Tag: romance

Isha is a girl who loves animals. Away from the confines of her city life, she finds her calling in the Indian countryside when she discovers a sacred grove where a young Bengal tiger has taken refuge from the certain death warranted upon its discovery by the local villagers.

Isha’s arduous journey across the changing landscape of modernizing India begins as her crusade to save the tiger but becomes a gripping story that brings us face to face with man’s unfathomable cruelty towards nature. However, the power of love that fuels a young girl’s determination to give the majestic animal its rightful chance to survive is a force that the world must reckon with.

Here are 5 things The Girl and the Tiger  teaches us about determination and love:

Compassion is a source of strength

The irrepressible urge to help a creature in distress makes Isha defy all odds-

‘A curious paw touched her face. The little tiger’s eyes were full of trust and wonder. No, she would not abandon her post. She could not. “What do we do?” Isha jumped, realizing Pankaj had been standing in the doorway the whole time. She looked up at him, her eyes burning with wild defiant light.’

Love is a journey in self-discovery

In fighting for Kala’s survival, Isha discovers a side to her personality that had remained dormant in her uninspiring city life-

‘Strangely, it was the silence, self-reliance, and agency that she found shocking—not the tiger. To Isha, the wide-eyed cub Kala was no different than the butterflies she rescued—a wild, hunted thing that would perish by flesh or by soul if she did not act.’

A mission helps conquer fears

Fighting the fear that threatens to engulf her in despair, Isha digs deep into her self-belief to achieve what she set out for-

‘Although fear followed her at a distance, she wrapped herself in pages, in stories of journeys. She would become the hero of her own story; she would guard the tiger and find the jungle. She was certain of it.’

An iron will can weaken the strongest opposition

Isha’s firm resolve to fight for the tiger’s right to its place in the jungle strikes a resounding blow at the men who came armed to corner the animal-

‘Isha stood bent and panting, eyes wild as she roared, “If not here then WHERE ELSE CAN SHE LIVE?” Her voice hit such a shrill register that the sound trembled and cracked and it rattled their eardrums. Every man in the field froze.’

Determination helps you surmount all obstacles

Isha’s unwavering commitment towards Kala makes it possible for her to stay afloat even as uncertainty and sheer exhaustion pull her down-

‘But she had also returned. The fact was that no matter how terribly she struggled or how many times she faltered, she continued forward. Forward on a path no one else would dare step.’

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Will Isha’s deep and urgent love for Kala be the beacon that will guide them to the last wilderness where the tiger can truly be one with nature? Read The Girl and the Tiger to find out!

Munir Khan, a recent widower from Toronto, meets the charming and witty Mohini Singh, a married liberal newspaper columnist, in the bar of the high-brow Delhi Recreational Club. An enigma surrounds the Kenya-born, westernized and agnostic Munir, and an inexplicable attraction takes root. Delhi’s streets, monuments and ruins become the setting of their passionate affair.

A terror attack shakes the city just as Jetha Lal and his acolytes, self-proclaimed protectors of cows and Hindu women, raise decibel levels at the Club. Meanwhile, Mohini’s parents’ wounded memory of the Partition and a family trip to Shirdi only serve to exacerbate her anxieties and deep sense of guilt. And even as Jetha Lal’s menacing shadow looms over them, Munir and Mohini cannot let each other go. At what cost their passion?

Set in contemporary times, A Delhi Obsession  unravels an unexpected yet prophetic story of passion, love and faith, amidst the placid environment of an elite Delhi club. Cutting close to the bone, this searing novel will compel you to confront your profoundest dilemmas.

Here are some heart-melting instances from the book!

 

“Munir was standing at the door, casting his eyes about for a place to sit. Without thinking, she waved him over. When he thanked her once more for taking him to the old city, she offered to show him some more of Delhi. Perhaps one or two of her favourite spots.”

~

“They sat side by side on his bed, he playing with her fingers, bending them gently, as he liked to do, putting his own strong fingers through hers. He felt warm to her touch. It was a moment of utmost intimacy. He ran a finger down her bare spine, until she gave a shiver and protested, ‘Stop, there.’”

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“Munir escorted her to the driveway. As they shook hands, she let his hand linger onhers, for an extra moment, they stared at each other in silence, and he said, ‘Till next time, then. I’ll write.’”

