tells the tale of a girl who successfully comes out of one such relationship which ruined many years of her life.

Here’s my short review of the book.

Check out detailed review of this book here

I was in awe of the author because she’s a doctor. When I reached out to her for the #AuthorCollaborative, she agreed to read my book The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories.

Here’s what she had to say about it in her review.

Amazon

Today, we spoke about each other’s books and other bookish stuff on our Instagram live session.

IG Handle: @arusticmind

Here’s the list of questions I bombarded her with.

Check out the answers here.

She asked me the following questions.

Check out the answers here .

Next came the rapid-fire round. I was curious to know how a young doctor cum author balances her two professional lives, so added some fun questions about that. Have a look at what I asked her.

Check out the answers here .

She had some intersting questions of herself to ask me in the rapid-fire round. Check them out below.

Check out the answers here .

Would you like to know our answers to these questions? Then you can view the video below to have a look/see at our full conversation.

You can learn about the books discussed in this session via the below links:

Twisted Mind Games on Amazon.com Twisted Mind Games on Amazon India The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories on Amazon.comThe Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories on Amazon India