Sorry bhai!

The plot is a bit complex - guy falling in love with elder brother's fiancee. But it was well dealt with. May be it happens sometimes - we feel so after watching the movie :) Its not like after watching this movie we ll say that these wont happen in real life. But it may! The simplicity of the film makes us feel so.

All the characters are wonderful enough. Sadly Sanjay Suri didnt have much of a role. Rest all four - Boman Irani, Shabana Azmi, Sharman Joshi, and Chitrangadha Singh share the spot light equally. I loved each of the characters. Each of them were wonderfully unique. Shabana Azmi has come back with a strong comical role of a nagging yet loving mom, who comes reluctantly to Mauritius to see her elder daughter-in-law. But Chitrangadha goes back with them as the younger daughter-in-law. Chitrangadha looks awesome than she did in Hazarron... Sharman looks like an idiot in the first half but as the film progress he seems to improve. Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi make a loving old couple who find happiness together, in every petty thing they do.

The tracks are also a bit hatke. I especially loved Jalte hain and Pal. The movie as you all know is set in Mauritius and the locations are wonderful. The crew has tried to utilize the beauty and magic of white in majority of the scenes, which does give the complex plot of the movie a soothing effect.

One line: A good movie!

Fashion

Year: 2008

Genre: Drama

Direction: Madhur Bhandarkar

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Mugdha Godse

Rating: Okay

I had an opportunity to watch the movie, last week. As the name itself suggests the movie is about the Fashion Industry. Priyanka Chopra plays the character of a middle class girl with the determination to become a Super model.

We see the fashion industry through the story of Meghna Mathur (Priyanka). The plot was good but the presentation was not. Perhaps the director had lots of information gathered and wanted to push in everything. At places it was too dragging while at others, confusing. Probably the film meant to show the hardships and not-so glamorous activities in the glamour world. But her foray into the fashion industry didnt seem to difficult. Whatever hindrances came, it all went off the way soon, never giving her a chance to wander. The only time she is far from the industry is when she leaves everything behind and goes off to her parents. But even when she comes back after a gap of around an year, her entry is too smooth, except for the freezing on the ramp part.

The performance of Kangana was superb. She had given a good performance and perhaps her character was more believing. One more thing - the director gives us a notion that the industry is full of gays.

No offense meant to anyone, but seriously, I expected something more better!

Kidnap

Saw the movie two days backs. Hmmm… don’t know what exactly to say. Wouldn’t like to call it an entertainer.

The movie is just the old wine in a new bottle. I expected something more out of the movie. No action, mystery, thrill, or entertainment. The story is very plain. Kabir, an orphan kidnaps Sonia, the daughter of a billionaire, Vikrant Raina. To free his daughter Vikrant has to pick up the clues given by Kabir, solve them and reach till them. The clues are riddles like ‘akkad bakkad’ none of which Vikrant solves in the beginning. I had felt that there would be something interesting while he tries to solve the riddles. But though he doesn’t solve them, he is given the next clues. Finally somehow Vikrant manages to reach Kabir, or rather Kabir comes to Vikrant. The father is forced to commit crimes like stealing, freeing a culprit, and eventually a murder to free his daughter. All for what? Revenge! Kabir, as a boy was sent to jail for a crime which he didn’t do and the person who sent him behind the bars was Vikrant. So that’s the thread. Kabir makes Vikrant commit crimes and gives a vent to his revenge.

Coming to the cast, Imraan Khan is seen in an extreme opposite character to his debut. He has done well and has managed to maintain the serious look all through the movie. Perhaps he smiled only once or twice in the movie (not sure ;)). Minissha Lamba, as you all know has an entirely new look. Well she’s good but has nothing much to do apart from singing and dancing. Sanjay Dutt is good and so is Vidya Malvade, but its hard to believe that she is the mother of an 18-year old… :O

That’s all about Kidnap...
­­­

Rock On!!!

I was quite eager to watch this movie. And I know I am quite late in making this post. Already reviews of Rock On have flooded the internet. I was excited by the publicity posters and music. Watching Farhan Akhtar acting in the movie was another added attraction.

To be honest, a simple movie with great music. I found it bearing striking resemblances with Dil Chahta Hai. Don’t know to what extent my observation is correct. But it was good to watch. The plot, as all of you know, is a story about four friends, who have formed a rock band and try to make a mark for their music. The four friends are portrayed by Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, and Luke. The story takes us through the good times they spend together, as well as their breaking apart, and finally their re-union. Based on the values of friendship, the story inspires us to do what we love rather than love what we do.

