Story of Three Hearts

Book : A Maverick Heart: Between Love and Life

Author: Ravindra Shukla

ISBN : 9789382473008

Pages: 383

Price: 195

Rating : 3.5/5

Something from the book  :

“As student and research staff – we have a busy schedule. Many of us have MBA entrance exams, job interviews and application for MS/PhD? Where is your priority?” Another question came from a group of students standing on the left the side of the hall. I could hear a murmur around the corners. The question of accuracy was not good enough; we were confused about priority as well.

“Thank you Sir for asking this. Let me ask you a very simple question…” I paused for a moment. My voice pitch rose. “If a girl gets shot in front of your eyes, will you leave her to bleed to death and go to write your exam peacefully, or will you run and take her to a hospital?” There was absolutely pin drop silence in the hall. “Where does your priority lay in this case?” A big applause followed after an eerie silence. I continued. “Do we still have questions on priority? My friends – This country is bleeding. Now it’s your call whether you want to act or just worry about the exam?”

Now a days when people see a book based on IIT or IIM and by an Indian Author the only thought that crosses their mind is, “OH NO, NOT AGAIN.” The same happened to me when A Maverick Heart – Between Love and Life was put up by Reader’s Cosmos for review. I went to ‘goodreads’ saw a 3.9 rating and said yes without a second thought. The book came, I read the synopsis, and must say I was impressed by the thought process put behind the book, but the mention of three friends and IIT campus had me half way convinced it was going to be another book inspired by Chetan Bhagat style campus story. And trust me when I say the book surprised me.

A Maverick Heart: Between Love and Life is a heartfelt story of three friends – Rahul, Richita ans Neerav. Rahul is an intelligent guy with the heart of gold, as many would say. He aims high and believes in social welfare. This idealistic self righteous trait of his forces him to choose between love, successful life and welfare of society and he chooses the later. He stays in India to fight corruption while his friends decide to explore life outside India.  

Richita a girl from an affluent background, a politically influential professor’s daughter rooted to her core Indian values, falls in love with Rahul. But her dreams and Rahul’s ideologies tear them apart. She chooses life over love, but when something is left without a perfect sealed closure it is bound to come out and haunt you and that is exactly what drives Richita’s story.

Neerav is determined rich guy next door character who would do anything for his friend Rahul. People assume success to be gifted to him by destiny, but he craves to etch his own name with his own ink.

The story is a long, over a decade long journey of these characters and has every bit of emotion needed. From friendship to love, dedication to determination, need and dreams the author covers all human emotions with equal fervor. The characters of Rahul and Richita are very well sketched while same can’t be said about Neerav. The story is almost believable and is much more than a campus story. The usage of current events in the world makes the story gripping and at the same time a lot of people can relate to the characters. The book is high on emotional quotient and makes up for its slow pace with it.

PROS:

1. The story is believable and not Bollywood oriented.
2. The character of Richita, makes your heart cry and care for her. Also believe in her devotion and love.
3. The friendship between Rahul and Neerav, made me count my friends and find a Neerav from my group. Neerav was my favourite character of the book by the way.
4. The clever addition of the anti corruption protests and the way the story was weaved around it was compelling.
5. The conversations between the characters are witty and a food for your thought at the same time. One such dialogue that got stuck in my grey matter – “Beauty lies in one’s heart and sex lies in one’s mind. It all depends on where your belief lies”

CONS:

1. The biggest flaw with the book was the sudden change of the tone of the book – from first person to third person. It not only did break the flow of the story but was a bit confusing and annoying.
2. Too much description of some event was unimportant and the book lost its pace because of that. The editing could have been more prompt and crisp.
3. Neerav – why was he not given more importance like Richita. As i said earlier I loved that character and wish he had more role in the story.

Overall the book was a promising read and a great first attempt by author Ravindra Shukla. The writer’s craftsmanship is undeniable with words and if you are a quotes fan, keep your highlighters ready cause your are bound to find many during the story. I would rate the book a 3.5, would have been an easy four if the first and third person problem was averted. Young readers and Chetan Bhagat fans will enjoy the book thoroughly. And people like me tired of campus stories – Pick the book to be surprised.

