Storizen Magazine February 2022 by Storizen Magazine

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FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN

5 TIPS TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL ROMANCE Exclusive Digital Issue For more Columns and features, scan the QR code

Exclusive Feature on PAGE 8

Photo by: Almos Bechtold

WRITING LOVE STORIES

Cover Story

Book Reviews

Writing Love Stories: 5 Tips to Write a Successful Romance

Swapna Peri

Brand Partners Aleph Book Company Bloomsbury India

Editors Pria Raiyani Saurabh Chawla

Fingerprint Publishing Hachette India HarperCollinsIndia

For Advertising, Contact us attalktous@storizen.com

Pan Macmillan India Penguin India Roli Books Rupa Publications Westland (An Amazon Company)

WHAT'S INSIDE 7

EDITOR'S NOTE

STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE The Dark Side of Love

COVER STORY Writing a Love Story: 5 Tips You Need to Write a Successful Romance - Pria

- Stuti Gogia

STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE My Unbreakable Bond With My Grandparents

BESTSELLER READS

- Neelakshi Banerjee

Verity by Colleen Hoover - Hachette India

STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE The Whirlpool of Overthinking

- Ankur R Gupta

HOT OFF THE PRESS Birdwatching by Stephen Alter - Aleph Book Company

STORIZEN HEALTH The Vital Role of Kidneys

HOT OFF THE PRESS

- Sushma M Bhardwaj

The Commissioner for Lost Causes by Arun Shourie - Penguin India

HOT OFF THE PRESS Premier Amour: First Love by Abhay - Rupa Publications

STORIZEN REVIEW City of Incident by Annie Zaidi - Swapna Peri

WHAT'S INSIDE 42

STORIZEN REVIEW G for Gobar by Sagar Mavani - Swapna Peri

STORIZEN POETRY Falling in love under a starry sky... - Madhumathi H

STORIZEN REVIEW Disclosure by Sheo Nath - Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW My Father's Girlfriend by Jagadish Nadanalli - Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW A Language of Lies by Saugata Chakraborty - Criticspace Journal

STORIZEN ASTRO Monthly Tarotoscope: March 2022 - Himani Gupta

To read Storizen on the web, visit storizen.com. Follow Storizen on Instagram @storizenmag.

BOOKMARKED

Storizen Magazine January

Books we are loving this month

2022

CLICK HERE TO READ NOW! Exclusive Digital Issue For more columns and features, scan below

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from the editor

calling all writers!

DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF STORIZEN FAMILY? You can also be a contributor. Mail us your entries at talktous@storizen.com. Your smart ideas and inputs help us create our informative issues.

"B eing deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu beautifully quotes the real meaning of the word love! As the month of love, February 2022 also brings peace and harmony along with love. So is our theme for the month, Falling in Love under the starry sky! We researched a lot and even asked our contributors and authors about how to write a successful romance? Don't forget to check out our cover story of the month - Writing a Love Story: 5 Tips You Need to Write a Successful Romance on page 8. Books are a part of everybody's life. We present you with four of the bestsellers out there in our association with the leading publishing houses of the country. Do check them out! Health is of prime importance in the modern times. In this issue, we share with you the vital role of kidneys and how you can take action in case of any infection. What's in store for you in March 2022? We have also included monthly tarotoscope for March 2022. Packed with wonderful, heart-touching stories and poetry, we are sure that you would not like to miss this issue. We thank our readers and contributors for their constant support and motivating us to bring you some of the best content each month. Keep spreading the love and support! Do read, like, comment, and share with your friends & family. Happy Reading! editor@storizen.com Saurabh Chawla, Editor in Chief

COVER STORY

Writing Love Stories 5 Tips to Write a Successful Romance A Storizen Exclusive Feature

Text by Pria

rom your favorite authors of the romance genre, Jane Austen to Nicholas Sparks, their novels spark that emotion, passion, and different nature of love in every love story. No matter how the love story progresses, there are a few essential elements every romance novel has in common. From strong characters, predictable/unpredictable plot twists and steamy scenes that ignite the emotions, love stories are a great way to reach the emotional side of the readers. In this article, we are going to share with you the essential elements to be included in your love story so that you can build a successful and engaging romance novel.

KEEP THE PA

SSION

E R N E THE G ALIVE!

COVER STORY

1. BUILDING YOUR PLOT ON THE BASE GENRE Romance as a genre is wider than you think. Most of the writers who are writing romance can lie within the broad spectrum. But the base plot of the author can be something else. For example, the authors who are passionate about the horror genre, then you can write about paranormal romance. If you are passionate about the mystery/thriller genre, you can build the romance between the antagonist and the heroine and let the hero fight for the purpose of the story to keep the plot suspenseful and engaging. The baseline is to write the love story keeping the passion for your genre alive. 2. FOCUS ON THE CHARACTER BUILDING Romance needs the building of strong characters. The love story must be built around not only the main couple but also the people around them. The influence of the other characters who directly or indirectly influence your main characters needs to be built as well. Along with that, the events, 10

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locations, the overall setting should be taken into consideration while building your characters. The main point here is to describe the setting by being as specific as possible. Creating a memorable setting with minute details can capture your readers' imagination and this will, in turn, keep them hooked till the end. According to one of our readers and an eminent writer Parth Lakhani, there should also be an element of enchantment while writing a love story. He says, "An element of enchantment should be there. A point where a person feels imprinted but doesn't understand it fully, figuring out his own feelings and then acting on it."

