branwyn nov-dec 2013
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The Nov-Dec 2013 issue of Indian Lit-Mag Branwyn featuring Indian Authors. An initiative by Sneha GuptaTRANSCRIPT
Branwyn is the Goddess of love, beauty, mischief and mystery. It also relates to genuine literature. The name has been tossed by Lavkesh Kumar Singh.
Publisher and Director Vineeta Gupta
Founder and Editor-in-Chief Sneha Gupta
Mentor Dr. Subodh Kumar Jha
Managing Editor Parul Parihar
Tech Support Rahul Kumar Singh
Legal and Financial Advisor Abhishek Singhania
Contacts: Email :
[email protected] [email protected]
Website : www.branwyn.in
Editorial –
Dear Readers,
As the year 2013 ends, we – the Branwyn
family wish to express our token of
gratitude for the immense love and support
you bestowed on us. The year 2013 has
been marked as one of the most memorable
years since we would remember it as the
year of our association. Thanks again!
This Christmas Special issue has come with
many innovative changes on which your
feedback is earnestly awaited. With the
regular columns, we have introduced few
new segments and a new flavor of the cover
story. I hope you would enjoy that.
The real gem of this issue the “Amateur
Scribbles” segment. For the first time, we
got such amazing submissions that it really
became tough for us to reject any single
piece of work. Still, we had to source the
best among them keeping your choice in
consideration.
I hope you would enjoy this issue a lot and
we wish that the coming year adds many
more new memorable moments in our
unique relationship.
Wishing all of you a Very Happy New Year
2014!
- Sneha Gupta
Three Questions : Preeti Singh
Preeti Singh, the author of “Flirting with Fate…”, is often regarded as mother figure in literary circle. She is a
mentor to several aspirant authors and also scatters positive energy with her immaculate belief and quotes.
Many people get inspired by her.
In spite of her busy schedule, she agreed to have few words with Branwyn readers.
Branwyn: What is life in your opinion?
Preeti: According to me life is fleeting...
one moment here, next moment gone ...so
grab it... live it to its fullest. I believe we
have one life and we should make the best
of it...try not to hurt anyone, try to spread
love, happiness, peace and joy coz we just
don’t if we live to breathe the next breath
or not.
Branwyn: Do you think that daughters help mothers in being a Mom? What role does Harsheen play in your life as a daughter?
Preeti: Just like any child, a daughter also gives birth
to the mother she is born to. Well...my daughter
Harsheen, from infancy has taken care of me rather
than me mothering her. By god's grace she was born
a perfectly healthy child unlike me who was born an
epileptic. Over the years, Harsheen has 'taught' me
how to behave like a mother and thanks to her
expectations I have moulded myself as per her
wishes. There are times I fail miserably and can't live
up to my daughter's expectations but then enough
love resides between us to forgive each other as well.
I have learnt to be a strict, disciplined as well as a
chilled out mom, thanks to my daughter and her peer
pressure and it's a role I am thoroughly enjoying till I
can, coz soon she too shall fly off leaving the nest
empty.
Branwyn: How much 'the world for you' and 'you for the world' have changed after the publication of "FLIRTING WITH FATE"?
Preeti: My debut book meant the world to me and got
me a new identity which I had been yearning for
long. It helped me guide many budding authors who
sought help in the field of publication and needed
step by step guidance in this competitive arena.
Apart from that, my debut book made me myself
realize my potential as a crime thriller writer, a field I
felt I could never explore, being a diehard romantic
myself. But 'FLIRTING WITH FATE' put me on a
platform where I could breathe a sigh of relief and
pat myself on the back with a sense of achievement. I
am still the same for the world...friendly, helpful and
easy going and always will be. In the end it's all up to
you....whether you want to build walls and keep
people away or embrace them with warm hugs. It's
really all up to you....and I have chosen the
latter.....and always will. Thanks for being with us Ms. Preeti Singh. Branwyn Family wishes you all the very best in all your future endeavours.
Christmas is the festival of joy and goodness. People all across the world, celebrate it and share their joys with their family and friends. So,
how could it happen that authors remain untouched of it? Earlier, writers were thought to be out of the world species who give a damn to
festivity and celebrations. But with the changing scenario, the new generation of writers evolved and they actually started behaving like
humans. They were no those boring chaps. Like any other human being, authors also enjoyed and celebrated Christmas. Wanna know
how? Well yeah, Branwyn tried to find out –
Acted Santa
Many people out in the world were busy in celebrations and
buying gifts for themselves, whereas some of our authors
decided to become Santa for someone whom they care for.
Subhasis Das [Author with Rupa Publications] acted as Santa for
his ‘Boss’ and brought a big client. Wow! That was too good,
Subhasis!
Subhasis Das
But Subhasis was not alone. Pulkit Gupta, author of “Life and
Promises” acted as Santa for his readers and preponed the
release of his novel from january 1st to december 24th. “It was
the best Christmas ever!” says a smiling Pulkit.
Pulkit Gupta
Office Office
While others were busy in enjoying being Santa, some of our
authors had no other option left to spend the Christmas in their
office. Poor Umkanat Vashishtha, author of “I loved an Angel”
spend the Christmas working hard on his assignments in his
Merry Christmas…!
Merry Christmas…!
Christmas 2013
office. “I am not getting leave on New Year too.” – a sad Umakant
told Branwyn.
Umakant Vashisth
Not only Umakant, but also Kunal Marathe, the author of “Suicide at Seventeen” and the CEO of Author’s Empire India celebrated his Christmas in his office. “I worked in printing press, with my editors, and designers on the print progress of ‘My Glass of Wine’.” No, no! Not to be confused. “Glass of Wine” isn’t Kunal’s new addiction. Actually it is a new book from Author’s empire India written by Kiriti Sengupta! The book is said to have developed good grip among the readers. Kunal Marathe
However, if seen the other way round, we should say that the
respective offices were lucky to have such dynamic authors’
company on Christmas!
Family and Friends
Most of the authors were busy with their office works on
Christmas but we also had some authors who chose to spend the
day with their family and friends.
