Life is a kaleidoscope...and I love to explore as much as I can. Here's life from my spectacle...Follow me for my take on books, food, movies, travel, parenting, relationships, social issues and anything interesting I come across…Bienvenue!
The reason why I got a lot of scolding from mom during exams was surprisingly not studies. It was comics. Yes, I was addicted to comics like a dopier is to dope. My addiction would be at its best during exams, for the colorful pages and happy faces transported me to a different world, free of exam stress, fears and failures. Every comic tells a happy story. However, being a concerned parent, mom used to be worried for my career, so she often made me swear not to touch comics till the exams were over! I used to be tempted to hide the comic in my textbooks and finish the story, but the guilt of breaking a swear and the fear of ranking low in class successfully kept me away from comics.
However, as soon as the last exam would be over, comics and I would embrace each other like long lost lovers and we would spend nights happily in each other's company.
Comics also taught me the art of networking & negotiating very early in life!
A boy in our neighborhood had a enviable collection of comics and used to organize a paid library during summer holidays. Paying for so many comics was totally our of question. But, then I found a weak link. This guy liked my hulla hoop and his mom never got him one, considering it to be a very girlie thing. So I negotiated the perfect barter. I would let him play with my hulla hoop and he let me read comics for free.
And that was not all...
There was a magazine stand next to the flour mill in the local market. Once, while waiting with my brother for the flour to be done, I picked up a comic, thinking I will pretend to check it out and the shopkeeper would think I will buy, but I will quickly switch to another one. However, once I opened the comic, I got so immersed in it that I lost track of time. Thankfully, the shopkeeper was a nice guy and a comic lover himself. "Why don't you grab a chair and read?"he said and offered me a chair.
I was all smiles, thinking "Goodness still prevails"
Here are some of my favorite comics.
What are your comic memories & which are your favorite comics?
When I was expecting my son last year, there was one piece of advice almost everyone showered on me. To read, listen and watch stuff that the baby would enjoy. As I wondered what shows/movies to watch, the first name that came to my mind was none other than "The Jungle Book"
Every evening, Mr. Hubby and I would leisurely watch Jungle book episodes and I would go back to my childhood.
As all children of the 80's and 90's would agree, Jungle Book had a very important role to play in our childhood. Not even a single child would be seen outdoors at 10am on Sundays as all of them would be glued to their TV sets watching Jungle Book. So much was the craze that once when a classmate of mine got a pencil box with Mowgli printed on it, the entire class went in a frenzy to buy similar pencil box!
What was so special about a simple tale of a jungle, a human baby and animals that it is still engraved in our hearts and minds?
The first thought that comes to my mind is the song, "Jungle Jungle Pataa Chala hai, Chaddi pehenke phool khilaa hai" and the smiling faces of Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo, Pappu, Ka and others. I must confess, the title song has such emotional value for me that often when my 9 month old son has trouble falling asleep, I hum this song and rock him to sleep.
Jungle Book is not just a story. It is the story of our lives - of triumphs and failures; of loyalty and deceit; of friendship and animosity; of love and jealousy; of discipline and rebellion. Each character and each scene of Jungle Book resonates the songs of our lives. Perhaps thats why Jungle Book strikes the perfect chord and it was the perfect choice to have fun and at the same time refresh the lessons of life...
There is a Mowgli in all of us -
As a kid, the biggest reason which kept me hooked on to the Jungle Book was Mowgli. I could somehow relate to him on several instances. Like Mowgli, I too had my moments of mischief, fun with friends, rebellion, concern for my loved ones and aggression for anyone who dared to challenge me.
Family & friends
Jungle Book taught me very early in life, the importance of family and friends. Despite being a human, Mowgli was treated no different by his family and friends. Often, when I used to see Mowgli being pampered by his mom Chameli, I too used to become a small child and give my mom a bear hug! It is important to choose friends wisely, for good friends show us the correct path and stand by us in every situation, just like Bagheera, Baloo, Ka and Pappu! If you look around at your friends, you will always find a Bagheera who shows you the right path without being preach; a Baloo who may not be stylish but is the most sincere and sensible; a Ka who knows it all and a Pappu who is your follower!
