YOU WIN WHEN YOU DON’T PLAY - 10 Lessons in Letting Go and Finding Quiet Power - Sharmila Sengupta

 

“Letting go isn’t giving up. It’s growing wiser.”

Sharmila Sengupta’s book titled ‘You Win When You Don’t Play’ is replete with little life lessons on how to make space for grace to enter. There are so many pithy quotes that help the reader to loosen control over stress and pressure, all with simple examples to drive home the point.

The author talks about boundaries that are not walls but doors to be opened to let peace in. It is vital to stay true to oneself and believe in the power of faith rather than force. “It’s about learning to trust the spaces in between – the unseen, the unplanned, the unforced.”

She also waxes eloquent on the strength hidden in stillness, and offers various practices to realign and restructure life. Peace arrives when one finally pauses, breathes meaningfully, repeats affirmations and practises laughing. This book is, indeed, a whisper in one’s ear that offers lessons on calming, reflecting, softening and letting life flow.

‘The mind says, “Keep going.”

The soul whispers, “Come home.”

 

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The author, Sharmila Sengupta

HOW TO TELL ANY STORY IN 500 WORDS

 
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         There was a time when stories like the Iliad and the Odyssey were told in great length, as were our great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Life meandered along at a leisurely pace, and a story could be embellished according to the storyteller’s imagination. Today, due to paucity of time, and the vast reading material accessible to the reader, a story must grab the eyeballs, and do it quickly!

                                                                                                       Kobo

                                                                                              Barnes & Noble

          What makes a good story? There are various factors which go into weaving a tapestry that is strikingly effective. It was Alex Keegan who delightfully defined the short story as “something which could be read in one sitting and brought a singular illumination to the reader, sudden and golden like sunlight cracking through heavy cloud”.

           What are the guidelines to be followed to make your writing effective? The first step is to keep your audience in mind and start with a quote or an illustration that catches their attention. The story must flow easily, with a slim beginning, a meaty middle and finally, a climax or a denouement that thrills and entertains. This is often known as ‘the twist in the tale’. It must be remembered that, in a short story, as in a miniature painting, the details must be sharp and eye-catching.

            It is here the mood is set for the theme of the story. The main character is introduced and the stage prepared for the audience to involve themselves in the tale. Writing style is all important and it should be lucid, precise and appealing. Characterization is an art, as the writer breathes life and fleshes out characters that seem familiar. The short story covers a single event over a short span of time. The number of characters is restricted to not more than three to restrict dilution of the plot.

           The plot now thickens, and the reader is hooked on to it, as the tension mounts. Short sentences that convey a sense of breathlessness often add to the pace, and the reader begins to empathise with the predicament of the character involved. This is mainly possible when the themes chosen are directly related to those in life – love, danger, fear, loneliness etc. A good story answers questions subtly, acting on the reader’s imagination, maybe leaving a moral hanging in the air.

         Dialogue is a vital building block in characterization. A character should speak in character, and the dialogue should be effective enough to take the story onward and not be used as a filler that has no relevance. It should be light yet dramatic, crisp and enjoyable. Every character should start a dialogue in a new line so that the reader can differentiate one from the other. Great dialogue can propel the reader right into the mind of the writer. It can create suspense to speed up the action, and in doing so, hook the reader further on to the story. One essential rule is that where it is possible to reveal something, do so. Often actions speak louder than words and engage the reader more efficiently.

          What makes up the composition of a short story?  The beginning sets the foundation stone for the structure. The reader is taken in through the door, and there on, he is swept along with the protagonist towards a certain conflict or a problem being faced. The protagonist flounders awhile but then regains his pace and sets out to solve the conflict, and almost always overcomes it. This is the middle of the story, which sees rising action, moving towards a crescendo, or a denouement. This is where the writer can inspire, if he avoids being preachy.

           The writer’s style is tested as he uses words and sentences that are mean and lean, creating the framework of the tale effectively. There is no scope for redundant usages, longwinded sentences, archaic phrases and even overused conjunctions like ‘and’ and ‘that’. Instead, the language used is dynamic, with specific words instead of nouns qualified with adjectives. Vivid metaphors and similes add to the sensory effect, leaving the reader with word pictures in his mind. Action verbs are used instead of the ‘is’ form, along with colourful nouns that need no padding. Words of one syllable make better readable copy than long sentences and flowery language.

