Merry Christmas

Found this on Google while browsing through Christmas wishes, somehow this shares my thoughts in exactly the way I wanted to. Thank you everyone for being a part of this journey, happy Xmas :)

Love
Harshita

Book Review: Uff Ye Emotions 2 | Story #1 'NCERT of Love'

After what happened to my two copies of UYE-1, I could never get to reading it. While I wouldn't want to go into the history and bore you all, there was a small guilt for not having read Himanshu Appie Chhabra's work. For one, he had awaited my feedback for his published story and two, we shared a bond from the time we both were novices unaware of the ways of literary world. With time I have seen him rising and shining, from the time before Purple-Pen Blogs to the time of getting third time published Himanshu has come a long way.

Now that I have finally got my copy of UYE-2 and have no hostel girls to take away my copies and never return it, I started off with reading Uff Ye Emotions. And I made it a point to initiate the process with none other than 'NCERT of Love' by HAC and Udita.

Reading the story took me back to my school days when I'd see my classmates getting involved in a relationship. Since a major part of my school days were more of books and less of love, I often used to wonder if love at the age of 14 was actually true or not. But after reading their story, I kind of have a thought that may be it's more about feelings and not at all about age. The letters, the words, the thoughts, that feeling of first love and relationship have certainly been narrated in a great way.

There's an unknown honesty in the letters that comes out only when you are a teenager, only when you fall in love for the first time because after that we come to know that this world doesn't value honest people, it doesn't let trust and belief exist. This could well be sensed in every letter I read, the sheer honesty with which Udita shares her inhibitions and the infinite love that Himanshu express for her just tells you that love has its own ways of entering in our lives. A lesson learnt: Love is definitely blind and to the extent that it gives you the courage to kiss in the Principal's office.

I don't know about others but yes, I loved the story. However, I'd think twice before passing on this book to my 15 year old sister 

Order a copy of UYE-2 here:

Flipkart: http://bit.ly/BuyFlipKartUffYeEmotions
Homeshop: http://bit.ly/UffYeEmotions
SnapDeal: http://bit.ly/SnapDealUffYeEmotions

Gay or not, we'll fight for what is right!!!

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) rights have been the talk of the town. With the Supreme Court upholding Section 377 and going totally against Section 14, 15, 19 and 21 that allow the citizens equality, freedom of speech and expression and protection of life and personal liberty, I have just become all the more sure of the fact that I live in a nation of hypocrites, not that I needed more proofs but somewhere deep down I no longer want to stay in my very own land.

A country that is run by heartless people doesn't need emotional people or people who want to lead their lives as per their heart and mind. A country that directs us what is to be done in the confines of our bedroom is nothing more than sick. I will not be surprised if some day we will get the news of foreplay being made illegal. Even more, I am quite expecting this from SC that a girl cannot wear red undergarments because it violates our culture, is too frivolous and offensive. I repeat, I shall not be shocked if they ban selling and wearing certain coloured undergarments for women.

I have still not figured out how any sane man can declare partner selection as a crime. But then I live in India, till now it was just the women who did not have the right to choose the man they wanted to marry or the right to give life to a child they wished to. Weren’t we totally distraught by the society who discriminated between the dark and white, between the man and the wife, between the boy and the girl? Now we have the SC adding fuel to another cause that had killed so many from inside. The masses don’t even have the right to select the gender of the person they wish to stay with, leave alone getting to decide if that particular person would be able to spend life with us or not.

Thank you Supreme Court, you can easily point out crime in what happens inside the bedroom but you will never take action against the rape that took place outside, the rape that killed a girl, the rape that killed a family, the rape that killed humanity. Thank you Supreme Court, you will talk about peace but will not offer peace of mind to the citizens of India. You talk about marriage and rights, how do you think would a straight woman stay happy being married to a gay or a straight man being married to a lesbian? How do you think a girl is going to survive when she witnesses the wedding of her partner to some guy? But hold on, why am I asking you such questions? You are heartless, aren’t you? You don’t care about how people feel, all you want to do is make puppets dance as per your tunes.

They talk about preventing suicides, how are they going to do that when an innocent human gets arrested for being gay? How are they going to prevent depression from this country when they declare a man as criminal just because he went on to love a man of his own gender. Thank you Supreme Court for giving us the Black Day and making us realize that it’s time to fly off to a better nation, for making us realize that we are not safe in this country, for making us realize that the country we call as ‘home’ will never be ours and will always be directed by some bullshit.

Now that you have given such a wonderful judgement, I want you to know we all will fight for LGBT rights irrespective of our orientation and you will know how it feels when one of your close ones turns out to be a homosexual. But sorry, I forgot you’re heartless and you wouldn't mind sentencing him/her as a criminal.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you liked reading this post, you might also like my book

One In A Million

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I reserve the copyright to all my posts, strict action will be taken if the content posted on this blog is reproduced or copied in any form.

Dear Pimple

Dear Pimple,

I am writing this to you after suffering from a distress of around 8 years. It's been a long ordeal of stress, panic and restlessness. I never ever said a word to you all this while thinking it was as natural having you in teenage as crushes. You have always been a spoilsport, you know that. You always had to erupt on that big date, farewell, fresher party and my brother's wedding. You came up any time, even when my crush was staring at me, even when I had that important project presentation in the class. You didn't even spare me on my birthdays. I kept on applying Multani mitti, Neem pack and all such kinds of packs but you just didn't seem to get over me. You know about that Ramdev Baba ka lep, it smells like hell but I applied it, thinking if you might also ward off with that awful smell but you have no pity for me. You always knew I hated you but still, you just wouldn't leave me.

