Second Chance

What would I do if given a Second Chance?

I have a long list of things to do, I have been putting off them for the future, and if I get a Second Chance, I would do it right now.

BTSOL:

This book is lying in my drafts folder for more than six months now. If I get two full days, I can edit and complete the book. I do get time, but somehow, I am using it for blogging, cooking and all-ing works I do these days. Sometimes, I question myself, “Am I not a dedicated individual?” or “Do I lack the art of writing/editing 40K words book?” and I am blank.

Maybe, if given a #SecondChance, I can edit and complete the book right away.

IAMSARAV WEBSITE:

This website, I designed, is offline for more than a year now. I have put so much of hard work into it. Just because of a single website builder update, I messed up, all of it. I need to work on .php coding to fix it – my wife hates me if I spend time on designing – I have spent hours and hours already, so she requested me to first complete the book and then work on the website. So without completing task one, I cannot complete this one.

Maybe, if given a second #SecondChance, I can fix the issues and make this website online.

THE LETTER:

Okay, I admit, I will be the last person in the list, if Forbes decides to compile the list of people who manages time perfectly.

This letter, I would like to address as “THE LETTER” as it is written to a special person in my life, is yet to be posted to the recipient. Am I delaying it because I do not want to experience tears, or… well, I will leave the OR part now.

Maybe, if given a second #SecondChance, I will post “THE LETTER” to the intended recipient.

The above words are from my heart. No backspaces, no editions, just pure emotions.

This post is a part of the #SecondChance activity at BlogAdda in association with MaxLife Insurance.

Let's feed a child!

If my words have the power to feed a child for a year, then I have no reasons to sleep on that. I may be late to join the party owing to the hectic work schedule, but you know it is better late than never. It is hard to read that every day millions of children are forced to choose hunger over education. But that’s the fact and you cannot deny it.

I know the exact value of education and the taste of hunger… I chose to stay hunger to get educated. It did help me a lot in my life. The taste of every grains in my food, the fruit of being educated, the happiness of earning money and the value of living a healthy life… I know them all. I want them to know it and the best way to do that is to help them fight classroom hunger. Because if we are successful in fighting hunger out, I’m very sure, that these kids will do wonders in future.

How do you think we can eliminate classroom hunger?

• By visiting each children separately and help them.
• Cooking food for them at our leisure time.

It won’t work out for longer run. But then how to help these children fight classroom hunger? We have many feasible options. We can work with NGO’s to help feed a child. Akshaya Patra (unlimited food for education) is one of them, a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bangalore, India. Just like their name, the organisation strives to fight hunger in India by implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the Government schools and Government aided schools and brings children to school. All we need to do is to support them endlessly and to do that visit here. Get involved now!

I have done my part in the past, and now, for this blog post, BlogAdda will sponsor meals for an Akshaya Patra beneficiary for an entire year, as a part of our Bloggers Social Responsibility.

I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda. Happy to be a blogger! Happy to be associated with this activity. Do you want to be happy? Write a blog post now!

A Missed Opportunity #WillYouShave

Okay, I know, with my wife fighting out the infection in her right lung back home in India, and I, sitting alone in this unknown land, words gets choked inside my fingers. But not when I receive an interesting invite that is good enough to inspire me to write, and I must say I’m not an exception to sleep on that. Yes, I’m talking about BlogAdda’s #WillYouShave activity!

Stubble is bigger than a sky-high mountain. It’s true, at least for campus placements. If I’m not wrong, the date when I had my first disappointment (a missed opportunity, a heart-attack) is 1st June 2007. My dream company came to our campus for placements and I was very sure of getting placed. It’s not overconfidence, but you know, the kind of belief that I had on myself. I cracked all the preliminary rounds on the previous day and I was waiting for my turn to attend my HR round that day. That’s when I could feel the stubble on my face. My initial reaction, how on earth I got stubble within three days? And then I ignored it as I’m looking cool (that’s what I felt when I saw myself in the mirror minutes before), hoping that the HR might not notice it. I was sure that my grade, my technical skills is enough to get my first job. But the reality is very tough to digest. When my College Campus Coordinator informed me that I missed the opportunity just because of the stubble I had in my face. Disappointed, I kept cursing myself that day and felt bad for it for years. It’s a missed opportunity, but for good or bad, I do not know…that’s life!

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette. Visit here to buy Gillette Products from FlipKart.com An invite from BlogAdda is special, but a tag is more special. So, in this post, I happily accepting my friend Cifar’s tag in this post and pass it on to the following friends in random order.

| ​Cifar | Simran | Ayushi | Thewhitescape | Uma | Ekta | Anita | Heena | Vaisakhi | Anmol | Sulaiman | Nandini Garg | Preethi | Priyanka | Aditya | Khushboo | Afshan | Tarun | Rat | Chinks Lounge | Knita | Sreeja | Neo | Richa |

And if you are not aware what's the contest about. Here you go...

BlogAdda in association with Gillette brings you the #WillYouShave activity. The rules are simple - Write a blogpost on any of the themes given below:

Missed chances- Stories or instances where you missed out on an opportunity because of a non-shaven face.
Luck or Confidence?- Will you leave your fate in the hands of destiny or will you step up and say yes to a well-groomed face to be at your best everyday? #WillYouShave.

