The web of karma – Anurag Shrivastava

Blurb

This is the era of Jungle-Raaj in Bihar – the dark age of increasing anarchy and lawlessness in the state.
Control over law and order has long since passed from the hands of the administration to caste-based gangs and organized crime syndicates enjoying political patronage. Kidnapping has become one of the flourishing businesses of the state, while every other industry has dwindled down and the development plank has gone on a pause mode, on account of Rangdari, which is yet another booming business apart from contract killing, smuggling, illegal tree cutting, and vehicle snatching. Migration to other states is at peak: not only of big businessmen, but also of lowly laborers. And those who can’t leave the state are either sucked into the crime world or are forced to live under fear. Albeit the local newspapers everyday sketch the sordid saga of the state, the execrable condition is not likely to improve by any means in the near future.

Digambar Babu, a middle-aged man of a small town Motihari (the place of Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagrah), is dejected and dismayed for his family falling apart, and so sets himself on a mission to make amends for the mistakes he has done in the past. Shakuntala Devi, his wife, infuriated at herself for having devoted her whole life selflessly and arduously for her ungrateful family, wants to make up for the injustice she has done to herself, by living the rest of her life selfishly. Sarvesh, their asthmatic son, whose first marriage perished about a decade ago, is still struggling with both his career and his married life, and Nisha, their daughter, is married to someone whom she thinks she will never be able to love. The biggest threat to the already troubled family is Nisha’s ex-lover Kanhaiya Tiwari, who is the youngest corporator of the town, and has sworn to ruin the family.
Shyam, Nisha’s husband, who is ‘the absorber of the emotions’, in keeping with his fluidity, writhes in pain but transforms time and again, in order to win his wife’s heart, while Savita, Sarvesh’s current wife, colludes with Kanhaiya Tiwari in his evil intent, in order to have all the strings of the family in her hands. Benighted in Sodom, they weave their web of Karma, and fabricate their fates, but the biggest sufferer in the ruthless game of dominance and survival are the innocent children of the family.

The story tries to draw parallels between Digambar Babu’s disarrayed family and the disordered town.

The novel is inspired from the real events happened in the town during 90’s era of jungle-raaj.

 

Review

Starting off with the cover i personally loved it alot depicts the flow of universe within one and around. The title is also apt and goes along well with the book. The book is set in old times and bihar. The way it has been written is really beautiful. Characterization of the characters is really good.

The book takes you a bit to the old times and forms an imagery and takes you along to a journey.

Overall 4/5.

In conversation with Suchismita Ghoshal.

 

 

 

Hailing from a small city Malda, West bengal, Suchismita Ghoshal dreams high to touch the sky keeping her feet to the ground. Her schooling was completed from Barlow Girls High School from Malda. She is 21 & completed her graduation in Zoology. She pursued a course on advanced diploma in computer application too.

She has always been a curious soul from childhood & used to observe things intensely .
She is a philanthropist by heart, a nature lover, die-hard believer of humanity & an avid follower of supreme soul. Along with these knacks, she is also an avid reader, writer, poet, muser, scribbler, essayist, storyteller & a published author . She recently joined an NGO , “Prayas” to contribute a little to the society. She has been in this profession for 4 years & loves to write poetry, short stories, articles & anything inspires her. She enhances her writing skills by feeling each & every incident through her heart.

There was a time when she was totally shattered suffering in depression, as if life had touched a gun over her head & she remained separated from her peers , absolutely desolate ,when writing healed her becoming a light of hope. She felt right clutching the fingers of literature, now she loves spending her time drowning in words & verses. She takes life easy now, & whenever she feels low, portrays her feelings through the canvas of her scribblings. Simplicity is the thing she prefers the most.

This literary journey has been enchanting till now. She has been a published co-author of more than 100 anthologies till now, most of them are in the process of publication. She has also been published by some international anthologies like “She Will Speak Series”, based on raising voice against the atrocities on women , A No. 7 issue of a renowned american literary magazine named “Genre: Urban Arts” etc.

