The Stubble Trouble! "If you shave you are not a slave " :)

“I enjoy scratching itches on my body with my beard stubble. The worst though is when my lower back itches.
”  says Jarod Kintz 



     The beard or a stubble make people pass on a judgement damn easily. For instance, many assume that a bearded man could be a painter , thinker/ philosopher who has no time to shave , a singer, musician , stylist, an actor , a writer , an artist or a journo  so on so forth. In ancient times kings used to grow huge mustaches and beards . It was believed it was an add on to their royal look. I believe kings like Alexander the Great looked equally royal with out a beard or mustache. Few grow beard for religious purposes . Few others keep styling their beard  just to try some thing new like french beard , a goatee, a chin curtain, the Zappa etc. Sadly beard or a stubble do not serve as style statements for all.

Some feel it gives an unhygienic look.Worse of all, few feel that a beard makes one look like a  terrorist. Many feel a beard is a potential requirement to be a terrorist, but all these are not the reasons why I want a man to shave :)

A salt and pepper beard or a stubble even if it is grey makes a man look hot and sexy only if it suits him and is well groomed. It doesn't look good on any one and every one. Few men who look more hot and handsome with a stubble are below!

SRK looks wilder and hotter with a mustache and stubble- DON

Age is just a number. As it increases it increases Richard Gere's sex appeal :)

These men from B- Town and Tinsel town may look good as they maintain a neat stubble with their hair stylists, make up artists running behind them round the clock and needless to say their photo shoots make them look extra handsome with or with out a stubble.

The Real Life heroes also want to be in line with their reel life models and try growing a stubble but some times it may not look impressive. Read Maansi's story to know more.

Maansi has an urgent project to deliver .Hence she gets late and she doesn't know that a surprise is waiting for her at home. She tries to wind off her work by 8 PM but by the time she logs off,the laptop shows the time changing from 10:28 to 10:29. She almost faints when she suddenly remembers that when Rishi was dropping her at the office in the morning they both decided to make the evening special as it's the day they first met 2 years back. She rushes out of the office and thanking her stars catches the last cab. 

Shivering in the winter night and hoping that Rishi is not as angry as she is imagining him to be and making few random plans to dilute his anger she dials his number. Rishi doesn't pick up. She tries some 20times but there is no answer. She starts getting worried.

What if he slept off , totally forgetting about the evening ?? What if some thing bad happened to him ? What if he is also stuck in some urgent office work ? With so many doubts and guesses she half mindedly is listening to FM rain bow plugged in to her ears which played her favorite song , "Tera mujhse hai pehle ka naata koi , Yu hi nahi dil lubhaata koi- Jaane tu ya jaane naa " which means You and me must be related some how from the beginning of the time because no one can fill so much joy in my heart just like that. 

She got lost in the song and remembered their wedding anniversary event dated 8months back. Rishi bought a nice bouquet and a watch for her. She gave him a Kit full of surprises. Rishi was overwhelmed on seeing a big package. He opened the gifts one by one.

First came out a funky , funnyT shirt , Rayban sunglasses , parker pen set as Rishi likes to write poems on a notepad, Adidas shoes and a Gillete shaving kit on which there was a gift card with lines , "If you shave you wont be a slave. You will look much more brave which is better than looking grave ;-) "! The last gift made Rishi frown and a tinge of anger could be sensed as his ears became little red. Maansi always had a problem with Rishi's stubble. She was not comfortable when he kissed her. It irritated her and her mood immediately used to go off.  By giving this gift she wanted to tell him with out speaking , what all will make him look debonair.

She tried many times to convey the same by directly asking him to shave or go to a men's parlor and get his irregular stubble trimmed at least but Rishi paid a deaf ear. This time she decided she will make him look much better and she kept dreaming that the kiss would be smoother and better minus Rishi's bothering stubble. She knew Rishi was a big fan of Johnny Depp and Richard gere but if their's is a turn on stubble, Rishi's was a fuse off one. Maansi thought a lot and decided to gift him the Gillete shaving kit which will be the easiest way to convey the message with out hurting his feelings but her trial failed as Rishi got angry and tried to subside it with a silly smile. They finished the dinner in silence. The only sound was made by knives and forks and the soft music playing in their favorite Italian restaurant "La Piazza".  The evening was a flop as there was no romance and no exchange of some nice conversation. Since then Maansi never bought the Stubble in to their conversation and Rishi carefully avoided the stubble trouble intervening their romance.

Ultimately there was no spark in the romance or a kiss which both can enjoy !! Its like their romance was dimmed and their night outs got boring. No body wanted to hurt any body's feelings, therefore they kept the feelings to themselves. 

Like a serial's episode ends and immediately the next one starts Maansi's cab halted and so were her thoughts. She immediately got out of the cab and ran in to her apartment. With a surge of thoughts she rang the calling bell but there was no answer. She turned the door knob and it was open. Her eyes enlarged as the hall was filled with balloons and scented candles. Glitter and confetti adorned the walls with letters , "To my love" . She almost ran in to the dining area with a over joyed throbbing heart where she saw all her favorite dishes arranged neatly with a Rose flower and champagne in glasses. 

