'The White Tiger' - Aravind Adiga

Just went through the another stinking version of 'Six Suspects". Only difference is that this time name of dirt hole is "The White Tiger" and prize winner is Aravind Adiga.

Avenger - Fredrick Frosyth

I don't know why but I have always loved 'Avenge'. Be it in stories or in real life. Now after years it brings a smile on my face when I think of one such 'Avenge' I took on successfully which was one of my life rocking incidents. Therefore 'Avenge' is sweet and so are its stories.

"Avenger' is one such story by Fredrick Forsyth. When an enthusiastic young volunteer American boy is brutally murdered while he was on mission to help victims of Bosnian war, his rich grandpa decides to turn every stone to drag the culprit, a cold blooded psychopath leader of Seb militia Zoran Zilic in the feet of justice. Using his relations in the power houses of America, for one time he made the wheel spins. But in the wake of diplomatic, political and international laws, it was not a cake walk. As if this was not sufficient, CIA was protecting Zoran, who was a vital source for CIA to track down world's most wanted USB (Osama Bin Laden). After losing hope from everywhere Ricky's grandpa came to know about "Avenger".

Calvin Dexter, 50 years of age, a lawyer who loved to keep himself in shape, earlier was a Viet veteran who fought the most dreaded war in the underground death tunnels of Vietnam. After gruesome war he became a lawyer and later lost his only daughter by the hands of gangsters involved in sex slave trade. When Dexter returns home after killing his daughter's killer he faces the death of his wife who dies of the pain of their daughter’s loss. This changes Calvin’s life and he becomes ‘Avenger’. For good cause and against good fees he starts bringing down criminals to justice. Now grandpa of Ricky hires Dexter to bring billionaire Zoran who has vanished with the help of CIA. The story keeps readers in their toes where Avenger is looking for Zoran and CIA is looking for Avenger.

Who made the final move and how? Read it how writer of ‘The Day of Jackal’ has webbed the mystery.

'Six Suspects'

To help a friend for a project about how great this nation of Bharat was, is and still can be in future, I was searching for some images about India when I fell into a deep, dark and stinking gorge of a blog about India which contained nothing positive but only filth, sorrow, suffering, poverty, crime, backwardness, uncertainty, insecurities, evils, fears, hate and venom for India. That person titled "Zillion reasons to escape from India" to his/her blog and has totally dedicated his life to magnify every evil of India in his words. Spending very few minutes on those pages literally were like spending that much time in a hell for me. These are the people who can never find a tiny good thing about their country or could lift a finger to rectify a problem but would do their best to bring that weakness in front of the lousy spectators of entire world with the royal bash of orchestration. I don't know what do these people gain from such shameless self exposure but certainly few people do make money out of it and one of them is Mr. Vikas Swarup.

Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup is not very different from his 'very famous' novel Q&A. This Q&A is the same novel which gave a very proud new name to Indians, that is "Slumdog". I agree that every creative writer, poet or artist always tries to bring untouched, unseen and under the current subjects to his or her creativity but according to my knowledge Swarup has written only two novels and both are about the so called pathetic state of India. I think he have learnt the mantra of selling in global market where movies like Lagaan loses the rat race of Oscar and movies like Slumdog Millionaire bags all the awards.

Six Suspects is a twisted story of Jassica Lal murder case where accused is a spoiled son of a wealthy corrupt politician and both father son duo manipulates law accordingly to their will and gain. That son "Vicky Rai" in this story is murdered in the celebration party of his acquittal from this murder and police arrest six persons from the party under suspicion. These six suspects include, a leading Indian actress who is cheated by her cousin, an American who is cheated by an Indian, a tribal who's tribe is cheated by their welfare officer, a retired diplomat who cheated his wife and then is now cheated by his keep, a slumdog youth who was cheated by his luck all his life and finally that corrupt politician who kept cheating innocent people till now and was cheated by his own son in the end. So the whole story is about corruption, deceit and backstabbing which obviously prevail ONLY in India and ONLY things which prevail in India according these kind of writers. Mr. Vikas Swarup is an Indian diplomat in Indian Foreign Services and I think he cannot serve India better than what he has done by his writings to paint Indian picture in front of this globe.

Some very highly educated, open minded, global viewing and let's-face-the-fact attitude people may stand with their views of justifying such 'bold' topics but I would prefer to stay illiterate than to enjoy and applause such indiscriminate oeuvre about my country which is not entirely true.

