Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Honey, I am home



Honey, I am home.

So?

What so?

What should I do if you are home?

Don’t be a nag. I merely announced my arrival. You don’t really have to do anything.

Huh, what’s there to announce then? You just got home. It’s not that you won the World Cup or something.

Yes I know I merely got home. But I thought it would delight you to hear me again.

You thought wrong.

Ah, but last evening you seemed to be pretty gung ho about my return. Were you not?

Please. That was a mistake.

What mistake?

Never mind.

No tell.

Naa leave.

Don’t act like an irritating woman. Tell me what mistake.

Okay listen. It was a mistake on my part to harbor hopes of a romantic evening with you.

But I did romance with you… Umm…I mean we went to that movie, right? You should be 
happy. The movie was good. Ranbir was amazing in that movie.

Yes, only he was.

Now what is that supposed to mean?

Don’t act oversmart you man. You know very well how itchy was your face. Had I known you won’t be shaving, I wouldn’t have gone to that movie or any movie for God’s sake.

You woman, how dare you accuse me after having a fully enjoyable outing. You ate the whole cake and now you say it was disgusting. I hate you, you WOMAN.

You dare not call me WOMAN in that stinky voice of yours.

I will. Do what you want.

GO TO HELL. I don’t care for any goddamn movie anymore. Come home at midnight for all I care. And just not come anywhere near me. You are as stinky as your week-long beard.


40 minutes later:

Ahem, I have shaved.

So?

What so?

Why telling me? Why do I care?

Umm ya, I was just feeling hungry. Umm so I checked in to see if you are there.


I will get you something from the kitchen. Wait.

Ahem.

YES?

I was wondering dear wifey if that newly opened restaurant is really as good as they say.

Yeah, I was wondering the same.

Should we not go and see?

We can.

I think we should dine out tonight at that place. Will that be okay with you?

Ya

Hmmm


Mmmm



[This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette]

I have written this post acknowledging the tag of Surbhi Bafna's Santi Claus



Why Sherlock Holmes couldn't settle down?




Sherlock Holmes is one fictional character who has transgressed every conceivable line of society, culture, language and class. Speculations around him have always courted newspaper headlines since the late 19th century when Arthur Conan Doyle fathered his most popular character. In recent years, the detective's character has been revamped owing to a few unfaithful portrayals by movie and TV stars. Perhaps, Doyle would be turning in his grave right now, given that the Y-gen girls cannot stop giggling over Holmes' rumored liaison with his companion Dr. Watson. Doyle never even hinted at the homosexual tendency of Holmes. On the contrary, he had sent a teaser down our bladders by making the sleuth a self-admitted admirer of one Irene Adler (who appeared in the short story "A Scandal in Bohemia", published in July, 1891).

Holmes never settled down though. Was he really in love with Irene or was he merely an admirer of her resourcefulness is something which should be left just the way it is- unsolvable and speculative. What is clear though is that he had a knack for getting too absorbed in thoughts while working on a case. Today's average college-going girl may not have really given him any brownie point for staying ungroomed. Ironically, girls do seem to have a mental orgasm everytime Benedict Cumberbatch parts with one of his devil-may-care smirks. But a real-life Holmes would definitely have been in need of a Gillette razor. A couple of swipes and there you have a face so smooth, slippery and kiss-ready that even Miss Adler would have done much more than saying, "Good night, Mister Sherlock Holmes."

So, when Robert Downey Jr. missed a great opportunity to bed Irene Adler in the movie, it was a clear "case of lost opportunity" and must have something to do with his unkempt, unhygienic look.

 Amazingly, the book Holmes, cites Listverse, was squeaky clean.


"Sherlock Holmes is actually described in The Hound of the Baskervilles as having a cat like approach to cleanliness"- Listverse.com


Like most popular literary characters, this one too seems to have been hit hard by the media makers. Seems like the 'real' Doyle's Holmes did shave regularly, though he couldn't have had access to the sophisticated shaving products we have today. Alas, he could so easily have been a married guy today.


