MY NEW HP PAVILION SLEEKBOOK



The Hp #ConnectedMusic contest results were barely announced on Feb22 and I had the prize already knocking on my door on 25th. Now that was really WOW!!!

I'm so in love with it...Sharing some of the pics.
Thank you Indiblogger-HPIndia!! You guys are just Awesome <3 <3

It also has the ubercool Hp ConnectedMusic application!!!
Read my Blog post that won this beauty - Here :-)

P.S : I do love my little baby lappy insanely as well, cos she helped me winit!! Yo!



Another WIN Yay!! - So, this time I won a Sunshine Nokia Lumia 620, results announced on May and delivered within a week ( 16th ). See the gorgeous beauty below :-)


Read my Blog post that won this beauty - Here :-)

P.S : Now I have 4 phones of different shapes/colours/prices and still counting :D

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MYSTERIOUS - 3


THE KNIFE - ( 270 WORDS )


A couple moved into a new apartment. Exhausted that first night, they ate dinner outside.

Later at night, while they were sleeping, they heard a loud tapping noise coming from the kitchen. Too tired they didnt bother to check. Next night too they ate outside as they were not quite settled in yet.
Later at night, again they heard a tapping noise, this time louder as though someone was chopping urgently with a knife.
Curious this time, the man went down to check but all was quiet. No one was there. Strange, he thought!

On the third day, they finished unpacking and had atlast settled in. They decided to eat at home. So, the man bought all the necessary grocery & vegetables for dinner.

When the woman went the kitchen to prepare food, she found an antique looking sharp knife by the vegetable bag. She thought that her husband may have bought it from the market earlier when he had gone shopping. She took it and started to cut the vegetables.
But as soon as she touched the knife, she felt an odd sensation and dizziness. Feeling nauseated she quickly went to the bathroom to splash water on her face.

After some time, when she returned to the kitchen, to her surprise she saw all the vegetable were neatly chopped and laid out ready. Later over dinner she thanked her husband for helping out with the vegetables and also for buying the new knife.

"What knife?" he asked in surprise, "And I didnt chop any vegetables." The woman looked at him stunned. So who chopped them? She wondered.
Any guesses?

SHORT FICTION SERIES ( less than 600 words ) | Copyright 2013 © Nandini Deka

( Read Mysterious - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 )



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CHANAKYA'S NEW MANIFESTO - BOOK REVIEW


CHANAKYA'S NEW MANIFESTO

Title : CHANAKYA'S NEW MANIFESTO
Language : English
Author : Pavan K Varma
Genre : Non-Fiction
Publisher : Aleph Book Company ( 2013 )
ISBN-13 : 9789382277095
ISBN-10 : 9382277099
Binding : Paperback
Price : Rs. 295 ( Buy from Flipkart.com for Rs.99/- ( 66% Off )
Pages : 248