The music was strikingly different. I loved the tracks Socha Hai and Pichle Saat Dinon. There was a refreshingly new touch to the movie with the tracks, the new faces (not new, but they seemed so), and the story. I especially loved the hairdos and makeup of the band members. When the story ran 10 years ahead, each of them looked amazingly different.

One more aspect I loved about the movie was the style of narration. It was not a complete flash back. It was sort of to and fro style. The flash back kept coming in every now and then. This technique was good especially because otherwise some parts would have been monotonous, like the scenes between Farhan and his wife onscreen.

To conclude, a good movie… :)

Love this!

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa

Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,Meri Maa

Bheed Mein Yun Na Chodo Mujhe
Ghar Laut Ke Bhi Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Bhej Na Itna Door Mujkko Tu
Yaad Bhi Tujhko Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Kya Itna Bura Hoon Main Maa
Kya Itna Bura Meri Maa

Jab Bhi Kabhi Papa Mujhe
Jo Zor Se Jhoola Jhulate Hain Maa
Meri Nazar Dhoondhe Tujhe
Sochu Yahi Tu Aa Ke Thaamegi Maa

Unse Main Yeh Kehta Nahin
Par Main Seham Jaata Hoon Maa
Chehre Pe Aane Deta Nahin
Dil Hi Dil Mein Ghabraata Hoon Maa
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Hai Naa Maa
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Meri Maa

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,Meri Maa

As most of you know, this is the lyrics of the song from the popular Hindi movie Taare Zameen Par. By now most of us would have already watched the movie. As for all, this was a much awaited movie by me also. The promos had attracted me and promised something really different also. When it was released, I was at Trivandrum, and over there, getting tickets for a Hindi movie was not at all difficult. So when we made a plan to watch the movie, I was informed by my colleagues that getting the tickets is difficult. At first it was difficult to believe, but when I saw the queue for myself, I was convinced. With much difficulty we got our tickets, but to our disappointment, we had to sit at three different locations and that too in the second row from the front. :-( I was really sad. But within five minutes of commencement of the movie, all my sorrows vanished. I didn't care about straining my neck for three hours, but looked forward to watching the whole movie.

The initial scenes actually showed me a different aspect of the world we live in. The colors, the themes, and joys. Looking through Darsheel's eyes, I was beginning to feel like a child exploring the world. In fact at times I felt embarrassed at times that I never looked at my life so lively. I especially loved the way he put in the colors, watched open-mouthed at things, and how he arrived at the conclusion of 3 x 9.

I appreciate the creativity of the whole crew and cast involved. I watched the movie again for the pleasure it invoked. I don't think there would be anybody who wouldn't know the plot but if any, here it goes. The movie is the story of a boy, Ishaan, who is very weak in studies, but a keen observer and a wonderful painter for his age. His parents are worried for this irresponsible child who has an elder brother who is just the opposite. In an attempt to make him more attentive to his studies, Ishaan is sent to a boarding school against his wishes. This curbs the liveliness in the child. There enters an art teacher who transforms the life of Ishaan. He identifies that the child is suffering from learning disability termed Dyslexia. The second half of the movie shows the efforts of the teacher to bring back the liveliness in the child as well as bring him out of the disorder. And finally we see him as a smart, talented kid. All said so simple, but the movie really deserves a lot of praise.

The movie marked the directorial debut of Aamir Khan. Darsheel (Ishaan) has done his character wonderfully. My words would not be enough to describe the movie. But I would definitely say that I enjoyed each moment of the movie. There was not a single shot I would say was boring, dragging, or unnecessary.

The Owl series

Have you watched The Owl series being broadcast on the television programming band - Jetix? I don't know how famous it is, but I have started watching it frequently nowadays.

The Owl consists of a series of short animated episodes based on an owl. Each episode is just a minute long and features the owl, who tries to overcome unfortunate day to day events in its life. Sometimes its a just worm crawling by or a woodpecker disturbing its sleep. The characters are so well designed, especially the owl. It has a purple body, round, big, bulging yellow eyes, a red beak, and a pair of blue feet, which floats below the body.

