ABOUT BOOK
Crumpled
Voices – Shades of Suffering is an anthology based on social issues. A
common thread of the prevailing societal evils and injustice binds them
together. We have tried to weave stories ranging from rape to acid attack and
domestic violence to honor killing in this anthology. All of us have witnessed
such incidents in our day to day life, our near and dear ones might have
experienced them closely too. We have almost grown up among them, felt them
following us. We constantly live in fear of the unknown, fear of being the
victim to any of the criminal activities multiplying around us. These days when
no place is safe, including the web, our voices need to be heard. Protest must
begin from somewhere, and we have used our pen which is mightier than the sword
to express our anguish. An echo of many unimaginable atrocities lurks within
us, engulfing us in its shadow. Through each of the story in this book, we have
tried to highlight one such aspect of horrifying crimes.
ISBN-10:
8192960978
ISBN-13:
978-8192960975
Product
Dimensions: 20.2 x 12.6 x 2 cm
AUTHORS
These are the awesome members of this beautiful initiative by Gargi Publishers.
REVIEWS
REVIEW BY MEGHANT PARMAR
There are
sufferings and then there are lot of sufferings for humans on earth. Some come
naturally while some of them are man made. Women have always been an object of
desire and scrutiny for many. The oppression continuing and seeping it's way
through generations. Author Pulkit Gupta & Ila Garg in their latest
offering "Crumpled Voices" have lent out a medium to common people
and give the readers something that has not been dealt with for a long time. So
is their effort up to the expectations? Let's find out.
Crumpled
Voices – Shades of Suffering is an anthology based on social issues. A
common thread of the prevailing societal evils and injustice binds them
together. We have tried to weave stories ranging from rape to acid attack and
domestic violence to honor killing in this anthology. All of us have witnessed
such incidents in our day to day life, our near and dear ones might have
experienced them closely too. We have almost grown up among them, felt them
following us. We constantly live in fear of the unknown, fear of being the
victim to any of the criminal activities multiplying around us. These days when
no place is safe, including the web, our voices need to be heard. Protest must
begin from somewhere, and we have used our pen which is mightier than the sword
to express our anguish. An echo of many unimaginable atrocities lurks within
us, engulfing us in its shadow. Through each of the story in this book, we have
tried to highlight one such aspect of horrifying crimes.
First
look at the title and the cover and it shouts and shouts out loud about the
issues the book might take up during it's entire course of narration. There is
a deep pain hidden inside the title and the image is a symbol of it. The blurb
talks about what is on offer in the book and the editors conceal the very idea
on which the whole project works. The blurb is pinpoint accurate with not much
to decipher and leaving it for the readers to uncover themselves.
Poem No.
1:
A
beautiful poem indeed describing at length the state of affairs of earth, the
joys and the sorrows, the transition of the man from human to beast, the pain
and the sufferings and the worst and the best which the living soul had reaped
and sowed till now. It's a vivid amalgamation of verses with a lot of depth and
intensity.
Story No.
2:
A story
about two people and their respective choices which are not respected at all by
the society and the fears with which they live in. It's a story with a lot of
focus on what happens in real to those who try changing the rules of the
society. It's a good story with love and homosexuality being given appropriate
space. The story could have been given a lot more edge. It became too straight
forward towards the end.
Story No.
3:
A story
about misunderstandings and misconceptions and the choices that change the
course of the future. The story is a heart felt narrative about two people and
the course it traverses leaves the readers amidst mixed emotions. A fruitful
and sad story with pent up feelings and curses and cries of few souls.
Story No.
4:
A story
highlighting the society's mindset and the misleading faces of man which
ultimately wrecks havoc in not one but many lives. The story delves into the
devil reincarnate forms of man and his beastly endeavors. The narration is
smooth, the sufferings true and the end painful. A soulful story.
Story No.