P.S.: This book review is a part of "The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program". To get free books log on tothereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

Forest Fires

Blazing demon guffaws at my petty existence,

As it roars to match the fervor of the winds.

A zephyr so cold, has been set on fire,

And floats, to my adobe, on acrid wings.

 

Spewing wrath, it swallows all the mocking fools –

The ones who laughed at my ground height talks;

But lost are they, with their haughty sight,

For now their ground is where Death walks.

I gaze at the night sky, now set ablaze,

As it lays the sepulcher of trees after trees.

Too numb to care, too scared to feel,

I just admire the beauty of the baleful beast.

The sun is coming, the fire all gone –

Shrouded in the ash of pride, I stand with some,

Left for worthlessness, to witness a sight

‘Cold fumes now rise from the pyre of my home.’

-Vaisakhi Mishra

p.s.-Image source google.

Castle of Cards

The castle of cards standing all up straight,

Amidst the battle of four kings, so naïve.

Each with a wife uglier than the other,

But shrewd are the Jacks that turn the game over.

Wilting cards, all one by one,

Sacrificed for their masters’ sheer fun.

But only a winner and only one king

Shall reign the realm, like forever they sing.

The mighty kings niche their aces

Just in time to triumph the crusade, when -

The spade plunges deep in the heart, O Red!

The clubs crush pride of the diamond so dread.

The black air thickens with the crimson galore,

All serving them for to see the other fall,

But little do they see the imp sneaking in -

O the Joker, let the havoc begin!

The castle of cards, trying hard to stand -

Lining up in pyramids tall for their kings;

Just then the Joker slips down its position,

 The castle crumbles down and then there were none.

Vaisakhi Mishra

P.S. - Image source - google...:)

Wave Of Despair

The chords of grief reverberating deep,
The rendition of sorrow, to which the Fates sway.
My frozen stone heart is now melancholy’s keep
As a wave of blue washed my life away.

The castle of memories is now ruins of past;
Home, a family, kins - now none remain.
A never fading gloom is now my sinking ship’s mast.
Austerity of nature left me under the unknown’s reign.

Pulverized future, all that breathes around is dark,
But it’s not just me; many have fallen in this trap.
Everywhere my eyes see the terror of death – stark!
Mocked are we now, by sympathy’s knife - edgy and sharp.

Like a phoenix from ash, I may rise again or may never;
But now on to the end, despair will be my pal forever.

- Vaisakhi Mishra

P.S. - The thought behind this poem was of 'a person who has lost everything in a tsunami.'

The Skittles' Lesson

Little bright skittles all packed in a room

With lights flooding white, switch on to a bloom

But little do they care for the sun’s tears of neglect,

Till Mrs. Skittle comes in and the Sun she selects.

Little bright skittles all washing their hands

One after the other lined, while the flowing tap chants

But little do they care for the thirsty dying crowd,

Till Mrs. Skittle stops the pour – ‘value water you cannot live without’.

Little bright skittles all huddle in an A.C. car

Happily turning up the internal wind that their closed windows bar.

But little do they care for the holes drilled above,

Till Mrs. Skittle opens windows and says – ‘Feel the Windy Adobe’.

Little bright skittles all litter the ground

Throwing chocolate and ice - cream wrapper all around.

But little do they know of the piling garbage hill on Earth,

Till Mrs. Skittle picks them up to limit the living land dearth.

Mrs. Skittle is the role model for all the bright young skittles

And shows the need to save the Earth, we dwell on,

And teaches them the right way of life;

Same like my mother did everyday all the time!

-Vaisakhi Mishra

I am sharing what 'I Saw and I Learnt' at BlogAdda.com in association with DoRight.in.

Nothing

Disclaimer:

This poem was written for IBL (Indian Bloggers League), organised by Write-Up Cafe. I represent Westerlies- Winds of Change, which is the West Zone side. This poem was selected as one of the best entries under the given theme by West Zone and hence has been submitted for contention at national level.

Heat, shine, all piercing bright

Fires engulfing, my world alight;

A building a road a playful ground

All I can see is strewn ashes around.

It's all an ordeal I wake to now

My life is in shambles, I know not how.

What have I done, where have I come?

