When Strangers Meet...by K. Hari Kumar

Title: When Strangers Meet 

Author: K. Hari Kumar

Publisher: Srishti Publishers& Distributors

Genre: Fiction

Date:  2013

Price: Rs. 100

Pages: 320

Snapshot: As the title suggests When Strangers Meet...is an entertaining story of three strangers meeting on a fateful day at the metro station waiting room and how that meet changes their lives.

The Story from the Critics Perspective:  First of all I loved the coverpage immensely. I received the book a day before my birthday, and was so drawn to it that I started reading it the same night post all the 12pm celebrations. I do believe that a coverpage plays a crucial role in attracting the audience and here the book scores 5/5.

The book is divided into three broad parts each of which has further sub parts. The first part involves a lot of character development of one of the three lead characters Jai, who is the son of a Mathematics professor Prakash Sharma. Jai is a rebel. As it happens in most parent-child clashes, their ideas do not match. The reason here is Mathematics, the love of the fathers life, which the son hates to even look at. The real problem arises when Prof. Sharma decides his son who barely passed class12 will be an engineer, Jai has other plans about his future, which of course are far away from Mathematics. When he expresses his wish, the father and son fight and as always is the father wins. However, Jai is good at heart and doesn't believe his father should spend all his life's savings for educating him, that too a subject he hates and can never excel. Therefore, he decides to flee and fulfill his dreams. 

 

On the other hand, Hussain Ansari, the next lead character is a tea-seller. An honest man who wishes his elsdest son Arshad, his helping hand at work has a bright future. To make this happen he buys a lottery ticket, and one day finally the lords shower all that he wishes for as he wins a handsome amount in lottery.  He sets his journey the very next day to the lottery ticket office. The same day that Jay flees away from home. They meet at a metro waiting room as the metro stops functioning for a few hours. 

The stage is set now, and the last and the most important character Iyer enters. He begins talking to Jai. They discover that Jai and him had a lot in common, especially two greatest factors: one - a father who is a  hardcore mathematician and two - the dream to be on 70mm screen as a lead actor one day. 

Here begins part two of the story where Iyers life story begins in flashback. He describes himself not as a bulky man he was, but a smart notorious young boy. He fights with his father, who fails to realize his dreams and promises to never come back. His angry father tells him to come home, only the day he dies.  He sleeps on foot path, gives a lot of auditions, try to crack the jack to become an actor like his (and my favourite too) Rajnikant. On the way he also meets a beautiful girl but leaves her too for his dream. However a lot of variables play a role in getting a big role and unfortunately luck doesn't favour him. However he doesn't give up but does something else that gives him a respectable life. He does mould a respectable man out of himself. However, life and movies will be all boring if there was just one mood, so one day Iyers family locate him and he comes to know his father is on death bed and they need money for his treatment.

Iyer requests Jai to just give his mother the money he arranges for, he is afraid if he goes to his father, the curse will kill him. However, when Jai meets his old father who has only his sons name on his lips insists on telling Iyer waiting outside the hospital to see him, only to find him gone.

Why did Iyer leave without knowing how his father was? Will Jai find Iyer? Will he ever have the courage to face his father? Why did Hussain being in the same room not listen to Iyer? Read the book to know the complete story.

The Review:

Positives: A well planned and well written story. Language is simple, flow and pace is maintained throughout. The author has dedicated this book to his father and it truly delivers the message emphatically through an entertaining story. Truly recommended for fathers and sons.

Negatives: There is some repetition at a few places, however that wont make you bored.

The Verdict: A light, entertaining and enjoyable read with a message. Surely unputdownable.  Thanks Hari for sending it on the right day :). 3.5 stars on 5.

  

About the Author:K Hari Kumar is working as an Assistant Director in the Indian film industry. He has written, acted and directed four independent projects that have been screened in various film festivals.

Buy it Now!!!   

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An Excursion of Insight by Harsh Agarwal

Title: An Excursion Of Insight 

Author: Harsh Agarwal

Publishers: D.K. Publisher's Distributors

Date:  2013

Price: Rs. 190

Pages: 210

The image of Indian fictions has been changing a lot. Post the famous Chetan Bhagat debut in the scenario, the paperback fictions borders around college life or simply romances though lately, some commendable writings shone in the area. The industry is now slowly moving ahead of the peppy college romances to more serious mythological thriller or simply thriller. The college days are gone. The industry is maturing. And, in that realm of this juncture – Harsh Agarwal came out with “An Excursion of Insight” – another story in the backdrop of an Engineering College!! Deep sigh!!

