Her Poetry

Her love was nothing but words

She was never as good as his kin

She was never on top of his list

She only wanted that house
She never cared at all for him

She was just a wrong choice
The one he had to put up with as his wife

But when she left this life
She left him her everything

That car they fought about
The house whose ever it was
Even the non-existant dreams

But with a love filled heart
She left him a precious thing

'Cause that is all she had
She left him her poetry


Just words...
...as he always said.

A Spider Web

It was a dark night
The wind blew gently
We walked along with no one else in sight.

Light fell on the path way 
Highlighting all it's nooks and crannies.
And then we saw it,
a huge spider web!
Not one bit in the wind did it sway.

It started from the branch of a tree
And ended all the way down on the street.

With the spider in light
Taking advantage of the night
We took out our phone
And clicked this strange sight.

That path is now lost
The little spider's world
Memories of that not so-special night
Haunt my thoughts day-in and day-out .

That night when we last walked
On that lost footpath.

A Suicide Attempt

A Suicide Attempt

It took a lot of courage

As I sat by the window sill

My last note in one hand

And a bottle of the dreaded pill

I gazed outside my window

To the bird in the mango tree 

This could be my last time ever 

When I would sit on my window sill

I was about to pop in, 

Not one or two, 

but the entire bottle of that pill

Alas I am terrible at gulping anything

To myself, at that point I said, 

Should have bought some syrup for sure instead! 

For my journey to the other side,

How could I get some silence?

When the bird had decided to flutter its wings,

In all its craziness!!!

It knew what I was up to, I think,

And decided to ruin my plans. 

Little did it know why I was so sad, 

And only a little courage for this I had had. 

It flew mockingly straight at my hand 

I fell down the window sill. 

But into my room instead of out 

And hurt badly, my knee. 

I knew I was saved that day 

Even though I did not feel free 

But save it did from a courage-less act 

That little bird in the mango tree

Book Review - Grey Skies by Rohan Dahiya

You are young, rebellious and feel that the world moves around as per your wishes - WRONG! - the world moves as it deems fit, life always has a plan of its own. Rohan Dahiya has tried to capture the essence of this reality through his book Grey Skies.

Grey Skies - Rohan Dahiya

Rohan Dahiya is an artist turned writer who has tried to capture the nuances of different relationships.

Grey Skies talks about the life of two sisters, Eliza and Amy. Both the sisters move out of their parents house in an attempt to 'find' their life, but, return back to the town where it all started after seeing the reality of life.

The narrative is good, you want to read on at a fast pace as the characters are built up.

Going Mobile For Your Mobile #MyAirtelApp

Do you use your smartphone as much as I do, I don't know but if you do or if you plan to and you have the Airtel connection then read on!

I moved to Airtel a few years ago because I was unsatisfied with the operator I had. And it was a good move for sure. Slowly my entire family moved to an Airtel connection. While a few members of my family continue to use a postpaid connection I also slowly shifted to a prepaid one as I found it more economical for the type of usage I have. The only drawback was keeping track of my mobile balance and making sure I had enough data in my pack to stay connected.

And then came the Airtel Mobile App. We are in a time space where ease of doing things is of utmost importance. So when your world is coming into your hands through your smartphone, its always smart to keep your mobile 'mobile' in the sense that it has enough balance to help you stay connected at all times. So, I downloaded the app (actually my father insisted I try it out since he already has it on his phone and tablet).

The application has a super simple interface and the three reasons I think you will benefit from using the app are:

Book Review: The Last Ten Percent by TGC Prasad

How many of you have stopped buying from a brand because of poor customer service? How many of you have gone the extra yard to buy from a particular brand because you know that you will get complete support right till the end?

The Last Ten Percent by TGC Prasad talks about that last ten percent which is left out by companies and their employees when they service a customer. That last step that makes all the difference. The book is an interesting read. TGC Prasad talks about his real life experiences and case studies where he has seen both ends of the spectrum.

Book Review: The Last Ten Percent by TGC Prasad

It is interesting to read through the stories of brands like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Nestle - who have established themselves across the world as leaders not because they have something unique to offer but because they have the customer at the heart of everything they do. Their uniqueness actually lies in that extra mile that they are willing to go to ensure customer satisfaction.

Kapil Sir Kya Hai Ye #EkNayiLeague

I know a lot of us go a bit crazy when it comes to cricket. And there is no dearth of fans of the great Mr. Kapil Dev. So when he joined twitter @therealkapildev and announced his #EkNayiLeague - the world went crazier. What is this Nayi League that Kapil sir is coming out with? A lot of people are playing the guessing game trying to figure out what this is all about. Mr Kapil Dev will be revealing it on his twitter account soon but until then I decided to play detective and figure it out myself. And to take some hints I decided to watch and hear what Mr Kapil Dev has to say to some celebrities about his Nayi League (*takes out the magnifying glass and goes hunting for clues*)

He says that celebrities would fail if they played his Nayi League with their heart - 'dil se khela to hit wicket' - so first guess - its a game of some sort! And if you can't use your heart you must need your brain - so this has to be some sort of competitive game - right?