The purpose of writing intimate scenes in your romance novel is to progress your plot further or to use them in character development. FEBRUARY 2022

COVER STORY

3. KEEPING THE DRAMA ALIVE Usually, romance is a genre that is somewhat predictable. The story seems to follow a specific formula most of the time. This makes the plot dull in some places. In order to keep your readers engaged and make your romance novel a page-turner, you need to keep that element of drama alive at every step. One of the best ways to keep the story flowing and engaging the readers is to include yourself in the story. Yes, you can either imagine yourself, playing a character in your story or writing a love story on your own life itself. We have seen that right? We all remember 2 States from Chetan Bhagat which is the story of the author himself and his marriage. The best part of this practice is that you don't miss the minute details that can spark an emotion among your readers. We asked this question on our Instagram handle @storizenmag to which one of our favorite readers and our contributor, Stuti Gogia

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COVER STORY

replied with a comment "Me". Another take on this topic by one of our readers and contributors is from the author Ankita Srivastava. She says "Main element of a love story is that the protagonist has an understanding of his/her own personality as a whole with the flaws included and he/she is able to have a daily conversation with their heart!" This can be best done if you become one of the characters in your own story, isn't it so? If you plan to write a romance regardless of the base plot, you should consider including yourself as a part of the love story, you are free to choose the character you would like to play or look at the story from any of your existing characters' viewpoint. It will greatly influence your love story, most probably enhancing it.

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2022

COVER STORY

4. USING LOVE SCENES TO FURTHER YOUR PLOT For an experienced writer, writing love scenes isn't going to be that much difficult. As an amateur writer, it may be a difficult task. Regardless of your writing style, if you are writing intimate scenes in your love story and they turn out to be overt, it may leave your readers alienated, and on the other hand, if your write love scenes that are too tame, you will end up disappointing your readers! The bottom line is that the purpose of writing intimate scenes in your romance novel is to progress your plot further or to use them in character development. This will not only keep your readers engaged but will also make your love story a successful one! 5. MAKING USE OF ROMANCE TROPES You know that romance stories are based on a specific formula. Usually, the love stories revolve around one of the following common settings best friends becoming lovers, separation based on class, society or family afflictions, etc. 14

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MAKE USE OF

E C N A ROM TROPE

FEBRUARY 2022

COVER STORY

But as readers, the readers are past the same old family saga plots, and can easily predict the plot when a similar formula is used again, leaving them bored and disappointed. The idea is to use romance tropes that are not used before and to use your creativity and imagination to subvert them while writing your love story. The idea is to understand the expectations of your readers and to give them something different. For example, if they are expecting a classic ending, you can change it to something that is not in their scope of imagination. This way, you will be always a step ahead of your readers and your romance novel will be a page-turner for sure. These tips will help you in writing your next successful romance novel. What are your thoughts on this? Do you incorporate these tips in your writing stories or have some other tips for the writers out there? Do share with us in the comments section below.

FEBRUARY 2022

About Pria - Young mesmerizing freelance blogger, social enthusiast, an economics graduate from Jharkhand University with Master in Child Psychology. She is hardworking yet crazy, a passionate reader, an ardent music fanatic, an avid caffeine lover, and a maniacal animal lover too. She has been a part of numerous anthologies, articles, and write-ups for newspapers and magazines which are multi-linguistic. She has also written screenplays for YouTube series. Contact: pria@storizen.com

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

Bestseller Reads Are you ready to stay up all night? Rebecca meets Gone Girl in this shocking, unpredictable thriller with a twist that will leave you reeling . . . The TikTok sensation from the author of It Ends With Us.

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FEBRUARY 2022

HOTthe OFFpress Set against the backdrop of the Sino–Indian war of 1962, Birdwatching is a gripping tale of high intrigue and mystery.

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

The Commissioner for Lost Causes by Arun Shourie

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN EVENTS

Scholar, author, former editor and minister, Arun Shourie has, for the last four decades, been one of the most prominent voices in our country's public affairs and discourse.

ABOUT THE BOOK The work done by Arun Shourie and his colleagues rocked institutions and governments: the freeing of 40,000 undertrials; revealing the Bhagalpur blindings; purchasing Kamla; dislodging a 'Sultan'; foiling 'strikes'; controverting Judges; battling privilege motions; courting contempt of court charges; nailing corruption, forgeries, lies, and the opportunism of rulers; uncovering suppressed reports... What lay behind these and the consequences that followed?