Break the rules and face the music
Nobody could have taught this better than the Jungle Book. Time and again, we see repercussions of breaking rules of the Jungle. Be it crossing over to the forbidden side of the river, or ignoring the instructions of elders. My mom often made good use of this fact and often used to tell me, "see what happened to Mowgli when he didn't listen to his mom and went to the forbidden part of the Jungle. You too should listen to what mamma says!" and I would nod my head in affirmation. What an age of innocence it was!
Face your fears
Mowgli was the super hero who never shied from taking risks and faced his fears. Fears also remind me of a funny incident. In one of the episodes, I saw Baloo telling Mowgli the Mahamantra of Jungle "Hum ek hee vansh ke hain, tum aur main"(We are no different) and Mowgli successfully uses this mantra to drive away the wild dogs. Once when a stray dog got after me, instead of running away, I decided to use Mowgli's mantra. However, to my surprise, it had no impact on the dog. Fortunately an elderly uncle was passing by who shooed the dog away and saved me the torture of anti rabies shots!
Us before Me
The animals of the jungle were very particular about the safety of the Jungle. When the rivers dried up, all the animals collaborated to share resources and decided not to hunt till the water problem was resolved. Whereas we humans think of serving our individual interests first. I wonder why do we humans forget this lesson in times of crisis.
Loving our environment
I used to be in awe watching Mowgli using climbers to move from tree to tree in no time! While I could not find climbers to try my luck, Mowgli for sure was my inspiration to climb trees. From guava to Jamun to Mango I didn't leave a single tree despite often being attacked by angry red ants peacefully resting in the tree trunks!
As a parent, I feel there cannot be anything better than Jungle Book to teach your child the lessons of life without sounding preachy. I look forward to the day when my son grows up and I can watch Jungle Book with him and share my memories!
“Why does my birthday come only once a year?”
As a kid, I used to frequently pester my mom with this question. Being youngest
of four children in my family, I was the most pampered one. So, that meant
extra pampering on birthdays. The day used to begin with bear hugs & wishes
from mom, papa and my siblings. In the days of exclusive landline phones, every
phone ring would bring a sparkle in my eyes as family friends and relatives
would call to extend their wishes. I never missed school on my birthday, for it
was one day when I would be treated like a princess by my friends. Birthdays
were an occasion to flaunt the new frock bought just especially for the day,
since we were allowed to give school dress a miss for the day. As I would
distribute gifts to the class who joyously sang “Happy Birthday” for me, I felt
like the guest of honor. And yes, the Maths teacher was also super sweet to me
that day!
Back
home, everyone would be busy preparing for the evening party. I have fond
memories of the invitations, cake, confetti, gifts, food, games, dance and lot
of fun with friends! Of course, next morning would feel like a hangover, especially
if I had school.
With
time, my definition of birthday celebration too changed. From lavish parties, birthdays
began to be all about a cool eat treat with friends, gifts of my choice from
parents and a nice family dinner.
Few
more years passed…
The
huge transformation in my birthday celebrations came after I began working. Birthdays
became a much more private affair. In fact, the same me who enjoyed the
attention during school days would turn pink and get conscious when my team
sang a loud “Happy Birthday” followed by wishes from the entire floor.
Often
I think about the change and it surprises me. I guess we all mellow down with
age and value quality to quantity.
For
the past three days, I have been controlling my temptation to participate in
the A to Z challenge. Often, I used to read posts and wonder, "I will participate when I have time." However, “When I have time” too is a very grey concept.
Finally, today I
gave in to the temptation. Damyanti’s blog was a big motivator, for she had
done a marvelous job of simplifying the whole process and providing all the
information in one post. So, this evening, while I was on my way back home from
work, the challenge was all that I was thinking of.
I know writing a month’s
post in advance is the key, for networking is a key factor here. This coupled
with the daily pendulum between home, office and motherhood leaves me thirsty
for me time. So, I take up the challenge today, more for giving myself few
minutes of “me time” for a month, more than anything else. Whether or how much
of it I can manage, only time will tell. But, isn’t it better to try and try
rather than not trying at all?
