My Father's Incomplete Dream

It is quite obvious that Airtel 4G is the first telecom operator to roll out 4G service, because Airtel, the name itself is enough to tell a person how good the network is. It didn't need much thoughts when I was asked to write about what I will do if I had Airtel 4G. Because I always crave for a fast internet connection to fulfil a dream of someone who compromised almost everything to bring me up, to give me a life- my father.

After the cardiac arrest two years back, the doctor suggested Baba not to travel neither by train nor by flight. Because the doc thought Baba’s heart won’t be able to take the stress of the journey. After getting retired last year, Baba kept telling us that he wants to see his elder brother for one last time, who lives with his son at Bangalore and already had a foot in the grave. Our uncle was always Baba’s partner in crime and we grew up hearing their stories. After Baba’s repeated requests all I was able to arrange was a picture of uncle and a talk with him over phone. But that was not going to stop the urge to see him, on the contrary the urge grew more after hearing his voice. Baba became more restless and started pressing us to do something.

One day a friend told me about video call, I was not a technology freak, and I found a ray of hope to make them see each other. But call it my bad luck, there was not a single telecom operator who could offer a smooth video calling experience. Either the face got hazy or the sound was flickering. I had tried almost all the networks available in Kolkata but all the time I ended up disappointing Baba. I have seen him cry alone and trust me it was the worst thing to see for a son.

After I heard of Airtel launching 4G. I thought the days of my father’s misery are finally going to get over. I trust Airtel blindly and I can easily say that if I had Airtel 4G under my hood I will make my Baba talk to my uncle over a smooth video call and will see them both smile with teary eyes. Money is never a matter for me when it comes to fulfilling my Baba’s dream but it took me quite a few time to gulp down the news, that Airtel 4G is actually available in the same rate as 3G. I just have to buy a 4G handset, which is easily available in the market and a 4G sim which Airtel is ready to deliver at my doorstep. Trust me I am bewildered with the news of Airtel 4G and the facilities they are offering with it. I don’t know who else are going for it, I am going for it tomorrow and all I can say on behalf of my father is, thank you Airtel.

Note: this article is a part of http://www.airtel.in/4g/.

Give your diet a healthy and honey twist

Our health is something that we all care for. On a daily basis, we take care of our health in all the ways possible. Be it with the help of going to the gym, or doing different types of fitness exercises, our health and its well being always stays at the foremost of our minds. But do we always get the time from our daily schedule to sit and take proper care of our health, mind, and soul?  The answer to it by most of you will surely be no. Honey Diet. 

That is why we all keep searching for easier and better ways to maintain our health and body every day. The best way to keep ourselves healthy and fit in the ever running world is by having honey. Yes, though it sounds odd but it is a fascinating thing that honey shares. The ayurvedic components that are there in honey make it the best thing for our mind, body and soul.

 If you are thinking on how to incorporate honey in your health then let me tell you easy ways of the same. If you are an early riser, then the best way to add honey to your routine is by drinking honey mixed with warm water every morning with a dash of lemon juice in it. This keeps the skin and the body rejuvenated maintaining a decent glow on the face of the consumer and also adding the most needed energy that a person needs to carry on the whole day.

For the people who are late risers and who simple have breakfast before going to work, it is advice-able for them to add a spoonful of honey to their breakfast cereal before eating it. It enhances the taste of the cereal and along with it, also adds to the health of the individual who is eating it.

For kids, the best way to consume honey is by having just a spoonful of it every day without fail. This would enhance the energy and overall growth of the kid in every aspect. A honey filled diet is something that every person should abide by and then only they will be able to lead a wonderful and healthy life without spending much on the technicalities of it.

I would suggest, for everyone, to follow up the crash diet this summer and add a dash of honey to the whole diet so that it makes a tasty and healthy and a nutritious diet for people of all age groups. Honey also helps remove the excess fat from the body and teams up to make a wonderful enhancer for the mind, body and soul as a whole for a greater and happier daily living.

Note: This article is a part of  http://www.daburhoney.com/

Cricket is everything

Cricket is not our national sport, but cricket players are. We grew up watching players like Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar knocking the ball out of the stadium for sixes which made us jump in joy.  After returning from school, I used to sit in front of our old BPL television with a packet of Uncle Chips just to watch India play. As we have grown up, we were a bunch of nerves, when it’s a last ball win for India. No one have ever stopped us when we cry when Indian cricket team gets knocked out of the world cups, because our parents also feel the same inside.

Even now, I can do anything for those nail-biting finishes, I mean literally anything. Now I don’t have the luxury to sit with a packet of chips and enjoy Dhoni’s helicopter shot lying on the couch, my boss will happily kick me out of his company. Everything got changed but my craziness for cricket has remained exactly the same. In the age of smartphones it is not that tough to get updated about the ongoing match.

There was a time when I had searched for an efficient application for my phone which will keep me updated about the match even in my office. I had downloaded and used quite a few also, but they had their own restrictions. None of them were compact and all of them were terribly slow without allowing me a quick about when boss was not around. Then like a lightning bolt came the brand new UC Browser.

I had seen the advertise of Yuvraj Singh telling about the new features in the browser and being a cricket fan it tempted me to go and try it. After using it for a days, I know that this is it. This is exactly what I was searching for. This browser has a feature named UC Cricket, just one touch on your mobile screen and you are in your world of cricket. I can proudly say that UC Cricket has no restrictions and it’s extremely fast. I can even go through the score when the boss is in rounds. Ball by ball updates, commentary, highlights, videos everything is there. The browser will refresh automatically after each ball and give you the update at almost in the same time. From run rate to scoreboard, UC Cricket contains every details which will help you not miss a tiny details. What I loved the most is the discussion section. I simply loved it. I can put my opinion there and can converse with all other fans of the game. Like when Dhoni is about get a ton I can actually share my thought of anticipating a six in a helicopter shot with other cricket lover. No cricket fan can afford to miss the all new UC Cricket.

