Book Review: You are the Best Wife by Ajay K. Pandey

Book Name- You are the Best Wife

Author- Ajay K. Pandey

Publisher- Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Price- Rs. 175

Blurb-

Ajay believes in living for himself; Bhavna teaches him to live for others. Ajay is a planner for life; Bhavna makes him live in every moment.

You are the Best Wife is a story of two people with contradictory ideologies who fall in love. It changes them for good. It changes the way they look at the world and the way the world looks at them. Until destiny reveals its plan.

This is a true inspiring story of the author and his struggle with life, after his beloved wife left him halfway through their journey. But her last words, ‘you are the best husband’ gave him strength to live on, and fulfil his promise of love.

Told with frankness and doses of humour, this heart-warming tale of a boy and girl who never gave up on their love in face of adversities, ends on a bittersweet and poignant note as Ajay comes to terms with the biggest lesson life has to offer.

My take-

Ajay, hailing from a middle class family, has high aspirations of getting in to the IIT but lands up in IERT. He wishes to have a sound life without slightest worries. He plans up to score excellent marks and get placed in an excellent company paying him hefty amount. He decides to keep away from all kinds of distraction especially girls. But he couldn’t escape Cupid’s game. He sees Bhavna in his class and ends up in having a crush on her. He takes up coaching class for learning programming language, the reason being Bhavna. His crush slowly develops and evolves in to true love.

Bhavna comes from a strict and rich family. Ajay couldn’t dare to confess his feelings to her. He resorts to bluffing. He cooks up a tale of leaving IERT and confesses his feelings to Bhavna. She reciprocates her feelings and says yes to their relationship.

Life offers them surprises throughout their engineering days. First problem Ajay encounters is that of job. He doesn’t get placed in any of the companies. He decides to opt for further studies. Meanwhile, Bhavna finds herself in a well settled job. Few years later, Bhavna’s parents think about her marriage and Bhavna ends up in spilling beans about her relationship with Ajay.

How do her parents react to Bhavna’s news? Do they agree? What does Ajay do to convince his parents? What bitter game does life play with them?

The narration has been done in simple English. The story can be well understood by any person. The emotions are very well described. One can relate to the situations. I can say that the end part of this novel is surely going to leave tears in your eyes. The chapters have been named in such a way that it gives you a faint idea about where the story would go. The flow of events in the story is consistent.

The beginning of the novel seemed quite boring to me. It was the usual ragging, crush, confession, dates and late night walks. The story sped up Ajay landed up in job. I found Ajay’s way of disclosing about his relationship to his father really cute. It was towards the end that I felt emotional. I was almost in tears.

I liked the simplicity  and frankness in this story.

Likes-

• Ajay disclosing his relationship to his father.
• Monu helping Ajay in Operation Emotional Drama
• The Video Clip

I have learnt a lesson from You are the Best Wife and that is

‘No matter how bad the situation is, one must never surrender. One must never lose hope.’

With this novel, the author has touched the hearts of millions of people who have lost their loved ones. He is sure to give them hopes to stay alive and do all those things their loved ones dreamt of. He is here to inspire them to live. And yeah! He has indeed made Bhavna immortal.

I rate-

Cover- 3.8/5

Story- 4/5

Characters- 3.5/5

My overall rating for You are the Best Wife is 4/5.

You can buy your copies here!

Pari ---- Part V

Pari reached at my place in the evening.

“Mia! Did you hear about Deepak’s film?”

“Yes Pari!”

“I am so sorry!”

“It’s okay Pari.”

Her phone started ringing.

“Excuse me Mia.” She said and moved out of the room to answer the call.

“Who was it?” I asked her upon returning.

“Ummm… It was my mother.” She appeared confused.

“Oh! Is everything all right?”

“Yes Mia! I need to go. Bye.” She said and left.

“She behaved weird today. Something is seriously wrong. She usually answers all her calls in my presence. Why did she move out to answer? I need to find out about this.” I thought.

“Ankit” I called him up. “I need to meet you now!”

“Okay Mia.”

“Where can we meet? Can you come over to my apartment?”

“Okay Mia. I shall be there within an hour.”

I anxiously waited for Ankit to turn up at my place. I wanted to sort things out before it was too late.

The door bell rang. My maid received him to my room.

“Hey Ankit. Come on in!” I smiled.

“Hi Mia! How are you doing?”

