Book Review #91 : The Aryabhata Clan

Genre: FICTION 

Price: INR 595

Overview: The Islamic State has spread its tentacles in India, penetrating stealthily into the academia, media and politics. The mastermind is Shamsur Ali, a physicist from Bangladesh. To destabilize India, he wants to create a sort of apocalypse, which the 21-year-old Kubha must prevent at any cost, come what may. 

In a brazen attempt at legitimizing the demolition of one of the most prominent historical structures in India, someone—unbelievably, it could be both Hiranyagarbha Bharata, a radical Hindu outfit, and the Islamic State—resorts to a big deceit. 

Afsar Fareedi, a linguistic paleontologist, catches the fraud. In the melee, there are three gruesome murders, including that of her father, perhaps to eliminate all traces of a carpet which, Afsar discovers, has a lot hidden in its mysterious motifs. At the centre of all this is a verse composed by the maverick mathematician, Aryabhata, some 1,500 years ago. 

REVIEW: The author makes a humble but sincere attempt at retelling history as authentically as possible, without being driven by any agenda. The author has very boldly and nakedly told many things that many other, especially the so called liberal western media, intelligentsia and academia, would never have the guts to even accept – the one being the spread of the Islamic terrorism. 

This novel has done a wonderful job in narrating a story revolving around the Islamic terrorism and Islamic State in a very impartial and unprejudiced manner. 

It's amazing to even fathom the premise of the book. There’s a family from Pakistan that has preserved ancient carpet motifs for thousands of years, even unknown to their members. Afsar, a renowned linguistic paleontologist, and a distinguished member of the family, suddenly realizes that the carpet motifs have a lot hidden behind them. That a seemingly harmless thing like the designs of a carpet can reveal a sinister plan hatched by a group of religious fanatics – a plan that aims at creating a turmoil of unprecedented proportions in the country – is itself something that can make a reader awestruck. 

The book, apart from everything else, is just amazing because of the suspense, and wow factor it evokes at every point, starting from its background, themes, locations, people and the myriad topics it takes you through.

There are number of threads running parallelly all along the narrative, and the deft handling of the complex disciplines like linguistics, archaeology, palaeography, epigraphy, mathematics, music etc. The four main threads in the book are: the Islamic State penetrating into India; a carpet with its mysterious motifs; an interesting take on the history of the Indian peoples, languages and cultures; and finally, Aryabhata, the mathematician himself. The amount of effort that has been put in presenting facts and figures authentically is indeed a commendable task. A lot of research has gone behind it. 

Spanning across the civilizational backdrops of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, this is an ambitious piece of fiction, especially because it deals with rapidly spreading terrorism among educated youth in the subcontinent. In the light of recent terror attacks in Bangladesh where affluent and educated young men were involved in hideous acts of terrorism, this theme is one readers will be able to identify with. 

The novel is about the struggle of Kubha, a feisty student of JNU who gets abducted by Islamic terrorists. Born to a Muslim mother and a Hindu father, Kubha knows a lot about these two religions and has the maturity to perceive that all religions are the same and are basically for good. She manages to escape from captivity with immense strength and her ability to decode various plans which her abductors execute for her. Aided with her knowledge in ancient Islamic and Hindu cryptology, her journey towards freedom shows how the conflicting religions go back to the same roots, therein making all inter-religious animosities futile. 

She has been put through the most inhuman ordeal. She is gang raped by the Islamist fundamentals, a group affiliated to the Islamic State. Still for a moment, she doesn’t lose her calm. She endures everything and even risks her own life, just for the sake of her country. She’s the epitome of womanhood, loving & emotional, courageous & intelligent, tender & sensitive, expressive & possessive. 

A thoroughly gripping book which has every page of it embossed with a riveting experience, depth and vastness of many complex threads. Fantastic storytelling with the right mix of flow and content. A lot of takeaways and a definite must-read for all in this age of genre blending of fiction and non fiction. This book has a remarkable hold over a big canvas, in terms of time, place, characters. It was a great experience reading this novel, which is quite an impressive feat. 

You sort of get a hang of it slowly, as the plot proceeds. You're hooked. Though there are many characters, and at the beginning you may tend to get a little confused, but with some time and effort you do get into the skin of each characters. Even smaller characters have definite roles. I feel few characters could have been curtailed a bit, for the ease of readers.

