Book Review- The God of Small Things- The book that can be read backwards

Author- Arundhati Roy

Title- The God of Small Things

I am in love with this woman

This novel is an assault on the senses. Every other page has blood, phlegm, sweat or hair on it and yet it reeks of a lavender fragrance. It would be unfair to call it an English novel for the language used is hardly recognizable as any known language. Yes, it has the spellings and grammar of English but it doesn’t follow the rules. It flows on its own and yet is easily understandable.

Roy weaves a tear-jerker tale with panache but wants you to hold your tears while reading it. The assault is so rapid and intense that your mind goes numb from it and there is no way you can pause and weep for the small losses of the small characters. The words are also complex. If you try to read it in a hurry, it will feel like not reading at all. And reading it is not fun, it is work. You have to stay alert. You don’t need your intellect to understand the complex scenarios as there are none. But you do need your brains to understand the pathos and the quirky characters. Roy talks about spit and sweat so much that it gets disgusting but slowly, you get used to it. She is not trying to evoke repulsion, it seems. She is just trying to help you get into the skin of the characters and what better way than to catch the emotions when they’re most vulnerable. Most of our vulnerable moments involve bodily fluids and that’s why the novel is gross. (Just an opinion)

One more beautiful feature of the book is that it can be read twice, it can be read backwards, it can be read in any way fathomable. It is a much planned novel and some lines make sense only after you are done reading the next chapter. The craft of writing is taken to a whole new level while writing this one. You don’t read it, you indulge in it, you enter its world and it doesn’t depress you when you are done reading it because, you take the novel with you. It sticks to your psyche and since it had no great suspense or twist of plot, but just a good story, it leaves a good aftertaste. It is a tragedy but the author oversees the proceedings with such craft that you marvel at the unfolding of events instead of rummaging through your heart for hoots to give.

Age no bar! How pretty can one look?

Be a social media influencer- Fromote

Use Social Influencers to promote your Brand

Today, no business can afford to ignore presence on social network. Billions of peoples are on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, Tumblr, blogs etc. These users are spending lot more time on these platforms talking about brands, product, services, their likes, dislikes. Thus, Social network allows you to reach out to large base of potential customers without spending exorbitant amounts of money on advertising. Using social media and social networking is a lot cheaper than traditional marketing and advertising methods. No wonder, now significant portion of the advertisement money is being spent on social networks.

How to get started?

The question remains that how to advertise on social network such as facebook, Twitter etc. or what is the best social network platform to advertise on?

There are many ways a company can reach its users on social networks. One of the most common methods is to create a company page and engage current customers. However, on its own, a company page or profile has limited reach in terms of user base. Also, it is very time consuming for companies to build audience on its own. One may use facebook ads or sponsored tweets to promote their company page but these are quite expensive and do not target the right audience.

The best way is to use Social Influencers who can promote your brand organically to their followers. Social Influencers are people who have huge and active followers. This may be someone who is considered an expert in a certain area, or who happens to be very popular. Sachin Tendulkar is an example of someone with far-reaching impact, since one recommendation from him can get millions of people to learn more about a product or service. However, finding them individually on your own and as per your requirement is a tedious task.

How to find them?

Fromote.com an online platform that has large number of verified social influencers from various fields and large fan following. Influencers such as celebrities, experts, bloggers, etc who are ready to do marketing campaign in cost effective manner can be easily found on fromote.  Brands can browse their profile & links of their social media profiles and hire them, as per their requirements. Alternatively, brands can post an advertisement campaign on Fromote.com to get bids from various influencers, and choose them as per their target segment. Fromote also helps brands to customize social marketing campaign and to work with famous celebrities.

#BlogToFeedAChild Post

• I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.

Hunger is a shame. It is a shame on humanity and on the developed world. It turns into a shame just by existing in the 21st century. You are sitting in front of your computer screen after a meal/ snack and did it ever cross your mind that the meal was a privilege?

Mid-day meal schemes go a long way in solving this problem because they have universal coverage and target the right age group, the one in dire need of good nutrition. NGOs, SHGs can all come together and join hands toward funding and executing these schemes. There can be targeted funding for such schemes just like Akshaya Patra (see link above). Fund generation is a major yet only a part of the whole scheme of things. Execution and marketing of these schemes also constitute a major part of these.

