Free for download only on 4th and 5th March 2020

Saturday 28 February 2015

Buy a car on Quikr Nxt


Buying and selling anything is a very tedious task. Yes these days you can even put up your old goods for sale on the various websites. You get a good response too. But most of the times at the wrong time. You are having your lunch. You are relishing your favourite palak paneer sabzi cooked by your mother for you. You are totally lost in a world different altogether. At that time your phone rings and the prospective buyer wants to make an enquiry. You are at the open house of your child. The teacher is explaining how good your child is in English. Your chest protrudes. The teacher further tells that your child should work hard when it comes to mathematics. You are bit worried. At this point again your phone rings. It is again the prospective buyer. (Didn't I tell you that you get amazing response on quikr). But again right now you are in no mood to speak about the article you want to sell. Isn't your child's future much more important.

You return home tired. You are taken back by a pleasant surprise to see that your wife has not made plans to visit any relative or go to any mall. She has sent the children to her parent's place. She is dressed up to the hilt and is wearing your favourite pink lipstick. She is in a romantic mood today. She grabs your shirt and pushes you closer. You can feel the mesmerizing perfume which she is wearing. You bring your lips closer to her. Your lips are about to touch her. That is when the phone rings. Again your ad is getting amazing response and it is the prospective buyer. All your bedroom plans whither in a jiffy.

But for you all unfortunate souls there is some good news. Quikr Nxt has come as a boon for all the sellers. Here you do not have to share your contact number or email id with any one. Quikr ID will be the point of contact. You can use Qukr Nxt and chat with the prospective buyers on your smart phone as well as the website, isn't it amazing?

This will ensure that our valuable moments remain intact and undisturbed. At the same time you will not miss on any buyer. Plus the cherry on the cake is that you will not have to keep notes of all the calls and offers which you received.

It has also made purchasing a car very easy. During the chat you can ask your seller to take a picture of the car from a particular angle. You can also ask to take video of the car from inside. By sharing images and videos you will get to know the car which you propose to buy. Thanks to Quikr Nxt buying a car online has become too easy. Thanks Quikr and hope you keep on making buying and selling easy for us. Car buying was never so easy before the Quikr Nxt days. 

Monday 23 February 2015

Around Udaipur Fascinates Me


The next day I booked a ticket for the tour (guided word is deliberately avoided) of places around Udaipur. We motley group of people with diverse languages and even nationalities are waiting for the bus. We have a very beautiful woman from Spain in our bus. (In fact she is the only foreigner) She is wearing bangles, bindi and had henna on her hands. She had come for a friend's wedding in India. She tells me that she loved chai and Indian people. Good to see that in spite of the recent untoward incidents towards foreign women they still carry good impression about India and its people.

The bus arrives and all of us hop in. The bus is a sleeper bus which plies at the night time. It is being used during day time for sight-seeing tours to make more money. I am asked to sit cross-legged on the upper berth. I refuse. So I am given a lower berth at the last. The upper berth which I was offered is given to the foreigner. She happily climbs up and occupies her seat. I have been on many day tours at many places in the country, but no where I was taken around in a sleeper bus. The disadvantage of sleeper bus apart from the fact that I have to sit cross-legged is that it comes with sliding Formica partitions. The family sitting on the opposite berth choses to closely guard their privacy and closes the partition. As a result while the bus is moving I am refused my right to see as to what is happening on the other side of the road.

Finally we all have settled on our seats or in better words resigned to our fate. After an hour or so the bus stops at the highway. All of us are asked to get down and visit the temple to the left. We are at Ghasiyar. The driver doubles up as a guide to tell us about the spots we are visiting. However he miserably fails as a guide because he does not tell much apart from the instructions go here and go there.



