She sat there, blood dripping off her fingers, the blood-drenched knife tightly gripped in her hand. The thunder added an even more dramatic setting, followed by the soft water droplets. She looked down at the outcome of her actions: a boy lying in front of her, a clear stab mark on his chest. She was staring at her crime when everything suddenly went black. She fainted.
A month later…
It was 3 pm on a hot summer day when I received a call from Divya. “Anita, come quickly to the multispeciality hospital near our house. Your mother has fallen down the stairs, and it looks like a femur bone fracture.”
I knew my in-laws would be taking their afternoon nap. I had no choice but to wake them. Exasperated, I knocked at the door of my in-laws’ room.
Continue reading I realized being submissive will not help – By Sudha Viswanath
Feelings and emotions play a vital role in the well-being of our minds and thought processes, which influences our relationships on a personal and societal level. How successfully we express ourselves determines the response to our actions.
At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango is one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 40+ teams participated in Season 3 of this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by prolific author Kanchana Banerjee. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view.
Prompt – Write a fictional story in which a book reveals a secret. Feel free to creatively interpret the prompt in any genre of your choice.
The 2nd Runners-Up in the adults’ category were Sangeetha Kamath Prabhu & Mithila Peshwe (Team 13). Enjoy their story!
At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango is one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 40+ teams participated in Season 3 of this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by prolific author Kanchana Banerjee. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view.
Prompt – Write a fictional story in which a book reveals a secret. Feel free to creatively interpret the prompt in any genre of your choice.
The 2nd Runners-Up in the kids’ category were Mishti Ahuja & Srishti Chawla (Team 7). Enjoy their story!
Book Title – Living With Adi
Author – Zarin Virji
Published By – Penguin Random House India
Recommended Age Group – 12+ years
Anupama Ma’am, my creative writing mentor, gives the best book recommendations. When she sent a link to buy ‘Living with Adi’, I knew I would absolutely love it.
PLOT
‘Living with Adi’ is a novel about an autistic teenager living in Mumbai with his family. The book features different crossroads in Adi’s life, and how he is resilient and brave through it all. Each part is written by someone in his life.
There are different people, some love Adi and others judge him. Their perspectives come together as a well rounded story, telling us who Adi is and who he is capable of becoming.
TAKEAWAYS
I’ve learnt a LOT about ASD from this book.
ASD struggles are real, but that doesn’t mean a neurodivergent child is any ‘different’ or ‘less’. I’ve also understood that ASD is a spectrum, and different children may face various problems. It’s an umbrella term.
Through this book, we see how some people heavily judge everyone around them, without even noticing and acknowledging their struggles.
CHARACTERS
The characters of this book need a special mention! Each character is intricately woven with nuances and foibles. Some characters will make you laugh, some will make you cry, some will make you want to hug them, and you will love some and despise some.
Each chapter is written through the lens of a different character. The characters have so much perspective!
The author has also left trails around the book about each character, and you will understand them so much better at the end of the book.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME
This book is near flawless. I understand why some of the characters’ perspectives weren’t included, but I still think it would be nice to hear from his doctor and some of the ‘bad guys’.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Ever since the package containing this book arrived at my house, I’ve been re-reading it, and I’ve honestly lost count of how many times. I love it a little more every time I read it, and find something new to appreciate in it. This is a must-have, must-buy and must-read! Take my word for it, you will not be disappointed.
You can get your copy of the book here.
Reviewed by: Vinisha Nainani from Hyderabad
Can you imagine having maximum attendance of many thousands at a virtual book launch? That seems like a nearly impossible task, doesn’t it? Well, the renowned author Megha Bajaj has this and more to her credit in her glorious list of achievements.
Continue reading INTERVIEW WITH MEGHA BAJAJ – AUTHOR OF THE MONTH
Fear gripped me as I clambered onto the stage. Nevertheless, I took tiny steps onto the center of the dais. I was Paddington Bear in the talent show I had signed up for, and I instantly regretted dressing as a bear. But I never anticipated what I thought was embarrassment until after the show when I was appreciated for my performance. You might wonder what led me to present myself as Paddington, especially in front of my friends.
The village of my dreams is a little German village named Musik-Ville, meaning “place of music.” This place is entirely inhabited by living musical instruments. The instruments here can not only make music all by themselves but can also speak and move around. The cottages have doors and windows that can open all by themselves, as the inhabitants do not have arms. Technology does not exist in Musik-Ville, which means all the villagers can live in harmony.
Andy had just asked him for his left arm, and he was not willing to part with it. It was his arm, for God’s sake! But the offer had been tempting. He was giving up his prized moustache.
