Shaadi ke side effects

I know the title would make all the married folks smile, for the one who takes the plunge knows it all. But, for all you married and single readers who are hoping to get some masala on the nuances of marriage, you are in for some disappointment. For this post is not about the side effects of marriage, it is about the side effects of attending a big fat Indian wedding!

Recently, we had to attend a relative’s wedding. But what seemed like an occasion to unwind and catch up with juicy family gossip turned out to be a comedy of errors. So, without wasting any more time, let me just take you through the countdown to the wedding.

2 days before

Just like the bride’s beauty regime begins days before the D day, the guests too take pains to look their photogenic best. Mom in law ordered me to arrange for her hair color to ensure not even one white hair escapes untouched! I requested my salon lady for a late evening appointment for her “special” glow facial. What usually is a relaxing activity for me became a substitute for lullaby since an exhausted me, after a day full of meetings virtually got the facial etc done in a sleep mode. Poor lady had to wake me up frequently to save the facial cream from smudging on the salon chair.

The Clothes

This is the focal point of the preparations, for any slip here invites horrible photographs and secret discussions among the ladies groups. While I prefer to plan the look in advance, mom in law always comes up with a lazy “I will pick up anything that day” answer. However, in this department, I am the boss, so I insist upon selecting the attire, jewelry, accessories etc and even give strict directions not to make any last minute changes on her own. Seemed my foresightedness worked for we realized we had added few more pounds since the last wedding we attended and an emergency visit to the tailor was called for.

The leave

No matter how much work life balance we working women maintain, we are always expected to take leaves whenever there is something to do with relatives. Be it a relative dropping in for stay over, or a function at a distant relative, my father in law always tells me “the organization won’t stop working if you take a day’s leave!” I somehow manage with a “I will come early” promise, and by now, everyone has realized my leaving early from work means leaving half an hour early! Still for them, something is better than nothing!

The D Day

It was the day of the wedding. While the relatives had summoned me to be a part of some rituals to be performed by married women of the family that day, my super supportive mom in law made up for my absence with a perfect excuse. Praying for not getting any last minute meeting invite, I rushed for home.

The moment I stepped in, I was welcomed by shining faces with smiles. Everyone but me, had spent the afternoon getting ready at their leisurely pace. Now only I was left. Mom in law asked me to get ready in 10 min. “Getting ready in 10min for attending a wedding?” My eyeballs almost popped out of the sockets!  “Ya, you can just get the basic thing and remaining can be done on the way. After all the venue is far and there will be traffic jam” she said. I realized arguing would have wasted even those 10 min so I smiled and took my time in getting ready (well not just for myself, coz in between I also helped MIL with her saree, makeup etc. which ensured my extra time went unnoticed).

The Oh so pleasant lo..ng drive!

We just sat inside the car when Mr. Hubby realized we had forgotten the most important thing…the invitation card! For it had the address of the venue! MIL and I grumbled as we had to repeat the process of unocking and locking the house just to get the invitation card! “Couldn’t the men have kept it in their pocket while they watched the IPL repeat telecast?” we grumbled.

The wedding was in at the fag end of an NCR location, and as I struggled with Google navigator to help Mr. Hubby with the route, father in law kept cribbing we would be late and miss the function (though I kept on convincing him that going by the time Baraats (wedding processions) arrive these days, we could watch all prime time shows, leave for the venue and still be early!)

8:30pm

Since FIL was concerned about missing the action, we landed up at the wedding venue directly instead of the Baraat assembly point (we were representing the groom’s side). However, the scheme of things there took me by total surprise. At 8:30pm, the venue wore a deserted look, with some strange faces roaming around. These were people from the Bride’s side and were warm enough to welcome the early bird Baraatis!

Since we were the only people at the venue from the groom’s side the stewards flocked to our table like honeybees on flowers and after 2 rounds I, embarrassed with the extra attention, asked them to focus on serving the bride’s relatives as well!

The 2 main questions

Now there were 2 big questions for the evening –

     1.   When would the Baraat arrive? (For then only we would be able to hand over the gift and leave)

     2.   How to pass time till the Baraat arrive?

9:30pm

One hour had passed since we came. There was no sign of Baraat. Father in law got excited everytime he heard the sound of Dhols and trumpets, only to find that the Baraat belonged to another venue! Everytime he called up the father of the groom, he got the same “we are reaching in 15 minutes” reply. “Their 15 minutes never seem to get over” mom in law revolted, for sitting idle in an open lawn on a sultry summer evening wearing heavy saree, makeup and jewelry  was testing our patience levels.