Image source: Google



Pages cited:

1. http://listverse.com/2013/02/11/10-common-misconceptions-about-sherlock-holmes/

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Adler



[This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette]




Monday, December 29, 2014

Yellowed lovers (A sonnet)

Image source: Google



Love is for always some say
It is not fleeting, evanescent neither
Strengthens in today, also in tomorrow, closer as well as thither
But feelings too have shelf life, I pray.

Some crushes wither, some tremble, some die
Who had a heart that sought a lone one
That God of Yellow when couldn’t commit to one
Flowers again bloom, as feelings wink and moments fly.

Then what of the ancient flame
That once had fire enough to parch?
Was it weak so much, now your heart is impelled to march?
Nay, cold fire now, how can it stay the same!

As for they, they are but memories mere…
Old yellowed lovers, faded, receded, not near…..




[My first sonnet written using the Shakespearean sonnet form]

-Ritesh Agarwal





Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Saurabh Garg bares all for The Nidhi Kapoor Story








Saurabh Garg was probably unprepared for the turn his life would take before he decided to quit his job and pursue writing. But then, as I personally believe, life is a serendipitous affair. His debut novel ‘The Nidhi Kapoor Story’ promises the votaries of crime fiction their fair share of page-turning nights. Backed by the reputed publishing house Grapevine India, Garg is caught up between hope and ambition. An interview by someone seated on the other side of the screen may appear impersonal but the author lets out a deluge of words and lets his keyboard do the talking……again


Q1] Hi Saurabh. How does it feel to hold your first novel? Has the feeling sunk in?
Saurabh: Incredible! To say the least. I had this huge lump, the size of a football in my throat when I saw the book.
Of course I could not cry because I had to deliver the first few copies to friends and mentors who made it happen.
And it hasn’t sunk in to be honest. When I look at the book even now and wonder how did I manage it! Odds were stacked against it and there were tons of impediments on the way. But I did it.

Q2] The title of the book ‘The Nidhi Kapoor Story’ seems to have a biographical element to it. Is it a pure fiction or have you borrowed from real life somewhere?
Saurabh: Pure fiction.
Of course real-life people have inspired the characters. But the storyline, plot, events and everything else is my imagination. Oh and I do believe that noting is original. All we do is recycle our experiences, our life-view of things and things that we’ve read (or heard or seen or experienced).
And yes, it’s a biographical narrative. Of three key characters – Nidhi, Prakash and Rujuta.

Q3] Every writer goes through several ups and downs during the process of penning a book, especially a debut novel.  What was one major obstacle you faced while writing this book?
Saurabh: Money.
To be honest, when I took a break from work to write, I thought I had saved enough. I thought I would be comfortable. I thought I’d be able to pay my rent, manage my lifestyle, travel and yet have some left to be comfortable.
But I was wrong. So very wrong. The money got over faster than I could imagine. I had to take up part-time assignments to pay my bills but the part-time work ate a lot of time. It’s one thing I wish I could undo about the entire writing process.
So yeah, if I had enough money, I would’ve been happier.
Oh, I am back to working now. And I am writing my second already. Money is still a challenge. Hope some day, some rich uncle dies somewhere and bequeaths me with a few millions. Pray for me :)

Q4] Being an unknown name in the larger Indian market, a casual reader may not be willing to pick your book. Why do you think they should read you? What message do you wish to impart to that unknown person who is in two minds whether to invest his money on your book or not?
Saurabh: I am actually struggling with this one. Since I am a Joe Nobody, no retailer is willing to stock my book, no distributor is willing to buy stock and no media outlet wants to feature my book. I don’t claim to be the best author there is, but I need a chance. I need an opportunity to reach out and talk about my work. Once people pick it up, they can decide to read, dismiss, ridicule, love, share, spread my work. But I need a chance for that.
That chance is what I get if people read my books.
In the ancient times, all the kings and rulers doled out generous support to new artiste helping them focus on their craft. I need such patrons. Who would buy my books and encourage me and allow me to pursue my craft!
In terms of a message, all I can say is that I have put in a lot of hard work in the book. I have not left any stone unturned to give my readers a story that they’d enjoy reading.

