Our Shanta Bai is Not a Thief

Wednesday. 8:40 AM. Ding Dong. Look who's at the door- our very own Shanta Bai. That's the name I have given to our maid because, with my scarce knowledge of Kannada and her zero knowledge of Hindi, I can't ask her name!

A few seconds later. The kitchen is purging with the customary sound of her washing the utensils and the fragrance of ready to be savoured ginger tea. We courteously asked the old lady if she needs warm water to wash utensils, saying "bisi neeru bekaaaa?" (Kannada). She cracked some joke in her language and giggled at our intentions, leaving us puzzled. Apologetically, we barely could afford a smile.

8:50 AM. Ding dong. I and hubby questioned  each other with our eyes-doing-the-talking -"who is it?", as we do not expect any other visits on a usual day. 

I was brushing my teeth. Hubby opened the door only to find our Khooni Padosan waiting. eeeehh... I mean our next door neighbour. Oh, you are wondering why I call her Khooni Padosan? Mrs. Khooni Padosan , a lady in her early 40s, according to me is suffering from hyper-negativity-towards-the-planet-and-its-creatures (if they have discovered one such disease yet). She can retort at anything and everything, like the landlord, her husband, her sister-in-law, the road, weather, keys of the apartment entrance, municipal corporation and even mosquitoes.

She was explicit enough to blame our Shanta Bai for having picked up her Sennheiser earphones from the staircase. Worst thing, she did not suspect, she declared the verdict- "your maid has picked up my earphones from the stairs". Strangely, she was sure about it without any proof. 

Meanwhile, I am still brushing my teeth and the hubbub of utensils being harassed prevails. Our innocent bai who was unaware of our Hindi conversation continued with what she is employed for.

Hubby came in. Checked his bag. The earphones he had picked up from the stairs on the weekend, suspecting them to have fallen from his bag, originally belonged to the Khooni Padosan. The same earphones which she had declared as stolen by the maid. He and I own two pairs of earphones of the same brand. So our twin earphones had another sibling on the building floor!

To live happily-ever-after and save Shanta Bai from her curse, we hopped to her flat and returned her property, narrating our version of the case of accidental lifting of the abandoned item. Also, added that Shanta bai has already undergone our series of anti-theft tests and that she never bothers for anything except salary hike, daily tea and a pack of Parle-G every fortnight. Not only this, she makes sure that we close our door while she leaves, for which she has to shout at our recklessness, at times. She is motherly.

Moral of the story- Dear moron, investigate and inquire before you blame our Shanta bai or any poor person of theft.

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so.)

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Nothing But Hunger!

Peeping out of the window of the fourth floor of my office sipping from my mug of green tea this winter afternoon, I was simply observing the traffic and mortals on the road. I noticed something. Something which is very usual for most of us.

A street vendor stood across the road with his cart, beneath a luxurious showroom. The cart carried corns (roasted corns is what he supposedly had been vending). Let's name him Bhuttaswamy.

Bhuttaswamy was a middle aged, wearing white shirt and gray pants, waiting for his customers. Amongst the hundreds of vehicles and pedestrians that passed by, on that forever busy signal of Bangalore, none seemed to be hungry enough. I wandered is this how this man is going to stand there throughout the day, in HOPE. We mint thousands or even lakhs of bucks a month, and these people have to stand there with a handful of corns, 20 bucks per piece (this is the generic rate throughout Bangalore)! Diversity, they call it. Ahhh! look this fellow on a luxury bike just stopped and spoke to Bhuttaswamy for what may be a duration of 40 seconds. And, without buying, he drove away. Probably, he found the corn expensive!

On my side of the road sat another middle aged lady, let's call her BEGAni. Her hands carried an infant, malnutritioned indeed. My sight reflected her to be a beggar, possibly! The busy road and the travelers didn't pay heed to her either. One in 50 shelled out a coin or two for her, only when the signal was red.

The next day, I was coming back from an ATM with my colleagues and was walking by the road side, rather the part which the vehicles had left for pedestrians. This young girl, nearly 12 years of age was selling pens, 2 for 20 rupees, each of which was 1 feet in length. Let's name her PENwari. On seeing us coming, she gestured her hands in the direction of her mouth expressing she is hungry. The pens were cheap, but her hunger wasn't! I bought a pen from her. Penwari's merchandise later lied lazily somewhere at my desk. Nevertheless, it might have mattered to Penwari apparently.

A few metres walk on the same road, and there appeared another girl of similar age. Let's call her MAANGshri. She, literally was chasing folks on the road to transfer some money from their wallets to her palms so that she can be devoid of hunger. Those folks were shooing her away, trying every possible motion to get rid of her. Painful was the scene. Not because they didn't give her any money, but because Maangshri was begging. She seemed to be a healthy and normal human, no deformities at all. What is it that made her to beg! This planet has a lot of blue collar jobs, and she is employable. 

Unlike Begani and Maangshri who were looking for shortcuts to earn, Bhuttaswamy and Penwari are the ones who are doing something to earn their living. People will keep begging until we give away alms to them.

I have a habit of carrying a few packets of Parle-G in my bag. Whenever I see someone begging on the traffic signal, I hand them a packet rather than giving money. They do not have bank acccounts to stash money, but a hungry tummy. I cannot feed them forever, but am rest assured that the child on the signal doesn't have to stay hungry at least this time.

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so.)

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A Poetic Endeavor : Seasons of Heart

Fading sunshine and waning moon,

Subtle is the warmth of winter bloom,

O night! Thee fade slowly.

Heart shells the pain out,

Tear drops like rain seldom ever end,

Wait, for the bliss is calling!

Spring comes calling dear Darling,

Happiness blooms along and the fragrance clinging,

For love we share unending,

A melancholy drop of water,

In arms of thunder is born anew,

Dreaming to green the greener.

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ये नोट कल हो ना हो !

