First Time
One year has passed since I first saw you. It was a pleasant evening, not very cold, neither stifling heat. It was the perfect evening to meet the perfect girl. There comes a time in a life of every man when he look at a girl and find his heart is no longer his. There I saw you smiling and I suddenly became aware of the sounds which were never there, the softness of your laughter and the way it warmed me till my core. How we touched hands for the first time and how I dreamt it to be in my head.
Too sappy for your taste? Well you know me and how I like it but this is not about any of those things. This is about that moment which I'll always cherish coz that was the time I decided to become yours. I sure didn't do anything to show you that, in fact I did almost opposite but then it is always hard to love me. I can be hard to live with. I don't mean to, but I can be... critical. Sometimes I think I'm just not good for people, that it's not good for them to be around me. I wear 'em down. They... they get unhappy.
I don't know how to be with you right now, and that scares me. Because if I'm not with you right now, I have this feeling we will get lost out there. It's a big bad world full of twists and turns, and ppl have a way of blinking and missing the moment - the moment that could have changed everything. I don't know what is going on, most of the times I also have no clue about my thoughts and I'm so very confused but I need you. I need you to have faith in me coz I cease to exist if it is not love, complete and unadulterated love.
It is possible that longing for something is better than actually having it. I want to have love.
Love me like you do..
(To be Contd..)
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
The Krishna Challenge
The curse that banished him to the hell of hells...
And the revenge that threatens to destroy the three worlds...
When Lord Brahma, the God of Creation, banishes his star pupil from Swarglok in a fit of rage, he does not foresee that his decision will alter the fate of the three worlds. Mortally wounded, and anguished at Brahma's unfair punishment, his pupil struggles to survive in Tamastamah Prabha, the hell of hells. In time, he becomes the Dark Lord, the most feared figure in Pataal Lok, who swears to destroy Brahma.
The power of the Dark Lord soon begins to make its presence felt in the mortal world. Vasudev, the brave prince of Bateshwar, becomes the hunter of Asura assassins; his closest friend, Kansa, almost dies while trying to save his sister from a group of deadly monsters; and the most valiant kings in Mrityulok turn over to the dark side, driven by forces beyond their control.
Only one person threatens the Dark Lord's well-laid plans - Devki, the beautiful princess of Madhuvan, who is destined to give birth to the warrior Krishna.
Will the Dark Lord allow Krishna - the person who has been prophesied to destroy him - to be born?
The Krishna Challenge
We’ve all heard this theory endless times, that one act of kindness can make a man happy who will in turn set upon a chain of kind acts, creating a domino effect and making the world a more bearable place to live in for those people directly and indirectly affected by it.
The Krishna Challenge has its genesis in this very theory, however, this time, the challenge urges people to act on it and spread the word about it, which will motivate people to act out of the purity of their hearts, to make life better for people, without expecting anything in return. The second part of the challenge urges the participants to tag or nominate people to take part, which will increasing the circle of influence and encourage people to bring joy, warmth, relief in the life of those they come in contact with, thereby enhancing the quality of life in their eco system.
This challenge is more relevant today, more than ever, as we wake up to news of lynching, bombing and killings on an everyday basis and another world war seems to be dawning on us. The idea of the challenge is to not sit back waiting for the world to fix itself, but to proactively participate in fixing every small and big thing, within our power.
Author Jagmohan Bhanver best describes this challenge as a social consciousness effort, which aims to drive change in society and heighten people’s awareness towards their responsibility as citizens.
You may wonder why such a challenge is named after Krishna.
Krishna is considered synonymous to the one who intervenes when there is an excess of misery, turmoil and wickedness in society.
So come be a part of the challenge and help us make the world a better place.
Here is what you need to do, if you want to become a part of the challenge:
1. Undertake an act of selfless kindness, however small, and post about it on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or anywhere visible.
2. Tag 3 people you want to be a part of the challenge.
3. Follow up and understand the impact your network of kindness is having upon the world around you.
Jagmohan’s first book (self help genre) titled "Get Happy Now" was on the best selling lists of most countries and on the Top ten list of leading bookstores in India. His second book, titled "Think your way to Millions" which is on the subject of Behavioral Finance was nominated for the best non-fiction award by Hutch-Crossword in India. This is one of the few books on behavioral finance. His third book was titled “Nadella – The Changing Face of Microsoft.” This book was published by Hachette, the largest publishers in the world. Jagmohan’s latest book is part of a three-volume trilogy on Krishna and is considered as the most awaited book in 2015. It is titled, “The Curse of Brahma.”
