Our FAM Trip to Adlabs Imagica

Going for a FAM trip for me was a lucky escape opportunity from the mundane working hours, sitting in a cubicle and replying to mails and preparing presentations. Moreover, I got my very first opportunity to visit Adlabs Imagica along with my spouse (who is a joint blogger with me) and spend some fun time with her and fellow blogger friends.

So on a wonderful Saturday morning, the BEST bus was all set, waiting for us to arrive at Dadar TT. We boarded the bus hands-in-hands and glee on our faces as we waited for a few recognizable faces. Fortunately, there were many known faces from the blogging world and we were set for a two hour journey, chatting and smiling all the way. Time just flew, as we bloggers can easily get the house down and this was just a two hour journey. So, here we were standing in front of our destination, Adlabs Imagica.

Having entered the world where stories are made, we started by looking out for breakfast options but then upon seeing a fascinating ride, we thought of ditching the breakfast and headed straight to the doors of the ride that seemed 'scary', at least for me. I counted my stars, prayed and with lot of encouragement from my spouse, I boarded onto a tumultuous roller-coaster journey amid nervousness and excitement written all over my face. The ride was none other than 'Nitro'.

 

From the above pictures, you can see how the super-fast ride would have been with full of vicious turns, 360 degree circles and what not. All this while, I had my eyes shut and sealed, but trust me it was the most exhilarating experience I ever had. That couple of minutes, sitting on this ride, enjoying and praying simultaneously was my one of the best moments of this trip.  

Subsequently, we decided to have a quick bite which turned out to be an hour long. After numerous 'Two Minutes' we then headed towards some family rides but on our way we witnessed some fabulous stunts by some young boys. Worth a dekho!

Post which, we were enthralled with some bumpy ride on Mr India's iconic car as we were indulged in some animation along with immersive motion simulation technology. In simpler terms, we were made to sit in a car and the movie plays on the screen. So whatever happens to the car in the movie, even we feel and go through the same effect. Post Nitro, it was a relaxed and an easy ride with Mr. India.

Then a haunted house was eagerly waiting for us to scare the hell out of us. Salimgarh's gloomy corridors and a feel of a hunted fortress made for a thrilling ride. A special mention to the person who at the end of the journey, just while we were about to move out through the exit, came from nowhere and literally scared the hell out of us. 

Check closely, two pair of eyes is keeping a close look on the three Rapunzels

After that was the turn to experience what I later termed it as 'the younger brother of Nitro', Deep Space. It is quite similar to Nitro but the only difference is that it is indoor and completely dark with stars and moons to accompany you in this one hell of a roller-coaster. It will zip you through the space in no time and leave you with a 'what the hell just happened' look, at least it did that to me.

Post Deep Space, we thought of exploring the pre-historic times when dinosaurs lived. Rajasaurus River Adventure was a welcome and a fun-filled ride after embarking on the space sojourn. It was fine until when we had water splashing across on our body. I was completely drenched in seconds and what followed was laughter and smiling facing from all of us.

Next, we put on our police gears and went to save Alibaba by nabbing the 40 thieves, not literally though. It was a fun ride where we had to aim and shoot those hiding 40 thieves with laser guns and earn points. A simple and a fun ride.

Later, we took a virtual dip into the land of mermaid's and prince. It was a lovely experience to sleep with eyes open and watch a short movie under the 360 degree dome theater called as Cinema 360 - Price Of The Dark Waters.

We took a little break to have our energies re-fueled and took some time for photo-op.

After having our energies re-fueled and a nice time taking selfies and photographs, we headed for a comedy show called as The Detective Bow Wow Show. It was funny while it lasted and came as a good reprieve for our aching legs after walking continuously.

The time was running out and there were plenty of things to do, but then we witnessed a short road show where there were plenty of performers ranging from kids, to cartoon characters to dancers. It was the time, where there was fun, frolic and laughter and I, for the first time felt happy like a kid upon seeing their performances. It was a super stuff!!

There were still few more rides left for adults and we quickly zipped through them through our tired faces. One was I For India and other was Dare 2 Drop. While I for India took us through a journey of our beautiful India through pictures, on the other hand, Dare 2 Drop was another cracker of a ride. Seeing down from such a height was really, really scary. 

