A Kiss before Goodbye
October 30, 2012 44 Comments

She came like a mild breeze,

a dash of mist and drop of dew

on green leaves.

One fine morning, she crossed my path

I stared at her, all in awe, mesmerizing aghast.

Her countenance was a foam of snow
sailing in her deep blue eyes so dark
her beauty was skin deep.
She was mystical, magical and class apart

"Beautiful", I told myself
"Vivacious", her eyes spark
I was drawn to her
with dreams of sweetness
a sweet surrender in my walk.

I moved ahead
I moved to make a fresh start.

I hold her in my arms,
AS she ached in my heart.
She looked at my face and sighed
I lost myself in,
her hair smooth rays of silk
I draw her even closer by.
Her breath was jasmine,
her scent was lilac
her mouth was rose
that bloomed my heart.

She leaned on me
like rains on the earth
bringing that warmth to my heart.
I brushed her hair and couldn't help
but stare
she was a delight to watch
She belong to me
and I can never let you go.
I prayed as I kissed her palm
She melted in my arms
and rose to my face
She lingered on me
on that day of rain.

Ah! love is such a splendid thing.
and I promise that I will never
let her go again.

***
They met on a rainy day, to bid each other goodbye. Love said- I am not a thing that fades and they united below the sky high! Rain touched them but love drenched them....Its so hard to say goodbye.

This post is in response for picture prompt at Mag 141
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I Blog...Therefore I am
October 17, 2012 62 Comments

Once upon a time, there was I.

I, the single girl living alone in new city (ies), working in a job where I meet many people but none of them my friend, bruising a half broken heart, still dreaming some broken dreams, curbing desires of being in good company, lonely, bored with television and looking for a new start.

There were too many words, left, right and center. Some on top and some inside the heart, deep under. I wrapped some in spreadsheets and swept off some in presentations but actually, a lot of them waiting to see the light of the day.

It's then a close friend reminded me of my blogging aspirations and pushed me to start a blog of own. How? I wondered. My boss gave me his laptop to work on his analysis which I painfully carried home everyday and now needs to put into some use. Tata Indicom's VData card too came in handy and I must tell you Facebook was not that popular then :)

I started writing. Tinatinabulations in my head gave birth to Numerounity and I started blogging. Words understood me when people failed to do so. So I made words my best friends without fear of prejudices and judgments and began to write.

My blog became my best friend. I write when I am happy, I write when I am sad. i write when I something to say and I write when I have nothing to say. I write when I am angry, I write when depressed. I write when I am loved, I write when I feel unexpressed. From poems to reviews to stories, to haiku to satire, I have myriad things under the sun. I just cannot tell you writing is what a fun!

Blogging gives me a platform, where I can be me. Blogging is my companion, loneliness can never seep in. Every minute that I give to blogging, it returns back the favor. It restored my confidence in self and it helped me win few more admirers and friend. There was a time when people new for the work I did at office, the products that I launched. Today when my profile changed to a more passive one, a lot of people know me from the blogs I write.

And then came Indiblogger in my life.....

I have almost left blogging at one point and continued with me disconnect for almost 2 years. My URL got hacked, my viewership was lost and my inactivity instilled still no fear. Its then I revisited Indibloggers website and took stock of few things they do. Their contest stuck on me and I vowed to return back to writing with one of them. In the meantime, many recruiters and companies and celebs (yes) asked me to restart my Numerounity platform and write for them. My bosses read through my blog (some against my wish and some against knowledge) and that did change their perspective. People started noticing the person behind this face with her words. yes words. Words are magical, mystical and myriad and yes, Mad!

I skipped many contests of Indiblogger on account of lack of that killer idea or killer confidence until one contest that took my procrastination away. Lo and behold, I won a position in that contest and blogging re started. Blog gave me bloggers meets and bloggers meet got me face to face with real people, people behind those posts, people those comments, people behind some victories and people behind the virtual world. People became my friends...yes, many friends. Cities changed- Kolkata to Hyderabad to Gurgaon. Priorities changed- I am not known for walking in herds and gossiping about mere stilettos and laces with people who sees me just as "the circle" but I know myself as a "rebel with a cause". I no longer seek approval from people who do not care to know me or judge me otherwise, I rather seek opinions unbiased.

