tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38169577088379467872024-03-20T22:39:22.571+05:30 The Placid RamblerStories.Reviews.Sliced-n-diced thoughts.Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-70961128661219760492023-08-05T23:19:00.007+05:302023-08-05T23:35:20.286+05:30 The Serenity of Mental Clarity Through Simple Journaling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMiGomBRY3Ja7L72iuWRuVmOWBZd8JPnoo0UKwvCTGgHtKNWRKGPAOsJxjC1JkMur_PPHIUD2tFFDK28oLT71YForffGVj--ttShbNb0zlfYCmg27OUE_78vaAS_tdvodrEnrqS-hGcBff4KKrLd9j8f3DbnZJ8BjlcQGrWYvxJqfUAWd3nQE7BZj/s1080/07237E11-45CA-45D2-9136-F02825581766.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMiGomBRY3Ja7L72iuWRuVmOWBZd8JPnoo0UKwvCTGgHtKNWRKGPAOsJxjC1JkMur_PPHIUD2tFFDK28oLT71YForffGVj--ttShbNb0zlfYCmg27OUE_78vaAS_tdvodrEnrqS-hGcBff4KKrLd9j8f3DbnZJ8BjlcQGrWYvxJqfUAWd3nQE7BZj/s320/07237E11-45CA-45D2-9136-F02825581766.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">At its core, journaling is nothing more than a simple, convenient activity. All you need is a pen and a notebook. What really makes a difference though, is your willingness to put your thoughts down on paper.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">You see, in today’s times, as our mind gets cluttered with information, we often fail to realise that it needs to process the thoughts in order to bring closure to them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Now, getting this closure is important, as without closure, the mind begins to go back to these thoughts over and over again, going in circles, until it begins ruminating. And when this happens with thousands of incomplete thoughts, it ends up taking up a lot of your cognitive power, leaving you exhausted and incapable of doing things you enjoy, and making life appear more difficult than it is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"></span></b></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">Writing your thoughts helps the mind process and close them down. Peppered with emotions, the mind clears out every thought effectively, leading to mental clarity. </span><span style="font-family: times;">Do that frequently, and you’ll find yourself free of all negativity, rumination. </span></b></span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"></span></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll realise you are thinking more clearly, getting more creative and productive, and enjoying life as it is!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Thus, to me, journaling looks like a simple and accessible, yet an underrated practice that can tremendously change our life. I have been journaling for the past 5 years, and the pay-off I had is immense. I could do more, write more while working management roles, take care of myself and my family, make time for my creative pursuits, travel, and generally keep a sense of calmness in all of this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">As ChatGPT puts it:</span></p><i><div><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The act of putting pen to paper, of pouring out your inner musings and reflections, can be remarkably liberating. It's as if the words themselves carry away the weight of your thoughts, leaving you with a lighter heart and a clearer mind. In a world saturated with screens and digital noise, the simplicity of a handwritten journal creates a space for genuine connection with your thoughts.”</blockquote></span></i></div></i><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Through journaling, you are externalising your thoughts, which makes you notice how you experienced them in your head vs what they really are when penned down. Over time, as you create a routine of journaling, you begin to replace screen-scrolling with mindful journaling, especially when you want to overcome negative experiences or the general stressors of life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">This is an extremely positive thing you can do for your mind and body.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVARQShoC19fGCrZ34Vzy0TNAvqnH2hFtEjFMOfPs_WCnK0DT6WRSBxpWq-nQpasEgU0Jwo-tHeT3zDOP_epOBBkfDrcYa8zzlDDGqznOSON_nmlReZ6Tt8a2niWujKg94g4mwfxV_BGiC-YB2WPiaECE24Tb6oDA7zDyYBgLXSjUedyL6t8PkKwVr/s1080/FFA82FB5-EACE-403D-B41C-5AA0A327EE86.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVARQShoC19fGCrZ34Vzy0TNAvqnH2hFtEjFMOfPs_WCnK0DT6WRSBxpWq-nQpasEgU0Jwo-tHeT3zDOP_epOBBkfDrcYa8zzlDDGqznOSON_nmlReZ6Tt8a2niWujKg94g4mwfxV_BGiC-YB2WPiaECE24Tb6oDA7zDyYBgLXSjUedyL6t8PkKwVr/s320/FFA82FB5-EACE-403D-B41C-5AA0A327EE86.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Quoting ChatGPT once again:</span></p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><blockquote>“As you arrange your ideas and experiences into coherent sentences, you may find that your mind follows suit, aligning itself with a newfound sense of clarity. It's as though the act of simplifying your thoughts on paper has a ripple effect, guiding your internal world towards harmony and serenity. In a world fixated on instant gratification and complex solutions, the simplicity of journaling offers a refreshing alternative. It is a reminder that amidst the noise and haste, a few moments of quiet introspection can yield remarkable results. The act of taking pen to paper and allowing your thoughts to flow freely is an act of self-care, a gentle gesture of kindness towards your own mind.”</blockquote></span></i><div><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">To conclude, the journey to mental clarity doesn’t have to be complicated as you’d initially feel. Taking up journaling can be a transformative step for your mind, helping you achieve tranquility and mental clarity that rewards you in all aspects of life. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>So let your thoughts flow, and allow a simple notebook unburden your mind through externalisation of thoughts, and soon enough, you will find yourself discovering the profound, calming joy of sustained mental clarity.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkI29Ck_pofqXXCj1I0u8wnRlEEa4GZZ9fnSIBXAn8njh-UutRyjr_Uh70ZLjwj9Ur56EaJz1Rw1C2FcYbnlOs5u2lHTrOmXFXtjUPBaeb4ypWUQZrX7iCxLib-Lt8OcByDTanYy9PJrxigr8JKfrHDM-VGqpr6jc3v7aF6aRSz6i7yJ5WfLJtalH/s1080/F3A33C4F-3828-4FB1-B2FD-1168A335468E.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkI29Ck_pofqXXCj1I0u8wnRlEEa4GZZ9fnSIBXAn8njh-UutRyjr_Uh70ZLjwj9Ur56EaJz1Rw1C2FcYbnlOs5u2lHTrOmXFXtjUPBaeb4ypWUQZrX7iCxLib-Lt8OcByDTanYy9PJrxigr8JKfrHDM-VGqpr6jc3v7aF6aRSz6i7yJ5WfLJtalH/s320/F3A33C4F-3828-4FB1-B2FD-1168A335468E.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-92192731658378264882023-05-27T23:29:00.002+05:302023-05-27T23:29:16.695+05:30Cooper's Hilarious Escape: A Saturday Morning Comedy Show!<div><span style="font-size: large;">Greetings, fellow pet lovers and adventure seekers! Today, I have an uproarious tale to share with you, starring the one and only Cooper, my mischievous Beagle puppy. Join me as we delve into a breezy morning filled with fresh air, unexpected antics, and a chase that could rival a comedy sketch!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On this particular Saturday, as the sun peeked through the curtains, Cooper's excitement was palpable. It was as if he had sensed the promise of a thrilling adventure in the air. Obliging his enthusiastic tail-wagging, we embarked on our morning walk, ready to conquer the world—or at least the less-crowded neighbourhood.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjPz_HrmoeIW6zIugZK0zENrY6dn4kiqaPXqKaIFyZbbJ81AT_mK1CU6ViZVeduW5iWTAhWJfOf6xU5Cj58YH_c2vnxsZhS27sQIRcek1wydIZ0rkWThU8OQ2wKzau6tG7eLgb-DZT-EQ6HU9cj4EjMG2jlGGTXG0t2SHk9r2OIUNoV2i7vQjMJQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="831" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjPz_HrmoeIW6zIugZK0zENrY6dn4kiqaPXqKaIFyZbbJ81AT_mK1CU6ViZVeduW5iWTAhWJfOf6xU5Cj58YH_c2vnxsZhS27sQIRcek1wydIZ0rkWThU8OQ2wKzau6tG7eLgb-DZT-EQ6HU9cj4EjMG2jlGGTXG0t2SHk9r2OIUNoV2i7vQjMJQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As we strolled along, enjoying the tranquil surroundings, I couldn't help but notice Cooper nipping at his leash. In my well-meaning naivety, I thought, "Ah, maybe he wants me to slow down and savour the fresh air." Little did I know that Cooper had devised a scheme of his own for this eventful day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In the blink of an eye, Cooper's keen eyes spotted a stick conveniently shaped to fit his jaws. With a bound of joy, he pounced on it, filling the air with his ecstatic leaps. Now, being the responsible pet owner that I am, I figured, "Hey, why not throw the stick and have him fetch it? It'll be a delightful game!" Oh, the folly of my innocent intentions.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With unwavering determination, I let go of the leash, granting Cooper the freedom to pursue his stick-fetching dreams. Little did I expect the plot twist that awaited me? As if possessed by a mischievous spirit, Cooper sprinted towards the stick, snatched it up triumphantly, and turned to face me. And then, my friends, the unthinkable happened.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Cooper, that sly rascal, looked me square in the eyes and burst into a fit of laughter—a burst of doggy laughter, mind you! It was as if he had been secretly studying stand-up comedy during his downtime. With a sly giggle, he dashed off, stick in tow, taunting me with every step.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I stood there, dumbfounded and bewildered, as my precious Beagle puppy transformed into the furry incarnation of Houdini. Cooper, the escape artist extraordinaire, had vanished before my very eyes. But fear not, dear readers, for the comedy had only just begun.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Driven by equal parts panic and amusement, I embarked on a mad dash to catch up with my wayward companion. Cooper, in his newfound freedom, seemed to have adopted a game of stop-and-go. Just when I thought I was gaining ground, he would abruptly halt, teasing me with his mischievous grin. It was a canine rendition of a never-ending game of tag.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But the hilarity didn't stop there. Oh no! As fate would have it, a stray dog joined the chase, mistaking the chaotic pursuit as an invitation for play. With a wag of his tail, this furry interloper added an extra layer of comedy to the scene. Meanwhile, the neighbourhood kid, sensing the mayhem, came cycling to my aid, determined to help capture Cooper and restore order to our Saturday morning circus.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As the chaos unfolded, even the usually stoic society guard couldn't help but crack a smile. The car wash guys, who were going about their work, found themselves unable to resist the spectacle and erupted into laughter.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally, after three attempts worthy of a slapstick routine, I managed to lay hands on Cooper, bringing the sidesplitting chase to an end. The sight of me, panting and dishevelled, clutching my clever runaway pup, must have been a sight to behold.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">And so, dear readers, let this tale serve as a reminder that even the most seemingly ordinary Saturday morning walks can transform into hilarious adventures when you have a mischievous beagle pup by your side! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Embrace the unexpected, laugh at the absurd, and relish the joy that our furry friends bring to our lives.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time, keep wagging and laughing! 😉</span></div>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-32738077841281852192023-01-25T20:51:00.000+05:302023-01-25T20:51:21.275+05:30Are you angrier?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg2XxJkTMjvGhxGgieHlsM0S-54MhYHOaOAA2n1GneR8mBNGfUeVAuamyx2xIx1-eCxGfcCtAik2RMpcVqVKX4ESpyaMdhVSsWinDazCnZmv76bdZZzyxdxLxwyvKwSSD1-qKqGpxy0h21AGGMnn4czky7kSlCci1F_9t0aXhcDIcqX-8wOl_IA/s1024/6B580811-2370-4A18-99F0-F521C41BA466.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg2XxJkTMjvGhxGgieHlsM0S-54MhYHOaOAA2n1GneR8mBNGfUeVAuamyx2xIx1-eCxGfcCtAik2RMpcVqVKX4ESpyaMdhVSsWinDazCnZmv76bdZZzyxdxLxwyvKwSSD1-qKqGpxy0h21AGGMnn4czky7kSlCci1F_9t0aXhcDIcqX-8wOl_IA/s320/6B580811-2370-4A18-99F0-F521C41BA466.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Anger is a natural emotion that can be difficult to control. However, it is important to remember that anger can be harmful to both ourselves and others if it is not managed properly. Here are some tips to help reduce anger and lead a more peaceful life.</p><p><br /></p><p>First, it is important to understand the root causes of your anger. Is it a specific event or person that triggers your anger? Or is it a general feeling of frustration or stress? By identifying the cause of your anger, you can take steps to address the problem directly.</p><p><br /></p><p>Second, try to take a step back and give yourself some space when you start to feel angry. This can help you gain perspective and avoid lashing out in the heat of the moment. Engage in a leisure activity that you enjoy or find a quiet place to be alone and take deep breaths to calm down.</p><p><br /></p><p>Third, practice mindfulness and self-awareness. Try to be present in the moment and focus on your thoughts and feelings without judging them. This can help you stay calm in the face of anger and prevent it from escalating.</p><p><br /></p><p>Fourth, try to communicate your feelings in a calm and assertive manner. Expressing your anger directly can be a healthy way to deal with it, but it is important to do so in a respectful and non-confrontational way.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, remember that anger is a normal emotion and it is okay to feel it. What matters is how we choose to deal with it. By practicing these tips, you can reduce your anger and lead a more peaceful and fulfilling life.</p><p><br /></p><p>In conclusion, anger can be a powerful and destructive force if not managed properly. However, with a little bit of self-awareness, mindfulness, and the willingness to change, we can all learn to control our anger and lead more peaceful and fulfilling lives.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJiYJqvAaYdQY2IaElkJsYzUnFp0ejpOx2N_kXfoOQ8LPC5xgqsmHltGSLeUBdSLCBEk9xXB-kh4cUf8adwPO5c1V53hfH8wVeswBK01g8hoV2E3rlJEBDcCfV0nRUeKo-AR0Zn-n-98nizERGdKoAr2bGEZPTT79A_G0_qK_O4rEC6aCBlAd0g/s512/E708ED8A-4178-4D94-A1EA-4D29F4B72DA1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJiYJqvAaYdQY2IaElkJsYzUnFp0ejpOx2N_kXfoOQ8LPC5xgqsmHltGSLeUBdSLCBEk9xXB-kh4cUf8adwPO5c1V53hfH8wVeswBK01g8hoV2E3rlJEBDcCfV0nRUeKo-AR0Zn-n-98nizERGdKoAr2bGEZPTT79A_G0_qK_O4rEC6aCBlAd0g/s320/E708ED8A-4178-4D94-A1EA-4D29F4B72DA1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-3297562227161064622023-01-17T11:54:00.006+05:302023-01-17T15:04:35.982+05:30Jane and Michael and a simple world of fun and play<p><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sun was shining brightly on the playground as Jane and Michael stepped out of their homes, eager to try out the new swings and slides that had recently been installed. Both of them were young, barely out of their toddler years, and had never been on a playground before. They had heard stories from their older siblings about the fun and excitement to be had on the playground, and now that they were old enough, they couldn't wait to experience it for themselves.