Ready for the journey called as I For India

After having our another round of re-fueling ourselves we embarked on our journey back home in the comfortable BEST bus with lots of fun, memories and smiles to take back home. I, no, we recommend Adlabs Imagica for a day to relax, unwind, enjoy and have a bagful of memories to cherish forever!

Thank you Adlabs Imagica or rather Fun-Magica for having us!

A Toast for beautiful and fun-filled memories!

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Book Review: The Madras Affair by Sundari Venkatraman

Author: Sundari Venkatraman

Published by: Readomania

ISBN: 9788192997575

Genre: Fiction/Romance

No. of pages: 282

Price: INR 299

On the jacket: Sangita Sinclair was not always this successful and passionate lady, heading the NGO "Penn Urimai" for downtrodden, abused and homeless women.

When Sangita catches the eyes of Gautam Sinclair she is a simple, homely girl, utterly unaware of her charms and capabilities. She has the devil's own time in overcoming her inhibitions, hesitation and her family's orthodox and outdated rules before recognizing her love for Gautam.

Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita's dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?

Review: The Madras Affair is a book that is not only romantic at heart, but also carries a strong social message without coming out as a forced writing. Among thousands of romance books that revolve around love and its kin, there is rarely a book that targets social evil and comes out as a winner and The Madras Affair is one such book.

The story is about the plight of a woman who is not only physically abused but also mentally and emotionally by the society and its age-old so called traditional values. How easily the society passes a judgement without even knowing the truth and the fight, the struggles a woman has to go through is very nicely brought out in the story through the eyes of Sangita. Gautam, on the other hand is the most charming man and the knight in shining armor for Sangita who helps her at every stage.

What I liked and appreciate as a reader, is the way in which the story is shaped, the characters of Sangita and Gautam  and the way in which the author handles the societal evil. Along with that, there are few situations in the story that will move anyone to tears and also bring a smile on their faces too. The narration is good with a nice flow to the story that manages to keep the interest in the story. 

The book for me is an emotional roller-coaster ride which will allow for the free flow of emotions as you keep turning the pages. 

Overall: If you love reading romance, then I would definitely suggest reading The Madras Affair for its story, the characters and the emotional ride that it will take you through while reading the book.

Ratings: 4/5*

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BOOKS – A World of Their Own

This post is written by Novemberschild who is very passionate about reading and writing. For her, technology and gadgets are simply sexy and tempting. She likes to realax with a cup of hot chocolate reading a great book or watching movies. She is a certified homebody when the moment calls for it but at the same time she loves to get out and explore from time to time. And not to miss out, she is genuinely a fun person and very friendly. You can reach her on her blog www.thewhitescape.wordpress.com or on twitter @romspeaks.  

I hope you all enjoy this write-up. 

Books are my best friends. They are always sitting where I last left them waiting me to pick them up. When I want to be alone in a room full of people they provide me a secret getaway. They can make me smile even when I have had the saddest kind of day. They share their story with me, slowly but surely pulling me out of my own world into their own. A book titillates me with its unexpected twists and turns. It is a roller-coaster ride that the author takes me on. With every page, I am sucked into the make believe world of the author. I am no longer myself. I begin to see myself as the character in the book. I live his or her life. Books compel me to get out of my skin and into the skin of the different characters in them. I share the character’s triumphs – his joys, his defeats.

Despite coming home to an empty house, when I was in primary school, I was never lonely. That is because my house was always full of my friends – my books. They were a magic world all my own just at the turn of a page. My first book was the seemingly ordinary Champak which was a monthly children’s magazine that was eagerly awaited. Next entered, Tinkle in my life. Comics played a huge part in developing a reading habit in me, and how could it not? The world in these comics is so rich, diverse and funny that it’s a pity some kids don’t know about these magazines/books. I loved its routine characters like Suppandi, Shikari Shambhu, Kaalia the crow, Tantri the Mantri, Ramu Shyamu and I know there have been a few additions here and there, but for me Tinkle will always remain special because of these iconic characters. Champak and Tinkle (I am so glad they are still around for the new generation of children who are drawn to reading) still reminds me of my childhood and those carefree, fun-filled days when I had all the fun in the world.

