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Wednesday 29 July 2015

Story of Acceptance

(Image Source: here)

One day
I sat by the lake
All with myself
In search of companionship
And for a little introspection.
A kingfisher flew by me
Whispering a little hello
I smiled and then sighed
Feeling how lonely I am.

That day
Something extraordinary happened
I desperately searched for a companion
And became one myself.
Yes! Solitude is lovely
It taught me to befriend myself.
The gates of conversation opened
I talked to me
About success, failure, fears and insecurities.

On that day
I noticed how hard I've been
Insensitive, cruel and uncaring to me
During my failures, downfalls and anxieties.
A drop of tear escaped my eye
No! I won't be harsh anymore
Towards my best friend, ME.
I will embrace her; accept all her flaws
Love is acceptance, after all.



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Sunday 26 July 2015

Separation!

(Image Source: here)

Ever gazed at a crimson-orange leaf?
You can find plenty of them in autumn
Beautified by agony
Darkened by pain
The pain of separation
From its treasured home.

Ever watched a rain-washed desert?
You can see the longing in those sand grains
Soothed by rain
Pining for one last caress
The fear of separation
From its unpredictable healer.

Ever stared at the eyes of a bereft lover?
You can see a thousand emotions somersaulting
Whispering every unsaid word
Reciting the chapters of an incomplete story
The scars of separation
From its beloved counterpart.

Linking this poem to Poetry Pantry

P.S. I am also including the cover of a Hindi song that I made recently with this poem as I feel that the beauty and pain of love and separation can be found in the song. 


Wednesday 22 July 2015

Symphony of Unity

(Image Source: here)


The palpable, mellifluous harmony
Spread all over the Nature
Is the symphony produced by unity;
A melody like mother's lullaby
Mother Nature smiles.

The calm sky, the beautiful breeze
The flowers, birds and butterflies
Never cross each other;
Look how pretty is their harmonious coexistence!
Mother Nature beams.

Between those civilized humans
Can you get the stench of disharmony?
Neither they are in sync with each other
Nor they are in sync with Nature
Mother Nature turns her face away.

Tears of grief, anger and despair exist
The smile of harmony is nowhere;
Disunity and discord mute off symphony
Making room for conflicts
Mother Nature weeps.

Linking this poem to Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Unity
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Monday 20 July 2015

Unknown yet Known (Flash Fiction)

Finally, she has found the address of her solace. When loneliness and depression doesn’t let her write or sleep at night, she quietly plugs the earphones in her ear and starts watching his videos on YouTube. His magical voice accompanied with his guitar placates her and makes her forget everything that torments her in this world. She waits every day for him to upload a new cover on his channel. Without knowing him, it seems that he is the closest to her.

(Image Source: here)

He wonders how she could write exactly those words that he longs to hear from someone close to him. Her words soothe him and ebb down all his restlessness. Her words make him feel that he is not alone. Whenever he is not singing, he finds himself visiting her blog. He resides there someday for as long as three hours, reading and re-reading her. Uncanny how, she never seems unknown to him despite the fact that he doesn’t really know her. 


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Wednesday 15 July 2015

Paper and Pen

(Image Source: here)

Vulnerable beyond measure
Locked in the arms of Mister Despair
Who has no plans of leaving me any soon!
I look hither and thither
In search of a weapon
Oh! How powerless I feel.
I halt at my desk
Watch a blank paper summoning me
Whispering words only I could fathom.
I grab a pen in a jiffy
And start scribbling hastily
Emptying all my thoughts and emotions.
With every word that I put on paper
I gather yet another sheet of power
Which finally drives Mister Despair far away!


For me, power is writing. Whenever I write, I feel that I can conquer every demon, be it fear, anxiety, sadness or loneliness. Anne Frank has rightly said "I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." 

Linking this poem to Poems United Midweek Motif ~ Power
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Tuesday 14 July 2015

Celebrating International Author's Day with a Giveaway

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The International Author's Day gives me a splendid opportunity to thank the author who has been my guiding light, my savior and my teacher since many years. I really wonder how his books exactly had those things written that I needed to hear, that I needed to learn, that I needed to grow.

Well, I am talking about none other than the international best selling author, Paulo Coelho who has shaped my life hugely through his books. I have 11 of his books with me and some of his books, I have read more than thrice. 

I was wandering aimlessly in my life in 2011 when I came across this book called Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It was written on the book cover that it is a fable about following your dream. I got attracted to these words and started reading the book, one lazy weekend. That was my first meeting with this author who taught me the importance of dreams. He helped me realize the deepest desire of my heart. Writing a book was a dream residing in the innermost chamber of my heart. But, reading Alchemist gave wings to that dream and taught me that if a person wants something from the core of his/her heart, the entire universe conspires to bring it to him/her. Soon, I realized my true calling when I started chasing my dreams.

