Branwyn is the Goddess of love, beauty, mischief and mystery. It also relates to genuine literature. The name has been tossed by Lavkesh Kumar Singh.

Director and Publisher : Vineeta Gupta

Founder and Editor-in-Chief : Sneha Gupta

Manager : Parul Parihar

Contacts : sneha@branwyn.in

Website : www.branwyn.in

EDITORIAL:

Why shall I read your book?

It is the moral right of all reader to ask that why should they read any writer’s book. But, with prejudices prevailing in publishing industry, the reading necessities of the mass readers was highly being ignored and taunted. Reading had got confined only to a particular sphere of the society. Readers were even scared to put forth their questions – Why should I read your book?

But then, came the writers of new age. They came fully prepared with their answers to the readers – “Read my book for fun as a friend of your leisure. I am not here with my philosophies to taunt you. I am not here to load your mind with unreasonable logics which do not relate to your life. Let’s keep everything aside and talk about our daily life. Let’s talk about the fashion in latest trend, the books, the shoes, restaurants, colleges, sport and everything you like about. No, I am not the torch bearer of your life. No, I cannot provide solutions to all your problems. But I will listen to them. I feel like you and I write your voice. Your own unheard voice! Read me to listen to the voice of your own soul.”

These writers of popular fiction did not talk about high ethics and morals. They talked about the general problems of getting admissions in colleges, fake social status discriminatingly imposed by the market Mughals and so on... Readers read and welcomed them. And that is why; Branwyn is dedicated to support all those writers who speak the voice of the readers.

- Sneha Gupta

EnErgy BoostErs Branwyn – Brand that wins! A very nice initiative by Sneha Gupta

o Babita Basu, Journalist, Times of India Every section, every segment of Branwyn is itself amazing. All the columnists and all the contents are outstanding. Whole concept is

beyond imagination. Thoroughly thoroughly liked it. o Mukesh Ajmera, Lucknow

Looking forward for Branwyn’s next issue only for Mr. LaVa and Mr. Attitude. Loved these guys’ mature outlook. Brahma has potential. Keep updated.

o Randheer Ahluwalia, New York It is a bang in literary circles. The best part is its being clear with the motives and objectives.

o Raj Verma, Lucknow An appreciative attempt especially on the prime focus on readers’ reading necessity.

o Uttam Singh, Lucknow I didn’t know that authors could be more handsome than film actors and I am so glad to find Mr. YouKnowMe more handsome than Arjun

Kapoor. o Akshata, Mumbai

Hillarious! It is absolutely wonderful. o Ishaan Lalit, New Delhi

Very nice! A little more designing and it will look better. o Kunal Marathe, Indore

Thank you Miss Mishti for making me smile. o Akhil Chavan, Pune

I love Sachin Garg. Thanks for his interview. o Anita Choudhary, Lucknow

Beautiful, colourful, wonderful. o Jacob Alfanso

After reading the review of ‘And God made a Mistake’, I think what I was reading till today as book-reviews? Chillar? Now, I know what book-review is! And now I realize how I was being befooled. Thanks Branwyn!

o Mihika Sarkar, Kolkata A fascinating attempt! Proud of you, Sneha!

o Ashfaq Sheikh, Udgamandalam I already have lot of expectations from you. Very well done, Sneha!

o Charanjeet Singh, Chandigarh Dear Mr. YouKnowMe, I read your story in Branwyn and I really loved your writing. I want to tell you that you may find it difficult to leave

your ‘White Smoke’ but always remember that everyone is born with a noble cause and you have to play your part of role. Don’t lose hope. You can create magic with your words. All the best!

o Raushan, Patna I really love it.

o Nidhi Singh, Jaipur

A few of the numerous feedbacks Branwyn got!

Feedbacks and constructive criticism are most welcome at sneha@branwyn.in

Branwyn Cover Story

Publishers’ Favourite Reads

Their eyes go through numerous manuscripts. They come across a number of tales which they convert into good reads for readers. But what types of books attract the publishers themselves?

As soon as the question crossed Branwyn’s mind, she decided to discuss it. Binay Dutta from Mahaveer Publishers loves to read thrillers.

“I like thrillers a lot.” He says. However, he clarifies the reason, “Once upon a time, I liked romance too. But nowadays all of them tell the same story. A boy, a girl, college campus, some obstacles and that’s it! Nothing more! Thrillers are certainly better than that.”

Similar words come from Aman Sharma of Parlance Publishers.

“I love crime-fiction. They attract me a lot.” said Aman, “Romance is boring.” He makes it clear.

Rohit Shetty from ‘First Step Publishers’ speaks in the same voice.

“Nothing could be better than thrillers. I love thrillers. I have always preferred thrillers to romance.”

However, Arcopol Chaudhary from “Fingerprint Publishing” stands in a different queue. He prefers to read literary fiction. His interest in the outstanding release “Dozakhnama” makes it clear that he is not much into popular fiction.

So, it is quite clear that most of the publishers who come up with various romance novels, themselves prefer to read thrillers. The context makes it clear that thriller genre has bright future in Indian publishing industry.

Three Questions : Bhavya Koushik Young author Bhavya Koushik did his debut with his remarkable novel “The Other Side of The Bed” and surprised the publishing industry with his mature insight of relationships. At the only age of 22, the debutant author has left critics with no other option than to praise him for his immaculate understanding of human emotions. In an exclusive interview with Branwyn, Bhavya talks about his emotive side.

Branwyn : "The other side of the bed" Which side of the bed does your novel talk about? Left side? Right side? Or Wrong side?

Bhavya : It elucidates about the untouched side, the vacant and empty side of the bed which is caused by the demise of a loved one. The vacuum which is left after when a loved one is gone and you are forced to live in a world full of memories, and nothing else. The novel revolves around the notion of sleeping in the same bed, and on the same side, where once the protagonist’s wife used to sleep and his journey in attaining that.

Branwyn : Your novel talks about seriousness of relations. What is your stand on love? Subjective or Objective?

Bhavya : Love for me, can never be objective as I believe that love exists in a spectrum which is still unseen by human eyes. Love is not black or white, or of any colour in fact. I believe that no one can define what love is in complete absolution. For me, love is … (undefined). Sometimes, you can love a complete stranger, while there are times when you can fall out of love as easily as you fall into it. Although I might not know everything about love, but I’m certain about one thing that love doesn’t require any effort – loving someone should be effortless. If it requires a substantial amount of effort to continue being in love, then it is not love at all, it is just people saying and doing all those things that they are supposed to.

Branwyn : What is your opinion on "It's complicated" status of love-relation?

Bhavya : I seriously can never understand completely about “It’s complicated” status of relationship. I mean, what is the entire meaning behind having a complicated relationship? A person is either single or is in a relationship. Nevertheless, even if your relationship is complicated, then work things out. If you love someone, go ahead and tell them what you feel about them. If you think you are not ready, then take one step at a time until you are prepared. And in case, if you feel monotony in your relationship, then remind yourself, that at the end of the day people are what matters. Whatever you do, don’t complicate things. Life is supposed to be simple, easy, anything but complicated.

Thanks for the interview Bhavya. Branwyn wishes you best of luck in all your future endeavours.

Making of A Book Te Amo…. I love you

Writing a book is like living a life of dreams where everything happens live! Writers visualize their dreams and ink it down on paper. Writing a book requires lots of patience and consistency. Many people conceive ideas but seldom come out with a published book.

Author Rohit Sharma did his debut with a romantic fiction “Te Amo… I love you…”

The book first gathered attention on social networking websites and gradually made its way through readers’ hearts. The book has been considered an average romance by regular readers whereas first-timers and teenagers have favourited it.