Source

I used to spend my summer vacations with Noddy, Golliwogs and Enid Blyton. The Faraway tree was one of my favourite holiday books to read. I read the book in the day and during the night dreamed that the Neem tree behind my house was the Faraway tree. In my dreams I climbed the tree to reach the magic land. These pictures are so vivid in my mind even today that often I can taste the Faraway tree’s magic toffees that grow in my mouth. Growing up there were Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.

The orphaned boy, the wizard character Harry Potter did not mesmerize me but I did made many unenthusiastic non-readers enter the magic world of books. But I like the fact the singular credit of pulling children away from their game stations goes to Harry Potter which happens to be a book. I am happy few children found this book to be spellbinding. The moral lessons in these books could not be more unmistakable. The authors with their enigmatically drawn characters draws me and everyone into the magic web with their wonderful yarn which is tightly plotted and fast paced like the readers are today.

As I grew, my books grew and from comics and young adult, I turned into an experimental reader. I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction with the same interest. My library tells me I'm way over balanced on both types. I know one thing, as I've gotten older, I've become less interested in made up stories and more interested in how the world works, if such a thing can even be captured in books.

Till the split second I die, I will be encircled by books. I feel I don’t need a reason to read. It is a whole world always open for me. What really troubles me is the fact that in this day and age no one gives literature the importance it justifies. I have always relished reading and enjoyed all my language classes (English, Hindi and Sanskrit) at school and college.  

I read every day and there is always a book beside me, I can’t sleep without reading. When I read I sit on the bed cross-legged with my book balanced on a pillow or else sit by my big window on my chair – just the calmness of the night and my book. I take good care of books; more or less I feel they have a life of their own. Even a small bend of the cover makes me real annoyed. There aren't many people in my family (except my parents and me who are book worms) who go on reading like I do.

My mother has been gifting me books since I was a kid and she sometimes gifts even now. What makes my mother happy is despite being dug deep into these books, I had never put my studies at risk. I am called 'Shakespeare' within the family circle as they always find book(s) in my bag though I am not anywhere that superior, but I want to read all the books I can before my last breath.

If you have not started reading yet it is never too late. There is no right time or wrong time to get started. Just pick up a book that you like and let the book work its magic on you.

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Book Review: The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Published by: Westland

Genre: Fiction

ISBN: 978-93-85152-38-2

Price: INR 295

No. of pages: 392

On the jacket: Paperback king, Aditya Kapoor's life is straight out of a modern man's fantasy. His literary stardom is perfectly balanced by a loving wife and a spectacular career. With everything he touches turning to gold, Aditya is on a winning streak. 

Shreya Kaushik is a student with a heart full of ambitions. Young, beautiful and reckless, Shreya speaks her mind and obsessively chases after what she wants. And what she wants is to be a bestselling author.

What happens when their worlds collide? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Can real ambition come in the way of blind passion? Can trust once broken, be regained?

Master storyteller, Ravi Subramanian delves into the glitzy world of bestsellers and uncovers and uncovers a risky dalliance between superstar novelist and his alluring protege.

The Bestseller She Wrote is a combustible cocktail of love, betrayal and redemption.

Review: The moment Ravi Subramanian had announced his next to be a different one from his usual banking thrillers, I was waiting for an opportunity to grab the book. Sooner than later, I caught up to The Bestseller She Wrote and I must say, I am pretty much impressed from the author's transition from banking thrillers to romantic thrillers. Although the teasers and promotion made me feel that the book is of the romantic genre, but after having read the book, it didn't matter to me as I liked what I was reading.

The story is about dreams, ambitions, jealousy and love, lust and longing told in a fine way that only master storyteller can ever tell. The language is simple and easy to connect which makes it effortless to read this huge book without missing any part of the plot. The writing is such that I could clearly visualize what's going on in front of my eyes, just like watching a movie. Such is the narration, crisp and to the point that it doesn't give the readers even a second to think something else apart from the what the reader is reading.

The references to real life people, Chetan Bhagat, Ashwin Sanghi, Rakesh Maria, Vaishali Mathur makes the story even more interesting. I wonder if the author hadn't mentioned those names would the story be anything different? I feel so. Somewhere these names did gave a small impact and a big fillip to the story. This does bring up a question in mind - How much is fiction and how much is real? and this is where, I liked the book.

