Book review: The Hunt for Kohinoor

Hi readers,

Forget about stories that introduce a background and give you enough time and consideration to adapt to the plot. This one dives right in and maintains a crisp pace - one that needs complete attentiveness to grasp and enjoy. Not your light coffee-time read, this.

I was approached by Westland Books to read and review this book that was published in Dec 2013.

To be honest with you, I am not a regular patron of historic, terrorism and political stories so I found myself drifting off on a few occasions. But each time the authoress succeeds in sowing some excitement into the situation to bring the flighty reader back.

First and foremost, I was intrigued by the name of the protagonist – Mehrunisa. A quick search on the web divulged that Noor Jahan, the twentieth and favourite wife of the Emperor Jahangir, was born as Mehr-un-Nissa in 1577. She is called one of the most powerful and influential women of the 17th century Mughal Empire since she was a strong, charismatic and well-educated woman. Not unlike the Mehr in Manreet Sodhi Someshwar’s trilogy.

Trilogy season has kicked in big time post Meluha, I guess. “The Hunt for Kohinoor” is a sequel to "Taj Conspiracy", and I was a little hesitant to read the second book as I did not have the grounding and knowledge of the first one. Being the organized and structure-loving person that I am, I was secretly hoping that Westland would pamper me with both the books (!) However, I was assured and set at ease, and thus began my reading journey that took me on an expedition across Kashmir, the Hindukush mountains and Peshawar.

This was my first tryst with Sodhi- Someshwar, an IIM-C alumnus and author of "The Long Walk Home". “The Hunt for Kohinoor” is an interesting tale, albeit not a completely original idea. It reminded me of some Bollywood flicks and also very vaguely the Da Vinci Code. Just like Princess Sophie sets out on a mission set upon her owing to her grandfather, Mehr is cast into a dangerous conspiracy by virtue of being the daughter of a secret agent.  

I liked the metaphor “Snow Leopard” used throughout the book, and its relevance to the storyline. The description of the varied characters is also engaging. Their dreams come alive in their eyes and their realities hit you in the face as Mehrunisa Khosa’s journey is tracked over a span of 96 hours to save herself and her lost-and-found father.

The writing is fluid and boasts of a multitude of converging plots. More impressive for me, though, as an avid bookworm and language trainer, was the glorious vocabulary used throughout the story: opprobrium, fulminating, extant... Breathtaking! I don’t know who to applaud for this – the author, editor, some thesaurus or other individual. Whoever has implanted these in the paperback – fantastic job!

I do, however, wish that the book was smaller than 425 pages. I found myself skipping a few paragraphs and pages, not something I would do with a Jeff Arch or Chitra Divakaruni. Now that could be attributed to my lack of interest in geography and war history, but that is precisely the backdrop so I can't complain, so I flick a few pages and scan through the next chapter. The protagonist travels alongwith another agent and then a lover to unravel the secret of the “Kohinoor” and foil a gruesome plot of the Jihadis.

While reviews are still being published across blogs and mags, the writer suggests (as does Anubhav Sinha) that Priyanka Chopra would be ideal to play the role of Mehrunisa, should a movie be made. I wonder why that is a pre-requisite these days. Would be so much better if writers focused on writing a great book than making a good movie. 

My view: 5 stars on 10. And a special one star for the lexis. 

Have an awesome day, ya'all!

Cheerio!
Princess

Sharing Anubhav's (ahem Experience, duh!)

Hola you!

I know some of you must be wondering how my nomination at the top bloggers award by Blogadda fared. While I was touched and excited by all your display of affection and support, “Life…” did not make it to the top 5. No regrets, albeit I can’t deny feeling a little blue.

I mean I started off as a teenager using text language and venting off dreams and emotions on my blogspot page akin a dear diary. The blog (and I) sure have come a long way. Thanks to all your feedback and appreciation. My first victory (which still continues) is when I see my followers list growing and people walking up to me telling me they love what I write; feels absolutely fantastic! A few bloggers and acquaintances were kind and knowledgeable enough to recommend a few changes to my blog and I took it with grace. I also did a lot of research, checked other blogs (to learn what I was doing right or wrong) and amended my blog. Thankfully I had the time then to pursue my passion with fervor. Now, with family and work commitments abounding, I have very little time to write, let alone check other blogs and aim for improvement. Apologies to you, and my hobby, for this miss. Earning bread and butter (and jam and mayo) takes precedence over pastimes, you sure would agree.      

