Book Review: “How it Happened” by Shazaf Fatima Haider.

My sister’s office library is a book lover’s treasure house and every fortnight, I religiously send her off with a book list. But a few weeks back on a whim, she decided to pick a book from the library aisle

simply cause its cover page caught her fancy!!

 The book was “How it Happened” by Shazaf Fatima Haider. A first time writer from Pakistan, the review on the backside by Chitra Divakaruni said it’s a “Laugh Out Loud” Family Tale! So with absolutely no expectations I began reading the book…. Hop onto Pixie's blog to read the review.....


I am a comparatively new reader of Pixie’s blog. But then it doesn’t take too long to figure out that her writing is as simple, non-frilly, down-to-earth as she is. She has been running a-post-a-day UBC challenge through this month. So I figured the minimum I could for her is do a guest post and considering the voracious reader she is, a book review seemed apt. Go on say Hello to Pixie ... U will definitely like her space...

A Road Trip to Amboli.....

Even two days before the annual road trip, we hadn't zeroed down on the place to visit! During a chance conversation with a colleague, she happened to mention this off-beat hill station by name "Amboli" somewhere on the Karnataka - Maharashtra border. There was a small hitch though - imagine if in this day, all that google search can throw up about a tourist place is not more than 5 results then its definitely off the radar! But the tourist junkies we(me n hubbs! who else) are, we decided that this is where we are headed - maybe the lack of  info added a "mystery" element for us!

A good 570 Kms to be covered and with hubs the sole driver, we set off early in the morning! Crossing Hubli, Belgaum we hit the Pune highway. Once we took the diversion towards Amboli, the roads seemed almost deserted except for an odd village on the way! It was almost dusk by the time we reached outskirts of Amboli - we were welcomed with stretches of sugarcane and they were indeed a sight to behold. Soon we reached the center of Amboli town - only to be welcomed by this weird sight of  hardly any soul on the road and this was supposed to be our holiday destination (really!).The odd person we met was clueless about the resort we had booked and to add to our misery the mobile didn't have have any coverage. Off we went in search of a land line and once we spoke to the resort owner, reached the place without any more adventures!

The "resort" was more of a extended B&B - but the nice guys there arranged some beer and food from a nearby hotel! The absolute silence in the resort and the yumm local food (Their buttermilk with kokum was a definite favourite) is all we city jaded souls needed.

The Malvan Thali! Don miss their pink - kokum buttermilk........

A trip around the town next day confirmed the fact that this is indeed an unexplored quaint small "hill station" with hardly any tourist footprints. The town had exactly 3 "Resorts" and a few shady looking shack that doubled up as "hotels"(A vegetarian "Kamat" hotel was the only exception). But when u can fill your stomach with delicious upma-sheera, vada-pav and the authentic Malvan food, we weren't definitely complaining! Maybe it was this remoteness that added to the charm of this place - I will show u a glimpse of the place in this pic...

Verdant Green Valleys!

The verdant beaches of Vengurla and the town of Sawnatwadi (they specialize in wooden toys) can all be done as day trips from here!

@Vengurla!

Wooden Toys in all forms!

We returned back refreshed after spending 3-4 day away from the maddening city - an entire day was spent lolling around on the hammocks in the hotel property with a book in hand! Absolute Bliss I tell u....

On the drive back to Bangalore we stopped over at Dandeli and spent 2 days there river rafting and on jungle safari! On the final leg of that journey, so dead tired were we that we took a nap in the middle of the night inside the car parked bang on the Tumkur - Bangalore highway until a patrolling officer came knocking on car window wondering if everything is ok ;)

This post is a part of Indibloggers "The Perfect Road Trip"(sponsored by Ambipur)- this was perfect simply cause we went with zero expectations n came back delighted :)

A Shadow Of Smile.....