Rishi was leaning on the books rack eagerly watching her reaction . She immediately hugged and kissed him and was surprised to see that Rishi was  clean shaved and smelled great . She gazed around and found that the Gillete shaving kit was opened and he used it full-fledged. A Woman's senses indeed get sharper , stronger and keener when it comes to her man!

Maansi was over whelmed as Rishi obliged to her wish . She kissed him on both cheeks and they both had a great dinner and this time the romantic evening was full of sparks and joyful .

Moral of the story : Its OK to change your looks for your loved ones once in a while. Looking great, maintaining hygiene and neatness will only double the romance. Similarly a man can also invite a trouble of changing his woman's looks but he has to try it in a loving and patient manner .

--* THE END*--
PS: All the images are googled. I dont own them

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

"V" spotted the best Hangout in Gurgaon!

So we finally spent the much awaited evening at "[V]spot Cafe bar at Gurgaon" as part of BlogAdda's Sponsored review  program.Thank You Blogadda for directing me to a best Hog-adda in Gurgaon :) I absolutely loved the place. The icing on the cake is that its Christmas eve and every one was in high spirits. I got 2000 Rs worth coupons from blogadda guys who asked me to go and enjoy myself leisurely at the cafe and in return I just have to write a review. I was overwhelmed being a foodie.

I finally attacked the cafe along with my husband on this Saturday and as and when I entered I loved the ambiance and the X-mas confetti and lights. As  we dont smoke or booze we sat outside the smoking zone and immediately loved the spot and the creative ideas. The below are few glimpses

Look at the interesting way to indulge u in some thing else while you wait for the order.
"V" know it all :)

I was impressed by their funny paper napkins and flowcharts of breaking up with boy friend . Our order came in no time  and we enjoyed the music and clicked the surrounding festive mood.  The night was  freezing but it was warm in there in the 3rd floor of Crosspoint mall opposite to Galleria Market. I just leaned back and relaxed on the comfortable cushioned chair which yet again had impressive cartoons and captions.

My fav snap!

Have a look at the place !!

Imran relaxed

I absolutely loved the ambiance!

This is my seat. Isnt it cool ? ;)

After thoroughly browsing the menu which had funky cocktails and mojitos with names like Ram balram and son of a peach :) and huge array of starters , desserts and main courses we finally decided what we want. I ordered Assorted Bruchetta platter- with tomatoes, cheese mushrooms and many tasty veggies . Have a look at it below. We ordered Mamma Mia which was better than the KFC chicken bucket. It was mouth watering and we were too busy gobbling that we did not give feedback when we were asked how the food was ! Along with the starters we ordered Shaitani coffee and Naughty nutty with hazelnuts , walnuts and whipped cream , Vanilla and what not. It was so relieving to sip and retire for the day!

Our yummylicious bruchetta platter, naughty nutty and shaitani coffee- AAJ kuch shaitani karte hai ;) ?

Mamma Mia!!

3/4th of our tummies were full, hence there was no place for main course . We ordered snacks which were worth the price and the quantity was more than enough for 2. The menu for snacks was also quite interesting with Indian cuisines like Vada pav , chalu aalu chat and many more. Being a Maggi freak I ordered Maggi methi murgi which had delicious chicken embedded in Maggi noodles. Got a whiff of hyderabaadi biryani which made it more interesting to me. Imran ordered lebanese rolls which were nothing less than a pleasure to eyes , nose and tastebuds. By the time we finished we were burping. The prices were reasonable and our burps made it evident that we ate a lot:)

Lebanese rolls

The Methi Murgi Maggi adorned by a x mas tree:)

The smoking zone was dazzling with Christmas lights. There were interesting offers too which kicked off on 12-12-12 like if you have the number 12 on your bill  you will get a discount and if you order 12 items a 13th item will be free and so on so forth. The nook and corner of the cafe exuded innovation and creativity. There are even impressive events and activities depending on the occasion and season. Wednesday nights are Karaoke nights. On 24th and 25th they are gonna serve special Christmas cuisine and I was told there is a music event too on 24th. I will be visiting again on 25th to enjoy the new cuisines and my favorite lasagna .Next time we are planning to save room for a dessert and may be a pinacolada ;)

You will find the rest rooms quite funny. I went inside and laughed loud looking at all the write ups and innovative cartoons inside. Who ever designed it deserves an applause. I got lost inside and almost forgot why I entered the rest room ;) As this is a post on food and the cafe I dont want to post the images I clicked inside the rest room. Dont get me wrong ! I meant the pics of the messages and cartoons on the wall. How ever I am sharing two pics I took yesterday evening

Needless to say food is delicious and the ambiance relaxing and the staff very co operative and friendly. The cafe has an interesting feature of Video booth where you can wish your friend or pass on a message which would be telecasted on V channel. So you have fair chances to gain a second's fame. We gave our feed back about the cafe that it rocks and it would be great if they open branches in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Be on V while U want to pee- Isnt it creative?