I am flowing with ideas and that zeal inside me is awake again. The zeal to visit places, meet people and blogging as medium helps me move towards a lot of them. When corporate politics and working without any recognition or sense of belonging bogs me, I switch to my pen, my keyboard who gets me closer to friends who understands me and stands by me. It tires me when I open my office mailbox to see mails by people who think of me as mere dumb coordinator to fix any meeting or take printout of their stuff to shove in with authority, completely mocking my education, achievements and abilities to larger things. Its then my personal mailbox delights me with mails from admirers who like my skills and wants me to do bigger things from them from review, to write up to cover an event to share my opinion on important matters of decision making.

Today I blog about movies that I have seen, books I have read, places I have been and also places where I haven't been yet. I always wanted to work on FMCG products and live those dreams by at least writing about them along with products that I have used, products that can be introduced. I write my poem and publish without the fear of mockery. And discovered that people copying my ideas is nothing but another sort of flattery. Yes, blogging has changed a lot in my life and I hope it continue to do so, continue to do so, positively! Happy Blogging!

Ah! Blogging, how much you complete me.
Yeah blogging, how much you help me to discover myself.
Thanks blogging, for being there in my life.
Hallelujah! Blogging to heal me.
Adore you! Blogging to help me focus, help me communicate.
Love you blogging, for making me do things out of comfort zone, comfortably
Bless you! Blogging for a successful life together.

************
This post is written for #wcmum experience at Indiblogger for upcoming WordCamp Meet at Mumbai on 20th- 21st Oct 2012.

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Krishna Key | Book Review
October 17, 2012 Book review 11 Comments

The book is overstretched, over descriped and over hyped, making the otherwise interesting and what could be "fabulous" plot rather dull and wasted.

“Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but as reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age – Kalyug. In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar. Only, he is a serial killer.“ ... Krishna Key

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

ISBN: 978-93-81626-68-9

Price: INR. 250/-

Publisher: Westland

Genre: Thriller & Mythology

Pages: 475

Rating: 2.5 / 5

I was all excited to read this book ever since it came in news and when I saw Blogadda offering it for review, I couldn't stop my excitement and applied.

The Krishna key like author's previous book- Chanakya Chant is a novel with a storyline in two parallel universe- Satyug & Modern age.

Without giving away much of the plot, Krishna Key is a story of serial killer who believes himself modern day incarnation of Lord Krishna and executes brilliantly schemed cold blood murders in the name of religion and God. And off course there are flashbacks telling the story of lord Krishna' birth and forth.

As the pages unfolds, the author gets you hooked with his writing style, plot, narration and research and this continues to many pages ahead. The language is simple except the (over doze) Sankrit part where non Sanskrit scholars may stumble and find themselves eluded from it. The author seems have get extensive research for this book which after a certain point becomes detrimental to the story itself, often divulging the plot into many drifts and diluting the thrill. Off course there are lot of good things about the book but the unnecessary details as I said have kind of oppressed them. The illustrations in the book are interesting and has the ability to make readers hooked to it.

The book is filled with facts and trivia. For instance, I didn’t know that Mohamed Ghazni broke Somnath’s Shiva linga and took the broken pieces to Ghazni, thrown them on the steps of a mosque, only to make all the devotees who went to mosque to stamp them. Abhor-able!

The book seems more like lessons from theology, some scripted, some abridged though. Characters are bearable and less unreal than the ones in author's previous book which more or less came across like B grade Hindi movie where strategist is almighty and weaves everything under his spell, keeping the intelligence of other characters minimal and incompetent and yes cliched. The book has around 8 plus main characters with a background to their motive (yawn) and quite guesstimate worthy ones. The women of the story is more smart than it's men, often leading to confusion in the inter exchangeable nature of leads. Character development could have been better. The murders are gruesome, gory and too much. The book needs serious editing to make it crisp, cutting edge and justified to be pitched as Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code of India. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near but has the potential.

Like Chanakya Chants, wherein the most interesting part of the books (in my humble opinion) were the life sketches of Chanakya, this book has Krishna' tale. Having said it all, I still have good faith on author and will look forward to his next book, hoping they would be crisp and to the point.