10:30pm

Thankfully, the venue was decently filled with people now, majority belonging to the bride’s family, for the 15 minutes were not yet over. There was no sign of Baraat. Many from the groom’s side like us had dropped in the venue too and I empathized with them as they inquired about the whereabouts of the Baraat. Most women took the delay as a chance to take rounds of the venue and flaunt their sarees, makeup and jewelry. The teenager girls sensing competition, took to the dance floor and their almost perfect imitation of popular Bollywood moves ensured a lot of attention from the male fraternity!

Mom in law and I killed time by discussing the sarees and jewelry of the women who passed by but that too didn’t help us for long. I was beginning to feel sleepy and tired by now and felt like hitting the sac, for I had to go to work the next day. So mom in law suggested we have dinner and hopefully by the time we finished, the Baraat would have arrived. Sounded like a good idea.

11:30pm

We had relished the dinner and the desserts but the Baraat was still nowhere to be seen. “Have they demanded dowry and decided to call it quits?” I winked and asked mom in law! “Shhh…don’t talk inauspicious things” came the reply. I was almost asleep with head down on the table when mom in law noticed the groom’s sister in law. As if she spotted an angel, mom in law rushed to her with the gift in hand. From a distance I could see her share a few pleasantries, hand over the gift and come back. “Lets go, we are done”, mom in law said.

“But, w..where the hell (actually I didn’t say hell, though meant it!) is the baraat we have been waiting for?” I asked.

“She says it’s on the way, the people are still dancing” mom in law explained.

Still dancing? I was wondering.  Didn’t they know they had invited guests over who had been waiting for more than 3 hours? In a country where guests are considered Gods, here were some people who preferred to keep the Gods waiting while they danced and made merry. Didn’t for once they think of the bride who would have been waiting in heavy clothes, makeup and jewelry since evening, practicing the prefect smile to pose for the shutterbugs? It has been a trend at many weddings for the groom’s side to keep the junta waiting and arrive late for this makes them feel like celebs. But let me tell you that just by wearing flashy clothes and sitting on a horse, one doesn’t become a celeb….one becomes a celeb by his deeds and traits. What is the use of printing false timings on invitation cards then? People should at least respect others’ time.

We left without any further wait for the Junglee Baraat (as I named them)..:)

I felt a sudden impulse to slip a note for the groom’s father

“Dear Uncle,

Had we known the 15 minutes would never end, we would have struck a deal like they do with Pizza delivery boys…15 minutes or free…well, since the food is anyway free, the deal would be that if the Baraat doesn’t arrive in 15 minutes, they would be welcomed by a deserted venue!”

Being the sanskaari bahu I am, I obviously didn’t leave any such note.

The Hangover

Yes, the half wedding we attended also gave me a return gift. I was down with food poisoning the next day and red rashes all over my face (wished we would have couriered the wedding gift instead!)

So, for all of you who though only being married has side effects, even attending weddings has its own share of side effects!

L'histoire de mon blog

Aujourd'hui, je vous presente mon blog. Je voulais creér un petit blog pour exprimer mon opinion. Mais, j'etais timide. Alors, je lisais le blog de Monsieur Amitabh Bachchan souvent et il m'a inspiré.

Après mon mariage, ma vie à changé…

Mon mari m'a encouragé pour creer le blog. Ma belle mere donnait un bon nom - Shaivi ka funda.

ça fait trois ans que j'ecris le blog. Je m'exprime mieux grace à mon blog. J'ecris beaucoup de choses - les histoires, mes opinions de nouvel films, mes opinions de restaurants a Delhi, les travelogues, mes opinions de nouvelles romans etc. J'ai gagné beaucoup de prix pour mon blog.

J'ai decouvré mon passion - écrire gracé à mon blog. Un jour, je veux écrire un roman aussi.

Je vous invite à mon blog. N'oubliez pas le nom - Shaivikafunda.blogspot.com.

Merci beaucoup!!