The chances of being a misnomer were high – so, the author promises in the first line of his blurb “… but this does not tell the story of just another young lad!” Though the book starts with a usual prologue that comes with something shivering, accidental, unprecedented, or seemingly a glimpse of the climax – it takes a different route altogether thereafter. The college premise is located in Assam – one of the most underrated beautiful places of India. Just like the place, the novel took a different turn altogether.

The story revolves around few engineering students – their lives, love, and dreams. The main protagonist was a Bhutanese guy. The simple thinking, small wishes – all are well depicted through the character. Though his affair with the rich girl seems immature – the emotional sentiments are being portrayed in a realistic manner.

The author has used a lucid language. He is good in his narrative, rich in his vocabulary, still presents a smooth reading. Though in some parts – the book seemed a bit stretching – the vast arena he has tried to cover justifies it.

The author deserves kudos in evolving the character of the protagonist. There were many dramatic moments where the character grew. But very few of them carried off well. He brought in forth all the contemporary issues as racial discrimination, politics and even the inter – cultural acceptance problems. Through the characters – the author honestly tried to portray the current issues related to the youths of India. But, the book never delved deep into the issues – rather it explored the inner psyche of the minds to explore the emotions and the realizations. The realization of the life – the realization of love – and more precisely he realized the truth that over-shadowed the overall society of the so-called human beings. He got the insight in his journey. And, thus he has correctly justified the name of his book.

But the show-stealer in his book is the beauty of Assam. Be it the valleys or the tea gardens or the myths surrounding the place – Assam stood out as the best character that gave the plot a proper base to prosper.

Though a bit philosophical at times – and a bit stretching too – the book portrays a deep insight – very rarely found in the Indian paperbacks. The author deserves compliment for this bold attempt. And, the book deserves a try.

Positives: The description of the backdrop is pretty good the author has incorporated many contemporary issues involving the youths of the country.

Negatives: Some parts of the book are stretched,which could have been edited better.

The Verdict: A light read. 3 stars out of 5

Buy it Now: http://www.flipkart.com/an-excursion-of-insight/p/itmdgt9hxhguszya?pid=9789382536048&ref=1574918f-f02a-47bb-b72d-97a2d4d259e5&srno=s_1&otracker=from-search&query=an%20excursion%20of%20insight

This book has been reviewed by Sankha Ghosh:  Sankha Ghosh was never born in that 'City of Joy', never dreamt of being a banker, never watched a Godard, never loved Kafka, never fell for thatSolitary Reaper, never danced on a friend’s wedding, never fought for human rights, never had a crush at college and never ever aspired to work on a novel! Never was he as simple as this! #He wishes

I thank the author Harsh Agarwal for a copy of the book.

Love Across The Borders by Sudam Chandra Panigrahi

Title: Love Across The Borders 

Author: Sudam Chandra Panigrahi

Publishers: All About Books Global

Date:  2012

Price: Rs. 299

Pages: 240

Snapshot:  As the title suggests, this is a love story of Jia-a Chinese girl and Jivan-an Indian boy, the difficulties their love faces due to diffrences in cultue, politics between nations etc.

The Story & The Critics Perspective: It begins with a bomb-blast. Jia and Jivan are the victims. They land up in the same hospital. Since they donot have families or friends, become a compny for each other in the hospital and eventually fall in love. Their is intially a resistance from their families but their love wins over it. However local goons, political powers ,visa issues etc. are still big problems to fight. Will the loves stand the test of all these variables? To know more read the book.

The Review:

Positives:  The author has chosen a good subject and highlighted correctly each parameter that will affect a couple cross countries like India and China.

Negatives: First of all the coverpage is not pleasant. The writing and editing needs a lot of improvement.

Verdict: A light read. 2 stars out of 5.

About The Author: A self made person, he’s a voracious reader of fiction, works in the Indian Railway as a Ticket Examiner. At leisure time, he writes poems, short stories. His poems are published some anthologies.