Vinod Pardhi, author of “Why Did I Fall in Love”, spent the day
with his family. This year, he was blessed with a baby boy and he
considers it the best Christmas of his life. And that was not
enough, he also bought Christmas gift for maid’s child. Probably,
this side of authors remains unseen and unknown and Branwyn
was thankful to Vinod for sharing this. A salute to the author!
Vinod Pardhi
Beautiful authoress Sasiprabha PS spent half of her day in the
hospital dealing with a medical emergency. Though in the other
half, she enjoyed a lot with her Keralite friends. A Christmas
dinner with a special Christmas cake and lots of special dishes
and chocolates added more to her joys.
Sasiprabha PS
However, author Abhinav Barik didn’t miss the chance and
enjoyed it a lot with his friends. “I enjoyed a glass of butterscotch
shake topped with cashew and pista with a close friend. I always
try to enjoy little things of life.” – said Abhinav.
Abhinav Barik
So, the authors acted contradictory to our expectations! The
Christmas holiday wasn’t spent completing the upcoming novel
or scribbling the plot of a new one!
Isn’t it enough to signify that Authors also act more humane way!
Christmas and New Years wishes to all authors and readers!
Merry Christmas…!
Branwyn Workshop @ M. J. P. R. U., Bareilley
After IIT, Branwyn conducted its second workshop at
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohailkhand University, Bareilley.
On an official invitation from the University, Team Branwyn
had gone there to conduct the workshop on “Personality
Development”. The workshop was organized under the
impeccable guidance and direction of Shri M. S. Karuna,
H.O.D., Chemical Engineering Department, M.J.P.R.U., Bareilley
and was sponsored by TechKriti.
This two days workshop was conducted by Branwyn Chief
Editor Sneha Gupta and Branwyn Team member Mr. Gaurav
Gill.
The workshop was inaugurated on 30th November by the
Chief Guest Prof. Ashwini Kumar Gupta [Dean], Faculty of
Engineering and Technology. The two days workshop was
commenced successfully with the quintessential help and
support of Dr. O.P. Upadhyay [Former Head, Mechanical
Engineering Dept.], Dr. Sanjay Singh [HoD, Electrical
Engineering Dept.], Prof. Manoj Kumar Singh [Former Head,
Mechanical engineering Dept., pursuing PHD at IIT Delhi], Dr.
Yatendra Kumar [Former Head of Electronics and
Instrumentation Dept.], Prof. Hari Singh [ Assistant Prof.,
Electronics and Communication Engineering Dept.], Dr. S. K.
Pandey [Head of Chemistry Dept.], Er. Huma Warsi Khan
[Academic In-Charge, Chemical Engineering Dept.], Er. Anjali
[Event Co-ordinator], H.L. Arora [Industrialist and Senior
Guest Faculty], Er. Aradhana Kanchan, Er. Ramita Rana and
Er. Priyanka Gupta.
The workshop was very successful with the enthusiastic
participation of the students and considerate recognition by
University fraternity.
Following are some of the enthusiastic responses of the
students who participated in the workshop –
Experience with the Branwyn Creative workshop is very
good.
- Yashwat Kumar Kushwaha, B. Tech
Good experience, knowledge & more beneficial. I got to know
- How we should represent in an interview to industry.
- Rinku Singh, B.Tech
It was quite good one & has helped us to know about
professional life and its general requirements. The session
was very interactive and the communication was two way.
- Neha Singh
It was really an honour to attend this two days workshop. I
sincerely got a deep insight view of what really happens
during an interview, what were the traits of our personality
which need to be groomed & moreover what all the mistakes
should be avoided.
- Bhawya Sharma, B.Tech
It is good experience for this workshop. They are given good
knowledge, and more benefit and how can be represent to
give an interview for industry.
- Akbar Hussain, B.Tech
Experience was very good. I’ve attempted this type of
seminar first time. It was good learning by the seminar. I
enjoyed the seminar. All the topics were easy and
understanding.
- Sudhir Kumar, B.Tech
I really privileged to get an opportunity to attend this
swminar on personality development education. It was
completely knowledgeable and interactful & I am
heartedly thankful for your visit.
- Sadia Almas, B.Tech
It was a pleasure to be a part of this two day workshop.
Definitely I’ll sort out many points from this workshop
and will apply these ones in my practical life.
- Gaurav Pandey, B.Tech
Experience was so good. When I attend of this workshop
then some changes in my life and my carrier related to
this topic. After personality development then I feel my
interview are going good after complete the B.Tech.
- Tribhuvan Gupta, B.Tech
Experience with ‘Branwyn’ was very good. As the teacher
taught us various useful things about interviews, daily life
& also explained every asked question with satisfactory
answers.
- Sudhanshu Tyagi
It was a good experience. I learnt more things about my
personality and future life, what should we do or not? I
feel confident. This workshop helped me improving my
personality, communication skill etc. Thanks a lot!
- Pratibha Gangwar
Motivated, got wide knowledge and lots of experience.
The most important word I got fro this is ‘kaizen’ which I
will always do in my life.
- Deeksha, B. Tech
Experience was good. I wish to thank Sneha Ma’am and
Gaurav Sir who came here and taught us.
- Satyam Bharti
It was exciting experience. The best thing was the
interaction which our trainers did.
- Manoj Kumar, B.Tech
We had a valuable time. Each section made us learn
something. I will imply all these things in my life and
will never stop till my last breath.
- Arpit Chawla
I feel honoured and privileged to get an opportunity to
attend this session of personality development. Please
visit us again and repeatedly.
- Bhavya Mishra
Media Coverage
I really wish to thank you for coming to our institution and sharing this valuable things with us.
- Waseem Zafar
The experience was really awesome. We gained a lot from it. Please come again with longer schedule.
- Ram Bhadra Dwiwedi
Some other students who attended workshop were Ashok Kumar Maurya, Himanshu Singh, Navneet Garg, Neeraj Tripathi, Anil Kumar
Gupta, Kanhaiya Lal Maurya, Pankaj Kumar Shrivastava, Amardeep Singh, Rajan Pratap, Anuj Mishra, Aparna Singh, K. Dishwal, Fahim
Khan and others.
