Five Destinations, One lifetime

Travel, exploration, wanderer- Three words entwined together; three words that form the essence of the journey called life; three words that bring out the hidden you. Frankly speaking, a person who doesn’t travel hasn’t lived a life to be called worthwhile. Your life is a travelogue, each time you go around it gets added on your list. Life is all about discovering places so as to discover yourself. But there’s something I wish to add, simply being on the move without exploration and observation would just add on to your list, not your experiences. So yes, travel to introspect, travel to discover, travel to improve, travel to shine, travel to learn, travel to imbibe, and travel to befriend your inner soul. Well, life is a journey and mine has just begun. I’ve been through a few spots but there are many that lay unexplored. Like everyone, few places always attract you more than others. My list is a bit long but I’m going to pick the top five places I wish to travel in India, sometime soon.

Kolkata- The first city in my list has to be the Queen’s land. I don’t know why but this city has always drawn me towards itself. Maybe, it’s their food or maybe it’s the white and red cotton saris, maybe it’s the Durga Puja or maybe it’s the fish curry, I’ve reasons galore to be there but one strong that always remains on top is my fantasy to learn literature from here. Accept it or not, if you wish to study the best of literature in India then it’s nowhere but Kolkata.

Mcleodganj- The foodie in me has always been intrigued by Tibetan cuisine and there’s no doubt that it’s the momos and the thukpas that have been making me crazy to land in there sometime soon. Moreover, you don’t get to see Tibetan culture everyday. I guess, it’s going to be an enriching experience to learn something about their lifestyle. Not only this, I’ve even planned to open up a coffee shop there in collaboration with a friend.

Almora- That’s a small hill station in Uttarakhand and I’ve had some really wild thoughts on sneaking here without telling anyone, just to pen down my novel. I have fantasized for long about sleepy morning, chai ka pyaala, a desk by the window with my laptop. pens and paper and a cozy bed that has a small book shelf just above the head rest.

Vasco, Goa- Ever since I watched the movie ‘Josh’ I’ve wanted to be there. You know the churches, the sounds of the bells, the smell of baking, the Christian lifestyle, my God, it’s already giving me goosebumps. If I manage to go there, I’d like to spend some time at the public library reading about the history of the Portugal rule there.

Neemrana- That’s quite sad but you know I’ve just not got the chance to explore this beautiful hill station in Rajasthan. Like everyone, even I’d be interested in visiting those ancient forts but the catch here is the hot air ballooning early morning. I know I’ll have to save up a lot to be able to experience it but someday, I’d like to see the place from high above.

The MSY Drama: An Outburst

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Interview with Shivangi Ramsay

Today, we have an immensely talented author featured. Shivangi Ramsay holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Her debut work 'Passionate Love' released recently and has since then received positive reviews. We got in touch with the author who talks about her tryst with the pen and love affairs with characters.

Ques: Congratulations for your debut work, Shivangi. How does it feel to hold your baby ‘Passionate Love’ in your hand?

Shivangi: I feel absolutely ecstatic. I am yet to wipe the darn grin off my face (laughs).

Ques: What made you choose this title?

Shivangi: Passion is an integral part of a man-woman relationship. Hence, the title.

Ques: Tell us a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school and college? Was writing your ambition since the beginning?

Shivangi: I come from a renowned family of academicians. My mother is an associate professor in History in an all-girl’s college. My dad was a Nehru Cambridge Scholarship awardee. He served awhile in Magdalene College, UK.  I am an incorrigible bookworm and a die-hard pasta lover. Chocolates are my weakness. I was extremely reserved as a student. You will be shocked to know that I was practically friendless in high school. In college, I spend long hours in the library pouring over my favorite novels and books. Smart, intelligent, and unbelievably sincere I was the uncrowned star pupil. And yes, I always wanted to become a writer. 

Ques: Tell us something about your book?

Shivangi: My book-Passionate Love is a contemporary romance. It is the love story of a life style journalist and a computer engineer turned entrepreneur.

Ques: What inspired you to jot down and how long did you take to complete it? Does the story taken any inspiration from your real life?

Shivangi: I am an ardent fan of romance novels. Call it destiny, I had the good fortune of interacting with my favorite British romance novelist during one of my trips to Great Britain. Her effusive admiration of my articles motivated me to write this story.

Ques: How tough was it to find a publisher for yourself? How has your experience been with your present publisher?

Shivangi: I changed my publisher due to irreconcilable differences with the editorial team, and delay in printing of the book. My present publisher is God-sent. I am eternally grateful to Gaurav Sharma for being so supportive.

Ques: How close is Ambika to Shivangi?

Shivangi: We are poles apart, physically as well as emotionally. While Ambika is short and tiny, at 5’7” I am fairly tall by Indian standards (giggles). Both the hero and the heroine are a figment of my imagination. But truth to be told, I am more like Ayaan Ramsay.

Ques: Do you plan to write apart from romance genre?

Shivangi: I plan to write a young adult fiction in the future.

Ques: How has the response of your novel been?

Shivangi: That’s for my readers to tell.  

Ques: Are you working on your second novel? If yes, please give a sneak peek into it.

Shivangi: I am yet to begin work on my second novel. It is an out of the box concept that’s gonna raise hackles in the literary circles.

Ques: What are your favourite books? What kind of work do you like to read?

Shivangi: I am a romance junkie. Here’s a list of my all time favorite books- A Passionate Affair and Savage Innocence by Anne Mather, His Untamed Innocent, and The Seduction Game by Sara Craven, Out of the Night by Penny Jordan, Everything and the Moon by Julia Quinn. Apart from that, I absolutely adore Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. I also enjoy reading  Joseph Conrad, William Golding, Milan Kundera, Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Desai, and Jean Rhys.