Anyhow, I do plan to continue on my blogging journey and get better, every passing day. Someday, I hope, I stand a chance to win accolades in this area of life too. Thanks to all of you…

Well, having given you that update, let me tell you about something new I experienced at work in the past few days. There is a concept called “Friday Matinee” at Hitachi Consulting (GDC) where we screen a movie for all employees and review it together gleaning lessons. The first such program I attended a last week was highly interesting and enlightening. We watched a 1952 film called ’12 Angry Men’ starring and produced by Henry Fonda (Jane Fonda’s pop). This black and white production lasting an hour and half is a delightful watch, one that I suggest you take the time to check out. There is a Hindi remake as well, but as you all know, the original is always better than the copies or sequels.

The story revolves around 12 jurors who have to unanimously decide whether a young boy accused of killing his father is guilty or not. While 11 of the jury start off with a “guilty” vote, the last one succeeds in pulling all of them over to the other side by using his reason and logic. The unique behaviors of all the men, their stories and transformations are truly marvelous. And the number of lessons to learn, outstanding! It talks about teamwork and courage, confidence and empathy, trust and humility. But shan’t let the cat out of the bag, you must go and watch it yourself. Get some popcorn while you’re at it.

Another experience at work - I tamed the bull, a raging maniac who always communicated rudely. I was a little flustered initially, but I managed to assertively put him in his place. It was a proud achievement, and the outcome is very pleasant (and I hope lasting). Just like the movie above, this goes to show that you need not always bow down to pressure and stress. You need to stand your ground, and clearly let the others know your needs and perspectives.

Hassee to Phassee has released this week, and I have heard pretty decent reviews. Since I am on leave all of next week, I might just catch it in my free time. Also need to catch up on my reading – I have been asked to review “The Hunt for Kohinoor” by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar on request from Westland Books. Not going to spill any beans now, but plenty to say in the 50-odd pages I’ve read so far. You gotta wait for the book review that shall be published here shortly. Professional obligation, you see :-)

The Sale season is on, have you set hands on anything in the million malls yet? I got 2 jeans – they were a steal at 600 each (2 for the price of 1) at Megamart. Go go go!!  

My nephew celebrates his 4^th birthday in Mumbai today so I’m off to wish him and shower him with love. Brother and sis-in-law also complete 8 years of marriage, so it is one huge celebration with the family. We were planning to hit Imagica, what with it being my husband's fake birthday and the Valentine's day worldwide. But the recent accident there (also with some Rathi’s from Kolkata) has made us change our minds. Apparently, the amusement park is still on despite that one ride being stalled. This is India, my dears! Had it been abroad, the victims would have been compensated generously and the entire place would have shut down for repairs and maintenance. India oh India… You have a moronic Rahul Gandhi trying to become who he isn't (missed the catastrophic interview with Arnab "ArGo" Goswami - click here to laugh and.or pull your hair like a madman) and a “stupid” janta who have to immigrate in order to be valued for their work and intelligence (Go Satya Nadella!)   

I always have these arguments on Facebook with people on my friends list about our views on India. They think they need to support everything Indian merely to show their patriotism. I disagree. I am patriotic too, but I am not afraid to acknowledge the errors and shortcomings of the greatest (pseudo) democracy in the world.

And before we start off on that again, adieu!

Cheerio!
Princess

Secrets of the Ramayana

Hey Readers !

I just came across this awe-inspiring link on Secrets of the Ramayana.

I love mythology (of course you know that by now), but the Mahabharata was always my pet favorite – I found the Ramayana too idealistic, simple and lackluster. However, these tales and facts that I read astounded me.

Here I present to you some stuff that I did not know, the entire set of ‘secrets’ can be read on the link at the bottom of this post:

Sita was putting sindoor in her hair and on being quizzed, she told Hanuman that she did it for her lord’s long life and well-being. On hearing this, Hanuman started applying sindoor to his entire body! He loved Lord Ram more than anything else in the world.

Urmila (Laxman’s wife and Sita’s sister) slept on behalf of her husband as well as herself – she slept for all of 14 years! This way Lakshman could stay awake for 14 years during exile protecting Ram and Seeta. Lakshmana is also called “Gudakesh” for this reason – the one who defeated sleep. Precisely why he was able to kill Meghnad, blessed to be defeated only by a person who hadn’t slept for 14 years.

Rama is the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the Ramayana has 7 Kand’s or parts.

Dasharatha had more than 300 wives though only 3 are well-known. Kaikeyi was the last one. He was cursed that he would suffer just like Sharavan Kumar’s parents. Fate took its turn and Ram went into exile at the age of 27. When his father died in agony, Rama saw this in a dream where his father wore black robes.