In a special interaction with Branwyn, Rohit Sharma narrated the amazing journey of his book from a mere idea to a full-fledged novel. Ever since his college days, Rohit knew that he wanted to be remembered as a writer. In his words – “It was 2004… I was in my seventh semester of Engineering. One of our teachers asked us, what we wanted to do that one thing in life through which people will remember us once we are gone, from this mortal world. I had replied that I will be writing books. Well, most students had laughed at that time. But, I was serious. I definitely wanted to write books. And that moment came in 2009.”

As it is mentioned earlier, ideas come to a lot of people but seldom work on it. Rohit was not one of those dreamers who just keep dreaming of writing a book for their whole life. Rohit knew that he had to write a book and he threw himself onto the plan. He started the research for his book in August 2009 and the first handed thing

of his concern was the location of his novel. Rohit’s deep interest in Spain and its culture germinated the idea of the desired location of the novel to be Spain. However, the story of “Te Amo… I love you…” covers different countries but it is centered on a Spanish beauty – Isabella – our heroine. Sketching Spain in his novel was not that easy for our Indian author but he did it with the help of his friend Maica Garcia – “Maica Garcia, a senior poetess from Spain, helped me a lot with the research work related to Spanish culture, festivals, and their country as a whole.” Now, once the location was clear, Rohit moved towards the tougher part – characterization. Let’s get to know the whole story in Rohit’s words – “I had started working on the characters of my story when my employers informed me that they were to send me London in March 2010. So, I decided to keep the lead male character from Britain. I thought it would be easier for me to portray London, as I would be living there. I chose to name the lead male character as Aron (on my nephew’s name, who lives in London), and I portrayed him as a British. I always wanted to be a choreographer, and I put that desire into Aron’s character, and decided to show him as a dance teacher/choreographer. I had a very clear vision of Isabella in my mind, though her character is a complete fiction. I wanted to portray the Spanish culture and their beauty through Isabella. Isabella, itself means beautiful (and also means God’s vow) and I wanted to show how beautiful a woman is, both inside-out. I wanted to show her as a perfect daughter, a perfect lover, a perfect wife, and a perfect mother. I wanted to show feelings of true love, true sacrifice, through her. I researched a lot to find a perfect name for her. Maica suggested me many names, but I finalized Isabella. Writing Ethan’s character was very tough. I wanted to show him completely opposite to Aron, and at the same time, I wanted to highlight some social messages like Domestic Violence, through him. I honestly didn’t find any good name for him. So, I kept his name as Ethan for two reasons – 1. My Client Manager in London, a very arrogant and rude man, his name was Ethan. 2 – Tom Cruise, my favorite actor’s most famous screen name is Ethan Hunt (Mission Impossible series). Then I finalized the supporting characters. I wanted to portray honest friendships, and hence I developed Vivek and Santina’s characters, and with them, I also finalized rest of the characters of the book.”

Since Rohit’s hero was British, a little research work on Britain was also required. As soon as Rohit landed in London on March 2010, he started gathering information about the city and took a lot of pictures to form a ground for the description of the city in his novel.

Thus Rohit’s research ended and he finally got everything in his hands. But little did he know that it was just the beginning. Nevertheless, Rohit started the book crafting. He divided the entire synopsis into chapters and wrote a brief about each chapter. Finally, when he had an outline of each chapter, he sat down to write the complete novel, chapter by chapter. He finished it in 2 months.

Because of his extensive research and clear vision, he didn’t face any writer’s block.

Then, came another tough part and Rohit’s interaction with literary agents and publishers grounded the present draft of “Te Amo… I love you…”. This is what Eohit says about it – “After completing the novel, I contacted the Literary agents in England, and one of the luckily selected me. That literary agent also presented my work to one of the publishers there, and they too selected my work. But, a few of my friends suggested me to get my work published in India. After pondering over their suggestion, I decided to get my book published in India. But, the first publisher to whom I sent my proposal rejected me straightaway that my book does not contain any Indian character; it will not work.”That rejection cleared the presence of Aryan in “Te Amo… I love you…” leaving Rohit in a dilemma. A discouraging hard work of complete re-formatting of the novel was waiting just for the introduction of an Indian character. However, a consistent Rohit bothered least about when he confirmed his decision after three months. Rohit speaks about the transformation of Aron to Aryan – “Once they rejected my book, I discussed the same with my two good friends, and they advised me to change some characters to Indian. It was June 2010, and it was a tough decision. Finally after a break of 3 months, I decided to rework on my book. I changed some characters to Indian. I changed Aron to Aryan. But, it involved a lot of rework, because there is a huge difference in the characteristics of a British and an Indian. It took me another 2 months to edit and complete my book.” Lastly, the book was completed and then Rohit started the editing – “I started the process of multiple revisions and editing, and I literally did ‘n’ number of editing in the next 9-10 months. Finally, in September 2011, I started contacting the publishers again, and in April 2012, I signed the contract with Mahaveer Publishers. On 12/12/12, I finally held the dream in my hands.

It is a very long journey of 3.5 years, but it has proved very satisfying.

Rohit becomes emotional when he shares some memorable moments of his journey – “One of the toughest times was when I had to rework on my entire script. The decision, to convert some characters to Indian, was a tough one. Secondly, after I signed my contract, I had to market my book. That’s when a lot many friends helped me. That was a

really tough time, and involved a lot of hard work. I am really thankful to all my friends, who helped my book in one way or the other. But nothing beats the moment when I finally held my book, and the reception I received after that, considering I am a debut writer, and I have yet to earn some name in the industry. I still remember how I personally felt while scripting each and every scene of the book, or how much struggle I did to find the publisher. Every moment taught me something. And then, the support I received by the friends, during the marketing of my book was overwhelming. But it created too much hype and expectations. Suddenly, a few people who knew me, started expecting too much from a debut author like me, and I was extremely nervous when the book released. But thankfully, the book is meeting majority’s expectations. Every such moment is memorable, when a reader comes back to me and appreciates my work. It every such moment is a lesson when a reader tells me that he or she didn’t like something in the book, which makes me to work harder.”

The making of “Te Amo… I love you…” is itself a beautiful story. In fact, in this case, ‘the story of a book’ has come up to be more interesting than the ‘story of the book itself.

Miss Mishti’s Corner * A date with Human Emotions and

Expressions! * They say a human face consists of 43 muscles that can shrink and fit to 10,000 various expressions. Yes, you read it correct. 10,000 varied expressions. Human Emotions and Expressions have a direct link with heart. The things running in heart may not always be flashed on the face or spat by the tongue, and vice versa. The seven basic human emotions are- 1. Fear 2. Happiness 3. Sadness 4. Disgust 5. Anger 6. Contempt 7. Surprise. The most experienced form of confusing human emotions is flashing a Smile. A Smile may not always run parallel to what's running in one's heart. Similar is the second confusing factor, Tongue. They say a Tongue can lie, but Eyes can never. Eyes are the transparent frame of what's running in one's heart. The best thing about human emotions and expressions is that they have a direct link with heart, unlike smile and tongue. The most widespread illusion that Liars can't maintain a direct eye-contact is as false as that of the Truth-tellers who can't maintain an eye-contact utter lies. Nervous and embarrassed beings too look away and communicate, but that doesn't make them liars. Eye-contact is known for combating against fear, hence the same should never be confused with tongue-telling. But, never to forget, even the best liars can't control their natural facial muscles from shrinking or expanding, to hide or fake display of a stack of emotions. In this installment of Branwyn, let's check and exaggerate for what our psychologists say, regarding Human behaviour -

>>If a person becomes angry on petty and unnoticeable things, it means he/she needs LOVE.....