5:
The mind
sometimes reacts violently to a situation and considers nothing. Even the ties
and bonds are marked broken with one mistake. The story revolves around honor killing where a girl struggles for life and unexpectedly or expectedly the
savagery comes from her very own. It's painful, it's brutal, it's gory but in
the end it's all in the name of honor. The story is perfect with brief but
hitting verses.
Story No.
6:
The story
is a curious case of missing people and how one person changes it all for
everyone around him. The story indeed is based on a unique idea and a concept
and takes a spiritual as well as a historical journey, even humoring the
entire idea at times. The story is fresh from the shelf and has been delivered
with ease and confidence.
Story No.
7:
When a
woman decides to break the shackles and run amok the entire world around her
then it's the bright change which dawns upon. The story is based on this one
bright yet cruelly and subdued change and the courage of a woman. The story
runs it's course fine and sums up with a good message.
Story No.
8:
For once
a cry and howl gets a voice and in turn it leads to the uprising or the sad
demise of your opinions or freedom. The story is of the sufferings of a woman
in her marital life and the endless beatings and taunts which leave her scarred
forever. The story highlights the shortcomings of marriages in our country and
it manages to give leverage to the dead relationships which are run in the name
of societal pressure and mercy. A nice story.
Story No.
9:
Honesty
is the best policy and your little honest gestures sometimes leaves you with
content and satisfaction. That is what the story conveys through it's
narration. The story's narration is average and it offers nothing new in terms
of concept and ideas.
Story No.
10:
The story
is of ambitions and riches, the ways of success and the ways to achieve it. The
story doesn't pulls up an effective momentum and fades with every paragraph.
The end quite predictable and the events very random and vague. It doesn't
gives quite the jitters and shivers which should have been associated with it.
Story No.
11:
Strange
is love and it's ways. It can make you look completely lost or in control of
your senses many a times. The story is of one such couple with an even strange
story. The story is quite new contrary to the ideas of love and romance. The
story is filled with remorse, strangeness and some invisible hiccups which
makes you cringe to read more.
Story No.
12:
What goes
around comes back around. What happens when a sin from the past comes back to
haunt you and torment you forever. The story with guts,gore and inhumanity. The
straightforward and bluntness of the story makes it a cruel yet an eye opening
aspect. There's a lot of flair in it to give it the touch it required. The best
story of the lot.
Poem No.
13:
A poem on
the present conditions of our country
and the dilapidated state which sadly makes it all the more unruly to live and
survive. The poem could have been woven in a better manner and words like
fucking and bullshit could have been given a miss completely.
Story No.
14:
The story
of two people and their horrifying experiences and later on turning them into
forte. The story has a start stop kind of presentation which works fine for
sometime but gradually it feels incomplete and rather finishes abruptly with
not much to cherish or cheer about. The story is devoid of plausible explanations
and the the momentum not in it's favour.
Story No.
15:
A young
girl and her instincts to learn and grasp new and definitive things about life
lead her to believe in the smallest and possible joys of the world. The story
has been written well keeping the innocence factor of a child in mind. The
grammar stutters quite a lot of times but the story remains good and ends on a
positive note.
Story No.
16:
When life
has been cruel to you for a very long time then suddenly the ray of hope
appears out of nowhere and gives you a thread to cling on and stay put and face
the world. The story has been given a glimmer of hope, a touch of love and new
found surprises and the bond which never falters come what may. The story has
come of age and given the word relationship a new meaning and direction. A very
good story.
Story No.
17:
For their
are wolves everywhere in human forms and their prying eyes hunting for preys
and waiting for that one moment where they can snatch away your dignity and
respect but what if you have chosen something else for yourself. The story runs
on the lines of dignity and the trust which is is so sacred yet scarred that
even it's difficult to fathom the repercussions. The story starts and end on a
high and devours on the cannibalistic attitude of man and it's desires. The
surprises making it readable and befitting. A very good clash of love and lust.
Story No.