The workshop was self-volunteered by B. Tech final year students Akhilesh Tiwari, Shipra Singh, Deeksha Sinha, Amanat Zehra and
friends.
Glimpses of the workshop
Alpine Ambergris : Dr. Subodh Kumar Jha
The Hooter
O! The bewitching fragrance The talking eyes
The alluring smiles The radiating face - That set me aflame
And my blood raced Through the veins!
With breath whistling between
The clenched teeth I rushed and chested The stabbing furnace
Glowing in the burning sensation Relishing and cherishing the intimate proximity!
But the hooter At the mosque
With its speed of a Striking snake
Shoved us apart Plunged us into a
Sulky silence!
Mind crawling with alarm We looked at each other -
a fleeting embarrassed smile Playing on our lips.
But what could have we done
Being nourished on Cowardly submissiveness
To conservatism?
(c) Dr. Subodh Kumar Jha
Head, Dept of English
SN Sinha College, Jehanabad (Magadh University, Bodh Gaya)
Dr. Subodh Kumar Jha has been a member of NCERT and UGC Workshops for the proficiency of English Language in various study streams! At present, he is a prominent part of Magadh University as the Head of Department of English in S.N. Sinha College! He honoured Branwyn with his special segment titled "ALPINE AMBERGRIS". Alpine means mountain peak which denotes Subodh Sir's intellectual persona and Ambergris means a fragrant substance found at sea level. Thus, "Alpine Ambergris" together denotes the combination of an intellectual person like Subodh Sir and novice writers like us who are just trying to make a difference!
Dear Friends, today we have a beautiful authoress with us who has decided to be daring enough to get
confronted in our crispy chit-chat segment “Bourbon with Branwyn”. And the authoress is none other but Prerna
Varma – the lovely writer of “Dumb and Dumbfounded”.
So? Why wait? Here we go…..
Branwyn : Ready Prerna?
Prerna : Yes [giggles]
Branwyn : Ok then! Tell me – saree or jeans? Branwyn : The most eligible bachelor in your opinion?
Prerna : Saree Prerna : Ranbir Kapoor
[Crispy Crunch – Wow! :D ] [Crispy Crunch – Haaye…! ]
Branwyn : Honda or Audi? Branwyn : The best compliment you ever got?
Prerna : Audi Prerna : That I could be a good teacher…
[Crispy Crunch – oho oho ;) ]
Branwyn : Salman Rushdie or Amish Tripathi? Branwyn : Your dream proposal?
Prerna : Salman Rushdie Prerna : Anywhere in Rains…
[Crispy Crunch – Guys, waiting for monsoon?? ;)]
Branwyn : Red or Brown?
Prerna : Red
Branwyn : Hill Station or Dover Beach?
Prerna : Hill Station
Branwyn : First Date?
Prerna : Not yet
[Crispy Crunch – Really?? ;) ]
Branwyn : A person whom you wish to slap desperately?
Prerna : My sister Poornima
Branwyn : A dream which couldn’t get fulfilled?
Prerna : I wanted to become an actress…
Branwyn : Your celebrity crush?
Prerna : First and forever Shahrukh Khan
[Crispy Crunch – Gauri, ain’t you envious? :P ]
“Enjoyed it a lot!” – Prerna Varma
RamCharitmanas- Lessons in leadership
I am an optimist. And I need to clarify it.
Cynicism is mostly rewarded with agreement, and
optimism mostly needs an explanation, when we
speak about any aspect of evolution of the Indian
society. Here, however, my intentions are not to
explain my optimism, but to seek an apology in
advance before I venture into saying something
that is evidently skeptical.
The concept of joint family is on the verge of
extinction, thanks to the structural
metamorphosis that we currently witness in our
society. The norm prevails more apparently in
our urban areas, and is pronounced within the
sections of our society that may boast of being
thought leaders. As a result, the niche within our
families once reserved for grandparents has
begun to disappear. With the world traversing at
an unimaginable speed, the gap between
generations has never been so evident before.
Consequently, we are in the process of creating
generations that are chronically distanced from
any connect to the very fabric that forms our
rather complex society, which is in any case is a
result of innumerable complex resultant impacts.
Old Granny’s tales are increasingly becoming a
thing of the past. Communication revolutions,
clubbed with globalization, clubbed with our own
indifference to our heritage, clubbed with several
other factors come into play as our generations
walk out in the world facing it as it was
bequeathed to them.
So have our ‘traditions’ become redundant?
That is a rather inflammable subject. Let’s keep
that aside for a while.
The Ramcharitmanas is perhaps one work (if I
may call it that) which has influenced generations
far more than any work from within the corpus of
literature (religious or otherwise) in India.
Believed to have been first composed in 1574 CE,
it has been a paradigm for generation of teeming
masses for centuries.
The most striking quality of the hero and central
figure Ram is the fact that he is strikingly human
even in his divinity.
Perhaps the best lines that help us get a sense of
the magical characterization of India’s greatest
mythological hero are recited in the first part,
called the Baalkand, that depicts the him as a
child.
“Brahma jo vyapak, biraj, aj, akal, aneeh, abhed.
So ki deh dhari hoi nara jaahi na jaanat Ved.”
The very God who is omni-present, pure, without
a beginning, quality-less, detached from
everything, non-discriminating;
Is it possible that He takes a human body, whom
not even the Vedas Understand?
The valiant Ram is affected by every human
emotion. He loves his wife and brothers, is
angered by non-compliance, cries when he loses
his wife or to see his brother on the verge of
death, and lets-go his wife for purely
administrative reasons. This is unlike any other
godly character. He is almost defeated by his
enemies, and has to struggle hard for victories.
The appeal in Ram’s character is in his humane
culpability. Thus, even when he is affected by
human emotions, and even with his limitations as
human, he always and only does what is
righteous.
Thus in the reading of the timeless scripture, we
come across some instances that give us
invaluable lessons in all aspects of life.
