Wordless Wednesday #99

Some clouds clung to the orange hue even after the sunset.


As if giving hope to humanity over their various personal issues, and advising 'never to let go' cause tomorrow is another day, and they will find the answer to their dilemma.



Mantra for today: Cling to your problems, cause there is a solution within. 


--------

Tornado Giveaway 2: Book No. 84: TELL A THOUSAND LIES by Rasana Atreya

Name of the Book: TELL A THOUSAND LIES
Author: Rasana Atreya

Read some reviews:

1. Ruchi Singh 
2. Carol Kean 
3. Jane 

The Story:

In a land where skin colour can determine one's destiny, fraternal twins PULLAMMA and LATA are about to embark on a journey that will tear their lives apart. Dark skinned Pullamma dreams of being a wife. With three girls in her family, the sixteen year old is aware there isn't enough dowry to secure suitable husbands for them all. But a girl can hope. She's well versed in cooking, pickle making, cow washing -- you name it. She's also obliged her old-fashioned grandmother by not doing well in school. Fair skinned and pretty, her twin sister Lata would rather study medicine than get married. Unable to grasp the depth of Lata's desire, the twins' Grandmother formalizes a wedding alliance for the girl. Distraught, Lata rebels, with devastating consequences. As Pullamma helps ready the house for her older sister Malli's bride viewing, she prays for a positive outcome to the event. What happens next is so inconceivable that it will shape Pullamma's future in ways she couldn't have foreseen. TELL A THOUSAND LIES is a sometimes wry, sometimes sad, but ultimately realistic look at how superstition and the colour of a girl's skin rules India's hinterlands.

You can also buy @

About The Author 

Rasana Atreya 

Rasana is the author of Amazon bestseller 'Tell A Thousand Lies', which was also shortlisted for the 2012 Tibor Jones South Asia award. UK’s Glam magazine calls this novel one of their five favourite tales from India (June 2014). Her other works are 'The Temple Is Not My Father' and '28 Years A Bachelor'.

Now on to more personal stuff – Rasana would like to be able to tell her readers that she once stopped a robbery single-handedly, except she’s terrified of robbers. And geckos. And two-year-olds who throw tantrums. When she’s not running scared, she’s mother to a girl and a boy who were respectively six and eleven years-old when they wrote and illustrated 'The Mosquito and the Teapot'. She lives with her husband and children in Hyderabad, India, where a lot of her stories are set.

Stalk her @
Website | Twitter | Facebook

A Loss and a Win

Aisha slowly opened her eyes, and bodies around her expressed joy as they thronged her bedside. 

"How are you?" 

The patient raised her eyebrows as she looked around her bed with curiosity.

After a few irregular breaths and flickers as if trying to get an answer to that question she replied irritatingly, "Who are you ?"

That query made everyone take a few steps back from the bed. 

Aghast at first but relieved that she has lost her memory thus giving her a new life, and leaving behind the images of the horrible incident that made all shiver with fright. 

------

In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about someone or something that’s lost. It can be lost in a setting (storm, darkness, ocean) or it can be a feeling. Is there a recovery? What are the consequences of remaining lost? What are the opportunities?

Join in the fun at CarrotRanch

Ahoy! College Dunia

Welcome to the College Dunia where a youngster looking for a college can search, choose, and finalize his destination for the next 3 to 5 years with just an ease of a button.

How?

Picture this
A stressed out teen in New Delhi, India scanning various advertisements in the newspaper and magazines, circling them and making notes. An even stressed out mom texting, calling her neighbors or friends inquiring about good colleges for engineering since her son wants to major in that field. Although proud of his dream and aspiration, their son will be a first engineer in their family thus, making her knock on doors for answers and checking for sources for the names of colleges suggested or read.

Alas! By the time she finishes charting information about a particular college from her neighborhood aunties, she would be able to chart a family tree of all of them since a lot of gossips usually accompanies the required information.

But who needs that kind of investigation and who has the time?

Collegedunia.com comes to their rescue and with just one search of Delhi University, this family would be able to come to a decision, plan out their fees in advance, read reviews about their selected colleges and get an overview of all the courses being offered, the faculty, and the required exams to qualify. All charted out in order thus giving this family some quality time to cherish the moments together before the youngster packs his bags to the University.

****

Another home overseas, looking into Top 10 universities in India. With India's brain drain over the years, foreigners all over the globe have recognized the caliber of education of this country. Besides the competence, and quality it is also easy in the pocket with the current exchange rate of dollar and rupees. Thus, giving the Caucasian family a chance to send their children to India's top notch universities. Collegedunia.com will give them a virtual tour of the different universities in India by allocating information by the degrees, different states, kind of fees, duration of the course, kind of program via the types of universities.

Phew! So many categories and sub-categories. Wouldn't it be nice if a site can help do the permutation and combination for you.

Collegedunia.com is at a click's away!
They are an extensive listing portal, with information of more than 10000 colleges in India, a platform for students to come up and choose their institution. They can take the jitters away not only from the student but also from the parent by giving them an insight into the tuition fees, and the course duration. Thus, allowing the family to get an outline of what they are getting into.

