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Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment. The quote by Rumi is the most inspiring quote I came across at present. Not only it teaches us living in the present, but also to have the mindfulness!
This is our anniversary special edition so we wanted to let our readers practice some mindfulness and live in the present.
We bring to you our special cover feature - "Unique Ways of Staying Mindful While Writing" to help you as a writer, an author harness the untapped power of the present moment and mindfulness.
Book lovers and book nerds will surely thank us this time as we partner with two of the best publishers in the industry along with HarperCollins India, Penguin India, Hachette India, Fingerprint Publishing, we take pride to being partnering with Pan Macmillan India and Roli Books! You always have a reason to read a book. Check out the hottest new releases in this issue!
Poetry lovers, this time we have a poetry that made an entry into the Editor's Choice Column, 'Remembering You' by Vidya Shankar. Do check it out!
*Storizen Magazine is now also available on Google Play Books. Get Your Copy Now!
Storizen Wishes all a very Happy and colorful Holi!
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Happy Reading!
We are Storizen would like to request each and everyone to Stay Safe and Stay Home! Follow all mandatory guidelines issued by WHO and the Government. We also take this opportunity to thank all those people who have been working round the clock to save the spread and in turn save us! Heartfelt Gratitude to all“ Professionals” big or small for making sure that our families and we are safe! Tough time it is yet together we shall strive! Also, Please avoid spreading rumours!
editor@storizen.com
Saurabh Chawla, Editor in Chief
UNIQUE WAYS OF Staying Mindful While Writing A Storizen Exclusive Feature
It is evident that a writer lives in you. That writing self of you follows its own path. If you follow the path which every author follows, it will be doubtless that you will be answered a big 'NO' at every step along the way.
by Pria
The word today which we will be follow is being mindful during the writing process. There may seem no connection at all, but if you look closer, both are inexorably linked. Without it, self aversion takes the charge - nit picking, criticizing, and demanding— exhausting you of your creative mojo.
Worried about how the mindfulness can be achieved? We
will be listing down the ways of staying mindful during the writing process. Keep reading on -
Self Care is the Key
We all know that to achieve something, self sacrificing is a virtue. Always putting yourself at the end of the line is a grave disservice and actually works against you. Like the meditation can't be done when one is hungry, thirsty, tired or sleepy. Similarly, you can't write a good piece while feeling any of the above.
Healthy eating, rest, and regular exercise give you the stamina to withstand any challenge the writing world throws at you. Self pampering helps a lot. Like taking a hot soaking bath or listened to your favorite music? It is important to indulge in a restorative activity that rejuvenates your body and mind and restores your creative juices?
A great example of this is doing nothing at certain intervals of time. Doing nothing is like including integral pauses to a beautiful piece of music. Without absences of sound, music would be just noise. You need to look into yourself deep within. introspect and pursue a hobby - it can be yoga, playing badminton et al.
Keep Self Criticism at Bay
The biggest enemy of you is no other person than you yourself. The self judgment, self criticism that
does no good. It is the one that is responsible for demotivating you. Don’t believe the booming eviscerating voice that attacks you with, “You don’t have what it takes to be a writer.”
Everybody has one relentless faultfinder is the fine that is too quick to judge you, minimize your accomplishments, or will demote you. You need to keep a check on the dominant faultfinder. When does it pop up? In what circumstances it dominates you? Once you recognize the patterns, you would be able to maintain a safe distance from it and give more weight to the your favorite self.
Healthy eating, rest, and regular exercise give you the stamina to withstand any challenge the writing world throws at you.
Focus on the Growth Part
The two keywords I will be focusing here are Success and Rejection. Physical tiredness can be easily repaired than the emotional or psychological tiredness. In writing business, you will be shamefully rejected and will recklessly fail many times. Only the diligent survive the writing business.
The idea is to cultivate a growth mindset. It is nothing but a winning, go getter attitude. It can be seen in many famous and successful people. Michael Phelps for swimming, Serena Williams in Tennis, J.K Rowling in writing!
Writers who have a growth mindset think of success and rejection as a package deal. They welcome rejections. Success and defeat is equally celebrated by them and they view any obstacles, hindrances, disappointments as opportunities from which to grow. They envision mistakes as lessons from which to learn rather than sit in a corner and curse their fate.
You can face the defeat just like the grass grows through the concrete with the growth mindset and hop back into the saddle of writing.
Ignore
your
Self-Doubting Personality
There are days when self doubt takes the residence in your head. The words that are screamed inside your head are 'You are defeated'. Yes, it makes you realize that you are finished before you begin.
When doubt precedes your path, you’re already halfway down, and you haven’t even started the journey. Doubt is a shadow over truth. Unless you recognize it, doubt overshadows the truth about who you are as a writer. Each time you step out of doubt’s shadow, you learn more selftruths. So, send the self doubt packing and allow the elf confidence to move-in. The path is going to be rough and tough too, remember one thing, at the end, you will win.