Q5. Talk about your personal life. Is there any inspiration behind your decision to take up the pen? What triggered your interest in writing?
Saurabh:Not really.
I just loved it when I wrote. And I got addicted to it. Like that rush that you get when you are high on something, I got addicted to that high of seeing my thoughts appear on my laptop screen. Or on those scraps of paper where I often take notes.
From there on, I guess it was a logical leap to work on a book.

Q6. My interviews are usually brief but I never let go before asking a completely out-of-the-blue question. So, tell us, who is your latest author crush   xP
Saurabh: Oh, I am all for crushes. I have a lot of them. The latest author crush is this lady called Gillian Flynn. She wrote ‘Gone Girl’. Closer home, I really want to take this Pakistani author Shandana Minhas for a coffee some day.
Apart from that, can I also talk about my celeb crush please? Sonam Kapoor. If not her, Deepika Padukone!


(as told to Ritesh Agarwal)


More About the book:

Nidhi Kapoor is a famous Bollywood actress. One day, she comes home to find the deadbodies of her beloved pets in her study. Along with the mangled remains of her two dogs and a cat, there is a letter threatening Nidhi and her family.

Scared for her life, she calls up the police for help. The case lands on the desk of
 ACP Prakash Mohile who is the most decorated policeman in Mumbai. A photo-journalist, Rujuta Singh is tailing Prakash for a story and inadvertently gets embroiled in the chase.

Despite intervention by Prakash and Rujuta, unwarranted incidents continue to happen happening around Nidhi. With each incident, the attacks get more vicious and dangerous. It's only a matter of time before Nidhi would get seriously hurt. Or even get killed! 

The question thus is, can Prakash and Rujuta solve the mystery and save Nidhi? 

Links for the book
Flipkart: www.bit.ly/tnksFK





Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Brief summary of ‘A thing of beauty’ by John Keats


A thing of Beauty- By John Keats



John Keats, a British romantic poet, has sung to the glory of nature in the poem "A thing of beauty." He says that 'a thing of beauty is a joy forever.' Through this line, Keats tries to assert the permanence of natural beauty. Beauty of nature does not fade away with the passage of time. Rather, 'its loveliness increases' and it continues to give joy to an observer for eternity.

Keats includes celestial objects as well into his definition of nature. According to him, the sun, the moon and even the old withering trees offer permanent pleasure and dispel gloom and despondency from our lives.

The poet also borrows from Greek legends and calls their heroic deeds inspiring and exemplary. He compares their heroism to Ambrosia, an immortal drink containing the elixir of life. Just like Ambrosia makes a person immortal, in the same way, natural beauty and tales of heroism inject fresh life into our bodies. They banish all sorrows, agonies and hopelessness.




-Ritesh Agarwal



PS- Kindly buy any product from the banners displayed on the sidebar. The money raised will help me raise my three adopted pets.



Saturday, November 15, 2014

Poem: A hurt heart



Source: Google image



You rebuffed me once
There won't be a twice
Your heart may change its mind
No superior suitor, it could find
But my mind has shuffled the dice
My heart though hurt, now is wise...

                                                                                               

-Ritesh Agarwal



PS- Kindly buy any book from the banners displayed on the sidebar. The money raised will help me raise my three adopted pets.



Monday, November 10, 2014

Harry Potter book review for school students


JK Rowling, the writer of Harry Potter series


'Harry Potter' is a popular fantasy series penned by the renowned writer JK Rowling. Split into seven books, the series depicts the odyssey of a boy named Harry Potter from boyhood to adulthood, as he discovers his true identity (that of a wizard), gets tutored/mentored in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, faces demons, undergoes hormonal changes and vanquishes the evil wizard Lord Voldemort.

