Nature smiles gladly

Image Link

Sunbeams, slicing the

Mist, sprinkles warmth in winter

Nature smiles gladly

For: Haiku Heights 

One Single Impression
Poetry Jam
Haiku My Heart

"स्वयंवर": नीलाभ वर्मा

 इसमें कोई शंका नहीं है कि महाभारत  एक महान गाथा है। महाभारत में सैकड़ो कहानियाँ निहित हैं। कई कहानियों से हम सब भली भांति परिचित है मगर कुछ कहानियां ऐसी भी हैं जिसके बारे में हमें उतनी जानकारी नहीं है शायद।

एक नया उपन्यास "स्वयंवर" (डायमंड बुक्स द्वारा प्रकाशित) जो नीलाभ वर्मा की पहली पुस्तक है, महाभारत के अति महत्वपूर्ण पात्र भीष्म और अम्बा के संबंधों पर आधारित है। 

इतिहास के अनुसार भीष्म ने अपने भाई विचित्रवीर्य के लिए अम्बा का उसी के स्वयंवर से हरण कर लिया। परन्तु ये जानने के पश्चात् कि अम्बा शाल्व से प्रेम करती है, भीष्म ने उसे ससम्मान उसके प्रेमी के पास पहुंचा दिया मगर शाल्व ने अम्बा को अपनाने से इनकार कर दिया। दुखी हो वापस लौटकर अम्बा ने भीष्म से विवाह करने का हठ किया किन्तु ब्रह्मचर्य की प्रतिज्ञा लेनेवाले भीष्म के लिए यह असंभव था। 

अम्बा का क्रोध शाल्व की बजाय भीष्म पर निकला और अपनी अवस्था का भीष्म को ज़िम्मेदार मानते हुए अम्बा ने भीष्म के सर्वनाश की शपथ ली। कहा जाता है की महाभारत के केंद्र में एक स्त्री ही थी। माना जाता है कि वो द्रौपदी थी मगर शायद इसकी नींव पहले ही रखी जा चुकी थी और शायद वो अम्बा ही थी।

नीलाभ वर्मा का  धार्मिक  प्रसंगों का ज्ञान अद्भुत है।यद्यपि स्वयंवर इनकी  पहली पुस्तक है, उनकी लेखन शैली काफी मंझी  हुई लगती है।मेरे ख्याल से भीष्म महाभारत के सबसे प्रभावशाली पात्र है और ये मेरे इस पुस्तक की ओर आकर्षित होने की एक वज़ह है।  स्वयंवर की कहानी पौराणिक कथा पर आधारित होने के बावजूद मुझे थोड़ी अलग लगी।  इस किताब के संवाद अच्छे और स्वाभाविक है। मेरा विश्वास है की अगर आप धार्मिक कहानियों को पसंद करते है तो आपको ये किताब निश्चिततौर पर पसंद आएगी। 

Overall, if you like mythological fiction and you can read Hindi, then Swayamvar could be an interesting and different read. A nicely written novel indeed! Go grab it!:)

Sunshine

Image Link

Morning sunshine

Breaks the slumber of lovely blossoms

They smile

They bloom

Hug the delicate dew drops

Morning sunshine

Touches the dew drops softly

They shrink in shyness

And finally slip in the embrace of

Morning sunshine

Divine smile

Just like sunshine

Erases the darkness of

Gloomy heart

Costs nothing

Just

Spreads compassion and bliss

Shared @ Theme Thursday

                        Poets United

Book Review: I’ve got your number by Sophie Kinsella

I've got your number by Sophie KInsella

A novel by Sophie Kinsella I wanted to read was/is “Remember me?” as its synopsis seems very intriguing but I still couldn’t but never mind as I got a pleasant chance to read “I’ve got your number by Sophie Kinsella”.

At first glance I was doubtful about finishing it soon as it’s a large book with 381 pages. Generally you can find many insignificant things in long novels but believe me, in this book, not a single page was boring.