A comprehensive account of dramatic incidents like getting governments to swallow legislation against the press, unseating of chief ministers, a prime minister unspooling himself even as maneuvers to unseat him are scotched, a FEBRUARY 2022

deputy prime minister trying to dislodge colleagues with fabricated documents, people's movements ending up as rivulets in the sand, The Commissioner for Lost Causes discusses Shourie's innings, the calumny hurled at him, his dismissal, and his being recalled and removed again. Delicious tales of characters from the noble to the colorful to the short-sighted to outright bounders: from JP to a president, to prime ministers, a deputy prime minister, chief ministers, a conman, indignant editors, and of course a great warrior, the press baron, feature in this honest retelling of the life of Arun Shourie, the writer, former editor and minister who was acclaimed as one of the fifty 'World Press Freedom Heroes'.

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

Premier Amour: First Love by Abhay

A love story that is at once exciting and tender!

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN EVENTS

Hailing from the advertising industry, Abhay is educated as a visual designer and practiced art direction for many years before picking up the pen full[1]time. Today, he writes for digital marketing and various digital transformation causes, brand communication and thought leadership communication. His work spans the North American, Asian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) markets.

ABOUT THE BOOK A love story that is at once exciting and tender!

The fact and fiction about love stories inevitably merge at some point, and one becomes the other. The proof lies between these pages. Just like the lovebirds in real life, Bhanu and Bhushan experience the ecstasy and agony of falling and falling in love. But will they rise again in love? Will their first love give them a second chance? Those who have loved will get a clue from these lines: • A woman’s heart in love is like a peacock in the rain. It has to give in to much singing and dancing, flutter its rainbow feathers and spread them in an oversized arch, then strut all over the place wearing that colorful cloak, announcing to the world that it is the season of love. FEBRUARY 2022

• First love is a rare lucky charm. Always wear it close to your heart. • To love and to lose in love is worse than not to love. • I am still recovering from a fractured heart, and it is unfair to give someone something that is broken. • Some women prefer to win their man, not steal him. • Let’s ride the tide, love is by our side.

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The Dark Side of Love

by Stuti Gogia

Stories of Love have unique characters, but the one common thing between all of them is a feeling that is intense, a feeling that consumes the main lead, a feeling that has a strong impact on how you look at things differently. One of the most exotic forms of love is meeting someone who is as similar to you as you are to them. Once in a lifetime, you meet someone who feels like your doppelganger, not in terms of looks, but mostly in terms of how common your core choices, behavior, and patterns are. You are suddenly in a phase where everything about this person and their life is beautiful. Life does not always remain the same, and as they say it right, "Change is the only constant thing." When the outer layer of beauty unwinds, there are inner layers of wounds and unhealed traumas. The word is "projection," and that’s where the black hole begins. The same love suddenly starts feeling toxic and dark. And this is not because the person in front of us has changed; this is because our inner darkness has now started projecting in front of us. You might start feeling possessive, not because you do not trust the person in front of you, but because you have a wound of jealousy. You might start feeling fearful, not because they are not giving you time, but because you have wounds of insecurity.

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People are wounded. In fact, each of us is wounded in some or another form. But the question is, are we ready to fix our inner child issues before rushing into a perfect adult relationship? The task is tough, and it can take time, sometimes years, days, or months. So, love slowly and peel up your layers one by one so that you stop projecting your traumas onto the person in front of you. Because love never hurts, it’s we who hurt ourselves in the process of experiencing the love we want.

Stuti is a Software Engineer by profession and a writer by nature. She realized her love for writing while blogging for her own page. Her work has also been appreciated by Quora users. She is God's true evangelist and her work speaks volumes about it

And as Rumi says, "Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." So heal before you love.

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FEBRUARY 2022

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My Unbreakable Bond With My Grandparents by Neelakshi Banerjee

Cheers

to man

y more

insane y

ears, m

y lovelie

he bells of my childhood still bring happy tunes in my mind, a carefree rhythm, a melody of infinite promises, a soft trail of happiness. My childhood was spent in a happy home in the outskirts of Calcutta in India. I grew up in a joint family amid the love and laughter of my parents and grandparents. Every day came with new energy, and the evenings exuded a party spirit with my grandmothers regaling us with fairy tales and ghost stories. I used to wait eagerly for dinner when my grandfather whom I fondly called RangaDadu used to tell me of our ancestral home in Dhaka where we were zamindars, of the adventure they confronted there, of the opulence and grandeur amid which they grew up. The stories of them owning private steamers, horses seemed like a fairy tale sitting in a house in Calcutta. He also told of the hardships they had to ensure due to sudden turn of events which left them no choice but to abjure all their wealth and abscond from their home in the middle of the night to reach the eastern shores of India to escape mortal danger a couple of years after independence. From my grandfather, I got firsthand experience of India under imperialism and India after independence and the differences that came with it. He used to tell me of the cricket matches they played with the British counterparts, he would proudly assert