No one can ever put in words that he/she needs love, but every single human heart is sugar coated with a thick layer of desires, demands, expectations and ecstasies. We often come across beings who possess every material feature at their fingertips, but are always hungry for love. Eg. After leaving the cab, just thank the driver for once with a Smile, and devote few of your valuable minutes to let him know, how because of him you safely and promptly landed at the desired destination. The smile that would be carved on his face by your words would be enough to make his day, and the same goodness, with a little more efficiency would be passed on to his another 10 passengers, and so on. >>If a person sleeps for long hours, he/she is lonely deep inside..... This is majorly seen in the beings of the age groups 6-16 and 45-60. Loneliness can't be erased by sharing, but it can be erased by caring. Ever if you come across the family members of the said age-group, try sparing few of your minutes to let them know that you exist for them and they exist for you. Caring develops by smaller things like inquiring about the meals, health, entertainment, etc.

Eg. Try complementing your near and dear ones whenever nature permits a chance. Even the smallest compliment has the potential to draw the biggest smiles and happiness on one's face as well as heart. This will not just bring you closer to them, but will keep them occupied, will boost the best inside them, for a simple reason that everyone loves to be complimented. Friends, it's never too late to realize that there still exist some hearts, who believe in making human relations rather than making money. The only barter of infinite love can make this life ride worthwhile. So, this was a small date to make all the readers join us in the journey towards exploring Human Emotions, Expressions and Hearts.

Miss Mishti is a CA intern living in Mumbai who enjoys and licks every bit of life like a chocolate…

The Black Shade of LefT

FROM DHAKESHWARi

Once in a while, we come across a book which stirs the soul inside. Here in Branwyn, we talk about pulp fiction but when my eyes fell on this book, the unusual cover page giving a sense of incompletion did more than attraction.

Story of an actress, a ghost, pensive women and a figure of mime artist… “Left from Dhakeshwari” is a work of literary fiction. Author Kunal Sen has weaved his past years’ experience of creative field in this book. Being an affluent film-maker, Kunal Sen stands different as a writer

among the present Indian scenario. “I do not like pulp-fiction.” says he, “I did not hold pen to amuse others. I have written this book with lots of efforts. I would be happy for my book to be called a work of genuine literature.” “Left from Dhakeshwari” is a compilation of nine tragedies which run in a chronological manner. With this feature, Kunal strongly affirms his experimental side. His creativity lands on observation plus patience and runs on experimentations plus affluence.

Being a film-maker enriched the creative side of Kunal which he successfully implemented in the book. His experience of creative field speaks through his book which altogether comes with a short-story book instead of a novel. But one thing which attracts the attention also leaves a mystery…

Every other novel these days is coming as a confession. Then, how much of the stories relate to Kunal? “Gublu and Babla took after my childhood friends…” Kunal replies with his spectacles on his nose and his eyes fixed on vacuum. The ‘M’ to whom he dedicates the book, speaks more than his eyes as the inquisitive presence of an unknown is felt all throughout the book. The incompletion, discontentment and a pensive insight makes “LEFT FROM DHAKESHWARI” a true gem of Indian contemporary fiction.

Mr. YouKnowMe

The Storyteller

I remember being told bedtime stories by my mum. She is still the best storyteller I’ve ever came across. Her stories not only worked as moral teaching but induced flair of reading and writing, and most importantly of imagining a world where words create everything. How many people do you know who can tell you about a place that doesn’t exist at all?

Most kids do that. Almost all. Even Me, and you did it when we were some 5-6 year old. Remember your broken watch which was broken during a fight with your classmate, and when asked at home you said “I fell on ground and it got broken,” or the lost pencil which someone took from you and never returned. I’m sure many of us did that. I did that.

Point is, as kids we all have a storyteller inside us. A perfect storyteller; who doesn’t need to write down his/her thought on paper or laptop, and still able to capture every traces to make the story sound authentic and realistic. Not to mention, we never succeed in that. Parents know that their kid is lying and depending upon the ‘sin’ a punishment is decided. And a lesson for rest of the life is learned.

When was the last time you wanted to express something but found no words to complete your thoughts?

Ever thought what happened to the storyteller that once lived in you?

I don’t know where he is. I thought is always around, but when I call him, he is nowhere to be found. He is lost in the ashes of time. I left him somewhere in my past, when I was busy in the rat-race called Education. Maybe he is dead by now. I did try to find him, but he is just lost.

I remember he made me feel the care that lies in the words and deep emotions that hides in the silence. He told me that the words are the way to find the truth of life, and lead it towards the freedom on soul. He told me about the people who never had existence, but is now part of my existence. It’s quite like finding the color of the day. It’s bright, but you can’t tell what color a day has. Like a reflection. Reflection of the reminiscences of my childhood, of times when everything was a thing from another world. It was really magical. I can’t explain how it felt. But it was beyond the fortress of imagination, beyond the seven seas, beyond the skies; somewhere I felt ‘I belong’.

I don’t know whether I’d be able to find the storyteller ever again, but I’m sure I will continue seeking him.

Maybe someday he will bring me closer to the person whom once I knew. Maybe he’d help me to find the story that is hiding somewhere deep in my heart and growing silently. For now, all I can say is

“The day I will find you, I will ask you where you were gone. I will ask you why you left me. But before you could reply, I will say ‘Hope you remember me…’ My Storyteller.”

Mr. YouKnowMe is someone whom all of us know yet all of us are still to discover. He is a biker, an author and like all of us, a lover of life…

Branwyn Book Review: In The Name of Love – Rest

in Peace “In the Name of Love – Rest in Peace” is a spy novel written by Author Nitya Prakash. It deals with a secret organization, Trailblazer and its agents who work for the welfare of humanity. An organization of immense power and limitless funds, Trailblazer appoints its agent Kabir Garg to fetch immunity for Anthrax from a stubborn scientist Dr. Johar. Whole story revolves around this adventure.

Plot of the book

Nitya Praksh has conceived a strong plot and weaved a good story on it. A threat of a bio-war, a secret organization and its structure, a disfigured scientist, an unfaithful wife and a timid agent – Nitya Prakash tries his best to justify the plot he has in mind but a few loopholes discontinue the grip of the story at several places. Despite the strong plot, Nitya’s characters fail to pace up the story.

Story of “In the Name of Love – Rest in Peace” deals with agent Kabir Garg who is appointed by the secret organization ‘Trailblazer’ to spy on a mysterious fellow Mr. Desai. Desai is suspected to be involved in beneficial research related to the immunity from Anthrax but illegally. From here starts the hide and seek of intellectual minds and the game of power and money take over it.

Location of the book has been told to be New Delhi but it is hardly felt until the protagonist mentions the ‘Vasant Vihar’ in one of his conversations.

Altogether, Nitya Prakash creates a gripping story in the context of a bio-war.

Characterization

“In the Name of Love – Rest in Peace” is a suitable example of contradictory characterization. This is probably one of its kind of book where all characters justify their respective roles except the protagonist himself. Except the protagonist, every other character fits in the frame.

Mrs. Geetanjali has been sketched as a wife indulged in adultery justifying the act on her husband’s dry and rough nature. The character of Geetanjali satirically judges the vulnerability of women. Ms. Geetanjali marries Mr. Shravan after getting a satisfactory insight of his monetary condition. She doesn’t think twice before committing adultery when her husband turns out to be rude to her. She hates him but never thinks about breaking her marriage since he meets her financial necessities and keeps her pocket full. The gorgeous beauty enjoys the company of two men who satisfy her respective necessities. Author Nitya Prakash has successfully mocked all those women who try to justify their sentimental prostitution.