Ladies, you have a say in this too! Write a blog post about the men in your life on the following themes.

An instance when a stubble came in the way of a man's chance to make a good impression.
An instance when a well groomed look ensured that they struck gold on an opportunity given to them.

The advantage? This contest is being presented to us before the rest of the world gets a wind of it. So spread the word!!!!!!

What can you win?

1. 1st Prize: An Apple iPad
2. 2nd Prize: 2 Moto G phones
3. 3rd Prize: 3 vouchers of Rs.5000 each/Cash
4. Assured vouchers for every blogpost and more
So how do you win?

1. Write blog posts on any one or both the themes and win an assured gift voucher worth Rs. 300
2. Tag as many friends as possible to take up the #WillYouShave Challenge
3. For every two friends who take up the #WillYouShave challenge and blog about the given theme(s), you win an additional gift voucher of Rs.400

We're sure you are all geared up to start writing, but take a look at the rules first-
1. The deadline for this exclusive offer is 1st December 2014, so make sure your entries reach us before this date
2. The word limit for the blogpost is 300 words.
3. Each participant can submit a maximum of 3 entries.

Please accept my tag and submit your blog post here.

Thank you BlogAdda and my blogging friends!

The Scribbler's Orchard: PART 28

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 |

“Do you want to see your evidence?” Acharya asked and then he ordered his men to bring Shekhar, Tara and Jennifer to the rituals room.

Arjun stood there unmoved waiting for the right time to attack. Shekhar, Tara and Jennifer were brought to the room. On seeing Shekhar, Roohi ran to him and hugged him. Shekhar and Tara lost their nerves, they wanted to hug their sweet child back, but their hands were tied, so they stood helpless and hopeless.

Acharya let out a loud laughter again. “Do you have any other evidence Arjun?” he roared. “Even if you have, I do not mind because with this sacrifice, I will become invincible.”

“You will not be invincible by human sacrifices, Mr PM” Shekhar raised his voice. “You shall never be powerful. You were the Honourable Prime Minister of India before a couple of hours, but no more, Acharya” Shekhar laughed, “Do you think that I handed over the original photographs to you? Am I that dumb? Is that the only evidence we had? Do you think so? If yes is your answer then you failed miserably.”

“The photographs revealing the true face behind Kochi’s Political Leader murder, the video showcasing Ahuja and your conversation revealing the plan of sacrificing Ismail Abdullah in his place, the audio recording of your plan to bomb during the Ganesh Chaturthi festivals, the photographs of Cyrus and Roohi’s abduction in a van owned by a private sector that is registered to your real name, and finally, the video recording of our conversation couple of hours ago that went live on Tara’s channel.”

Acharya stood his ground. Shekhar continued, “We live in a Nation where media can go anywhere. You forgot that. Check the news channels Acharya. Your fake face is unmasked an hour ago!”

Acharya smiled at Shekhar, “That’s impressive, but not enough to defeat the invincible.” He ordered his men to set the Tomb on fire, so that nobody escapes from here.

Arjun was quick enough to order his team to break into the Tomb. Arjun’s Team was well equipped, though they suffered minor injuries, still in less than two minutes, they managed to shoot down all the goons. In the meantime Arjun set Shekhar, Tara and Jennifer free.

Arjun took his revolver out and said, “Be a good man. Your cooperation is the ticket for the rest of your life.”

Acharya appeared unruffled. “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. There is only one God out of which all life is born, and that is the Fire,” he raised his arms upwards closing his eyes. “Let the Glory be to the true God!”

He looked at them furiously. “It’s not easy to defeat the mighty Acharya you little prick.” He let out a loud laughter again and then he jumped into the fire sacrificing himself to the God.” Roohi without her knowledge shouted, “Nana-ji.”

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To read the next part please visit here, thanks.

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

The Scribbler's Orchard: PART 19

Read the previous part of this story here

Everything was set ready for the rituals to start. Acharya sat before the fire, he being a worshipper of fire believed that human sacrifice would get him all he wished. Mr Ahuja was there with Archarya and they were waiting for the clock to strike twelve.

Acharya said, ‘The time has come. Bring him now.’

Ahuja’s men brought a hooded man, hands tied on back, and both the legs were locked with an iron chain. He was made to sit into a pit next to the fire and his hood was removed.

‘Ismail Abdullah...’ Acharya laughed loudly and then continued, ‘The face of the nation, now to be sacrificed to fire, for the good of the bad.’
Ismail Abdullah lifted his hand up, raised his head and prayed to God, ‘Allah, let the peace prevail in this world!’ He looked into Acharya eyes first and then Ahuja and the goons there and said, ‘I promise on Allah that none of you will escape from the eyes of people. They’re watching you.’ He laughed pointing Ahuja’s men.

Acharya and Ahuja confusingly looked at the men standing before, shouted in unison, ‘Who’s the black sheep?’

Abdullah laughed again and said, ‘Before you find him, he will kill both of you.’ Irritated Acharya ordered the goons to set the pit on fire. They heard a gunshot outside, followed by one more and many more, which created confusion amongst them. Ahuja ordered his men to take away Abdullah. Acharya ordered to set him on fire. The goons just stood there confused. Ahuja kicked the ritual powder into the fire in frustration, which let out heavy smoke and the whole area became invisible to naked eyes.

