Go further to get closer....

Latika looked with unseeing eyes through her office window that opened out to the sprawling gardens of "Kuteer" - the guests were basking in the winter sun as they relished the resort's acclaimed "English Breakfast".  She chuckled every time a travelogue mentioned her eatery as "Best In The Town" - the truth is though "Kuteer" is just a stone's throw away from the famed Khajuraho Caves there is no decent eatery or hotel for miles together!

Even today - after decades - she could recollect the dread that filled her at the thought of spending her boarding school breaks at "Kuteer" -  in the midst of this wilderness far far away from urban luxuries! Latika could never understand what made her parents chuck their well paying advertising jobs in Mumbai and make this resort their home! How she plotted from when she was a mere ten year old to fly far far away from "Kuteer".....

Maybe she was too late -  It took her years before she realized she had to "Go further to get closer" - The distance away from "Kuteer"  bought her all the more closer to it! Today in the sunset of her life -  this was her sanctuary where she recuperated from the scars life had inflicted on her. The wilderness filled her with  peace, the absolute quite calmed her, the stone walls secured her.... Indeed she was grateful for "Kuteer" that as always nurtured her.....

Linking this to WT Prompt of  "She was too late" as well as British Airways hosted IB contest "Go further to get closer". Have you seen the new ad of BA - such a heartwarming one!

Book review: Unsettled By Neelima Vinod

"Unsettled" is another book I received for review via WT. The book revolves around an old abandoned mansion somewhere interior of Kerala which is hounded by a love-spurned yakshi. . Into this mansion walks in a young warring couple, in hunt of the original love scrolls guarded fiercely by this Yakshi! The plot after that is actually quite predictable at least for those from Kerala bought up on a steady diet of Yakshi stories **....

But what really worked for me is how well the story was scripted! The story was weaved beautifully and you could almost feel yourself flowing along gracefully..... I would suggest you pick this book solely for this reason!  Well, if you have visited the author's blog, her command over language wouldn't really surprise you.... A "heart poet" is how she describes herself.
 
 What I am  really curious is to know if the plot was predictable for readers from other parts of India.....

** -  Pheno's grandfather  had an encounter with a yakshi in his youth and it gave him such a fright that he soon came down with a fever which led to his untimely death.......

Book Review: Guardian Angel by Rohit Gore

"Guardian Angel" was another book I received for review via WriteTribe.


 First few chapters and I was very skeptical this was going to turn out into another Bollywood plot. It after all had all the usual suspects - A pampered rich boy who
needs his poor but spirited - idealist childhood (girl)friend to guide him through life. The differences in their outlook  as they grow into late teens - Rich-capitalist vs Social-Worker -  and the fights that arise out of it seemed  predictable. But thankfully the book didn't turn out to be yet another cliched love story....

The plot turned out to be a winner. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the editing - too many typos and grammatical errors. The first few chapters  could have been made crisper. If you can ignore these irritants, the book can be a good read..... Honestly, it did take me by surprise!

A special mention for the book cover - if a cover can tell the story of entire novel then this is it!

Overall Rating - 3/5. Could have been 3.5 if not for the typos, grammatical errors.

My Earliest Memory

My little girl – she looked most beautiful and sprightly even as she thew another school-morning tantrum while her mother struggled to tame her wild hair into neat piggytails......

But a little later as she skipped away happily, I knew my “Blue-Roses” have done their trick. So what if it took a bit of scouting these “ladies stores” before I zeroed down on these Rose shaped hair-bands that were the exact shade of her uniform. Of course, the real trick was in convincing my imp that the flowers indeed looked real and that roses can be blue ;)

So the DramaQueen of Richa tagged me to share my earliest memory... here u go gal :). The post is narrated from my daddy's perspective.... A daddy's gal all the way I am :-D. Indeed strange are the things our mind retains rt....

I am tagging another of my favorite DQs- Ishithaa! Am sure her story will be loaded with loads of drama... what else :-D

Linking this 100 word post also to the Write Tribe Wednesday prompt of "She looked most beautiful"