Note: This article is a part of http://www.ucweb.com/

Review of 'Bizarre Emotions' by 'Piyush Naik'

Title: Bizarre Emotions
Author: Piyush Naik
Publisher: Red Ink Publishers
Page Count: 174
My rating: 4.5/5

Blurb: The principal of St. Georges school, Rao, announces his retirement. He declares the school will remain off during the new year and a farewell / new year party will be held for three days. On hearing this, every student is happy except Nik, Neha and Sam who are deeply angered. An anger, whose secret is only known to four hearts.
Nik Arora, 19.
Cute, witty and a topper. Yet he failed in 12th grade.
His love is stolen from him.
Sam Mahajan, 18.
Handsome, humorous and a flirt. Yet he fell in true love.
His love betrayed him.
Neha Pathak, 18.
Gorgeous, kind and smart. Yet she believes in true love.
Her love was never true.
The new year of 2010 changed their lives forever and the reason behind it was one man - Rao! now, exactly a year later, the trio decides to change his life forever. They decide to take revenge!
Will the burning past change into a dark future? Will their friendship last forever? Will they be able to take their revenge? Or will the cunning principal outwit them?
Bizarre emotions is a dark tale about love, friendship, heartbreaks, betrayals and vengeance.

Verdict: ‘Bizarre Emotions’ is the second work of fiction by author Piyush Naik. The name suits the content perfectly, the book has indeed bizarre emotions and will have a lasting effect on the readers.

Starting from the cover of the book, I loved it. White is always a gorgeous color to be used on the book cover and here The Book Bakers, the designer has done a great job. I always fish for elements on the cover which will reflect the content and the blood, the revolver, the black rose perfectly does the job. A story of this genre should have a design like this, which will grab the eyes of the readers and will give a hint of the flavor of the content. The blurb is good but it could have been written in a more interesting way which would've attracted more readers. Because I felt the book has a lot more than the blurb offers.

This book has a fresh story line and thrilling ending which helps the book to stand apart from the crowd. The start of the book is wonderful and will instantly hook the readers. I loved the start specially because the author hasn't wasted much time and has jumped directly into the story. The story revolves around three friends Nik, Sam and Neha and the Principal of their school, Mr. Rao. The author has very efficiently jumped into flashback to tell the story of these three friends and why they are seeking vengeance from Mr. Rao. One should always save the best for the end and the author has done the same here. The readers can’t drop the book when it is heading towards the end and the end will leave them awestruck.

There are few scenes which will make the reader’s eyes moist and few scenes which will boil their blood and few which will make them laugh and that is why the name is perfect. My personal favorite though, was the ACP Abhijit and Officer Daya part. The writing style is trendy and goes with the flow of the story. The author has efficiently kept the thrill till the end by his experienced story telling skills. All the chapters ends with a quote and sometimes there are few quotes which will leave the readers thinking about the next event. There are few poems in the book too written by various authors but my favorite one was by Barun Bajracharya.

Talking about the flaws, there are very few things to point out as the drawback of the book. A few printing and editing mistakes is all I can find in the book. And the blurb could have been better. Apart from these the book is a thrilling journey which the readers will enjoy on the edge of their seats.

Available At –

Flipkart: http://www.flipkart.com/bizarre-emotions-english/p/itme37k5m6xgwbym?pid=9788192982779&ref=L%3A-3471456668925933276&srno=p_1&query=bizarre+emotions&otracker=from-search

Amazon: http://www.amazon.in/Bizarre-Emotions-Piyush-Naik/dp/8192982777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427899100&sr=1-1&keywords=bizarre+emotions

My all time inspiration - My Father!

Housing.com had been so generous to bloggers like me, that they had forced us to think of almost all the moments when we have experienced the inspiration or optimism through a closed one. Now they have forced me to look back a whole lot of years ago, when I was having my first board exam and the evening I had spent talking to my father. I can’t exactly remember the words quote-unquote, what he had said that day but I still remember the goose bumps I was having that evening. It is truly said that words don’t inspire but the company does.

I was a boy then and I don’t think I have to tell what goes inside a boy when he knows that from tomorrow he will have to give the best he had learnt through all these years. The exams which were about to start will guide his whole career and this particular exam, for which he had to visit a new school will decide his capability and how fierce he is. To be very frank, at that moment I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to study but whenever I sat to study, I felt as if all those things which I had learnt would go outside my head. I couldn’t move around because I was scared that if I move around much and divert my mind into all the other things that are going around me, I will forget my lessons and my exams would go bad.

There is one bad tendency I have that whenever I feel tensed I start sweating a lot and I fumble a lot. I do not feel hungry. That day was one such day in my life. I wanted to hide that from my parents but my father, being a father, understood what was going on inside my head. He sat with me and proposed a game of chess. I have always been good at chess and my father had always been my inspiration while playing chess. I always wanted to be as best as my father in the game and he knew that I can never say no to a game of chess.

After lunch, when we sat for a round of chess, I was still very tensed. My father took white and I took black. He started the game and I continued. The me, who used to take much time before a shot was hurrying things up and panicking at every step forward. My father looked at me, held my gaze and said ‘Son, be calm! Panicking would never solve anything and stuff would only go haywire. Go slow, take your time and free your mind of everything else, focus only on the game. Patience is the key. You know it all, you just need to feel that you know it and you’ll have it’ I didn’t know what magic those words did to me but then I took a deep breath and played the game with the 100% I could give.

Believe it or not, it was that day, the very first time in my life that I won the match and that too with a check-mate. Till date, I don’t believe if my father actually lost the match or was it intentional but all I remember is the after match winning hug that he gave me and told me ‘This was an exam, my child. Tomorrow, just think about today and give your best. Nothing is tough. Patience and calmness are the only things you would need’ I had goose bumps then. My boards went awesome and I went on to score 88% in it. I guess, it was the motivation that I needed. Near and dear ones surely know how to boost you up and show you the power of positivity. I’ll cherish that day forever!

Note: This is a part of https://housing.com/.

Start a new life - to leave the past behind

It’s Housing.com which makes me sit and write about a wonderful topic yet again. I have to say the brains behind the website are doing marvelous jobs to bring such positive and colorful topics to us. It is not a regular habit that I talk about the bold step I have taken a few years earlier. Or I would rather say I was forced to take the bold step. Now I can say that the step helped me to start a new life but back then, I was clue less.

