Friday, December 30, 2011

There is only one happiness in life- U know what?

‘There is only one happiness in life-To love and to be
loved. these are not my words. Lord Buddha has said this.’

Saying this he looked at us. I tried figuring out in my mind
how to let Guru know the details of my life to help him find
the truth for me, when he looked at Vinod and said.

‘Your uncle loved you. Where ever he is now, he wants to see you
happy, my son. You were confused for a long long time in a
world, which was not yours. Remember my son –

‘nainam chindanti shastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah’


‘The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon,
nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered
by the wind. But then you need to realize what you are.
Consciousness is eternal.
‘Na Hanyate Hanyamane Sarire’-
Consciousness is eternal. It is not vanquished with the
destruction of the temporary body. My son, you need to seek
the truth within yourself, and that will set you free.’

---- Guru Lama from ' AUTUMN IN MY HEART'



                           READ MORE @ http://www.flipkart.com/books/9380828541

Monday, December 26, 2011

BOOK REVIEW- AUTUMN IN MY HEART


‘Autumn In My Heart’ by Saptarshi Basu is the tale of the quintessential human being we all have inside us. Be it the Software Engineer guy Deb, or the forced-by-family-to-get-married girl Ayantika, or the other parallel characters like SagarikaSujoyPriyanka, and the office colleagues of Deb – ‘Autumn In My Heart’ tells the story of US, as a whole. The author Saptarshi Basu just had to take the pain to pen it down in a concrete basis in between two covers, efficiently. He did exactly that, and how!

Saptarshi Basu, the author, talks about the Bengali culture and sentiments in a way that not many authors from this side of the country has done recently. At least, not us from ‘Between The Lines’ have gone through such works lately. Naturally, ‘Autumn In My Heart’ was like a whiff of fresh air. And, the author has not disappointed. During these days of SOBA (serial-obsession-of-being-an-author, as we call it sometimes on BTL), Saptarshi Basu brings in some fresh change to the lackadaisical writings that we get to face otherwise. Though‘Autumn In My Heart’ straight reminds me of the Korean movie of the same name (Korean, right? Or Japanese it is? :O), we understand that even phrases tend to become limited at times, when one needs to express himself just like the way he wants to. Talk about cliches, the book never makes you feel it for once.

   READ MORE AT BOOK REVIEW

Friday, December 23, 2011

THE ARRANGE MARRIAGE CIRCUS


It all started with a Quarrel.

For the last few months, Duttas of Dakhineshwar were
under huge tension. It prevailed over their home and even
spread toxically over nearby regions.

Even the Chatterjees, Biswass Kumar, Gangulys who
stayed in the same colony were in much tension.

The Duttas in the same colony (even some far away
Duttas too) were exceptionally worried. They even tried to
extend their helping hand but Ayantika’s angry expression
always dampened their spirits.

Thanks to a sudden fit of anger, a few glasses were
broken, the red-faced bunny lost his ears and the tense state
of affairs continued.

It was about Marriage. The god damn thing which every
girl hates (at least in front of others) and parents immensely
love.

‘Sono Mouli, Tomake ebar oi chele tar songe dekha kortei
hobe....R kotidin ei bhabe cholbe’
(See Mouli, you have to meet this guy...how long will
it go like this)
Sitala Debi, Ayantika’s mother, was shouting at her.
According to her it was the most suitable alliance and she
had been talking to them since six months and now it was
April already.
'I have told you a million times that I don’t want to get
married right now. Dad, please make mom understand.’
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Soumendra Narayan Dutta, Ayantika’s dad, was the
umpire of the fighting match and was doing his duty quite
efficiently and gracefully.
‘Please don’t cry Mouli, you don’t have to marry now.
Just meet the guy once, no harm.’
‘Mira Masi called up, that guy has sent you an e-mail,
go check it and reply,’ Sitala Debi snarled. The fight ended
(at least for that day).
Ayantika just didn’t want to marry. Not at the moment.
Not until she landed a job with a decent government bank.
She didn’t have much in her hand though. At the doorstep of
the twenty first century, the marriage of a daughter remains
the prime concern and an extremely vital occupation of every
middle class Bengali family.
Marriages are made in heaven and arranged marriages are
made in Bharat Matrimonial or The Sunday Ananda Bazaar,
that’s what they claim .At times the relatives play an important
role bringing in their very distant relatives claiming to know
them very well even when the last telephonic conversation
between them happened two years back! Power packed ads bride
needed for the only son of Highly qualified Chartered
Accountant,also knows scuba diving or looking for MBA, IIT,
CFA, for only sister, very fair, very beautiful.' At times it is
slightly confusing whom is the ad for ?Is it for the Chartered
Accountant father (who from the bottom of his heart really
wants to remarry and throw out the wife, a 1960’s model),
or his son or his daughter!