Food in itself is incentive enough for any below poverty line citizen but the awareness and importance of schooling needs to be brought before the people's eyes for its full impact. Holding camps, talks, street-plays can be one way to attract attention. Making it (sending children to school) a compulsory activity for jobs under government projects can be another way.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) can play a major role here too. It can majorly help with the funding and food grain procurement. Restaurants that have no channels to dispose excess cooked food can tie up with an NGO and the food can be distributed to the needy. Innovative ideas bringing efficiency in the system can help eradicate this menace which, truth be told, should not exist. 

If we are able to achieve this goal and in the next decade, we are hunger free as a nation, imagine the kind of efficiency our workforce is going to have. Anyway, we are going to be one of the youngest nations (working age-group-wise) in the World and we need to come out with all our guns blazing to make good use of this youth. 

Hunger will breed criminals. Absence of the same can open the options wide. 

Three videos I created for my clinic.

Also, this is the first time I am trying my hand at animation.

Check out Permanent Roommates | E03 - 'The Bachelor Pad'

These guys are pretty good.



More power to the internet.

Indi Happy Hours - #BringBackTheTouch

This post is a part of the Indiblogger Happy Hours campaign. It is sponsored by

Parachute Advansed Body Lotion

Here is the link to their site- http://www.pblskin.com/

And the hashtag is- #BringBackTheTouch

Topic-

Bring Back the Touch

Tell us how?
Explore the sense of touch and share your ideas on how to #BringBackTheTouch in your relationship. 


A touch is like a musical note for the skin. You say so many things in words and yet, sometimes, there is never enough you can say. When you begin to drift apart due to certain disagreements or misunderstandings, all it takes is a little peck on the cheek or a gentle nibble at the fingertip to bring everything that was fading back to your life again.

A touch tugs at your heart and pulls the strings that are attached to your heartbeats. It is like poetry. It can be explained but the real fun is not in explaining but in feeling it. It makes one feel wanted, it gives a purpose to our existence and it brings closure to all the bubbling insecurities within.

The main reason long distance relationships are harder is the lack of touch. We try to keep in touch through phones, laptops or letters but, there is no replacement to the real, solid, affirming presence of a loved one. One that is conveyed by a warm, gentle touch. In long distance relationships, you do not get to feel that and that is why the restless tends to build up and there are fights and insecurities.

The next time your partner starts to worry about you, nag you or feel irritated for no reason, set the words aside and just hold his or her hand. Tell them that they are loved through your eyes and you will see the magic. A hundred words would not be able to convey the thing you would get across in just one moment, one touch.

When I used to have fights with my girlfriend, there were times when she felt like giving up on me. I would say nothing but take my bike and stand outside her hostel gates, ask her to come out. I would just look into her eyes to see if she wanted me to leave or stay. She would extend her fingers and they would intertwine with mine. I would smile, she would smile and the words would become unnecessary. It is a time-tested recipe to good communication. It requires a higher spiritual understanding of your own mind. The mind seeks company not in conversations. It has enough talks running within itself. It seeks company for the individual. It wants the self to be close to another being. And that is why, a touch is important.

So, talk less, argue lesser and just #BringBackTheTouch

Honda Amaze Event

So, thanks to my friend Jatin, I had this exclusive event to celebrate Honda Amaze World record breaking- Longest Drive event-

I gladly rsvped and here are some photos from the event-

Yes, Chetan Bhagat was there! It was a gala time and here are some things about the sponsors of the event-

Honda Amaze is a recently launched car by Honda and it boasts of a sturdy build and a 400 L boot space. You can check out the other features of the car from their website-

https://www.hondacarindia.com/Amaze/

They decided to take up a unique challenge consisting of driving across India in Amaze, crossing 250 towns and covering 23000 kms. Here is a video where they get their checklist ready as suggested by fans.

They set out in September and completed the task breaking world record in the process. An event in the Grand was organized to commemorate the same. It was an adventure filled journey and you can read the details in their journal

http://www.amazelongestdrive.com/article_lst.html

I wish them all the best for their future endeavours!

Toilet for Babli - Indiblogger Happy Hours

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.



This post is a part of the Domex initiative with Indiblogger as a campaign against open defecation in villages. Do visit the www.domex.in site and check out the campaign.