Arjun and his team, entering the ritual area, ordered all of them to hands up, but because of the heavy smoke, they were unable to see anyone there. He heard someone shouting for help. He fired a shot to the rooftop and said, ‘Do not move. Stay, wherever you are. Otherwise, I’ll shoot all of you.’

They heard one more gunshot. It was not from Arjun. He stood puzzled waiting for the smoke to be cleared.

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Shekhar and Jennifer, who were waiting for Arjun outside of Ahuja’s residence, spotted people dragging Roohi into a van. They saw Cyrus on a stretcher lying half-conscious inside the van. Quickly they locked the door and the van started.

Shekhar started to run towards the van shouting his daugther's name, but a passing car did not allow him to do that. Jennifer luckily clicked photographs of the van, the goons, Roohi and Cyrus.

Shekhar broke down into tears. Jennifer tried to pacify him. And they heard a gunshot from inside, which terrified them.

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To read the next part please visit here, thanks.

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

The Scribbler's Orchard: PART 6

To read previous parts follow the links:
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5

Cyrus…Tara recalled speaking to a stranger on phone. She corrected her tone, 'Rohan, can we meet at my place?'
‘Ma’am sure, can we meet today as in a day I’m getting married?’ Rohan conveyed his point.
‘Shekhar Dutta, The Orchard, No…’ Tara gave her address and requested him to come in half-an-hour and left for her home.
_____

Shekhar was almost done with his post “An analogy of me” capturing his beautiful days with the cutest flower – Roohi – all that happened till that last hour. He clicked on Publish and tweeted to his million followers. He knew the power of pen.
‘…Roohi’…he cried instantly. The doorbell was ringing, with urgency. He looked at the wall clock. Quarter past two in the afternoon.
‘It’s not Tara. She will be back only by five.’ He thought for a second…‘Roohi…’he rushed to open the door.

Tara was standing, tears frozen in her eyes. She told Shekhar about Rohan and Cyrus. Scratching his beard, Shekhar was thinking of someone who could help them at this situation. “Arjun”, a young police officer who won a gold medal for his bravery in last year New Delhi Bombings. They saw Rohan entering the gate.

Rohan's lips curved a little, but his worried face conveyed his pain. ‘Tara?’
‘It’s better if we go inside.’ Shekhar said in a grave voice, Tara and Rohan followed.
Rohan narrated the entire episode right from the moment Cyrus landed in Mumbai, handed over all the proofs to Shekhar and pleaded them to save Cyrus.
Shekhar and Tara thanked Rohan for his help. Rohan left the place.
‘Are you going to let this information out?’ Tara asked.
‘Arjun…’ Shekhar took his mobile phone out.
_____

‘Arjun,’ Shekhar said.
‘Hello uncle! How are you? How’s Tara aunty and my little angel?’
‘Arjun…I need your help badly to save Roohi.’
‘Roohi…What happened to her uncle?’
Shekhar narrated the entire episode to Arjun.
‘This is something cruel uncle. Moreover this involves lives of many innocent people. It’s time to play my game.’ Arjun said.
‘I trust you Arjun. I want my daughter back.’ Shekhar paused, after a minute he continued, “I’ll forward the recordings to you. Also, I’ve got something interesting for you. We’ll talk about it in detail tomorrow.’
_____

Jennifer called Shekhar on his mobile phone.
‘Mr Dutta, I’m in Mumbai. I need your help to get out of this sticky situation.’ Jennifer said.
‘Tara will help you in this regard. Moreover, it all started because of me. I will put an end to this.’ Shekhar said firmly and gave the phone to Tara.
_____

Arjun faxed Roohi’s photograph to the head office. He ordered his team to find Roohi.

To read the next part visit here.

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

#WHATTHEBLACK

This post is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at BlogAdda.com

Below is the post describing my experience of #WhatTheBlack campaign. I wanted to dedicate an album for the activity and the outcome is what you see below. I must admit, #WHATTHEBLACK activity was really fun! Want to know the surprise, see below:

Post by Few Miles.

BlogAdda wanted to make it special, see the package that they have done for us!

#WHATTHEBLACK #DAY1 @blogadda #Surprise #Contest #PHOTOS #IAMSARAV http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/KhdgUNClc3

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) July 30, 2014

And that yummy black chocolate! Wow!!!! We're lucky!!!

#WHATTHEBLACK #DAY1 @blogadda #Surprise #Contest #PHOTOS #IAMSARAV http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/Tzg7rNtNQy

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) July 30, 2014

He is smart. He loved the surprise and within no time, he completed the chocolate. See...see his face...

#WHATTHEBLACK #DAY1 @blogadda #Surprise #Contest #PHOTOS #IAMSARAV http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/9fJJVgMY9l

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) July 30, 2014

And his eyes says it all!!!

#WHATTHEBLACK #DAY1 @blogadda #Surprise #Contest #PHOTOS #IAMSARAV http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/xmLQ6xoPnB

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) July 30, 2014

DAY 2: They say, "Break the rules" and BlogAdda did it! Newspaper in black color? Are you serious? If that is your question, then see to believe it!

Post by Few Miles.

They did it! They did it!!!