All the events finally lead to the disaster of the owl, which is presented in a comical way. Sometimes the whole bird is affected. And sometimes a part of the body. Well, the titles itself shows a pencil sketch of the owl being crushed between "La Chouette" which is how the series is known as.

Well I love this series since its short, entertaining, and character centered. Those who have watched it would agree to me. And those who have not, please watch it. :-)

Great Expectations

The novel by Charles Dickens is perhaps a masterpiece. I read this when I was in my high school and felt that there was a tone of melacholy and loneliness in the narration. It is the story of Pip (Philip), an orphan, but widely believed to be the semi-autobiography of the author.

Pip is a small boy who lives with his elder sister, and her husband. He works as an apprentice with them. Miss Havisham and Estella are two other major characters in the story who influence the life of Pip. Over the years, Pip grow up and he is sponsored by an unknown benefactor. Towards the end we see Pip as a civilized grown up man. Who the benefactor is, is revealed and also some mysteries surrounding the life of Miss Havisham are solved.

The narration adopted is the first person account in which Pip tells us his story. At times I found the story quite complex with a lot of sub-plots. But finally, it was a wonderful read.

Fairy Tales

I still remember that the the first fairy tale I read was that of the sleeping beauty. A princess falls asleep due to a curse on her and sleeps for a hundred years to be woken up only by the kiss of a young handsome prince. The most fascinating thing about these stories were the fantasy involved and the pictures in the books - I loved them. All those princes and princesses with wide blue eyes, red lips, and golden hair, the wonderful castles, the beautiful animals. Even an ugly toad looked cute in fairy tales.

Next book which captured my interest was Cinderella. Now there is nobody who doesn't know the story - rags to riches. Followed by that was Rumpeltiltskin, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, Pinnochio, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Beauty and the Beast, and so on.

How I loved these books as a child. I was thrilled by the colors - all vibrant and rich. But one thing, I don't know the authors of any. Or is there anything like that? No idea.

I loved the princess in The Sleeping Beauty and always wondered how she could sleep for all these years without waking. When I used to wake up to go to school in the early mornings, how I wished I could be the sleeping princess. The Little Mermaid scared me as there was a mention about a witch who took the princess's voice. Rapunzel was a real beauty. But the thought of the blinded prince falling to the ground made me sad. While the feelings evoked in me after reading Cinderella were different. I too wanted to turn things into beautiful things of my choice. I still love reading fairy tales but not online. I love them as small, thin books, with smooth pages and colorful pictures.

Verukal - A Malayalam Novel

Verukal is a Malayalam novel by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan. We had to study this in class X as part of our second language. Initially I understood nothing much. It had tamil dialogues in it and I found the story also boring. But once I picked up the flow, I couldn't resist completing it at one stretch. And if you would believe, I had read this book more than 20 times out of sheer interest, academics apart.

The novel is considered a semi-autobiographical story of the author. We see the story in fragments. The protagonist is settled in Chennai who lives with his wife and children. His wife is a society lady, while the husband is a very nostalgic person whose every thought still yearns for his roots in Kerala. Each thought reminds him about an incident from his life in Kerala and family. And this is how we get to know the story. There are a lot of incidents in the story which might evoke nostalgia in us also. The thoughts and thinkings help us get to know the character well. The incidents he relates from his childhood and college days are wonderful. They are just trifle things, but the way he explains them is superb. A lot of characters are there in story - his sisters, their husbands, grandparents, friends, teachers, people in the village, and so on. So many simple and lively characters. He even gives the profile of certain characters.

The relationship he shared with his father and elder sister, his college days, first love, life with grandparents, small pranks and jokes, everything is wonderful. I haven't read much Malayalam works - but had I missed this one, it would have been an immense loss.

The Feast of Roses

As the name suggests, the novel is indeed a literary feast to the reader. It is a sequel to The Twentieth Wife which I havent read unfortunately. The story is all about love, jealousy, power, and decline. It is a woman's story, the story of Noor Jahan and Jahangir. Noor Jahan means 'light of the world' while Jahangir is 'emperor of the world'.

The novel begins by expressing the love the central characters have for each other. Initially they are Salim and Mehrunissa of the Mughal period. In due course of time, they receive their titles - Jahangir and Noor Jahan. Though it portrays the love both of them share, it is a female oriented story. Mehrunissa is the loving, caring, as well as shrewd queen of the Mughal empire. For Jahangir, Mehrunissa, his twentieth wife is his true love. Before her first marriage, both were attracted to each other. Ultimately, Jahangir slays her Mughal husband, which marks the beginning of their married life and a whole new love story. The extreme affection both share can be viewed in the gestures and displays of love both make.