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“In the vacuum that was absence, there had emerged a longing to hear again that voice, observe that chirpiness, and the tenderness behind it, see that face that was his last sight of her, the large eyes trying to say something, engulfing him, the feel of her hand, her delicate fingers in his, ever so light. Not passion, but something adult, laced with the bitter knowledge of futility, pain.”

~

“He felt a pull. Should he call her. But it would be well past midnight there. And there was the husband. It was time to nip it in the bud, this fantasy, this impossibility. It could only cause pain.And yet how could he forget her, the promise they had made. Shall I write to you? Of course you can! Don’t act the Mr Darcy! He had written her a longish email letter, compromising, juvenile, bathetic. And she had replied. I miss you. I think of you all the time. Who had written that? Both of them, probably. After that, a few texts, one hurried phone call.”

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Written with trademark sensitivity and a sharp, affecting vision, A Delhi Obsession is M.G. Vassanji’s most urgent novel yet.

In Arpit Vageria’s debut book, Love Knows No LOC, passion, stardom and international borders are about to collide in a spectacular fashion!

Zoya, a twenty-five-year-old Pakistani pop star, meets emerging Indian cricketer Kabeer while he is on tour in the country to play a match to promote Indo-Pak friendship. One thing leads to another and soon Kabeer and Zoya are inseparable. As their love for each other grows stronger, Zoya leaves Pakistan to be with Kabeer, only to return a few months later following a misunderstanding. In Pakistan, Zoya is gloomy and sulking, rethinking her connection with Kabeer. In India, a confused Kabeer is still hopeful of meeting Zoya.

As their relationship is put to the test in the wake of mounting tensions between the two countries, they both stumble across a long-buried truth that will forever change the course of their lives.

Here are the characters from the book!

Kabeer

‘Considering his loathing for the country, its principles and politics, it was ironic that Kabeer’s international debut was in Pakistan’. However when this debut brings the Indian team’s newest young all-rounder face-to-face with the stunning Zoya Malik, he there ensues a love story that seems to have been written in the stars, but jeopardises their careers, their families and everything they hold dear, including their notions of what constitutes national pride. Can Kabeer overcome his temper, his explosive reactions to being needled about his love and his ideas about the divisions between nations, to come to love the best and accept the worst of his relationship?

 

“The news of his scuffle with the reporter spread like wildfire and Kabeer was suddenly daubed with the dubious distinction of being the prime target of the Indian media. A public outcry was raised against his treachery for dating a Pakistani. Some senior cricket experts even took to a newsroom debate, advising him to stay grounded and not let fame and success go to his head. Despite the prevailing chaos around him, Kabeer felt calm and at peace.”

∼

Zoya Malik

On the face of it Zoya Malik has everything going for her-she’s a golden-voiced beauty with an impressive musical pedigree, as the granddaughter of the maestro Amaan Ali Malik, and daughter of a powerful politician. However behind the façade of her perfect life, she must deal with the weight of the past and a controlling father who abused her mother, conniving uncle and the loss of the people she holds dear amidst the furore that erupts when her desire to see harmony between the neighbouring nations and her relationship with an Indian cricketers seems to brings out the worst in the media and the people around her.

 

Zoya paused for a bit, ‘It’s about amicable relations between the two nations.’ The interviewer didn’t bother to disguise his scepticism, but Zoya rallied and continued, ‘I feel that performing in India could go some way to bridge the ever-widening gulf between Pakistan and India. Music is an art that unites people, regardless of nationality, and I would like my art to be an ambassador for peaceful co-existence.’

 ∼

Arko

Kabeer’s teammate from Team India A, he plays for Mumbai Riders in the T20 tournaments. His straightforward intelligence and unforced humour is the base of a friendship between him and Kabeer and his quiet support and relaxed advice helps Kabeer through difficult times.

 

“Arko was an opener from Bengal, famous for his summary responses to fast bowlers. He revered Sourav Ganguly like a God, and one of his most well-talked-about eccentricities was his never-ending recitation of the ‘Ganguly Chalisa’. Although he had met him only once, he informed every person whom he met about it and every time with a new twist—like a director taking shots from every possible angle to get the best result.”

∼

Ghulam

A young shop assistant in Lahore, he is one of the first people that Kabeer feels a connection with, in Pakistan, and makes Kabeer feel at home in what he considers an alien land.

