I was sad until I met her

I was sitting at the coffee shop, all dejected. I was unhappy with the way my life was getting shaped. My career graph was progressing towards the third quadrant. I had screwed all of the online jobs that I had been doing by not adhering to their deadlines. I wasn’t in good books with my parents. I had fucked up my relationship too. I was feeling suicidal. I had almost given up on me. I considered me to be a loser and that’s exactly when she happened.

I saw her reflection in the mirror. She was reading a book. Her eyes danced from one corner of the page to another in a jiffy. She was a ‘fast-reader’. The expressions on her face were worth capturing. I was mesmerized with her. I felt that I was possessed. She finished her coffee and left the shop.

I followed her. She got in to a boutique and marched towards the dress section. I did not want her to see me. I hid behind the clothes. But she caught me.

“Can you please help me select one among these?” She asked, holding a black and white colored dress.

“Of course! The Black one!”

“Black represents darkness, sadness. Life can never be so dark and dull. There is always something good happening in your life. You just fail to see it. I choose the white one!” She replied.

I stood astonished. She was herself very sure of buying the white one. She paid for her dress and left the boutique.

She entered a hotel. I sat exactly opposite to her. I ordered myself a coffee and observed her. She ordered quite a number of dishes. I was surprised to see that such petite figure could digest so much food.

She looked at me and said “It’s all in your mind. There is nothing in this world, no food and no truth, which cannot be digested. You may find it hard to accept now. But trust me, you will find it all funny in future. Enjoy life!”

She joined me and asked “Do you have extra money?”

I nodded and handed over a 500 rupee note to her. She took it and gave it to the beggar on the street.

“You should be an inspiration. In fact, you are one. Stop considering yourself as a loser.” She said and went away.

I woke up with a fright. I had been dreaming. Do you know who the girl was? It was me. Friends, you need to have a talk with yourself once in a while. See yourself as a third person and count your blessings. You will never be able to do it if you look otherwise. This talk-with-yourself session will help you for sure. Try it once! I am sure you will feel lucky, inspired and content.

Book Review- Heart of Bullets by Nikhil Kushwaha

Book Name: Heart of Bullets

Author: Nikhil Kushwaha

Publisher: Petals Publishers and Distributors

Price: Rs. 195

Blurb:

‘The only way to get close to those glittering stars in heaven is to look at a soldier with stars on his shoulders.

Every time, they’re around, the thing that we see is the bravery, awards, medals, the pride, but what we can’t see is their sacrifices and the hardship they’ve been through. Every soldier has a story that is unique and extra-ordinary.

A tale of brotherhood and heroism, a tale of love and betrayal, ‘Heart of Bullets’ is about two friends. Arpan and Sam, and the untold story of their friendship, untold story of their love, Shradha, but what happens when Sam gets hit by the enemy- across the border?

What will Arpan do to save his friend? Will love prevail over friendship of lifetime?

There is a decision to be made, is the life without love, and friends, better than dying to save the one we love the most?

Story in a nutshell:

‘Heart of Bullets’ opens up with Arpan narrating to his sister his recent encounters with a terrorist. Arpan is home for a short vacation. His family is showering all their love upon him. *A happy family perfect picture*

Arpan then decides to meet his friend, Shradha. She is the love of his life and doesn’t have any idea about it. They talk about life and work when Arpan receives a phone call, a phone call from his commander. Arpan is ordered to return back for its an emergency.

Back at army quarters, Arpan learns that India is in high danger and that the terrorists are planning something big. General Puri, their commander, wants his team to avert this danger. He teams up Sam, Arpan, Zafar and a few others. Who is Sam? Sam is Arpan’s childhood friend, more like a brother to him.

Are they successful at their mission? No, they aren’t. The team loses a courageous officer, Zafar and Arpan gets shot in his leg. Sam runs after the terrorists in hope of finding some clue.

Lying wounded on bed, Arpan has nothing to do. He decides to tell is story of friendship to Doctor Kumar. The remaining pages traverse their school days, their friendship, their college and most importantly, Shradha.

The end of the story brings in another army operation. The operation is successful but it leaves Sam in the jaws of death. What was the operation all about? How was Sam hit? What does Arpan do to save his friend?

My Take:

The story is engaging. It will surely keep the readers hooked on to the book. There are very few ‘army’ incidents mentioned which is a kind of turn-off. The cover and title talks about army but the story had less to offer. I had expected the book to be speaking story like that of movie ‘Lakshya’ but it failed me. The narration is done in first person and is done very well. However, there have been occurances of many typing and editing errors. The poems are the real show stealers. They are indeed very beautiful.

