Ramayana: The Game of Life - Stolen Life

Title: Ramayana: The Game of Life - 

          Stolen Hope

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishers

ISBN: 978-8184958249

Number of Pages: 312

Price: 299 [INR]

Genre: Mythology

The Blurb:

       In the evil labyrinths of Dandakaranya forest, human values are put to test. Rama’s righteousness, Lakshmana’s loyalty and Sita’s endurance reflect our own sense of values and judgment in difficult times. The story unfolds the facets of human life – the conflict and the trickery, the praise and the slander and, above all, the hope and the despair in the eventful forest life of the Exiled Royals.

       Stolen Hope is about extreme deception and extreme love. It is about arrogant power and deep devotion. With every twist and turn, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana find themselves robbed of whatever and whoever they value most. 

      Exploring the dynamics of human relations – between father and son, husband and wife, teacher and disciple – and the complex game of power and greed, Stolen Hope mirrors our own dilemmas in the modern world and teaches us how we must overcome them. 

      Seek courage when everything, including hope, is stolen.

My Review:

      This is my favourite book series and therefore I have already read previous parts of it, thanks to BlogAdda's review program. These books are an absolute delight to read. However, for anyone living in India and or for anyone having a vague idea about Ramayana, it isn't hard to put the pieces together and enjoy the book. The book is beautifully written and depicts the days when Rama leaves for exile with his wife and brother. 

        The attention paid to detailing is what attracts me to the series. The book starts with the story of Danda, who lusts after Sukracharya's daughter. Cursed by the acharya, his kingdom becomes Dandakaranya and this where the story starts in this book. After this it just gets more and more interesting with many such little stories woven together.

The book is an enriching and gripping read which captures the heart of the reader. The story teaches you the lessons of life which are perfect for self-help. The little anecdotes are perfectly depicted by the author in a very interesting manner, which keeps the reader hooked to the book. These have been my favorites right from book one and still continue to be so. The book holds charm for its lucid writing, wonderfully detailed characters and superb pace of the story. The author lives up to the expectations of the readers who had already read and liked the previous two parts and waited patiently for the third one. Now that I am done reading the third one, I can't wait to get started with the fourth one!

All in all, it was an absolute delight to read this book. First book I read in 2016 and it sure was a great start. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to read mythology.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

My Rating:

Until the next post,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Swathi :)

From Where I See - Book Review

Title: From Where I see 

Author: Dr. Ajay Yadav

Publisher: Li-fi Publications Pvt. Ltd.

ISBN: 978-93-82536-81-9

Number of Pages: 401

Price: 300 [INR]

Genre: Fiction/Religious

The Blurb:

Ajay meets his childhood friend Shruti on a social networking site. He finds her struggling with intrapersonal, interpersonal, inter-social and inter-religious conflicts. Eventually the conflicts killed her. Police could solve the case but will it prevent hundreds of Shrutis from getting killed? How long will we aim 'who' killed, more important is to find out 'what' killed. Till we don't address this issue many Shrutis will keep on getting killed. We need to cure the disease not only the symptoms.

This book is an effort of the author to find the root cause and probable remedies of these conflicts, exploration of hundreds if pertinent questions like "why in one religion it becomes so easy to get volunteers to blow themselves up and others for the sake of religion? Does the religion divide or unite? Have the immature and wrong interpretations of female emancipation led to 13 times rise in divorce rates in last 5 years?"

It's not only a book; it's the path to a revolution, it's a journey towards a Utopian world. If you are open minded, have courage to accept the truth and have a desire to change the world; then be a part of the change. Let's take our first step to build a road to this Utopian dreams.

My Review:

       When I read the blurb, I couldn't help but sign up for reviewing this book despite of the busy schedule. And to some extent, I am happy that I did. Without wasting much time, I will get to the review.

The Plot:

       The story starts with police interrogating Ajay regarding the death of his friend Shruti. The interrogation is of typical Bollywood style and the behavior of the police is a little irritating. From the interrogation, you get a slight idea about what has happened. As the chapter ends, the flash back starts. Ajay and Shruti were childhood best friends but lost contact later. Years later when they meet on the social networking site, Ajay finds out that Shruti has married Aslam and has changed her name to Nagma. She is struggling with social and religious conflicts. And one day, all of a sudden, Ajay receives a call from Aslam, telling him to Shruti has committed suicide. A shocked Ajay couldn't figure out if it was indeed suicide or did something else kill her. The story progresses illustrating a lot of things - romance, thrill, religious conflicts, trauma, philosophy and much more.