 

“Ghulam picked up a couple of T-shirts, one of Tendulkar and another of Afridi.  ‘Take these as a small gift from a Pakistani,’ he said. He wrapped them up and put them into a paper bag. ‘We’ll come to watch the match tomorrow and for the first time in my life, I’ll cheer for an Indian in Pakistan.”

∼

Amaan Ali Malik/Naanu

Amaan Ali Malik, the maestro loved India unconditionally even after the Partition. He is also Zoya’s beloved grandfather who brought her up after rescuing her mother from her abusive husband.

 

“Just close your eyes, Naanu, and imagine walking with me on the beach where you taught me how to take my first steps. It was such a beautiful day when you held me in your arms. But do you know what moved me the most? It was your belief in me whenever I fell and failed in certain portions of this chapter called ‘life’. You were brave and courageous.”

∼

Yashwant

Kabeer’s grandfather, his feelings towards the country of his birth, Pakistan are rather complicated after the difficult wrench of Partition.

 “Then why doesn’t he listen to me! It’s a dangerous state and the people there are even more treacherous.’  ‘You too were born in Pakistan, Papa.’ ‘It was India back then. Pakistan is this new and strange country that sponsors terrorism, hate and deaths.”

∼

Vishal Sharma

A particularly vicious reporter who seems out to present both Kabeer and Zoya in the worst possible light.

 

“Vishal Sharma was the journalist standing in front of the crowd, waving a placard with a #shameonkabeer poster. He rapidly spoke into the camera, pillorying Kabeer and inciting the crowd. Kabeer thought he looked familiar and then he remembered. This was the same reporter who had questioned Zoya’s priorities and suggested that her avarice trumped her affection for her grandfather.”

∼

Danish

Zoya’s father, he is a prominent Pakistani politician. Having abused her mother through their unhappy marriage, his attitude towards Zoya is somewhat inscrutable.

 

“Danish sighed and raised his hands in a gesture that said, God, give me strength. ‘You know, for more than a decade now I’ve wondered what would happen if I admitted to you that I was wrong to treat your mother the way I did. But I was always there, supporting you from behind the scenes—when your visa needed to get cleared, when your Mamu jaan tried taking advantage of your situation, and whenever you needed any kind of help.”

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Read Love Knows No LoC for a cross-border romance like no other!

 

If you grew up in the 1970s, then you’re probably used to the Gen Z assuming that you grew up  with fancy hairdos and listening to disco music. Although this assumption isn’t totally wrong, there was so much more to your childhood: The ’70s were a decade full of pre-Internet fun — like running around until sundown without anyone worrying.

The book Once Upon A Curfew talks about a turbulent period of Emergency and love amidst the difficulties. It is 1974. Indu has inherited a flat from her grandmother and wants to turn it into a library for women. Her parents think this will keep her suitably occupied till she marries her fiancé, Rajat, who’s away studying in London.  But then she meets  and falls in love with Rana, a young lawyer with sparkling wit and a heart of gold. When the Emergency is declared, Indu’s life turns upside down.

Now that you are starting to feel a little nostalgic, read on for some of good old 1970s memories! Here are some incidents from the book that will transport you back to the 70s India:

 

India Gate was an important meeting point for a stirring revolution.

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The bylanes of Old Delhi would draw people, with famous haunts like Karim’s.

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Indira Gandhi’s much-talked about campaign was in full-swing.

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Hindi Sahitya was very popular back in the 70s.

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When drinks were simply Campa Cola or the humble Shikanji.

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Bollywood had become an intrinsic part of the pop-culture.

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Kishore Kumar songs ruled the airwaves.

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The eyeliner game was pretty strong back in the 70s.

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The decade of 70’s gave birth to many fashion trends.

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Inflation, crime and taxes kept pace with the political havoc that was being wreaked.

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Regal was easily the most illustrious cinema hall in central Delhi and a sought after venue for ballets, plays and Bollywood talkies.

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On June 26, 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced National Emergency on All India Radio. 

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Get your copy of Srishti Chaudhary’s  Once Upon A Curfew today!

Rahul an intelligence officer on a secret mission is undercover at a major’s house. In the process, he falls in love with the major’s daughter, Akriti, unknowingly putting her in danger. To protect her, Rahul decides to hide her at his parent’s house. However, estranged from his family for years he must first make amends with them.