“I am good. And you?”

“I am fine Mia. What is disturbing you these days? What was it that you wanted to tell me so bad?”

“Ankit, Pari’s behavior has changed. She acts strange these days.”

Ankit’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Pari? Are you sure Mia? She is your best friend.”

“I know Ankit that I sound crazy. But I want you to do this for me. This is just going to be a confirmation. I want to be sure that Pari is no harm to me.”

“Okay Mia. I shall see that.”

“Do you want something? Tea? Coffee?”

“I want you. Mia, please consider my proposal. I love you.”

“Don’t start it Ankit. You are not my type! I am sorry!”

“Okay Mia! I need to go. I shall take your leave now.”

The following next week was the most depressing one. I had lost one more movie to Pooja. She was giving me a tough competition. Any decision I made, she knew it before the world. She wore the same dress that I had decided to wear at the award ceremony. I desperately wanted to put an end to this but could not figure out how. I waited for Ankit’s call.

He called me that week.

“Mia! You were right! Its Pari!”

No words escaped from my mouth. My wildest nightmare had come true. I could not believe that my best friend did this to me.

“Mia, Are you there? Are you listening to me?”

“Ye… Ye… Yes...” I stammered.

“Pari meets her every day after she leaves for home. I also saw her on the sets of Pooja’s movie a few times. Check her phone Mia. We would know many more things.”

“Okay. I shall do that. Ankit?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks.”

“Anything for you!”

I purposely went to Pari’s home next day. Her mother opened the door.

“Mia! How are you my child?”

“I am fine Aunty. How are you doing?”

“I am good. Take a seat. Pari is taking bath.”

“Okay Aunty. Thanks.”

I picked up Pari’s phone and checked it. There were many messages from Pooja. I read a few. It was Pari who informed Pooja about every single thing I did. She even told her about the amount I charged. She vomited every detail of my life out to her. I could not wait there any longer. I was feeling suffocated.

“Aunty, send Pari at my place. I remembered that I have some work to do.” I said and moved out of the house.

“I read her messages. You were right.” I messaged Ankit.

I reached home and waited for Pari to arrive.

“What is the matter Mia? Aai told me that you were home!”

“Yes Pari. I just want a reason why you did this to me?”

“Did what Mia? What did I do?”

“You know very well what I am talking.”

“What?”

“Did you do it for money Pari? Did you? Come on! Answer me!”

“Fine! No Mia! I did not do it for money. I did it because I envied you. I hated to see you succeed.”

“What?” my voice dropped.

All this while, I thought that she wanted more money. But the truth that was revealed was completely different.

“Yes Mia! I have always hated you. I always hated you when your parents pampered you and mine didn’t. I hated you when you gifted me those dresses and sandals. You were proud that you were rich and I was poor. You remember? We, both, participated in plays at school. I loved acting. You continued and I could not because of financial problems. I hated you then. I could not stand when you told me that you had received a lead role in movie. I hated you when you were allowed to chase your dreams and I was compelled to work for that rotten company. Your success killed me Mia. It killed me from inside and that’s the reason why I did this! I wanted you to be sad. I wanted you to feel the pain when you are not able to pursue the thing that you like. I wanted you to suffer Mia. Helping Pooja was the best possible revenge I could take!”

“Just get out of my house! Get lost Pari! I do not want to see your face anymore!” I shouted.

I was crying. Pari had deceived me. My best friend had broken my trust. I could not believe my ears when Pari told me that she hates me. I loved her a lot. I considered her to be my sister and she turned out to be a traitor.

“This glamour world is very much unreal. I have enemies who praise me and friends who stab me at my back.” I thought.

Pari was one such friend in my life. She was nothing like her name. She was not an angel. She was a devil. I will always remember her as ‘The Devil named Pari’.

The End

Links to previous parts:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Book Review: Those were the days by N. S. Ravi

Book Name- Those were the days

Author- N. S. Ravi

Publisher- Frog Books

Price- Rs. 195

Blurb-

I get frustrated when I hear my own people criticizing India.

I feel sad when I realize that more than half of the Indian population is unaware of what we have achieved in the recent past.

It is unfortunate that we seniors along with the government have jointly failed to make our younger generation know how great this country is. We teach them about Ramayana, Mahabharata and few selected leaders during the independence movement. We name all our new schemes after one or two leaders as if they were the only ones who did everything.

