A quaint place –
In my heart
safely harboured.
Donning rustic beauty
Puerile, pleasant and warmer.
The road to my hamlet
meters to thousand,
But if I ever to reach
Close my eyes
And peep deep,
I reach my destination.
The place made me what I am
And it comes with me to where I be.
There’s nothing is this world parallel to a mother’s heart; the seemingly natural role at times transcends and surpasses a form beyond natural. The unique mother-child bond which we share with our own one is as exclusive yet an universal feeling. Being a mother has made me accept things out of my way, realising the bigger picture and above all charmed me to embrace love in its supreme element – Selflessness.
While at the beginning of my blogging journey I have penned down a write-up on ‘Children and Freedom’ from my personal encounters and exposure to motherhood, which with your grace was much appreciated. With great pleasure I mention that the article is being published in the acclaimed Huffington Post India.
For my readers and fellow blogger friends, I submit the link below. I would much appreciate your time and views. Stay loved and at peace.
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/chaitali-bhattacharjee/lets-talk-about-freedompa_b_8280458.html
Based on San Francisco, California, SOULSpot is a conscious media network serving content to Youtube, Facebook, and Conscious Cloud. With ever expanding likers and 1, 21, 270 followers worldwide, the platform stands for the vision of love and expansion of humanity’s well being.
My gladness for being published on their esteemed channel of expression for blogs. While a lot has been said and written about beauty and it’s subjectivity, I intend to keep this article simple for the purpose of giving a positive reinforcement for what we possess and valuing life in itself. My beatitude in sharing the one: http://soulspottv.com/blog/5-truths-that-show-why-true-beauty-lies-within/
Book: Let the Reason be Love
Author: Tuhin A Sinha
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Genre: Love and Relationships
“This remains a conundrum – One that neither technological breakthroughs, nor the most passionate of lovers has managed to unravel. What some may attribute attraction to shared sensibilities or even a karmic connection, the fact remains that love comes without simple answers; it’s damn complicated.”
The blurb on the back cover of soon to be released latest fiction ‘Let the Reason be Love’ by best-selling Author Tuhin A Sinha seizes immediate attention and spawns requisite interest in me.
‘Let the Reason be Love’ is a topical tale of unrequited love and it’s forlornness; a stark version of modern day relationship and the not-so-easy interplay of emotional determinants in different layer and stages of it.
Somewhere the story even pitches to engage into a deeper introspection or dilemma of ‘what actually or truly love is?’ Throughout the saga, the strong emotional undercurrent which effortlessly flows and interweaves an entangled web of carnal passion to soul connection, contentment to heartache, trust to mistrust and even self-realisation to an extent, between the three main characters, weaves an enticing plot to dive into.
The Story:
The protagonist Rishaan and his love interests Kiara and Diya at different point of time and situation make relatable characters with their separate identities and inherent quirks and expectations. But they indeed share a commonality; an ever searching toil of filling the void in each one’s heart.
Rishaan is this dreamy, idealist, middle-classy boy-next-door. He is spontaneous, talented and great fun to be with but could also be extremely disorganised like most other husbands-in-making young men. Kiara as described by author himself is a spunky, liberated, free spirited Bengali bombshell. Someone who lived life with her own terms and brutally honest. Yet amidst the temperamental differences, the two begin their journey of relationship with intense infatuation.
Diya, to the contrary, seemed to be a strong, calm woman who is firmly in control of her life despite the chaos around. There is something very attractive about her femininity too.
Rishaan is drawn to her inwardly. Rather than carnal desires, shared empathy, companionship and long conversations is the basis of their bond. Since Kiara and Diya are bosom friends, how the interpersonal dynamics between the three creates stirring situation and the innermost feelings and universality of human reactions to love, betrayal and hurt is resplendently exhibited through the tale.
The end line of the story quips as :
“Rishaan knew that life and Bollywood were indeed capable of throwing up some crazy surprises.”
I would like to disrupt my share of earful on the story here without further divulging any more details, trying not to spoil the reader’s appetite and allowing them to savour the original narration or compelling expression by the writer himself by reading the book itself.
Narrative, Style and My views:
This book was not a conventional pick for me as from past few years I have not indulged myself with fictions much. Yet it provided me an interesting read and sort of treaded me to nostalgia lane.
The simple plot, lucid free-flowing words and the identifiable characters with swift, zesty narrative style makes a light, engaging and easy read for us.
Characters strike a chord with the modern urban metropolitan readers especially Mumbaikars with everyday minute nuances(be it the quirky auto drivers or a smooth-talking boss in loveless marriage) and relationship dynamics being skilfully portrayed.
The beginning of the book will not disappoint the aficionados of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ likes, with expressions of some earthy, impassioned rendezvous between the lead characters.
Though it picks up a better tempo after first few pages but the twist after makes it engrossing quite instantaneously.
The author has added some vernacular lingo and famed movie songs to add his personal style. The book is an absolute page turner but somehow I wanted it to end differently. So there I was, a bit gloomy. But what the heck that’s not my novel or my story and the creative freedom belongs to Tuhin.