Stack up the Positivity
Negativity can hamper you mentally, break you down emotionally and it is not good for your writing. Because negativity has a longer shelf life, you overestimate threats and underestimate your ability to overcome them. Study says that it takes about three positive thoughts to bring down one negative thought. There are and there will be disappointments. Avoid blowing them out of proportion. Every downside situation has some upside associated with it, look for the upside rather than cribbing about the downside.
All you have to do is to refuse to let one bad outcome rule your future outlook; take chances instead of letting your survival fears hold the cards.
When doubt precedes your path, you’re already halfway down, and you haven’t even started the journey.
Cry on your own Shoulder
Rejections are everywhere in this lonely and isolated writing world. Whenever you cry, you need a shoulder to cry. Sadly, the shoulder you will have to cry on will be your own. In an effort to cope, do you kick yourself for shortcomings, thinking this mistreatment can help your improve your writing? Scientists say that there is a direct link between selfcompassion and creative output. After a rejection, it's possible that you get a setback and may decide to stay away from your creative pursuit and your chances of success will become a distant dream.
Self-compassion, on the other hand, is like a best friend that talks you off the ledge, bounces you back when you’re disheartened, and propels you closer to your writing goals. When writing struggles leave you downhearted, take time out. Enjoy your own company, be your own best friend, and do for yourself what you would do for those you love most.
Stretch your helping hand
It has been an old adage, that giving is always greater than taking. Helping other fellow writers have a boomerang effect. Not only showing a good will help the other writers, it will give you an emotional and psychological boost.
According to scientists, brain scans of benevolent and generous people show stronger immune systems, calmer dispositions, and better emotional health.
In order to stay together in the writing game, we must help each other out. The more you spread good will and help other writers, the more it helps you. By taking good care of fellow writers, you’re taking good care of yourself.
Lifelines vs. Deadlines
Deadlines can wear you out. When you set deadlines, it is highly possible that you can set the bar too high. Deadlines can be suffocating, smothering you down. Deadlines can raise the anxiety levels and can make you switch. Alternatively, you should consider Lifelines. They help you relax, calm down and paradoxically make you more productive and effective in your writing. This can help you avoid over scheduling and you put time cushions. You can avoid the sick feeling you had when you selected the deadlines instead!
As a result, you enjoy your writing days more.
Conclusion -
Ultimately, it is suggested that you do a meditation to achieve the mindfulness needed. Out of the 1,440 minutes in a day, you just need 5 minutes a day to achieve the mindfulness and soothe your writing journey.
Inspired by the book #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life by
Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D
. Do give it a Read!
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,andamaniacalanimallovertoo.
She has been a part of numerous anthologies, articles, and write-ups for newspapers and magazines which are multilinguistic. She has also written screenplays forYouTubeseries. pria@storizen.com
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Little, Brown will publish the fifth Strike novel by
ABOUT THE BOOK
The fifth book in the bestselling series of crime novels by Robert Galbraith featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, TROUBLED BLOOD, is due for publication on 29th September 2020. TROUBLED BLOOD follows theNo.1bestsellerLETHALWHITE (2018), which was the fastest selling Strike novel to date and praised as a ‘blistering piece of crime writing’ (The Sunday Times), an ‘obsessive reading experience’ (Observer) and ‘the best Strike novelyet’(SundayMirror).
Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike novelsareclassicalwhodunnitswith a modern twist, rich in plot, characterisation and detail. The first four novels, The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), The Silkworm (2014), Career of Evil(2015)andLethalWhite(2018),
all topped the national and international bestseller lists. The series has also been adapted into a major BBC Drama series byBrontëFilmandTelevision.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, bestselling author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy.
Robert Galbraith in Autumn 2020
Little, Brown will publish the fifth Strike novel by Robert Galbraith in Autumn 2020
(Distributed in the Indian Subcontinent by Hachette India)
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The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, holds the fate of the
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, holds the fate of the world in his hands in the New York TimesbestsellingWitcherseriesthat inspired the Netflix show and video games. For more than a hundred years, humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves lived together in relative peace.Buttimeshavechanged,the uneasy peace is over and now the racesarefightingonceagain-killing their own kind and each other. Into this tumultuous time is born a child of prophecy, Ciri, surviving heiress of a bloody revolution, whose strange abilities can change the world - for good, or for evil...As the threat of war hangs over the land, Geralt the Witcher must protect Ciri from those who are hunting the child for her destructive power. But this time, Geralt may have met his match.
world in his hands in the New York Times bestselling Witcher seriesthat inspired the Netflix show and video games.
The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, holds the fate of the world in his hands in the New York Times bestselling Witcher seriesthat inspired the Netflix show and video games.