</span></p><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They met at the edge of the playground, unsure of where to start. Jane was a bit timid, looking around nervously at the towering equipment, while Michael was full of energy and couldn't wait to get started. "Come on, Jane!" he shouted, running towards the tallest slide. "Let's go!"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jane hesitated for a moment, but then she too began to run. She could feel the wind whipping through her hair as she chased after Michael, her heart pounding with excitement. They reached the slide and clambered up the ladder, laughing and giggling the whole way.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once at the top, they looked out over the playground and the neighbourhood beyond. It was a beautiful day and the world seemed to stretch out forever. Jane felt a sense of freedom and joy that she had never experienced before. She turned to Michael and grinned. "This is amazing!"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They slid down the slide together, shrieking with delight as they tumbled down the steep slope. As they reached the bottom, they jumped up and ran to the swings. They pushed each other higher and higher, their laughter filling the air.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a while, they decided to try out the monkey bars. Jane was a bit scared, but Michael encouraged her and helped her through the first few rungs. It was harder than she expected, but with Michael's help, she made it to the end. She felt a sense of accomplishment and pride as she looked back at what she had done.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the afternoon turned to even and the sun began to set, Jane and Michael reluctantly left the playground. They were tired and a bit sore, but they were also exhilarated. They had spent the whole day playing like kids, and it was the most fun they had ever had. They walked home together, already planning their next trip to the playground. They knew that they would be back soon, ready to play and explore again.</span><div><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicVvq_tpgBx50WDFTfty3GePSNxMu3h1_hvyQBnYettir0ldoManFl5jMzJWo3RqjWQG2NRI-gFSU4Mfx5Poo_3oM8ntpzpy_pceuOzZ6YLuWzxtZ4iqKzSBLp-P-nTxO1RMzTX73ld-fXV7urC_Hv1FHrqLQX9FXZroZdV4FW4Jxlao_bJvZb3g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicVvq_tpgBx50WDFTfty3GePSNxMu3h1_hvyQBnYettir0ldoManFl5jMzJWo3RqjWQG2NRI-gFSU4Mfx5Poo_3oM8ntpzpy_pceuOzZ6YLuWzxtZ4iqKzSBLp-P-nTxO1RMzTX73ld-fXV7urC_Hv1FHrqLQX9FXZroZdV4FW4Jxlao_bJvZb3g=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This is a ChatGPT-generated article, prompted and edited by the author.</i></span></span></div>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-20036095256246183312023-01-10T17:21:00.004+05:302023-01-17T11:55:42.915+05:302 minutes knowledge on Quantum Realm<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"> <span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The quantum realm is a term used to describe the behaviour of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic levels. In the classical realm, which is the realm of our everyday experiences, objects have definite positions, velocities, and other properties. However, in the quantum realm, the rules are very different.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">One of the key differences is that in the quantum realm, particles do not have definite positions or velocities until they are observed. This is known as the principle of wave-particle duality and it states that all particles exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behaviour.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Another key difference is that in the quantum realm, particles can exist in multiple states or locations at the same time. This is known as superposition.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">A consequence of these differences is that in the quantum realm, things can become "entangled." That means that the properties of two particles become linked together, so that even if they are separated by a large distance, what happens to one particle will affect the other particle.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Quantum physics also has given birth to the idea of quantum mechanics, which are a set of mathematical equations that describe the behaviour of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level. With these equations, scientists can make predictions about how particles in the quantum realm will behave and make some technology like computers and electronics work.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">While all of this might sound very strange and different from our everyday experiences, it is important to note that the principles of quantum mechanics have been extensively tested and found to be incredibly accurate. They have been verified in a wide range of experiments, and are widely accepted by scientists in the field.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><em class="tb" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.06px; white-space: normal;">This is a </em><a class="ae tc" href="https://chat.openai.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.06px; white-space: normal;" target="_blank"><em class="tb" style="box-sizing: inherit;">ChatGPT</em></a><em class="tb" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.06px; white-space: normal;">-generated article, prompted, edited and formatted by the author.</em></span></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-442775126976459792023-01-10T16:45:00.005+05:302023-01-17T12:21:27.444+05:30Catherine Part 4<p><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Catherine's story</b></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>A girl with eyes of grey,
Comes to Earth with a curious gaze,
From a planet where emotions are ablaze.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>Born in a land of logic and fact,
Where feelings are viewed as a hindrance, in fact,
She struggled to understand,
The swirling emotions of the native land.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>But as she roamed the streets,
She felt her heart begin to beat,
With new sensations, she'd never felt,
Love and joy, anger, and guilt.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>She felt her eyes start to water,
As she watched a mother and daughter,
Embrace in a loving hug,
She knew this was something to cherish, not shrug.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>She began to learn and grow,
As she let her emotions flow,
She realized that in this new place,
The feeling is what sets us apart and gives us grace.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>As she looked to the sky,
She knew she could never say goodbye,
To the world that gave her birth,
But she was grateful for the emotions that gave her worth.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i>The girl from the emotionless planet,
Now understands the beauty and power of it,
And with each passing day,
She falls more in love with the feeling way.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXjUHT_gptfAqCx_I4CvnWh2WBkKJNPEAMk52kSDpsBBQnqm58tdJR0EClxnYxPn50e0mq7r9tZ_mU9zQFmI7qdWjkxpkzrPvV5viVWzPEYT1W5ARaZS5sXt_Cfahl3Q4eWXi1Os4HH9Gw7m7EVYUB_YvsmBLgTBmOAoaAsVSAZ97K2IYxr9zgw/s512/UtJenFZCSlAIyctsZ9cu--1--yopb9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXjUHT_gptfAqCx_I4CvnWh2WBkKJNPEAMk52kSDpsBBQnqm58tdJR0EClxnYxPn50e0mq7r9tZ_mU9zQFmI7qdWjkxpkzrPvV5viVWzPEYT1W5ARaZS5sXt_Cfahl3Q4eWXi1Os4HH9Gw7m7EVYUB_YvsmBLgTBmOAoaAsVSAZ97K2IYxr9zgw/s320/UtJenFZCSlAIyctsZ9cu--1--yopb9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></div><p></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><em class="tb" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: -0.06px; white-space: normal;">This is a </em><a class="ae tc" href="https://chat.openai.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: -0.06px; white-space: normal;" target="_blank"><em class="tb" style="box-sizing: inherit;">ChatGPT</em></a><em class="tb" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: -0.06px; white-space: normal;">-generated post, prompted, edited and formatted by the author.</em></span></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-18924998639335233002022-06-11T19:45:00.002+05:302022-06-11T19:45:18.961+05:30Movie Review: 'Hustle'<p class="graf graf--p" name="946c"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">What worked for me was how the movie was working the pace of the game.</em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="946c"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhARdrBy3YWR2NHUfU805F8MBH9J9LbyJHP-oq140U3rBAiBbLCo_9v948NWRJluhiY3ACQCY7Vy39wwIMj4IDJBCs-ZaIoODtaam4OhxvnE09CA2e4Fjis-HuJ3DoO_gT91_FmJUV-UE6QC7qfJmtx8dCWR5PDZ0xw8_Df10oW_EdCt7eMQAvUOA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhARdrBy3YWR2NHUfU805F8MBH9J9LbyJHP-oq140U3rBAiBbLCo_9v948NWRJluhiY3ACQCY7Vy39wwIMj4IDJBCs-ZaIoODtaam4OhxvnE09CA2e4Fjis-HuJ3DoO_gT91_FmJUV-UE6QC7qfJmtx8dCWR5PDZ0xw8_Df10oW_EdCt7eMQAvUOA" width="162" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image source: IMDB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="ae4c">Adam Sandler fans must feel vindicated every time he makes a good drama. After Uncut Gems, I was, you can say, waiting to rush to the very next drama that he makes. I believe Adam Sandler is one of those actors who won’t think much about repute when they pick up scripts, they are just very secure in what they do.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="601b">Hustle doesn’t disappoint, as it is a refreshing yet intense sports drama. Some really good lines get spoken by the man himself. What clicks is the chemistry that is depicted between a scout and his find — this is a relationship that I do not recall seeing in a feature film. And it works damn well, amidst the backdrop of Philadelphia’s cool NBA craze.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="e80f">The background music touches on a bit of synth — just a tad bit — kind of like Uncut Gems — but ultimately, respectfully, plays it safe. This was much needed because the movie couldn’t afford to lose focus in such a simple plot which doesn’t want to (or need to) scope out too much. Again, refreshing to see this happen.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="c461">This was a movie that kept a smile on my face throughout. The drive it depicts, the rush it creates, the stillness it doesn’t fake, and the humour it allows — all these elements balance out well. You wouldn’t get bored of the food jokes for sure.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="946c"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"></em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="4245">Netflix x Sandler works. It worked yet again through Hustle. What’s next for us? I hope it arrives soon.</p><p class="graf graf--p" name="4245"><i>First Published on my Medium blog: <a href="https://ramblersm.medium.com/movie-review-hustle-b9c07f6a282b">https://ramblersm.medium.com/movie-review-hustle-b9c07f6a282b</a></i></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-3562519539244616452021-06-24T21:20:00.009+05:302023-01-17T11:56:52.198+05:30Catherine Part 3<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">They shut down the rear side gates of our school grounds yesterday. Apparently, there was some kind of an unnatural sighting in the evening after we left school. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some conspiracy theorists online are saying there has been some kind of unidentified sightings. Some trees have been felled. Some vehicles are missing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There was a power surge last night but I didn't notice it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">They are also saying that Catherine has disappeared.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">---</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I live through you."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"You cannot."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I do."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"It's a grand facade."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"It's all been the same, always."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"It's always been a grand facade for the past few decades."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Why?"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I wish I knew. We have been following instructions and nothing else. We had to create habitat replicas. Replicas that would be bubbles actually. These habitats would help us to live." </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Why are you telling me this, Catherine?"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Because you have seen through our bubble, Sam. You saw through Suraj. Through me. I think you are someone we never thought could exist."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"There's a conflict in my head since I was born. A haze. But I have learned to live with it. What do you mean I am someone you never thought could exist?"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I think you are one of us, but not quite."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"You mean.."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I mean.. impossibly, your ancestry lies with us."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"What? And, Impossibly..?"</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">"<i>Something had happened, where we </i><i>come from. We cannot procreate. We cannot co-exist with a different kind. And yet.."</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"My head hurts again."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"I'll come to you tomorrow. I'll go now. You be well, Sam."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Catherine, I have so many questions.."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">---</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><to be continued></span></i></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-10042702435188996942021-06-19T20:57:00.002+05:302023-01-17T11:56:43.441+05:30Catherine Part 2<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Something stops me from writing much today. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I couldn't observe Catherine, my fascination almost seemed to be that of a stalker's. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I couldn't think much today. My class participation was not so great.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What is happening to me?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Words aren't failing me but I am not finding the courage to write. I wanted to tell the world about some of the strange occurrences of the recent past.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I will try again tomorrow.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Catherine. We need to start the deployment. We are being watched.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some thoughts are beginning to reveal a little. Catherine does well in the Geography classes. She is fond of minerals and rocks. E-309--</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hold on, I am unable to think again.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Catherine! The boy knows too much. We cannot hold him back for longer.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">E-309--</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">30--</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Catherine! We are losing him.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What is happening to me?