The narration, the characterization of each and every character, subtle twists and a mega climax makes the book an amazing read. Although, I did feel that somewhere the story is bit stretched and the book could be reduced by 20-30 pages but never-mind as long as I did get entertained that I actually missed alighting my station while reading in the train. 

Overall: If you want to read a romantic thriller, The Bestseller She Wrote has to be the book. It has all the necessary ingredients to keep you hooked till the very end.

Ratings: 

Book-cover: 3/5*

Story & narration: 4/5*

Suspense element: 4/5*

Romance element: 3//5*

Entertainment value: 4.5/5*

I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

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#DoYourHomework and plan for Your Child's Future

I clearly remember the days when I used to get down every evening to do my school homework. Although how boring it might be or how lazy I might have been, I used to compulsorily get down to finish my homework. Those days of nostalgia are almost lost in the transition from a student to a bread earner.

But recently, I got a chance, when some good folks walked me to #DoYourHomework all over again and trust me it did gave me a sense of urgency to do my homework. It gave most importantly, the parents a message to #DoYourHomework for your ward's success.

Children's now-a-days at a very young age have some sort of direction as to where they would like to see themselves in future. They have a vague idea as to what they would like to become, say for eg: a pilot, or a sport trainer or anything under the sun. Their aims and ambitions are as different as chalk and cheese. In our times, we used to pursue the tried and tested courses, but not now. Today, the doors have opened to plenty of opportunities and children are not risk averse as we were. 

So what to do when they have high ambitions which requires huge amount of money? None of the parents would like to cite 'No enough money' as a reason for quashing their children's aspirations.

Well, we have one option and that is to #DoYourHomework.

A group of parents and children were asked what's their child's dream and each of them had to draw it. The end result was simply amazing. This simple exercise straight away touched the cord of many parents present out there. It rightfully answered the question of ways of fulfilling your child's dream and that is by choosing Axis Mutual Fund where it allows you to be on the same page as that of our child.

You can take the test and accordingly do a systematic investment planning for your child's education, the dream and the ambition. Thus, rightfully plan for your child's future.

Also, please note that it is never too late to start planning for your child's future as with each passing day, the cost of education is going to rise. With that, always keep it a point to keep invested for a longer term, say 10 years plus, to gain the returns which we expect.

Well, I have already started my homework, what about you? If not, then #DoYourHomework ASAP.

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Book Review: VoiceMates by Anamika Mishra

Author: Anamika Mishra

Published by: Jaico

Genre: Fiction

ISBN: 978-81-8495-769-7

No. of Pages: 202

Price: INR 250

On the jacket: Tulip Hill is an obedient and intelligent daughter to her disciplinary parents. She has been a topper throughout her school, because her parents wanted her to be. Now, they want her to enroll in one of the best colleges. But Tulip harbors the desire to become a singer, for music is her only passion, that helps her see through life's miseries.

Then there is Sam - witty, easy-going and flirty. Both Tulip and Sam share their love for music. Yet, both dream of a different life.

What are those dreams? What happens when they meet and enter the biggest duet competition together? Will their love blossom during their emotional roller-coaster?

Join the VoiceMates in their musical journey to know more!

Review: VoiceMates is one of the novels which I find to be easy, not so fussy about words, wherein one has to sometimes sit with a dictionary, and brings a breath of fresh air when it comes to the writing. After reading the book, I was left amazed with the way in which the young author has written the story, describing the central characters with such ease and grace that I almost felt as if I am reading a work of a seasoned author who is down with almost 10 books. Yes, that's what I felt after reading VocieMates.

The story revolves around pursuing your dreams amid all the obstacles and surpassing it to rise on the occasion. The theme is a foreign singing reality show in which both Tulip and Sam are willing to participate. What strikes me in the story is that how the author has included a message to all the parents that: 

1) Too much of parental control is not necessary and 

2) It is important to have a healthy communication between parents and children which over the long run lead to a strong bond.

The plot is simple without any major turns and twists apart from the climax where the author surprises with a twist which I liked it. It gave a nice ending to the entire story line which was all happy and moving smoothly. 

I didn't find any grammatical errors and as I said earlier the characters are evenly etched.

