Tushar Mangl

Its been years since I started blogging and joined IndiBlogger but until today I never got a chance to attend the IndiBlogger meet  a much awaited event for bloggers. I remember, at the very beginning of setting up the blog network, Renie had worked on ideas of meets and they have all been a success. Today, I finally got a chance to attend a meet held alongside the launch of Asus Zenfone2, the world's first smartfone with a 4 GB RAM.The venue was the amazingly designed Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. In it's auditorium the launch of the Asus Zenfone was organized with Bollywood actor Said Ali Khan making a special appearance. Aditi Singh Sharma opened up the show with melodious songs. Asus CEO Jerry Shen launched the new phone  with 'Incredible Comes to India'. This was followed up by top executives from Asus and Intel highlighting features and functions of the new phone. Oh yes, it really sounds like a great phone.  Especially the pictures Robert Jahns a renowned pho...

 You would say, it’s so simple. It is so routine and so routine. But for her it is a special story, a story of magic. That changed her life. Malati was born into a simple middle class family. There was just ever enough for her and her three siblings to eat and wear. This irked her to no end. Why  couldn't they have fancy clothes and the latest cell phones? She always pestered her mother with these questions. Every time Malati would see her closest friend Swati in new clothes always being driven in chauffeur driven cars her heart would burn with envy. All her friends in the colony and even in school seemed to have more money than her. Now she wanted a new mobile. She was using an old handset passed on by her father to her mother to her elder brother. She hated it for it was used and old. She had asked for a brand new mobile phone. Her mother always dismissed her request with a shrug. It was if to her this was just a passing phase. She did not understand how important it ...

By virtue of their operational plans, the DMRC or Delhi Metro Rail Corporation people make sure that the metro trains are always full. They increase time interval between trains or decrease coaches in trains so that even during off hours you get the feel of tightly filled metro train. On one such journey which was a long route from Gurgaon on yellow line to GTB Nagar on the same line I saw her. Of course I recognized her. Though I had been standing on the platform since some time, I can swear I never saw her there.It was only when the jostling crowd was swallowing us in the very packed coach I saw her. Would it have made any difference if I had seen her before? Well it had been four years since we last spoke. Or was it five? Distant time seems so abstract so lost. My first reaction would have been to scurry away. But the train was packed and the way to the next coach was where she was standing. I looked the other way and was suddenly conscious of two eyes following me. So, she had...

The first thing I noticed about her were her shoes. They were boots that ran till her knees and were adorned with an elegant fur lining. I travel long distances through Delhi Metro for its cheap and fast. So basically you are stuck with hundreds of others looking for cheap transport. It gets arduous and boring at times but the story teller in me often inspires me to look for characters, for stories. She was pretty. Leaning on the pole in front of pole I noticed this beautiful girl in long boots seating in front of me. But what struck me about her were her brown eyes underlined with thick black kajal. The eyes overflowed with love as they stared the man next to her. He was tall, appeared a little older than her and had a thick beard. He took her hand as quickly as she offered to him. As both looked into each other's eye I looked around for love deserves privacy in a crowded metro coach as well. It lasted just a few seconds as I gazed across the couple to the  glittering street ...

Life is good. At least it looks good. I am residing in the capital region of India these days and its turning out to be a good ride. Back home Punjab is a wealthy state. Here the glamor of money is different. Its like India was never a poor country. But I miss writing. Really do. Shifting here has paused development of all my upcoming books. And it makes me very sad. Soon however a new book would be launched. I am scraping away time and collecting my focus. Spring motivates you to write like nothing else. I wrote both The Thakur Boy and The Avenging Act in spring of 2007 and the weather always makes me yearn to write more. Food here is awesome and I have rediscovered the foodie in me.

 "So, I have more than 20 years work experience now." The man was boasting to a his companion and fellow traveller about his work. The speaker was short, plump and wore a shirt that might have been in fashion in the 1970's. I suddenly woke up from some thought as I realized my station was near and in this crowded train I found this story interesting. The man went on, "So in Secundarabad I was working in this PSU years ago, when they offered me VRS." Now VRS is the voluntary retirement scheme offered to employees to take some money and retire. The listener was a young man, in polos and jeans and was simply awed by this elder personality. " And after a year or so, I got hired back to my old post." I was amused at this. Retired and back. "But how could they hire you back? After retiring you I mean?" And what happened to that money you took for VRS from govt coffers? I wanted to ask him. The man just gave a sly smile. His oiled moustache sudd...

I was reading the first book of Ramayana By Shubha Vilas for the second time when I received the email that I had been chosen to review the second book in the series as well. My first reaction was like 'finaly' the book is out. The first book was simply great but it was just the beginning of a story that changes your life. The second part starts off with King Dashratha deciding to abdicate his throne in favor of his son Rama. What follows is a series of jubilation and unfortunate heart breaks. This is the beauty of Ramayana. We know how it starts and ends still love to read it again and again.  Also interesting are the facts and stories that are in between. Shubha Vilas masterfully narrates and explains these to us. He has weaved in various forms and versions of Ramyana, from Valmiki's Ramcharitmanas to Kamba Ramyana and other popular versions of the legendary tale. As in the first book I liked the idea of footnotes. They are something to look forward to. Each of th...