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><to be continued></span></i></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-63838625712363311912021-06-18T12:03:00.002+05:302023-01-17T11:56:33.368+05:30Catherine Part 1<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 17px;">I see her. Well, not in the way you'd imagine. But I see her. I say this while telling you that I see her what she does. An identity that she hides.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I mix words. My sentences are short, but my thoughts are messy and long. Once I saw Catherine bring a fruit salad to campus - lots of it - in her lunch box. <i>She ate it very quickly, in a matter of seconds.</i> She sits alone, she is charming but she still does that, and manages to hide from everyone else. She is strong. I have seen her move a car once it was a bit dreamy, to be honest.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There used to be a boy we liked. Catherine used to love her I think. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But that boy stopped coming to school a few weeks after Catherine arrived. We used to say 'Suraj just disappeared!' and it did feel like it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Suraj and Catherine were never seen together, though. Suraj was a friendly guy and was an excellent runner. He'd run with the wind, no sweat wasted. And he never tired out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I mix observations too sometimes, my bad.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> But I remember this one cloudy day when we were practising a 100m sprint in school. The track was not good. It was slippery to be very honest. One was sure to fall if they ran at their usual best speed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Four boys tried a run. Everyone else fell but Suraj did not. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One thing really caught my eye: Suraj ran faster that day and it was a little cinematic to watch him do that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My mind confuses slightly this time, but <i>it felt as if he was trying to keep slow and he was failing. </i><i>It was as if he was trying to avoid being seen to run this way.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why would he feel that? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's fine right if others watch the star athletes do well in school?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Suraj disappeared the next day. It's been a year since then. And now Catherine, it seems to me that she is trying to avoid being seen too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I read fiction a lot. I have grown up with the whims of Stephen King's characters. I am just experiencing something similar whenever I come to school. And I never skip my school days you see.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Catherine, why are you such a private person? Is someone watching you?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is someone watching, us?</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><to be continued></span></i></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-12460327554058863022020-10-18T13:36:00.005+05:302020-10-18T13:42:00.880+05:30Icy Again<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AiOG17CfXC3zdKDhj-RNbjkLqEqIdOlD_t5e0Kmz9HgBGcr3QjZxlIuhfXlLl_42305r9O1BNJGc_C4bv0vbCoDA2lHXG9_8ZlMj1iFvLy-1Lm0e3sfPwWt06F4TkA_qsqMKYLaN8g/w320-h240/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="credits: psychology today" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="color: #999999;">Image Credits: psychology today</span></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div>Icy now, this mood<div><br /></div><div>we wait it out, slow it down really, and think about things</div><div><br /></div><div>what is the artsy, creative mind?</div><div> <div>a tendency to do everything</div><div><br /></div><div>a sense of doing nothing</div><div><br /></div><div>nothing at all</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>mostly, </div><div><br /></div><div>a rush to finish it, ship it out, rapid-publish without a second thought</div><div><br /></div><div>"icy hue is nice to me"</div><div><br /></div><div>but too much of grey doesn't sit well, too</div><div><br /></div><div>this constant back-n-forth of ideas</div><div><br /></div><div>of states of mind</div><div><br /></div><div>of decision-making</div><div><br /></div><div>you toughen up only to become unconcerned about the world</div><div>you soften a bit only to get defeated, swiftly</div><div><br /></div><div>this constant self-reminder of keeping a balance</div><div>whether or not you know it</div><div><br /></div><div>the busy, artsy minds around us</div><div>can't anchor to the learnings always</div><div><br /></div><div>'cause anchoring while in action must be a superpower</div><div>it has to be a superpower, we are sure</div><div><br /></div><div>in the process of doing something, you either focus on the doings or on the feelings, hah!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>no scope to overthink is needed</div><div>simple, clear thinking helps</div><div><br /></div><div>but we do know that clarity in our thoughts can make us hyper-aware</div><div><br /></div><div>so then we dim it down a bit</div><div><br /></div><div>a bit, a little bit more until </div><div><br /></div><div>it is</div><div> </div><div>icy again.</div></div>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-67704492795700450052020-08-16T21:28:00.001+05:302020-08-16T21:56:53.174+05:30My Writer's Block in 2020<p>Endeared Reader,</p><p>Writing is hard. It's harder to find the right plot points, especially as you get older and as your blog starts ageing with you. An idea that seemed fascinating 5 years ago, might not seem exciting at all, in the present day. </p><p>I have so many unfinished story drafts. The blog has 36 published stories (excluding the 'One Post Each Day' ones) and almost an equal number of unfinished drafts. Total published posts count across categories stands at 102.</p><p>What I want to transition into, however, is to make my stories more layered than before, my characters defined more clearly than ever. I want my stories to be stronger and sometimes, more sophisticated. As they say, the best way to improve as a writer is to be a good reader first.</p><p>My efforts over the past two years have been focused in the direction of being a better reader. I take a lot of time to research and figure out which book to buy, which new author's style to invest in, and what kind of plots I should be curious about. Sometimes, it's a great success; other times it's a sorry slip.</p><p>My paperback stock is overflowing now (I need a massive wall unit to keep my books - some of the older titles are beginning to get spotty and brown-paged). My Kindle library is also getting bulkier.</p><p>I do contemplate donating some of my books. But then I get reminded of those 10 titles that I had brought with me to my B-School back in April 2017, and how they disappeared on the very first day. I think they were stolen or I misplaced them while relocating. I still get flustered when I think of them as all of these titles were pretty well-curated reads and some of them were thoughtful gifts from my friends who have seen me grow as a writer over the years. Sure enough, I quickly reject the idea of donating my books.</p><p> Also, I am not that old yet, that I go about donating my books!</p><p>Anyway, this quest to find the best of the plots has led me to some amazing books over the past few years. I am sharing some of these, the ones that I ended up finishing:</p><p><b><i>Fiction</i></b></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder">Wonder</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18774964-a-man-called-ove">A Man Called Ove</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31434883-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine">Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43704648-the-legacy-of-nothing">The Legacy of Nothing</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40030615-life-over-two-beers-and-other-stories">Life over Two Beers and Other Stories</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18373.Flowers_for_Algernon">Flowers for Algernon</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670-dark-matter">Dark Matter</a></li></ol><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>Non-Fiction</i></b></div><div><ol><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40858227-humans">Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492688-yes-my-accent-is-real">Yes My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven't Told You</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26810258-seven-brief-lessons-on-physics">Seven Brief Lessons on Physics</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17290915-stats-and-curiosities">Stats and Curiosities: From Harvard Business Review</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning">Man's Search for Meaning</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29965800-the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-f-ck">The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck</a></li></ol></div><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was determined that 2020 will be the year when I become a prolific blogger again, which in my terms means writing at least two posts a month. Since I did a lot of music work in 2019 and I still feel very drained due to that, I decided not to work much on music this year.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">However, in a post-COVID world, where stepping out is not an easy option, and looking inwards can be a delicate proposition, I am running out of ideas. I do have the motivation to write, don't get me wrong. But, when it comes to conceiving plots, revisiting and changing them, figuring out the scope (wow, I have become very managerial over the past two years haha), or chalking out the characters, I am simply not convinced.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Then there's this other problem: I don't know anymore, how I should target my readers when I share a new post - but I guess that's a technical problem which I can solve using some standard digital marketing practices.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It's not that in 2020 so far, I haven't done any writing at all. I have written a seven-part series on Product Management interview preparation, in which I have documented my experiences and learnings from over 35 PM interviews that I faced since 2019-end. This journey of appearing for interviews has been very challenging but rewarding, and I was told by many of my great friends to put my thoughts down into structured and articulated posts, something that could benefit many others who are trying to crack these interviews.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The feedback I received has been eye-opening and constructive. One of my posts has been featured on a popular Product Management forum as well, and I have a pending invitation for a feature on another. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Here's a link to all the parts of the series: </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3816957708837946787/6770449279570045005#" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">https://dynalist.io/d/a8IgwyLSkCUUmpVERd1I4kRg</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. If this field interests you, do read and tell me what you think!</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">All in all, this reinstated the faith in me that, writing non-fiction is easier (sorry, non-fiction writers but I think this is candidly very true). You have to gather your observations of the real world and write down your interpretations around them, and sometimes simply document whatever you are learning, what you want to do, etc. The entire corporate world depends on non-fiction writings. That said, any form of writing is difficult - it requires focus, honesty, and sometimes, courage. So write while you can, whenever you can.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Writer's block in 2020 is unparalleled! Looking for prompts and inspirations, seeking collaborative efforts, looking for a co-author - all these don't work amidst an uncertain play of restrictions.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Creative writing requires perspective and 'mental refreshments', and these are things that I constantly derive from the outside world. The ambiguity of the outside world, the newness down the same old streets, works wonders for generating fresh ideas. If you want honesty in your ideas, you need the old-fashioned methods - you need to travel, to meet people, have moments of awkwardness and triumphs, etc.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I feel that I am seeing how genres are constantly getting gamed - So many new books have synopses that seem just rushed and rehashed. The cover designs are more deceptive than ever, now that design has become democratized. Besides, it looks like it is easy to get recommendations from famous names (I hope I am wrong on this one).</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">People can churn out plots by simply: a) breaking down the traits of a genre, b) adding the same old characters that fit fine with those traits, c) adding popular or messed-up tropes and d) finishing it out without much sense of responsibility. I can't follow the same 'framework'. If you ask me why I won't have a detailed response.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It just doesn't seem right.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">So very soon (hopefully!), I will be able to come up with something original once again, that helps you, my dear reader, get into a fulfilling journey as you read my work. When you finish reading it, I hope you'll see immediately, what makes this blog unique and worthy of the time and views that it has garnered over the past nine years.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">That said, if you have ideas and want me to take a look, you can always reach me at </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3816957708837946787/6770449279570045005#" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">contactsoumyam@gmail.com</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. I am also very open to collaborate or be a part of co-authoring projects (I can spare at least 2-3 hours a week on these).</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Until then, stay safe and stylish!</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">-Soum</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p>Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-78943846427554666732019-09-25T00:01:00.001+05:302019-09-29T10:52:02.021+05:30Our Good Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What remained of us, held chains and links together.<br />
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We gained interests, positive and then negative, until it was all sinusoidal, a thread cold and shiny.<br />
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A chance encounter, with the passing rains, gave power and motion to the lingering thoughts.<br />
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Love remained fantastic, a community stronger, a rub everlasting.<br />
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Our Good Days, as the philosopher preached, remained as is, unfolding and recoiling.<br />
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They said very clearly, that life is lingeringly long, take it piece by piece.<br />
