MellowDrama

हाँ मैं गलत, गलत मेरी बातें , गलती से ही दुनिया बनी  पूरा सही कोई नहीं, ले ले मेरी चेतावनी  (Yes, I make mistakes I am often on the wrong track, this world is made because of many mistakes No one is completely correct, Take my warning) This song has two interpretations in my parenting story.  One is which, I as a parent would want to tell my children that no one really knows what to do in this life. None of us really are aware of how to navigate this life. We all make mistakes and that it is okay to do that- make mistakes. This world came to be so because of these mistakes- mine, yours and ours. Then there is the line of thinking that my (or rather all the kids everywhere in the world) children would presume. The one that every child knows well in her heart till the time she becomes a parent- that their parents are wrong, mistaken and (maybe) foolish.  But I think we all agree that making mistakes is important and natural. Life is full o...

गज़ब का है दिन देखो ज़रा   ये दीवानापन सोचो ज़रा  हम भी अकेले, तुम भी अकेले  मज़ा आ रहा है , कसम से  (Look, what a fabulous day it is WE are alone We are enjoying, By God!) It was a nice balmy afternoon during the lockdown days. He looked at her with anticipation. She smiled. A kiss lingered in the air. But the next moment anguished cries rose from another corner of the house. Soon it seemed that a battle had been launched and the two of them were summoned back to the reality of being parents.  Have you ever lived out this horror story? Today's song choice made itself clearer to me just last night. It wasn't as if I haven't known this truth for the past few years since the boy made an entry but nothing could have made it as crystal clear as what happened last night. And to think of it now, what happened really wasn't all that different or revolutionary from everyday that I should have suffered this revelation jus...

Don't you think our Bollywood lyricist have been secretly dispensing top notch life secrets subtly (and at times not so subtly) via these songs? Consider today's choice: दुनिया फिरंगी स्यापा है, फ़िक्र ही गम दा पापा है  अपना तो बस यही जापा है, फ़िक्र करें फुकरे  (The world is a foreign nightmare, worry fathers sadness This is our only motto, only pretentious people worry) Or consider this gem जेबों में रख ले यारा, कंघी हैं तरकीबें Anyway, much about the greatness of Bollywood, you must have noticed that I have taken a creative license today and not started today's song with the exact alphabet but this phrase ' Fikr hi gham da papa hai' has since I heard it, stuck a chord with me. How true it is that we worry and we invite sadness! Long back I wrote a poem about the little things I worry about. And I, at least have begun to worry too much about my daughter who exhibits certain worrisome qualities. This is really an offshoot of what I wrote yesterday b...

Every breath you take and every move you make Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you Every single day and every word you say Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you Though the song totally sounds creepy, doesn't this really sum up our lives as mothers. Also because of the similarity in the E and I sound I chose to go with this song  instead of any other Hindi song. So back to the topic. Mothers are by default negative creatures, I feel. I look at my daughter and think of ways in which she will mess up her life because she doesn't fold her clothes exactly the way they had been folded when they were sold  to us. I see my son jumping and prancing on the sofa and nod my head in utter distress thinking about his future in which I see him as a street dancer. It takes special effort for me to dispel such negative thoughts and remind myself that they are just children doing children-y things. That she will learn to p...

बांवरा मन राह ताके तरसे रे  नैना भी मल्हार बन के बरसे रे  Would you know of any parent, who. hasn't cried because of the children? No, not for the children, not as in missing them or worrying about them or riddled-with-anxiety-about-them-crying But crying, may be not really the physical act but the act of exasperation in which you don't know what to do or in which your emotional dam has burst open and you can't wait for the spousal entity to come and take them off your hands. If you haven't ever then I would like to meet you. Please book me a return plane ticket to your address as soon as Corona permits. If you have then, I dedicate today's song to you. Young mothers and  fathers, accidental parents, experienced mums and dads, wherever you might be in your parenting journey, there are times when you are just about at the end of your rope. Yes, I am saying this loud and clear as much as we love our children, it can be one t(c)rying and tiring job .  Who ...

DJ वाले बाबू मेरा गाना चला दो  DJ वाले बाबू मेरा गाना चला  दो  DJ वाले बाबू मेरा गाना चला  दो  गाना चला दो, गाना चला दो  The boy aka Cutlet Kumar had put in an appearance in to our lives by September 2014. By the time this song came out in 2015, he had begun to sit by himself and wriggle his hips. He has forever had a ear for music but when this song came up on TV he would just go mad. In whatever way he could communicate, he would ask for the song be played and then move enthusiastically to it.  This boy I tell you, is different. You know how they say that we are all made up of stardust. I do truly believe that he is from a far superior grade of material. Do you think I might be biased? Might be. Just a little bit. Abir is extremely alive. More alive than I have ever seen people or even kids to be. I don't really know how to explain it but I can see it when he is paying attention, when he is listening closely. ...