Ratings: 3/5*

Overall: VoiceMates is a light read which will leave you with a bit of uneasiness post the climax. But it is a nice Saturday afternoon read to accompany you along with a cup of tea. So don't wait and grab a copy of VoiceMates to dive into the musical journey of Tulip and Sam.

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More Than Just Desire

Preorder @ Amazon.com 

Use the #MTJD and #Bollywooddivastory to spread the word

More Than Just Desire 

by SummeritaRhayne

Blurb 

The Bollywood diva who regrets nothing...

Piya walked out of an explosive situation three years ago. Now she's back in Bollywood and wants to regain the crown that she left behind when she ran away from Arfaaz. It seems everyone who used to idolize her has forgotten her. In the competitive world of starry glamour, the only way she can restart her career is trash the past and make some waves.

The man who wants her atonement..

Arfaaz is determined to get his revenge on Piya for making a farce of their marriage and then leaving him to face the mudslinging. He forces her to keep up the appearances and stay with him so she can play the loving wife and repent on her sins. But he finds Piya isn't so easy to handle. She drives him crazy with her antics. On the top of that the attraction between them sizzles and threatens to make him forget reason.

Conflict clashes with desire..

No matter how intense the passion between them gets, their ways are bound to diverge. Piya knows she cannot let this man find a way into her heart. There is too much to risk and she cannot afford to forget the real reason she has come back. Success is the only mantra she knows and really, all Arfaaz wants is revenge…

Pre-Order Now 

Amazon.com

EXCERPT 

‘You’ll divorce me?’ The sense of anticlimax she felt annoyed her. Why wouldn’t he, for God’s sake? She’d been far from an ideal partner. No man wanted a three year estranged wife surely?Or why would he allow her to remain away for so long? For no logical reason, the knowledge had a sharp edge, stabbing her insides deeply. Arfaaz’s gaze was fixed on the flush deepening on her cheeks. The colour of anger...or joy at getting her freedom? It had been a mistake to pick her up in his arms, to give in to the urge to subdue that stubborn defiance. Three years since he’d touched her, yet her bones felt as delicate under his hands as the night he’d gripped her shoulders in anger. Evoking the same remorse one might feel for handling a bird badly. She had worn a metal colored dress that night. He could still feel the slithery fabric beneath his fingers. Another of her risqué dresses, with deceptively demure full sleeves while the shocker was the back. Which was missing. He had never objected to what she wore, though primitive instincts protested. She had a media image to maintain. He hadn’t wanted to act the possessive husband. A mistake, he thought again. Even the brief brush of her body against his had lit a spark that reminded him of how possessive he’d wanted to be. She had taken enough advantage of him. The grim thought rose from a host of emotions. He’d suffered, he’d been fooled, he’d been dumped. Was he going to take it all and let her go as easy as pie? ‘If you want a divorce, you’ll have to do a small favour for me first,’ he told her. ‘Favour?’ ‘Something which is important to me. Then you’ll be free to go.’ ‘I will?’ He shrugged, letting her make what she could out of it. ‘Anyway, we can’t stand here and talk it out. Come inside. We’ll discuss it over dinner.’ ‘Yes, divorce must be one of the prime discussable topics for dinnertime conversation,’ she said waspishly. ‘For everything spectacular Piya the topnotch actress has done, this must be the downslide indeed. To tamely sit across her husband and rationally chat over the break-up of her marriage,’ he jibed harshly. ‘However, I think it’s time for you to take a step down from the pedestal.’

Meet SummeritaRhayne 

SummeritaRhayne loves to write sensual and emotional romance. There's no knowing when some quirky - or sometimes even not so quirky - happening in daily life might trigger her right brain and then she's off craving a new story. She loves writing characters who learn and grow and find their way out of their troubles and emotional hang-ups. Hot, sensual heroes and sassy but sweet heroines mostly fit the bill in her stories. She also believes that a touch of humor never goes amiss in a book.

She divides her time between family, job and writing - and loves winding down with music, movies and the internet!

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A Bond Called Friendship

Disclaimer: This post is intended for audience above 25 years of age.