I was twenty four then and had just got the correct job after fumbling with almost four or five companies. Getting a job which pays well to a regular accounts graduate was even tough then but not like now. Now is tougher. It is told that happy times comes together and bad times too. In my struggling period, before getting this job, when I was leaving jobs every day for the sake of satisfaction, now I realize, the unsatisfied mind of mine because of my personal issues was forcing me to leave the companies. Isn’t it the mantra to heal every broken-heart, to become busy? I was trying real hard to keep myself busy with work, but that was not working. Her smiling face was effecting my sleeps and my sleepless nights was effecting my next day’s job. Soon depression started to gulp me down and I started to believe that these images are going to haunt me my whole life and I will never find peace again.

Then came the company to my rescue. I can’t even count how many times I have thanked that HR guy who selected me. That was a few years later, when we became friends after my third promotion. Back then that interview was another interview and another job for me. But they had asked me to leave my city because they wanted me to take charge of their brand new branch in Darjeeling. I was hesitating a bit at first but my parents got on my back and pushed me to take the step.

That was how I started afresh, how I started a new life, a new beginning. I was never a hostel boy and had never spent a night without my parents. That step was indeed a bold step for me. After landing at Darjeeling I was given a room in the company quarter. If I had more space I would have loved to describe the view through the window rather than the condition of the room. The first few nights were terrible, worse than those I have spent in my city. I used to be the last one to leave the office and the first one to reach there. But soon the new atmosphere, the new faces there, the new job everything started to get inside me like I was always wanted to come here. Now I realize that was the place which was not letting me go of my past. A change is always needed, one has to take a bold step to make things better.

Note: This article is a part of https://housing.com/.

Review of 'Rapescars...: They Never Heal...' by 'Gaurav Sharma'

Title: Rapescars…: They Never Heal…
Author: Gaurav Sharma
Publisher: Petals
Page Count: 150
My Rating: 3/5

Blurb: A girl is raped! Her parents insist to report. Police tries to scuttle the case. Her fathers influence works! Doctor, the fourth man, sees her bare. The defense lawyer encounters with obnoxious questions. As if, she had inveigled the innocent boys. As if, shes the one accused and her violators are seeking justice against her. She feels & experiences being raped in public again. Her lawyer manages to seek conviction! Akriti wins the case but refuses her culprit to have imprisonment.

Why does she do this?

What does she decide then?

Is this the decision of her or raped mind?

Rape Scars is the voice of a rape survivor who thrives to stand against the violation of her persona.

Verdict: ‘Rapescars…: They Never Heal…’ is the second successful novel by Gaurav Sharma. ‘Love@Air Force’ was his first novel and I must say I loved reading that book and that raised my expectations for this book. This book is a brave attempt of the author on a sensitive use of current times.

The cover is one of the finest designs I have seen in recent times. I quite obviously don’t judge a book by its cover but now a days the cover looking good has become one of the mandatory requirement for a book to be hit among the readers because of the huge options they have in a single genre. The front cover of this book is a pure head turner. One thing I have to mention is the sheer callousness of the publisher or the designer for not translating the text on the cover to English. The blurb of the book is average and doesn't raise much urge among the readers to buy the book. Overall the first impression is good.

Coming to the storyline, the author has chosen a sensitive topic for his second novel. Rape, the word itself is enough to tingle the sensitive chord among the readers. The book starts with Akriti, a girl in her college life, being brutally gang raped by her boyfriend and his friends. And then follows the aftermath. The readers will love reading the court scenes. I loved what Akriti demands as the punishment to his rapist. The characterization was good and the author has described them efficiently which helps the readers to visualize the scenes better.

The narrating style is average and doesn't match the level of the author’s previous book. The chosen words are not good enough and disturbs the feel of the scenes. I was expecting a lot on the rape scene but the description was not up to the mark.

The storyline is good but could have been framed in a better way. The narrating style and the chosen words are also one of the flaws of the book. Apart from this, the book is one good attempt to raise an important question to the society. I would love to read more books from this author in future and hope he will work on the mentioned flaws in his future endeavours.

Available at:

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/rapescars-they-never-heal-english-1st/p/itme2y9ttqf6fpak?pid=9788192982748&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=rapescars&ref=b3e66745-fe87-481c-8c54-e60e25e256ff

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/Rapescars-GAURAV-SHARMA/dp/8192982742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425733676&sr=8-1&keywords=rapescars

Look Up Stories - Being Optimistic

Finding positivity in almost everything is an art itself. It is easy to see the negative side but tough to see the positivity in the same. All thanks to the team IndiBlogger for bringing yet another wonderful topic for the Happy Hours contest, which makes me sit and think of all those incidents that forces me to think positive.

There are quite a few times and quite a few incidents that filled me with the thought, that if they, in this situation, can look positive why cannot we? I wish I could have the opportunity to write about all the incidents relevant to this.

To narrate the incident or the experience, we have to go few years back. It was early 2011. The year when I found out that life can be more beautiful after seeing her. The love of my life. We were new to each other but after the very first meeting in the Kolkata book fair, it was like we were eagerly waiting for each other. Our love had started to blossom even before the first sight. The first few months went by so fast that I felt someone has suddenly pushed me up in the ninth cloud and I was floating in heaven. The distance between our houses were thirty five kilometres and in the first two months we met almost each day. Either I was present in her area with my bike or she came to my place by bus.

But that was the starting or the honeymoon period as we call it to be. Soon those meetings started to turn into numerous unending phone calls and the phone calls into messages. It was not that the love between us was fading but the distance between our houses was playing the villain. Negativity was gulping me down whenever I saw that my friends spent at least two days in a week with their girlfriends, but I couldn’t. I almost started to think that this relation is not going to work out, not because I don't love her but because I can't restrict myself from meeting her and it was not possible except occasionally.

Then Arjun came to my rescue. A new student got admitted in our accounts batch, named Arjun and soon we found a lot of similarities between us and became good friends. After few days he revealed about his love life and I was shocked to hear that. His girlfriend was living in Guwahati from last two years. He couldn’t even talk with her on a regular basis, let alone meeting. And they are happy with each other.