My Verdict: Krishna Key has all ingredients of a successful and path breaking novels but the fact that instead of doing full justice to its advantage, the narrative has been stretched unnecessarily, which acted against it and the effort that gone behind, a lot of time, places. This makes a thriller like this non gripping and poor cousin of Dan Brown. In case if you are confused wherether to pick a copy or not, do not hesitate to pick one. Its definitely an intriguing read amidst a lot that is offered around esp for mythology enthusiasts like me. Who knows if next mythological character helps the next book sharpen the act and we may call Dan Brown as Ashwin Sanghi or Shawn Haigins of India. Happy Reading.

About the Author: Read here & here for his interview.

Trivia: These books reminds me of Hindi digests that use to storm B & C markets of India, well written and well accepted by Surendra Mohan Pathak.

This book was received as a part of Blogadda's Book Review Program. Sign up for the Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers.

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English Vinglish - Movie Review
October 13, 2012 Film Review 24 Comments

Caste: Sridevi (Shashi), Adil hussain (Satish) Mehdi Nebbou (Laurent), Sulbha Deshpande (Mother in law), Sujata Kumar (Shashi's sister), Priya Anand (Shashi's niece), Shivansh Kotia (Shashi's son), Amitabh Bachchan (Special Appearance) & Angrezi (English Vinglish)

Director: Gauri Shinde (Wife of R Balki- adman & director of Cheeni kum & Pa)

Ups: Casting & Performance of lead actors, New age Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography & Sridevi

Lows: Well nothing that I can think of, except the factor that I want more of Sridevi

Numerounity's Rating:

This movie runs on only 3 things- Sridevi, Sridevi & Sridevi!

.... Numerounity!

There are movies, there are actors and then there is Sridevi!!!

The Story

English Vinglish begins with morning of a middle class housewife Shashi, a doting mom, dutiful wife and well attached daughter in law. Her world is adorned by an indifferent husband, irritable daughter, a lovely son, very progressive, understanding mother in law and crippled English. Result, her teenage daughter is embarrassed of her mother and makes constant dig of her "Jhazz" English while Sridevi wonders why her husband has to hug his female colleague when they do not hug themselves.

Brilliantly essayed by a wonder actor called Sridevi, English Vinglish is a very real situation of a lot of non convent educated home makers today who struggles their worth over command of a now desi language called- Angrezi. What follows in movie may not be real but surely are the stuffs dreams are made of.

Fate takes her on a visit to New York to her sister for helping in her niece' wedding. Ostracized and hurt, Sridevi then chooses something that a lot of her counterpart (on screen/ off screen) couldn't dare and rest is good to watch.

The actors

Actors are surely a strong point of the movie and the director does a decent job in casting, bringing fresh faces and new pairing for the protagonist.

Sulabha Deshpande excelled as Shashi's supportive mom in law. Esp. in a scene when she measures a pair of jeans to her size, while assisting a timid Shashi buy herself some woolens for the trip. Adil Hussain does good job of an indifferent and selfish modern husband, for whom his wife is mere a cooking and an "as required" bed mate.

Sujata kumar does a good justice to her role and so does the rest of the caste including an over excited crew at "mind your language" kind of classroom setting, a gay teacher and off course Big B in his small guest appearance bring the delight factor.

Shivansh Kotia, Sridevi's teeny weeny son is adorable and cute.

The movie

It touches that raw nerve and exactly highlights a child's distance from her umbilical chord without being preachy. It’s a common phenomenon for mothers around the country.

There are lots of endearing scenes in movie like- Sridevi’s "plane jane" journey with big B on he way to Man-hat-tan truly depicts her dilemma and unease while flying for the first time.

In one particular scene where Sridevi wakes up her niece to understand the meaning of a word that a man was telling to a female again and again is also well carried.

The climax is logical and does substantiate with the obvious purpose of movie. In short, it's a movie worth watching for.

Bloopers: Sridevi looked lesser Maharastrian and more of South Indian housewife in the film.

Music

Refreshing and light, Amit Trivedi's music is primarily used to add to the flow of movie to expedite the narrative and can be loved on a calm, relaxing day.