HOT BLACK NEWS!!! #AMWAITING #WHATTHEBLACK #DAY2 http://t.co/k8MV7duBTv #IAMSARAV © http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/PHnaEWihUX

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) July 31, 2014

HOT BLACK NEWS!!! #AMWAITING #WHATTHEBLACK #DAY2 @blogadda #IAMSARAV © http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/dD4N1ftBu8

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) July 31, 2014

I waited...I waited...and I waited... The courier boy did not turn up, but after reading Cifar's status, I came to know that the clue is Black paper cup and black tissue. Also, the site whattheblack.com was down too. I then seeked the help of who.is resulted negative, but with the help of clues, my sister said, it is a brush from colgate, which she saw while she was shopping. #AMWAITING

Post by Few Miles.

Do you know what's trending now? #WHATTHEBLACK #DAY3 I did not receive the surprise gift today, still loved the tissue papers!!!

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) August 2, 2014

And finally, the much awaited day in Indian History arrived. The story revealed. My sister was right and the website was redirecting to Colgate website. Colgate did the trick, the black innovation, the feast for the eyes is like no other. Presenting, Colgate Slim Soft Charcoal toothbrush. It's black bristles are infused with charcoal that helps remove plaque bacteria. With bristle tips that are 17 x slimmer than the ordinary toothbrush, it can effortlessly reach right tight spaces between teeth and along the gum line that other toothbrushes can't. See more at: http://www.colgate.co.in/app/ColgateOralCare/Toothbrush/ColgateSlimSoft/IN/home_charcoal.cwsp

Post by Few Miles.

Thank you @BlogAdda for the opportunity and Colgate for the innovation!!!

Thank you @blogadda for the opportunity!!! #STORYREVEAL #WHATTHEBLACK #DAY4 #IAMSARAV © http://t.co/LQnHAfLa5G pic.twitter.com/OxkayuCPMM

— Someone is Special (@FewMiles) August 2, 2014

Let's welcome the amazing black revolution. Help us to spread the word using #WhatTheBlack on social media sites.

Cheers,
Sarav

Black is Beautiful #WHATHEBLACK

Black is beautiful. There are more than a dozen of black things, I find mesmerizing. Right from a black moonless night, to the most beautiful pair of black eyes, the long black hair of a girl, a poem written using black ink, a bright black rose, a shining black suit, black shoes, a long black hat, the black belt, a sparkling black diamond, a black bungalow, a long black Limousine, a percussive large black piano, a foot long black smartphone, an ultra HD curved TV, a black laptop, a black in-ear earphones, a black panther, a black spider, a black snake, and a black cat. Black is mesmerizing. Isn’t it?

Being a lover of poems, I could recall a cute poem titled “And you calling me colored?" written by an African kid, nominated by the UN as the best poem for 2006.

When I born, I black When I grow up, I black When I go in Sun, I black When I scared, I black When I sick, I black And when I die, I still black And you white fellow When you born, you pink When you grow up, you white When you go in sun, you red When you cold, you blue When you scared, you yellow When you sick, you green And when you die, you grey And you calling me colored? Black is meaningful. Isn’t it?..¸.•*´¨`♥

Many a times, I find myself waking up from dream breathing the mysterious air, still finding it interesting. I thought was it Deja-vu and wrote about it. Black is the colour of mystery. Isn’t it?

The list goes on…Black is everywhere; we’ve reasons to love it. BlogAdda asked me to list out 5 black things I desire and why? Keeping in mind that I’m a techie and loves new tech products, here is my list…

1. Black iPad Air: I’m a big fan of Apple products. Right from the colourful, clip-and-go iPod Shuffle, to the slimmest sleekest lightest iPad Air, to the meticulously precisely crafted iPhone, to the powerful stunning MacBook Pro, I love them all. Out of all the Apple products, I like iPad Air a lot because it is a simple, sleek and powerful gadget. I wish to buy one, if not by tomorrow, at least by the start of next year. By that time, I hope I can save money I require to buy an iPad Air.
   
   
   
   
   

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2. Black Samsung Curved UHD TV: I, as, a cricket lover, a football fan, a movie mad, was mesmerized by this black beauty, when I entered the TV section in Media Market. My reaction was…”Uff…what a black beauty she is!” I stood along with my wife before the TV for almost half-an-hour, mesmerized by the viewing experience; quickly, I walked to the store-in-charge and enquired the details of the TV. “What…? Only 5xxx…? Mmm… Oh… Okay, no…I’m planning to buy, but…after a couple of…” I smiled. He smiled. I left the place with a long face complaining the cost is too high to my wife, but back in my mind, I added it to the long list of my wish list.
   
   
   
   

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3. Black Kindle Fire HD 8.9” Tablet: Reading is my passion. In fact, I prefer eBooks instead of hardbound. EBooks makes reading easy and interesting and with Kindle Fire, I’m sure the experience will be enthralling, but my hard luck, I still use the Amazon Kindle app in my only prized possession “Samsung Galaxy Note” brought three years ago.
   