Likes:

• The soul-stirring poems
• The operations at the army quarters.
• Shradha and her dedication towards her orphanage.
• Sam (If Sam was there for real, I would have never ever let him go.)

Dislikes:

• The editing of the story could have been done better.
• Some more anecdotes at the army quarters would have worked wonders.

P.S: I really loved the quality of paper.

I rate:

Cover: 2.5/5

Story: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

My rating for ‘Heart of Bullets’ is 3/5 stars.

You can book your copies here!

Book Review- The 3 U-Turns of My Life by Jitendra

Book Name:  The 3 U-Turns of My Life

Author:  Jitendra

Publisher:  Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Price: Rs. 195

Blurb:

Manav Modi and Deepak Mehra are poles apart- one down to earth, other flamboyant; one introvert, other overtly loud; one aspiring to be rich, other born with a silver spoon. Except their feelings for Urvashi, they have nothing in common. Yet, they are friends.

They part ways, only to come together in a web of destiny that pulls them against each other, testing their friendship, love and patience, and even their choice of profession!

Will this race between CA and MBA lead them to fall, or do they need something to pull them out of the mess created by The 3 U-Turns of My Life?

Story in a nutshell:

Manav and Deepak have nothing in common and yet they are friends. Manav aspires to become a Chartered Accountant while Deepak has keen interest in doing MBA. Deepak detests CAs and always has something bad to comment upon them. Manav hates him for this.

Also, Deepak’s father is responsible for ruining Manav’s father’s business and ultimately, Manav’s life. How is he responsible? (Read the story!) This adds fuel to the fire. Manav and Deepak are just tolerating each other in the name of being friends. Urvashi acts like a glue and keeps them together.

Life starts when they move out to colleges to pursue their profession. After many nights of hardship and dedication, all 3 finally pass out from their colleges to face the wold.

Urvashi joins a PR company and Deepak and Manav real estate. Deepak is like the hare from ‘The Hare and The Tortoise’ tale. His career graph rockets high up in a matter of few months whereas Manav, being the tortoise, is doing slow. Manav’s boss hires Deepak for his upcoming project. And then the real game begins.

Who will win this game? The Hare? Or The Tortoise? Read to find it out!

My Take:

The story of The 3 U-Turns of My Life is predictable. There have been many instances where the incidents are dragged unnecessarily. The readers may grow disinterest because of it. The narration is simple, fluent and easily understandable. The naming of the chapters has been done incredibly well.

Likes:

• Manav’s 5-D rule.
• Manav’s ‘never-give-up’ attitude.
• Deepak’s sad story. ( He deserved much better life, back home. It was really touching one.)
• The Epilogues.

Dislikes:

• The font size could have been increased and so also the paragraph spacing.

I rate:

Cover: 2.5/5

Story: 3.5/5

Characters : 3/5

My rating for ‘The 3 U-Turns of My Life’ is 3/5 stars.

You can buy this book here!

He is here for you.

I hated him right from the day he entered my life. He had taken away all my happiness. I wanted to give up on him but my mother did not allow. I knew that society wouldn’t accept such an alliance right from the very beginning. But my mother was adamant.

“I do not give a damn to society and its talk. What matters to me is your well-being. I cannot risk your life for this hypocritical society.” She said.

I had no other option left than to agree with my mother’s decision. Days leapt into weeks and weeks into months. My hatred for him kept on increasing. I hated the fact that he was becoming a part of my life. I hated his very presence. I hated him for ruining my life. He had made me stand at the crossroads where both roads led to destruction and loss. On the other hand, my mother cherished his presence. She showered him with love and care. She talked to him. Yes! She loved him. She was growing away from me and was coming close to him. She was my mother. How could he snatch away my mother from me? I detested him for all his doings.

“Why is he here?” I asked her.

“He is here for you.” My mother answered.

I decided to end all of the mess created by him once for all. I was the reason for his existence. No me, no him! I took a blade and slit my wrist. As the blood flowed out from my veins, I started to drift into a land of peace. I heard my mother calling out my name. This time, I did not want to return.

The next day

“How are you feeling?” A nurse asked me.

“I am feeling lighter!” I answered with a faint smile.

“Congratulations!” She said and handed over my baby boy to me.

That little creature made me forget all the hatred that I had in my heart for him. His yawn took away all the pain. He had become dear to me in matter of few minutes.

“He is mine. How could I even think of giving up on him?” I thought. I realized that I had become a mother.

“He looks like you. Doesn’t he?”

“Mum, did you call him? What did he say? Is he coming to see me and our baby?”

“No. He is not coming. Payal, you must move on. You must think about your baby now. He is here for you. Make him your strength!”

“Yes. I should. For my baby and our future.” I said while I kissed him.