We climb up the fleet of steps to visit the temple. On entering the temple, there are wooden steps akin to those in an amphitheatre where all of us sit. The sanctum is curtained. The Spanish woman comes from behind. She does not know what is happening and is apprehensive to come in. She stands in the corridor. I ask her to come inside and sit, for the darshan will begin soon. I tell her about the custom whereby the doors of the sanctum are closed periodically and opened only seven times in a day. This was the knowledge which I had recently acquired from the Gujarati family seated next to me. As the driver has not dished out any instructions I feel that this is the famous temple of Shrinathji at Nathdwara. Again the Gujrati family adds to my knowledge by telling me that this is Ghasiyar where Shrinathji had stayed and not Nathdwara.

Sun on the top of the head at Ghasiyar conveying it is 12 pm

Finally the doors of the sanctum open and we prostrate before a picture of Srinathji. Yes there is just a picture and not an idol. The foreigner asks me the name of the god and remarks that you have so many gods. 

Our next stop is haldi ghati. We climb up the hillock at haldi ghati. The mud hardly appears yellow. There is a museum perched on the hillock. All of us are asked to wait inside the gates by the cleaner who addresses the driver as Ustad. We wait there for more than fifteen minutes. Few members from our bus have already entered the museum. When I enquire with the cleaner as to where his Ustad is I am being told that he is having his meals. The Gujarati family comes with a resolution that we should not wait for him and enter the museum. I second their resolution and all of us enter the museum. 


The museum is akin to a theatre. We wait in the corridors as the gates of the hall are closed. Gujarati family is busy clicking pictures against the backdrop of Maharana's statue. The guard asks them if they possess a camera ticket. They show their camera tickets and reprimand the guard for being rude. The gates are opened and we enter a room which has the haldi ghati model in the middle. There are also swords, armour, helmets adorned on the walls for display. One voice welcomes us and asks us to come near the model at the centre. An employee of the museum tells us the story of haldi ghati by pointing out to the places by the pointer in his hands. We are told how Maharana's horse Chetak was disguised as an elephant and how he ran 5 kilometers in spite of losing his limb.
Mural at the entrance of the museum

Then we make our way through a small door into a theatre which screens a short animated film on the great warrior. Thereafter we are on a guided tour of murals displaying various incidents from the life of the Maharana. At the exit are the stalls selling delicacies made from the roses, amla and other local produce. I purchased gulkand and amla chutney. I must say that the quality of the products is indeed worth admiring. There is a small pool with paddling boats. Due to the heavy rush of people to find their ways to the pedal and the micro size of the pool I decided to give up the thought of boating. The in house restaurant of the museum offered good food. They offered an unlimited thali for a fair price. But I had no appetite, so I gave up the idea of having lunch. Instead I settled for the sugarcane juice which was extracted live in front of you that too by a real kolu ka bail. Unlike city palace at Udaipur the haldi ghati museum provides worth for the money. 

We board the bus again. As we move forward the cleaner announces to have a from the window darshan of Rana's horse Chetak's samadhi. But as the bus is moving and as the view of the other side is hindered by the partition I hardly get to see it.

We stop by the road to visit a cave where Rana had stayed. The cave is natural and is cool. There is a shivlingam near the cave. One Sadhu was meditating across the dhuni. I banged my head against the roof of the cave. As I rubbed my scalp, the Sadhu informed us that there is a secret alley through the cave which leads to Chittorgarh.

Next the bus navigates through a narrow road which is cut through the mountains. The cleaner jumps from the bus digs a little gravel from the mountain wall and hops into the bus again. He shows the lump of the soil which he has extracted to everyone. It is indeed yellow in colour just like the turmeric after which the ghati is named as haldi ghati.

Samadhis at Rakt Talai

Now we are at the battle field. This place is called Rakt Talai. Talai means lake. Hundreds of soldiers were killed during the famous haldi ghati battle which took place in the monsoons. The rain water took the blood of the soldiers with it into the lake. As a result the lake appeared like a lake of blood. Hence the name Rakht Talai. The water from the lake dried up long back and people started encroaching on it. Therefore the government created a garden here. The garden has samadhis of various ministers who gave up their lives in the battle.

Our next destination is Nathdwara. We are dropped on a crowded highway and asked to take a rickshaw for the temple. The rickshaw drops us at the opening of a road which is crowded with shops. First come the eateries, then the shops selling religious paraphernalia more particularly images of Shrinathji. 

