Sunday, 28 July 2024

'A Good Old Rumor! and other stories' - An Excerpt

Dear friends,

Have you ever come across a rumor? Have you ever realised what havoc a rumor can play in one's life? Have you ever spread a rumor, just for fun or out of pure malice? How was the experience?

My book, a collection of slice-of-life stories deals with rumors and a lot more! A Kindle Countdown Deal will be on from 25th to 31st July, 2024 for my ebook 'A Good Old Rumor! and other stories' at www.amazon.com. This ebook will be available for just $1.99.

Now this is NOT a rumor! Ha ha!

So hurry! Kindly consider purchasing an ebook. Read and review it and post your invaluable review at www.amazon.com. Eagerly awaiting your honest feedback!

Thanks in anticipation.

Priya 😁😃

Collage created with the help of Canva, by me! Hope you like it!

An Excerpt from the short story "Alan Great"

Now where was I? Yeah, in Calcutta. My father was an officer with the British cavalry there. Tall, tanned and handsome. You should’ve seen him in his breeches, astride his stallion, The Stud. An apt title for him too! He liked to hold forth on all his experiences, wild and otherwise, in the Calcutta Club, every evening. It was as if he did things just so that he could extol them later!

But weren’t you supposed to talk about yourself?

Again interruption! (Wildly) Now I’m just going to leave. I can’t take it any more. When Alan Great talks, no one else does!

Audience (meekly) Sorry again. Now we’ll behave ourselves.

(Grumpily) O.K. One last chance.

Now where was I? Yeah, in the Club. I was just a toddler then. I literally grew up in the Club. As a young lad of 10, I was pretty and charming. Fair, blonde and pink all over. I had my father’s teak-brown eyes. You see, my Dad Partho Mujumdar had married a ravishing British girl Suzie, my Mom. They were a handsome couple, the talk of the town. The life of parties! He was a devoted soldier and she was a devoted socialite. My days were spent in a Convent, on a pony and in the Club. Happy days they were!

I’m seeing that you all are getting restless. Hold your horses! Ha, ha, pun intended!

So, things were pretty hunky-dory till I was 15.

End of the Excerpt

Intrigued? Want to find out what happens next? Hurry and buy a copy and settle down for a delightful reading session. Please don't forget to post your invaluable review online at Amazon. Thanks in advance. Priya

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38135747-a-good-old-rumor-other-stories#CommunityReviews

This book has received a 3 star rating at Goodreads.com. The book's cover has been changed by me. The old cover is visible at this site. Here's the link:

A Good Old Rumor! & other stories: Just spicing it up.....

Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

Welcome to the world of renowned author, Shweta; winning jockey, Manglu; fading superstar, Suraj Kumar; ailing model, Seema; wannabe actor, Aishwarya; obsessive patient, Alan; greedy son, Biju; repentant mother, Mira; and a vengeful father’s spirit! Read this collection of pithy stories and find out how they deal with life-altering situations! Save your reactions for your invaluable reviews! Happy reading, folks!

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2017

The copyright of this book is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Thursday, 25 July 2024

A Good Old Rumor! and other stories - Kindle Discount Offer, Hurry! July 2024

Dear friends,

Have you ever come across a rumor? Have you ever realised what havoc a rumor can play in one's life? Have you ever spread a rumor, just for fun or out of pure malice? How was the experience?

Now this is NOT a rumor! Ha ha!

So hurry! Kindly consider purchasing an ebook. Read and review it and post your invaluable review at www.amazon.com. Eagerly awaiting your honest feedback!

Thanks in anticipation.

Priya 😁😃

Foreword

All of us go through life, taking it for granted. Sometimes an event occurs, that jolts us out of our complacency. We then feel as if we have lost our moorings.

A few of us rise above the disruption and emerge unscathed, whereas for others, life may never be the same again. They regret the unfortunate turn of events and feel that they probably, unwittingly contributed towards it. Some may even be beset by the “Why me?” Syndrome.

Yet others feel that whatever has happened is for the best. In fact, they consider it as a blessing in disguise and set about their tasks with renewed vigor! They grab the golden opportunity and improve their lives.

Thus while some go from bad to worse, others are transformed and reformed!

This collection of pithy stories depicts various characters and their reactions to life-changing situations.

How do they deal with unforeseen events in their lives?