एटीएम की लंबी कतार में लग कर जब खुद ही का कमाया हुआ 2 हज़ार का एक नोट मिलता है तो इतना हर्ष होता है मानों कोई जंग जीत कर आये हो। फिर जब उसी 2 हज़ार के नोट का छुट्टा करवाने के तरीक़े ढूंढने की जुगाड़ में निकलते हैं और अचानक कोई दूकानदार ईश्वर का अवतार बन के इस नोट के बदले सौ के नोट देता है तो ऐसा लगता है मानो सर्वस्व को पा लिया हो। जब हम हमारे पास इकट्ठे चन्द 1000 और 500 के नोट को बैंक में जमा कर आते हैं तो ऐसा सुकून मिलता है मानो लाश को ठिकाने लगा आये हो।

फिर जब टेलीविज़न पर गांधी परिवार के राजकुमार को दिल्ली से मुम्बई जा कर एटीएम की कतार में लगे देखते हैं तो रूह कांप उठती है।

जब मफलर वाले साहब को उनकी योग्यता के प्रतिकूल ट्वीट करते हुए पाते हैं तो समझ नहीं आता की एक तरफ़ा वाद विवाद भी कितना मनोरंजक होता है।

और विदेश यात्रा से लौटे नेताजी को भाषण के दौरान आंसू बहाते देख मन किसी टेलीविज़न सीरियल की बहू की याद दिला देता है।

इसी बीच हर न्यूज़ चैनल पर 8 पासपोर्ट साइज़ के चहरे और एक थोड़ा बड़ा साइज के न्यूज़ रीडर का आपस में संवाद और अपनी मति का प्रदर्शन करते देख हम हास्य और रहस्य की मजधार में खुद को झूलता हुआ पाते हैं।

ईश्वर की अनुकंपा से व्हात्सप्प और फेसबुक पर हो रहे सुचना एवं प्रसार की अतिशयोक्ति में हम निरंतर मुस्तैद रहते हैं।

किसी गरीब को अस्पताल में नोटों के अभाव में तरसते देखा और एक दुल्हन के पिता को बारात को चाय पिला कर लौटाते देखा, तो मन आहात हुआ यह सोच कर की आखिर इसका ज़िम्मेदार कौन है और शिकार कौन।

खैर ये सब छोड़ें साहब, हम तो चले एटीएम। क्या पता ये नोट कल हो ना हो !

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so. I wrote this to present the whole picture from my perspective and to encourage constructive thought process for a better and progressive nation. The views are based on my limited knowledge of the ongoing situations and are only for fun)

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Book Review: The Calling

This is a book authored by Priya Kumar, an internationally acclaimed author and a motivational speaker. I am thankful to Priya Kumar's team for sending me a review copy.

This book is about Arjun who has a wrecked personal and professional life. While he is on the verge of getting divorced, Arjun took a trip to the Himalayas to reach Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage on insistence of a sadhu. That is when he had a fantasized journey leading him to find his true calling, and hence, a respite from the ruined relationship.

The book reminds me of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma, which was also based on the theme of self-actualization during a trip to Himalayas. With distinct way of story telling and conveying the message in an unusual style, Priya Kumar uses her imagination in an amazing manner to pen down the plot.

It consists of light hearted spirituality, a whole lot of contemporary world's life lessons and a pinch of comedy. Its an unconventional style of sharing the message of finding one's calling. Flawlessly narrated, never before heard kind of plot, carved out of marvelous imagination is what the author does with this 160 pager book!

However, a couple of things could have been different. One of them is, at places, certain points are elongated which could have otherwise been crisp and short. Secondly, the happy ending only comprises of the change that Arjun's personal life undergoes, but nothing on the professional front.

My rating for this book is 3.5 on 5.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 

degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing this review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

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तो फिर तू क्यूँ उदास है

तू सशक्त है समर्थ है, तो फिर तू क्यूँ उदास है,

तू गिर ज़रा संभल ज़रा, क्यूँ हो रहा हताश है,

तू रक्त है विरक्त है, तुझी से वक़्त की आस है,

तू जलज है समुद्र तू, बुझा दे जो भी प्यास है,

जो समझे ना तेरी कदर, छेड़ दे तू इक ग़दर,

ये विश्व तेरा सर्वस्व है, अकेला तू फिरे किधर,

पाषाण जो हो राह में, ना पथ पृथक तू करना ,

आँधियों की गति से डर के, ना तू चाह छोड़ना,

हो दूर ग़र अरुण किरण, उसकी राह तू ताकना,

जो तन से तू थके अग़र, ना मन से कभी तू हारना ।

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Book Review: Dare to Be- 14 Fearless Women Who Gave Wings to Their Dreams

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." This is what I concluded from this book. I spotted this book as a recommendation on Amazon. The title of the book was powerful enough to make me read the description. And I pre-ordered a copy, subsequently.

This is a book on success stories of 14 women who decided to embark on the journey of living their passion by calling it quits to their stable corporate career. All this was to live their dreams, irrespective of hurdles and naysayers in their way.

The debut authors Puja Singhal and Rinki Paul have compiled the interviews they conducted of 14 women who quit their high paying corporate jobs to pursue the road seldom taken- standup comedian, authors, models, singers, dancers etc. Undoubtedly, this book is a great source of inspiration for those who want to transform their passion into profession, but are held back by naysayers and by the fear of taking a chance against their stable corporate careers.

Each chapter is an account on the success journey of one of these 14 woman. Diligently penned, women-only stories, this book gives a sense of confidence to aspiring women entrepreneurs. However, it does not focus on empowering womanhood, but on tapping the power of actuating one's dreams, which is applicable to both the genders. This is a plus of the book.

With good vocabulary, brevity of the content and ability to cover the whole in a concise manner, the authors have delivered a book which is one of its kind!
While reading you may find yourself encounter multiple emotions every now and then- smiling, eager, angry, sad, relieved, stunned and lot more!