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how venerated our family was in the eyes of the villagers and then would show me pictures of the gigantic mansion that was once ours but now transformed into a museum. Such historical tales along with poetic recitations from prolific authors added an artistic tinge to our evening times where seconds became hours with the entire house being embroiled in those riveting tales and shared laughs only occasionally interrupted by the punctual bells of the grandfather clock. Another grandmother whom I called Shejthakuma, wife of my grandfather’s brother who also stayed in the same house was literally my playmate. She used to actively support me in all my shenanigans, whether to dress her up like a bride using cheap white powder or to roll her hair in a pathetic attempt to make a braid or to become a villain in a play written by me. As I started going to school, she became my obedient student on whom I could freely exercise my rights of reprimanding with impunity if she failed to complete her English homework or forgot to memorize the English poems I had assigned her. My own grandfather left me at a tender age but still, I can vividly picture his joyful smile and the lovely memories I have of him. Although I am a single child with no siblings, never was there a moment when I had the feeling of loneliness, or of creeping boredom as my home was 28

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perennially charged with an optimistic effervescence. As years went by and one by one my grandparents left me leaving behind a void, so significant that the sharp contours of which still inflict pain. The glorious memories I spent in their company will be my everlasting asset giving me hope in my lonesome forlorn hours and will also be a palpable reminder of their absence the very realization of which brings an agony so deep that no number of tears can compensate. Old pictures, old books, and cassettes smell so authentic, so natural, so joyful which I find somewhat missing in contemporary times. In this hectic rat race, children spend less and less time with their grandparents and conveniently miss the profound joys that are implicit in their cherished company.

My name is Neelakshi Banerjee. Recently I have developed a budding interest to delve through the subtle beauty of art and articulate my imaginations with the help of words. Music holds a pivotal place in my life. Though am an engineer by profession I believe both science and arts are equally imperative to make this world a more beautiful place. @justice11254

I consider myself blessed to have such a glorious childhood spent in the precious company of my loving ones who have not only provided a continuous flow of happiness in my life but have also inculcated good values and wisdom in me and given me golden memories to cherish and love forever.

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The Whirlpool of Overthinking by Ankur R Gupta

Break Free from Getting Stuck

hink first before doing anything... I heard it millions of times in my life and, so have all of you. But did anyone tell you not to go in so much depth that it drowns your rationality to decide? That’s what overthinking does to you. It gets you stuck in the whirlpool of thoughts with no constructive consequences. So, why do we get stuck in the whirlpool of overthinking? Mental health science around the world says that people who think too much believe that repeatedly thinking about the same thing implies that they care about that thing and, worrying too much about it will prepare them for the worst outcome. With time such people adopt this as part of their habit. Yes, you heard it right overthinking is a habit that involuntarily becomes an integral part of our thought process. A habit which we should get rid of… Because it has a cascading effect on your present. Your tendency of overthinking takes you again and again in the past events or excessively focussing on the future. Leaving a hampering impact on your mental health. Overthinking is exhausting as thoughts run circles around your mind repeatedly and you are stuck in the same whirlpool that either fades off or prolongs the choices & commitments of your life both professionally & personally.

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So, how do we get stuck in this habit? The answer lies with you. How confidently and capably you’ve trained yourself to handle the stress and worries in life. Stress is a part & package of everyone’s life and we cannot avoid it. But we can certainly control it and that's what an intelligent thinker does. Whereas the Over-thinkers pile up indecision within them and every indecision spin of a thread of multiple worries. A mind-stuff with worries does not leave any space for even simple decision-making. This indecisiveness further hampers your self-confidence and starts snowballing your selfesteem. Let’s relate it with an example. The excitement of preparing for the job interview of an overthinker get fogs out in panic “will they like me”. “what if I do something stupid”, “what if I make the

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The woman thanked the monk and went away. Another fellow monk was very displeased by his friend's act.

same mistake I did in the last one”, “Oh I’m surely not getting the offer” and the anxiety continues, leaving him exhausted with stress. An intelligent thinker keeps his anxiety in control with a single line of clarity “I will face interview with best of my understanding.”. As rightly said sometimes your mind can be the worst place to live created by thinking too much. Here is a zen short story that relates to it. Once two monks were Walking by the river. They saw a young beautiful woman who wanted to cross the river. But was hesitant & scared to do. Seeing her plight one of the monks offered her help. He carried her in his arms across the river.

At night, when they were having dinner, He said, "monks are not supposed to embrace a girl. You’re such a disgrace”. He was fuming with anger. The monk smiled and said, I've forgotten all about the girl the moment I dropped her across the river. But you, my friend, have been holding her in your mind all the way and still thinking and worrying about it. You burnt yourself in anger and anxiety and became judgemental that hampered your positive thought mechanism. So, in the entire process of thinking too much, it’s YOU who got affected the most and no one else. Everyone moved on but you my friend are stuck at the river bank only. This story is a tale of all those who think too much and ends up hurting themselves. So, it’s better to get rid of such a habit that makes you feel stuck. Sharing a few ways which I personally implemented to get rid of this habit of overthinking. It took me a few years but it worked. The main mantra is to learn to let go of the things done in past and not worry too much about the future. Get engaged in the activities that are under your control rather than burning yourself for things beyond your control. Take any decision-making process as a task and ensure a timeline for it. Think,

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discuss with others and still, you’re unable to come to any conclusion than stick with your first thought. But do not prolong it further. Even if that decision bombs it will keep your head high as it was explicitly your decision. Learn to own your decision and never blame anyone if the decision does not go well with the intended result. This helps you to train your mind with reinforced rationality. Remember, rationality is a journey covered on the path of experiences full of mistakes and achievements. With every decision, you increase the sphere of control about all aspects of your life. Trust me there is nothing more satisfying than living with your decisions. Another pointer to work on is yourself that is your sole companion throughout life. Treat yourself with utmost love and compassion. Spread your wings to try new things in life as it builds up your resilience and helps in uplifting your self-esteem.