This inspired me a lot. Here I was crying for not able to see her twice in a week and there a boy was not able to see his love for two long years. This taught me to be optimistic about the whole situation. Arjun taught me to see the positive side of the same where I was noticing the negative only. I have the opportunity to talk to her at least and I started thanking my stars for that.

Like this a lot more incidents are there which forces us to become optimistic. But this is one of the best I have experienced. Later in 2014, we exchanged rings and that girl is my fiancée now.

Note: This article is a part of https://housing.com/lookup.

Review of 'Orphan of the Storm' by 'Ravi Dhar'

Title: Orphans of the Storm
Author: Ravi Dhar
Publisher: Blackbuck Publication
Page Count: 227
My Rating: 3/5

Blurb: Countless griefs ago, When the ‘veth’ went red…

The air is thick with rumors. Reports speak of the molesting Pundit girls and the killing Pundit men. There is talk of Nizam- -Mustapha. Kashmiri Pundit families are fleeing the valley in wave after wave. But, one man stands unmoved, refusing to give in to this mass frenzy.

Towards the middle of one night, Nund Pundit’s house resonates with a deafening crescendo. He must pay for his faith. The fury of the mob must be quenched. He must suffer the ignominy of his daughter’s barbaric slaughter. He must suffer the dishonor of his wife and young daughter. He must suffer the mysterious disappearance of his elder son.

The December sky looks too ominous as the School Bus, carrying Siddhartha and his friends, noses down the valley. The queer sequence of events that follow inspire no confidence.

Siddhartha must outgrow his youthful sportiveness to realize the gravity of the calamity that had struck his family.

He must find answers to the barbarity of man as he struggles to build a new world of hope and comfort for his bereaved and shell-shocked parents. He must come face to face with deceit and danger in the hinterland of Nagaland. He must see the barbarity of the civilized and the civility of the so-called barbaric in the petty squabbles of the teachers at Medziphema and the murder of the Dean. In the midst of this maelstrom of events blossoms love not once but twice.

Verdict: ‘Orphans of the storm’ is the debut novel by Dr. Ravi Dhar. This story talks about the struggle of a Pundit family in Kashmir and the unhospitable atmosphere of Jammu and Kashmir.

Like almost all Blackbuck publication books this book also has similar size and nice paper quality. Starting from the cover, I felt the cover could have been designed in a better way. The blue effect is looking good but the man on the cover was making the whole look amateurish. The blurb is pretty big. One who has the time to read the whole blurb after picking it, might buy the book because it’s interesting and gives a good outline of the plot.

The story starts with Nund Lal pundit of Kashmir. One fateful day they are forced to leave Kashmir and have to live like migrants in their own land. Soon the story changes its way and the focus shifted towards Siddhartha, the youngest son and carefree son of Nund Pundit. Siddhartha was burdened with the responsibility of his family and yet he manages to complete his masters and finds a job of a lecturer in the Nagaland University. The atmosphere of Kashmir was described by the author wonderfully. The story doesn’t end there. After creating the perfect satire, the author introduces love in Siddhartha’s story. After getting almost back stabbed by the university politics and the abrupt end of his love story had hit him hard. The end was good but it could have been better. One thing I can say is that the readers will close the book on a good note.

The author hasn't described his characters well. Only the dialogs were the rescue for the readers to help them visualize the characters. There are a few characters who I think have lacked the lime light. After focusing on Siddhartha’s life, the condition of Nund Lal Pundit took a back seat, even the disappearance of the elder brother of Siddhartha wasn’t cleared to the audience till the end. The narrating style was good and goes with the flow. Short chapters always helps the readers to enjoy the book more.

Talking about flaws, the editing could have been better. There are grammatical errors which disturbs the flow of the story. The story line was good and but could have been framed in a better way. I didn't quite like the way the book has ended. Being a full time reader, I don’t think readers will like loose ends or unanswered questions at the end. Being from Kashmir himself the author has done total justice to the description of Kashmir. Overall a nice attempt of a debut author.

Available at:

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/orphans-storm-english/p/itme27k8jhavxnbd?q=Orphans+of+the+Storm+%28English%29&as=on&as-show=on&otracker=start&as-pos=p_1_orphans+of+the&pid=9781630410100

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00QXTMUMS/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_in-21&linkCode=as2&camp=3626&creative=24790

Interview of 'Amrita Suresh' author of 'When a lawyer walks down the aisle...'

Timid Fingers: What is writing to you?

Amrita Suresh: Writing to me, is like yoga! One should practice it everyday

Timid Fingers: Your first book ‘When a lawyer falls in love…’ was written nine years back. Any particular reason for the huge gap or your searching for the write plot?

Amrita Suresh: It might seem like a long gap between my books, yet in the interim period I had begun work on 7 different novels, so that alone shows that I wasn't particularly wasting time. Actually I believe with all my heart that the creative process is something that comes from a higher realm and many a time one has very little control over it. I used to be very scared of failure yet these 9 years have taught me that it's the different shades that go onto making the beautiful painting called life. At 21, I saw the world as only black and white, now I recognize the grey. It is this maturity, hopefully that will get translated in my writing.

TF: How tough it is to match up to the readers expectations after the success of your previous book?

Amrita: Like I said, I used to be terrified of failure, yet now I have come to accept it as a very important learning tool. Raj Kumar Hirani took 5 years after his last release to give us PK and one can only imagine the pressure he was under! This whole pressure and fear of failure can be quite crippling. It took me 9 years to get over this fear! Did you know that after 'To kill a mocking bird' Harper Lee's second novel lay in the draft stage for 53 years?!! It's only recently I heard, her second book is set for release. In these 9 years, I experienced love, failed job interviews, heartbreak, marriage, difficult pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, losing a parent....and then in the midst of all this you gain a perspective that is far deeper than narrow definitions of success or failure. Life is indeed, the finest teacher there can be, even when it comes to improving your writing skills which are essentially a reflection of the way one thinks.

TF: Your title of the two books and the presence of penguin on the cover is hugely loved by the readers, any particular intention behind this?

Amrita: Did you know, that a male penguin searches an entire beach to find the perfect pebble to gift to his lady love?! I think that's one of the cutest things I have ever read! Actually, since both my books deal with lawyers and since these cute penguins have been blessed with such a cute dress code, I felt I ought to include them! Penguins look like cute lawyers, all dressed up with nowhere to go!