I have compiled a few of my favorite quotes from the women featured in the chronicle-

1) "It's better to live with 'Oh, Shit!' rather than 'What if?' - Neeti Palta, Standup comedian
2) "Close your eyes and imagine what you would do for the rest of your life if no one paid you to do it. That's what your job should be, and that will get you paid."- Miss Malini, Blogger
3) "Women are no equal to men, they are better. "If you do not feel the pain, you will never know joy."- Sonam Kalra, Singer, Musician, Writer
4) "All you touch and all you see, is all your life ever will be."- Monica Bhide, writer
5) "You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart."- Sucheta Pal, India's first Zumba trainer
6) "...rejection means nothing more than someone being unable to see what you see."- Abha Maryada Banerjee, Motivational speaker, author
7) "Nothing works unless you do." "Add life to moments, instead of moments to life."- Neeru Sharma, Co-founder- Infibeam.com
8) "The only naysayer in my life is me."- Dr. Rangana Rupavi Choudhari, International speaker
9) "Money is important to survive, attachment with it is not."- Pooja Warier, Social Entrepreneur
10) "Jump towards the side where the heart lies and rest will be magical!"- Yukti Kapoor Mehandiratta, Entrepreneur, model and anchor
11) "As long as you are sure of a roof on your head and food on your table, you cannot go too wrong."- Anisha Singh, Co-founder & CEO- coupon provider, Mydala

My rating for this book is 4 on 5. Awaiting the next one by the authors, hopefully on a similar theme.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 

degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing this review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

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A Blank Notebook

Amidst eerie calm of the midnight, she was tossing and turning on the bed. All that was audible was the clock ticking near the door. On that full moon night, a glint of moonlight was peeping past the curtains, adding dim light to her room. The king size bed was too wide for her to lie there alone. Like every year, December weather in Bengaluru was not that cool. Anamika was all alone at home, her husband had been out for three days to attend an official meeting at Chennai.

Lying back in her cozy pajamas and loose tees, thoughts came in and passed as she was having a sleepless night. She had been missing her husband, who was a source of inspiration for her every time she was low. While Anamika was looking towards the window, from the little space left uncovered by the curtains, a thick lock of hair falling on her forehead was bothering her. She moved it slowly behind her ear. Her eyes fell upon the clock, the time was 1:10 AM. Nevertheless, she ain’t going to sleep tonight.

Something was keeping her awake. Anamika’s husband, Rishi had his client presentation the next morning. So she did not want to call and disturb his slumber sleep. If she called him at this time in the night, he would get worried for no reason.

Thoughts climbed up her mind as and as the night passed.

-----------

It all started a year and half ago. She got married and moved to Bengaluru. Life was a joyful ride since then. Having someone to share your joys and sorrows with, to be cuddled and cared for, to be accompanied in all endeavors and choices, is one of the best feelings. It was then Anamika had started penning down her book, her OWN book. It’s been a dream since years. Her husband kept her encouraging to give it a start. Rishi often said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you are right.”

“Eureka! I did it. I wrote my first book.” After multiple drafts, series of writing, re-writing, feedback, editing and burning the midnight oil, Anamika had completed her book. Now the time had come to share the script with the publisher. He was already impressed by her manuscript. Anamika had been on cloud nine since then, her husband equally happy. They had submitted the script to the publisher. For a week, Anamika and Rishi had waited for the publisher’s phone call. Every morning they woke up with vigor, anticipating his call. But success was not supposed to knock so soon on Anamika’s door. The script was rejected. She was shattered. The book was her baby. Thereafter, she spent days and nights in despair. Rishi tried his best to condole her, to convince her that it was the first but not the last time. He insisted her to try writing again. Anamika was too discouraged to write again. She said, “It is not my cup of tea. How could I even dream to see my book in people’s bookshelves? I was much better writing poems and short stories.” She engrossed herself in everything else and stopped writing.

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This time, in Rishi’s absence, Anamika was revisiting the past events for the umpteenth time. She recalled that while leaving for the airport, Rishi had asked her to open the first drawer of her “writing desk” for once. In excitement, she jumped out of the bed and moved towards her “writing desk” in the other room. The door knob was closed, which she opened quickly. The desk was marvelously decorated and on the walls behind were pasted various posters, print outs of her poems, articles and stories, inspirational quotes- all very lucrative for a writer. In the drawer was a folded paper which was hand-written by Rishi for her. The letter just mentioned-

“Sometimes our power resides not in what we do, but in what we don’t do. There is only one difference between dream and aim. Dream requires effortless sleep and aim requires sleepless efforts. Sleep for dream and wake up for aim. Get up and write :)”

Beneath the letter was lying a notebook, a blank notebook. The scent of fresh pages and the sight of an un-scribbled notebook was so soothing. Anamika pulled out a pen from the holder. She opened the blank notebook. And in no time, started writing her destiny - her book, once again!

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

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Endoscopic View of Real Beauty by Twitterati

Meanwhile they were participating in a beauty contest on twitter. I mean, a contest wherein the organizer was giving away vouchers to the winners based on answers to a series of beauty related questions.

The contest's question #1 was about what real beauty is.

It was exasperating to see prompt answers by the participants, flooding with sugar coated definitions of real beauty, all in the race to win the contest!

Quoting a few of those tweets below-

"For me Real Beauty is about taking stand for yourself."
"Real beauty means the lovely soul.."
"Real beauty is not what the eyes can be hold, but what the heart can be hold"
"Real Beauty is being Strong. It's about putting your opinions and not afraid of what 'Chaar log kya Kahenge' "
"True beauty is reflected in one's soul—being truthful, honest, helpful, and trustworthy. "
"Real beauty is not synonymous with outer look.. it is deep within."
"Real beauty is something that is born inside and gradually grows to the outside"

After reading the last couple of responses, I was wondering how do you dig "inside" and certify the "inner beauty" of someone. May be the lungs of the person are beautiful, or is it the food pipe, or is it about the 7 meter long beautiful acid-filled-intestine! Wait... that requires endoscopy... 