Things that worked:

       The story line was new and different. The facts put across make us ponder. The characters are plotted well. Some of the scenes were interesting and drew me right in.

Things that didn't work:

       The narration! A lot needs to be improved. A good story line was let down by the not so good narration. If the narration was good and few more rounds of editing was done, then this book would have definitely managed to keep the readers hooked. Nonetheless, I appreciate the effort taken to write on a new topic.

Favorite lines:

       When we want to be the first at every place in life, even on a traffic signal, then why last at honesty?

      If any social or religious dogma harms any human mentally, physically, emotionally and financially then it is the matter of shame not pride.

My Verdict:

       The blurb attracts the readers but the narration fails to do justice to it. Could have been a promising read!

My Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love, 

Swathi :)

A Battle of Thoughts

       Kriya sat in the corner of the room again, hugging her legs tight for she was afraid that if she let go of them, they might take her somewhere she didn't wish to go. She felt like she was at The Edge of the World. One step forward and she would fall forever into the unknown.

       Her thoughts had been scaring her a lot today. There was a voice inside her that was teasing her, calling her a coward for not being able to do it earlier. She had sat at this very place a few hours ago, knife in her hand, wanting to slice through her wrists for she didn't know any other way out of the mess she had gotten herself into. She wasn't scared of the sin she was about to commit nor did she care about the after effects of it. It really won't be any of her business, right? She would be free from all this. The voice was encouraging her, luring her to do it, for it was tired of the emotional pain that she had put it through. The only way to let it all would be to cause physical pain. She vaguely smiled at the logic. She took the knife closer to her wrist and touched the tip to her wrist, applying a little pressure. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt! Instead it felt good; it felt like that was the exact moment she was waiting for so long. 

      She felt the voice inside her begging to finish it soon. And just when she was about to slice her wrist mercilessly, she heard his voice saying he loved her. “Lies” she cried through gritted teeth as his voice refused to stop ringing in her ears. He had claimed eternal love but when the time had come to prove it, he had escaped! He had left her to pursue his dreams. “I do love you Kriya, but I have to go. I might never get an opportunity like this” he had said before flying to The States! Did he consider her so selfish to become an obstacle in his path? Where did all the love go? 

       ‘Everyone is self-centered; it’s just the radius that differs’ said a small voice at the back of her mind. Wasn't she being selfish too, trying to end her life for someone who didn't care enough about her, when she should have been thinking about the others in her life who loved her? She sat there for a long time, her thoughts fighting a battle of their own. She could either take a step forward and end it all or go back to living her life, which was a mess at that time. 'But you could always work it out' said the sane voice again. It was a hard battle but gradually, her grip on the knife loosened as the selfish part was defeated. She stood up slowly dusting herself and wiping her tears, determined to make a fresh start.

PS: Last month, on my Blog's first anniversary, I had written a guest post about Self confidence on my friend Gayu Di's blog - Outside the Kitchen Window. She is a friend I got on Facebook and her writing inspired me to start this blog. So, while you are here, do give it a read. You can read my guest post here. 

PSS: This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Blogger by BlogAdda and Wordy Wednesday #9 by Blog-A-Rhythm.

 

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

That's My Story - Book Review

Title: TMS - That's My Story

Author: Vinay Mashalkar

Publisher: Frog Books

ISBN: 978-93-84226-44-2

Number of Pages: 173

Price: 145 [INR]

Genre: Romance

Blurb on the Cover:

Falling in love is a beautiful feeling. There is an enigma in that feeling, which can take a person to a different world. So many things have been said and written about love, but it still has its mystic charm that attracts people to read some more love stories.

TMS is one such simple, but beautiful love story of an IT guy named Vikram, working in Bangalore. It talks about his job, his friendship, his booze parties, his frivolous lifestyle, and above all, his love and the emotions that a person goes through when he falls in love.

It's a beautiful journey of friendship, love, breakup, destruction, recovery and miracles.

Read and walk the path of this beautiful journey with Vikram, Meghna, and Aditi...

My Review:

That's My Story is the story of Vikram, an IT guy working in Bangalore. Once he gets a job and completes the probation period, life is pretty normal for Vikram with his life revolving around office, work, projects, friends and weekend booze parties. That is the pattern until a beautiful girl enters his life. Vikram first saw Meghna on a rainy day when he was standing in his balcony. He notices a girl struggling hard to kick start her scooty. Something about her attracts him and he is sure there is some mystical connection between them. The girl, oblivious to his thoughts, leaves once her scooty starts and Vikram is left wishing to see her again. He keeps searching for the girl whenever he sees a red Scooty, hoping to see her again. But his efforts didn't pay off. As they say, everything has a time and call it destiny, Vikram too gets to see her again when he was least expecting it! And this time, he is not ready to let go, even though he was seeing her after almost a year. He is desperate to make an impression as he feels she is 'The One' for him. What follows is the story of their love, the time they spent together, their break up and the story that follows after the break up.