TF: Any interesting incident you want to share with your readers which you have witnessed while making this book, because behind the scenes are always interesting for the audience.

Amrita: I have been told that the end of the book is abrupt, yet as funny as this sounds, yet a bulk of the book was written in the final month of my pregnancy and I was determined to wrap up my novel before my son arrived on Sept 14! Ask any lady who has given birth and she will tell you that the final month just before the baby arrives is when one feels the most physically uncomfortable. Most women suffer from insomnia at this time and I for one, didn't sleep a wink at night during my final month and instead I spent those dark cold nights penning this paranormal novel.

TF: In your view, which were the toughest part to write in ‘When a lawyer walks down the aisle…’?

Amrita: Y'know Enid Blyton the largest selling children's writer said in one interview that when she sits down to write, she hardly ever has a definite plot in her mind. She just begins writing and lets her characters take on a life of their own. I follow pretty much the same approach! Sometimes it's like my characters and me approach a problem at the very same time so in that sense, I'm in the very same boat as the reader not knowing what will happen next! Like I said, I truly feel story telling is an art that comes from a higher realm, so I sometimes feel I have just been chosen as a medium to tell a story that perhaps the universe wants to convey. It sounds profound, I know, yet it's true....

TF: I have read somewhere that you prefer shelf publishing houses than traditional ones. All most all big names in the publishing industry are traditional publishers. Do you really thing a debut author should choose a shelf publishing house over a traditional one?

Amrita: Now this is certainly my favorite question! See ya, it's brilliant if a traditional publishing house takes on the full onus of promoting one's book at least in the monetary sense, yet this is something that rarely happens. So from the writing to the book publicity, it's all left for the author to do but when it comes to a share in the profits, well now that's a different story! I guess for someone who has never got a book published, the fascination to go through the traditional route is immense and I can completely understand since even I was once a victim to this. Truly getting a traditional publisher is like going through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth and then simply giving away your baby for adoption.

TF: What kind of critic reviews you are getting for your second book, any favorite one till date?

Amrita: I'm extremely fortunate to get some very positive reviews for the book so perhaps the nine year wait has finally paid off! I particularly liked the reviews by Sharanya/Vanya and this other review posted by Shruti Ringe on this website called Indian nerve.com. I also quite liked the review put up by timid fingers. That review was written from the heart and that's truly the hallmark of good writing!

TF: ‘When a lawyer walks down the aisle…’ doesn’t have an acknowledgement page, don’t you have anyone to thank?

Amrita: I chose not to have an acknowledgement page since I felt it would be unfair to thank only a select few. Yet if there are two people I would like to thank for being an inspiration, they would be Dr. Sr. Alphonsa, the prinicipal at St. Francis College and Mrs. Karuna Gopal, who was the guest of honour in the very first book launch I had for my book. I was a light headed 20 year old then and it was Karuna ma'am who conducted the book launch with such enthusiasm that I remember it even a decade later!

TF: The author bio is also missing so, I would request you tell us something about yourself for your readers.

Amrita: A Hatha Yoga teacher, A once faculty member handling business presentations at IIIT, a professional tarot card reader, a Reiki healer and a busy mom to a still more busy toddler! That's my author bio!!

TF: When can your readers expect another Lawyer story from you, I hope you are not going take another nine years?

Amrita: I have already begun work on my next novel and it's my dream to write a 100 titles before I kick the bucket! Quite a tall order, isn't it?!!

TF: Now coming to an end, I want to wish you all the best. I would request you to say a few words for your readers and for the Timid Finger’s blog too.

Amrita: Timid fingers! That holds true for all of us I guess! As a writer, one is prone to having timid fingers every now and then so I guess my message to every aspiring writer out there is to just keep at your craft! Reading is as important as writing so timid fingers is a blog that one ought to visit and read since blogs like this help one become a better writer! Honest! Keep up the good work, timid fingers!

Review of 'When a Lawyer walks down the aisle...' by 'Amrita Suresh'

Title: When a Lawyer walks down the aisle…
Author: Amrita Suresh
Publisher: Radiance Publications
Page Count: 164
My Rating: 4/5

Blurb: “There is someone in the car…!!” Ankur said,his voice thick with terror.Vyas who would normally scare easily, seemed surprisingly calm.Perhaps due to his stint abroad, Vyas was somehow familiar with car hijackers.

“Listen Anks….don’t panic,I’ll just check…” Vyas said.They were standing a few feer from the car and Vyas a bit hesitantly strode up v peeked into the black Honda City. And sure as day, there was an elderly lady seated inside.For a few seconds,even Vyas was a bit comfused, and even as he turned to confirm to Ankur the possibility of being kidnapped by a frail octogenarian, he noticed a rather strange thing. The elderly being seemed to have left the car.

Even as the doors were securely shut.A chill ran down Vyas’s spine.Meanwhile a lot worse things , were happening to Ankur’s spine as the elderly ‘ghost’ made an appearance before him.

“Ankur….run!!” Vyas almost yelled as he saw the ghostly figure inching towards his best friend from college.Without further encouragement, Ankur simply took to his heels and his pudgy frame run as fast as his feet could carry him.And even as he ran, Ankur realized that this was by far the best advice ever to him.”

Well,don’t you find blurb quite interesting and good enough to catch your attention? Yes, the blurb is fascinating, and is a part of first chapter, from where the life of two friends take a twist.Also,the title and cover design seems intriguing with the blurb.So,this book eventually passed the first stage of picking it up.

Verdict: Author Amrita Suresh has come with another wonderful heart whelming story with the Lawyer touch. After the success of ‘When a lawyer falls in love…’ this is her second novel named, ‘When a lawyer walks down the aisle…’

The readers who have expected a penguin on the cover of this book too, are up for a surprise because this time the author had two penguins on the cover and that also in marriage attire. The blue color, the snow everything gives the cover a soothing effect which perfectly reflects the soothing quality of the content. The blurb doesn’t give a proper outline of the plot and the missing author bio and acknowledgement is also a bit disappointing.

