Kavya Janani U.'s Blog, page 22

With Love, Forever (Blurb)

A few months ago I’d shared the blurb of my yet-to-be-published first novel ‘With Love, Forever’. Well, it was just a rough synopsis. But I received good response for it and decided to rewrite a more effective blurb. Unlike the previous one, this doesn’t give out too much details about the plot and stays true to its premise. Also, I have decided to rewrite a few scenes in my novel, so that the story will have more depth, a deeper wordplay and a wider appeal. This would be done before I pitch in to publishers again. I am going to make sure that the story strikes a chord with them.

A short musing for my baby before I proceed with the photo blurb.

And a voice somewhere faraway,

A voice that breaks the silence of the night,

A voice that fills the chambers of my heart with saudade,

A voice that shaped this tale,

A voice that sends out cryptic messages through coincidences,

A voice that paints quintessential pictures through serendipity,

A voice that is ever unreachable,

A voice that guides me throughout,

A voice that is supposed to be alive,

Whispers euphoniously in my ears,

That this story will find its place in the universe,

Creep into the unknown crevices of its readers’ hearts

And honour the cherished dream of an optimistic dame.

Here goes the blurb:

So, how is it? Let me know your feedback.[image error]

Love,

Kavya Janani.U

Book Review: Like A Love Song by Nikita Singh

Book Name: Like A Love Song

Author: Nikita Singh

Publisher: Harlequin India

Pages: 280

Synopsis:

‘Like a Love Song’ has a young woman Maahi come to terms in seeking true love, something that remains elusive for many and most dreams often die before they could ever be lived.

A four year old traumatizing heartbreak is something that the young woman finds hard to overcome. Time does heal and so it was for Maahi.

Just when she has nearly buried the past and is out exploring new relationships, having become confident of being in a true love bond, the past comes around to haunt Maahi.

Review:

This is the first time I have read a book written by Nikita Singh. So, I am not going to judge the book based on her previous writing. Many have said that she has improved as a writer. But for me, this is her first writing and I am going to consider it from that perspective. Well, to begin with, Like a Love Song is much similar to other candyfloss books in the Indian writing scenario. The book contains ample dosage of love, friendship, heartbreak, self-discovery and struggle. What’s more! Nikita sprinkles some humor here and there, which makes the book a lighthearted read. The way in which she develops the plot is quiet interesting. She divides the book into parts and each part ends on an anticipatory note. The protagonist Maahi is not flawless. She struggles, commits mistakes, faces her fears and discovers herself through her troubles. A few women can easily relate to her. Especially the dilemma of not knowing what you really want has been portrayed with the right depth. But I wonder whether any girl would discontinue her studies just for the sake of a breakup, given the story is set in a contemporary era. Are women that vulnerable that they can leave everything just because a man broke their heart? Maybe Nikita could have justified it by telling that Maahi loathed engineering and she had to discontinue it. That act of Maahi was unsatisfactory.

Moving on to the other characters, Laila as the best friend of Maahi was convincing. She was peppered with apt suaveness and she came across as a sassy yet responsible girl. The characterizations of Kishan, Siddhant and Sarthak were cat on the wall, neither greater nor lesser. Especially Siddhanth’s revelation after Maahi reveals about her escapade with Kishan was written weakly. Meanwhile, Kishan’s chameleonic character left the right impact.

The main theme – baking – was interwoven excellently along with the plot, with yummy cupcakes dominating most of the book. The romance was also not forced, it seemed to gently flow along with the story. One great relief was that there was no overload of expletives. However, I felt that sometimes the pace of the story was tad boring. Nikita could have reduced a few unwanted details and made the plot little more crisper. Otherwise the narration was excellent. I was not thoroughly impressed with the ending. I felt like the loose ends were not properly tied up. Maybe Nikita has planned to write a sequel. Only time will tell.

Overall, Like a Love Song makes for a lovey-dovey read on your vacation or on your daily commute to work. Though there is nothing unique about the story, it can be enjoyed for Nikita’s style of writing.

Rating: 3/5

Click here to get this book.

Authors can contact me for book reviews here: Review Request

Love,

Kavya Janani.U

Book Review: The Emperor’s Riddles by Satyarth Nayak

Book Name: The Emperor’s Riddles

Author: Satyarth Nayak

Publisher: Amaryllis

Pages: 406

Synopsis:

More terrifying than the savage murder of historian Ram Mathur on the ghats of Ganga, are the questions that follow. Desperate for answers, Sia turns to esoteric writer & friend Om Patnaik. But what begins as a hunt for the killer, becomes an extraordinary trail of riddles strewn across the country, that must end at the gates of an enigma.

An ancient enigma so powerful that even gods would kill for it!!!