Just now the relevance of doing a theme reveal, revealed itself to me. But such is life and so am I. Everything in retrospect. So without much ado and coming back to the present here is something of revelation about my chosen theme. I am a big Bollywood fan. Music has played a big role in my life, at times as an accompaniment to joyous moments and at others as the background score to disastrous decisions and bad moods. I can always hear it playing. If you ask my friends I have always had a song for the moment we are in. And so using that super ability, I am going to attempt 26 posts.  Lekin, picture abhi baki hai dost! Music is set but what about the script? The screenplay, if I may, is the parenting years with their ups and downs, the tears, sweat and blood I shed and hugs, kisses and laughter that I gained. ------------------------- A. आगे भी जाने न तू, पीछे भी जाने न तू  जो भी है बस यही एक पल है  I have been a mother for 12 years now. With my two children...

First Date by Sue Watson is an extremely interesting and readable psychological thriller. The book releases today and I can't stress enough that if you are a reader with a special place in yo ur  heart for mystery/ thrillers, you must get to it ASAP.  Book Blurb First Date is the story of Hannah who has  done everything to make sure her life is safe and secure. A long way from her unstable childhood growing up in foster care, she’s content with her sweet, little, messy apartment and her satisfying job as a social worker. She quietly worries that, aged 36, she might never fall in love. But otherwise her life is where she wants it to be. Until, encouraged by her best friend to join a dating app, she meets  Alex  who is  irresistibly handsome, loves the same music as her and the same food as well. Both of them would love to own a Labrador one day. It’s like he’s made for her.  It’s like he’s too good to be true. Hannah’s friends aren’t so sure about him. ...

For the first time in my life I was devastated by the feeling of being left out. It happened when the usual suspects from Dave's The Write Reads Blogtours opted to read and review The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and  I did not. Then when the reviews began to pour in and I read them, I wrote back to Dave asking to be let in. And to his credit he sent me the ARC link. As luck would have it, the link didn't work and thinking that maybe me and this book weren't meant to be, I yet again told Dave that I won't be able to participate in the blog tour. And then again one fine day, the link to an ARC landed in my mail box. Going through a pretty nasty phase I wasn't sure if I could finish it off or would now even like to read the book but as soon as I started The Inheritance Games, I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Ms Barnes please take a bow for  writing the most readable book I have come across so far in 2020. The book is about a girl Avery Kimberley Grea...

  It happens very rarely, if ever, that you just hear one praise after the other from the members of your book reviewing community.  It happened with me for the very book that I am going to be reviewing here: (though not given to the use of adjectives much, I break the rules and.....) the hilarious, the fabulous, the must-read, the heart warming, the amazing.....DRUM ROLL.... THE BEAST AND THE BETHANY.  The book targeted for  middle grade readers  has been written by Jack Meggitt-Phillip and illustrated by Isabelle Follath. What a team have they made to bring us this delightful book! I read it with both my kids-the12 year-old and the 5 year-old and we had some hilarious times. Let me start by giving you the blurb from Goodreads.  511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep ...

After All I've Done by Mina Hardy is the story of three people Sean, Valerie and Diana. Diana and Valerie have known each other all their lives and promised to look after each other all through their lives.  As the story starts we find that Diana has met with an accident and is recovering. She has lost some of her memories and she seems to be losing her mind altogether. Her husband is having an affair with her best friend and we are told that it might be possible that Diana has herself put Valerie to this task. While everything is happening, Diana's mother-in-law Harriet is by her side all the time, even annoyingly so, at times. The twisted story is engrossing where you can not instantly make out what is real and what might just be a figment of Diana's imagination. The writing flows as we get to hear the story from Diana's and Valerie's perspective. The ending did not sit well with me and was totally unexpected though I could after a certain point in the book see wh...

I had been hearing the name of this particular author here, there and everywhere- BP Walter and always good things about his books, so when I was given the opportunity to read his latest offering I grabbed it. And I am happy to report that the book didn't disappoint. Hold Your Breath is the story of Katherine Marchland, told from her perspective, as a 10 year old in a recently released book. The incidents relate to. a particularly difficult time that the Marchland family is going through owing to her mother's illness of a peculiar nature. Walter writes a gripping tale of what goes on in the life of the 10 year old whose childhood and life  are taken over by her family's circumstances. She sees and hears things which no little one should and that leaves a permanent scar on her psyche. The narration is solid and alternates between the year of the happenings that is 1987 and the current time where Kitty has been called in by the police regarding a death that took place at the ...

The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar is a fantasy book which has recently released. Not only that it is a fantasy inhabited by an all female pirate crew and that is what makes it all the more thrilling and fun, an adventure to be on! Before anything else on the book, here is a big thank you to the author, publishers at Puffin Books and my blog host Dave of The Write Reads for my eARC.  As usual let us begin with the cover. I am in love with these bright colours that and the image of the ship visible from a window as if in a distant dream. And that is almost exactly how we plunge into the Aleja's story. Aleja's heart thirsts for adventure but the only thing that is proving to be a hurdle in her setting off on a journey at high seas is the fact that she is a girl. Aleja is an interesting character who steals away at night to visit the library or just climb and jump across the walls of her city located near the Spanish harbour. But when the fabled vessel called The Ship of Shadows...