The character of Shravan Desai creates a clear picture of a dominating but insecure husband and a shrewd money-maker. However, this character of Nitya Prakash confuses a little on few notes. In the beginning, Nitya calls

him neutral and inert kind of person who remains unaffected from the charm of his beautiful wife. The protagonist describes Desai as a person who would hardly get disturbed even on the news of an atomic-war. But later, we meet an insecure Desai who beats his wife just because he gets disturbed by the unfaithfulness of his friend’s spouse. How could an atomic war be a ‘no news’ and ‘unfaithfulness’ a matter of highest concern for a person like Desai who happens to be a qualified scientist? Perhaps this phase of Desai’s personality comes as a surprise both for the readers and the protagonist.

Dr. Johar’s character as a brilliant scientist seems more focused than Mr. Desai. Nitya Prakash gives firsthand account of Dr. Johar’s Dr. Johar’s mental condition. The grief and anger which takes over a disfigured man after the death of his beloved wife have been sketched very well by the author. However, an unreasonable and unnecessary shock leaves several questions unanswered. A genius scientist who hates every single beauty in this world, starts loving a beautiful widow half his age and gets trapped. This altogether transformation of a half-beaten middle-aged scientist to a lovelorn fool seems too hard to accept. Since the story has been written in first person, no room is left for Dr. Johar’s character’s soliloquy, which is terribly required at several places.

Agent Arvind, however, shows the best of Nitya Prakash’s characterization skills. Agent Arvind stands true and fit in an ‘agent’s frame’. He is a mercilessly balanced man capable enough to take tough decisions in nick

of time at acute situations. Wearing a unique attitude, Arvind knows how to manage his juniors as well as his seniors. He is a cold headed and cold blooded person who remains unaffected at the very sight of dancing-death. He very well knows how to rein the heads. He is consistent, mature, focused and dominant. He certainly creates a proud image of an Indian Secret Agent. Agent Arvind is undoubtedly one of Nitya’s finest creations.

And now our hero Agent Kabir Garg! His role is to fulfill the tasks assigned to him by his employer Trailblazer. But all throughout the book, we do not come across even a single incident of his chivalry leave alone any fight-scene. He appears to be a confused person more interested in gorgeous girls than his mission. He seems more efficient in boudoir skills than his assignments. We find Agent Kabir as a timid creature always unwilling to do anything and pitying himself. It seems illogical that why should an organization like Trailblazer with limitless resources; appoint a good-for-nothing fellow like Kabir! It seems as if Kabir never underwent any kind of ‘Secret Agent’ training conducted by Trailblazer. His confusion of action in acute situations, his ignorance about common terms and his uncontrollable physical desires at inappropriate situations raise doubts whether he is actually a spy or just another pleasure seeking man. In the whole book, Agent Kabir doesn’t take even a single decision except the accident scene of the climax. His Boss, Agent Arvind keeps every situation under his control for him. Had Agent Arvind been the

protagonist, Nitya Prakash would have created India’s very own secret agent.

Scene-craft and Narration

Nitya Prakash is undoubtedly marvellous in scene-crafting. Despite the poor characterization, excellent scene-craft on a strong plot makes the novel very much readable. Some of the dialogues really add beauty to the verbal tricks. Here, Nitya Prakash shows his writing skills gained by the experience from his non-fiction books.

Narration is another weak-point of the novel. At several places, weak narration fails to elucidate the writing grace of the situations. However, a contradictory effect is clearly visible here also. Narration, in first half of the book is exhaustive and stands good on the parameters. But dialogues dominate in the second half. The most important scene which suffers the lack of narration is the accident scene of the anti-climax. Nitya Prakash wraps up the whole accident in mere two paragraphs. Lack of clear elucidation shows itself.

And to sum up, the most disappointing fact about the novel is – The story of the ‘secret’ agent ends ‘secretly’ once again in his ‘secret’ bedroom instead of detailing the ‘secrets’ of his ‘secret’ mission in a ‘secret’ chamber of his ‘secret’ organization to his ‘secret’ boss!

So once again, the novel makes an amazing co-incidence of starting inside a bedroom and also ending into one!

Critical Conclusion

Nitya Prakash is a well-known figure in Indian Literary circles. When the author of several books pens something down, expectations are always high. Even then, if the loopholes of narration are ignored and the poor characterization is categorized as the fictional liberty of the writer, then it can be undoubtedly said that in this era of immature love-stories, Nitya Prakash has certainly done something worth appreciation.

Mr. Attitude says BLOOD SPILLED ALL

OVER First of all, I am sorry to hurt anyone's sentiments here. I am hurt more. Believe me and you are hurt even more. Many of you who are reading this might get to know. I am not here to please anyone anymore.

Sorry, that I lost my uncle in Kashmir insurgency and a friend of friend in Delhi Bomb Blasts. He was an honest man with a nice wife and lovely children. She was beautiful and was ambitious. Neither he nor she knew that their fate was written with blood all over. They are two examples. And many lie beneath this article. Turn the page of secular India, the largest democracy, with glorified freedom to speech and expression, flanking the glossy pages more than the dull implementers, grabbing every eyeball for the presentation, not for the execution. I will come to this point later. So I was talking about the democracy. Was that a joke, eh right! Sorry to the caretakers of democracy sitting in the cabinet in New Delhi, with posh bungalows where food is dumped everyday in dustbins. The food which might upgrade at least 15% of BPL (Below Poverty Line), if the definition of BPL is to be believed, well I should not be that apprehensive; I trust you, O definition makers, no better option I have.

Now I start with the most prominent opening line of English Language. What a fucking joke?????

71 conflict, 93 Bomb Blasts, Kargil insurgency, Attack on Parliament, Taj Blasts, and many more to name...................

What are those intelligence sources doing over there?

After our able officers from Police and Defense arrest these culprits, why the hell we have to serve to the whims of them? We keep them in our so called jails. Better than few five star hotels across the country. Why the hell we spend so much money to keep them alive in a country where main occupation is agriculture and ironically, so many farmers commit suicide for the lack of food.

This is an open question to Honorable Prime Minister of India. Why we always have to adjust to the cabinet's politically driven mottoes??????????? This is enough. We have endured a lot.

I had seen their tears. If you people, the preservers of Constitution (the most perfect according to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, required so many amendments in 65 years of Independence), don’t care to follow it or read it, how can citizens behave responsibly? We are resilient by force, not by nature............

Our comfort and luxuries are based on a foundation where blood is spilled all over.

Mr. Attitude is a psychedelic writer known for writing controversial flames. A genius mathematician is his identity besides being a stylish author.

DOWN MEMORY

LANE Kousik Gangopadhyay

The year 2001 and I had just been posted from the hustle and bustle of New Delhi to a remote sleepy town of Udhampur in J&K. Since I was not allotted a service quarter due to non availability I rented a house just off the road connecting the under construction Udhampur Railway to station to Dhar Road. Every evening a young and energetic man in the company of another middle aged person used to jog towards the railway station and would come back after 30-40 minutes. He would stare at my house and wave at my son Rommel who was 4 years old then. The jogging and waving towards my son with a smile continued for quite a few days. And whenever I saw this man I would tell my wife that his face seems so very familiar yet I could not recollect any incident related to the person. A couple of months had passed and the familiar faced man had stopped crossing my house. One fine morning I was sipping a cup of hot tea along with my colleagues in our Air Force cafeteria when someone came up with a name - Captain Guha. I stopped the person right away and asked him to repeat the name and give a brief description of the person he just spoke off. He said he was talking of Captain P Guha, Commanding Officer of the Transport Company of a nearby Army unit. When I asked him if he knew his past background, he replied in the affirmative and said Guha was a

Technician in Indian Air Force before he joined the Army for better career opportunities. A flashback of events of the years 1987 and 1988 criss-crossed my mind when me and Guha were trainees and posted at Air Force Ground Training School. The man who used to jog every evening was none other than my buddy. I wanted to kick myself on the back. How could I not recognize my friend, with whom I had spent so many happy moments, played pranks with other colleagues, smiled and made others smile when the training sessions became too tough and hot to handle. A few days later I accidentally came across the man, my friend, Captain Guha. He was riding a black Yamaha RX100 bike. He slowed down on seeing me and asked me "How's your son?" I asked – “Are you Prasenjit Guha?” Prompt came the reply. ****** “So it took you this much time to recognize me!” I felt very sheepish. I said – “You too did not identify yourself.” He was arrogant. He said – “I was as usual trying to play pranks. But I thought you were avoiding me maybe because now you have a family.” I apologized and said – “Hey friend, please forgive me. It was a grave error on my part.” I invited him to have tea with us in the evening. He promised to come and we parted ways.

