Book Review: The Shrine of Death by Divya Kumar

Title: The Shrine of Death

Author: Divya Kumar

Publisher: Bloomsbury India 

ISBN:  978-9387457546

Genre: Thriller & Mystery

Pages: 296

Source: Flipkart Review Program

Rating:  4/5

Recently, Divya Kumar stepped into literary world with her gripping thriller, The Shrine of Death. 

“The story is purely an out and out entertainer with some romance, some paranormal elements”, said the author while explaining the subject matter of the book on the occasion of its launch.

Basically the story revolves around an idol theft, And our main protagonist Prabha Sinha is trying to solve that mystery. Her colleague and old friend starts to help her out and this puzzled case widens across police and CBI. The way Divya Kumar has woven the plot and even secondary characters, it seemed relatable. She didn’t put detailed information on every page like other thrillers, though plot moves with certain pace, she included life in her each character. You can catch them while pursuing daily activities and instantly feel a connection. I liked the structure how author created a world of art-mongers, besides IT professionals.  

In an Interview, She says “The process of writing The Shrine of Death, began in 2012. I woke up one morning, and the character of Jai, the empath, was just fully formed in my head,” she says, “I didn’t even connect it to the term ‘empath’ back them: I just knew that this was a character who could feel what other people felt.”

“I started reading up online, and found that there are other such cases, and such stories, and it’s clearly something difficult and traumatizing. Of course, it’s a bit in the realm of clairvoyance and telepathy – more pseudo-science, really — but it gave the character an interesting psychological profile.” It intrigued her, she says, how such a person would respond in everyday life and how they would be misunderstood by others”

Smuggling, theft, betrayal and hunt for a missing researcher, turned this debut into a riveting read.  With well written dialogues and crisp narration makes book a real page turner. And I loved that Divya Kumar didn’t try to make the investigation process over dramatic, you can easily breathe between events happening there and sway along with the emotional descriptions. Grab the book if you are into thrillers, a captivating read.

Excerpt 

“So, you’re telling me,” he said with exaggerated patience, “that a man strangled a woman in broad daylight, in his balcony, right here in this building, but you don’t know which floor or flat.” He dropped the spoon on his plate. “And now you want me to… what? Go knocking on our neighbours’ doors, asking, ‘excuse me, did you kill your wife?’

Her face reddened in mute misery. She had watched from the balcony all afternoon, half-expecting a police car or an ambulance to arrive. But neither had. The balconies of 404 and 504 had remained resolutely empty. The maid came out in 806 and took in the clothes, still on her phone. The woman in 604 watered the plants. The man in 706 came out for his evening smoke. Then the sky darkened to ink blue, the mirrors turned mossy and opaque, and she saw no more.

“It has to be either 404 or 504, I’m quite sure,” she said, voice small.

He finished eating, and sat back. “It’s all these teleserials you watch. They fill your head with all sorts of nonsense. You need to go out, make friends. Did you even speak to the lady I introduced you to?”

“I didn’t imagine it,” she wanted to scream. But the protest died on her lips.

His voice softened. “You have to stop upsetting yourself like this. It’s not good for you or the baby.” He patted her arm. “We’ll go to the park tomorrow evening, what do you say?”

On Jacket

A chilling crime thriller in which a beautiful young historian who discovered two priceless bronzes from the 10th century disappears without a trace. Her friend sets out to find her and is drawn into a world of fraud, murder and betrayal where no rules apply.

Prabha Sinha, an IT professional in Chennai, is plunged into a murky world of idol theft, murder, and betrayal after she gets a mysterious phone call one night from her old friend Sneha Pillai. As she races to find answers before the people she loves get hurt, she seeks the help of Jai Vadehra, a troubled young man with a tragic past, and the gorgeous DSP Gerard Ratnaraj of the Idol Wing, CID, whom she can't help but be drawn to. Their search takes them from Chennai's newsrooms and universities to the abandoned sepulchral shrine of a Chola queen in the heartland of Tamil Nadu, and nothing, and no one, is as they seem

ABOUT AUTHOR

Divya Kumar is a journalist, writer and blogger, currently based in Dubai. She spent her early 20s studying and working in the U.S., dabbling in web-design and media studies, before settling down to a career in journalism. She returned to India in 2006, and joined The Hindu in Chennai, working as a senior reporter and feature writer with The Hindu Metroplus for five years, covering mainly the book and art beat, before taking a break for the birth of her first child in 2011.