   
   

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4. Dream Bungalow: Right from the age of twelve, I dreamt of building a Bungalow for my parents. A black and white rectangular box. The walls to be painted black and white, the floor should have alternate squares of black and white like the chessboard, staircase made of wood, cupboards of all sizes wherever required, three master bedrooms with attached toilets, wooden beds with cushion mattress, wardrobe with attached dressing table and with automated controls to the entire house, one big kitchen housing all the cutleries it could and the best of the best machineries, mirrors, wall hangings, a dozen of stuffed animals, teddy bears, Barbie dolls, Sachin Tendulkar posters, Wordsworth poems and much more… And to make this dream come true, till date, Housing Loan is one section I view on all banking websites, but nothing seems to help so far. But for sure, one day, I will build a Bungalow of my dream and make my parents happy.
   
   

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5. And finally the black hole…if this becomes true, then I would place this black hole in front of my monitor, call my mom on Skype, put my head inside and eat my favourite cuisines. I really really really miss my mom's food a lot. And will happily spend at least an hour with all my family members and relatives. And not to forget, Vidhya can eat pickles of her choice. She really misses eating Indian pickles in this alien land.
   
   

This post is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at BlogAdda.com. Do you like my picks? If so please pray for this to come true and write “Amen” in the comment window.

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My Dad Is My Hero!

My “Dad” is a very special person in my world. He taught me to stand up and fight against all the odds, even if the chance of winning is less than 1%. His words never fail to inspire me. “Do not to give up until you win, because in the end it is all about happy endings. If it is not happy, then it is not the actual end, keep moving towards your dream.” His voice has the power to energize my mind and solace my heart whenever I feel low. His clap boosts my confidence like anything and conveys the message that I should continue the good work. His anger simplifies the confusion – am I right or not? His feedback instils confidence and makes me a better human being. His success mantra inspired by my Mom’s words, “Whatever happens in life, stay strong and give your best. God will do the rest!” is also the secret of my success. His thoughtful stories gave the power to visualize beyond reality, to find the dreamer living inside my heart, and to write creative stories on relationships. The result is my lovable blog “Few Miles” was shortlisted for BlogAdda Blog Awards under “Creative Writing” category. What’s more, do I want?

He was, he is, and he will be, always my Role Model, “My Dad Is My Hero!” I wish I could say this to him. However, for some reason, I am unable to express it to him. I neither bought him gifts nor wrote my heart to him. Fate or fear, I do not know an answer.

Maybe, just maybe, God has given a chance to honour my hero. That’s why, even at this time of the night, I’m writing this post. I am very sure that BlogAdda will honour my Dad with a memento, and for me, it is more than winning a prize!

I am writing about #MyRoleModel as a part of the activity by Gillette India in association with BlogAdda.com.

State.com - Review

Do you have an opinion? Do you want to say it to the world? Join State.com. It’s simple and easy. It allows you to state your opinion, and connect to like-minded people around the world. There is no need for hashtags or huge list of followers or sky-high fame for your opinions to be heard. And that’s what makes State shine in the crowd. State something and change everything!

State: simple, powerful, game-changing

All you have to do is join www.state.com and click on State at the top to voice your opinion.

Pick a topic.

Pick an opinion word or search

Voice your opinion. That’s it.

In minutes, you get to know where you are standing...who’s on your side and who’s opposite to you.

It’s just not that, people can compliment you “Well Said” and support or oppose your thoughts by leaving a comment. You also have an option to Ask Others opinion.

Simple, isn’t it? Then welcome to global welcome network. Simply connect with people of your choice by selecting a category and explore opinions.

Connect with friends on Facebook and Twitter

Tune into them and stay connected with them on State.com

Anytime, anywhere from chrome, capture your opinions as you browse by installing Stateclip extension.

And do a lot more...Join State.com now (This link has my referral id. Use it to connect with me instantly)

Thank you BlogAdda.com for the opportunity. I had a fantastic experience with State and so my verdict is...

“State.com is a fresh concept to unite like-minded people to voice their opinions, no matter how popular they are, how many followers they have or what hashtags they use. There is no need to promote, no need to be popular, just state your opinion, reach people like you and change everything. State is available on the web, iOS AppStore and soon to be available on Android. Everything has some pros and cons, State has too, but do not worry about it. Join now, state something and change everything!

Watch how state works...

My Role Model #Selfie

This selfie (with my Grandpa) is clicked using Timer option available in my Camera. My Grandpa, #MyRoleModel, is someone who taught me the meaning of self-made man.

Amidst the hectic work schedule, BlogAdda’s email inspires me to write. I am happy to be part of them.

I am writing about #MyRoleModel as a part of the activity by Gillette India in association with BlogAdda.com.

My Role Model Vlog

This video is dedicated to a soulful person who inspires me right from the age of five. He cannot be defined in a sentence, nor be written in words. He has to be observed closely, to understand how beautiful life is!

I am happy to vlog about my role model. I want to thank a few people from the bottom of my heart who are the sole reason for creating this video: Baboo, Tina, Priya, Arun, Praveen, Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and my wife. I may or may not win in this contest, but to me...actually to all my family members, he is the true inspiration!

I am writing (vlogging) about #MyRoleModel as a part of the activity by Gillette India in association with BlogAdda.com.

Things I have done so far to watch IPL!

