Deep Ties

                                                                     Unsplash  Shanaya’s heart constricted, as she peered at the blazing green eyes. They were an unusual green, reminding her of the myriad hues of the sea. Fleeting currents lurked within in a slideshow of dark emotions. Her voice shook. “What do you mean by you’re not wearing a mask? That is not even a possibility.” The eyes smiled maliciously. “You do not believe in the supernatural?” Shanaya’s breath rolled out in a sudden gust that made him snicker ominously in the dim light, as she imperceptibly tried to move away. From the corner of her eye, she sensed that the door was shut. The only light came from the slats of a small window. The monster scratched his bloody face. “Cat got your tongue?” he asked, irritably, “I haven’t got all day....

  18-year-old Ayesha Banerjee gets noticed onstage, not only for her hourglass figure and never-ending legs, but her eloquent stories which move people.   Viren Joshi, a charmer with a wry humour, bowls her over initially. Meeting the dapper Abhi Agarwal sets off fireworks as he annoys yet captivates her with his arrogance. However, both men keep her off balance with their changing attitudes. As Ayesha has a knack for attracting drama, there is never a dull moment in the story. Her fiery nature is irresistible, and the love triangle intriguing. Till the last page, the reader cannot guess who holds the key to her heart. Manali Desai does justice to all three protagonists, even as she fleshes out the minor characters too. As the characters grow and mature over amusing moments in college, the plot plummets towards a finish that enthralls, justifying the book’s title.

                                                          Shutterstock.com The moon slipped behind a cloud, even as glasses clinked and sounds of riotous laughter filled the air. Chinese lanterns cast ominous shapes on the shamiana walls, even as a lone figure crept towards the makeshift stage door. The moon suddenly came out from behind its cloud cover and shone on the lanky figure of a young man with a shaven head, as he slunk towards the bright lights. The next moment, he was onstage, bare torso-ed, wearing a grass skirt, and a sheepish smile, as the whole crowd burst out laughing.   The occasion was the Regimental Battle Honour Day, when the ladies and the officers played host to all their guests, regaling them with entertainment, food and wine. How this particular officer had got himself into such a position is now part of Regimenta...

  Why do pages of books and newspapers turn yellow with age? How is paper made? What is the worst nightmare of archivists and librarians? Which insects and animals damage books? How do you treat pest infestations? What is another name for ‘pamphlets?’ Who are the famous poets who published chapbooks? When did bookmarks originate? Unsplash These and many other queries are addressed by Satabdi Mukherjee in her eBook titled A TO Z OF BOOK TERMS, which was part of the #BlogchatterEBook Challenge. Antiques have always been prized over the centuries. Did you know that there is a term for giving books an antiquated look that adds to their aesthetic value? In fact, modern machines have certain techniques that can replicate this effect. The author also gives valuable information about the various countries in which these and many other processes originated, thus revealing the remarkable research that has gone into the writing of this book. One term that deeply appealed to me is ‘ephemer...

                                                      Unsplash The unearthly music echoed around. In the uncertain light of twilight, it seemed as if the gods themselves had paused to listen, so beautiful were the notes. “She’s playing the piano again!” breathed Namita, rapturously. Her voice betrayed the reverence she felt for the soulful music, and the musician, Ujwala.  A proficient piano player, Ujwala had performed across the country. Music aficionados flocked to her recitals in hordes. There was magic in her fingers, as they flashed over the keys, hovering over them so softly that the music could hardly be heard. Heartbeats would slow, and people would hold their breaths, till the next moment, her fingers would race across, creating chords that crashed and billowed like the waves of the sea. When Ujwala played the piano, it was as if nothing e...

                                                                             Unsplash                                                                            There he stood, a six-footer, in front of the feisty old lady who was interviewing him for a job. His bald pate shone in the sunlight, as he stood to attention, holding a faded cap in his hand. “What is your name?” she asked him. “Manoj Kumar, madam,” was the subdued reply. His supervisor nudged him with a sharp elbow. “Speak up…!” he hissed. “M…Manoj Kumar, madam!” the voice rose a few decibels. The short-haired lady, who had an impish smil...

                                                                           Pinterest “I believe in any religion that believes in putting treating people with respect and dignity above ritual and dogma.” Charles F. Glassman Very often it is our children who teach us wonderful lessons even without their realizing it. We spend our entire life loving them, teaching them, berating them and trying to stamp our own personalities on them. When younger, they submit; when older, they rebel! And then, in one magical moment, they turn our worlds around with one tiny gesture that turns entire ideas on their heads. The blinkers fall off, and we see them for what they are, individuals in their own right, capable of living life with dignity. When our little daughter was born, it was as if the whole world had op...

                                                              Image: Deepti Menon Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Daphne Du Maurier, Victoria Holt, Edgar Allen Poe… the names would flash within my mind as I pored over their mysteries, looking for red herrings that were liberally peppered through the stories. All there in plain sight, and yet almost impossible to notice, till they were unearthed in the end. I would wonder at the ingenuity of the writer who could play around with suspense till the very end of the book, and then lift the curtain. Even Enid Blyton had this knack of leaving her mysteries unsolved till the last pages, the best way to keep her young readers hooked on to every book of hers. Later in life, the list went on to add the more modern writers like Jeffrey Archer, James Patterson, Gillian Flynn, Dan Brown and ...