Our Good days have been, I think,majestic truly.<br />
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It's a toss, a shakedown, a mincemeat plate of words.<br />
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The ink dries up every time you yearn to see me but decide against it ultimately.<br />
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But then, it rains and we end up having nothing so special handed down to us.<br />
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We, at the end, stay just, grateful, thankful, and kind, to and fro, each other.<br />
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Our good days, our bad days, scheduled here n there, our muse,<br />
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Changes how we pay attention to the smallest of the details, that hold us taut, together.<br />
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<i>(The month of empathy at TPR concludes on September 30th 2019)</i></div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-54748934073986688422019-09-07T10:32:00.000+05:302019-09-07T10:54:21.429+05:30Notes on Instructional Design<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Instructional Design can be a hot mess. In the 'screenshot' below I have tried to teach you on $sticky# design patterns.<br />
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Did you notice how the pixels are fighting hard to avoid the bleeds?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKdi172wviTaCpmrD1ZdMy5iJ2qoJn9NNAIcEH8JFnqZE7wEeHYZAPT_aUwIFbJvRbaBuQnbXWzddXGYWpe8UsC0vMDmxcal8s5YboXIam7fgPtmLH04QWHNuEVLUAqIHb2TB_AHfTQ/s1600/Screenshot_20190907-102850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="739" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKdi172wviTaCpmrD1ZdMy5iJ2qoJn9NNAIcEH8JFnqZE7wEeHYZAPT_aUwIFbJvRbaBuQnbXWzddXGYWpe8UsC0vMDmxcal8s5YboXIam7fgPtmLH04QWHNuEVLUAqIHb2TB_AHfTQ/s320/Screenshot_20190907-102850.jpg" width="147" /></a></div>
Pneuma by Tool plays in the background*</div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-33733527752209680992019-09-05T13:00:00.000+05:302019-09-29T10:52:01.937+05:30Reality Confetti<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are paying attention, and you are extremely sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Aren't you?</span></div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-69859570678206637292017-10-03T16:26:00.004+05:302017-10-03T17:02:51.343+05:30Ethical Leadership Amidst Disruptive Innovation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGcECxYT8Ki_JA6H7pYwdcOX1MwVqbKX9uLY1pRfH_R1JBoSMCvUIMrDTNuYCGloTI2JJnw2qiyZGLCox5VjEelJbH37vNpDbyIf_MYYcDLVMzTUAZLz8gr9uVESAn_KmTwAx_hbbBQ/s1600/disruptive-innovation.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="925" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGcECxYT8Ki_JA6H7pYwdcOX1MwVqbKX9uLY1pRfH_R1JBoSMCvUIMrDTNuYCGloTI2JJnw2qiyZGLCox5VjEelJbH37vNpDbyIf_MYYcDLVMzTUAZLz8gr9uVESAn_KmTwAx_hbbBQ/s200/disruptive-innovation.png" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">T</span></b>echnology in the modern era has surged to a point where disruptive innovation can change major foundational and structural processes that sustain businesses across the globe. As such, for a leader, envisioning without compromising on business ethics becomes a matter of prime importance, especially when we are talking about dealing with continuously-flowing information corpus to drive the success metrics of businesses. The question thus arises: In order to keep up with the opportunities and challenges that disruptive innovation brings in, are today's leaders taking enough care to keep their ethical responsibilities intact and in the forefront?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz3Sm3reVxKp56-s9uWdmLX4Jtyw_aEDuhkjl1I4W77WnWkDqi8ZBlVwu21KxrvNNSFyX8QQVulHrzHEfSPcacJaMpl3aacspJXnTRiTfvHbO5dRY75tb8MhmD7X-AwB62NK_VrbfqA/s1600/growth-hacker-ethics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="350" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz3Sm3reVxKp56-s9uWdmLX4Jtyw_aEDuhkjl1I4W77WnWkDqi8ZBlVwu21KxrvNNSFyX8QQVulHrzHEfSPcacJaMpl3aacspJXnTRiTfvHbO5dRY75tb8MhmD7X-AwB62NK_VrbfqA/s200/growth-hacker-ethics.jpg" width="200" /></a>Case in point: Data-driven intelligence. While innovators see enough scope in this that benefits the civilisation in every aspect of life- personal and professional, regulators and law-makers worry that anonymity may face irreversible damages when user data gets tracked and leveraged to this scale for creating new business values. They also argue that the pace of disruptive technical advancement cannot be matched with the expected slow progress that legislative and regulatory bodies would make while developing the laws of governance and ethics around the same.<br />
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Disruptive innovation, backed by active investment, is gradually and rapidly enabling the growth of new-age digital ecosystems (Internet of Things, Cloud tech, AI, etc.) and as such, it lies in the hands of the leaders, who ultimately initiate and drive these changes, to be ethical and mindful of the cascading effects that a simple act of negligence can bring about, at a global level.<br />
<i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Submitted as part of the <b>Responsible Leadership </b>course, Indian School of Business</span></i><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></i><br />
<i style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> image credits: Milken Institute Review, seopressor.com</span></span></i></div>
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Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-62713580269506625122017-03-09T02:39:00.001+05:302019-09-05T13:03:41.829+05:30A Note on Why We Need to Talk More about Logan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine era means different things to different people. </div>
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Most of us go at great lengths to think fondly of it and defend their stand on how awesome the era is. </div>
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To me it has mostly been a well-acted part that he had played throughout with movies alright and bad here and there.<br /><br />He seems to enjoy promoting the aspect of violence associated with a long-running character that is Wolverine. </div>
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The action sequences of Logan write an elaborate testimony to support this. With every amped up and speedy action sequence in Logan, in which you’d just want to see a Wolverine gut slice chop grate tear and stab through, there’s an absolutely uncompromised level of fan servicing included. </div>
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R rating helps a lot. But if you have looked at Wolverine movies as being mainly about revenge, be prepared to see a different, layered kind of story this time. Talking any further about the plot threatens to give away spoilers.<br /><br />Logan sure does have its set of flaws. </div>
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A list could me made, such as:</div>
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- unexplained appearances of ordinary objects which help people do something important throughout the movie. </div>
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But this is about me being truly critical. </div>
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As a viewer who wants some depth in the conversation scenes so that a simple plot could find its true purpose in hindsight, I was blown away.<br /><br /><br />In the end, Logan, I’d like to think, is just a finely-crafted movie that improved with time, thanks to an excellent array of skill-ful performances, balanced-mess action, and of course, a journey about a Father who'd go to the last mile to save his child.</div>
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My Rating: 9.5/10</div>
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Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-29923728663973881462017-01-24T01:26:00.000+05:302017-01-24T18:11:46.940+05:30The Two Gatekeepers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The stench of the severed arm and fingers somehow got masked by the lingering fragrance of perfume in the lift. That trailing, fruity scent that might command an inner lust, doesn't please the lookers who saw a severed arm and fingers when the lift was called for, first thing in the morning. The gatekeeper, an old man, had tried his best not to puke.<br />
<br />
"Good thing that he didn't mess the scene up much."<br />
<br />
"Poor old fella."<br />
<br />
"Barely managed to finish his shift after that. The caretakers say that his handoff guy had called in sick, and he was supposed to make two shifts."<br />
<br />
"They have two for this society?"<br />
<br />
"Is that unusual?"<br />
<br />
"Not if you go by the govt's planning recommendations."<br />
<br />
"Right. Smoke break?"<br />
<br />
"Sure, come let's walk to that smoke pod. I saw some interesting brands on display, earlier."<br />
<br />
The two detectives had sealed the society off the limits and called for a team from the forensics dept. As they began walking towards the nearest of the smoke pods in the area, detective Myrin observed a slight line of redness at the wall near the lift, the one that was the closest to the entrance of the lift area. "Strange." he murmured.<br />
<br />
"The rings of smoke fly for a short time but the circle always stays intact till the end."<br />
"Hah!"<br />
"I like this pod, though. Do you think we should interrogate the guard now or after the forensics folks finish their analysis?"<br />
"That'd look very crude. Man, that dude is all curled up, as if he had the weirdest nightmare of his life. I don't feel if he would know anything."<br />
<br />
"We can avoid cracks later if we suspect everyone from the start. Saves a lot of work later when we close it."<br />
<br />
"Well, sure, I don't want to ruin our streak, Myrin, but c'mon, he is too old, and we don't have a body to match the arm."<br />
<br />
"I am not ruling out anyone. I hear the home-owners' committee have called for an emergency meeting - the owners are checking about the whereabouts of all their tenants in the society. They might plan to have a meeting there, in an hour."<br />
<br />
"Crowd scenes, eh. Hate it. Well, let's hope the forensics team gives us some data to work on, by then."<br />
<br />
"And let's also hope that no one is dead."<br />
<br />
"Yes, let's hope the same. Why are we not discussing the other guard though?"<br />
"Two gatekeepers is absolutely not unusual, Harvey."<br />
"Not that. I am wondering about his whereabouts. When did his leave begin, again?"<br />
"Melvin's team is interrogating the caretakers. We should have some table entry somewhere. Let's find out while Melvin is done talking to them."<br />
<br />
The caretakers informed that the second guard Amorean is usually a regular guy, but he took a sudden break that started two days before. He was on leave on three such occasions the entire month. The gaps between the leaves caught Myrin's eye.<br />
<br />
"No computerized work here."<br />
"Yeah, the caretaker says the workstation crashed recently, all we have now are these e-display sheets. Melvin is not sure about their statements, though."<br />
"Melvin unconvinced? I see. I guess, that explains the time sheet entries."<br />
"What do you mean?"<br />
"I was hoping that these people would be filling out their respective entries."<br />
"They would be, obviously, but then--"<br />
"Exactly. All the entries seem like they were written by a single person. Here, look at the zeroes."<br />
<br />
Myrin showed Harvey how all the electronic zeroes were elongated towards the tip. He enjoyed zooming then in and out. They shared a brief, muffled laugh, before coming back to the discussion at hand.<br />
<br />
"Let's talk to the older guard."<br />
"The forensics will be sending analysis report in an hour from now."<br />
"Harvey, I don't think the old man is involved anywhere here."<br />
"He didn't have any information to give us really."<br />
"In fact, I felt he is shocked beyond his senses. Couldn't make out anything from what he said."<br />
<br />
"An interesting style of old English he had. Never heard it in person much, but I read similar stuff in one of those paper-only works."<br />
"Yeah he is probably the author of the book."<br />
"Funny. But what I am trying to say is, he is not involved anywhere here. He is not from here."<br />
"I am confused. If he speaks in an obsolete form of our language, he doesn't fit here?"<br />
<br />
"I mean, he seems extra traumatized."<br />
"Myrin, there's no such thing as 'extra traumatized'."<br />
<br />
"There is, Harvey. Let me explain. Imagine seeing a spider. And then imagine seeing an extremely, unusually large form of that same spider. Which scene will build more fear within you?"<br />
"Obviously when I see the second spider."<br />
"Now what if I say that, you experience that same, higher degree of fear inside you, when you see the first spider."<br />
"Nah I don't think that makes sense. Because a spider of usual size wouldn't incite that much fear in me."<br />
<br />
Myrin smiled.<br />
"Similarly, the severed arm doesn't command that much trauma, which I am seeing in his eyes. He is extra traumatized."<br />
<br />
It was getting dark and the street lights had just begun to lit up in the set sequence of patterns. Usually the lights would light up less because movement would be low in this area after 7pm. Today they were lit in full brightness as the area was jampacked with people and their vehicles clogging the roads. The two detectives took the old gatekeeper and, amidst the commotion, they quickly moved towards the makeshift interrogation room, i.e., the nearby smoke pod. Harvey bribed the pod in-charge, sneaked in to the control station of the pod, turned off the display of brands, and instead, put up a 'Refill Expected in 5 hours!' notice on the screens that covered the pod.<br />
<br />
"Listen, Mr Kim. If you don't cooperate, we have to take the tougher route."<br />
Mr Kim trembled in a continued frenzy and found it extremely taxing to form words in his mouth.<br />
"Fh-- Oaa-- aa- I -- uh, the atrocity-- you are bringing upon my being is hurtf-- hurtful--"<br />
<br />
"Atrocity. Haha, sure." Harvey began. "We have all the evidences built up against you."<br />
"There-- There's no viable proof to sss-, subst--, substantiate your claims!" Kim used his full force to finish his sentence while continuously shaking on his seat in terror.<br />
"Proof I will give you, Mr Kim. We have blood samples."<br />
"Wh-- what obscene claims! That's not my blood!"<br />
"We never "claimed" it to be so. Or maybe you are telling us that it could be your blood indeed, as a matter of fact."<br />
"You can--, you cannot-- twist and turn through my words! I-- I don't want to stay. I want to go-- to go--"<br />
"We will see to that. Actually, we found something else in the blood sample."<br />
The pod door flung open noiselessly, and amidst a thin trail of smoke, Myrin entered. Myrin and Harvey exchanged glances and shared a quick nod. Smoking in the open was illegal, but Myrin didn't care as much, at the moment. He removed his coat, placed it carefully on the chair opposite to the guard, and leaned in an over-powering fashion at the already-terrorized old man.<br />
<br />
"Mr Kim you use an ointment?"<br />
"I-- I--"<br />
"Do you use an ointment?"<br />
"I-- it's personal. I-- skin lesions--"<br />
"Can we see your hands?"<br />
"No you can't -- this atrocity-- I cannot--"<br />