It is a one stop destination to avoid the hassles of traveling, calling, emailing since all the information is right on this site. Thus, making the family confident, active and satisfied with their choice while thanking technology for it is not only making their lives comfortable, but also cozy as they snug as a bug in a rug and finalize the future of their progeny.

---------

This post has been compensated by Collegedunia.com

Wordless Wednesday #98

Dunno if it was an experiment or if my county's representatives ran out of tar to surface the road.

But for one whole week the way to my home looked like this!
Half smooth and the other half was rough and patchy.

What amazed me even further was people were taking turns to drive on the finished road. Unless somebody were in a hurry, they would drive on the scaly patch.

Made me ponder that we all want a smooth, flowing life without any bumps, collisions and jerks. Thus, the above choice thy man makes even while driving his four wheels with the hope that life would also be as smooth as that drive.

Aha! The power of intentions.

Mantra for today: Intentions and awareness is a life lead in bliss. 



-----

Spotlight and Review of The Dove's Lament by Kirthi Jayakumar

ALL ABOUT THE BOOK 

NAME OF THE BOOK : THE DOVE'S LAMENT  AUTHOR : KIRTHI JAYAKUMAR  PUBLISHER : READOMANIA  MEDIA MENTIONS: *SOON TO BE UPDATED

WHAT REVIEWERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE NOVEL

Heartwarming, heart wrenching…stories that appeal, yet appall. Hats off to Kirthi Jayakumar who sees so much at such a young age. Usha Narayanan, Author of Pradyumna and The Madras Mangler. - 5 Stars.

This will make you think, question and feel. Every chapter is built around a real incident but unlike news reading small threads of emotions are weaved in  - making you one with the story, however much you might hate it. - Rubina Ramesh, Writer, Blogger and Reviewer. 5 Stars.

WHAT IS THE STORY ABOUT?

The Dove's Lament is a journey that takes you around the world, bringing to life the human side of conflicts that tear people apart. From the genocide in Rwanda, to war-stricken Bosnia, from child marriages in India to prostitution and drug trafficking in Colombia, these stories traverse a microcosm of reality. Be it the manifestation of Bacha Baazi in Afghanistan, or the fight for paradise on Earth, Kashmir, the repertoire of stories lend a soul to what otherwise remain a muddle of news reports and statistics. Through these stories, Kirthi embroiders a tapestry of the unvanquished human spirit in varied shades, and shakes you up to the reality that surrounds you.

My Review

The Dove's Lament is a bemoaning of the human race! 

It talks about their actions, behavior, and conduct towards thy brethren that has led to bloodshed, fightings, and massacre since emotions could not be controlled as pride, and ego came in their way. The author brings out the plight and the quandary of the victims via these twelve fictitious stories that have actually happened as real life incidents thus giving the urban reader a stage to not only read, but also feel the fear, the panic, and the despair of the sufferers when they faced such demons. 

The author's storyline was riveting as most of her words dug deep into my skin leaving a mark and a stain on my heart with shame and disgust for the way we treat thy kinsperson.  After each of her imaginary stories, she has highlighted the actual incident that had happened year or years back. No doubt, they made headlines then but today they made me visualize up close and personal thanks to her vivid stories. 

“Ugly truths are the biggest source of indigestion in humans.” 

― Raheel Farooq

I commend the author, Kirthi Jayakumar for her endeavors to actually bring out the sensitiveness of the sufferer. The characters emotions were neatly woven around the incident thus making the reader passionately involved as she got entwined with the individual's fear, agony, and pain. 

There is nothing to dislike in this book. More so since it is giving out the truth. Unfortunately, the ugly truth, that 's hard to digest and embrace since mankind is suffering, and being tortured. Although, we cannot hear their cries, but their pain could be felt via these outlandish and grotesque stories that the author has weaved thus, helping to create awareness in this society.

 It is a work that is utterly brilliant but also very shameful from humanity's perspective. I would applaud Kirthi's endeavors in bringing out the facts thus, making it a highly recommended read. 

BUY @

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Kirthi Jayakumar is a Lawyer, specialised in Public International Law and Human Rights. She has diversified into Research and Writing in Public International Law, Arbitration and Human Rights, besides Freelance Journalism. Working as a UN Volunteer, specializing in Human Rights issues in Africa, India and Central Asia and the Middle East, Kirthi has worked extensively with grass root organizations that focus on women's rights, and also run a journal, academy and consultancy that focuses on International Law, called A38. Kirthi is also the founder of the Red Elephant Foundation, an organisation that works for the empowerment of women.

---

STALK HER 

Wordless Wednesday #97

Grapes were on this branch.

However, the fruit was eaten, devoured for its sweetness, and leaving the twig all bare, and lonely.

Thus, making this sprig useless and into the compost bin.

I want to correlate this twig with our body, which could be termed as a skeleton once we lose our breath and die.

This skeleton is of no use, and will either be burned or buried. All will be remembered is the personality, charisma, emotions of the person.

Thus, making our body just a bag of bones that helps us perform our actions.


Mantra for today: It's just a body. Let's go beyond ourselves!

--------