Book review - Awaken the leader in you

Authors – Mitesh & Indu Khatri

Publisher – Jaico Books

Pages – 188

Price – Rs 250

Sneak preview from the cover

Awaken the leader in you discusses the traits & skills needed to be a successful leader. This book destroys the myth that leaders are only people at the top management levels. Offering a completely new perspective on leadership, Mitesh & Indu categorize leaders as extraordinary people if they have an entrepreneur mindset and ordinary people if they have an employee mindset. The authors firmly believe that all are born with infinite potential and witness every ordinary person, there lies an extraordinary leader. The tenact of this book is to awaken that leader in you. Replete with inspiring leadership stories, exercises and simple-to-apply strategies, this is a step-by-step guide for the spiritual individual to develop the entrepreneur mindset and become a leader in his professional as well as personal life.

My View 

There was a time when I was heavily into self help books. Then slowly, I began discovering the same wisdom with a different garnish in most books. So, when I received this book, I was having my own set of doubts. However, the publisher too knew this about most readers, for one look at the cover was enough to awaken my curiosity - The foot on the burning coal.

I flipped few pages and my curiosity got deeper – a corporate trainer who fire walks! Not just himself but along with his learners during the training sessions! Now this was different and I had to read the book to understand the author’s views.

In the 11 chapters, Mitesh and Indu have made a decent attempt at sharing the tips for effective leadership. To prevent the book from becoming all preachy and boring, they have smartly incorporated various examples from corporate life, which I found very interesting. To kill the preconceived notions in the reader’s mind, the author actually begins the book by discussing why one should read the book when there are various others on the same topic donning shelved of bookstores. And from there, the reader starts to feel as if he is actually participating in a live training session!

I especially liked the way they have shared how the difference between leaders and others lies between the “employee” and the “entrepreneur” mindset. It made me stop and ponder, for the principle holds true in all aspects of life. Also, the chapter on emotional intelligence has been beautifully done, with simple tips on how to manage our emotional patterns, for the person who has achieved a control on emotions has cleared a big hurdle in the path to professional success. The concept of trust bank accounts introduced by the author exposes reader to the advantage of building trust with people since the level of trust we create within our people is directly proportional to the effectiveness of our leadership effectiveness.   

Why I liked the book 

• The language is simple and the tone non preachy (unlike most self helps)
• There is a bouquet of examples from corporate life which holds the reader’s interest
• After every chapter, there is a recap section, just in case, one wants to highlight future main points for future reference.
• Just like live training sessions, there are various exercises for the reader to take. The author has given a personalized touch by asking readers to mail their filled forms to take the exercise forward.
• There are various references to Youtube videos on leadership which one can see to have a deeper understanding of the topic.

What could have been better

At some pages, it felt like I was reading an endorsement of the training programs, not a book, and in order to understand the tips for effective leadership, one would have to undergo a session by the authors.

I would still recommend this as a very useful book for people who can’t afford the expensive leadership trainings, yet want to make that important transition from an employee to a leader. I have heard about his unique method of using fire walk activity in his sessions and am all eager to attend a session myself! Follow the exercises mentioned in the book and you will definitely feel more enlightened in your journey to effective leadership, once you would have flipped the last page.  

About the authors – Mitesh Khatri is an international leadership trainer, firewalk expert and motivational speaker. He is the founder of Guiding Light Consultants along with his wife, Indu Khatri, who is also the principle content designer for all their corporate training programs and coaching sessions. You can read get more insights at their website www.miteshkhatri.com

A big thanks to BecomeShakespeare.com for sending me the book for review.

My New Love / Mon nouvel amour

Life is a constant journey of learning. We learn, we evolve and we learn some more...

It has been few months since Mr. Hubby and I have been taking French lessons. What started as a mere hobby has now transformed into a passion. Also, we have discovered a rather new and romantic way of communication. It’s a pleasure to the tongue when words in French roll out of our mouths and friends and relatives regard in appreciation, often amused by our newly acquired skill.

The journey so far has been far from easy – taking time out of our busy schedules, sacrificing our precious weekend getaways, going back to the classroom, answering a swarm of questions from friends and relatives (why do u people have this endless craving to learn something new?), and most importantly, facing the exams…we have braved it all…and all I can say, so far it has been a soul enriching experience.

Well, more about the journey later. For today, I want to extend my French affair to my blog. I discovered a new passion when I began blogging and today, my knowledge of French has given new wings to my blog-experience.