 I really felt V spot is the coolest hang out I have ever been too. V for V spot and V for Victory . I wish all the very  best to the cafe. I would love to see it more crowded. Being Saturday there were few who seemed to be regular visitors. I wish many come to know about the cafe and undoubtedly they would love to visit again ! 

Jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way.
V spot is the coolest place I just wanna say

These vouchers really are left by blogadda in my Christmas stocking!

V are gonna celebrate Christmas at V spot this time in Saket (Delhi). If you happen to visit let me know your views. Merry X mas and Happy New year to all.
Spot on FB- > "Vspot on FB"
 This review has been written as a part of BlogAdda's Sponsored Reviews.

If you are draped you wont be raped eh !?

After reading this article on "Hindu" felt like writing some thing myself.

•  A girl goes out to a party. Her mom is  scared till she gets back home. She calls 100 times to stay assured that her daughter is safe. She some times refuses to send her out. She knows better as she herself landed in many embarrassing situations irrespective of her marital status. With many wild boars on lose she is scared to death.
• A girl wants to buy a tank top or denim shorts but she is scared to wear it out as she has to meet many greedy , bloody eyes. 
• A girl wants to go to school safely . Hence she prefers school bus rather than RTC but she is not sure if the driver is helping her or trying to touch or molest her.
• A girl wants to participate in the dance but after the program if it gets late she is not sure if she will be able to reach home safely. The driver , co passenger , an onlooker , at times a sibling she is scared of any one and every one.
• Briefly A girl wants to live a normal carefree life like the fellow men but she cant with many Jackals prowling

Who or what are the real causes for such behavior by the men who behave wild and do crimes beyond our worst night mares still beats me! What motivates them to just stomp on a girl like that? Is it the way they are nurtured , their wrong kin ship or friend ship or the Indian cinema which is biggest motivation inspired by which few behave like heroes and few want to be villains if there are no chances to be a hero and some how fulfill their lecherous desires in such an appalling way that it leaves all of us speechless.  A wild animal like a tiger , or the most poisonous snake like Russel's viper get scared on seeing a armed human . Just a wave of a  stick or a weapon drive them  in to the bushes . They fear the pain , torture and the killing which follows if they attacked .An unarmed person or a weak animal is an easy prey to them. The imagination of a pride of lions attacking a deer is less frightening than the mere thought of 7 men attacking a 23 year old girl who boards a wrong bus as there was no proper commute from the theater along with a man thinking she is safe. BUT HELL NO!! The iron rod and the animals laugh at her sheepishly and feel proud smirking at each other that they got hold of their prey to night so easily. She shows vehemence and I cant write on my blog what happened next to her.

I wish I could do the same to the herd of wild boars . I wish I could chop off their penises or throw acid on their faces or hang them in open on a busy road of dhaula kaun or Vasant vihar or R.K.Puram or even better at the India Gate. Am seething with so much of anger that I make up these scenes in mind and feel little glad that I have destroyed them. I secretly keep wishing and praying that they meet a horrible end, but strange are the ways of the GOD that they continue living and even dare to attempt a similar crime again.

A friend of mine told she stopped cycling along with 3 of her friends early in the morning as 3 bystanders started ogling at them and even attempted to molest. The magical number 100 which we see painted red on hoardings and every where was not reachable and thankfully the oglers left the place . Is praying or fighting back solely the only way to get out of such situations ??
Cant the public get united and beat them right there on the spot ?

The thought that the act of passing lewd remarks by a lecherous leech / even a police officer  on a lady who is minding her business is always ignored by several surrounding people stumps me. Where is our society leading to ??

A human , talented of all animals can tame any wild animal. Its shown in movies that if you are little careful you can even tame a dinosaur but how can you tame or scare the bastards . OOPS!Actually I cant even use a cuss word like bastard which points  their parents or may be only the MOTHER. Yes in a country like India where a illegitimate child's mother is only accused since ages can we expect any respect towards woman! ??

After Assam's molestation case many were outrageous .They shared statuses on FB, wrote blogs and signed petitions. Few were punished including the reporter who happily shot every thing. But what good did this do to their fellas and the feral youth ?? It looks like this became a great source of inspiration for the rapists. Day by day in NCR or to that matter in the whole India more and more of the same species sprout leading to disgrace and shame I DONT HAVE A CLUE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP THIS?
Like they show in some other Kamal Hasan's movie is just uprooting the sprout or plucking it off in bud stage the only solution ? I think YES.