The huge doors of the temple are closed. Hundreds of people are waiting outside the doors. Some are civilized to form a queue. But they are affecting the sales of the shops as the queue goes on expanding and hindering the view of the shops. The shopkeepers keep on telling that there is no need to form any queue. Yet the queue soars up. There is a separate queue for men and women.

 The loud speakers from the temple are appealing to the devotees that there is no special darshan in the temple. Yet the pandas are offering devotees lucrative deals which include a direct darshan to a couple, which includes man and a woman, at the same time. The man standing next to me appears to be interested in the offer. He negotiates to take two couples at the price of one. There is some one, I guess his brother, accompanying him. The priest asks for double the price. The negotiations fail. 

The doors open. There is chaos. The queue is disbursed and everyone rushes to the doors. There are small children with the men. Many of them are carrying cradles with baby Krishna in it. The doors are colourful. After getting inside the temple premises we are again made to stop at a point. The police man is blocking our way with a rope. After fifteen minutes we are permitted to go in. The temple has steps like those at Ghasiyar. The beautiful idol of Shrinathji can be seen even from the last step. Right now there are only men in the darshan hall. Groups of men and women are sent into the temple alternatively.

I must say in spite of all the chaos there is something about Shrinathji which stays with you. The exit for men is from another door which opens into another lane. Through bare feet I tramp through the ugliest lanes of Nathdwara. Though in Rajasthan Nathdwara appears to be in Gujarat. There are Gujaratis everywhere. The display boards are in Gujarati, hotels are offering Gujarati menu, the tour operators are offering buses for Ahmadabad and of course the people are speaking in Gujarati. I take a rickshaw to the spot where my bus was supposed to park and get into the bus. Unlike yesterday's Udaipur's weather it is terribly hot at Nathdwara. Soon all the members turn up and the bus proceeds for the next destination which is Eklingji.

Eklingji is a beautiful temple complex. The rock cut temple has exquisite carvings. Undoubtedly Eklingji is one of the masterpieces of Indian temple architecture. There is a group of men and women reciting bhajan in the sanctum. The sanctum is cooler compared to the hot air outside. There is a queue in the sanctum. Standing in the queue I appreciate the beauty of this ancient temple. There is floor above the sanctum. Its balconies open into the sanctum of the temple. The queue moves quickly and I am in front of the Lord. Smell of flowers mixed with incense, so typical to the ancient temples, fills in my lungs. The panda hands over to me a fragrant garland as prasad. It is worth mentioning here that I have not offered a single paisa or any thing in kind. Indeed there are very few temples like Eklingji in India.

The bus drops me back to Udaipur. I must say unlike the Udaipur tour, I have throughly enjoyed this trip. This trip was a revelation. Travel is as much about people as it is about scenic surroundings, ancient monuments and shopping. I can never enjoy a travel when its most important ingredient – people is missing. 

Friday 20 February 2015

Cafe' Latte - Book Review


Amit Shankar's Cafe Latte is collection of eighteen short stories. Short stories is a genre which is always interesting. Amit Shankar has done a good job with his maiden collection.

Death appears to be Amit's favourite theme. Majority of his stories revolve around death. Some of them also deal with after death incidents. The first story in the book Temple of the King looks at the guru-disciple relationship from a modern perspective. 26 Down Express is set in a small town and reminds you of the R K Narayan's Malgudi Days. Code of Honour is a moving account of unvent feelings of a soldier towards his son. Amit brings up the happenings on the war front very well.

The Jazz Player is a poignant tale of a man whose health prohibits him from pursuing his passions smoking and playing saxophone. Let Me Help You Die exhibits how even those who speak of death romantically are afraid of dying. The Black Widow illustrates paranormal activity of a woman who has lost her beloved.

The Lion, Leopard and The Hyena speaks about the domineering and subservient roles in any given relationship. A Rose For Her is a predictable yet touching account of humanity that still exists even amongst the poor.