Read on to find out…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38135747-a-good-old-rumor-other-stories#CommunityReviews

This book has received a 3 star rating at Goodreads.com. The book's cover has been changed by me. The old cover is visible at this site. Here's the link:

A Good Old Rumor! & other stories: Just spicing it up.....

Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2017

The copyright of this book is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Tuesday, 23 July 2024

Enchanting Jaipur - Poetry in Stone - Part 2

We were to halt at Nahargarh fort for lunch. The serpentine road, winding uphill, through dense trees and beautiful scenery all around, lulled our senses, till we almost started dozing. After a short and steep climb, we reached the restaurant that has been set up in a part of that fort, obviously to give a slice of history along with a delicious “thali” (Ready lunch-plate) for lunch, to the by-now famished tourists! The restaurant is furnished in wood and wrought iron furniture and sofa sets embellished with delicate Rajasthani paintings with matching huge tables to place the plates on!

The view of the city from that height was impressive and panoramic. The fort has exquisite Rajasthani paintings of warriors mounted on elephants and bouquets of dainty flowers. I was almost expecting some warrior or damsel from the ancient ages to come face-to-face with us and surprise us! A cannon at its entrance invited all of us to click ourselves beside it. Had it been in its true form, spitting balls of fire, we’d have run miles from it, I thought, amused!

Near the fort is a deep well-like structure with an amphitheatre like ambience. Our guide informed us that this was where the famous song, “Loose control….” from the hit film, ‘Rang De Basanti’ had been shot, with Amir Khan, dangling perilously from the edge.

After trekking back to our bus, I joked with the guide and told him that he had made us hungry by asking us to trudge uphill to the restaurant and then helped us in digesting our lunch by the return trek! The driver of the bus and the guide shared a hearty laugh.

At our next halt, Jaigarh Fort, we saw the largest cannon in the world, proudly standing on a hillock. It weighs 80 tonnes and has been constructed in-situ, that is, just where it stands. It was capable of firing a huge round of ammunition at one go. Phew! Just thinking about its capability made us perspire. An elderly man from our group gave us an interesting insight, just then. He hastened to us and told us to click a snap of a pigeon that had just entered into the mouth of the cannon. He told us that that bird was a symbol of peace in that symbol of war! It wanted peace, not war! Just like us, I mused. But the bird gave us a slip, as it flew away, just as I was poised to take a shot. I ruefully looked at that gentleman and wondered why he hadn’t taken that shot instead of telling us about it. I thought that maybe that elusive bird had spoilt his shot too!

Amer fort, a massive yellow-stoned edifice, majestically soaring into the skies, was our next invite. The massive, strong wooden doors with bronze knobs welcomed us into a very vast and spacious area where we saw the “Diwan-e-Aam” and the “Diwan-e- Khaas”, the halls which were used for public meetings and private consultations, respectively. The beautifully carved stone pillars and arches, with their perfect symmetry, were very pleasing to the eye. So were the “Zanana Mahals” which were 11 in number, and comprised of a set of halls, bedrooms, bathing spaces, etc. for each of the 11 wives of the King, Maharaja Amer.

The garden was perfectly maintained and had an inbuilt system of small channels which instantly watered the whole garden from the central duct. We marveled at the ancient architects and wondered why we couldn’t take lessons from them! Such huge edifices had been meticulously crafted when there had been no modern equipments or even the now-ubiquitous and essential cement! Truly, all these fine structures were a labor of love and hard work. Passion coupled with pride had transformed sturdy rocks into memorials that had withstood centuries of time. Neither war not the ravages of weather had succeeded in diminishing their majesty!

We rounded off our sight-seeing with a visit to Lord Krishna’s beautiful temple in Kanaka Vrindavan. (Recently, I saw the movie Lamhe, in which actress Sridevi was dancing to the divine melody of “Mohe chedo na nand ke lala….” (Please don’t tease me, my beloved Lord Krishna…) in this temple.

Near-by was located a small shop selling footwear, jackets, and handbags made from leather and lac bangles. The prices were reasonable and the salesmen assured us of the sturdiness and comfort of the footwear that we bought there, a pair of slip-ons for my hubby and a pair of “medicinal” chappals for myself; which would ostensibly, give great relief to any ‘foot problems’(as per the salesman)! Interestingly, the shop had been founded by the oldest man in India, as certified by the Guinness Book of Records, who died when he was 114! Till date, the shop is ably managed by his progeny. A laminated poster, right at the shop’s entrance, proudly displays a photo of that venerable man with his Guinness Certificate and his children and relatives.