The story starts with Ankur Palekar aka Anks, a talented lawyer who meets with a ghost of an aged lady, Mrs. Shireen Lakdawala. The lady asked then to believe that she was ferociously killed by the Mazumdar builders. After quite delay Anks decides to take the case and ropes in her friends and fiancé. Then the story starts to takes the speed. The author have introduced limited number of characters and mingled their stories wonderfully. All the characters have a particular role to play and a different story to tell.

I loved the way the author has injected the humor in the story. It not only makes the whole journey of reading the book interesting but forces the readers to complete it one go. The short distribution of chapters goes in the author's favor and helps to hook the readers.

The narrating style and the forming of the plot is the main usp of the book. The quite different and easy going plot can come like a breeze of fresh air to the readers. The narrating style has a soothing effect which the readers can enjoy while relaxing in a weekend. No one needs to think while reading it and can enjoy this book as a wonderful light read.

There are quite a few errors to point out, which could have been ignored. The editing could have been better and the grammatical errors can be omitted. There are punctuation errors too which were annoying and can lose the grip on the plot.

Apart from these errors this book is overall a nice and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to all those who were searching for an interesting and refreshing light read.

Available at –

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/lawyer-walks-down-aisle-english/p/itmdw6ckqgz5pykk?affid=ambarishga

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/When-Lawyer-Walks-Down-Aisle/dp/9351372502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423107052&sr=8-1&keywords=When+a+Lawyer+walks+down+the+aisle...

Review of 'What She says? What he meant?' by Richa Sharma | Aamir Khursheed

Title: What SHE says? What HE meant?
Author: Richa Sharma | Aamir Khursheed
Publisher: Dream House Publications
Page Count: 248
My Rating: 4/5

Blurb: After 2 years of school completion when school friends sit for fun, playing, ‘Truth & Dare’, the unexpected happens. The epitome of Friendship and Love could not have taken any other worst path. The friend could never be so ingenious and the lover could never be so heartfelt deeply in love. Still, the crowd hears the story of laughs, love, lust changing into cries and yells. As a Beast of Lust, Vivaan ends up losing his best friends and love. Can Angad, his best friend save the relations?? Hear from a girl, ‘What SHE says’ about a boy’s life, ‘What HE meant?’

Verdict: ‘What she says? What he meant?’ is a novel by Richa Sharma and Aamir Khursheed. This book is one surprising package. This book has the capability to entertain all types of readers and teenagers could find the plot and scenes very much relatable.

The cover of the book is pretty average looking and could have been designed in a better way. Though the original models on the front instead of designs or sketches is quite different. I liked the name. It’s different, goes with the content and the name itself is always a problem. The blurb is written in a good way and gives a nice outline of the plot. After seeing the cover and reading the blurb my expectation was quite low and that is why I have said that this book is a surprise package.

The story starts with unrestricted friendship. The way the author narrated the details is appreciable. The story changes its gears after the chapter ‘Game’ and after that there is twists for the readers in almost every chapter. This story has everything from unconditional friendship, true love, lust and of course hatred and the author has mixed everything in the right proportion to make the reading experience entertaining. There are scenes where the readers will throw their heads back in laughter and there are scenes where they will smile with teary eyes. I find the ending a bit odd but not unanticipated.

Sometimes, in some books, which are co-authored, I have seen a common error that the difference in the narrating style of the two authors, were visible in the book and that is, at times, irritating for the readers. I would say this book is wonderfully planned and narrated. The narrating style is easy-going and trendy and goes with a light read like this.

The characterization was good and almost all the characters were described with clarity that helps the readers to visualize scenes in a better way. The author has introduced quite a few characters in this story which I think could have been ignored and the character of Angad was lacking the lime light at times.

There are few printing and editing errors spotted here and there which the publisher should have taken care of. Apart from this I find this book error free and all types of readers can enjoy this book with a cup of coffee in a weekend. Because this book needs less involvement but guarantees entertainment. A nice book in the genre of light reads.

Available At:

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/she-says-he-meant-english-1st/p/itmey3997vamykha?pid=9789384180041&srno=b_2&ref=4ecadd26-bacf-48a1-8fac-cf4d8e18bb67

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/What-SHE-Says-HE-Meant/dp/9384180041

Review of 'Wisdom of the White Mountain' by Kandathil Sebastian

Title: Wisdom of the White Mountain
Author: Kandathil Sebastian
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing
Page count: 210
My Rating: 4.75/5

Blurb: Some powerful men—including performers of black magic, underworld gangsters, sleuths, extremist zealots, and sellers of spirituality—chased a powerless, low caste man from a Kerala village through Mumbai, Karachi and Delhi till he finally escaped into the mountain ranges of Himalayas. All of them wanted to capture this man alive and keep him with them! However, none of these men could catch and keep this elusive man, as he always found his way to freedom. In the process of working out his escapes this man also unearthed some important mysteries of human life!

Why did some powerful men continuously chase a low caste man? How did the man always find his way to freedom? What are the riddles he solved while he was trying to escape from his captors?

Wisdom of the White Mountain is a suspenseful and adventurous story told in the cultural, spiritual and philosophical context of the South Asia. It is also about Karma, Kama and Jihad! It ultimately unravels greed and selfishness of powerful men who mix religion and politics to manipulate common people for advancing personal interests.

Verdict: ‘Wisdom of the white Mountain’ is the second installment of the mountain trilogy. After reading the first book of the trilogy ‘Dolmens of the blue mountain’, the expectation from the second part was high and I must say the author has made it up to the mark.

The cover looks quite same like the cover of the previous book which is acceptable because these books are a part of a series. The name perfectly goes with the story and the presence of a white mountain on the front supports the name too. I loved the blurb. It gives a perfect outline of the story and attracts the readers to sneak inside the book.

 Those who have already read the first book can easily anticipate that this story is also going to be another unusual story. This story is about Thomas, a boy who finds it tough to survive in the small village of Kerala when he decides to flee to the city. The crisis of Thomas aka Thoma was shown in a delightful way. The author has shown how tough it is for a powerless, low cast Christian, whose biological father conspires against him, whose foster father hates him, to survive. After dodging death, Thoma runs away with his friend Balu, and reaches Kochi. His life takes a different turn when he lands up in the lap of a gang of goons and they adopt him. At almost every chapter the book has a different twist to offer. How Thomas left the gang? How he met the Islamic fundamentals? And how he reached Pakistan? It is this that the book has in store.