The father of the bride really has a hectic job finding
a decent groom but then it’s a question of her whole life.
So the drilling starts. The mother of the bride also does
her part... No,No...This guy won’t suit you at all. His uncle’s
daughter eloped with a local hooligan. The expectations make
it tougher to find a suitable match. He is just 5’3...So dark,
how can he manage with this meagre salary?
The bride or the girl at times adds her own requirements
and specifications-Dad, I want a tall guy, size does matter.
Please Ma, I want to marry an engineer. The list gets bigger
and bigger.

The Father of the groom is a bit disappointed as his son
couldn’t find a suitable girl by himself by the age of thirty.
Useless Fellow, can’t find a girl after so many years. The mother
of the groom has started crying for she has already lost her
son to some imaginary girl who plays black magic on him,
thanks to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (A popular
television soap). She can’t sleep at night.But then she has
to get her son married. Mukherjee Da’s wife was saying the
other day, 'How long will you keep Nakul unmarried? Marry
him off or else he will start doing all nonsense.'
So the search begins - Groom wanted for extremely fair,
extremely beautiful, extremely calm and quiet girl, MA,
Diploma in dancing (only at night clubs!), Also knows
stitching (couldn’t even stitch the first button of her shirt,
Always open!).... At times the father and brother play a big
role in the ad...Father retired; very well known professor of
very well known college(bucks! Flowing!)....Brother IIT,IIM
blah blah (More bucks! Flowing!)

The groom always had some secret criteria which now
comes forth. She must be very fair like Priyanka whom he
proposed to eleven times with no luck, Should have a very
good figure (Hmm.. Like Payal, the Delhi chick who had
twenty boyfriends in just three years ), should be very homely
( and also shake her hips with me at Night clubs )....And so
the search goes on...and on.....

        -----   From the novel ‘AUTUMN IN MY HEART’

Saturday, December 17, 2011

CAN LOVE HAPPEN TWICE?

READ ON AMAZON : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009A1ANDY


ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Saptarshi Basu is a gold medalist in mechanical engineering and has worked in the IT industry for the last eight years. However, writing has always been his first love, his passion.  His second novel, Autumn In My Heart was published by Vitasta Publishing with Times Group (TIMES OF INDIA) in November’11. He maintains a blog http://saptak-firsttry.blogspot.in/ and writes screenplays for movies and columns for some online magazines.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

EXCERPTS FROM THE NOVEL -  AUTUMN IN MY HEART



Everyone has a past and so did Deb.

‘Please Priyanka, Please don’t hang up the phone. Listen
to me. You know how tough it is to make a call to US.I have
been trying to call you for last three days. Please, listen to
me! I will make everyone happy. Please! Don’t break the
relationship. I will try to make uncle accept us. Please give
me a chance.’ Deb tried hard to control his tears.
‘Deb, it’s over now. The sooner you accept it, the better.
And please don’t harass my dad with your pestering phone
calls.’ Priyanka said from the other end. Her voice was cold
and devoid of any emotions.

‘How can you say that, Sona? We have had a relationship
for the last ten years. How can you break it in a day?’
‘It’s over Deb. I have someone else in my life. Aditya is
my Project Manager and we are going to get married soon.
It’s a waste of time discussing all those crap, sentimental
old things. I am done with you.’ Deb felt his temperature
rising. His heart was pounding loudly. Also, the phone bill
was rising. He tried to give it a last try. How can she leave
me, Oh God! Please, God, Please bring her back to me.

 ‘Who is this mother-fucker Aditya? Don’t tell me that just
three months in US, and you have forgotten our love.’
Priyanka was working with one of the top IT MNCs
in Kolkata and had gone to Dallas, US for her first onsite
engagement. ‘Aditya can give me all the luxuries of life. Plus,
he is my project manager, so no one can stop my promotion.
You are a loser, Deb.’






‘Oh, I am a loser now! And what about that time when I
spent an entire week beside your hospital bed when you got
jaundice. It was I, who took your dad to hospital when he
broke his leg? I did all the shopping for your whole family
for a month. And now you are saying I am a loser.’
‘Oh! So you did all that to get something in return. Tell
me what you want? I will ask my dad to pay you.’
Deb held his breath for a minute. It pained to let
Priyanka go away from his life. But he could make out that
it was all over. All these ten years, those beautiful nights
chatting over the phone and hugging and kissing. Those
rainy days, movie halls, market places, botanical garden– he
could feel her presence everywhere. The warmth of her
breath, the softness of her touch. How could it be all over?
‘Please Sona, Please.Come back to me…’ Deb could feel
the tears slowly running down his cheeks.
‘I can’t I have already accepted Aditya’s marriage
proposal.’




 ‘You bloody bitch. One day you will repent it. Go to
Hell !’.
Deb threw the phone away. It beeped a while before
going into total silence. He ravaged his cupboard to get
his cigarettes. He got hold of one and sucked it hard till
it reached its end. Deb looked at the burned out cigarette
stub. He felt just like it. Used, abused, sucked, burned and
thrown away.
As each day passed by, Deb felt the pain making a
formidable hole in his heart. The crowded Kolkata streets
felt empty as he struggled to reach his office in the morning.
Sitting at one distant corner of a window in the lazy tram,
Deb gazed blankly at the roads where they had walked hand
in hand. It made him feel that his world was completely
devoid of any happiness.