If  at all a badnaam munni or sheila ki jawaani or some other item number can inspire the rapists to pounce on any one and every one they wish, there are some other inspiring movies too where a hero has the role of a police man or a politician or a super hero and saves the common man! Does any one get inspired by these acts??  Am saying this only because CINEMA is the second religion in India like Anurag Kashyap told. If  some one can be motivated by the skimpy clothes and are turned on by item numbers why not even a single person gets turned on by the other good heroic efforts .I know defending and fighting may harm you and can even lead to your death but one can at least raise the voice or inform the police or form a crowd which can protest  and create ruckus at the scene of crime. I was shocked when I saw that many were enjoying the video shooting of Assam molestation.

The country has gone to mad dogs and hounds . There's no doubt in it . The only thing which troubles me now is how to be safe ? whom to trust ? will this rape also become one of  the statistics?
Its good to see many people protesting and shouting all over DELHI and all over INDIA! I wish and pray that it does not die down like many other protests!

If you are draped you wont be raped- Will this really help ?? I don't think any of the victims wore revealing clothes. I have seen them fully covered and as it is rightly said WHY CANT THE HOT BLOODED male population be taught about not raping even before teaching women not to go out or to wear from top to toe. GANDHIJI SAID INDIA IS FREE only when a girl can roam on roads fearlessly even in the mid  of the night. When a girl is scared to death to go out of her home just after 6 in evening or may be any hour of the day with or with out a male company can we proudly say we have progressed ?? IT has progressed. School fees has shot up. Every thing is high priced and every one can afford a movie in the mall or a hy-fi party in a posh restaurant but our minds are trapped some where in the ancient thoughts and beliefs where WOMEN WERE DOWN TRODDEN and were scared to even talk loud in front of a MAN!

Ya Ya Women have started going out . They are in every field, working and  at times earning more than a man . This was, is and will be giving shooting pain in the asses of few sickos and weirdos who are hell bent on letting out their frustration in any possible way. EVERY woman in INDIA would have faced  this in one or the other phase of her life!A woman cant go out for a walk , cant go to shop in a mall, cant live like a fellow man. THIS WILL LEAD TO THE VICTORY OF MANY MEN!

We have many women ministers , MLAs and MPS. Few days back we had a president Pratibha Patil and as of now Delhi's CM is a woman Sheila dixit (Women Bam-powerment ??)who cant even say confidently that they will take measures to increase patrolling or other modes of security and can we blindly depend on the police force  among whom many  have the similar thoughts and seeds planted in their polluted minds ??

Am scared . I feel sick . I don't know the solution but the only thing I know is to raise voice to change the LAW, to hang the criminals till death. A MIND WHICH CANNOT BE REPAIRED HAS TO BE DAMAGED FOREVER!

Please don't stop your protest. If alcohol can be the rape drug cant the BOILING BLOOD be  a  weapon to protest. Voice it in any possible way. I salute the brave girl. Please pray that this time the protest will end only with a brutal punishment to the criminals

 The accused must and should get hanged. They should not escape with an alibi of being a juvenile. Not education or even looking well groomed are enough to show that a person is harmless. Grooming of minds is needed to bring a change.

 I don't even want to discuss if hanging them will or will not change the situation. I just want to say saving them will not make situation any better !!
Am not sure if signing these petitions will helps but do sign these"Change.org petitions"
 and  here "Delhi gang rape petition"

A Fairy-Hairy story!!

Meena bought a special oil worth 1000/- labelled "milkNwine". The oil promised to make hair long , strong , silky straight. Meena was scared for a while as she couldn't crack the logic behind the name milk and wine. She was puzzled thinking that the oil might smell like milk or her hair might turn to a  brownish shade of wine but Miss Catherine got rid of all her assumptions.

The beautician said milk, as it has milk proteins and wine as it has some wine extract and  kept ranting on how good the elements are for hair , how no one used this unique idea of using milk and wine and blah blahed for an hour till Meena got convinced. She bought the bottle home. She happily unscrewed the cap and started applying.

Initially the color of hair became dull . Meena thought may be it was happening in the process of hair straightening .She was flabbergasted checking her golden mane with a tinge of orange shade on day 15 and she lost lot of hair too during that fortnight. 

She immediately dialed the beautician's number but only got a response , "This number doesn't exist" . She got ready and rushed to the parlor and realized she was doomed when she saw a vacant , locked parlor. There were many standing outside and inquiring about the parlor and the product and few dialing the police stations number. Every one had a shiny golden mane which was neither straight nor thick. If they belonged to a pride (a group) of lions they would have looked royal but alas they were humans and still had to go to offices and colleges. They learnt a lesson that day and had spread the word about the cheater Miss.Catherine who carries a Shahnaz Hussain's fake certificate.

After a 2month duration Meena went to a renowned parlor to get her hair straightened. She was told she had to pay 8000 change to get straight hair and after a long torture of repeated cycles of gel application and ironing for 8-10 hours her hair became straight. It was like a dream come true. She flaunted her straight hair where ever she went, in parties , at office , in malls etc. She was a proud owner of silky straight hair now which can break the shining manes in ads which act like mirrors!