It was jaw dropping but amusing to scroll infinitely and see the extent of generosity of people on the contest board! Seeking the FREE shopping voucher from the fashion brand was all they striven for, I believe.

So, I was curious to explore the literal meaning of "real beauty". Merriam Webster dictionary says beauty is-
The quality of being physically attractive; the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind

The dictionary doesn't feature the word "real" alongside "beauty". But they don't give "fake" meanings either.

Pun aside, simply stating, I am unsure how many of the participants would ever recall and for that matter, go with their homemade definitions of the real beauty. Because in real sense, it's all about physical beauty in this real world! Have you ever seen a matrimonial ad stating- "looking for ugly girl, must be beautiful inside."?  And I don't need to type in the rest :). Think yourself...

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so.)

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Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use. ~Wendell Johnson

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'Close your eyes and imagine what you would do for the rest of your life if no one paid you to do it'
-Miss Malini

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कल तुम भी वृध्द होंगे

शर्मा जी क्षेत्र के पार्षद थे। जन साधारण की सदैव मदद करने हेतु वे विख्यात थे। शहर के अनेक लोग उनके पास अपनी समस्या का समाधान लेने आते थे।

दिसम्बर का शीतल सोमवार, प्रातः 9 बजे। शर्माजी कार्यालय जाते समय अपने वृद्ध पिता को मन्दिर ले कर आए हुए थे। सीढिया चढ़ते हुए उनके समीप एक व्यक्ति जो लगभग 40 वर्ष का और उसके साथ लगभग 70 वर्षीय वृद्ध आये। शर्माजी ने दोनों को नमन करते हुए पूछा की वे उनकी क्या सेवा कर सकते हैं। मंदिर में आरती प्रारम्भ हो चुकी थी सो शर्माजी के पिता आरती में सम्मिलित होने की मंशा व्यक्त कर के आरती स्थल की ओर जाने लगे। शर्मा जी ने तुरंत अपने ड्राइवर को साथ भेजा। यह देख कर मदद को आये उस व्यक्ति के भाव परिवर्तित हो गए।

उन्होंने पुनः उस व्यक्ति से पूछा की वे उनकी क्या मदद कर सकते हैं। उसने बताया कि साथ में जो वृद्ध हैं वे उसे सड़क के उस पार अकेले खड़े मिले और आग्रह किया कि शर्माजी उनकी यदोचित सहायता करें। प्रतीत होता  है  इनका कोई नहीं है।

शर्माजी ने तुरंन्त एक वृद्धाश्रम में फ़ोन लगाया और उनसे आग्रह कर उस वृद्ध का वहाँ दाख़िला करवाया। साथ आये व्यक्ति ने आभार व्यक्त करते हुए शर्मा जी से कहा कि कार्यालय जाते हुए वह उस वृद्ध को आश्रम छोड़ देंगे। शर्मा जी यह जान कर प्रसन्न हुए की मानवता आज भी जीवित है।

आरती एवं दर्शन समाप्त होने पर शर्माजी अपने पिता को ससम्मान घर छोड़ कर अपने कार्यस्थल की ओर गए।

दो माह पश्चात शर्मा जी के पिता कुछ दिनों तक अस्पताल में भर्ती रहे | पूर्ण रूप से स्वस्थ होने के उपरांत वे उनकी अस्पताल से छुट्टी करवा रहे थे| अचानक उन्हें एक कक्ष से वह् व्यक्ति आता हुआ दिखा जो कि उस वृद्ध को उनके पास लाया था | उसी के नज़दीक वृद्धाश्रम का अधिकारी शर्मा जी को पह्चान गया | उसने बताया,  "उन बुजुर्ग व्यक्ति का स्वास्थ्य ठीक नहीं है | डॉक्टर ने कहा है अब उनके जीवन के कुछ ही पल शेष है | हमने उनसे पूछा कि किसी नाते रिश्तेदार या मित्र से मिलने कि इच्छा हो तो बता दें | तब उन्होंने इस व्यक्ति का फ़ोन नम्बर दिया|"

शर्मा जी समझने लगे थे कि दाल में कुछ काला है | कुछ क्षण पश्चात वह् व्यक्ति पुनः उस कक्ष के भीतर गया | वापिस आया तो थोड़ा उदास दिखा | डॉक्टर से पूछने पर ज्ञात हुआ कि वे वृद्ध पुरुष अब नहीं रहे |

सांत्वना देने हेतु शर्मा जी उस व्यक्ति के पास गए | उसने वृद्धाश्रम के अधिकारी से पूछा कि क्या उन्हें उन वृद्ध ने कोई फाइल दी थी| उत्सुक्तवश शर्मा जी ने पूछा कि वह् उस वृद्ध के बारे में इतना कैसे जानता है अथवा उसका उनसे क्या नाता है| सिर झुका कर, हिचकिचाते हुए उसने बताया कि वह् उनका पुत्र है | पिता की चिकित्सा के लिए धन ना दे पाने, उनकी सेवा के भार से बचने और अपने पुत्र के पालन में व्यस्त होने के कारण उसे उन्हें वृद्धाश्रम भेजने का विचार आया। वृद्धाश्रम की फीस ना भरने की मंशा से उसने शर्मा जी की सहायता ली। और उन्होंने बिना कुछ जाने उसकी सहायता कर दी।

शर्मा जी अत्यन्त लज्जित हुए। फाइल खोल कर देखी तो पाया कि उस वृद्ध ने अपनी सारी संपत्ति अपने पुत्र के नाम कर दी है। शर्मा जी को यह जान कर दुःख हुआ के जिस पुत्र ने उन्हें जीवन के अंतिम समय में वृद्धाश्रम छोड़ दिया उस वृद्धाश्रम के लिए कुछ देने की जगह उन्होंने उसी पुत्र को सम्पत्ती दे दी। साथ ही उन्हें ग्लानि हुई जो ऐसे कुपुत्र पर उन्होंने अंधा विश्वास किया |

