Salvation of a Saint

Yoshithaka is seen dead in his house on a weekend. A brilliant CEO he was… A man who was longing for a baby he was… A loving wife he had…

Yet he died!!! A murder or a suicide? If it was a murder, who did it? This forms the rest of the story named Salvation of a Saint penned by Keigo Higashino of The Devotion of Suspect X.

Detective Kusanagi with his able team containing Utsumi and Mamiya along with the help of Professor Yukawa takes up the onerous task of solving the mystery surrounding the sudden demise of Yoshithaka.

To begin with I had high expectations. After all, it is just a year since I read and reviewed the author’s first book named The Devotion of Suspect X. That story was mysterious and carried a puzzle that was very difficult to solve. Yet as readers, we knew who killed who.

And the beauty in this story is that in this story also we know who killed who only, yet the author has maintained the element of suspense throughout.

Though Yoshithaka is killed very early, we get to know more about him as the story unravels. He is a man who longs for a family… Blood relations rather. His obsession towards making babies is well justified. Yet, we also wonder why he is so businesslike. As Kusanagi thinks, we also think what Yoshithaka thinks about women -  a baby factory?!

Ayane comes across as devoted wife. She is calm and collected throughout. The shades of her characterization are contradicting. Yet, we feel convinced. After all, none of us are completely white or black. We are all shades of grey and so she is!

Hiromi is someone heavy weight at heart. She undergoes a thorough dilemma of whether to regret or not. The series involving investigation makes at laugh at times. After all, she is asked the same question again and again. We can only empathies her situation.

Regarding… what question was repeatedly asked… Well, I have no answer for that. You better grab the book and it yourself.

Yes. You heard it right. You can indeed go for the book.

The book is an assured page turner with twists and turns. It shows us the various shades of each character. The narrative is swift and involves lots of conversation. Hence, we never feel bored. We just feel as a silent spectator letting the detectives do their job.  

There are limited characters and hence we could empathize with each one of them. As readers, we can understand what they are going through and what led them do what they did!

There are around 370 pages. It is a kind of book that will force you complete it in one sitting. A masterpiece indeed! The author is promising and looking forwards for more from him. And yes… I hope that the author gives more mysteries to detective Kusanagi to solve.

In short, it is a gripping tale. The plot is impeccable and puts across a perfect crime.

What are you waiting for? GO FOR IT!

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

Missing my Mommy

“Hold my hands”, she said

I did and walked beside

Through zebra crossing

I see zebra cross

Recalling my childhood days

Missing my mommy

As a part of Haiku Challenge on Zebra Crossing

She Evolved!

She knew what she want

Although a youngling she was

Determined, driven.

She listened to heart

Yes. Writing was her passion

Ah! She tried and tried

Ah! She tried and tried

But she failed miserably

Yet never gave up

She observed and wrote

Verses... Poems... Stories... All

Wow! Thus she evolved!

Wow! Thus she evolved!

Recognition followed

She remained grounded

As a part of Haiku Challenge on Youngling

Beads of Tears

Beads of tears

Escaped her eyes

Pain was in her heart

She didn’t know how to restart

She stared at the velvety sky above

An unknown fear started to grow

A soothing touch is all she wanted

But from whom; she felt abandoned

That was when heavens tore

And cried along to console

As the chill liquid touched

She smiled as if tickled

The liquid then kissed her

Embraced her

And drenched her

Beads of tears

Escaped her eyes

Happiness filled in her heart

As a part of One single Impression

Business Sutra

In India, we are habituated to the process of growing up listening to stories. Panchathanthra and Aesop fables are the ones that children are exposed to at school. But till then, it is always mythological stories.

When a lady is pregnant, everybody asks her to read mythological stories. They say that the baby in the womb can hear what is being read and said. They refer to Abhimanyu of Mahabharatha fame who learnt to decode Chakravyuh when he was still in mother’s womb!

Ans since the baby is born, he/she is exposed to a wide variety of mythological stories. You should be naughty like Lord Krishna… Be an obedient child like Lord Sreerama… Should not desire other’s wives like Ravana… Good will always win over evil… All is fair in war as depicted in Mahabharatha… Love should be unconditional and without expectations like Meera’s… Parents come first as showcased by Lord Ganesha…

And so much more… So much more!!!

We are brought up listening to such stories… How the life should be led is taught through mythological stories. We are told that somebody is always watching which makes us think twice before doing anything.

In short, we understand life though such mythological stories. We are taught not to question its authenticity. We are asked to take the good things from it and follow it with faith.

Devdutt Pattanaik takes that seed of belief a step forward in his latest book named Business Sutra. How to conduct ourselves in a corporate environment is what is dealt in book.

The first few pages in the book are very slow moving. The author details a little too much elaborating what he is trying is convey through the book. He has elaborated too much that we feel bored. It further tends to look preachy almost like a classroom lecture.