Book Summary : Chanakya (c. 270-380 BCE) was classical India's greatest thinker and teacher. Through his unparalleled ability to devise result-oriented military, political, and administrative strategy, he overthrew one king, crowned another and paved the way for the establishment of India's first great empire. His seminal work, the Arthashashtra, arguably the world's first comprehensive treatise on statecraft and governance, was written approximately two thousand years before Machiavelli's The Prince.
What would Chanakya do if confronted with the various crises that beset contemporary India? Using this question as the starting point for his new book, celebrated writer and thinker Pavan K. Varma has drawn up a practical and detailed plan, modelled on the Arthashashtra, to bring about reform and change in five key areas that require urgent attention governance, democracy, corruption, security, and the building of an inclusive society. Whether it is laying the foundation for an independent and effective Lokpal, or decriminalizing politics and successfully weeding out the corrupt, the solutions he proposes are substantive, well within the constitutional framework, and can make all the difference between intent and action.
Chanakya's New Manifesto is both a call to action as well as a deeply insightful account of the challenges facing the country today. It is a book that should be attentively read by everybody with a stake in India's future.




~~~o~~~

:: Book Reviews have shifted to its new home ::



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HP-CONNECTEDMUSIC INDIBLOGGERS MEET @MUMBAI ( BOMBAY )


When industry biggies like HP India, Hungama, Universal Music along with Indiblogger get together at an Awesome Food Hub 'Otto Infinito', only one thing happens -
\ TOTAL FULL BLOCKBUSTER DHAMAKA! /


And this one is one BIG event you dont wanna miss!

I had two prime reasons to be there - am a blogger as well as musician, so the theme "Connected Music" connected to me oh so purrrfect-o-bulously!

One thing did give me doubts initially, for a second. I had become an Indiblogger member just recently ( Nov end'12 to be precise ) so, I wouldnt be knowing a single soul at the meet. But hey! I wouldnt let that stop me would I? After all everyone has their first time, and this was mine.

So, in true ( over ) optimistic spirits I reached the event venue after getting lost on the way for a while ( blame the cabbie for that! )
I saw a pretty girl in pink dress asking where 'Otto Infinito' is to the same guard/watchman whom I had just asked the same question. Immediately I asked her, if she was also going to where I was headed.
So, that was the first blogger whom I met or talked to. We walked to where the guard showed us, and finally saw all the other bloggers ( who had already arrived ) standing outside the venue and chatting away. Seeing the buzz, we knew at once that we were indeed at the right place. We registered our emails at the entrance.

The pink girl then spotted her friends ( as she had been to an indi-meet before ) so she went up to them, and I started looking for a new bakra ( oops! I mean new blogger :p )

Everybody already knew someone or the other and were in groups so with a 'Big' smile pasted on my face I simply looked around, smiling at everyone and increasing the 'WATTS' of my smile at those who smiled back at me. ( I've learnt that when you dont know anyone, your smile comes to your rescue! )
Anyways, we were soon called inside and each one of us were given a white chart to carry along. ( What for? That, we shall soon find out! )

I sat in one of the middle tables. To my right sat two girls and to my left sat another two. So, we got chatting to one another asking if it was their first time, what we blogged about, exchanged our blogging urls and our names. Another girl joined in and showed some articles that she wrote in a tabloid. So, with that things got on to a very friendly start. I found out that I was sitting between one technology expert, one foodie expert, one poetry expert and so on.


Anoop Johnson of Indiblogger Team took the mike and started to warm up our vocal chords with a loud HUD HUD right-arm exercise that we all had to do and also some louder OOOOO-OOOO00AAA !!! He also gave out some cool surprise goodies ( HP Headphones ) to those wearing dupatta or a headgear. So, I got one of those.

He then introduced us to the big shots from HP India, Hungama and Universal Music who unveiled the unique one-of-a-kind product, the "HP Connected Music"! Now this is one cool product I must say, not just easy on the pocket, but, which also is a weapon against ever increasing piracy. The new Touch and Type Hp Laptop was also introduced.

Ranjivjit Singh, CMO of HP India gave us a wonderful live demo of the "HP Connected Music" product that'll be a revolution of sorts in the entire music industry. He even let some of the bloggers to try out the 'HP Connected Music' application and experience it for themselves.