18:
The story
is about day to day nuisances which women generally have to face on roads, next
doors, lanes, malls etc. The show never stops for the men but for women it
becomes an ordeal. The story lends a good voice to the women power and gives
them a direction as how to tackle with the leeches of the society. Giving up is
never an option for women and it must be the same in reality too is the message
conveyed loud and clear. A good story.
Story No.
19:
The story
of a woman who undertook a journey where she is all alone and some restrictions
are forced upon her to make her life more miserable. The story is to break the
shackles and do what your mind and heart agree to. The story is fresh and gives
a lot of leverage to freedom and voicing of thoughts. The end was bit abrupt
but overall the story manages to charm the readers.
Story No.
20:
A story
about a little girls and her hidden feelings and the doubts on her ability due
to lack of appreciation and the touch of her own which is found amiss in the
whole set up. The story points out at the very fact that life has become too
pacy and people gradually tend to forget to tend to their own kids and loved
ones. The story is simple yet touching and helps venting out the inner
frustrations of a brilliant yet emotion and care deprived child.
Story No.
21:
It's the
story of a grief stricken lady and a young girl and the visible generation gap
and the stark differences in thoughts apparent throughout their conversation.
The story runs its course smoothly and gives ample leads to a lot of cruel
truths about the society and the people. The story touches the topics with ease
and shows the right path to a young child with care and tenderness. A nice
story.
Story No.
22:
The story
is of a woman and a daughter who are out on a mission to fight off the
unnecessary evil that has spread in the society and hush up the gossip mongers
once and for all. The story is about determination and the inner strength which
guides you towards righteousness. For one person standing tall others will come
out of the closet and make it a voice to be heard. The story is unique and with
grave intensity. A lovely narrative.
Poem No.
23:
A poem on
the acid attacks on women and the trauma some of them have to undergo
afterwards. The poem simple yet pleading with innocence and tenderness to leave
the women folk and give their ideas and freedom and their body a breathing
space. The suffocation and constant fear being highlighted. The poem ending the
book on a high with expectations and experiences shared through this medium.
The book
contains 20 stories and 3 poems, all of them trying to put a point across to
the readers. Some touching, few of them gory, some shivering and forgettable
experiences and a common factor women. The targeted and a misconception of
"weak" being busted through some of the narratives. The stories
rendering a voice to the voiceless and giving a platform to the women who have
suffered and suffered hard. An eye opener for many and an opinion changing
experience. The magic in some of the stories binds you with disgust and anguish
yet your soul reaching out to the plight of both the rich and the poor. The
stories which leave a shining mark on the mind are story no. 3,5,6,12,16 and
17.
The
downside is the editing part at few places with grammatical mistakes hampering
the growth of few stories at times. It's not severe but sensitive books like
these need more accuracy. The poems are good but could have been given a better
space or given equal weightage in the book in terms of quantity. Few stories
lacked the flair and the ideal perception to take the social cause forward.
All in
all the book manages to pull out all stops and deliver powerful societal
messages with ease and simplest of manners. The deft touch giving the book lots
of hopes and pride. The stories chugging out reality from the deepest and the
darkest of the corners. The filth being cleaned up in the form of words. The
editors being selective and nearly accurate with their choices of stories. A
neat compilation of shades of suffering. The book could have done a lot more by
giving some more hard hitting issues "space" but nonetheless it still
churns out quite a lot in contrast to what readers usually read. A book to be
sailed along with and pondered upon with it's idealistic approach.
RATINGS: 4 OUT OF
5
REVIEW BY HIMANI GUPTA
Verdict: ☆☆☆☆ An Anthology, which clearly defines the
sufferings of the society. Wonderfully crafted by all the authors. Nice and Innovative
concept by the Publisher. As Dipen said it is surely needed of the hour....