Poppy Wyatt, 29, is a physiotherapist. Always eager to help anyone (Even that ‘anyone’ is a paid worker), she is ready to marry Magnus Tavish, a wealthy guy hailing from an academic family (Poppy thinks they are from different league as they publish journals and all that)

She loses a huge emerald engagement ring which belongs to Tavish family for three generations, on the very same day when she is going to meet her future in-laws and she is searching it frantically. To add more terror to her already panicking mind, her phone has been snatched. Now what was she going to do? She badly needs a phone to get in touch with the hotel staff in case they have some information about the ring.

All of a sudden, she finds a mobile phone in a bin (She thinks anything in the bin is public property) and so... now… she has a phone. But it’s not that easy. Owner of the phone, stoical and curt, Sam Roxton wants his phone back. But she can’t (As she already has distributed her new number to everyone). Finally they settle for an idea: share the phone and that’s how they stay connected.

This book tells all about how they interact (As Poppy gets some strange messages), help each other, somehow become friends and change (a little) each other, come closer and perhaps fall for each other. Wait! What about that Magnus Tavish (Poppy’s fiancée)? For that you’ll have to read the novel (And trust me, you won’t regret that)

I must say Sophie Kinsella is an author with a very entertaining, humorous and witty style of writing. I liked the new and unique storyline. It’s basically a sweet love story of Poppy and Sam (without saying “I Love You” even for once). I so liked the very well crafted characters of Poppy Waytt and Sam Roxton. The humour in this novel is naturally amusing. I found myself laughing many a times while reading the book, especially in the first half. The texting sessions between Sam and Poppy are very entertaining.

The footnotes were the only thing I did not like in the book. But that doesn’t matter.

Overall, for me, it was a very entertaining, engrossing and delightful read! Highly recommended for everyone who like contemporary women/romance fiction.

Review written for Random House. Thank you so much Random Reads!! Click HERE to see the books I've got by Random Reads!!

Aspects of mental state

The leaves crunched under my boots

Until they did not…

This statement, for me, depicts two aspects of my mental state.

One: when my mind is totally engrossed, shrouded in myriad of thoughts. Memories, regrets, ideas, planning, ‘Reading’. I become oblivious of everything and the impact of the surrounding starts to diminish or rather vanishes.

Two: when I face too much trouble…say difficulties in life, challenges that I think, are hard to handle, pain or fear. I try to fight them hard until they start to lose their impact. Finally they stop bothering me much. Facing difficult situation bravely is the best way to beat them.

Written For Saturday Centus

I’ve got a mail!!

Yesterday Random Reads has sent me this whole  set of interesting books by Random House. Of course I’m super excited!! Will get back to you soon with book reviews of these books...one by one. 

Emotional insecurity

Recently, I saw a movie “Monster-in-law”. Charlotte (Played by Jennifer Lopez) falls in love with Kevin (Michael Vartan), a wealthy guy, and thinks that her life is about to shine with flying colors. But she is wrong as Viola (Jane Fonda), Kevin’s mother seems evidently not happy with this relationship. When Kevin proposes Charlotte, Viola gets hyper and then she tries everything to destroy their relationship.

Finally, on the wedding day, Charlotte rethinks about her marriage with Kevin and plans to tell him that this marriage is not going to work. Just then, Viola and her own mother-in-law get into a serious argument.

Realizing that her son’s happiness is her main priority, Viola comes to Charlotte and says that she wants her to marry his son. And all she did was just out of her emotional insecurity of losing his son, her only asset to life. And finally, they both resolve their tiff. Charlotte asks her mother-in-law to be with them in every small or big occasion of their life.

Okay this was a movie which I enjoyed but here are many such cases in real life too.

Mini was initially very startled to see her mother-in-law’s behavior. Her Mother-in-law Vasudha still wanted to carry all the responsibilities of her son and Mini’s husband Mayank. Vasudha desperately wanted to attend her son when he returned from the office, no matter what time. She wanted to manage his meals, his clothes and his essential stuff like before. She wanted his son to take her for outing along with Mini. Buy things that he bought for Mini.