And I blushed as my daughter's in-laws declared how proud they are of my little girl. “After all” they announced, “how many young women could claim to be an exponent in NangiarKoothu – the hallmark of Ambalavasi women”!

But my dear girl-  if only they knew that pulling off this charade of a coy, happy bride is just another effortless “performance” for a dancer ! To think that your childhood sweetheart and now husband cannot see the shadow of smile etched on your face since the day his parents announced that you will have to stop dancing in public, post marriage…..

 ** NangiarKoothu is a dying dance form of Kerala - performed traditionally by the women of the Ambalavasi Nambiar community

This is a fictional take in response to below prompts..... 

Prompt: The shadow of your smile

Prompt: And I blushed

 

An attempt at Haiku....

Oh! The Dancers Eyes
Soulful, Emotions Umpteen
Reflects life's seasons..

This is in response to the weekly prompt at Write tribe of "Haiku" - My first reaction was to give this a skip! Of course having a in house haiku expert only made matters worst - he compiles a haiku on my attempts at creating one!

Girl trying haiku
Without any thought in mind
Oh the poor female

This pic was clicked at Nrityagram - this place should figure in your itinerary if you are a connoisseur of Indian dance!

Lost Treasure!

Meethi was babysitting her next door toddler. She picked up few curios from around the house to entertain him. After play time, Meethi indulgently lets the boy carry one of them home.

But all hell broke lose when Meethi’s husband returned back home and saw it missing. He declared that it wasn’t just a curio -  he had jealously safeguarded it all his life! He demanded that she goes pronto to neighbours house and bring back his “lost treasure”!

Meethi rolled her eyes as she presented her husband’s “lost treasure” back to him – a toy car from his school days!!!.

This is NON FICTIOUS piece written in repsonse to 100 Words on Saturday prompt of "Lost Treasure" At Writetribe. No prizes for guessing who the character Meethi is sketched after! Here is one of hubbs many "treasures" that he refuses to part with!

At Neela Malai...

April is a busy month at Lorens Music school, London - admissions for the next year had began.  Scheduled today were interviews for applicants of free scholarship - poor, deserving, talented students from across the world have been flown in for it. James the head music teacher, has been chairing the interview panel for a couple of years now. But every year the entire process gave him jitters cause he knew that it could make or mar somebody's entire life and that was not a responsibility he took lightly. The first interview of the day happened to be a boy from India - as James was sieving through the attached tidy handwritten cover letter what caught his eye is the address of "Neela Malai" in the letter. The very name of "Neela Malai" brought a sudden rush of emotions in him....

 "Neela Malai" was where James had spent a few months as he was hitch-hiking through India. Hardly in his 20s then, James was a typical music-hippie who doubled up as a music teacher to help earn some quick cash when the finances ran low. This current assignment in a residential school in "Neela Malai" was one such hiatus! It was here he met Aarohi.......

Aarohi was a Montessori teacher in the school. All of 21, She has spent all her life  in this quaint little town situated right at top of blue mountains. Her world revolved around this town and its inhabitants. She was whiling away her time in the school until next Christmas when she was to marry her first cousin who lived down the street. In the eyes of this open guileless girl, James seemed "exotic" what with his long blond hair, tattered jeans, funky bracelets and a guitar slung carelessly across his shoulders! She couldn't get her head around why a seemingly talented, young music teacher would want to find a job in this God Forsaken Town!

As days in the calendar flew by, the "Exotic" quotient of James grew by leaps and bounds in Aarohis eyes as she heard of his travels- James had been to countries and cities that she couldn't even pronounce. And the music he  played on his guitar, stirred emotions that Aarohi didn't even know existed in her! Around the head of guitar was strung a talisman that James  fiercely guarded - he had told her that it was simply a wire threaded with coins from the countries he had visited. Aarohi had added a one paisa copper coin to this collection - assuring him that it is a rare one as it is long been out of circulation!