Giveaway
- 500 INR Flipkart Voucher
- Signed Paperback of the Book
(Open to Indian Residents Only)
Friday, 11 December 2015
When Our Worlds Collide by Aniesha Brahma
About the Book
Zayn has been shuttled from city to city when he was growing up.
She is comfortable watching her life from the sidelines.
He wants to feel rooted to a place he can call ‘home’.
They meet each other quite by chance.
And both seize the chance to be someone they both need in their lives:
For Zayn, it’s a 'Partner-In-Crime'.
For Akriti, someone who just knows how to be there for her…
When their worlds collide,
It is not what either of them expected it to be.
Zayn has a steady girlfriend. And Akriti has a crush on him.
What happens when these two become friends?
The biggest adventure of their lives? Or the road to heartbreak?
What happens when two completely different people collide?
Do they become friends? Or, is their friendship doomed from the start?
When Our Worlds Collide' is the story of two twenty-three-year olds, Who are finally growing up and finding their feet in the world.
A tale of friendship and love, crushes and betrayals, messes and second chances, Marriage and divorce… and the elusive happily ever after!
Book Links
Character Interview: Akriti and Zayn
Zayn: It’s about how I am the hot stud and this writer here falls head over heels in love with me.
Akriti: Grrr. Not at all. It is about a twenty three year old girl who is afraid to let anyone into her world. And then she meets guy who forces her out of her shell…
What is the one thing that you love about yourselves?
Zayn: That I am smokin’ hot? No, jokes apart. I like how Zayn feels rootless because he was never allowed to settle down anywhere. I think a lot of children who have parents with transferable jobs would relate to that.
Akriti: I like the fact Akriti just pretends to be lost. She basically does not let anyone close to her because she knows the scars can be seen up close! She is so afraid of getting her heart broken, she plays it safe all the time.
What is your favorite book?
Akriti: It is hard to choose just one. I love reading.
Zayn: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Akriti: Being a success, I guess.
Zayn: Settled.
Do you think we would read more about Akriti and Zayn’s adventures?
Akriti: More like misadventures. I am not too sure about that.
Zayn: I doubt we’d make it to another novel or novella. But, we just might be featured in short stories. Just keep a lookout for it!
About the Author
Stalk Links
Giveaway
Prize 1: One really Lucky Indian Resident can win a Handmade Book Jacket made by Diptee Raut of DIP & DIY
Prize 1: One really Lucky Indian Resident can win a Handmade Book Jacket made by Diptee Raut of DIP & DIY
As Diptee says, its ideal to ~ "Keep your books cozy and warm and away from prying eyes with this book cover. A classy way to carry your book to your favourite coffee shop/library/park for a quiet read."
Prize 2: One really Lucky Indian Resident can win a Surprise gift from the Author
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Monday, 7 December 2015
Interview with Falguni Kothari
★.•**•.★★.•**•.★ The Age of Kali Book Tour ★.•**•.★ ★.•**•.★
About the Book
Twisted myths. Discretion advised.
Fight fate, or succumb to destiny?
In the dark Age of Kali, the Soul Warrior alone stands guard over the Human Realm, protecting its denizens from evil-willed asuras or demons. When a trick of fate appoints him guru to a motley crew of godlings, he agrees to train them as demon hunters against his better judgment. Suddenly, Lord Karna is not only battling the usual asuras with sinister agendas, but also rebellious students and a fault-ridden past.
Spanning the cosmic realms of mythic India, here is a tale of a band of supernatural warriors who come together over a singular purpose: the salvation of Karna’s secret child.
Book Links
Kobo * iBooks * Amazon US * Amazon UK * Amazon Canada
An Interview with Falguni Kothari
Read an Excerpt
When did you decide to become a writer?
It wasn’t a conscious decision, per se. I fell into writing quite by accident when my mother insisted I “do something with my life” beside “be a homemaker.” In other words, she wanted me to stop hiding behind my children and grow up. In a quirk of fate that I now attribute to my Writer Destiny, I actually listened to my mother and searched for some short online classes I could take to finish my degree. (Yup, I am quite degree-less, even now.) While searching for classes, I stumbled on to the “Romance Writing Secrets” class, and it absolutely was as much fun to take as it sounds. I got addicted to writing and creating words in that class. Then, I took a couple of classes on grammar and novel structure, and long story short, I had a full manuscript on the laptop within a year. A manuscript that my friend read, and encouraged me to publish. I was actually shocked when I got an offer for publication, as until then I hadn’t really thought I could manage or have a writing career. It still shocks me sometimes, but I am far more confident of my story-telling mojo now than I was in 2009. So, yeah, I didn’t really decide to become a writer. I just became one.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I want many, many readers to read my stories and love them. I want to write many, many stories to keep my readers busy.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
My main character, Karna, is the tragic hero from the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. I have tried to stay true to his character of legend—in that he doesn’t fit in with the Celestials (is almost an outcaste) and hates his birth family; he is a warrior first and foremost; that he loses his temper at the drop of a hat; he’s generous; and mostly invincible. In Soul Warrior, he’s special because he alone has stood guard over the Human Realm since the start of the Age of Kali. He has special solar powers that he wields against the asuras or demons. He works for Yama, the God of Death, and brings the bad demon (red) souls to the Hell Realm for their comeuppance. He also cannot seem to help be snarky to the Gods, and invariably gets punished for his insouciance. The most special thing about Karna is his generosity, his capacity to forgive and to love.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I write in the middle of the night in absolute darkness and silence.