Things I have done so far to make sure that I do not even miss a shot!

a. I went to office at 6:00 AM IST on all match days just to make sure I leave office at 3:00 PM IST so that I could watch IPL.
b. The height of IPLism is that I took half-day leave on alternate days just to watch IPL and write about it in a contest hosted in my office.
c. Best of all is I missed to fill my appraisal in time and the outcome is I did not get my salary hike that year.
d. I skipped dinner, ignored Whatsapp beeps and Facebook notifications, simply to watch IPL.
e. Went to Food Court in Total Mall, Madiwala, Bangalore, bought a Channa Batura and ate it for three hours, so that I could watch IPL because there was no current in my place.
f. I do not want the miss the fun of watching the finals at Chennai with my friends. Hence, I travelled all the way to Chennai from London (ignoring the gyan’s of my family members) just to watch IPL
g. I would not say my best, but I missed my cousin wedding just to watch IPL finals in the stadium at Chennai.
h. Signed a treaty called “Movie Time” with my wife, which means I have to take her to new movies on all Saturdays so that she will allow me to watch IPL. You know what, this is the best treaty I have signed so far in the past one and half a year.
i. I installed the media box app in my office laptop just to watch IPL online :)
j. Last but the not least, installing starsports app in my mobile and living in it 24 x 7 (have signed many treaties for this with my wife)

Writing from life is so much fun! Thanks to BlogAdda and Starsports.com for giving an opportunity to write on this topic. Do read my other post for this activity. The below video is a dedication to IPL and www.starsports.com

IPL is not just a game, it's a celebration! Join the celebration now!

This post is a part of Cricket just got better! Activity by starsports.com in association with BlogAdda.com.

#KANNAKEEPCALM and WATCH PEPSI IPL on STARSPORTS.COM

It all started when I first heard his name “Sachin” from my uncle, “Sachin played a fantastic knock last night. He scored 110 against the best bowling attack in the world!” The excitement and happiness I saw in him, is priceless, and to know the man behind his happiness, I started watching Cricket…a sport that gave me happiness and tears in equal share.

In such a sport, the invention of 20-20 cricket gave life a new dimension of happiness and with Indian Premier League (IPL), we saw a new era of cricket raising high, combined with music, cultural performances, world talents became local, glamour and beauty, gave us a complete entertainment package.

I started watching IPL 2008 as a Sachin’s fan, but slowly I became a mad fan of IPL. I started watching all the matches irrespective of the country and time zone I lived in (London (UK) & Hamburg (Germany)) and with Sachin in his peak form in IPL 2010, and YouTube broadcasting IPL live, it was a treat to watch Mumbai Indians matches and other matches. I remember going to office at 6:00 AM IST in the morning just to make sure I leave the office at 3:00 PM IST so that I could watch IPL peacefully, but after much anticipation and expectation, IPL 2010 season ended on a sad note.

The IPL maniac did not stop with watching matches in 2011 instead it continued in various ways, as I wrote previews and reviews in a contest hosted by my office and won prizes in them. The height of IPLism is I took half a day leave on alternate days just to watch IPL and write about it. It doesn’t stop with that, I skipped food at night, ignored Whatsapp beeps and Facebook notifications, and the best of all is I missed to fill my appraisal in time. In short, I lived in my world, in which Sachin’s 100 was celebrated much more than getting a 20% hike in salary, and Chennai’s consecutive title win solaced my scar left by Mumbai Indians loss against RCB.

What an opening we had in 2012! Be it Prabhu Deva’s magical dance or Priyanka Chopra’s graceful movements, I enjoyed watching them. Best of all, I cannot forget how my friends teased me on phone after watching the stars live in Chennai, and I missed all the fun, and sat miserably, at the other corner of the world (London). I do not want the miss the fun of watching the finals at Chennai with my friends. Hence, I travelled all the way to Chennai (ignoring the gyan’s of my family members) just to watch Chennai defeating Mumbai Indians before losing to Kolkata Night Riders.

2013 was altogether a different experience! Newly married…historic serials and IPL, two different worlds, but somehow convinced my wife to watch IPL. Convinced? No, we signed a treaty called “Movie Time”, which means I have to take her to new movies on all Saturdays and it worked out well for us. We spent more time together, knowing each other madness. IPL was more exciting which was complimented well by my wife’s exclusive preparations “Pakora (Pakoda)”, “Bhaji” and “Karams”. And after a five years wait, Mumbai Indians lifted the maiden IPL cup and the God of Cricket, my Sachin, retired from IPL – Happiest and saddest day of my life!

Moving to Germany alone, re-joining my family after a four month’s gap, then getting published and after missing Project deadlines, I am back to IPL. This time, without my favourite icon, “Sachin”, but with my favourite Sports Channel “Star Sports” website: www.starsports.com #KANNAKEEPCALM AND WATCH PEPSI IPL ON STARSPORTS.COM Right from the fastest scoreboard ever seen to Kanna Keep Calm Moments, Zip Clips to Infografix, Stories to Polls, and not to forget the Mystery Box, everything makes my life wonderful.

FASTEST SCOREBOARD:
Caution: Issued in Public Interest: Do not blink your eyes; you might miss the latest update!
Each ball bowled, each run scored, each second makes a huge difference, with Star Sports instant updates one might miss to breathe but not the latest score.

LIVE COMMENTARY:
This is one feature which amazes me. Faster text commentary along with Video Scoreboard, what a Combo Sirji!