Though Aarohi dismissed herself as a "quintessential" Indian girl with her dusky skin, waist long hair - this very Indianess made her "Exotic" in James eyes. Soon they could be seen spending every waking moment together... 

Few days later, James received a telegram from embassy informing him about his fathers death. He had to leave immediately - He promised Aarohi he would be back soon. But once James was back home he was lulled into a complacency  that normal everyday life brings with it - going back to Neela Malai to marry the girl of his dreams seemed too wild and drastic. All the postcards he kept receiving from Aarohi were torn without even opening them. Though as years passed, James always wondered about "What ifs" he had gone back........

James was broken from his reverie by the knock on the door. His secretary ushered in the applicant from "Neela Malai" - the first thing that stuck James about the boy was the stock of blond hair that so vividly contrasted his Indian face. But moment his eyes fell on the talisman tied to the boys guitar, James voice got stuck in his throat! The last he had set his eyes on this talisman was a good 20 years when he handed it over to Aarohi as a parting gift........
 

This is a fictious story written as a response to the write tribe contest 

PS: Neela Malai is a fictious hill station named after the famous NeelaKurinji blooms :)

GuestPost for DQ ;)

 DQ    has asked me to do a guest post for her space, I rummaged a bit for ideas. Nothing popped up except a book review - But "Ishithaa" is a space that I have come to identify with stories and a book review just didn't appeal to me.  It was only later in the day, in midst of usual "whats for dinner" whatsapp conversation that this idea of doing a "recipe" post stuck me - it allured to the foodie in me while the story behind it seemed apt for Ishithaa.  Read the story and recipe behind this pic here........

Go on ask Bhavya what DQ stands for ;)

The Valentines Day Gift!

It was their first Valentine's day together. Chandan had already picked a designer watch for Payal - it didn't need much of a thought considering she has been sporting a humble HMT watch for the few months he has known her.

They were engaged to be married in few months - a typical arranged marriage they stepped about awkwardly around each other . Chandan considered Payal a bit too 'rustic' for his taste - but she had a gusto for life that never failed to charm him. Just last weekend, he had whisked her away to his apartment for a impromptu date - he rustled up the only dish he could fix with some aplomb - pancake doused with his favourite Hershey's sauce.  But the way her eyes danced with glee as she took her first ever bite of pancakes was a delight to watch - Haa the small joys of life that he relived through her.....

Valentines day happened to fall in midst of a busy work day for Chandan - as he hopped from one meeting to another, he received a call from the reception desk informing him about a parcel. He was excited to see that it was from Payal - thou was a wee bit disappointed when he unpacked it and saw a bottle of Hershey's chocolate sauce along with the regular mushy mushy Archies card. Never a ardent fan of mushy mushy things, Chandan skimmed through the card - but his eyes slowly popped out as he read the last line in the card - "I can think of much more delectable places than pancake to douse the chocolate sauce with.... Let your imagination soar ;)". He was blushing so much that he had cover his face with his hands as he lifted the phone to call her....

Picture Credit: MorgueFile (http://mrg.bz/LsH3I1)

This part-fiction was written as this week’s prompt at Write Tribe.

Ring the Bell - Child Marriages!

This piece of fiction is written in response to Indibloggers "Ring the Bell" cause.

68.9 percent of the marriages in Bihar involve girls below the age of 18! You can be a part of the change by telling us how YOU will Ring The Bell, and inspiring your readers to do the same. What action will you take to bring violence against women to a halt? Blog about your experiences, your intentions, and make a promise! 

 Blog about the "Ring the Bell" cause, and for every 50 entries received, One lakh INR will be donated towards training self-help groups, community-based organizations and youth in the state of Bihar.

 *********************************************************************

She was married to a forest officer for more than 10 years now. The postings were invariably in  dense

jungles with no signs of humanity in vicinity. In initial days of marriage - the virgin nature, verdant greens everywhere, the peeking of deers, peacock n other species from just across the lawn delighted her senses. But soon lack of human contact coupled with lack of technology crippled her lifestyle!

