Urban Shots (book review)

Urban Shots is a bouquet of 28 urban tales by 13 diverse writers from all across India, edited by Paritosh Uttam. Every story touches different relationships in a very uncomplicated way. Each story represents a tale of relationships of present urban life having cosmopolitan background.While reading the stories one can feel the closeness of the situations and characters to real life, one that you have seen with your best friend, or colleague , a fellow passenger or maybe an experience with your own self.

The book in broken into five different sections from "Relationships", "Love", "Friendship",to "Angst" & "Longing". Each story describe the emotions of Betrayal, Jealousy, Love &, Longing This book will take you to a journey from high streets of Delhi to Bangalore , taking a turn to Bandra in mumbai to lanes of Alibagh.

This book showcases Shweta's transformation of a woman from a girl to Chamundi's unique way of ending her struggle to Aman's reminiscence of a forgotten night & many other lives entangled in a web of past & present relationships & memories, dreams & painful experiences.

The stories which appealed to me the most are:

Liberation by Malathi Jaikumar: Its a tale of Chamundi, who is mother of two & an obedient wife of a man who enjoys torturing her  for his own frustrations. This story shows how even after having a difficult life chamundi chooses to have moments of happiness for herself &  the kids & finally how on one of her expeditions she finds a solution to all her sufferings.
Dialects of Silence by Vrinda Baliga: This is a very beautifully written story of transformation of a girl to a wife,and a mother and how this journey embarks a change in her persona and matures her to see the people, relationship around her and make her learn the dialect of silence.
A Cup of tea by Paritosh Uttam: Abhijit & Susila caught in a monotonous (love ) marriage are not able to find any chord of interest in each other , frustrated because of living a life of adjustments while dreaming about a virtual life filled with their decide to put an end to the marriage, but end up sticking together for their own unknown reasons.
Apple Pie & Grey Sweater by Prateek Gupta: Its a story with background of Bangalore, a story of Prayas & purvi, a simple story nothing superlative but nice as it is about two friends who are in love with each other & express at the end in their own sweet way, an Indian version of My best friend's wedding, without the much   masala.

I would recommend it to be a pick-up read for a journey do not expect a classic or a fiction which will take you to a rollercoaster of emotions , some of the tales that I mentioned above are well written,  well some like- Just Average, Driving down the memory lane, are good enough to read while others like Heartbreaker,Trial & error, Woman in Love don't leave a mark on the readers.


Rating: 3/5


This review is a part of Book Review Programme by Blogadda.com.Participate now to get free books.

Stop trying to change others

Sometimes I get surprised that how people do not acknowledge beautiful things in their lives, beat their career, people in their lives , money, resources or many other things. If a person is determined to be sad, find faults in you,  & think about his own self all the time  you cant change the feelings or thought process of the person at any cost, and why you even need to.Maturity, Optimism & Selflessness are self attained phenomenons & cant be induced in a person by someone else.

Nimisha

A good start

A day starting with a compliment tends to be followed by other goods things, so I am also hoping for the same. Today after so many days I heard a compliment about my work & felt really good about it, there very few days when someone acknowledges your work or your abilities.

I wish every day to start with something like this..Me happy happy.

Nimisha

Too Quiet

Its a difficult day today, mind getting numb , sense of no activity happening, every thing seems to be annoyingly calm...Just want it to get over, want to sleep and wake up in a Tomorrow that is filled with interestingly cheerful activities!

Nimisha

The question of Love..

Falling in love is the most beautiful thing that one experiences, the eagerness, restlessness, one gets happy by just seeing his /her name flashing on the phone, finds silly excuses to meet, keep every small things which has a connection with that special one.Oh my God, checking the phone every single minute seems to be so nerve wrecking, why he has not called, its been an hour and he has not sent any messages (may be its only in the case of girls) these questions are always crowded in the mind, we keep thinking about so many things that we would say & how would we say, his jokes automatically sounds humorous, the eyes seems to be speaking, his smile seems to be the most beautiful thing, & the silence between the  conversations are so difficult to handle.

I am not sure whether every one feels the same feelings or are there different feelings also...

MEET THEM- Ankita

Drum Rollssss.... so its Saturday again & today the person who will be introduced at this forum does not require any introduction as she is an inseparable part of me.. she is my first kid as I have always believed & behaved with her. She has been the "silent secret keeper" of all the gray shades of my life.I prayed for her everyday when mum was expecting her , I don't know why but I desperately wanted a sister  & glad I did.

She is everyone's favourite, very calm & quiet , well balanced in every outlook towards life, so, in short absolutely unlike me.Yes being an elder kid you need to be an idol & role model for your sibling or atleast should inspire them in a good way , I dont know how much I have been successful in doing that but its absolutely true that I have learnt a lot from her..to be meticulous about everything you do, to be disciplined in all your action  & to try and achieve perfection in every single thing you do (She has been a Topper in her class through out her school , best debator & the only girl or student who got two captaincies at the same time).

She is very choosy in every little thing, starting from clothes, music, food, places to hang out & even friends, from the time  when she was merely two years old , can you believe it! 

The only thing i have not learned from her is how to plug in head phones of a music player & turn it on to the highest level so that when anyone screams their lungs out ,you are in your own world ( seriously....she has this serious disorder).I love her with all my heart. 

Nimisha

Color Me Red

My recent Favourite Color is RED ( its keep changing from black, to green to white...n now its red) I don't why but this color fascinates me in a very mysterious way...

Some random pics,

So whats your fav colour

Nimisha

MEET THEM- Madhumita

First Impression is certainly not the last impression, and that is why a snobbish looking girl (as per me) on the first day of my college became my Best Friend forever. She came after staying in Delhi (by that time she became Half Delhite ,as they say it), & I was from a rarely known Town , She aspired to be a Doctor & I.... by that time I didnt actually  thought of a serious career option..She missed her friends back in Delhi & I was extremely excited to make new friends.Yes, we met & were not actually fond of each other.

I was put in other room & she in different, but as the destiny had some other plan at the last moment our Warden  cancelled the name of her third room mate & wrote my name & that started the mark of  friendship.We were very different but very same, Had very different ideas about life but celebrated every single thought.

We were kept out of the hostel as punishment for the first time together,shopped , travelled . We laughed , cried even  lied also together( this is one of the many secrets that we share).She has been my constant support & strength till today. I cant really think my life without her existence. She has not only been a friend but a sibling to me.

My life would have been quite difficult without her.Thank you Madhumita for being there always.


Nimisha