The narrating style is appreciable. I can’t say that the author has chosen a very simple narrating style which is in the trend, but the narrating style which the author have chosen goes with the story. An unusual story like this always comes with an unusual narrating style which complements each other. The continuous turn of events of Thomas’s life and the adventure the readers experience through the eyes of Thomas is what will keep the readers hooked till the end.

The characterization is good. All characters are described in a well maintained way. But I felt there were quite a few characters introduced by the author which can confuse the readers a bit. Apart from these minor flaws I find the book error free. In the review of the first book I had mentioned that there were a bit editing errors, it is good to see that the author has worked on it and made it flawless.

This is one wonderful book with a different approach to the audience. I would recommend this book to all those who are looking for a rich narrating style and meaningful story line. After reading the second part I am eagerly waiting for the third installment to come.

Available at:

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/wisdom-white-mountain-english/p/itme3f665v83fn34?pid=9789384207588&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=Wisdom+of+the+white+mountain&ref=c720e4a9-caba-467e-a726-bcbfb1fc554a

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/Wisdom-White-Mountain-Kandathil-Sebastian/dp/9384027588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423389473&sr=8-1&keywords=Wisdom+of+the+white+mountain

Author Amrita Suresh does it again!!!

Author Amrita Suresh have come up with another heart whelming story with the famous Lawyer touch. The readers have fallen in love after reading the first book of the author ‘When a Lawyer fall in love..’ and now after nine long years the author has come up with another title named, ‘When a Lawyer walks down the aisle…’

“There is someone in the car…!!” Ankur said,his voice thick with terror.Vyas who would normally scare easily, seemed surprisingly calm.Perhaps due to his stint abroad, Vyas was somehow familiar with car hijackers.

“Listen Anks….don’t panic,I’ll just check…” Vyas said.They were standing a few feet from the car and Vyas a bit hesitantly strode up v peeked into the black Honda City. And sure as day, there was an elderly lady seated inside.For a few seconds,even Vyas was a bit confused, and even as he turned to confirm to Ankur the possibility of being kidnapped by a frail octogenarian, he noticed a rather strange thing. The elderly being seemed to have left the car.

Even as the doors were securely shut.A chill ran down Vyas’s spine.Meanwhile a lot worse things , were happening to Ankur’s spine as the elderly ‘ghost’ made an appearance before him.

“Ankur….run!!” Vyas almost yelled as he saw the ghostly figure inching towards his best friend from college.Without further encouragement, Ankur simply took to his heels and his pudgy frame run as fast as his feet could carry him.And even as he ran, Ankur realized that this was by far the best advice ever to him.”

Well,don’t you find blurb quite interesting and good enough to catch your attention? Yes, the blurb is fascinating, and is a part of first chapter, from where the life of two friends take a twist.Also,the title and cover design seems intriguing with the blurb.So,this book eventually passed the first stage of picking it up.

This author is famous for her wonderful comedy timing and the way she inoculates humor in the story and I promise the readers won’t be disappointed in this new book too. The readers will have an entertaining experience while reading the book. This book has everything, love, ghost, thrill and witty humor. What happened when Ankur Palekar, a brilliant lawyer collided with a ghost? What happened when the ghost had a story to tell? What happened when Ankur, along with his few friends and fiancé takes the ghost’s case? All the answers lie inside the story.

Unlike the previous book of the author where the male protagonist was the main attraction, I can easily say that here the female protagonist will take the lime light. All the characters in this story has an effective role to play and the readers will love to complete the book because of the efficient distribution of the chapters.  If you are searching for a new fresh book, go grab this one.

Available at –

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/lawyer-walks-down-aisle-english/p/itmdw6ckqgz5pykk?affid=ambarishga

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/When-Lawyer-Walks-Down-Aisle/dp/9351372502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423107052&sr=8-1&keywords=When+a+Lawyer+walks+down+the+aisle...

Review of 'Nirbhaya & others who DARED' by Kusum Choppra

Title: Nirbhaya & others who dared
Author: Kusum Choppra
Publisher: Vitasta
Page Count: 274
My Rating: 4/5

Blurb: In a culture described as 'punctuated by question marks', what is the role of women?
Is she a meal ticket? A punching bag? A caretaker for old parents, offspring etc.? A business deal maker? The working partner ? The third wheel?
Or a person in her own right—holding on to her space, her identity while countering intimidation?
Kusum Choppra's hitherto untold stories, tongue-in-cheek or serious, offer insights into the functioning of women's minds:
Of different approaches to life after a divorce;
Of the greedy exploitation of the widows of Kargil's martyrs;
Of a sister fighting for inheritance to protect her mother from
her brother;
Of a burnt bride fighting her way back—to life and emotional
freedom;
Of a simple village woman protecting her aged in-laws from the
greed of her husband and his new wife;
Of widows grasping at their slices of life. And why not?
Of a challenge to Pati Parmeshwar's right to select surrogates!
The stories are of women surviving their ordeals to move on in life

Verdict: ‘Nirbhaya & others who dared’ is the third book of Kusum Choppra. As the name suggests, this book is obviously on women but the author has a totally different approach.

The name of the book speaks for itself. After getting the book the first thing that grabbed my eyes is the wonderfully designed cover which perfectly goes with the content. I hate those books which have glossy and attractive covers but doesn't have any connection with the content. Nirbhaya, a name that always remains in a corner of our heart, is possibly the best name for a book like this which talks about how strong a girl could be. The tag line ‘the others who dared’ is perfect too because the stories are indeed of those who dared to take a stand against all the wrongs.

This book is a collection of twenty two short stories. All stories are different but only one thing that remains common is a strong woman character. Unlike other books of this genre in the market, which talks about the helplessness of a woman, author Kusum Choppra has chosen to show what should today’s woman do. The author has portrayed through this book that, this is not necessary for a woman to remain silent every time, it is ok to say that a woman is not sexually satisfied, divorce is not all times a woman’s fault, a wife should always take a stand against an alcoholic and abusive husband. The readers will witness how a woman should behave in today’s circumstances and after reading these stories the readers can find a lot of answers of why women are at the wrong end every time.