There are many elements that build up this story - there is this gang of friends who are ready to do whatever it takes to help their friend, there are nosy cousins who are setting up marriage proposals, there are office issues, there are understanding parents, there are parents who oppose their daughter's love as the guy is from another caste and then there is our couple, who are madly in love with each other. There are stolen moments which make you smile and there are some moments where you feel so helpless.

The language and the story line are simple, just as the blurb says. There aren't much twists and turns and the story progresses at a slow pace. I didn't like the pace though. It was too slow for my taste and more than half of the book is just about the budding love of Vikram and Meghna. While that wasn't bad, there wasn't anything to expect and the story was feeling too monotonous and there were also few typos which spoilt the fun of reading. The story picks pace only during the second half and that is when things look promising. Just when I thought the book is going well, there is again a turn of events towards the end. I didn't like the ending much. I didn't like how Vikram changed just in an instant when he saw Meghna again. At the very least, he must have taken some time to consider Aditi's feelings. But I guess, love doesn't work that way. I just wish the ending wasn't that abrupt.

All in all, the book was a simple read. The characters felt real and so did the story. I would like to recommend this book to readers who are looking for some light reading, mainly youngsters.

My Rating: 3/5 Stars!

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

First Crush

       Valentine week is being celebrated with lots of enthusiasm all over the world and the Blogosphere isn't indifferent to these celebrations either. Posts about love are flowing abundantly in the Blogosphere this month and many competitions are also announced which are base on the theme 'Love'. After reading so much about love, I thought 'Why not? Let me make a little contribution too' and thus here comes the story of my first love or rather first crush.

       With 'Love' being the favorite theme of most of the authors and also the directors, our generation has been blessed with the knowledge of 'Love' even before they can actually feel it. The movies play a great role in this! They make Love seem all rosy by saying the moon appears bigger or music starts playing in the background when you see your love, etc., etc... And just like everyone, I fell for it too. I began weaving my own fantasies about love. And when I first experienced it, well, it was different! Not bad, but different.

       It wasn't love at first sight as its supposed to happen. Definitely not! When I first saw him, I was with my cousins. They were all enthralled by him and his cuteness. But I was untouched by his charm. I even had sneered saying what a bad taste they all had! They had looked at me like I was crazy and I had pretended like I hadn't noticed the look. This repeated a few times but I couldn't stay immune to his charms for long and before I knew it, slowly and gradually I fell for him too. And when I did, he was all I could think of!

       My day began thinking about him and he was all I thought of throughout the day. I would conjure up different scenarios in my mind about how I would introduce myself to him and how I would express my love for him. As if the long hours of the day weren't enough, my nights were spent dreaming about him too! I was completely smitten by his looks. I started noticing little things about him. I noticed how his eyes twinkled when he smiled; how his whole face lit up when he laughed. I loved his innocent face and how his disheveled hair fell on his forehead. I loved those spectacles of his which failed to hide the depth of emotions in his eyes. I loved how he cared for those around him. He had a heart of gold! I just loved everything about him.

       Now that I think of it, I wonder why I didn't like him at first! Maybe it was meant to happen slowly, like all good things. Though I was head over heels for him, I couldn't tell him that. How could I? He probably had million other girls crushing on him! After all he is the famous Harry Potter! But whatever it is, he made me smile like silly whenever I watched the movie and it was his love that introduced me to the world of novels. He made my childhood better. So I don't regret it at all. Oh, I still love Harry, period! Nothing can ever change that. After all, one cannot forget his/her First Love!

PS: This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)

Ramayana: The Game of Life - Shattered Dreams - Book Review

Title: Ramayana: The Game of Life 

          - Shattered Dreams 

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

ISBN: 978-81-8495-531-6

Number of Pages: 387

Price: 350 [INR]

Genre: Mythology

Blurb on the Cover:

Shattered Dreams is the sequel to the National bestseller, Rise of the Sun Prince, in the new spiritual and motivational series Ramayana - The Game of Life. Twelve joyful years have passed in Ayodhya since the wedding of Rama and Sita at the end of Book 1.

Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas narrates the riverting drama of Rama's exile. Through tales of Rama's unwavering and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversals positively; through Bharata's actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through Sita'a courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family drama provides deep insights on how human relationships work and how they fail.