           Finally, the end or the resolution is in sight; the loose ends are brought together and tied up in a way that is satisfying, even if it does not always end ‘happily ever after!’ It is now that the writer goes back to check what he has written. He revises the copy, editing ruthlessly as he slashes away at the frills and ensures that what remains is fluent, coherent and unified. He verifies his facts for accuracy and clarity. A spelling check is a must as a piece of slovenly writing remains just that. Punctuation is all important, as Lynne Truss has proved in her best seller ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves’. A final reading reveals if the story is a logical one with each sentence flowing into the next and coming to a levelheaded conclusion. When a word limit is specified, every word must count, and it is the writer’s skill that makes his prose shine brightly or glow dully with a matte finish. A 500 word article must be just that, and the final reading should ensure that the limit is not crossed. It was Edgar Allen Poe, the master storyteller, who said that “The short story should have a single and unique effect and that every word, every sentence should matter”.

            Thus, to sum up, a short story must have the following elements to be effective:

1. A specific audience that needs to be targeted
2. A setting where the action takes place
3. The mood which is set by the writer
4. A time span that covers one event effectively 
5. A plot that holds the interest of the reader
6. Vivid characterization
7. Snappy dialogues that bring out the characters
8. A writing style that grips

The proof of the pudding, they say, is in the eating. Similarly, the proof of a good short story is that it keeps its readers hanging on till the last word, thereby ending in a cliffhanger of a tale.

 
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I have always enjoyed writing thrillers and am often known as the Shadow writer for my four ‘Shadow’ books, two of which are novels and two thriller short story anthologies, all by Readomania.

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CAREFREE TIMES

“Your haemoglobin levels are at 5.8! How are you even walking?” The doctor looked at me as though I was a specimen under a microscope, which I probably was, given that the normal Hb levels for a human being range from 9 to 14, or so.

            Very Well Health

   I had to wax eloquent on my menstrual history from when I was eleven, when mom told me all about periods and what I would have to expect. Of course, the deluge started at a time when I least expected it. I was travelling by train with a rather conservative uncle and aunt. The result was downright embarrassing, and I got out, red-faced, and unwilling to ever talk about it. Till now!               

Those were the days when women were expected to be Carefree without Whisper.  When friends doubled over with cramps and moaned that their world was coming to an end, I waltzed about, wondering what all the fuss was about. Mom had definite views on everything in life, including pain management. (She still does! Ask anyone who knows her!) Her stock response to every kind of ache was, “It’s all in the mind. Get over it!”

So, as children, my sisters and I grew up without a thermometer in the house. We popped no pills and played riotously in the sunshine for our share of Vitamin D. Colds, fevers and stomach upsets vanished because they were ignored. After my initiation into the menstrual cycle, I decided to explain it all to my younger sister, who is seven years younger than me. To date, she tells me that I did a masterly job of it.

                                                                                        

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However, criminal as it may sound, we both forgot that there was a little one, our youngest sister, who was ten years younger than me. I had moved into college and was on the verge of getting married. My second sister was busy with school, examinations, peer pressure and stuff like that. Hence, the valuable lode of information that should have been passed down stayed within our minds. Till the day the little one came rushing in, as pale as pale could be, exclaiming, “I think I am going to die. So much blood!”

We never forgave ourselves for the lapse, and the little one kept reminding us every month. “It’s here again!”

Years went by, I ‘Whispered’ through life, had an adorable baby girl. When she was around seven, the bubble burst. My periods, painless and bearable till then, suddenly began showing their true colours. They would continue for fifteen days, sometimes longer, and it was then that I realized that like in the case of all families, I too had been handed down my share of heirlooms. Fibroids. Around three of them! When I dug around in the annals of our menstrual history, I found that every generation had had its share of fibroids, starting with my grand aunts, grandmother, mother and now me and my daughter too.

As an Army wife, we had been posted to Ambala and were staying in a room in the Officers’ Mess. When I look back, those were bloody days, as I bled, changed, washed sheets, and then the whole cycle would begin again. My Hb levels dipped, and that is when the doctor called me a walking miracle and ordered a blood transfusion. Those were the days when O+ blood was considered a universal donor and my husband cheerfully lent me some of his blood, to add on to B+, an axiom I have always followed in life. (Be positive!)