 

Music Experience Redefined Anytime with HP Connected Music Experience...The IndiBlogger Meet

We always love to listen to music no matter what we are doing. From work to leisure music is a constant companion, relaxing the mind allowing it to be more focused and thereby more creative. Music truly is with us all the time in the clear flowing water to the chirping of sparrows, to the notification that someone is calling or messaging you (thanks to technology and ringtones).

Music has been a blessing for me. As a child I suffered with severe headache episodes. My entire family of doctors across streams of Allopathy,Ayurveda and Homeopathy couldn't cure me. Some said it was migraine, some diagnosed it as some other ailment, but in the end no therapy could relieve me. Around the same time as I was growing I started listening to A.R.Rahamns music. His music was different, experimental and soothing. When Taal released (I believe that is his best creation and deserved highest accolades such as Oscar), I listened to the audio-cassette (yes CD's weren't used then) everyday. When I had the headache episodes I would go into isolation with just Rahaman Sir's music and that soothed me. I started recovering, lesser episodes and now I rarely get them. It was the healing power of music that took me out of those episodes. Now music therapy has developed as an elegant, methodical medical science curing fatal diseases such as Alzheimers, Cancer, AIDS. A detailed account with references of this in my previous, pre-meet post on music (http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/2013/04/music-in-my-lifemusic-therapy.html). 

Therefore its no surprise that when the HP Connected Music indiblogger meet was announced, I was in seventh heaven and eagerly looking forward to it. It was my second Indiblogger meet and the theme was best ever possible "music". I reached the venue and got myself mingling with other bloggers within minutes. Blogging is truly a religion that binds us. It was great to meet new people each writing about different stuff all bound by the thread of blogging. The crowd kept growing and finally the meet began. 

The best part was that there was a blogging contest before the meet and they awarded all the bloggers who wrote about music with sexy HP earphones. Though I too submitted an entry for the same, mine wasn't enlisted may be because I submitted it post the time limit 00:00 hours on 19th April :P. I hope this time both my entries will be considered.  I am writing well in time.

In this meet the organizers were innovative in giving us cards with numbers rather than their algorithm which I know from peoples experience pics the same names mostly. It was a special day for me as I finally got a chance to introduce myself, and that meant many people remembering me and contacting me on facebook later (now we are friends thanks to Indiblogger). The introductions too had a fun component that every third blogger got a chance to with the awesome comparer Prateek Shah and do some funny activity, there was a moon walk, guys couple dance, sunny deol dance, gangnam style,etc which were hilarious. 

 Then began the reason for the meet "The HP Connected Music" talk. The presentation was short and sweet, also they were methodical in inviting interested people to just experience it rather than go on and on about it. The features I loved are many. To begin with, the aim with which it started, when one downloads songs one cannot do it without having some unethical content popping up on the screen; therefore making it an undoable job at office or home unless one starts hiding the screen. Virus free downloads, original CD quality music, online playlists, and the best part the collection of ten million songs all for free for an year. I would surely love to try it, but I do not have an HP laptop(I really hope HP people really love this post and gift me one :P). Everything apart on a serious note if all your songs are at one place it would be great and that too for free. One does not have to download everything one may listen to just sometimes and junk ones computer with it, simply save it in your playlist online. One can also create multiple playlists for occasions like party, bhajans etc. Its the purest ,hastle free music experience.

I would also love have some features on this portal and want to share with HP if they can add them. They should allow bands (as in any band who composes music with some quality standards ofcourse) to upload their music and  may or may not charge them for the same(depending on their business model). The reason I request this is there are some,not much known music bands people do love, like I have loved Rishikesh, Advaita etc. and these people upload there videos on other sites which are not as great and have virus free etc. features. It will also gives these artists a platform and us enthusiasts such as myself one universal portal
 for all our music needs. After all India is young country, buzzing with
energy and talent which deserves it all.

Although the prize is just for blogging abut HP, I would also love to add that the food at the end of the meet was delicious and awesome. Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon deserves an applause for the same. Sweets especially the chocolate cup sandesh, the cute little bread,cheese and pineapple fillers and the assorted flavours of tea was a treat. With our stomachs satisfied and heart happy, we saw people winning laptops for twitter contest, congratulations to them, had great photography session (227 of them to be precise, uploaded now on Indiblogger facebook page http://www.facebook.com/indipage?fref=ts), grabbed our Tshirsts and headed home merrily with many of our new found friends generously giving each other lifts. We came alone, went together, our facebook friend-list has more amazing people now, and all we hope is to meet in another IndiBlogger really soon. As I end this post classical fusion music by my favourite band "Advaita" called "Rasiya" continues to mesmerize me.

