ReviewsBook Review

Book Review: Catching The Departed by Kulpreet Yadav

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
I am doing so many things together that I have no idea what all is happening around or where time is flying away. Work schedule is going hay wire and so is every other thing. I finally finished with the thriller I had started more than a week ago and it’s time for the review. Catching the Departed by Kulpreet Yadav is an intriguing thriller.
 
The Story
 
Investigative journalist Andy Karan heads towards Tilakpur seeking a story on a cold blooded murder. Ram Avatar a small time drunkard is murdered and it seems there’s a lot that doesn’t meet the eye. Andy is attacked and left in Delhi in an injured state. Monica, the editor of the magazine and Andy’s boss doesn’t want him to continue on the story and asks him to resign. But who is Andy actually? I’ll not give it away.  Okay little peep into it, he is an ex-army officer. I really don’t want to give other stuffs out because it’s very nicely put in the novel.

 
The Magazine owner is also reluctant to cover the story. So now why did a good for nothing drunkard got murdered? Who gives an editor of a magazine such a lead? Who attacked Andy? What is lying in Tilakpur? The novel is the answer to all of that
 
My Thoughts
 
Andy is a very likable character. I like the way the author has built his character up and also the part where he mentions how he got two first names Andy Karan. Kulpreet paints a wonderful picture of Delhi with his words. I love the detailing. I specially like the sequence when Andy is asked to meet someone in discreet and how that person shares his contact number. May be the motive by the enemy could have been worked upon a little more.
 
Language is fluid and easy. This is the first installment of the Andy Karan series and I am sure Kulpreet will be back with many more.
 
About the Author
 
Kulpreet Yadav is the founder and co-editor of Open Road Review, a literary journal. He is associated with Under the Banyan Tree an online forum. His earlier novels have won many awards in competitions. I had reviewed earlier one of his collection of short stories and you read it here.
 
My Rating – 3/5 A good Weekend read I say. 
 
BOOK DETAILS
Publisher Tara Press
ISBN-10 8183860664
Edition 1st Edition
Imprint Tara Press
Book Type Fiction Book
Number of Pages 258 Pages
Publication Year 2014 July
Language English
ISBN-13 9788183860666
Binding Paperback

———————————————————————————————————-

This book was sent by the author for a review and the views written here are completely mine. I try not to be biased in my reviews.
———————————————————————————————————–
2 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Uncategorized

Blog Adda Game of Blogs – Team By Lines Chapter 9

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
Read the earlier chapters by clicking the links. CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III CHAPTER IV  CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VIII


CHAPTER IX


Jennifer couldn’t control her excitement. All that happened at the NCP was fresh in her mind. What she saw there still had not sunk in. She hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of the one place where she wished to be at that time.


***

At the Dutta Mansion Tara was ready with dinner when the door bell rang.

“I’ll get it,” called out Shekhar.
He opened the door to find his old friend at the other side.

“Jenny? What a surprise? You never told me you were in Mumbai. When did you come?”

“Are you going to ask everything here or will you let me come in?” asked Jenny with a smile.

Tara was happy to see Jennifer after a long time. They had not met in years and had interacted briefly over emails. Throughout the dinner Jennifer was thinking about some chance of privacy with Shekhar. Shekhar noticed the restlessness in her but didn’t understand what was making her impatient.

Roohi insisted on some story time with Cyrus after dinner. Cyrus happily obliged to Roohi’s demand of story time.

Tara, Jennifer and Shekhar moved out to their garden for a stroll, taking in the fresh cool sea breeze. Not everyone in that crowded city was privileged to stay by the sea in his or her own bungalow and enjoy the zephyr. They spoke for long catching up with Jennifer’s life and projects but Shekhar noticed Jennifer was not her usual calm self.

“Let me go and check if Roohi is asleep. Hope she is not troubling Cyrus,” said Tara, excusing herself into the house.

Jennifer was waiting just for that moment of isolation.

