Book Review of “Taming The Restless Mind” By Rashmi Singh

 

This book, I believe, is Rashmi Singh’s first non-fictional offering. A freelance Personality Development Trainer and Counselor, Rashmi has compiled small pearls of wisdom for her readers.
Pitching the book to be a guide, to tame your mind, Rashmi has put together about 20, quite prominent, topics that indeed are the factors that lead to unrest in the mind.

I would suggest young adults to give it a read. It is sure to help them as they walk the path of life- in college and in the corporate world.

But for most folks like me, these are topics that we are familiar with and know the nitty-gritty of the consequences they bring. The book seemed very interesting to me initially, but within a few pages it was too predictable. There was no novelty for me.

Also, I did not quite understand the usage of all caps words/sentences in between. If a point needs to be stressed up on highly, making the text “bold” could’ve worked just as fine. The usage of caps in between did not go well with my reading process. I did find many grammatical and other flaws but since the flow was soft and easy, I guess I shall by-pass them for now.

People dealing with confidence and self development issues must give it a read. There are many winning tricks highlighted in the book that are bound to help readers gather and uplift their self-esteem and decision making skills.

I will suggest this book to youngsters definitely so that they are at least aware of the things that they are doing wrong (yes, already) and how they can improve their communication and interpersonal skills, as they stand on the brink of the transition (from a youngster to an adult).

 

Interview with Rashmi Singh

 

Love’s Journey is the debut novel of Rashmi Singh, a freelance Personality Development and Soft Skills Trainer at Faridabad.
From talking about her personal and professional life to her take on love, Rashmi gives us an insight on present day society woes and much more. Read on.

Tell us a bit about your professional background. How did you steer towards becoming a Personality Development and Soft Skills Trainer?
I had been quite active during my school/college days- Taking part in Painting, Elocution, Drama, Creative Writing Competitions (both in Hindi and English, winning prizes for Elocution/Recitation from RamaKrishna Pramhansa Society, Ranchi, second prize in dramatics, in B.H.U-.I.T. and from diff. prestigious platforms) and other co curricular activities saw a growth in my Personality. I was very good academically (except Math-ooops!), winning Best Class Citizen Award consecutively for 2yrs in school. My life could not be perceived without these!!!
I connected well with my friends without having ideas that I was better than others or others were better than me….though I wasn’t the partying type. My ability (God Gifted) to connect with friends made me the elected Joint Sec., of my college though just after graduation I got married.

Marriage came with so many other regular responsibilities which weren’t easy to shoulder so my studies saw a break. But I am thankful to my very good schooling (Notre Dame Academy, Patna and Loreto Convent, Ranchi) that I got a chance to teach English in a school where my child had taken admission-thence my journey started. Along with teaching, I carried on with my educational pursuits and finally did M.A., M.B.A., C.T.E. In schools I was generally asked by the Principal to counsel students and parents and this idea came up in my mind to hone and polish the personality of others with my own experiences of life-So about 12 years back, I quit schools and started as a Freelance Personality Dev. and Soft Skills Trainer.

What is the one thing that you think is quite important when it comes to communication skills and personality development?
It is confidence coupled with being well-informed. If you have confidence and correct information of things for which a person needs extensive reading, then his/her language defects, dressing sense, etc. could be easily covered up. But not over- confidence- this leads to miscommunication.

Would you like to share with our reader, your earliest memories of writing?
Yes, why not!
Like I mentioned, Creative Writing came to me naturally, I was always into a flight of fancy in my imaginary world. I watched people, their mannerisms very intently. Why people-I even watched animals..clouds..flowers.. My poems and write ups were published in college magazines and local dailies but at that time we didn’t have much opportunities. Moreover I belonged to a conservative Rajput family, though was provided with the best of education but all these were mainly done with one objective-marriage. But the writer in me often fought with the woman in me and I kept on writing in my diaries continually. I have 2 blogs Riviera and Lost Tranquility in the Asia Section of an International website.
But recently these blogs have become a scapegoat of the rules of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting- the write ups are there but the illustration in the form of pictures have been blocked. But this has not deterred me. Actually I am more energized now.

You get to meet a lot many people every day, given your line of work. Did that in any way trigger you to write a story/novel? As in, what brought about the ideation of “Love’s Journey”?
Yes, I meet many. There are many married men/ women who are leading an unhappy life. Though they profess, they love their spouses but actually are not happy. Many want to get out of their wedlock but have certain fears!