After 2 months her hair became bristled and they were standing in the ends. It was irritating to go to parlor and get her hair straightened every 4 months or 6 months after waiting in queue during every visit and spending a lot just for the sake of straight hair. She discontinued parlor visits!

Meena forgot about straightening her hair as she tried all possible techniques like ironing in parlors, temporary straighteners, special oils , creams and conditioners, so on so forth . She either lost her hair or it became life less like a broom stick. She was so depressed that she was not able to concentrate in office. She was neither able to eat nor do the day to day chores normally. One night as she was absorbed in her thoughts a hairy-fairy appeared in front of her and asked her a wish which couldn't be taken back !

Meena rubbed her eyes in shock but the scene infront of her was intact. The fairy with Rapunzel like long hair asked Meena for her one wish as soon as possible as she had to visit neighbor hood flat to give a hairy wish to one more troubled damsel.

Meena was too shocked to talk. Fairy spoke this time.

"I know your deepest desire. You want straight hair right ? " Saying so she raised her rosy delicate wrist which emitted stars and was about to place her palm on the bristled mane of Meena.

Meena stopped her mid-way and shouted, "Please give me my original hair back."

Fairy smiled and stroked Meena's hair gently and it turned light brown and silky and healthy like before. Immediately after that she vanished. Meena was extremely happy when she checked her reflection in the mirror. She felt that fairy gave an extra silky touch to her hair and she realized that her hair was straighter,  healthier , stronger and silkier than before.

Moral of the story : When it comes to looks , hair and complexion stay content with what you have. If you desire for some thing badly try getting it but don't  do it by all means and do not be so hard on yourself till you get it !
PS: I drew the cartoons here with the help of the site toondoo.com. Fairy image is googled.

This post is for the competition by "Sunsilk"in association with "Indiblogger". My post is at "A hairy fairy story"

"Once upon the tracks of Mumbai" - is on the track :)-- A book Review

Title: Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai
Author: Rishi Vohra
Genre: Mass Fiction
Price: Rs 175/-

The author himself says if you like movies you will like the book. I love movies and hence needless to say I liked the book. When I was in school I went to Mumbai some where in 1993.Mumbai was Bombay then. I immediately loved the city, its magnificence , the bustling local trains and much more. Bombay's vastness amused me. I loved shopping road side at cheapest possible prices and enjoyed getting clicked at Gate way of India , Essel world  and Juhu beach. Oops ! You must be thinking I started writing a review of the book and ended up writing a  Mumbai travelogue :) I beg your pardon friends. This book takes you in to the suburbs of Mumbai, so many  local stations ,Gullys and chawls that I time travelled and visualized my trip.

The title is apt as the whole story happens in and around the railway colony and takes turns like that local  train on the railway tracks. The initial pace of the story was very slow and repetitive and I felt I may put the book aside when it picks speed with introduction and vivid description of each and every character. The story is about autistic Babloo  also suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, who obviously is slow in understanding and responding. Hence, may be the initial few pages about him were slow to do the justice to the character. Babloo and Raghu are brothers and Raghu becomes the prominent of both for obvious reasons. The endless love showered on Raghu makes  Babloo more weak and prone to even worse behavioral traits like staying aloof , talking to himself, becoming unsocial , so on so forth.

Enters Vandana who is both sympathetic and empathetic towards Babloo which makes him love her deeply and unconditionally. Vandana the prettiest damsel of the railway quarters adds beauty to the otherwise boring neighborhood.  She is both beautiful and confident , the kind of girl any boy would love to whisk away. She has her own dreams of moving to USA , marrying her dream man while Babloo dreams and hopes to become worthy of her by gaining a sense of purpose in life and becoming a hero for her but as the story turns it churns out many characters which keep you glued to the book.

Sleazy Sikander is like any other villain in bollywood, who needs a woman per day. He uses Babloo as bait to reach Vandana. Babloo on the other hand is oblivious to the facts and keeps dreaming.

Is Vandana smart enough to protect herself from Sikander who is convincing enough in the hood wink of  Gentle man ?  

Will Babloo win her love ?

Will Vandana succeed in letting her parents know her disapproval of the marriage proposal?  

Who is RAILMAN and what leads him to become so? 

You should read the book to know more.

As and when the rail man enters the story takes an interesting bend with many characters getting introduced here and there which succeeds in breathing life in to Mumbai in the pages. The author doesn't fail to paint his canvas with all colors of the Mumbai . The high spirits , ambitions , monotony of employees, railway crimes , Bhais and the gangs , Rich and the poor, Dharavi slums , riches and stars like Riyaz Khan who even motivate Babloo(Name of Shahrukh Khan changed for the sake of book I felt ;) ) , Band stand , Coffee day , Bandra , all the elaborate descriptions might make any Mumbaikar nostalgic. I dont stay in Mumbai. Still I could feel I was in each and every place described by the author. Santacruz , Promenade and the beach took me back to 1993 when I went to Mumbai.