DEFERRED LIVE:
Watch the match live on your favourite website, but with a little time "5 Minutes" delay :)

ACTION RECAP:
You can always watch all the actions (either missed or the one you like to watch again) using action recap feature which updates every four hours.

KANNA KEEP CALM MOMENTS:
Caution: Issued in Public Interest: Your favourite player’s lost the stumps or did he hit the stump from long off? You can shed tears of joy or sadly.
#KannaKeepCalm Moments and Award is a must to watch!

ZIP CLIPS:
Caution: Issued in Public Interest: Do not forget to breathe!
Watch the key moments of the match, in case if you missed the match. Be it Maxwell’s stunning performance at the crease or Ashwin’s nightmare over, Rohit’s caption knock or Dhoni’s sixes, watch them all.

INFOGRAFIX:
Caution: Issued in Public Interest: This is not what you see in your BOSS’s presentation!
Bored of age-old presentations and graphs? Here is a quick visual treat for you. Even if you hate the subject statistics, you’d love to watch these brilliant graphs, doodles and sketches that are part of Infografix.

STORIES: Love to read? Here is a special treat for you then!

POLLS: We fancy polls. Aren’t we?

SCHEDULE: Done for the day? Watch the schedule so that you can stay prepared :)

MYSTERY BOX: I will leave this as mystery for you. Visit www.starsports.com and watch now.

IPL is not just a game, it's a celebration! Join the celebration now!

This post is a part of Cricket just got better! Activity by starsports.com in association with BlogAdda.com.

Our #LuckyKanna for today is @FewMiles ! Congratulations! You've just won yourself a cool tee :D @StarSportsIndia

— BlogAdda (@blogadda) May 11, 2014

Off-Beat Bollywood Movies

BlogAdda is back with an interesting activity for bloggers this weekend. All we need to do is write about 5 off-beat Bollywood movies that are must-watch according to us. I, being a South-Indian, have watched only a few Bollywood movies. To be frank, I have watched around 50 Bollywood movies, which is very less compared to the long list of Tamil movies I watched. All thanks to Vishal Jha, who suggested only off-beat movies to watch.

It all started with this conversation.

“Tum se Hindi me bhath karna acha lakta he.”
“Shukriya Vishal! Muje Hindi thoda thoda maalum. Muje Hindi filmo dekhna pasand he, magar mai ne kuch Hindi filmo ko he dekha. Mere liye aap tho kuch Hindi filmo ki nam bata doh.”

So here is a list of TOP 5 OFF-BEAT MOVIES from the off-beat movies I watched, which were different and yet struck a chord…

The Blue Umbrella:
The Blue Umbrella, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is based on a novel of the same name written by Ruskin Bond. He is a self-confessed Ruskin Bond fan. This slice of life movie is the story of how a beautiful Japanese Blue Umbrella becomes center of two lives and how the two lived with it. Binya (played by child-artist Shreya), a little girl in a small Himachal Pradesh village and Nandakishore 'Nandu' Khatri (Pankaj Kapur), the shopkeeper, lived the role of the character brilliantly.

The reason I like the movie are super performances by Shreya and Pankaj, wonderful cinematography by Sachin, and an excellent storytelling by Vishal Bhardwaj. I am sure this is one movie, which everyone has to watch.

The next three movies are from the same director: the one and only Anurag Kashyap, first to come is…

Dev. D:
Dev. D, directed by Anurag Kashyap, is based on Sarat Chanra Chattopadhyay novel Devdas, but with a modern approach to the script. Be it the sexual awakening of a rural Indian Girl or the usage of drugs, this movie has gone an extra-mile to point it out. Dev Singh Dhillon (Abhay Deol) did justice to his role; his yearning for sex – plain and simple.

The reason I like the movie are super performance by Abhay and Mahi, amazing cinematography by Rajeev, and Anurag Kashyap’s direction stands out. In total, I found this movie the most refreshing for dozens of reasons.

Gulaal:
Gulaal, directed by Anurag Kashyap, is an extremely well scripted piece. Perhaps the best political film ever made in Bollywood. It is the story of a simple and innocent law student who witnesses politics, deception, crime and homicide after being elected as the General Secretary of his college, and the way it has been shown is simply amazing.

The reason I like the movie are super performance by Kay Kay and Raj Singh, awesome cinematography by Rajeev, and I love the way Anurag Kashyap tells the story. In total, I found this movie bloody awesome.

No Smoking:
No Smoking, directed by Anurag Kashyap, is a neo-noir psychological thriller. It is the story about a narcissistic person known as K, who visits a rehabilitation centre to quit his chain smoking habit, but only to be tricked. The way the movie appears on the screen is truly magic.

The reason I like the movie are super performance by John and the entire team, fantastic cinematography by Rajeev, and I applaud Anurag Kashyap for his guts to attempt this thriller.

Udaan:
Udaan, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, is a fantastic movie. 100 is a unanimous goal for school-goers in India. This movie is based on the real life of Anurag Kashyap. A 17-year-old boy is kicked out of boarding school and he returns home to his father, who is abusive and oppressive. Rohan, stuck in a small town with no friends, forced to study engineering and work in his father's iron and steel works, did justice to his role. This movie has a lot of soul, and that’s why this is in my top 5.