En-route to our drop-off point, the guide pointed out the reason for Jaipur earning the sobriquet of “The Pink City”. We were driving through the old Jaipur area, where a broad thoroughfare was flanked by elegant buildings of pink stone, on both the sides. He even said that Jaipur was supposed to be the second well-planned city in the world, in those ancient times, after Paris! Later he pointed out the exquisite ‘Jal Mahal’, beautifully lit and sitting like a lantern amidst a huge lake and the ‘Hawa Mahal’, in its fully illuminated glory. It was dusk. Jaipur was enchanting with its street-lights and regal aura.

The sight-seeing ended with all of us in a trance. We had been so enveloped by the glorious past that we found it a tad difficult to come back to the present-day chaos.

Concluded.

All the photographs have been clicked by Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

The copyright of this travelogue is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Friday, 19 July 2024

Enchanting Jaipur - Worth a visit!

This review of Jaipur, written by me, was published in Pune's daily newspaper - Sakal Times. Kindly peruse it and let me have your feedback. Have you visited this enchanting place? If not, this review will definitely make you book your ticket for this ethereal destination.... Get set, go!

The second snap is of Amer Fort.
It has wrongly been mentioned as Kanaka Vrindavan by the newspaper.

All the images that I’d seen on the internet, faded from my memory, as vibrant, breath-taking, real ones captured my fancy. Truly, love at first sight! Rajasthan, literally translated into the land of the ‘rajas’, royalty; undiluted, pure and ethereal, embraced us warmly, right since we stepped off the train, in the afternoon, at Jaipur Junction. On the first platform itself, we espied the RTDC office and walked in, tired and exhausted. We were attended to immediately, by the official on duty, who asked us to book the next day’s local sight- seeing tour of Jaipur, conducted by RTDC. He even gently dissuaded us from opting for that evening’s half-day’s sight-seeing tour, by saying that we’d be covering many more places in our day trip. We gladly accepted his advice and were relieved to note that he had been right, after the sight-seeing the next day.

At about 9.30 am, all of us (tourists) were escorted to a very comfortable deluxe bus by our young and enthusiastic tourist guide, Mr. Bhawani Singh. He was slender, agile, attentive and informative. He gave us all the information about Jaipur as we saw one spot after the other. He even paid special attention to two Japanese tourists who weren’t very proficient at English, by individually repeating the information slowly to them.

We were disappointed that the bus couldn’t halt at the famed Hawa Mahal, as it is situated bang on the side of a narrow and bustling street, where buses aren’t allowed to halt! As the guide rattled off details about the monument, the intrepid tourists, including me, started clicking snaps feverishly, as the bus passed by the palace slowly, “for the tourists’ benefit,” as the guide cheekily proclaimed.

Then we went to the Birla Mandir, a beautiful temple, intricately carved in white marble. Peaceful and beautiful, it has life-sized, statues of the divine consorts, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi; stained glass paintings of various other gods and goddesses and a high-vaulted and carved ceiling. The temple is surrounded by a lush-green garden and has a majestic fort, high on a hill, as an imposing and interesting back-drop.

City Palace was the next halt in our itinerary. Its imposing structure and meticulous symmetry literally took our breath away. Once home to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur, it now stands as a proud reminder of its royal heritage. It houses a museum and a small book-shop.

When we went to Jantar Mantar, the world-famous open-air observatory, founded in the early eighteenth century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, we couldn’t help being awed by his devotion to science and technology and the perfection with which all the astronomical instruments, till date, show the latitudes, longitudes, time, eclipses and the sun signs of people. Of course, the guide was at his lucid best, when he painstakingly demonstrated how time can be exactly ascertained on the sundial there. When he asked us to check our watches, we were speechless. The exact time was reflected on the sundial. The shadow created by the sun helps in reading the time on the sundial. It was 10.15 a.m. then. Another large sundial stands proudly nearby. It is the world’s largest one. Eerily, I felt as if I had been transported back, to that venerable ruler’s era, in a time machine. I had goose-bumps!

To be continued...

All the photographs have been clicked by Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

The copyright of this travelogue is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Tuesday, 16 July 2024

Priya's Vision Academy - Hurry! Avail the Monsoon Discount on Our Creative Writing Course!

Priya's Vision Academy's

Online Creative/Content Writing Course-cum-workshop.