There are not many Indian writings which take a middle path. And that’s what is adopted by Sudipto in his debut novel. Very wonderfully he has presented the Indian history in a very authentic way, without getting swayed away or being preachy. In most places he has implicitly provided authentic sources. 

VERDICT: A very well written novel with a fantastic story line. Gripping, unabashedly truthful, authentic, emotional – a fabulous thriller. A wonderful story teller. Keeps you hooked till the end. An amazing amount of study and research done by the writer. 

RATING : 4.5/5

Depression Talk - Symptoms, How To Deal With It

Depression can drain your energy, hope and drive, making it hard to do what you need to feel better. But while overcoming depression isn't easy, there are plenty of little things that can help you on the way to recovery.

Many people make the fundamental mistake of presuming that depression is sadness, but the two are entirely different things. While sadness is a normal human emotion that comes and goes and is usually caused by certain events, depression is a constant feeling of sadness and hopelessness.

It is normal to experience feelings of sadness and dispair in response to adverse life events. Such events could include loss, major life changes, stress, or disappointment. In most cases, the sad feelings resolve as you come to terms with the changes in your life. In situations such as bereavement, these feelings may persist for months and return at significant times.

You can’t just will yourself to “snap out of it,” but you do have more control than you realize—even if your depression is severe and stubbornly persistent. The key is to start small and build from there. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there by making positive choices for yourself each day.

Continue on for days or even weeks and months at a time. 

* Feeling sad, lost, empty, hopeless, or just generally unhappy 
* Losing interest in or enjoyment from activities you previously enjoyed 
*Changes in sleeping habits ranging from insomnia to spending most of your time sleeping or in bed 
*Exhaustion and a lack of energy that makes even simple everyday task If you've wondered if you could have depression or if the feelings you've been experiencing are normal there are some common signs and symptoms to be aware of that can help you decide if you should seek professional treatment. 

These symptoms generally occur for most of your day without letting up and can seem difficult..

*Anxiety, agitation, and restlessness 
*Slowed thinking or difficulty paying attention 
*Feeling worthless or not good enough (often in conjunction with overthinking past mistakes or failures) 
*Feeling guilty about things that aren't your fault or are out of your control 
*Difficulty making decisions or remembering things 
*Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death or suicide 
*Physical issues, such as headaches or muscle pain 

If you’ve taken self-help steps and made positive lifestyle changes and still find your depression getting worse, seek professional help. Needing additional help doesn’t mean you’re weak. Sometimes the negative thinking in depression can make you feel like you’re a lost cause, but depression can be treated and you can feel better! There’s always hope.

Book Review #90 : Odyssey of Courage: The Story of an Indian Multinational

Publisher : Maven, Rupa Publications 

Copyright : Habil Khorakiwala, 2017 

Genre : Non-fiction, Autobiography 

Price : Hardcover Rs 595/- 

Pages : 225 

In today’s time, when autobiographies have flooded the market, this particular book stands out as the most prolific yet humane account of an entrepreneur. Habil Khorakiwala who managed to take his small family chemical business to the zeniths of Medical Research, in matter of just four decades is a living legend. 

However, the book is not just about the inception and journey of Wockhardt as a brand, but is also an up, close and personal account of the Khorakiwala family. It has some amazing anecdotes which give the readers a rare insight into the working of the genius mind and amazing human qualities which truly mark his passionate story as the ‘Odyssey of Courage’. Everything about this book is inspiring and makes us believe in our dreams. 

He elegantly describes his work life as well as his personal one. The fascinating lessons he learnt from his father, his hands on experiences with business and his observations of the people surrounding him, his passions and dreams are all described precisely yet adequately. I felt as if I was having a deep conversation with him sitting right beside me. 

Odyssey of Courage is more than just the story of Wockhardt. It offers invaluable insights into the making of a knowledge-based Indian multinational. Policymakers, business executives, students of management and public policy will relate to Khorakiwala’s experiences in ‘learning by doing’, taking risks and handling crises, and in managing change—within the industry, within India’s policy environment, and within the world of global pharma. Few pages down and Habil starts to make sense in every possible way and wins your heart at the end of the book. 

It is one of the many reads that hold your attention from the start to the end. He briefly describes about his college life, his love for spicy food and the city of Mumbai. He built his now multinational company, brick by brick and the struggles and obstacles are clearly expressed in his account. Something that connects the readers to him is the aptly placed quotes at the start of every chapter. They very much do reflect in our lives. 

