Of Holding On and Letting Go!

And just like that, we feel broken,
When all we should do is surrender,
But we choose to feel shaken,
Lying still in emotions that are tender.

From the Closet of the Heart - Book Review

From the Closet of the Heart
By Soniya Kapoor
Review By Ila Garg

From the Closet of the Heart, is a collection of letters and short stories compiled by Soniya Kapoor. It is published by Artson Publishing House. These letters and stories are laced with long lost letters and memories, thus, a lot of nostalgia. The cover shows two hands carrying the light in the form of a cracker, symbolizing how on Diwali, people light up their houses amidst the darkness. If I connect this with the book’s theme that would mean lighting up the darkest corners of our hearts and trying to see within to revive the lost and forgotten memories, and the deep seated emotions. The subtitle—A book of love, gratitude, remembrance and apologies—says it all.

Poetry: To My Love, From Me...

She would never have been angry…

Maybe, she just wanted things,

And not merely the trings.

Perhaps he was doing his bit,

He never let her quit.

She had questions,

She wished to see reciprocations

But, all she got was a set of accusations!

It was her DAY,

It was her BIRTHDAY.

She wanted him, his time,

A gift laced with smiles,

An expression in his rhyme,

And not just to travel miles.

They did spend an evening,

Together, they had a great evening.

He did it all with love and care,

Perhaps,

Loving her was his flair!

***

Okay, they do love each other,

Of course, they are meant to be together!

What would he miss if she goes?

Restlessly, a question she throws.

Wishing to strengthen the rope,

For an answer that would rekindle hope.

His minimalism in love irks her at times,

She wonders if he could just surprise her sometimes.

***

He inspires her in a million ways,

Adding phrase after phrase.

But, her NEVERLAND dreams…

They are beyond limits,

They are full of craze!

His actions are mysterious, if she is upfront,

His smile is still her REJOICE,

Even when he fails to let ‘them’ have an IDENTITY.

They fight and she says, ‘Let’s BREAK UP’,

They hug and he says, ‘Let’s MAKE UP’.

Oh, all she has to do is STAY.

The words that they often say,

The smiles, hugs and kisses in the café,

Keep getting etched for the DOOMSDAY!

‘We have no FUTURE’, she says.

‘But, we have a PRESENT’, he says.

And in a moment, they are angry again.

Look how the smile fades away,

But LOVE?

Yes, Love continues to stay.

Love binds their FAIRYTALE,

Ohh…

But careful, it’s still frail.

She wants overt romance, he keeps it subtle,

She winks, and he writes an ODE TO HIS ANGEL.

2 Peg Ke Baad - Book Review

2 Peg Ke Baad
By Nikita Lalwani
Review By Ila Garg

2 Peg Ke Baad, a collection of 14 short stories by Dr Nikita Lalwani, is published by Srishti Publishers. The cover shows a wine glass with red liquor. The black background is exactly what represents a drunk state of mind. The cover has a very simple feel to it. The title is apt keeping in mind the theme of the stories which talk about what happens in an inebriated state.

A writer/dentist/copywriter/blogger/coffee enthusiast/explorer/arithmophobic, Dr Nikita Lalwani considers herself to be married to writing and is very happy with that. Swimming, spirituality, reading, learning new languages are her other girlfriends. She authored her first non-fiction work Live Life... Stop Analysing It when she was 16. Nikita believes that dentistry happened to be destiny, but writing is where she truly finds herself.

She considers herself a workaholic and loves exploring different aspects of life that stand way away from just text books and desk jobs. Currently she is working as a copywriter with an ad agency in Mumbai.

2 Peg Ke Baad is her second book.

The blurb reads as, “2 Peg Ke Baad brings together 14 short stories that happened after 2 pegs, in an inebriated state. World’s greatest stories are created when people are high – masterpieces are painted, universal truths are realized, models on billboards are befriended, lovers are united, butts are kicked, confessions are made, and relationships are sorted.
The book started as a blog with people from across the world sharing their stories, ideas, confessions and beliefs and the elixir of the 14 best stories is here to reveal what lies beyond a conscious mind.
Though the book does not intend to encourage drinking alcohol in any sense, here’s to celebrate every emotion that kicks after a few pegs. Cheers!!”