The idea of moving back to her hometown where she could pursue a meaningful career has stuck her quite often. But she has seen instances where forest officers- out of sheer loneliness - have taken in the wives of their cook\gardner\housekeeper  as concubines - the horror of it playing out in her own life had made her decide otherwise. Out of necessity, the families of the plethora of workers working in the forest bungalow became her social lifeline. Soon she got involved in the mechanics of their daily life.

One of the first things to strike her was  that while on official records the cook- Gardner - housekeeper
was always a man - his wife seemed to be the one actually getting the work done. The wives dint mind warming the beds of their master just to take home a wee bit extra money. Invariably, the husbands spent their day getting wasted on cheap spirit. It didn't take much time for her to realize that these men held the job on virtue of having passed their matriculation while the wives were all married off as soon as they hit puberty and so dint  even read or write! Another perennial problem she realised is that the men lost their lives pretty early thanks to the alcholism -  post that the Young widows(mostly in their early 20s) didn't have any many means of livelihood and many opted to become the the 'keep' for local landlords!

This issue rattled her for few days - After some mulling over, she decided to start small and took her husband into confidence. The 'saahib' threatened and bribed his cook into letting him take care of his teenage daughters education and not marry her off for the next 5 years. After a bit of hand-twisting, the cook had no option but to comply.The girl was sent off to the neighbouring town where she trained to become a 'Anganwaadi' worker. She also happened to meet her future husband there - a co-worker

In the meantime, the forest officer had got transferred to another corner of India. Few years later when she returned to that small hamlet, it warmed her heart to see that the cooks daughter and her husband were running the first anganwadi in that remote jungle. The girl was now financially independent and happily married while her friends were stuck in the vicious cycle of early marriage - alcoholic husbands -prostitution! But seeing how differently their friends life had played out, they slowly buy surely learnt the importance of educating their daughter and gradually there was as well a decrease in the child marriages in the village......

Child marriages are such a sad reality in India, especially in the rural areas.Now this thou is a fictional piece has a few things that can make a definite 'Change' - May be all we need is somebody to show them the difference education and self-independence can make to their lives, take education to their door step - make it accessible to them and lead by example!  I I am also hopeful, of a better tomorrow, when education would have deepened its roots and strengthened some more families and enabled them to break out of this evil.

The B'day!

This story is a true account of one of the most memorable Birthdays my sister ever celebrated (Its a part of the family folk lore today).....

She was the newest gal in grade three. But with her incessant chatter she made friends in no time - her best friends n she could be seen sitting cooped at the back of the class talking nineteen to a dozen in Hindi much to her teachers annoyance.

Few weeks into the new academic year, it was her birthday and amid much fan fare she came in dressed in a smart green skirt n a bag filled with goodies. Her classmates eyes gleaned with the prospect of goodies awaiting them. Post class assembly in morning, the entire class sang the birthday song for her and then awaited for the customary goodies to be distributed. But the teacher did not see the 'goodie bag' accompanying her - so assuming the gal hadn't bought along any , sent her back to her desk even as she shooed the protesting class into silence.

What transpired was - the B'day gal n her friends were smart cookies - they had decided to divide the 60 odd chocolates in the bag among themselves! A few minutes into the class, they could be seen munching on these silently! But the cat was belled soon - when a classmate who wasn't given a share of the chocolates couldn't digest this injustice and started wailing out.....

The teacher had to come into the scene and soon the entire story emerged. The B'day gal and her two friends were made to open up their bags n the chocolates were confiscated! After a stern talk-down the B'day gal scowled n distributed the chocs among her preening classmates ;)

Nee its not her B'day today - this is rather the response to the prompt "Birthday" posted as a part of The Writer's Post Thursday Blog Hop.

Here is wishing my little imp of a sweetheart all the best as she is on verge to start a new chapter in her life!