I purchased samosas, sweets from the best sweet shop in the city and returned home. I told my wife that I had met an old buddy and he will be coming to our place for tea. I was very excited and was waiting impatiently for the arrival of my friend. Shortly he turned up and started playing with my

son. We talked a lot of the past. He had not married and he was a volunteer to serve in J&K. So most of his tenure was in J&K and he knew the state like the back of his hand. As the time came to bid him good bye he invited me for lunch at his official residence the next Sunday. The next Sunday when I reached the main guard room of his unit along with my family and said that I wanted meet Captain Guha, I was given a warm welcome by the sentry. He called up on the intercom and said " Sahab apke mehman pahuch gaye haiN. Andar bhej dooN ?“ Another person escorted me to his residence. He greeted us with a warm smile. His accommodation was a two room ground floor flat nested on the lap of a hilly slope, very well decorated with orchids and flowers. In the midst of our conversation and joking he left for a few minutes for answering a phone call and subsequently he went for a bath. His batman and his driver were giving us company. The best thing that touched me was his driver and his batmen were like his family members. Suddenly his driver asked, "Sahab aap hamare sahab ko kab se jante haiN?” I replied – “1987 se.” “Kya aap ke sath sahab ka tab se sampark haiN?” I said – “nahiN bich me kuch saal hum alag alag the.” He said – “Hamara sahab insaaN nahin Bhagwan haiN. Bhagwan bhi apne bando se itna pyar nahiN karte haiN sahab jitna hamse karte haiN. Sahab hamesha khatron se khelte haiN. Unko kuch ho gaya to hum anath ho jayenge.” As Guha came back we had to draw curtains to our conversation. Guha called me from his dressing room and said give me a few more minutes. I will change my clothes

and then we can have lunch. I said fine. Make it fast as I was feeling hungry and the aroma of the food coming from the kitchen was making us hungrier. As he was taking too much time to change over I shouted at him and went into his dressing room. I was surprised to see my friend standing with folded hands in front of a photo of goddess Kali with just a wet towel wrapped around his waist. I stood there spellbound. The man who had no faith in God was praying. The room was filled with smoke of incense stick. I stood there quietly. It must have been around 15-20 minutes that he prayed. Bare bodied with a wet towel in freezing temperature I thought that was superhuman. As he finished worshipping and turned around I saw a long scar starting around his left waist and ending near his right chest criss-crossing his body. “What's this?” I asked. “Nothing serious. Just a scar left behind by an accident” - was his prompt reply. I did not buy his part of the argument. In the meantime he changed over to a jeans and T shirt. We had lunch punched with a lot of fun and jokes. But the scar was bothering me. What is it? I had to know the truth. My friend was concealing facts. I struck upon a plan. I knew Guha will never reveal. I will have to coax his driver to know his fact. One day I got the opportunity and this is what his driver had to say... –

One fine winter morning my sahab along with another sahab, a radio operator and a driver set out for some official job for Poonch in a

Gypsy. On the way their vehicle was ambushed by terrorists firing indiscriminately from both sides of the road. All of them were hit by bullets. After the firing stopped, sahab badly hit tried to take stock of the situation. He wanted to call the base over the radio but it was badly damaged. All three were lying in pools of blood with multiple bullet injuries. Forgetting about his own welfare, sahab took over the steering and starting speeding away from the scene. Seeing the vehicle moving the terrorists started firing again. Sahab somehow managed to bring the vehicle to a BSF camp around 10-12 kms away from the spot. He told the doctor on duty to attend to his three colleagues. Once they were stretchered inside, he lay on the floor and requested the doctor to treat his wounds. His shirt was drenched in blood. On removing his shirt and belt it was found that a bullet had entered his lower stomach and exited through his chest. His intestines had spilled out of his stomach. He was immediately shifted to the emergency ward and operated upon. The doctor was surprised and shocked to see his tenacity. A man whose intestines were thrown out of his ripped open stomach drove a jeep and brought his injured colleagues home and never said I too am injured. My friend Guha survived the attack but the other three could not. That day he realized that it was the Almighty who saved him. That’s how he became a worshipper of Goddess Kali. I was speechless for a

few minutes. My heart was filled with awe and respect for my friend. Once I tried to speak to him on the incident he played down the matter saying "Yaar fauji hooN yeh sab zindagi ka hissa haiN. Maine sirf insaniyat ka farz ada kiya haiN. Apne bandoN ki jan bachane ki koshish ki hai. That’s all ". Today my friend is married and has two pretty children and is posted at Army Headquarters as a Lieutenant Colonel. We exchange notes on Facebook and once in a while talk over the phone. His wry and naughty smile always reminds me of that incident.

Kousik Gangopadhyay is an ex-defense personnel presently working with State Bank of India. He honoured us by accepting our request to share his real experiences of Air-Force life in ‘Down Memory Lane’ section of Branwyn.

Mr. Incandescent speaks…

Discontentment

dis·con·tent /diskənˈtent/(Noun)- 1.

Lack of contentment; dissatisfaction

with one's circumstances. 2. A person

who is dissatisfied, typically with the

prevailing social or political situation.

Worth the definition, because that is

one word that runs the risk of ending

as the most misrepresented word of

modern times. Unfortunately, it does

not offer itself to intellectual

interpretations of high orders. Its

misuse does not face resistance

amongst the class of our society that

proclaims itself as the torch bearers of

thought process that we exhibit at this

critical and transformational juncture in

our history.

Cynicism. Pessimism. Even Vandalism.

The existence in these oft repeated

words in the same context insult the

sanctity of the distant etymological

relative which belongs to the same

pedigree but may be regarded safely

to be too distant to exhibit any

considerable characteristic similar to

the others, though at times the

expression of each find vent in actions

that look similar at the surface. And

yet, in the era when we deem self-

centeredness the synonym of “focus”,

it is the gross lack of discontent that is

the cause of not just the all-prevailing

decadence that is spreading its

tentacles through the minutest of

crevices, but is also the cause of

encouragement for all parasites that

thrive on the indifference of masses.

Although now apparently a futile

exercise, diligent discourses related to

the subject will reveal that discontent

is not just the manifestation of social

stigmas playing on public opinion, it

might well have the elements of the

panacea which history waits for.

History will teach us that all path-

breaking achievements of societies

were but the result of unrest against

prevailing norms.

History also renders itself to the

creation of an axiom that patriotism

essentially finds its roots in unrest.

However, it will also tell us that

patriotism for some is “revolt” for

others. Herein lies the debatable

oxymoron; in our attempt to objectify

that which is essentially subjective, we

tend to lose the essence and what

remains thereby is a mere corpse of

the subject we chose to discuss.

Pardon the circumlocution I display

here. For want of a better explanation,

let’s confine ourselves only to the

subject at hands.

