Author: manuscrypts

  • The Art of Breathing

    ‘Breathe in’ said the instructor. A collective intake of breaths followed. ‘Now hold until I tell you’, he continued. The stillness followed for some excruciating seconds. Just as he said ‘Exhale’, a sound erupted which prompted quite a few giggles. ‘..through the mouth’ said the instructor, with a deadpan expression, and without missing a beat.

    until next time, gas chambers

  • Taj

    Colin De Silva

    More than the Taj itself, the book’s focus is on the man who built it, or rather had it built – Shah Jahan. In tracing his life and highlighting the love of his life – Mumtaz Mahal, the book touches upon four generations of Moghul rule, starting with Akbar and ending with Aurangzeb. While Taj remains a work of fiction, it borrows heavily from history, and well known characters like Nur Jehan and Jehangir have important roles to play.
    The story focuses on the intrigue that was part of the Mughal court and its machinations, and the impact that it had on determining the emperor of India. It follows the life of Shah Jahan, from the time he was a young prince, to his death, as an emperor deposed by his own son.
    Perhaps the tale is best summarised by the words of one of the characters in the book, and which would best represent the lives of each of the characters – “With any human being, an aim becomes an ambition, an ambition, a compulsion, a compulsion an obsession, which can only destroy the human being”. While, for most of the characters, the aim was the Moghul throne, for Shah Jahan, there was an additional one – The Taj.
    In essence, a good book to read to get a glimpse of what life must have been during the days of the dynasty that defined Indian history for quite a few centuries. If interested in more historical accuracy, i would suggest ‘Emperors of the Peacock Throne’ by Abraham Eraly

  • India Gate

    Yes, we have one in Indiranagar too. We actually went there to see if Fire & Flakes was still around, but that has now been converted to India Gate. Its located on the 100 ft Road, Indiranagar, in the same building as ‘The Great Wall’ and ‘The Silver Tube’, the latter is a lounge bar. The first one is self explanatory, right? When you’re coming from the Koramangala side, you can see it on the right as soon as you get down the flyover, the same building as the ‘Adidas’ showroom.

    They have a pretty adventurous parking process for 2 wheelers, where you have to travel beneath a waterfall to your parking space, which is then customised live for you.  Wait, it aint over yet. they also make sure that you build your appetite. Oh, okay there was a leaking a/c above,  they removed the cycles which were already kept in the ‘parking space’, so that i could park the vehicle the way they wanted it, and the lift doesn’t function. Ah, now you comprehend the dripping sarcasm.

    When i called these guys in the morning, i specifically asked for ‘Fire & Flakes’, and they reserved a space for me. Great, except that when we got there, we were told that ‘India Gate’ had taken its place. I’d have understood if they had maintained the cuisine, but with that name, its an impossibility. It’d have been much better if they had at least informed me when i was reserving a table. But since the view (of the Airport road flyover) looked good, we decided to go ahead and dine.

    And so we ended up ordering a Murgh Shorba, and for the main course, a Murgh e Shamin, Macchi e Khorma, a Bharwan Kulcha, and a Rogini naan. The soup was just over lukewarm, and we had to gulp it down to prevent it from going cold. In my fleeting interaction with it, I got some onion and spicy flavour, which tasted quite decent, to be fair.

    The Murgh e Shamin is boneless chicken, in a brown onion and corriander gravy. It was quite good, and the quantity was just right for two people. The Macchi e Khorma offers quite a different taste, a piquant, tangy flavor. Its a yellow gravy, flavoured with cumin. It reminded me of Bengali dishes. The Bharwan Kulcha was quite good, and has a sicy cheesy stuffing. The Rogini Naan was only distinct by the sprinkling of poppy seeds on top.

    The place offers quite a selection of starters, both veg and non veg, and sufficient options for veg and non veg main course dishes. The desserts are only the normal Indian fare – Rasmalai, jamun etc.

    But our bill came up to over Rs.750, which the meal or the ambience really couldn’t justify. So, a repeat visit to India Gate. Nah, we’ll pass.

    India gate, Katrina complex, 100 ft Road, Indiranagar, Phone – 41519000

  • The real inflation

    And the nation cringes as the inflation goes way beyond 8%, and threatens to go even more. A litre of petrol, which was about Rs.20, when i first started using it, now costs well over Rs.50.
    I remember the kind of vehicles that used to accompany mine in the petrol stations. A few Ambassadors and Fiats, on their way to extinction, a lot of Maruti- the normal 800 as well as Omnis and the occasional Esteem, and mostly two wheelers. The scene has changed with global brands vying for the customer’s attention. So we have the Hyundais and Fords and Chevrolets and Skodas bringing out bigger and costlier cars that are aimed to showcase its user’s affluence and highlight his standing, which is er, a little above that of his peers.?
    Of course, the way he behaves on the road would make you doubt this premise.I have very often, in the course of conversations, heard the owners of the big cars complaining about how their cars guzzle fuel. And how they feel the pressure when the petrol prices go up. And i have always wondered that even if we manage to control inflation, will we ever find a way to control inflated egos.

    until next time, pricks… for the ego

  • A Prisoner of Birth

    Jeffrey Archer

    Lord Archer hits the bulls eye.. again. Loosely resembling the classic ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, this book belongs to the league of his earlier works ‘Kane and Abel’, ‘As the Crow Flies’ etc. Watch out for the awesomely written court room scenes in the climax. I really wish this would be made into a film. The character of Nick Moncrieff makes me wonder about its inspiration. Other than the brilliant twists and turns that usually characterises his work, I also liked the showcasing of an old world charm in this book – Mr.Munro, Sir Matthew Redmayne, Mr.Arnold Pearson, characters who believe in fairness, who respect not just the law, but the spirit of the law. An excellent read, and yes, there is a sweet twist in the tail. 🙂

    Spoiler Alert- Please read only after you’ve finished the book. While i have said ‘loosely resembling The Count of Monte Cristo, notice the subtle reworking of the plot. While the original plot was based on the love for the central female character, in this one the plot is set in motion by Spencer’s lust for Beth. While Edmond Dantes escapes from prison by replacing a dead body, whose secret he uses to find the treasure, in this case Danny uses his physical resemblance with Nick to switch identities and escape, and then uses Nick’s inheritance.