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In this unique treatise-like exposition, Sadhguru dwells extensively upon his inner experience as he expounds on the more profound aspects of death that are rarely spoken about
ABOUT THE BOOK -
Death is a taboo in most societies in the world. But what if we have got this completely wrong? What if death was not the catastrophe it is made out to be but an essential aspect of life, rife with spiritual possibilities for transcendence? For the first time, someone is saying just that. In this unique treatise-like exposition, Sadhguru dwells extensively upon his inner experience as he expounds on the more profound aspects of death that are rarely spoken about. From a practical standpoint, he elaborates on what preparations one can make for one's death, how best we can assist someone who is dying and howwecancontinuetosupporttheir journey even after death. Whether a believer or not, a devotee or an agnostic, an accomplished seeker or asimpleton,thisistrulyabookforall thosewhoshalldie!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Yogi,mysticandvisionary, Sadhguru is a spiritual master with a difference. Absoluteclarityofperceptionplaceshim in a unique space, not only in matters spiritual but in business, environmental and international affairs, and opens a newdooronallthathetouches.Probing and passionate, insightful, logical and unfailingly witty, Sadhguru's talks have earned him the reputation of a speaker and opinion-maker of international renown. He has been a lead speaker at theUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly,a regular at the World Economic Forum, and a special invitee at the Australian Leadership Retreat, Indian Economic SummitandTED.
In this unique treatise-like exposition, Sadhguru dwells extensively upon his inner experience as he expounds on the more profound aspects of death that are rarely spoken about
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Story of John Butt, a British man who finds his mind and soul changed as he makes his life in Afghanistan
ABOUT THE BOOK -
As a BBC correspondent, John has the journalistic integrity and the eye fordetailtomakethenarrativecome to life John Butt came to Swat in 1970 as a young man in search of an education he couldn't get from his birthplace in England. He travels around the region, first only with friendsfromhishomecountry,butas he befriends the locals and starts to learn about their culture and life, he soon finds his heart turning irrevocably Pashtoon. Containing anecdotes from his life both before and since he shifted to Afghanistan, and with a keen and optimistic attitude towards becoming the best version of himself, John Butt tells a wonderful and heartfelt tale of a man who findsahomeinthemostunexpected place.
ABOUT THE AUTHORJohn Mohammed Butt is an Islamic scholar and broadcaster, noted as the first Westerner to graduate from Darul UloomDeoband.
Story of John Butt, a British man who finds his mind and soul changed as he makes his life in Afghanistan
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What if the person you love goes missing mysteriously?
ABOUT THE BOOK -
At the onset of her getaway to the hills of Himachal Pradesh in a secluded tourist spot, Writer's Hill, Nisha knew something terrible was going to happen. Less than seventytwo hours later, she goes missing under mysterious circumstances. When the police arrive and question the co-inhabitants, they're surprised at their statements. All of them describe an eerie, almost supernatural, occurrence on the night of Nisha's disappearance.To add to the strangeness is a unique coterie of travellers-Nisha's ignorant boyfriend,areclusivebutnosywriter and a young couple who are not what they seem. There is also the caretaker's visually impaired daughter who claims she can 'see things'.With barely any leads, the police know they have to work doubly hard if they want to find Nisha, but with each passing day, the mystery around her disappearance gets murkier.WhereisNisha?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
VikrantKhannaisashipcaptainandthe bestselling author of Secretly Yours and The Girl Who Knew Too Much.HelivesandworksinSingapore.
What if the person you love goes missing mysteriously?
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With Directors' Diaries 2, Rakesh Anand Bakshi adds yet another volume to his ongoing series of conversations with Hindi cinema's most iconic voices
ABOUT THE BOOK -
With Directors' Diaries 2, Rakesh Anand Bakshi adds yet another volume to his ongoing series of conversations with Hindi cinema's most iconic voices. This time he shares with us his conversations with some of the industry's most eminent film-makers-Shyam Benegal, Tanuja Chandra, Kabir Khan, Abhishek Chaubey,NanditaDas,ShakunBatra, Prabhu Deva and Mohit Suri-as well as significant but often overlooked behind-the-scenes crew such as spot boy Salim Shaikh, make-up artist Vikram Gaikwad and sound designer Rakesh Ranjan. From the moment they were first drawn to the craft of film-making and how they got that elusive first break as a film-maker to films that left a deep impression on them and what they have learnt from other film-makers they admire, Directors' Diaries 2 is an invaluable collection of stories for aspiring directors and cinema fans alike.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Rakesh Anand Bakshi is a scriptwriter and the author of Directors' Diaries: The Road to Their First Film and Let's Talk on Air: Conversations with Radio Presenters. He is an aspiring director and actor, and a swimming, cycling and gym enthusiast. RakeshrunsBicycleAngels,anon-profit social initiative supported by friends that gives bicycles and wheelchairs to the underprivileged and teaches the visually impaired how to use a computer. He also co-founded, with Kanika Kedia, I Adore You Diaries, which creates personalized diaries. He authors a blog, Beautiful Bicycles Beautiful People, on cyclists,theirridesandstories.