In another time and space, rules an Emperor who plays with phenomenal forces that make him supreme…who faces these very forces when they threaten the survival of the human race. An Emperor who must ultimately pay homage to the enigma…

As Patnaik and Sia race from one riddle to another, towards a royal secret that has remained alive for centuries….will the final truth, save them or destroy them forever?

The path beckons. Can you solve The Emperor’s Riddles?

Review:

Okay, I am going to stay as much unbiased as possible. Because I am an ardent fan of theological thrillers. So, I tend to concentrate more on the positives in such a thriller than the negative. But the case will be different with this book. To begin with, this is Satyarth Nayak’s debut novel. In an era where debut authors are choosing the genres of romance, young adult and chick-lit for their debut, Satyarth has bravely opted for a genre that has the potential to go astray, if not handled well. He makes sure that all the needed elements are appropriately fed to the readers. The conspiracy is not overdone, neither does it confuse the readers. Based on an age long secret, Satyarth has woven an innovative story. The facts are well-researched and it would surely not bring a smirk on the faces of historians or other theological writers. Satyarth has ingeniously collected the information, partitioned them and applied modern tropes to them. The riddles are cleverly constructed. You can have fun solving them, if you’re enthusiastic about them. The entire plotline has the ability to arise questions within us, for which answers are provided in the Buddhist sections of the tale.

Moving on to the characterizations, I liked the characters of Sia Mathur and Om Patnaik. They are the ones who take the story forward. Both the characters are strongly written and they’re sure to leave an impact on the readers. The other characters Jasodhara, Suri and Alia too share equal space with the protagonists. But I felt that the character of Scorpion was underwritten. The revelation about him at the end was not satisfying. However, Satyarth covers it up with yet another stunning revelation, which brings an unexpected twist to the story.

The only slip in the story is the Emperor’s part. Since it is not chronologically written, it confused me a lot. Maybe, if the Emperor’s sections were read as separate parts, it would’ve made sense. But, pertaining to the original storyline, this was where the author faltered. Even the Buddhist sections are difficult to comprehend initially. You can understand terms like ‘Tathagata’, ‘Bhante’, ‘Bhikku’ and ‘Samanera’, only if you have read about Buddha or Buddhism. But you get used to it as the story progresses.

Summing up, ‘The Emperor’s Riddles’ is an amazing read, if you’re looking for fast-paced mystery thrillers. Satyarth Nayak should be appreciated for choosing an offbeat genre and excelling at it.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to purchase a copy of this book in Amazon.

Authors can contact me for book reviews here: Review Request

Love,

Kavya Janani.U

Book Review: My Gita by Devdutt Pattanaik

Book Name: My Gita

Author: Devdutt Pattanaik

My Gita by Devdutt Pattanaik is a contemporary approach to the Indian epic, Bhagavad Gita, presented in the simplest of ways. Pattanaik chooses to elaborate on the recurrent themes in The Gita by taking a personal approach to each one of them.

And that is why he names the book – My Gita.

The connotation of ‘My’ in the title has a personalized feel to it, and it is as if the author directly speaks to you about the ideas in The Bhagvad Gita and their application to modern life. Pattanaik analyzes every aspect and every iota of what Krishna spoke to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra and presents to us a comprehensive view of The Gita. He also paraphrases important verses and makes it understandable for the young readers. However, the highlight of the book are the illustrations which make the narration easier to understand.

Similar to The Gita, Pattanaik’s My Gita is also divided into eighteen chapters. Each chapter focuses on a particular spiritual theme like observation (darshan), rebirth (atma), cause & consequence (karma), appropriate conduct (dharma), yagna (exchange), etc. He intelligently simplifies the three concepts: Karma, Bhakti and Gyana.

While The Gita speaks about disconnecting from material things, relationships & desires, Pattanaik emphasizes on reconnecting and forming relationships that are mutually nourishing. He explains this with a story of how Pandavas, who were born in the forest, returned to it when threatened by Kauravas, when they gamble away & are sentenced to exile and finally when they win the war and rule Hastinapur for many years.

After each return, they find themselves to be more wiser. They are able to reconnect and establish meaningful relationships. 

Pattanaik elucidates this with another example of how Shiva, the hermit of Kailasa became the householder of Kashi, thereby concluding that My Gita is meant for readers who are wishing to find inner peace by reconnecting with their soul.

Pattanaik also tells us how we cling to our identity (aham) and property (kshetra). When these both are snatched away from us, we feel violated. Thus begins violence within us – both psychologically and physically. We feel hurt when something belonging to us is damaged or destroyed by some means. We cling to the property as ‘ours’, turn possessive about it and hence we disconnect ourselves from our atma (soul). Only when we learn to let go of what we consider as ‘ours’, do we realize there is much more to life than the property and identity. We identify ourselves with the relationships that we make, the titles that we achieve and the houses that we construct. Pattanaik tells us that we must not be defined by our social status, rather than we must have a heart to let go of our cravings and find peace.