About The
Author: CA, CS and Law student by profession and a writer by passion, Pulkit is
someone who believes in living life to the fullest. Born in Sonepat and brought
up in Bijnor (land of Dushyant Kumar), writing came naturally to him due to his
genes and current location. He did his schooling from St. Mary’s Convent
School, Bijnor and graduation from MJPRU, Bareilly.
He
started writing in a diary and some random poems, but CA gave a professional
look to his writing skills. He got associated with Caclubindia and was voted “Favorite
of the Club” in 2011. His debut novel, titled,‘Life and Promises’ has
already created waves in the book market. He is also part of a short story
anthology, ‘You, Me ‘N’ Zindagi’. He was also the compiler and contributor at ‘Moonlit
Matinee’.
Apart
from reading and writing, the author loves listening to Hindi music, watch all
kind of Hindi movies and sports.
He can be
contacted at:
Email –
authorpulkitgupta@gmail.com
Facebook-
https://www.facebook.com/pulkit.caclubindia
About the
book: Crumpled Voices – Shades of Suffering is an anthology based on social issues. A
common thread of the prevailing societal evils and injustice binds them together.
We have tried to weave stories ranging from rape to acid attack and domestic
violence to honor killing in this anthology.
All of us
have witnessed such incidents in our day to day life, our near and dear ones
might have experienced them closely too. We have almost grown up among them,
felt them following us. We constantly live in fear of the unknown, fear of
being the victim to any of the criminal activities multiplying around us. These
days when no place is safe, including the web, our voices need to be heard.
The
protest must begin from somewhere, and we have used our pen which is mightier
than the sword to express our anguish. An echo of many unimaginable atrocities
lurks within us, engulfing us in its shadow. Through each of the stories in
this book, we have tried to highlight one such aspect of horrifying crimes.
Review: First Look at the cover and Title clearly
tells the readers about the sufferings of the society and it is very common in
our society. The blurb talks about the contents of the book. About the
injustice, evils happening with the women in society…The women’s photo
in the cover really shows the sufferings. Let me explain about each story in
detail…
2. Story No 2: This is who I am By Ila Garg:
This is the story of Two people and their love for each other which was not
accepted by the society because they were homosexual. This is again the
non-acceptance in society which led them to suffer. It’s true if
anyone tries to go against the society they have to suffer. A nice story about
the reality of life as homosexual’s are still not accepted by the society. A well written concept.
3. Story No 3: Karma Returns By Pulkit Gupta:
A story about misunderstanding between husband and wife. A nice and emotional
story. The climax clearly tells that Karma always returns. The person who does
something wrong will always get his punishment in this birth only. A heartfelt
narration. A sad and heart touching story.
4. Story No 4: The Last Whisper By Tanya
Shrivastava: The story deals with shameful dead of men in society. Sexual
harassment what we called forced rape. The devil act of men towards women is
really a shocking tale. A wonderful narration, told the reality of society. A
painful story which will touch your heart.
5. Story No 5: It is Honourable By Abhik
Chakraborty: Honor Killing is one of the hot topic in society. Still, some
parts of the society kill innocent lovers just for caste. The story is perfect.
The innocent girl killed because she had committed the crime of falling in
love. It’s really very painful
6. Story No 6: The Curious case Of Missing
Brahmins, By Abhishek Atul: The story is humorous, sometimes with a pinch of
spirituality and History. It also educated us with an interesting idea of
missing Brahmin. A very beautifully narrated. The story is fresh and based on a
very unique idea…
7. Story No 7: Color of a Butterfly By
Promilla Qazi: It is a story of a young Girl who wants to fly like a butterfly.
A story of her courage due to cruelty faced by her in her childhood. A nice
story with a beautiful narration. I loved the way, despite seeing cruelty in
her childhood, she faced it strongly.
8. Story No 8: Indira’s Story
By Smita SaLins: This is a story of a young girl who faced sufferings in her
married life. Continuous beatings and cruelty leave her scarred forever. It is the reality of society, One should live
in a dead marriage because of pressure. It highlights the cruelty faced by some
women in a married relationship. A nice
and painful story….