The reason I like the movie are super performance by Rajat, soulful music by Amit, and a wonderful direction by Vikramaditya.

These are the top 5 thought provoking films according to me, which won a lot of critical acclaim, but when it comes to overall viewership, they are unable to compete with typical Bollywood blockbusters. I think it is high time that we bridge the gap between Blockbusters and Off-Beat Movies.

I also wish you to watch this lovely trailer. Miss Lovely, an off-beat film directed by Ashim Ahluwalia is set in the lower depths of Bombay’s “C” grade film industry. It follows the devastating story of two brothers who produce sex horror films in the mid – 1980s. A sordid tale of betrayal and doomed love, the film dives into the lower depths of the Bollywood underground, an audacious cinema with baroque cinemascope compositions, lurid art direction, wild background soundtracks, and gut-wrenching melodrama. Miss Lovely is scheduled for commercial release on 17 January 2014.

This post is a part of the Miss Lovely Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Rockstar - IX

Chapter: The End

Sahana left the college, as she hated Rahul for all that happened. Rahul went inside a nutshell. He stopped playing guitar and singing, concentrated on his studies. Five years have gone by since he took over the family business and now he ended up in nothing. He lost everything in life. He went to his favourite bar to drink, on the way back to his home, he saw the park where he spent most of his life, and so he went inside the park and sat on the same bench he used to sit in his college days. He looked all over the park, “Memories!” He said to himself, slipped into it and slept there on the bench.

Somebody patted on his back and asked, “Hello Rahul. Are you okay?”

He opened his eyes slightly, turned back and saw a dimmed image. He cleared his view, “Sahana…” he exclaimed.

Sahana said that she read Ramya’s diary and she could not digest her suicide. Later she realized that Rahul was not the sole reason for her suicide, and she also heard about Rahul through his personal assistant and came down to Chennai to meet him. They spoke for hours.

“Are you married?” Rahul asked after an hour’s talk.

“I am still waiting for my Rockstar to come back in my life.” She said.

Rahul scratched his beard and said, “I hate this unclean stubble. I should shave soon.”

Epilogue

Rahul gave up his family business. He joined his band again and became a Rockstar! Rahul and Sahana married happily.

Protest Against Unclean Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Words Count: 260

I am accepting tag from Cifar. And I would like to tag
Cifar

To dear fellow blogger friends and BlogAdda,

I wrote for P.A.U.S activity because of two reasons. One – I was sure, that this is going to be fun and the other – I was unable to do write properly from the start of this year. I thought writing 50 posts in 2013 is going to be tough. I gave up, almost. That was when I read about BlogAdda’s P.A.U.S activity. I liked the concept. I started writing. And see what has happened now – I am done with 79 posts this year, out of which, I posted 37 posts in this month – second highest in a month in the last four years and three months. I am happy.

I would like to thank all my blogger friends for accepting my tags. In fact, repeated tags, (Cifar, Ayushi, Sreeja, Thewhitescape, and Simran) and made this activity interesting. I wholeheartedly thank all the friends who accepted my tag, and to all who tagged me. I am sorry, if I missed to accept your tag. I may not have known that you tagged me in your post or I happened to miss, as all I could accept was only 28 tags out of the 30 posts I wrote.

A very big Thank You to BlogAdda.com for hosting this activity, and for the Book My Show and FlipKart Vouchers

The year 2013 started and ended on a happy note. I got married. I flew to Germany. Having a fantastic time with my family. In terms of blogging, I won many contests in this year. Two of my short stories got published in two anthologies. I am really happy. I am looking forward for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Wish you all a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year 2014!

Cheers,
Sarav

Boyfriend or Uncle – The Trouble

Slowly Ritesh’s tummy grew as much as his beard and sorrows grew. His girlfriend Sahana was irritated because of this, so she called him on his phone and urged him to join her in the park. He knew that she called him to join her for jogging. So he prepared himself for the jog. He wore a green-colored kurta, tucked into ash-colored pant and in his newly bought Reebok shoe, he was hoping to sweep her off the feet at first sight and left to park.

“Hello dear. I am planning to join you daily.” He said smiling.

“Good for you and your tummy.” She said.

“By the way, you look very beautiful today.” He tried to change the conversation. She smiled. And the conversation went into different roots.

Suddenly she heard a voice from behind, “Sister, time please!” She turned back, looked at him and said, “Sorry little brother. I don’t have a watch.”

Ritesh jumped into the conversation and said, “Time is half-past-seven.”

The little boy said, “Thank you Uncle. Bye Sister” and he continued jogging.

Uncle, his face became dull. His confidence shattered. He sat in a chair put in the park. Sahana sat next to him, “How many times I have to tell you that you look aged?”

Tears accumulated in his eyes. He was just twenty-two, single and a great fan of Hrithik Roshan. She sat silent for a minute, and then she added, “You look old, very old, and just like an uncle. You know what I hate that unclean stubble and your big tummy. Get rid of it soon, or else we have to break-up. I do not want to live my life with an uncle.” She said and left the park angrily.

Protest Against Unclean Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Word Count: 290

I am accepting tag from Thewhitescape. And I would like to tag
Cifar Shayar
Thewhitescape
Ayushi
Sreeja