Babli is a small girl, about 8 to 10 years of age. She lives with her mother and father in a nondescript village in the backward region of Bundelkhand. She is scared of leopards and jackals like any normal kid but, she still braves through the fear every morning to go outside for defecation. Yesterday, she heard that Golu, her friend was attacked by some animal in the wee hours of the morning when he was out. She is scared to go out today. She feels like crying but doesn't want to cry as she knows her amma and baba cannot help her. They have no money to build a toilet for her and have more important things to worry about than toilets.


She feels really ashamed when she has to go by the roadside as the jungle is too dangerous. Whenever a car or a truck passes by, she wishes that she was invisible and sometimes she even tries to hold her bowel movements wishing that it would go away. Amma says it is not good for her health but then, is open defecation good for her health?

Her friend Radha fell sick a week ago. The village doctor uncle said that it was because she contacted germs due to open defecation. Babli now is even more apprehensive of going out for relieving herself. She had gone to Radha's home. Radha was vomiting and her face had turned yellow. Her mother had tears in her eyes and her father had a deserted look in his eyes. Babli could not stay there for long. She came back with a heavy heart. Radha too is from a poor family. How will they handle the expenses for Radha 's treatment? Little Babli was growing up faster than girls her age with so many worries on her mind. She felt like a 100 years old already. She looked closely at Amma's face. She too seemed to be aging fast. Babli wondered why are all the females aging so fast and whether it was an epidemic.

Babli took it upon herself to find a solution to this problem. She couldn't let this fear consume her for the rest of her life. She talked to her school teacher about her problems and fears. The teacher happened to be very understanding and kind. She took it upon herself to find out the ways Babli could be helped. After little research, she chanced upon the Domex initiative in Maharashtra and Orissa and decided to build their own toilets with help from an NGO they knew. All the kids from the village and nearby villages started writing to them about their problem and in a few days, they had a dedicated team which reached those places to help build toilets. Babli goes happily and safely to the toilet every morning.


Right now, this is merely a story but we can, with proper motivation and dedication bring light to these homes which remain lacking in basic sanitary privileges essential to human habitation.


Come, let us change lives!

IB Happy Hours - My Dream 24k Home with Porcelanosa

A link to 24k living - Click here

Topic -

Pick as many items as you can from Porcelanosa to build your dream home. Tell us why you chose them!

Before I start, I'd just like to mention how jealous I am of Malini Agrawal who got to go to Spain for the 24k trip. Also, LOOK! They really brought Spain to India! Well, my dream home would definitely have a mediterranean flavour to it as it really speaks volumes about good taste and luxurious living. Now, 24k has many luxury brands building the home of your dreams together and porcelanosa is one of them. They help you design your kitchen, bathroom and other rooms with their tiles and furniture. You can view their catalogue on their official website  - http://www.porcelanosa.com/gb/

I have always dreamed of a home that is the perfect amalgamation of comfort and luxury. Here are the things that I'd specially like to pick out from their website for my dream home-

1. Kitchen furniture

A spacious cooking and dining area is very important for a family to live together. It is a great conduit for forging relationships. The laughter and smiles spread from here and reach every corner of the home. I prefer this particular set because of its squeaky clean white colour and mediterranean feel. It can lighten up any of the Sunday brunches like a charm.

2. Indoor Furniture

The indoor furniture speaks volumes about the house owner's taste and hence is a big part of the setup. I prefer this particular set because it is economical in terms of space management and is also pretty stylish and sleek. The legs of the chairs in contrast to the white floor stand out in stark contrast.




3. PAR-KER® Ceramic Parquet
Coming to the flooring, the most important aspect, at least, for me, is the finish. With the above, finish, the ease of cleaning of ceramic marries the beauty of wooden flooring. There is also the low maintenance aspect that draws me closer to this particular set of tiles. It would go great with a glass door opening to an outdoor green lawn (like in the picture) rendering a close-to-nature appeal to the living room.


4. Bathroom furniture

The bathroom is a place where everyone feels like a king. It is your territory where you can stop caring about the world and just be. This set of bathroom furniture in particular portrays my idea perfectly with the regal finish and design. I would love to own this bad boy due to its royal, artistic yet, friendly appeal.