9. Story No 9: The Corrupt Me By Nitesh
Chitranshi: A very well written story
which taught us an important lesson in the end. “Honesty is the best policy
and Hard Work is the key to success” is a true saying. In order to remove corruption from the country
we have to be honest towards ourself. The little honest gestures leaves you
satisfied. I as a reader feels Author had beautifully explained the meaning of
honesty in Today’s world.
10. Story No 10: The Fatal Pride: By Sreelekha
Chatterjee: The story of Rich and Poor and in order to achieve easy success,
one can take a wrong step. A very nicely explained with an important message.
One should never allow strangers to enter the house if you are alone. It’s true
these days elder citizen’s are not safe. The end was a bit predictable, but a nice story.
11. Story No 11: The Paradise by Prachi Priyanka:
Sometimes Love is strange. It can make you lose completely into one another or
sometimes in control senses. The paradise is a story of two couples whose love
was very strange. This was a fresh concept in terms of normal love story. The
end was a shock for me as a reader. A story filled with strange,
possessiveness, guilt and sorrow.
12. Story No 12: Nature’s Revenge
By Shruti Mall: What Goes around comes around. It’s true your past sin will
surely haunt you and God will Punish you in this Birth only. A well written
story. Story of inhumanity and Cruelty. Women are always blamed for the cruelty
of men. The story had a flair which makes you completely hooked to the story.
Nature had itself took its revenge.
13. Poem No 13: She was raped By Nitin Soni: A
poem which shows the present condition of our country where women are not safe.
Men are inhuman and feels Proud to rape an innocent girl. The Author had nicely
showed the pain of a woman through the verses. For Rape only women are blamed
for wearing Wrong clothes, travelling late at night not men who shows their
cruelty towards women. A nice poem.
14. Story No 14: The Crescendo Of a Grand
Symphony By Harsh Rai Puri: The story of two people who had faced horrifying
incidence in their life. The story started with an interesting note, but later
lost its charm and there was nothing to be cherished upon. The end was also
abrupt.
15. Story No 15: A Letter To God: By Sandeep
Sharma: This is a simple and sweet story of a girl who wanted
to learn small things and feel the joy of life. The story was written, keeping
in mind the innocence of a girl. I loved the way she wrote a letter to her mom. The story ended on
a positive note.
16. Story No 16: Eighteenth Birthday: By Nibha
Gupta: A story of hope and love. It gave relationship a new meaning. A bond
between two sisters, which was beautifully expressed in the end. The letter
gave an emotional touch with full of surprises. A very good story.
17. Story No 17: The Indecent Profession By
Durgesh Shastri: This is another story of inhumanity. There are certain people
who search for prey and ruin their dignity and self respect by filming their
private videos. This is the story of a husband who want to snatch the dignity
of her wife by filming her Porn video. The starting was very interesting and
end took you into surprise. A very good story of love and lust.
18. Story No 18: Light By Shrruti Patole
Clearence: This is the story about
cruelty, Eve teasing, molestation, rape, which women face in day to day travel
on roads, shopping malls, next door. It’s high time women have to be strong and fight with the beast of
our society. It is the story of women power. Women should never stop, but fight
for their rights. A well written story.
19. Story No 19: Freedom By Ketaki Sane: The
story of a woman who wanted to live her life on her own terms, but forced by a
man to live according to his terms and condition and made her life miserable.
One should always believe what your mind and heart says is what Author wanted
to justify with her story. A feeling of freedom. The end was abrupt but still
as a reader, I loved the story….
20. Story No 20: Second Chance By Gayatri
Aptekar: A story of a young Girl and her feelings. A story about her being
alone in spite of having all the necessities of life. These days Parents are so
busy earning money that they forget to love their kids… The
story was beautifully narrated. A feeling of sadness and pain in little girls’ eyes
were clearly shown. The Story is simple and touching and helps the girl to make
her parents realize their mistake.
