Saturday, September 29, 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

Vanished in a blink






Image taken from Short Story Slam


Some dreams waltz in mind
Heart yearns to embrace them…tight
Vanished in a blink




Monday, September 24, 2012

Finding a way in difficult situations




There's a quotation "मुश्किलें इतनी बढ़ीं कि आसां हो गईं" (Mushkilein Itni Badhi Ke Aasan Ho Gayi) and I like this!

Life is full of problems. Small or big. Expecting a problem free life is expecting too much from life. It can never be this generous. But I think there’s always a solution. Always a way to proceed. None of your problems can stop the rhythm of your life. Life tends to go on.

Sometimes we really feel helpless in any particular difficult situation. We find it so difficult that we can’t resist thinking that nothing can be done. But I can say with my personal experiences that there’s always a solution, waiting somewhere to kill the existing problem. When life traps you in some trouble, it also has some solution stored in a corner of its closet. We just have to extract it. Many times I have experienced some problems that seemed perpetual. I start to think ‘What can be done with this?’ ‘How will I manage this?’ but as I set my mind free to find some way out, I get one (It may seem tough initially but you get used to it gradually).  And I’m not exaggerating.

Some incidents stir our lives. They compel our minds to stick to them. Weeping hearts refuse to come out of that trauma. But at this point moving on can be the only solution. You can’t control some mishaps in your life. But you can control your emotions. Your conscience. Your thoughtfulness.

Sometimes, you can’t do anything about those difficulties of your life that tend to jump in the pond of your happiness, jumbling your peaceful mind. Ruining your chuckling halcyon moments. But you can learn to tackle those problems. The more you try to run away from the difficulties, the bigger it appears.

Actually, life isn’t about what happens to you, it’s about how you handle what happens.


                      One Single Impression




Thursday, September 20, 2012

The immigrant by Manju Kapur






Yesterday I finished a novel “The Immigrant” by Manju Kapur.  This review is for Random House India Book Review Program. I would like to thank RandomReads for giving me the opportunity to read and review their books.

The Immigrant tells the story of Nina…and Ananda and complications in their arranged marriage. Nina is a lecturer of English literature in Miranda House College, Delhi University and is single @ thirty. She lives with her widowed mother, who always worries about Nina’s marriage.

 Ananda is a dentist, practicing in Cananda. He comes to India, as his sister is planning his marriage, to meet Nina.

After a year-long, long-distance courtship, Nina and Ananda get married. Nina shifts to Canada where life is very different for her. Ananda helps her to adjust in every way. As a husband, Ananda is caring but he suffers from sexual problem. Where Nina wants to talk and find some solution, Ananda tends to run away from his problem. Deeply affected by loneliness, Nina gets a job in a library. Meanwhile Ananda tries to resolve the problem of his sexuality, without telling his wife.

Among some uneventful incidents, both Nina and Ananda divert from their loyalty and indulge themselves in extramarital affairs.  After much mishmash, the novel ends with Nina’s decision to get separate from Ananda, out of her strong desire for freedom and hope of finding a new horizon.

Frankly speaking, I did not understand the gist of the story. The excerpt seemed appealing as it indicated that this story had something interesting to offer, but for me the execution of the story was dull and somehow meaningless (Though it started well). It was hard to extract a solid story/motive out of this book.

Apart from this, many times, the story keeps fluctuating between past tense and present tense. I personally did not like the idea of multiple Point of View and unnecessary details of Ananda as his introduction. There are too much ‘uninteresting’/ ‘passionless’ sex sequences (I won’t say unnecessary as it seems that the entire book is about this only). Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between narration and dialogues as if there’s some kind of hurry. There’re some unimportant detailed descriptions that lead the story nowhere, snatching its crispness.

Over all, I would say that I had high expectations as this book is by Manju Kapur, author of critically acclaimed novels like ‘Difficult daughters’ and ‘Home’, but I’m disappointed.





Saturday, September 15, 2012

Ah, my creation!