This thrilling narrative
of a serial killer’s life and the unusual and challenging investigation to
catch him, uncovers a chilling trail of unspeakable torment and cruelty – the tale
of Raakshas.
The Cover
Raakshas himself
welcomes readers with his bloodshot eyes and his weapon of destruction. Look
into his eyes and you will definitely think twice about reading the book,
especially if you are beginning to read at night!
My View
Raakshas is a touching
story of an innocent boy who is forced by circumstances to become a psychopath
killer. One doesn’t get to know his real name, so I will call him R. Labelled a
killer at birth and blamed for his mother’s death merely marked the beginning
of his life’s atrocities. There was still a lot more to come. A harrowing time
with his father followed next. Brahmanand, who saw his son as a mere distraction
to his ongoing research, was the major culprit in spoiling his son’s life. After
all, it is the parents’ responsibility to provide an environment conducive to
the child’s holistic development. The first few pages brought tears into my
eyes. “How can a father be so cruel to his own son?” I kept wondering. But
then, haven’t we heard stories of scientists who lost it in pursuit of their
impossible inventions? The little boy’s perseverance however, impresses us throughout.
Gifted with an amazingly sharp brain, the boy had it all in him to become a
genius.
But, destiny had
different plan for him. After months of inhuman treatment by his father,
destiny gave R a chance to escape his father’s den and be united with the only
mother figure to him in the big, bad world – his maternal aunt Latika. Little did
he realise that the journey to his aunt’s place would instead take him to the
path of being a serial killer.
On his way to his aunt’s
place, little R got kidnapped by a baba, a serial killer himself. It was the years
of captivity, being baba’s assistant in his heinous crimes that transformed the
boy into a serial killer. Throughout the years of captivity, R just dreamt of
escaping Baba’s clutches and being reunited with his aunt. Sadly, by the time this
happened, his soul had already become a personification of evil.
What followed next was
a story that could shake the reader to the core. One after another, the tales
of his heinous crimes gave me goose bumps.
The story has a very
strong message - A serial killer is not born but is made.
Almost parallel runs
the story of a girl, as intelligent as R but much favored by her destiny. An
event in her adolescence which could have spoiled her life forever instead became
her biggest strength. The girl went on to become a super cop, which brings us
our second message – We are what we choose to become, not what circumstances
want us to be.
The book also
highlights the side effects of a practice rampant these days – of media
highlighting and exaggerating every little piece of information. Had the
media not come up with a silly idea of “ranking of serial killers”, many lives
could have been saved.
Grab the book, for Raakshas
isn’t a book about nabbing yet another serial killer on a killing spree. It
goes a step beyond and portrays all that goes around in the minds of serial
killers, their fears, triggers, emotions and motivations – the face of devil
inside. The parallel tracks of the lady cop and R give the story an interesting
“Yin and Yang” touch.
What I loved about the
book
Everything, for the story
has the power to leave an impact on its readers. Being my first crime thriller
I was quite hesitant but the book kept my hooked on until I didn’t finish the
last page. As I was glued to the book, the courier boy and a plumber who
visited my house were welcomed with my suspicious eyes. Need I say more?
What could have been better?
Many aspects of the
lady cop seemed too good to be true and exaggerated to give her a heroic
stature.
My rating
4/5
About the Author
Piyush Jha is an acclaimed film director, ad filmmaker
and author of bestselling crime fiction novels. His films Chalo America, King
Of Bollywood and Sikandar are noted for their unconventional subject matter.
Currently working on a crime based TV show, Piyush’s earlier novels are
Mumbaistan, Compass Box Killer and Anti Social Network.
Throughout my
growing years, I teased my mom for one thing – whenever I would fall sick or be
in pain, she would start crying. I remember once when a dog had bit me, on our
way to the hospital, mom was crying more than me. She had heard how painful
anti rabies injection was and she was scared about how I would tolerate the
pain. As I joked that she looked more like the patient than me, she said, “You
will understand my pain when you become a mother.”
Mom left me few
years ago, but her words have echoed in my mind several times ever since I
became a mother…
After my delivery,
when my intravenous cannula was removed, I rejoiced thinking, “The pain is
over!” Little did I know a new challenge awaited me – of witnessing my baby in
pain during vaccination!