India is more than just few leaders. India has been a movement which assimilates everything which comes in to contact with it and it is people who live here who make it happen.

The last fifty years have seen tumultuous changes world over. These have had vibrations in India as well.

Let us re-live these years.

My take-

‘Those were the days’ is not just a novel telling you about India in 1950s or 1960s. It’s much more than that. It’s the author’s journey of life. The author has seen India changing and he has narrated his vision about India to us. He does it by writing letters addressed to his son and daughter. This is the first book I have read wherein the narration has been done using letters as the medium. He talks about the postal system of India, the buses, the trains, the radio systems, the typewriters, the cameras and many other things. Every letter has that personal touch. It gives you a homely feel when you read it. I could very well compare it to my grandmother recounting the stories of her childhood.

The narration is in simple English and very much understandable. The Memorabilia at the end of few chapters was the cherry on the cake. The flow of the chapters has been smooth.

The author’s love for our country is visible in his writing.

I would recommend this book to all those who loved listening to granny’s stories. ‘Those were the days’ made me miss my granny. I had an awesome time reading it.

I rate the cover with 3.5/5 stars.

My overall rating for ‘Those were the days’ is 4/5 stars.

You can get your copies here.

Pari --- Part IV

Few days later

I switched on T.V while sipping my morning coffee.

“Actress Pooja made an appearance at Mr. Desai’s birthday! Check her out! Doesn’t she look ravishing in her maroon skirt and cream colored shirt! She is simply wow!” said the T.V host.

I was shocked to see Pooja wearing the dress that I was supposed to wear for the magazine launch the next day. I called up Pari.

“Pari, have you watched the T.V?”

“Yes Mia. I know. You wear something else. All kind of dresses suit you dear.” She wanted to make up for my bad mood.

“How did she come to know about the dress which I was supposed to wear? Who can do such a thing? Who can tell her? Vicky?” I thought.

I dialed Vicky’s number.

“Vicky?”

“Yes Mia baby!”

“How could you do this to me? I considered you as my best friend.” I yelled.

“I have no idea about what you are talking to me dear.”

“Switch on your T.V and then call me.” I disconnected my call.

I was fuming not because she copied me or ruined my plan of wearing that dress but because Vicky had deceived me. My eyes had welled up with tears. I remembered Shalini Ma’am, a senior actress. She had once said to me “You cannot trust anybody in this movie world. Every single person is fake. Nobody is a friend.”

My phone started ringing. It was Vicky’s call.

“Dear! I do not know how it happened. I am no part to it.” He explained.

“I do not want to hear anything Vicky. I did not expect this from you.”

“Why will I do such a cheap thing Mia? Can’t you believe me? I am very happy designing clothes for you and the amount you pay me is also quite good. I said that just in case you feel money could be the reason.”

I just kept quiet.

“Mia! I swear I did not do anything. Please believe me.”

“Okay! I need some time alone Vicky. I shall call you later.”

I wanted to call somebody urgently now! Yes, I had to call Ankit!

“Ankit!”

“Mia, Star Cosmetics has signed Pooja for their product endorsement.”

“Okay! Listen! I want you to find out that person who revealed the details of my dress to Pooja. It’s very urgent. Don’t waste time. Please!”

“Sure Mia! See you!”

A week later

My phone beeped. It was a message from Neha, a magazine editor. It read as follows:

“Deepak’s movie that you were trying for and almost selected has been given to Pooja. The contract is signed too.”

Ground slipped off my feet. I had many hopes from this movie. The story was awesome and the role was very much challenging. I wanted to act in that movie. But luck did not favor me.

I called up Ankit.

“Hi Mia! I could not find out who had done that creepy act. I think somebody who stays with you is responsible for that.”

“Ankit! I am in deep shit. Deepak’s movie is gone. Pooja is finalized for his movie and I hear that she has asked for less fees. I do not know what I should do now. I hope I do not hear another movie loss tomorrow!”

“Mia, don’t discuss about movies, promotions and for that matter anything in front of your servants. Be careful. Stay alert!”

“Okay. Thanks a ton Ankit!”

(To be continued)

You can read the previous parts here- Part I, Part II and Part III

Book Review- The Last Surge By Pramit Sarkar

Book Name: The Last Surge

Author: Pramit Sarkar

Publisher:  Gargi Publisher

Price: Rs. 175

Blurb:

“…the day we face each other, she will be sorry; sorry for rendering me emotionally impotent. And that will be my victory.”