"What's with the interesting language you speak! Sometimes it feels like a movie, and I hate to see your talent going waste, Mr Kim. Show me your hands, please."<br />
<br />
Kim kept shivering and reluctantly he folded his left arm's sleeve up.<br />
"I use ointment on my lesions-- it is very painful otherwise-- painful-- please believe-- I want to go-- want to go--"<br />
"uv plague is wiped off the planet, Mr Kim. The UMC report for the year 2250 declared it globally, as part of the successful vaccination drive that had begun 8 years ago. Everyone knows about it. It's simply impossible to see untreated lesions these days."<br />
<br />
Mr Kim shook his head down, hid his face in his hands and began to cry, rocking himself back and forth in a steady motion.<br />
"....I want to go back I want to go...please-- please allow me to take your leave--"<br />
<br />
Before he could finish, he began slurring and started trembling vigorously on his chair. He shook his head hard, and kept shivering and murmuring incomprehensible words. His eyes seemed to stay stuck at a particular direction. Harvey watched in tremendous horror. Myrin lit up a cigarette as he looked on, an eerily quiet a stare. Harvey got up and hurried outside the smoke pod. Myrin followed and almost made it out before Harvey could slam the door behind him.<br />
<br />
"I don't get this at all. Should we call for an ambulance! What's happening?"<br />
"Bigger spider. That's what is happening."<br />
"What do you mean?"<br />
"I mean, Kim's mind is unable to process something that he is not supposed to see. An arm is not something that his mind is unable to process."<br />
"What?!"<br />
"There's something bigger. Kim wants to go back. But where?"<br />
"I have no idea, man, but I think we should call for an ambulance."<br />
"Don't get worked up so much and don't grow so protective of him. You might touch his lesions by accident. Remember the United Medical Council reports on the uv plague lesions? It's not around, but I remember the pictures and the consequences."<br />
"Everybody does. But what's the connection?"<br />
"The disease is the connection, Harvey. Kim is not a usual person for the contemporary times. He speaks in a style that existed in the past and now exists in some of the paper-only books. What if I told you that Kim himself is from the past?"<br />
"You mean he is a labeled ancestor from that conspiracy theory column?"<br />
<br />
"Quite possible. He is also the killer. But we will never find the body. The body is mostly around us. Have you ever considered the possibility of a <i>Timemac</i> set up somewhere, nearby?"<br />
"But the <i>Timemac</i> is not accessible to someone like Kim!"<br />
"You are right. It is not accessible to someone like Kim, or for that matter, to anyone who lived in his era."<br />
<br />
=======================================================================<br />
<i>Harvey James' private journal entry- The Severed Arm case- Log #5</i><br />
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[Sep 1st, 2252]<br />
The year was 2240. The UMC council, in a bid to eliminate a growing epidemic, commonly known as the 'uv plague', began looking for ways to iron out the numbers quickly, amidst the growing pressure from the government and the common people. The vaccine was effective but some of the council members sneaked the vaccine into the major Urban Community settlements in an attempt to make an unprecedented amount of money. The rich could pay for it, and eventually, the poor missed out on the treatment.<br />
<br />
Public unrests began springing out at various locations of the Rural Community settlements across the world. But the media chose to focus on results the miraculous drug more, and ultimately ended up covering the Urban Community. I feel they also chose to keep it that way, but who knows for sure.<br />
<br />
Amidst various stories and incidents that would float around, over the next two years, two articles had my attention. The first one was the first of the many that would go on to expose the controversial conduct of the usage of a new porting technology called the <i>Timemac</i>,which seemed to possess the capability to 'accidentally' disturb the space-time continuum. Eminent experts debated that it could help you travel back by a few hours. In other words, the <i>Timemac</i> had a fault in its <i>sequencing, </i>which people could use to travel at least two to four hours back in time. Some claimed that the team behind <i>Timemac</i> even successfully tested sending bots back in time. Nobody, however, knew how to use it for real people. Nobody knew, at least back then.<br />
<br />
The pace of technological advancement was upon us in full swing. In two years, theorists figured out how they could use the <i>Timemac</i> to send a human in blood-and-flesh, back in time, amidst a rising uproar against the 'controlled' accessibility of the <i>Timemac </i>that the government was trying to push, for the common people. A large group of thought leaders believed that such an unprecedented intrusion into the space-time continuum, no matter how controlled, but at a massive scale, could damage the fabrics of our universe. Proponents and opponents surfaced. 'A new battle is brewing!' as my friend and colleague detective Myrin would say.<br />
<br />
The second article was the first of a series of four articles. It occupied a small column space, but it talked about the missing people from various Rural Communities settlements around the world.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, that article came out at about the same time when the <i>Timemac</i> was ultimately voted to be banned in 2245. This particular article talked about conspiracy theories- about how the count of missing people was excruciatingly high in number, high enough that one cannot not ignore at the first read. The theorists behind the piece claimed that almost all of these missing people had shown usual symptoms of the uv plague, patchy skin lesions being the primary ones. They tried to link this rate of disappearance with the rate with which the UMC data showed a dip of the uv plague patients count. They ultimately went on to claim that the UMC shipped the patients back in time and usually killed them off, thus clearing the numbers out.<br />
<br />
This is a bogus conspiracy theory, and if anybody reads this log, they'd think the same at this point.<br />
<br />
We had the same conclusion as well, until we cracked the case of the Severed Arm, which made news everywhere - albeit with the stories and facts that the two of us chose to not hide from the people. The government is cooperating with us in keeping the dirt we have against the UMC, concealed, while we try to chase the council members down.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I don't know if we will ever be able to chase the culprits down but until then, the details of the case will continue to make us believe in the conspiracy theories.<br />
<br />
Mr Kim was a daily-wage gatekeeper from the 2010s - almost 240+ years older than us. The other gatekeeper, Amorean, was unknowingly, guarding a <i>Timemac</i> energy barrier when the UMC men were setting the <i>Timemac </i>up, in order to 'ship' the people from Rural Community settlements with the plague, into the past. Interestingly, the barrier triangulated a mile away from the society where we found the arm. The lift was actually one of the multiple power sources in the area which were being used for the energy barrier, and these sources would ultimately be connecting to the <i>Timemac</i> directly. Amorean once ended up witnessing one of the shipping process where they ported close to 50 people using the <i>Timemac</i>. He took unplanned short leaves and ultimately figured out how to sneak in. The caretakers say that he had also figured out how to come back to the present, and perhaps that's why he was not afraid of the consequences as much.<br />
<br />
The passcode in the <i>Timemac </i>was actually set to the year 2010. There was a similar society at that region in the 2010s, and Mr Kim was a gatekeeper for that society. The night we interrogated Mr Kim, amidst his fits and his screams, we found evidences like the ointment that he often used for his skin lesions. These patchy lesions were common those days, but the UMC council back then had supplied a free medication, the ointment, because while a cure was nowhere to be found, the ointment could suppress the spread of the disease. The uv plague would ultimately evolve to its advanced form, as the Earth's atmosphere thinned drastically over the next 200 years. Traces of the same ointment, which ceased to exist in production by the time 2200 was upon the civilisation, was found in the smudged blood that Myrin had found on the wall near the lift when we were investigating the scene. This led him firmly suspect that Mr Kim had the lesions, and was not from the current era.<br />
<br />
The blood on the wall was Amorean's. The severed arm was his, as well.<br />
<br />
Our conclusion, which took us two more years to substantiate in a <i>secret sessions</i> court, was this:<br />
<br />
Amorean had seen what they were doing to the people who were being shipped off. He took it upon himself and decided to stop the trafficking. One night he tried to cut the power source orignating from the lift. His failed attempt, however, resulted in a burst of energy that created an energy spiral, which unfortunately pulled Amorean in, and threw him into the <i>Timemac</i>. He went back in time, again in 2010, and ended up at the society which was situated in the same place where the current society is, today.<br />
In desperation, his confused mind and alerted eyes saw the skin lesions on Mr Kim's arm, who was guarding the place in one of his regular shifts. He thought that Kim was one of the <i>labeled ancestors, </i>a term which the conspiracy theorists believe that the UMC had used for the people they were sending back in time,<i> </i>and he decided to take Mr Kim back to 2250.<br />
<br />
They landed in the lift, but Mr Kim had an absolute time-shift shock when the time for him fast forwarded by 250 years in a few seconds. The shock coupled with absolute frenzy that taking the <i>Timemac</i> caused, he somehow, by accident, pushed Amorean into the still-connected energy spiral. Amorean struggled in order to fight off the pull this time, losing an arm in the process, and disappearing into the past.<br />
<br />
The case got closed yesterday when we finally managed to retrieve Amorean from the past after trying to trace him through multiple timelines and eras. Amorean died trying to save the labeled ancestors, and Mr Kim ended up losing his mind completely in the days that followed. The time-shift shock hit him hard because he was unable to comprehend the sudden development around him, that mankind was supposed to see over a slow period of 250 years. The caretakers were arrested when we found out that they were a part of the power sourcing process and were just trying to cover things up, with the fake time sheet entries, etc. The society did indeed have one guard, as I had initially thought.<br />
<br />
Time is running out. We think the ban on the <i>Timemac</i> has not been completely effective, even if it has managed to keep the <i>Timemac </i>away from the common man.<br />
<br />
The UMC is now thriving as an organization. In a short span of two years, the council has declared that another array of age-old diseases was wiped off the face of the planet, once again, at a miraculous pace.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for time travel" height="250" src="http://www.ihdimages.com/wp-content/uploadsktz/2014/11/time_travel_machine_free_wallpaper.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image credits: http://www.ihdimages.com/</td></tr>
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Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-18398717506750906792016-09-14T23:19:00.001+05:302021-08-31T10:04:34.714+05:30The Wall with the Painting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Tangy Tuesday Picks by BlogAdda" src="http://blog.blogadda.com/media/2009/02/tangytuesday.jpg" /></div>
<blockquote style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This post is now featured at #1 spot of Blogadda's Tangy Tuesday Picks for the week of September 20, 2016. Check out all the featured posts here: </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2016/09/20/tangy-tuesday-picks-indian-education-system-blog-stories">http://blog.blogadda.com/2016/09/20/tangy-tuesday-picks-indian-education-system-blog-stories</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This
is not a dream.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
</div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The step to take to get something started, that's the difficult
bit. “Step one. One. One zero one. One zero one one three.” <i>Are you paying attention?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A flash and he opened his eyes. Sweat and a red face, why did he
wake up? <i>This is not a dream</i>. He
thought. He looked to his left - the wall had a fancy portrait of a couple at
the beach. “Where's the water?” He couldn't find the bottle at his bedside as
he looked around. The bottle was on the floor. The gun lay next to it. </span></span><i style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a dream.</span></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> * * * * *</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Keep this.” She said. “Keep it with you, Tom, whenever the line between
dream and reality seems thin, use it.” She had a point. They are quite good
with the <i>setups</i> these days. No fancy
fares. No flying humans. Just normal creatures - like you and I- walking
on the road, buying food, eating food, spilling food,
throwing food around. Fighting for food. And yet, there would be certain things in
these <i>setups</i>. You could do what you
wanted to do here if you played by the rules. <i>This is a dream.</i> He reminded himself of his first assignment as he
ported himself to the <i>subject's</i>
imagination while the <i>subject</i> slept,
it all seemed familiar, and that familiarity would hinder him a lot from doing
what he had set out to do. "They pick your first assignment very close to
what you are and how you live. It makes things difficult for you. That's how you begin
with the loss of your biggest <i>inhibitions</i>." Days passed. He couldn't <i>plant</i>. He
failed. He kept falling out of the <i>portzone</i>
for days until he could stay still and see the difference between reality
and the dream. The next day his subject hanged himself. <i>This is not a dream.</i> Tom said to himself as he saw the news
breaking in all the major news channels. "Young billionaire businessman
commits suicide"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a dream.</span></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He has planted 300 times since then. They had taught him well. “Have
a seat.” They had said when they handed him the file. “As usual, all the
details are in there. You get 48 hours.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
He wanted to finish it in 24. <i>This is a
dream.</i> He woke up and looked to his left. The wall had the painting. He
sighed. He saw the gun on the floor, he pulled the trigger. A flash and he woke
up. 12 hours passed. He had an <i>inhibition</i>
that blocked him from porting. He felt the pressure on himself the way he felt
the metal taste in his mouth. “I cannot compromise this. I must get rid of the <i>inhibition</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> * * * * *</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <i>subject</i> was his son.