मन ही मन स्वयम्‌ को वचन दिया कि अब किसी कि सहायता करने से पूर्व वे पूर्ण जाँच करेंगे |

इतने में शर्मा जी के किसी संबंधी ने उन्हें आवाज़ दे कर सूचित किया कि उनके पिताजी को घर ले जाया जा सकता है | बिना विलम्भ के वे वहां से उठ खड़े हुए |

जाते हुए उन्होंने बस इतना कहा- "यह मत भूलना, कल तुम भी वृद्ध होंगे।"

ऊँगली पकड़ कर सिखाया चलना जिसने,
हाथ पकड़ कर उसी को छोड़ आए वर्द्धाश्रम,
नींद अपनी खो कर तुमको सुलाया जिसने,
सदा के लिए सो जाए वह ऐसा करते हो श्रम,
दिल से हम करे सम्मान बुज़ुर्गों का,
है किस्मत वालों को मिलता आशीर्वाद बुज़ुर्गों का।

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so.) 

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कर्म तेरे अच्छे तो किस्मत तेरी दासी,
दिल तेरा सच्चा तो घर में मथुरा काशी ।

#truckQuotes

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From Baby to Bhabhi

Hello Peeps. I am back, this time from Namma Bengaluru!

Where was I? 

After a sabbatical of 6 months, I am here to ink my thoughts on your screen! During the past 6 months my life has taken a major drift, from my roka and wedding and subsequently moving to Bangalore. In short, transforming from "Baby to Bhabhi".

Why this post?

Well, this single post shall not be enough to describe the entire story of my being Happily Ever After!

You may call it a warm-up note to break the ice between me and my blogger account. You may also assume that I am puking my undigested thoughts after a break. Please bear with me this time :)

Where am I?

Bengaluru- the Silicon City as they say, is quite different from MY Indore. This place taught me a lot, may it be buying vegetables, surviving the bumper-to-bumper traffic, the entrancing Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Oriya, Malyalam, aka the vivacious South Indian culture; their cryptic languages (with due respect); the palatable food and what not. I am lovin it!

Guess what? Bengaluru does not have cows (got to see only 3 cows on roads in the past 3+ months), stray dogs here only prefer non-vegetarian meals.

Moreover, I could barely see any old person here! Seriously, everyone here is young, none with salt-and-pepper-beard, only young folks everywhere. Ghosshhh! Don't people turn old here? The vast IT brigade has occupied the town.

About me-

I turned into a responsible young lady (sort of!) from a chirpy perky girly! Amusingly, I spend hours finding best deals on Dettol, Harpic, Vim bar, mop, non-stick cookware, moong dal, sugar, multi-grain aata, pillow covers, Patanjali Ghee, lemon and cauliflower on Amazon and Big Basket. This is a big twist in my life that came from marriage. And you must spare me a much deserved pat on my back for handling my maid who is Kannada from heart, soul and TONGUE!

What next?

In the last half year my life took a 360 degree turn by transforming me into the proud individual that I am now. Watch this space to know more of my myriad experiences.

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so.)

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You can probably do anything in life, but not everything! 
-web

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Its My Right Too

Since past few days, every time I turn the TV on and fiddle with the news channels, I can easily spot at least one channel showing 6-8 thumbnail sized faces and one bigger thumbnail of the news reader / moderator of the debate. The debate regarding entry of women to the popular Shani Shingnapur temple's sacred sanctum.

First, the news channels are seeking pleasure in giving air to the fire of the thought provoking debate which at the end of the day has no conclusion. Do we have anyone authorized to present a verdict on this, and hence a never ending debate it is!

Second, if our country keeps fighting on the name of religion it would be difficult for us to excel. This is what US President Obama said once. Let alone cross-religion fights, this one is amidst people of the same religion. So you may call it same-religion-cross-gender dispute-with-no-respite.

Next, our country has bigger problems to deal with. If every community comes with one such problem, its enough to land us in the middle of nowhere and other countries enjoying our cat fight! Recently, THE GREAT actor (you-know-who), and most importantly the husband of celebrity, actor and member of Parliament (you-know-who), has come up with a BRAND NEW (atleast it seems to be brand new) fight for the rights of a CASTE from Kashmir. And alas! he has received the most coveted Padma award, even before the issue is resolved. It seems that he is evoking the rage of the countrymen for the sake of popularity and awards. How come he suddenly arose after all those 26 years of injustice to the community?

Coming back to the original topic, the right to worship. While an interesting debate was being telecasted, a WOMAN, yes a woman priest (acclaimed saadhvi) was protesting AGAINST women's right to worship because they menstruate. A bunch of men who were on the extempore with her were favoring women's right to worship. Aweful contradiction. Meanwhile, the moderator representing the new channel was worth appreciating. Let me paraphrase what he said- "I don't go to such temple where my daughters are not allowed. I don't believe in such a god whom my daughters can't worship." And he ended the debate by reading a sentence from a piece of paper, which was probably passed on to him from his channel's representative. It said- "जिसके गर्भ में नौ महीने रहे उसी को गर्भग्रह में नहीं जाने देते..."

Next, for the women who protested. Do they have any political intent? Are they paid to cause the havoc? Is there something we are unable to see here? Do the news channels themselves pay them to help creating such masala news? Are they really devoted to visit the temple? Is this the only temple left on the planet? Don't  you fear that Shani Bhagwan will be angry at you for causing this mess? Forget about Shani Bhagwan, don't you fear that the epitome of Hinduism, those self-acclaimed modern Dharm Gurus will spell curse on you? Don't you think the time, energy and money you are wasting to convince those who can never change, can be used for some noble cause which in turn will automatically impress the honorable deity? Are you real or mechanical? A real incidence that happened with me a few months back, while I was visiting a famous Hanuman temple in my vicinity during evening aarti. They were forcing all the woman to stay behind the barricades placed a few feet far from the diety. I, unknowingly tried to go past that region to worship the diety, and a man shouted- "ladies, stay away". I was speechless, could have protested, but didn't. I didn't visit the temple again.