With Directors' Diaries 2, Rakesh Anand Bakshi
adds yet another volume to his ongoing series of conversations with Hindi cinema's most iconic voices
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Why is Royal Challengers Bangalore one of the worst-performing teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite having batsman like A.B. de Villiers and Chris Gayle, and being captained by Virat Kohli?
ABOUT THE BOOK -
WhyisRoyalChallengersBangalore oneoftheworst-performingteamsin the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite having batsman like A.B. de Villiers and Chris Gayle, and being captained by Virat Kohli? On the other hand, why is Chennai Super Kings (CSK) one of the bestperforming teams, despite boasting fewersuperstarsandanageingM.S. Dhoni as captain? The secret could lieintheteams'captaincystyles.But more importantly, it lies in the way T20 teams plan, strategize and build themselves around a core group, which CSK has done.In Cricket 2.0: Inside the T20 Revolution, Tim Wigmore and Freddie Wilde take us on a whirlwind tour of the cricket format that has taken the world by storm. From its inception, whenT20wasacceptedbyanarrow vote of the Marylebone Cricket Club, toitscurrentglobalpopularity,from
its original superstar Chris Gayle to newcomers like Rashid Khan and Sandeep Lamichhane, T20 has become a phenomenon that has resurrected the game of cricket. From the sunny beaches of Trinidad and Tobago, which gave the world a West Indian team feared by its contemporaries, to the raucous stadiums of the IPL, today one of the world's most valuable sport tournaments, from India's original rejection of T20 to ultimately embracing it, signalling a shift in world cricket, Wigmore and Wilde break down how T20haschangedthegameentirely,and whyitmaybethefutureofcricket.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Tim Wigmore is a journalist for Daily Telegraph, ESPNCricinfo, New York Times and The Economist, specializing in cricket, sports analytics and the business of sport. He is also a weekly columnistforinewspaper.
Why is Royal Challengers Bangalore one of the worstperforming teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite having batsman like A.B. de Villiers and Chris Gayle, and being captained by Virat Kohli? Coming in April!
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My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur
ABOUT THE BOOK -
While a college student at Wharton, Jason Kothari scraped together money from family and friends to save his childhood favourite comic book company, Valiant Entertainment, from bankruptcy and bringitbacktolife.Afewyearslater, he transformed Valiant into the thirdlargest superhero entertainment company in the world after Marvel and DC Comics and sold it for $100 million. Jason then became a professional turnaround leader and went on to transform distressed Indian Internet icons Housing.com, FreeCharge and Snapdeal, helping save billions of dollars in value, and advise giants like technology investor Softbank and real estate developerEmaar,whohaveinvested billions of dollars in India. Irrationally Passionate reveals theinsidestoryofhowarebel,train-
wreck kid transformed himself into a successful young entrepreneur and business leader who became one of the top ten paid executives in India whileonlyinhis30s.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Jason Kothari is a passionate entrepreneur and business turnaround leader. While still in college, he acquired the bankrupt US-based Valiant Entertainment and led its transformation as the CEO to the third-largest superhero entertainment company after Marvel and DC and a sale for $100 million, a record industry return. Subsequently, Jason was the CEO of Housing.com, where he led the transformation of the distressed company and a merger withNewsCorp’sPropTigertocreate the$350millionindustryleader.
My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur
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The final novel of Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy
ABOUT THE BOOK -
The long-awaited sequel to wolf hall and bring up the bodies, the stunning conclusion to Hilary mantel’s man Booker Prize-winning wolf hall trilogy. ‘If you cannot speak truth at a beheading, when can you speak it?’ England, May 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead, decapitated in the space of a heartbeat by a hired French executioner. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Thomas Cromwell breakfasts with the victors. The blacksmith’s son from putney emerges from the spring’s bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry VIII, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour. Cromwell is a man with only his wits to rely on; he has no great family to back him, no private Army.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Hilary Mantel is the author of fourteen books, including A Place Of Greater Safety, Beyond Black, the memoir Giving Up The Ghost, and the short-story collection The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher. Hertwomostrecentnovels,WolfHall and its sequel Bring Up The Bodies, have both been awarded the Man Booker Prize – an unprecedented achievement.
The final novel of Hilary Mantel’s Thomas
Cromwell trilogy
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The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11. Releasing
on 13th April,
2020 on Zee 5 Original Series!