Once you endure that pain given by the first few pages, the best part of the book begins. The diagrams used makes the concept easy to understand and interesting. Most of the explanations startle us because we have always come across those in our day-to-day life yet went unnoticed.

The last few pages are really swift. It narrates a portion of some mythology and goes further explaining what can be learnt from it in a business angle. I liked this portion of the book most. It gave a chance to refresh our memories on such mythological stories and at the same time see the same in a different perspective.

In short, the concept of Business Sutra is unique and extremely relatable. It is a new way to learn about the wide range of religions and the Gods around us. 

The book has about 450 pages and being a non-fiction it invites boredom most of the time. Go for the book if you like to read Managment books and non-fictions.

I liked the book because of the following reasons:

1.   It is penned by an Indian author!!!

2.   A different and unique attempt

3.   A relatable concept and a welcome excuse to refresh the mythological stories we already know

4.   The book binding is very sophisticated. It makes the book more serious and formal.

5.   The pictures.

So happy reading!!!

And Blogadda… Thanks for being so generous. I am happy and elated!

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

A Lifelong Friend

Identical twins

Others confused. Who is who?

But Mom and dad knew

Yay! They enjoyed it

Together they born and live

And a lifelong friend

PS: My 550th post... Woohoooo!!!

As a part of Haiku Challenge on Xerox

Killer Smile!

When you go and stand

Near humongous waterfall

Water sprays on face

Water sprays on face

And it gives a childish joy

Even your heart smiles

Even my heart smiles

Whenever you near me, love

With that killer smile!

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Waiting for that Day...

She opened the folder named “My Dream” in her laptop. She carefully did Control+C and Control+V of the recently modified word document and renamed it as “My 161^st Dream”

She sighed as she put on her reading glasses.

She knew how he looked… How she looked… How they all looked… She knew everything about them…

She edited it here and there. It was past midnight when she put the laptop on sleep mode. As usual, she went to her book shelf and touched it. She envisioned a book penned by her adorning there.

She waited patiently for that path-breaking day… 

Written as a part of Friday Fictioners

Will you come back?

Hey! Will you come back?

Like volcanic eruption

And let your love flow?

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Sinned

“Go. I disown you”

Said father; He was angry.

As she had eloped

She was angry too

"But what sin I committed"

She asked with tears

Oh! He trusted her

And she didn't regret it

Isn't that a sin?

As a part of Haiku Challenge

May be Waves Loved them

They went to see waves

The mighty waves swallowed them

May be waves loved them

As a part of Haiku Challenge

You Never Leave Me

You love me so much?

Because you never leave me

Always stand by me

And then you follow

At times you scare me indeed

Still I love you lots

And I will miss you

When I am left in darkness

Without your presence

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Twilight

Together

We walk hand in hand

In the midst of crowds

Little steps we take

In love we are!!!

God! Love is making my life beautiful

Hey! Or is that you making it beautiful?

Totally in love with you. Love you!

As a part of One single Impression 

Ramp Ready Hair can be Real!!!

A healthy and shining hair is every girl’s dream. And change of hair style will bring a complete makeover to the way she looks. A haircut or hairdo is capable of bringing a huge change to her appeal. These days a wide range of products are available in the market for making the hair more manageable.

Till a couple of decade before oil and some home-made shika was used. Later on, people started using shampoo. Now, more and more people are ready to use to mere shampoo and conditioner. Girls of today’s generation perceive that use of oil is old fashioned. They believe that it is difficult to style oily hair. In such a scenario, market is flooded with many hair styling products. The advertisements and promises made are very attractive and so attractive that it makes the customer feel totally confused.

And I was no different. With a semi-curly and unmanageable long hair, I was in look out for a good hair styling product too. During such a time, I came across a contest conducted by Indiblogger in association with TRESemmè. I jumped and applied for the sample.

When I received the products, I went through the interactive TRESemmè India Youtube channel. The video was very informative. It gave a detailed tutorial on how to wash hair and apply conditioner. That was very helpful. Later on, they put forth nine different hairstyles.

And I liked…

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-wfauTnCqk

This is because I am fond of braids. Braids are easy is manage; more so when hair is semi-curly (wavy) and long. The fringes that I have acquired through recent haircut would come handy too.

My obsession with braids runs in my blood I think because all through my school days, my mother used to make two plates. And since college, it has been either one sided braid or pig tail.

The beauty about braid is that there are different forms to it. One of my favorite one is fish tail braid. It is as given below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrE-lrStGA

So all of you beautiful women out there… Its time for ramp ready hair…

Evoke the star in you…

Give competition to the dazzling stars…

PS: I heartily thank Google for all the wonderful pictures that I have used here. I really wished to take my snap and upload. But my traditional upbringing made me think twice. But let me tell you TRESemmè rocks!!!