Next, for the saints who are favoring the restriction. Can you tell who has made such weird rules against the fair gender? Was it The God himself, or The Society? If it was God who did this, I wonder why would he get impure by the touch of those whom he has created? Is there any scripture stating this? If God has made women and the fact that they menstruate is also bestowed by God, how could he himself be impure because of their entry to his so-called home. As per sanatan dharm, god is present in every particle (including every human). In that case, we are causing impurity to our own existence. Let us eradicate women in that case. If it was human who made the rule, then let me tell you, to err is human! समाज हम से है, हम समाज से नहीं | Moreover, some of you are trying to confuse people by saying that Shani dev is not a God and he is a Grah (planet).

Next, to the news channels. There are a lot more places of worship in the country who have similar restrictions, either on the attire to be worn, or the entry of a specific gender or specific race or religion. Why are you creating havoc and mocking the religion for ONE temple? What is your motto: to cause more protests, to solve the issue, to create a new rule, or to earn TRP? You must aim, not towards destruction of humanity, but towards encouraging constructive thoughts. What is it that you are diverting the public from, any news which may have been more relevant, but not masala?

Next, for the men who have come in support of the women. Well, thanks for showing that you value women and their rights. Never mind, but you are just a handful of people and your efforts are already going in vain.

Next, when everyone is coming up with their opinion, why not me. I say- पुरानी परम्पराये जाएँगी तभी तो नयी आएँगी।

Thanks to these inconclusive agendas, that after progressing two steps ahead, we pull ourselves one step back. In that case, we as a nation remain standing where we had started.

(Disclaimer: This post does not intend to harm, defame, or hurt the sentiments of any person, gender, religion, political party, news channel, religious belief, god or to whomsoever it may concern. I sincerely apologize in advance if it is so. I wrote this to present the whole picture from my perspective and to encourage constructive thought process for a better and progressive nation)

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Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

I spotted this book on the Goodreads Choice Awards page. It has a whooping 1,814,600 ratings and 129,752 reviews as of date, which compelled me to buy and read it! This book is penned by John Green, who resides at Indianapolis and is one of the bestselling authors.

While reading, one gets totally soaked in to the raw, humorous, simple, medical fiction. This is the story of a 16 year old cancer patient Hazel who happens to meet Augustus Waters at a Cancer Kids Support Group. After this her life turns into a wonderful tale. Augustus is himself a 17 year old cancer survivor. Eventually they become good friends and then lovers. The plot is simple, down to earth and practical.

Hearing first of a cancer patient's story one may feel that it must be either too gloomy or full of doses of motivation of those who combat their terminal illness, trying to change the world, etcetera. But it is far simpler and still interesting. Generally, no one even imagines of a situation unless it occurs to them. For instance, I do not have cancer and no one in my close or distant family does. So, it is obvious that I would never ever think of what a cancer patient and his family go through. After reading this book, I got an insight into what they go through.

This book portrays it in a balanced and realistic manner, nothing filmy. The narration is from a teenager Hazel's perspective. Hence, we get to know her interpretations, at times, humorous. The grief of her unfortunate parents who are about to loose their daughter, and the only child at the hands of cancer is very touching. Hazel, Augustus and his friend Isaac are facing some or the other deformities that cancer has imposed upon them. But they compliment each other very well. Also, if one reads between the lines, they would realize the worth of life and good health, and that despite of any other form of agony, they are still bestowed with a gift to cherish- LIFE.

I have listed out a few of my favorite lines from the book below-

1) "Grief does not change you Hazel. It reveals you." - Peter Van Houten (Page #286)
2) "A desert blessing, an ocean curse." (with reference to water)- Augustus Water's letter to Peter Van Houten  (Page #313) 
3) "There is no try. There is only do."- Hazel (Page #218)
4) "...some infinities are bigger than other infinities."- Cassius' note in Shakespeare's composition (Page #111)
5) "I tried to tell myself that it could be worse, that the world was not a wish-granting factory, that I was living with cancer not dying of it, that I mustn't let it kill me before it kills me..."- Hazel (Page #121)
6) "You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have a say in who hurts you."- Augustus Waters' letter to Hazel via Peter Van Houten (Page #313)
7) "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."- Page #111 (Cassius' note in Shakespeare's composition)

I read the second part with slow pace because I didn't want it to end so soon. Moreover, the end seems to be a promising beginning of a sequel. John Green, are you listening to me? You ain't gona behave like Van Houten! Are you?

My rating for this book has to be undoubtedly 4.5 on 5. It is near perfect and a touching tale, a mesmerizing saga of boundless love of two dying teenagers, cushioned by parental affection, laughter, tears, fury, twists, heartache and goosebumps.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 

degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing the review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

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कागज़ अपनी क़िस्मत से उड़ता है लेकिन पतंग अपनी काबिलियत से। इसलिए क़िस्मत साथ दे ना दे काबिलियत ज़रूर साथ देती है।
Source-Internet

Happy Makar Sankranti :)

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'Why should I feel lonely? Is not our planet in the Milky Way?'
-Ruskin Bond (originally from Thoreau)

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Book Review: Love Among The Bookshelves

Ruskin Bond, the 81 year old India born author of British descent. He has spent most of his life in India and still stays in Mussoorie. He is recognized for the growth of Children's literature, and is the recipient of Sahitya Academy and a bunch of other awards.

This introduction of the great writer is highly appealing. Except for whatever of his work I have studied during my school days (which I don't remember much), I have very less knowledge of his books. This was his first book which I read, and which came to me as a December gift (secret Santa, to be precise) :)

I read about this book on goodreads which was embellished with mostly high ratings and good reviews, and had built high expectations from this. I am seriously bewildered after reading the book, and suspect how so many people can call it a good read. I totally understand that he is an eminent writer and a reverable figure but what is so good about reading his "reading adventures"? I mean this book is so shallow. Ruskin Bond has written about how he started reading at a tender age, books he read, how his reading and writing took place in parallel, and how his life went by during all this. On almost every alternate chapter, he has added content extracted from a favorite chapter of any of his favorite book. And many amongst these were penned in archaic English, which is out of my sense of language. The chapters suddenly emerged between Mr. Bond's own life story, and confused me. Strangely, so many pages are left vacant in the middle, and those which are printed, have nearly 25% or more wasted in margins.