 It’s time to spread the wings and take a flight…and connect with friends of a new language and various cultures…

I introduce the new tab on my blog –

Je t’aime

Je t’aime means I love you. When I closed my eyes and thought about my love for French, these are the only words my heart shouted; for its not just the language I have fallen in love with….various hues of the culture have also charmed me. So, on this tab, I intend to write in French, about French and for my friends who share my passion for French language….

Happy Reading…J

Let’s save the one who nurtures…

Let us respect the one who cares

Who fulfils our needs

And happiness she shares

She has the supreme power to nurture

Lets thank the lovely mother nature…

A good person is one who stays connected to his roots; who remembers the bonds of love; and who values the relationships that helped him in the journey called life. One of the earliest bonds we have in life is with nature. For its nature that becomes our first school. As we grow up, we take the highway to success and often ignore the bond with nature. But nature takes it all with a smile, our love and even our mistakes, for nature is the mother, and a mother is always showering love and care on her children.

It was mom who strengthened my bond with nature. My earliest school was my garden, where I got my first lessons on colors and names. Nursery admission interviews were around the corner. Ma would take me to the garden, ask me to name the vegetables, fruits etc and tell the color. We would look at the lovely squirrels and sparrows on the guava tree and I would name every bird I saw. The leaves taught me green, the marigold-yellow, the tomatoes –red, the roses – pink. Although I cleared the admission process with flying colors, our morning rendezvous in the garden continued where ma and I sat every morning, listening to the chirping of birds and soaking in the beauty of nature.

Coping up with the fast lane life, we somehow drift apart from nature. It is only when we see someone caring for nature that we remember our own bond.

Recently, I was on a visit to Corbett with Mr. Hubby when I saw a WWF project signboard near the entrance. On asking the locals, I was told the local women partner with WWF for a project wherein they make natural manure from earthworms. We all had read in textbooks about compost and natural manures and conveniently forgotten it to the comfort of chemicals. But these villagers had kept their bond with nature intact. When I expressed my desire to see how the manure was made, the ladies were excited to see the madam from Delhi taking interest in their project. Like a chief guest, they welcomed me into their huts and showed me the pits covered with hay where natural manure was made from earthworms. “Memsaab, these earthworms are like our children, we care for them and Mother Nature cares for us…” their words inspired me so much that I pleaded to adopt some of the earthworms to take back home and bought their amazing natural manure. The earthworms are our family members in the garden where mummy feeds them vegetable waste and they give us natural manure.

When a child befriends the wrong person, the mother gets worried in concern. A big concern for nature today is mankind’s friendship with plastics. Plastics look presentable and convenient, but they pose threat to Mother Nature. Being non biodegradable, it is next to impossible to dispose them completely without harming the environment. While people in metropolitans still ask vegetable waallas to pack the veggies in polythene bags, the stand taken by people of Himachal Pradesh impressed me a lot. On a recent visit to Himachal, I found out that plastic bags are banned there and people use paper or cloth bags to carry their daily needs. “When they can, why cant we?” I wondered and once home, Mr. Hubby and I thought how we could get rid of the plastic in our daily lives.

We began by going for the good old jute bag to carry groceries. Might sound old fashioned to many, but we know we are saving our environment and the effort is worth it.

Instead of using plastic scrubbers, we have started using homemade scrubber made of coconut fibre (coir) to clean the dishes.

We all like to keep our houses clean and perfect and seldom bother about what happens outside, However, if we pause and think of our environment as our home, and take small steps to prevent the exploitation, nature too will appreciate and cooperate, for a mother showers her love and blessing for children who love and care.

This post is written for Nature's friend contest by Indiblogger and Kissan  Kissan is more than just its range of products. It's the trust of millions of Indian mothers when it comes to making their kids eat & grow up happily. Because all mothers know that Kissan products are filled with nothing but natural goodness as they are made from 100% real fruits and tomatoes. And to top it all, kids and adults equally swear by the taste of Kissan products

Book review - Soldier & Spice

Sneak preview from the cover

For Pia, regular life is a thing of the past. She is now an Army wife. In the mysterious and grand world of Army wives, Pia learns that walking in high heels is okay as long as you don’t trip on combat boots. She learns that “civil” is also a noun, that JCO and GOC are very different, that snacks are shown and WTF is better explained as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Yes, it really is a new world!

Let this quirky, hilarious story of the first year of Pia’s Army wife life show you that the spice to a soldier’s life is most definitely his better, very strong, extremely elegant, never-cussing, witty, warm and passionate half, his Army wife.