I kept on crying, wailing but to no avail; nothing ever seemed to affect you. In fact during days of distress, you'd start pouring in heavy numbers and all I could do brood over the fact that you just can't be treated. My mom must have wasted so much of money on those several dermatologists who promised to cure you with some hefty prescriptions they subscribed me with. I ate some of the most bitter medicines and that highly irritating Safi but you were so stubborn that you just did not leave me.

You have been too cruel to me, you know that don't you? Remember those times when you'd stick on my nose making me look like a joker in front of everyone. Because of you, I had to shut myself on some fun weekends. Because of you, I was often made fun of by my guy friends and you know how it is to survive in a class full of Mechanical engineering students. Think of it, 66 guys laughing at me just because of a big swollen red pimple on my nose. I have suffered so much of humiliation but all I did was held my head high and didn't say a word.

But enough is enough, I am way past my teenage and no way can be so unjust to me. You have hurt me too badly, I have cried way too much and spent all my savings on you. Not only this, I have had to avoid some of the most delicious fried food. I just can't survive like this and now, I am left with no option than to say we need to break-up, like forever.

I don't want to see you ever in my life again. I swear I wouldn't tolerate you spoiling any of my dates, friend's weddings, birthdays, interviews, presentations, nothing. Please stay away from my way.

And let me tell you, I never loved you. I have hated you since the beginning and will do so till the end. It's a good-bye.

Yours,

Terribly annoyed 22 year girl

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you liked reading this post, you might also like my book

One In A Million

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I reserve the copyright to all my posts, strict action will be taken if the content posted on this blog is reproduced or copied in any form.

Rendezvous with Heema Shirvaikar and Saravana Kumar Murugan

Today, we have Heema Shirvaikar and Saravana Kumar Murugan, the two contributors of UYE-2 who are here tell us about their stories.

'Hickey' by the Mumbai gal, Heema Shirvaikar and '120 Minutes' by Saravana Kumara Murugan, a software engineer find a place for themselves in the popular short story series, Uff Ye Emotions

"Hickey is a story replete with the reminisces and reflections of womanhood wronged with the overwhelming societal moulds and restrictions that we take upon our ownselves.

We often mistake violence with something loud and huge. Hickey is a story that taps into the marks left behind by the soundless, suffocated and unseen assaults wrapped in silk sarees and outdazzled by elaborate jewellery," Heema tells us.

I move on to ask them the question that I've been asking the other participants as well.

"What inspired you to write this story?"

Heema: My story "Hickey" isn't one of the usual romantic stories about love and relationships but instead is the journey of a woman, who is a mute spectator to the stories of those around her. 

I felt that there was a need for people to see beyond love stories - because reality isn't always what we read in the books. Reality can sometimes, be much darker than our idea of it.
Thus was born the idea of "Hickey" - that deals with the flipside of love that novels like Mills and Boons with their perfect love stories do not include. Love isn’t always perfect and relationships are much more complex than one can imagine.

Sometimes, there are a lot of things that people around us misunderstand as love and we, like the protagonist of this story are mere passive observers and feel helpless about it.
How often does it happen that we feel like helping people but we discourage ourselves thinking that it is none of our business!

But it is this discouragement that is driving us farther away from each other, making us almost immune to the thousands of crimes and stories of violence that are around us, making us more and more emotionless towards the sufferings of others. In this scenario, it is important that stories like ‘Hickey’ and books like ‘Uff Ye Emotions’ should invoke those emotions back in people, giving them a break from their daily life where they ignore the things that are happening around them and are only concerned with themselves.

"Hickey" is not only about love and inter-personal relationships, but about the relationship we share with ourselves and with the society at large.

In the light of all the violence that has been happening in this country, especially towards women, this story was inspired by the need to have more stories dealing with social issues. Being a law student who aspires to bring about a change in the state of the weaker sections of the society including women, I felt that my story needed to have a social theme to it, dealing with the other, darker shades of emotions regarding love and relationships that we often don’t disclose and keep buried within ourselves.

This story was inspired by the need of the society that we become sensitive towards each other and help each other than staying selfishly concerned only about ourselves. The fact that none of the passersby moved to help a severely wounded Nirbhaya when she was mercilessly raped and thrown out of the bus questions our sensitivity towards each others’ pain. We need to bring some emotions back in ourselves, and for that, I felt that we do occasionally need a little different story like "Hickey" to jolt our emotions back.

About Heema:

20 year old Heema Shirvaikar is currently a second year law student at Symbiosis Law School, Pune. Her articles, stories and poems have been published in various magazines and online platforms. She maintains her own blog at http://snowontherocks.blogspot.in/.

Follow her on her Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/HeemaShirvaikar.page

Moving onto Saravana who runs a blog by the name 'Few Miles' under the pen name 'Someone is Special', I asked him a little about his story.

We struggle to express our love to our loved ones. At times, we fail to do at the right moment. But when we face a tough situation, we win with flying colors. “120 Minutes” is a story of love, promise and faith. Dedication of the protagonists towards love and, the will to keep his promise intact form the backdrop of this story. 