But what makes this book a really good one is that, it gives so much of information about various issues that need to be raised in our country being Antimicrobial Resistance, dwindling antibiotic discoveries, patenting and so on. He explains in a simple manner that people not in touch with science can easily understand what he conveys. It was an inspiring yet entertaining read. 

Language used in the book is simple and easily understandable. Title is catchy and attracts readers and cover is appropriate with the book. Story flows smoothly and binds readers with the book. 

The book recounts four different transformation journeys from the time he started his company and survived in the first 10 to 15 years to become an important national pharmaceutical organisation, after liberalisation established global footprints along with research initiatives and now moving forward to introduce Novel Drug through its Antibiotic Drug Discovery Program. 

The book has followed an approach of storytelling which makes it a compelling read. For practitioners of business and management, there are many unique learnings like taking risks, committing mistakes, determination, hard work, success, which come out of the lifetime experience in his journey with a great degree of ups and downs. 

Odyssey of Courage touched my heart. Habil Khorakiwala with his autobiography serves us a highly motivational story of courage, hard work and hope. Inspiring stories never fail to amuse me and this book was no exception. When the empowering essence of the stories was sprinkled with lucid writing, the book met my expectations. 

VERDICT: Buy this book. Read it. And imbibe it within yourself to give a new direction to your life! This book is a gem. It is a must read for entrepreneurs. 

RATING: 5/5

Pricking Questions Women Are Asked

People are pressuring left and right for marriage?

Being asked of “when are you giving us the good news” constantly?

Nosy Aunties around??

Our societies have a lot to change. It is slowly changing, which is good. A lot of cultures have this problem but women are taking more of a stand. I love bringing up topics like these, as women can be traditional yet still take a stand on their lives. Some people refuse to change their mentality and instead are so tunneled visioned.

No matter what, it is painful to be asked this question, especially by strangers. Women need to be more empathetic towards each other and need to support when such things happen. I just wish that all women had the freedom to choose who and what they want in life rather than it being forced up on them. Give women the space and freedom to decide what's best for them.

We as women can do and be anything. But if you are not married and then have kids shortly after society looks at you as a failure. Why can’t a married woman get blessings like may you travel the world OR get successful OR stay healthy OR stuff life that? It is just plain rude, insensitive and also very sexist to ask women these questions. We as women can do and be anything. Maybe it's not just an Indian thing.

Magazines are always circling bumps around Jennifer Aniston's stomach and wondering if she is preggers. This is a worldwide madness, I suppose. Mainly because everyone is always looking at other people and wondering about their lives and curious about their private lives, that's just how most people are. Unfortunately we cannot control the way people think or what they say. We can control the way we react to this. It is going to happen WHEN and IF I want! Simple! Don't bog someone down for a piece of gossip! Just let HER be.

Do not take your own for granted and most definitely mind your own business! My thoughts are unless the woman makes a formal statement that she is pregnant you shouldn’t assume or start congratulating someone. I know a lot of women suffer from fertility issues and being hounded about having a child adds to an already stressful situation. People are more worried than you as to why you aren't married even when you are 26/27../30?!

And women need to unlearn the art of looking down upon other women. Let's make the world a better place. It's time to change the nosy mentality. If I spoke your mind, please be generous and share the post and comment your views on this, so that my and your voice reaches to maximum people and they should know that they must stop bothering about other's private affairs.

Lots of love from me!

NOT A Feminist, But A HUMANIST

Please be instrumental in encouraging the women around you with their careers. It is so, so vital. Let her do something she ENJOYS doing. It is the 21st century. See what she puts her 100 % into, what she loves investing her time into, why would you find it objectionable? Does she being better than you, smarter than you, scare you? If it does, I am so sorry to let you know, how inferior you are - in your little brain as well as in your personality.

I don’t see how she “working” or doing something unconventional as a career make you question if she’s a threat to your family reputation (when marriage is concerned)? HOW!?

Dear Society, you need to accept strong headed, independent women. IT’S HIGH TIME! And people, ask for SUPPORTIVE MARRIAGE, and not a DOMINATING one! And, no, I am NOT a feminist here, I am being a HUMANIST. I prefer critical thinking over any social dogma, always. Besides, it is one of the basic rights, for a person to do what he/she loves to do! Don’t kill their vibes and the essence of ‘them being them’.