It is said that in life even if you have a single friend whom you can trust blindly then your life's problem has already been diminished by half. That friend will listen to you, chide you and guide you when you are wrong and most importantly won't judge your choices and will respect your decisions. But come what may, will always stand by the bond of Friendship.

Plenty of things were going in my friend's life. His freelance writing career was going no where, he had some responsibilities to handle too and importantly was going through some rough phase with his girl-friend. I always tried to motivate him, gave him few contacts which did materialized into opportunities for his freelancing career and also sought to have a small conversation with both of them, him and his girl-friend. But that didn't happen. On the contrary, I found him even more depressed. So I thought, the next best thing to do is have a small party with bunch of friends and try to cheer him up. 

I surprised him by throwing a party at my place. With some long lost friends, we hit it off instantly. I saw him in his usual self, carefree, joking and laughing. That sight gave me a relief and urged me to share a hug with him. I did it instantly and then the remaining of our friends just pounded on us in a group hug. We drank but in limits as we all had agreed to celebrate responsibly, shared some past memories and passed out.

Source

That night I saw him in his most happiest frame since past few months. 

The following days I simply kept on prodding him the problem area and asked the reason for his worrisome face and behaviour. I knew something was amiss between him and his girl-friend. So after my continuous prodding, one day he asked me to come over to his place.

I went to his place and to my surprise I found his room covered with poster size pictures of him and his girl-friend, showcasing how they grew in their relationship. One of the picture caught my sight for a long, as I found him without a tinge of smile on his face whereas his girl-friend was smiling, like in other pictures.

I turned around to find him in shambles, tears rolling down his cheeks and before I could even understand he was wailing. I tried to somehow calm him down, hugged him till he had cried his heart out and didn't separate. Suddenly he whispered, 'She has only few days left before she..' and started crying again. I understood what he meant and hugged him as tight as I could.    

Days flew with the two of us being together most of the time. I realized only time can allow him to come back from this jolt. One day, after almost six months, he came to me without any prior notice. I was pleasantly surprised to see him. But that was just the start. As soon as I welcomed him, he gave me a crushing hug and thanked me for being there in his worst time ever. Post which he gifted me a book written by him. Yes, him! I was left open mouth for a minute before he brought me back to my senses. Once again he did share a hug with me and asked me to check the acknowledgement. I did and it was all about me. I was floored. The book about his relationship with his girl-friend soon became a bestseller and we celebrated at his home. Just the two of us. 

For once, both of us cried. I cried for our friendship and he cried for his relationships with his girl-friend and with me. "Yeh, dosti kabhi nahi tootegi", I said to myself.

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Five Secrets to a Successful Marriage

So you have taken a step ahead or rather leapfrogged from being a momma's boy to your wife's pet. No? Are you sure? Think twice. Still your answer is no? Ok then, answer this question. 

'How many times you have let her take the control of TV remote while your favorite sport is going on?' You don't want to spend another half an hour in cajoling her, instead you take the easy route, go solo on Hotstar. That's what a smart husband would do. Correct? 

Well, I am joking. You think she won't snuggle up to you and quip some hushed words just to distract you and take charge everything electronic until you watch with her, her favorite daily soap?

Sadly that's the truth in most of the 'once upon a time romantic couple' now-a-days. Sometimes this can actually lead to an argument, accusations, labeling and flying of words loosely. Every couple has their ups and downs. That's the part and parcel of married life. 

However, there are couples whom you would like to emulate, envy and share the sort of unbelievable rapport that they possess internally with their partner. If you are one who envy such couples, then your doctor is here with the remedies. Also, if you don't belong to this category, read the remedies and do give your opinions on the same, as sharing is caring.

So here are the five secrets to a successful marriage.

1) Never flatly refuse or disagree - We live in the world where we need instant gratification. This gratification comes from the choice of words we use to communicate things. When asked, 'Baby, which destination are we planning to visit this year? I think Maldives will be a good idea, what's say?" If you have other destination in mind, you can reply, "Baby, Maldives is a nice place but I was wondering about Pondicherry." Eventually, 8 out of 10 times most of the couples will trip to Goa with the mantra, "Think Global, Act Local." 

By doing this, you not only give her the chance to ponder on other options but also it saves you from doing all the thinking and planning. 