Short Story: A Stranger Cat (One Frame Stories)

You write something and someone appreciates it, that's sheer happiness. Thank You OneFrameStories for featuring my story at the Top. 

Book Review: You Can Achieve More: Live By Design, Not By Default by Shiv Khera

Title: You Can Achieve More

Author: Shiv Khera

Publisher: Bloomsbury India

ISBN: 978-9386349064

Pages: 296

Genre: Self Help

Source: Flipkart Review Program

Rating: 4/5

If you want to stand out, then you need to do something outstanding, stated by Shiv Khera, an author and motivational speaker.  He recently launched his new book you can achieve more under Bloomsbury publication.

With a strong message this book put readers onto the journey of inner self. Although, Shiv Khera has already marked a tremendous reach in this genre before, yet this book give you an insight to work on your life in an interesting way.

According to publisher, they have sold around four million copies of Khera’s You Can Win into sixteen different languages. Now Author comes with another work of wisdom—You Can Achieve More: Live By Design, Not By Default.

Basically this book talks about three pillars of life which need to be strengthen—Health, wealth and good relationships. If any one of the three goes missing, it would be hard to imagine a happy world around us. In this book Khera studies lives of many successful people and tried to decode the way leads to achievements.

With 23 chapters, this book covers topics that resonate with every person’s life. You can find many books about self help but this book you can achieve more effectively helps in learning not only the principals of success, but also in avoiding mistakes, it works like a mentor in life and helps in developing confidence with a rewarding path.

Sometimes, we feel left out in the race called life, I think this book can be your support system on that we can rely. Book is written in such talkative language it seems you are meeting with your trustworthy friend. And you really want to hear his life experiences, and share your own meanwhile. It feels really relatable to know about some famous personalities and the way they cope up things and emerged as a winner.

You can’t read this book in one sitting, this is not a capsule of success but it requires a practice, a slow reading on a daily basis. Best thing about this book is, it might work as a magic but it won’t ask you to take an appointment first.

Khera Says:

Most people see opportunities, but very few seize them—Often one of the most painful moments of our life is when an opportunity knocks on our door and we find ourselves unprepared.

If you are not willing to pay the price for success, then whether we like it or not, we will have to pay the price for failure, a price has to be paid, no matter what.

We need to cleary understand that success does not only depend upon special skills, formal education or superior intelligence.

Achievement do not come by default, they are first learnt and then practiced.

Life is funny, for as long as we are alive, we keep learning how to live life.  

When something bad happens, it can break you, define you or strengthen you.

Don’t make your mind a dumping ground for someone else’s trash.

Achievers realize pride in performance is not an act = it is a way of life.

Achievement lies in practicing excellence in the smallest details.

The different between doing right and doing almost right is same as the difference between being dead and almost dead, almost is not good enough. Nobody at the Olympics gets a gold medal for 99 percent achievement. Almost done is not done.

It’s a moral obligation for every honorable person to be prosperous because money in good hands does good and money in evil hands does evil.

All in all, this book doesn’t preach you like other books of this genre, but it gives you a different perspective to live a life. With logical explanations it encourages you like a mentor, and inspires you to do work towards excellence, nothing less.

If I have to select my favourite chapters from this book then I would suggest— Invest in Yourself, Choose Character, Finding Balance, Pride in Performance, The Wisdom Truth.

About Author

SHIV KHERA is the founder of Qualified Learning Systems USA. An Author, Educator, Business Consultant and a successful Entrepreneur, he is a much sought-after speaker.