We view Mehrunissa as a wonderful mother when with her daughter, and as a shrewd stepmother and queen when ruling the empire. She is portrayed as a woman with extreme capabilities for capturing love and hatred. She is different from the woman of her period when she appears along with her husband in his court room and actually rules the empire. Mehrunissa steps out from the world of the inner chambers of the palace to the court and ruling chambers. She proves herself to be the favourite wife of Jahangir as well as the most powerful woman in the empire. Finally we see the fall of Mehrunissa when Jahangir dies and the empire is conquered by his eldest son. Mehrunissa spends the rest of her life in the darkness of the palace.

The author, Indu Sundaresan, takes us through the riches and glories of the Mughal period. The buildings, people, costumes, life style, and everything is explained with the minutest detail. And well you must be wondering why the title - The Feast of Roses. There is an instance where Jahangir displays his love for his queen. The way through which Mehrunissa is to walk is decorated with rose petals. Wondering what is so special about that? Each petal is kept at a certain distance from the other and is kept inverted over which is placed a drop of rosewater. The drop shines when the sunlight falls on it and the path sparkles. The whole place is filled with the fragrance of rose water and roses. Mehrunissa walks over the petals. The beauty of the whole arrangement, only to be lost by the swishing and swooshing of her skirt. Hours of effort, just for her to walk on. Well does that sound interesting? Indeed, it is and you must agree to it.

Jane Eyre

This was one of the first novels I read. I had received this book as a prize for a literary competition in my junior school. I was quite happy that I bagged the prize but was not quite happy with the prize received and never intended to read it. It had a lavendar cover with the image of Jane Eyre on it. In those days I had difficulty in pronouncing Charlotte Bronte.

Reading short stories were interesting to me, not big novels. But don't know why, one day I started reading the book. I don't remember the pace with which I read the book, but do remember that I was quite fascinated by the story. The language was extremely simple and does prompt a reader to read on.

In short, Jane Eyre is an orphan who gives an account of her story. She grows up with her cousins and aunt who dislikes her. Then she is sent to a boarding school where she finds friends. From there, Jane goes on to become a governess of a child. There she falls in love with her employer, Rochester, who is a divorced man. There are strange things happening in the mansion and all are attributed as an insane servant's deeds. Finally Rochester and Jane reveal their love for each other and plan to get married. But on her wedding day, she receives a shock as a group of people stops the marriage saying that Rochester's wife is still alive and with him only, which reveals that he is not divorced. Jane is heart-broken. Rochester explains to her how his wife had became insane, why she is locked up in the mansion, and that she is the person behind all the mysteries happening in the mansion.

Jane leaves the mansion and arrives at a missionary's place, who turns out to be her relative. He asks her to marry him. Jane is forced to do that when she hears Rochester calling out to her. But he was not there. She makes up her mind, refuses the marriage with the missionary, and sets out to the mansion to find Rochester. There she finds the mansion all in ruins and comes to know that his insane wife set the mansion on fire and she committed suicide. In the mishap, Rochester was crippled and lost one eye. He was now spending his life at another place. Jane rushes to the place and accepts her love for him and they live happily ever after.... :-)

I had liked Jane a lot. The author has described each character in detail, which helps us visualize the whole story. I was so inspired by Jane that whenever we played something, or wrote small stories, I always adopted the name.

The Witch of Portobello

The Witch of Portobello - I didn't find the novel as interesting as The Alchemist. I know it is not a good practice to compare a book with another one. Each has its unique elements and settings. But since The Alchemist was the first book I read of the author, now automatically I compare his author books with the masterpiece so far.

