Storytelling

Flapping Wings                      

Genre - Women’s  Fiction / Short Stories/ Realistic fiction

Why to read? – to get glimpses of women's characteristics inside out as real characters.

Available – on Amazon – both Print & e-books  

Ebook ISBN ‏ : ‎ B09MJ4S99P                                                                                                                                                         

E-book - https://www.amazon.in/Flapping-Wings-collection-Stories-Explicitly-ebook/dp/B09MV2QPDC              

Print book ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8777148865                                                                     

Print book– https://www.amazon.com/Flapping-Wings-collection-Stories-Explicitly/dp/B09MJ4S99P

After letting me pen over a score of articles, though my muse prompted me to enter into the arena of fiction, yet it made me struggle to come up with the opening lines of my maiden novel for over ten days or so before “That winter night in the mid-seventies, the Janata Express was racing rhythmically on its tracks towards the coast of Andhra Pradesh. As its headlight pierced the darkness of the fertile plains, the driver honked the horn as though to awake the sleepy environs to the spectacle of the speeding train. On that, in the S-3, were the Ramaiahs with their nine year-old daughter Roopa.”

But then “the train stopped at a village station, as though to disrupt Roopa’s daydreams of modeling herself on the lady doctor at the Christian Medical College Hospital, and as she peeped out, the ill-lit platform seemed to suggest that the chances of her being 
Dr. Roopa could be but dim.”

Indeed, as Roopa’s father couldn't help her become a doctor, she marries Sathyam, hoping that he would help her cause, but when he fails her, feeling used by him, she insensibly seeks lesbian solace in her friend Sandhya’s embrace. Later, losing her heart to Raja Rao, Sandhya’s husband, she finds herself in a dilemma of love, even as Sathyam’s friend Prasad woos her to distraction. Unfolding the compelling saga of Roopa’s love and loss, governed by the vicissitudes of life, this 'novel' endeavor nuances man-woman chemistry on one hand, and portrays woman-woman empathy on the other.

When, in an absorbing story, these and other inimitable characters began to come alive in an intricate plot, I could sense that my maiden novel was turning out into a work of art on the Indian literary stage, and so I was desperate to live up to its completion in its poetic prose. Oh, how I feared death then, and what a relief it was as I lived to keep up with the muse to complete 'Benign Flame'! 

But what a poetic justice it was that the publishers’ apathy, for my literary foray into an uncharted fictional arena, pushed me into Roopa’s despondent shoes, leg for leg! So to say, to atone for myself, and to earn for her the empathy, at least, of a few discerning readers, I self-published it, in which some have found freshness - “it’s a refreshing surprise to discover that the story will not trace a fall into disaster for Roopa, given that many writers might have habitually followed that course with a wife who strays into extramarital affairs” – for, after all, Raja Rao famously goads the deviant Roopa to love Sathyam too to make him happy.

Who said the novel is dead; 'Benign Flame' raises the bar as vouched for by -

The author has convinced the readers that love is something far beyond the marriage tie and the fulfillment in love can be attained without marriage bondage. The author has achieved a minor revolution without any paraphernalia of revolution in the fourth part of the novel – The Quest, India.

The author makes free use of – not interior monologue as such, but – interior dialogue of the character with the self, almost resembling the dramatic monologue of Browning. Roopa, Sandhya, Raja Rao and Prasad to a considerable extent and Tara and Sathyam to a limited degree indulge in rationalization, trying to analyse their drives and impulses – The Journal of Indian Writing in English.

Overall, Benign Flame is a unique attempt at exploring adult relationships and sexuality in the contemporary middle-class. All the characters come alive with their cravings and failings, their love and their lust. Benign Flame blurs the lines and emphasizes that life is not all black and white - it encompasses the full spectrum of living - Indian Book Chronicle.