With the emergence of the corporate sector, it is
but evident that leadership is one skill that takes
precedence over all others. The dearth of nothing
pinches growth harder than the dearth of
leadership. And if there is one quality that Ram’s
character can teach anyone who intends to learn
from it, it is leadership.
The RamCharitmanas has several instances
where Ram’s decision, conducts and actions are
not only praiseworthy, but are also strategically
exemplary. It is astonishing how small yet
consequential gestures by leaders at the helm
time and again make all the difference. There is
paramount strategic management and leadership
lessons that are almost scientific in approach,
which may help today’s leaders in situations that
are encountered by most corporate as well as
political warlords.
Let us consider specific examples.
Ram is out to fight Ravaan, the most powerful of
Kings, in order to redeem his wife from the
clutches of the evil king. He needs help, and has
an army of monkeys by his side. They are out to
fight the biggest army of demons and monsters
that ever accumulated.
Picture this. You convincing monkeys to fight till
death with an unimaginably robust enemy line,
for regaining another man’s wife!
They did, and eventually win. How did the man
(with perceived divine qualities, nevertheless)
convince the weaker folks to form a stronger
army that won?
It was simply because he didn’t “position” the war
as the fight to regain his wife. It was the fight of
all that was righteous, moral and progressive
against that which was not. So instead of fighting
for the cause of one man, Ram’s army fought for
the idea of moral sense, and for their leader who
stood for their ideas. That is where the stronger
army of Ravaan lost out; they were fighting to
preserve the lust of their overconfident leader
who was the king by default.
Most leaders miss the trick.
A vital part of the invincible strategy came from
Ram’s knowledge of the intricacies of his
opponent’s plans, capabilities, strengths and
weaknesses. The access to this valuable
information came from his ally in Vibhishan, who
was also Ravaan’s real brother.
Trust in his opponent’s brother was not Ram’s
weakness. It became his ultimate strength. Also
let us look at another side of the equation.
Vibhishan is not his General. He is Ram’s friend.
He is named king the moment he joins Ram. What
that does is, it rules out Vibhishan’s returning to
his brother’s camp.
And if this seems strategic, there is another
aspect to consider.
I have been in the middle of Mergers and
acquisitions. I wish the acquirers would
appreciate the lesson the epic teaches in such a
scenario.
Ram is a leader. He not only crowns Vibhishan
king of Lanka, but also sees to it that the people of
Lanka know this. He deliberately releases
Ravaan’s spies who come to get a sense of his war
tactics. That is a daring step, and may have
proven unadvisable. But Ram wants people of
Lanka to know that his intentions are to rescue
his wife unjustly captured, and not to usurp the
throne. He thus reinforces his selfless character to
his army, and simultaneously had the sympathy
of the other camp too. Everyone who could see
must have seen that this was a rational jungle
dweller who had been wronged. On both sides.
Towards the end of the battle there is a situation
where victory is sniffed. Ravaan’s army has been
reduced. His valiant warriors are dead. When the
last and the mightiest Meghnad falls, with his
corpse lying in front of Ram!
His generals are of the opinion that Meghnad’s
body should be mutilated beyond recognition, so
as to create an eerie feeling, a feeling of horror in
the opponents, and avenge the death of their own
warriors.
What does Ram do?
Ram unfurls his body cloth and covers the corpse
of the slain enemy, as a mark of his respect for the
valour of the deceased. This only reinforces that
the war is not of grudge but of principles. But is
there something that Investment bankers miss
and Ram didn’t?
Picture a mutilated corpse of a prince known for
his feats at the battlefield returning to the city of
Lanka. The distressed army would know that
their opponent was strong. However, they would
also know that the opponent was arrogant and
would not be humble in victory. Thus, the option
left for the army would be to fight with all might,
and death being inevitable, there was nothing to
lose. The tables would turn, and now Raavan’s
army would be fighting an evil opponent with
girth and anger.
But when the corpse is displayed in public,
covered with the saffron body-cloth of the
Sanyasi-King, imagine the wave of sympathy
wave that flowed in Ram favour. It not only
mitigates the wrath of the weakening army, but
also makes it clear even in the minds of the foes
that Ram is a righteous man, and thus what he is
doing must have been right.
Also, now the army has a reason to believe that
even in defeat, they will be given a Lankan king,
and would be treated with grace by a victorious
Ram. No wonder, the motive of even winning
such a battle must have been a tarnished one;
most would chose to surrender to a righteous
king who would restore them their sovereign, and
uphold their honor, than fight for a kind who
opposes him.
Oft times managers acquiring firms discount the
dilemma of the employees of the target company.
With just this lesson from Ram’s character, there
could be so much that modern leaders could do to
transform the way the corporate world runs.
It is said that god doesn’t end. Perhaps the same
can be said for the interpretation of the epic
based on the Hindu God who has inspired and
will continue to inspire generations of Indians.
Hope there are people who circulate his story,
though!
Mr. Incandescent Speaks…
Mr. Incandescent is a soul never at peace. But once you ignore his self-proclaimed megalomania with fallacies, you discover that he stores doublefolds than what he actually speaks out. Adoor from Dhanbad, he lives in New Delhi and works in Tecnova.
Whisper of enlightened souls
The book "Whisper of
enlightened souls" by Saket and
co-authors, is
one of its kind. The book is
polished with a collection of
unparalleled poems, that has well
portrayed expressions, emotions
and ecstasy.
The love poems are passionate.
At the same time they are
cynical about the way
relationships workout. There is
much more for
the nature lovers. Nature poems
mainly focus on the beauty of the
natural world and at the same
time they also deal with
solicitous
ideas of death and destruction.
There is a great combination of
rhymes, meters and free verse in
the
book, each sentence polished to
the point of perfection.
The book has been written
keeping in mind the youths of the
social heterogeneity. The poetry
book has been compiled by Saket.
POETS ARE :
SAKET
TANVEER SHARMA
ROMIKA
VARSHA SHARAN
AKSHAY PRAKASH
India – Then and Now
As I sifted through a newspaper on a cold morning
with a cup of simmering tea, lifeless pages seemed
to be hollering at me, coaxed me to mull it over.