Written in lucid style with a hint of wit, Rowling is elegant in her prose. The absence of abstruse vocabulary makes the books easily comprehensible to teenagers and kids. However, it would be a blasphemy to call Harry Potter strictly as a children's book. The book has been widely read and appreciated all over the world by people from six to sixty.

Rowling has craftily created a confluence of two worlds-one is the real world of non-magical humans (muggles) and the other is a makeshift world of sorcerers, goblins, giants and house 
elves.

The plot is incantatory and there are several parallel stories that move together. The major part of the story is set in the school of Hogwarts, a setting which is relatable to the kids and nostalgic to the adults. Overall, the series is steered by powerful characters, an addictive plot and an arresting narrative style. However, it is ironic that the book that has influenced millions of people, has also been criticized by certain sects like the clergy.


~Ritesh Agarwal





Image courtesy: ign.com


Sunday, November 9, 2014

Image source; Google



One thousand moonlights away
We kissed as if there was no tomorrow......
Then the terrible cloud travelled in
It turned the moon off
And we kissed coz there was no tomorrow.......




-Ritesh Agarwal
email: ritzy182000@gmail.com

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Alternate careers for JU teachers of Comparative Literature


Source: Google images




What if our dear professors and lecturers at Jadavpur University were not in this profession and were something completely else. Based on their habits and teaching style, this is a meant-to-be-a-fun-read post on the suitable alternative careers for them:


Ipsita Chanda- Architect  (coz she goes so deep)


Kunal Chatterjee- Substitute for Prof. Binns, the teacher of history of Hogwarts  (coz KC is the only one listening to himself, and can be soporific to the extent of putting Dennis the Menace to sleep)


Dipannita-  Poster girl for Lakme India


Sujit Kumar Mondal- Stage comic actor  (I don't know why. Perhaps he is just too endearing and can always make his audience smile)


Sayantan Dasgupta- Projector guy at Inox


Debashree Datta Ray- A storyteller (A bard using oral tradition or a novelist who uses diacritical marks)


Suchorita Chattopadhyay- Owner of a poultry farm that rears dogs or a babysitter


Partho Sarthi Bhowmick- Editor of a revolutionary Bengali magazine called 'Hok Theatre'


Kavita Punjabi- Coach of Kolkata 'Knight' Riders




[Note: No offence intended. The post is to be read with a light heart. I hold upmost respect for all these beloved teachers.]



-Ritesh Agarwal,
PG-1 student of Comparative Literature,
Dated: 4th November 2014


Email: ritzy182000@gmail.com



Friday, October 31, 2014

A short poem: December love


There is a nip in the air today
December seems closer, not far away
The kiss of love I yearn from below
But it is the haughty star that winks with its fellow





-Ritesh Agarwal

Email: ritzy182000@gmail.com




Tags: Poem, poetry, love peom




Monday, October 13, 2014

2 really cute childhood pics of Emma Watson


Harry Potter fans can let their hearts churn inside them, all over again. Doesn't Emma Watson (our very own Hermione Granger) look really cute in these pics?


Image source: Google






Second from right, down.


All images belong to Emma and now to Google



My official Harry Potter page: https://www.facebook.com/harrypotterflows



Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Missing (episode 19)


Team: Tete a Ten

Read episode 18 here



The car was returning home carrying with itself a child who was reunited with its parents and the parents who were reunited with each other. As Shekhar smiled inwardly, half lost in his musings and half lost behind the steering wheel, Tara logged into Facebook.

Her timeline was deluged by messages from friends, from strangers, from known and from the semi-known. Though some of them were mere perfunctory formalities, she generously shared her gratitude with everybody, thanking each one for being by her side in her moment of terror.

She also ran an eye through the inbox and it was then that Jennifer's message resurfaced.

"Did you inform Jennifer," she swiveled her quizzical eye at Shekhar who was driving languidly, his face writhing in joyful relief of the kind only a father who has lost and regained his child can experience.