Later, after enriching it further, I’ve placed this enchanting novel in the public domain as a free ebook to more acclaim that is even as ‘publishing’ remains the Domain of the Devil, as captured in the eponymous chapter of my second novel, Jewel-less Crown: Saga of Love, also in the public domain  

Mr.Rahul Ghose, Mr.Raj Roy, and Dr.Madhusudan Gomez have been friends since childhood. They all attended the same school and college. After completing their education, one of them started his own magazine, Ghose became a mystery novelist, and Gomez became a lecturer at a government college after acquiring his doctorate from the University of Kansas in Engineering. Although they are all from Kolkata, the City of Joy, their professions have led them to different locations. Raj Roy is in Delhi, Rahul Ghose is in Mumbai, and Madhusudan Gomez is in Damchara, Assam. Despite the distance between them, they share a common interest in historical texts and enjoy deciphering the mysteries encoded within them. All three of them can read, write, and speak in 13 major languages and 27 minor languages, as well as three ancient texts that are no longer spoken by people in the modern world.

Now let us begin our story. This will be the first instalment.

Dr. Gomez was sitting in his living room on a Sunday morning, reading the English newspaper while sipping on his favorite Darjeeling tea. Once he was done reading, he planned to enjoy a delicious breakfast of Puri and Alur Dam, which was prepared by his wife, Mrs. Sulata Gomez.

She had come to stay with him for a few days while her office was closed for some holidays. She had also applied for leave for a few more days, and if approved, she would be able to stay with her husband for a few more days. Dr. Gomez and Mrs. Sulata got married last year in an arranged marriage, but their love for each other had blossomed quickly. However, due to their jobs, they lived in different locations and could only meet during their holidays or if one of them took leave from work.

Mr.Gomez was just going to finish his tea when the doorbell rang for two times. Upon opening the door, he was confronted by an unfamiliar figure.

“Hello Dr.Gomez”

“Hello…you are ?”

“I am Dr.Paresh Chandra Nath from Benaras Hindu University. I work there as a Professor of Linguistics.”

Since he didn't know this individual and didn't have an appointment with him, Dr. Gomez wasn't entirely confident. He therefore felt uneasy about allowing this stranger into his quarters.

Prof. Nath appears older. He has a pretty thin moustache and is rather tall. However, he is bearless. His nose stands out the most amid his exceedingly sharp facial features.

“But why have you come to meet me. I am an Engineer and I have no relation with Linguistics”…Dr.Gomez query the Professor.

“Yes you have. I know that you are interested about ancient texts and the reason I have come here to see you relates to that.”

Gomez was surprised to hear this. As the passion for unravelling mysteries from the ancient text is one of the secret that was only known to three of them. Not even his wife knows about Gomez's passion. How could this person have known this?

Prof. Nath grinned and said, "Do not be amazed, Dr. Gomez.""Your acquaintance Mr.Ghose has given me your address and informed me that you are the only person who can help me in solving this mystery. You will also be delighted to know that both of your friends are coming to your place day after tomorrow for this same purpose.”

“But why in my place?”..Gomez was a little irritated as he was planning for a sweet holiday with his lovely wife. But now it seems that plan will not take place as he knows his friends. They were not coming here without any reason. Something is really important here.

“May I come in?”

“Yes, Professor…please come in and take your seat.”

“Thank you.”…Prof.Nath took his seat and started his story.

"The mystery pertains exclusively to Damchara, and that's why myself and your friends will gather in your home. as you are staying here for a long time"

“What” Dr.Gomez got startled…”Tell me the entire story, Professor”

“Sure.”

End of Part I

This story is also available in my newsletter I Tell Differently.

My first taste of creating a story came after the tragedy of 09/11/2001. During the long drives to his upstate cabin, my brother finally talked of his tour as a field medic in Vietnam. When he finished his stories, I thanked God, for he had to be watching over my brother. Over time, I began to take notes, I had a story and it needed to be told.

Did you ever see a movie when the end is the beginning? It happened for me as I created Bullets and Bandages, the words just kind of fell into place and it is something unique. 

Page 5- We sat together in the cool shade, as the big man carefully pulled open the carton and removed the weapon; he smiled, his eyes brightening, as he held the rifle. It struck me that his son had the same smile and held his own rifle in the same fashion.  I could see my friend, Sergeant Green, as I now watched his father.  I could feel the war again. The big man moved closer, put his arm around my shoulders and asked: “Please, tell some about you and my son.  Where ya from?  When did ya join the Army?  What was it like in Vietnam?  Lord knows, I got me nothing but time. ”For a moment, my mind flashed back to Vietnam, to the names and faces of my comrades; I could see it all so clearly: my past, and the bullets and bandages of war.