With Valmiki's Ramayana as its guiding light, Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and Ramacharitamanas, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life. Experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana like never before!

My Review:

After reading the first book, Ramayana: The Game of Life - Rise of Sun Prince, I was waiting eagerly for the next book in the series to be released and no sooner did I get my hands on this book, I started devouring it right away. And I must say, the book lived up to my expectations.

In this second book, the main focus is laid on the events revolving around Rama's coronation; the turn of events that leads to Dasaratha's decision, Manthara's scheming, Kaikeyi's wishes and the agony that follows Rama's exile. There is also a brief introduction about Ravana, whose role is important in the coming book.

Continuing the tradition set in the first book, the author has given emphasis on each character, giving enough spotlight to each of them, to describe in detail their side of the story. Major part of the first half describes Dasaratha's turmoil and the second half describes Bharata's agony upon discovering the truth of what transpired in his absence. The emotions of the citizens, their love and devotion towards Rama and their devastation when he leaves for exile are all expressed well with giving importance to minute details.

There are many things to learn from the book. Sita's love for Rama which sees no material comforts, Lakshmana's absolute conviction with which he serves Rama, Bharata's humility and the determination with which Rama stands by his principles of truth. Urmila's sacrifice which, though spoken less of, commands respect in the hearts of readers. The description of hell, through Ravana's visit there, manages to send a chill down your spine.

And of course, foot notes! I had these little pieces of information which offered details and knowledge through out the first book. It has been continued in the second book too. The author has so much wisdom to offer to the readers and these foot notes are like tit bits of this wisdom. I absolutely loved them. I found many favorite lines in these. Few of them are:

• The present on the canvas of life is the result of a mu;titude of past strokes. Rather than brooding over those erroneous past strokes that can no longer be undone, learn from them and apply those strokes of wisdom today to paint a beautiful future.
• How long can one go with smiling faces and crying hearts? Either till the smile of the face goes to the heart or the cry of the heart reaches the face.
• Gossip is like a cacophony of crows, where every crow seems to be saying the most important thing, but has neither the time nor the inclination to hear an equally important message from any of the other crows.
• Confidence is a key to all locks, but overconfidence is the lock to all doors. Confidence leads to inspiration, but overconfidence leads to perspiration.

The language is eloquent and the narration crisp. I loved the flow of the story. There were a few typos this time but they were few and far stretched to spoil the bliss of reading. There are a few books which can be read multiple times and every time you read it, you get to learn something new. For me, this is one such book. I said in the review of the first book that a series can be considered effective when the readers are enthusiastic and look forward to reading the next book. Well, I am definitely looking forward for the third book in the series.

I recommend this book to all mythology readers. Go for it. It is definitely one of the best Ramayana books I have read. And I have a piece of advice - Don't rush reading this book. Go slowly and you will discover various facets of the story and every facet has something to offer to you.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

A Backpack of Regrets!

       Life is too short to spend our time regretting. But as much as we like to deny it, we all carry with us, a bag of regrets. For some, it might be heavy and for some it will be light; but the backpack of regret exists all the same. For some, the regret is about something they have done in the past and for others, it is about something they didn't do. But as much as we think and wish, all we can do it regret about those things. Nothing can be done to change the past. That is exactly why the wise people say it is foolish to carry regrets. Though true, practically it is very difficult to follow! Rare and blessed are those who do not have any regrets in their lives.

       I am not perfect and I carry with me a bag of regrets too. I have put off so many things in my bucket list to do them in the future, when I have free time. Now when I think of it, I regret doing so. What is the guarantee that the future will be all rosy and everything will be laid out in my favor? For all I know, there might be more difficulties than now and I may never get to tick off the things on my wishlist. Wouldn't that be horrible? I never want that to happen! There are already a few things which I have been postponing for later and wish to do them now.

1. Stop Existing and Start Living:

      Many a times, I have put off things I badly wanted to do either because of busy schedule or because of fear and hesitation. As a result, I have denied myself a lot of fun in life. There are so many things I love, which have taken a back seat in my life. I have been so busy running to ace in the life's race, I have forgot there are other things too; things like fun. I feel like I am merely surviving, not living life to the fullest. Every time I think of doing something creative, I have put the thought aside due to my academic schedule, saying I can always do it later. I have a quilling kit lying around begging for attention, there are paints which are almost dried up, sketches waiting to be made, songs to be learnt, books to be read and ideas waiting to be penned down. Its not only hobbies; I have missed out on many occasion, where I could have enjoyed, thinking I wouldn't fit in! And by doing all this, I have confined myself to a mere monotonous routine. When I think of it now, I regret holding back myself. How much have I missed out in life because of that! Now that I have realized it, I want to change it. I want to stop existing and start living! 