Where do the ideas come from?
From my head? Seriously, they come from anywhere. I’m at the stage in my career where I’m inspired by camel poop.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
I do both, depending on the type of book I’m writing. With my contemporary romances and women’s fiction I let the idea or character take over the story. But with Soul Warrior, which is mythic fantasy, and TMCRA (my current WIP) which is romantic suspense, I had to plot because I had a specific pattern the story needed to follow.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
Sit down and write. Even garbage writing is better than no writing. Garbage writing can turn into a decent enough paragraph with consistent editing. If you don’t feel like writing, speak to yourself. Talk it out with a friend. Talk to yourself in the mirror. Somewhere, you’ll unlock the block. Just don’t give up.
What can we expect from the series?
More madcap adventures. The next book will take us into the land of pisachas or blood-drinking, soul-sucking demons. And into the story of Bhim and Draupadi’s child.
Thanks for having me on your blog!
Best,
Falguni.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER ZERO
DWANDA-YUDDHA: THE DUEL
The Himalayan Mountains.
Five thousand years ago.
Absolute darkness shrouded the Human Realm, and had for three days and three nights. Some believed the occurrence was prophetic, like the prolonged amavasya or new moon night that had heralded the Great Kuru War two thousand years ago. The war had given birth to the dark Age of Kali, the age of asura. In contrast, hope was ripe that this event would trigger the Age of Light. But the Bard wasn’t here to succumb to superstition.
The first day without the sun’s light had spread confusion and chaos across the realm. The second day had brought desperation in the breasts of humans and fear in the belly of Celestials. The third day—today—was a feast for the asuras. Death lay everywhere.
The human world burned without its sun. How soon before the Heavens went up in flames?
The Bard’s troubled eyes reread the last line. Then he deliberately scratched it off, lifting his long, pointed talon from the parchment made of dry palm leaf. With a sigh, he rested his aching hand on his trembling thigh. He would spare a moment to ease his body, and his mind from the strain of observation and due recordkeeping. If he didn’t, he’d forget his duty as Witness of the Cosmos, and begin to question fate.
Despite the fire that crackled close to his right knee, and the feathered form of his upper body, he was cold. An icy wind had settled around the Pinnacle of Pinnacles, where he sat cross-legged on a seat made of rock and snow. He’d chosen this perch because it gave him an impartial view of the events happening in the world. He was the Bard, entrusted with keeping the Canons of the Age of Kali, just as the Soul Warrior was entrusted with keeping the Human Realm safe from asuras. Would they both fail in their duty today?
The Bard shook off the heavy despair the darkness had brought into the world. He mustn’t judge. He shouldn’t question. He would sharpen the talon on his forefinger, dip it into the vessel of ink kept warm by the fire, and write this tale. That was all he could do. Be the witness to history.
So he raised his feathered hand and began to write again while his eyes, sparked with power, knowledge and magic, saw clearly events unfolding from great distances. A thousand kilometers to his right, Indra, the God of War and Thunder, fought the Dragon. Indra did not fare well. But that didn’t concern the Bard as much as the clash between the Soul Warrior and the Stone Demon. Over and over, his eagle eyes were drawn to the duel taking place in the heart of the world, not only because it was a magnificent battle to behold, for it was, but because its outcome would decide mankind’s destiny.
The Soul Warrior was more than a great warrior. Karna was a great soul. Fair, honorable, brave and resilient, he was the perfect protector of the Human Realm. Of course, there were other reasons he’d been chosen to fill the office of Soul Warrior—there always were when Gods and demons were involved. But Karna’s existence was a testament to righteous action and if anyone could bring back the day, it would be him.
But how did one vanquish stone, the Bard wondered?