'The 3 Mistakes of My Life'

I heard and vaguely read a lot about Chetan Bhagat some time back when he was emerging as a writer on Indian horizon but simultaneously I kept ignoring those tv clips and news articles as I feel that our media always overreact and get horribly obsessed with any such issues where any Indian effort gets even a little foreigner attention. I am not saying proudly that I admire this habit of mine but I honestly feel that way. And cause of such nasty habit of being prejudice, many times I do miss enjoying some good things. Only cause of this habit till now I haven't seen 'Slumdog Millionaire' (that's another point that right now I am reading another novel 'Six Suspects' by Vikas Swarup, the same author of original novel 'Q & A' of Slumdog Millionaire) even after approvals of some friends. Anyway, we were talking of Chetan Bhagat, and few days ago I saw his novel 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life' in a shelf of the 'latest books' rack of my beloved 'Municipal Library' and got it issued.

I must admit here, though I got a fair idea from prologue that 'Gujarat' is going to be discussed in the novel, the prologue of book was so interesting that I could not help myself finishing the book ASAP even against the periodically repeated stern stares of sleepy eyes of my wife which used to start exactly one hour after each midnight. (If looks could kill - I better get a reading lamp now). Whenever the word 'Gujarat' came in front of my eyes or hits my ears, my both eyebrows shake hands together, my lip line dips downward and a sound of 'chuch chuch' comes out of my mouth automatically. In these seven years, I have gone really sick of these riots. Thanks to our secular media who is not letting this terrible happenings fade off as easily as countless other riots in the history of independent India have died and buried without much fuss.

Now thankfully, this story is not only about riots but also of friendship, passion, business, love and Cricket. And all these five (or six if to add riot) elements are essential ingredients of any average Indian life. Govind, Omi and Ish are best friends who dream like common Indian youths and try to convert those dreams into reality when different events keep changing their lives in different aspects. The main character is Govind who is narrating the story and about the mistakes he made in his life. The momentum of story never halts throughout the novel. As in the last pages riots took over, I am thankful to Chetan that he has not tried to be a preacher about riots even then just like every writer I felt him being storyteller of single side of the coin. The mixture of reality and fiction has made this novel worth reading. The end of the novel reminds me of the end of 'Dil Chahta Hai'.

The result of this novel? I am gonna try the other two (or three may be) books by Chetan Bhagat.

'The Faithful Spy'

'The Faithful Spy' is the debut novel by Alex Berenson, a correspondent by profession. The plot is beautiful, story is holding and contents are touching.

A CIA agent John Wells has penetrated Al-Qaeda network and trying to win trust of Laden and his deputies. In efforts to win trust of higher level of Qaeda, he spend so many years with jihadis in Chechnya, Afghanistan and Pakistan. During these years he genuinely converts to Islam and adopts Islamic rituals, though his mission remains intact. Being a foreigner and of a shady background Taliban didn't trust him completely and being unable to warn of 9/11 and LA bombings, his own agency got wary of him. In the last Taliban sent him to America for a huge terror plan where he is the alone person standing against the mission with both sides not trusting him. "What happens next " question never let a reader put off the book.

As terror has become a part of our life, the incidents in the novel sound so real and not fiction at all, even then Jihadi's die hard attempts to attain chemical, biological and nuclear weapons shock reader with horror waves. The plight of John Wells being a 'Non jihadi Muslim', somewhere reflects the same much debated issue within our society. The self suiting interpretation of Koran by jihadis and fueling the fire by Maulvis didn't let a madrass educated brain & heart sail away from so called Jihad. "We have plenty of fighters, what we need are scientists" a phrase by Laden's deputy in the novel reveals the map of their mentality and a clear and present danger too.

Tales Told By Mystics

After a long period, a good book was found and read. In a local book fair, among a few of books I purchased was one "Tales Told By Mystics" by 'Padma Shri' Manoj Das. As the title of book speaks itself, book contains around hundred of sweet short stories collected from folklore of India by author. Most of the stories are not from our Vedas or Upanishads but are those which have travelled and accumulated verbally since centuries. Sages, Ascetic and Sadhus have narrated these stories through ages to educate and enrich moral values to Indian society.

Stories in the book are short, beautiful, simple and above all, appealing. To clear the fog of confusion in our minds of Dharma or Adharma in routine life, one can find these stories very very useful and inspiring. Supreme Truth, Dharma, Humanity, Kindness are the main ingredients of these stories. Complexes & complicated principles of our various scriptures can very easily be understood and grasped by a common reader of any age through these small interesting tales.