My view

What would be your reaction if you receive a parcel from Kargil? I came home one evening to find a somewhat concerned mom in law looking at a parcel on dining table. “Are you expecting a gift from some friend of yours in Army? I got this courier from Kargil and I didn’t open it wondering…” her unusual reaction somewhat concerned me, for I have no friends in the Army. The mystery was soon resolved when the wrapping gave way to a pretty book inside. “Soldier and Spice..hmmm”, the title seemed promising and my mind began to come up with all sorts of preconceived notions I have about Fauji life.

No matter how much glamorous the Army life looks from a distance, one only has to get closer to understand the difficulties an Army wife faces. For Pia too, the Army life is like a fantasy world of parties, flaunting designer dresses, making new friends and having someone to help you with housework, until she marries Arjun, a Captain in Indian Army. She sees a trailer of the movie, when she asks her husband the time on their drive to Pathankot “We’ll be there by eighteen hundred hours”, he says, much to her surprise.  

Once at the cantt it seems her dream life has come true. Dinners, ladies meet, welfare activities…she is excited about it all. But as the story unwraps, she figures out that Army life is not a bed of roses. Discipline, commitment, courage, leadership, perfection are some of the words we all prefer to confine to books. But her maiden year as the Army wife teaches Pia the true sense of these words, and transforms a carefree civilian into a responsible Army memsaab!

Pia is not alone in this journey – various characters in the story help her in her metamorphosis in some way or the other. There is Arjun’s sahayak Ganga Bhaiyya, who transforms from the “one Pia is jealous of” to “the one who comes of help when she needs it the most”; Naina, Pia’s friend and confidante who gives her the first lessons on Do’s and Don’t’s; Mrs James, who keeps transforming from a friend to foe and back to a friend; Mrs Sengupta and Mrs Singh who are never short of their gossip supply; Mrs Nair, the queen bee who ends up having her way; Mrs Bhandari the second in command; a certain Mrs Nose hair and many others.

Then there are these various rules of the game Pia learns throughout the book, many of which left me laughing out loud. I mean, snacks are served, not “shown?” Hehe…and so thinks Pia!

Every page has this drawing of Army boots, perhaps a sign that to fit in Army boots, it requires a lot of hard work.

Although her debut, Adti has got the flavor of the book right, for once you start the book, the story keeps you hooked on till you haven’t flipped the next page. I write this usually for thrillers, but sometimes simple stories weaved to perfection make an instant bond with readers.

Strongly recommended from me whether you are well versed with the Army culture or not. For if you are not, the book will open you to a whole new world; and if you are, then the book will definitely remind you of some of your own experiences and smile.

About the author

Aditi Mathur Kumar is an ex advertising girl, one upon a time blogger, a fanatical Army wife and a real life social person. With this debut, she has taken up writing for good. May we get many more interesting reads from her!

Keeping it smart!

As I read the newspaper this Sunday, my eyes shone with excitement! It was that time of the year every woman looks forward to! It was raining discounts everywhere! I gave Mr. Hubby a sweet (you are so sweet, now get my work done) look and immediately he sensed danger to his plans of a lazy afternoon watching IPL.

“There’s a discount at my favorite store…lets go before the stocks vanish” I said.

Mr. Hubby, with a sarcastic smile said “You women need an excuse to shop on impulse…we men survive in limited pairs of shirts and trousers and every time you open the wardrobe, you say you have nothing to wear!”

With weekly tasks to be completed, the day had been a hectic one for me. As if Mr. Hubby’s words added fuel to the fire, I said “If you choose to eat the same vegetable every third day, I have enough clothes in my wardrobe. A woman’s wardrobe is never full!”

“Ya! Coz you always buy on impulse, whereas we men are smart buyers. We buy for utility.”Mr. Hubby clarified.

Phew! The end of season discount came once in the season, and he meant impulse?

No matter how much we are blamed for our tantrums and impulsive indulgences, shopping remains a woman’s forte. Men may think they are smarter, but there’s a lot women manage than just shopping.

Picture this…

·         All of us have grown up watching our moms doing the grocery shopping. After call, can men bargain and pester shopkeepers to give up like the way we women do?

·         While men find the idea of our browsing the market funny, it’s here we score more than them. Till we met, Mr. Hubby’s shopping habit was about flocking to one store and picking up all the things then and there without exploring the market. Then I arrived in his life and my survey of the market before making the actual purchase did show some positive change in his credit card bills.