A Highway Called Life is an inspirational tale about a child who makes it big in spite of his so called handicap. It is one of the few positive tales in the book. Most of the stories in the book are gloomy and disturbing.

The Chosen One sheds light on another issue which many may seldom perceive. It is about the shame felt by a young man who has to take up his family business of selling ladies undergarments. Home Sweet Home is a touching tale which deals with man and his relationship with the guests who have come temporarily to stay in his house.

The Other Side is a story about a nymphomaniac woman from a decent, cultured well to do background. We seem to write off nymphomaniacs to be the special prerogative of the elite class. The Dream Chaser is the story of a poor boy who wants to save the humanity.

The Guardian Angel depicts mother son relationship in an interesting manner. But Amit please tell me where did you find an old woman reading on a bus that too at 10.30 pm? Evey Mouse Ain't A Mickey Mouse articulates the plight of a man trapped in a corporate job and a family which is equally demanding. Smart TV depicts how in today's smart era we are trying to replace our feelings with exotic items.

True Lies is the best story in the book. It shows the bright side of the life in an interesting form – confessions made to a priest. It reinstates that we forget our sorrows when we see others who are suffering much more. Writers Block is a story of a frustrated writer who takes up to crime for he is unable to find a publisher. Though Amit has mentioned in the preface that the collection includes stories of two young writers as well, I was unable to locate which were those stories.

Some of the above stories are indeed novel when it comes to conceptualization. The stories articulate the frustrations of the city bred, who are conventionally successful but are hollow inside, very well. It brings forth their emptiness up to the hilt. However unnecessary descriptions mar the flow of the story. The stories have predictable endings. Then too Amit's maiden attempt does not disappoint you. If you are a lover of short stories this is the book you should buy.

Attractive cover of the book deserves a special mention. I wonder how Amit manages to get beautiful covers for all his books. 

Thursday 19 February 2015

Bedtime Rituals





Bedtime is very special. No body wants to skip that beauty sleep and go to the office the next day with those ugly under eye circles. But when you have a baby, everything changes. You will have to steal sleep for yourself when the baby is sleeping. That is the reason why it is so important to have a specific bed time ritual for the baby. Like Paulov's bell and the dog the baby too will be programmed.

Initially when I began to plan a ritual for the bed time of my baby, the baby outsmarted me. (After all it was my baby) While attempting to make the baby go to sleep, I slipped into deep slumber and the baby kept on playing on the bed. After an hour or so I became awake and realized that the baby had devised its own program to make its father sleep.

But with patience (parenting is all about patience) I was able to devise a nice bed time ritual for me and my baby. A ritual which both me and baby enjoyed. A ritual which helped both of us to create a bond and then strengthen it. A ritual which prepares the baby for the future. A ritual will relaxes it and teaches it to value its natural peaceful state of mind.

The first thing I do before taking my baby to bed is to take him to the toilet and empty his bladder. Then I lift him in my arms and both of us go to the bedroom. I play with him for sometime. (That ensures that he gets exhausted physically and goes to sleep early) Then I tell him all the happenings of the day. (That relieves my stress and enhances the baby's linguistic faculties.) Then I ask the baby which song he wants me to sing. The baby does not talk yet. So he only smiles. He likes the feeling that his opinion matters. His opinion is respected. I go on to sing the song which I have been singing for him since he was in his mother's womb. You may be surprised to hear that the baby recognizes the song. The song has been associated with relaxation and soothingness.

I know now that the baby will soon go to sleep. So I too sleep next to him and pat him gently. I thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful child and ask the Almighty to protect him and bless him. I guess my prayers read God for the baby is in blissful sleep and a smile breaks on his face. I realize what is my most prized possession and I too sleep with gratitude in my mind. 

Overrated Udaipur


It is early morning. I wake up and occupy the seat near window. My bus is few kilometers away from Udaipur. This is my first visit to Rajasthan. For me Rajasthan has always been about deserts, camels, folk songs and dances. However I am unable to spot any desert or sand. What I see is lush greenery everywhere.