The degree to which we are ‘good’ or

‘bad’ is entirely dependent on whom

we compare ourselves with. There is

no denying that the masses in the

country experience both unrecorded

prosperity (going by recent history),

and a positive outlook that was

virtually non-existent in the post-

independent India. Therefore we have

come a long way. Also, despite the

human tendency of exaggerating

events that occur in one’s lifetime and

considering them more important than

they merit, it may be assumed that we

as Indians face times that are both

critical and decisive. Norms are being

laid, that shall have repercussions in

the days to come. A proud cultural

heritage is seeing a transformation

never witnessed anywhere in the

history of humanity. It is thus vital that

at this juncture, a clear definition

towards the acceptability and the

possible treatment of these essentially

subjective matters is laid down in a

fluid form.

Somehow, however, it is only our

future that remains to be “bright”.

Somehow, that future just eludes us

like a mirage, but never isolates us.

Let us face it. The Indian society lives

in silos confined by water-tight

compartments that differentiate us

from the other members of our own

society. The advent of the modern

communication promises to challenge

our fences. We have inherited much,

but we have for long taken pride

basking in the glory of the mediocrity

that we seem to perpetually accept for

ourselves. We have a heritage that is

unparalleled elsewhere in the world.

However, decadence of our own

heritage has accumulated not in the

form of a hillock but in the form of a

mountain.

And the only befitting analogy that I

may offer here, for want of better

creativity (sincere apologies yet again!)

is that of discontent being an essential

catalyst that may help the decadence

turn to the compost that may (MAY!)

help progress plummet above the

decadence like a shoot, promising to

be the harbinger of a better future.

Happily, the decentralization of

information processing that is now

imminent promises to arm us with

potent weapons of intellectuality, as

broadcasting one’s view and reaching

out becomes easier for most of us.

Not-so-happily, in the era when the

empires are built with intellect and

operate within intellect, it is alarming

that we still have brokers and wielders

of intellectual thought processes. Most

of our society remains to be powerless

in originating and pioneering the

flourishing of ‘thoughts systems’ (if we

may call it that). A rather alarming

situation in a diverse society that is

coming to terms with itself.

Remember, the lack of discontent

amongst us may not so much be a

result of the progressive outlook as it

may be of that stupor that those

privileges and lethal few, who control

our thoughts, impose upon us.

A brighter future has always beckoned

us. And it is difficult to say that it has

always eluded us. But we do not come

forth as an ambitious lot. Never in

history.

Thus, let us begin by amending an

elementary flaw that we depict in all

arguments that relates our society. A

common agreement that all loosely

formed groups reach when discussing

all contentious societal issues is that

nothing changes with their “tension

lene se”. Let us begin with

acknowledging that to be the blood

and spleen of all patriotism, discontent

and progress…the humble “tension

lene se”.

That is more that everything that I had

to say.

If this does not bring out enough

disagreements within you, I don’t know

if the purpose of the above arguments

is defeated (because it brings forth no

discontent), or does it accentuate the

gross lack of discontent within our

people?

Mr. Incandescent is a soul never at peace. But once you ignore his self-proclaimed megalomania with fallacies, you discover that he stores double-folds than what he actually speaks out. Adoor from Dhanbad, he lives in New Delhi and works in Tecnova.

OH MY GOD…! A chartered accountant by profession and a writer by passion, senior writer Veralotty Rengasamy alias R. Sridhar have created a special impact on readers. The way he handles serious subjects on light notes leave no room in readers’ mind to let any contradictory thought float in. Writing in several languages creates his different image among modern day writers. Ultimate faith on Almighty is the common thread which connects all his stories and novels.

With his latest release “OH MY GOD”, Mr. Rengasamy is once again all set to surprise the Indian readers with flawless flow of stories.

Oh My God! This is not a novel but a collection of short stories strung together in a garland of love. All the stories lie in the wonderland that is beyond fiction and non-fiction. The book has 51 chapters; each a story or a poem. There is no link between the chapters except the common thread of love. You can read any chapter at random. So is this book unputdownable? Absolutely not! I am afraid after reading every story you’ll have to necessarily put it down to let the impact sink in. But I promise you that you’ll surely take up the book again. Again and again! Do you know that Mr. Rengasamy was called as a bad accountant by the co-coordinator of this project? The DTP man asked for the price he was going to fix. He gave him a figure and stuck to it. When the script went to the Co-coordinator he called him up shout at him. the conversation went like this -

- “Sridhar Sir, are you an accountant or what?” - “Yes, boss. I am.” - “I strongly doubt it.”

- “Do you want to see my CA certificate? It’s more than thirty years old. But tell me why this sudden doubt?” - “You published “Love All” last year. It had 336 pages and you priced it at Rs.300. This one, “Oh My God!” has 464 pages. You have opted for the expensive book-print paper which is going to cost you a bomb. You should have priced it at least at Rs.450. Or you could have at least retained the old price of Rs.300. You’ve opted for Rs.200 which is ridiculous.” - “I am not a publisher. I am more anxious in spreading His love than in making money. I am not going to market it through book shops. I am going to sell it to my friends. OMG may not sell as hot cakes. But I am sure whosoever buys it will read it. And whosoever reads it will love it. What more can a writer want?”

The Co-ordinator was not convinced. But Veralotty Rengasamy was.

Some books are read to benefit our souls. “OH MY GOD” by Veralotty Rengasamy is one of them.

Amateur Scribbles

Beauty in Disguise

“Oh my God what a surprise! This unreal world is full of Such beautiful things; they entice I wonder how you planned it all alone, Oh, ‘Thee’, it’s been so beautiful To deliver us the best; At the right moment our prime need. Whatever may be around us, It’s a beautiful life indeed… I really do want to see your vision I really do want to understand your thought I really do want to feel your palm, I too wanna play a small part…” JUST WIDEN YOUR FIELD OF VISION MY BOY, YOU WILL CERTAINLY VISUALIZE SOME FORM OF ART AT THIS CORNER OR THE NEXT A BEAUTIFUL THING IS IN DISGUISE I KNOW MY BOY, THIS WORLD IS NOT, WHAT IT USED TO BE, NOW IT IS FULL OF HATRED, MALICE AND SPITE, DEVIL HAS HOMED IN THE HEART OF MEN RULING THEIR HEAD, YET MY BOY, KEEP YOUR HOPES ALIVE, INTERIM OF ALL THESE EVIL THINGS, YOU WILL FIND A THING OF DELIGHT. AMIDST THE FLOWERS, AMONG THE TREES, IN WATER, IN SAND AND IN MOUNTAIN BREEZE..

DO NOT OVERLOOK, DO NOT CURSE IT, DO NOT EVER CRITICIZE,

I, WITH PRECISION, HAVE SENT YOU MY ALL

BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN DISGUISE

- Roshan Kumar

Patna, Bihar

I’m Awake

-Dreams do that to people

I may not have words, but for sure I have a precise, undaunted feeling, that I know your emotions. The emotion in motion inside your heart that goes every night from light to dark. And you may not say but you've lost your dreams. And that is what keeps me awake.

I see so many dreamers, and yet no dreams. And a day she told me to dream less. To be in my boundaries and know my limits. To know that I cannot dream what’s not happening to be. And I was a fool. I felt the words not of my own. And I stopped there and became one of the mob. Just like everyone there. Just like the people who say they have dreams, and to complete those dreams they sleep whole nights.

To ask oneself what dream you have now, is a hard job. To ask what are you running for, and to know that all was worth it. I may sound kiddie. But ask yourself your last dream, and the one right now. The dream which brought you here, and the dream which left you nowhere. And you'll say I had one, and I have one. Ohh ! Very nice. Yes you do have one. A dream coated with the blanket of

night and glued to the pillow of your bed. A dream of dreamers. A dream so true that it comes and goes every night. And every morning you wake up and wait for it to come back.