Ankur R Gupta - I'm a blogger, an author, and a certified content creator. My writings revolve around the simple motto “Write to bring Smile”. I believe in understanding behavioral aspects of human life linked with their different phases and then ink my words about them in a simplified way to spin out positivity and purpose associated with them. A hardcore history enthusiast and traveler. I love to read & explore our ancient cultures and civilizations. My reading page is inkmyword -the reader community.

@writingstomakeyousmile Be mindful by managing your stress & anxiety through exercise, meditations, and indulging in activities that make you happy. As wisely said by Mahatma Gandhi- A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks so he becomes. Now it’s up to you to live a joyous life as a rational thinker or mess up being an Overthinker. FEBRUARY 2022

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The Vital Role of Kidneys by Sushma M Bhardwaj

STORIZEN HEALTH

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. It does not intend to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases. Get the help of a certified medical professional or a certified dietician before making any changes to your diet or exercise regimen.

idneys are situated at the lower back of our body, at the two sides of our spinal cord. They are bean-shaped. Sometimes due to some reason, one kidney is removed or a person is born with only one kidney, the other kidney can perform 75% of the filtration process as the leftover kidney starts to increase its size. Care of Kidney: The kidney is the cleaning agent of our body. Kidneys are the natural filters that remove waste and poisonous products and toxins using filters called nephrons. The weight of a kidney is 142gm. It is made up of nephrons and about 1 million nephrons work for 24hours to filter our blood. Kidney perform various function: 1) Filtration of blood 2) Water balance in the body 3) Control of blood pressure 4) Manufacture RBC FEBRUARY 2022

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STORIZEN HEALTH

5)It stops blood from entering into the urine

2) Avoid alcohol, caffeine as these drinks can irritate your bladder

The most common cause of urine infection is that bacteria enter our body through the urinary tract and reach the kidney. Women are more susceptible to infections than men because of the inherent structure of their urinary tract system.

3) Don’t eat spicy food

Signs of Kidney Infection: 1) Leg pain 2) Decreased oxygen-rich blood

4) Take lots of probiotic 5) Do not hold your urine as it delays getting rid of toxins In case you are diagnosed with a kidney infection, along with precautions I would suggest you take kidney fuel by OK LIFECARE as it has all ingredients to cure kidney-related infections and kidney problems.

3) Low body temperature 4) Nausea due to increased accumulation of waste products 5) Swelling in ankles, legs, feet, or hands 6) Fatigue 7) Lightheadedness – dizziness, lack of focus, poor memory, fainting

The ingredients are 1) Cranberry, cordyceps, turmeric root powder, celery root extract, horsetail aerial part extract, ginger powder, gokhru, and punarnava extract for UTI (urinary tract infection) 2) Goldenseal powder, betaine, alphaMelnionine, alpha-ornithine, alphaprotein, alpha serine are all amino acids and increase the functioning of the kidney

8) Changes in the color of urine 9) Urgent and painful, foul-smelling, and bloody urine Once infected, take the following precautions: 1) Drink a lot of water 36

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3) Vitamin C, B6 for removal of wastes. Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron. 4) Probiotic-to keep the gut healthy So take care of your kidneys by drinking lots of water and keeping your genitals clean and treating constipation. FEBRUARY 2022

We are Sure You got a brilliant idea for a story Let us know when you write it and publish it. We'll help you spread the good word.

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The Realistic Fiction Reviewed by Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

This small book has many things to understand, learn and observe. Every part of the twelve parts shows the survival instincts and the countless ways to lead a meaningful life. Author Zaidi picks up beautifully feathered lives for her readers. The narration of certain realistic events in life is explained beautifully. This second book that I have read from the author certainly is a good recommendation. The narration is lively and attractive. The story is not to delve deeper into the lives but to understand the merging of the city, its color, and the people's psyches. As the tag line in the title suggests, the story is into 12 parts. Each part has its own vibe. The characters make the most interesting and exciting part of the book. There are characters in every part of the story. The characters belong to varied lifestyles, economic status, societal status, etc. Every character is written with ample space, strength, and scope.

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Annie Zaidi

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About the Book The city of Incident tells the story of six women and six men, each of them struggling to keep their balance in a metropolis that affords them little power, little hope, and little chance of redemption. Their stories twine together to give us an unsettling look into the lives that take place on the peripheries of our vision.