The novel is about a lady - Athena, who is an orphan. She was adopted by a couple without children and since then she is their world. But Athena, on the other hand, behaves weirdly (as it seems) at times. She behaves like a sorceress, spiritual person, or at times too matured for her age. And thus she grows up. At the age of nineteen she marries her boyfriend from college, and persists on having a child soon. Things happen as she wishes. But going forward, he married life ends abruptly. They separate from each other. But she is very much attached and protective about her son - Viorel. Athena meets different people - Heron (a journalist), Edda, Andrea McCain, and so on. She even meets her mother, who had abandoned her. Athena forms a group and starts performing the dance form which she developed, and then becomes Haga Sofia. Her followers increase. Finally, a bishop nearby her place complains to the police and Athena becomes known as a witch. The newspapers write about her as "The Witch of Portobello". Small riots occur and Athena is forced to flee from the place. After a gap of a few years the newspapers carry a news that the Witch of Portobello was found murdered. And the murderer some insane rebel. But one more surprise awaits us when we sad for Athena. The story was a fake. The murder was a plot by Heron to make the world believe that the Witch was dead. He carefully planned the story and made all believe that the unidentified body was that of Athena. So eventually Athena is alive and yes you guessed it right - she likes Heron, who also likes her from a long time.

The author has adopted a different style of narration. The story is not told by the author but by the different people with whom Athena had interacted. They speak out their experiences, which the author collates and puts together for us.

Jaane Tu... ya jaane na

Cast : Imran Khan (Debut), Genelia
Direction : Abbas Tyrewala (Debut)
Music : A.R.Rahman

I was indeed quite eager to watch this movie. The promos were good and there were a few good songs also in the movie. At last I watched the movie two days back. Well, to start, I will start with the entire cast. The film marks the debut of Imran Khan, and he was okay in the movie. I won't say that he did a commendable job. May be his character provided him only that much scope. About Genelia, she has again marked herself as the best in her usual bubbly, outgoing, short-tempered, and extreme character. And the best part, the gang of friends. Don't know whether they have any previous acting backgrounds, but they did a praiseworthy job. The freshness of the gang did the magic perhaps. Even Ratna Pathak was superb. And above all these, the Naseerudin Shah, inside the framed picture was the best.

The movie was an entertainer for the complete two and a half hours. Though not all the songs were good, the two songs - Kabhi kabhi and Pappu can't dance were extremely wonderful. The director has proved his capability with no doubt. Each frame has uniqueness and freshness. Though the story was the same old friends to lovers, it was packed wonderfully in a new bottle with an excellent fragrance. Well, thats what I have to say about it. Not a must-watch, but indeed a good watch.

She deserves it...

J.K. Rowling is top-earning celebrity - I came across this article and believe me there is no doubt that she must be a top-earning celebrity now. Initially when the Harry Potter series was released I wondered what all this hype was about. I just couldn't understood how a book could be celebrated so much the young and old alike.

It was only after a year after its release that I had a chance to read the first book - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. And believe me I was so impressed. I kept on wondering how a person could be so creative as well as put it exactly as it was onto paper. It seemed to me as something incredible. Each line of the book made me wonder at her creativitly and capability. I just couldn't believe that it was her first book. Though the book was aimed at the children, I bet it was a great pick among adults also.

Though I read only the first two books of the series, I would love to read the rest. But there's one problem. Its a long time since I read the books and by now have forgotten the characters. I ll surely need a refresher course on it.. ;-) But hats off to the writer for venturing into the new arena bravely!!!

Anthem of Humanity

Just a piece of writing I love, by Khalil Gibran

It was but yesterday
we met in a dream
you have sung to me in my aloneness,
and I of your longings
have built a tower in the sky

But now our sleep has fled
and our dream is over,
and it is no longer dawn.

The noontide is upon us
and our half waking
has turned to fuller day
and we must part

If in the twilight of memory
we should meet once more
we shall speak again together
and you shall sing to me
a deeper song

And if our hands should meet
in another dream
we shall build
another tower in the sky

I came across this poem when I was reading Jaishree Misra's 'Ancient Promises'. May be the theme went well with the novel's plot. But somehow, I like the piece of poetry very much. I jotted the lines in my book and kept them treasured for long also. Usually I never read poems, but somehow this one interests me a lot.

The Old Man and the Sea

I would never have read Hemingway, had I not chanced upon 'The Old Man and the Sea'. This book also was a part of our academics in class IX and X. Two years to study one book.. ;-) To be frank, in the beginning I never enjoyed the book. It was all about fishing lines, sea, mud, shacks, and the old man. There was nothing interesting in it. I used to bunk my classes when we had 'The Old Man and the Sea'. As time went by, my first exam approached. This time I was cornered. The book accounted for about 40% of the marks for English. I had no option than to read it because I wasn't confident of scoring a 40 out of the rest 60.