"Jennifer? Ah no, I think you should personally call her and let her know dear. We owe our Roohi to her-"

"Yes Shekhar, we owe our life to her," said Tara almost cutting him short. For a moment, she felt shaken but it was not the kind of quiver one associates with terror or with pain but the kind one associates with an orgy of unexpected happiness. It was a universe later that Shekhar had called her 'dear' and perhaps without even realizing so.

Partially drowned in her reveries, Tara dialed Jennifer's number. It was a peppy song intended as a ringtone that somewhat pulled her out of her reveries.

"Hello. Yes Tara, did you find her," Jennifer rushed straight to the point without wasting precious seconds over pleasantries. "I am trying to share the picture with as many people as possible. I hope to-

"You can relax Jennifer. We have found her. We have got Roohi. She is sitting by my side. Oh no, she seems to have fallen asleep. Poor child. I am so thankful to you Jennifer. Shekhar says hi too. He will call you once we are home, he says. Tell me Jennifer, what can we do for you," Tara felt a rush of kindness for this new woman in her life. She was a God-send, she kept telling herself.

Tara spoke some more during which the person on the other end of the receiver took the good news in.

"I am so glad and relieved....and happy that you found her," Jennifer finally found her voice. It was a happy shock which had kindled in her a bubble of new-found energy.

"But, is Roohi okay," Jennifer's tone suddenly turned grave. "Who was that man? A kidnapper? Did he harm," she let the sentence float in the air unfinished.

But Tara soon quelled her fears. Over the next few minutes, she recited the story. "So you see, Cyrus is not the criminal type. He just happened to be there. On hindsight, I am glad he found her instead of some mad man getting hold of our Roohi."

Some pleasantries later, they disconnected and while Tara returned to her tranquil world inside the warm car, Jennifer hung up still feeling jittery. "Is the man truly what he shows himself to be or is there more to it than what meets the eye," she soliloquized.

Roohi seemed fast asleep, back to her quiet dreams which a child of her age is entitled to. Meanwhile, Tara found herself leaning closer and closer to Shekhar till her head rested on his shoulder. Her hair bristled against his face, triggering a reaction which had erupted after several years. Two lips found each other and much like Roohi, Tara slipped back to some much-needed dreams. A kiss later, they kissed again which was followed by another long kiss.

Tara was privy to the message which beeped on her phone. But the reply she sent was quick and short as Dr. Aryan Ahuja found out leaning back into his heavy armchair in the deeper confines of his own home. The doctor was another lone figure in this obstreperous world. His admiration for Tara was silent but strong. Tara too had found solace in his warm words during her years of marital exile but their relationship had always been strictly platonic.

As Dr. Ahuja was reflecting about Tara, his pensive recollections were rudely intruded by a call from the hospital.

"Sir, some lady by the name of Jennifer is trying to contact you desperately," said the receptionist over the phone.

"Who? Jennifer? Okay, give me her number."

A few seconds later, Jennifer's phone screamed.

"Hello. I am Dr. Aryan Ahuja. Am I speaking to Miss Jennifer."

"Umm... yes. Jennifer here. Hello, Mr. Ahuja. I was trying to reach out to you-"

"Yes, tell me. How can I help you," the doctor politely enquired.

"I wanted to enquire about this man. Umm... Cyrus is his name. Do you know him?"

A pregnant pause ensued. Courtesy was gone when the doctor spoke next, "That's none of your business."

The call was disconnected. Jennifer continued to hold the phone to her ears for some time, quite dazed by her own thoughts. 


Read episode 20 here


[“Me and my team are participating in ‘GameOf Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”]

  

-Ritesh Agarwal


Saturday, October 4, 2014

A very short story: Fault in the stars



And just when the stars were about to kiss each other, the lonely cloud turned off the moon.
There was a fault in their stars.






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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Missing (Part 6)




This is part six of a story that I am writing in collaboration with some very talented writers on Blogadda.com. Our team name is 'Tete-a-ten'.