The character Rail-man is no less than KKRISH to me. The way he smears black powder on his face reminded me Krish and his mask. However the repetitive portions could have been deleted and a little suspense, humour or  something more interesting could have been added to make it a great read. A little more research on behavioural traits of patients like Babloo could have made the book much more realistic. Nevertheless the book didn't fail to impress me. It is not unreal. The fight between good and bad , fate and destiny , dreams and decisions is well portrayed with good winning over bad like in any Hindi movie.

By the end of the book you will realize it is just a sweet love story. I felt genuinely bad for Babloo when he finally proposes Vandana the moment her family decides to leave the quarters. When Vandana says she is going to US he says, " Oh ! You are about to fulfill your ambition." The very lines reflect his innocence and genuine behavior and made me tad sad!

Rishi Vohra's writing is contemporary, highlighting the current issues and people which will win the reader's attention in no time.  He is another young author who can pen down many more thoughts and write even better books. I wish him huge success for his debut novel "Once upon the tracks of Mumbai" . 

My Rating: 3/5

Lastly this book has fair chances to be a good Bollywood movie.

 I loved the cover page which helped me imagine the protagonist Balwant Srivastava aka Babloo and Vandana rather than picturing random faces in my mind

Rishivohra  is featured as a guest columnist for various newspapers in India. He currently writes for delWine and is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). 'Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai' is his first novel.To know more about the author visit his site  : http://www.rishivohra.com/

Go Grab your copy now. Available on Flipkart at "Once upon the tracks of mumbai"

PS: I reviewed the book as I got a signed copy from the author. However this review reflects my honest opinions!
Keep reading.

'Love-Net over Internet- My entry for the Get Published contest’

Story Extract:

As always Meena entered the lab on Thursday evening and like a robot which does daily rituals when given commands, she switched on the PC with zero interest to just check her personal mails as every Thursday evening 5 to 6 is the mail checking hour in her monotonous time table.

Dear Meena,

This is Imran. I am a second year MBBS student in GMC(Guntur Medical College). I met one of your school mates in my class and learnt about you. I must say I was very impressed when she told me about your views, ideas and ideologies. You love reading books and I suppose you are aspiring to be a journo. I appreciate it. I have similar interests, hence thought to contact you and know more about you, of course only if you are willing to take it forward.

Awaiting a positive reply

Imran :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Meena finished reading the "stranger's" mail she felt irksome. This is not new, as such things keep happening over internet but the mention of GMC and class mate intrigued her. She replied.

Hi Imran,

Thanks for your appreciation. But am really not interested in online friend ship

Thank you

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Meena,

I expected this reply but trust me am not malicious. I am just a normal student like you. Anyway, no hassle. Attached are few exclusive SRK images for you. I came to know you are a big time SRK fan and I have listed down few articles and books which might interest you. Sorry for making you uncomfortable. The college boredom can make you do crazy things.

Take care

Imran

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Meena was tempted that day. She thought there is no harm in exchanging few conversations . It is not life threatening after all. Anyway she would be going to lab once a week. So it’s not like she will be addicted.

As the days passed by Meena was spotted in Comp Sci lab every evening anxiously waiting for a corner system and for the clock to tick evening 5 P.M. as you cannot use your PC's for personal use before 5. Funny right? It is called Personal computer but a good 5 pair of eyes bore in to you if you open yahoo, orkut or any other site for "personal" use. 5 to 6 P.M became the best relaxation slot for Meena.

Image source: Internet. I don't own it.

Image source: Internet. I don't own it

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You all must have witnessed this kind of story among your friends, relatives, neighbours so on so forth . Online love stories still are in demand. Liking a person without knowing much about him is thrilling but you have to wait and see to know where this excitement and thrill will ultimately take Meena.

If you want to get my post published please promote me by liking my post at "Love-net over Internet". You have to click the heart to like. Thanks in advance

"This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India." 

Talaash - "A lot of searching". Dont give this a miss :)

Movie: Talaash
Cast: Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Direction: Reema Kagti

Story : Zoya akhtar , Reema Kagti

Talaash has been on my mind since I have been to the show yesterday. I cant say I loved the movie but theres a lot which deserves appreciation in the movie like the way the grimy world of Mumbai is shown very lively even if it is gloomy, dark and mostly shot in the night time. The director and cinematographer Mohanan definitely have put efforts to bring out the best outcome. The opening scene it self is intriguing where a car crashes just after the street dog's bark which seems like a bad omen. The car crashing in to the sea , the waves and the tension in the passers-by is all shot so amazingly that I was  glued to the screen .Ram sampath's mystic music started  with opening credits which shows the Mumbai city and happenings in dark hours crisply followed by accident. 