What inspired you to write this story?

The smile on my wife’s face. Yes, that’s pretty much the reason to write this story. It was a Monday evening. The weather was terribly bad, and our city was listed under red zone. My colleagues and I left to home from office, as we expected the storm to clean the city, and whatever happened in those one hundred and twenty minutes is what you will read in the story “120 Minutes”.

Doesn't that bring a smile on your face and all you want is a copy of UYE-2 :)

About Saravana:

Saravana Kumar Murugan is a senior software engineer by profession, a romantic writer by passion and a photographer by choice. Born to a middle class family living under the hot sun of Chennai, at 26, he aspires to become an author. He is known for his romantic short stories and meaningful poems. Apart from writing, he loves capturing life through his lens, giving life to a paper with his pencil, and satisfies his own stomach with his cooking. He is currently working on a novel called, ‘Love of an Anonymous Soul’, which he is hoping to complete before the end of this year. He writes a blog called ‘Few Miles’ under a pen name, ‘Someone is Special’, and you can get in touch with him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/iamsarav.page

After talking to such creative word weavers, I just can't wait for the book to release.

Pre-order a copy of UYE-2 here:

Flipkart: http://bit.ly/BuyFlipKartUffYeEmotions
Homeshop: http://bit.ly/UffYeEmotions
SnapDeal: http://bit.ly/SnapDealUffYeEmotions

Done? Send us the screen-shot of your pre-order purchase with Purchase ID. Or, give us your order booking number too with ordering date on the event wall -

https://www.facebook.com/events/1470542753171388/

Tete-a-tete with HAC and Udita Pal

THE UYE-2 TEAM

Today, we have two wonderful writers on-board, Himanshu Chhabra and Udita Pal talking about their short story 'NCERT of Love' that will be featured in 'Uff Ye Emotions 2'. Himanshu happened to be a contributor in the first series too and received positive reviews for his entry. Both of them aren't a new name to us, while Himanshu is the person behind the popular blog 'Purple Pen', Udita Pal is an complete package of talent and beauty.

Moving onto the question I asked them was 'What inspired them to write their story?' and this is what they've got to say.

They say everyone has a story to tell. In my case, I have many. Maybe, I am bad at maths or I am the exception to this statement but I have surely more than one story to tell. Every passing day is a story; every sleepless night is a story. I just want to capture them as much as I can in my books. Because I know that at the end, everyone is a story and I want to be the one read for ages. 

About Himanshu:

Himanshu Appie Chhabra, owner of Purple Pen Blog, is currently pursuing CA. He belongs to the city of Hisar and is an avid reader. A complete package, Himanshu muses every one with his strings on guitar. He is popular with his pen name ‘HAC’ He can be reached at www.facebook.com/HACwrites or hactheauthor@gmail.com.

About Udita:

Udita Pal is a 17-year-old 12th standard student, pursuing commerce in Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand. She’s obsessed with social networking websites and can be found online either updating funny one liner on her not-so-interesting-for-her-but-entertaining-for-others-life or posting pictures of her. She calls herself a walking scandal and a misunderstood personality. She believes that there is writer in everyone just takes time to come out and make magic with his words She made special place in heart of many people with her witty jokes and quotes. She’s all set to debut with her first full-fledged romance fiction novel by winter 2013. Her dream is to become filmmaker. She loves giving “Gyaan” about love , relationships , lust , friendship , family problems etc. You can reach her on Facebook.com/UditaPal or Uditapal96@yahoo.com or Twitter.com/SwagWomaniya

Incidentally, today happens to be a big day for HAC. The short story collection '25 Strokes of Kindness' published by Grapevine releases today and he shares his name with biggies like Preeti Shenoy, Nikita Singh, Anjali Kriplani, Somprakash Sinha and Sachin Garg. As I write this post, HAC attends his book launch at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. We sincerely pray for Himanshu's success and I heartily apologize for not being able to be a part of his big day. Nevertheless, I expect to meet him during the UYE 2 launch and the rest of the participants as well.

We wish HAC and Udita all the luck.

Pre-order a copy of UYE-2 here:

Flipkart: http://bit.ly/BuyFlipKartUffYeEmotions
Homeshop: http://bit.ly/UffYeEmotions
SnapDeal: http://bit.ly/SnapDealUffYeEmotions

Done? Send us the screen-shot of your pre-order purchase with Purchase ID. Or, give us your order booking number too with ordering date on the event wall -

https://www.facebook.com/events/1470542753171388/

Gupshup with Heena Ahuja and Meghant Parmar

Today, I would like to introduce another two contributors of Uff Ye Emotions-2. Heena Ahuja and Meghant Parmar two popular people in the youth sect of Indian literature fraternity. While Heena dorns the hat of being Ms. Wordsworth, Meghant is counted as one of the best reviewers of today's times.

Meghant and Heena are authors to the short story 'Love and Sacrifices' and I have exactly the same question to them as well: What inspired you to write this story?


Meghant

There are two types of inspiration to write the story. First is a couple of people. The people I’m talking about are: Mehek the author of Chained and my co-author Heena Ahuja. The poetic influence came into my mind after I read Mehek’s book and Heena because she pushed me in the fray and instilled that confidence to pen the story down. As far as the plot is concerned I had a rough outline in my mind then I jotted it down and page after page words tumbled out. Heena too gave her inputs at various stages to make the job easier for me. So it’s not a single person’s effort, it’s a joint effort of me and Heena. 