"Gustakh dil, dil mein mushkil, mushkjil mein dill" and "Man-hat-tan" songs truly celebrates the arrival of new age cinema.

Verdict

Sridevi’s charm is to die for as her hand made ladoos in the film. One scene where she goes on sight seeing with family and try to give a pose for a picture- is awesome. Her portrayal of a middle class average educated housewife is awesome. She looks awesome and her sarees are awesome. Those ladoos looks awesome too. She doesn’t behaves like Sridvei but she is Shashi and Shashi has no Sridevi but Sridevi has so much Shashi in her.

The movie will find audience in Upper and middle-upper crest of society, largely at multiplexes. All said and done, this is one movie that my mom has shown interest post "Ajab prem ki gazab kahani" and am gonna take her to watch this. How about you?

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Cindrella- An Untold Story
October 07, 2012 Creative Writing , Social Causes 72 Comments

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 32; the thirty-second edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is 'An Untold Story'

Ding dong! The clock strike 12 and Cinderella ran out of ballroom, leaving her crystal sandal behind on tall staircase. Fairy God mother's words "Return before 12" were ringing in her ears. By the time she can reach her house, things started turning back to their original form- her lovely gown into her usual rags, the horses back into mice and cart back into pumpkin. She jumped back into the ground and had a quick save. Phew, so much for partying and dancing with young prince. Or may be true love she sighed.

Legend has the prince longing for his lady love who danced in his arms a night before and left without trace, came looking out for her next morning, with her shoe in his hand. He went door to door with her shoe in hand and her yearning in his heart. Little did he knew that the beautiful princess who he is fancying is a poor girl staying in backtown doing dishes and mopping floors.

Nevertheless, shoe size matched (surprisingly, leaving all other damsels in town with foot size any but hers). The prince married cinder-leila and they lived happily ever after. Errrrrrr twist in tale

Love is blind and marriage is eye opener. Cliche? Well they lived happily ever after itself is such a big cliche. All of us have read one fable or other as part of our growing up and seen them ending on a note of "They lived happily ever after". What we do not know is what happens after and that is our- "Untold Story".

... Cinderella move sin with Prince Charming to his royal palace bidding good riddance to her evil step mother and her even more evil step sister, dreaming about a new life in the luxury and comfort of the palaces. She reached on the front door of the palace. No horses, no elephant and no troops to welcome her. She reached to the main entrance and in the hall with no sight of anyone. Maybe my prince loves privacy or maybe today is the romantic day, and we are all by ourselves. Love struck she followed her prince whom she briefly met a night hitherto. Little did the poor girl realized what lied ahead of her. The prince was nothing sort of romantic he seemed to be. Rather he had a habit of drinking and losing out. Gradually she was introduced to the other members of the house- A fashionista mother in law (adulterous & , gluttonous brother in law (high on gambling) and a vamp of sister in law (haughty, scheming and greedy). The only lovable person she found in home was his wheel chair bound grandmother who dressed in white silk and pearls. To cut the story short, this is what TV soaps are largely made of. The family left no stone upturned to make the naive little Cinderella feel miserable and her husband's heavily dependence on his mother queen bring no good to her.

Love flied out of window gradually and poor Cinderella was tortured for money (dowry) every day. She was taunted from being poor and ridiculed for marrying the prince. They called her cheat for she hasn't disclosed her true state while at ball and fooled prince for being the most elegant princess in the hall. To make the matter worse, prince moved away from the town and started spending his other damsels in nearby county, in awake of a re marriage. Cinderella slogged hard in the palace, doing all household work. In return she got only deprivations, starvation, taunts and ill treatments. So much so that, one day she almost escaped a tryst wherein the family members tried to burn her to get the prince married to the rich princess of a province from other continent.