The first chapter started "He was an old man who fished alone in the....". I still remember that beginning. The story is about Santiago, an old fisherman in Cuba, who is considered unlucky in fishing, how he catches the biggest catch of his life, and what happens to the catch. He is considered unlucky as though he goes out fishing everyday, he doesn't get a single catch. One more character to be mentioned is Manolin, Santiago's apprentice. Though the boy's parents has now forbid him from going out with the 'unlucky' man, Manolin likes to be with Santiago and often helps him carry his fishing gear to his shack. The author has described the characters as well as the setting very elaborately. We come to know about the creases on the back of Santiago's neck, the things in the shack, and the whole place. While reading it is actually possible to imagine what the characters look and feel like.

Another aspect which fascinated me was the knowledge the author had about the sea. He describes about the tides, the fishes, why fishes circle about at certain spots, and a lot many more interesting facts. I also got a fair knowledge of a variety of fishes :-) At times, the boy and Santiago discuss baseball, which I felt boring... ;-)

When Santiago goes fishing finally in the book, we see him spending days alone in the midst of the sea. Finally he gets his catch, a big fish (forgot the name). We see him killing the fish efficiently after long battles with the big one. But ironically, by the time he reaches the shore with the biggest catch of his life, its all head and skeleton left. The blood from the fish attracted the larger carnivores which fed on the fish. He fought a lot with those fishes also, but in vain. When he reaches ashore, everybody wonders at the size of the fish. Without any emotions Santiago leaves for his shack.

This is one of the famous passages from the book - ""Fish," he said, "I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.""

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer was a childhood hero I admired. This was a book I had to study in my school. I still remember those chapters on his aunt pulling out his loose tooth, the way he tricked his friends into getting the fence whitewashed, the adventures in the cave with Becky Thatcher, his teacher (forgot the name), and most of all, the friend, Huckleberry Finn. I was fascinated by the name - it reminded me words like chuckle, berry, and fins of fishes.

I remember that I got my book late as the stock had ran out. So I could never keep track of those chapters being taught in school. Atlast when I got my book, I was lagging behind. I never listened in class and didn't know which chapter was being taught. But one day, as I had nothing else to do, I read the first chapter. Then I couldn't keep it down. I read through all the chapters. Even before the class was half way till the book, I had completed reading the whole book :-) A big achievement in those days. We were in class IV.

This is one of the books each child must read. Once you finish your age fascinations and fairy tales, this is a good read. The language is extremely simple and interesting. No wonder we had this in our junior school. But one thing, I was terrified of Red Joe for a long time after reading the book.. :-)

Ladies Coupe

Ladies Coupe is a story revolving around the stories of five women from different backgrounds. The protagonist, Akhilandeswari, is travelling in a ladies coupe and in the same coupe are the four other women. Each of them narrate their stories - indeed very different stories. Akhila after listening to these stories arrive at a conclusion for the right she has in her life. All these years she lived for her family and relatives, not for herself. Towards the end we find Akhila making a call to her first love. The story ends there.

The stories of some women are unpleasant and sad. Life has treated them badly and they are bearing it. For some, life has been very good and they are contented with their lives. We still have a character - Margaret, my favourite character in the story. Margaret marries a man of her choice. They love each other but life takes its turn and Margaret finds herself lonely. This is when she decides not to take life as it comes. She bends it the way she wants and finally, yes, she is no more lonely. I really found her tactics interesting. Perhaps thats called 'Sweet Revenge'.

Though some stories invoke anxiety and discomfort, it is a good work. May be each of us can relate to one of those stories.

The Alchemist

This is one of my all time favourites. I picked up this book from a friend as I had heard a lot about it. Wasn't particularly interested in reading it. But once I started, I wasn't able to fold it back.

It is a simple story of a boy, Santiago, going in pursuit of his dream. The people he meet on the way, the incidents, everything is so well-said. More than a story, its more of a fable. I felt as though I was indeed watching things happen. From the moment the boy sets out on his journey in the desert, I felt myself one among the character. When Santiago was hurt, I felt the pain and bruises on me. May be some kind of magic does exist in the book. I never enjoyed a book so much.

Once I finished the reading I was really happy. I didn't know what the reason. But some feel good factor exists in the book. Would love to read it again and again.

Intro

Welcoming all to my blog on what I read and think... Watch out for a few book reviews and articles. And these are purely my thoughts and views. No objections are welcome, but suggestions are! :)