What ensued were the most fun-filled 60 minutes of the entire week, entire month even. Rayman Origins is the adventure of two friends – the limbless Rayman and his blue floppy friend, Globox. They are in an blissfully picturesque world, which in fact is up to its eyeballs in mess. There is a fuss everywhere the two head, but it is your job, of course, to save all those creatures who need help. There is trouble at every corner, every slope, and every dip. But there is nothing that the two friends cannot conquer together. In fact, if one of the player dies, all they need to do is float up close to the other player, who can punch him back to life. How brilliant!

The two have many other cutsie friends, all colorful, joyous and up for a challenge. They sprint around saving damsels in distress, and collecting happy things called Lums that count as points in form of cute pinkys called Electoons to unlock next level. Be it a friend or foe, all have such a colorful appeal that one just gets completely lost in the world. Plus the music is brilliantly done to ensure one stays hooked subconsciously asking for more of those happy sounds, along with the lavish images.

What I love about the game is that I cam play it with the husband, who is a way better gamer than me, without getting in his way. In most other co-ops I have played, I usually find myself slowing him down and have this guilt of ruining the perfect experience for him. Not with Rayman Origins, I always have my own space and even if I do something silly, it is more comical than annoying for him. Of course, sometimes I just stop mid-adventure and punch the living daylights out of him, in-game. This way I can get over my vexation on him for not having picked up that wet towel, without being accused of domestic violence.

Collecting Lums and Electoons help unlock newer levels, each more fascinating than the last. One just keeps wanting to go on and on. Just talking about it wants me to drop everything and play a round of fun fun fun.

It is all an excuse, this being busy and not having time for a quality blog post.

Today, I have decided to lace-up and start posting. It does not matter what I talk about, as long as I talk. There are always books that have been read, stories that have been heard, movies that have been watched, or at least thoughts that have been, well, thought.

I have no clue which direction this blog is headed but at least, it will have posts. Every day.

kitabein jhaankti hain band almaari ke sheeshon se
bari hasrat se takti hain
maheeno ab mulakatein nahi hoti

jo shaamein inki suhbat main kata karti thein, ab aksar
guzar jaati hain computer ke pardon par
badi bechain rahti hain kitabein

inhe ab neend mein chalne ki aadat ho gayi hai
koi safha palatta hoon to ik siski nikalti hai
kayi lafzon ke maani gir bhi parte hain
jo rishte woh sunaatee thein woh saare udhre udhre hain

aur woh jo kitaabon mein, mila karte the sookhe phool
kitne maangne, giraane, uthaane ke bahaane rishte bante the
na jaane unka kya hoga?

woh shaayad ab nahi honge!

He opened the evening with this very simple and yet fascinating poem, which made every book-lover in the audience think “That’s exactly what I feel but he puts it so well.”

The eloquence in simple words is the strength of Gulzar’s poetry and lyrics, I have always thought. He somehow magically weaves the simplest of words together and mixes them with unimaginable similes, and hence, the most alluring poems are born.

Of the few poems he recited from his book “Selected Poems” and soon-to-be-published “Neglected Poems,” most became instant favorites. The one that reminded me of my summer of 1989…

Loo se jhulasi dilli ki dopahar meM aksar
chaarpaaii bunane wala jab
gha.nTa ghar waale nukka.d se, kaan pe haath rakh kar
ik haa.nk lagata tha – ‘chaar paaii. banwaa lo…’
khakha ki tatyo.n me.n soye log andaza lagaa lete the.. de.dh bajaa hai..
do bajate bajate jaamun wala gujarega
‘jaamun.. thande.. kaale jaamun’

Or those that brought tears in my eyes –

Budhiya Re, Tere saath to maine
Jeene ki har shah baanTi hai

Dana-Pani, KapaDa-latta, Neende.n aur Jagaraate saare
Aulaado.n ke janane se basane ta,k aur bichhaDanae tak
Umra ka har hissa baanTa hai

tere saath judaai baanTi, rooth, sulah, tanhaai bhi
saari kaarastaaniya.n baanTi, jhooth bhi, sach bhi

Mere dard sahe hai.n tune
Teri saari peeDe.n mere poro.n se hokar gujari hai.n

Saath jiye hai.n,
saath mare.n
ye kaise mumkin ho sakataa hai

dono.n me se ek ko ik din,
dooje ko shamshaan pe chhod ke
Tanha waapas lauTana hoga

Budhiya re!

or the epic of the night – Meghna, which is unpublished at the moment. In this short and very personal poem he describes his feelings as he watched his beloved daughter struggling through labour.

Gulzar recited his poems, and then his friend and translator Pavan Verma recited the same from his translated book in English. While it is impossible to capture the delightful words, sounds, and ideas used by Gulzar, Verma seemed to have an in-depth understanding of his poems. I only wish, his translation was not so literal. Some words are beautiful only in a certain language.