Their blazing courtship was nearing marriage, before fate played its vicious card. Rimi dumped Gabriel and married the choice of her family but Gabriel decided to remain single.

Why did Rimi take such a drastic decision? How did Gabriel keep up his singlehood? Did they meet gain or did fate succeed in keeping them apart? How does Sneha fit in to the picture?

Crafted with the characteristic flavours of Bengal, THE LAST SURGE brings you the tale of an ace football player turned relationship counsellor and what made this protagonist a great brother, a greater father and even a greater romantic.

My take:

Gabriel and Rimi meet each other in a most unusual manner. The thing that starts with an urge for revenge ends up in love. Gabriel is Catholic and Rimi, a Hindu. Does love see religion? No! It doesn’t. Gabriel and Rimi dream about their future.

Meanwhile, Rimi’s guardians fix up her marriage with a boy from their community. Rimi reveals about her relationship to her family who take the entire situation negatively. Death of her uncle adds more to the emotional drama. Rimi gives in to her family’s decision and breaks all contacts with Gabriel.

Gabriel abandons everything that reminds him of Rimi. He finds solace in serving in an orphanage. He takes to relationship counselling as his profession and during all this chaos, Sneha happens to him.

Does Gabriel move on? Who is Sneha and how is she related to Gabriel? Do Rimi and Gabriel cross each other’s path in future? What do they say to each other?

Pramit Sarkar has amazed me with his story in Innocence Lost Anthology and so has his debut novel – The Last Surge.

The Last Surge is not just one story- many stories are woven together and made in to one. The narration is next to perfect. The development of each character has been thoughtfully done. The story exhibits a kind of maturity and lovable innocence which touches your heart.

If I was to sum up ‘The Last Surge’, I would say

“The Last Surge is a story of relationships- relationship between lovers, relationship between father and daughter and relationship between a counsellor and patient. It teaches you the true meaning of love and sacrifice.”

Likes:

• The use of Bengali words.
• Gabriel Hopkins- as a person.

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Story: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

My overall rating for The Last Surge is 4/5.

I would recommend this book to everyone. It’s worth a read! Book your copies here!

Book Review- King of Hearts by Prassant Kevin

Book Name: King of Hearts

Author: Prassant Kevin

Publisher: BookMozo

Price: Rs. 150

Blurb:

At the age of 21, Ayan left his home and ran to Delhi in search of his dream and identity. In everybody’s eyes, he was nothing but a loser except for his best friend, Misha, with whom he falls in love. And after two years of hardship, when he finally got his long awaited chance, he stunned the whole nation and became one of the greatest artist and heartthrob of this generation.

But destiny had some other plans for him and one day, something happened which turned his world upside down. He was on the verge of losing everything he ever had and to save them all, he had to fight the greatest battle of his life.

To know more, read the astonishing tale of a young man’s extraordinary journey to find his lost dreams, love and friendship.

My take:

Ayan, a young boy aged 21 years, moves in to Delhi to pursue his dreams. He has had to pay a heavy price for it. A fight with his fami8ly for not joining their already flourishing business was the cost.  Ayan lands up in Delhi with mere amount of cash in his pockets and abundant hope. He befriends Misha and discovers a never-ending bond of friendship with her. Ayan gets his debut novel published and becomes a best-selling author after months of struggle. He confesses his love feelings to Misha who doesn’t acknowledge his love and leaves him forever.

Ayan doesn’t give up on life and acts strong. He manages to write another bestseller. Life takes a great shape for him until the very day that fateful accident occurs. What incident occurs? Does Misha come back to Ayan to help him out? What is Ayan’s story?

The story opens up with a bang which steals the reader’s attention. But as one move towards the end, the progress considerably slows down and the interest kind of diminishes (may be that is cause of Ayan’s sad life). The narration has been engaging. Using simple English is a major advantage because one doesn’t need to open up the dictionary for synonyms every now and then.

Likes:

• The names of the characters- Ayan and Misha
• Misha and Ayan’s relationship
• Ayan’s quest for success

Dislikes/ Drawbacks:

• The novel requires editing. There were many instances where sms short forms of the words were discovered.
• Naming the chapters would have been like the cherry on the cake.