As time passed by, the emptiness in Deb’s heart
transformed into an uncanny purposelessness. He tried
to spend more and more time in office. But the pain had
grasped him thoroughly, clenching him in its tight clasp. He
was neither able to concentrate on any of the work assigned,
nor did he feel the need from inside.
Slowly, Deb slipped away from the mainstream. He
rejected phone calls from his nearest and dearest friends,
roamed aimlessly on the streets of Kolkata. At times, he spent
hours sitting by the side of the Ganges. As slowly the defeated

Sun drowned in the shining waters, Deb looked vacantly
at the happy couples flocking on the riverbank sharing a
melting ice cream. Suddenly old memories flashed in front
of his eyes making him weaker and smeared him in pain.
The food he loved most had lost its flavour, the streets
had lost their charm, friends had lost their warmth and what
mattered more, life had lost its meaning.
It went on like this for a couple of months. Deb’s
quality of work degraded to the last level leading to daily
skirmishes with his manager. At last, he felt compelled to
resign and started looking for another job. Things were at
their worst. After a month of futile search, Deb still remained
unemployed. By that time, he had lost all the zeal to struggle
for his existence.
Mitali, Deb’s mother could easily understand her son’s
condition. She tried to contact Priyanka. It didn’t help much.
By that time, Priyanka had already changed her US mobile
number. She tried hard to contact Priyanka’s parents only
to surrender helplessly to their threats of a police case for
harrasment.
It was raining heavily that night. As Deb stood there
lonely in the verandah, he could see the gushing waters
overflowing the city drains. The lightening remained frequent
with flashes of light zapping the nearby jasmine tree in their
garden. It was just then that Deb decided to live no more!

As Deb looked at his parent’s smiling photo one last
time, with a shining razor in the hand, a deep-rooted pain
clenched his heart. He felt like crying but perhaps the tears
had dried up in his eyes. The room was scattered with torn
letters and photos of happy times. Outside, the thunder
could be heard frequently. It was as if someone up in the
heavens was protesting against his next action.
He felt reckless one last time. Deb looked at his glass
window with droplets of rain clinging to it. Priyanka’s face
flashed for the last time with the lightning. Her sweet smile
beamed in front of his face. How much he liked that smile!
How he was mad about her! And then it was all over. The
razor shined the last unforgiving minute in his raised up right
hand, till it came down slashing. It was all over. A puddle of
blood formed on the white carpet as Deb lay there, his soul
still fighting to unite with his creator.

Everyone has a past and so did Deb.


READ ON AMAZON : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009A1ANDY
-                                                                                                                                            

       ---From the novel ‘AUTUMN IN MY HEART’

                     READ MORE @ http://www.flipkart.com/books/9380828541

Sunday, December 11, 2011

AUTUMN IN MY HEART- AN UNIQUE BOOK CONTEST FOR A FREE TRIP TO THE HIMALAYAN VALLEY!


A UNIQUE BOOK CONTEST WHICH TAKES YOU & YOUR LOVED ONE TO THE HIMALAYAN VALLEY FOR FREE !!!!


VACATION IN MIND?

Answer 2 simple questions based on the novel –AUTUMN IN MY HEART and complete the logo to win a trip to the Himalayan Valley with your family.


QUESTIONS:

1)      Where Deb did went for a vacation?
2)      Who all accompanied Deb to the above place?

Complete the below sentence in 10 words:
I would love to visit Te Aroha because.........




RULES:
1)      Like the page of the novel in Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Autumn-in-My-Heart/251288681550080

2)      Email the answers to Saptarshi.basu1981@gmail.com with the subject : UNIQUE CONTEST –AUTUMN IN MY HEART



THE PRIZE!!!
1)      
             1)10 LUCK WINNERS WILL RECIEVE AN AUTHOR-SIGNED COPY OF THE NOVEL

2)     2 night-3 day stay AT TE-AROHA in a Deluxe Room for two persons.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner – ABOSULUTELY FREEEEE !!!!- FOR THE GRAND WINNER


NOTE :
1)      NO MEMBERS OF THE AUTHOR FAMILY OR FROM TE-AROHA CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST
2)      The stay can be availed any time between 1st March to 31st July, 2012
3)      The contest will run till 25th January, 2011





ABOUT TE AROHA :

A colonial-style summer house converted into a boutique luxury hotel, Te Aroha is located amidst the scenic surroundings of Mukteshwar in Uttrakhand. Owned by an eminent lawyer-writer, the hotel is a harmonious blend of traditional architecture and contemporary comforts. Huge decks and terraces, antique furniture, massive glass windows with breathtaking views of the Himalayan peaks and the high ceilinged lobby replete with carefully selected furniture can transport you through time to the bygone elegance of the colonial era. For more details, please visit www.tearoha.in