Arjuna, those who keep thinking of property, get attached to it and crave it relentlessly, which causes frustration, which leads to anger, then confusion, then loss of memory, then loss of intelligence, and eventually destruction. – Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, verses 62 and 63 (paraphrased).

Further, he explains how we have little control over our capabilities, since they are dependent on the three natural tendencies (gunas) that we possess. The gunas are – tamas, rajas and sattva.

Tamas guna takes us towards inertia, while Rajas guna initiates activity and Sattva guna enables balance. These three gunas cannot exist without each other. Pattanaik highlights that though human beings are dominantly sattvik, they show signs of rajas and tamaswhen situations insist.

Towards the end of the book, Pattanaik sums up his thoughts with the advice that we must learn to outgrow our hungers, fears & anxieties, show selfless affection towards our fellow human beings and foster each other through kind words and actions. He aptly concludes with these words:

Can you and I participate in a relationship without seeking to control the behavior of the other? Can we help each other outgrow our hungers and fears? Then we are on the path of brahma-nirvana. When we derive joy from within, not from achievements outside, we are on the path of atma-rati.

Verdict: Those who are staunch followers or religiously attached to The Gita might find Pattanaik’s modern way of interpreting the concepts to be a little impudent. But My Gita is an enlightening ride for those who seek answers to their queries and nourishment for their soul, though the concepts might take time to register in the minds of the readers.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to purchase a copy of My Gita by Devudutt Pattanaik.

This review was originally written for: Tell-A-Tale

Authors can contact me for book reviews here: Review Request

Love,

Kavya Janani.U

My dear Radio

So, it has been a long time since I’ve blogged. My blog had almost become stagnant. That’s because after a frenzy start of the A To Z Challenge, I was crazily blogging away. I wrote lots of blog posts and my blog was surprisingly gaining traffic. And it was at that moment, well, I can say – after posting on the letter M, I realized that I have a tight schedule coming up and I wouldn’t be able to continue the challenge anymore! :-O I was grief-stricken for a few days. But then the rushing world caught up with me and I immersed myself in other works of mine, that I didn’t even have time to visit my blog. Phew! Only if I’d the power to manipulate time, I’d have continued blogging (oops! Sorry for this eccentric line. The Suriya starrer science fiction movie ’24’ has released today and hence I am bringing in the concept of time travel into my blog post

M for Musical Life (AToZChallenge)

Music is a heart touching soul

That must be enjoyed on the whole.

Music is a divine expression of speech

Easy for the musicians to teach.

Music is a beautiful art

Close to everybody’s heart.

Music is the one which makes the world go around.

One must not think that it is a mere sound.

Music is the food of love.

It is as pure as dove.

Music is the God of Nature

Almost vast like a green pasture.

Music is a celebration of joy,

Never does it annoy.

Music is our best companion

That stays as a world champion.

Music is a doting mother.

Finally ending up as a significant other.

Music is a great masterpiece

Always giving us a sense of peace.

Music is an abode of positivity

And cancels out negativity.

Music contains enormous entertainment

Without the need of any accompaniment.

Music can be deeply felt.

It makes everyone’s heart melt.

Music is a vast ocean

In which we have to exhibit passion.

Music runs in everyone’s blood

And also it starts a musical flood.

Music leads to inner enlightenment,

Which can cause euphoric excitement.

Music is a divine blessing.

It always keeps us guessing.

Music is used in everyday activity

With the utmost serenity.

Music, in itself, is a language

That is spoken universally.

Music speaks loads of fun and frolic

That could be enjoyed to the core.

Music provides the power to do things

That seem to be impossible.

Music brings back hidden memories

That can be treasured forever.

Music is a spiritual sound

That enthralls us every time we listen to it.

Music is a magical fable

That hypnotizes us when we read it.

Music is a mystical being

That enchants us when we encounter it.

Music is, on the whole, the Supreme Power

Who protects our soul every hour.

L for Love Story (AToZChallenge)

Every Sunday she would see him. It was the only day she actually saw him. Johnson Academy it was. The place where she would see him. 9 AM to 12 PM it was, when she would see him. She was attending classes for IAS exams and he was also a student amidst the 60+ students in the class. Among the guys, his was the face that registered with her at first sight. On the contrary, he had never even properly noticed her. She took notice of him when he had traveled in the same bus in which she was in. His demeanor of seating himself, acquiring the ticket from the conductor and watching the scenery through the window, bought her attention. She had also noticed that he was dressed in red, just like her. A full sleeved, red checked shirt it was and hers was a red kurti paired along with black leggings.

