Couldn’t help, sorry.

She reached the Bus Station ahead of time. She was accompanied by her mother, once she enquired about the schedule time of departure of their bus both settled in the waiting room.

She walked towards the canteen and while returning to the waiting room a girl stopped her, “Hi, my ATM card is not working and I am short of cash, will you lend me some I will return it online.” She knew it was festive time and this girl all alone here, really wanted to go home. She wanted to help, but she was also short of cash and she didn’t have any online money transfer options.

She went to her mother and told her that she is waiting outside untill the bus arrives. She went to that stranger again, asked her if there was any other option that can be helpful.

That girl’s friend tried to book the ticket online but nothing worked. She asked her to walk along to the ATM nearby and return the money as per her convenience.

They went out but unfortunately what they thought was an ATM turned out to be a kiosk that dispensed water .

They came back to the bus station she only had few minutes so she had to settle in the bus, along with her mother. She boarded, before which she went to the girl and said, “I am extremely I couldn’t help you, I really hope you get the ticket tonight.” The stranger replied, “Thank you so much for your help. It means a lot” and they parted their ways.

Review - The Secret of Heaven (Aiden Leonardo #1)

In his action packed thriller “The Secret of Heaven” Felix Alexander explores the repercussions of a lost Bible and the impact of the choices of one murdered man. It is a novel overflowing with secret organisations, corrupt government officials, and religious conspiracies. 

Professor of Biblical Studies Aiden Leonardo is the prime suspect for Lazzaro de Medici’s murder, who is Aiden’s mentor. With his dying breath, Lazzaro de Medici whispered, “Expose the secret of heaven” to his trusted friend, Aiden. With an encrypted letter and an obligation to his older mentor, Aiden evaded the FBI, Chicago PD, and a secret organisation to uncover the truth behind his friend’s murder. Pursued by the FBI, Chicago PD and a secret organisation known only as The Group, Aiden races against the clock to expose the secret of heaven. For hidden within the text is an ancient truth about the most controversial message Jesus left to His disciples. 

As time passes, Aiden discovers that more than just his life is at stake. Aiden has to utilise his knowledge of Scripture to decipher an mysteriously encrypted letter and find a Lost Bible dating back to the time of Christ. The lost bible could uproot the views of every religious group in the world. This is an interesting story full of conspiracy theories. 

I believe that the book has a lot of potential. It was fast-paced and non-stop action. At every turn, the characters were uncovering new clues or delving deeper into conspiracy. The story was captivating and intriguing. It kept me on my toes trying to anticipate what was going to happen next. It is full of people double crossing each other for their own benefits and you just cannot trust one person. I enjoyed the controlled chaos that the author described during action scenes and the constant battle between good and evil. It kept the reader guessing on whom to trust, which always makes a story more exciting and unpredictable. A lot of betrayals in the book. Right when I thought I knew what was going to happen, a character would do the unexpected or flip sides. 

There were many things that I enjoyed about this book including the creative storyline and character development. Even though there were a lot of characters to remember, I felt that the author did a wonderful job developing their personalities and backgrounds. My favourite character apart form Aiden was a computer whiz that added comic relief during more intense scenes.

The flow of the writing in this one is free and methodical. The way that the story is written, it’s pretty easy to understand what is happening when and which character is it focusing on. It is a pretty well written piece of literature that one must definitely read!

The portrayals, the reference and the characterisation is done brilliantly. I love how all the Biblical references are made, and that made me recall The Da Vinci Code. All characters have a defined, unique voice in the narrative. The plot is amazing and very well developed. Anyone who loves mysteries and enjoys the action of a good thriller would enjoy reading this novel.

कुछ हँस के...

कुछ हँस के
     बोल दिया करो,
कुछ हँस के
      टाल दिया करो,
यूँ तो बहुत
    परेशानियां है
तुमको भी
     मुझको भी,
मगर कुछ फैंसले
     वक्त पे डाल दिया करो,
न जाने कल कोई
    हंसाने वाला मिले न मिले..
इसलिये आज ही
      हसरत निकाल लिया करो !!
 समझौता
      करना सीखिए..
क्योंकि थोड़ा सा
      झुक जाना
 किसी रिश्ते को
         हमेशा के लिए
तोड़ देने से
           बहुत बेहतर है ।।।
किसी के साथ
     हँसते-हँसते
 उतने ही हक से
      रूठना भी आना चाहिए !
अपनो की आँख का
     पानी धीरे से
पोंछना आना चाहिए !
      रिश्तेदारी और
 दोस्ती में
    कैसा मान अपमान ?
बस अपनों के
     दिल मे रहना
आना चाहिए...!
    - गुलज़ार

The Jewel

A heart’s openness to receive 

Life’s essence sans condition

Rests on compassionate pliancy 

Of its synchronous unfolding petals

Calm in its witnessing of pure potentiality 

Being birthed into purposeless moments 

As they teeter totter to steady their gait 

Naturally breathed into the timeless flow of a

Playful tune bursting with innocence

Of a puppy hopping around in grass that’s evergreen

With guileless floppy ears following suite, 

Reaching for fanciful butterflies that tease 

Hopeful dawn into a joyously defiant uprising 

Overlapping a petulant night’s misguided oppression. 

All that’s left is the glimmering sunshine of a 

Blissful inner universe, delicately encapsulated as a 

Limpidly tentative, trembling dewdrop

Unaware of any temporal demarcations

The Jewel within a Lotus

- By Pinakini Naik