Avarice and cruelty, two nefarious desires, had made Vrtra and Vala attack the Human Realm. Three days ago the Dragon had swallowed the Seven Rivers in the north, and the Stone Demon had imprisoned the Sun God, his daughter, and all the cattle of the region in his cave.
The Bard paused his writing as a thin vein of lightning winked across the skies, but without the accompanying roar. Indra’s strength waned. His thunderbolt hadn’t left Vrtra screaming in pain this time. The Bard spared a moment’s attention on the duel, just enough to note that the Maruts, the Celestial Storm-gods, waited in the clouds to rescue their god-king in case of a calamity. Indra would survive even in defeat. Of that, the Bard was sure.
But Karna had no one at his back. His might and god-powers had depleted without the sun’s healing warmth and light. His divine astras, weapons, had not slowed the Stone Demon down, at all. Only the conviction that he could not fail his godsire, his sister, and the innocents under his protection drove him now. His birth family had once abandoned him to his fate, but he would not abandon them to theirs—such was the greatness of Karna.
The Bard crossed out the last observation. No questions. No judgment. No praise, either. The canons would be free of all emotion. He wasn’t here to embellish history or glorify the history-makers, as some bards were wont to do.
It wasn’t embellishment to write that the foothills of Cedi were drenched in the Soul Warrior’s blood. Or observe the gushing wounds on his body, despite his armor, that would make the hardiest of warriors bellow in agony, but not him. It wasn’t embellishment to write that the Heavens were empty for the Celestials had come to Earth to watch the battle, firelight cupped in their palms to light the warrior’s way.
The Naga, the Serpent People, also looked on, hissing from the mouth of the portal that led to their underground realm beneath the hills. The Serpent King will not choose a side. Vrtra and Vala were half Naga, after all. All across the Human Realm, demons roamed free, taking advantage of the darkness and preying on human flesh and human souls. It was a terrible moment in history. The asuras had the upper hand in the eponymous age of Demon Kali.
Vala did not have arms and half a leg, but still he came at Karna. He had an ace up his sleeve. There were plenty of creatures about, an entire mountain close at hand. He began to chant the spell of soul transference. It was the darkest of all magic, the possession of another’s soul. Soon, he would be whole again and stronger than before.
Battered and bleeding, the Soul Warrior veered away from the Stone Demon. He leapt over boulders and charred vegetation. The onlookers called him a coward. Had he forfeit the duel? Has he forsaken mankind?
Karna dove for Manav-astra, the spear of mankind, he’d thrown aside yesterday after his bow, Vijaya, had shattered under repeated use. In one smooth motion, he rolled, picked up the astra, coming up in the spear-thrower’s stretch. His tattered lower garment billowed about him as a gust of wind shot through the air. His muscled torso glistened with blood and sweat, tightened as he pulled the arm holding the spear back.
He meant to throw Manav-astra at Vala. A futile attempt, to be sure? As long as Vala was made of stone, broken or not, his body was impregnable. Karna should have waited for Vala to transfer his soul to an onlooker. Then Karna should have vanquished the possessed creature.
Taunting laughter reverberated through the foothills of Cedi. Vala had reached the same conclusion. The Celestials looked at each other in angry silence, unable to interfere. A dwanda-yuddha duel was fought between two opponents of equal size and strength alone. The humans hadn’t stopped screaming in three days, the din simply background noise now.
The Bard scribbled the observations onto the parchment in no particular order. He wished he was a painter, for surely this was a picture worth a thousand words.
The demon hobbled toward the warrior, who stood still as stone with his arm drawn taught behind him. Then finally, with a roaring chant the Soul Warrior shifted his weight from his back leg to his front and let fly Manav-astra at the Stone Demon with all his remaining might.
Karna didn’t wait to see the ramifications of his action. And there were plenty to come. He ran into the mountain cave to free Vala’s hostages. Within moments the rock face rent in half, and bright streams of light speared through the terrible darkness. A new day had dawned on the Human Realm after three days of perpetual night.
The sun’s power was too bright, too full of hope. Yet, the Bard looked on pensively, wondering if the Soul Warrior knew this wasn’t a victory. It was merely a reprieve.
About the Author
Falguni Kothari is a New York-based South Asian author and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a semi-professional background in Indian Classical dance. She’s published in India in contemporary romance with global e-book availability; Bootie and the Beast (Harlequin Mills and Boon) and It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! (Rupa & Co.), and launches a mythic fantasy series with Soul Warrior (The Age of Kali, #1)
I’m embarrassed to admit how many social media accounts I own :
Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest
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One $10 Amazon gift card and 5 Sun Pendants. Open Internationally!
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