While alighting from the bus, his eyes had met hers for a fraction of second. But that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. While she had taken a different route to reach the academy, he had taken the shortest one, which made him disappear among the crowd. During the class, she could not glance at him, as he had occupied a seat in the last row. The interval break provided a good view of him, as he had passed her bench to reach for the water-cooler. After the class hours, she could not even trace him, as he had packed his bag soon and left to catch the earliest bus.

On the subsequent Sundays, Lavanya’s ‘stare saga’ continued. The curly haired beauty was enchanted by his ochre colored skin, his flappy hair and his peachy lips. Her doe-shaped eyes looked at him with awe while her tawny skin turned pink with an unnameable emotion. But it was only she. He wasn’t even aware of her existence, let alone know that she was his classmate. Like a saddled horse, he concentrated only on the window in the bus and on his books in the class. He never let his eyes wander at any woman in the class. He did not get acquainted well with the boys. A smile rarely escaped his lips even when the professor had cracked a guffawing joke. But she noticed the moment when he smiled or rather laughed at a joke. She knew when his grumpy looks would take over. She also noticed that he just had a basic feature phone, not the classy smartphones which the other guys possessed. She literally registered every movement of his, despite his ignorant attitude.

Before she knew it completely, she was in an unbearable crush with the guy, whose name wasn’t known to her.

*****

“The opening ceremony of the schools and colleges have been held…” chanted the English professor from the practice workbook. “The blank has to be filled with the word ‘have’.”

“But Sir, I think the answer is ‘has’,” said the guy from the second row. Lavanya looked up from her workbook as she recognized her crush’s voice.

“How can it be ‘has’? Schools and colleges are mentioned in plural. So the answer is ‘have’.”

“Oh my God! I think this Sir is a fool. The emphasis is actually on the ‘opening ceremony’, not on the ‘schools and colleges’. The answer is ‘has’. That guy is right,” murmured Lavanya to the girl seated next to her.

“But Sir….” the guy raised his voice once again.

“The answer is ‘have’. Let’s move on to the next question,” commanded the Professor.

Lavanya fumed with rage as she noticed the offended expression on her crush’s face. He deserves a better place. He doesn’t belong in this bunch of half-baked people, who don’t get their grammar rules right, she thought to herself, assuring that her crush was right in his answer.

After the class got over, Lavanya hurried to catch up with her superfast crush. She decided to speak with him and she had the opening line rehearsed in her mind. As she climbed down the stairs of the academy, she caught up with him at the right moment.

“Excuse me!” she exclaimed through short pants of breath.

“Yes?” He turned around. His face had a stony expression.

“You were right. The answer was ‘has’, not ‘have’. The professor isn’t well-versed in the subject, I think so.”

The very next moment, he smiled at her. Oh my God! He is smiling, she beamed to herself.

“Thank you! I thought there is none in the class to support my views. But I was wrong.” He smiled yet again.

“Don’t worry. I think we are the ones in the class with a good grammar knowledge. Why don’t we become friends?” She asked him, with a hint of hope in her voice.

“Friends? Look, I haven’t really made any friends in this class for the past ten weeks. I am not interested in socializing with people who are going to be in our life only on Sundays.”

“Ha ha ha…really? Is that why you don’t talk to others?”

“Oh! Have you noticed me?”

“Yes, of course! In fact, we travel in the same bus on all Sundays. But sadly, you haven’t even noticed me once.”

“I might have. As I don’t show interest in talking with people from this academy, I wouldn’t have come forward to befriend you. And also I am much older than the others…”

“Hold on! Did you say that you are older? What’s your age?”

“I am 27.”

“It isn’t a big deal. I am 21. Aren’t we getting along?” Lavanya winked at him.

“Yes, that’s why I am talking to you. Can we walk and continue our discussion? We need to catch the bus, right?”

“Yeah, sure.” They started walking on the heavily crowded street.

“I am Chetan.” He extended his hand for a shake.

“Lavanya.” She shook his hand firmly. But she felt her heart jolt with a splurge of love as his fingers touched hers.

“Good.” He flashed a pearly smile at her. Lavanya couldn’t contain her joy. She was walking beside the one with whom she was in love. Her first love.

“So Chetan, what do you do?”

“I am working in Wipro. I don’t like my job. My aspiration is to join IAS. What about you?”

“I have just now completed my graduation in B.Sc Maths. Since my childhood, I have been nurturing the dream of becoming an IAS officer.”

“That’s really good.”

They boarded the bus. Though he became acquainted with her, Chetan felt reluctant to sit beside Lavanya. “Well, I don’t feel comfortable sitting beside a girl. But we can continue our talks through phone. Give me your number.”