So, what exactly is the product about? HP Connected Music comes Free in the new HP devices powered with Windows 8.
Its portal HP-CconnectedMusic powered by Hungama.com has a special launcher where one can do a quick search and listen to crystal clear music of any genre instantly ( of over 20k+ artists including international ). This music plays only in HP devices, hence piracy is largely controlled.
[ Moreover, with the HP Connected Music, you can also listen to Internet radio, preview and buy tracks, listen to subscription music services, and play music files stored on your computer. ]
This amazing product shall give the ultimate power of choice and accessibility to the Indian consumers which I feel is a great feat.

In between, we were served some delicious pizzas, chicken mishak/sausages starters and some exotic drinks. Pizzas and the chicken got me hooked and I lost count of how many pieces I ate. It was just too yummy.


The Manager and Head Chef of 'Otto Infinito' also gave us a brief insight into the restaurant and its authentic mediterranean cuisine.

So, after this informative session Anoop took over the mike once again and this time sent all of us literally running to collect autographs from fellow bloggers all over the place. I finally understood why we were given those white charts. It was a rather funny activity.
Nevertheless, I managed to collect about 30 odd signatures, although I forgot all their faces except the ones whom I had sat next to.

There were 3 contests too, with fabulous prizes of HP Laptops & Otto Infinito Sunday Brunch invites :
  • a. Tweet your favourite artist/band’s name
  • b. Tweet something sweet about someone you met with a #BFF
  • c. Tweet the real meaning of Otto Infinito
    ( Unfortunately, I couldnot take part as my internet connection was acting up! *sigh* )

    Next, we had a break and dug on to some colourful tortelleni pastas and grilled paneers. The Tortelleni counter was just awesome as we could watch the cook literaly 'cook-it-up' the pastas right in front of us and serve on the spot.


    With our tummies happy, everyone then sat in their previous places as winners of the 3 contests got announced.

    The event signed off with one last contest where everyone was divided into groups of their favourite genre of music. I was in the 13 13 13 ( bollywood ) team which was the biggest and we won! Yay !
    Now, who wouldnt win after singing crazy chartbusters like Munni Badnam, Sheila, Fevicol Se at the top of our voices...eh?


    Thus, I won my second set of headphones being in the winning 13 13 13 group ( sorry if someone didnt get them, lol ) and yeah the fabulous Indiblogger T-Shirt too!


    This supa-fabulous event finally ended with Anoop's sexy catwalk and a Gigantic Say-CHEEZZZEE group photo moment!
    Wow....I'll never forget this event!

    Thanks a lot to Indiblogger, HP India, Hungama, Universal Music and Otto Infinito for this well organised, fun filled event that gave us all some awesome memories, goodies and of course the unforgettable food!


    Winning post of Hp #ConnectedMusic Contest in association with Indiblogger

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  • STARK TRUTHS - 55 FICTION


    1. And She Slept....

    It was morning, birds chirped,
    The mighty Sun had risen...
    The World had woken up,
    to its morning glory!
    She was sleeping in her bed.
    She looked peaceful and at bliss.

    It is now evening, the sun has set,
    Her eyes still closed. She is sleeping.
    Looking ever so calm...
    Sleeping, Cos she is dead.



    2. His Master's Voice...

    It was that time of the year again,
    Like always they were celebrating.
    New Clothes, Mouthwatering Sweets
    and Music they played.

    He rushed to see them,
    But from a quite distance.
    That divide, envy, the same agonising
    hopelessness he felt.

    "Ramu!" he heard a familiar angry voice.
    A servant, he went back to his chores.



    3. A Fickle Friendship...

    When she was new, a fresher...
    In need of a friend and an urge to fit
    in the club, she came.

    Collected my company, encouragements
    and appreciations.

    Now, that others are finally noticing her,
    She ducks and ignores.
    She doesnot need me anymore,
    Ironically the one who introduced her to all.

    Indeed fame kills friendships!



    4. And She Waited...

    Dressed in her bridal attire, red sindoor, bangles...
    Mehendi in her hands, flowers adorning her hair.
    Waited she, near the railway tracks.
    A daily ritual.

    Had Faith! Her husband shall arrive.
    Listened to none, all attempts failed.
    Alas, those tracks was where he met his end.
    Who'll make her understand, he is no more alive?


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    MYSTERIOUS - 2


    THE BELOVED CAT - ( 350 WORDS )