She has explored new ideas as blogger too. She is a verified member & blogger of “She Will Speak” women empowering community. She works as a columnist in a indian digital news website “The Post India”, a content writer of “Obaa”, powered by Girltable community, a regular contributor of renowned americal news website, ” The Good Men Project” & she recently got her article published by an australian digital news website ” Decent eNews”.

She works as a creative writer & web content writer on various community like The Poet’s Weed, Peholics , Buzzure Media Works, Fantasised, Untravelled Destination, Inkophile, The Inked Square, Ink That Never fades, & many more…

As a compiler she is currently compiling & editing 3 books, ” Unspoken Tales of a Hero”, “Eden of Memories”, & ” CELESTIAL” which will soon be available in various websites.

She loves travelling & gains inspiration being a nature lover. She is keen to photoshoots , working as a freelance model & loves acting on theatres.

In a word, she patronizes every sphere of artistic world.

She aspires to be a good author as well as a book reviewer in near future.

She is available on Instagram with the username – @storytellersuchismita

& her email id goes with – ghoshalsuchismita019@gmail.com

 

                                                                     INTERVIEW

 

 

1) When did you start writing?

Ans : I was a very curious kid on my childhood. I used to experiment the things carefully & observed my surroundings with great patience. It was about 4 years ago when I started scribbling down my thoughts on my diary, eventually I found an app “Mirakee” followed by “YourQuote” which enhanced my writing skills a lot . Day by day, my knack for words & verses increased & writing turned into my passion. Hence, this passion transformed into a very important part of my life.

In dialogue with Mona Mohanty

Mona Mohanty has led a life travelling the length and breadth of India. Born in Kolkata, she has studied in places as far spread out as Chandigarh, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow and Delhi.She passed out in 1987 with a B.A. (Hons) in History from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi.Armed with an M.A. and M. Phil in History from JNU, she qualified for the Indian Revenue Service in 1991. Currently, she is a Commissioner of Income Tax.

Writing has always been her passion . A love for words has been second nature to her. Finally, she decided to bring a semblance of order to all the jottings over the years and collate a minuscule portion of them into a book. *Betwixt Twists And Turns* was the result of this endeavour. This was followed by another collection of short stories titled, ‘ Volcanic Moments: Heart popping tales’. Currently, working on a novel, she has also contributed short stories for international magazines like Confluence.

 

1) What does words mean to you?

Words , in my realm, is the equivalent of oxygen for living beings. For me, it is the be- all and end – all of existence. As a medium of expression, words convey thoughts, emotions and action; not necessarily, in that order.

2) As both of your works have been short story collections we would love to know little insights on how do you go about collecting them?

 My short story collections arise out of my observations of people ( and animals) in varying situations and places. The setting can be a high end hotel, a village waterhole, a crowded shopping mall , a dreary office… the list is unending.

3) Anything new you are or planning to work upon?

I am working on a novel. I don’t want to spill the beans now.. I love to keep people guessing.

4)What do you think is lacking in current generation with regards to literature work?

 It’s a bit sad, that the current generation doesn’t have the time or the patience to relax with a book. I see it amongst youngsters in my family too. Give me a book over a party. There is never a quandary regarding the choice.

5) A small message for our writers and readers?

I can only wish and hope that the love for the written word continues to soar and that each of us do our bit to keep this precious part of our lives immortal. For, words maketh the man!

One step at a time by Venkat Iyer

One Step at a Time

by Venkat Iyer

One step at a time is a journey that takes place one by one. It’s a story with limited characters and how so many things revolved around so much.

The book has a deep sense of struggle and how one should over come it.

How life never really goes the way you want it to.
Somedays it just keeps spiralling down. It’s about the strength of all mental/ physical that needs to be needed mostly mental strength which will get you through tough times like these.

I loved how every character was given a sketch and it felt like a photo time line of sorts. And there were quoted to uplift.

The story was simple and had deep bravery kneaded within it.
So much to learn as always

Overall 4/5.