The Times of India costing 3.50 rupee paper
brought life to 350 issues (buried in the hearts and
graves of millions) that are rampant and pervasive
across the nooks and corners of our developing
nation and all we want is "Yellow Journalism",
craving for stories that could gratify our salacious
insatiable desires.
We are promised a new dawn where the potential
stakeholders of the country ( so called 273 in
number) prepare to slug it out and their
adversaries ( 269) brace themselves to stall
anything that comes from across the "Radcliffe
Line"( Border between India and Pakistan). Scams,
problems, malfunctioning and debates (you name
it and we have it) are inextricably interwoven in
this hedonist society.
Even if i flit through channels of the modern
day satellite glorified idiot box ( if we may call it
as), would get to see a barrage of eminent and not
so familiar faces involved in matches of mud-
slinging, trying to defend not the country but the
plundered wealth that they had brazenly
embezzled from the exchequer.
Out of the myriad channels i see wizened Anna, a
septuagenarian crusading without caring for the
fact that the people he is battling for, are the ones
who are perpetrating it and are nonchalantly
reclined in their comfort zones. In the name of
Democracy all you get to feast upon is "Debate"
where political parties stall the already paralyzed
work of an Oligarchic Government.
Does Democracy mean mere conducting of
elections, or it had some other definition to it.
D- Debate on who acquired the most wealth?
E- Endless Accusation
M-Money Laundering
O- Oligarchy Govt- where power is concentrated in
hands of few powerful people.
C-Corruption
R-Rising Inflation
A-Anna lone crusader in a country of 1.2 billion
population.
C-Cronyism-practice of favoring if you are in
power especially your relatives, DMK can be
quoted
Y- You still would like to call India a democratic
country, please think about it, it is still in shackles,
British rule was better, at least we had no one to
debate and cause losses like 4 crore a day for
not functioning in Parliament, hope it makes sense!
Now – 2013
A new Government in Delhi! I am not being cynic!
Lets hope for some good. Happy New Year!
Sacrament Sobriety : Gaurav Gill
Mr. Gaurav Gill is a person of quintessential contemplation known for his kind and modest nature. He is a lecturer and lives in New Delhi.
The Chief Instructor, Wing Commander GPB Chowdhury
stormed into the classroom comprising of a batch of young
Indian Air Force trainees. A veteran of the 1965 and 1971
war, the Wing Commander is a witty and ever smiling
person by nature. But today he was not his natural self. He
was very disturbed and was scanning the classroom like
the radar which scans the skies for enemy fighters.
The class comprised of a batch of young Air Force
Technicians just out of their teens, undergoing a
Specialization course in an Anti Air Aircraft Missile system.
Seeing GPB, as he was fondly called, as per the tradition of
IAF, the senior most trainee shouted “Class Attention”. GPB
lost his concentration for a moment and thundered….
“RELAX….But where are those two jokers…Why can’t I see
them?” There was pin drop silence as Wing Commander
GPB paced up the gallery of stairs and continued staring at
each of us. As his eyes met mine, he froze like a statue. A
man, who always smiled, gave me a stoic look, raised his
right index finger and signaled me to go and stand on the
instructor’s dais. Quietly, I marched down the gallery and
stood in attention facing the glare of my batch mates.
Wing Commander Chowdhury followed me up to the dais
gave me a look of utter disdain and murmured “Sala Jai to
mil gaya….Viru kahaN haiN”….I was not able to
comprehend what he meant. I returned a blank look of a
goat about to be sacrificed for meat. A veteran of 30 plus
years of service, Wing Commander GPB spoke English and
Hindi with a lot of Bengali ascent. He proudly confessed
that people whom he hired to teach him Hindi ended up
with learning Bengali but he maintained Status Quo. As my
mind got quagmired in all sorts of thoughts, GPB thundered
“Where is your partner…”Kal Shaam ko jab line marne gaya
tha, tumhare sath kaun tha ?” Without thinking for a
moment I said “Sir last evening I went to have tea with
Regmi…I did not go anywhere else.” A warm smile greeted
me and for the first time GPB sir smiled and said “Chalo
Viru bhi mil gaya.” He thundered like a fighter jet he used to
fly “Regmi come and stand beside Jai”. I raised my eyes and
say Regmi walking down the aisle with a sheepish look. It
seemed years after Regmi walked down the aisle and stood
beside me.
GPB sir looked at the class and said “In Sholay there was
only Viru to impress Basanti. But here I have both Jai and
Viru trying to woo Basanti. “The whole class laughed out
loudly. Wing Commander Chowdhury shouted back “Don’t
Laugh Jokers. It’s a serious issue. Help your colleagues.” He
took out a coin and said “Shall we go for a toss to decide the
winner who can get the right to marry Basanti?”. I and
Regmi stood like two pieces of rocks ashamed and
humiliated unable to understand what went wrong and
what to say. Suddenly our beloved Sir looked at me and
said “Kal sham wali kaisi thi?”. My heart started pounding
heavily and I knew instantly that me and Regmi is in a soup.
Last evening, I and Regmi were walking down the service
road from Guided Weapon Training School to Makarpura to
have a cup of flavoured tea topped with Malai at Kaki’s tea
stall. It was one of our favourite tea joints as Kaki served
tea with lot of love and care. On the way there lies a
restaurant named Chakor which served Punjabi, Gujarati
and Marathi food. We used to visit this restaurant once in a
while to break the monotony of food served by the Airforce
Mess. As we were approaching Chakor, we noticed a
beautiful lady standing alongside a scooter and looking at
her wrist watch. She must have been around 25 years old
wearing a salwar suit which was making her fair
complexion glow. She had the face of a Goddess and a figure
good enough to attract teenagers like us. Regmi poked me
with his left elbow and said “Biwi ho to aisi” I said “Pehle
dekh le phir bat karenge”. As we crossed her I looked at her
through the corner of my eyes. She was the dream woman
every man would love to have as his wife. As we walked a
few meters after crossing her I looked around to see her
once more but alas she was no more there nor was the
scooter.