Book Review #89 : Small Is Big

"Small is the new big." With Small is Big, Rafaa Dalvi has created a potpourri of 100 diverse micro tales (140 characters or less) that will provide you a rich experience in easy-to-digest fragments and urge you to read one page after another before you finally finish the book. It is such a page turner and keeps you hooked.

The title of the book is highly justified. I was lost in the world created by Rafaa. It is a breezy read that gives the readers many flavors all seasoned into one book. Being a multi genre book, you will experience all emotions all at once while enjoying this book. But everything is not upright there, 10% is revealed and 90% is for the readers to imagine. Stories build up a thought provoking process as it is a perfect mix of dark, light hearted and diverse plots. 

And the best part is that there’s a story for everyone, including YOU that will have a huge impact on you. A superb collection of tales with topics ranging from love, loss, pride, crime, thrill among many others! 

Tiny tales or micro fiction are easy to read, and my favorite reads, as they require less attention span, infact, this book, you keep flipping pages and within minutes, you reach the end! 

We see many Instagram pages popping up every day promising to set a platform for Microtale writers. Being a writer myself, I love to weave micro tales too! And once in a while even a non writer is seen penning exceptional micro fiction. 

Rafaa Dalvi's Small Is Big, a collection of tiny tales, is work of a prolific writer.I have followed Rafaa's writing for years now. In fact, it was his blog and writings that encouraged me to dive into this world of words and I started my own escape, my own blog. 

Tales are alphabetically arranged. Some of the works that I really loved were- Awoke, Beauty Marks, Birthday Special, Change, Daddy, Desire, Doctor, Faint, Goodbye, Homesick, Lie, Lookalike, Management, Mother's Love, Name, Ring, Scars, Suffer, The Switch, Trapped, Useless, Zoom. 

Every tale strikes a chord. To get this book in just Rs 49/- was a treat. I read it on Kindle. 

Anyone who has even a minor interest in literature should read this masterpiece. 

One could sit with a friend and discuss their take on almost each story. This book can be such a conversation starter! These micro tales are absolute gems and their impact is everlasting. Brilliant work. Would love to see this one in print too. 

Congratulations and huge credit to Rafaa, you are so so talented and dexterous enough to keep most of your stories open to interpretation. 

MUST READ! Looking forward to more such tales. 

Rating: 4.8/5 stars 

Download the book now and read it on the go on your Kindle app or device.

Body Shaming #YouAreEnough #SayNoToBodyShaming #TabooTalk

The action or practice of humiliating someone by making mocking or critical comments about their body shape or size or complexion is ‘body shaming’. 

Did you ever stop and think about how often we are told to change our appearance? Magazines constantly offer tips about how to lose weight “in days,” appear slimmer “instantly,” and hide our “imperfections”… without actually knowing anything about us, much less our appearance. This is one example of body-shaming, and it is everywhere. 

Sitcoms so frequently use overweight characters’ bodies as the basis of many of the show’s jokes. It has become the norm to criticize aspects of our bodies as some type of bonding experience with friends. Body-shaming (criticizing yourself or others because of some aspect of physical appearance) can lead to a vicious cycle of judgment and criticism. It is said that it is desirable to look slimmer, smaller, and tanner. And if we don’t, we worry that we are at risk of being the target of someone else’s body-shaming comments. 

Body-shaming manifests in many ways: 

1) Criticizing your own appearance, through a judgment or comparison to another person. (i.e.: “I’m so ugly compared to her.” “Look at how broad my shoulders are.”) 

2) Criticizing another’s appearance in front of them, (i.e.: “With those thighs, you’re never going to find a date.”) 

3) Criticizing another’s appearance without their knowledge. (i.e.: “Did you see what she’s wearing today? Not flattering.” “At least you don’t look like her!”). 

No matter how this manifests, it often leads to comparison and shame, and perpetuates the idea that people should be judged mainly for their physical features. Learn to accept yourself and boost your self esteem and lift others up. 

I would love to know your thoughts and experiences about it, comment below how you dealt with it. Is body shaming an issue you have encounter? Let’s make it interactive, please! Hopefully, the trend will begin to shift from body-shaming to celebrating women of all sizes, shapes & colors.