Book Review

STORIZEN REVIEW

It gives everyone a chance to stop, observe everything around and then move on! Visit storizen.com for full review

A passionate book reviewer, writer, narrator, translator, and copy editor, Swapna has a B. Tech in Computer Science and is a former SAP Technical Consultant. She is the writer, narrator, editor, and translator for three books published with Literoma Publishing, Kolkata. She created and manages the “Book Reviews Café” official blog and Facebook page that contains all the book reviews. Swapna is also a content writer and reviewer with Storizen Magazine, CriticSpace Journals website, The Literature Times website, The Asian Review website, and the Literature Today website. She is a columnist with one of the leading women's websites in Telugu named 'Vihanga'.

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

FEBRUARY 2022

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A Feel Good Drama Reviewed by Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW

The narration is lively and relatable. Many things that are now in news, media, and reality are explained in a story-telling fashion. The engaging narration makes the book readable. Simple and hassle-free writing is found in the story. Sagar Mavani’s writing style is engaging. The elaborate and vivid descriptions of events, other characters, and elements in the story make the book readable.

FEBRUARY 2022

BOOK REVIEW

Author Sagar Mavani has scripted an interesting story with enough drama and humor in the story. The humor that he presented is the plight of the middleclass families in this country who work hard to make their ends meet. Thus, these incidents are relatable. The readers will surely identify themselves in the paragraphs in the story. The term Indian Culture, or the tradition of using cow dung, is still prevalent in most of the 3 tier towns and villages of India, as mentioned in the story. The book may not please everyone, but a one-time read is recommended. Sagar Mavani

The honest writing style makes the book surreal. But at some places, detailed descriptions looked boring. Crisp writing could have helped.

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About the Book Before the Modi government set up Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog in 2019, three young adults from Mumbai had recognized cows as natural and national wealth. Satvik Patel, reeling under the burden of crippling debts and weighty family responsibilities, feels disconnected from everything around.

Book Review

STORIZEN REVIEW

The drama, the relevance and the village backdrop and some such things that are missing in city life are definitely entertaining. (check out storizen.com for full review) A passionate book reviewer, writer, narrator, translator, and copy editor, Swapna has a B. Tech in Computer Science and is a former SAP Technical Consultant. She is the writer, narrator, editor, and translator for three books published with Literoma Publishing, Kolkata. She created and manages the “Book Reviews Café” official blog and Facebook page that contains all the book reviews. Swapna is also a content writer and reviewer with Storizen Magazine, CriticSpace Journals website, The Literature Times website, The Asian Review website, and the Literature Today website. She is a columnist with one of the leading women's websites in Telugu named 'Vihanga'.

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

A Realistic Story Reviewed by Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW

The story surely makes the reader empathize with the central character and feel the pain and anguish of the victim. The victim later regains her courage and starts her life as a professional psychologist. She then meets many people who are victims of every kind of abuse, irrespective of gender and age. Later, her correspondence with a lady from the US, Jennifer, explains the sad condition of women globally through emails. A lady from Ghana also explains

FEBRUARY 2022

BOOK REVIEW

This novel by author Sheo Nath is a realistic description of a woman who has been molested physically and brutally. The word rape is used in the book so many times to describe the reality that while penning this review, my hands are shaking to re-visit the cruelties mentioned. The story is of a woman who, from the moment of the crystal crime, comes to her senses mentally and physically and builds herself piece after piece.

Pic: Sheo Nath

the plight of women in her country. The book is a reflection of sick minds and hopeless traditions that harm and hurt women.

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About the Book This book by author Sheo Nath marks the amazing journey of the trial and tribulations of the central women character, a rape victim.

Book Review

STORIZEN REVIEW

It is a realistic story that must be read by everyone! It has so much to brood, think, act and implement. Visit storizen.com for full review A passionate book reviewer, writer, narrator, translator, and copy editor, Swapna has a B. Tech in Computer Science and is a former SAP Technical Consultant. She is the writer, narrator, editor, and translator for three books published with Literoma Publishing, Kolkata. She created and manages the “Book Reviews Café” official blog and Facebook page that contains all the book reviews. Swapna is also a content writer and reviewer with Storizen Magazine, CriticSpace Journals website, The Literature Times website, The Asian Review website, and the Literature Today website. She is a columnist with one of the leading women's websites in Telugu named 'Vihanga'.

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

A Fun, Family Drama Reviewed by Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW

Apart from the main characters, the father and the son, the other characters, specifically, each girlfriend, are very interesting. The son showcases the common and judgemental traits of the conditioned human from the closed Indian society. The intelligent father and his formulas against his son's ideas are entertaining to read. The characters have equal importance, scope, and space in the story. The son's personality will help the readers understand how not to behave with their fathers to satisfy societal expectations.

The story is as entertaining as the title. A good one-time read.

The story is a straight drama with freeflowing language. But to, maintaining the same pace with simple writing is also a complicated issue at times. Here, author Jagadish impressed his readers in achieving this near to impossible feat. As the story progresses at its own pace, things happen, and the drama gets stronger. Little nuances, some conversations, and other gripping elements are included well in manner.

The narration is engaging and freeflowing without any major twists. In some places, the local language style of narration is used. Some readers may not connect with it. Though this type of narration might be experimental, it can be a speed-breaker to the readers. Other than this, the story is a fine read.