He talks to Dhoni about his retirement plans - narrating his own case and his chat with Mr Devanand. Kapil sir tells Dhoni never to retire, "kabhi nahin kabhi nahin" warning him that his 'Nayi League' is very different where even Dhoni is going to be hit-wicket if he plays with his heart. He talks about how well Dhoni has led the Indian team. Is this game going to have teams playing against each other? Maybe!

Kapil sir feels very proud of Yuvraj Singh and the fact that he was offered 16 crores. Kapil sir is proud that finally sports in India is also getting monetary returns like it does in other countries. Hmmm... so there is money involved - this has to be a show with a huge jackpot at the end.

Kapil Sharma aka Bittu (my favorite host on the comedy show - Comedy Nights with Kapil) is also addressed. Mr Kapil Dev tells Bittu that he loves the way Bittu throws a googly at his guests and how his entire show is about connecting at the heart. But again Bittu is warned that he will not be able to survive the Nayi League if he plays with his heart. OK, so this show is not only about cricket or sportsmen. If Bittu is going to play, it has to involve celebrities from all fields of life.

So let me summarize my guesses so far and see if we can conclude something meaningful:

1. Its a game show
2. There are big prizes
3. Its going to be played by celebrities
4. It can't be played with your heart - so you need your brains for sure!

I think #EkNayiLeague is going to be a quiz show that will be shown on television. Mr Kapil Dev is going to be the host and the prizes are going to be huge. It might have teams of celebrities competing against each other!

This is my guess, if you think it is something different you can leave your answers on the website http://www.eknayileague.com/ and you could actually win Rs 1,00,000!

I do  hope my guess doesn't turn out to be ridiculously off track!

Together - The Power Of Two

How many of you agree that no matter how hard we try to be optimistic, some days just suck the hope out of us and try to put us down. We start losing hope and boom! all the negativity seems to drown us in a jiffy. On these days the love of someone special, the time spent with your best friend or a walk with your loving pet makes a huge difference to how we feel.

Together - The Power Of Two

We have all heard that one plus one equals eleven - essentially saying that the strength of two people together is far higher than two individuals.

I'm sure you would remember as a child when you did not do too well on a particular exam; coming back home and talking it over with your mom would just make all the tension go away. Then at times when someone would irritate you too much at work - just spending quality time at home, relaxing over a movie or snuggling with your partner would make the world seem like a much better place. Together two people have the power to chase away each other's fears, worries and troubles.

No matter how bad the situation seems, when you lose hope someone else can fill it up for you. When you think all is going wrong, someone else's hope can shed a little light on your darkness. At work if your boss hands over a complex problem to solve, try and talk it out with a friend or colleague. A lot of times simply talking it out will show you the path you need to take. A lot of times the other person acts like a punching bag and before you know it your troubles seem to disappear into thin air. I remember a lot of times one of my friends at work would call me over to discuss some issue, and the moment he would explain the issue to me, it would all just unravel in-front of him and he would be able to solve it himself. All I had to do was listen. All I did was be there, it was the power of togetherness that worked.

If you face a dilemma in life and things seem to be going nowhere, take the time to talk to someone. Even if you can't tell them all your problems just spend some quality time with them. If nothing else your mind will feel relaxed. And once your mind is relaxed you can think more clearly. This helps you gain your optimism, it helps you see the brighter side of life, and who knows you might just have a solution to your most worrisome problem.

Together we are one

Alone you stand

Together we can run

When life seems low

Hold me close

Alone I live

Together our life glows

Build a place where you can be together with your loved ones with the help of https://housing.com/

*image source http://www.allpilgrims.org/

Book Review: 10 Patients by Wasim Mohideen

Life can seem like a struggle at times, lost love, a critical illness, ungrateful boss; everyone of us can come up with at least one example in our life where we feel that life has treated us unfairly. There may be many of us who actually feel disheartened to such an extent that we simply stop living. Yes we are alive but we forget how to live.

10 Patients by Wasim Mohideen is a compilation of 10 different stories. Wasim Mohideen is a doctor and these 10 stories are real stories, stories of his patients who have shown him that we are greater than the miseries life throws at us. Its a book about 10 glorious lives of people who have faced the worst and yet decided to live their life with full gusto.