·         Don’t confuse our frequent shopping trips with extravagance. We know what to buy from where and at the right time. So, unless the combination doesn’t get right, we carry out the market survey (window shopping) diligently!

·         We believe in genuine word of mouth feedbacks. So while men think we waste time discussing clothes and jewellery with each other or on online forums, the truth is, we shop only after taking honest feedback on where to get the best and the cheapest product.

·         Just like men remember stock price fluctuations at the back of their mind, we women keep abreast of price fluctuations in commodities. After all, being the home minister calls for responsibility!

·         While men waste the time on internet browsing..err..a lot of timepass things, we women never fail to scan all the online offers and discount coupon sites and cherry pick the ones that get us the best deal!

·         Men find it funny when we pile our shopping carts with things of no use to us in the present, but don’t underestimate the power of a woman! We specialize in demand forecasting and planning! So, while you think that black shrug is a waste of money, we may team it up with various dresses to give a new look without burning a hole in men’s pockets! Or the woolens picked from the end of season sale might come in cheap and handy in chilly winters.

After sometime, I realized the smartness goes beyond the usual shopping for, after hearing my arguments, a visibly convinced Mr. Hubby began to get ready for the shopping session. Not only are women smart shoppers, but they also make for smart trainers!

This post is a part of the Celebrating Womanhood Campaign by http://www.fabfurnish.com  - India's largest online home store.#CelebratingWomanhood

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Bajra Party!

I was on a short walk after lunch today when these lovely little someones caught my attention. In election time when most people are trying to cash in on common backgrounds, cities and a lot of things that really don't make sense, here were these cuties, who only knew the language of love.

Enjoying the spread without any frown at the presence of opposition, they would make for a shutterbug's treat. 

Ask them, who do they support, they would all sing in chorus...Bajra Party! 

Captions???

Skyscanner and Rani’s dream!

The preparations were in full swing for Rani’s marriage. Everything was perfect – the clothes, the look, the gifts. Raja had even bought a new house and Rani was excited to decorate the house…their house.

They say, unlike poles attract each other. Raja the shy, practical guy. Rani, the dreamer whose wishlist would never end. While Rani was loving everything about the feeling of belonging, there was one thing that bothered her. Since she had seen the romantic Venice in movies, she had secretly desired of a honeymoon in Venice. She had mentioned it to Raja as well, but being the practical and responsible guy, he told her they would rather spend on the house than splurging on an expensive foreign holiday.

Few days later, Rani’s best friend Jiya asked her, “So, all set for the foreign honeymoon?”

“What foreign honeymoon. He says we have to save money right now. Why are these foreign tours so expensive?” Rani grumbled.

Jiya laughed, “Yes, foreign tours are expensive, but not for people who decide to travel smart.”

She opened her phone and showed Rani the Skyscanner App.

“Ah! Yet another app?” said Rani

Jiya said, “Not just another app. Skyscanner actually helps you travel smart. Do u know can find the cheapest way to reach a city and the cheapest accommodation at the click of a button!”

Rani’s eyes shone in hope…

The next 2 hours Jiya helped Rani use Skyscanner to make her dream trip come true. After taking their preferred travel dates, skyscanner got them the cheapest flight tickets. Rani was impressed to see that she could even create a best price alert on Skyscanner!

She couldn’t believe she could get a return ticket to Venice for Rs 45,407. “Sounds like my dream will come true”

Next it was time to book the hotels. The skyscanner app gave her a list of best hotel deals from various websites. “It’s a steal, for a place like Venice”, she said as she booked a hotel for Rs 15000 per night.

Rani’s excitement knew no bounds as she clicked the confirmation button! She called up Raja and said, “We will go to Venice, everything worked out!”

“But how did you manage?” Raja was puzzled.

“Oh, with Scyscanner, you get the best of the best deals. Hotel, travel all done! And within budget!

What is the fear, when skyscanner scans the cherry pick deals!”

Rani was all smiles, she had dared to chase her dream, thanks to Scyscanner.

This post is written for Travel smart with Skyscanner contest by Indiblogger and Skyscanner. Skyscanner has revolutionized budget travel! Choice of best deals from across websites, alert for best price and many other unique features, Skyscanner will help you become a smart traveller! 