21. Story No 21: The Newspaper Reader By
Chandrapal Khasiya: The story is about a grief ridden Lady and a Young Girl and
their talk on the truths and the cruelty of the society. There was a generation
gap in their conversation and it was interestingly narrated. All the topics were
nicely discussed showing the right path to the young girl. A nice story…
22. Story No 22: Together We Can Make a
Difference By Priyanka Bansal: AIDS is a very common disease and Society treats
aids patient with a guilt and it’s necessary to educate the society. The story is about a mother
and daughter who fight with the society and try to educate them about this
disease. The story of determination and inner strength which enables you to go
on the right track. A very nice story
with beautiful narration.
23. Poem No 23: Don’t Decolourize Me By
Priyanka Bansal: A poem about the Acid Attack. The trauma that a woman's face
after Acid attack. It is really painful. Man should avoid this harsh cruelty. A
woman should be given freedom and respect rather than destroy their beautiful
face. The fear and suffocation being
highlighted. The book ended with a good poem.
The book
altoghter compiled very nicely highlighting the basic problems of life. All the
stories and poems will surely touch your heart. The basic issues of the society
are highlighted in each and every story and poems of the Anthology. The only
drawback was a grammatical mistake. Rest the book was a good initiative. All
the best to all the Authors…
REVIEW BY PRIYANKA BATRA HARJAI
An anthology I have been waiting for since long. Initially, this collection was packaged in another book cover but the current one is equally effective.
We all have our share of scars and screams but we generally fail to express and share our pain and agony with the society. Here, come the heros – the word warriors, the writers. They have come forward to voice opinions (their’s and other’s) and sensitize the literary world with a genuine effort.
1. Ila Garg: Down the Way
Is a painful poem sensitizing the readers about the tranquility of the environment. It is true that we are ignoring environment in our fast sped race of humanity and outwearing the pain of mother nature and our friends – trees.
Ila tries to befriend one such victimized tree and pens his (tree’s) emotions.
2. Ila Garg: This is Who I am
Is a diary entry of a young chap – Sameer. He has different choices in life but are they different enough to be termed a “taboo”? She questions.
Ila is an undoubted queen of words. I have read a lot from her. I like the way she portrays her characters – strong and sensible. The themes she picks up becomes strong as she attends to it and such is the case with story as well. Learn as she demands justice and equality for all, irrespective of genders.
3. Pulkit Gupta: Karma Returns
Is a reality check for young married couples who are working hard to secure a lucrative job opportunity but at the same time, who are struggling hard to save and sustain their married life. Will Deveika and Rajesh succeed or are they destined to have another twist from Pulkit’s pen.
Pulkit is a wonderful author (and a person as well). The best thing that I like about his write ups is that he gives a sense of reality to all his stories. The time span covered from past to current date, the vivid description of scenic beauty revolving around scenes in the story and the best one being the treatment given to human relations and their emotions as well. This time he invites your attention towards a social taboo – Infertility. He had the power to make you smile in one second and reduce yo tear in another but at the end, he sways along with you, even after the story completes.
4. Tanya Shrivastava: The Last Whisper
Is a slapstick on Indian traditions. Does keeping mum a sign of following traditions and respecting our elders? Is this the correct channel to promote ourselves as educated humans? Unveil the truth with the protagonist – Anuj, as he and his love fight hard till the last breath to fight against the shackles of domestic violence.
Tanya seems to be a strong headed writer as could be easily perceived from the way she has characterized her story and landed on a logical ending. With this story, she introspects the sorry state of victimized women and urges then to stand out to speak and make noise against filthy ‘men’.
5. Abhik Chakraborty: It is Honorable
Is a painful crumpled voice denying the honor and pride, as served by the society and by the family. Family traditions , family honor, family pride – whatever the term be but it is shameful if it is over family itself. Yes, strange but true.