Book Review: Life is a Bitch by Asmit Rathod

Book Name- Life is a Bitch

Author- Asmit Rathod

Publisher- Frog Books

Price- Rs. 175

Blurb-

Life has a nasty habit to become confusing and complicated at times. Kumar is not spared from this austerity of life either. The twists and turns of his life eventually push him to the edge. And being on the edge, Kumar is left with only two choices.

Either, Fall or Fly.

“Life is a Bitch” tells the story of Kumar’s life and the choices he makes, in the most intriguing fashion; leading towards a single inconceivable truth of his life- our lives.

Story in a nutshell-

Rajveer, a journalist from Singapore is on his way to Agra for his cousin’s wedding. He hires a car as he wants to drive himself to Agra. Unfortunately, Rajveer’s car breaks down and he seeks help from a Sardarji. Sardarji drops Rajveer to a dhaba nearby and helps him by finding Kumar to help him with his impending journey.

Kumar agrees to help Rajveer. Kumar is reserved as a person. Hence, it occurs to Rajveer that he is rude. As time passes, Kumar opens up to Rajveer and tells him about his life and how it turned out to be a bitch for him.

Rajveer’s opinion about Kumar changes with time. And he realizes that life and its struggles have made Kumar the person he is today. What is Kumar’s story? What struggles did he face?

My Take-

I received this book through Goodreads Giveaway.

The story is engaging one. The suspense about Kumar’s life keeps the reader hooked on to the book. The language is simple and easily understandable. The story ends on a positive note giving out message to the readers.

‘Life is unpredictable. God has planned your life in advance. The failures, hurt, pain and suffering are just temporary phases. There is always something wonderfully awesome waiting for you.’

Likes-

• Kumar’s success.
• The manner in which Kumar’s parents supported him during his worse days of life.
• Professor Gomes and his talks.

Dislikes-

• Excessive use of Hindi dialogues.
• The chapters could have been named.
• The story has been narrated in Rajveer’s and Kumar’s point of view. The readers could easily get confused with the narration. A different font type could have been used, instead.

I rate-

Cover- 2/5

Story- 3/5

Characters- 3.5/5

My overall rating for Life is a Bitch is 3/5 stars.

You can get your copies here!

Book Review: No Parking. No Halts. Success Non-stop! By Abhishek Ratna

Book Name: No Parking. No Halts. Success Non-stop!

Author:  Abhishek Ratna

Publisher: Supernova Publishers

Price: Rs. 295

Blurb:

A self-help book for success at work! No Parking. No Halts. Success Non-stop! has 50 career lessons for today’s 20teen generation.

Practical and comprehensive, the book often stretches to the point of ‘cunning without harming’. Interspersed with quotes, stories and humor, it also breaks a few myths. The author treads a fine line between ethical and non-ethical. The author is able to convince the reader about the necessity for professional success.

My take:

The author has divided the 50 lesson in to 12 parts- according to the months of the year. Each month has 3-4 lessons to offer to the readers. Each lesson is presented in simple English and hence can be very well understood by person having minimal English knowledge. The lessons are short and crisp. A small mantra is provided at the end of each lesson.

I guess today is the right time to pick this book. Follow the lessons month-wise. I am sure that you will be successful (however small your success is!) in 2017.

I rate cover with 2.5/5 stars.

My overall rating for No Parking. No Halts. Success Non-stop! is 3/5 stars.

You can buy this book online. Click here!

Book Review: Love and Other Enchantments

Book Name: Love and Other Enchantments

Contributing Authors: Tanima Kedar, Ishan Dafaria, Akash Deep Gupta, Maliny Mohan and Anuj Kumar

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers

Price: Rs. 150

My Take:

Till Death Do Us Apart by Tanima Kedar

This is a story of relationship between a doctor and a patient. The emotions are very well expressed. It takes the reader on a tour to that place in the story. The reader can feel it to be happening for real. Awesome read!

Rating: 4/5

Together Forever by Tanima Kedar

This story reminded me of Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta’s “Main rahoon ya na rahoon…” song. Beautifully written.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Diary by Tanima Kedar

Love is good when it is simple, sweet and plain. The day it grows in to obsession, it can ruin lives. Thi is what ‘The Diary’ is all about. For any relationship, trust forms the main foundation. Varun and Riya have got it very strong and hence, their relationship remained strong during the blues.

Rating: 3.5/5

Closure by Ishan Dafaria

Unsaid Goodbyes hurt a lot. The author has portrayed the emotions very well. This story has that loving, realistic touch which will surely make your heart ache.