Heena

When it comes to writing story there are few people who have been my supporter and inspiration too. Firstly my mother and then a friend who has always inspired and encouraged me to try out what my heart says. Finally my co-author Meghant, initially when he came up to me with the idea to be a part of this competition together I was skeptical but with his constant encouragement and support I couldn’t turn it down. Rest with all the discussion and hard work things fell into place and the outcome is in front of all of you 

~A sneak peek into the story~

Love and Sacrifices is a story about Kent's parents how they meet and unexpectedly fall in love and how the cruel fate separates them in a way that they are still together and the way they tackle their situation without knowing what the future holds for them. It's a tale of undying love and care, selfless sacrifices and help and the unspoken faith on each other.

About Heena: 

Heena Ahuja, a Mumbai girl at heart is an avid reader. Reading fiction caught her fancy when she stumbled across Sidney Sheldon, Dan Brown & Nicholas Sparks books. After completing her masters she found her true calling in writing and has a lot of published poems under her belt in various e-magazines and columns. She loves listening to music and learning new things about life. She is a poetess at heart and ends up pouring her heart on a paper. She has a full time Facebook page where people have admired and adored her writing too. You can connect with her through her Facebook profile and her writing page too.

https://www.facebook.com/heen.ahuja

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heenas-Wings-iwrite/193028494121192

About Meghant:

Meghant Parmar hailing from New Delhi is a born car & gadget fanatic. His love for books blossomed when he first came across Tinkle & Champak magazines. Later on reading fiction became a forte and he is one of the fastest readers present around. He did his English Honors and now is looking for an opportunity to make a name for himself in writing industry. He is an upcoming book reviewer with a blog only dedicated to book reviews. His penchant for reading, writing and observing the surroundings comes naturally. When he is not writing and reading you can find him exploring historical places and following cricket religiously. He currently resides in Chennai. You can contact him through Facebook and his blog too.

https://www.facebook.com/meghant.parmar

http://booksallaroundme.blogspot.in/

That was all for today, the next one to have on-board is the handsome Himanshu Chabbra and the cute Udita Pal.

Pre-order a copy of UYE-2 here:

Flipkart: http://bit.ly/BuyFlipKartUffYeEmotions
Homeshop: http://bit.ly/UffYeEmotions
SnapDeal: http://bit.ly/SnapDealUffYeEmotions

Done? Send us the screen-shot of your pre-order purchase with Purchase ID. Or, give us your order booking number too with ordering date on the event wall -

https://www.facebook.com/events/1470542753171388/

Gupshup with Ishani Malhotra and Tarang Sinha

Going by the promise, let’s all give a warm welcome to the very beautiful Ishani Malhotra who currently resides in Guwahati and Tarang Sinha, an avid blogger and a columnist.

Let's not carry with my usual bak-bak and instead read on what inspired them to write their story.

I started to write my story - I'LL BE THERE one night randomly but stopped after penning 300 odd words and I got busy working upon my debut novel. However, when Vinit started the contest, I wanted to take part in it. I was contemplating on writing a new story first but then I decided on continuing and finishing this one up.  
Today’s generation often have to go through emotions and situations like love, cheating, break-ups and one night stands in a very small span of time. I have grown up in a metropolitan city of India, Calcutta that is a fascinating mosaic of the fast paced life that we live today. This topic was something that I always wanted to write about and let the world know, that if you are cheated upon or given a cold shoulder by the one whom you love, you should not worry about it. I firmly believe that for every Villain, there is always a hero. And what better way to pen it down in a love story. Not denying the fact that Love does take its toll in our lives, but above all I believe its again love that has the ability to transcend us from any complex situations we face in life.

And I couldn't agree more. We wish Ishani all the good luck for not just UYE-2 but also for her full fledged novel on which is presently working.

Oh and yes, before that let me share a few lines from her story.

The next person is someone who has been a little mystery for all of us but somewhere when I went through her blog I realized how much of an inspiration this lady is for all of us writers. Humble, kind and down to earth is what I would describe for Tarang Sinha. Anyway, let's move on to know what inspired her to write her story 'Dilemma'.

'Dilemma' is a woman centric story that deals with relationships, emotions and a very special bond. 
 I think, In a relationship, apart from unconditional love and support, you need some space to breathe your own thoughts, desires and views, and expect your partner to understand and respect it. Otherwise a beautiful emotion may lose it's charm. 
So, if you ask about inspiration, I would say, it's different shades of relationships, oodles of emotions that float in women hearts and troubles they face due to the eccentric mindset of our society, that inspired me to write this story. 

You can connect with Tarang on her Facebook Page or follow her blog 

Pre-order links:
Homeshop: http://bit.ly/UffYeEmotions
FlipKart: http://bit.ly/BuyFlipKartUffYeEmotions
SnapDeal: http://bit.ly/SnapDealUffYeEmotions

Like UYE on Facebook

This is all for today. I'll be coming up with the rest of the participants as well. Till then stay healthy and keep shining!!!

Love

Harshita

Uff Ye Emotions: Curtain Raiser

What is Uff Ye Emotions?