Lost! I stumble upon the ruins of my home

People say anger steals all the light

But wrath of a woman – how do I fight?

Not one or two, but seven slay me.

Suspiring pleasure, leads me to a peccadillo spree,

Buried is my existence under spiders of sins

Just not small, but like a tornado spins.

The Satan tempted and blurred my sight,

Like a fool I followed, oblivious to the awaiting plight.

A sepulcher I carved for all I held dear;

The new wine in a bottle old, was more than I could bear.

The heat, the shine, the glamour, the wine

Pulled me into the darkness that no one could define

A life that shimmered in the galore of pride

Is now in dust on the path millions have to stride.

All who abandoned their indulgence free life,

Family and friends with some haughty strife -

The millions who crashed into the abyss of loathing

And now, like me, all are reduced to nothing.

-Vaisakhi Mishra

P.S.:  the theme was--> There are 10 ingredients given below. Each team has to come up with 3 writeups (Short story or poem). Each writeup should contain any 3 of the total 10 ingredients available. Each of the ingredients should play an important role in the story. Please note the same ingredient cannot be used in more than one writeup.

Ingredients:
1. An orphan
2. A building on fire
3. An old metal box
4. A wine bottle
5. A reclusive billionaire-vigilante
6. An angry woman
7. A Superhero
8. A dead tiger
9. A recurring memory
10. The final minute ( of my life )

I selected 

elements 2 - A building on fire, 4 - A Wine Bottle, 6 - An angry woman

The Homing Pigeons : Review

Title: The Homing Pigeons

Author: Sid Bahri

ISBN: 9380349912

Cost: INR 150/-

Pages: 318

Rating: 3.5/5

A Part from the Book

They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

A book someone asked me to read, a book sent to me by Readers Cosmos and a book I was dying to read since last week but was unable to as I was travelling. But no matter what I finally did manage to scoop out sometime this weekend to finally pick up the book and feel it. ‘Feel’ because this book is about relationships and relationships need to be felt and not just read. The complications, friction, complexities and need of relationship, all narrated so well in the book ‘The Homing Pigeons’, by Sid Bahri, that once you pick the book maybe you won’t feel like putting it down till the very end.

The story revolves around the complicated lives of Aditya and Radhika. Their stories move parallel to each other in the book but their life gets entwined aptly to give the phrase – the homing pigeons the perfect meaning.  A distraught victim of recent recession, Aditya – fired from his job, living off his wife’s job and money and living with the unwavering support of alcohol, meets a girl named Divya on one of his ‘date with alcohol’ nights. And she topples the entire structure of his present life in bizarre way. In some close by part of the world, Radhika, a wealthy widow, marries off her estranged step-daughter Meera, and is finally anticipating the power of freedom she always craved for and maybe has it finally, but does she? Saying more about the story would be like giving you a lot of the story and many would accuse me of being a spoiler, so I rest my share of the story sharing here. To know more Pick Up A Copy of this compelling tale.

The story is about love. And many would agree with me when I say ‘Love’ has always been a archetypal theme in the world of fiction and all kinds of love stories have already been narrated in various forms around the globe. What makes a love story stand out is the way it is narrated and this is where Sid Bahri wins his first points. Even though in the beginning I wasn’t very impressed with the way the story went, half way through the book I could connect all dots and see an amazing picture being sketched. The end of the book undoubtedly is kind of over the top, and inclines on the plain of Unrealistic Bollywood stereotypical drama but the way that leads there is pretty convincing. And as its always said most of the time the journey is better than the destination, follow this line and you won’t be disappointed.

Pros:

•   The narrative of the book is fresh and compelling and easy to relate to. Don’t give up on it after skimming through the first few pages.
•    Language used is simple and hence can be a good book to start with even for non readers.
•  Characters are simple and staring out of our world.

Cons:

•  The end seems unrealistic and a lot inspired from Bollywood stories.
•  The climax lacked the strength and impact it needed to have.
•  The plot has a tinge of over the top track to it and may not be accepted positively by many avid readers.

Overall the book is a quick read and makes you believe in Love after everything. And mature readers and people who hunt for a reason and philosophy behind life would fall in love with the book instantly. Since this was my first read of any book by Sid Bahri I would like to rate the book as a 3.5 on 5 as there is always scope for more.