And above all the YOUNGSTERS. The no. of jilted lovers are increasing by leaps and bounds these days!!! Progress has come with increased no. of suicides.

Sleeping with one and then moving around with others. Though in such cases often the males do not have any qualms but the females to a great extent are traumatized. Though while narrating their stories, they try to hide their physical relationship but their restlessness and eyes tell all!!!
So I took a backdrop of Bollywood and wrote about the feelings of a woman who has to overcome hurdles of life and I think being a Counselor has helped me a lot in etching the characters.

How would you define “love”?
Love is something which cannot be defined or measured!
It is just a feeling. It rises above physical appearance and mental make up. According to me love is something when you understand a person-give him/her space. Sex is obviously there but in couples where this becomes primary, love cannot stand even a single negative onslaught. Like in Love’s Journey Jennifer falls in love four times… but with Shambhu her love was a platonic and the most strongly bonded one. She knew she was crushing her desires, then too she wasn’t at all feeling bad because the kind of selfless love Shambhu was showering on her was never experienced by her before. And with Shantanu she thought after all she had found the love of her life with her body physically craving for him but eventually it sucked her into a vacuum!!!

Who, according to you, is the epitome of love in your life?
From renowned and known figures, it is Radha- I think Radha, Krishna’s beloved is the epitome of love. She never demanded anything from him…She was married but had the courage million years ago to admit this. And nobody knows what became of her when Krishna left her. It is said Krishna gave her a place along with him to be worshipped but there is no mention of the fact, that where she went..what she did.

Wasn’t this Krishna’s responsibility to see what became of his beloved? Radha had the courage to let the world know she loved Krishna.

How was the experience of having authored a book? Have things changed in anyway? Did you face any apathy from publishers or agents in the publishing industry?
It was great! First time people could know about me-my ability to feel things around me and l
gave them ‘language’ And I for the first time could really let out my feelings to the world. Monetarily it hasn’t changed but fame wise it has!! People now relate to me. As a Personality Development Trainer, I could reach out to a limited people but now I am able to reach the masses!

Pustak Mahal People are very good and extremely co operative to me and hence far I have interacted with them only. I have no agents. I do my own Liaison. But many of my friends with finished work are facing apathy from agents and Publishers. I can’t name them as this may hamper their hard work

What’s your take on the sudden rise in the number of new young authors?
It is really nice to see that now so many young people are getting their desired platform.

What’s your favorite genre? Name some of your favorite authors and books.
Recently I read ‘The Palace of Illusions‘ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni-It’s really gripping.
Paulo Coelho‘s ‘Veronica decides to die‘ is also thought provoking.
There’s nothing like my favourite Genre. I read anything which attracts my attention.

What next do we read from your desk?
Taming The Restless Mind is a very sincere and honest effort from my side to guide people across the world! I know many would be scandalized to see a woman dealing with topics which is considered a taboo in our society-but then someone has to! Topics like confidence development/communication skill is obviously there but topics like Peer Pressure, Job Stress, Dating, Drugs, Internet Porn Addiction, Nudity, Bed Buddies, Sexual Myths and Facts are also there. So you can say it is a complete package to tame restless minds!
Though a non fiction, it is written in a narrative style. The chapters are gripping with solutions provided to the best of my belief and faith.

Rashmi certainly has shown a knack for plotting a good story and etching relatable characters. I look forward to reading her latest non-fictional offering.

Book Review of “In Pursuit Of Infidelity” by Sujata Parashar

In Pursuit Of Infidelity

By Sujata Parashar

 

*spoiler alert*

Infidelity nowadays is as common as a headache. It can happen anytime. And it really isn’t as weird. Or so people say/think.
People write/talk about what they observe. Looking at the number of stories being written and published on this subject (of infidelity) it makes one wonder about the changing times of today.

In Pursuit of Infidelity by Sujata Parashar is one such story about Sheena, a busy professional, happily married (or so she thinks) to Gaurav. Both are trapped in the worldly woes of a professional life in Delhi, trying to make for a better future for themselves and their son Krish.

Sheena does not really feel the love towards Gaurav, but it’s her commitment to marriage and family that keeps her going. That is, until temptation comes calling. She bumps into her long lost love/crush- Nikhil and when he too confesses of being in love with her, Sheena faces the eternal dispute between her conscience and her heart.