Surjan Shekhawat played by Aamir khan is a sturdy role. He is a person who is filled with melancholy and anger due to a personal tragedy and Roshni his wife is also going through the same trauma. Rani mukherjee is so natural in the role that you can feel nothing but sympathy for her.I felt sad when she explains her past to psychiatrist . Am surprised why she accepted a script like Aiyya prior to this. She yet again proved she if provided a good director and story can put all her efforts to bring out the best outcome. Kareena Kapoor aka Rosy the hooker cum prostitute also proved the same. After a disaster like heroine which of course was watchable only due to Kareena , she bloomed like a rose in her character Rosy and looks much more ravishing and steals the show. The intense emotions are displayed so mildly in her acting that she over powers Aamir Khan's aura in some scenes! Ram sampaths music does justice to the movie. It shows the sad and bad phase of Surjan very aptly . No need to mention that Javed akhtar's lyrics were just perfect. A loud applause to so many characters in the movie. Tehmur played by Nawazuddin siddiqui the man who is the heart of Wasseypur and also plays the role of merciless officer in Kahaani enters with a new face. He is a limping assistant to a pimp in the red light area named Shashi. Shernaz patel as a creepy neighbor who resembles the Trelawney of Harry potter really scared me. She becomes a source of solace in Roshini's life much to the anger of Shekhawat who is already fighting his demons and having sleepless nights. At this juncture you draw conclusions in your mind silently , guessing there will be some twist where Aamir's son helps resolving the case or in a way Shernaz patel may resolve the case but that doesn't happen leading to lot of guess work. 

NO SPOILERS:

Armaan Kapoor a super star dies in the car crash and the case becomes more and more complex with he giving away a lump-sum to a local pimp Shashi and Armaan's friend Sanjay is extremely tensed since the death giving rise to more doubts and conclusions.The first half of the story is flawless and the story line doesn't disappoint you even in the second half but there will be a sudden  gasp and horror as the movie ends. I personally liked the end. Its definitely not a routine thriller and If I reveal the story you will lose the interest to watch it. I can only say the story line and Kareena Kapoor Khan are the heroes in the movie followed by Aamir and Rani's realistic performances. The trio have faced tragedies and the way they display it on screen will make you sad for sure. I got skeptical when Rosy narrated about her life by the sea side at her favorite spot to Shekhawat. The music is apt and the strange magnetic force that pulls Shekhawat towards Rosy and lets him blurt out all his worries is so natural and touchy. I loved the scene where she gently strokes troubled Aamir's forehead. Such a gentle empathetic scene is first time to me in Bollywood. I guessed the twist here but zipped my mouth for  the sake of audience :) 

Even if it is inspired here and there by hollywood movies and has minor glitches it stands out to be one of the best thrillers of 2012 along with Kahaani to me. The story is slow paced but enjoyable and you will let out a sigh when Aamir keeps visualising the tragic evening in his mind when he lost his son by imagining all the possible situations which could have saved his son! With such a disturbed mind Aamir reaches a dead end in the case when he bumps in to ravishing Rosy and  to know how the story unfolds you should go and watch it on big screen.

As end credits I want to appreciate Rani , Kareena and Aamir . Would be exciting to watch the trio again in a  movie with great script . The Akhtar trio undoubtedly are talented. If Farhan writes the dialogues , Zoya does the story screen play and Javed does the lyrics. I am starting to like Zoya more and more. Kudos to Reema Kagti for this suspense drama. I am sure not all will like the ending but I liked it as it hampered my guess work and was a total mind blowing end.  Kareena as the most glamorous sex worker since chameli draws attention towards her!If not the end it would have been another Kahaani or a Randeep hooda or Emraan Hashmi flick but ya even Randeep or Emraan would have given a similar performance in the role of melancholic Shekhawat but its the curiosity for Aamir's ONE movie per year that adds icing on the cake.

The film shows its intentions quite clearly and sticks to its chosen tone and pace. Theres a lot of searching in the movie. Aamir's search for the criminal , Rani's quest for happiness, Tehmur's search for a better life . An extra applause here to Anurag Kashyap for his additional dialogues. Only three words for him," I love him ". Even if the ending is not so convincing take my word you will be flummoxed and convinced if you rethink as it fits the narration and connects all dots. Its a simple tale of tragedy , loss and revenge. 

My rating : 3.5/5

I loved the below song Muskaanen Jhooti hai ,just and just for Kareena kapoor. Go enjoy the movie but don't expect it to be logical and if you analyse you are only spoiling the broth!

Most spectacular watch of the year

Originally at : http://youthopia.me/readarticle.php?aid=237

Spoiler alert

This book is in my to read list from long. I couldn't read it till date. I was just thinking to grab the book and start reading that the movie released on Nov23rd . Produced and directed by Anglee and based on the novel by Yann Martel the movie has already got showers of appreciation. The visuals are sheer brilliant. I cannot analyse the movie technically but what I can say in short is “Every one was awestruck by the visuals and didn't turn their heads in the fear of missing the beauty on screen” .All have started comparing this to Avatar saying it well deserves an Oscar! I can’t disagree. The visuals were spell bounding. Director Anglee used the 3D technology intelligently and shrewdly grabbing audience’s attention. The CGI tiger Richard parker which actually didn’t exist amused me a lot. Anglee who made crouching tiger, hidden dragon proved that he will continue enchanting the viewers! The boy who plays the 16yr old pi patel deserves a round of applause for his flawless rendition. Irfan Khan does what he has to . He being the old pi narrates his own story to a visitor who wants to write the book. Adil Hussain and Tabu who played Pi’s parents were a south Indian couple who were natural to the core and made a lovely duo though they played a short lived role.