Its seven in the morning. The bus drops me at the bus stand. It is chilling cold. I have a cup of tea on the road side shanty. I enquire at one of the numerous travel booking offices about day trips and sight-seeing packages. “The bus will leave at 8.30 am” He tells me. I abandon the plan to board the bus. I want to freshen up.

I am staying at an artist's place near Amba Mata Temple. No wonders the room though spartan has been done aesthetically. There is painting of haveli adorning the wall. Another one has a framed picture of Srinathji. Colours and palette are neatly placed in the rack. I have hot water bath. As I come out of the bathroom I am still shivering. I had made travel plans for Rajasthan thinking that it would be pleasant in the month of December. But it is chilling cold. I wear layered clothing and hop into the auto which is going to take me around Udaipur.

Me at Rana Pratap Smarak

My auto skirts on the border of the massive Fateh Sagar Lake. Udaipur though in Rajasthan has no dearth of water. The auto comes to a screeching halt. The driver asks me if I want to visit Rana Pratap Smarak. He tells me there is nothing much to see except a small garden. I don't want to miss on anything and I decide to visit it. I am required to purchase a ticket. In Udaipur you have to purchase tickets everywhere. The tickets are priced at the higher end. I am disappointed for the garden has nothing to offer apart from a statue of Rana Pratap and murals depicting his life and times. When I ask a local caretaker as to what connection the garden has with the warrior king, I am being told that he had stayed there for twenty years.

Rana Pratap Smarak

Our next destination is Saheliyon ki baari. It is nothing more than a fountain housed within four walls and surrounded by a beautiful garden.

Saheliyon ki Baari

We go to Shilpagram next. The driver tells me that it is a village recreated. He gives me one hour to visit it. It turns out to be just another handloom and handicraft sale displaying wares of different States. Yes there were some folk performances as well. But perhaps I was there at the wrong time.


Monsoon palace was a hunting lodge. It is perched atop Banswara hill. It was built by Sajjan Singh. Hence it is also known as Sajjan Garh. The auto dropped me at the base. I purchased tickets for the palace as well for the conveyance which was to take me to the top of the hill. The trained car driver adroitly manoeuvred through the serpentine path leading to the top. The small journey offered breathtaking views. I came across a group of cyclers who were cycling to the top. I throughly enjoyed this ride. I understood the true meaning of the term enjoy the journey and not the destination.

Monsoon Palace

View from a jharoka at the monsoon palace

City palace is a museum which again charges exorbitant entry fees and does not even offer a complimentary guide. It is the largest palace in Rajasthan. It was founded by Udai Singh in the 16th century, after whom the city is named Udaipur. The palace is actually conglomeration of palaces built over a period spread over more than 400 years. Still it looks surprisingly sync, one piece creation. It houses two hotels – Shiv Niwas and Fateh Prakash. The palace was too crowded with visitors. Its wall paintings have been restored. Narrow passages and steep staircases take you to the terraces and the apartments. But the crowd and the absence of any one to guide you is a huge disappointment. A visit to city palace turns you on and leaves unsatisfied.

Jagdish Temple is at a stone's throw from the city palace museum. It was built in 1651. One has to climb steep stairs to reach the temple. The temple is worth a visit. Black idol of Jagannath it the chief diety of the temple. This temple is built in the typical Mewad style architecture.
View of the lake from Bagore ki Haveli

Bagore ki Haveli, told the driver, was the place which housed the attendants of the palace, particularly those who looked after the huge fleet of elephants, horses and camels. The haveli has been restored. A room has been kept deliberately unrestored to give the visitor an idea of before and after state of the haveli first hand. Unlike the crowded city palace this haveli gives you solitude and lets the royal architecture seep inside you. It offers beautiful views of the lake pichola from its roof top. It depicts Rajasthani art and culture through the small museum it hosts.

Bagore ki Haveli
Udaipur – an exotic location seen umpteen times in movies and romantic novels is on everyone's wish list. But to me it was a huge disappointment. May be perhaps I came with too many expectations. Had I been a firang whose country  never  have had any monarchy and the resultant palaces, I would have been swooned by the palaces and havelis which are now converted into hotels and roof top restaurants.