Book Review: 10 Patients by Wasim Mohideen

Each story introduces a different patient. Patient names have been changed to maintain confidentiality but the book lets you peek inside 10 lives that are bound to make you sit up and forget your own worries. The stories will make you feel sad and yet show you that your attitude towards life makes all the difference.

Time To #StartANewLife

How many times in life have you felt stuck, stuck in your life path due to fear of change? You are in a banking job but always wanted to be a musician but you can't take the plunge because of fear. You want to buy that new apartment in the adjoining city but you can't because of fear of a new place, fear of losing the things you have become accustomed to in your current surroundings?

Change does not necessarily have to be for the bad but yes accepting change can be a challenge. As a teenager if you've had your heart broken by someone you truly loved, moving on must have been the toughest thing you have ever done because accepting that change is heart wrenching. But life moves on, life has to change because time keeps changing. What life presents you now was not the same as yesterday and won't be the same tomorrow.

I have been challenged by life a lot in terms of change. As a child I had to change a lot of schools because my parents moved across countries due to their job postings. I still remember that feeling of fear each time I had to join a new school. The school was different, the people were different and to top it all even the predominant language in the country was different. Making friends is the toughest thing for me and yet here I was every couple of years trying to start a new life. But as I have learnt from all my experiences, each change in your life teaches you something new. It molds you into the person you are supposed to be. Its your journey on the path of life towards your destiny.

Through the various teaching methods in my different schools I learnt to adapt. I learnt to understand different pronunciations that people had even for the common English language. I learnt a lot of new skills like wood working which I would have never otherwise attempted. And most of all I made friends from different parts of the world. I am still a reserved person by nature but my level of acceptance for different cultures has grown. The entire change each time brought in a new maturity in me as a person.

Till date life keeps throwing its changes my way. At that point I have two options - one is to succumb to the pressure, to the fear and hold back, the other, and the one I choose, is to smile and say "I can do this". Its just an attitude shift which makes the whole difference. Life is to be lived every moment, so forget about tomorrow and make the most of your today, your present!

Consider change as a sign of improvement, a sign of moving forward. Change to  a better you, change for a better life for you and your family. Housing.com aims to change the way we look at housing for ourselves. Check out their video to know more.

So now looking back at the days that were, what is that one change that life threw at you and you accepted it only to realize that it was the best thing that ever happened to you?

*image src: http://quoteimg.com/

Book Review: A Tryst With Money by Samar Vijay

A Tryst With Money: An account of our journey with money to an unknown destiny

Book Review: A Tryst With Money by Samar Vijay

Finance impacts our lives whether we like it or not. We all know 'money' as the undercurrent of all our transactions; whether its paper based money or a swipe of the credit card, money has a place in our lives.

Samar Vijay is a financial expert and his writing exemplifies that. In 'A Tryst with Money' he aims to narrate the journey of money from its inception. The book talks about a lot of facts and is very educative in those terms. The story is woven with fictional events and the author aims to make us aware that we are treading along a path where money has an unknown destiny. 

For me the book was like an encyclopedia on money. With no financial background I liked reading up on how money evolved from the initial barter system to minting of gold and silver and finally copper coins. It talks about the impact that money had on the big power houses of the world or rather how different power houses came into being. Money and its impact on our entire history is chalked out.

The book also reveals and cautions us how money is used by its creators to exploit the common man. It tries to highlight the fallacy that money is the answer to all our problems. Money was always a means of exchange where both parties traded equally but with tables turning towards one side corruption has ensued and weaved its way throughout the world. 

If you want to learn about money, become educated about its history or just want to get a peek into how things evolved, grab a copy today HERE

Look Up - He Is With You Always!

Hope is the basis of all successes. How do we get hope? How do we think with optimism when all around things seem dark and gloomy. I don't have a personal story to tell where hope changed my life because for me each day and every struggle becomes something of the norm because I keep the hope in me alive. A lot of us are scared by situations that life throws at us. We might be faced by a difficult exam, an illness or something as awful as losing a loved one. There are times when one feels like why life has to be this way.

The answer to all our troubles lies in our belief and faith in God, the Almighty. Have you seen a little kid look-up when she prays? There is something very serene in noticing a child pray. She doesn't pray with any fear but complete trust that the one above is listening. This is the faith that gives you hope. 

By nature I'm a very worried soul, whenever a loved one travels I'm constantly inquiring where they have reached. No I'm not possessive just worried, terribly worried that something bad might happen. But slowly I am trying to build up my faith in Him so that whenever I look up I know he is looking down at me, he is with me, and that he is doing the same for all my loved ones.

If you want to live a life of optimism here is a small exercise you can do, whenever you get up in the morning sit up, close your eyes and thank God, thank him for whatever you have. Thank him that you are breathing, thank him for the comfortable bed you slept in, thank him that your loved one is sleeping healthy next to you in bed. Thank him for giving you the day that is about to begin and say that you trust him for all the good that the day has in store for you. After this small exercise smile as you open your eyes. 