    An old lady lived alone with her cat, ‘Kitty’. Both loved each other dearly. The lady treated her pet cat like her own child…feeding and pampering it!
    Meanwhile, many builders were trying to grab her land as it was located in the prime area and she had no heir of her own. But the lady had refused to sell it to anyone.

    One greedy builder thought of eliminating her so that he could grab her plot.

    So, he hired a killer to finish off the old lady. But the night the killer went to kill her, the lady's beloved cat sensed that something was wrong. It came out and kept meaowing and prowling the whole night around the house compound. That night the killer couldnot do his job.

    The next day the builder angrily told the killer to finish off the cat as well. So, at night the killer went taking with him some poisoned milk and kept the milk bowl near the verandah of the house as a bait.

    The lady's cat smelt the milk and came sniffing near the verandah. As soon as it sipped the milk it fell sick and died.
    Satisfied that the cat was now dead, the next day the killer prepared to go and kill the lady.

    That night the killer entered the compound and walked stealthily to the house. As he reached the verandah, all of sudden he heard a sharp 'meaaaoow' and some invisible thing pounced on him scratching his face with sharp claws till he started bleeding. He tried to struggle with this invisible attacker.
    He heard lot of menacing 'meaow' sounds but couldnot see anything, yet it was all over him attacking.

    He somehow managed to escape and ran for his life with his face and hands badly wounded where the invisible being had clawed and scratched him.
    When he met the builder, he cried in horror that he'd never go to that house again.
    Who was that invisible attacker? - Any guesses?

    It was, but the spirit of the faithful cat who was guarding the house..and saved the lady! :-)


    SHORT FICTION SERIES ( less than 600 words ) | Copyright 2013 © Nandini Deka

    ( Read Mysterious - Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 )



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    AN UNUSUAL I LOVE YOU - MY FIRST



    THEME FOR Feb 8, 2013 'WOW' : The first time you told a non-family member that wonderful phrase, “I love you.” The lead up, and what happens after that.



    "Are you ready, ND?" my mother called out from downstairs, "We're getting late."
    "Yea, mommy...juss a minute," Damn I thought. I didnot know where exactly we were going.

    I was quite happy playing with my toys. I was a little girl then and like all little girls of my age I had those miniature tea cup-plate sets that every girl loves to play with their imaginary friends, serving them tea, playing house house etc. I was in my own little world.

    "NNDYYYY," this time it was my sister. "Leave those toys and come down at once." she ordered, really angry.
    She was four years older than me but used to behave like a granny. She had obviously gotten out of her 'playing-with-toys' days and looked down upon it snobbishly and used to act quite matured for her age most of the times.

    And unlike me, she was just all too excited to be going out. She was at that stage of life when little girls loved to try out their mommy's make up and behave all grown up. Maybe her school friends had told her what a 'movie' was, so she was at her enthusiastic best and wanted to make sure that I wouldnt spoil it for her.

    Yes! Movie show they said, the film was 'Love Story' starring Kumar Gaurav.

    Of course, I didnot understand any of it. In those days there was no cable and no TV either in our house.
    I didnot know what a movie was or who Kumar Gurav was and why on earth was our parents taking us two kids to a movie titled 'Love Story'.
    Oh ..alright, so they wanted to watch the romantic movie but didnt quite know where to dump the kids ( as we lived in an area quite far from any relatives or friends ). So, they decided to take us along as well.

    In the end, I remember my mother comming up and dragging me away from my toys and we somehow landed in the cinema hall, but not without me giving a fierce resistance. I hated being seperated from my toys.

    In the cinema hall, I remember it was very crowded and I had walked in between, my mother on one side and my sister on the other both holding my hands firmly with no chance for me to escape, while my dad walked ahead till we reached our seats.
    As soon as the lights went off inside the huge hall, I gave out a loud yell. No! It was not a simple yell, it was a blood curdling scream which echoed throughout the entire hall making people turn their heads.

    I was really scared out of my wits and looked around crying. Everything was dark around me. The people nearby were irritated with my shrieks.
    "Pata nahi log bacche kyu lekar aate hai," they murmured grumbling amongst themselves.