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Befikar Umar Bhar



 http://bit.ly/BefikarUmarBhar


Living life without any worries is indeed a dream. I am happy that I am lucky to at least have got an opportunity to ponder over as to how I would lead my life if there were no worries at all. So let me enumerate the five things that I would do if there was nothing holding me back.

Travel
I love travelling. I want to visit all those wonderful places on the earth. I want to climb those snow covered mountains and I want to float on the dead sea. I want to visit every man-made and natural place of special significance. Whether the place is well known for its scenic beauty or for its place in the history, I simply love to travel. But as of now I have to meticulously plan my journey considering the number of leaves I will be entitled to. If there was no job holding me back, I would definitely go for globe trotting. It is my dream to live the life of a nomad, of a gypsy.

Read
If sleep did not deprive me I would go on to read all the books I wanted to read. I am very fond of reading. I love biographies and spiritual books the most. I love travelogues as well. But again I have to take out the time for reading, which I indeed do. The eyes will ache, the clock will show the time to leave for the office and I will have to close the book. I have started making list of those books which I would read when there would no other thing to do.

Meditation
Meditation gives me immense pleasure. Meditation is the thing which I would like to do without any other thoughts troubling me. Yes, it is the work of the mind to think and thoughtless mind is nothing but the state of nirvana. Yes man gives up the material desires and hankers for spiritual objects and I am no exception to it.

Trek in the Himalayas
I want to trek in the Himalayas. Many a times I make plans to trod the gifted soil of the Himalayas. But trek is not always comfortable. It is about living out in the open and walking for hours together. Plus my family members are not that comfortable with the idea of going for a trek. So I feel that I am being too selfish when planning for a trek and settle for a family vacation. So with nothing to worry I am heading for the Himalayas.

Act
If there were no worries of the future I will run and start acting in English theatre. Having been orator for all these years I know I can charm the audience with my lines. English theatre has got its own class and elan and I would be too happy to be a part of it. I love the feeling of hearing my own sound amplified. I love to see my audience awestruck with my powerhouse performances. Most importantly I love to perform. 

Sunday 15 February 2015

5 reasons why the Asus Zenfone is my ideal Valentine






Hey I have found a perfect Valentine. It is sleek, efficient, reliable, intelligent and smart. It is none other than Asus Zenfone a smart phone. There are many many reasons for me falling in love with it. Let me enumerate a few.

Reason no. 1 It has a really long battery life. Smart phone have smart features but they usually do not have much of battery life. The result whether in trains or in class rooms you will have to hunt for those sockets where you could plug your chargers. But you will not face this difficulty with Asus Zenfone. That is because Asus Zenfone has not compromised on battery life. I wanted my partner to have a long life and Asus Zenfone indeed has a long battery life. Isn't this reason enough to make it my ideal valentine. It ensures that I can make calls, browse the net, message my friends without worrying about the battery getting drained.


Reason no. 2 is price. Asus Zenfone is quite cheap compared to the features it is offering. There are many mobiles with similar features. But when it comes to price Asus Zenfone is best in the category. It provides you all the high end features at the lowest price. These days when relationships are becoming expensive to maintain I had to spend a very little fortune for my valentine. It fits in my pocket money without burning a big hole into it.


Reason no. 3 was of course camera. Asus Zenfone has a wonderful camera. Even the pictures taken in night had great clarity. These days smart phones have pathetic picture quality when clicked in the night. But Asus Zenfone came as a pleasant surprise. It has High Quality 5-element Optical formula lens with which you can take amazing full HD pictures. No wonders I have sleek profile pictures on facebook. A new profile picture for every day with the help of my beloved.


Reason no. 4. Asus Zenfone has a good processor. It is a true multitasker. You can run multiple applications and my valentine will never give you an opportunity to complain. Its Intel Atom 2520 provides best performance. One more reason to fall in love that too knee deep. I am really grateful that my Asus Zenfone does so many things for me at a time without a grain of complaint.