In conversation with Poet Kiriti Sengupta

 

Rituals is a remarkable collection of poems by renowned poet, translator, editor and critic Kiriti Sengupta. This latest book explores the panoply of human experience and elucidates the meanings and rhythms of a mature poetic life. “Customs are like meditation,” writes Sengupta as he weaves religious liturgy and the opera of gods as the quotidian backdrop of a married life and experiences with his son. Not just interested in the matter of appearances as a poet, he delves into questions of what makes an Indian and how Hindu goddesses can strengthen willpower and remove the ‘venom’ from life. The mythological and the quotidian blend and inform one another, the goddess appears in iterations of the wife, the daughter, the mother. These poems also talk about Monsoon and Muri as snacks that overlap with dialogues of intellect and Sanskrit.

Themes such as nakedness and nudity are explored from the point of view of youth and maturity. Striking imagery marks the passing of time on everyday objects where the speaker can now stop and observe the beauty of human traces on life, “My tired eyes uncover the kohl of night.” The speaker is not only interested in contemplating the beauty of everyday moments but also faces his reader with the violence of the modern world, in the poem “The Untold Saga” the violence of a mythological world mirrors the violence on women practiced often in the 21^stcentury, offering a powerful statement on the untimely death of Nirbhaya in 2012. These poems are also meditations on our place in the world as humans, the vastness of the Earth compared to our frail bodies with the invitation to reconnect to the natural world.

 

 

ABOUT THE POET :

 

Kiriti Sengupta, who has been awarded the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize (2018) for his contribution to literature, is a poet, editor, translator, and publisher from Calcutta. He has published ten books of poetry and prose, including Rituals, Solitary Stillness, Reflections on Salvation, The Earthen Flute, A Freshman’s Welcome, Healing Waters Floating Lamps, The Reverse Tree, My Dazzling Bards, My Glass of Wine, The Reciting Pens, and The Unheard I; two books of translation, Desirous Water by Sumita Nandy, Poem Continuous—Reincarnated Expressions by Bibhas Roy Chowdhury; and he is the co-editor of five anthologies, Scaling Heights, Jora Sanko–The Joined Bridge, Epitaphs, Sankarak, and Selfhood. Sengupta’s poems have been published/accepted for publication at The Common, The Florida Review Online (Aquifer), Headway Quarterly, Moria Online, The Mark Literary Review, Mad Swirl, among other places. More at www.kiritisengupta.com

 

INTERVIEW :

1) If you had to describe your journey into the literature field until now how would you describe it in three words?

Approaching the light!

2) Rituals your new poetry book, the making of it and all that you went through can you describe it in one word?

Labour

3) Your recently learnt new favourite word?

Illume

4) What is that one thing you believe keeps us breathing even in this Chaos?

Oxygen

5) Your most favourite poem in the

book?

The Stepwell

In dialogue with Author Tanmay Dubey.

 NEW BOOK DETAILS : 

 

BLURB :

Inspired by true events, THE RED LINE is a thrilling murder mystery that treads the dark by lanes of international espionage and corrupt defense deals. The exciting story witnesses the journey of an honest cop to discover his true dharma and a brave women army officer’s selfless service for her country.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

An IT professional based in Gurgaon, Tanmay Dubey is a voracious reader and an avid storyteller. In a career spanning more than ten years, he has been fascinated by several aspects of the corporate world and this book is a result of those observations.When not busy spinning a yarn, Tanmay can be found reviewing latest Bollywood films on his popular Facebook page ‘Tanmay’s Movie Adda’. He is also an enthusiastic cyclist, a randonneur, and loves running marathons. He recently completed the prestigious IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon in Port Macquarie, Australia.  The race had 1.9km of Open Water Swimming, 90KM of Cycling and 21.07km of Running. He was the Only Indian Participating in the race. He believes that probably he is the only Indian Writer who is an Ironman also 🙂 

INTERVIEW :

1) The main character for this book is a woman? Can you tell us more about her?

Yes, one of the main protagonists of the story is a woman. She is a colonel in the Indian Army. Her name is Matrika Rana, she is single, Independent, Brave and a completely honest and dedicated Army officer. She is carrying the legacy of her martyred father by serving in Indian Army. She is beautiful, strong, fit and when life gets her an option to choose her dharma v/s duty. She chooses her dharma of a soldier

2) As the book says it is based on true events can you tell us about the story in short?