Rating: 4/5

Different Things by Ishan Dafaria

Loneliness is a kind of disease that has the potential to kill you slowly and steadily. Misunderstandings crop up in relationships. All you need is to deal with them maturely. It’s no use pondering over what would happen if things were different.

Rating: 3/5

Hatred, Crime and Love by Ishan Dafaria

Love requires a lot of courage. Was the narrator brave enough to confess his love? No! He wasn’t. He was afraid to risk her life. He was afraid to lie to her. Why was it this way for him? Who was he?

Rating: 3/5

The Poem by Akash Deep Gupta

I just have one word for this story- lovely. Emotions have been very very well portrayed. There are many incidents which makes the reader go ‘Awww!’ True love happens just once. Rest is just compromise.

Rating: 4/5

Charm of Those eyes by Akash Deep Gupta

A suspense story? Paranormal? I cannot categorize this one. Beautifully written. This story has left me in awe.

Rating: 4/5

The Lake of Love by Akash Deep Gupta

Incredible! I felt as if I was seeing everything in this story happen for real. Soul-stirring story, indeed!

Rating: 4.5/5

At the Bus Stop by Maliny Mohan

Excellent narration. I found this story very much different from the rest. I had a smiling face throughout the reading session.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Revival by Maliny Mohan

A tale of second chances. Nicely written. It is the end of the story that will surprise you.

Rating: 3/5

He Loves Me Not by Maliny Mohan

This story will surely leave you shocked. I wouldn’t reveal much detail. I enjoyed reading it.

Rating: 3.5/5

So Mad In Love by Anuj Kumar

This story has 2 aspects that have been very well portrayed. The first is love for God and the second is ‘The Dhongi Baba’. These Babas put on the grab of ascetic and fool people. They must never be believed.

Rating: 3.5/5

It’s Not Soothing Everytime by Anuj Kumar

Oh My God! A story that made a chill run through my spine. Do such maniacs exist in real world? Awesome story! Reminded me of the movie Murder 2!

Rating: 4/5

Known Unknown by Anuj Kumar

Another lovely creation! Love can come to you in any form and at any times. You just need a will to accept it.

Rating: 3/5

I rate:

Cover: 3.5/5

My overall rating for Love and Other Enchantments is 4/5 stars.

You can book your copies here!

I was raped.

He drags me over to another room. His grip on my wrist is painful. My fingers are losing their usual color. He throws me on to the floor. I quickly hold my wrist in reflex. I think I believe that holding it will help me ease the pain. I bring myself together and resort to the nearest corner. I curl up my legs. Tears are making their way from my eyes towards my legs, wetting a portion of my jeans.

“Will crying help me in any manner?” I wonder.

“Do you think you can get away from this?” He asks with a devilish grin on his face.

I swallow hard and say “No!”

He laughs loudly. His laughter is scaring me.

“I am going to have a real bad time.” I declare to myself.

“Why don’t you get started then?” He questions and moves towards me.

I try to move away only to realize that there is a wall behind me. I do not have any way to escape. I sit rooted to the ground.

“God, please save me.”  I pray. But it seems that God has turned deaf ears to my prayers.

He leaps forward and gets hold of my thigh. He caresses the entire length of it and says “You have got long legs. I would love to see them naked.”

I shift myself away from him. I see anger rising in his eyes. He slaps me hard on my face.

“So you want me to be rough and wild?” He pulls my legs and I lie flat on the floor.

“Aah!” I cry for I have hurt my head. He doesn’t seem to notice my pain. He undoes the button of my jeans and gets it down in one go.

“Lovely legs indeed!” He exclaims. I can see lust in his eyes. I am very sure that I wouldn’t be spared.

“Please do not do this to me. I am really sorry. Please Sir. Please!” I think begging to him is much better than praying to God.

“I am horny. I cannot leave you un-fucked.” He tears open my shirt.

“I am going to fuck you hard.” He says and stuffs up his handkerchief in my mouth.

He pushes himself inside me. I can feel myself tearing little by little. Tears are flowing out from my eyes and blood dripping from my private part. Is this monster ever going to stop? I am helpless. I close my eyes and surrender to the situation.

After sometime, he withdraws himself and smiles at me. Yeah! A smile of satisfaction it is!

“It was awesome. You gave me a great fuck. I did not know fucking a man can be so pleasurable. Here, keep this money! These ladies pay you. Right?” He asks.

I nod in affirmation.

“Thank you! I hope we meet soon.” He says and gets out of the room.

“Pandey, bring Kiran’s file to me. Yeah! The escort whom we had caught in the hotel we raided tonight!” I hear him say. I can hear the sound of tearing of papers. I dress myself and move out of the police station with lowered eyes.

“I was raped.” I say to myself.