I got inclined to spirituality, started believing in souls and soulmates in a wider context by reading Brida. Manuscript of Accra is one book which holds all the answers to the questions asked by a restless heart. I return to this book whenever I feel clueless.

When I read By the side of River Piedra I sat Down and wept, I learnt how to see the amazing in everyday. Veronika Decides to Die made me ask myself if life is always worth living and what is the importance to live life gracefully. Eleven Minutes made me dive into an unflinching exploration where the author has showed that sex and spirituality are closely related. 

If I start talking about all his books, then this post will be almost 5K words long. So, instead, I would like to share some inspiring and profound quotes of Paulo Coelho.

"So I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you" ~ Alchemist

"The two hardest tests on the spiritual world are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter" ~ Veronika Decides to Die

"No one loses anyone because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it" ~Eleven Minutes

"Love is not to be found in someone else, but in ourselves; we simply awaken it. But in order to do that, we need the other person. The universe only makes sense when we have someone to share our feelings with.”~Eleven Minutes 

"Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering.” ~ By the side of river piedra I sat down and wept.

"The secret of life is to fall seven times and get up eight times." ~Alchemist

"Many times the wrong train took me to the right place" ~ Aleph

I would like to thank Paulo Coelho for writing such masterpieces and enlightening me with his books.

Okay, now after thanking my favorite author in International Author's Day, I would like to thank my readers for supporting my work always. I have a giveaway for my readers ~ a signed copy of my book. 



She is a successful author, a loving wife and the world's best mom. Her doctor husband dotes on her, her teenage daughter idolizes her and her readers yearn for her writing. Shouldn't all that respect and love make her happy? Yet, she is devoid of inner peace.
 In the wee hours of the night, her slumber is disturbed by horrifying nightmares. All her harmony is abducted and lost amidst the bunch of hidden letters kept in her cupboard. Those letters were written long back by her cousin,presently a patient at a mental asylum in Kolkata. 
Haunted by her inner demons and tired by the long-time secrecy, she decides to put end to her misery by surrendering to her husband and daughter, The Hidden Letters. . . 
Will she lose her husband's love and daughter's respect? Can she forgive herself for her own selfishness which rendered her cousin's fate malignant? 

If you want a signed copy of my latest book The Hidden Letters, then do participate in this Rafflecopter Giveaway. You need to follow some simple steps and it will take just a minute. In case you have already read the book, then do spread the word so that your friends can participate in it. You can check the reviews of the book in Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please Note: The giveaway is open only for the residents of India. If you are a winner, then you will get a mail from me on 19th or 20th July. All the best! :)

It was my absolute pleasure to be a part of the International Author's Day blog hop hosted by Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay.



Monday 13 July 2015

My Musical Nights

"I wait for the moon to inject the earth with rosy slumber
As I know you would embrace me with even greater passion this night"


I dedicate these lines to my magical and loyal companion, Music who makes my nights soulful, melodic and bearable. Being a writer, I have this habit of working till late night, especially when I am sitting with a manuscript. Night is the time when words flow smoothly from my pen and music make it even better. I sit with my laptop dealing with the life of my characters and music in low volume fills the ambiance of my room with ecstasy. In those moments, I feel life is a bliss.

Being an over thinker by nature, there are many nights when anxiety, loneliness and uncertainty grasps me, making my pen stutter at frequent intervals. This is the time when again, music makes it all bearable. It inspires, it placates, it makes me feel that life is such a beautiful celebration...celebration of love, celebration of friendship, celebration of joy and also the celebration of pain. Therefore, we have songs of all flavors because all these flavors together forms the enigma called life and needs to be celebrated.

Had we not been blessed with this human life, we wouldn't have been privileged to soak in the magical allure of music. I am going to share one of the playlists of my musical nights in this post. 




Before taking a look at my playlist, watch this video. The quirky moves of Alu Arjun and Anushka Manchanda will surely make you laugh.

Okay, now coming back to my playlist, here are some of my favorite songs that fill up my musical nights. Take a look:



The first song is Tum hi ho from Aashiqui 2.
I have really lost count of how many times I have heard this song till date. May be, over 1000? Well, can be. The incredible vocals of Arijit Singh mesmerize me every single time. 




The second song that features in my playlist is Nadaan Parindey of Rockstar. The lyrics and the music of this song takes me to a different world. What a song sung by the legend A.R Rehman and the amazing Mohit Chauhan!