Read the previous part of the story here




3 am, Ballad Estate



The trees around her looked as mournful and dark as the night into which their fate had driven them. As Tara sat down gingerly behind the bushes to relieve herself, she could smell the pain of the moon. Though it had dutifully turned its face away, going behind the clouds in a rare display of gentility, Tara felt a rush of gratitude towards Shekhar who stood between her and the car, thereby according her the privacy which she needed not. Coz the darkness was terrifyingly intense and it was only the silhouette of the sky which was visible under the stars. But his gesture which, even though could have been passed off as a mundane code of propriety, didn't go unnoticed and touched her in a way she had fathomed not.

And then she heard his voice; a soft hum and though their lamentable situation didn't offer any occasion for such a cheerful burst of singing, it did forge a small smile on her face. Though no one, not even the trees which sat nearby in loneliness, neither the stars that twinkled above gently and nor Shekhar could see that smile, she felt surprised with its suddenness, and more importantly, with its exuberance. She knew, with a sudden wave of happiness, that she had smiled in so natural a fashion after a long time and even though the day was a harrowing one and the night ahead seemed long and sad, she felt that she had earned something back; something which she had been missing all these years without actually knowing what she was missing. The humming may have seemed inappropriate to some and a way to vent out tired emotions by many, but Tara knew the real reason behind it. Shekhar's few seconds of singing and whistling thoroughly coincided with her relieving herself against the dry leaves and she fell in love with him, once again after so many years, for saving her the embarrassment of the noise made by the water's rustle.

The beauty of that moment was evanescent. She was up on her feet in no time, and once again her heart relapsed into the mournful mood of before. But this time, there was a spring in her stride as she tottered back towards Shekhar, her fingers wrapping themselves around his, as they walked back to the car. Each of the two had lost a daughter and found a partner that night. Yet the night was not over yet. And with it, there was hope and with hope, there was a deep sense of sorrow for a loss which seemed more and more prominent with every passing hour.

The night had begun with Jennifer’s account and her description of the man and the place where she had seen them. She had a photogenic memory and her portrayal of the man helped the cops to create a rough sketch. Tara and Shekhar and their friends, of course, had to search every inch of the place and the surrounding areas till the night was consumed or the child was discovered.


As the two slipped back into the car, their sleepless eyes met the sleepy ones of their friends who had sacrificed their happy night in order to be with them in their desolate one, so what if the search so far had been nothing but futile. The car started from where it had stopped, gathering speed with every step it took as it entered deeper into the death of the night.

In the past few hours, they had already scanned all the hotels and inns where they thought she could be found. Of course, there was the police which must be on guard and could be expected to check all these places but the parents of a nine-year old cannot be expected to sit at home when their child may be writhing in some grave danger.


"Shekhar, where do we find our small Roohi in such a big city," the pain was inherent in Tara's voice.

Shekhar smiled dolefully and pressed her shoulders, "We will find her there. Look."


There was an old decrepit mill which stood straight ahead of them. It had a haunting look about it and looked in perfect concordance with that deserted place.


"Can Roohi really be there," Tara played along, both of them quite tired of their painful search and creating a false hope to cling for survival. 


"Yes," Shekhar said. His words, though held no conviction of truth, had never felt so warm and endearing to Tara than they felt at that moment.


The car was driven right till the point it could access. It parked itself and the search party alighted hurriedly. The mill was ransacked in minutes but no, she wasn’t there.


"We are looking at the wrong place. There would have been a vehicle of some sort if that guy had brought her here," chipped one of Shekhar's friends wisely.


"Yes, but now that we are here, we should scan the area thoroughly," said another from the hunt party.


The team spread in every direction, the couple running towards the back side of the mill into a boring-looking warehouse without actually thinking where they were going.


"Roohi Roohi," screamed Tara at the night in a desperate attempt to satisfy her soul. Little did she know and little hope had her heart cultivated of the response her voice was searching for. And when it came, it was bliss.