Everybody believed Tom had <i>converted</i>. But hey, when everyone you work with,
make people kill themselves, they tend to miss the finer details. Or they tend to overlook.
Sometimes both. “They won’t notice, I am quite sure. I will do this.” He checked
the time. 34 hours left.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">This is a dream.</span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> He woke up and looked to his left and cried out of
frustration. The painting was still there. He reached for the gun. <i>I shouldn't be looking.</i> “Why do I keep
looking for the painting, damn it!” He pulled the trigger. 22 hours left.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">This is a dream.</span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> He woke up, the bed felt nice and warm. He needed a drink.
He found the bar in his room and fixed himself a large one as he found the
details of the planting on a paper near him. He read through. Subject first
name: Jim. <i>Jim? Why Jim? What did Jim do?</i>
He looked to his left, searching for a wall. The wall was right there, the
painting again the same. Gun. Shoot. 10 hours left.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">This is a dream.</span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> He was back at the bar. He saw through the papers. 'Subject
first name: Jim. Death by: ODing on drugs.' He concurred and waited for Jim to walk in. Jim
walked in. “You must kill yourself.” “What are you saying?” “The syringes are
in place.” “I shall get the syringes then-- wait, is that you, Dad?" Tom
looked to his left. Wall. Painting. <i>Inhibition. </i>He yelled to himself with eyes closed and tears falling, as he pulled the trigger. 5 hours
left.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">This is a dream.</span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> Jim sat next to him. “Have a drink before you prepare to
die.” He told Jim. Jim nodded. He finished his drink and waited for Jim to
leave. Jim started getting up. He should stumble at the door else the <i>planting</i> won't be completed. Tom waited.
Jim walked towards the door. His shoe stuck a vase stand as he began stumbling
but he grabbed hold of the curtain. <i>This
is not a dream.</i> Jim turned his head around, looked at Tom and gave out a
wry smile. Gun. “Where's the gun-- wait why did ask for the gun--” He told himself as he looked for the wall
with the painting, this time differently as if surprised differently. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The time was up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> * * * * *</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 150%;">Jim sat down at the file room, millions of cameras taking <i>v-snaps </i>of
his vitals per protocol as he narrated his closure report.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">‘Subject with the first name Tom has been terminated. Death by: Self-inflicted gunshot wound. Was conditioned to drink alcohol before he began looking for his gun. Shot himself towards the end of the Range Spectrum - 25
minutes left. The <i>planting</i> was
<i>successful.’ <o:p></o:p></i></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jKLmarTdYHRlFwvELaXjYerCxUJ9yvxJJxPKPNdzbJB1AmtpocNskVr_K2ajRzKB6KWV48p0EznC38BLXnhmc5JOlWvymXNQF-c_vfA6r2agt43_v7My-6AsO2tMplkCiXo8x9zEpg/s1600/562e18fe3eb0feddca309ad9432334b3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jKLmarTdYHRlFwvELaXjYerCxUJ9yvxJJxPKPNdzbJB1AmtpocNskVr_K2ajRzKB6KWV48p0EznC38BLXnhmc5JOlWvymXNQF-c_vfA6r2agt43_v7My-6AsO2tMplkCiXo8x9zEpg/s400/562e18fe3eb0feddca309ad9432334b3.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(image courtesy: pinterest.com)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-77481133359623766652016-06-09T23:40:00.001+05:302017-02-01T23:43:20.534+05:30Splatters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<div dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You know, when it rains, I like to hold out my cup of <i>chai </i>out so that the water droplets fall into the cup and splatter the tea around."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I usually stick out my tongue to taste the raindrops."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Hah! I'm sure that makes you look stupid."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Why would you think that?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Imagine someone looking out their window and seeing a guy, all suited up for work, sticking his tongue out in the rain."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Well yes, I mean... you are the one getting your tea splattered around, getting some of it on your shirt."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You did notice that stain, didn't you?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I just happened to notice it."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"And you just happened to stare at my shirt."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Okay let's not steer this conversation to another direction, your tea is getting cold. Finish it and then we'll go for a walk."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Hah! And we will walk and stick our tongues out and taste rainwater laced with dust and pollutants?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"That's exactly what we will do."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Works for me."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Whenever it rained on the streets of Bengaluru, Kavya would miss the conversations she had with Rajiv over their cups of hot tea. Rajiv left the city to pursue higher education, while Kavya continued working in her corporate job, as she found the right opportunities the right time. Life was interesting, it was pacy, but at the same time, it had put the bond they shared to a test, sometimes without them even realizing.</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I didn't understand your last email."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"What do you mean?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You wrote 'Cliched thoughts, cliched fears' 379 times in it."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah I was a bit moody that day, but don't worry about it. I am fine now, back to being busy with work!"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"No, see, we need to talk about such stuff."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Why?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"That's how we will pull it off, you know, otherwise we will keep pushing these away until one day all of it blows up in our faces."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Double entendre."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"How horny are you?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Nothing unmanageable."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"That means very horny."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"The more the merrier."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"How so?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Makes me miss you periodically."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Ahah! I think that's the real reason here."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"What?"</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You were PMSing when you wrote that mail, weren't you?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Give me one reason why I shouldn't come and smash your face in right now?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Ooh, feisty....well because we are talking over the internet right now?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Oh, so now I am one of those people whom you just chat with over the internet."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I think it's better you come over and smash my face in."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Ha ha, why not. And ruin the only good thing about you."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I always knew I had a nice face."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"If we ignore the unibrow, yes."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Plan a visit, please."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Book my tickets then."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I thought you were the one who had a job."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"In Indian currency. Don't forget that bit."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Excuses, excuses."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Ha ha, shut up."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"This is what I will send back to your 'Cliched thoughts cliched fears' mail."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"What?"</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I will write 'Excuses, Excuses' 383 times and send it to you."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Why 383, why not 382?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Palindrome, Kavya, palindrome!"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Men are weird."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Women are cliched."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I don't even know how to respond to that. Such grammar, wow."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"With an emoji."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Okay, here. (shit emoji)"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You are weird."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Well, I am the one settling for you."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Unibrow rules! \m/"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Let's meet soon."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Let's do that. It's been a year already."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"True...a year already."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Catch you later then, have to finish reading a case."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Fancy stuff eh? Case studies and all."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Very! You have no idea."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Well, I will leave you to it. Bye!"</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Bye."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
***************************</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Life moved fast for Kavya, and faster still for Rajiv. With time, they started getting used to making plans and seeing them not materialize. Sometimes she would write him a poem, and just leave it saved in the drafts folder. Amidst meetings, she would try to contact him, exactly when the timezone difference would play its game. Rajiv would usually try to stay up late so that he could talk to Kavya, even if it meant less sleep for him. Together they would try to figure out how to keep the conversations going. Yet at times, the gap would be unavoidable. They would understand that, and try not to fight over it. Rajiv hated fights, which was one of the things about him that Kavya loved and respected. Even if it meant launching a plethora of self-deprecation jokes, he would try hard to make sure that she didn't stay mad at him for long.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"So I am planning to go to Gokarna during this long weekend."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Where's that?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Somewhere in Karnataka. Why do you ask?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Just asked out of curiosity, your highness. I am sorry I made a mistake and I shall not repeat it again."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I know why you asked about the location."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah well.."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Don't worry, I will be off the grid for just three days."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Three full nights of sleep for me, yay!"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yes, see?"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Maybe I too should make a plan to go somewhere."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You definitely should."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Hmm."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"> ***************************</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You seem drained."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Well yeah, I couldn't really sleep. My assignments kept me up. How was your Gokarna trip?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"It was amazing, but I didn't really enjoy it much. We met some cute guys, though."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah, we are old enough not to take that road. Send me some pictures."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I will. But first, tell me why you were drained?"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"What do you mean? I did tell you, right? It was those bloody assignments."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Oh, you had assignments? But I thought you were planning some outing as well."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Let's not talk about it. I am fine and dandy now, see! Just had some bacon with beer."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Weird food combination, but we will talk about that later. First, tell me, what kept you up?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I don't mean anything significant. Look, we didn't talk for 3 days straight, I want to know how you have been."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You remember, you were the one who used to say that we shouldn't push these things away?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I do remember, but it ain't that big."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"So when it is about me, it's big for you, but when it is about you, it isn't."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Sort of, yeah.."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You do realize that it might be big for me?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"...hmm"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"You missed me, didn't you?"</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah, I was in the habit of staying up late expecting your calls. But since you were off the grid I couldn't reach you, so you know."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"So you took to overthinking."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Not really! I studied."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"What a stupid cover up response. Accept for once that you do overthink."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Yes, I was overthinking."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"And what did you overthink about?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"I was worried."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Worried about what?"</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"What if you go there and mess up the lush green nature."</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Go away, you."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"<i>Mai toh nahi ja raha.</i>"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I know you were worried about me."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah you know everything."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You gave me hiccups."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I drank so much water that day."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"To avoid hiccups? I am sure a lot many guys at work give you hiccups, heh heh."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I wish that were the case. But you see, I don't keep myself available for them."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You disguise your cuteness well."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I am awesome, amirite?"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Almost as much as I am."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Fine. Well, it rained a lot while we were at Gokarna."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Good for you. The weather is funny here. Funny, not sunny."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Hahaha, I see. And I drank some rain water while sticking out my tongue in the open."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"And you embarrassed me in front of everyone, I am sure."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Nope. My actions made everybody else mimic it."