It was now hysterectomy time. I was in my mid-30s and it was time to bid adieu to my periods, and my uterus. There were gory tales about how I would react after my uterus had been removed. Maybe you will sprout a beard, said one well-meaning uncle; oh, you will put on weight for sure, said a svelte cousin. Mood swings, hysterics, hormonal issues and terrible times ahead… the future looked rather bleak.

Of course, Mom swept in with her irrepressible logic. She looked at me with a gimlet glint in her eye and said, “Stop listening to all those rays of sunshine! This is not the end of the world. Take it in your stride. It’s all in your mind.”

Those words rang true, my hysterectomy was done, and I rested till I healed. Neither did I sprout a beard, nor did I have mood swings. A little weight just meant that there was more of me to love. I did not miss having periods… in fact, I rejoiced at not having to shell out exorbitant sums of money on sanitary pads anymore. And what was more, my sense of humour, another family heirloom, was still intact!

Several myths have been built up around this simple biological function called menstruation. Even today, in many households, women are not allowed to be in the kitchen and visit temples because of the mistaken notion that they are ‘unclean’ during those days. How many of us realise that in days of yore, it was maybe because women needed a rest when they had their periods. Hence, they were given a break from cooking and related home chores.

The movie Padman revolved around the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a pioneer who resolved the hygiene issues of rural women by creating a low-cost sanitary pad. A simple man, he had the sensitivity to visualise the problems of menstruation and strove to do something about it.

                                                                                                    Times of India

 It is time that we did away with the taboos connected with menstruation and ensured that every girl is taught about the biological processes that turn her from child to adult. There is no harm in boys being educated about it as well. Mothers, of course, are the best teachers, in this regard, and they can choose to make the said process an ordeal or a norm for their daughters. Barring this, schools also need to teach menstruation as a subject so that students grow aware of its significance.   

 In a nutshell, be Period Positive. Period!

  
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PARENTING UNPLUGGED – THE DRAMA MAMA DIARIES BY LALITHA RAMANATHAN

 
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"What's life without a little drama and lots of laughs?" asks Lalitha Ramanathan, the author of Parenting Unplugged - The Drama Mama Diaries. This book, which houses a collection of conversations a mother has with her little human, focuses on humour for the harried mother's soul. As the author puts it, "Parenting has been an adventure beyond my wildest dreams."

Right from the moment a little dragon was born, (the parents lived in Singapore), and even before... from a tiny blob on the screen to a little human who resembled her father, there is a sense of fun that weaves through the entire narrative. With humorous asides that pepper all 20 chapters, the author pinpoints her experiences as a parent, taking the readers over a whirlwind of activities at each stage of her daughter's life.

The book spans across the mother-daughter relationship, capturing cameos of sweet innocence, temperamental moments, sleep deprivation, the home-career balance, celebrations, skill development, work deadlines and holiday stress. As Lalitha Ramanathan emphasises, "There is no respite for the enthusiastic parent."

It is amazing to see a little girl grow into a well-spoken teenager, especially when she thrives on repartee, retorts and reading. Though written from a mother's point of view, the father's role is also significant. The importance of a good parenting partnership can never be denied. Levelling up with Junior needs dual parenting. After all, the Wonder Woman syndrome is a precursor to burnout, a fact which the author knows, and she relies on humour to get through the stressful situations.

Nuggets of wisdom abound in the book.

"At the end of the day, all that matters is that we are raising happy and healthy children."

On sleep-deprived moms, the author has this to add.

"As mothers, we are all trying our best, and whatever we do is magic."

On unsolicited advice ('atmospheric disturbances'), she offers a piece of advice on the best stress buster.

"It's cancelling out the noise, reacting less and breathing more."

Alliteration seems to be a forte of the author, especially in the case of the chapter titles.

Milestones, Meetings and Milk-Stains; Toys, Teeth, and Tiny Triumphs; Pages, Paperbacks, and Playful Plots and the like!

The book is replete with touches of humour. For example, baking a cake with Munchkin was no piece of cake. "Fifteen minutes later, I resembled Casper the ghost, with flour on my face and clouds of powdered sugar flying in the air."

The visit of the Tooth Fairy had its moments of anticipation. "... the tooth that had announced its intent to leave remained firmly rooted like an overstaying guest."