Lavanya’s face gleamed like a thousand watt bulb. Smiling at him, she exchanged her number with him.

That night, she had a dream about him. Passionate it was. She felt like the happiest girl in the world. Being in love felt magical for her.

*****

Two weeks passed away. Since Chetan was hard pressed for time, he couldn’t talk to Lavanya much over the phone. The two Sundays whiled away with few talks, strictly pertaining to general topics and world issues. No personal matters were shared between them. Though Lavanya was dying to delve into the personal life of Chetan, he maintained a distance from her, tagging her as a ‘just friend’. Hence, it was a complete surprise for her when he called on a Friday, asking her to meet him at his home.

Lavanya jumped up in excitement. She dolled herself with the best dress from her wardrobe. She dabbed on extra makeup which made her look prettier than before. Woohoo!! I think my passionate dream is about to come true. I never expected him to call to his home. I wonder if he is alone or with his parents. Informing her mom that she is going to visit a friend, she zoomed away on her Scooty Pep to Chetan’s house. On her way, she brought a bouquet of red roses. She had an idea of proposing to him, if he wished to take things further.

His deluxe apartment was situated in Anna Nagar, a busy residential area in Chennai. Leaving her scooty in the parking lot, she rung the bell of the apartment in third floor. Chetan received her with a warm smile and made her comfortably seated in the large hall. He brought her a glass of cold water, asked her about her day and proceeded to chat about some general things. All the while, Lavanya could listen to the sound of water gurgling from the bathroom.

Casting a glance at the bathroom, she asked, “Do you live with your family Chetan?”

“Yes and no, I can say.”

“What should I make out from that answer?”

“Ha ha, chill Lavanya! I was trying to crack a joke.”

Just then, a woman in her early 20s emerged from the bathroom, clad in a cotton floral night dress. She smiled at Lavanya and said, “Glad to see you Lavanya! Chetan told about your arrival. You speak with him. I’ll bring you some tea.”

As the woman retreated inside the kitchen, Lavanya slowly asked Chetan, “Who is she?”

“Mamta, my wife. Isn’t it obvious?”

The jute bag containing the bouquet of red roses slipped from Lavanya’s hand to the floor, without an iota of sound. A surge of pain seared through her heart. Her eyes brimmed with hot tears that were threatening to stream down. Nevertheless, her reactions weren’t noticed by Chetan. After his reply, he had buried himself in the newspaper, negligent of the mixed feelings brewing inside Lavanya. She never knew that the love which she nurtured for him would get crumpled in such a manner. Her world came crashing down in a minute. She received the answer for his ignorant attitude towards women. She understood why he hadn’t sat beside her on the bus. All the while, I was thinking that it was his reluctance to speak with girls that made him behave strangely. But I was wrong. He is married!!! God! I cannot believe this is happening to me.

“Tea.” Mamta’s voice drifted Lavanya gently back to reality.

“Th..thanks,” she stammered while receiving the cup. Immediately, she picked up the jute bag and hid it behind her, before it could be noticed by Mamta.

“Chetan told me that you were his only friend in Johnson Academy. Generally, he doesn’t speak to girls much, having had a love marriage. Ha ha ha….”

Lavanya could feel her heart ripping to pieces. Her eyes were turning moist, repeatedly. She had a difficult time in hiding her feelings from them. She looked at Chetan with remorse, well aware that it would be the last time she would see him. She had mentally decided to keep away from him from the next Sunday. My Sundays won’t be the same anymore, she thought painfully.

“Lavanya! Where are you? Meet my brother Shyam,” said Chetan, while clapping his hands in front of her eyes.

“Oh, sorry! Hi Shyam,” she said absentmindedly, looking at the guy who was an exact replica of Chetan. He had deep-set eyes, a perfect jawline and an olive skin tone which made him strikingly handsome.

“Hello Lavanya! I have heard a lot about you from Chetan. In fact, I had tried befriending you in Facebook by searching for you,” he said. He was jocular, unlike Chetan.

Lavanya was taken aback at that startling information. Just when she was trying to cope with her pain of losing Chetan, she was confronted by a guy who had actually liked her from his brother’s description about her.

“Huh? Is it? But I didn’t receive any friend request.”

“You wouldn’t have. Check your notifications properly. There will be one which says, ‘Shyam Varma is following you’.”

Following me? But I was following your married brother, dammit!

“Okay, I’ll check it.”

After a few more minutes of chatting with Shyam, Lavanya took leave from the house. As she was walking for the parking lot, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she found Shyam grinning widely.

“What?” she asked him irritatedly.

“I am just 23, Lavanya.”