    "Oh! hello...I didnt want to come, I was dragged and brought here." --- I wouldve loved to say to those people.
    When finally the giant screen lighted up and the movie started rolling, I became quiet at last.

    I was just too speechless and awed at what I was seeing in front of me on that gigantic screen.
    I was mesmerised as the two - the hero and the heroine sang and danced in front of me. For most of the part they had a handcuff tied in their hands, that made them remain stuck to each other as they roamed around in the jungles lost, singing happily, "Dekho maine dekha hai ek sapna," and when they seperated a soulful, "Yaad aaa raha hai".
    All these was too fascinating for me. I had never seen anything like that in my tiny life. I watched the whole drama, my eyes wide open, with me barely blinking.

    Their romance was creating havoc in my tiny mind as well ( my brains had only started developing recently remember? I was a little kid ) especially in a particular scene where the heroine gets pricked by a thorn in her back and the hero removes it with his mouth.
    I think I got my life's first sex education from that scene ( although the movie didnot really have any explicit scenes in it, that one little scene however was enough for me to understand the whole chemistry and biology about the birds and the bees ).

    And by the time the movie ended, I knew I was hopelessly head over heels in love with the hero, Kumar Gaurav and wanted to marry him.
    As it got over, my family started to get up and move towards the exit.

    WHAAATT!!!! You dragged me all the way here seperating me from my beloved toys and now when I've fallen in love with the hero you want to drag me back home??? - I wanted to scream at them. Emotional Atyachar it was...I just didnot want to go back home.

    "No!" I screamed, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Kumar Gaurav is behind that curtain," I pointed towards the large theatre screen, "I want to see him, bring him back...why did he go away?" I was almost in tears by then again, but adamant at the same time and not giving up.

    My questions were endless...I simply didnot want to leave the theatre, convinced that Kumar Gaurav lived behind that curtain and would soon appear just as he did before when the movie had started. I wanted to marry him dammit and my parents were taking me back home. How cruel!
    Then, I started crying at the top of my voice. ( used to getting stuff when I cried, I thought they would bring Kumar Gaurav to me as well if I cried - emotional blackmail you see )

    "I love you Kumar Gaurav...I love you," I screamed shamelessly in front of my parents, in front of the whole crowd that was present in that cinema hall that day, hoping Kumar Gaurav was hearing me too and would come running.
    I was ready to fight anyone who came between us. Pyar kiya toh darna kya! Right?

    My family was embarrassed at the tamasha I was making.

    "He cant come ND! Nobody is behind that curtain,it was just a movie." they tried explaining, to reason.

    Oh yea...you are telling me now that he cant come, when he was already there right in front of me for last 3 long hours! Fat chance you liars, I thought not convinced.
    He is behind that curtain, bring him to me. Their reasoning simply didnt work with my impressionable mind.
    With "Ek ladki jara si diwani lagti hai," still buzzing fresh in my mind, I didnot believe them at all.
    I did not know what on earth a movie was and I was quite convinced that Kumar Gaurav lived behind that curtain. For me it was all too real.

    My family eventually did manage to drag me out of the theatre with me screaming my lungs out, "I Love You..Kumar Gaurav, I LOVE YOU!"
    Of course he never heard it and our 'love story' never happened :-)


    Copyright 2013 © Nandini Deka


    This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

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    MYSTERIOUS - 1


    THE EERIE ROPE - ( 570 WORDS )


    There was an old deserted well near a busy highway. Whenever any vehicle passed by they could hear screams comming from inside it, voices of someone yelling frantically, "HELP"!HELP!!

    Hearing that, if anyone stopped and went to see if someone had fallen into that well, they never came back alive.

    The person would ask, "Is anyone down there?"
    Reply would come, "Yes! Please help me."
    "Where? I cant see you, its too dark."
    "Come near, I am trapped down, please help me, please..."

    The person goes nearer to the well and leans over. He sees something moving and the voice says, "Can you see me?"

    'Yes, I can..but how to get you out? Theres no rope here to catch and pull you out!"
    The voice replies, "Wait,I have a rope, I'll throw it and you can pull me out."
    "Sure."

    And a thick rope flies out at him from inside the deep well.

    "Here,catch..and please pull me out now," the voice pleads.
    "Okay!"