The silence of the class was broken by the thundering voice
of the Fighter Pilot who had sent chills down the spine of
the enemy when he had flown his Gnats and Hunters. GPB
shouted “Basanti ka jimmedari koun lega? Come on speak
out. You are a bloody soldier. Don’t get scared. “Without a
second thought I realized that the lady whom we saw last
evening is the Wing Commander’s daughter. I mustered
some courage and said “Sir, we are sorry…We did not know
that she is your daughter”. My Instructor laughed out
loudly and said “What is your take home pay? Do you know
she spends more at the beauty parlours than what you earn
per month? Sala salary se family ka kharcha nikal loge?”
There was no doubt in my mind that the lady was the Wing
Commander’s daughter. We were looking sheepishly at the
floor while the whole class was smiling. I was feeling as if
the roof would crash on me.
All of a sudden my tormentor, my beloved GPB sir laughed
out loudly and said “She is my wife. Maintain karke rakha
haiN. Dekho 20-22 sal ka baccha usko line mar raha hai.
Bloody jokers, it was my marriage anniversary and I was
ordering food at Chakor. Because of the black glass of the
restaurant door you could not see me. But you should have
seen my scooter which is as old as my tenure in IAF. Come
on guys go and enjoy life. But don’t assess a woman’s age
incorrectly. Otherwise you will be in distress. “
We ran upstairs as if we were let free after being given a
death sentence. Later I was commanded by Wing
Commander GPB Chowdhury in a Field Unit but he never
discussed this incident with any of my colleagues. It’s his
greatness that I still salute him years after not being in
touch with him.
Wherever you are GPB sir, may you stay safe and healthy.
Down Memory Lane : Koushik Gangopadhyay
Kaushik Gangopadhyay is an ex-defense personnel presently working with State Bank of India. He honoured us by accepting our request to share his real experiences and anecdotes of Air-Force life in ‘Down Memory Lane’ section of Branwyn.
Heavenly Child….. In this winter night is wild Born was the heavenly child Wrapped in rude manger In kindness he’s the anchor Born to virgin Mamma Mary His love will never vary Was Saint Joseph’s loving son With love many hearts he won For masses he’s the teacher For years he was their preacher Betrayed by his own disciple Judas But he never loathed any of us Sharing his last supper with his apostles Watched by Abba father and his angels He knew his wish was to be fulfilled But from his duties he never wobbled Though he’s forgiveness’s emblem He was at last crucified in Jerusalem On third day he rose from the dead As it was rightly destined and said And soon he ascended into heaven Sitting right to the Father was his haven
Fragrance of Heena
Heena Ahuja is a girl who loves to scribble the rhythmic melody of literature. She lives in Mumbai.
Purpose
“Do we really need a purpose to do something?”
This question is answer to the very existence of mine. If
there is no purpose, I might not breathe even. Everything,
every single entity around me is encircled within the word
Purpose.
Once I had a friend, with whom I usually had conversation
regarding Software Technology, as he was working with a
major IT firm. One day he told me he is writing a novel. I
was not amazed with his words, because I knew he is pretty
much of a wordsmith, who can craft beautiful sentences out
of simple incidents, and had a good command over
language. But still, I asked him “Do you have a purpose?”
Question was simple. And certainly it still is one of the most
common questions that I still ask.
He replied, “Do I need one?” making it simpler than ever. I
don’t remember when this conversation did take place, but
those were the days when Orkut used to be the most
happening place.
With time, and his success we drifted apart, he became a
big celebrity and I kept a distance to make sure that I won’t
hurt his image in his fans. Until one day I saw his message
on my mailbox.
It read,
Hi,
I hope you remember me. I haven’t heard from you since
quite a long time. Hope you are doing well.
You might know, that I wrote the novel that once I discussed
with you, and a few more. I’m sure you must have read it.
Would love to know what you think about it.
You must be wondering why I appeared out of nowhere and
asking about it today. It’s been years we discussed about it,
and certainly I couldn’t stay in touch with you due to multiple
reasons that you understand well. What I don’t understand is
why you never contacted. We were more than Orkut Friends,
aren’t we?
We need to meet and sort it out ASAP!
Before that, I need to tell you why I thought of you.
Yesterday, when I was writing an article, my wife (Oh Yes, I
got married recently!) asked me “Why do you write?” with a
generous curiosity.
She further asked “Do you have a purpose?” She just wanted
to know why I am always engrossed in writing.
I’m sure she is nowhere connected to you, nor I told her about
you, but she asked it in the same way as you did years ago.
When was that? 2007? Or 2008? I don’t remember clearly.
And it reminded me of you. And your question of Purpose!
I hadn’t had the answer then. But now I have. And that’s the
reason why I searched for you in my mailing contact and
thought of sharing my reasons with you.
Yes, I have a purpose. Then, it was escaping the bitterness of
reality, and now it is to capture the beauty of life.
I write because I write about my own life. Every day there
would be another novel in the stands, but none of them will
have my story in them. I might not be an extraordinary
writer, but I can shape my thoughts to give them a life, that is
beyond the pages of my novels, and stays in the hearts of my
readers.
I write because that’s all I know. I wrote codes which had no
life. Now I am writing novels, that has my own life. How can I
stay away from my own life?
I write because the purpose of reading and writing is to
sustain the sense of being alive and connected to your soul
makes you feel something that is beyond explain. It is my way
to resist the existential loneliness that creeps up in the nights
and takes away my sleep. When I am writing, there is no
numbness. You should try that too.
I thought of quitting from writing many a times, but every
time something stopped me. And I realized there really is
always a greater purpose of everything that you do. Didn’t
you say that before?
You know, I am feeling relieved after writing it all. I never
thought I was carrying such a burden in my heart since a
long time. I don’t know when you will see this mail, or reply
to it, but I will wait for your reply. There’s a lot to catch up.
Did you get married? Or still believe in ‘Do se bhale Ek’,
remember that joke?
Your Bhabhi is excited to meet you, and seems more than me
she is happy to find you back.
I have your number, but not sure if it is still working or not. I
called up, but no one picked it.
Send me your number, and if possible we might catch up in a
video call. What say?