The narrating style is lucid and simple. There are no unnecessary descriptions which can bore the readers. I loved the way the author has written the end of each stories, it left me speechless. The women of these stories are from different backgrounds, different age groups, different culture which makes all these stories all the more interesting.

Only one thing which I will point out as the flaws of the book, there are few stories which could have been started in a better way. The author has tried to jump into the story straight from the very first line which could confuse a reader. Apart from this I found this book wonderfully edited and framed.

Few of these stories are based on real incidents, few are fictional but I would request each and every one to read this book, especially to those women who are still sitting idle and searching for the push to stand up. Overall a must read.

Available at:

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/nirbhaya-others-dared-english-1st/p/itmef9bpp5ksr9vr?pid=9789382711490&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=Nirbhaya+%26+others+who+dared&ref=d6bd3090-9c17-419e-a657-fd575908f332

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/Nirbhaya-Others-Dared-Kusum-Choppra/dp/938271149X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423212967&sr=8-1&keywords=Nirbhaya+%26+others+who+dared

Review of 'Scarred for life, healed forever' by 'Ashwati Menon'

Title: Scarred For Life, Healed Forever
Author: Ashwati Menon
Publisher: Gargi Publishers
Page Count: 126
My Rating: 3/5

Blurb: What are these strange visions? What is wrong in her head? Why does she get strange feelings before incidents happen?

Nishtha Vaidya is a survivor of a terrible natural calamity. Not only does she live on with survivor's guilt, her mind is still there, on the ill-fated day and she could never come out of it. Just when things are beginning to settle slowly in the safe and cozy life in a vibrant lifestyle of Gujarat - Nishtha is getting strange visions and headaches. Life is taking her back two years in time and she finds she is running around the state, saving different and unknown lives from mortal peril.

Will Nishtha get answers to these mind boggling questions? Will Nishtha be able to pay tribute to her friends whom she lost? Has her untold love story got anything to do with it at all? Will Nishtha Ever unburden herself?

Verdict: ‘Scarred for life, Healed Forever’ is the first book by Ashwati Menon. This is an unusual story with an equally unusual ending.

The first thing that catches the eye of the author is the cover, which is quite efficiently designed. The illusion image of a girl on the front will raise questions among the readers. But I think the cover doesn't go with the story and could have been designed in a different way. The blurb was good and gives a good outline of the story. Overall the first impression was good but doesn't say much about the content.

This story is of a Nishtha Vaidya, a girl from Ahmedabad, fighting with her super natural powers. Nishtha had a happy and caring family and a good paying job thanks to her academic skills. After going to Australia for the Foreign Student Exchange Programme, she faced Tsunami and became the only Indian to survive. That incident changed everything in her life. She lost her friends and the love of her life. Nishtha realized that she had got some super natural power and sometimes can see what is going to happen next. How she manages to cope up with this power and uses it to save lives? How these visions made her life tough? And how she came out of this trauma? That is the book all about.

The author has chosen a different story for her debut novel which is commendable but the execution is not up to the mark. The narrating style was simple and was unable to keep the reader engaged. There are scenes which could have been described in a better way. The grammatical errors were dropping the speed of the book.

The characterization was good. Almost every characters has a different role to play in the story. There is one character in the story which I think could have been ignored by the author that is of Dnyaneshwar uncle. One thing where the author needs to work is on the description of the characters. Apart from the main protagonist and the few main characters all most all characters had lacked the lime light.

The author had tried to pen down something different than the regular but the framing of the plot could have been better. I like those frequent jumping of the scenes from present to past and the end. The author has the capability of describing scenes and could do a way lot better than this. Overall a nice brave attempt by a new author.

Available at –

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/scarred-life-healed-forever-english/p/itmefyyhb8hqwqbt?pid=9788192960999&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=Scarred+for+life%2C+healed+forever&ref=b3e2ee1a-408c-4fb3-b03b-c7513beb4dd8

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/Scarred-Healed-Forever-Ashwati-Menon/dp/8192960994/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423105915&sr=8-1&keywords=scarred+for+life+healed+forever

Call or Chat? Obviously Chat!!

There are many products at home that we wish to replace or not use and simultaneously there are many others which we need to buy but are very costly. In such cases, Quikr.com is always my first preference when it comes to buying or selling products. Quikr.com is very helpful even when we want to find jobs. Whenever I search for a compatible job on the internet, the first link that comes on my screen in all search engines is of Quikrs’.

One thing that always remains a drawback of the whole process is the visibility of our phone number. Getting annoyed by fake callers has become a regular problem for me and there is no way I can dodge that problem even after trying so much. To solve this only drawback, came into view Quikr Nxt, which changed everything. And when the IndiBlogger team asked us to blog about the advantage of chatting over phone call, it became like a cake walk for me.

The first reason of why chatting is better than a phone call is, I can keep a track on the conversation. Like, I cannot record every important call to re-listen to the conversation whenever needed but I can always see the chat history in case of emergencies.

The second immediate reason that comes in my mind is, I can chat anytime but can't talk every time. I have faced this problem earlier. Suppose, you are travelling in a train and when an important call comes of a prospective client or buyer you are not able to hear anything because of the continuous honking of the train. But you can always chat while you are seated on a window seat of a honking train or in a car standing at a traffic signal.

Chatting is better than phone call because I can share photos and this is the third reason. Earlier, if someone used to ask for a photo of the product or its features on phone, I used say that I will mail him/her the same and that meant some extra effort and it was even time consuming. But while on a chat with the prospective client, I can send photos straight away without any delay and can even look at them later on.

These are a few reasons why chatting is way better than phone calls. I can give at least five more reasons for the same. I think Quikr Nxt is possibly the best thing that could’ve come in the mind of the developers till date. I am immensely impressed by this application and I can easily say other users will also find this helpful. This application is heartily recommended by me to all the other users who want to get benefitted from the uses of Quikr.com and Quikr Nxt.

Note: This article is a part of  http://www.quikr.com/.