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Book Review- The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel

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  The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to get pulled into the story so quickly, but Tulsi Gupta’s journey kept me engaged from the very beginning. Tulsi is restless, reluctant, and quietly searching for a life that feels truly her own. She works with her mother, Devi, and grandmother, Aruna, in their family spice store Rasa, where she is being trained to take over the business of healers someday. But beneath that expectation, she is still trying to understand who she really is and what she feels called to do. As the story unfolds, Tulsi begins to question the beliefs she grew up with and the future everyone seems to have imagined for her. That inner conflict makes her story feel honest, relatable, and deeply human. While the main thread of the story is about self-discovery, the book has so many smaller layers that are just as interesting. There is a sweet romance, a mystery around Tulsi’s father, a social media...
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Letting Go=Growing Up? (My Old-soul Twinkle)

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  Disclaimer: This series, “My Old-soul Twinkle,” is my heartfelt attempt to capture the endless stream of thoughts racing through my mind. At times, these musings may seem confusing—or even a little "out there"—but I genuinely welcome your counterpoints and insights. Dive in and share your thoughts! “Jaane kya sochta hai mera dil, tujhko kya chahiye zindagi…” As I listened to this song on my recent voyage from Alibaug to Mumbai, something stirred quietly within me. Maybe it was the sea, maybe the wind, or maybe that familiar restlessness of a travel-troubled soul. For a moment, I did not want to go home. I wanted to keep moving, to disappear into nature, to become a small part of something vast, silent, and honest. There was a time in school when I used to write poetry, thanks to an English teacher who noticed that little spark in me. Then came my Hindi teacher, who introduced me to deeper, more philosophical thoughts. My little mind understood only what it could, but it car...
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Book Review (Hindi)- October Junction by Divya Prakash Dubey

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  सब ठाठ पड़ा रह जावेगा जब लाद चलेगा बंजारा। This book caught my attention because of its title, October Junction, and after finishing it, I felt the title truly justified its meaning. The book beautifully echoes the idea that every person carries a story within them. But in today’s noisy world, many of those stories remain untold — not because people have nothing to say, but because so many only ask, a few hear, and even fewer truly listen. The novel begins with the meeting of Chitra Pathak and Sudeep Yadav on October 10, 2010, in Banaras. Theirs is an unconventional love story that unfolds over the course of ten years.  Chitra Pathak is a woman who dreams of becoming a renowned writer, while Sudeep Yadav is a wealthy entrepreneur who hopes to retire by the age of 35. On paper, their worlds could not be more different. Yet, when they sit across from each other, those differences begin to dissolve. What fascinated me most while reading this novel was not merely the events thems...
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The Dance of Life (Letter to my kids)

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Disclaimer- This post is part of trait-series-for-kids which I began to search and write for my kids in 2019. With this series of blog posts containing knowledge-slash-experience, I pray from the almighty that our kids have a simple but magical life. The contents of the series are the search, several readings, experiences, and self-reflection. Each trait post will end in a mantra to follow. Dear Sons, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the world you are growing up in, and I wanted to put a few thoughts down on paper—not as a lecture, but as an honest message from my heart to yours. We live in a loud, fast, and glittering world. With everything moving so quickly and AI changing how we live, it is quite easy to get lost in the noise. There is a new trend : Everywhere you look, people are told to " put themselves first. " While loving yourself is important, somewhere along the way, a lot of people started confusing self-worth with stepping on others. I see people ...
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Book Review- Well-Being Zone by GK Rao

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  What makes this book especially meaningful to me is that it was written by one of the first mentors in my professional journey. He began as my boss and later became a true mentor, always guiding me in the right direction. Now, in retirement, he is sharing his dream of creating GEMs, and I sincerely hope this is the first book in what becomes a wonderful series. First things first—having worked closely with him, I can vouch that the ideas he presents in this book are not just theoretical; they are deeply rooted in his own life and practice. One of the greatest blessings of working with him has been witnessing the kind of person he is: genuinely good, deeply grounded, and quietly inspiring. He has firmed my belief that even in a world often touched by negativity and wickedness, the “good” always carries a natural aura of healing, positivity, success, and overflowing joy. Well-Being Zone: Living the Spirit of Gift and Return Gift is a thoughtful and accessible guide to life and spir...
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Book Review- The Promise of Rain by Vasundra Tailor

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This is my second read from the author after The Secret of Elephants  . The protagonist, Anna Kotze, finds a long-buried family secret discovered in the form of an engraved necklace, “Indira” — the same name she bears as her middle one. The revelation jolts Anna into action, sending her on a quest that stretches from Zimbabwe’s storm-dark skies to the rain-soaked streets of India. As Anna chases fragile clues across continents, the necklace becomes both compass and burden, guiding her into the hidden corners of her family’s past. With every answer she uncovers, new questions surface, forcing her to confront not only who her grandmother was, but what truths have been kept from her — and whether she’s ready to face the storms they’ll unleash. The read was ‘okay’ is really the most I can say about it. The story was not epic; the characters seemed less developed, but the description of the scenes gets 100% marks. For me, the bright cover page and a few of the diary entries were the hig...
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Failure or Professionally Convenient - A reflection

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(Pic-AI Generated) Disclaimer - Read it with a light heart and retain no heaviness. Today, I am not writing a book review —today I am reflecting on the exhausting, hilarious art of being the "Reliable One", as I am experiencing it nowadays in repeated mode. I am a " doer ." I treat professional commitments like blood oaths , often at the expense of my own sanity ( Opinions!! ). Yet the last two years have forced a rethink: the world doesn’t want a problem-solver; the world wants a professional mime—someone who works hard, produces results, and remains blissfully silent when the logic falls apart. My favourite corporate game is "Ignore the Human, Embrace the Bias." Let me explain. When I point out that a workflow/plan of action has some flaws, trust me , I am not being difficult; I am asking for a crumb of logic or a little discussion. But in today’s scenario, asking why is seen as resistance. If I am not immediately convinced by an illogical mandate, my ...
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