Sadly, the story is not strange and we are not strangers to the concept of ‘honor killing’. A sarcastic description of this devilish act left me heartbroken. Every now and then, we hear news updates about such heinous crimes but reading about the incidents surrounding the scene is worse.
Very well written and not to be missed. A brother-sister relation dies a brutal death.
6. Abhishek ‘Atul': The Curious Case of Missing Brahmins
Is an eye opener. Keshav a young man visits a police station to file a case of missing Brahmins!.
Yes, as the title of the story suggests, I was myself very much curious to learn more about the Brahmins.
I have read from Abhishek earlier and this is another shocker from his pavallion. I am amazed how he excels in writing heavy and serious topics with such simplicity and easiness which is easier to understand and grasp.
Read this story to learn more about Brahmins of India and join his wagon to search for them. The case is still open and can definitely help to build a golden future that we all thrive for.
7. Promilla Qazi: Color of Butterfly
Is a colorful story of life, life completing a full circle. I start with a few lines from the story itself. Life… you hold it or not, will always leave its marks on you. Memories, laughter, tears, everything passes but not without leaving a scar on her lips…
It is an inspiring story that leaves you with a ray of hope that life continues to follow its course and we should learn to live it come what may.
8. Smita Salins: Indira’s Story
Is a simple and straight forward story of a contemporary Indian homely lady. A lady who excels in performing her duty of being a female by hiding tears behind a friendly and heartwarming smile.
Smita has a potential to write nice writings. I believe that such a strong plot could have been packaged differently for a magnified impact.
9. Nitesh Chitranshi: The Corrupt Me
Is about the parasite categorized as corruption and hosted inside us. Yes, leaving apart the influential bureaucrats and politicians, we, the common man are a major player in downsizing our economy by following malpractices.
I am confident that you will not be amazed if I categorize saving some currency notes whilst somebody else’s negligence. The author has made a wise attempt to wake up a true Indian and a living human being inside our body and hiding behind the grey cells. He dreams to behead towards a corruption free society through his writings.
10. Sreelekha Chatterjee: The Fatal Pride
Is a mind boggling story that centers on two pivotal points – safety of the elderly in society and acceptance of success and glory of others.
Sreelekha has a firm hold of her writing skills. This can be perceived very easily as you dive into the ocean of emotions in her story. With this story she attempts to raise question about advocating high social esteem. How someone’s pride becomes indigestible for others leaving a little faith in values and maintaining distance from the world of sympathy and compassion.
A humane story about inhuman act. My second most favorite choice from the collection.
11. Prachi Priyanka: The Paradise
Is a story bridging gap between ‘me’, ‘us’ and ‘ours’. Sometimes, driven by insecurity we start building boundaries instead of bridges around us. During this attempt, we unknowingly part ways from people who care about us.
Prachi tries to identify a thin gap between loving and possessing your love. Life is paradise only with love by your side.
12. Shruti Mall: Nature’s Revenge
Is a work of fiction from the debutante writer. Her story is inspired by a famous rape case in recent past.
She has truly done justice with her story by providing a captivating start and resonating closure. The story deciphers a hidden message that the Almighty takes care of us. He has planted nature around us to keep an eye on our deeds and we get prized or punished, as the right time approaches.
13. Nitin Soni: She was Raped
Is a poetic homage to the rape deceased.
I am not well versed in commenting about poetry. Therefore, with due respect to the poet, I limit here.
14. Harsh Rai Puri: The Crescendo of a Grand Symphony
Is inspired from the book – Man’s Search for meaning. Though, I don't know much about the work, I am not the right person to comment on the respective perspective.
If I consider it to be an exclusive work, it is a sweet story about old age romance. The distributed timeline discussed adds up to the magnitude of passion of beloved.