“So what?”

“I really really like you. Your Facebook timeline spoke a lot about your character. You are such a sweet person. I think I have a crush on you, just by following you virtually.”

“Crush??? Just go away! I don’t have anything to do with you or your family anymore.”

“Hey! I know why you are frustrated. I can read others’ mind.”

“Really? Tell me why.” She asked him sarcastically.

“You had fallen for my brother, right?”

Lavanya’s expression changed to that of shock. “How..how did you know about that?”

“The bouquet of red roses with a small ‘I love you’ on it. Though it was inside the jute bag, it was clearly visible from my angle.”

That was the moment when Lavanya let her tears flow freely. She reached for the bouquet in the jute bag and threw it in the nearest trash can.

“This is so painful to see Lavanya. Well, I’ll give you my number. If you like to continue from where you had left, you can start talking to me. I am more interesting than Chetan.”

“Chi! What kind of an approach is this?”

“A modern approach to love. Come on!” Saying so, he snatched her mobile phone and started typing his number.

“Give back my phone!” She snatched it back from him, choking through her tears.

“Okay, I have typed the number. If you wish, save it. I promise you, I’ll make you smile forever. I am not like Chetan…”

“Get lost!” She yelled and started her scooty and drove off to her house, leaving behind a crestfallen Shyam.

*****

“Hey, why didn’t you call me? I was expecting at least a text from you.” Shyam’s voice boomed over Lavanya’s ears. She almost jerked when she found him very close to her.

“Shyam?! You scared me. Idiot! What are you doing here?”

“What will people do in a bus stand?”

“Shit! I told you to get lost.”

“What makes you so irritated? I like you, Lavanya. Why don’t you give me a chance?”

“I have my own reasons, Shyam. I needn’t explain everything to you. You are still a stranger to me.”

“Look, I have spoken from my heart. You’ve to tell me the reason for this harsh attitude of yours. Just because Chetan….”

“Stop it! I still love him. Is that enough? I love him, dammit! He might be a married guy, but I was unaware of that fact when I fell for him. Now just because I came to know that he is married, that doesn’t mean I should forget him immediately. I still can’t come to terms with his marriage. And the sight of Mamta is still fresh in my mind. I don’t know what to do.”

Lavanya began crying bitterly. Her pent up feelings found a way to flow out.

“What if I say that he isn’t married?” Shyam suppressed a smile.

“What are you talking about?” Lavanya glared at him.

“If you don’t mind, will you come with me in bike? I will take you to my home. There’s something in store for you.”

“No! I cannot trust you.”

“But you ought to trust me in this. Okay, if I say that I don’t have interest in dating you, will you come with me? If I say that I am already committed, will you come with me? If I say that the love speech spoken by you a few minutes earlier is being listened by Chetan, will you come with me? ”

“What the hell is happening, Shyam?” Disgust peaked in Lavanya’s mind.

“Get on the bike. I will tell you.”

Flashing an enigmatic look, Lavanya plopped herself behind him. Shyam drove towards his home.

All the way, she was utterly confused of the happenings.

*****

The door opened and the next moment Lavanya was blessed with a shower of rose petals. Looking around the dimly lit room, she saw her Facebook pictures laminated in every corner of the hall. Her eyes bulged out and her jaw dropped. There were heart-shaped balloons everywhere. Read, pink, white and orange. The walls were adorned with ‘I love you Lavanya’ in red spray. When she was looking around with a confused expression, out came Chetan from the bedroom. He was holding a small box in his hand. He came closer to Lavanya, looked at her passionately and went down on his knees.

“I love you, Lavanya. Will you marry me?” He asked in the softest tone. The small box had a glistening silver ring in it.

At that moment, Lavanya felt like fainting. She couldn’t understand what was happening. There were a hundred unanswered questions in her mind. Then, the lights came on. She noticed Mamta flicking the switches on.

Without giving Chetan a reply, Lavanya moved towards the sofa and gently sat down. She was too bewildered to speak. She looked at Shyam, then at Chetan and then at Mamta. Are they making a fool out of me? She shuddered at the thought.

“Lavanya, I….” began Chetan.

“Could someone explain me what’s happening here?” She asked in a rigid tone.

“Have you gone nuts, Lavanya? Don’t you know what’s happening here? Chetan has proposed to you!” Shyam hollered.

“But he is already married!” She exclaimed in disgust.

And that’s when the trio burst into laughter. They caught their bellies and almost rolled on the floor. Lavanya’s face perched up in anger.

“Ha ha haaaa…Lavanya, just rewind to a few days back. What was the date you came to our home to meet Chetan?” asked Mamta through her giggles.