If you read the book well and good. If you haven’t and don’t want to know the story before you watch give this a miss .I will have to narrate few bits here as I cannot exclaim at the marveling experience I had while watching the movie without revealing the story. The movie starts with Irfan khan narrating the story from the start to the man who visits. Irfan’s Mamaji suggests the name Piscine Molitor  Patel to our Pi which actually is the name of a famous swimming pool in Paris. The name pisses off our young Patel as he gets teased by every one at school who shout “pissing” at him. This role was played by  Ayush Tandon (age : 11) . A boy who is a deep thinker , reads a lot and analyses each and every aspect he comes across.That is the reason he wants to understand and follow good aspects of every religion. He was born Hindu but follows Christianity and Islam as well in contrary to his dad who is a staunch non believer . Tabu plays the role of a sweet mom who gives enough freedom to kids to think and believe. 

Young and Dynamic Suraj Sharma- 16yr old

Adil Hussain aka Santosh patel is a zoo keeper and hence they have wide range of animals when they decide to move to Canada as they feel there is no future in Pondicherry. The 16 year old Pi Patel played by Suraj Sharma enters the screen when the actual movie starts . He falls in love with a dancer Anandi but has to leave her when they decide to sail to Canada !Few dialogues do impact you a lot and the emotions are so clearly displayed like the blue serene water of the sea.

Irfan says to the visitor played by Rafe Spall that he remembers every thing from that evening he met Anandi, the promises and all but he doesn’t remember bading a good bye! I  was touched here :)

The real story starts in ship after the scene where a  rude  cook refuses giving them vegetarian food and they shout and fight and a severe storm hits the ship which leads to wreckage and the only survivor in the life boat is Pi along with Richard Parker (the tiger) , a Zebra , Hyena and a Orangutan by name Orange juice! A tear came to my eye when Pi asks  Orange juice “where are your kids?” the parent Orangutan looks at sea as if giving him answer that they are in the belly of merciless sea! This is the most touching scene to me.

The whole story revolves around Pi’s struggle to survive , to save himself from the Bengal tiger and also to try and tame him or at least act so in order to create a dummy zoo atmosphere. I loved the way the boy acted so intensely. He feels happy that he is not alone and simultaneously is scared as there is a permanent threat of tiger relishing the skinny vegetarian boy! Hence he stays in a safe distance.  

Trying to tame the tiger

In the life boat Pi keeps himself occupied by jotting down all his experiences with a pencil. There is a scene where there are millions of flying fish soaring just above them . I must say this is the most brilliant shot of the movie. 3D just made it more magical. My jaw dropped looking at how the serene sea can become violent too; the beautiful waves can be haunting and life taking too. If titanic was one spine chilling kind of experience this movie also leads to a similar feeling but there’s a ray of hope as the boy is not dying even after he lost his family ! 

Richard Parker is one more marvel in the movie. I absolutely loved this tiger and his natural expressions. It feels bad when the ferocious tiger becomes weak, lean and keeps gazing at the sky as if accepting the fate. The starry nights , the clear blue sea water, the camera showing underwater and the life boat and even sky from there ,stormy waves and the mysterious island where Pi finds thousands of meerkats and discovers that the algae are carnivorous  with a human tooth like thing inside the fruit is all unbelievable and heavenly. The visual effects prove that the movie has a good chance to bag an Oscar !

By the time life boat reaches shores of Mexico Pi is starving, bony and feels more devastated as Richard Parker escapes in to jungle without at least looking back at him. Folks from the Japanese freighter company don’t believe the eye witness story of Pi, so he tells them a different one in great detail with humans on the lifeboat instead of animals , but the visitor feels the initial story with animals was the best among both. The ending could have been much better. I felt slightly bored when Pi narrates the alternate story to Japanese. It was ambiguous. You may understand if you read the book. The fighter Pi cries profusely at the loss of Richard Parker. I kind of disliked this aspect. Being a great fighter he could have fought back the tears . Pi’s spirituality and belief in various gods and  the way he survives remembering each god ,  the way this aspect was dug deep in the book is not done in the movie.

Pi on the bio luminescent sea under the starry sky!!

Nevertheless this one is the most spectacular watch of  this year and for sure a visual treat. I can use many more adjectives like surreal, mystic, and magnificent to describe the movie and bravo to the director and the team .I am dying to read the book now :)

My Rating : 4.5/5