And I felt a day, my dreams were not that futile. They pinned me whole night. I wanted to know, so I read every morning, I wanted to write so I wrote every evening. To say that I'm too small for my dreams is like rejecting my own love proposal to myself. And respecting one's dreams is respecting themselves. Others may find you not that tempting. But you know you are just perfect for yourself.

And I answered her, I may not know that the value of my heart, the value of my efforts. But I know the value of my dreams. A professor of mine told me that you end up in 70's when you dream of 90's. So why not to dream of moon. Maybe you think it’s too out of my reach but it’s my dream.

Dreams don’t come true when we start walking, they do when we start dreaming. It’s not a dream of dreamers, it comes and stays. It stays forever. It may take time, a lot more than expected. But that’s the beauty of victory's eve. And my dreams are mine. I always had some which kept me awake. And I have one. And I'll always have one.

And you read all that with “I” on your tongue. It’s not so difficult, to try to believe, to try not to give up on dreams. Your respect is from your dreams. If you don’t have one, then search. If you have, then don’t just sit and see. There is always something this “I” can do for dreams. And I

cannot sleep with dreams in my heart. And that is what keeps me awake.

- Manu Lahariya - IIT Kharagpur

Scene Seen, Seen Sin & Sin Scene

Either we illude or delude, What matters is how we elude, But truth remains truth, And lie remains lie, Nothing but everything changes, As change is inevitable, So the world diary is full of, Simple truth and tough bluff, Pure purgation or complete contamination, This is all that lies in world animation, Perhaps if I change topic, And try to describe human logic, That’s how it goes, A story of sin and scenery it shows, Thousands thorns of thrilling thunder, Becomes brighter in beautiful blunder, Long back when world began, And there was no man, Flora and fauna alone showed fascination, The sky was full of marble imagination, Water flowed freely as a song, Land lighted largely long, The flaring flowers flowered flawlessly, Dear dreams danced endlessly, Stars sneaked sharp silence, Preys presented powerful presence, Lovely leaves lingered lightly,

Seas shimmered super silently, Gods glanced grounds with gaze, Colorful clouds crawled in a craze, Midnight magic of monsoon moon, Nervy notion of novelty noon, Incredulous insight of inert indolence, Beautiful beauty of blind benevolence, All awesome aspirations aligned, In a cool and courteous mind, Until one day God made humans, And that’s when God created disaster, Because beaming beauty was outside, And wicked and greedy heart was inside, Every peace was turned to violence, So there was no good and benevolence, The world we are living in, Is today, 99 percent sin, Sin on seeing beautiful scene, Of how kind the nature has been, Because nature’s nature is kindness, And ours is surely the rashness, So if I demand to get back, Move back and set back, And give me all the beauties, I mentioned 18 lines above, In my poem, Can the powerful humans give me?

- Vaibhav Varun - Katni, Madhya Pradesh

[Branwyn is dedicated to support and encourage every that person who loves to read and write. If you love writing, then do not wait to send your articles, be it anything – fiction, non-fiction, poem etc., to sneha@branwyn.in [Indian residents only] Once selected, your articles will be published in this ‘Amateur Scribbles’ section of BRANWYN. BRANWYN will be giving cash prizes to every selected entry for ‘Amateur Scribbles’ from its upcoming May issue.]

Brannyn Short story

Men, Boys and Beasts

Her eyes started dripping simultaneously with the clouds, making a perfect rhythm of harmony between the raindrops and the tears. For all these days, she had been shouting, jumping and chirping around – “He is my MAN! He is my MAN! He is my MAN!” But at the end of the day, she realized that he was just another BOY! A mild shower had ended and her tears also dried up. She was still there.

After spending a brief but thoughtful pause, the student of Agriculture Science took out her scrapbook scribbled down few unintentional and unsolicited words – “They say that women are in danger. They say that one day there would be no women. How wrong they are! There is no threat to women. Actually planet earth is facing the dearth of MEN. MEN, these days, are hard to find. They have already become endangered species. If proper steps would not be taken to save them, MEN would become extinct species and our planet earth will only have, either BOYS or BEASTS.”

- Written by Sneha Gupta

[Branwyn invites short stories for publication. The entries should be sent to sneha@branwyn.in Check the announcement box for details.]

Miss Angela’s World Once I’d read one of Sri Ravishankar’s preaching. He said,”If someone tells us that s/he loves us, we ask, “Really?” We don’t believe him/her. But if someone tells us that s/he hates us; we never doubt. We believe it at once.” I liked this theory much because I’m also like this only. I find it hard to believe that someone loves me but easily accept someone’s hatred. There’s one more thing I want to add here. The thing is that we find it very easy to express if we hate something or someone. We don’t feel uncomfortable in saying “I hate you.” But many people don’t even know how to say “I love you.” Though they really feel it & very desperately want to say it; they find themselves unable to convey it. The question is why. Why do we feel shy about saying the nice things? We’re taught everywhere that if we see anything wrong, we should raise our voice. But we’re seldom taught that if see something nice; we should admire it. By praising the things, we won’t only do well to that thing only; it would benefit ourselves as well.

See, everything in the world has two aspects. One can see beauty in a thing while other can see dirt in the same thing. Now, if the person who thinks the thing is beautiful keeps mum & admire it silently and the other who finds that thing ugly & say it aloud; what would happen? The thing would not survive. Because beauty if not admired loses its essence.

This theory applies to the human being also. If no one says that s/he loves us & many say that they hate us; we start thinking that we’re worthless. We start dying bit by bit. So, if you love someone … anyone… your parents, sibling or friend and don’t want to lose them; say it now. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Because we need to learn to accept love & we can do it by learning to express it first. Now before ending it here, let me express myself. Let me say it now that I love you all…

Miss Angela wants to remain unseen and unknown. Yet she waits to see if anybody could discover her.

Celebrity Speaks : Ishita Bhown Author of ToGetHer, Ishita Bhown stands true on the parameters of ‘beauty with brain’. A sensitive female and a curious artist, tag her persona. She obliges Branwyn with her guest article about “Love and Life”

Love and life..!

The two words that form the very core of existence! The words that sum up every little action, every thought and every feeling that can ever be imagined. The words we use frequently yet are never able to perceive completely. The words which are understood by every living creature, yet all have their own unclear definitions. For me, life is all about spreading love...and love is all about finding a reason to live. Both are the wheels that need proper balancing to take you though the journey along the years spent on earth. While most people define love as the intricate emotion, that gives goosebumps, the feeling that makes one exhilarated, send butterflies in the stomach and like the movies, the person is in an altogether different world, the world of joyful ecstasy; for me, love is a little more than that. It is the feeling of being connected, the joy of sharing, the sense of responsibility and the pleasure derived in caring. Love is not what happens once or twice; but with many people and at many times. Love is not just what is between the lovers, but also between friends and well wishers. It is something that makes you feel good about yourself and makes your life happier.

Life, as I see it, is like a journey on an unseen unexplored road. The road, which itself is full of surprises. We meet many people in this eventful journey, some just touch and leave, while others stay to accompany for longer durations. Life is full of beautiful moments, and just like various patches on road..The life too has rough patches, moments where we cannot see any destination, moments where we are faced with crossroads and have to choose between the paths. With each path, there is a risk of losing some old people, yet a hope of meeting newer acquaintances, facing newer challenges and moving on.. Life always moves on...at times straight and clear, at times blur and misty.. But there is a charm in every step we take, every day we live.. Our duty lies only in finding the inner peace, through the people we meet, the love we feel and the life we live. Happiness and contentment shall follow.

