Aman  Sharma
 
 “ Because... Every Raindrop is a Hope” a novel by Sankalp Kohli & Mansi Sharma is their debut novel published by General Press in the month of January 2013. The book has been doing well in the market and also been appreciated by celebrity reviewers and bloggers. Finally I got my chance to have a go at this book and this is how it went. 

The concept of the book is quite smile and clear leaving a smile on your face when you are done with the reading. Though the book falls under the romance genre but also acts as an inspirational work for the reader. The story conveys the theme of the book loud and clear i.e. we should never lose hope. 

The story shows the blissful journey full of ups & downs, surprises & shocks in the life of protagonist Raj, along with his two friends Rahul and Rohan. The story shows different phases of life of the three friends, exploring things like ragging, love, college politics, betrayal, manipulation, friendship e.t.c.. The characters and the incidents are well described & language is also well written and directed allowing smooth reading. Also the way authors have started every chapter with poetic verses, giving us a hint and preparing for what is about to come, is really commendable. Some of the incidents narrated in the story are outstanding, however, at couple of places, it felt like the story is a bit off track. 

Having said that, I would end this review stating that this is one of the the most simple yet effective books I have read after a very long time. I will give this book ☆☆☆☆ (4) Stars and would strongly recommend this book to the youth as this story not only entertains you but also teaches you some very important lessons of life. My best wishes for the authors.

You can order it here:-
http://tinyurl.com/RainDropisHope

- Aman Sharma

About the Book

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Caught in the turmoil of an Underrated Love and an Overrated Infatuation, Raj, a young boy with larger than life dreams, from a small town of Kanpur, is at the cross road of life, where every road ahead leads to nothing but a Dead-end.

Through the grueling course of circumstances, he is subjected to the bitter tests of life, where he fails to justify his one decision of parting ways with Mahek.

But, when Mahek flashes out of his life, leaving him all alone, the guilt of not been forgiven by her, ruins his soul; and that frustration leads him into seclusion, devoid of even his best buddies Rohan and Rahul.

Failed love, broken friendship, a hurt ego and lost soul Raj is doomed to darkness. With no ray of hope ahead, just when Raj is about to give up on life, he come across a note, written to him by his favorite professor, "Never give up Raj Because Every Raindrop is a Hope" which brings Raj face to face with his own self.

Why Love that makes Life beautiful, turns into Satan? Why friendship one fine day loses all its meaning? Why on the crowded roads of Mumbai city, Raj finds himself walking all alone? Will Raj challenge Life and fight back with the sword of Hope or will he take the easy way out by succumbing to the arduous tests of time.


 
It's always wonderful to see people coming up and getting appreciated from your hometown. This was one of the major reason why I picked up ONE LAST TIME and started reading it. This book is Shubham Arora's second novel published under the banner of Paper Clip Books. 

The cover page & the blurb at the back side of the book is quite interesting and intriguing enough to pick the book from the shelves and start reading it. The story is  about the protagonist Ishaan and how he moved on in his life facing its gifts, surprises & shocks. Author has given a realistic approach to the book making it easy for the readers to connect with the characters & situation. The way Shubham has portrayed various emotions throughout the story either of the protagonist or any other character is something very hard to find. The narration style is perfect, without any over stretched scenes & dialogues, unrealistic & boring situations. It seemed like picture perfect.

The book is divided in three parts or better to say in three cities namely AMBALA, DELHI and NEW YORK. It's always been a pain for me in the past, reading a book divided in parts and such division haven't worked well from the narration point of view. But Shubham's writing skills haven't given me any pain while changing from one part to another. He has described each city with its own charming manner & style. 


The way protagonist life, his thinking and maturity level changes with time and he grows from a shy kid of Ambala to a mature person and almost after 10 years end up in big city like New York. is commendable. However the third part of the novel i.e. the NEW YORK part felt a bit on the shorter side compared to the previous two parts. The chapters are of normal length making the reading more comfortable and easy to connect with. The climax of the story is wonderful leaving you with endless thoughts about the book and its characters. 


In the end, all I would like to write is Shubham Arora has the capacity & skills to be one of the best in the literature industry. With his simple yet powerful & heart-felt language, he has stunned me with this work and I was hooked with the book till the very end. I am really looking forward to his another work of fiction work very soon. 


Will give him ☆☆☆☆.25 (4.25) Stars. A wonderful book & if you love Romance genre, I guess you should not miss this. Good Luck to the author.


Order it from Flipkart.com
http://tinyurl.com/OneLastTime-FLPKRT


About the Book

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One phone call changes it all for him. Her phone call. After one full year. She is in the US, informing him about her marriage. She wants to meet him.