ABOUT THE BOOK‘BlackTornado’sbiggestmeritliesin its attention to detail; every counterattack, hostage situation and bureaucraticdecisionisexplainedfor the reader’s benefit.’ –
DNA ‘Black Tornado offers previously unshared details on the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai, and how, for the first time, all three armed forces systematically planned and thwarted the siege on the city in 2008.’–Mid-day26November2008. Ten highly motivated and trained terrorists, armed with guns, grenades and improvised explosive devices, slip past coastal security cordonsonIndia’swesternseacoast in a fishing trawler. They board a rubber dinghy and disembark at Machhimar Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai. Over the next three agonizing days, India’s ‘Maximum City’ is brought to itskneesasthefidayeenwreak
unprecedented havoc at pre-decided landmarks, holding the country’s commercialcapitalhostage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Sandeep Unnithan is currently executive editor with India Today magazine in New Delhi where he writes on security related issues. He hails from Mumbai and has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Indian Culture from St Xavier’s college. He is the co-author of Operation X: The Untold Story of India’s Covert Naval War in East Pakistan1971.
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The epic successor to one of the most important books of the century: at once a retelling of global history, a scathing critique of contemporary politics, and a bold proposal for a new and fairer economic system.
ABOUT THE BOOK‘BlackTornado’sbiggestmeritliesin its attention to detail; every counterattack, hostage situation and bureaucraticdecisionisexplainedfor the reader’s benefit.’ –
DNA ‘Black Tornado offers previously unshared details on the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai, and how, for the first time, all three armed forces systematically planned and thwarted the siege on the city in 2008.’–Mid-day26November2008. Ten highly motivated and trained terrorists, armed with guns, grenades and improvised explosive devices, slip past coastal security cordonsonIndia’swesternseacoast in a fishing trawler. They board a rubber dinghy and disembark at Machhimar Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai. Over the next three agonizing days, India’s ‘Maximum City’ is brought to itskneesasthefidayeenwreak
unprecedented havoc at pre-decided landmarks, holding the country’s commercialcapitalhostage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Sandeep Unnithan is currently executive editor with India Today magazine in New Delhi where he writes on security related issues. He hails from Mumbai and has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Indian Culture from St Xavier’s college. He is the co-author of Operation X: The Untold Story of India’s Covert Naval War in East Pakistan1971.
The epic successor to one of the most important books of the century: at once a retelling of global history, a scathing critique of contemporary politics, and a bold proposal for a new and fairer economic system.
Coloursoflife!
by Sumana Bhattacharya
There’s a reason why we hail spring, why it’s so widely celebrated, odes written about its youthful exuberance. Spring is the season of hope, it’s all about celebrating rebirth or rejuvenation. Spring celebrates life. The fresh green leaves shooting out of branch browned by harsh winter, the colourful flowers blooming all over, the singing birds - the world seems to have awakened from the winter hibernation. Song of Spring is a colourful melody expressed so beautifully by none other than John Keats:
And O and O, The daisies blow, And the primroses are wakened; And the violets white Sit in silver light, And in the green buds are long in the spike end.
No wonder then Spring is blithely followed by lovingly playful Cupid. First, comes visiting Saint Valentine from the far West and we Indians paint the town red and pink to welcome him. Though many may not know who Saint Valentine is,
Valentine’s Day has become the most important day on desi lovers’ calendar.
It’s all about red roses and pink hearts or rather pink heart-shaped pastries and chocolates and trinkets and gifts followed by expensive dinners. Those already in love take a lot of pain to make their cherished one feel special.
Those yearning for love, hope to find that special someone on Valentine’s day.
While the florists and the bakers make hay, we are or imagine ourselves to be Cupid struck! Naysayers may cynically nod their head, but I feel great about dedicating a day to love. After all, love does make the world go around!
Then comes our very own Holi that encapsulates the fun and frolic of Lord Krishna with his beloved Radha and his favourite Gopis. Though Holi also signifies the victory of good over evil, the triumph of Prahlada over the
evil king Hiranyakashipu, it is the image of fair Radha playing with colours of love and passion with her dark mischievous lover Krishna in Braj Bhoomi (Vrindavan) that captures the popular imagination. Holi celebrates the many colours of love, the divine love of Radha Krishna – love of Krishna for his married distant relative Radha that is considered to be the epitome of love and adoration. Ironically, our society that frowns upon love that doesn’t fit into its narrow norm of caste, creed and morality, celebrates and embraces the divine love of Radha Krishna.
Even today, Holi in Vrindavan reflects the amorous love of Radha Krishna. It could be the Raslila’s being performed in every corner, the songs celebrating the Divine Love or gulal in so many colours, Vrindavan’s Holi does create an aura of mischievous, defiant love. Red, yellow, pink, purple and green gulal floating in the air create their magic. For Holi is all about celebrating love, the many colours of love and the many hues of life, shades that often leave us confounded. We so often witness during Holi red, yellow, green and purple coming together to create a hue that flouts all definition.