At first this may seem a little weird, some may even feel like its a stupid thing to do, but slowly over time you will begin to genuinely appreciate everything that you have in life. You will also begin to see why you don't have what you don't and why it was never essential in the first place. You will be able to face every problem that you face with a deep sense of optimism because you will understand that everything in life has a reason. Each good that happens is to life you up and each bad is a lesson that makes you stronger.

In science we are taught Newton's third law of motion - Every Action Has An Equal And Opposite Reaction - this same principle applies to our life. When we think positive we send out waves of positivity into the Universe. Slowly this positivity starts returning to us from the Universe. You remember Shah Rukh Khan's famous dialog in Om Shanti Om - 'Agar tum dil se kisi ko chaho to poori kayanat bhi tumhe usse milane mein jut jaati hai' - its the same principle he talks about. When you give out love  you get back love. When you thank the Universe for all it has given you, it gives you more.

So next time you feel disheartened, hurt or just sad about something or because of someone - look up - thank the Almighty for everything that is going right, thank him for being there for you, tell him to show you the right path, and in your heart trust that there is something good hidden in all the bad that is happening in your life. After all every night has to end when the sun comes out. Look up with optimism and hope and soon life will look up for you!

(This post is my attempt at spreading positivity - housing.com envisions a world fill with positivity - let's hope one day our world would be a world of goodness in all forms!)

Book Review: Orphans of the Storm by Ravi Dhar

Hi friends, today I am sharing a review on the book Orphans of the Storm by Ravi Dhar.

Ravi Dhar has a PhD in English from the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India and is a well traveled man. Orphans of the Storm shows you glimpses of different states of India as it takes you from the Kashmir valley to the migrant camps of Jammu, from Nagaland to the city of Delhi.

The novel talks about the life of Kashmiri Pundits and specifically of Siddharth the protagonist. Ravi Dhar is a Kashmiri Pundit himself and the plot surely reflects touches his own experiences woven in.

Orphans of the Storm starts off on a very sad note, I had a hard time getting through the first few pages. Siddharth is left devastated when his entire family is torn out of the Kashmir valley due to the militant attacks. While his sister is raped and battered to pieces, his mother and younger sister are left in shock after being beaten badly. His brother is missing and his father, the most reputed in his place, loses everything and is finally forced to move out to the camps in Jammu.

Siddharth works hard educating himself while at the same time trying to help his father build up a means of living from scratch. Siddharth moves to Nagaland after getting selected as a lecturer at the state university. The story moves on with bits of love and heartbreak thrown in. And then the murder of the Dean change Siddharth's life for good. With a ray of hope he finally moves to Delhi and the story ends with a happy ever after beginning as he finds the love of his life.

Orphans of the Storm turns out to be an intense debut novel. You can get a copy at flipkart.com for Rs 170

Happy reading!

Book Review: Simply Complicatd By Shreya Prabhu

So I finally got back to reading something and this time I picked up a book called Simply Complicated by Shreya Prabhu. 

Simply Complicatd By Shreya Prabhu

Simply Complicated is a story that revolves around 5 young adults who have just stepped into the world of complications that every young adult faces - thinking of advanced studies, finding a job, and the worst of all - unrequited love.

The two main protagonists are Aastha and Sameer. Aastha has had a traumatic recent past and Sameer stood by her like her knight in shining armor during all the turmoil. Aastha can only trust Sameer but, Sameer loves Karuna. 

Karuna is fighting her own battle trying to ward off a forced marriage proposal in Bangalore while she continues to long for support from Sameer in a long distance relationship. Sameer and Karuna cannot imagine a future without each other yet they have never discussed about marriage!

Aastha's best friend Padmini is in a relationship with Rahul since a long time. Padmini and Rahul are like two sides of a coin, totally inseparable despite their fights, mistrust and break ups. Padmini is having a hard time forgiving Rahul for letting into temptation with another girl while Rahul can't understand why Padmini is so possessive.

In a plot that takes you through the lives of Aastha, Sameer, Padmini, Rahul and Karuna I felt like I was inside an Indian version of the famous TV sitcom Friends. There is never a dull moment while reading the book and Shreya does a good job of helping you visualize every moment of the story. A very believable story which most young adults will be able to associate with, Simply Complicated is a nice read.

If you want to purchase a paperback version or the e-book you can do so at flipkart.com (Rs 135) or from http://www.amazon.in (Rs 110). The kindle version is also available for download from amazon

You can watch a trailer of the book in the video below that talks about how life is Simply Complicated!

This is Shreya's second book and now I am all eager to pick up her first book - Another Chance at Life.

*PS: affiliate links