Like the lyrics of an old song, which keeps repeating themselves in our mind or a fever dormant in the blood or an importunate lover impossible to get rid of, the memories of love or 'love' itself keeps returning in our lives again and again at the oddest of times and the strangest of places.

 Randomly, beautifully, haphazardly or passionately, love lives up again--for it has been waiting for you, waiting for this union, waiting to merge with YOU at last.

 So, keeping the trend alive and after the roaring success of our novice, Uff Ye Emotions, we are back once again with 'Uff Ye Emotions 2'.

With Love, comes many emotions--some of them being pain, betrayal, hatred, hope and friendship. We fall IN and OUT of love time and again, but we can never be tired of it--because it is one of the only few aspects of life we can-t keep ourselves away from, isn't it?

Selected and edited by Vinit K. Bansal, this time again 11 touching stories from authors across the country, will be delighting the readers who swear by love stories. And for those who don’t read love stories much, come and discover why they are so engrossing.

Starting from Monday i.e. tomorrow, I will be introducing every participant on Dreams V/s Reality. Stay tuned at the same place to know what inspired these writers to writer their story.

You can pre-order a copy from the following links:

Flipkart: http://bit.ly/1a0ZuY3

HomeShop18: http://bit.ly/UffYeEmotions

Snapdeal: http://bit.ly/SnapDealUffYeEmotions

Till then stay blessed and keep smiling.

Love

Harshita

My Kiddo Strongest

"Hello!!"

"Yes, Ma! How are you?" Sheetal replied in a tensed tone.

Being a mother Mrs. Mehra didn't take a second to realize that there was something that was worrying her daughter.

"What happened Sheetal? Is something worrying you? I can sense that from your voice. And I have called you thrice since yesterday but you don't seem to pick up my calls. You can share it with me. Did you and Avinash have a fight or is it something related to Rohan?" Mrs. Mehra asked her daughter.

"Nothing happened between me and Avinash, in fact we are all a happy family but the only thing that worries me is Rohan's health. Every fortnight he falls sick, sometimes it's fever sometimes it's cold or typhoid. I just don't know what to do. He seems so weak all day due to which even his studies are suffering. He has to skip school and each visit to doctor results in nothing but a few meds that work only for sometime. Every day he comes home with unfinished lunch. The doctor tells me his immunity system has to be worked on but how? He doesn't eat anything healthy. I really don't know what to do Ma."

Mrs. Mehra had experienced all this and was a wise lady. She answered, "Sheetal, you know it isn't easy to groom kids. You have just one, I had three of you at your age but we all survived, didn't we? If you lose your cool now, how can you expect a happy and a relaxed family. Today you have so many resources back then we didn't have all these but you know a little patience and hard work does it all."

"Ma, I have tried every thing. I prepare healthy food for them and feed him with fruits but this mischievous son of mine doesn't have anything. All he wants is those pack of candies and chocolates in the refrigerator."

"And what about exercise? Does Rohan get involved in physical activities?" Mrs. Mehra inquired.

"Don't even ask about that? He is always too weak to even indulge in any kind of sports." Sheetal answered.

"Now girl, just stay calm and do as I say. Rohan is just a seven year old kid whose immunity system is developing and that is why he is more vulnerable to infections. He will only eat something if he finds it attractive. If you cook simple veggies for him, he will never have them. Today's kids want everything colourful. Treat him with veg frankies (roll of roti stuffed with veggies) or quesadilla (flour tortilla or a corn tortilla filled with a savory mixture containing cheese, other ingredients, and/or vegetables, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape). Spice up your dish with cheese or tomato ketchup. Make him a parantha pizza or star shaped chapatis.
Cut out fruits for him in cute shapes and watch him gobble all."

"Just like you made for me," Sheetal couldn't help remembering the days when her Mom prepared chapatis of different shapes and sizes.

"Yes and try to keep him away from too much of sugar. I know kids love sweet dishes and that is why always use brown sugar or jaggery as a substitute. Brown sugar is a little expensive but health is more important. Feed your family unprocessed or brown rice, keep away from white bread or maida made products. These are things you must be knowing but I am reminding you because we often forget to apply all this. Soak some almonds overnight and either crush and add it to the milk you offer Rohan in the morning or just ask him to have them directly.

And dear, I hope you all have Chyawanprash daily." Mrs. Mehra asked Sheetal.

"Oh Ma!! None of them have it. In fact even I also can't have it, just can't tolerate the taste."

"Girl, you shouldn't be saying like this. You know since years Dabur Chyawanprash has been a part of our family and it has helped improve immunity of everyone including you and your brothers."

"Ma, I know the benefits but the taste..."

"Sheetal, now I don't expect this from you. I do agree there was a time when Chyawanprash had a taste that not everyone could relish but the good times have come and it now comes in different flavours, Orange, Mango and Mixed Fruit. They also have a Sugarfree variant that I have daily."

"Seriously Ma? I didn't know."

"Yes, I am really surprised to see you not knowing about it. Anyway, now don't waste too much of time and get one for your family. Rohan's problems will get solved soon if you start giving him Dabur Chyawanprash. It is scientifically proven to provide 3 times more immunity that helps fight virus, flu and infections. It has anti-oxidant properties & strengthens your body's internal defense mechanism, the immune system, thereby protecting you from day to day infections such as cough, cold etc. It has a number of herbs like Amla, known to be one of the best antioxidants, Giloy (Guduchi), known to have immuno-modulatory properties, and has more than 40 other natural ingredients."