5. Wardrobe and dressing room

If there is any other place in the house  that signifies the me-time other than the bathroom, it is the dressing area. It is where one prepares himself to face the world. I would love to have furniture like this in my dressing room. The freedom of space would prepare me for the battles of the day and the confidence attained from here can help me get through the day with elan.

There are many more options on the site and frankly, one cannot get enough of these things. Have a look yourself and come back with a list of your own.

Thanks Indiblogger for this opportunity. 

Book Review- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

I know this book is intended for a younger audience and a man 26 years of age might seem funny reading it but I missed out all the fun in my teen years and wanted to catch up. J K Rowling did not disappoint. As a kid, I used to be a voracious reader. I don't know how I gave the Pottermania a skip.

The book is a delight and I'd recommend it to all those who are my age or past but are young at heart. It is written in a simple, delightful language. The world of potions and wands just comes alive in those pages. Although I knew the ending due to the spoilers given to me by my cousin, I still ended the novel at the edge of my seat, biting my nails.

Harry Potter is an adorable character and so are Ron and Hermione. Hagrid steals hearts with his big guy- big heart act. All the characters, Dumbledore, Voldermort (Oops! I said his name), Snape, Longbottom, they all leave a mark and it is no wonder they're a part of folklore now.

Small acts of courage and adventure warmed my heart throughout the novel. I liked it and it was proof that the child within me is not dead yet.

My favourite parts from the book in no particular order are-

1. Neville Longbottom stands up against his friends for what he thinks is right.

2. Dumbledore tries Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and gets 'ear wax'.

3. Snape tries to save Harry in the Quidditch match.

4. Ron and Hermione, whenever they talk!

5. Hagrid has motherly feelings for a baby dragon.

The book can be finished in one long sitting or two short ones. It provides for some light reading and the pages turn themselves. I read it on my Kindle and it was amazing how fast I was going.

I give it four stars.

Why did the paste commit suicide?

Book Review- The Room On The Roof- Ruskin Bond

I have a special attachment to this book because Ruskin Bond himself signed it for me. It has everything Ruskin stands for and more.

It's a story for young adults. The protagonist Rusty is a teen Anglo- Indian. There is a lot of adventure and coming-of-age stuff in the book. Ruskin's trademark humour doesn't leave him for one bit in the book. It makes the book much more than a delight. It's a gift you can give to a confused teen soul.

The innocent crush that Rusty has on Meena is the highlight ot the novel for me. If only our crushes were this kind to us!

The friendship that Rusty shares with Somi and Ranbir is also something remarkable. It reminds us to remain human and form bonds whenever possible because it's the best thing humans do.

The rebellious streak shown by Rusty makes one feel that Ruskin
must've kept his stepdad in mind while writing the character of the guardian. There is anger, there is triumph, there is everything in this small little book.

Ruskin also nails it with the descriptions of nature in his smalp little book. It has hints of the awesome writer. he is going to become later when he begins to describe the trees, the squirrels and the flowing river streams.

The part where Suri throws a going away party and everyone is happy to see him leave is painted pretty funnily. The bazaar and the chaat shop in Dehradun also find vivid descriptions in the novel.

The novel switches gears from misery to gaeity to tragedy to joy abruptly, much like life itself.

All in all, a lovable book.

Book Review- It's For You Mihi- Md. Asif

Author- Md. Asif
Titile- It's For You Mihi
ISBN- 9789383023042
Genre- Fiction
Publisher- Parlance 
Price- Rs 150
Pages- 215

This review is much delayed mostly because I didn't know how to go about it. It is review I am doing on request and before and after this book, I read books like 'To Kill A Mockingbird' and 'A Narrow Road to The Deep North' so, when this book came in the middle of all those instant classics, it got more cringe-worthy than usual.

I will try not to be an intellectual snob while doing this because high chances are that my own beliefs will get in the way. First of all, stalking is glorified, then the filmy romance is the main masala of this novel. The theatrics and drama are high and the dialogues are your regular conversation statements. It would have been much nicer had the author written the novel in Hindi as the main flavour of the novel is very small town North Indian type.

It is a love story and a pretty sappy one at that. The book has flashbacks and romantic epiphanies abound. For someone as skeptical as me, it was difficult to sit through it so I would definitely not recommend it to those who don't enjoy that sort of stuff. Moreover, the books makes a lot of assumptions which are actually okay if you think from the writer's perspective but dialogues like, 'She made another boyfriend? What kind of a girl is she?' are not gonna be a hit with the feminist lot.