King of Hearts teaches you that no matter how adverse or bad your life turns in to, you must never lose hope. You must always pursue your dreams.

I rate:

Cover: 4/5

Story: 3/5

Characters: 2.5/5

My overall rating for King of Hearts is 3/5.

You can book your copies here!

Pari --- Part III

“Acting is a very complex job.” I announced to Pari, one evening.

“Yeah!” she replied.

“What is wrong Pari?” I said when I realized that she was upset.

“It’s nothing Mia. I have been facing some financial problems. My current job does not pay me well.”

“Listen! If I bag this role, then you can become my manager. It will be fun and your financial problems will also be solved. I do not want to hear a NO.”

“Okay.” She smiled.

I bagged the role. My acting career got a kick start. I appointed Pari as my manager. And today, it’s been 4 years that I am in film industry with 5 super hit movies and 10 product endorsements. The count would have been 11 in case they hadn’t backed out at the 11^th hour.

“Success and failures are ingredients of the recipe called life” I said to myself.

I picked my phone and dialed Ankit’s number. Ankit was like a ‘Google’ to me. If I wanted to share some news or find out some, Ankit helped me. I paid him for his work.

“Hi Ankit! I want you to find out who has been signed for the endorsement of Star Cosmetics products before they launch their product in market. They have cancelled the contract with me.” I knew the ways the movie industry worked. Nobody gave a damn to what you did. If you want something, you had to strive for it.

“I will do it as early as possible. Bye.”

Nobody in the industry knew about Ankit and the kind of work he did for me.

“Ma’am, your shot is ready.” said a spot boy to me.

“Yes. I am coming.” I said and moved to shoot.

One month later

“Mia baby! What are you going to wear for the magazine launch day after?” asked Vicky, my dress designer.

“Vicky, I want you to decide it.” I smiled.

“Listen darling! A maroon pencil skirt with a sleeveless cream colored shirt will look good on you. Try wearing it today!” he advised.

“Yes Mia. You will look beautiful.” Pari popped in.

Just then Pari’s phone started ringing.

“Guys, please be quiet. I need to answer this call.”

We kept quiet while she finished with her call.

“Yes. Now you can continue.” I smiled and so did Vicky.

“Okay. I shall try it!” I further said “Guys, I am very happy. I do not have any work tomorrow. I am free to rest.” I declared.

“Yes Mia. Take rest tomorrow. You have a busy week ahead.” said Pari.

(To be continued)


To read previous parts, Click Part I and Part II

Book Review: 1000 Kilograms of Goa by Rohan Govenkar

Book Name- 1000 Kilograms of Goa

Author- Rohan Govenkar

Publisher- Pirates

Price- Rs. 149

Blurb-

What do you at a college reunion in Goa?

Clubbing? Sunbathing? Water Sports?

.

.

.

Treasure Hunt?

Escaping from police and drug mafia?

.

.

Falling in love?

.

No one has ever got enough of Goa, and 1000 Kilograms of Goa isn’t worth missing at all!

My Take-

This story has been set in the most beautiful state of goa. The protagonist, Ashwin is a resident of Goa. Pratik, Bhavesh, Iftikar and Priya, his friends, visit Goa during Christmas time. Fun on beaches, casinos, alcoholic drinks and parties is something which attracts lots of toursits. But Pratik and Priya is on a mission. They are attracted towards the hidden treasure on the Diwar Island.

Do they find the spot where the treasure is hidden? Do they get the gold? Do they face any problems?

Story and the characters:

The story is well knit without a slightest loophole. The flow of the events in the story is apt and the progress of the story is neither too fast nor too slow. The detailing of the places makes the reader draw a picture of the place in his mind. This is probably the first novel I have read that describes the scenic beauty of Goa so beautifully. The story keeps you hooked until the very end.

The characters too are well developed. The friendship bond that Ashwin shares with Iftikar, Bhavesh and Pratik is strong and I envy their friendship. Priya plays the role of girl-next-door. She is sweet, naughty and intelligent. She will surely create a place in the hearts of many readers.

Narration:

The narration style is simple but engrossing. There haven’t been any occurrences of words being stuffed up in order to make the language sound heavy.

I liked everything about 1000 Kilograms of Goa.