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

BOOK REVIEW

The story happens between Shankar, Ganesh, and Chandrika, who represent the first generation, and Ajay, Nevada, and Shweta, who represent the second generation. Shankar is the widower father of Ajay. Shankar and Ganesh are friends from school days. School days. Chandrika was his girlfriend some time ago. The same story in parallel happens between Ajay, Devdas, and Shweta. There is friendship, romance, unconditional love, family bond, emotional turmoil, disagreements, ego clash, and many more.

About the Book One day, your father wakes up from sleep and asks you to help him find his yesteryear girlfriend. Now, what would you do? Well, the decision depends solely on you, but Ajay, the protagonist of this book, didn't hesitate to refuse any help to his father.

Book Review

STORIZEN REVIEW

The story has undoubtedly some funny and profound moments to think and understand; thus, the book is entertaining! (check out storizen.com for full review) A passionate book reviewer, writer, narrator, translator, and copy editor, Swapna has a B. Tech in Computer Science and is a former SAP Technical Consultant. She is the writer, narrator, editor, and translator for three books published with Literoma Publishing, Kolkata. She created and manages the “Book Reviews Café” official blog and Facebook page that contains all the book reviews. Swapna is also a content writer and reviewer with Storizen Magazine, CriticSpace Journals website, The Literature Times website, The Asian Review website, and the Literature Today website. She is a columnist with one of the leading women's websites in Telugu named 'Vihanga'.

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

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Reviewed by Criticspace Journal

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BOOK REVIEW

g e of a u g n Li a L

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ife can be too mysterious sometimes and one cannot even imagine what results would occur when those mysteries would be unveiled. One may believe that they can never be trapped but even the best of the best gets trapped in the games of the life, which is devious & mysterious!” Well, through this amazing criminal thriller novella, ‘A Language of Lies’ author Saugata Chakraborty has made a brilliant effort to present the readers with something extraordinary and special. The book covers a great story revolving around the main character, Sean Brignac, and the incidents of his life, which made a great impact on the lives of the others too! The manner, in which the mysteries will be unveiled, will make the readers feel the thrill while going through this amazing novella. Book's Introduction: This book, A Language of Lies by author Saugata Chakraborty is a crime Thriller’novella revolving around Sean Brignac. The story is mostly about the cons, which Brignac carried out in the different parts of the world over a few decades. Well, the main character of this novel is truly an interesting personality, and his story and stunts are the heart and soul of this book, which accounts for all the thrills and mysteries in the storyline!

all the pains and tragedies at a very young age. Things that were hard to digest and harder to forget. Sean Brignac was orphaned at the age of five and disowned by his adoptive parents at seventeen. The storyline of this novel captures his rise as an illustrious con artist; his lies, insecurities, attempts at establishing meaningful relationships, and the inevitable fall, while putting under scanner the role of his friends, collaborators, and his victims. Book Title: The title ‘A Language of Lies’ for this book, which is a crime thriller novella, is certainly an appropriate one with reference to the sequence of events as narrated in this book by the author. Moreover, it is a catchy title that makes the book even more interesting, as the title itself compels you to pick up this book for a read. In this case, the title is giving a very mysterious as well as an interesting vibe. Therefore, as a reader, you would feel the urge to go inside the chapters and try to understand the author’s thoughts! In addition, I must mention that the title of this book is much justified with regards to the reading-worthy storyline present in this book. Undoubtedly, it is a very apt book title for this novella & the author had been extremely wise to go for this title.

The book covers the story of a real-life character whose life has been filled with FEBRUARY 2022

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Readers Connect: Through this book, author Saugata Chakraborty has attempted to bring a feel of thrill for the readers, and this will make the readers go page by page of this title. The story in this book covers many aspects, from manipulations to thrills to suspense and a blend of emotions too, which the reader is bound to experience! The way the author has presented the main character is phenomenal. Even though his con acts are openly mentioned in the book, the readers would feel sympathy for him. Another very important aspect of this book is that the storyline is indeed engrossing & interesting and the narration style by the author is so amazingly lucid, that it would totally hook the readers until the very last page of this mystery thriller novel. Verdict: A book like ‘A Language of Lies’ is for sure a Must Read one & deserves a chance by the readers. The way the author had presented the central character in this book and made sure to retain the suspense until the very end of the storyline is truly incredible. His work is seriously praiseworthy as he has succeeded in making a great book in the genre of a crime thriller!

Pic: Saugata Chakraborty

Author Saugata Chakraborty is a promising author, who is very creative in his writing, which the readers can feel through his spectacular storytelling. In addition, his honest work makes his book even more reading-worthy. 56

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About the Author: Author, Saugata Chakraborty is currently a Deputy General Manager with the Reserve Bank of India and has served the Bank in Mumbai, North-East India, and Kolkata. His first book of short stories ‘They Go to Sleep’ (2019) has been a bestseller and of late been included in the undergraduate syllabus of a private university in Punjab. A former educator, public speaker, and contributor to various magazines, Saugata has been editing a Bengali webzine of humorous writing ‘Sorosee’ since February 2021.