“Shekhar I want to talk to you, can we go to your study?” She asked.

Why is she sounding so excited suddenly?

In the study behind closed doors, Jenny’s eyes twinkled with excitement. Shekhar didn’t remember the last time she was that excited.

“Shekhar you know where I went last evening?” she whispered.

“No.”

“To the FOTA conference!!”

“What?? Was the FOTA conference in Mumbai this time? And then?”

“You won’t believe what happened there,” she said, grabbing his hand, sounding even more thrilled.

“What?” he asked. His voice was thick with anticipation.

“I saw…. I saw him… he was right in front of my eyes!” she said animatedly finding it hard to control her excitement.

“What exactly are you telling me?” Shekhar asked skeptically.

“Shekhar they do exist and I saw one with my own eyes!” she couldn’t control her exhilaration.

“Ohh My God!” Shekhar said, with his eyes wide open. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Jennifer narrated everything that happened at the conference animatedly. She hardly thought about the oath of secrecy. Shekhar was stunned when she recounted how the speaker ended the seminar with his dramatic exit.

Jenny was Shekhar’s childhood friend and both of them had shared the enthusiasm for aliens for as long as he could remember. That enthusiasm had stayed with them even when they grew up.

Jennifer spotting an actual alien felt like an achievement for both of them. Shekhar was thrilled but also was thinking of something. Jennifer noticed Shekhar went into some deliberation.

“What are you thinking Shekhar?” she asked.

“Jenny I have to tell you something. Since the last few days, something weird is happening around the house. I saw some strange blue glare a few nights ago. It vanished as swiftly as it came. It was quite late in the night. I didn’t understand what it was. And….”

“And what Shekhar?” she asked promptly.

“I am working on my next book and every night my manuscripts are turning into ashes.”

“What?” asked Jenny loudly, disbelieve clearly audible in her voice.

“Yes that’s what. I have tried locking the manuscripts in the safe there, but nothing helps. Every morning I wake up praying at least today someone will not burn my work, but it’s always the same case. I know it’s strange, it’s weird but that is the reality,” explained Shekhar.

“Who all knows what the book is about?” She asked.

“No one. Not even Tara”

“Then how is it…”

 “Exactly… how is it possible?” Shekhar completed before she could finish.

“Shekhar do me a favor, install a camera in this room, you can monitor who comes in and goes out. You will get to know what happens to the manuscripts at night.”

“Hmm…Sounds okay to me,” Shekhar replied nodding his head.

“And why on earth are you still using this old type writer? Why don’t you write in the laptop? You’ll not have ashes at least.”

“It just feels good. But I think you are right. I need to switch over to this little box of intelligence. Tara had gifted me one that I rarely use. I’ll start writing in it. I hope the laptop doesn’t turn to ashes one morning,” said Shekhar and they both broke into a laughter.

“What are you writing on by the way?” she asked.

“Ahh… You’ll know when my book is published,” said Shekhar with hesitation. Jennifer noticed the sudden discomfort in his voice.

At the study room window, a shadow lurked listening to their conversation.
Update: Read Chapter X here 

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”


3 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Uncategorized

Keep the Mosquitoes at bay

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
It is that time of the year when these little nasty fellows make you go crazy I am talking about the MOSQUITOES. Not even half an inch in size they can get you down and out in no time. I got even more worried about them when one of my colleague got diagnosed with dengue and was admitted in the ICU for a very long time. His blood platelet count went down as low as 11k which is like really really bad. But thankfully, he is okay now with the timely treatment and is back to work after 3 weeks.

Bangalore is specially bad with regard to mosquitoes. I really don’t know why. Weather over is never damp and moist nor does it have that swamp sort of areas. Now all my life I knew mosquitoes being the tiny little monsters can’t fly high up. So if you were staying on ground floor level or near a water body you can encounter them. You won’t believe me if I tell you I stay on the 12th floor and still I get a good number of them visiting my place if I keep my windows open in the evening. Sometimes I fail to understand how. I have noticed the traveling in lifts also. Now don’t laugh at me. I have found mosquitoes inside and around lift, I always take care to get rid of mosquitoes while opening my front door.