Ques: What is your schedule like when it comes to writing a novel/article/post?

Shivangi: I am a pretty spontaneous writer. Due to my hectic teaching schedule, I can’t follow a particular schedule.

Ques: Among Indian writers, who do you think has exceptional writing skills?

Shivangi: R.K. Narayan, and Ruskin Bond.

Ques: If you were given a chance, would you like to change something in ‘Passionate Love’?

Shivangi: Not a word. Please don’t hate me for saying so (laughs).

Ques: Lastly, is there a message that you’d like to give your readers?

Shivangi: Love yourself. 

Get a copy of the book here.

Mommy, I don't want to bathe...

“Akriti, you know this isn’t going to work out. Going to school without bathing isn’t going to help. Stop your tantrums and get yourself a good wash,” Kiran almost shouted at her daughter.

“Mommy, I don’t want to bathe. It’s so cold. What’s wrong in not taking a bath?” the five year old kiddo replied. She, ofcourse, was unaware of the perks of bathing.

“No arguments, no questions. You are bathing and coming out in the next fifteen minutes,” her mother ordered.

“Hunny, what happened?” Rajat had just woken up from a deep slumber and was in no mood to hear the regular tiff of Mom and daughter.

Kiran wasn’t in the best of her temper and so replied getting all irritated, “Your daughter…she’s making me go crazy all day.”

“As if, she isn’t yours..”Rajat smirked and then smiled. One out of the two had to be in control in the family.

“I’m not in a state to handle your humour.”

She was angry, it was pretty more than obvious now.

“Okay, first of all, sit down and take a deep breath,” he came close to her and gave her a glass of water. “Now tell me, why is there so much of hullabaloo every morning between you two?”

“This girl, she just doesn’t listen to me. Every morning, I have to screech and shout, just to make her bathe. She simply doesn’t understand the importance of bathing. She’ll fall ill if she doesn’t imbibe good habits. And as a parent, it is my responsibility to teach her good habits,” she replied sadly. It was evident she was confused about the step that should be taken to make her child understand the advantage of bathing.

“Relax, you know this is what children do. It’s their tendency to not do what their parents instruct them. Akriti is no different, unless she knows the repercussions of the same, she won’t understand why you are after her all day,” Rajat tried to cool down his wife.

“C’mon, every day I tell her that if she doesn’t bathe then she’ll be itching all day with sweat and catch infections. But who listens to me?”

“Kiran, you remember the cashewnut story we were told by her grandmas?” Rajat asked Kiran.

Her expressions depicted that she was quite perplexed so she asked, “Which one?”

“Ohho! There was this kid who used to love eating cashew nut and would just not listen to his Mom when asked to stop eating too much of it,” Rajat started telling a story he had been told a hundred times.

“And?” asked Kiran. She always had a habit of interrupting with ands and buts. May be, that was her way to tell people that she was paying attention.

“And then one day, he ate a lot of them in the absence of his mother. When she returned, he came running to her crying and said, ‘I am sorry Mom, I didn’t pay heed to your advice and now, my stomach hurts too bad due to having so much of cashew nuts.’ This story not only made the boy understand the repercussions of having too much of cashew nuts but he also learnt to listen to his parents’ advice,” Rajat concluded.

“So should we make her realize the same the hard way?” Kiran asked.

“We will have to, we never understand the pros and cons of a particular situation unless we face it ourselves. You know she’ll also get to listening to so many things she generally ignores when instructed by you,” Rajat said thoughtfully.

“May be but I do hope she doesn’t have to face the wrath at her school,” Kiran said. She didn’t want her angel to go through any problems at school.

“Don’t worry,” Rajat hugged her tight. He knew his wife was worried.

Later that afternoon, Akriti came back from school and the first thing she said was, “Mommy, I love you.”

“I love you too, my little angel. How was school, today?” Kiran asked pulling her cheeks. She had acquired those chubby cheeks from her Dad. Kiran had almost gone back to her school days when she had first met Rajat.

“Mommy, I wanna take bath,” Kiran was woken up from her thoughts by Akriti’s voice.

‘What on earth, had happened to this girl?’ Kiran thought. This was such a big change in Akriti’s attitude but she was happy. Kiran got up to get clothes for her daughter from the wardrobe.

“Mom, I like this thing. Please switch it on. I like bathing in hot water instead of this cold water in the morning,” Akriti pointed towards Racold Instant water heater.

Kiran had never seen her daughter enjoy so much while bathing. It was quite evident she was having fun. She played in the water tub with her Mom and with all the toys they had specially got for her so that she enjoys the whole process. Sadly, her daughter had always avoided bathing although somehow, things were a little different that day. She didn’t know what miracle had happen with her but she was happy that finally, her daughter had understood her Mom’s concern.

Later at night, Kiran saw a card made by her sweet little daughter awaiting at the study table. She smiled as she read the words ‘To the world’s best Mommy’

It was 11 p.m. and Kiran and Rajat were lying silently on bed.

“You know what happened today?” Kiran told Rajat.

“What?”

“Akriti herself went to freshen up after coming back from her. In fact, she even asked me to turn on the instant water heater. I don’t what brought this sudden change in her,” Kiran said smiling.

Rajat came close and hugged her. His wife was happy that their daughter had finally taken the right path and Rajat was happy to see both the females he loved the most were happy. Little did she know that Rajat had told the same story along with some additions about bathing to his daughter while dropping her to school in the morning. He was also happy about the fact that his daughter didn’t have to go through that #WhatsThatSmellBoss phase.

P.S: This post has been written as an entry for the contest on Indiblogger conducted by Racold Instant Water Heater