The next song is Tujhe Bhula Diya from Anjaana Anjaani. The starting music of the song accompanied by Shruti Pathak's voice singing Naina lagiya baarisha just spreads all over me and Mohit Chauhan's vocals just take this song to a different level. This is one of the songs that had remained etched in my memory, ever since I had listened to it for the first time.




The fourth song on my playlist is Subhanallah from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. This song makes a huge smile appear on my face, every time I listen to it. Be it the Ranbir-Deepika chemistry in the song or the melodious voice of Sreeram, this song always alights my musical nights.



This song "Tum hi ho" from Rockstar sung by Mohit Chauhan and Kavita Krishnamurthy is definitely one of the most romantic and soulful songs that I have listened. This song has stayed with me always.



The sixth song in my list is Sun Saathiya of ABCD 2. This is my latest favorite song which I keep humming a lot these days. The perfect dance beats and the mellifluous voice of Priya Saraiya makes it quite a loved song.



The song Jiya re from Jab Tak Hai Jaan fills me up with a lot of adoration and love for myself. A very lively, peppy song that makes you fall in love with life and with yourself. And yes, I love the video too!



This song Dil ne tumko chun liya hai from Jhankar Beats reminds me of my high school days. The silky voice of Shaan, the melodious composition and the romantic lyrics always fill the ambiance with a lot of mush.




The Journey Song of Piku is so fresh, optimistic and beautiful that it always cheers me up, whenever I listen to it. The vocals of Anupam Roy and Shreya Ghoshal creates magic!

Music always rejuvenates us and makes us value life. So CELEBRATE MUSIC, CELEBRATE LIFE!

I really enjoyed making this playlist. Hope you enjoyed listening to it too :)

“I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity atBlogAdda in association with Colgate MaxFresh

Saturday 11 July 2015

Stupid! I hate you (Flash Fiction)

After tussling with her mind for more than three hours, Naina finally decided to make that call to her best friend, whom she has lost in the hand of misunderstandings, some eight months back. They never talked after that. None of them even tried talking to each other. When hurtful words hit our psyche, they ooze out tears which cause more pain than blood. She knew it was neither of their fault; it was the situation which was faulty. 

(Image Source: here)

Life kept her extremely busy and one day, when she finally cleared the clutter, she could see her missed connection. She did not just lose her best friend that day; she also lost her brightest smile along with him. With tears and a pulsating heart, she dialed his number. The phone rang and rang for what seemed like eternity, but no one picked the call. “He would never talk to me again”, Naina mumbled. She felt the ground slipping beneath her feet when a message popped up on her mobile screen.

Stupid! I hate you.

Naina could feel her brightest smile returning back to her face and she ended up giggling. 



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


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Friday 10 July 2015

Stay fit, Stay healthy with Honey Diet

It is true that we all fall prey to the temptations of junk food, especially in winter. Therefore, when the need to shed those extra pounds knocks at our door, we tend to choose the crash diet instead of adopting a balanced healthy diet. Let us see the difference between a balanced healthy diet and a crash diet.

Balanced healthy diet

A balanced, healthy diet provides us with all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals that are required to keep our body healthy. Here are some of the most important benefits of a balanced healthy diet:

·        A balanced healthy diet helps us to lose weight in a healthy manner. This diet generally comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains along with smaller amount of dairy products.
·        A balanced healthy diet boosts our immune system. As a result, we will be less susceptible to diseases and infections.
·        A balanced healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease by keeping the blood pressure in check.
·        A balanced healthy diet also keeps us energetic throughout the day.

Crash Diet

Crash dieting can surely help us to lose weight quickly, but in the process, the overall health of our body gets affected.

·        Since the body doesn’t get the important nutrients in a crash diet, fatigue and weakness occurs frequently. 
·        Crash diets offer temporary results. The moment we would stop the crash diet, the weight loss would make a rebound.
·        Nutritional deficiencies occur in a crash diet as it is not at all a balanced diet. Major important food groups are excluded from the diet which affects the overall health of the body. It results in poor immunity, which can make us susceptible to several illnesses. It also results in depression.
·        Moreover, crash diet cannot be continued for more than a week.

Instead of this dangerous thing called crash diets, switch to Dabur Honey Diet which is a sweeter and a healthier alternative. Honey is a magical creation and its health benefits are plenty.

You should start your day in a healthy way by having a spoon of Dabur Honey along with a glass of warm water. This would help you to lose weight.

Honey is a wonderful source of energy and therefore, starting your day with a spoon of honey will keep you energized throughout the day. The best thing is that now, you can use honey in a variety of food items. You can get plenty of honey recipes such as honey chili cauliflower and honey fruit salad by the famous chef, Vikas Khanna at http://www.daburhoney.com/. The food items are both healthy and tasty.