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Wow! Amazing. Tell me more."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah, so all seven of us just walked on a high wall top, one behind the other, sticking our tongues out, and counted the number of drops that landed in our mouths."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I am sure it must have been your idea. And see, this is why I was worried."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Well, you know me really well."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I am glad I made so many people follow my actions."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I guess it's finally the time for you to start a religion."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"The same way I made you follow it the first time we had that cup of chai . "</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"It was the first rain of the season and I was a little emotional."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Doesn't matter."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"It doesn't?"</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"It doesn't."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
***************************</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Months passed. Rajiv landed an internship with one of the tech giants - a dream come true for him. Kavya was glad it happened at the right time for him, although she was a bit unhappy that his visit to India would now get delayed. She did tell him that, and soon they began making plans to meet. Rajiv said the internship paid good money, and he could save up enough for the two of them to travel around for two weeks, during the upcoming fall season. Tickets were booked, and soon enough, they were roaming the streets of Seattle together.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You know, this was the first Starbucks outlet that was opened for business."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Really? Doesn't seem that old."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Well, Starbucks started in 1971, so."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Right, Mr. Bing. You look a bit fat in the evening lights."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Are you saying that because you want my jacket?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Teehee, yes please, it feels colder in the evening."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Okay okay here, let me pass it over to you in the Bollywood style."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Shahrukh style?"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I am trying to, see? But it's getting difficult with my arms stuck out the way he keeps his."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Well, improvise."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Okay I know what I should do, here--"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Hah! Removed it the normal way, then handed it to me with your arms extended like SRK. Smartass."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah and you were the one "settling" for me, weren't you? Come let's take a walk down the Post Alley."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Okay, <i>chalo</i>."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Post Alley was quiet but beautifully lit with Victorian-style lamp posts. The bricks had an air about them, almost as if they were there to remind people of scenes taken straight out of some work of fiction.</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Harry Potter!"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"What?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"This place reminds me of the HP universe."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Wait wait do you mean Diagon Alley?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Yes!"</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"I was about to say the same thing, it sure does feel like Diagon Alley!"</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yeah and see, this is where they'd have Ollivander's shop."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"And this is where Hermione would fix Harry's glasses."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Why does your hand feel cold?"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"They are cold by default, hihi."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Here, take the jacket, you are freezing."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I won't take the jacket back, but I know what we can do."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I am not in the mood for trying out one of your ideas right now. Give me your hands."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Take my hand haha."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Cheesy."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">She took his hands in hers and rubbed them vigorously to warm them up. He smiled and blew a bit of air from his mouth, which landed on her face. She gave out a slightly annoyed look, but couldn't stop herself from smiling and then quickly refocusing on warming his palms.</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"It's been a year and a half, Rajiv."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You are good with numbers."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Where are we headed?"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"You mean, after this? Dinner, then back to our hotel or maybe we'll watch some movie if you like."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Rajiv.."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You don't have to worry. I know what you wanted to know."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"So, where are we headed to?"</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"You have the answer, ask yourself." </span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I want to hear it from you."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"If we have come this far without trailing away from each other, I think wherever we are headed, we are headed there together."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"You have the best words sometimes, you know that right?"</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"I know that my face is not the only thing good about me."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
Kavya looked into Rajiv's eyes.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"I am hopeful about us, Rajiv."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
Rajiv planted a peck on her cheek, almost catching her off-guard.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Cold lips."</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
"Make them warm then."</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Cheese burst. Okay then. <i>Chalo tumhe Starbucks mein coffee pilaati hun</i>."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I hate yo--"</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">The skies were dense black with hues of red and orange, and under the humid and cold aura of the city, she kissed him.</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I will never let you finish that sentence."</span></div>
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"I could not finish that sentence, even if I tried."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Before long, as they began walking back, it began to drizzle.</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"I miss the roadside <i>chai </i>of my country." Rajiv sighed. </span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"And I miss all of you.", Kavya replied.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"This was cheese burst."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"<i>Tumhari hawaa lag gayi hai</i>."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span class="im" style="color: #134f5c;">"Already! Our trip has just started."</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Well since it's still raining, let's lose the umbrella. We can still stick our tongues out."</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Yes, we can. Here."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAz8XFrtcHt0ztyNOIIKI7PMc8p8vDzTiQ39uUbL1I0sO_RmKJUJJNZ94a-UDd7uEcHOE_ytCvQ2ITVEfBsqG3L9h2lcnmu2PDYXQdCwSSqdSA46Kpr16bi8SBMQboB8EYJPwJXcMC7Q/s1600/masala-chai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAz8XFrtcHt0ztyNOIIKI7PMc8p8vDzTiQ39uUbL1I0sO_RmKJUJJNZ94a-UDd7uEcHOE_ytCvQ2ITVEfBsqG3L9h2lcnmu2PDYXQdCwSSqdSA46Kpr16bi8SBMQboB8EYJPwJXcMC7Q/s400/masala-chai.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image credits: http://eatyourworld.com/</td></tr>
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Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-6839433083151029402016-03-16T19:16:00.001+05:302016-03-17T17:43:28.686+05:30TPR Live-blog #1: Reading 'First Brush on the Canvas' <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A superb anthology by a group of my friends came out last year. I am going to live-blog the stories submitted by these friends , as they show up in order, starting 8pm tonight. I hope to see you join in this, live!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0yz3B7PbGLOVQpUdQV2VKfQhu6e3mik69rU0nsEtvIePN2iWAC4kciGHAqlwGbHqnPCedoUo5rvOHqk4VqXM53FTQu5LPtJURGxTS9-7R1Vb1xV-aunBcfCWTc22DapjTFF3UKbOhQ/s1600/First+Brush.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0yz3B7PbGLOVQpUdQV2VKfQhu6e3mik69rU0nsEtvIePN2iWAC4kciGHAqlwGbHqnPCedoUo5rvOHqk4VqXM53FTQu5LPtJURGxTS9-7R1Vb1xV-aunBcfCWTc22DapjTFF3UKbOhQ/s320/First+Brush.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
The first story is by Abhishek Mukherjee (<a href="http://ovshake.blogspot.in/">http://ovshake.blogspot.in/</a>). It's called- 'Godliness'.<br />
<br />
Be there!<br />
<br />
========================================================================<br />
7:56 pm:<br />
<br />
'Godliness' by Abhishek Mukherjee <i><span style="color: #999999;">(15-minutes read)</span></i><br />
<br />
In a typical style of his, Abhishek Mukherjee has hidden those small , little gems throughout the story, right from its name (I think putting any further stress to the title would spoil things so let me just keep it hang for you guys). Gems for you to find, and then have happy realizations about!<br />
<br />
[note: I'd be writing in near real-time so bear with the grammatical errors and typos although I know this is another way of saying "there will be mistakes in my writing"!]<br />
<br />
Well that note above wasn't even 1% as funny as what you get to see in Ovshakeda's writing. The story moves ahead effortlessly, dropping those hints about so many things, taken straight from the pages of an unfairly-termed 'unconventional' relationship in our society. Double brownie points for that to you, Ovshakeda.<br />
<br />
Apart from being full of humor and subtle slices of life, there's a major plotpoint in this story, which would remind you of many people you know-mostly the funny ones. Don't miss this!<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
8:14 pm:<br />
<br />
I'll return after reading 'Tina' by Diptee Raut (<a href="http://dipteeraut.blogspot.in/">http://dipteeraut.blogspot.in/</a>).<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
8.37pm:<br />
<br />
'Tina' by Diptee Raut <i><span style="color: #999999;">(23-minutes read)</span></i><br />
<br />
Okay, that was unexpected, ghastly and SO MUCH OF my kind of story! This is exactly why I love reading Diptee Raut's works. Like the skilled quilter that she can be, she has this knack of weaving the plot around you. Weaving and weaving, the story got me into a zone of comfort that one would feel when they visit home after months being away (much like how I feel upon visiting Kolkata during winters). As just when you're about to expect the expected...<br />
<br />
...something happens.<br />
<br />
In a Roald Dahl-ish manner, Dipteedi has played, almost meticulously, with the imagination of the reader. The end result left me almost motionless for a while, as the only things moving were my eyes, reading that final, 108th (interesting page number, couldn't help but gasp again so sharing it with you guys) page in the book. Needless to say, do read it whenever you get a chance!<br />
<br />
[note: I am trying my best to not talk about the plot in any freakin' way, lest I give out spoilers]<br />
<br />
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<br />
8:56pm:<br />
<br />
Unexpected power-cut followed this amazing experience! How does everyone feel about this format? Do let me know in comments! :)<br />
<br />
I'll be returning after reading 'Reborn' by Rafaa Dalvi (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dalvirafaa?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/dalvirafaa?fref=ts</a>).<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
9.25pm:<br />
<br />
'Reborn' by Rafaa Dalvi <i><span style="color: #999999;">(20-minutes read)</span></i><br />
<br />
"The bigger the lie, the more people believe it."<br />
"But then again, the truth is what we choose to believe. Perception drives the reality."<br />
Rafaa Dalvi's 'Reborn' is full of beautiful lines like these, that make the experience of reading the story a rewarding one. It has the right chills, well-timed, and the supernatural elements just seem to take you into this mysterious and beautifully haunting place called 'Dow Hill' (nice name to choose, Rafaa!).<br />
<br />
The intensity with which the story proceeds shows how descriptive he can be, as Rafaa explores the back-stories beautifully. The end is subtle and makes you think, and you wish if this story could have a novel as its prequel. Hats off, well worth your time!<br />
<br />
========================================================================<br />
<br />
With that, I conclude this session for now, and as an afterword, I am thankful to Priyanka Roy Banerjee (<a href="https://oneandahalfminutes.com/">https://oneandahalfminutes.com/</a>) for getting this anthology compiled amidst good struggle I am sure (it's not easy to get a book published, I am sure PrbDi!). I am saving the remaining ones for a later read, and I will surely update this post once I complete reading all the stories in the book. I am sure I am in for a wonderful time. Thank you, my dear readers, I look forward to your comments and feedback.<br />
<br />
Good night! :) </div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-14255993158519584782015-12-17T23:10:00.000+05:302015-12-25T18:33:19.106+05:30Chistmas Special: A Portrait from the Past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The family portrait was taken a year back, as he looked at it for a while. Sally had his eyes, while Tom was everything he found attractive in Martha. The kids, the wife, the room seemed a little too bright, full of shiny decorations, so many colors, frills, balloons and what not. So much joy in one portrait, so many smiles, the intensity almost hurt his eyes. His weary eyes, aching for some rest.<br />
<br />
Martha was his love, a metalhead too, and together they had raised a fine pair of kids, with equal, hell, even better appetite for rock music. Tom had picked up the keyboard pretty fast, he could master the arpeggios by the time he was 8. Sally had a great voice coupled with the skills for the guitar, and she had begun performing at school by the time she was in 6th. Interestingly, he played the keyboard while Martha played the guitar. A perfect passing of talents, one would often comment when they'd see them play together. He was suddenly missing the dual with Tom over keyboard-plays.<br />
<br />
They all had decided to go for King Crimson tees, the day the picture was taken. He almost felt the urge to cry, and a push from within to stop himself from doing so. It was a funny moment, and in that one frame, world seemed to have stopped for him as he could see his life to be more complete than ever, which he realized now more than any other day before.<br />
<br />
They were visiting Paris, and a gig was due that day. The concert tickets were quickly booked, four passes with them, a very exciting evening was due ahead. Not a big band, but a promising one nevertheless, was to play that night. The entire afternoon they had spent discussing and debating over the music of the band. A typical gig-day afternoon for the family.<br />
<br />