He inspires and encourages individuals to realize their true potential. He has taken his dynamic personal messages to opposite sides of the globe, from the U.S. to Singapore. His 30 years of research & understanding has put organizations on a path of growth and fulfillment.

He is the author of 15 books including the international bestseller "You Can Win", which has sold over 3.7 million copies in 21 languages. His other books are creating new records. 

Book Review: Do Log by Gulzar

 

लकीरें हैं तो रहने दो,

किसी ने रूठ कर गुस्से में

शायद खींच दी थीं

– गुलज़ार

 

वो लोग ये जानते थे कि देश का बँटवारा होने जा रहा है। हिन्दुस्तान का एक टुकड़ा अब से पाकिस्तान कहलाया जाएगा। बॉर्डर क्या है, रिफ्यूजी कौन हैं, कौन सी राजनीति खेली गयी, वे सब जानते थे ̶ नहीं जानते थे तो सिर्फ़ इतना कि, अपना घर, अपनी ज़मीन कैसे छोड़ी जाती है?

 

“हम एक थे, एक चला गया - अब हम दो लोग हैं”

 

विभाजन पर लिखी गुलज़ार साब की यह  किताब, कई किरदारों के बीच लुका-छिपी खेलती हुई, राजनैतिक गतिविधियों से ज़्यादा, बँटवारे का दर्द झेलते लोगों की मनोदशा को दिखाती है।

 

किताब ने बाजार में आने के साथ ही साहित्य जगत में ज़रा सी हलचल पैदा की। कंटेट की वजह से नहीं, अपनी लेंथ की वजह से। कुछ साहित्यकारों व समीक्षकों ने इसे नॉवेल मानने से ही इंकार कर दिया। कहा गया, किताब छोटी है। इसकी कहानी कुछ ही पृष्ठों में सिमट गयी। हाँलाकि देखा जाए तो “दो लोग” एक नॉवेल होने के सारे क़ायदे पूरे करती है। किताब के पब्लिशर हार्परकांलिस ने जब इसका पेपरबैक संस्करण  लेकर आए तो गुलज़ार साब ने खुद कहा “हर छोटे क़द का आदमी बौना नहीं होता”

 

हाँलाकि मुझे किताब में किरदार कुछ ज़्यादा लगे। जैसे ही आप दो किरदारों के बीच रिश्ते के डायनेमिक्स को समझते हैं, और उनसे जुड़ाव महसूस करना शुरू करते हैं कि तभी कहानी में दो किरदार और जुड़ जाते हैं, इससे किताब तो आसानी से आगे बढ़ती जाती है लेकिन कुछ किरदारों की जिंदगी को, थोड़ा और जानने की इच्छा वहीं पीछे छूट जाती है। हो सकता है किताब शुरू करते वक़्त ये बात आपको थोड़ा परेशान करे, लेकिन कहानी का यूँ परत-दर-परत खुलना नयेपन का अहसास करवाता है।

 

अगर इस किताब  की पृष्ठभूमि पर गौर करें, तो कहानी शुरू होती है,  पाकिस्तान के कैम्पबैल्पुर में।

 

1947 की सर्दियाँ, धुंध भरी रात और कच्चे रास्तों पर धूल उड़ाता एक ट्रक। ट्रक  में बैठे लोग, फज़ल और  करम सिंह, जो कि स्कूल मास्टर हैं। ट्रक ड्राईवर फौजी, और  उसका दोस्त लखबीरा। थोड़े खडूस लाला जी और उनका परिवार। अपने बूढ़े दादा को संभालता एक आठ-दस साल का बच्चा। एक तवायफ़ और भी कई ऐसे बाशिन्दे जो इस बात से बेखबर बैठे हैं कि ये बंटवारा मुल्क़ ही नहीं उनकी जिंदगी भी बदल के रख देगा।

 

सब इसी सोच के साथ घर से निकले हैं कि ये कुछ ही महीनों की राजनैतिक उठा-पटक है, और कुछ नहीं। अपना घर भी कभी छोड़ा जाता है, फिर लौट आएँगे। एक लकीर ही तो खींची है। लोगों के मन में चलती यही उलझन, सीनों में दबा विस्थापन का यही दर्द पात्रों को वास्तविकता के करीब रखता है।     

 

किताब का पात्र करम सिंह, अपने दोस्त फज़लू से  पूछता है कि क्या देश कोई स्लेट है जिसे जिन्ना तोड देगें? कहीं देश भी बंटा करते हैं?