2. Travel around the World:

       Travelling has always been something I loved and I have always dreamt of travelling around the world. Knowledge is abundant. There are two ways of acquiring this knowledge - one is to read a lot and the other is to travel a lot. When you travel to different places, you meet different kind of people, get to learn their lifestyles, see many new things and have many first time experiences that will enrich your wisdom. Also, there is that rush of happiness you get seeing all the exotic places, which you definitely cannot ignore. I always wanted to break out from my monotonous life and experience this kind of fun. During college days I used to think of travelling during holidays and during holidays, laziness would stop me from even going out of my home. Thus, I have missed many opportunities to travel. But I don't want to do it anymore. I want to stop putting off the plan for later. I just want to pack my bag and go on a long vacation.

3. Spend more time with People I Love:

       Being an introvert, I have always loved being alone for most of the times. Though I interact with people, I don't talk much. Even at home, I speak only when I am in a good mood. But for the majority of the time, I lock myself in my room and refuse to let anyone in even for a chat. Recent demise of a friend made me realize how less time we all have! Our days are numbered and our lives, uncertain. The person whom you expect to be around all the time may not be there when you next need them. Before you know, it might be too late. So, I want to break out of this shell I have built around me and spend more time with people I love. I want to create happy memories which, when I remember later in my life, will make me smile.

       So many wishes unfulfilled! Sigh! Well, I have decided. From now on, I will never postpone things for later. I will quit living in the future and start living in the present. That, I have realized, is the best gift I can give for myself.

PS: This post is a part of the #SecondChance activity at BlogAdda in association with MaxLife Insurance.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Is Compromise the only Solution?

       It was a few weeks before my interview. I was just a little nervous, for the obvious reasons. Cousins, who visited home used to give me tips to boost my confidence. It was one such occasion when one of my cousin had visited. After speaking to me about my plans and he left to speak with others. I was on my way out, when I overheard their conversation. They were in the adjacent room and were obviously discussing about me. I would have let it pass and went on my way, when I heard the person he was talking to mention my blog. I paused, wondering what it might be they were saying and strained to hear clearly. What I heard next made me wish I hadn't stopped.

       That person was telling my cousin how I have my hands full with so many things and as if that wasn't enough I waste all my time in useless activities like blogging instead of devoting my time to studies. Two words stood out for me - 'Waste time' and 'Useless'. How can someone call it useless. Sure, it wasn't that bad, was it? It felt like someone had punched me hard. My limbs seemed to forget the fact that they were capable of walking and I stood rooted to the spot, fighting tears. After what felt like an eternity, I slowly made way to my room, wishing to stay alone for sometime. Once I was alone in my room, I let the cool composure crumble and let the feelings take over.

       I was a bundle of emotions; I could hardly think straight. I took deep breathes to calm myself and tried to analyse the situation. Once I was calm enough to think, I tried to see reason in the whole conversation. Sure, it was an important phase in my life and carelessness would affect my future. But I was careful. I hadn't avoided my studies and devoted all my time to blogging. In fact, I had written considerably less at that time. But why the accusation? Was academics everything? Was there no place for passion? Did dreams mean nothing?

       It felt like deja vu. Years ago, I was made to choose. Initially I had resisted and tried to keep living my dream but soon the younger me had felt defeated. I had given up everything; all the hobbies I dearly loved and devoted all my time to studies, trying to play the good girl role. Though I was fine over time, I had missed a certain joy in life. Now, after all these years, I had picked up writing and my life was slowly getting back on track again. I was doing something I loved, something that made me happy. But why were they making me choose again? Was compromise the only solution?

       The answer came quickly - 'No!' The thought of giving up itself caused so much pain. So, that was not an option to consider. I was old enough now to take my own decisions. I knew the difference between good and bad. I knew how much it would hurt if one lets go of their dreams. I had done it once and paid the price. I wouldn't do the same mistake again! There was no studies 'or' blogging. There was studies 'and' there was blogging. I wouldn't choose one. I wouldn't compromise for anything this time. I wouldn't let words like 'Time Waste' and 'Useless' affect me anymore. I would follow my heart and work towards realizing my dreams; of this, I was positive.

PS: This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus.