    The man then tries to balance as he holds the rope.
    However,as soon as he touches the rope, he starts to feel dizzy, his vision starts to get all hazy.

    "Are you alright?" the voice asks.
    "Yeah..aah I think so," the man struggles to see clearly. His vision almost totally blurred now.
    "Okay pull me out now!" the voice says.

    The man starts to feel completedly disoriented, uneasy and weak. Nausea creeps up his entire body with prespiration slowly dripping down in his forhead. It was strange because he was perfectly fine just some moments ago, before he touched that rope!

    "Pull!" the voice urges.
    "Yess..," the man replies, his voice very weak and tired.
    As he tries to pull the rope, his hand gets glued automatically to the rope.
    "Ready?" the voice asks.

    "Yeah..aah I think so," the man says uneasily.

    As soon as he says that and tries to give a tug, the rope suddenly and very mysteriously gets a life of its own. Coming alive and holding the shocked weak man captive, it starts to wrap itself quickly around the man's hand tight like a coil and with a sudden tug it pulls him down into the well.

    With his hand stuck to the rope, and totally stunned - and with a big yell, "HELP!" the man falls heavily inside the well and gets sucked in the deep black pit.

    Everything is quiet after a while. Evil satisfaction fills the air.

    Then after sometime theres a little noise as the rope climbs up again to the surface ( on its own this time ) to watch the fast approaching vehicles roaring away in the busy highway.

    "Is there anyone coming?" the voice asks the rope from inside the well.
    The rope now sees a boy approaching their way on a bike.It nods its top end vigorously.
    "Ok you can come down now," the voice orders the rope.

    On its master's orders the latter quickly slides down back inside the well.
    After few moments as the bike rider passes by, he hears someone screaming frantically for help. He stops the bike and goes near the well.

    "Hello? Anybody there?" the boy asks.
    "Yes! Please help me, I'm trapped," a voice answers from inside the well.
    The boy walks towards the well slowly.....

    ( what happens next.... Will The Rope spare him or will the Thirsty Well gulp him? )
    Buhahahaha..... the well laughs!!



    SHORT FICTION SERIES ( less than 600 words ) | Copyright 2013 © Nandini Deka

    ( Read Mysterious - Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 )



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    THE WHITE WITNESS



    Central Library, Manchester, U.K., by Robin Gosnall

    A Beauty, Tall and Elegant!
    With glory and pride you stand.
    History, the past, present and the future...
    Inside, in the books, outside on the pillars you've held.
    No one but you truely understand,
    This land that has been ruled by many a hand.
    We died once, we'll perish again
    You are the priviledged one to witness this forever game.


    Copyright 2013 © Nandini Deka

    This post is for Magpie Tales 154

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    AND THEN THERE WERE NONE


    This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 36; the thirty-fifth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.The theme for the month is "and then there were none"



    It was the lovely 31st March evening,
    A party for me, my friends said with glee.
    It was on very rare occasions that I got,
    To merry make such and be so happy.

    It was getting dark, like cinderella..
    I hoped, worried that I was not late.
    Perhaps the party had already begun,
    Gathering my gown, hurried, to reach the venue gate.

    Yes! Its tonight, come right before 12..
    My friends had called again to confirm.
    I was dressed my best, make-up and frills,
    My hair like a princess, a trendy glamorous perm.

    I was all set to steal the show,
    My competitors I shall defeat I swore.
    Those high society showoffs, those darlings of the crowd,
    Were but for me, an utter eye sore.

    I was excited at the thought of food and wine,
    The music and dance that I always pined for me awaits.
    New people that I'd meet, the best social do it was,
    The sort of party, I wanted to be part of always.

    I heard the music from quite afar, the media and the glitz..
    I rushed to the building, not wanting to miss the fun.
    I looked up the balcony, my friends saw me as they waved,
    Up the stairs, to join them fast I began to run.

    I reached the top floor where the party was,
    A quick glance at my mirror, assured I was second to none.
    Expecting a grand welcome, with rockstar pomp I walked in,
    The music had stopped, all quiet and then there were none...

    The midnight clock striked sharp at 12
    Realised, alas it was the April 1st fool that I was made.