This article is about The HP Connected Music IndiBlogger Meet at Hilton Garden Inn, Gurgaon on the 20th of April 2013.

Music in my Life...Music Therapy A serendipity

''Music is the art of the heart, 

  reflection of the soul,

  & a healer of all pain" 

Music I believe is not just a part of life but it is the colour that brings life to life. What had been a day like if you didn't hear sparrows chirp outside your window? Or birds calling each other at sunset to return back home? What  if there was no music to soothe you when you were upset?

Apart from music bringing melody to life, there is one important application of it "healing". Not only has "Music Therapy" advanced as a field of science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_therapy) but what I shall speak of now is experimented on myself. I as a child had severe headaches which would emerge suddenly without a cause. I tried the traditional medicines, to homeopathy, ayurveda etc. Everything would relieve me of the symptoms for just sometime, some better than the other. It would come again. Then one day I just started listening to an audio-casette of Taal, music by A.R.Rahaman (ofcourse just the slow songs) and slowly I started feeling better. I had loved his music in the movie and started listening to them everyday. It was serendipity that my headache episodes reduced and finally now I get them very rarely. When I do I just listen to the A.R.Rahaman instrumental playlist on my laptop. 

Though music therapy came to me serendipitously, my inquisitive scientific mind researched on it only to find the recent advances in the field. It has proven to be effective for fatal diseases such as Cancer, Autism, AIDS etc.     (http://www.themusictherapytrust.com/therapy.html#1)

Music truly heals. 

Now you too can remain connected to the world of music with HP Connected Music, all you need is a single click https://ssl.www8.hp.com/in/en/ad/hp-connected-music/overview.html

The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri

Title:The Homing Pigeons 

Author: Sid Bahri

Publisher: Srishti Publishers& Distributors

Date:  2013

Price: Rs. 150

Pages: 320

First of all I would like to thank the author Sid Bahri for a copy of this book.

When the author first wrote to me about this book, I felt it was just another love story similar to the ones that are published everyday by everyone writing a book nowadays (though i am a strong protester of this phenomena that we see in India today). However, when Dr.Shashi Tharoor whose writings I have followed since the times he wrote columns for The Sunday Times gave a great opinion abut the book I decided to read it. Post reading I want to apologize to Sid Bahri for the initial neglect. This is one book after Left From Dhakeshwari by Kunal Sen and Bali & The Ocean of Milk by Nilanjan P. Choudhury where I do see a the bright hope for Indian literature internationally. 

Snapshot: 

This is the story of two people Aditya and Radhika whose destinies are intertwined in a  manner that no matter what situation the cruel life presents they do meet, confess their love and be together. The one thing that no situation could win over is the immense love in their hearts for each other. If by this you believe this is one of those mushy romance novels, then no it certainly is far away from that. I would call it "life story" but the way the story ends doesn't allow me to do that. It is set in the times when India faced an incident that is marked not only its calenders and history but engraved on peoples hearts and lives, the time just after Hindu-Sikh riot occurred post Indira Gandhi's assassination, the times when it was still afresh in peoples minds. This story will make you think how deep are these wounds decades after it happend and to what intensity it can effect the common man, who is not the one to start it but is affectected the most. 

The Story:
The book is about transition between past and present. It begins with Radhika now a millionaire widow, once gets her last compulsion, getting the step daughter married, feels that being rich now she could relax and live a peaceful life. However she finds herself dwelling into the past, more often the loneliness makes her think of Aditya....her only true love who could never be her husband though life gave them a number of opportunities. 

Aditya on the other hand hardly hit by recession and personal vengeance, looses his job at Citibank never to find one again in a span of another year. His life is all about being dominated by a wife who makes it known that "she runs the house". He succumbs to alcohol and meets a woman in a bar Divya, who blackmails him to sleep with her, and pays him for the same. That was the only money he had earned in past one year. He is in a dilemma as on one hand is his conscience and on the other Divya's comments "you are very good at this, you can really do well in this profession". He is ashamed, guilty at first but the first sign of currency like drops of land in a desert makes him think about it as a career option. He moves to Delhi and becomes a male prostitute. His body may be sold every day but his heart yearns to be in the company of only one woman that he ever loved Radhika. 