1000 Kilograms of Goa is a tale worth reading. It is an adventurous tale of treasure hunt. Apart from this, it gives you an insight of the problems that people from Goa face, the luring casinos where drug and flesh trade take place, the innocent behaviour and simple life of Goan people and many more things. It tells the reader that life in Goa is not as smooth as it is shown in movies.

I am sure that you will enjoy this exciting hunt as much as I did.

I rate:

Cover- 3.5/5

Story- 4/5

Characters- 4/5

My overall rating for 1000 Kilograms of Goa is 4/5.

You can book your copies here!

Pari --- Part II

Time flew away like wind. I had finally completed my acting course. Mr. Reddy, a famous filmmaker, was invited as a chief guest for the certificate distribution function. I was thrilled to see his name printed on the invitation card.

“Now, I would request Mr. Reddy to say a few words and guide our students.” said Mr. Bhatt, director of our institute.

“Friends, I do not want to give long speeches or lecture about acting. Acting is like a river. It flows in the manner it wants. In order to succeed, you need to flow in that river. Acting is itself a small world where you can be your own without any restrictions.”

All of us were intently listening to him. I had put on the voice recorder in my phone. I wanted to capture this moment. But video recording was not possible, so voice recorder. These words by Mr. Reddy would serve as an inspiration to me in future was my belief.

“Why are all of you so serious?” Mr. Reddy asked. “Let us have a quick acting session. I shall judge you all and award you points.”

We were surprised to see Mr. Reddy talk like this to us. No doubt, he was down to earth. He was not proud. Today I understood the reason why actors praise him and love to work with him. He made us feel very comfortable.

“Okay Sir.” said everybody in unison.

Mr. Reddy started giving scenes to everybody. Yes, Different scenes and everybody acted well. We were allowed to choose our own dialogs. My heart had started to beat fast and faster. I felt like it had changed its place and had risen up to my throat. I felt like it could come out of my mouth any moment. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I got goose bumps all over my body. I was hell nervous. With every passing second, I felt giddy. This had never happened before. I was very much cool when it came to acting and today I was just the opposite. It was because of Mr. Reddy. Yeah! His presence! Such a great personality he was after all. I felt like an ant before mountain.

“Relax Mia. Everything is going to be fine.” I said to myself.

I took a few deep breaths until I heard someone call out my name. I stood up and marched towards the stage. I was shivering out of fear. Mr. Reddy greeted me with a smile. I knew he had understood my situation. He thought for a while and said “Mia, your boyfriend has ended up his relationship with you. He has told you about it just now. Enact the scene.”

I closed my eyes and prayed to God before starting acting. I arched my eyebrows in shock and sat down on the chair with a thud. I looked helplessly at the floor and then said “I won’t ask you why. I do not want any explanation or reasons.” I had tears in my eyes. “I just want to thank you for everything that you gave me. You are walking away from me, from my life but your memories wont. I will always cherish them. Also remember, I will always love you.” I smiled through my tears and turned to walk away.

I heard everybody clapping.

“Awesome! Does anybody know why I labeled her performance as awesome? Well, she did not create any drama something like ‘You cannot leave me alone like this’ or ‘Please don’t do this to me’. She acted matured and practical. Good work Mia.” remarked Mr. Reddy.

All the remaining students performed and the certificate distribution program started. I walked to the stage to receive mine. Mr. Reddy had a wide smile on his face. He congratulated me and said “Mia, you are extremely talented. Don’t let this talent go waste.”

I nodded and returned back to my seat. I was astonished to see Mr. Reddy’s visiting card along with my certificate. The visiting card had a message written. It read:

“Come to my office on 18^th March for the audition.”

My happiness knew no bounds. I was on cloud 9. I thanked Mr. Reddy after the function and returned home to share this good news with my parents and of course Pari!

Pari was very happy to hear the news.

“You will surely be selected for the role. Don’t worry.” She said.

“I hope so.”

“If you are then I want a treat from you!”

“We shall party.” I declared.

Exactly one week was left for my audition. I started brushing up my acting skills. “If I succeed in this, I have conquered 10% of the battle. I don’t want to fail. I am going to try my best.” I decided.

I was auditioned for the lead role. The news of the selection was to be notified within a week.

(To be continued)

Link to Part I - Part I

Pari --- Part I

Image : Google

“Hello! Am I talking to Pari, Mia Ma’am Manager?”

“Yes.”

“Ma’am, I am calling from Star Cosmetics.”

“Yes.”