A must read and collectors book especially youngsters!

Heartstopper

While reading murder mysteries, every reader knows that at the end of the day the killer would be the only person who’s least suspected, even then some novels keep you thrilled till the secret is officially revealed in last pages.

‘Heartstopper’ by Joy Fielding is such a thriller. A serial killer is on the loose in a small town of Torrence Florida with population of less than 5000 and where everyone knows everybody. Killer’s only target was young, talented and real ‘heart stopper’ beautiful girls. And people of town used to find dead bodies with half of head blown off by gunshot as if killer wanted those bodies to be located easily (of course, along some hidden messages).

With a list of over a dozen suspects, involving family problems, complex relations, expectations and betrayals, town sheriff John Weber (who says a sheriff can’t be a serial killer) finds himself in the middle of nowhere while investigating gruesome killings. An entirely new concept I found in this novel is pages from journal by killer in between other chapters which made the novel interesting and keep a reader glued. Suspense reaches its height when town’s high school English teacher Sandy Crosbie’s budding daughter is gone missing and is about to be slaughtered.

What happened next? Keep Guessing!

Chowringhee

Long time back a friend said to me, “Every human heart is an ocean, you never know what’s hidden in the deepest depth down there.”

Sankar in Chowringhee have written about some of such oceans who came across his life while he was working as a receptionist in one of the then most luxurious Hotel Shahjahan in the area of Chowringhee in Calcutta. Originally written and published in Bangla in 1962, I read its English version by Arunava Sinha.

Catching reader’s interest from very first page, ‘Chowringhee’, contains so much of human lives roaming around this very hotel as its employees or guests. Shankar a former clerk of an English barrister and then a door to door waste bin salesman and finally a receptionist at Shahjahan, found himself touched and moved by complicated webs of desires, dreams, lust, greed, grief, pleasure and affection of the various human beings affiliated to his glitzy hotel of metropolitan. The hotel manager Marco Polo, senior receptionist Satta Bose, cabaret dancer and her companion, hostess Karabi Guha, linen in charge Nityahari, Bar in charge, a private detective, Doctor Sutherland, Musician PK Gomez, film stars, celebrities, social workers, businessmen, company personals, politicians and every person in this book has his/her own story to narrate. Every heart in this novel is an ocean carrying countless hidden treasures and even unpleasant filth.

How much a human heart can take on? I think there is no limit. The state of mind I was going through when I started this novel, I think the stories of the lives of the characters in this book boosted my courage to face my problems with more strong heartedly.

'Like The Flowing River'

This was my first Paulo Coelho book, “Like The Flowing River”. Frankly speaking, I never heard his name before getting that book.

Now when I see Paulo’s name mentioned here and there with so importance, it gives me impression of ‘little fabricated marketing hype’. Anyway, back to “Like The Flowing River”, it is a collection of many short stories and thoughts of Brazilian born writer. Two best parts of that book particularly for me are: One very beautiful picture at the cover and secondly, the simplicity of his writing. It is much more like hearing local tales or chatting with similar natured friends than reading a preaching literature. This book is all about life and viewing the life or even death.

With due respect to Mr. Coelho, there is nothing new in this book for an average Indian like me. Why I am saying so is that every other Indian have that philosophical mentality or thoughts which Coelho have collected in that book. If we sit for half an hour with a poor illiterate small Indian farmer manually ploughing his fields thousands miles away from brightly illuminated metros, even he would tell us thousand such stories very enthusiastically like those written in that book, only because we are brought up in such culture and atmosphere.

But even then this book is very important. Important cause that preserved atmosphere is being polluted with today’s so called Eco-friendly globalization and that globalization is destroying our rare culture and this book can help us to keep those memories afresh. Some of the tales are only half a page long so the reader can never get tired.

I may try some of Paulo Coelho’s other books one day.

‘Detective’ was much much better novel of Arthur Hailey’s than ‘Wheels’ written in 1971, I finished last week. Arthur has his well known style of digging and reaching the hard surface depth of any subject while writing a novel. Wheels very prominently show that style one again.

‘Wheels’ is about America’s auto industry in Detroit. It is about cars, people who design cars or who manufacture cars or those who sell those cars or about every person who is connected with that city of cars. Hailey tried to reveal every shining and spitting spot of that industry.