2) Never ever ever ever (Sorry for going into Arnab Goswami mode) say anything about any of her family members. In other words, keep shut when it comes to your in-laws. 

We all have opinions on variety of subjects. But, when it comes to opinions on her family members, it is advisable to embrace silence. This goes to her extended family members also. How much convinced you are about your opinion, keep silent unless you are not asked to speak upon that subject. Else, you may see Maa Durga dressed as your wife, which I hope you would not want to see ever.

3) At times, be diplomatic - A time may come when you are at crossroads. You answer in affirmative, deep sea is awaiting you. You answer in negative, a valley is awaiting you. Both of which will ensure you don't have a peaceful night's sleep. Being diplomatic won't come at ease. It will take time and a dogged perseverance for those who who are quite spontaneous. 

So you are enjoying a nice dinner at home and comment about a couple of dishes, one you adored and in other one, your taste buds found a minor fault. Animatedly you tell this to your wife and mother. Rest, I leave for your imagination.

4) Always compliment her - Women like listening to compliments on anything they do; their clothing style, their behavior, their looks, their work, their cooking etc. Also, a compliment along with a gift would work wonders. Complimenting your wife goes a long way in seeking happiness. Moreover who would not like to see a smile on such a beautiful face! So go complimenting your wife even on a mundane day. A compliment a day keeps fights away.

5) Listen to her - Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, pay sharp attention to what she has to say. It is highly risky to not listen to her. Always pay a keen attention to her grouses, what's making her sad, unhappy or nervous and try comforting her. Listening to her ramblings will not only make her heart light but will also show how caring you are, thereby increasing the bond between the couple. Trust me, at most times, she will make sense. Or at least at the end of the day, you may have a decent laugh over it.

So try and implement the above five secrets into your marriage and see the wonders it does for the good.

Important tip: Apart from the above, to lead a successful marriage, you need to say sorry, compromise, keep expectations low and more importantly fall in love with your partner over and over and over again.

PS: I know I have touched a very debatable topic but please don't show intolerance to this post. If you have any objections to any of the above lines, kindly read it again. Also, to all the women out there reading this post, I with folded hands request you to please vouch on the above five points and more. I am sure you agree with them. 

This post is written in a response to a #WritingPrompt What's Your Secret as a part of the #BlogBuddy initiative by @Blogchatter a wonderful platform for bloggers on every genre, that encourages, motivates, encourages on everything blogging! 

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Things that can happen when your room mate is your best friend

There is every possible reason that you might have suffered a lot due to your wrong choice of moving into a rental house in Chennai with a horrible roommate. It might also be the case that you have been lucky enough to share the apartment with your best friend. What can be better than this? Don’t you think so? Perhaps moving in with your best friend or staying with one already is one of the most pleasant experiences of life.

Your best friend is the one individual who knows every small thing about you and have seen the bad and the good in you. He or she the person who has knowledge of all your secrets and don’t judge you with your attitude or behavior. Infact the same goes from your end as well as you know every little secret about your best friend. You both share a great bond and deep understanding for each other. This makes your living together in that house for rent comfortable and peaceful.

There are certain things that can happen when you are sharing your apartment with your best friend. Let us find out what are those?

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                 1.     You both can comfortably share your clothes without any ego problems. But you both                           need  to be of similar body structure.

2.   All your things starting from make-up, books, perfume, food etc is communal except for your boyfriends.

3.   Your friends and family treat you like one unit. If you are invited for any social gathering, there is no question of not inviting her. The same goes for her family and friends as well.

4.   You two have your unique style of communicating through sign languages or gestures that others cannot even imagine.

5.  You two are always there for each other in joy and sorrow and support each other emotionally more than physically.

6.   You both don’t seem to be hesitant in case there is any issue with the financial matters. It might happen that your best friend cum roommate pays the rental pay entirely for a month. Your best friend understands your problems and thus doesn’t mind you to help you.

7.   You both go for shopping together and act as each other’s fashion consultant as well. You both are always honest about each other and what suits accordingly.

8.   Since you both are best friends there is no scope of any conflicts and arguments and even if there is any you both try to solve it without delay. No one acts as the boss.

9.   When either of you is ill, the other will definitely take care just like mothers take care of their children.

10. There is no embarrassing situation between the both of you since you both know everything about each other and there is nothing to hide as well.

