Work: Horn OK Please!

A plane is taking off. My eyes don't leave it, until it is a tiny blob in the sky and i can't squint anymore.

"Samjawan" is playing on Apple Music on the JBL Dock and its serenity is just amazing. The open MBP is staring at me, but i am lost in my own world gazing out into the terrance-garden. The occassional flight taking off interrupts my day-dreaming and i gaze at it, like a moth drawn to fire.

Brain-freeze. Mind-freeze. I-can't-think-freeze. MBP stares harder. I don't care and instead cradle the coffee mug harder in my digits and take a contended sip. The virtual face of my trainer pops up who admonishes me for the caffeine intake, but i pull my most innocent face and scurry him off!

By this time the MBP has all but given up on me. Instead, it is staring hard at the tempting window and staring it to death. They are having a face-off.

The coffee is getting cold. And i want to sing along the beautiful song.

What Bliss!

#FuckYouVitaminB12Deficiency ;-)

Review of "Autobiography of a Mad Nation" by Sriram Karri

Title: Autobiography of a Mad Nation

Author: Sriram Karri

Available at: Flipkart

The book starts on a poignant note with a very unpredictable rant, which goes on and on for some time. However, the reader is lured into the book with the very stark words - "I was born in a mentally retarded nation." These words not only jostle the reader but also make us question our very actions and even thoughts!

Vikrant Vaidya is sentenced to death for killing his neighbor and as per his right, he writes a mercy petition to the Indian President. The mercy petition is eight pages long and it is more of a 'rant' than a petition.

The book picks up pace when the CBI head is asked by the Indian President to investigate if Vikrant Vaidya has indeed murdered his neighbor or not and whether he is being sentenced to death needlessly or not. The President and the retired CBI head are friends so there is no chance that the latter can say "No" to such a case.

The CBI head believes it to be a simple case, but soon he is walking on egg shells as he dwelves from the tales of the Emergency to Operation Blue Star to Anti-Mandal Protests to Babri Masjid Demolition to the Gujrat riots. The reader too, is transfixed as the narrative moves in a fast-paced manner from one event to the other in a seamless manner.

I got this book as part of the "Flipkart Book Review Program" and i must say i thoroughly enjoyed this book for the most part!

The narrative meanders at times, but maybe that's intentional! It is gripping at times and the best part is that it holds the attention of the reader to the most basic and the precise fact whether India is indeed a mad nation or not? To answer this question, read the book!

Review of "India on My Platter" by Saransh Goila

Title: India on My Platter
Author: Saransh Goila 
Available At: Flipkart

Backpacking through the country, young chef Saransh Goila sets off on a culinary trail through India, where in he discovers the various nuances of local cuisine. 

From rural villages to barren deserts to freezing mountains, he unfolds the flavour of his destination by meeting local villagers or erstwhile royalty, picking up a tip or two to use in his kitchen. 

Wherever he goes, he makes sure to visit the famous eateries of that place. Through him, the reader can vividly smell the spices and taste the dishes that are described. The recipes given also present ways on using locally found ingredients. 

From having steaming Murthal ke paranthes to savouring tasty street food in home town Delhi, from cooking on a boat in Varanasi to cooking dishes using a bamboo hollow in Assam, Goila does it all and presents his adventures in a lucid, flowing narrative peppered with humorous anecdotes.

Review of "There's Something About You" by Yashodhara Lal

Title: There's Something About You
Author: Yashodhara Lal
Available at: Flipkart

First all the disclaimers: "There's Something About You" is not a romantic novel despite the suggestive title. It is a book about a woman who is struggling with all the petty issues that life has an uncanny habit of throwing at us, from time to time. No job, dependant parents, dwindling finances and an irritating-but-meaning-well mom! And of course, no boyfriend and the constant pressure of "settling-down"!!! 

Add to this the emotional turmoil of having a father who is suffering from the dreaded Alzheimer's disease and seeing him go south a little every single day. The once strong and protective father has now turned into a dependant and needy person and it is really heart-breaking to watch this facet of life, every single day.

Trish handles all of this and much more with aplomb till she encounters a stalker, whose life she has also saved before. Yup, it's tricky! Add an agony aunt column to the roller-coaster ride, which Trish does for purely financial reasons. Trish tries to take revenge on her editor, which backfires in such a miraculous way that Trish becomes an overnight celebrity, much to her chagrin. It is a good stress-buster for her as it allows her to let off steam in her characteristic sarcastic way! 

The ending is also superb as it shows how unpredictable life can be. What might seem as a "bane" one moment can actually turn out to be a "boon" a few moments later. Trish's financial issues get sorted out and she also starts to live life on her own terms instead to toeing the line of her bosses.

I got this book from the "Flipkart Review Program" and i finished it in two sittings flat. All in all, a worthy tale of our middle-class life and the struggles that we go through! The book amply demonstrates that there is a rainbow at the end of the dark and dreary grey clouds.

Review of "Mistress of Honour" By Bhavna Arora

It is an unlikely love story that blossoms in the background of the Indian Army. The book revealed to me that the strong Indian soldiers also have another side to their persona. The book starts on a simple note but picks up pace and plot very soon. It is not only well-researched but also depicts a very true picture of the travails and trials that the families of the Indian army face.

Perhaps the best part about the book is that two stories blend together and show how "history repeats itself".

Review of "The House that BJ Built" By Anuja Chauhan

Is it a book or a Bollywood script – the reader will keep wondering as they turn page after page of this scintillating and thrilling family drama. The Thakur Girls of “TPTG” are all grown up and fighting over their ancestral house. So many secrets, regrets and greedy little traits crop up all over the book to make it a nice and breezy read. 
I got this book as part of the "Flipkart Review Program" and i must admit that the excellent Hinglish prose just takes the book to another level! 
The book has all the makings of a Bollywood blockbuster with a “foot in the mouth” Bollywood director, a copycat fashion designer, a spiritual lady and a Page 3 addict news editor. The cherry on the cake is the “item song” – “Aur Jee” (pronounced as “Orgy”). Yes, an item song in the book! Anuja Chauhan has written a befitting sequel to “TPTG” in which she explores the lives of the famous sisters and how the chance of mega-millions corrupts them all!