I am intellectualizing a simple novel I know. Anyway, let's talk about the language. It is nothing florid, just regular talk. Even the narrative is dull and unimaginative. The syntax is way off the mark and you'll find sentences like 'Among oceans, seas, rivers, ponds, swimming pools, dams, wells, pits and pots, eyes have the most powerful drops of water to shed.' There are good ones in there too but, some bad ones just ruin the narrative. The novel needs editing.

The pages are nice and crisp and the font is the right size. The cover design is better than the actual novel. The author actually had a good story but he didn't give it enough time to ripen. If only had he put down that thesaurus and actually thought more about the art of writing, probably attended a workshop, the novel could have been better.

The novel will appeal to teenage girls and boys who don't care much about the quality of English and share the small town sentiments about love and all the theatrics associated with it. I give it one and a half star.

*1/2

The difficult job of a news editor.

Happy Child Post- Indi Happy Hour

Indiblogger has come up with yet another nice contest in association with Dabur Chyawanprash. Here is a link to the Dabur site- https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/

And here is the Indi happy Hours contest page- https://www.indiblogger.in/happyhours/dabur-healthy-child-happy-home/

Topic- Drawing from personal experience, tell us how a healthy child makes for a healthy home.

Growing up, I was not a healthy child. Far from it. I would fall sick more often than the weathers changed and I was a cause for constant worry and botheration for my parents. I think it reflected on the overall health of the family too. I was born with weak lungs and was prone to all sorts of allergies since I was a little kid.

Dust, changing weather, pollen- you name it and I would fall sick at the earliest sight of it. It was difficult to see my parents worried. I would be wheezing on cold November nights, trying to catch my breath, which would make me go to the balcony and just try to breathe deeply, somehow trying to make the breathlessness go away. This would wake my Dad up. I would see the light in his room being switched on and then he would walk up to me as I'd stand under the starry sky.

My nose would make that whistling noise and my face would be in a permanent grimace. It was difficult to fight. Dad would just put his hand on my shoulder and wonder if he could do anything. Mom would already be in the kitchen heating the water so that I can inhale steam. They would try hard and I wondered why health was such an elusive thing for me. Why others had it easy? Why did it didn't happen to everyone else. Now I know asthma and bronchitis are very common in metropolitan cities but I grew up in a small town and it seemed unfair somehow to me that I had bronchitis.

Inhaler was a major boon later on. The puffs would calm the lungs so that I could sleep briskly but then it felt like pushing a drug in your system. The lungs felt weak nonetheless. 

I moved to Davangere (Karnataka) later to pursue dentistry and that was actually when I could realize the power of nature. The power that nature or atmosphere commands over our bodies is something amazing. We can try all we can to treat an allergy, to make things right but sometimes, the nature just helps us out when it decides to and that's when all the difference is made. Karnataka's weather was milder and it helped my lungs recuperate from the battering they had taken along the course of years. I also started taking natural products like fruits rich in Vitamin C, juice, coconut water etc because they were more abundantly available there. In those 5 years, I recuperated from my chronic ailment and am now happily wheezing-free. I might need an inhaler once or twice a year but that is nothing compared to my childhood. 

It had affected my family's health too, of course, in a positive manner. Now I can go around doing household chores happily and can enjoy Holi and Diwali with my family in the pinkest of my health. I wish nature was kinder to me since the very beginning but I am glad that it eventually showed me the way. I am thankful.

https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/3x_immunity.aspx

Short Story- Two of a kind

He looked through his window in hope of clear skies and some pleasant weather so that he could begin the day as planned. The glass pane appeared to melt as raindrops trickled down from the top leaving trails of their existence behind. It was an unplanned vacation in the hills which hehad to take. He had to rush at the behest of his own crumbling spirits. The stress from working in a multinational had become overbearing to his personality and the hamster within him wanted a break from the wheel. This hamster in particular was prone to such inclinations as he had loved the way he was ever since he became aware of himself and had always taken drastic and sudden steps to preserve his being from anything that could have transformative influence on it. He was doing so much better when he did not know himself. He smiled from this sudden realization as his memory shot back to times when he had left jobs only because they seemed to encroach on his way of thinking, left relationships that burdened his soul with the rituals that slowly nudged him into certain directions he didn't want to go. 'Good Lord! This inner hamster of mine needs constant feeding!, he thought to himself.