Her work takes her to Mumbai and she ends up giving into her heart’s desire with him. She decides to walk out of her marriage. But when she returns home, it’s time for Gaurav to leave for Singapore on business. She decides to hold on till his return. But what happens in Singapore doesn’t remain in Singapore.
Gaurav ends up being attracted to Anita and one drunken night sees them breaking all inhibitions. Anita realizes their mistake and requests Gaurav to never contact her or be in touch with her.
Back home, Sheena stumbles upon Gaurav’s deed and feels cheated. She then walks out on him and demands a divorce.
What happens next is something I leave for the readers to find out.
(Yeah, it would be too bratty of me to give out the entire story here –albeit I’ve marked the spoiler alert!)

The narrative is quite smooth, yet captivating given its decent pace. The characterization is quite relatable to. But there were some points that ticked me.

Sheena was anyways set to call quits. So why did she feel so hurt and cheated on Gaurav’s infidelity? Ego hurt you say? Well, I don’t quite seem to agree with that. It was quite selfish on her part. Just because she wasn’t “caught” being unfaithful she put the entire “fall out blame” on him. Super selfish!

Secondly, all of us have moments of weakness. In this case, Nikhil happened to catch the right nerve and press it hard. People, especially girls/women, need to be the ones in control of their lives. The moment you show that you are vulnerable, people prey on you.

Also, being dissatisfied with (married) life doesn’t give you the license to cheat. You better be brave enough to own up to things.
And what about the sacred vows couples take during their marriage ceremonies? Why marry at all then? Why not just live in the moment with “no strings attached”?

Sheena is scared and worried about societal pressures and anxieties that come along with. But why doesn’t she think about them while indulging with Nikhil? Yes, there is no such thing as right or wrong, and sometimes everyone gives in to the moment…then why does she not come out clean with Gaurav? Why is he made the scapegoat who ends up carrying the entire blame!?
Well, to each his own.

Coming back to the writing, the “bedroom scenes” have been crafted very subtly. The mellow version of passionate love that the characters indulge in is quite concise. She could’ve explored that a bit more.

The author has well presented a hard-hitting fact/reality of life. It is a perceptive story that makes you think about the on goings in your life. Quite deeply. Overall, a good read.

Book Review of “At First Sight” By Nicholas Sparks

At First Sight

By Nicholas Sparks

 

This is a sequel of Sparks’ earlier book – True Believer, which introduced to us the lovely pair – Lexie Darnell of Boone Creek, NC and Jeremy Marsh of New York City. But if you’ve not read True Believer, don’t stop. Give this a read. The first few pages do summarize the previous book pretty well. The readers get to know about the happenings of the last five years in the life of Jeremy Marsh and Lexie Darnell.

Jeremy is a freelance writer who takes it on him to expose forgeries and scams. He initially came to NC to investigate mysterious lights in a graveyard in Boone Creek. He visited the local library for his research which is where he met Lexie (the librarian). And of course, they fell in love.

After a whirlwind courtship, one night of sexual bliss and Lexie’s revelation a bit later that she is pregnant, Jeremy proposes marriage. And his life changes from that day forward.

This book begins with Jeremy moving to Boone to be with Lexie (his fiancé now).

Lexie has inhibitions of letting Jeremy stay with her before marriage, thanks to the gossip-mongers around who create unnecessary trouble and interference in their lives. They undergo the whole gamut of finding, buying, and renovating a new house; planning the wedding; having a baby.

He faces a writer’s block –and is unable to meet deadlines from his editor on a column and feature stories. Lexie is more engrossed with the wedding and the baby.
Jeremy thinks he is not yet ready to be a parent. He shows a lot of doubt and is skeptic about his capabilities as a father. The emotions and feelings Jeremy undergoes are brilliantly composed by the author.

Soon the newlyweds face the hardships of being in a relation. They even hit a road block in their relationship where communication is almost lost. Life changes drastically. Jeremy’s career is hanging by a thread, so is his life, he feels. Amidst the entire trauma that they both endure, Lexie still stands by him as a constant support.

The couple understands and realizes the joys and pains of being in a relationship. They have a lot of issues to resolve before they can move on. Do they do it? Pick up the book to find out. All I can say is that you will surely be surprised at the end of it.

 

It is a bit clichéd in certain ways. Falling in love at first sight; undergoing the emotions of a relationship; coming out stronger; supporting your partner when it is most needed; etc. but none-the-less, it is a story well told. The setting and the characters are interesting and “they touch the cords of your heart”. Portraying human emotions (love, betrayal, tragedy, new beginnings) brilliantly, Sparks has cast his magic once again.