Mini got frustrated. It seemed weird. But her husband, maybe feeling like a sandwich, made her realize the situation. Actually Mayank’s father died many years ago and he was all his mother has in life. Obviously, she was possessive about her son and she did not realize that she was going overboard as his son was now a married man and the couple needed some space.

Actually, this is just a problem of emotional insecurity. Nothing like having a monster-in-law. Of course it could be irritating but both parties have to develop an understanding.

There is no harm to give importance and some quality time to the lonely parents especially when they’re single. One must involve them graciously in small happiness of life. And the parents also must understand that after marriage their son and daughter-in-law need some privacy and space. They should try to keep themselves busy in some activities to get over the insecurity. It is not good to develop a competitive attitude in such delicate relationship. Just try to create a healthy environment at home and cherish happy moments. Both mother and wife have a special space in a man’s life. It’s just a matter of understanding and thoughtfulness.

The Affair by Lee Child

Recently, I've got the opportunity to read the famous author Lee Child and I finished “The Affair” by Lee Child yesterday. This was a review copy from Random House India. I would like to thank Random Reads.

“The Affair” is the sixteenth novel in the Jack Reacher series but this is my first crime thriller and of course first Lee Child book, as it’s not my genre. But I've read some really nice reviews and found the character of Jack Reacher interesting, so thought to go for it.

The story is set in 1997. Jack Reacher, a major in the military police has been sent undercover to investigate or rather supervise the investigation of the murder of a woman. There he gets to know that two more women have been murdered earlier, in the same pattern. 

Reacher meets a stunningly beautiful Sherrif Elizabeth Deveraux,  a former Marine, who is supposed to investigate these cases but it seems that her investigation is going nowhere.

The novel, packed action and a little romance, gradually unfolds the murder mystery.

The author has nicely portrayed the character of Jack Reacher as a tough, confident and fearless guy but other characters seem to have little value. Even the Sheriff Deveraux’s character has nothing special to do though she is very much present in the book.

As I’ve said before, this is not my genre so I didn’t find it very thrilling as it seemed a bit slow. Also for a crime suspense thriller it lacked surprise elements. Of course it managed to raise interest but at several points that ended blandly.

I especially liked the writing style of the author. Short sentences, without any complication and nice dialogues worked for me. So, I would say for those who like crime suspense thriller, it can be an interesting read.

Chasing an innocent wish...

In a lazy afternoon, possessed by silence and loneliness, she is lying on the sofa. It seems that she is watching television, browsing through different channels, but perhaps her mind is analyzing her life.

“Ma!” A shout jolts her attention. She looks towards the source of voice and skips several beats. Her eyes seem as if they will pop out any time.

Her nine years old son Keshav is standing in front of her…smiling. And saying something that she cannot comprehend. His voice so melodious. His smile so divine. His appearance so mesmerizing. Tall smart and handsome.

Oh, how she wants to treasure this image in her eyes forever but pool of tears blurs her vision, without any warning. She wants to say something but her throat chokes. She wants to catch him desperately. She jerks her body to cosset her child who is world to her. But suddenly, he is not there. She is perplexed. She runs towards the other room and…and stops abruptly.

Keshav is lying on the bed. Silent. Looking nowhere…blankly.

“Oh God! How she wishes to hear ‘Maa’ from him. To hear his endless innocent talks. To see him play like many other boys of his age. To see him excel in several activities. To see love floating in his eyes, for her. To see him express his wishes. To feel and savour his deliberate hugs. But…but she is not that fortunate. Keshav doesn’t do such things. He can’t.

He’s helpless.

He can’t walk.

He can’t talk.

He can’t sit.

He can’t see.

Or maybe he even doesn’t recognize her. Perhaps doesn't understand the meaning of being a son. Having a loving mother. A hard slash of pain hits her heart again though she feels it every single day. 

She wonders when her dream…actually a deep desire within, is going to come true. Maybe soon. She consoles herself. But why such a beautiful dream vanishes in a blink.