Shon Mehta's Blog, page 10

Stories Of Jivavarta: TiLi's Help (Story Cards)

Stories of Jivavarta: The Monster of Igati

Adhaka stepped out of the house. He did not bother to lock the door -- he knew that nobody will ever try to steal anything from his hut.
After walking some distance, he noticed a small puppy following him. As it came closer, Adhaka kicked the puppy hard. Wailing in pain, the puppy looked at Adhaka, and whimpered away.
Adhaka continued his walk. As he reached the lake, one of the kids who were playing in the waters noticed him. 
"Adhaka, Adhaka is here!" the kid screamed with terror in his v...

The Timingila: New Year Poem

The year 2018 has been very special for me, as it marked the publication of my debut novel, "The Timingila."
Many thanks to all readers for responding so positively to the novel. I would especially like to thank Ashwini A., Jennifer, Micho Ocabina, Myrth, and Susan Z. for their encouraging reviews.
It was fun to see you all so enthusiastically share quotes and poems from "The Timingila". So, ending the year with one of the most shared poems from the novel: 

No brooding over old worries, let...

The Timingila Poem: New Year

The year 2018 has been very special for me, as it marked the publication of my debut novel, "The Timingila."
Many thanks to all readers for responding so positively to the novel. I would especially like to thank Ashwini A., Jennifer, Micho Ocabina, Myrth, and Susan Z. for their encouraging reviews.
It was fun to see you all so enthusiastically share quotes and poems from "The Timingila". So, ending the year with one of the most shared poems from the novel: 

No brooding over old worries, let...

Book Excerpt: 'The Timingila' - Chapter: The Victims

“I want to know more about them.” said Tasvak. “I have seen how unfair it is to be treated badly because of your birth.”

“Do you have sympathy for them?” asked Viraj.

“Dhatakis have to clean the filth of Vanpore, and in return they get a hellish life.” said Tasvak. “There is no way out for them. Why? Because in the past, someone decided that Dhatakis don’t deserve to be treated as humans.”

“Fine, you can accompany me.” Viraj relented. “But keep in mind, whenever the history of Vanpore will be wr...

Thinking Out Loud: Politics

We treat politics as a sport, political parties as the teams we root for, and political leaders as our favorite sports stars.

But we forget that politics is not an entertainment sport. In sports, rivalry between fans of opposing teams is "Them vs Us",  but in politics such rivalry becomes "Us vs Us". Political outcomes have far greater effect on our life than sports outcomes.

In a democracy, "we, the people" are supposed to be the kings, not the pawns. We are the examiners and watchdogs of...

Article: Dating and Relationships

"A good relationship is not a refuge from your problems, but an oasis where you can grow better as a person."

Before getting into a relationship, make sure that you are in the right frame of mind. If you expect your future partner to come with some kind of magic and make everything better for you, you are not ready for the relationship.

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"Fall in love with a person, not with your idea of that person."

Compatibility and communication is very important. Be open about yourself -- your likes and...

Article: Dating and Relationship

"A good relationship is not a refuge from your problems, but an oasis where you can grow better as a person."

Before getting into relationship, make sure that you are in the right frame of mind. If you expect your future partner to come with some kind of magic and make everything better for you, you are not ready for the relationship.

-----

"Fall in love with a person, not with your idea of that person."

Compatibility and communication is very important. Be open about yourself -- your likes and d...

Stories of Jivavarta: Prejudice

Zukula woke up, and yawned silently. As he opened his eyes, he saw his wife Jalaja preparing for his trip to the Vanpore market. She had already taken out the morning catch of fresh fish from the small pond in front of their hut.

"Get up,” said Jalaja. “You are already late for the weekend market."

Zukula got up unwillingly. He hated going to Vanpore, but it was necessary. Vanpore had the biggest weekend market around, and his fish fetched much better price there than in his tribal settlment.

He...

Stories of Jivavarta: Verogai and Golat

Verogai was fast asleep but her ten year old elder brother Golat, lying still on his bed, was wide awake.

"Are you feeling cold, Golat?" asked their father.

Golat had heard this question many times, but today he didn't feel like answering. He could hear his father's steps, as he approached the bed and put a blanket on him. The blanket, made of yak hide, gave Golat much needed warmth.

Through the blanket, Golat could feel his father's eyes looking at him.

"Are you sleeping, Golat?" his father aske...