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

TO READ SIMILAR STORIES, VISIT W W W. ST OR IZ EN .C OM

ARIES MOON SIGN: 6 OF PENTACLES This Month, it is the time for being Kind with everyone and helping others in your workplace or anyone who is in need. You also might be doing some charity this month. It also indicates financial gains. TAURUS MOON SIGN: 9 OF PENTACLES This Month, you will be enjoying your financial abundance that you have created by working hard. It is the time to enjoy financial gains, Luxury. Also, you might be in a leadership position and enjoying yourself as an Independent and selfconfident person. GEMINI MOON SIGN: 3 OF CUPS This month, Gemini you will be enjoying and celebrating your success with your friends. It is the month of party and joy. Some might receive promotion and salary hike. So, enjoy every moment in life. FEBRUARY 2022

CANCER MOON SIGN: PAGE OF WANDS This month, youare passionate and ambitious to work towards your goals and dreams. You have lots of ideas in your mind and you are ready to implement your ideas. You have that spark to gain knowledge and work towards your goals. LEO MOON SIGN: HIGH PRIESTESS This Month, youmust listen to your heart for making any decisions. It is the time to gain spiritual knowledge. Don’t take impulsive decision. Just think deeply and then take decision. You are the best guide for any decisions. Trust yourself.

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VIRGO MOON SIGN: 2 OF PENTACLES This month, you might be juggling between your personal and Professional life. You must maintain a balance between both. Don’t do multitasking. Make a Priority checklist and work accordingly. This month, Time Management is very essential for Virgo. Also do manage your finances. LIBRA MOON SIGN: QUEEN OF WANDS This Month, you will be building your network for future purposes. Also, you might be socializing with your friends. Also, some might be courageous and determined to work towards your goals. You have lots of ideas floating in your mind and you are optimistic enough to share your ideas. SCORPIO MOON SIGN: 5 OF PENTACLES This month, you might be fear of losing your finances or struggling with your finances. Some might be facing

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disappointments in their career front. Also, some might be feeling lonely or isolated. Just keep yourself calm and composed; things will soon be fine. It is the time to focus on manifesting positive things rather then cribbing for things which you don’t have. SAGITTARIUS MOON SIGN: THE HERMIT This month, it is not the time to take any impulsive decision. It is the time to take a break from everything and just look deep withing yourself and find out the solution. It is the time to go for soul searching and meditate.Some might be working independently on project without any help. CAPRICORN MOON SIGN: 5 OF SWORDS This Month, stay away from any arguments as your opinions will be different and to win, you might speak certain words which may hurt others and you might feel guilty. Once spoken words cannot be taken back. So just listen

FEBRUARY 2022

patiently and move away from the arguments. It also suggests that, even if you fail learn from the failure and move on. AQUARIUS MOON SIGN: THE FOOL This Month.Is the month of new Beginnings and challenges and you are ready to take risk based on your faith in Universe? It is the time to move ahead with your ideas and goals. But don’t take any impulsive decision as there are chances to fall. So with proper research move ahead towards your dream.

I am Himani Gupta, By profession, I am an HR Manager working in Banglore. Reading is my hobby which led me to write reviews for my readers. I have read and reviewed numerous books so far. I am also a practicing Tarot consultant and would be sharing daily, weekly, monthly horoscopes for you all here.

PISCES MOON SIGN: WHEEL OF FORTUNE This month, you will have good fortune and financial abundance. Our life is based on Wheel of Karma. Sometimes it is struggling, sometimes it is normal and sometimes it is success. So, we must enjoy every part of life. Have faith in the Universe.

FEBRUARY 2022

STORIZEN MAGAZINE

STORIZEN POETRY

Falling in Love Under a Starry Sky... by Madhumathi H

Geruahues, melting into crimson-purple… Music of the moon's anklets fill the sky Those silver flowers, eternally fresh Fragrant of all the love, blossoming each day It's a chilly night Bonfire by the lake… As they sit together, absorbing warmth From the petals of fire Gazing at the celestial magic Love kindles the voices Hidden in art... Poetry in his captures Paintings from her woven words Begin a brand new conversation In the language of the stars… As they listen, engrossed The moon serves warm nectar… At dawn While the blue unfolds, and gold blushes Their intoxicated souls Smile in gratitude For the hangover art gifted…

A bilingual poet-writer(Tamil, English), Madhumathi is an ardent lover of Nature, Poetry, Photography, and Music. Her poems are published in Anthologies of The Poetry Society(India), AIFEST 2020 Poetry contest Anthology, CPC- Chennai Poetry Circle, IPC – India Poetry Circle, Amaravati Poetic Prism, and in e-zines UGC approved Muse India, Storizen, OPA – Our Poetry Archives, IWJ International Writers Journal, Positive Vibes, and Science Shore. ‘’Ignite Poetry'’, “Arising from the dust”, “Painting Dreams", “Shards of the unsung Poesies" are some of the recent Anthologies her poems, and write-ups are part of. Besides Poetry, Madhumathi writes on Mental health, to create awareness and break the stigma, strongly believing in the therapeutic and transformational power of words. Contact: madhumathi.poetry@gmail.com

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FEBRUARY 2022

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