Just when he thinks he has found a haven for Akriti, she goes missing. That’s when a research wing officer is put on the job and Rahul realizes that she is someone who seems all too familiar. Or is she really?

As Rahul comes closer to the truth, he is faced with the biggest shock of his life.

Here we introduce the readers to the dynamic characters of Rahul and Akriti:

Rahul

What does it take to become an intelligence officer, to make a person stand out from the crowd? The hero of the book ‘The Secrets We Keep’ is a fine example to answer this question. As the book is a cross intersections of the past events and present day scenario, the readers witness the life of Rahul both as an adult and as an adolescent. Throughout his teens, Rahul was a rebellious child. He forged his mother’s signature on a complaint written by his school teacher and even stole money to buy his girlfriend a gift.

He was fighting a battle between the expectation of his parents and his own reality. Unlike his elder brother Karan, he was not excelling in academics, yet was exceptionally gifted in playing sports. Thus, following the traditional Indian mindset, his parents always criticized and demeaned him. This made him realize that his parents never truly saw him for who he was, which led him to leave home. Apart from that, he was also a romantic at heart. He fell in love with Akriti, yet when she was kidnapped he was the only one who could solve the case and save her.

As an adult, he was very calm and tactical. He was known to be a risk taker. Yet, it was the mistakes of his past that came to haunt him. His instincts and presence of mind is what made him decipher a web of lies. Overall, even though he is the hero of the book, he is a very realistic character. It was because of his carelessness that Akriti was kidnapped, yet it was due to his sharp mind that she was saved and a bigger threat was unveiled and neutralized. As a hero, he was charismatic and smart, and had the courage to accept the mistakes of his past.

 

Akriti

 

Akriti, as one of the leads characters of the book, is a woman who has good reflexes and instincts. When her house was attacked, she acted quickly and instead of rushing towards danger, she hid in her closet. She was a smart woman, who was in love with an intelligence officer, Rahul. Even though Rahul’s family did not approve of their relationship she never bowed down to their wishes and tried to adjust with them. She was a headstrong woman, who believed that moulding old traditions with newer ones was important to modernize with changing times. Overall, Akriti was an emotionally strong woman, who was not afraid of adversities. She faced obstacles and never ran away from them. She was courageous, believed in the power of love and was ready to fight for it.

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To explore their passionate love story, read Sudeep Nagarkar’s The Secrets We Keep

House of Stars by Keya Ghosh, is a riveting tale. Kabir and Diya are trapped in a mall due to a terrorist take-over. As Kabir follows the most beautiful girl he has ever seen into the mall, suddenly a group of terrorists barge in. Making Kabir, Diya and the other people present at the mall their hostage, the terrorists make their demands clear. They come out with an ultimatum that until their demands are met, one hostage will die every hour.

As the situation begins to unravel in an unfavourable manner, Kabir and Diya are faced with the possibility of this being their only chance at love. However, they both have their fair share of secrets that might prove to be a hindrance to their love.

Here we tell you a little bit about the characters from the book:

Kabir

Kabir is a young boy, who comes to Mumbai with a specific aim. Burdened by a turbulent past, he has decided to forge a different path in his life which draws on amending a few mistakes that he committed earlier. Moreover, he has never gotten the chance to dig deep into the matters of love and romance, which is why he tends to be shy around girls. He is made to grapple with his affections when he comes across Diya. Taken in by her beauty and kindness, Kabir finds himself at a complete loss as to how he should be handling these feelings.

Diya

Diya is at the crossroads of breaking away from a domestic mould that confines her and debating whether it is the right thing to do. A timid girl with a domineering father, Diya has grown up in a strict household where everything that was thought to be right for her was imposed on her without any regard to what she thinks of it. Over the years she has learnt to remain silent and sacrifice the things she likes to the will of her father. As she begins her college life, she briefly encounters a hint of individual freedom, which forces her to contemplate on the things that make her happy and set her free. Coming from an influential family background, there are many limitations on Diya that weigh her down.

Aman

A lover of art and poetry, Aman is most interested in singing and writing songs. He is the lead singer of his college band and is adored by his friends. He is a gentle soul who advocates for the happiness of the people around him and consequently, helps Diya realise the true source of her happiness. Even in the face of adversities he never forgets his humane virtues and makes a conscious effort to make things pleasant for the people around him.