He did understand that this narcissism although fulfilling at a personal level, led to no good consequences and instead resulted in his alienation sometimes. This was the sole reason for which he, for the first time, tried not to give in to his primal instincts and instead tried moulding himself to the circumstances. He had planned this weekend getaway so that he could let his inner restless critter have some time to think and relax. He wanted to cajole it into compromising with the little changes that were slowing creeping inside his soul. He no longer had the time to sit idle in the lawn and soak in the winter sun, his life had again started revolving around staplers, paperweights and late night brainstorming sessions. The critter in his gut had started getting restless.

The bad part about being good at something is that there is no limit to how good you can be. As you push your limits, your talent slowly turns into your work and it piles up and the exit gates start closing up. He had quit five jobs in the past as and when he could no longer find time for himself but, now that he was married and a baby was on its way, he couldn't afford the freedom and luxury of that nomadic lifestyle. He told his wife that it was something work-related and just fled the city so that he could unwind and lull the storms boiling up inside into silence.

Ramesh Singhal was otherwise a very reasonable man. Average built, fierce competitive eyes and an arched grin giving the impression that everything was under control. He flexed his arms often and walked with a certain wobble that made people make more room for him in queues, public places, cafeteria etc. He was aware of the excess of space that he hogged in his manners during his public discourses and was proud of the ingenious method he had created. He could not stand being pushed around and had even feigned handicap or illness to be treated specially. Friends he had; but the kind that cannot be counted on. His marriage was an arranged one and was more of an affair of convenience as the girl was a nice proposal and his parents saw her to be fit for him. It would be wrong to say that Ramesh couldn't love anyone more than himself or that he was a self-centered person, but he did leave little room for others to think otherwise.

Sunanda was a loving wife and it seemed that she had slowly come to terms with Ramesh's over-indulgence with himself. In the early days of their marriage, Sunanda tried hard to form an emotional bond with Ramesh. She would strike conversations, look into his eyes to spot the place where he was broken, some past event which had made him the way he was. She even suspected that he had an affair going on but then as she read the family members' behaviour toward him and realized that her husband was one of a kind. Ramesh too, tried hard to do things that would seem romantic or show that he cares; Sunanda would randomly find some laundry folded, bed made, roses by her side as she woke up, sometimes even breakfast too but, there was just something that Ramesh could not do. She started pitying the poor chap and was quite understanding when these random acts of kindness slowly wore away. They would talk often, laugh and eat together but they hardly knew each other as people. Ramesh was least apologetic for this yet he was worried lest this lack of concern might be considered as selfishness. The way Sunanda took to his ways, he did sometimes worry that there was some pain that was gnawing away her personality. He started thinking about her and he was changing. Most of his thoughts which used to be about him, were now about her.

The office workload had crippled his mind and he couldn't see this vicious circle breaking in the future. He feared that Sunanda would fall for someone else, commit suicide or leave him. These thoughts had quietening effects on his inner hamster. To get away from all this noise in his head, in a bid to perhaps change himself, he had taken this vacation and now it was raining outside.

He sat in his room, thinking How did he turn from a self-obsessed monarch to a slave of his own emotions? He detested the pathos that had gripped his heart and reminisced on all those times when he had just broken free of them. "Is this pain something natural and was I supposed to embrace it all this while?" he reflected deeply. The hamster voices fell silent. The epiphany ran through his skin and he almost stood up and then sank again in the sofa. He decided that he would tell his wife how much he loved her; the anticipation of making friends with his own wife was so immense that he picked up the phone right away. He tried calling her up but repeated attempts went unanswered. His mind took over. "Is it too late?" "Is it possible that she is with her lover making plans of eloping with him and grimacing at the phone as it displays my name?" Sweat drops huddled up on his forehead. It was as if a volcano was about to erupt. He started packing for his return trip.

Sunanda on the other side was reading a book she had finally found time for. She heard her phone ring but ignored it thinking it was some tele-advertiser. "This is a Sunday afternoon and no one can take away this time from me. This is my time"- she thought. A hamster chirped with joy inside her.



Copyright Reserved 2014


- Abhyudaya Shrivastava (abhyu.bats@gmail.com)