“Ma’am, I am sorry to tell you that we cannot afford Mia Ma’am for the endorsement of our products. Her fees are too high.”

“What? But we had signed the contract yesterday! You did not mention anything about fees then!”

“Yes. I know that. But the director has said no to it now.”

“How can you do this?” her voice sharpened.

“I am sorry Ma’am. I cannot do anything with it.”

“Okay. Thank You.”

“Bye Ma’am.” She disconnected her call and turned to look at me.

“What is it?” my eyes questioned her.

“Mia” she sighed “That was a call from Star Cosmetics. They are saying that they cannot go forward with us. According to them, your fees are too high.”

The expression on my face changed. I gestured my make-up man to stop.

“We had signed the contract. Isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yeah Mia. I do not know why they took such a decision.” She appeared sad. “Don’t worry Mia. You will be considered for some other. It’s their loss, not ours. So chill! Focus on your scene.” She built up my confidence.

Pari, my manager, was my best friend since my school days. We were neighbors. We would go to school together and study together. She was intelligent. She helped me a lot with my studies. We, both, loved acting and hence participated in the plays organized by our school. Pari did not come from a well-to-do family. They were poor. She could not afford expensive clothes and sandals. I, being the only child of my parents, was pampered a lot. My parents fulfilled all my wishes.

“Mama, shall we buy a dress for Pari?” I asked my mother once when we had been for shopping.

“Yes dear.” My mother said.

From that day onwards, buying stuffs for Pari became a routine. Whether I went shopping in a mall or vacation in another state, I would always get things for Pari. She had become a sister to me and so had I to her.

After we finished our college, Pari opted to take up job and I switched to modeling. I had decided I would become an actor. We, Pari and me, saw less of each other. She was busy with her job while photo shoots, fashion shows and acting course ate up most of my time.

Time flew away like wind.

(To be continued)

Book Review: It Doesn’t Hurt To Be Nice by Amisha Sethi

Book Name- It Doesn’t Hurt To Be Nice

Authoress- Amisha Sethi

Publisher- Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Price- Rs. 175

Blurb-

Kiara is a dynamic, thirty-something girl who has reached great heights professionally, and is the apple of the eye for almost everyone who knows her. But she never took any short cuts to become happier, wiser, healthier and more compassionate.

She had to find rays of hope where the dark tunnel seemed unending, and identify shade in life’s burning path. She found little pearls of wisdom in chasing her dreams, in spreading laughter, in learning from scriptures and philosophers, and even at one point in almost ending her life.

More than Kiara’s story and the wisdom she achieves through the various dramatic and hilarious experiences, this book is a motion picture with you in the lead role. You as the ‘hero’ who can beat the most stubborn of villians – most of which lie deep within us… our fear, unkindness, selfish interests, negative thoughts and jealousy. You as the ‘heroine’ who is sharp and witty in talking, selfless and caring in love, and charming and beautiful inside out, like one other (perhaps a 2.0 version of you).

Walk with Kiara to find a better you, because It Doesn’t Hurt To Be Nice.

My Take-

It Doesn’t Hurt To Be Nice serves as a guide towards self-realisation and contentment. We humans, are the most unsatisfied creations of God. We always keep our greed before our need. We crave for success, freedom and happiness. We are prisoners of hatred, jealousy and anger. Apart from these, there are many more things that are existent in this nature that we usually neglect or turn deaf ear to! Its love, sacrifice, kindness and responsibility!

Have we ever given a part of our meal to those hungry kids on the street?

Have we helped our colleagues with their work?

Have we ever loved someone selflessly?

As for me, the answers to all above questions are NO! It’s really shameful. Ain’t it? Reading this novel changed my vision of looking at things. I have started to feel a kind of positivity within me. I have started to believe that love is the only religion that must exist in this world.

The book is divided in to chapters- each giving out a message. The shlokas from Upanishads and other holy books are cherries on the cake. They are very well explained in simple and plain English which makes the reader feel at ease. The illustrations (caricatures) at the beginning of each chapter give you a brief idea about what the chapter is going to be all about. The narration is simple and a plus point for this book. Some incidences are narrated which add some more weight to the facts. There are a few messages in between the chapters which are extremely inspiring.

I rate-

Cover- 4/5

Narration and Plot- 3.5/5

My overall rating for It Doesn’t Hurt To Be Nice is 3.8/5 stars. 