Learn alone or in groups!

The details for one-one classes are as follows:

Age group: 10 and above

Mode: Online through Google Meet. ONE TO ONE, Exclusive classes.

Timings: 1.5 hours per session (Flexible timings)

No. of sessions: 8 per month (Twice a week or on weekends)

Duration of the course: 3 months

Fees: Rs. 24000/- (Rs. 8000/- per month) payable in advance. Monthly payments will be considered, but advance payment is a must.

Syllabus: Write-up, essay, blog, travelogue, debate, website, ad, press-release, poem, story, autobiography, testimonial and review.

Each assignment will be thoroughly assessed and suggestions will be given for improvement.

A certificate will be awarded on completion of the course, after 3 months.

Please contact: Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Mobile numbers: 9067138313 and 9850019553

So what are you waiting for?

Hurry up and enroll now! Learn the ropes from an award-winning author and make your mark as a professional writer. 

Embark on a lucrative, creative-writing career!

Priya's Vision Academy - Makes Your Life Blossom.

__________________________________________________________________

For large groups, the details are as follows:

Age group: 10 and above

Batch size: 10 and above

Mode: Online through Google Meet. 

Timings: 1 hour per session 

No. of sessions: 4 per month (Once a week)

Duration of the course: 15 months

Fees: Rs. 1200/- per month, payable in advance. 

Syllabus: Write-up, essay, blog, travelogue, debate, website, ad, press-release, poem, story, autobiography, testimonial and review.

Each month, one topic as above-mentioned, will be taught. One assignment will be thoroughly assessed and suggestions will be given for improvement.

A certificate will be awarded on completion of the course, after 15 months.

Please contact: Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Mobile numbers: 9067138313 and 9850019553

So what are you waiting for?
Students, housewives, senior citizens and working professionals! Make the most of this irresistible monsoon discount and contact us immediately for learning and having fun-filled interactions! Quickly learn the ropes of effective writing.

Hurry up and enroll now! Learn the ropes from an award-winning author and make your mark as a professional writer. 

Embark on a lucrative, creative-writing career!

Priya's Vision Academy - Makes Your Life Blossom.

Thursday, 11 July 2024

Wow! Wrong Number - An Excerpt

Dear friends,

Don’t we all do that, what we perceive to be right? So do the protagonists of the stories in my book titled 'Wow! Wrong Number'.

A Kindle Countdown Deal will be on from 12th to 16th July, 2024 for my ebook titled Wow! Wrong Number, at www.amazon.com. This ebook will be available for just $1.99.

Hurry! Kindly peruse it and let me have your invaluable feedback.

You could even peruse my other 27 books.

Thanks. Happy reading! Have a great day ahead, by chilling out with my e-book!

Priya

Here's the link:

Wow! Wrong number: Never for keeps?

by Priya Ramesh Swaminathan | May 23, 2017

No reviews

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An Excerpt from the short story "Wow! Wrong Number" from the book of short stories, with the same title.

“Welcome to ‘The Beach Resort’ Sir and Madam. We hope you’ll have a lovely stay here!” she said in her practiced tone. This was how she welcomed scores of tourists daily. She was paid to be warm and welcoming!

When they locked the door of the room from inside, both whooped with delight like small kids. The room was beautiful, with a huge double-bed, beautifully upholstered, comfortable couches, a writing desk and a chair, a closet, a TV set, an AC, a combined toilet and bathroom and fresh flowers on the table. Immediately the couple ordered for tea and snacks. They were determined to make the most of that ‘free’ stay. And they began in great earnest, right away!

After lunch and a short nap, they showered, dressed and set out to go to the nearest beach. He was dressed in staid, run-down Bermudas with an ill-fitting T-shirt and peaked cap, with goggles to boot and she was dressed in tight-fitting jeans, newly bought and worn without any heed to her huge, bulging thighs and an equally tight T-shirt which was sleeveless and conveniently showed off her massive arms, jangling with glass bangles! She had worn garish pink lip-stick and had left her frizzy, shoulder-length hair open. As they breezed by, the receptionist turned her nose and frowned upon the couple’s backs. The phrase ‘desi tourists’ sprang to her mind. No, ‘Western Ghats’ was more like it!

End of the excerpt

Want to know what happens next? Do purchase a copy immediately and settle down to a delightful and invigorating reading session.

The copyright of this book is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.