 

गुलज़ार  ने अपने अतीत में गहरे उतरकर इस किताब को लिखा है। उन्होंने विभाजन के उस दर्द को भारी भरकम शब्दों के नीचे नहीं दबने दिया। बहुत ही सुलझा हुआ लेखन है। आम बोल-चाल की भाषा में संवाद लिखे गए हैं, हर शब्द सामने एक दृश्य खींचता है। यही लेखन शैली इस  किताब को दिलचस्प बनाती है।

 

ऐसा नहीं है कि गुलज़ार साब ने पहली बार, विभाजन के बारे में कुछ लिखा हो। उनकी अनेकों नज़्में अनचाहे बंटवारे का दर्द बयाँ करती हैं— आँखों को वीज़ा नहीं लगता, सपनों की सरहद नहीं होती।

 

इसके अलावा उनके कहानी-संग्रह ‘रावी पार’  में, पहली कहानी ‘खौफ’  इसी विषय पर थी। एक यासीन नामक लड़का शहर में हालात बिगड़ते देख, खाली ट्रेन में चढ़ता है और ट्रेन में घुसते हर इंसान को संदेह से  देखता है। अजीब बात ये थी कि उसे भीड़ में इंसान नज़र ही नहीं आते, दिखते हैं तो सिर्फ़ हिन्दू या मुसलमान। कहानी का अंत आपको एक अजीब कशमकश में डाल देगा।  

 

गुलज़ार साब के साथ-साथ, विभाजन पर  कई लेखको ने दिल खोलकर लिखा, जैसे मंटो, कमलेश्वर, कृष्णा सोबती। फिर भी गुलज़ार साब का लिखा ना जाने क्यूँ सीधे दिल पर महसूस हुआ, शायद इसलिए कि वो घटनावी ब्योरों को कभी  अहसासों पर हावी नहीं  होने देते।  

 

अपनी किताब  ‘दो लोग’ के जरिए गुलज़ार साब ने,  अरसे से जमी चुप्पी को आवाज़ दी है। किताब खत्म होने के बाद पाठक के अंदर एक सवाल छूट जाता है कि,  1947  में  राजनीति खेली गयी, देश का बंटवारा हुआ, उस दिन क्या सिर्फ़ देश बंटे थे, लोग नहीं? एक  लाईन खींच  देने से जब देश, लोग ज़मीनें  बाँटी  जा सकती हैं,  तो आँखों में पलते ख़्वाब क्यूँ नहीं ?

 

गुलज़ार  साब  को विभाजन के इतने दशकों बाद ये नॉवेल लिखने की ज़रूरत क्यूँ  पड़ी? 1947 में उन्होंने ऐसा भी क्या देखा होगा, जो अभी तक उनके अंदर किसी कील की तरह चुभता है। सवाल मुश्किल है। जवाब शायद इसी किताब के जरिए मिल जाए।    

Picture Credit: Google 

किताब को पब्लिश किया है हार्पर कॉलिंस ने और भूमिका तैयार की है पवन के वर्मा जी ने। 

Borges Says

If I could live again my life,

In the next -
I'll try,
to make more mistakes,
I won't try to be so perfect,
I'll be more relaxed...
I'll take fewer things seriously..
I'll take more risks,
I'll take more trips,
I'll watch more sunsets,

I'll climb more mountains,
I'll swim more rivers,
I'll go to more places I've never been
I'll eat more ice ...

I'll have more real problems and less imaginary ones

If I could live again
I will travel light

If I could live again
I'll try to work bare feet at the beginning of spring till the end of autumn,
I'll watch more sunrises ...
If I have the life to live. 

Picture Source