Also linking this to the Write Tribe Pro Blogger Challenge.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

The Aryavrata Chronicles, Book 3 - Kurukshetra - Book Review

Title: The Aryavrata Chronicles, Book 3 - Kurukshetra

Author: Krishna Udayasankar

Publisher: Hachette India

ISBN: 978-93-5009-718-2

Number of Pages: 427

Price: 350 [INR]

Genre: Mythofiction

Blurb on the Cover:

War is upon the realm, but is Aryavrata prepared for what it will bring?

The empire that was Aryavrata fades under the shadow of doom. As a botter struggle ensues to gain control of the divided kingdoms, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa of the Firstborn and the Secret Keeper of the Firewrights both watch from the wings as their own blood, their kin, savage and kill on the fields of Kurukshetra. Restraint and reason have deserted the rulers who once protected the land and they manipulate, scheme and destroy with abandon - for victory is all that matters.

At the heart of the storm stands Govinda Shauri, driven by fickle allies and failed kings to the very brink of darkness. He may well be the greatest danger Aryavrata has faced yet, for he is determined to change things forever. Reforging the forsaken realm in the fire of his wrath, he prepares to destroy everything he loves and make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of one last hope: that humanity will rise, that there will be revolution.

In this spectacular, gripping episode of The Aryavrata Chronicles, Krishna Udayasankar's recreation of the world of the Mahabharata establishes her as a storyteller of formidable power and imagination.

My Review:

The book Kurukshetra is the third and final installment of The Aryavrata Chronicles. The first two books in this trilogy are Govinda and Kaurava. The first book 'Govinda' deals with Govinda's plot to destroy the Fire Wrights and make Dharma (the name of Yudhistira in this trilogy) the emperor of Aryavrata. The second deals with the after math of this; the dice game and the consequences that follow, leading to the big war. The third book, as the name suggests, is about the great war of Kurukshetra.

The story of Mahabharatha, though similar to the epic we have read, is still different in many ways. In the very beginning, the author writes "We are the stories we tell. The Aryavrata Chronicles are neither reinterpretation nor retelling. These stories are a construction of reality based on a completely different set of assumptions" Here, the characters are not divine. They are all ordinary people. There are no miracles; instead the author has given logical explanation to events which were termed miracles.

The story begins with Govinda's peace proposal, which is rejected by Syoddhan (Duryodhan). What follows is the series of events, where both the sides try to form allies with other kings, trying to expand their forces. Though they prepare for the war, there is still hope in everyone that it wouldn't come down to war and the other side would surrender. But when peace proceedings fail, it leads to the great battle.

I was waiting to see what form this war would take, as the author has mortalised all the characters. What would be the war like without the divine astras used during the wars? But by hinting that the arrows were coated with nitre, which caused such massive destruction during war, the author has managed this part brilliantly. The war takes the centre stage of the book and almost 200 pages is devoted to the 18 days war, but never once does the reader loses interest. The author has managed to narrate the whole story with precision keeping the reader engaged throughout.

The author has done justice to almost all characters, without letting just some dominate the whole story. Even Syoddhan has been portrayed as a Just ruler, who fights for what he believes is right - The Divine Order and their way of life. By showing compassion to Abhimanyu during the battle, he wins the hearts of the reader. On the other hand, Dharma fails to do so. Dharma was supposed to be all great but reading this book, one cannot stop themselves from harboring ill feeling s towards him. Reading about his reactions during war councils, his pushing Abhimanyu towards the chakra formation, even when he knew the chances of Abhimanyu returning back safe is almost nil, his behaviour towards Hidimbya and even toward Govinda; they all make you wonder if he is really the same Yudhishtira whose praises are sung with devotion! I didn't like this part of the book where Dharma was downgraded.

One more story line, which I enjoyed was that of Abhimanyu and Uttara. Stuck in a marriage which both weren't happy to begin with, there is a barrier between them which both fight to keep and break at the same time. But eventually, love finds its way. There is particularly one line which Uttara says to Abhimanyu "If a woman is truly your equal, prince, then there is no need to talk about it. The more you spout these declarations and postulates, the more you reveal the truth of the matter - that in your world, women are not equal to men, and so rhetoric to the contrary is required" It speaks volumes about Uttara's courage. One cannot help but feel the pain when Abhimanyu is so brutally killed later in the war.

There are many mytholgical incidents, which Krishna Udayasankar deals with reason. She has managed to give attention to even minute details, to keep the readers in loop as to why things are the way they are. For instance, when describing the war arrangements, she says there were different kitchens in each units and sometimes more than one in each sub unit. This arrangement was to reduce the risk of poisoning the army either accidentally or deliberately. A simple yet effective approach. It was easy to keep up with the story. Her writing is eloquent and engaging; her narration skills exceptional.