Now why am I writing this post exactly? Is it a rant? Is t my agony and pain? No. I have been searching natural methods to keep these monstrous things away from my house. And I thought it’s only good if I share them with you all here.

Now everyone uses some sort a mosquito repellant in India – either the vaporizer, or mat, or coil, or card you even have apps now-a-days. Yeah really when I was using my Android device earlier I downloaded an app called mosquito replant or bug replant. It gives of some sort of a sound signal which supposedly keeps the mosquito at bay. But it didn’t work. Sometimes these vaporizers also don’t have any effect on the mosquitoes. And the coils make me crazy. I might faint with that smell, but don’t know about the mosquitoes though!

You could make your own natural mosquito repellents.


Lime & Clove

Lime and clove are known not only to have medicinal benefits they also work well to keep mosquitoes and flies away. Cut a lime in halve and insert cloves in it. Place it on a plate and keep it near your balcony, window or any place where mosquitoes may enter.

Check out the you tube video.




Garlic Plant in your terrace

This one works wonders. Wrap some cloves of garlic in a moist cloth including the outer skin. You’ll see it sprout in two days. Plant this in a tub with manure. This garlic plant will keep flies and mosquitoes at bay.

Garlic Spray

You could also make a garlic spray. Make some garlic juice in your juicer and put it in a spray bottle. Add water in the spray bottle and shake. Spray in the balcony and terraces. You could soak some muslin cloth in this spray and keep that in the room.

Tulsi or Basil Plant

Generally Indian households have a tulsi plant and I recently got one. It is said to keep the mosquitoes away.

What do you do to keep the mosquitoes at bay?
————————————————————————————————————-I am taking part in WRITE TRIBE PRO BLOGGER challenge where I post everyday. And also a participant in the ULTRA BLOG CHALLENGE.
———————————————————————————————————–



1 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
ways to manage stress - meditation
Health & WellnessLifestyle

What Lifestyle are you leading?

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
Today while waiting for the results I ended up reading quite a few blogs. Last two weeks have been taking away a lot of time from me so I am catching up with my reading over the weekend. Vidya Sury’s post on toxic lifestyle got me completely. When I read the post I asked myself am I also leading a toxic lifestyle? And the answer was  quite evident. A BIG YES.
 
Vidya says you are leading a toxic lifestyle if you say yes to the followings
 
     1.    Fast food is your main source of food
     2.    Your computer/phone screen has you mesmerized
     3.    Exercise is not on your list of priorities
     4.    You don’t believe in regular sleep habits 
 
Now when I asked myself the same questions some of the answers were yes. I’ll tell you my answers.

[full_width background=”#ffffff”]How’s my Lifestyle?[/full_width]

 
1. Fast food is not my main source of food but I do love fast food and street food and like to indulge once or twice in a week.
 
2. Computer and phone screen definitely have me mesmerized. I am either with my laptop throughout the day and when I turn it off at night I am hooked to the phone or tab doing something or the other.
 
3. I am very excited about exercising but that excitement is only with the idea 
that I’m going to do this or that etc etc. I hate to wake up early and get dressed for the gym. The gym is within the complex but I still have never visited it. I swim once in a while. I was taking a bus to work some time back which resulted in a lot of walking but lately I am not even doing that. I am just driving to work. So absolutely no workout.
 
4. I do believe in regular sleep habits and I try to go to bed early by 11. (that’s early by my standards) I wake up early as well by 6AM. That’s because my househelp comes that time and I leave for work by 745AM. So that’s pretty regular.
 

[full_width background=”#ffffff”]What Am I Doing then?[/full_width]

 
Now I just sat back and thought what sort of a lifestyle do I lead? Boring? Active? Healthy? Unhealthy? What? I still couldn’t figure it out much. But there are some things that  have done lately (that’s about for 6-7 months) that makes me think maybe I am leading a mixed lifestyle – if there is something like that.