The novel have no story neither could it bound me with reading. But I read because I had no other book to read.

My First Lady !

Rereading Irving Wallace’s “The Second Lady” after so many years, brought me a funny thought this time.

One of the best thrillers of Irving’s, The Second Lady is about a plot webbed by Russian spy agency KGB to replace a Russian theater artist Vera Vavilova with USA president Andrew Bradford’s smart and beautiful wife Billie Bradford. Vera being a look alike of Billie went under some surgical operations to match every mole and hair of American First Lady and very scrupulously practiced and adopted Billie’s habits, styles and manners. KGB dug very deep to get all the details of Bradford’s and took care of every aspect (which could arise in a reader’s brain) to make their ‘Second Lady’ successfully planted in White House and fetch first hand information directly from the president to win a crucial diplomatic summit connected with the holding of power and peace of this world.

Married with Billie for eight years, Andrew Bradford the president of USA amazingly could not find out through out the novel that his wife was replaced with a Russian spy and not only behaved very normally with her but also revealed the vital information which she was looking for.

Leaving that novel story here, I was wondering whether it is possible for a husband (married for eight years) to not to recognize his wife if she is replaced by her look alike? I think even if one may practice like anything to adopt someone’s styles still cannot copy every this and that of a person. Everybody has a typical way of behaving which cannot be copied by even best actors of this planet.

The funny thought? I was thinking what if this happens with me, (though I am not that lucky L ) I think I will realize in max 24 hours about her.

Eight years! How much a person can know about his wife in eight years? My emphasizes on eight years cause we two are in eighth year now and I am sure I have minimum hundred solid ways to know about her switching with someone else. Here is the checklist of some ways if ever God be kind on me to switch her with someone else. :P Yummy idea !

• Only she could sleep soundly even with books, pen/pencils, combs, her mobile or even knife under her at the bed without even realizing them. If she is making up her bed it means she is a Russian spy.


• The very first thing she would definitely do after sitting in car is to switch over to FM if CD is playing and to switch over to CD if FM is already tuned.


• That only real Vande would let any object (it could be her own photograph) lay on the floor of her bedroom for months (if stupid maid does not show her intelligence to pick it) and if she herself picks it up and place on an appropriate place, she is defiantly her look alike.


• Only Vande can sleep wearing her most favorite and most expensive dress on, her look alike would never do that and will get caught. Ha ha ha !


• She would genuinely start mumbling a song and more genuinely would never complete even a single line with correct wordings. A tough task for KGB agent.


• That only she would run the water tap at maximum speed even if she requires a tiny drop of water.


• If ever I find her expensive golden Titan (her first gift from me) safely kept in her cupboard and not in the shoe rack or any place like that, I know she is switched by some foreign spy.


• If the bedroom wardrobe is neatly maintained and is not occupied with toys, books, spoon, water bottle etc (or anything beyond imagination to be there) I have strong reason to suspect her reality.


• The original Vande would keep fumbling with electronic gadgets including power window switches of car or my ipod. Her only favorite electronic item is TV remote (precisely channel 3 button, star plus for saas bahu).


• The right hand of actual Vande would automatically scratch her left arm whenever she would laugh out loudly. Did you know that Vera Vavilova?


• Even our neighbors can hear her speaking within the house and I wonder even if her mother could hear her on the other side whenever she chats with her over telephone, she speaks so lowly. A cool trap for any spy.


• Vande always forgets the names of companies I deals with, obviously it won’t be easy for her look alike to pretend.


• She would reveal the suspense on a movie promptly if she has seen it already and you have not seen. On the other side would keep grilling you for revealing the suspense if she has not seen it before but unluckily you have seen that movie. A blowout situation for her replaced clone.


• And finally the Russian spy would have to meditate for years to achieve Vande’s cool. She would never loose her temper even being married to such an irritating and always complaining person like me.


• Only the real Vande would keep praying for our bondage to be for seven lives and like this is not sufficient she wants this one to be the first life among seven. Of course no spy on earth can spend a single day pretending to be wife with a hubby like me who can write all this. :)

There are a lot more points I can verify about her but I don't wanna reveal all and put here on record that one day KGB chief General Ivan Petrov may discover them and start thinking of some new misadventure. :)

'Russian Folk Tales'

While shuffling my small personal library at home, a very old thick book caught my eye. ‘Russi Lok Kathayen’ (Russian Folk Tales), I think I received this book as prize from my school around 22 years back in 1985 when I was in 6th standard. Since then I must have read this book not less than 100 times. I never get tired of books, movies or music I like, and can read, watch or listen over and over again for countless times.