Here are a few quotes from the book that I loved:

• In every story, there are heroes. But it is not always the heroes who move the tale forward or do what needs to be done. There are others and their story is hardly told.
• True rebellion takes courage of different sorts. True rebellion takes letting go.
• No one person can save the world. But the fact that we all try, against all odds, is what the world is worth saving for.
• What amazing creatures we are, to carry this very essence of existence within us. Hope -  the undefined potential of all creation, the power of the creator itself.
• No one person is the cause for or consequence of all that happens. I am just the tenth man, the threshold, the turn in the tide. I stand here on the shoulders of humanity, a mere instrument of Time.

The book makes a great read. Without miracles and just logical reasons to support the events, it seems more believable. The pace is perfect, slowing down only when need be, without exaggerating anything unnecessary. I will suggest this book to all mythology lovers.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Things That Define Me

       The one thing I find toughest is to write the 'About Me' section. Let it be writing an introduction in a social media site, or setting up my profile in a new site, or introducing myself in a group or writing the 'About Me' section of my blog; I always find it hard. I would be happy to say 'Hi! I am Swathi Shenoy' and end it with that but I can hardly do that. Introductions are meant to let people know more about you and such introductions would have been easier if there were only few things that define me; few things to let people know who I really am. But that is surely not the case. Let me tell you why!

      I am a writer. I pour my heart out through writing. When I fail to express my feelings out loud, writing comes to my rescue. When there are things I cannot share with anyone, they take the form of stories. People read it as fiction but many of them are inspired by the things happening around me. When something good or bad happens, I have to write about it, else I cannot sleep peacefully! I am an introvert and writing is my Knight in Shining Armour!

       With writing comes, the interest in reading. And I am not immune to this. I am an avid reader. My day isn't complete if I don't read at least a few pages of a novel. Reading helps me live a different life in a different world altogether. How can I not love it? Here is a sneak peak of my library:

       I am a singer. It was my mom's dream to be a singer but she couldn't achieve it (Oh, she has a very sweet voice). So, I was sent to music classes since the age of six and I have always enjoyed it immensely. Music is the magic that can soothe your mind like nothing else can. I count it as a blessing to have been trained in this field.

       I love dancing too. Though I always wanted to join a dance classes, I never got a chance to. That didn't stop me from learning. I am a self trained dancer and a good one at that. I never missed an opportunity to step on the stage.

       I am an artist. I love sketching and painting. People who are regular to this blog know that. What started as just a small hobby to pass time, soon turned into a passion and before I knew, I was in love with it. Capturing the beauty of the world through my pencils or paint brush is something that I love a lot. Though I am a little slow at it, the satisfaction I get when the art work is complete, makes it worthwhile.

 

       It's not just the sketching and painting, I love crafts, stitching and Quilling too. I always keep looking for something new to make; painting on tiles, pots, glass, making something from ice cream sticks... anything. Whenever I see something interesting at my friends' or relatives' home, I bug them till they tell me how to do it.

 

       I am a cook too. I love experimenting new things. Internet is my teacher and I always keep trying new things. Oh, I promise you they are all edible. My friends and family love them, so I trust my experiments are good.

 

       I love sports too. I learnt Swimming, Volleyball, Chess and Karate when I was in school. I used to find it difficult to make time for everything but that never stopped me. They say 'When you want something, there will be no excuses. You will always make time for something you love' and I can't agree more to this. It has always been like that for me.

       Oh, I am a student too, currently pursuing Engineering in Computer Science but that's not all. I am an enthusiastic student in the journey of life, always eager to learn new things. My varying interests and the things I keep learning are a result of this enthusiasm.

       Does it end here? Not at all!! There are many more things that define me - I am a dreamer, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an enthusiastic traveler, a perfectionist and much more. But how can I explain all this when someone asks my introduction in brief? I fumble and stammer to get the right words. To say all these makes me feel like I am showing off. But trust me, that is not the case. It is who I am. Take out even a single thing out of the list and the introduction is incomplete. 

       I still remember an incident from my interview. The hardest thing for me was preparing my resume. I had tried to keep the 'interests' and 'achievements' column as short as possible. Still, during the H.R. round, I was asked "How is that you do all these? How will you manage your time?" I just smiled and said "It is because I love what I do" There, that is the answer. I love each and every thing of these activities and they as a whole, define who I am. But it is difficult to make everyone understand. 