Page 271- We sat there in the cool shade, as he carefully unfolded the carton and removed the weapon.  He smiled as he held the rifle - it struck me that his son held his rifle the same way, with that same smile.  I felt the war again, seeing my friend Sergeant Green, as I looked at his father.The big man moved closer, put his hand around my shoulder and asked again: “Please, can ya tell some about you and my son?  Where ya from?  When did ya join the Army?  What was it like in the war?  Lord knows, I got me nothing but time.”My mind flashed back, over the parts of my past that I would have most liked to forget.  Then, as I sat there, thinking back to what my first days in the Army were like, I began telling him about our time of war.

Author's Site- http://robsbooksandmore.com

This exciting children's eco-fiction fantasy is about the adventures of six Scottish children called "The Six Macs". They are contacted while camping by a tree spirit, who pleads with them to help her return a lost, valuable purple orb. But perils lie ahead when they find out that the forest is being destroyed to make way for a new science laboratory. Adding to the dismay, they only have a few days to complete their fantastic mission.

Join these adventurous nature-loving teens as they race with time to save what matters to them the most.

Thrusting their arms in the air with clenched fists they shout, “THE SIX MACS”. Scruffy MacTuffy had no idea that his nightmare was about to almost come true.

Meeting for a fishing trip could have been a bad idea after their biggest catch got away, but what was it that got away? The Six Macs explore the opposite side of the river after a daredevil crossing where they find a long dark cave leading to a journey of danger and something a little bit on the scary side.

After surviving a plane crash, The Six Macs find themselves in a snowy Himalayan wilderness where they discover the village of a secretive mountain tribe who show them a way to a temple run by Kung Fu Nuns.

 The nuns tell them that the mountain tribe must be kept secret and can tell no one they have seen them. They also told them that while they were mending the tribe's precious Bell of Souls, it was stolen from them by English travellers.

After a dangerous journey to base camp, the Six Macs find the bell and begin their adventure to return it to the hidden tribe.

Build Your Chest with 3 Simple Isometric Exercises 

A strong, muscular chest is something many men strive for when working out. While often the focus is on bench pressing massive weights, that's not the only way to build a solid set of pecs. Isometric chest exercises can also be highly effective for developing chest strength and size.

Isometric exercises are moves where you contract a muscle without changing the angle of the joint or moving the limb through its full range of motion. This places intense tension directly on the muscles, prompting strength and growth responses.  

Though they don't require weights or equipment, don't let that fool you. Properly performing isometrics can quickly fatigue muscles and are an excellent addition to any training regimen.

Below we detail the top 3 isometric exercises perfect for sculpting an impressive set of pecs. Add them to your current chest routine or do them on their own during a quick home workout.

1. The Door Frame Chest Press

This exercise mimics the motion of a standard bench press using the resistance of a doorway or corner to build tremendous tension in your pectorals.  
 

**How to Do It:**

- Stand in a doorway and extend your arms out straight in front of you at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward and touching the door frame. Your feet should be staggered for stability and balance.

- Flex your pecs and press your hands firmly into the frame as if you are attempting to push it over. Do not allow your hands to move or slide along the surface. 

- Push as hard as possible, focusing on keeping tension directly through your chest muscles. Avoid pressing with your arms by keeping them completely straight.

- Hold the contraction for 20-30 seconds, then release and relax the pecs. Repeat for the desired number of reps. If you can hold for longer than 30 seconds, it’s time to find a narrower door frame that provides more resistance.

This deceptively simple move forces you to generate forward pressing power solely from your pectorals in the absence of joint movement. Performing 3-5 sets is extremely fatiguing for the chest and will spur new muscle growth.

2. The Corner Floor Press

This next variation uses the resistance of two perpendicular walls joined together at a corner to intensify the isometric contraction in your pec muscles.

**How to Do It:** 

- Sit on the floor with your upper back pressed firmly into the corner. Your knees should be bent with feet flat on the floor a hip-width apart.

- Bring your hands up with palms pressed flat into the walls at chest level next to your shoulders, while keeping your elbows bent 90 degrees.  

- With the underside of your arms (your triceps) also contacting the walls, forcefully push your hands forward into the corner while attempting to straighten your arms. Do not allow your upper arms or elbows to slide upwards or outwards. 

- Push with maxim effort, driving your chest muscles into the corner while breathing normally. There should be no movement taking place in the upper body despite your efforts.