Written as a part of TRESemmè Ramp Ready Hair conducted by Indiblogger 

Young Forever!!!

Body may grow old

But our little  brittle heart

Stays young forever

Stays young forever

That's how evergreen heart is

Just like rosemary

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Reach Heights Together

Dear, Can you hug it?

It means you love me a lot

She declared to him

She declared to him

He tried wholeheartedly

But alas! He failed

But alas! He failed

She joined him from other side

And hugged the minar

They hugged the minar

Together they can reach heights

They realized. Wow!

As a part of Haiku Challenge

She was no Different!

She looked at the image again. She had to write a micro-fiction based on it. So, she gazed at it. The pebbles attracted her attention.

It conveys a deep meaning, she thought. There were many pebbles in it. But anyone would notice the golden pebbles only. That is why it is imperative to be different.

Each one of us is different physically, mentally and emotionally. Yet, we try to be like others. We strive to follow others and please those around us. In that process, we lose our originality. We lose ourselves.

She sighed. After all, she was no different!

As a part of Friday Fictions

Don’t Ignore Him!

He is human too

He also breaths… Eats… Sleeps... Dreams

Please don’t ignore him!

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Wake up and Love

Look around

And smile

It’s time to spread happiness

And make everybody feel special

Wake up

And love

It’s time to shed your ego

And let your loved ones feel your love

PS: I loved the prompt which by itself is very poetic. 

Written as a part of Poetryblogroll

Can Owl be a Pet?

Is it possible?

Harry Potter amazed me

Can owl be a pet?

As a part of Haiku Challenge

I Can't Sing!

Oops! I envy you

Oh yes! My dear nightingale

Because I can’t sing!

As a part of Haiku Challenge

I see a Soldier...

I see a soldier in you…

When you mind your business

And know your morals…

When you live

And let live…

I see a soldier in you…

When you understand all are equal

That no one is superior or inferior…

When you let her free

And don’t limit her World…

Oh yes! I see a soldier in every man who minds his own business… every man is a soldier when he understands his mother and sister. Because, from that moment he  will start thinking from the shoes of the women he encounters in life.

Now, I look around with a smile. I walk with confidence and travel alone. I go out when the mighty Sun has moved to the other side of the World. I live my life midst of a humongous crowd. I still live with confidence. From where I got this confidence, I wonder. May be because of the trust I feel towards fellow human beings. I believe that they will not harm me. I believe that they will not hurt me.

In spite of this confidence and trust, I see women being brutally subjected to many ill-fate. Some men make use of their good heart. They betray her. They hurt her. Some hurt her physically. Has anybody yet forgotten what was done to Nirbhaya. There would not be a girl who would not have shuddered on hearing her story. But, that is only one of the incidents. Everyday there are hundreds of women who are brutally harassed and raped.

Some would argue that a girl should never step out of the safety of her home. She should not go out at night alone. Some may blame the dresses she wears.  But, what is your response for the recent rape case reported in Delhi? A five years old girl is raped. Her age is such that she would not even have understood what was done to her. Now can we say that she would have worn revealing dress? Or that she was provocatively playing outside? Or that she passed her innocent smile to the stranger?

The next issue that we face is that of domestic violence? Silent tears of such women still linger in the air we are breathing now. She is trapped not only within the four walls of her home, but also within the mesh of social injustice. She cries silently not because she is fragile, but because she doesn’t want to hurt anyone – Not even those who prick her heart.

A woman's life is full of challenges. She rises with the Sun and does everything possible to take care of her family. Then, she goes to workplace and competes with men who carry an ego that they are the bread winner and hence will not do any household chores. I agree that such an attitude is less fierce in the mind of today’s generation. But, it is still there. After slogging at the workplace, she works further to ensure that her family is well fed and taken care of. In this process, she faces challenges. At home, workplace, road… And almost everywhere around! But she never flinches. She faces all these challenges with a smile in her face. She never once complains.

Even today, lots of debates are going on to prove that men and women are equal. But I doubt if I would agree to it in entirety. Think about it… Procreation is one of the biggest responsibilities entrusted on women. She gives birth to the World. Yet she is looked down at. Many believe that a woman is weak.

What point am I trying to drive?

Well, men and women are living in harmony since the day human being was created. They have come a long way to compare. The World knows and it is also scientifically proven that men and women are different; physically, mentally and emotionally. Instead of men blaming women and vice versa, it would be wiser to accept each other as they are.

And I see a soldier in every man who accepts women as they are. She may cry. Not because she is weak, but because she is bold enough to acknowledge her weakness. She may question you a lot. Not because she is inquisitive, but because she wants to ensure your well being. She may not be as fast as you are. Not because she is a dunce, but because she thinks before acting.