Filling colours in
Vivid imaginations
Different shades and hues

Learning, improving
And achieving expertise
Sense of contentment

Artistic blend of
Sparkling colours, reflect art
Ah, my creation!


Interestingly, I’m very bad at painting but I find water colour painting and oil painting very-very fascinating. I hope and I wish I could paint skillfully someday….soon

Written for September Heights

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Symphony of Rain!








Spattering, heavy
Raindrops, sound mesmerizing
Symphony of Rain!


Written for: September Heights
                  Haiku My Heart


Friday, September 7, 2012

On two years of blogging and appreciation!






I’m happy. Feeling content. My blog turns two years old this month. For me it’s an achievement as I was very apprehensive about starting a blog. I have never thought that I could ever write 381 posts on my blog. But thanks to my brother Nilabh, who encouraged or literally dragged me to this interesting world and I’m glad. (I would like to congratulate my brother as he is going to be a published author as his debut novel ‘Swayamwar’ is going to release very soon. It’s a mythological novel, based on ‘The Mahabharata’. If you like Hindi and Mythological book, I’m sure you’re going to like it as it’s an interesting theme and Nilabh is a very good writer.)

Okay, back to my blog. It’s a very-very special space for me. It helped me to unlock my imagination and thoughts. I met some really nice bloggers. It feels great when my online friends appreciate my writing through their nice comments. When they support my blog by joining this site. I truly thank all of them. Appreciation really means a lot. It inspires. It encourages.

Here I am to say a very-very SPECIAL THANKS to NEHA from Neha’s Journal and JASKIRAN from Footnotes as they nominated me for two awards.


                                                                      
                                                                By Jaskiran & Neha



                                                 
                                                          By Neha

Thank you so much Neha and Jaskiran for this encouragement and appreciation. I’m honoured and feeling very happy.

Well, I have to answer some questions so here it goes….

Questions by Neha

Have you ever fallen off your bed while sleeping?
Yes (In my childhood. Of course!)

Do you still sleep with your teddy bear?
No.

Which celebrity do you have a crush on right now?
None

Have you ever done something crazy or wild? If so, do tell.
Usually, I don’t do crazy things but recently, we had gone for an outing at 1:30 a.m. and that is crazy enough for me.

Your favourite super hero?
Hmmm…Er…. Logan (Wolverine) from X-Men (If he can be considered as a super hero??)

Favourite childhood cartoon character
All the cartoon characters by cartoonist Pran (Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo, Pinky, Sabu…) and Super Commando Dhruv.

Your hobbies
Reading, Writing, Music and of course Blogging.

Your favourite author
Sharat Chandra Chattopadyaya and Debbie Macomber.

Your favourite junk food
Noodles.

Your favourite music band
Music Band? Mmmm…Shankar-Ehsan-Loy??

Are my questions silly or stupid?
Nope.


 Questions for me by Jaskiran:

Which is that one where you want to be at the moment?
Home.

Which is the favorite composition of yours? 
Ahem... You, Move on, We will meet again, Crimson with delight, Without you, Reminiscences,  Solitude is a friend, I wonder.... (This is too much I guess)

Travelling or writing or both?
Writing.

What are your emotions on receiving this award?
Happy…very happy & honoured!

What is your favorite subject to write poetry on?
Nature and Life (Sometimes inspirational...ahem)

What shall be my next question?
What does writing poetry means to you…:) (See how intelligent I am :))

What does writing/poetry means to you?
Expressing my emotions and thoughts whirling in my mind. (Actually my mind is always occupied).

What is your favorite season?
Autumn.

What is your favorite book?
Aalampanah by Rafia Manjurul Ameen, Swami by Sharat Chandra, This Matter of Marriage & Moon Over Water by Debbie Macomber & Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

Would you ever want to get lost in an exotic jungle?
No.

The one discovery/invention inspires you?
Pen/Computer/Internet


I dedicate these awards to all the creative bloggers (I read many nice blogs quite often) who manage to write very creatively & regularly on this open space….
Thanks.