He was frantically marching in the room, anxiety filling him up more than ever. The tv channels were worked up to their limits. He threw the tab on the bed, it bounced over and the portrait flashed on the screen. Soon later, he fell on the bed, his head would hurt. A good number of people had gathered in his room, desperately trying to do their best to make him feel comfortable and hopeful. Many of them had local contacts, and were trying to call up wherever they could. Description of Martha and Sally was being read from hand-written pamphlets, so that not one of them missed the features that'd be helpful in tracking them down. Tom was quiet yet restless. The sense of being a teenager and not being able to take control of the situation was being hard on him. He wanted to hug his father and cry and tell him that everything will get fine, but tears were for the weak, he wanted to believe. He went over and sat beside him, shook his head down, fists clunched in silence.<br />
<br />
He tried to dial their numbers once again. The call log flashed the count of unanswered calls in two digits. Rings. Nobody picks up. Nobody did so that night. On that long, wintry eve of Christmas.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
The patient was stabilised. His proper post-operative pain management had helped him be a part of a delivery process for the most beautiful pair of twins he had ever seen. The past 18 hours had been critical, as his team aided the surgeon into a fairly complicated operation. As an anesthetist, he was thankful to God today.<br />
<br />
It was Christmas morning. The family of the twins and the mother had gathered in the hall, as the father brought the twins out in his arms, careful and caring. He saw from a short distance, as doctors came by and shook his hands , congratulating him. "It's a Christmas miracle!" yelled an elderly woman, as everybody clapped incoherently.<br />
<br />
It'd been six years since that fateful night in Paris, as he remembered the passing of Martha and Sally. Both had died of internal organ bleeding, gunshot wounds. He had wept a lot that night. Tom had been on his side, almost as tall as him as he had felt the tears of his son falling on his shoes. Six years had gone by, and he was a responsible father, with Tom growing up to be a fine son. Life was letting him live, with his regrets reducing everyday.<br />
<br />
"Graceful , beautiful."<br />
"They have your nose and Emma's eyes!"<br />
"What should we call them?!!"<br />
"What should we name them?!"<br />
<br />
The joyful screams and chaos of questions brought him back to the present as he looked on towards the family with his eyes gleaming with euphoria.<br />
<br />
"Martha, and Sally.." he whispered to himself, smiling, while wiping a tear from the corner of his left eye.</div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-27993111969811575432015-11-16T01:34:00.000+05:302015-11-16T16:46:19.902+05:30Thoughts on the Bataclan concert, Paris.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">Reading about world news is an interesting process. The sense of
people living around the world just like us, with their own sets of stories
just like ours - gives us a sense of being truly connected and associated at a
direct or an indirect level. Which is why, when we read about a news as
horrific as what we have been reading recently, it stirs us inside with a familiar pain that shudders the entire humanity, the
sorrow the public unrest and makes us crave for the consequential demand of peace us coming together as a part of a bigger ecosystem - the human civilization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">I read about the hostage situation that took place in
Paris, during an Eagles of Death Metal gig that resulted into a massacre. There
were definitely people in the audience from various walks of life, with
their own specific struggles and achievements, who had come together for one
common, shared passion - the love for music. As a result, I shuddered to
imagine myself in a situation as that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">In a typical concert I would be finding myself in
sync with thousands of others in no time, sharing, discussing, debating,
conceding defeat, scoring wins, about the common passion and love for the band
I had come to see perform live. That's it, no other thoughts or sense of
responsibility other than the one about paying a fitting attention to my gods
on stage. And if at that time, I was to be taken hostage, with death inching
closer towards me every moment, and a voice telling you to not act brave do
anything stupid while another voice telling me to do something so that
everybody survives, an entirely different struggle for survival would surface
in front of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">My thoughts and prayers with Paris and her people. My
heart wrenches and my soul cries for the 89 victims who died in that concert. I wish for a speedy recovery of the injured. I
wish for the affected families an incredible amount of strength and
tolerance. I wish I could express more than solidarity with the victims...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">I hope people don't suffer survivor's guilt and they come together for saving each other from having a life of solitude and
seclusion, and I do hope that people will save money to attend many more
concerts without ever worrying about their well-being, albeit with a hope that
we will stay alert even more, safe and sound than ever before, and I will tell
myself to keep believing that one day, all this will end, for good.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWRkqrOdmA_2VR3QpwcqP6EOg-cDyByC0xJRKpS7Fj9hgpvaLF_6XI0BKHSfwBKpUbGOX65_7qdpnwn-i9UjZgbmeCBS3tAlhxgSg8Ps24QCH7NnEn9oDKgFUo9kv7msbGAzTspOxVw/s1600/flag_france.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWRkqrOdmA_2VR3QpwcqP6EOg-cDyByC0xJRKpS7Fj9hgpvaLF_6XI0BKHSfwBKpUbGOX65_7qdpnwn-i9UjZgbmeCBS3tAlhxgSg8Ps24QCH7NnEn9oDKgFUo9kv7msbGAzTspOxVw/s320/flag_france.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image Courtesy: <a href="http://www.metaltraveller.com/en/trips/france/leaving_paris.html" target="_blank">Metal Traveller</a>)</td></tr>
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Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-29063818001301690202015-07-20T04:19:00.000+05:302015-07-20T12:25:21.608+05:30The enviable pleasure of realizing the beauty of thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I took the condensed milk can out of the fridge, it was mostly to satiate my hunger, as it was 2am of a Monday, and I was trying to avoid overeating. I had consumed a good amount of spicy take-away food the previous night, with my college friends working in the same city as mine , while we had a suddenly-planned house party to reminisce the nostalgia of our college days. Consequently, I decided to eat as less as I could on Sunday.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, my appetite was all but dead. I sat down on a matress on my floor , turned on The Office on Netflix, and wanted to finish a few episodes while I indulged in the sweetness of the dessert.<br />
<br />
I had initially hoped to be done after having a spoonful, as it was really sweet and not much of a healthy option. But I overpoured it into the bowl, and decided to go slow with it. Moments later, I was enjoying its deliciousness, while a decent episode of the Steve Carell mockumentary, The Office, played.<br />
<br />
Licking it off my fingers gave me a sugar rush of sorts, which thankfully lasted a few mere seconds. It felt curiously happy, and I started diving deep into my thoughts. I switched to watching some Harvard Talent Show videos , the one that is organized in John F. Kennedy School of Government.<br />
<br />
Immaculate videos. Made the whole setting joyous. Thoughts about alt-J songs crossed my mind, the complexities of their lyrics , the relevance and subtle, often clever references to pop cultures in movies, dawned a beautiful array of thoughts in my head.<br />
<br />
Spending some more time on the videos , as I fnished the serving, I decided to retire for the day. It had been a tiring one , combined with the lethargy of the weather outside, I had a near-perfect evening of recovery from last night's event at my place.I had gone out a few hours back, and it rained as I was coming back. Luckily, there was a line of trees next to a bus stop in Madhapur ( a few 100 meters from Cyber Tower ) , which served as a welcome shelter for my bike and me, as I saw new-found love and camaraderie next to myself- a newly-married couple who had to make a stop too, with them having a bike at their disposal, as well. Not exactly perky but subtle conversation, in sync with the laid-back attitude of the city on a Sunday.<br />
<br />
I sat with my copy of 'A Clutch of Indian Masterpieces' , gifted to me by a friend , an elder sisterly figure (because she is a great listener) whom I got acquainted to when we were representing Kolkata in a pan-India blogging competition. I had already finished the first story in it, a work written by Tagore and translated to English by Amitava Ghosh, and was looking forward to read the next. That's when I realized that the cap of the condensed milk can was on the floor and I had forgotten to cap it.<br />
<br />
Oh laziness! How you can kick in the worst way, I reflected as I smiled. I corrected the mistake after a long bout of convincing-unconvincing myself about ants attacking the can and making a mess of my floor by the next morning. Perhaps that's how prolonged an effect of a bite that injects Formic acid in your skin lasts - I remember I was bitten by a big black ant when I was in 8th grade, but that was the last time I was in pain resulting from an ant bite, strong enough for me to remember- that I was able to force myself up from the bed and put the lid on the can.<br />
<br />
That is when , a nice little thought cropped up inside my head - is this air-tight cap good enough? How does one measure its quality? As an engineer who has some experience with QA, I soon found myself thinking of scenarios where it could fail. What if ants are small enough to creep inside the can? What if a bit of the cap is left gaping, what if I poked a hole at the top or at the side of the cap? What if I place the can in a different , violent environment in favor of ants?<br />
<br />
I started, vividly, picturizing the placing of the can in a glass box full of ants which I probably acquired from some hobbyist. As I did so, I tried to visualize the movement of the ants. First it would be chaotic, incoherent, with vectors of their movement canceling out the overall force on the can. Would they even be motivated enough to climb into the can? Surely they will get to 'detect' the sweetness emanating from the sides of the gaping opening at the top of the cap? Will they then change their formation, regroup and attempt to strengthen their force in one definite direction towards the can, with a motive of toppling it? Or will they, simply, let it be?<br />
<br />
The immense possibilities of this scenario and the sub-scenarios hence-generated made me wonder, how it would be if we really took some time out to analyze the regular things we see almost everyday in our lives. The breaking down of the problem statement, the analyzing of the information at hand, the ease of utilizing our skills to propose a solution, the dedication of going back and fixing the solution, again and again till there's an elegant and acceptable version of the solution, and the belief that you will fix the problem, no matter what, is all it would take.<br />
<br />
That belief is important. It is necessary and of course, significantly beautiful.</div>
Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3816957708837946787.post-91416132858336934702015-07-10T19:15:00.003+05:302015-07-10T19:16:11.191+05:30The Induction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
She parked her car hurriedly, almost hitting the pole nearby. Getting out of the car, she could see the beastly flyer of Dr Ryan's Clinic. 'We can surely help you.' the tagline had a hidden indication that somehow soothed her , assuring her that Dr Ryan would be able to fend off this feeling of hopelessness that she had been fighting for months now.<br />
<br />
She checked at the reception, and was requested to take a seat. The interiors of the waiting room was unusually cheerful- vibrant colors that hurt her eyes. In no time, the attendant called out her name and she was escorted inside Dr Ryan's chamber.<br />
<br />
"Anne, please take a seat."<br />
"Thanks, doctor."<br />
"So tell me, what troubles you?"<br />
"I..I don't know doctor.. I have no answer for that question.."<br />
"Okay, but surely you can give me something! Tell me , what did you have for breakfast today?"<br />
"Some scrambled eggs and coffee."<br />
"Black ?"<br />
"Yes. Wow.. erm.."<br />
"I too had black coffee this morning. So how was it? How did you feel after finishing that cup?"<br />
"I felt..awake..but at the same time it made me sad.."<br />
"You think feeling partially sleepy lessens your sadness?"<br />
"..I guess.. it makes me forget my troubles , doc.."<br />
"...okay Anne, we will resume from here, but I need you to lie down on the couch here first. I want you to relax."<br />
<br />
Dr Ryan helped her settle down at the couch. She was feeling at home somehow, yet the set up of a typical clinic as this was, made her remember that she wasn't really at home.<br />
<br />
"You can continue now.."<br />
<br />
"The thing is , doctor, that I don't know what makes me sad in the morning. It feels like I am being put in a zone everyday, by default, without any justification, and I am meant to stay in that darkness , where there's no light but gloom, no hope but sadness. I end up whiling my time the whole day, I had taken a sabbatical from work for 3 months in order to explore something fun and maybe travel the world but all I do everyday is push myself..into that zone...for reasons that I don't know how to comprehend.."<br />
Dr Ryan, at this point mellowed the lights down, to make the room more comfortable for a good nap. She flicked a few switches in the room.<br />
<br />
"Imagine yourself as being pushed into that zone." she said.<br />
"Imagine that you are walking in there, slowly, but willingly , and with reason this time..."<br />
"But...but doc.."<br />
Anne started slurring before long, and as she found herself landing deep into a medication-induced slumber, she saw the blurred image of her doctor, who seemed to wear a mask-like object.<br />
<br />
"Anne..."<br />
"Hmm"<br />
"You there?"<br />
"Hmm.."<br />
"Good..now hear me out clear.."<br />
"..."<br />
"Ever tried killing someone?"<br />
"I...no.."<br />
"what is that mark on your wrist?"<br />
"I don't.. I can't.."<br />
"You cannot lie to me you know.."<br />
"I didn't mean to kill..myself.."<br />
"Then...?"<br />
"I just wanted to make that cut with the knife...the blood spilling out...dripping on the floor...looked so shiny..."<br />
"shiny and contoured..?"<br />
"yes and...it gave me some relief...until...until I started feeling dizzy...then I don't...I hardly remember.."<br />
"would you like to repeat it...if you wanted to..?"<br />
"I..I don't know.. yes..maybe I..--"<br />
"what if I told you that we can...help you find someone on whom you can inflict a wound..."<br />
"...that's..that's impossible..why would I want to kill someone.."<br />
"what if you really wanted to kill someone..?"<br />
"I don't want to..."<br />
"Well what do you want then..?"<br />
"...just a cut..a small , triangular cut..."<br />
"..not on your arms I hope..?"<br />
"no no, not on mine but....someone else's..."<br />
"whose?"<br />
"someone...anyone, I can...just make a slit and no one would know..."<br />
"what if I helped you make a slit at a particular part of the body"<br />
"what do you...mean.."<br />
"what if we taught you...how to slit someone...that would result in a huge bloodloss..."<br />
"I would love to watch the color..."<br />
"...of the blood?"<br />
"...of the blood, yes...yes..."<br />
"shiny?"<br />
"yes...shiny and contoured..."<br />
"...good. I will help you then, Anne, always will.."<br />
"blood drops, dripping and...spilling..spraying out...red and iron-like..."<br />
<br />
Dr Ryan came out of the room, removed her mask from her face and was faced by 5-6 lab-coated people ready to follow her instructions. She started instructing with finesse:<br />
<br />
"Test Subject number 37 - inducted into The Programme successfully. Begin the next steps please."<br />
<br />
************************<br />
<br />
Three months ago , the newspapers had run a news of a suicide attempt by a senior VP of AMX Cosmetics. Anne Madison was found in her apartment, soaked in blood, pale and unconscious.<br />
<br />
Somewhere on one of the inside pages, there was another column - regarding the mysterious disappearances of some of the prominent executives of the beauty industry, all of them having a common linkage of attempting to commit suicide.<br />
<br />
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Soumya Mukherjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05325674402134578517noreply@blogger.com6