    The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here.To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Participation Count: 01


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    RIP - BOOK REVIEW


    rip mukul deva

    Title : RIP
    Language : English
    Author : Mukul Deva
    Genre : Fiction
    Publisher : Westland Ltd (2012)
    ISBN : 9789382618195
    Binding : Paperback
    Price : Rs. 200 ( Buy from Flipkart.com for Rs.164/- ( 18% Off )
    Pages : 286

    Book Summary : Indias literary storm trooper, Mukul Deva delivers yet another pulse-pounding, crackerjack of a thriller. Tethered on the edge of reality, RIP will keep you turning pages late into the night.
    R.I.P. The Resurgent Indian Patriots. Self- appointed guardians of a nation seething with anger at the endless scams and scandals rocking its very foundation. Vigilantes who vow to stop corrupt politicians and colluding civil servants. Even if it means killing them.
    Colonel Krishna Athawale and his team of Special Forces officers rally to protect the country from the enemy within. They call themselves the K-Team. And no one is safe from their deadly intent.
    Hellbent on stopping them is Raghav Bhagat, rogue para commando, gun for hire and Krishnas bete noir. Caught in the crossfire is Vinod Bedi, Special Director CBI. Reena Bhagat, a glamorous news anchor, embittered by her husbands betrayal. And two young boys, Sachin and Azaan, torn apart by the loss of a parent. It doesnt get bigger.


    ~~~o~~~

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    BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE




    THE THEME: Share 5 problems/concerns/worries that you face everyday and why accompanied with a 'blueprint' on how it could be solved/changed.

    This is a great thought provoking contest, and I'm really all charged up.


    We are all aware that things are not going right around us. We are simply helpless at the situation that exists in our mighty country that we are so fortunate to be born in, yet are so hellbent on not valueing it and giving it the respect that it deserves by our collective actions. All the newspapers/news channels are filled with headlines thats shocks and horrifies us every single day. The system is so corrupt with major chunk of the corrupt people being those in power and controlling the overall game. Hence, we the common people are getting frustrated by the day.

    The list is quiet long but here are my 5 immediate concerns and a blueprint of their solutions for a solid change for a better India. Hope they gets implemented at the earliest.


    1. SPREAD EDUCATION : This is one major concern why we are lagging behind the rest of the world. Lack of proper education = Large scale ignorance.
    Education donot mean simply learning to read or write, but it is mainly knowledge. And knowledge is power. When people are educated they become aware of their rights, whats going on in the country and can choose a system that is right and not continue being brainwashed by cunning, selfish people who uses them for their own benefit.

  • My Blueprint for change is - try to educate people and make people aware of their rights. If each one of us takes steps to educate the unfortunate ones near us, it will solve the problem to a great extent in the long run. We can start right at our homes. Many of us have drivers,maids,watchman etc or poorer relatives,neighbours. We can help in their education and or can even sponsor their children with basic education if they are not able to afford.
    Outside of home, we see many street children etc. We can approach their parents to send them to govt/municipalty or certain NGO affiliated schools where fees are very less or even free in some cases and also make the parents aware that education is really important for them too. They may show disinterest but we should be able to convince them for their own good.
    Educated India will certainly be a Better India to live in.

    2. SAFETY FOR WOMEN : As I grew up ( esp in school days ) I used to face lots of eves-teasing etc from boys in the locality. They used to make life hell not just for me but for other girls too by passing cheap comments, whistling etc. It was a helpless situation because I was quite afraid to scold them so except for telling my parents there was little else that I could do.
    As I grew up further I started seeing more and more news of violence and crimes against women. It was a shocking eye-opener for me at what goes on in this world. Rape, Molestation, Acid attacks, Dowry deaths etc it used to scare the hell out of me and I wondered why people behaved the way they did? Whats worse is, very often those committing these heinous crimes used to be a family member or known ones of the victims.
    In a country where womanhood is worshipped in the form of Durga,Saraswati,Laxmi we have a totally contrasting situation where they are treated so badly as well.