Regards,
Your Once Purposeless Friend
Mr. YouKnowMe Speaks…
Mr. YouKnowMe is someone whom all of us know yet all of us are still to discover. He is a biker, an author and like all of us, a lover of life… He is at present working with an IT Company.
With You Life is Heaven
Worst days of yours are all over right now Though not words but heart can describe how
Life is going to have a lot more of happiness
Liberation for both from long years of loneliness
With you and me undergoing each moments of love
Destiny is showing amity like peace shown by dove
Our togetherness will surely heal the wounds of your past
To stop your quest for smiles and shines of good days at last
Each day will unfold the new stories that we adore Cheerfulness of heart will definitely open its door
The fears of separation will meet death for sure
Our feelings towards each other will certainly cure
No more hurdles, no more tears, no more black days
No more lies, no more egotism, no more betrays
When you and me are not alone any more this year The coming year will surely whisper a lot new in
our ear
With new hopes, new homes, new family to welcome
Life will steal hugs from joy and kisses from bliss in sum
This December will speak of 'Good Bye' to all dead
dreams In this New Year, life with you will be like heaven,
it seems
- Ms. N. M. LEEPSA L. M. Thapar School of Management (LMTSOM), Thapar University, Patiala, Pin -147004 Email: [email protected]
AN EVENING AT THE CINEMA
The Office
The phone rang just as he was about to log in to the
office network. Picking up the mobile he frowned
when he saw the call was from his wife. His
irritation increased when she reminded him to
book the tickets for the latest blockbuster running
at the multiplex nearby. He had already booked it
online the day his daughter demanded it as a treat
for her twelfth birthday. He loved his daughter
very much and though his wife complained often
that he was spoiling her by acceding to her every
wish, he would always ignore her views.
Continuing with his work, he was interrupted
again when his secretary walked in with some files
in her hand. This time there was no frown and he
smiled at her and as was his wont, he ran a glad
eye over her buxom figure. She was twenty one
and had recently joined the firm. He had selected
her in the interview over many experienced
candidates. Her inexperience to his delight proved
to be a boon as she seemed willing to go the extra
mile to be in his good books. Going through the
files he gave her instructions to draft a Request For
Proposal. As she sat down at her desk in corner of
his office he could not restrain a smile at the
thought of the number of times she was going to
come to him seeking clarifications. Suddenly an
idea struck him, why not ask her out to watch the
movie with his family. Or better with him. Looking
at her he decided reluctantly that she would not
agree to it. Feeling his intent gaze, she
uncomfortably shifted in her chair and self-
consciously adjusted her dupatta. She hated it
when he stood behind her chair as she worked,
peering over her shoulders on the pretext of
guiding her. Women working in the office had
already warned her about him. The lecher
deserved to be punished she thought as she typed
away angrily.
At Home
Reaching home he found that his wife and
daughter in process of getting dressed for the
outing. Scolding his wife for being tardy, he went to
his study and switched on his laptop and started to
transfer the photos of his secretary he had taken
with his mobile camera without her knowledge. He
had a good collection of photos he had taken of her
and some of the ones he was proud of snapping he
had uploaded in various social network accounts
he operated through pseudo names to get multiple
“likes”. There was one of her bending over the file
cabinet searching for a file and he had snapped the
moment to record her voluptuous posterior for
Amateur Scribbles…
posterity. He chuckled as he remembered the
moment. Engrossed in morphing one image he did
not notice his daughter had walked into the room
and was watching him. “What are you doing papa?
Let us go, we are ready” The question startled him
and immediately he shut down the computer and
scolded her entering his study room without
knocking. Though she had access to the internet,
he had restricted the sites she could visit. There
were all kinds of people preying on children out in
the World Wide Web but he had made sure his
daughter was safe. His wife would never have
dared to enter this room. Hurriedly he changed his
dress and got ready for the cinema while his wife
and daughter waited for him.
In The Cinema
They entered the hall just as the movie was about
to start. He had booked their tickets near the aisle,
as he did not want his wife sitting next to some
stranger. And so his wife sat in the aisle seat and
their daughter between them. Two seats away a
gang of boisterous youth was busy being merry
and he was happy he had booked an aisle seat for
his wife. The movie started and he was engrossed
in it when there was a disturbance from the aisle.
He frowned as the latecomers stumbled past him
to the two vacant seats. The first was a youth with
a popcorn pack in his hand and then the man’s
heart missed a beat and then raced as he saw the
second person was a young woman and she had
sat down next to him. On the screen the villain was
busy trying to denude and rape a woman and he
was going about it a leisurely way laughing aloud
at the woman’s screams and helplessness. At that
point the man glanced uneasily at his daughter and
wondered if she ought to be watching the sexual
violence on the screen. He was aghast at what was
being shown to family audiences. Adults like him
would not have been affected by what was being
shown these days but young boys and girls should
not be shown such filth he thought. He soon lost
interest in the movie and all his attention was
focused on the young woman to his right who he
watched through the corner of his eyes. The new
comers obviously were too young to be married
but it was apparent that they were more than just
friends. Leaning on to each other over the armrest
between them they watched the movie whispering
and munching corn all the while. The man felt a
twinge of jealously watching the young man. In his
youth it was difficult to even get a girl to talk, let
alone cuddle in a movie show. These young women
of today were out for excitement all the time he
thought. Slowly he let his arm slide across the
armrest. His heart was beating fast and he was
filled with a wild illicit excitement. Slowly and
surreptitiously he moved his arm till he touched
her body with his elbow. At first she looked at him
and then shifted away. Emboldened he waited
dizzy with anticipation for any move from her and
then seeing no response he moved his elbow once
again. This time he got a response. Turning
furiously at him she glared in anger and raised her
arm as him if to slap him and then stopped.
All his excitement had withered and shriveled as
he cowered back to his side of seat. The girl had
downed her hand as she realized that the man’s
daughter was watching her wide eyed in shock.
With a final look at the man that said more than a
thousand words could do, she ignored him and
turned back to her friend who had been watching
perplexed. The man furtively glanced around to
see if anybody had noticed and relaxed when he
saw that other than his daughter no one was
paying any attention to him.