Mahendra Shyam Bhonsle

An old, retired school-teacher of political science, Mr. Bhonsle is a highly idealistic man. His strong belief in his ideals lead him to become disillusioned by the corruption that is widespread in the workings of the state. Although he is a patriot at heart, he dismisses the nation as a doomed country where the government and the state have fallen into ruins due to the shortcomings of social and political spheres. Resorting to alcoholism to abate his disappointment, Mr. Bhonsle becomes a bitter misanthrope.

Bhai Thakur

A power-crazed politician, Bhai Thakur actively encourages stringent patriotism in the country. He is shown to move the public with his highly polarized speeches, in order to gain the support of the community in majority. Time and again, in the novel, it is told that he has worsened the fabric of the society by giving out accusatory comments against the minorities.

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Get to know more about their story in House of Stars by Keya Ghosh

by Tanaz Bhathena

The Beauty of the Moment began as a short story, one that I didn’t think I would write, because I’m usually uncomfortable writing about anything that’s too close to my own life.

The story, titled Last Days, First Days, was structured as a series of flashbacks and flash forwards, the flashbacks set in an Indian secondary school in Saudi Arabia, the flash forwards in a public high school in Canada. There was a girl named Susan, a boy who was not named Malcolm, and the story wasn’t about love, but about culture shock.

I grew up in the city of Mississauga, one of the most diverse cities in the greater Toronto area, with a large population of South Asians and Arabs, but the books that I read and the movies I saw catered primarily to a Caucasian demographic.

As a sixteen year old I realized quickly that wearing any Indian clothing made me stand out—and not in a good way. After a racist incident, where a girl tried to run me over with her bicycle, I eschewed my salwar-kurtas and stuck to Western wear for the longest time.

Now, over eighteen years after that incident, things have changed along with the demography. Indian culture has gained popularity in North America—largely thanks to the powers of Bollywood and globalization. Wearing Indian clothing doesn’t make you stand out any more than wearing Western clothing.

In publishing, things were changing, too. Writers in the YA community in America were the ones driving the change, forming an organization called We Need Diverse Books in 2015. In Canada, the Festival of Literary Diversity began in Brampton. Both organizations advocated for more inclusivity in the stories that were being produced and in the writers who were telling the stories. #OwnVoices, coined on Twitter by Corinne Duyvis, was turning into a revolution. More and more readers were demanding diverse stories—and that too by authors who had lived their characters’ experiences.

My first book, which you all know as A GIRL LIKE THAT, would likely still be languishing in a slush pile at a publishing house if not for these movements.

When the time came for me to write another book, I went back to Last Days, First Days and wondered: What if this were a novel?

I’d read a few books starring Indian American teen protagonists such as Tanuja Desai Hidier’s brilliant Born Confused. Yet, there were few if any books about first- or second-generation Indian Canadian teens. And there were no books that I came across that were actually set in Mississauga.

Back when I was a teenager—or even eight years ago (when I wasn’t), I wouldn’t have thought it possible to write a story about these things. I didn’t see myself on the page in North American fiction and I had grown used to my own exclusion.

So I went back to the story I had written, tore it apart and started rewriting a story that had my heart all over it.

I wanted to write a book that broke the monolithic view that North Americans can have of Indians, not realizing how diverse people from my birth country really are. I also wanted to show the world what life is like for Indians in the diaspora—with a focus on the griefs and the joys of displacement.

This book combines all three of my identities: Canadian, Saudi and Indian. Like Susan, I do not fit into a neat little compartment or category. But writing this book allowed me to realize that it is okay to stand out at times. To even step outside our comfort zones.

For me, writing a romance definitely was out of my comfort zone. So was allowing my characters to be teenagers and make the mistakes I made when I was that age.

The Beauty of the Moment is not perfect. It certainly isn’t the single best representation of Indian Canadian teens—and I don’t want anyone to see it that way. But I do hope that there will be teen readers who will be able to see themselves in the story and that there will be even more teens who will use the book as a window to cultures and experience different from their own.

Furthermore, I hope other writers—teens and adult—will be inspired add their tales to the repertoire of #ownvoices stories.

If the story you want to read hasn’t been told yet, the you must write it.

The world is waiting for you.

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Tanaz Bhathena’s new book, The Beauty of the Moment tells the story of