    These are some of the common things that are bound to happen when you are sharing the rental apartment or flat in Chennai with your best friend. Move in today with your best friend!

    Shanaya Mehta is a self-driven freelance writer passionate about life and work, seeking freelancing writing assignments, she reads and writes on emerging and evolving trends on technology, politics and real estate insights. Besides those professional tactics, she is fond of swimming, cooking and trekking.

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Parents' Gain, Lovers' Loss

"We had a LIFE and it was ROCKING", he said to his pal sitting on the bar stool and stared at his drink. He continued after a while, "Until we had a baby" and gulped the remaining of the drink, bottoms up, with a look bordering between satisfaction and discontentment.

"Welcome to the SS club, mate!" His friend patted on his back as he whispered into his ears.

Hearing the word SS, he went into hibernation, time traveled a year and a half ago to times when SS meant two things in his life, "Super sex and Shopper's Stop." Yes, don't blink your eyes a zillion times as if you are reading a language which only aliens can understand. Such were the times when life seemed rainbow everywhere. Rainbows of love, of feelings, of senses, of emotions and, but obviously of shopping and sex.

It was the most romantic part of my life post marriage. Yes, to have a life that is romantic post marriage is an achievement of a sort. All of us have a rocking life during courtship, but blessed are those who carry the same wavelength and match with the same frequency post courtship, after marriage. 

The times of long romantic drives with soulful music, sprouted emotions within us which bubbled to develop into an umbrella of care, honesty, giving, support and understanding. The long evening walk on the beaches with mischievous wind playing with her luscious hair that tickled at the most erogenous places still defines those long evening walks and why people love them, including me.The thrill of buying clothes for each other, especially on a sale date at Shopper's Stop, (we are together because we bumped into each other with hands full of Shopper's Stop carry bags and love at first sight beckoned) sometimes together, sometimes alone and then seeing each of us wear those clothes on special occasions gave a high that no drink in the world probably can. 

All of the above things, 9 out of 10 times, lead to a decorated night where passion overflows like a sedated chord, which stems from an ever blossoming nectar of love and culminates into a session of Super Sex.

His pal saw a contented smile adorning his face when he was mercilessly brought back to reality by him. "People don’t even allow you to sit in peace and remember the happy times", he murmured to himself and gave his pal a drab look and continued with the comparison.

Life changes for the better, it is said. It actually did when the little one was placed in my hands, beautifully asleep. The first few weeks, usually went by with people surrounding the little one, giving unwanted suggestions and eventually leaves when the baby wakes up to a wail. You don't mind uttering cuss words to those inhuman relatives and family members. You constantly keep on checking to ensure that the baby is alright and any needs is catered to, obviously by the little one's mother.

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But what about my needs, your needs? What about our needs? What about the needs of our bodies? Who will take care of it? Such burning questions with sadly no one to answer, except the situation. The situations more often than not is created by the baby who rolls eyes at the plans that you make for yourselves and take over your life. Even if, the baby chooses to be a little generous and gives a free minute or two, there are other monsters (read mother-in-law as defined by the missus) who will grab that time or you will be unceremoniously asked to take a nap by the mother of the baby and also allow the mother to take some rest.

Rest? Don't you know that sex is the best exercise which you strongly advocated for, when I came home late, tired and required nothing but some rest and sound sleep? 

Finally, you tend to abide by your missus, and go to sleep as soon as the baby sleeps. As you all know, she is always right and you are left wondering whatever happened to sex.

Although the other rainbows still exist, however, it has never ballooned to manifest into what is called as casual flirting, which sometimes is healthy for a steady relationship. Sensing an opportunity, my imaginations usually run wild and create havoc for a few seconds until she snaps her fingers across and brings me back to reality, asking to 'look' at the baby as she takes a loo break. Even if the casual flirting does balloon, it is brusquely crushed with a harsh 'Not Now' and you are left with a baby occupying the space between you and the missus, sharing the bed with an evil grin.

A continuous ping on his mobile phone took his attention as he traveled his journey from Super Sex to Sacrifice Sex. There were a string of welcome messages on a new Whatsapp group called as 'The SS group'. He whined and left the place.

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