First published in 1960, this 373 pages book has got collection of 33 short and long Russian folk tales translated in Hindi. These stories are part of Russian culture since generations and carry the same world of magic, devils, angles, beautiful princess and poor peasants as our Indian folk tales do as our mom or grandma used to tell us in our childhood. Some of the stories are one page long and some are 10-15 pages long as one keep flipping the pages.

I still remember the fantasies I used to get dragged in while reading this book in my childhood. That was amazing world, when there was no tension or worries or targets to be achieved. Entering those worlds of imagination was not at all difficult as like today. Few pages a day, kept mind of a reader like me engaged for weeks and floating with the little prince who is struggling hard to get his kingdom back from the clutches of lusty cruel Czar.

That amazing world had every color hidden inside. There were always some godly magic powered people or animal to help grief stricken hero or heroin of the story. It could be Beautiful girl Yelna or Wise Vasilisa, the princesses or brown wolf or brown horse or Feniest the Falcon or sometimes even a kind witch named Baba Yaga. Peasants like everywhere were innocent and being exploited by local rich landlords. There was beautiful princess cursed to be frog, retired army soldier who outsmarted and trapped ‘Death’ and is believed to be ‘still alive’, merchants with magical objects like flying ships, kings with extra ordinary beasts like singing cat, or golden falcon or flying horse, poor Ivan (almost always the hero of every tale) who had to walk and cross unlimited jungle or snow covered fields to fight anacondas, six headed fire throwing dragon named Zamai Gorinich or envious czar to achieve his destinations. Hateful cruel stepmothers, helpless fathers, wise and gorgeous daughters and brave sons are part of almost every story. Three iron caps, three pairs of iron shoes and three iron sticks were to break off to achieve every difficult mission.

There are some very interesting and funny stories which bring smile at the face of reader of any age. Gladly every story has a happy ending and brings relief for soft hearted innocent readers.

Reading these stories once again as a mature reader, I found that the feelings, emotions, dreams, desires, values, affections, lust, beauty, kindness, hate, responsibilities, duties or anything which touches a human heart are same all over this planet, no matter it is an Indian or Russian, no matter it is 16th century or 21st. We all are same.

Mistress

‘Never judge a book by its cover’, very rightly they say. But even then covers do effect your opinions (at least they do mine).

A beautiful, sharp and colorful picture of a Kathakali dancer at the cover forced me to pick the book and I went through its prologue and back cover briefings. I have always loved Indian art and wanted to know more and more about it. Though a hint of a side by story, the prologue and short briefing suggested that this book was about Kathakali dance and Navarasas: the nine emotions and expressions i.e. Sringaaram (love), Haasyam (contempt), Karunam (sorrow), Raudram (fury), Veeram (valour), Bhayaanakam (fear), Beebhalsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder) & Shaantam (detachment) used essentially in every ancient Indian art or literature.

It took me 60 days and a reissuing visit to library (still I have to pay late charges, I fear) to complete this 426 pages book written by Anita Nair. Though the writing style of Anita Nair is very interesting, this was entirely my strong willingness to not to return this novel unread that I somehow completed one third of tedious novel.

The main character is Koman, an international famed Kathakali dancer who worked hard and sacrificed a lot in pursuit of this dance art. Story begins when a Chris comes from London to write a book on Koman but he may have a secret mission hidden inside. The story webs in the exotic surroundings of Kerala, where Chris stays at Shyam’s Near-The-Nila resort who is husband of Koman’s niece Radha. Chris and Radha fell in love, no no here I wanna correct, Chris and Radha fell to their lusts and Radha keeps dangling in her mind through the navarasas. There are many complexities in the novel, complexities of the relations of different people. Those relations sounds to be love affairs but according to me those were not.

Writer scrupulously did her research on Kathakali, the within stories related to ‘Katha’ of Kathakali made those pages in novel very interesting, so was the way of relating those episodes with the lives of Koman or Radha. It was only Koman’s story which kept me reading the book otherwise I think Chris or Radha and poor fellow Shyam were unnecessarily dragged in the story, so was the so called hidden mission of Chris which turned out to be almost nothing.