Honey also acts as a great substitute to sugar. Honey would also keep your digestive problems at bay. Honey works as a magical medicine when a person has a throat infection, cough and cold. Lastly, honey is also known to provide beautiful and glowing skin because of its nourishing properties. Now, which woman doesn’t want to have beautiful skin along with shedding those extra pounds?


Therefore, without much delay, embrace the Dabur Honey Diet and gift yourself a healthy body. A healthy body is the foundation of a healthy mind and a healthy life.  


Thursday 9 July 2015

UC Browser for Cricket Fanatics

In the month of July which is the birthday month of two of the best Indian cricket captains, MS Dhoni and Saurav Ganguly, all I can think is cricket and only cricket. Well, what else can you expect from a cricket fanatic like me?

I remember I had my graduation final year’s exams during the World Cup, 2011 and yet my mind was all absorbed in the cricket field. I can clearly remember how I used to plead my father to let me watch the matches. After a lot of pleading, I was allowed to watch only the batting of Team India.

Thankfully, I was allowed to watch the Final match of India vs. Sri Lanka after a lot of pleading. But when Sri Lanka gave a huge target to India and India was losing its important wickets in the initial few over, Dad sternly said that I should better study without wasting my time on this. Heartbroken, I opened my notes and kept my ears glued to the radio live score update until the tables turned. Chances of India’s win increased with every over and that winning six of M S Dhoni…who can forget it? Right! So many memories wrapped up with the little word “cricket”.

Students and job holders often find it tough to stay tuned to the cricket matches which continue for an entire day. Their only hope seems to be the radio, but now, there is wonderful good news for all the cricket fanatics like me. UC browser had especially taken care of the sentiments of cricket lovers in India and created the UC cricket. Hang on! Don’t get confused. I am here to explain it all.

UC Browser is a very fast browser which can help you to surf anything, anywhere at a great speed. It is easy to use and it is really fast. With seamless transitions, this browser makes surfing a pleasant experience for all. However, the best thing about UC browser is that it features UC Cricket which is an exclusive space created for the cricket lovers. UC cricket can connect cricket lovers to the ongoing matches, anytime anywhere. Isn’t it cool?

Now, you don’t have to stress about your college classes or work hours when an interesting match is going on. You can enjoy the match easily, without any hassle, escaping the eyes of people. If you have exams and you are stressing about how to convince your parents, do not worry. You just need to download the UC browser on your phone and head to UC cricket.

It’s true that cricket tempts us like nothing else. It tempts us to skip work, bunk classes, cancel family functions and even postpone a date. But now with the help of UC cricket, you can stay tuned to your favorite cricket match always. Thus, you won't miss out the important things of your life such as classes, functions, dates and yet you can stay tuned to the cricket matches. With UC cricket, you can create the perfect balance in your life. Therefore, no worries, only smiles for all the cricket lovers out there!
Cheers!

For more information on the same, visit  http://www.ucweb.com/. You can also check the video below: 



Wednesday 8 July 2015

Frozen Night

( Image Source: environment.arizona.edu)

The pitch dark, frozen night
Looks tranquil on the surface
Howling underneath;
Beautiful with countless stars
Or arduous with innumerable tears?

The charcoal black, frozen night
She sits on the bed, crying
Music playing in the dim-lit room;
Ghosts of her past
Putting up a romantic show.

The long, desolate, frozen night
Nostalgia like broken glass
Slits her heart and soul;
Her tears forsake her like a betrayer
She is left numb with night, her only companion.

This poem is written for Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Night

Saturday 4 July 2015

Sunshine Award and Some facts about me


I have been nominated yesterday for the Sunshine Blogger Award by one of my dear blogger friends, Deeshani. First of all, thank you so much Deeshani for the nomination. I am truly honored.

Do check out her blog for some beautiful poems and thoughtful articles that will surely impress you to the core. So, now Deeshani has asked me a couple of interesting questions that I would be answering in this post.

1. Tell me about your proudest achievement.

Ans. Well, my proudest achievement till date is being the author of two books, namely Walking in the streets of love and destiny and The Hidden Letters. Although I know that I have a long way to go and I am not going to rest unless I write at least a 30 books in this lifetime, seeing my books lift up my spirit always. No matter how down or depressed I am, one look at my books and I get all charged up. They are my creation, my babies, my identity. I know that even if I die suddenly, I will live within the pages of my books.

2. How much time do you spend blogging?

Ans. I try to write at least 2-3 posts per week. And I also read the posts of my fellow bloggers whenever I can afford the time to write a new post. So, on an average, I spend 7-8 hours a week in blogging and going through other's blogs.