  • My Blueprint for change is - for all the womenfolk to become Maa Kaali and spread fear amongsts these culprits who has made life hell for women. We women, need to be strong both mentally and physically. We should give our young girl child self-defence lessons so that they can punch and kick the hell out of any eve-teasers/rapists and anyone who sees girls as merely sex objects.
    Moreover,time has come for really strict laws to punish those culprits hence all women must be united and keep the pressure on and demand justice till the law is implemented.
    Safety of women is also ensuring that a girl child is allowed to be born in this world and not killed at birth.

    3. PRESERVE OUR RESOURCES : We are fast depleting our resources. Be it water, food etc we waste so much stuff everyday. Granted that we are the fortunate ones and can afford life's luxuries but there are millions out there who cannot afford even a basic meal. Millions go starving without proper hygiene.
    Moreover, if we waste resources what will the future generation survive upon?

  • My Blueprint for change is - STOP being so selfish, so self-centred! This earth and its resources doesnt belong only to us, it belongs to everyone and everyone here means the poor as well as the future generations too. So, stop the waste.
    Save water, save petrol, save other precious resources, donot waste food. Let these not be just slogans but real actions.

    4. COMBAT CORRUPTION : Our system is such that it makes each one of us corrupt in some way or the other. So dont just blame the politicians. We vote them for selfish reasons too. We first need to look at ourselves at how corrupt we are.
    Right from office peon, gas delivery man, postman to those in higher ranks in a govt office, everyone want bribe/bakshish to get your work done. Initially they just used to give hints for 'chai-paani' but gradually it became a habit and now they started demanding it or says fearlessly to get the work done by someone else.

  • My Blueprint for change is - for this we really need a strong lokpal bill. Even though the Anna Movement went kaput I've not stopped believing in the fight against corruption. I also strongly believe that we need to keep its flame burning, not just by continuing to demand implementation of the strong lokpal but also combat corruption personally at all levels.
    We shouldnot expect,accept or give bribes. It is the need of the hour to kill our inner greed that includes voting for TV, cash or alchohol ( which happens frequently due to lack of education ).
    If all of us control our greed where will the demon called corruption run?

    5. SPREAD HUMANITY : We have seen enough of killings of fellow human for reasons like caste, religion etc . Enough is enough. What are those religions which divide mankind into believers and nonbelievers? Caste which originally meant different professions now has come to be identified with birth.
    How can human beings who came from the same Almighty having same red blood, soul be divided to such various groups that we have become mortal enemies of each other?
    Human beings are perhaps the only species in this world who kill their own species so brutally. We make nuclear weapons to wipe each other out.
    What must be God thinking above when he sees the mess we've made for ourselves? All these needs to stop and urgently so.

  • My Blueprint for change is - stop the hatred. As parents or teachers we shouldnot differentiate and sow seeds of divisions in the minds of innocent children. So that when they grow up they dont identify themselves as belonging to a particular religion, caste, race etc.
    However, as long as we have admission forms be it for school, job, passport etc requiring for us to fill these dividing columns, it seems a very difficult if not impossible task. But we have to start somewhere.
    And moreover, since we are fortunate enough to live in such a technologically advanced world, it has now become so much easier for all the religious leaders to promote better understanding and spread the religion of humanity.
    We see the internet is flooded with millions of 'my religion is better than yours websites', brainwashing the youth further when instead technology can be used for positivity, healing and diminishing religious differences.
    More and more all inclusive websites or information should be spread taking the good of each religions and discarding the bad with the consent from all world religious and political leaders so that this menace of differentiation can be defeated.
    India is a country of multiple faiths, hence we can set an example for the rest of the world.

    Politicians in a corruption free, educated world will also not be able to use religions and castes as trump cards to garner votes.

    So, above is my Blueprint for the ultimate change!

    This post is a part of Chanakya's New Manifesto

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