 I felt as if Mr. Bond is too old to blog and use internet, and that is why he wrote all of it in a book in a random way, or the publisher just wanted to oblige the renowned author. I am sorry to write all this. May be it was me who couldn't get to the depth he is trying to guide his readers to, generation gap you may say!

Only one good thing about this book is that after knowing his reading adventures, book lovers get inspiration to read and read! He has read close to ten thousand books, a whooping number it is!

I rate it as 2.5 on 5 stars. However, I would love to read some other books of Mr. Bond. He is a real inspiration for readers and writers.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 

degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing the review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

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Shallow Hal

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

I just closed VLC player after watching this Hollywood movie called Shallow Hal, and my hands ran on the keyboard to write about it this Sunday. I am hitting the Publish button now!

You may skip this paragraph, if you don't want a lengthy read. However, I insist you continue.

Shallow Hal is a humorous tale of a man called Hal who had fixation to physically attractive woman. Being an average looking guy himself, he didn't succeed in pursuing any lady for a date. When Hal was nine, his Dad's last words on death bed were, 'Son, never ever settle for less.' While Hal was struggling to search his lady, he stumbled upon a a famous life coach whom he was stuck with in an elevator. He motivated Hal about the worth of inner beauty, and not to strive solely for the exteriors. In order to help him overcome his disappointment and shallow-ness, the coach hypnotized him with a spell. Thereafter, every girl Hal came across looked thin, smart and beautiful to him. After a while, he started dating a girl- Rosemary, who apparently was his boss' daughter and was very fat. But due to the coach's trance, he found her extremely beautiful and lean. They fell in love. Later, his worried friend approached the coach and reverted the spell from Hal to prevent any jeopardy to either of the parties. It was now that he could see the "real", "unattractive" Rosemary. It was embarrassing for him initially, and he tried to avoid her. Gradually, he realized the worth of inner beauty, of the caring and affectionate Rosemary and reconciled with her. And then, there's the Happy Ending!

Moral of the story- Not all good things are beautiful, not all beautiful things are good. I know this is meager and has been read and told many times. The definition of real beauty is influenced by what television, magazines, movies and the society keep telling us for years. Why do we not look for beauty inside out? A beautiful face may not last forever, but a beautiful heart shall. On a similar note, I had written about the obsession for being thin and fair, about 2+ years back under the title- Fair is Lovely, Thin is Beautiful.

What appeals to the world's fancies is the exteriors. Agreed. Because as humans you have learnt to judge by what you see. Pragmatically, you tend to get attracted or distracted based on the same. For instance, paradoxically, we delude good looking people to be rude, proud or witty, whereas we assume the ill-favored ones lack confidence or are cunning. This is about first impression. But in the process of knowing someone, let alone your opinion of the physical appearances and look for the true person beneath.

Someone told me long back that when you grow old, your skin may be wrinkled, your hair shall turn white and your appearances may fade. All that lasts forever is the abstract you! Have no reason to be with someone, for if the reason diminishes the togetherness wanes.

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A Mirror- Tales of 2015

Shrug your shoulders and close the browser window right away if you are curious to read sad or happy TALES of my life's last year in this post. Read ahead, otherwise :)

Like every other year, 2015 was also bundled with ample of events, learning, peaks and valleys, success and failure, cheers and tears for me. I am listing down 12 of my take-aways, you may assume one per month. Although this does not have real examples or incidences stated along with, but trust me, every nook and cranny of this is entirely real to me.

1) Smile. Happiness is not a sin, sadness is not a virtue. Happiness comes at a cost and sadness comes for free. People in the world have enough problems to deal with. No one likes sad faces either. As my favorite quote from Dale Carnegie is- "It is so, it can't be otherwise." You do not own all the problems in the world.

2) Read as much as you can. Reading is to mind what exercise is to body. Reading a good book is like an entourage to another world that lies amidst the pages of the book. Fiction is a striking means to live all the characters that you couldn't have lived in this one life. I have detailed my thoughts on this in a post- Bibliobibuli yesterday.

3) Never get disheartened. When one door closes other opens, fall seven times stand up eight. You may not always get what you please, but keep going and wait for the magnum opus to come your way.

4) Music heals. Listen to your favorite music each day and soak yourself into the hymns and the lyrics of the symphony.

5) Exercise. You cannot take care of others if you do not take care of yourself. You cannot make others happy if you aren't happy. You cannot keep others healthy if you aren't in the pink of health. On the same verge, I strongly advocate that one must follow an exercise routine. Watch out the internet for various ways to stay fit- may it be an exercise regime, ergonomics at work, or certain foods to include in your regular diet.

6) Meditate. Spend some time in solitaire every day. Ponder over the day's activities. Meditation has powerful impact on the mind, body and soul as a respite from the stressful routines that we have.

7) Pray. Whatever religion you belong to, whatever be your ethnicity or faith, believe that there is someone who has a greater responsibility of you. And that One will always take care of you. Leave yourself in the God's hands and have faith that all that is happening to you is his will.

8) Accept what you cannot change. I know most people like me have the desire to procure the knowledge of what fate has in it's store for them. But let things happen as they are, go with the flow, for whatever has to happen will happen anyway. Do not attempt to fast forward life to see if your current situation or deeds are worth in the end.

9) Learn from other's mistakes. You do not live long enough to make all mistakes by yourself. Be a good observer, see people around you, talk to them, participate in discussions. You'll always get to learn something from someone or an incident. Be receptive.