3. Do you believe in destiny? Why/Why not?

Ans. Oh yes! I totally believe in destiny. Some time, you have to just leave things on destiny. Destiny can surprise you in ways you could have never imagined even in your dream.
       Well, if I consider my life, then destiny has played a major role in shaping things up. I was studying Microbiology Honors in my graduation and thought that I would perhaps be a professor or work in a laboratory. Writing a book was just in my bucket list, the same way snorkeling or paragliding was. I never knew that I would become a writer and that without writing at least a 3K words every day, I can't sleep. 
     After completing my graduation, miracles literally started unfolding in my life. I came across a person, who made me realize my inner calling, that I was born to write. That driving force made me take writing seriously and here I am now, the author of 2 books, working on my next manuscript and also working as a content developer. So yes, I totally believe in destiny. 

4. How do you evaluate success?

Ans. For me, success means being happy with what I am doing in my life and how many lives I can touch through my work. When readers who are absolute strangers send me an email saying that my book(s) made a difference to their lives or they could identify with the happiness/anguish of the protagonist, I consider myself successful. 

5. Have you been an inspiration to someone?

Ans. Yes, many people have told me that I have inspired them in some way or the other. Some aspiring authors have told me that I inspire them to chase their dreams whereas many of my friends have told me that my resilience inspires them. It's always an overwhelming feeling to know that you can inspire lives around you.

6. What is the most difficult part of the writing process, according to you?

Ans. I have a super fast mind which keeps weaving stories, characters and incidents. But, I don't get that much time to put all the stories conjured in my mind on paper. Like, I am working on my 3rd manuscript now, which is a psychological thriller, but my mind has already thought about the plot of the 4th book. So, I have to discipline my mind and tell it to concentrate on the 3rd manuscript.
     So, the most difficult part of writing is self-discipline. As you don't have a boss who will nag you to finish it on time, you have to do it yourself.

7. Tell me about one interesting and one frustrating thing about blogging.

Ans. The most interesting thing is that you can read works of so many people around the globe. It's always a pleasure to find like-minded people whose words resonate with your thoughts.
     The most frustrating thing is the yearning to be regular and yet you cannot always, as you have other work commitments. And not to mention, plagiarism is the most frightening thing in the world of blogging.

8. What's the best thing a blogger can give to his/her readers?

Ans. Great content that is short, crisp and yet thought provoking. Who doesn't like to have a good read after a dull, tiring day? I follow some blogs which I visit regularly just to have a good read for a few minutes.

I really enjoyed answering these questions. Hope you enjoyed reading them too. 


Rules


  • Thank the person who nominated you.
  • Answer the questions from the person who has nominated you.
  • Nominate some other bloggers for this award.
  • Write the same amount of questions for the bloggers you have nominated.
  • Notify the bloggers you have nominated

As per rule, I would like to nominate a few bloggers for the Sunshine Blogging Award. 

1. Sachin  2.Simran  3. Sunaina 


Question to Nominees

1. When did you join the blogging world? Did any incident/person inspire you to do so?

2. What is the best lesson that Life has taught you, till now?

3. What is the role that blogging plays in your life?

4. If you had a time machine, would you prefer revisiting your past or visiting your future? Why?

5. Which is your all time favorite book that you can never get tired of reading?

6. Do you believe in letting go or holding on?

7. Share a hilarious incident of your life.

8. What are your thoughts about my blog?

P.S. Dear nominees, I would be waiting to read your answers, with bated breath. 

Just learnt that one of my favorite bloggers, Shweta has also nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. And now I am grinning from ear to ear. Thanks dear. Do visit her blog without failure and you will surely be enchanted by her words :)


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Thursday 2 July 2015

The Gypsy Girl


Amidst the bitter monotony of life
The hustle-bustle of the same city,
My heart silently yearns for freedom
To be liberated like the eastern wind;
I long to abandon all worldly strings
And live as a gypsy.

The snow-capped mountains summon me at dawn
My feet tickles to walk over the mustard fields,
Rains of faraway land sings me a lullaby
They tell me to merge tenderly with Nature;
I cry for a chance in life
To live as a gypsy.

I wish to go for long treks in the day
Jot down my experiences in a tent at night,
Learn great lessons, meet instrumental people
Make Life my teacher and Nature my guide;
I yearn to spread my wings
Hear them call me the  gypsy girl.

No emotional baggage, no attachment
Only living life in the present moment,
Dancing in the hills gracefully
Singing with the waves gleefully;
That's what I want to be
A bohemian, a gypsy girl!

This poem is written for Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Freedom