Poverty

 

 

 

Nowhere to go, she sat by the sidewalk looking at the skies

Dressed in fading pink, pensive with pale and sunken eyes

Her million emotions this season’s colours could not hide

Though a bunch of Winnie- the- Poohs smiled by her side

Drawn by those buoyant yellow and red, brilliant ‘n bright,

Like a kid in the candy store I thought quote as she might

And chose to ask “Hello dear lady, so they’re how much?"

"Enough to feed my two little ones, their hunger is such!"

Said she while I lost in a bargain, more mean than clever

Realizing that people of my kind will stay poorer forever!

 

-R-

The Best Seller She Wrote-Book Review

 

 

 

 "Soon to be a motion picture"

Voila! There you go, I happened to see this subtitle after reading the book and I wasn’t surprised. This one is a perfect Bollywood script filled with love, betrayal and redemption as Ravi himself says. I had read and reviewed God is A Gamer an year ago as a part of Blogadda’s Book Review programme. I must say that this book stands up to my expectations going by my previous reading experience, not that they were very high mind you. Page turner, easy read, filmy plot all no doubt. The other reviews may give you spoilers, but I am not game! Whenever I read books of these kinds I still feel that there is a big lacuna which our Indian writers fail to look at while writing stories, oh sorry they are meant to be scripts. That frankly though doesn’t stop me from reading them, every time I come across one in a bookstore I tell myself “Let me read this, maybe this is THE ONE!” and every time I end up more than disappointed.

“Oh that’s an another Indian author, you don’t need to read that book to know the story!”

So say some of my reader friends. Before I refute such statements I am waiting for that right kind of substance from an Indian author of today, someone who can give me that in at least a few pages of their books. I did not find it in Aditya’s character when he professes his love for his wife after all his misgivings, I did not find it in Shreya’s conviction to author a book, I did not find it in Maya’s anger after all the angel she is portrayed to be, I did not find it in Sanjay’s prevarication against his friend. All of them are forgettable! But there were moments in the book, with real life names here and there in the storyline like salt and pepper in the soup, this sort of amused me more than increasing my curiosity, I don’t give a hoot even if they are real life incidents. When there is no good grammar and language, what use is a twist and turn in the tale???  I seriously wished this was given more attention.

There was one line that impressed me:

“Nothing in life is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of his guilt”

I finished the book in a couple of hours which was another brownie point, if you want to count it as one. A honest review in my opinion is not just about sugar coated words to make the author or publisher or a sponsor feel good. If I am able to put across the fact that I expect something better out of Ravi Subramanian this review stands justified.

Eagerly waiting for the next and the better!

Book Details:

Title: -The BestSeller She Wrote

Author: - Ravi Subramanian

Publisher: -Westland Ltd

Publication Year: - 2015

ISBN 13:- 978-93-85152-38-2

Binding: - Paperback

Number of pages: -  391

Price: - Rs 295

My rating: - 1.5/5

PS: I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

-R.

Touch-Me-Not

“Touch me not!” she said as he came close

While trumpets and confetti flew in the air

The flowers danced and the songs flowed

Off fluttered his soul and landed just there

Right on her bosom,when dewdrops froze

Oh the rhyming and timing that life chose

Bringing so much love, sparkling and rare

Without a touch, eyes met, breath slowed

From two to one, and here from nowhere

It was time to forget all poetry and prose

-R-

For The Sweet People

“Daktre nange sugar ide!”

This is something I get to hear from every fourth person I meet. ”Doctor, I have sugar!” With India being the diabetes capital of the world, a spacious home to about 60 million people living with this disorder there is a lot more that needs to be done in this regard. As a  doctor I would like to share a few thoughts today on World Diabetes Day. 'Healthy Living And Diabetes' is the theme for the period 2014-2016.

 

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Diabetes has no longer remained a problem of the rich. A day ago one of the house keeping staff of my laboratory came to me.

“Madam! 279 Madam! Is it because of the Diwali sweets?”

I gave him some serious advice. I told him to go for a check up, for some more laboratory tests and for a dietitian consultation, but the indifference with which he responded only made me realize that this diabetes problem is a tough one to deal with in this country. It requires a multifaceted approach. Do visit the Diabetes Foundation Of India to know more on what is being done in India.

 My concern is that there are innumerable myths around this non-communicable disease. I would like to throw some light on the most popular.   

• SUGAR is synonymous with DIABETES.

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 No. Diabetes has reached such magnitude that we need to be a tad serious about it. Sugar does not mean diabetes, let us get more rational and scientific. 

• INSULIN is worse than TABLETS. 

 

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No. Treatment has to be monitored by a diabetologist. Do visit one before getting into self medications. What works for one patient may not work for the other. 

• I only have to STOP EATING SWEETS.

 

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No. Diabetics require a diet. There is nothing like no sweets. We all are born with a sweet tooth, aren’t we? And that too with so many festivals that have to be celebrated every fortnight! But yes, we need to watch what we eat, when we eat and how much we eat!  

• My PARENTS DON’T HAVE DIABETES, So I WON’T GET IT. 

No. Although there is familial predisposition there is no science behind this baseless thought. Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder, mind you it is a DISORDER and not a disease.  

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• I HAVE 'ONLY' DIABETES.  

NO. This is a major misconception among diabetics. You know that constant feeling of self assurance 'Nothing is wrong, it is only diabetes' The first step towards living with and solving a problem is accepting it followed by gaining knowledge about it. Diabetes can lead to multiple health issues, if I were to list it as a risk factor for the number of other diseases I can begin and end a major medicine textbook.

 

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 Some diabetics do good and live with it like they have no problem at all, what I see in them is the difference in attitude - diet, exercise, medicines, health updates and most importantly 'HAPPINESS'- Hakunamatata! :-)

My mother is someone who believes not in fighting with diabetes, but in living smart with it :-D

She was the one who reminded me this morning.

 “Aren’t you going to wish me today?” she asked.

“Why?” I questioned in reply looking at her adorable smile.

“Today is World Diabetes Day, it is kind of my day” she said.

And we laughed.

We had gorged on this last week. Haha! :-)

-R.

A Wish

Arthur Rubinstein the pianist says "...if you love life, life will love you back" and what better day to realize that. Today I turn twenty nine, birthdays are blessed days for umpteen reasons. Apart from being around and being loved by your family and close friends, there are people who wish in the most adorable ways possible. I had to share one of this today:

"Many happy returns of the day Raksha :-) 

May you be blessed with a life rich as a verse, 

long as a summer's day and deep as empathy"

 

Thank you Shatrujeet 
:-)

-R.