Reason no. 5. Good looks. I never went for looks for me the person mattered the most. I have already enumerated the various features of my valentine. But I could not restrain myself from sharing the good looks of my valentine. It is sleek and beautiful. Once you touch it, it will be difficult for you to take your hands away from it. Thank you my valentine for all the love you brought in my life. Indeed brains and performance come together with good looks in today's age too. 

Saturday 14 February 2015

Glasses of Happiness on the eyes


My teenage son was sitting quiet in the corner which was indeed quiet unnatural for him.
What is the matter son?” I asked him.
I have got specs.” He said in a low voice.
Oh! That's great.” I said with enthusiasm.
“Lenses add to the beauty of the eyes, don't they?” I continued.
I will look nerdy in those glasses.” He said. The disappointment in his voice was palpable.

Lenskart India offers best of the brands. I would not be wrong if I say that Lenskart is the fashion store for the eyes. It will transform you into a smart, good looking guy. So give up your fears of looking nerdy chashmish after wearing those glasses. Lenskart has the best of the brands. So you have Ray-Ban, Tag Heuer, Maui Jim, Oakley, John Jacobs, Polaroid, Carrera.”

Really?” For the first time in that conversation I could feel excitement in the voice of my son.
Yes my dear son. Gone are the days when buying those glasses was an headache. The frame you liked most of the times was expensive. If the frame did not fit into your budget then you spent countless valuable time on haggling with the optician. Many a times your optician did not have that particular brand which you wanted to own. He would tell you that he will order it and you will get in a few days. You kept on visiting his shop to enquire if your frame is available. The optician would tell you with that permanent smile fixed on his face that it would come in a day or two. When the frame finally arrived you were disappointed as it was not of the colour or shade you wished. Thanks to Lenskart that all that is a part of history. For you the smarter generation there is the smarter online store known as Lenskart.”

So nice to hear that. Do they offer any discounts.”
Yes. That too massive discounts.

I could see the spark in his eyes. I took a deep breath, made a straight face and continued. “Having understood what is in store at Lenskart let us move to the most important part of the negotiation. How much discount I am getting? Here I have got some good news for you. priceburp.com is the site that will offer you numerous deals. It has more than 40 offers when it comes to Lenskart. Simply use the coupons and get the best deal.” 

Is it easy?”
Are you the one asking this question. You happen to be quite computer savvy. It is simple. Don't feel that it is some rocket science. Using coupons at priceburp.com is very simple and easy. You can redeem Lenskart Discount Coupon from the priceburp site and choose the frame you like or your want. This is simple, isn't it. So what are you waiting for?” Find out exciting offers by clicking here.

I am all ears Papa. Please tell me more.” Said my son.
Well you can filter your results regarding the Lenskart store offers. You can choose whether you want coupons or deals. If you want best of both the worlds you can select all from the drag box.”

Subscribe newsletters and alerts
Further don't miss any offers on Lenskart. You can sign up for the Lenskart newsletters by simply entering your email id here. All the offers, coupon codes and deals will be daily delivered into your inbox. Isn't that great?”


Thank you papa.” Said the apple of my eye as he fondled with his smart phone.
What are doing my dear son?”

Papa I was really unhappy when I heard that I will have to adorn those specs on my face. But now that you have told me about Lenskart I was busy checking the frames on the Lenskart online store. Plus I had the discount coupons. So I decided to buy shades for you as well.”

Thanks son for being so considerate. I am lucky to have a son like you.” I said.

Papa thanks to those exciting offers from Lenskart online store, Lenskart coupons which offered massive discounts, I was able to squeeze two purchases in the price of won. I love you and I love discount deals regarding Lenskart as well.”

Both of us had a good laugh. We happily sported our purchases from Lenskart. Lenskart had covered our eyes with glasses of happiness.





Thursday 12 February 2015

Do not get fooled by SpiceJet sales



SpiceJet is facing severe financial crunch. It has been banned from flying from some airports for not paying the money. SpiceJet has found the easiest way out to raise money – conduct discount sales. Now there is nothing wrong with this. However the intentions of SpiceJet appear to be malafide. Why? Let me tell you.