Corruption in Defense Arms Procurement is a weed that is eating our System and playing with the lives of fellow countrymen. Be it Bofors  Gun Procurement Scam or the dirt surrounding the latest Rafale Airplane deal. The story is inspired by one such event and the international espionage, cyber-attack which is the new age attack option used by countries against each other.

 

3) What kind of researcher work or reading you had to do?

The Research took a lot of time, I met officials from Ministry of Defence, read articles about cyber-attack and traveled extensively meeting several people associated with the Indian Army and others that I can’t name to collect facts

 

4)How much time did you take to complete this book?

I took about 2 years to complete this book

5) What are you working currently on?

I am currently working on a self-help book and expecting to complete in another 6 months’ time.

buy book from here

In conversation with budding author Saurabh Sharma.

 

 

BLURB :

“Close The Door As You Walk In.” – Let’s talk the truth about hustling. Over a coffee?
Hustle is just a mere misconception of pulling yourself back from what you actually want to hit on and be the beacon of your big time dreams and goals. But, in reality the hustling of your life is the real stepping stone towards your best of the choices and worthy achievements. Having some whirls and swirls in your life do make it a bit complex, but not having them at all, is where you need to stop and think for a moment, that is your LIFE worth it? Maybe this or maybe that, should I go here or do I need to be there? Baffled! Totally! So, why not try cuddling these hustles? This book ‘Close The Door As You Walk In’, an eBook by Saurabh Sharma, talks about the hustle and bustle of an entrepreneur and how he sails through the tough choices and endures till the last stone of his fantasy kingdom. Also, it unravels many aspects of what are the options to choose from, and how? This read will surely give a kick start to your entrepreneurial journey and maybe, you never know it might turn your love for passion into something so vast and soothing that would leave you in tranquility for eternity.

 

CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHOR :

1) Can you tell us more about yourself and how did you get to writing?

My pen name is meet_the_wizard. Most of the people think that it’s just
a social media id or an alias name, but the fact is that there’s more to
it, what? Well that’s a secret. And I am writing since I was a little
kid. Maybe I was in 5th or 6th sttandard when I started penning down
some ghost stories in the pocket diaries made for me by my sister and I
just loved the whole idea of reading them whenver I need to spend some
time with myelf. And I just embraced the fact that everybody around me
had a story or the other. And I was good with listening. And above this
all, I have cherished my eperiences. So I listen, observe, experience
and simply pen it all down.

2) A few insights about your book?

Close the door as you walk in, I felt was essential, I felt was required
out there. How often we see people looking up to the stars or the
achievers and saying, yea! It’s easy to say motivational stuff when
you’re already a star. So I felt to give them a guide from a hustler
about the lessons of hustling, a hustler who is actually in the phase of
hustling. To tell them, man it’s tough yet beautiful. Writing is a
responsiblity, and whatever experience I have gained, I just wanted that
to be poured down and to serve the minds about the tings that often
confuse them, and that too with a perspective they surely haven’t heard
of. Because people will always tell them what to do, or how to do, but
the book simply tells you how to have the perspective to believe in
yourself and to believe that your method is correct. It solve confusions
about very basic yet important aspects in lives.

3) Which are your favourite authors?

Am horrible at reading. Never gonna lie about that. But the Alchemist by
Paulo Coelho will always be a special one for me. And can I say, “Am my
own favourite”.

4) What is your view about book publishing these days?

Let me remind you, you’re asking this to a publisher himself. Running
Lapsus Creations quite successfully I have come across various methods
and expectations that run around publishing. And I always say, there’s
no right and wrong as long as they serve the purpose and the
writers/authors actually get a helping hand in a right manner.

5) What is your message through the book?

Close the door as you walk in, intend to be a guide to hustling days,
totally as weird as me. And that is why I kept it an E-Book, to make
sure one can have it in there pockets 24*7 and can refer to it whenever
they are encountered by a situation in life of which they aren’t much
sure about.

Links to the book:

https://www.amazon.in/Close-Door-As-You-Walk-ebook/dp/B07M82S5RW

https://shop.lapsuscreations.com/product/git-magic/