A smart, funny and insightful book- Rage against the Minivan is this and more. I am a mother of two and was looking for people like me- whose homes are a mess and their lives even messier, filled with immense love and guilt thanks to their kids- when I came across Kristen Howerton's account on Instagram. I began to follow her there and.knew that I wasn't alone in feeling like a pendulum as far as my kids were concerned- loving them in an instant and wishing to wash them off my hands in another.  So of course, I had to get to her book the instant Net Galley and publishers offered it here. I had no doubts that it would be a book that I would love but I was not ready for some of the emotional rides it took me upon. Kristen has four kids ( I don't know if it matters that two of them are adopted black kids)= she does write about them and her experiences bringing them up but also shares some stories about struggles with infertility and miscarriage. Written in a very intimate styl...

Wow!! If you love a good murder mystery then this  classic Japanese mystery from Pushkin Vertigo is definitely a must read for you. The story is a little eerie, the crime heinous, the sleuth scruffy-looking and the other elements present in just the right proportions to make it a great read even today years after it was first published in  1946.  The book is a locked room mystery told by a writer of Detective stories who is visiting the scene of crime years after it was committed and solved to, what else, write about it. We meet the host of characters in the wealthy Ichiyanagi family which is getting ready to celebrate the marriage of the eldest son. The setting is the year 1937 and a small Japanese village and Yokomizo gives us a glimpse of the social and cultural norms of the rural life of that era. A rumour is also fast gaining weight while the village gossips about the wedding and family. It seems a dangerous  man has been asking questions about the family, And t...

A dysfunctional family drama that is full of all the usual suspects and Marian Keyes' unmatched wit. Grown Ups makes or a lighthearted read that will keep you laughing out loud from time to time while looking closely at your own family and imaging how many of you did actually grow up over the years. Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it. Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets. In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up? Keyes writes with a certain sincerity and ...

I haven't read as fantastic a book as Karma Brown's Recipe for a Perfect Wife in a long long while. Also not this fast. The book oscillates between the tales of a current day wife Alice Hale and the life of Nellie Murdoch a homemaker who lived in the house that lice now occupies with her husband, during the 1950s.  Alice stumbles upon an old cookbook of Nellie's and not just finds recipes to try but a window in Nellie's life. As she discovers her cooking skills with the help of recipes in the book and Nellie's garden she also discovers the stories from Nellie's life hidden in between the pages of the book. While Alice struggles with finding her own identity within her marriage and life, she finds herself immersing and adopting some of Nellie's choices. Does Alice find herself or does she lose herself further while trying to become a perfect wife? This book must also be praised for the format. Every chapter on Alice opens with hilarious advice for women on ho...

Why you should read it?  Three women discover than they were being duped by the same man in the name of love and dating and the discovery leads to flowering of a beautiful friendship between the three. Reading this in 2020 and the fact that a woman is writing this story, and the fact that she makes sure that this friendship stays as one of the main threads of this novel makes this book so good.  Samiha is a coder and developer and she has realised via Twitter that the man she is dating is dating two other women. She walks on him and meets these two ladies, both very successful in their own right. The night which should have been a painful one spent sobbing about lost love is instead spent on getting drunk, making a pact about life and boyfriends and laying the foundation of a friendship that sees you through thick and thin. Of course, there is a man who might be just too attractive to ignore! The Cast The characters and situations are identifiable and like me I think most of u...

The Book Elizabeth I- The Making of a Queen by Laura Brennan isn't exactly what you call a biography. Yes it does talk about Elizabeth and somewhat about her reign as the Tudor monarch but what it also does and does very well is talk about how Elizabeth reached the throne. It talks about the circumstances in England that led to her crowning, the people involved and also about what was happening around England at that point in. time to give you a complete perspective on things. Why You Should Read It? What this does is let you know what an astonishing feat she, Queen Elizabeth I of England, managed to pull off what with being a woman who ascended the throne. She not only managed to keep her head on her shoulders but also proved to be an astute ruler warding off conspiracies to malign her name and conspirators to take away her throne. The Writing Brennan writes with quite a command over her subject. Her writing makes for an easy reading on this heavy subject and though it not really...

We are in the third phase of the Corona virus induced lockdown. While in the first phase we all probably did not know where we were headed and were probably treating the lockdown as a respite from life in general, this time around we are almost pro at what we can and how we can do in these demanding (or maybe far simpler) times. Today was the birthday of a dear friend's daughter.  Since we have known them almost every year this day has been a huge celebration because my friend takes the kids out and treats them to whatever their hearts desire, no bars. When I called her up during the day to congratulate her and wish the child, I was sent the address of the party venue. The only difference was that this time around the kids were to meet virtually and not physically. They were all to Zoom in from their houses. Hats off to my dexterous friend for arranging an hour filled with games, jokes, banter and fun between this bunch of girls.  How liberating it must have bee...