Therefore, I see a soldier in every man who takes care of her… Understands her… Doesn’t harm her… And stand by her… Every man we encounter in day today life is a soldier as long as he doesn’t hurt her.

And I thank all the unknown men who have let me live…

All those unknown men who has let her live

Those men who has let us live!

This post is a part of #Soldierforwomen in association with BlogAdda.com

Its Thank You Time!!!

“Behind every successful man, there will be a woman”

How many times have we come across this quote? And I wonder why nobody says that there will be a man behind every successful woman.

This post is a part of #Soldierforwomen in association with BlogAdda.com

I will Jog!

“I promise”, she cried

“I will rise early and jog”

Nobody believed.

On the next morning,

On seeing the morning mist

She slept again. Ouch!

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Withered Lily...

While cleaning the room

She found out something special

A withered lily

Her eyes welled with joy

It was a gift from her love

When he said, "Love you"

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Semi-Curly Hair!

Straight hair…

Straight hair…

Straight hair…

Straight hair…

STRAIGHT HAIR

STRAIGHT HAIR

STRAIGHT HAIR

STRAIGHT HAIR

As I grew up, my obsession for straight hair also magnified. Yes… I was obsessed with straight hair. It is very easy to manage and there are wide varieties of hair styling options available. Ah! How I love it when the fringes kiss the cheek. How stylish it would be to casually (though rehearsed umpteen number of times) move those strands of hair away from face.

How awesome it would be to let the hair loose? It would be great to let the hair dance to nature’s orchestra. And oh yes! Pony tails… I just love them. It gives chic look and goes with any type of dressing. A straight hair makes you a chic… You always look neat and well-groomed. Even a bad hair day can be excused by saying, “This is my messy hair look” :P

Think about it… Straight hair makes anybody look better.

i.                     Do you have pimples? You may hide them by leaving a few fringes on your cheeks. It would camouflage your flawed skin.

ii.                   Do you have high forehead? You may cut hair on the front.

iii.                 You don’t have any jewels that go with your traditional dress? Why don’t you leave your hair open? Nobody would notice that you are not wearing any danglers or chunky necklace. Wow! Some money saved there, isn’t it?

iv.                 Ouch! Did you find out just now that you have forgotten to carry kajal with you? Or even worse, you open your gel kajal and realize that it is over? Don’t worry. You can let the fringes fall on your eyes. Now everybody will be so busy on evaluating your lustrous hair that they would not care to notice that your eye make-up is missing.

v.                   You can save time! You don’t have to braid hair… choose matching ear-rings… You don’t even have to wear make-up!

Hey ram! You can do so much. A straight hair can even make you a ramp walk model straight away. You may grow it really long or keep it short; so short that the hair rests at the earlobe… The kind of style done to Kajol in Kush Kuch Hota Hain (In the first half of course)

Straight hair… A wish that can never be fulfilled!

Of course, I can straighten it any day… But naturally straight hair never fails to awe me. If God appears in front of and asks, “My loving devotee, tell me one change that you wish to bring in your life”, I would not think even for a second. I would say right away, “I want perfectly straight hair!”

And, if I could meet God by any chance, I would ask him, “Dear God… Why didn’t you give me my mother’s straight hair? Why did I get my father’s rough and unmanageable semi-curly hair?” No… I am not going to correct myself… Some call it wavy hair… But I call it Semi-curly hair. If it was curly, I would have been happy. May be because of the rhymes taught in nursery… “Curly hair… Very fair”`

But here I have a hair that is neither curly nor straight. It is so unmanageable that I have to braid it all the time. I am forced to use at least half a dozen of hair pins. I can never do a deep U cut… V cut or layered cut. Ho! Fringes remain as a distant dream!

And on one of those bad hair days, (For me every day is!) I came across this contest hosted by Sunsilk. I applied for the sample and waited for the same to arrive at my door step. And on the evening when I got it delivered.

And what did I do after that?

I opened it… The violet color reminded me of the color of poppins for which we fought for as kids… I opened it and the smell reminded me of some candy I had eaten during my childhood… The violet color looked unique… I was scared to experiment with a new shampoo. Not because I have a great hair. But because it is already too unmanageable Yet, I tried it on my hair… I first used the shampoo… And then, the conditioner.

WOW! I am amazed. The hair seemed to have become soft and manageable. The waves of my hair looked more subtle. That evening, I went out with a pig tail. Yes. You read it right. For me even a pig tail is a great achievement. With a waist length unmanageable semi-curly hair, even that seemed to be a distant dream earlier.

In short, I am super satisfied with the product. I don’t have any regrets. Who knows, on account of the shampoo I may fall in love with my hair and start flaunting it! I might even proudly say that I have a rare breed of hair called wavy hair. What say folks?

Thank you Indiblogger and Sunsilk!

 Written as a part of Lock Karo! RockKaro! Hosted by Indiblogger in association with Sunsilk