- Hold for 20-30 seconds then relax your arms back into the starting position. Complete 2-4 sets of 20-30 second reps.

This corner press maximizes chest muscle activation by combining shoulder horizontal adduction and elbow extension in a stuck position that ropes your pecs into doing the work. Pushing hard over multiple sets pumps incredible bloodflow into your chest, spurring growth.

3. The Wall Hip Press 

Our final exercise uses hip extension pressing to overload the top half of your pectorals. The upper chest is a notoriously difficult area to train, making this move a great addition for a developed chest.

**How to Do It:**

- Stand facing a wall then take a big step forward, leaving one leg extended rearward with only the ball of your foot touching the floor for balance.

- Bend your front knee while simultaneously leaning your torso forward. Place your palm flat on the wall at chest level next to your front shoulder. Rotate your arm externally so that your thumb faces out to the side.

- Press your hips forward, driving your front knee towards the wall while simultaneously pressing your hand firmly into the wall. Do not allow any forward movement of your upper body despite your pushing efforts. Your rear leg should straighten somewhat to support your body angle. 

- Hold this end position, focussing on maximally contracting your pectorals for 20-30 seconds before stepping back with your rear leg to return to the starting position. Complete all reps for one side then switch.

This single arm hip press provides constant tension through the top of your pecs in a stretched position they are unaccustomed to. Perform 2-3 sets per side for big gains in upper chest thickness and shape.

Transform Your Chest with These Isometrics

There you have it - three crazy effective isometric exercises for sculpting impressive pecs and building a set of well-developed chest muscles. Work these moves into your current routine 2-3 days per week consistently over time. Combined with pressing variations, flyes, and pullovers, you’ll transform your chest into a set of brawny pecs.

Focus on smooth technique, maximal contraction of the target muscles, controlled breathing, and hitting each set to voluntary fatigue or failure. And get ready to buy some new shirts! Your chest is about to bulge with new muscle growth thanks to the power of isometrics.

isoquickstrength.com

Among the chaos of London Bridge, Sahaana never thought she would come across her past forbidden lover, Kabir. It took years for Sahaana to move on from her past and become an independent woman following her dream of Astrophysics. She lived a million sleepless nights trying to deal with the teenage trauma, bullying, abuse, and depression- will this one sight of Kabir bring it all back to her? or will she be taken back to the time when her life felt like poetry?

TO INCULCATE THE HABIT AS GOOD LISTNER

Another important prerequisite to become highly successful and win the excellent good relationship is to be a good listener.

If you observe the people around you, most of them would take up the role of speakers, but not the listeners. If you are giving any chance for the person to talk, he will talk to you more and more about the problem, his life adventures and goes on and on, because in reality, there is a huge shortage of listeners.

If you are a good listener, you will understand the other persons personality trades, which were in turn help you to detail him accordingly.  You will come to know for example, about your priorities, hobbies, his positive and negative points and lot of other aspects about which you will stimulate some kind of emotional interest in him and get the job done. 

On the other hand, if you are a speaker you will not be able to gain anything much because you are giving more and more about information to other persons and you are not getting anything from him. So, the exchange is imbalance.

Hence, in life, please try to cultivate the habit as good listener than speaker. Whenever asks for any suggestion at that tie you can give him in a subtle way and positive way, that is again using the technique ‘Agee to Disagree” or ‘Yes But No’ technique. This way, it is very easy to understand other human being as a very good listener.

A person who talks very less and gets the jobs done is the real creative sales person according to most successful managers of a highly reputable firm.

We were having a very light dinner at one Restaurant. This manager whose name was Mr. Gopalakrishnan was very well known and very much experienced in a multinational company.  Casually we were discussing and when I asked him, according to him, who was the best person in sales, he told me a person, who talks less and gets more, would be the best and is a matured sales person.

This is what he told me. Never interrupt any person who has been telling about himself on any subject, never, never and ever try to interrupt. One should do it so out of some curiosity or some hastiness or may be to impress the other person; you would have lost the track. Never interrupt when somebody is talking to you particularly in official life.

In personal life, if you are finding the subject very boring, you can break it up. But, in real life, when you talking to an elderly person with whom you had some proposal or some official work, never interrupt and never impose your ideas or impressions without asking for, on him.

                                                                                                  ----------------------