Finally, it was not only about the usual ‘Mistress’ we obviously jumps to (like dear R did) but it’s more about every true artist being the ‘Mistress’ of his/her artistry like Koman or his Aashaan (teacher) or a mad artist in a story. But again the complexity is that either Art is ‘Mistress’ or the Artist.

Harry Potter Inc.

What is more important ? Writing a good book or hiring good marketers for a book ?

I think the second one is the concept followed and adopted solely these days. I am surprised, the way all the media is over flooding with the pictures, articles and photos from Harry Potter book, are like a bash we are being forced to join.

The newspaper I buy (not read) gave space to Harry's hangama above paper's own name apart from inner pages past some days. Today at the front page, there was news article with heading "2,50,000 copies are out, go grab yours".

Not only print media but electronic media is bathing in same muddy pond. Seems like these people are more worried for the sale of the book than Ms. Rowling herself. May be she has promised these guys some share of the profit she would make?

Rumours, news, gossips, pictures of young buyers sitting on the road in wait of opening the book stores etc all are clearly sales management skills to make bucks out of it. Standing aside from this 'harry mania', I feel like watching a WWF bout at a jam packed stadium where everyone can see that these fights are merely 'Nura Kushti', a well staged drama. But still people buying this. Why, any idea?

Vanish !

A new business venture thus related tours, broken down old dear pal (my laptop), not at all friendly with my fingers keyboard of office desktop (but even this post is written at same keyboard) and above all an unknown (or lets say I don't wanna spell here) cause kept me away from blogging.

If not laptop then it got to be books (as she always complains and why to prove her wrong). So it was Tess Gerritsen's thriller 'Vanish' among other books which helped me out.

Plot is great. Boston medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles finds a dead body of a young lady brought for autopsy rising wake and running around her morgue. That unidentified woman somehow gets in hospital and kills a security guard with his own gun and not only that she took some patients as hostage including a homicide detective Jane Rizzoli admitted their for her nine months labour. Later they find that the guard killed by 'dead lady' was not in employee list of the hospital and Dr. Isles reveals in her finding from autopsy of security guard that his gun was carrying a very unusual kind bullet and he was the member of US Army's secret elite assassination team.

FBI, White House, Top bureaucrats, Boston PD's, press reporters, a worried FBI agent and hubby of Jane, sex slaves, illegal migrants to US and counter terrorists teams of post 9/11 US have created a interesting web in the story. Being herself a doctor, writer Tess has given interesting details of medico-crime-investigation.

Funny part is even in US they can declare a living person 'dead' and send the body to morgue as it was based on real news feed. A nice novel to read.

Detective

As I was looking for some book at the library, the title ‘Detective’ caught my sight. Just to scan the story a bit I started reading the first chapter and it was only “Excuse me” voice from my back for the way which made me realize that I almost had read 12 pages of the book already. Needless to mention I got it issued.

‘Detective’ by Arthur Hailey is a thrilling story of mysteries of gruesome slayings of aged couples by a serial killer and leaving some weird and out of context symbols behind for an ex priest Miami police detective Sergeant Malcolm Ainslie to solve.

The story sets it pace at the very first sentence of very first page and keeps your thoughts provoking till the end. Though at a stage the story seems simple and the name of ultimate criminal struck in your mind just after the middle of 595 pages novel, it was difficult to put the book down. Author has done a great deal of scrupulous research into the modus operandi of the detectives of police force. Every little event has narrated so specifically that it seems like you standing in the middle of actual happening. Hailey kept tickling the nerves of his readers like bringing up a name at 565th page which was mentioned only once in complete novel at page 26 or describing the history of a building just at the doorstep of climax.

An exciting and entertaining novel. It was my first by Arthur Hailey and I surly would be going for second or may be third too.

'Urdu Ki Aakhiri Kitab'

‘Urdu Ki Aakhiri Kitab’ is a hilarious account of Ibn -e- Insha, an Indian poet / writer, born in Jalandhar District of Punjab and shifted to Pakistan after the partition in 1947.

Even choosing Pakistan as mother land, unlike his contemporary poet Iqbal, (who wrote famous ‘Saare Jahan Se Achcha……………..” and later, when crossed over to Pakistan, edited his poem to Saare Jahan Se Achcha, Pakistan Hamara”) Ibne Insha looks hurt with the concept of partition. His poem in this book reflects his questions:

Ibne Insha, wrote this book “Urdu ki Aakhiri Kitab” as reader in style of a school syllabus books of primary classes describing what is what. He has started the book with a prayer (funny of course) and has included all the subject being studied in a school, like, History of world, Mughals, Mathematics, Primary Science, Some educational stories, Animal Science, Bird Science, Things around us, and Nature in his own unique way.

