Return of the Dark Ages

These are dark times for word-smithy and letter-play
..
as once again the sword becomes mightier than the pen
..
Now thoughts and pots and what-nots are just wet clay
..
Sitting besides a dead soul outside the fearful den
..
Not what strikes nor what slays, but what stays
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And buries the spirit of could-have-been men
..
Is a fostering story – a brewing thought and long delays
..
Tell me what to do, then !

Sacred Games – Vikram Chandra.

Sartaj walked stiffly to the window. Beyond the fizzing yellow lamps in the compound of the neighbouring building, there was the darkness of the sea, and far ahead, a sprinkling of bright blue and orange that was Bandra. With a good pair of binoculars, you could even see Nariman Point, not so far across the sea but at least an hour away on empty night-time roads, and very far from Zone 13. Sartaj felt a sudden ache in his chest. It was as if two blunt stones were grinding against each other, creating not fire but a dull, steady grow, a persistent and unquiet desire. It rose into his throat and his decision was made.

Twelve minutes of fast driving took him through the underpass and on to the highway. The open stretches of road and the wheel slipping easily through his fingers were exhilarating, and he laughed at the speed. But in Tardeo the traffic was backed up between the brightly-lit shops, and Sartaj was suddenly angry at himself, and wanted to turn around and go back.

- an excerpt

Vikram Chandra creates magic on a mediocre and cliched plot with a brilliant eclectic mix of nifty writing and superb characterization. Sacred Games spans the length and breadth of Mumbai, interspersed with the life of Sartaj Singh, a police inspector and Ganesh Gaitonde, the quintessential gangster. It is a fast paced thriller that grows on conversation and incident. The characters are well-etched and grow with the pages under the book-mark. Its a 900-page epic with an all-encompassing storyline. All in all,
“Isme action hai, drama hai, suspense hai, bole to Superhit !”

Sometimes ..

.. When you are gathered around a desk in a conference room for a meeting expecting words of wisdom interspersed with jocular blabberings, your boss may say – “Everyone must exceed the Team Average in sales dollars.” And you wonder if everyone exceeds the average, what sort of average is it ?

.. If you are not careful, you may ask a question in the above situation.

.. Or forget to nod along with everything said or done in the meeting.

.. you may have a tendency to think otherwise.

.. or to think anyways.

.. or just to think.

.. Stay put ! and Relax till the feeling of intelligence goes away.

Nobody likes a smartass at work.

Disclaimer:
All characters are fictional. Even the plot lines, if you are sharp enough to see one, are made-up from thin air, It does not show or reflect any instance happened or thought about or merely winked or anyways.
Its a story, It’s not life, not even the slightest bit of it, not even if your life is a story. No. Period.