Finally, what strike me or made an impression on me is the way the story tried to explore the fragility and vulnerability of human relationship. That we are flawed being and with that comes perfectly imperfect relationships, which we agree or not but somewhere have to acknowledge the fact. No relationship is ‘happily ever after’. But then it’s our individual choice to persevere or not.
If all you want is a light, breezy and effortless but wistful read that takes you through that vulnerable, unpredictable, fallible love lane and expose you to the myriads of warm kindled sensibilities, soak into it. You never know after reading this, you might feel lucky enough for what you have or maybe what you don’t have!
About the Author: Tuhin A. Sinha is a best-selling author, columnist and a scriptwriter. Tuhin is widely acknowledged among the most prolific Indian writers with each of his four previous books, The Edge of Desire, That Thing Called Love, The Captain (formerly 22 Yards) and Of Love and Politics breaking new ground in terms of subject and treatment.
He is also a scriptwriter of several popular TV shows. Apart from his fiction novels and scripts, Tuhin is a keen political observer. His columns on Indian politics appear regularly in India’s leading dailies.
[This is not a paid review. The opinions expressed in the review are my own, and remains unbiased and uninfluenced.]
You smoke your life away
A hazy sooty release
for that instant rapture.
Ask the one
Consumed by incessant spasm
Devoured by fear
Of morbid uncertainty.
Of odds in living and dying.
Clutched with chemo
bidding to outrun Carcinoma.
Gasping for one lease,
Or a stroke of luck maybe!
You spent thousands
to have that illusion
called perfection.
The bridge of your nares(nose)
aligned symmetrical.
Another forsaken attempt
to fill the hollowness
of deep recess
gone astray.
Ask the one
Who lost her face,
The divine impression
of her uniqueness,
days until nineteen.
Perpetrated by cruelty
Unaware and unknown,
An attack acrid –
Harsh pungent reality
she exists and lives in.
Searching for her lost self
With leftover or no face maybe!
You have a portioned bite,
Not much to your fancy
neither upholds your fine taste.
A nibble here and dribble there,
Wide potpourri of savouries
until half picked other wasted.
Food catering to dainty senses.
Ask the one
The one with those
Ever urging growling stomach.
And the one with those
Ever famished wretched eyes.
scanning through the trash cans
every day and most of nights.
Hunting for source of sustenance
shreds, scraps or mouthful
anything will suffice.
Irony of misery in need;
Sharp biting pangs of hunger
even camouflages
filth, muck and sleaze.
And those ever beseeching prayers
amidst the rotting debris,
aching for nothing less than
a morsel of miracle.
Or something edible maybe!
You are as busy as bee.
Hundreds to manage
another fifty to oversee.
Little one came rushing –
overzealous, demanding and gushing.
You term those cry over nagging
and choose to disregard.
And at times uneasy and unwilling
you snort and lash it out.
Those ever seeking
attention and whims
takes a toll on you.
But at what price!
Ask the one
Emotionally barren
And physically depleted.
Feeling duped by nature
arid, abject and dispirited.
Latching to any
tiny ray of glimmer,
Like a drowning man
will clutch at a straw.
Little feet, kisses and snuggle,
A soul as chaste, gentle and raw.
All it Yearns for
A kindred bond and that soulful kinship,
A salvation from days of hardship.
A cackle which may fill
the unspeakable emptiness.
A silly tantrum which will spread
hue to blankness.
Or a chance to be called ‘mum’ maybe!
Life at times become undue and unfair,
Reasons may be many to whine and despair.
Behold and Bethink
The things which you take for granted,
Could be someone’s countless plea and earnest prayer.
Embrace your blessings
Indeed reckon them,
For the ripple it creates
will nourish your wounded soul.
And usher you to the world
of endless possibility out of nowhere.
Or else, there’s always at the least in your life
That One thing to be happy about maybe!
These days are largely subjective; biting perceptions with a hint of melodrama here and there. These days we live with a clause(and claws too). Mostly these are the days when we rely more on tags and labels and bracketing, when squibbing and display is the real deal than the real substance itself.
I am not even talking about the fine luxury Movado flashed in the profile picture of my distantly common to common friend in FB list, exhibited slyly . That’s superficial, right! I am rooting for something deeper than this.
SCENARIO – I
Let me then start with my own first hand actuality. I have mentioned it before in some of my journals that I am a quintessential woman and love every part of being a woman. So do you label me a feminist then?
My life experiences, occurrences, exposure and sensibility has led me to feel certain way about issues sensitive pertaining to gender bias not in general but being endured and witnessed in day to day phase and almost every sphere of life. In other words what I saw, heard or felt as a fellow human being from my real life happenings and cues being picked, made me believe in certain way.
Now let me clear the air before. I don’t endorse any kind of extremism be it in any form. My intention is even beyond that – very clear, very basic. A life is a life; doesn’t matter boy or a girl. It will flourish, let it flourish rather allow it to flourish into it’s absolute possible potential.
More so I believe in humanism which I am sure a term like that exists; the spirit that dwells into humanity. To make it sound coherent, anything that values life on this earth without putting a clause based on caste, creed or race and in this case gender, I respectfully defend that. So I can be a non misandrist and as well care for equality and social justice.