****

Well Cinderella was an imaginary creature from a fairy tale. She inspired many girls in India and other parts of Asia and other continents, who dreamt of nothing less but a fairy tale wedding, a husband like prince charming and a life "live happily ever after". Alas! not many of them are as lucky she originally was. The untold story here depicts the life of many such women who are lured by a fairy tale wedding to only see them end in night mare. Daily many women are beaten, harassed and even burnt for dowry. Some girls are lured into matrimony merely for dowry and money so that they can fund their flirtatious husband's education/ job abroad, meet the scooter, car, jewellery greeds of her in laws and still being treated worse than maids even after. Fairy tales have cheated their innocent childhoods and institution of marriage raped their youth and loneliness eating away their old ages. Their prince charming fades in to mean bundle of a living vulture, dreams of happy family rolls in hall of monsters and their children either a victim of this disgrace or not allowed to be born. They are known for the ones who makes food, cleans house, wash cloths and run all sundry while at night beam like an object of ~~affection~~ satisfaction for their chauvinistic husbands or for that matter any other adulterous member of the family. They bring jewels in the house but their bodies are adorned with burn or beaten marks- black & blue. A lot of them gets transformed into great make up artist, camouflaging all injuries behind colors of cosmetics, glasses & scarves.

A lot of them are either killed, commits suicide, goes into depression, sold into brothels or continue to live in the same hell, waiting for their unseen state to be seen, unheard voice to be heard and untold story to be told.

*******

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: Ekta Khetan, Participation Count: 02

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A House of Cards
October 04, 2012 55 word fiction , Creative Writing 13 Comments

This post is under 3 words Wednesday 3WW CCXCII. The prompt words are-Dignity (self respect), Lacerate (tear or deeply cut) & Ripe (matured & ready to harvest)

***

His words lacerate through her dignity. She felt deceived, hurt and belittle, all together. “That’s a very rude thing to say and…” she said. “Whatever” He refused to talk and signaled an exit. The bond that should be ripe & strengthen actually seemed like a house of cards, why blame winds, waters or anything else.

***

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मेरी श्रद्धांजलि - बापू
October 02, 2012 Philosophy , poetry 17 Comments

बापू तेरी समाधि पे

में आज जा के रोई

तेरा सत्य तेरी अहिंसा

है में आज जग सोई

आ कर उन्हें जगा ले, भारत में पुनः तू

तेरे सिवा इनको, जगा सकता नही कोई

तेरी समाधि पे सब नै है फूल सजाया

पर मैने तो बापू केवल आँसू ही बहाया

तेरी मातृभूमि भी है तुझको याद करती

आँखों से उसे के हर दम है आँसू धारा बहती

चमक था विश्व गगन में ध्रुव सा एक तारा

वही था महात्मा गांधी, बापू हमारा

....शेष.... to be continued

***

Above poem is a "Guest Post" by mom- Suman Lata Khetan

***
बंदे में था दम, वंदे मातरम!

.....few words by me (Ekta)

My fondest memory with Mahatma Gandhi is dated to the days when my Nani (grand mom) use to narrate me the story of her march with Mahatma Gandhi- Father of the nation. Over the years I feel that Bapu has some how confined into the pages of our school text books and those framed pictures within the mere confinement of those walls. His fragile frame has also been reduced to mere identification mark in our currencies which has become an antagonist to Gandhian philosophy.

He was the one who lead the Apartheid movement in South Africa, the one who asked us to unite and fight against the British Govt. Even the world of glamour couldn't remain untouched from his aura. He came alive on big screen and became blockbuster hit with Lage Raho Munnabhai. Soon "Gandhigiri" became a rage only to be doused off at next big Bollywood hit. Today people talk about him but only to fuel up their political ambition- filled with greed, dishonesty, corruption and Coalgate! Hawala changed notes with Jalianwala, Salt march metamorphosed into Fodder scam, civil disobedience faded into power play, Apartheid movement took shape of Hindu Muslim divide, Charkha is replaced by Tommy Hilfigers of the world, Lathi is suppressed by Gun, Satyagraha is treated like chemical locha, Kashmir is making faces to Champaran & Kheda, Untouchables spelled vote bank, and Congress became Dynasty raj!

We all carry him in our wallets but not in our hearts anymore. Gandhi bashing has become sport, fashion, a style statement, in vogue. Little do we realize that we need to amass only his positive traits and preaching and see the wonder it may do collectively. I pledge to remain true to my Gandhian value that I learnt in my school text book. Do you?

Wrapping my thoughts with these beautiful songs:-
1. Banded mein tha dum from Lage raho munna bhai 2. Raghupati Raghav Rajaram from Purab aur Paschim