"Thank you so much, this really helped me."

"Always there for you darling and plus, don't forget to exercise daily. In the morning, all of you must together do some physical activity because a child always follows his parents. If you two have a balanced lifestyle, Rohan will have one too. Have loads of fluids and one more thing that I have observed these days is every time you guys have cold you rush for a tablet. This is not the answer to your problem, it can override your confusions. Have good food and always remember to feed them with Chyawanprash, not just Rohan but all three of you should have this wonderful or I should say magic of Ayurveda."

"Yes Ma, I will follow all your advice. I wonder what I would do without you," Sheetal kept the phone with a relaxed state of mind.

Soon enough Rohan came wearing his latest Krissh 3 mask and all Sheetal could do was hug him tightly.

P.S: This post is written as a contest entry for Dabur Chyawanprash conducted on Indiblogger.


Image Courtesy: Google Images

Book Review: The Untold Story of Arundhati and The Black Emperor by Rashmi Singh

About the Book

This is the story of sluttish play of time which loves to stay with rich, famous and powerful and deserts the weak and poor!

A magical, mystical, passionate and sinful love story which played havoc with history-a story which was buried in the banks of Krishna River or somewhere amongst the mountainous valley of the Vindhyas in 7th century A.D.

This tale is intricately woven around Chalukya Parameshwara or The Black Emperor, Pulkasein II, (610A.D-643A.D.) of WesternChalukya dynasty, his untamed passion for wars and his unusual desire for the forgotten enigmatic beauty, Arundhati! The story also traverses the immortal love life of Pulkasein II’s contemporary, Narsimhavarman I of Pallava dynasty and his beloved Sivagami. “But you shall shine more bright in these contents than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time.” ~William Shakespeare

About the Author:

Rashmi Singh is a well known author, avid blogger and a passionate painter. She made her debut with Love’s Journey in 2011 which earned her rave reviews. The Fallen Love is her second fiction. She has also written two self help books, Taming the Restless Mind and Back to School@30. The Untold Story of Arundhati and The Black Emperor-The Sluttish Time is her next fictional offering and fifth book. Rashmi has a Master’s degree in Management and runs a Personality Development Training Centre.

Review:

A highly gripping and addictive piece of work by Rashmi Singh. The author has showed her mettle yet again with her fifth book. I had read another piece of work 'The Fallen Love' and since then had been eagerly waiting for her latest work. When she first told me that she was working on a historical fiction I was a little unsure if I would love the book as much as I loved TFL but her writing has certainly left me amazed. I have no qualms in confessing that historical fiction is a genre that isn't my cup of tea, whether reading or writing. But when I picked up the book, there was no looking back. I just couldn't put it down. There is a different charisma in her writing, somehow she knows the portrayal of sufferings, pain, heartaches so amazingly well. There are a lot of complex emotions involved in this story and Mrs. Singh has left no stone unturned in bringing out each of them so flawlessly.

One thing that I'd like to mention here is the setting of the times where you've just read about and never been is a little difficult but not even a point comes when you would expect a loose end. The times of Pulkasein II of the Chalukyan Dynasty and his cunning ways have been brought into light. You can conquer land but not love, the curse of true love bites you from within, how efficiently the story has been written is when you suddenly realize after finishing off the book that you are in the 21st century. Believe me, I had dreams of Chalukyan Dynasty for almost a week. A well researched book that shows you the power of a woman, her strength even after being considered the weakest of all and to top it all the emotional highs and lows that you find in the book are simple incomparable. There's so much to learn about history which we weren't even aware of and mind you, this book has every element of hypnotism. Yes, it is addictive, it will stay in your mind for a long long time and would help you introspect within yourself and would make you think of the times gone by. Talking about the cover, it totally reflects the enchanting history with the painting being made by the author herself.
Through this review, I'd actually ask the readers to give this genre and book a chance. Take a break from the usual romances you read, this book is going to mesmerize you till the end. A complete package and a recommended read.

(The review is posted at Goodreads as well)

 Get a copy from Uread or Flipkart.

Travelnaama

At Travelnaama, I'll be sharing info on destinations to head to for your vacations. I'd bring to you all the data available from the official sites and will also share some tips shared by travellers. It isn't necessary that all places mentioned here have been personally visited by me however, they have captured my attention and reading glasses.

My sudden interest in travel and exploration has lead me to start this feature. If there are some mistakes in any of the posts, please let me know as even I am a human being and mistakes are bound to happen by us mortals.

Hope you guys have a nice time reading them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For any queries or details, you can mail us at travelnaama@gmail.com

Any one wanting to join us in our exploration or sharing their travel stories with us, is most welcome.

What have I been doing?

I land here after around two months. Firstly, a big apology to all my readers. I am a tad lazy but this time I've crossed all limits in going crazy and lazy.
Firstly, for around one and a half month I had been having a gala time at home. I have finally unloaded a big burden from my shoulders. Yes!! I am a graduate in Mechanical Engineering. The last four years have been a roller coaster ride for me and form an integral part of my life. But then the golden rule of life is to move on and even though I miss those carefree days I have taken it in the stride of life. I am back to Delhi and you can say back in action as well.

So a few updates for now. If you think I have been busy reading or writing then you are not totally right :D I have done absolutely nothing in the past two months. A few landmarks could be getting interviewed at a few online portals.