Holi, the Spring festival, the festival of colours celebrates these varied defiant shades of love and life!
Sumana Bhattacharya is a PR practitioner by profession and a writer by passion. Her style is simple, she likes to write about things she feels deeply about.In her writings she sometimes draws from her experiences of having grown up in a small town, Agartala. She has recently started a blog The Retro Feeling, that stems from nostalgialonging or twinge of guilt for days gone by or left behind. She is an ardent reader of poetry, fiction and mythology. Sumana is a post graduate in English from Hyderabad Central University. She works for a PR agency and lives in Gurgaon.
Kika & Me is a heartwarming story of a man and his guide dog's journey through the pitfalls and challenges of life.
My Special Holi
by Aparna Mukherjee
"Happy Holi!" "Holi hai!" Along with thechirpingbirds,myearsfilledwith those cheerful words. As I opened the window, I could see the tender leaves and blooming flowers scattered everywhere on the ground. Nature was expressing its ecstasyinitsownway.
Colored faces and colored hands were clearly visible. The content faces, harmony and delight made theenvironmentextremelypleasing. I could see the joyous crowd running hither and tether. Nature was immersed in colors and so werethechildrenandadults.
Don't taint the carpet with colors." I could hear mom's voice from the kitchen. My elder brother entered the home with color-lathered hands and a bucket full of color water. Since morning, mom was busy making meat curry, vegetable curry, pulao and sweets. The flavorsofthedeliciousfoodscooked bymymotherweremakingme
mouth water. Far in the neighborhood, I could hear the songsofRadhaKrishnawhichwere played in the temple. The day before Holi, there was a Raslila celebration in the nearby temple. Countlessdevoteesparticipatedin the function. My father is a member ofthetemple.Hewaspresentinthe temple when the celebration was going on. While we were having dinner, my father was telling my grandparents about the grand celebration of Holikadahan and Raslila that happened together in gaiety in the premises of temple. After having our dinner, dad narratedthestoryofHolikadahanto meandmybrother.Thenarrationof how Holika burns amazed me greatly. In many States, the festival of Holi is celebrated in order to commemorate the enduring love sagaofLordRadhaandKrishna.
Merriment and joy filled the atmosphere.Green, yellow,redandvariousvibrant
colors were making the faces colorful. While I was engrossed in watching the colorful views outside, I heardanoiseofplateonmybedside table. Mom had kept a plate of sweetsonthetable.Hersmiling face always lit my heart. She came close to me, fed me a sweet and wished me Happy Holi my son! Her word "son" made me feel that I am alive and exist on this earth. She planted a kiss on my forehead and steppedoutofmyroom,wipingtears fromhercheekswithhersareepallu. Icanfeelthepainshewasbearingin her heart. My life had missing hues of colors which I can sense in my mother's eyes. Unfortunately, I am destinedtolivemylifewithnocolors.
Of all festivals in India, Holi is reckoned as the revered festival. Colors have no caste and creed. Colors do not understand the language of caste and creed. Unfortunately, people of India have originated the language of discrimination. I was sitting near the window and was watching the rainbowofcolorsthatweredashing
fromeverycorner.Wheneveryonewas rejoicing at the marvel of colors, I was the only child who cannot fill the colors inthecanvasoflife.
Hi, I am Sushil; an autistic child. When the world celebrates Holi, I have been toldbymygrandparentsnottostepout ofthedoor.Icanonlydreamofplaying withcolors.Althoughneighboursand relatives address me as a 'special' child, I can see and feel how special I am for them. On any occasion, with a heavy heart, my parents do not let me mix with other kids. Neither I can play colorsintheyardnorIcangotothe temple to wallow in the gaieties of the Holifestivities.Iamso'special'for thesocietythatIamnotallowedtostep inthetemple.Thisremindedmeofan incident which happened in the last year Holi. Our housing society had arranged a feast on the auspicious Holi evening. My mom took me in her arms and stepped out of the house after a long time. She then made me sit on a chair. I am a twelve-year-old boy who knows nothing of the society's backdatedmindset. Althoughweclaimtoliveinthe21st
Century,ourmindsstilllingersinthe 14th Century. It was in the last year Holi I came to know the actual meaningofbeingspecial.
Every person was relishing in the delicacies. I was sitting on my mother's lap. My interest lies in the kids who were enjoying playing games. I too wanted to join them. One thing I could see was how insensitive a human being can be. These people call themselves "normal". Are they really normal? No parents had sent their kids to sit next to me. A middle aged man came and shifted the chairs to a distant place. Other women did not show interest talking to my mother, asshewasholdinga"special"child in her arms. I was treated as unwanted by the educated people. The only color I was being introducedbythenwasblack.Since thatday,IrealizedthatHolihasonly one color, black, for abnormal children like us. The Holi feist had noflavorsformeandmyparents.