15. Sandeep Sharma: The Letter To God
Is an emotional story of a girl who reconnects with her lost mom through the channel – education. We all who belong to an educated strata generally accept education as a medium of earning mounts of money, but then, it has other purpose as well. It connects, it connects hearts to hearts and hearts to soul. You need to read the story to know how this happens.
16. Nibha Gupta: The Eighteenth Birthday
Is an emotional story of an abandoned child – a girl. The story digs deep into the reason behind parting ways from an innocent child. It details the pain hidden beneath the sheets and the joy of reconnecting with the world. It’s about bonding with the family.
You should read the story to learn that ugly is not always the bad!
17. Durgesh Shastri: The Indecent Profession
Is a shocking story about a honeymoon couple – Rohan and Megha. Megha, is a simple girl weaving fancy dreams about her newlywed life. Her life shatters her belief when she gets exposed to the indecent profession of his husband and she pays for it.
Durgesh is a writer of recent times whose writings I enjoy to read. He weighs his characters and story very well. His stories are not mere stories that should be read and forgot but they are strong messages with layered questions that readers start answering as soon as they head towards reading.
This story is no exception and read to find out how the actual culprit gets punished with the hands of destiny. An intelligent story of internet misuse and being webbed.
18. Shrruti Patole Clarence: Light
Is a hope enticing story of a rape-victim girl. Usually we read the stories wherein writers try to unleash the pain and the terror hidden in the minds and hearts of the victimized families. Nevertheless, this is an effort to move a step further.
A step further towards light wherein the author guides the readers to stand up for the right cause leaving all the inhibitions and terror of darkness behind. Indeed, a nice concept and a fresh perspective to rape-victim’psyche.
19. Ketaki Sane: Freedom
Is a refreshing read. We all live in a society which dreams of crossing the boundaries but very rarely we, the females are provided with equal opportunities as our male counterparts.
This story is not just about females it is about the artists freedom of expression; the freedom to live freely. You will love reading this.
Ketaki is an enriching writer who brings the freshness of morning breeze through her works. I have read her work earlier and this qualifies as one more accolade to her kitty’s share.
20. Gayatri Aptekar: A Second Chance
Is a food-for-thought types story. She raises an important parenting question. Is earning money the only driving force of our lives?
Written with a child’s perspective, she brings out the inner voice of an ignored child who doesn't need lavish house and expensive belongings but what he needs is love. It is about indifferent parents and about family, togetherness and bonding.
The story is full of catch words that I admired, personally.
21. Chandrapal Khasiya: The Newspaper Reader
An action packed emotional roller-coaster. An eventful story. I will not say much about the story just this much – a touching and sweet conversation.
22. Priyanka Bansal: Together We Can Make a Difference
Highlights the ignorance faced by H.I.V. infected patients. It is not only entertaining but an educational read at the same time. She emphasizes how education is a powerful tool to curb the menace.
23. Priyanka Bansal: Don’t Decolorise Me.
Ironically, a colorful poetry that introduces to different shades of acidified brutality. You will feel the burnt as the acid flows between the lines, paragraph after paragraph.
Needless to say, an impressive collection of intelligent and inspiring works. One fact that all readers will easily notice is that this time the writer’s wagon doesn't stop at describing the pain and agony rather they have come up with solution and practical plan of actions. No worldly preaching anymore; now its time to act.
Praise for the talented editor, who has packaged every story and every emotion justifiably to the purpose of anthology. Each story carries the correct tone and language to intrigue your inner concise.
Another person, who needs to be praised is the compiler, for it is him actually, who sieves through all the stories and hears crumpled voices in order to put forth the ones, which need immediate attention and suffice the word space. Pulkit is a hard working and dedicated professional and it is being clearly reflected in selection of works for publication.
I congratulate him and wish him success. Apart from the people who would like to entertain the theme of the anthology, this is something that is recommended to aspiring writers should look up to for brushing up their artistic tools and skills.
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