His narration begins from his childhood. As Radhika an unwanted financial burden to her parents who have two sons before her, is adopted by her uncle and aunt (as they cannot have children of their own) and life was well, until one day they discover that after more than a decade of marriage she was pregnant. So when there is a line of two sisters after her and the parents still trying for  a son, she is devoid of love or concern from her family. When she does well in class 10 and her school offers her a scholarship to study further, she is sent back to her original parents at Chandigarh. Being neglected twice by two sets of people whom she called parents, her heart bears marks of disappointment and a fear of being rejected, something that follows her forever.

The shifting to a city from a small town, a better school (compared to her earlier school which was a government school) initially leaves her a misfit in a bunch of rich brats. However she finds two good friends Shipra and Aditya. Aditya the male protagonist is a tall, fair and smart guy who though bad at accounts wins Radhika's heart. Both secretly admire each other but the fear of loosing their friendship, the fact that they were young and may find someone more interesting later and for Radhika the fear of being rejected never makes them able to confess, so after school they separate.

However, destiny experiments and they meet again, four years later at Citibank where both of them land in training camp in Delhi.  But fate again ditches them and they seperate.They meet again when Radhika visits the city. Not missing a chance Aditya first thing does confess his love for her and the years of seperation finally ends in love making. She leaves for home after that only to find her parents trying to fix a match with an NRI earning well. When she tells them about her love for Aditya her mother is of the opinion that he doesnt earn that much and her marrying him will be just burdensome. So for him, his career she leaves him.

However she regrets her decision as not just that Abhinav is a mouse where Aditya was a hunk but she cannot accept him completely as her only love was Aditya. She comes back to India and meets Aditya, being totally in love they cant resist each other.  But they forget that he is a Sikh and she a Hindu. His parents with their hearts are deeply wretched with wounds of the Hindu Sikh riots that killed his grandfather and ruined their businees completely fail to accept their innocent love. 

Destiny plays the most challenging game as at this very time Radhika is pregnant. Aditya on the other hand is stuck between his love and parents. They seperate. But they have been the homing pigeons and now they meet again. Will Radhika ever forgive Aditya? Will Aditya ever be able to leave his current profession? Will she accept him the way he is now? Do all love stories have a perfect ending? 

Cant wait to know what happens next??? Go grab a copy!!!

The Review:

Positives:  To begin with the coverpage is pleasant and eye cathing. The story is new, fresh, never heard of or imagine. The characters and situations are well portrayed and realistic.

 A intricate balance of emotions even as the story goes through very high and low points. Two things the author should be applauded for are : One he focuses solely on the story not giving an over does of love making scenes or tragedy as most Indian writers do to sell and that in my opinion makes it an exception and gives it quality. He in fact had a lot of scope but he chose the story. 

Two, the biggest achievement of the author here is the exceptional narrative technique. Just two characters each shuffling between their past and present. Both characters linked and therefore to avoid repetition and boring the reader is extremely difficult. It was a great risk to use such a difficult narrative technique especially by a debutant but he did a remarkable job.  

Language is simple and flow is maintained at a good pace that makes you never leave the book. A crisp read.

Negatives: 

At two points the author missed the past and present connect. However what he achieved throughtout is an unimaginable task especially for a debutant (I truly believe that Dr. Shashi Tharoor had the same opinion) and that is worth appreciating.

The verdict:  A story that will bind you right from page one till the end. Very well written and fresh concept. A book in the current Indian market where anyone can be an author and majority are not suited for international readers, this one is an exception. It has the story and the quality to change the trend. An  amazing unputdownable read. 4 stars out of 5.

A book that I will certainly like to re read again and again.

About the Author :

A hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush career in the outsourcing industry to follow his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A selfproclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however,  is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel.

Buy it now!!! http://www.flipkart.com/homing-pigeons-not-all-love-stories-perfect-then-neither-people/p/itmdgt9hdh9dgszc?pid=9789380349916&ref=1dfd407a-6aa9-4ac5-8ecf-4a4f641c787f&srno=s_1&otracker=from-search&query=the%20homing%20pigeons%20by%20sid%20Bahri