The Way Back
The man was in a hurry to leave the theater as
soon as the movie got over, explaining to his wife
the need to get to their car before the exit got
jammed by the rush of viewers in hurry to depart.
In the car, as they left the multiplex, his daughter
was unusually silent and his wife remarked on this
by cutting short her rambling review of the movie
to ask her if she had enjoyed the movie. The girl
remained quiet looking out of the window and the
man hoped she did not ask any questions.
Suddenly she cried “Look, look,…Didi..” The man
turned to watch out of the car window and was
very surprised to see the woman from the cinema
waving and shouting something from the window
of the bus she was travelling in. Before he could
understand what was happening, the bus had
overtaken his car and he was left bemused. What
was the meaning of that wave he wondered! Why
was she being friendly now? Of course he was
quite handsome and perhaps she saw him when
the lights had come on in the theater and ……
Should he try to speed up to the bus and check her
out he wondered.
Unfortunately by then they had reached the
restaurant where the birthday dinner was planned
and he regretfully turned into to the parking lot of
the hotel. During dinner he ordered all the favorite
dishes of his daughter including a huge dollop of
ice cream dish and his daughter was back to her
cheerful mood. He was happy that the dinner went
off well and as he entered the car to drive back
home he could not help remembering the woman
waving at him.
It was now late in the night and he was speeding
down the road when suddenly a bus in front of him
cut across the road from the center median to the
sidewalk and halted suddenly. He cursed the driver
and slammed on the brakes in time to avoid hitting
the bus. He got down angrily from the car and
began to move towards the bus to give the driver a
piece of his mind. Just then two figures jumped out
of the bus and fell on to the sidewalk and without
warning the bus began to reverse towards him and
the car. Hurriedly he moved back to the car
shouting in anger and sudden panic for the bus to
stop. The bus stopped and then lurched forward
and hit the sidewalk and almost ran over the
persons sprawled there after getting down from
the bus. The height of the sidewalk prevented any
further motion forward of the bus and after a few
seconds the front wheels turned and the bus sped
away leaving the man dazed and shocked. He went
back to the car and saw that the sudden braking
had caused minor injuries to his wife who had
banged her head on the dashboard. His daughter
seemed to be fine and he was about to examine her
when she pointed out of the window towards the
sidewalk. The figures were sitting up and from the
light of the cars head lamp he could now see that
they were a man and a woman and they appeared
to be…...nude. He froze when he recognized them
as the couple he had seen at the cinema earlier. By
now they were calling out for help. They seemed to
be badly injured with bloodied face and injuries all
over their bodies. As he took a step towards them
his wife spoke “Come back”. Her tone was sharp
and urgent. “Let us go. They may come back’ There
was fear in her voice. “Papa, help them please!” His
daughter cried out and in her voice was anguish
and a sense of helplessness. He had recovered his
wits by then and told them that he would call the
police. Taking out his mobile he walked towards
the couple lying on the sidewalk. His wife shouted
that it would be foolish to get involved in a police
case. Come back she screamed at him. He had
never seen her so determined or forceful and for a
moment he hesitated but then coming to a decision
he walked out to them with his mobile in his hand.
As he got near them, he saw the seriousness of
their injuries. The young man was trying to get up
but could not. He was bleeding from a big gash on
his head. The young woman was in a worse
condition and her whole body was covered by
injury marks. Her eyes were almost swollen shut
and weakly sensing his presence, she tried to
preserve her modesty with her bloodied hands.
Taking the mobile the man began pressing
the button frantically. Then turning swiftly he
walked away back to his car. Driving away he could
not help trembling in excitement at the thought of
the number of “likes” and “hits” his page would
have when he would upload the photos of the nude
girl on the internet.
- K. SREEKUMAR, Ambady, Nagaripuram,
Palakkad Kerala
Last Night
Last night I had a dream You ran down like a stream Your heart was throbbing And eyes were gleaming
Lips moved though unheard I heard whatever you whispered
A long pull back of time got unleashed Rain, winter, summer, spring
All became one at your advent Hand in hand we moved along
There were no promise There were no space
You filled me, I filled you We sang together the melody of our love
We sowed the seeds of our happy and blissful life
The odyssey had just begun When my mother woke me up
Shaking my head like a thrill in her hand The threads of the dream are still alive
You are not with me but your presence can't be denied
The halo of your beauty Makes everything bright
Your company enriches me Whether my eyes are closed or open wide
They are always dreaming Rather it be a day or night Last night I had a dream Has became a tag line..... Last night I had a dream
Has became a tag line........
- Mritunjay Kumar,
Munger, Bihar
WHY DID YOU LEAVE….????
I need you around, you make me complete..
I wish I could shake you up….hold you tight
and tell how much I loved…
See your love is here…I need you back.
C’mon say you love me too….
Just as you always do…
REMEMBER…you promised me life….just ME
and YOU…
Together…would be close…hand in hand….
both in highs and lows…
... No matter how hard is it…we would never
be apart..
REMEMBER….you promised.. so why…now
it’s you…who is doing so…????
C’mon.. Open your eyes..
Lets have a sweet morning fight..
Hey…come to me…there is none by my side..
Listen to me..I have so much to say…
M dying….I can’t watch you walk away.
Wake up and tell me it’s just a horrible
dream
Stop playing mock..
You know how much I hate these silent
screams…
OHH…!!!!!
Without you….
There is not an option rather..
All I know is I want you back..
Love you hard…..
……and to do same for the next so many lives
together…………
- VENU PANDEY, Almora
THE WAY YOU DID IT ‘MANDELA’
No one could again inspire the sphere, The way you did it ‘Mandela’ A savior, In the darkest thought. A revolutionary, Without any turbulent shout. The world of hope, Which you had brought. Fighting with the patience, Against the draught. We overlook the lesson, Which you had taught. Even God needs your presence, That’s why you have been caught. But, No one could again prompt the world, The way you did it ‘Mandela’ - Satwik Mishra,
Purnea, Bihar
Merry Christmas…!
Happy New Year 2014!