Jay and Vijay were gate keepers of Vishnu’s world and they were cursed by Bramha’s sons to be born on earth. They pleaded to Vishnu and the Lord said they could be born as his devotees 7 times or his enemies thrice. In order to be back with the lord sooner, they agreed to the latter and were born as Hiranyaksha & Hiranyakashapa in Sat Yuga, Ravana and Kumbhakarna in Treta Yuga, Dantavakra and Shishupala in Dwapara Yuga.

Ravana could not be killed by animals or gods, spirits or demons. He thought mortal men could not harm him and thus, Ram was born human to destroy Raavan.

Vishnu magically coaxed Ravan into asking for Parvati’s hand in marriage from Shiva and Shiva granted his wish. Parvati was furious and she cursed that Vishnu would also lose his mate on earth. Bali’s wife also uttered the same curse when her husband was slain by Ram. That is why, Sita was abducted in the Ramayana!

Hanuman once battled Lord Ram with nothing more than the chant of Lord Ram’s name. Ram’s arrows could not hurt Hanuman and Yayati was saved.

Hanuman would not allow Yamraj to enter Ayodhya to claim Lord Rama’s life. To divert his attention, Ram asked Hanuman to retrieve his ring that he had dropped into a crack in the floor. Hanuman reached the serpent world and asked for Rama’s ring. The king there said that there was a vault full of Rama’s rings that he used to divert Hanumana each time his life on earth was over.

Rama left the earth by taking Jala samadhi in the Sarayu River.

The concept of Lakshman Rekha is a myth. The Valmiki Ramayan doesn’t mention a thing about it. That Ram broke Shiva’s bow in Sita’s swayamvar is also not described in the Valmiki Ramayana.

The Ramayana has many authors and versions. Valmiki’s version is known as Valmiki Ramayan. Another famous version is written by Tulsidas and known as Ramcharitmanas.

Stunning eh? You can check out more of these tales by clicking here. The Daily Bhaskar website also has slideshows on Shiva and other aspects of the Ramayana, etc. Happy reading! 

Cheerio!
Princess

Author Update!

Hello Dear Friends,

 

Trust you are doing well. 

 

For all of you who voted for me and helped me reach the magic number of 100 likes, a BIG THANK YOU and Muuuaaaaahhh!! Let’s see who wins this blogging contest. The Blogadda event is happening on Feb 9 in Courtyard Marriott Mumbai. May or may not go, but surely hope to be called out… Fingers crossed!! (http://win.blogadda.com/view-blogs-voting/personal/Life/)

 

Things are in full swing at work and home. I am a woman at peace. There are regular visits to the parents and in-laws, and the social circle is also well connected. Having completed over 3 months at Hitachi, I have built a strong network and fan following :-) All in all, life’s good. Our new home is shaping up brilliantly, will share pictures soon!! Can't wait to move in, but doesn't seem to be any sooner than March, even April...

 

MTV Roadies is on, thank goodness. My evening life was pretty dull give that both Masterchef Australia and Bigg Boss ended, leaving the 9 pm TV slot lifeless and lonely. Unfortunately, it clashes with Koffee with Karan at 7 pm (Star World). Karan’s behavior and questions remain silly and the same but the guests this time round are witty and spirited. Garners more than a few laughs, for sure. Other than that, it’s Comedy with Kapil, which is getting to be mighty boring and predictable. Even the celebrities and hosts have lost their magic.

 

You must be wondering why I have not written anything about the Republic Day. Didn’t feel like it, did not even wish anyone. In fact, if we are connected on Facebook, you may have read my (controversial) post where I said that there is nothing happy about the Republic Day and I am not proud to be Indian. This was shared in view of the news that has really shaken me in the past few months – rapes, politics, corruption, crime, poverty, invasions, price hike and the list does not end here. Heaps of my contacts ventured opinions about how my post was wrong and I was thankless for everything the country has given me, including freedom of expression.  All of them aimed to change my mind and (maybe) show how patriotic and sincere they were. My thoughts remain unchanged despite my total respect for the army and intelligentsia of India. That the country is my alma mater is true, but I am fulfilling my duties towards my nation and countrymen as well. What we have is hope and what we need are good leaders. Without the two, we are spiraling downward and no amount of ranting is going to change that.  

 

I watched Jai Ho first day last show (just like old times!) and while the film was nothing to rave about, Salman sure has me captivated. What presence! The moment he comes on the screen, you know some hungama is about to happen. The ‘help 3 people’ dialogue made me groan the 100^th time it was uttered on screen, and I wonder if this thought is really going to go viral in this corrupt and selfish world. Anyway, good effort and pretty decent acting. The actress Daisy Shah is a buffalo in disguise, and a dancing one at that. So, since they could not expose her assets too much, they ensured they made her dance every time she was shot. The “Naina” track is catchy and Salman has danced (surprisingly) well in the songs. I loved the chemistry between Tabu and Sallu (siblings) but the kiddo stole the show – what marvelous acting, what pluck, adorable!! Even though the movie hasn’t done the usual 100 crore feat at the box office, that all dud productions are achieving with amazing ease… One time watch for sure.

Been ages since I went clubbing coz hubby despises crowds and does not dance. (He did not even shake a leg on our wedding day, so I assure you he won’t move that booty no matter how much you request or command!) I have not been to Kue Bar (Westin) or the Penthouze, and it kills me :-( The disco star of yesteryear, my funky college time masti is long gone. How I wish I could go partying…

 

But well, does not mean I am not having fun. Shopping at Phoenix (so many sales!) and regular hoteling is full on (Chang in Viman Nagar is our new Chinese hangout – yummy food and great quantity). My husband also took me to the Japanese garden (better known as Pu La Garden) to show me some colourful fountains that multiple people had been praising no end. Adlabs Imagica is also on the cards, what with my nephew and hubby’s birthday round the corner as well as bro-sis in law’s anniversary. Too much kharcha, I tell you! All the tax saving efforts paying off – hope you have declared your proofs at work!  

 

And on that note, asta la vista fellas!

Cheerio!

Princess

Signal for Thought

She ground her leg into the gravel and waited patiently for the signal to turn green. This was going to cost her 2 minutes, but she did not mind. She would be well in time for work anyway.

The sunshine kissed her toes and she mentally saluted the Sun. The mighty God received as many complaints as compliments, depending on how the rest of the weather shaped up. On a wintry day, sunrays are greeted with joy but by noon, people are cursing the sweltering heat. Talk about unpredictability! Clouds are as unreliable as people, and the sun gets blamed for it.

She was rebel with an imagination. Her world was black and white. She found it beneath her to bow down in front of injustice and arrogance. Ever ready to fight for her rights as well as those of others, she often emerged the hero in a situation, but more often the villain.

Sometimes she wondered why people were so mean to her. She considered herself one of the nicer (if not the nicest) people around, and yet, she observed that she was treated unfairly and discourteously. This, despite her being kind and friendly! For the umpteenth time, she wondered why.

She was well aware of the fact that she had a razor sharp tongue. But she wasn’t the only one blessed with this curse. Day in and day out she met people who were (in her opinion) 10 times as rude and despicable, but they were showered with love and popularity. Why was she then not accepted and forgiven the same way?

People who loved her told her two things – one, either the others were not doing this mindfully and it was purely her imagination. And two, that they were envious of her and could not trust her goodness.

She didn’t know which was true. She did not really believe in either hypothesis. But since she had no better answer herself, she let it pass.

It was really hurtful. She carried a smile on her face and pretended it did not bother her. She told herself it did not matter, but she felt queasy inside, like her body was confirming that this was a lie. But she had ample forgiveness to give away and she kept giving people chances.

She hated lies and she despised liars. She stood for what was right but she also believed in humanity. She knew she owed no one anything, but she also knew that with a little effort, she could make people happy. And that was all she wanted. To be happy and make others happy. But frequently, relatives and acquaintances kept complaining and taunting. And when she did not like it, her blunt tongue came to her rescue. She was not among those who could rely on someone else to speak up for them. Most people could not deal with her straightforwardness. She was expected to be sweet-spoken, quiet and tolerant while they could be as crass and rude as they wished. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Unfair, unfair world.

Worse still, marriage revealed another discrimination to her. A woman had to take care of every petty thing in the house no matter how hard she worked at her full time job outside, and she was always to bow down in front of her husband’s foolhardiness, insolence and commands.

She would have been able to cope with it better had she been raised in an environment where boys were supposed to be superior to girls. Fortunately or unfortunately, that had not been the case. She had enjoyed equal status and love (if not more) in her parents’ house. And maybe that is why squabbles abounded at her home after her marriage. She could not see the logic behind this forced domination, and she could not bring herself to accept and behave according to this age old outlook.

She promised to ensure that her daughter was aware of this – she did not want her to grow up thinking life was fair and equal. It wasn’t. To give her a more peaceful life later, she would inculcate this thought in her mind right since the time she was a teenager.  

The signal turned green. The ruminating would have to wait until another day, or until the next signal.

On second thoughts, why ruminate when you can change nothing? Just ride along the path of life… until the day your journey comes to a thankful end.

- Princess

Vote Now, My Lovelies !!!

Hiya lovely people,

Just a quick note today, and a highly important one at that. Please please please take the time to read this!

Thanks to your love and support, BlogAdda has chosen my blog 'Life..." as one of the top blogs in India. No kidding!! 

Here's what you got to do now : Well obviously keep visiting and commenting so that I learn, BUT ALSO Like and Tweet about my blog by following this link - http://win.blogadda.com/view-blogs-voting/personal/Life/

What happens next? 'Life...' (with all your votes) becomes (one of) the top blogs of India!! And you make Princess a very happy woman indeed!! Helps with my dream of becoming a famous writer with an actual future in the writing industry :-)

Please pretty please! Won't take you more than a minute. 

Owe you one if this gets us to the other side, I promise!

Need all your support, fellas! Let's do this.

Thanks a ton as always

The link again - http://win.blogadda.com/view-blogs-voting/personal/Life/ 

Cheerio!
Princess

Woman vs Woman

Hello dear readers,

Wish you a delightful new year 2014 !!!

Here are some resolutions worth having....

My first post this year is going to be about women... Glorious unpredictable women!

So much has been said and repeated about women, their eccentricities, their strength, their good and evil ways.

Some of it true, most of it accurate. And yet we won’t accept. Or we just might. Depending on what the context is and how it impacts us. (Hehe!)

Fancy some more quotes on females? Here you go…

A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea - Honore de Balzac

If women ruled the world there would be no wars. Just a bunch of jealous countries not talking to each other – Unknown

A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water - Eleanor Roosevelt

Women are certainly strong creatures. Exactly the way Abhishek Bachchan said in Hum Tum – that men could have bigger muscles, but emotionally we are way superior. And that is probably why we have been blessed with the ability to bear children. It’s said that the pain is equivalent to 20 bones breaking at the same time, way more than any normal human’s threshold. Even Amitabh Bachchan applauds us on FB for this mind-boggling effort and capacity! (So what if Russell Peters scoffs on it in his cheap Notorious Tour at Sydney?!)

So, all said and done – woman is a marvelous creation. She may or may not have a pretty face but she deserves to be made to feel that she is beautiful and precious. It’ll make her feel special and once she feels good, she’ll return it a thousand times upon you. If she really loves and cares for you, that is. Else, you are just somebody who pampers the ego and becomes the ‘best friend next door’.

Any guesses on who makes life tough for a woman?

Spot on. Absolutely correct. Another woman. Who else?!!

We love making life difficult for each other. At work and at home. We trouble our menfolk some, but we spare the worst agony for our women colleagues and housemates. A woman not promoting another woman and choosing to hang out with men at work is an example. A saas hating the bahu she herself chose for her son is another instance. Unusual? Barely.

Why, I wonder. Should we not be more empathetic and caring towards each other given that we have experienced the other side of the coin ourselves? Men, I shall admit, are better than us in this matter. They get along with each other, and they stay out of each other’s way if there is a problem. Women will continue their nosy antics even when they dislike another of their own kind and expect the other one to come and patch up... and still act pricey! Damn.

Don’t count me as a women-hater. I am not. In fact, I quite like this quote I read somewhere – “men and women are indeed not equal, thank heavens for that! How can you trust men with so much power?!!”

However, I do see cold wars between women at all times, and it is a sad truth. Can we not just give each other a break and take it easy? What is the point in giving sorrow to someone your own kind? Forgive. Forget. Don’t retaliate or break up at the smallest instances. Make an effort to maintain relations. Give each other a benefit of a doubt. Confront if there is an issue - speak to the person directly, not everyone else. Build, not destroy. Smile, not screech. Hug and make up, don’t bitch.

Simple, right?

Just do it.

A woman has enough troubles anyway. She has to control her temper and ego more than a man. She has to get married and take care of the house no matter how taxing her job is. She has to bow down in front of her husband and his family even if she commands a thousand people otherwise. In so many ways, she has to adjust and accommodate.

Just let her be herself. Let her be a child and a woman as she pleases. Don’t mess with her joys if you cannot delight her yourself.

Really, just let the woman be. Whether you're from Mars or Venus or Hell, man or woman or whatever else. Just give her forgiveness, faith and freedom. And respect. 

Remember, Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned :-)

Peace out!
Princess