Book review – Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister

Author – Tabrik C

Publisher – Hachette India

Pages – 319

Price – Rs 350

Sneak Preview

India has a new Prime Minister. But it is Siddhartha Tagore, the product of his genius or of his dangerous mind? India is on edge as a subversive internal revolt against the Constitution, and the threat of Jehadi terror of an unthinkable level, are looming on the horizon. Ringing Shiva’s damaru in and out of Parliament, a sudden turn of karma catapults outsider Siddartha Tagore – a conflicted genius, music maestro and prodigal son, with forceful views on China and Pakistan – into national prominence as the head of the Opposition Alliance and finally as the newly elected Prime Minister of disturbed nation. But buried secrets are being resurrected and threaten to expose the past. Twisted within the double helix of menacing politics and hidden lust, Prisoner, Jailor, Prime Minister is a scorching account of Siddhartha Tagore’s fascinating journey from Harvard to 7 Race Course Road.

My view

I am not a big fan of political thriller, but considering the recent political drama taking place in India, the plot seemed interesting. The grand Rashtrapati Bhawan on the back cover, the front cover hinting shades of grey and the somewhat mysterious title with the words “Prime Minister”….I had to kill the curiosity!

Prisoner jailor Prime Minister is the story of Siddartha Tagore – a guy with the melody of Mozart, the madness of a control freak and the heart of gold. Over 2 parts and a whopping 79 chapters, the author takes us through Siddartha’s journey from the Harvard to 7 Race Course Road. I must admit the first few chapters couldn’t hold my interest much, but once the story got on track, I was glued till the end.

Siddartha, a simple Bengali boy with music in his DNA, goes to Harvard to major in politics and music. Lost in the world of symphonies, the Harvard fun and occasional bouts of madness, he discovers his first love, Rubaya. Symphony of love begins to play in his lonely life when suddenly, the death of his politico father turns his life upside down. The chapters alternate between his good old days at the Harvard and the dirty game of politics back home.

But Siddartha does it all with passion – from wooing his lady love to playing the game of power. Yet, the music maestro inside never dies, and when he becomes the Prime Minister, the walls of 7 Race Course Road witness the magic of his Yamaha every night.  I loved the frequent mention of symphonies by the author to explain different moods of the protagonist.

But there are some strands loose that come back from the past and change his life forever, and that’s when the reader gets eager to flip the next page. The sudden storm of emotions and politics challenge his present. Yet,  the maestro knows his job well, and so does his progeny.

While the book is well seasoned with emotions and drama, at some places the story could have been more practical. The young PM riding a Harley on Delhi roads at night, sans security cover was a lot to chew! At times I couldn’t control my laughter wondering, “Does it ever happen to a PM of a country?” But, considering it’s the author’s debut novel and a bold attempt at managing a political thriller, one can hope for more finishing in his next book.

In case politics interests you, I would recommend this for sure.

About the author

Tabrik C is a political enthusiast, perfumer and internet entrepreneur. He has a post-graduate degree in History from St. Stephen’s College Delhi, where he was the president of the student’s union. His special interest lies in observing, analyzing, predicting and debating the rise and fall of political personalities and their influence on the destiny of nations and individuals.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

My friends, my hair!

“What went wrong between us? Why the breakup?” I asked as I saw them bidding goodbye one by one. They were leaving me, one by one, each day…and all I could do was to look at the helpless me, incomplete without them!

I thought you would never leave me! We were best friends!

But the next one too made a sad face and left without an explanation.

My hair - my friends! They had chosen to accompany the comb rather than my head!

As I sobbed at the forced farewell, I remembered the good old days…

Since childhood, we had been the best of friends.

Tied in satin ribbon, they made me look like a doll when ma dressed me up for birthday parties…

Sand, mud and rolly polly…they were a part of all my mischiefs! When mom came to catch me, and all friends escaped, they were still there…facing ma’s ire as she pulled them in punishment & I cried in pain!

The school days! Learning discipline with me were them – tied neatly in braids, giving me the sincere scholar look!

After a day of discipline and regime, we would unwind in evenings, when I would ride the cycle and they would enjoy the paglee pawan (wind!) singing to them!

At night used to be pampering time, when mom poured her love in the oil massage and comb to keep them healthy!

As I grew up, they too decided to follow suit!