We human beings are dubbed as the supreme creation. Just because I am not exposed to certain debilitating circumstances should not make me raise a brow or turn blind eyes towards a cause or call.
How justified is that? Where is the empathy then?
Does that make me hate a man, of course not. It’s like ‘do you like night or day!’ I see the day because I felt the night. Perhaps nature sets the best example of coexistence and conjunction.
SCENARIO – II
The other day one of the current top best-selling author and television personality posted an intensely thoughtful quote in his social media page and those lines impressed me. What I could interpret with whatsoever knowledge I have, it talked about the intense need for sense of balance in today’s life. But then a series of slander and derogatory words were thrown at his character, forbearing, career choices, and even writing skill on the comment section.
I wonder were they actually foreseeing the calibre of T S Eliot, William Burroughs or may be James Joyce. Believe me being a language and literature student and connoisseur of words, it’s not that easy comprehending a piece of seasoned literary work . Ulysses demands as much attention and intellect as any scientific concept but catering to different faculties of mind. I wonder further were they be able to appreciate rather comprehend the syllables if it was one of the absolute classics being provided to them.
I have heard this innumerable times that to gain some you have to loose some. The author fits the bill in this case. He writes to cater to the mass; simple story about life with easy to understand English and of course some discourse on life lessons. So why not label him pseudo-intellectual!
Looks like we want sugar even if we are diabetic. I guess even that’s not the purpose. Either it’s the shameless publicity stunts or a defence mechanism to balm one’s own inner complexes or may be that few minutes of glitz and media visibility or hooligan bonhomie, they hurl those abuses even without thinking once. They come as if they have become natural recourse of life.
Whatever the reasons were, it totally diluted the deeper or richer message the quote reflected amidst personal attacks and acrimoniousness.
SCENARIO – III
Few days back there was much uproar on using a trending trick for campaigning a delicate and pressing issue of female foeticide.
Is the cliché ‘Something is better than nothing’ redundant now? Well I understand we need more than something to curb this heinous and diabolical anti-social element.
While researching for an assignment on this issue one year back I came across some horrific figures related. Foetal sex determination and sex selective abortion by unethical medical professionals has today grown into a Rs. 1,000 crore industry approx. There are concerns that PCPNDT Act has been poorly enforced by authorities and had extreme low conviction rate.
I still get teary eyed when one of the readers, a sixteen year old collegiate wrote to me after reading my piece on this issue:
June 18, 2014 at 1:13 am
“A very powerful piece of writing. I can relate to it mostly because I was an unwanted girl child. If not for my mother I wouldn’t have been alive or might be given up for adoption. But she was a strong women, and she saved me by going against her own family. I never got the guts to write about this topic, moreover because my father loves me now, and has changed his views for better. Its a touchy subject for me but you portrayed it perfectly. Thank you.. :)”
I quote exactly the words she wrote. The sad reality we live in.
Yes, of course we can’t expect overhaul in few days as the monster was neglected and grown too enormous. Awareness and Education along with compassion guarded with stringent law and order enforcement is the need. Infact this demands a movement in every level.
One thing my simple heart failed to understand how can a positive step towards mass awareness or cognizance of a compelling issue, how much ever minuscule it is, can garner such ire!
Isn’t it convenient now to label me as proponent of some colour brigade. But I don’t belong to any colour brigade or scheme with exception of the tricolour. Politics and me play hide and seek. Though I know I can avoid it to an extent but can’t ignore it being a part of the system. Like any other ordinary educated Indian, I love my country whole heartedly and aspire India to be prosperous, progressive and protective from injustice and inequality.
As from parliamentary brawls to primetime news hour and social media mud-slinging, do we always have to shout or abuse to make a point or to be heard? Or is it sometimes that the agenda is something else; just to get noticed and grab other’s attention in easiest possible manner.
When did skepticism and exhibitionism creeped into our disposition and infested the whole system devouring even the ounce of tolerance and sensibility left within us. ‘Just talking for the sake of talking’ – does this make sense!
Without clarity of thought and sense of balance, to see things the way they are and doing things the way it ought to be is that difficult today.
Irony is amidst this hullabaloo to be in the race, we missed the finishing line way back.
And that gives me the liberty to raise a question,
‘Is common sense that uncommon today?’
“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”
– Unknown
It’s been a while. Excuses can be many but intentions have to be pure and plausible. So my heartfelt apologies for not been able to minister time to the blog. Believe it or not, it was always there in my mind, conscious and subconscious playing a remorse card amidst all the pressing engagements, being intensely tied up and living. In simple words, I missed being here. I write because I love writing; from my heart and of course to be read too.
Hope springs eternal. I do hope that I would be keeping a hold oftentimes from now on. Few days back I was delighted to be published in the much acclaimed Huffingtonpost India. The feeling of wonder, delight is of no essence if I don’t acknowledge and value my readers, for whom I stand contended today.
To pore over, check the link below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/chaitali-bhattacharjee/why-i-dont-want-praise-fo_b_7760284.html?utm_hp_ref=india
Love, Life and Whatever 