In the chapter titled ‘Pandemic Programming Parenting Plots’, the author reminisces over the repercussions and lessons learnt during this trying period, and how to be well equipped in future as well. “Children have lost a tiny chunk of their childhood, and online exposure has had long–term effects on their mental health.”

This book is, again in the words of the author (for who could say it better?), a ‘laugh-out-loud and introspect book’, which could help many other parents to identify with similar situations in their own lives, and inspire them to wake up to the world, “woke and wise”.

 
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Name of the book: Parenting Unplugged - The Drama Mama Diaries

Publishers: Om Books International

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CROSSING A FINE LINE!

 

_“My son took my car and crashed it. I had no idea that he had the keys with him.”

“My husband refuses to wear a helmet.”

“Don’t drink and drive! Easier said than done!”

Excuses, excuses all the way! Excuses that can often lead to irreversible physical or mental damage, or even a fatality.

Every year, the maximum number of deaths are caused by road accidents, claim the statistics. Families are torn apart, and when nominal fines are levied, the offenders pay up and then do the same thing again or try bribes to escape the law.

On August 9^th, 2019, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act was published in the Gazette. The axe fell on September 1^st, 2019, when all fines relating to road rules violations went through the roof. Protests spread across the country, leading to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Sri. Nitin Gadkari, softening the blow by announcing that each state could choose its quantum of fines.

                                                                                                   Facebook

Officials argued that instead of raising fines arbitrarily, the law enforcers should have convinced the public of the ill-effects of breaching traffic rules, quoting the abysmal roads across the country, death traps in themselves. They demanded that massive potholes be repaired before such fines were levied. One police official mentioned a fine line between low fines that were ineffective and harsh fines that would impel offenders to evade the law, along with much money changing hands, leading to corruption.

Many states are taking the populist way out to reduce these fines. However, according to a Hindu newspaper report (7^th May 2019), the Government has released data to prove that almost 1,50,000 people die in road crashes annually. WHO clarified that this number could be around 2,99,000, according to Piyush Tiwari, founder of the Save LIFE Foundation. India signed the Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety in 2015, committing to halve road crash deaths by 2020.

 Exactly how cheap is human life in India? Does our fatalistic bent of mind reconcile us to the fact that whatever will be, will be and nothing we do can prevent it? Or is it the attitude that declares, “Let anything happen as long as it does not happen to me.” There is no guarantee that it might not happen to us one day, by which time it will be too late.

The same drivers who raise a furore after breaking traffic rules in India turn into model citizens when abroad, in countries harsh on traffic offenders. These drivers carry their papers, maintain pollution checks, drive sedately, stop at red lights, wear helmets, and uncomplainingly cough up cash as fines. Why, then, can’t they behave thus back home?

Road offences that do not lead to fatalities may have fines brought down. However, certain offences should never be condoned.

Offences by juveniles should be treated stringently, and proper action taken.  Guardians unaware of their wards’ handling of vehicles cannot plead ignorance anymore. The juvenile too will be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act. Underage drivers are a danger to themselves, and others, and should be kept off the roads. Turning a blind eye to wilfulness could lead to irreparable tragedy and heartbreak. Only a strict law could force guardians to keep a watchful eye on their wards, if only for fear of stringent punishment.

Not wearing a helmet, or donning a cosmetic one, avoiding seat belts, over-speeding or racing, and overloading two-wheelers, especially with children, can seem daring feats, but they are more to do with sheer stupidity, than otherwise. Accidents, in such cases, can lead to disabilities, paralysis, coma and often, death.  

                                                                                             Shutterstock

The worst crime is driving drunk. As a Japanese proverb goes, a man takes a drink and then the drink takes the man; especially behind the wheel, when he is not in his senses, his reactions slow. A menace on the road, he can kill others, unaware of the gravity of his actions. This cannot be condoned, and such offenders should be handed the highest penalty possible.

                                                                                                           iStock

A message to protesters: A responsible driver need not worry about fines. The innocent drive safe, the guilty need to watch out. So, by protesting, you abet traffic offenders. The choice is yours – safety versus recklessness.

An apt safety poster says it all. “Headlights can be replaced, heads can’t. Be aware.”