       So, whenever someone asks about me, I just smile and say "A girl with lots of dreams" Now, doesn't that  sounds simple enough for the first time? So, ladies and gentlemen, that's Swathi Shenoy for you.

PS: This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus.

Also linking this to the Write Tribe Pro Blogger Challenge.

Until the next post,
Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)

A Foe Turned Friend!

       "I will be there in 10. Be ready, unless you want me to drag you there in whatever avatar you are right now" I smiled and hit send. I knew 10 minutes were no where enough for my darling Aliya to get ready; unlike me, she needed hours! No sooner had I kept my cell down, I received the reply "I hate you". That made my smile go wider. "My pleasure sweetheart. Now go before I change my mind and come right away" I had tried persuasion but when that had failed, I resorted to threatening which was working fine so far. Five years ago, I had never imagined that we would be best friends, let alone people who acknowledge each other! But things seldom go as we plan. As I sat waiting for her, my mind started taking a trip down the memory lane.

        It was the first day of college. I was a bundle of excitement and nervousness. There was excitement arising from the fact that I was no longer a school girl. 'College student' - those two words were filling me with pride and excitement. At the same time, there was fear - fear of unknown. New place, new friends, new routine. I had no idea what to expect. All my friends were in a different section and I was left alone, thanks to the language I had selected. I desperately looked around for someone. I needed to make new friends. As I looked around the classroom, my eyes fell on the girl sitting in the far corner, in the last bench. 'Ostentatious' is the word that came to my mind when I saw her. She was laughing with her friends and when our eyes met, she gave me a bored glance and sneered before turning away! It was clear she didn't like me and oh! The feeling was mutual. I knew we weren't going to get along. I might as well avoid her than to start a cat fight.

       But destiny had different plans. A week later, labs started and to my chagrin, we were made lab partners. By the looks of it, she wasn't pleased either. I had come to know that her name was Aliya. We tried to convince our lecturer to let us switch partners but it was of no use. It seemed like we had no other option than to work together. "Just keep your distance from me" she growled in my direction. I flinched. Apparently, there are a few people who just can't get along, without any particular reason. Guess we fell into that list. "I have no intentions of befriending you, your Highness" I replied sarcastically and that was it. Thrice in a week, we had to work together for two hours and those were the longest hours. Much of it passed without any conversations, save for the occasional verbal insults we threw at each other.

       Months passed and finally it was the last lab of the year. I would no longer have to bear the torture of sitting next to my enemy. I gave myself a hi-5 mentally. I was determined to ignore her for the next two hours but a soft sob made me turn towards her. She looked like a mess; her eyes were red and swollen, as if she was crying for hours and her cheeks were tear stained. I realized I was staring when she looked up from her hands and glared at me or at least tried to. "Are you OK?" I asked her, unable to stop myself. She didn't reply. "Aliya?" I tried again. "Just leave me alone. Will you?" she hissed. I didn't know what was the reason for the state she was in and my attempt to talk were not welcome. So I tried to focus on the lecture. When the lab ended, my friends caught up with me and I got to know the reason behind Aliya's behavior. Apparently she had a nasty break up. Her boy friend had called her names in front of their whole group before dumping her and all her friends had sided up with him, leaving her all alone. Gossips always spread at lightening speed. For the first time, I felt pity for the poor girl.

        A lot of things changed in the next few days. When I saw Aliya sitting alone the next day, her shoulders slumped in defeat as our classmates made fun of her, I just couldn't let it be. I dragged her from her place to sit with us. Her protests were weak; she already looked defeated. For the next few days, we tried to cheer her. It was a difficult job considering she was not ready to let go of the past and looking at her old friends made her cry all over again. But slowly, she learned to ignore them. I was with her when she needed someone the most. I don't know why I did that; it still takes me by surprise that I helped a person whom I couldn't even bear sitting with! But it was destined to be. She started opening up to me and I found out she wasn't as bad as I had expected her to be. We weren't anything alike; we were like the poles of a magnet but still, I had found a true friend in her.

       Lenka's voice brought me back to the present. My cell phone was ringing and it was Aliya. I looked at my watch and swore. I was 30 minutes late. "Down to earth madam. Where the hell are you?" she shouted as soon as I picked her call. "Arey, I am stuck in traffic. Will be there soon" I lied as I ran out towards the garage. "I know you are getting out of your home now. Just get here before I change my mind" she muttered something under her breath before she hung up. She knew me so well! Who would have thought she, of all people, will turn out to be my best friend, who would stand by me through thick and thin? I definitely hadn't! But I am grateful, all the same.

PS: This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. Also linking this to Write Tribe Pro Blogger Challenge.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)