As the date for
the next monthly vaccination drew near, anxiety gripped me...
The initial
mandatory vaccines were administered by the pediatrician while I was still bed
ridden. But, as the date for the next monthly vaccination drew near, anxiety
gripped me. The mere thought of the needle pricking my baby’s soft skin and the
imaginary sight of my little angel wincing in pain gave me goose bumps.
Like
all new moms, I too have lost track of how days become weeks, and weeks months.
When a festival is around the corner, my elder sister or my MIL act as
reminders, suggesting the bare minimum rituals I should follow.
This
morning, as sonny boy and I went to the park for our daily dose of Vitamin D, I
was delighted to see a burst of yellow. Women dressed in yellow, yellow flowers
shouting to be picked up at flowers, the familiar freshness in the air and Pandal
with Ma Saraswati idol in the colony school – I didn’t take a moment to realize
Basant Panchmi – Saraswati Puja is here!
While
my family doesn’t practice any ritual as such, apart from wearing yellowand
preparing sweet yellow pulav, Basant Panchmi occupies a very special place in
my heart. Having spent 12 years in a Bengali dominated school; the festival has
been a special occasion each year. After all, this was the only day in the year
when we could wear the dress of our choice to school instead of the boring
uniform! Unlike most kids who save the best dress for birthdays, girls in my
school dressed their best on Basant Panchmi. The three day long celebrations provided
us the much awaited break from classes, freedom to dress up as we liked, lot of
fun, amazing Bengali sweets and bhog, and much needed blessings from Ma Saraswati
before the final exams would haunt us!
A Day Before
A
day before the festival, all eyes would be trained towards the school gate as
we waited for Ma Saraswati idol to arrive. The moment we saw the tempo, we
would leave everything and rush to the foyer. The entire school echoed with “Bolo
bolo Saraswati Mai ki Jai” as we welcomed the goddess with flowers, songs
and impromptu dance!
The festival
For
us, this was the day of freedom, fun and festivities! Our usually over
protective parents gave us the luxury of giving the school bus a miss. Instead,
we girls took our sweet time to dress up our best and arrived at the school on
our own, in groups. The security situation wasn’t as sorry as present, so the
authorities let open the gates of the senior wings and one could enter and
leave school premises at our own wish. For teenagers of a girl’s school, this
was nothing short of living the college dream once a year! The senior girls
would seize the opportunity to flaunt the best sarees and imitation jewellery,
even as the eyes of senior teachers scrutinized the depth of their blouses!
Best part would be the Pushpanjali time, when each one of us would pray to Ma
for good marks and a bright career! Sounds of “Bolo bolo Saraswati Mai ki Jai”
would fill the ramparts as those who waited for their turn took to dancing and
singing! Wish we had mobile phones with cameras back then! The alumni also took
this occasion to take blessings from Ma and thank teachers for shaping up their
careers so well.
Morning
gave way to the noon in no time and the aroma from the makeshift kitchen in the
classroom signalled that the Bhog was ready. Our teachers displayed their
culinary skills as they pampered us with the most delicious Bhog – the traditional
Khichuri! After Bhog, we would dash to grab our boxes of Prasad which contained
an assortment of the best Bengali sweets one could think of!
Awwww! I miss my school!
As
we progressed to senior classes, the later part of the noon became hangout time
with friends at Connaught Place before we returned home.
Visarjan
This
was a moment that came heavy on our hearts as the thoughts of Ma parting left
us teary eyed. Moments after the tempo left the school premises, taking Ma
away, we would keep looking at the gate with gloom. Then the teachers would
lovingly ask us to return to our classes and be good students till Ma returned
next year.
More
than a decade after leaving school and more than a thousand kilometres away
from school now, I still feel the fragrance of flowers and incense sticks
afresh in my mind. As I recall those wonder years, I pray Ma Saraswati for
blessing my little one with knowledge and creativity the way she has been
generous to me.
To,
the Goddess, the mother, and the power – Bolo bolo Saraswati mai ki Jai !!!
Sharing
few pics of my visit to the Alma mater few years ago