You can grab your copies here!

Book Review: First Love Matters… So Does The Second by Vishal Sah.

Book Name:  First Love Matters… So Does The Second

Author: Vishah Sah

Publisher: Half Baked Beans Publishing

Price: Rs. 199

Blurb:

Everything was perfect when all of them were at school. Vishal was happy with Shreya, so were Shaurya and Myra. But little did they know that a life ‘not so perfect’ was waiting for them outside their school gate.

What happens when one chooses ambition over love? Would you be able to live with doing something you didn’t want to do? Could someone rectify their long forgotten past? Is it possible to win a battole against Death?

Explore what it is like to think that you are in love for the first time only to realise that you are constantly falling in love, as a wise man said

“First Love Matters… So Does The Second”

My Take:

The story begins with the scene where Vishal, the protagonist, is getting ready for school. He is all excited as he is starting off with SSC and that he is going to meet Vedika, his crush. Luck favours Vishal and he is made to sit with Vedika. Their friendship blooms and strengthens. Over time, Vishal falls in love with Vedika. He decided to confess his feelings to her but Vediak in turn surprises him. She gets committed to Arnav. Vishal’s first love remains incomplete. Vedika walks out of his school and his life.

Life gives him second chance. Shreya enters his life and Vishal finds his long lost happiness. He performs well in his HSSC exams and secures admission in to medicine. Vishal’s happiness is short-lived. It seems as if he had been taken up higher only to be knocked down again.

How will Vishal react to this situation? Will he accept the reality or challenge the nature’s threat? Will his friends support him through this ordeal?

The narration style is simple and touching. It reminded me of my school days. The flow of events in the story is also done well. However, the transition of the past to the present at the end is confusing. Being debut, I say that the author has done justice with the story.

Likes:

• Vishal and his gang’s friendship.
• Vishal’s love for Shreya.
• Dedication of Vishal, Ananya, Shaurya and Shreya towards their career.

Dislikes:

• The editing has suffered in many places.

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Story: 3/5

Characters: 2.5/5

My overall rating for First Love Matters… So Does The Second is 3/5 stars.

You can order our copies here!

Book Review: #IAm16ICanRape by Kirtida Gautam

Book name- # IAm16ICanRape

Authoress- Kirtida Gautam

Publisher- Read Out Loud

Price- Rs. 450

Blurb-

Rudransh Kashyap is a self-made billionaire and man of high moral fiber. His life is shattered when he returns home one day to find that his prodigy, his 16 year old grandson, Aarush, has been arrested and accused of a brutal gang rape. It is easy to say “Kill The Rapist” but what if the accused is your child?

This case takes an unprecedented turn when Aarush’s identity is made public on social media. Rudransh finds himself living a nightmare as he fights against tremendous odds to get justice for aarush, to save him and to bring him back home… but what if the unthinkable is true? Can Rudransh save his grandson, or will he end up fighting a different battle altogether?

My Take-

#IAm16ICanRape is a psychological thriller set in the city of Bangalore. Aarush, a boy of 16, is accused of raping Subhangi Tyagi. Aarush hails from a very wealthy family. Does he escape from punishment? How does his family take a stand to this situation? Is Subhangi Tyagi case going to force any changes in punishment for juveniles?

I do not feel like spilling the details about this story as I want every individual to read and understand it. Reading is the only activity that enables you to live the life in other’s shoes. This book has done the same to me. I have lived through the lives of the characters. I have shed tears, celebrated success and felt supported throughout my read. Each and every scene and emotion that is narrated in this story touches one’s heart. The story serves as the mirror to the present Indian society.

The characters are so well crafted that I feel as if they are for real. Being debut novel, I must say that the author has done extremely commendable job. I would love to read more from her pen.

The narration is simple and engaging. I would describe # IAm16ICanRape to be ‘infectious’. Yes! It had infected my mind and heart so much that I couldn’t wait to finish it. The book was on my mind throughout the week. It kept me hooked until the end. Today again when I see the book, all I want to do is pick it up and read all over again.

I am not going to point out any likes here because I loved each and every page that I read.

#IAm16ICanRape is going to stay with me forever.

I rate-

Cover- 3/5

Story- 4.5/5

Characters- 4.5/5

My overall rating for #IAm16ICanRape is 4.5/5.

You can order your copies at this link!