"Mummy, what are you doing here," came a voice followed by two pudgy steps. "Oh wow, dad is also here."




Read the next part of the story here


[Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us]



~Ritesh Agarwal
Email: ritzy182000@gmail.com




Wednesday, September 10, 2014

10 books which have stayed with me



Since this is a list of books that have ‘stayed with me’, I have desisted from picking books which I read in 2014 or 2013 (or else books like ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’, ‘The Lowlands’, ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ and ‘Autobiography of Agatha Christie’ would have surely made this task of picking only 10 books extremely difficult, though I must say that the task was still equally ‘extremely’ difficult and I had to bow in to my heart by including some personal favorites under the guise of the convenient category we love calling as ‘special mentions’.)    J

So, these are my 10 and I am not ranking them (so please do not agitate your brains):

1. War and Peace (love in the backdrop of war), written by Leo Tolstoy

2. The diary of a young girl (the memoir of a Jewish girl during Hitler's regime), written by Anne Frank

3. Papillon (autobiography of a convict) by Henri Cherriere

4. Harry Potter (you know what), written by you know who

5. Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Jules Verne)

6. The man-eaters of Kumaon (terribly thrilling tiger tales from British-ruled India), written by Jim Corbett

7. The Famous Five series (involves my first literary crush Anne), written by Enid Blyton

8. The hound of the Baskervilles (a pastoral horror setting), written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

9. Tales of Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe

10. Albert Einstein- a short biography (by RK Murthi)

Special mentions:

11.  Mixed Blessings (Danielle  Steel)

12. A walk to remember (Nicholas Sparks)

13. Malgudi days (RK Narayan)

14. Curtain- Poirot's last case (by Agatha Christie)

15. The murder of Roger Acroyd (a path - breaking crime novel), written by Agatha Christie



-Ritesh Agarwal,
Date: 10th September, 2014




Sunday, September 7, 2014

Bubble Wrap Review: A well-deserved assault on society

Image source: Google


Book: Bubble Wrap
Author: Kalyani Rao
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Fiction
Number of pages: 185
Cover Price: Rs 250
Rating: 3 out of 5

Review: The first thing that delights the mind is the cover pic which is eloquent, powerful and picturesque, not to forget relevant and engaging. Second good thing about the book is that its publisher is a more notable one in this world teeming with a sudden mushrooming of publishers and self-publication firms. The third good thing is that the story is not what the title suggests. 
“Bubble Wrap” may ostensibly appear like another bubble-gum college romance (a genre which has become the favorites with readers and sadly with publishers too). But “Bubble Wrap” is everything but a cheesy college romance.

It is a touching and realistic story of a young girl (Krishna) who gets married off even before she hits puberty. The setting of a small town, the plot revolving around the theme of child marriage and the society’s hypocritical and callous take on widows are the reasons why this book is worth a read.

Also, the fact that the 12-year old Krishna (the girl who gets married off at such a tender age) takes the role of the narrator and the readers see her world through her eyes is a winner. Her cousin’s widow Gudiya (slightly older at 15) assumes the role of her mentor and despite the mud which society flings at her widowed status and despite getting raped by an old man, she shoulders the courage of shielding the 12-year Krishna from similar torments. They escape!

The second half goes slightly wayward as the plot thins though the reader does not lose his grip over the book. One must not dissect ‘Bubble Wrap” from the perspective of plot or of narration or of language which are simple and staid, but rather from the perspective of the bold story-telling which is a brutal and well-deserved assault on the society.

The job done by author Kalyani Rao is a credible one because she maintains simplicity and innocence in language which reflect the thought process of the juvenile narrator. Perhaps, the second half could have been tauter but the shocking climax more than makes up for the languidness. The book will not stay with you till ‘forever’ but will stir a few emotions and make you sigh as you turn over the last leaf.


-Ritesh Agarwal



The book is available at throwaway price at Flipkart. Kindly use the below link to check it out. 



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