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UNFORGETTABLE CLASSIC STORIES – ADAPTED BY DEEPTI MENON

 
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When I was a little girl, my Army dad was posted in Delhi, and I remember living in a bungalow that had several large rooms. In the peak of summer, however, we would place our cots outside in the spacious garden, with mosquito nets and a table lamp that would reflect the stars above. Those memories have stayed with me, and some days, I still hear my mother’s voice, narrating stories to me in the languor of the night. After a while, the sonorous sound of her beautiful narration, and the buzzing of the insects beyond the mosquito net would lull me to sleep.

Three stories I recall distinctly – The Count of Monte Cristo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and Rip Van Winkle. I loved these stories and wanted more of them… the suspense, the mystery and the unforgettable themes entered deep into my heart, and lodged there, till the day I began to write my own stories. Little wonder that I prefer to be called a thriller writer, and have my quartet of ‘Shadow’ stories to back up my preference.

                                                                                                Amazon.in

                                                                                            Simon & Schuster UK

When Dipankar Mukherjee suggested that I choose ten stories of suspense and mystery to adapt, Rip Van Winkle was my first choice… the story of a simple Dutch householder who went up the Kaatskill mountains one day and slept for a hundred years. It was a tale told with mastery by Washington Irving and one that I needed to share with young readers. I had loved the story as a child, but then, I had a master narrator in the form of my highly dramatic mother.

The other nine stories fell into place, one by one. I had my personal favourites – gems by Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens (I had no idea that he wrote short stories as well!), O Henry and Guy de Maupassant. The enjoyable part was reading through their stories to choose the ones I wanted in my book… not the usual ones that had been read by all and sundry, but the lesser-known ones which would send a thrill down the spine.

After delving into a few more classic short stories (luckily, I happen to possess a set of six volumes titled ‘Greatest Short Stories’ curated by P.F. Collier & Son Corporation, New York), I finally chose two Russian tales by Anton Chekov and Alexander Pushkin, both of which enthralled me with their pace and theme.

There were three slots left. It was a difficult task to choose them as there were so many brilliant stories which would fit the bill. After much perusing, I narrowed it down to three gems which stood apart, three stories that could compare favourably with all the wonderful ones that I had chosen earlier.

Henry Harland’s tender offering filled me with a sense of loss and pathos, Arthur Schnitzler’s magnificent narrative kept me on tenterhooks till the end and W.W. Jacob’s story bordered on horror, leaving me with a sense of dread.

Every story has been beautifully illustrated by Prasad K., the head of our Art Department in school. He knew the pulse of each story and created a masterpiece for every one of them.

This book would not have been what it is but for the deft and diligent editing by Indrani Ganguly, my editor, who treats every book she edits as her own. The amazing cover image was created by Rupak Neogy. While my gratitude goes out to all the above people, it was Dipankar Mukherjee who gave me this project for which I cannot thank him enough.

'Unforgettable Classic Stories' is my eleventh solo book, and as are all my other books, a piece of my heart. It is meant for young readers and is an imprint of Reado Junior. However, as in the case of my earlier literary effort, Classic Tales from Shakespeare, I have had not-so-young readers telling me that they enjoyed reading the book because I had attempted to demystify the greatest playwright in the world, the Bard himself.

 
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The ten short stories in 'Unforgettable Classic Stories' are as follows:

1.               Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

2.     The Black Veil by Charles Dickens

3.     The Furnished Room by O Henry

4.     The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekov

5.     The Man with the Twisted Lip by Arthur Conan Doyle

6.     The Test by Guy De Maupassant

7.     The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs

8.     Rosemary For Remembrance by Henry Harland

9.     The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin

1      The Dead Are Silent by Arthur Schnitzel

 

BLURB:

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter.” 

In this captivating collection of ten eclectic short stories from the literary masters, you will be gently transported from mystery and fantasy to horror. From the whimsical world of Rip Van Winkle where old myths come alive to the imaginative London world of Charles Dickens, from the Russian classics by Anton Chekov and Alexander Pushkin throbbing with anticipation, hope and suspense, to the poignant yet fragrant love stories by O Henry and Henry Harland, this collection of ten stories takes you on a literary voyage around the world. The anthology transports you to the intriguing milieu of Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes, ending with a sojourn into the fascinating minds of master craftsmen like WW Jacobs, Arthur Schnitzel and Guy de Maupassant. 

Prepare yourselves for an immersive and suspenseful experience!

BOOK TITLE: UNFORGETTABLE CLASSIC STORIES

PUBLISHER: READOMANIA – READO JUNIOR

PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2025

                                                                                               My Book and I! 

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