Towards the end of the evening, Gulzar read a few of his translations of Pavan Verma’s sonnets . I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed the original sonnets much, but their translation by Gulzar appeared more lyrical and engaging than the originals. Such is the power Gulzar has over words.

This books takes Shiva and the readers through a lot of river-cruises, battles, and a tad slow-paced episodes of meeting new characters.

The book picks up some pace in the placid city of Kashi, which welcomes all with an open heart including the otherwise dreaded Brangas. Shiva and Sati fall in such love with the serenity of the city that they decide to have their baby in Kashi, with this we see the coming of Kartik, a character that will hopefully be explored in book 3. From here, Shiva goes on a separate voyage in search of the Nagas, as Sati stays back to care for her new born baby. This short separation results in significant events and appearance of new splendid characters, resulting in some action-packed drama when Shiva returns. This is the point, where the book gets lively and sucks the reader in once again.

The author, however, gets pulled into different subplots every now and then, and fluctuates between seemingly insignificant details and insipid affairs. In this sense, I would rate the first book much higher than the second, as it appeared to be a game changer. Having said that, I do make a note that sequels are definitely hard to write. But the loosely connected incidents give readers a chance to pay more attention to the writing style and what is missing from it, something I personally did not pay much attention to while reading The Immortals of Meluha.

However, the story does move forward, we meet some grand Naga characters, uncover some deceits, go deeper into the philosophy of evil being embedded in the good, and the eventful journey of the ends in the Dandak forests, the land of the Nagas. The last paragraph of the book reveals the secret of the nagas, however, you may guess it somewhere in the first half of the book. Still, you would wish to read on.

On a not-so-important side note, I am disappointed by the cover of the second book. While the cover of the first had me completely captivated, the second pays immense importance to the embossed snake, while the nagas or Shiva seem to have nothing to do with them.

Despite some negative comments for the second book, I will maintain that the author knows his story and has a control over its flow. A good reason for me to wait for the third book - The Oath of the Vayuputras.

The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi is one such brilliant attempt. The first book in the series, The Immortals of Meluha, is a fresh take on Lord Shiva whom we meet regularly in temples and shivalyas, but have never had such a fantastic vision of.

Amish has picked one of the most multifaceted Gods from Hindu mythology to weave his tale about. He takes a God we believe in and turns him into an ordinary man, then tells a tale of how the ordinary man transforms into a God due to his conduct, choices, deeds, and destiny. He tells a fascinating tale of the characters we have grown up hearing of and brings them all to life, molding their characters as per his story’s requirement. It is a heady cocktail of mythology as we know it and fantastic tale of his own. In no way could one consider this book a religious book though.

The book starts off with a young tribal leader in Tibet, who is cheerful, carefree, and yet dedicated and strong in both mind and body. His courage makes him highly respected among his tribe of Gunas, and hence, no one questions his decision to move away from Mansarovar and migrate Meluha for a better life.

Meluha is a region so advanced that it has the barbarians from Tibet in awe. In the well-planned, near-perfect capital of Meluha begins the journey of Shiva that transforms his life and leads him to his destiny.

As the secrets of Meluha slowly reveal themselves to Shiva, he finds himself with a new title – Neelkanth – and millions of blind followers. This gives him both power and responsibility, the balance between the two is what Shiva strives to maintain. Shiva is now expected to fight the evil Chandravanshis and their aides, Nagas.

In the city of Devagiri, Shiva makes friends, and gains some foes, but he also finds the love of his life – the perfect woman, full of courage and beauty – Sati. He learns about the lifestyle, history, and principals of the Suryavanshis, the decedents of Lord Ram. Shiva admires and respects Lord Ram’s teachings and rules, but he does not hesitate to question their validity in current times.

Will he be able to rid Meluha off the evil terrorists? Of course, he is Shiva! But with the victory, he will also find himself surrounded by disarray of beliefs, and questioning his own actions. Is evil a relative expression?

The book’s biggest strength is how it plucks the mythological characters from the epics and plants them into the tale with fitting characters, but still ensures that they are all humans. The subplots tell tales of Vasudevs, Sati, Nandi, Gunas, Daksh, Rudra, Devas and Asuras, and more making it strikingly clear that everyone, including Gods, can make mistakes. The narrative is lucid and the story is well-paced, and while I am not a fan of the cliffhanger at the end (it could have been done better. We all know Parvati cannot die while she is pregnant!), I wouldn’t complain too much.

The language used is fairly simple, but the fascinating narrative makes up for it. All in all, a well-written book with a refreshing view that made me pick up the sequel within two days.

For me it is the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur.

It was a rainy summer morning as we made our way to the Montmartre metro station. We hardly had to make an effort to walk; the wave of commuters drew us out and we found ourselves staring at crowded market streets and bright murals. We made our way into the market street, looking at all the touristy wares on sale – fridge magnets, buttons, umbrellas, and snow globes. And suddenly, out of no where we were looking at the most glorious sight.