For me, Holi is to watch others play colorsfrommyhome.Icanonlytouch the soft gulal in the palms of my hands,butIcanneverplaycolorswith thekidsofmyage.Icanonlyhearthe drums which were being played outside. But, I can never dance on the songs with other people. Today is the day of Holi when I am recalling my special Holi. It seems that colors are for those human beings who are blessed with human powers. As I am autistic, I have no right to celebrate festivals. People treat me badly. They mock my autistic behavior in which I havenocontrol.Theso-calledmodern society has confined me within the four walls of my home. They have taught me that there are no colorful hues in my life. Is my life painted in black color? Will no other colors ever makemylifecolorful?
In a few words, Aparna defines a woman who beholds high aspirations and firmly believes in expanding her horizon. She holds a Master degree in English from Mumbai University. By profession, she is an online content writer and blogger who writes informative articles for various UK and US blogs and websites.
Her poems got published in the digital Reflection Magazine and in the Indian literature website named Facestory's.com. She is a budding author too. Her first story on romantic theme got published in a book named "Memoirs Of Love".
As a person, she is open-minded, downto-earth and amiable in nature. Her world revolves around creativity. She wishes to make her mark in the literary world, hoping to leave an indelible imprint on her readers' minds.
Tby Himani Gupta
Hold That Breath by Abhirup Dhar
he cover and the title itself create excitement to read the book. Hold that breath perfectly match with the story. When you read the Prologue, you started getting scared and excitement increases to read the stories. Abhirup is one such writer who I have seen a remarkable improvement in terms of his writing. With every book, I have seen changes. Each story in the book will make you shiver. I read the book in the night and I had to hold my teddy bear and sleep. My personal favorite is Elevator Game, She, Stairways to Hell. All these stories really
created chilling in my whole body. It will be remembered in my heart till the end. Infact after reading Elevator game, I could take the lift for long or used to take with more then one person around. The book is very short and crisp so one can read it at one go because the stories will keep you hooked till the end.
Author had taken us to our college days when we used to talk about Ghosts and Spirits to make our friends scared. Author had done his purpose of writing ghost stories by making readers scared. After reading the book till the end, I am sure each one will be sweating and having Goose bumps.
I would recommend everyone to go and read the book for a chilling experience. But don’t attempt to read at night. All the best Abhirup. I would be happy, if you write a passionate romantic genre also.
About the Book: A school reunion turns awry when five friends realize the urban legend revolving a headless boy in Dow Hill, Kurseong might be true. Bored homemaker, Saachi curious about the supernatural plays the elevator game to reach the other world. Wandering photographer, Barry Bandeira puts up at a fort hotel one night and unearths an ancient curse. Abhay Kumar, a horror fiction writer, looking forward to a wedding anniversary celebration with his lovely wife, confronts his nemesis. Jeevika tells a true ghost story while on a road trip in Delhi-Jaipur expressway with her rich spoilt boyfriend, Ojas. Raman Chabra, a film producer meets a talented struggler, Dhruv in a dilapidated cinema hall to hear his horror script. One of these stories connects the others. Fear will be unleashed from the master storyteller of 'Stories Are Magical' and 'Once Again… With Love!' Have a fun, simple, relaxing and a little spooky read! Enjoy.
Book Review
About the Author: Abhirup Dhar was born in Kolkata and has lived in various cities and towns. A banker by profession, he is passionate about writing and has been doing so ever since he was a child. He also has a keen
Book Review
interest in movies and reviewed them for certain portals after which he got his first book out, initially penned for the sheer joy of it – 'Once Again… With Love!', a quirky take on modern-day relationships. He believes the best stories are always the ones simply written from the heart and for the heart! He then celebrated storytelling in his next outing with 'Stories Are Magical' and readers had a fun, relaxing read again. Abhirup is now delving into horror with 'Hold That Breath!', focused to tell different kinds of stories. He currently lives in Mumbai.
Summary:
Book: Hold That Breath
Publisher: Redgrab Books
Verdict: ☆☆☆☆☆ A Book with crisp narration that will hold your breath till the end with goosebumps and chills in your whole body. A must read.
In her own words: I am Himani Gupta, By profession, I am an HR Manager working in Bengaluru. Reading is my hobby which led me to write reviews for my readers. I have read and reviewed numerous books so far. Rohit is my favorite writer as far as writing is concerned and I wait for his books to read. If you wish to get your book reviewed, do feel free to contact me.
@himanigoyal21
JOURNEY OF POETRY
by Nikesh Jain
In the corner of the cafe, Upon the clouds Of distant memories, Clearing onto the snowy hills.
Falling in love easily. Regularly. Messily. With people, with ideas, With the way light falls, With the sound Of my own thoughts.
Muffled pages speaks With volume, Louder than Silent thoughts.