I was lured by one of such sales by SpiceJet  I made a booking 03/09/2014 for Mumbai to Bagdogra and return. The travel dates were 11/05/2015 and 18/05/2015.  


At that time there was no news in the media that there was no money in SpiceJet's coffers. When the news broke in the media that SpiceJet has been banned from flying I wrote to SpiceJet on  24/12/2014 asking whether my flight was cancelled.


SpiceJet Flights Grounded as Oil Companies Stop Fuel Supply



I did not receive any reply as to whether my flight was cancelled. I had to make hotel bookings. Obviously that could be made only if my flight was confirmed. This time I again wrote to SpiceJet and asked whether my flight has been cancelled. I also earmarked the letter to pehredar@moneycontrol.com.


Wonder of wonders I received a reply from SpiceJet saying that my revised itinerary was attached.


 I asked them as to whether my flight was cancelled. 


I received a reply stating that my outbound flight was rescheduled and my return flight was cancelled. I was also given 24 hours customer care number to call. 


When I tried calling them I was told that both of those numbers do not exist.


SpiceJet claims to give full refund if the flight is cancelled or rescheduled by more than 90 minutes. 


I tried to claim refund by visiting their website. While I was able to tick the box of the cancelled flight, I was not able to do so for the return flight which was rescheduled by more than 90 minutes.



For the aforesaid reasons I believe that SpiceJet is adopting unethical means to raise money and is not transparent in its dealings. It is indeed unprofessional and unethical on the part of SpiceJet to adverstise and lure the consumers into buying tickets and then not bothering to reply them. Moreover you will never be able to find the tickets at the rate of Rs499 or Rs 599 as advertised. So it is better not to make any booking of SpiceJet. Instead go for IndiGo another Indian carrier which has good balancesheet and is much better governed. 

Just google the words SpiceJet ban and you will come to know the truth of SpiceJet. Don't get fooled by the sales. Other airlines offer similar fares may be just a few hundred more.

Tuesday 10 February 2015

The person in the man



I am a farmer, a peasant. You the city bred also identify me as a member of the proletariat class. Valentine day is approaching and I have my plans for the day too. You may think what a farmer has to do with Valentine day. But tell me is my heart different from your? Are my emotions different from yours? I am the son of the soil, the same soil which gave birth to you. The marketing experts are devising more ways to pander you. They seem to have forgotten my existence. But still I have my plans.

I will go to the fields with my bullock cart. However I will not spend my entire day working hard like other days. I will do only those tasks which are absolutely essential like watering the field and feeding the cattle. Having done that I will yoke my bullock to the cart and go for the joy ride.

I am sure my beloved must be waiting for me near the Hanuman temple at the outskirts of the village. She will be looking as resplendent as ever. She will not be able to climb into the cart. I will hold her hand tightly and lift her into the cart. I will be able to feel her smooth skin and hear the clinking of her bangles. She will blush as I will hold her hand deliberately for time more than that required to fetch her into the cart.

Only both of us in the ranking cart. The only communication between us would be the silence. This solitude is difficult to get. I don't remember when was the last time that we were alone. The bullock know their way very well. They will take us to the plateau which offers picturesque view of the valleys. Seeing the setting sun we will weave the dreams of our future. The sky will be full of various tints. We will borrow some of them and colour our dreams.

Soon it will be dark and she will feel cold. I will embrace her tightly with my worked out arms and she will feel comforted. She would have rested her head on my chest and I would be able to feel her heavy breathing.

After some time I will light the hearth and roast sweet potatoes for her. She has never tasted food cooked by a man. I want to please her with my little culinary skills. I am sure she will love whatever I will be able to cook. She will be happy to see that behind this masculine facade of the man there exists a simple person who loves her and who cares for her.

I will fetch water from the nearby brook and quench her thirst. Satiated by the quiet meeting of hearts we would return to our homes before it is too late. 


 “I am participating in the #SoundOfLove activity atBlogAdda in association with Bluestone”.