Spectralhues

Story Refresh

Startup Corner

I also gave interviews to print media including Hindustan and Dainik Jagran.

The book has also been reviewed by some lovely people. You can read the review here and here

The good part is that the book is doing well and yes, I'll be at the Book Fair during the weekend. Hope to meet you guys.

And one big news, I happen to be the Managing Editor of new magazine related to Indian Literature, Expressions Unlimited. Sharing the cover pic of the latest issue.

I should have probably begun with my second work but I am too lazy so guess my readers will have to wait for some time.

And the rest is history, I'll be coming up with a few reviews and posts very soon. Ciao!

Book Review: The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri

What the book says:

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar. Little does he know that his life will change forever.

When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it.

They say homing pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. The Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

About the Author:

A hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush career in the outsourcing industry to follow his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A self- proclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however, is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel. He can be reached at sidd.bahri@gmail.com

The Review

To begin with this is one book that has made me miss my metro station twice and the bus stop once. Yes, that is the kind of interest it builds in the reader. The book talks about love, lost and found and then lost again. It’s about two individuals and their journey of love, well not just love but life too. Love is just the more important aspect out here. The story begins with Aditya, a man in his thirties living jobless in the times of recession and Radhika, a rich widow who has absolutely nothing to do. While Aditya is too tired of surviving on his wife’s income, Radhika isn’t actually enjoying the freedom she has earned after the death of a husband who was eighteen years older to her. Even after years of separation there is a void in their lives, they haven’t been able to fall out of love. Radhika still loves Aditya and so does Aditya but will they be able to meet? Will the misunderstandings give way to a new relation? Will the emptiness of such a long duration get filled? Will the mess in their lives clear up? Take a ride in their past to know how their present helps form a future.

Creating suspense in a romantic fiction is something we need to learn from Sid Bahri. You won’t be bored reading it. The swiftness, the flow in the story is mind blowing. Each phase brings a new direction to the story. The best part of the book is that we get to know the side of both the parties which is generally not the case. The book is either narrated in the first person or the third but here, the good part is both the characters speak. We know what they feel. Being a male, expressing a woman’s feelings in such an amazing way is something the author has done very well. As a debutante, the work is definitely A+. Not even once would you feel that this is someone’s debut work.

Highly recommended. Go for it, this book shouldn’t be missed.

Get a copy of this book from Flipkart

Are We Humans? #2

So today I was just sitting with a my project team mates in the canteen discussing about the viva and how all of us are going to give the presentation. The weather had already been giving us a heavy time and all this topped up with the tension of project presentation was becoming too tough to handle when a fire broke out in the kitchen.
There was some issues with the gas cylinder and a guy got injured in the process. He was saved from burns but then he did deserve to be taken to the hospital but to our utter shock and dismay, none of the workers or the canteen head stood up to take up the poor guy to a doctor.
Why?
Just coz he was poor and worked hours in the heat for a meager amount of salary?
Why did no one care to help him out?
Even the few students who were present in the canteen got up to help him but why wasn't he taken for a treatment.
The victim didn't say anything for sometime but then he began to weep horribly. He kept on wailing for how long I do not know but sitting there certainly brought shivers in my body.
In this case, even I find myself on the wrong side. Why didn't I stand up and raise a voice for him? Why was he simply given the homely cure? And that too because he cried for a long time. Why was he not taken to the nursing home? I still do not get this.

Is there any humanity left today?
Is it high time we gave it a thought?

Six Things That Made Me Happy Today # 3

1. After almost six months I had a great time with a friend. Yes, today was a perfect day.

2. This might seem funny but I drank three bottles of soft drink, 600 ml each. I have never done such a stupid thing ever but it was fun especially coz I was spending the last few days of my college life.

3. My roomie has gone to her relatives so I get the whole bed to myself :D :D

4. As a hostelite, we are entitled to the hostel transportation but we never actually get it. Somehow things turned for our good and the khadoos hostel manager provided us the cab after ages.

5. I finally washed the pending laundry and heaved a sigh of relief.

6. Chatted with a school friend for a long long time, it felt heavenly.

Book Review: 'Chained- Can you escape fate?' by Mehek Bassi

Love: One of the strongest emotions
Money: One of the deadliest powers
Fame: One of the most poisonous drugs
When fame overpowers trust, when money rules the relationships, will the true love survive?
Will Arjun be able to drag himself out of the pool of guilt, for killing his wife, Shiya?
When the superstar Rehan, is dragged from riches to rags, will he be able to live the life of a common man, again?
Is patience, always worth it?
For how long can you wait to re-unite with your lover?
What if the wait is as long as three decades?
Will they be able to change their fate, or they’ll forever remain ‘Chained’?


About the author:

Mehek Bassi is 19 years old, Computer Engineering Student from Ludhiana (Punjab), and a typical Facebook addict! She experiences boredom very frequently and her sudden shift from B.Sc. to Engineering is an example of her bouncy life and a typical traveller Sagittarian trait that she nurses! One thing that is constant in her life is her keen interest in reading and writing.