Pen scrawling, And the coffee brewing. Not moving while holding anything, That should be written. And in the end, words must find a home, Or it will consume me. This is for inspiration, By inspiration & to inspiration.
Nikesh Jain currently residing in Bangalore, is an International Business Management graduate from MIT-SOM College, Pune.
He says “If you don’t know where it ends, don’t run a race”. With young mind motivated and driven on business start-up “XROSS BUTTON™”, an apparel brand, he is passionate about his future.
He feels the power of a pen and a book together is greater than anything else.
He has an intense love for writing and reading, and put this out as a useful tool to inspire and motivate people around him.
As one of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions.
Updates
by Raja Ghoshal
Sometimes an entire life
Flashes in front of the eye, like a flicker
Looking at dreams that turned to their graves
While new saplings of life surfaced forcibly on their corpse
Nothing moves, nothing changes
Only the ‘story so far’ gets updated
Tired of writing poetry of the hope
The giving up, somehow looks soothing and real
Turning cynical, almost maniac
Over a narrative that went haywire
There is no plot, no story
No beginning or end, so to speak
Let’s rejoice then, at the absurd Nondescript lives, in search of the elusive
Meanwhile the time ticks, The story gets updated, some further!
Raja Ghoshal is a Journalist turned communications professional. When not writing press releases or editing social media posts, he likes to write poems, some of which have been published in different platforms and some have been broadcast on All India Radio. His six ebooks are available on www.amazon.in and kindle books.
A gripping novel about a group of women who appear to have the perfect lives, but all is not what it seems . . .
The Little Sparrow with Rainbow Wings
by Moinak Dutta
In my early days of boyhood, After school when would I return home and go to my favourite spot of our houseThat little room at the attic which smell of pickles, spices, betel leaves and granny's saree,
The little sparrow with rainbow wings would turn up too, Right through the window it would hop in,
And make a sweet chirp, As if to ask if I had a great day at school;
I would look at it and nod , Knowing it had waited all day long like a true friend for me,
And soon we would be playing ,
The sparrow would make small jumps
From the window sil to the broken cot at the corner of the attic
To my shoulder, without any hesitation, I would run my fingers over its tiny head-
It would close its eyes, Enjoying every bit of my caressing,
In springs and summers
Our hours of play would extend beyond the sunset sometimes, Till the western sky would turn pinkish orange,
And the moon would arrive gently like a fairy;
The little sparrow with rainbow wings
Would give me dreams of hope in gloomiest evenings of rain soaked monsoons, It would unfurl its wings under the dim light of yellow electric bulb as if it wanted me to know It would be there for me in the darkest hours,
In wintry nights it would chirp sometimes
Just to make me wonder like that english poet whom we read at school,
That winter also bears the seeds the spring in its depth.
That little sparrow with rainbow wings
Had been my constant companion Even when it was no more there at the attic,
For I could hear its flutter of wings, Its chirps, Its quick feet movements on the floor, making scratching sounds.
Moinak Dutta has been writing poems and stories for the last fifteen years, having many of his poems and stories finding their ways in journals, magazines, ezines, dailies, anthologies, published in India and abroad. He got two published fictions to his credit , namely 'Online@Offline' and 'In search of la radice'. His third fiction will be published soon.
He is presently engaged as a teacher in a government sponsored school.
Apart from writing, he enjoys traveling and doing photography.
Remembering You
by Vidya Shankar
Remembering you is relishing those early morning kisses
That I drink of you, the sweetness when it finds my tongue
Flickers my dreamy reluctant eyelidsto a smiling brilliance
And serenades a divine song, a greeting to a golden morning.
Remembering you is that relief of respite from a dragging day
That your warm sensual caresses exhilarate through my bored senses
And passionate exuberance shivers me into alertness
And orchestrates a jazz of lively rhythm.
Remembering you, my darling, are all those intense yearnings
Of tired evenings when all I would long for was to hold you
And breathe in your erumpent freshness
And there you would be, unfailingly, awaiting to embrace me
In a hug that segues me to a life worth living!
My coffee, my beloved, remembering you is that music
My satiated soul sings when her cup brimmeth over
With the bliss of delightful contentment.
Vidya Shankar is a poet, writer, motivational speaker, yoga enthusiast, English language teacher. An active member of poetry circles, her works have appeared in national and international literary platforms and anthologies. She is the recipient of literary awards and recognitions.
Vidya Shankar’s first book of poems, The Flautist of Brindaranyam is a collaborative effort with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan. Her second book of poems The Rise of Yogamaya is an effort to create awareness about mental health. She has also been on the editorial of three anthologies. A “book” with the Human Library, Chennai Chapter, Vidya Shankar uses the power of her words, both written and spoken, to create awareness about environmental issues, mental health, and the need to break the shackles of an outdated society.
@shanvidwinsalways
@vidya.shankar.author
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