The 14 stories are centred on the theme of drinking and the events that occur in the trance state. Intoxication has given birth to a lot of creativity. So many poets have composed their best poems in a trance state. Dr Nikita Lalwani has therefore, managed to unleash her creativity through these stories. Each story is well written.

The fourteen short stories compiled in the book are:

1. A Walk with A Call Girl
2. My Last painting
3. What Happens in Banaras... Stays for a Lifetime
4. How We Got Married
5. Apology! Sex Pays
6. Papier Blanc (The Blank Paper)
7. When All That Mattered Was a Gun
8. Drive-In-Sanity
9. Kicking the Butt
10. Rosita in the Bar
11. It's not a Love Story
12. Epilogue
13. Euphobia
14. Car no. 88


All 14 stories bring out a different aspect even after being based on one single subject.

The author has successfully portrayed deep and hidden realities. The language is simple and easy to comprehend. Readers will find the events quite interesting. I found it quite engaging. The subject is tackled beautifully by the skillful author. You don’t have to be an alcoholic to read and enjoy these stories or to connect with them.

How drinking can affect you, how a drunk person reacts, what happens in an intoxicated state, some moments of fun and that of revelation are some of the many reasons why you will keep turning the pages to find out what happens in each of the stories in 2 Peg Ke Baad.

Further, this 168-page book is good enough to expose the double standards of society we live in, the hidden secrets that we all have. It’s a light read and overall a compelling book.

Ratings: 4/5

Buying Links: Amazon | Infibeam | Shimply | Flipkart

Dealing with emotions :)

Continuing from where I left in my last post, dealing with emotions is a time-taking process. After a heart-break, one must focus on controlling the outburst as it may do more harm than good. Now, first of all you need to relax and calm yourself. You have a whole life ahead of you, and one loose brick can’t make you fall. Ponder on something else, distract yourself. Force yourself to stop being nostalgic, busy yourself in work. Join some classes, if needed. Find someone to talk to, someone who will not judge you and just listen to what you have to say.

Don’t let negative emotions take the better of you. Planning a revenge or returning the pain can never make you feel better, it will add to the guilt. Let it go, improvise yourself. Use this time to hone a skill that you’ve been wanting to. Why bother about someone else, when you can make yourself a little awesome instead? Don’t be aloof, make new friends, dress up, dance a little - life can be better if we want it to be. Smile a lot, learn to love yourself. Be a keen observer. Look around. There’s a lot of worse going on around you. You are not the only one who is facing it!

And woah! You did it. You just made yourself feel better. But yes, you can never do it all alone. Surround yourself with people who love you unconditionally. And see the miracle happen! Give yourself a pat on your success!

Relationships can go through certain turbulent times, we all know that. For happy endings, one must be ready to go through ups and downs. As discussed previously, dealing with heart-breaks and resultant emotions may require a positive outlook towards life. If you are strong-minded, you can come out of the grief sooner. The key is empowering yourself enough to not let anybody else have the power to hurt you. Be committed in the relationship but don’t forget to give space to each other. Even if all this doesn’t help to hold on the relationship tight, be prepared to let it go.

You will have better opportunities waiting at the next door. Don’t compromise with your values for the sake of relationship. True love will never put you in such a situation, trust me on this. Be confident in yourself. Don’t lie to your own self, don’t pretend to be someone you are not. I see, there have been a lot of don’t (s) here, but seriously we have some do’s too. J For one, face the situation, ignoring it will only increase the pain. Waiting for him/her to come back will worsen your situation, and won’t want that, would you?

Moving on can be a personal struggle. Don’t feel that you are alone to deal with it, though. If you will close yourself in a room and cry for hours, that will never heal your heart. Going out, meeting friends, talking to them, venting out will help release the pain in great amount.