[full_width background=”#ffffff”]Say No to Colas[/full_width]

 
I have given up on aerated water and carbonated drinks long time back. It’s not because of the sugar factor it’s because continuous intake of carbonated water decays you from within. It affects your teeth and bones. And I definitely want to have my teeth left for munching something when I am 80! You tube is filled with videos of the side effects of colas. But here is a very nice actually alarming video. Check it out guys.

 
 
 

[full_width background=”#ffffff”]I Said No to Coffee and went Green[/full_width]

 
Every Bengali is crazy about their tea and are very particular about their blend. I am, on the other hand, not a tea drinker at all. I find it tasteless and don’t understand why people drink tea! Okay don’t shout at me – that’s what I feel. I was hooked on to coffee and used to love Black coffee, espresso, Irish and what not. But my New Year resolution was no to coffee and I can happily say I have not broken it. I switched over to green tea instead. I don’t find a taste in green tea either other than it being bitter if it’s not hot. But I like that warm liquid going in.
 

[full_width background=”#ffffff”]Say yes to Salads[/full_width]

 
Now I am also quite a foodie and don’t like all vegetarian menu at all. I also hated salads till a long time. I mean the plain green salad and not the mayo-loaded Ceaser salad or Russian Salad. But now I ensure I have tomatoes and cucumber if not anything else.
 

[full_width background=”#ffffff”]Bored of McDonalds and KFC[/full_width]

 
Like quite literally. I am just too bored of McDz and KFC burgers, chicken, fries etc. I do not find any taste in it any more. I don’t even remember when I last went to either of them. So the burger and fries combo is out from my system for a long time.
 
But that doesn’t mean I am not having meat or fish and turned a herbivore and am only having salads. I do enjoy meat but now I am including veggies as well.

 

So I am on the borderline of toxic lifestyle and okay-ish lifestyle I guess. Which lifestyle are you leading? Let me know.

 

9 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Uncategorized

BlogAdda Game of Blogs – Round 1 Results announced

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
The entire day I was on twitter. Blogadda gave me a high BP on this otherwise quiet Saturday. I had told you earlier I am taking part in this fiction writing contest in collaboration with nine other fellow bloggers. Our team’s name is By Lines and we are rocking it…. Yes literally.

Today Blogadda announced the results of the Game of Blogs Round 1. As promised earlier about 10 teams were going to the next round out of 30. So I waited with bated breath for the results. They started tweeting names of teams with all the suspense and thrill. I was literally losing it when my team’s name didn’t come up in the first five names. I am obviously very positive about our story. We are attempting something which no one has thought of (in the teams that is).


Numerous tweets amongst restless minutes only made me go nuts. Twitter, FB, Whats App was all abuzz with the activity and yes my pulses were racing. But hold on, we did go to the second round.  I think ours was the 14thname that was announced bring back our hearts in the correct place. I had mine almost slipping through my mouth until that tweet.



But wait… this isn’t all. All that stress and all that suspense had an anti – climax at the end. We figured out all 30 teams are going into Round 2. Now what does it make you feel??? Happy or a little low? Frankly for me it’s a little low. Anyways, round 2 is here and I am sure we’ll do good. What do you think?

Read my teams first 8 chapters by 8 awesome bloggers by clicking the following links. (One of those awesome bloggers is me :D). And tell me if you are enjoying it or not?






0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Uncategorized

Flash Fiction – The Shadow

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu

The shadow looked monstrouson the wall in the dimly lit room.


The tiny hairyrat had slipped into the room looking for food.

Jake surprisingly seemed breezy and hurled a ball towards the rat.


Jake enjoyed looking at the wall… the monstrous shadow shrunk and vanished in seconds.



————————————————————————————————————
My entry for Three Words Wednesday this week. Three word prompts are – MONSTROUS, HAIRY & BREEZY.
———————————————————————————————————— 

11 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts