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.

Vitamin H - Book Review

Vitamin H: Volume 2
By Abhishek Vipul Thakkar
Review By Ila Garg

Have you come across the concept of affirmations and the power of manifestation? This book ‘Vitamin H’ by Abhishek Vipul Thakkar gives the much-needed dose of motivation to all the readers while playing on the concept of daily affirmations that do change lives.

The book has a collection of quotes covering topics like mindful living, life journey, faith, compassion, confidence, acceptance, success, gratitude, happiness and forgiveness. These are presented day-wise for daily stimulation.

Kya Khoob Keh Gya Tha Wo...

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Zamane se alag tha wo.
Aasaan toh kbhi tha hi nhi ye safar,
Magar ulajh gyi hai ab har dagar.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Meri zindagi ban gya tha wo.
Umaar bhar ka saath nhi bhi toh,
Kuch pal toh theher gya tha wo.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Meri rooh ko chu gya tha wo.
Hawayon mei khusboo sa,
Wo tha kuch pal ka bharosa.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Zamane se alag tha wo.
Kaaton bhari zindagi mei tha,
Wo mere daftar-e-gul sa.

© Ila Garg

Mother

I know I haven’t been an easy child, 

There is no way I could be tamed or be mild.
At times, I need to scream and be apart,
But your tender touch is always there to ease my heart.

I get frightened when you are not in my sight,
You are the wall; the force to test my strength,
The chain I hammer at with all my might,
And yet you keep increasing its length.

It’s tough, I know, to be so calm and not be mad,
To at once play both good and bad,
Your care and faith never cease to come along.
The love against all odds still stays strong.

© Ila Garg

Memories :(

Laced with memories, grandma's kitchen called out to me,
As I stepped in, I recalled how it was once filled with the smell of ghee.
She would prepare steaming hot aloo parathas in the shape of triangles,
And tell us stories about the fairies and also the big bad wolves of the jungles.

Each time we visited her, we had so much to look forward to,
Sometimes, she would make us sit on her lap and read to us too.
She would tell us how good always triumphed over the evil,
And then sing a lullaby for us with a touch so gentle.

On the cold nights, grandma used to give us her famous hot chocolate to drink,
It was her secret recipe; even the thought of it now makes my heart sink.
Once upon a time, my grandma's kitchen was full of smiles and spark,
In her absence, now the 'kitchen' feels so lonely and stark.

© Ila Garg

The Speaking Stone - Book Review

The Speaking Stone
By Ratnadip Acharya
Review By Ila Garg

‘The Speaking Stone’, a novel by renowned author Ratnadip Acharya is published by Aksora Publications LLP. The cover is quite interesting. It shows some ancient ruins and a couple holding hands, walking in its direction. The dark colours used are apt to represent the book as a thriller.

It will be interesting to note here that the author's earlier book reviewed by me, Paradise Lost & Regained, had the same colour combination. The cover designer, Gokul Ram Singh, remains constant as well.

The book begins with a WARNING, insisting the readers to not flip through the pages beforehand as the pictures inside the book might kill the suspense. It's therefore, advisable to read the book page by page to stay with the plot and let the climax come through.

Treasure Within Dreams - Book Review

Treasure Within Dreams
By Shetall Ramsinghani
Review By Ila Garg

‘Treasure Within Dreams’, a novel by Shetall Ramsinghani is published by Revolt House Publishing. The cover is beautiful and reveals the fact that the readers are going to meet a fortune teller "psychic". It seems like a mystic novel at the first glance.

In Conversation with Sujay Malik :)

Hi Sujay,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

It’s a pleasure to take your interview today. So let’s start:

Sujay Malik candidly talks about himself: "Well, in all fairness, you can call me a brooder, a dreamer, a story-teller, a guy next door, a professional, a husband, a son, a son-in-law, a friend; all rolled into one."

He is a Chartered Accountant and also has a degree in law and commerce. He works with Bharti Axa General Insurance Company Limited as a Senior Manager - Underwriting. As he is quite passionate about writing and story-telling, it prompted him to pursue his interest more seriously. His love for books is not too old but pretty firm, but his love for writing dates back to the time when he was in school.

He loves to be alone at times and at other times he likes the company of my loved ones around him. He can be moody but he is quite actively passive that way - active in the mind and passive by appearance. You might feel that he is almost non-reactive by nature but that’s just how he looks. He is deeply affected by what goes on around him and he chooses to talk about all of that through his stories.

His first book Different Beads of the Same String was a collection of 10 short stories depicting human emotions from various fragments of life. The Sameness in a Consistent Change is his second book.

Here, he lets his readers know a little more about himself and his journey so far. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Sujay Malik:

India Runway Week Season 10 is here!

It would seem that no matter how big the India Runway Week gets, there you will always find fresh new names. Of course, the old designers continue every season. This is the 10th season of India Runway Week which is starting from 20th of April 2018. This 3-day long fashion event has a long list of celebs as showstoppers too.

One Enduring Lesson - Book Review

One Enduring Lesson
By Jamal Merchant
Review By Ila Garg

‘One Enduring Lesson’, a novel by Jamal Merchant is published by Rupa Publications. The cover at once makes it look like a book on positivity or life lessons. With a couple letting go a dupatta in air which forms a heart shape, the novel does hint on being a love story too.

The Talion Tale - Book Review

The Talion Tale
By Rahul Apte
Review By Ila Garg

‘The Talion Tale’, a novel by Rahul Apte, is published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. The cover at once makes it look like a book on terrorism or Jihaad or something on those lines. With a man looking like a terrorist in a gun radar, the book has a very apt cover.

A Life to Die For - Book Review

A Life to Die For
By Nilay Shah
Review By Ila Garg

A Life to Die For, a novel by Nilay Shah, is published by Zorba Books. The cover totally grabbed my attention. The amazing use of shades from red to orange to yellow is amazingly spectacular. Somehow the book seems a thriller; red symbolising death.

In Conversation with Prita Yadav! :)

Hi Prita,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

It’s a pleasure to take your interview today. So let’s start:

Priti Yadav is a fitness freak with a passion for writing! She enjoys running, playing hockey and swimming. Her writing journey has been slow and steady, but she is happy and satisfied with the response on both her books.

Here, she lets her readers know a little more about herself and her journey so far. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Prita Yadav:

 
1. Tell us something about you that only people close to you know. 

 
Prita: Only people close to me know that I'm extremely emotional in real life and cry very easily while watching movies! Especially a death scene has me choking as I remember my late grandmother.

Winter Is Here: Shea Butter Care!

Hello lovelies,

Since winter is here, I was looking for some winter skin care and luckily I found something that was not only economical but also effective.

Affinity Express launched new salon in Ghaziabad: Time to get pampered!

Affinity launched its new hair and beauty studio, Affinity Express at Crossing Republik, Ghaziabad on November 21. With this, the group plans to establish its presence in Ghaziabad and cater to customers looking out for premium services at reasonable prices. The event witnessed complementary launch services like Bomb, AVL and Olaplex. The Affinity express team displayed the Olaplex service which is not easily available in other salons. This is a protein treatment for hair that rebuilds broken hair bonds and the three step procedure results in incredibly healthy hair and thus is important for hair that have been treated with chemicals.

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After - Book Review

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After
By Urvashi Pahwa
Review By Ila Garg

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After is a series of short stories by Urvashi Pahwa, published in a kindle format. The cover has a nice gold font for the title and combined with black, it looks really rich and exotic just like love is. There’s a heart shaped pendant reflecting love and of course the sutra—love ties. Overall, the cover has a royal feel to it. It looks impressive to me.

CLC now in Noida: Why should Gurgaon have all the fun!?

Noida people spend most of their evenings in Delhi/Gurugram because that’s where the popular hang-out places are. For this, they need to cross the Yamuna, toil through heavy traffic and now also pollution, to brave their way to the other extreme - Gurugram. To simplify their lives and make their lives less stressful and more humorous, CLC opens its doors in Noida.

Singapore Under Attack - Book Review

Singapore Under Attack
By Uzi Ellam
Review By Ila Garg

Singapore Under Attack, a novel by Uzi Ellam, is published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. The cover is so apt. The men with guns represent some shooters and can be the attackers. Backdrop shows the city of Singapore. With such an interesting cover, I was sure it would not disappoint me.

Razor-Sharp - Book Review

Razor-Sharp: 13 Short Stories
By Abhinav Kumar
Review By Ila Garg

Razor-Sharp is a collection of 13 short stories by Abhinav Kumar. The author himself has published it as a kindle version. The cover has a very simple feel to it. With the yellow backdrop and just the title and author’s name on it, not much can be inferred about the stories from the cover. But I like how the colour is bright and the cover is minimalist.

You Never Know - Book Review

You Never Know
By Akash Verma
Review By Ila Garg

You Never Know, a novel by Akash Verma, is published by Penguin Random House India. The cover is so apt; you will realise this after reading the book. With a backdrop of red—which is a colour of love, rage, fury, blood and hell. It’s tagline—sometimes love can drag you through hell—says a lot about the plot. With such an interesting cover, I was sure it would not disappoint me.