“It..I think it was…” Lavanya clenched her right fist to remember the date. And then she understood everything. The built up anticipation, her worries, her heartbreak, her disgust, everything summed up to a quaint joke that she had overlooked.

“April fool!!!” The trio chorused in unison.

Lavanya turned red. Out of sheer embarrassment, she picked up the heart-shaped cushions and hurled at each one of them.

“Idiots! Mindless fools! Do you even know what you guys did to me? Stupids!” She bawled in mock anger. But then, she still had her queries.

“Who is this brat over here?” She asked Chetan, pointing to Mamta.

“Ha ha ha! She is my best friend. And, she is married to someone else. He he heeee!!!”

“Stop laughing Chetan. It’s irritating me.”

“Oh, my baby, I am sorry for everything. I came to know that you were in love with me through that notebook of yours. You had scribbled my name all over. Though I am reserved outwardly, I am also a prankster. When I realized that I too had feelings for you, I came up with a plan to fool you. And boy we acted soooo well!!!” Chetan hi-fived with Mamta and Shyam.

“Aaarrgghhh! Well, whatever it is, I am not marrying you Chetan. Goodbye!” Lavanya picked up her handbag and headed out fiercely. Chetan grabbed her hand from behind and engulfed her in a tight embrace.

“I am not leaving you anywhere, okay?”

The next moment, Lavanya hugged him back and let her tears wet his t-shirt.

~THE END~

K for Kaleidoscope (AToZChallenge)

Why were kaleidoscopes invented? Oops..sorry!! Many don’t even know what’s a kaleidoscope. Wikipedia states, “A kaleidoscope is a cylinder with mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors”. Hope this definition would have helped you. Or let me say a simple definition, perhaps an example. You might have watched the Telugu film Bommarillu or the Tamil film Santhosh Subramaniam. In a particular scene from these movies, the heroine asks the hero to get her a kaleidoscope from a busily crowded shopping market. He steals it for her. Later, she would be seeing through the kaleidoscope in another scene. So, that is called a kaleidoscope. What the heroine sees through the kaleidoscope must be experienced by you practically. Therefore, go and get a kaleidoscope from a fancy articles shop (because nowadays there are many variations of kaleidoscope like toy kaleidoscope which is filled with miniature colored toys rather than beads or bits of colored glass) or from a science exhibition (where you would get the original kaleidoscope).

Well, now I am not here to bore you with the explanation of how a kaleidoscope works. You can find it in the Internet. I am going to preach you (sorry for that) what a kaleidoscope teaches us. Or let me put it in this way, I will tell you some life lessons which you can learn from the patterns formed inside a kaleidoscope. Let us say that there are different colored bits of glass namely red,green,blue,violet,orange,yellow,pink,brown,black and white. These bits of glass represent different characteristics such as:

1.Red (love,passion,energy,determination and anger).

2.Green (prosperity,balance,growth and possessiveness).

3.Blue (trust,peace and frigidity).

4.Violet (imagination,creativity and impracticality).

5.Orange (social communication,optimism and superiority).

6.Yellow (cheerful,intelligent,impatience and cowardice).

7.Pink (unconditional love,nurturing and silly).

8.Brown (down-to-earth,comfort and material wealth).

9.Black (sorrowful,secretive and mysterious).

10.White (purity,innocence and completion).

These ten colors are combination of both positive and negative characters. Likewise, the kaleidoscope is the world in which the bits of glass represent the different virtues. Whereas the infinite number of patterns formed by the bits represent the people in the world. Each pattern is different from the other. You can never find a pattern exactly similar to another pattern. The same applies to people of the world. No two individuals can possess the same characteristics. Each and every person has different combination of characteristics. Some people form a pattern of red,pink,yellow and blue. And some might form a pattern of brown,white,orange and green. Patterns can never be the same. People also can never be the same. You can’t expect a child to excel like another child in academics. There might be other characteristics in that particular child. This is the sole purpose of humanity-to understand that each and every individual is different and talented in their own way. This is lesson #1 taught by the kaleidoscope.

Another lesson which the kaleidoscope teaches us is that the past can never be repaired and the future can never be predicted. Let us consider the patterns as events that take place in our life. The rotation of the kaleidoscope represents the time which passes away. As you can see, there might be a pattern of orange,red and yellow in a flower shape. But when you rotate the kaleidoscope, the pattern changes to a combination of blue,green and pink in spade shape. How much ever you try to rotate in the reverse direction, you cannot get the orange,red and yellow flower shape pattern. So, even our past cannot be revisited or repaired. Bygones are always bygones. Time will keep rotating forward as you rotate the kaleidoscope in clockwise direction. And also you cannot know what pattern lies next. It might be in any shape and in any combination of colors. You can never predict the next visual delight (or it might not be). Similarly, you cannot predict your future too. What will happen next is a big question mark. Anything might happen at any moment. So, we have to enjoy the present and be happy with what we have at that moment. This is lesson #2 which the kaleidoscope teaches us.

These are the basic lessons which people should be aware of. There are no similar people in the world; everyone has a different ability and virtue. The past cannot be changed and the future cannot be written by us; enjoy the present to the utmost.

Keep smiling! And also don’t forget to buy a kaleidoscope. See through it and you will understand these two lessons of life.[image error]

J for Journal Writing (AToZChallenge)

How many of you have the practice of writing a journal? Or have you ever written one? Well, those who have the habit of keeping a journal will associate with this post.

1.You will have a secret chum for life

Isn’t the idea of a secret best friend exciting? Yes, a journal or a personal diary will turn into your thickest friend as days pass by. The reason: You can share almost everything under the sun. There are no restrictions or the fear of being judged. Even if he/she is your best friend, they will have mild inhibitions or opinions regarding you. But a journal will never question you. You can rant about anything and it will be a patient listener. You can vent out your frustrated feelings or share about your secret crush or bitch about that drama queen or write down your personal goals, a journal will bear everything that you scribble on it.

2.Your journal is your mirror

A personal diary is a reflection of what you are. It contains your deepest feelings, your fears, your random musings, your joys, your sorrows and what not. So, just a skim through your journal will tell a lot about you. In fact, it will sum up your entire life. As you read your journal later, you will find how you have evolved yourself through the thick and thin of your life. You will be subjected to self-appreciation – that you’ve emerged as a better person.

3.It makes you feel better

Writing down your feelings is a great stress-buster. Half of your problems will be solved if you put them down in your journal. It will be easy for you to analyze the problem later and come up with an apt solution. Also, after you share your feelings, you’ll feel less burdened and the problem won’t be the same anymore. It’ll make you intuitive and teach a lot about yourself by giving you insights.

4.You can revise your goals

Since you list down your personal goals in your journal, you can easily revise them from time to time. You can sketch your progress, add more goals and feel encouraged as you achieve them. When you have written a perfect list of goals, you will feel contented with yourself. You’ll be determined to accomplish them as soon as possible. You can also share about your cherished dreams and long-lost passion. Though you might have not had a chance to achieve them, you can revel in the imaginary feeling of attaining them.

5.A daily planner in your hand

Your daily chores take up most of your time. And there would be hell lot of forgettable things. You wouldn’t want your mom or dad or spouse to be yelling at you for not buying that extra packet of milk. You can just jot down the errands that you’ve to run, not leaving out a single thing. Since you spend some quality time with your journal, you will surely look at the list and remember what you have to do next.

6.A storehouse for your precious ideas

Your personal journal is your reliable companion wherever you go. An idea can pop up at any time. Even in the most unusual situation. Only at that time you’d realize that you’ve nothing with you to write it down. After you reach home, you’d have most probably forgot about the idea. Hence, a diary is an essential whenever you venture out. Especially if you’re a writer, traveling without a journal is an unforgivable sin.

7.Improve your writing skills

Who wouldn’t want to turn into a flawless writer? Regular journal writing will help you improve your writing and communication skills. By the end of the year, you would be surprised at yourself. How fluent your language has become! Additionally, getting into the practice of writing a diary will also make you creative.

8.Your personal space in the world

Imagine a place where no one exists. Nobody bothers about you. No one interrupts your thoughts. No one judges you. No one questions you about your decisions. How peaceful it would be! Yes, a journal is your OWN personal space where no one can invade your privacy. You’d have all the time in the world for yourself. Just you and your diary! You can be yourself with your journal. You needn’t worry about grammar. The words which you write in your diary are straight from your heart. There are no rules and regulations for them.

So, what are you waiting for? Get a journal and start penning.[image error]

Happy Journaling!

 

Writing Q&A| Finding Time to Start and Finish your Novel

I just cannot move ahead without reblogging this post. For all those sweet morons who think that writers have lots of free time, just read this post by my darling Balakarthiga.

BEcoming Bala

This happens to me, almost everyday.

I have people coming up to me, or pinging me on Facebook, telling me that they’re so ready to write a novel, but they don’t have as much free time ‘as I do’ and thus cannot start or finish a novel – even though they know that  they’ll make a national best seller if only they got the time to write.

Well, here’s a myth buster.

I DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME!!! 

I’m a full time college student and I’m prepping for my summer internship, final year placements and other exams in my free/out-of-college time, so…..umm…no, I didn’t have more free time than anyone else did.

Every time someone says that, I usually  get offended and intimidated, that I just nod silently and leave the room.

But later, when I get back to my room, those words come back to me and…

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