10) Friend to all is a friend to none. Have some good buddies in your trunk of acquaintances. It's good to know many people and to be known by all, but keep a few aside whom you can confide in at anytime. The other day, I read a quote on twitter- "Dosto, hansne me to bahut saath nibhaaya tumne, aaj mera mann rone ka hai..." (Friends, you accompanied me well while I was merry, what if today I want to weep.)

11) When you are speaking, you are repeating what you already know. But when you are listening, you are learning something new. Hone your listening skills. Moreover, it is not always mandatory that you win every argument.

12) Use your anger wisely. It can do miracles. Anger impairs our judgement, and foresight. Get motivation from what makes you angry and drive it in the right direction.

I hope that 2016 dawns upon me and everyone in a happy, healthy and successful manner. Keep learning.

Happy New Year :)

I’m sharing my #TalesOf2015 with BlogAdda.

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Book Review: Scion Of Ikshvaku

This is a book from author of the Shiva Trilogy- Amish, and is the first in the Ram Chandra series. 

The cover of this book is appealing, and the plot is promising. The author's way of writing is one of its kind. He picks up godlike characters from Indian mythology, and portrays them as humans- the extra ordinary humans, and their society as rational, real and scientific. I have also read Shiva Trilogy by Amish, and it draws analogy to the way of living and philosophies from that series. I am awed at how beautifully he links the two series by giving a hint that Ram Chandra dreams of a civilization like Meluha, and on the other hand, Shiva Trilogy has various mentions of the way of living inspired by Ram Chandra. He has also connected well the Vayupurtas and Nagas here. 

The characterization is flawless, and the plot contemplates a different philosphy. To most of the people including me, Ramayan is not as interesting as Mahabharata. But Amish has imagined it well, and carved his version out of the epic. We live in the era of remixes, this holds true for Amish's books as well!

Special applause for the section on the gangrape case which drew analogy from the Nirbhaya case, and the punishment which was administered to the perpetrators, esp. the justice delivered to the juvenille. A book covering the contemporary world's vices, providing exemplary solutions, driving the readers' empathy perfectly, and wisely including that as a part of the age old epic like this deserves acclaim.

When we are speaking about Ramayan, it is ceremonial to talk about the prime characters- Sita and Ram. Ram's role is perfectly articulated- the legendary man, the law abiding member of the royal clan of Ikshvaku, jeweled with clarity of thoughts and a loyal, loving husband. Complementing him well, unlike other versions of Ramayan which showcase Sita as the abla-naari (the helpless lady), Amish portrays her as a strong, powerful warrior and a witty lady, who is the Prime Minister at her father's kingdom and later a perfect better half to her husband. 

The original legend shows Ram as the descendant of King Raghu (Raghukul), but this book tells us that it was Ikshvaku who founded the dynasty and hence, he's the Scion of Ikshvaku.

Moreover, Ravana the Demon becomes an exploiting business tycoon. Manthra, the poor maid in Ramayan becomes a powerful merchant. Vishwamitra, the sage, becomes a conspiring sarcastic leader of Malayaputra clan. The continued depiction of various demigods with special features as Naga is interesting. Jatayu becomes a Naga and so would anyone with any resemblance to other animals.

The first half of the book could have been shortened. But the second half was speedy, captivating and well articulated. Even after having read, heard, watched as multiple TV serials and movies through years, I could still discover a lot in this book, because it is believable. 

A few not-so-good things-

1) Roshni is an Urdu word. How could Indians name their daughter with an Urdu name dates back when there was no mark of a Muslim in their vicinity? Also, this character must be imaginary since best to my knowledge, Ram had no Rakhi sister.

2) The use of word Dada for elder brother looked quite perky when it comes to picturesque of Sanskrit speaking society. 

3) Although they do not take the name of Krishna but often mention about Dwarka and the Yadav clan having existed decades back, which is confusing, since it is believed that Ram existed prior to Krishna and that Krishna is the last incarnation of Vishnu as yet.

My expectations from the subsequent books in the series would be -

1) How the story unfolds whence Amish's Sita unleashes her power in front of the demon Raavan (and not the abla-naari awaiting and solely relying on her husband to rescue her)

2) How Amish's Ram Chandra shapes the Meluhan way of living for the "Immortals of Meluha", and I believe this will come when Ram rules the throne of Ayodhya, and in turn, the Sapt Sindhu.

My verdict- It's a simple yet refreshing read for the contemporary generation. I rate it 4 on 5.

This book is special for me because it came as a birthday gift and won me a chance to meet Amish via Flipkart editors (which, unfortunately I could not avail).

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 

degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing the review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

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Bibliobibuli

Initially, I used to force myself upon books in order to be able to become a better writer. A renowned journalist once told me that to write well, you need to read more and more. In one of the recent talks that I attended of Chetan Bhagat, he gave the same answer to my question on advice for aspiring writers. Another author, Preeti Shenoy replied to the same question to me over twitter, with the same answer.

Reading a good book is like an entourage to another world that lies amidst the pages of the book. With this newly developed addiction, I have turned voracious now. Reading is wonderful. Exemplary. Ecstatic. Pious.

I do not defer with the majority's views who say it is investment wastage of time on reading. Contradictory to this my instincts say paradise would be some kind of library. I have never grown so mature in my entire life as I did in the last few years since I started reading. Then I was literate, now I am educated. One humorous quote on the web stated- Every time you watch a reality show, a book commits suicide.

 Also, as Richard Peck quotes- I read because, one life is not enough. For the same reasons, I read to live all the characters from different periods, places, moods, professions, ethnicity, religions, virtues, lifestyles- all of this I can't live in this one life. While reading, I live in a different body, at a different place, with different people. The more I read, the more I learn and eventually, the more I grow.

To me, books are -

1) Teachers, companions, magicians, an unabridged universe, and nonchalantly- a means to escape from reality.
2) The most loyal friends of mine- they never ditch, they never abandon me, never lie, enrich my very being, and accept me as I am.

For every mortal who hasn't yet realized this, I playfully say, it's better to have your nose in a book than in someone else's business!

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