Everything he wrote will make you laugh. Though the book was originally written in Urdu in 70’s (and I read its Hindi translation) but its is still a matter of interest (for those who know some history). Just like every reader book in school he has given questions to solve at the end of every chapter which are also very funny. Like in the chapter of ‘Sikander’ he asked a question, “Film Sikendar E Azam main kis kis ne kaam kiya tha? Us ka koi gana yaad ho to sunayo”.

While writing about history he wrote following for Akbar:

And this while describing Aurangzeb:

There are hundreds of hilarious stories he had written in this little book of 178 pages and so interesting that I read the whole book in a single sitting and then all over again with some what patience. Despite my strong will to put lot of them here I did as much as I could. Here are some 'important questions' he suggested for 'students'.

He also wrote many famous ghazals, "Insha ji Utho" is one of many favourite among ghazal lovers.

My rating for 'Urdu Ki Aakhiri Kitab' : A must read and collectable book !

Accidents like love & marriage !

It’s all about accidents, accidents in our day to day life. Accidents like falling in love or getting married or trying to fix incompatible relationships. And despite people involved in these accidents keep blaming themselves for such occurring, do not understand that no one can avoid accidents.

Jaishree Misra has narrated about such accidents in her funny tale “Accidents like love & marriage”. The Story is of three families in New Delhi, Sachdevs , Singhs and Menons.

Neena, daughter of wealthy Singh family is married to Rohit, elder son of wealthy Sachdevs family. Gayatri, only child of middle class Menon couple, is an intelligent and lovely Keralite who has just returned India after completing her Ph.d from Oxford University and is college time friend of Neena.

Now Neena, innocently and for her own interest sake (before her mom in law gets some other girl as an enemy as her sister in law) wants and plans to get Gayatri married to her brother in law Tarun and thus play fine role of cupid for the duo. But Gayatri has shadows of the love when she ‘accidentally’ fell in for an English guy Michael in London only to broke her heart and realize that he was married, and reluctant to fall in love again but again ‘accidentally’ driven into.

Now the tug of war is on. Swarn Sachdev, mom in law of Neena don’t want a middle class ‘Madrasi’ girl for her sweet lil son, Jagdish, the Senior Sachdev of Sachdev family always breaths business and only concerned about the growth of his textile mills, Neena desperately wants Gayatri to occupy the next bedroom in her home as her sis in law, Tarun, a charming handsome is now badly fallen in love with miss south and would do anything to make her his better half and against the wish of his mother, declares to marry only Gayatri and no one else., Gayatri, still trying to get herself out of the gloom of Michael effect, Keshav father of Gayatri is overjoyed with the idea of marriage of his piece of heart daughter, Rajji, wife of Keshava is too busy in her research books to be very serious of this issue of her daughter. A social meeting among both the parents turns havoc accidentally and simply worsening the situation.

Now as if that was not enough another twist comes in the story. When all the members of Sachdev and Menon families were wrestling with the IF’s and BUT’s of this proposed relation of unlike minds, Rohit the elder son of Sachdev family, husband of Neena and father of two children accidentally fell in love with a ‘firangi’ woman while visiting London for a business meeting and make Neena realise that even her marriage was an accident.

The story is supposed to be a hilarious account but I find it funny only at some stages. The funniest part is at second last page when almost everyone is leaving the home. The most loving character to me in the story is innocent ‘Appa’ of Gayatri who took out his 1963 bought trousers to get ready for the meeting with Tarun’s parents. Jaishree Misra is very good at words and phrases, still it could not make me restless to complete the book at the earliest.

And finally I would like to thank Jaishree for putting a hidden statutory warning at the first page of the novel as she thanked Mr. Khushwant Singh for encouraging her to publish that story. Obviously now you should not wonder at some words and narrations which are very essentials for an 'elite' writer of this 'elite' club for staying very ‘close to reality’.

The Namesake

Despite my strong wish to complete the novel ‘The Namesake’, I could not do so. Reluctantly reading even 121 pages, Gogol Ganguly seems reaching nowhere.

Though at many points The Namesake bound me along, I put it down without completing. Or may be Katra Bi Arzoo was still hovering over my mind. Anyway, may be some other time.

Sorry Jhumpa!