Then came college and they became my crowning glory. Variety was the buzzword…they gave me a new look every day…pony, bun, puff or simply loose, they knew how to grab the eyeballs!

Together, we discovered new colours of life…burgundy, blonde even brown, whatever the experiment was, they participated without a frown!

Those drives on his bike, oh, how they enjoyed the freedom and wind!

That first date! Ah, they shone in excitement and blushed when he looked, covering my face…

On my wedding day, they decided it was time to look the best. The perfect colour and the style…I still remember that look in his eyes!

They have been my friends indeed…

Pollution, stress, deadlines at work, chemical hair colours, they have taken it all without uttering a word…

“Perhaps I have been harsh on them” I thought. Unable to take it anymore, they were falling one by one.

How I wished good times were back!

They would give me a new look at work every day without fear of damage!

Together, we would colour every party with happiness and beauty…sans the fear of harm by chemical colours.

We would play the braid game…without any loss in volume!

Wish they could revive the romance, with him playing with my hair just like our courtship days!

Wish…my hair, my friends would stay and together, we could enjoy, experiment and play!

Ma had been hearing me all this while…she said

I know it hurts when they leave

But you gotta be positive and believe

Pamper your hair with care and love

To help you is your new friend – Dove

With this, she introduced me to the new Dove Hair therapy range…and hair care is now actually a child’s play…thanks to Dove!

This post is written for #DovePlay contest by Dove and Indiblogger. Dove, with its hair therapy range of hair care products has actually made hair care a child’s play. So that no matter how little time you have, your hair will never complain of neglect…So go on, Say Hi to Dove, play with your hair everyday and sing the Dove song! #DovePlay

It’s all about loving your blog buddies!

I am usually lazy when it comes to blog prompts, but this prompt had me hooked on totally! The reason – It’s all about loving your blog buddies!

I have made some amazing friends in the blogosphere in the last 2 years. It’s a very special kind of a bonding – we might have never met, but here, in this virtual world, we share the same passion! We share happiness when a blog buddy wins accolades for a job well done; while we always keep the shoulder ready when one of us cribs about the lack of time or the challenges faced in a tough environment.

So, today, I shower my blog love on a very special blog buddy of mine – Manjulika of Pendown.

She was my saviour at my first blogger meet and there has been no looking back since then!

Apart from being the gem of a person, Manjulika is also a voracious reader. Her blog boasts of more than 100 book reviews! As she often tells me, she doesn’t do a review or write a post unless she doesn’t feel something about it. That gets her credibility quotient high! You will find her blog oozing with book reviews where she puts her heart and soul in giving us the true opinion about the book, sans the spoilers. She happily awards smileys to the books reviewed.

A telecom engineer by profession, the lady also loves being a globetrotter, thanks to her patidev’s job. In the last 2 years, she has travelled to a whopping eight countries! Of course, being a blogger, this gives an added advantage since she has done some fabulous travelogues. I loved these posts of hers for her extensive and frank portrayal that help one prepare himself before heading for that place.

http://manjulikapramod.com/travel-stories/

 http://manjulikapramod.com/2013/12/30/theres-something-about-dubai-its-luxurious/

http://manjulikapramod.com/2012/11/07/perfect-trip10-days-in-bali/

Her coverage about Riyadh is fun to read…she told me she had to wear Burqa at the airport itself and couldn’t even pose hand in hand for a pic with her hubby!

http://manjulikapramod.com/2013/11/12/its-been-a-nice-week-in-riyadh/

When she is not busy with book reviews and globetrotting, the lady loves to play with colors on canvas! I sometimes wonder how she manages so many acts together…and often she is the one asking me the same. Did I tell you we share the same Birthday?

I know after this shower of blog love for Manjulika, you would wanna hop on straight to her blog!

This post is written for Festival of Words - Blog Love for Writetribe

The true friend

"A spouse can never be your best friend", she grumbled as she looked at the newspaper ad, for he would never approve of it.

They met in college, fell in love and dreamt together of success & bliss, but marriage showed them a different world -writing was lost behind household chores,in laws' demands for baby making & responsibilities of an Indian wife.


"This is a golden chance - an overseas internship with a prestigious magazine; I know he would have applied, but nobody will let me."

The doorbell rang, it was in his hand - the admission form, "so he is leaving me behind", she sighed.

Just then he showed to her, the 2nd form and said "I am your friend first & then husband, and it is a dream we both saw and will realize together!"



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