Live life, Love life!

Thanks for being with us, Ishita! Branwyn family wishes you best of luck in all your future prospects.

Secret Agent Quixote

Conservative case, Outstanding outcome : Sneha Gupta

[Yaa, you got it right! I am gonna speak about my BOSS!] Sneha Gupta.. Accounts Assistant with SBI, Founder/Director/Editor at Branwyn and of course one of the upcoming leading writers of India (Well.. To be honest I have hardly read any book of hers by far..) I had to put a little pressure on my brilliant head to know actually Who Sneha Gupta is.?? Some writers hardly exist for me.. So talking about what kind of girl she is..??? Being a modern writer of today's Modern World she has no relation with the word called MODERN.. She is like those lady freedom fighters who have a lot of spark in them but dressed up like any other "Bhartiya Naari" Well.. Sneha falls in that genre of girls who believe (she is the only girl actually) that brain is the king and beauty is the queen.. Not to forget this is a Male Dominating World. So king is the superior power and queen is just an eye candy.. And she hates being a candy.. (I wonder if she ever had a CANDY in her life) Covering her maximum body parts with the not so well fitting Salwaar Kameez (which even my 45 years old Mother has quit wearing) she is a typical Indian Girl by all means.. But Yes I do like the commitment she has for her work.. If she had shown the same commitment for love.. I am sure she would have been flooded with Marriage Proposals.. (and her mother wouldn’t have to worry about her marriage.. Oops In her language Vivaah) And when the point of showing off comes I think she is not at all a Show Off, in fact a completely grounded girl.. Well.. What she has to show off about..??

Those 80's century looks or those not so popular books she wrote..?? Actually she is so much occupied with her work, not to forget writing seven books simultaneously..(Man that need Guts!) THEN WHO WOULD HAVE THE TIME TO SOCIALISE..??? But still to keep in mind she does her best to reply back to maximum people she can.. (if she is left with any time from her books books and yes only books) "You never know what attitude I am wearing behind my innocent smile" This phrase suits quite well on this Girl Next Door Sneha Gupta.. Going through her facebook updates one thing I can easily make out is that Don’t take this sweet Lass so casualy.. She is like a big dynamite, who will burn everybody once exploded.. Least interested in going good with Boys and much more interested in insulting them, this Girl is absolutely Daring By heart.. In This Era of "PDA" (PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION) Sneha actually is like a drop of water in the dry desert.. Yes readers you guessed it right! she is not interested in dating any BOY.. (Boys You are Saved..!) On a serious note when I deeply studied her life, I realized that She is Waiting for that one Man in her life for whom she can quit writing and will drown in his Sea of Love (It will save million readers out there..) Hold on that was just a Poor Joke..!!!!

She indeed is that "ONE MAN TYPE WOMAN" for whom she can be possessive and loving.. (Time for an Awwwwwww) Finally this Dumb writer has some romantic side in her life..!!! But right now the only love in her life is "WRITING" After investigating so much about this versatile COW.. I am definitely going to trouble myself by reading at least one book of hers (No no no Not TWO PLEASE) In simple words Sneha Gupta is a Modern World Meena Kumari.. OK guys, see ya in next issue, if I AM NOT FIRED BY MY BOSS@BRANWYN Sneha Gupta…

Agent Quixote is Branwyn’s secret agent hired to do the leg-pulling of authors.

Disclaimer – The ‘Agent Quixote’ section of Branwyn is meant only for ‘healthy humour’. Articles published under this section should not be taken seriously or personally. Branwyn does not intend to hurt anybody. This section of Branwyn gets handled by the writer acting as Agent Quixote and is totally free of Editor/Director’s control.

(A)

Branwyn will be publishing short stories from its May issue. Short story writers are invited to submit their stories. Every published story will win a cash prize of INR 1000/-.

Following is the guideline for submission:

1. The story should be original and should not violate any copyright issue.

2. Stories should not contain any vulgar content.

3. There will a time-span of 6 months between considering entries from the same writer.

4. Any writer found violating the copyright issue or indulged in plagiarism will be banned from Branwyn forever and he/she will be condemned publicly in Branwyn’s coming issues.

5. Stories should be precise not exceeding 200 words.

6. Branwyn holds the sole right of accepting or rejecting the stories and also the time-to-time changes in the T&C. No clarification will be made from Branwyn’s part in this regard.

7. Writers are requested to send their stories in a word file with their small pictures, name, location and company/college name. They

8. Branwyn Announcements :

are requested to copy the following declaration in the email : I,…..[name]…., s/o / d/o / w/o ……..[guardian’s name]……, hereby declare that, a) The story titled ………[title

of your story]….., which I am submitting in monthly magazine Branwyn has been written by me and it is my original piece of work.

b) It does not violate any copyright issue and is free from plagiarism.

c) It is a fictional work of creative imagination and I, by no means intend to hurt anybody’s personal emotions.

d) If my work is found violating any copyright issue, then I am solely responsible for it and not Branwyn.

Send your entries to sneha@branwyn.in

(B) Winners of Branwyn’s February Quiz contest are:

1. Shilpa – New Delhi 2. Suraj – Patna 3. Deepthi – Thiruchirapalli

Unfortunately, none of the contestants could send 100% percent correct answers. Therefore, we selected the winners with the highest number of correct answers.

We are withdrawing Quiz Contests from this issue and will be introducing several other segments from the coming issues.

To know more about them stay connected on our facebook fanpage and our website www.branwyn.in

Feel free to write to sneha@branwyn.in

[Branwyn contests are open for Indian residents only.]

Editor Sneha says… Friends, first of all let me thank you a ton for all those numerous feedbacks and reviews for mine and yours “Branwyn”. It is only you people’s support and Lord Krishna’s grace that Branwyn gained the record readership of 4,00,000 people across the world. Thanks a lot!

I have taken concern of all your suggestions and improved Branwyn as per your expectations. Still, as they say, some shortcomings are inevitable. You are most welcome to drag my attention towards the areas of improvement. I am eagerly waiting for your feedback on this March issue so that I could improve Branwyn more and more.

Friends, since Branwyn is my magazine, it would be injustice if I am not allowed to talk about my own books in my very own magazine. So, let me steal a few lines to talk about my debut book “For what you are…” which confirmed me as a writer.

“For what you are…” was my latest story which got published as my first book. By the time it got published, I had half dozen diaries with me which were full of suspense, thriller and horror stories written by myself.

“For what you are…” is a story of mistakes, misdeeds, misconceptions, misinterpretations… and being loved for all that. I have sketched the story of a typical north-Indian society. And guess what? I have been very harsh on philosophies all throughout the book. Still I maintained a perfect rhythm of love and friendship in it.

It was initially a heart-breaking tragedy but I changed the whole plot on my friends’ suggestions which proved to be beneficial for me.

It was an autobiographical account of life’s wisdom through a teenager’s eyes. There was an attempt to decipher the contexts of idealism, practicality and diplomacy which I represented through three different males. Avinash was an idealist, Rishi was practical and Shekhar was a diplomat. The central figure Snigdha, was close to all three guys and she

with her little brain tried to discover the secret to be happy always.

There were a lot of characters in the book and I chose every single character to represent the different shades of human’s persona. The book did really well and got me several awards including a felicitation by the State Govt. of Bihar. I was given the “Pride of Vaishali” award by Cabinet Minister Shri Nand Kishore Yadav. Felicitations followed in various schools and colleges including the prestigious JNV, Vaishali.

So this was how my dreams got wings and I finally decided to start my journey. Branwyn is a pleasant happening of the moment and with you people as companions it is going to be the most pleasant journey ever.