Katra Bi Arzoo

‘Sholay’, a name all the Indians are very well familiar of. A movie, even after three decades still looks fresh and entertaining.

But how many of us really know that what state India was passing through when this movie was released in 1975?

‘Emergency’, a word which still creates waves of shivering among many non congress families. In the June 1975, the Election of Mrs. Indira Gandhi was declared null and void by Justice Sinha of Allahabad High Court and unseated her from the Lok Sabha. Not only that, court also banned her from contesting any elections for next six years. Though a resignation on the moral ground was expected from her, she chose the other way and declared Emergency in India. The Indian National Congress of Ahimshavadi Mahatma Gandhi sat a new record of torture, humiliation, dictatorship, and cruelty in the history of independent India for long one and half year.

Katra Bi Arzoo by Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza is the heart touching novel on the state of emergency in India. I have read a couple of books on Indian emergency but this is something different. A 250 pages novel roams around the very very common man of India, whose course of life was decided by the Smt Indira Gandhi and his son Sanjay Gandhi.

Billo, Desh, Asharam Badar, Shahnaj, Prema are some names who lived in the neighborhood called Katra Bi Arzoo and they innocently saw little big dreams for their small lives despite their poverty and hunger. They did tremendous efforts and hard work for those little dreams and at the time of achievement not only those dreams but also their lives were shattered by that emergency. It is stunning to read how their bodies and souls were crushed under the heels of Smt Gandhi and how an unmarried guy who was saving money for marrying his beloved was forcefully sterilized on the name of family planning drive planned by Sanjay Gandhi.

Novel very dramatically describes the then state of India. Most of the opposition leaders were thrown in the darkness of imprisonment. Newspapers were stopped and no other source was there to provide platform to the voice of public. Only AIR was being aired for propagating ‘how emergency was a boon for Indian people’. Police was given full authority for witch hunting on the name of MISA. Millions of people were jailed and personal scores were settled for the sake of ‘politics’. New records of sycophancy were set by many congress leaders. 'Indira is India and India is Indira' was the mantra of such leaders. So many so called intellectuals of today jumped in the feet of Indira Gandhi with their pens and ink. And those who dared to stand against her had to go through hell. (I know it personally, as my own maternal uncle had to go underground and later serve one month imprisonment during emergency only because he was activist of RSS.)

Dr. Rahi has used very typical street language which does not let a reader realize that he is reading a book or watching things happening in front of eyes. One may find this book very dramatic and sensational. But this should keep in mind once of all that this book in not at all a fiction. It really happened. But for what?

For protecting a seat of Lok Sabha? Great!

PS. I wonder how people enjoyed Sholay those days when the whole country was burning?

Toba Tek Singh

While browsing government branch library last week, 'Toba Tek Singh' caught my sight. This is a collection of short stories by Saadat Hasan Manto, I have read this book few years back and I just wanted to read it again. Books and articles related to partition or similar times always attract me mysteriously.

Manto was forced to migrate from his beloved Bombay to Lahore at the time of partition and the pain inked down in his writings. He died at the age of 47 while drinking and writing. He wrote good amount of short stories filled with rage, pity, grief, bloodshed, inhumanity and disturbed mental position of people on Indian partition.

"........The biggest incident in my life was my birth. I born at an unknown village 'Samrala' of Punjab. If anyone could have interested in my date of birth, it was my mother, which is dead now. Second incident was in 1931 when I cleared my 10th standard from Panjab University after continuous failure of three years in a row. Third incident was when I got married in 1939, but this was not an accident and still it is not. There are many other incidents but these incidents caused suffering to others and not to me. For instant, my starting of writing was a big incident which gave pain to 'honored' writers and also to 'honored' readers.

I spent few years in Bombay and wrote some film stories. These days I am in Lahore and not writing films but only simple stories. Almost two dozens of my story collections has been published which I don't wanna name here to make you trouble. And I am not writing my current address here because I don't wanna get trouble...................."

This was an introduction Saadat Hasan Manto wrote to a publisher who asked him to write down his brief introduction for a book on Mantoo's short stories. Mantoo was a rare writer who was read largely by the critics who hate him. Some called him sadist, some said he was porn writer and some called him cynic. But I think he wrote everything without fearing of court cases he faced, on the characters which were/are not owned by 'Civilized' society in the light of sun. But surprisingly these characters are non other than the unholy and unlawful production of the same 'Civilized' society.