This book review is a part of "The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program". To get free books log on tothereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

Rising of a Dead Moon : Review

Author - Paul Haston

Publisher - CreateSpace independent Publishing Platform

Paperback & EBook - 238 Pages

Ratings - 4/5

The book is currently free to download on goodreads.

 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16139541-rising-of-a-dead-moon

It can also be purchased in either hardback or kindle on Amazon.

The Indian company for Amazon is Junglee (www.junglee.com).

The Amazon link is here:
http://www.amazon.com/Rising-Dead-Moo...

 
Rising of a Dead Moon is all about a seventeen year old Indian girl whose life has been oscillating between being Usha-Nakti and Usha again. The book set in the British colonial time, focuses on the plight of a young widow who is blamed for being inauspicious when her husband, three times her age passes away. She is shunned by the society and her miserable fate does not abandon her no matter where she goes. Her journey from the girl who rejoiced in the lap of her father, listening to stories, to the girl escaping the sati pratha and fleeing to Africa in search of her father is a gripping one. You feel for the girl and feel rage beyond words at the people who treat her inhumanly. You wish to see her smile when she is treated like a person by Dr. Hitchcock and J. Rothwell and feel the pain when they have to move on leaving her with the authorities.
 

Pros:
1. Amazing narration. The book fast paced.
2. Getting a lot of historical facts correct made the story flow.
3. Playing with readers emotions and easy character involvement grip the readers till the end.
 

Cons:
1. A bit too sad for my taste.(Sorry)
2. The ending, well, it could have been so different and maybe better. It actually reminded me of Water by Deepa Mehta.
3. There is a reference of praying to Brahman, the universal one. I felt that reference was wrong. Brahmans are supposed to be the highest caste of Hindu society and they are the ones who used to get the first right to step into temples in olden times. No brahman can assume the title of god or a prophet. The god I feel the god who was being referenced in that section was Bramha.
 

Over all the book was a good and very fast read but too sad for my taste. I would give the book a 3.5/5 but I was pleased with the amount of work put into the novel, the correctness of most historical references and being from Orissa, the reference of Jaganath, Puri made me really happy. So I would rate the book a 4/5. Contemporary readers will surely love the book.

A Mother's Prayer

Disclaimer:
This poem was written for IBL (Indian Bloggers League), organised by Write-Up Cafe..  I represent Westerlies- Winds of Change, which is the West Zone side. This poem was selected as the best poem of West Zone and hence has been submitted for the final round.

The scent of orange blossoms dances, with you, in the air.

O my sweet, my light in despair

Your smile weaves my pleasant days

Your cry paints everything gray

The clatter of your playful self, innocence undefined,

The sweetness of your gentle words – Love purified.

I sing for Gods to shower bliss, of all that men claim;

‘Cause you symbolize a love so deep, it’s out of Aphrodite’s game.

Dancing on the rosy cloud of love she roams around

But little does she understand, of the strongest love on this ground.

A passion undying that rules the world, the love of a mother for a child

But all she sees is the love that sways, the shrewd two edged Knife.

A ray of hope, A lullaby of love,

That is all I sing to you, my dove;

A prayer to the Goddess of love,

To seek you a man

From the dreamy land,

Who sees the passion beyond the seas

And loves you more than if he were me.

-Vaisakhi Mishra

Fates

The happy faces is what we see

But underneath lies a truth so grim,

For tresses of darkness engulf it all,

The faint smile of life lays stark, in a hole.

They come out of nowhere and pull you in,

They make you rejuvenate on chords of sin.

Wicked the religion, that’s for the beautiful thugs;

They weave gauge and cut, that’s their pleasure drug.

They sting the strong, they kiss the weak

For life is a game and that’s all they seek.

You walk and chatter, you dream, you frown,

‘Cause these puppeteers make you dance like a clown.

Clotho spins her spindle glazed,

Sloven Lachesis has the measuring blade,

Atropos slits the golden thread,

And the soul is taken to Hades’s gate.

Just a marionette for the time being-

Waiting for the flicker in candle of wit

Or to render some tremendous feat

And Fates will make you their favourite keep.

-Vaisakhi Mishra