Know more about her at www.mehek.in

The Review:

First of all, I would like to congratulate Mehek for writing such a wonderful tale at such a young age. She is one girl who has set a new example in the writing industry. 'Chained' is the story of a young girl Shiya who dreams of making it big as a singing star. As soon as she enters college she meets Arjun who later on becomes her love interest. Shiya's father, Shekhar Mathur is a high profile businessman who is always found buried in his work that he doesn't have time for his family. Same is the case with her mother, Monika Mathur who is more of busy with her parties than family. Her sister, Mansha is way too caught up in her branded clothes. Due to all this, Shiya feels too lonely and this is where Arjun comes into picture. he loves her and protects her, makes her feel special and gives her the strength to achieve her dreams. And finally, Shiya fulfills her dream. But is this the final destination? Why does Monika Mathur behave so rudely with Shiya? Why is Shekhar Mathur so immersed in work that he does not have time for his family? Who is Tarannum? Why hasn't she married even after reaching late forties? And what about Rehan, why is he being connected with Shiya repeatedly by the media? What about the jealousy and possessiveness that will overpower love and trust? Why are there so many ego clashes among couples? Can fame and money override logic and righteousness? Can you wait for your love for three decades? Read on the amazing tale of fame and power blended with love.
The story has a lot many spheres to it that keeps the reader glued till the end. The best part of the book is that it just doesn't concentrate on love and mushy romance, there's a lot of suspense and thrill which is generally not found in books these day. One can easily call this book a complete package. There are a lot of beautiful and thoughtful poems in the book that are going to sway your heart away. The story is crisp and pacy, not even one point would come where you'd feel like stopping. Romantic scenes are undoubtedly written very well so all you die hard romantics, just pick up the book and get started and even if you aren't a romance lover, you are not going to get disappointed because there's a lot more to the book than romance. Scene description and narration is amazingly great, language usage is again good, you wouldn't have to pick a dictionary but then you will not have to read the monotonous writing, proper good sophisticated english is what you are going to get. I am reading a book by NotionPress for the first time and I must say, their editing is strong however there are 1-2 typing errors and paper quality is good as well.
And as for Mehek, girl! you have done a fabulous job. Keep writing and wishing you all the very best for 'Chained' and I am pretty sure this book is going to do amazingly well.

This comes under my 'recommended read'.

Flipkart: http://bit.ly/XSAfS1
Book-Adda: http://bit.ly/Zk9FTL
Amazon: http://amzn.to/13rVACp

Birthday Celebration and Book Release

I know I just can't stop bragging about my debut novel 'One In A Million' but this is the only thing that keeps me going. It is my dream come true. Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! The book is out and what better day could it be released than my birthday.
Yesterday, on my birthday I received the best gift ever.
My book is now available nationwide.
I do hope you guys will love reading the book.

This was the midnight surprise birthday celebration cake. I am blessed to have such lovely friends. The cake was super yummy!!

So coming to the book, orders placed through Infibeam have been shipped and a lot of them have been delivered as well.
The book had gone out of stock on Infibeam but is now back to being 'in stock'.
If you ordered a book through our 'Call and Book' Service, your orders have been dispatched and will reach you within 2-3 days.
HS18 and Amegabooks orders will be shipped very soon.

Today, after the PUT got over I signed a batch of 40 copies that were pre-ordered through our 'Call and Book' Service sponsored by ExpertHippo. The feeling was seriously heavenly, something like the song in hindi

Aaj kal paaon zameen par nahi padte mere

bolo dekhaa hai kabhee tumne mujhe, udate huye

I gave a call to Dad as soon as I was done with signing the copies of my book. I so wished he was there with me then. Mum teased me dramatically saying, "Beta ab hume bhool mat jana!" (Child, don't forget us now.)
My little sis went all excited and said she would get all her friends to buy my book and let her teachers know about the book. She has asked me to send quite a number of autographed copies for her school friends and Principal.
Oh!! Here I go again with my nonsense.
And this one is for my three special bloggers Neisha, Prasoon and Vaanbhatt(Mr. Prasoon Verma) whose encouragement brought me here.

Anyway, I'll keep you updated with a lot more about the book.

I do hope you love reading the book.
And all those you haven't ordered a copy please do order and share feedback.
Signing off for today with a click with OIAM.
:)

Guest Blogging: Do's and Don'ts

Guest Blogging

Don’t all of us love reading blogs on various topics related to our daily lives.

You want to buy a new laptop for yourself. You refer a blog.

You want to give your living room a new look. You refer a blog.

You are facing problem in your relationship. You refer a blog.

Your boss is giving you a pain in the neck. You refer a blog.

For every problem in your life, there is a solution on a blog.

And how many times has the idea of suggesting your own idea cropped up your mind?

Hasn’t the idea of writing as a guest blogger excited you?

Well, if that is the case then start searching up for blogs which deal with your area of interest. There are a lot of blogs that invite guest bloggers. So, search all over the net and type in mails to them.

Don’t just send in your article. Tell them why you want to write for them and how your contribution to the blog can help the readers and the blog as well.

Read more

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you liked this, you might also like reading my debut novel 'One In A Million'

You can order it online at HS18 here

Get An Autographed Copy!

A lot of people had been asking for autographed copies. Here's where you can get them:

24*7 Call and Book Facility for Autographed copies of 'One In A Million'

+91-8130632715

+91-8130632796

Price: 80 INR for Delhi NCR

         110 INR for rest of the nation.

I hope you all will love reading the book.

Stay Blessed

Love

Harshita