As if on the cue, the rain stopped. We folded our umbrellas and made our way up the flight of stairs almost impatiently. We wanted to get closer to the magnificence that stared down at us from the top of the hill. The monument is surrounded with so much beauty, the gardens, the foliage, the fountains and the most interesting people, and yet it has the power to take you into the past, the past that you may have never known even. If you were a history buff, I am sure snatches of French revolution would flash in front of your eyes.

As we walked up, we suddenly found ourselves mesmerized by what was behind us! For the monument gives you a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and its skyline. Before we could catch your breath, both literally and metaphorically, strains of melody caught our ears. At the same time, the weather God showed mercy and the sun shown from behind the clouds.

We found ourselves glued to the stairs with hundreds of others and watched an old man play his harp. He seemed lost in his music, with no visible care of the hundreds of people watching him. At that exact moment, I fell in love with Paris.

The insides of Sacré-Cœur are equally glamorous; the architecture, the intricate designs, the mammoth pipe organ – all are something to write home about. While we were admiring the huge statues outside the building, we saw the crowd gather around a petite old lady. She seemed to have a contraption* and loads of sheets of papers with her. As we moved closer, we saw that she was playing music on what looked like a box (musical box?), where she inserted sheets of music with holes (for air?) and then wound the box. Out came the most melodious tunes and she sang along. So did the crowd gathered around her.

I remember being in a trance, standing there looking at the vivacious little lady, jumping around while playing the music. The atmosphere so lively could not have been beaten by anything but rain. Regardless, we also found a lively village right behind Sacré-Cœur, where painters stood on the roadsides painting the sights they saw, while tourists huddled in little cafés.

It was my favorite day in Paris.

* If you know the name of the musical instrument, please educate me.

After a long time, I have watched a drama that left me satisfied. The K-hunger has been substantially satiated after my heart almost stopped beating for a few minutes in the last episode, and also in the second last. It is not only because of the ever-cute Lee Min Ho, (who by the way is now officially dating the lead actress from City Hunter, Park Min Young, fondly known as Nana Bear, thanks to Javanbeans) but also because of sleekness of the show. The music, the shots, and the story’s twists were pretty suave.

The first episode had left my mind fully blown, and though I thought that third episode took a dip, it quickly picked up my interest again. For one, the show struck impeccable balance between the drama, romance, and anticipation. The characters are few, but mostly strongly etched. Almost always, every scene had a purpose, and yet, it was hard to predict what happened next.

The best part about the show was that there was no “Eight Years Later” in the last 20 minutes of the final episode. Also, no one fled to a foreign land to nurse their broken heart; two of my biggest pet peeves in K-dramas.

Maybe I am blinded by the hotness, but Lee Min Ho seems to mature as an actor with every passing drama, and I found myself looking forward to solo scenes of Park Min Young too, so she is pretty engaging as an actor. Also, Lee Jun Hyuk as the second lead (?) and the third angle of the romantic triangle was like a breeze. He had character and principles; he wasn’t just another guy to begin with. Also, the way they wrapped up his story was magnificent. Although, we do not like deaths, but when shown so convincingly, it was almost glorious.

Of course, Kim Sang Jung is the real gray character of the series, with shades of evilness, ruthlessness, and yet, inspiring sympathy once in a while. Gratefully, no one was wicked just for the sake of it; either they hungered for power, or for money, but they all had a clear motive behind their acts. Of course, all this makes for a strong plot.

I also liked the way they subtly wrapped up the Cheon Ho Jin’s angle. No dramatic scenes of hugging the son whose existence you were unaware of until ten minutes back, no weeping and wailing over the long-lost true love. Thumbs up for that.

All in all, a great show. Maybe even my most favorite so far.

Leaving Nick Hornby aside, I do not know of many male authors who describe relationships and emotions so well. Tony Parsons writes with emotions, and in between those witty one liners and the British humor, one finds oneself dabbing the eyes.

This is a story of Harry Silver who lives in London with his gorgeous wife, adorable son, and a great career in the media. However, one bad day at work leads to an impromptu night of infidelity, with which Harry loses it all – his beautiful wife, his successful job, and the life he knows.

His wife leaves to live a life she gave up to be with Harry, and thus begins Harry’s journey to discover what parenthood is all about. He slowly discovers it takes more than welcome hugs and joyrides to bring up a little boy and struggles daily to keep his son healthy and happy.

His parents as his only support system also come closer to him in the process, and Harry finds himself striving to be the father his dad was, in vein.

Finding a new job that allows him the time to for his son, finding new love, letting go of the old one, and making his son center of his universe all provide the magical twists to the tale.

Extremely well-written with many strong characters that come to life on the pages, the book will give you many laughs and a few sobs, but it is worth every minute spent on it.