He had moved on, at least thats what he had made himself believe. Unsure of everything, he books a flight from New York to Carolina to give his past the final closure.

The journey brings all the painful memories back to him. They have both come a long way since they first met as kids and then again as adults, before parting ways and . . . moving on.

But flight 1549 is not destined to reach its destination. Unaware and oblivious, he is lost in his memories of her.
Ambala. New Delhi. New York.
Love. Career. Distance. Longing. Separation.
Will he realize her importance in his life? Will she ever find out who she is actually meant for?

What if he doesn't live up to the day to meet her one last time?

 
Love and Friendship are two different things. It is very true that friendship is initial step to love. But not in all cases. We have some people in our lives that we consider as very good friends. they are always there for you whenever you need them. They wake up at four in the morning to receive your calls. Friends are someone with whom you can share all your secrets with. They help you out, talk to you when you need to talk, share your problems, talk to you about their crushes and hang around. They are the ones who helps you out with your social as well as personal issues.

And love is something not very much different from friendship. Love is a natural feeling which comes when you start to like or love someone from the depth of your heart. When you see them around you start to get cold sweat and when they come to you to talk to you about something, you realize your tongue's tight or may be you are short of words. When they touch you, suddenly you can feel butterflies in you stomach and that is when you realize you are in love.

On the contrary, when you love someone, it is not necessary that you are also a good friend of the same person. But coming to friendship, it is necessary to love your friends. Without loving your friends, you can't befriend anyone. One of the quotes I read recently caught my attention and made me think about Love, friendship and their relation. Her it is:

"It is also said that friends are angels who lift us when our wings are not able to make us fly."

So without coming to any conclusion or favoring any of these, i would say that Love & Friendship are two very beautiful and important relation in one's life. Life can become amazing if you are both a Good Friend and a loving Boyfriend/Husband. 

Aman Sharma
 
As I sit here tonight and realize, how much so many people mean to me and how much I mean to all of them. I wonder why I want is to die?

Why I feel like no one cares for me, as if I could fall on ground and gone. Why do I hate life so much? Or is it just that life hates me?

As I sit her cry all night until I fall asleep and wake to my life's 'IF ONLYS'...

If only one person cared for me.
If only life could be great and I would be happy.
If only I had someone to hold me.
If only.

So I sit here tonight and realize how much so many people love me and wonder if I really want to die???
 
Some people have it all. They’re talented, motivated, and know exactly what they want out of life. These folks want success so badly they can taste it, and their behavior reflects that drive. And yet, even though they have so much promise and so much to offer, this fairy tale doesn't always have a happy ending.

I’m sure you know people who fit the bill. Every step they take is measured against how they’ll benefit personally; everything they do has a quid pro quo; and every conversation they have is steered to their favorite topic — themselves.

You can rest assured that when they call, it’s because they want something from you; they use people as pawns to get what they want; they feel no compunction about being the first to take, then leaving the scraps for everyone else; they bully others to get more for themselves. Sharing? Giving? Playing fair? Not even on their radar.

In the short term, their charisma, talent, and drive earn them BIG kudos. Long term, they’re disastrous. Their confidence is perceived as arrogance; their go-netter personality comes across as pushy; and their ambition is viewed as uncontrollable. The result is that their ruthless behavior causes them to forfeit the things they want most in life. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be this way.

One of the most important lessons I've learned is that people who care about the needs of others and give of themselves go much further in life. “Are you kidding?” may be what you’re thinking. “That’s the most important lesson?”

Yes. Some people may believe that this philosophy is simplistic, naive, sappy, pie-in-the-sky, while others consider that it’s only a nicety. You may be thinking, “While that sounds great in theory, it doesn't work in the real world.” The assumption people make is that you have to be ruthless to win. I’m here to tell you they’re dead wrong. 

Would you consider an egotist to be your role model? Would you choose a self-centered person as a good friend? Would you form a partnership with a greedy person? Would you recruit a selfish person for your team? Would you marry and spend your lifetime with a greedy person? I thought not.

It really doesn't take much effort to show others that you care. For example, treat them with dignity and respect; “make someone’s day” with a few kind words; provide encouragement; show concern; spend quality time; listen with interest; share half; put their needs before your own; reach out to someone in need; share your wisdom and experience; pay them a compliment; teach them how to fish for a lifetime; thank someone for an effort well done; ask for or share an honest opinion; show gratitude; remember a special event; instill a strong set of values; provide encouragement.

Remember . . . give because you want to, not because you must. That way, it’s from your heart. Believe me, it will come back to you in ways you’d never imagine — but don’t give because you’re expecting something in return.

Some people may look at you cross-eyed after you make a kind gesture. “C’mon,” they’ll think, “why are you really doing this? No one does something for nothing.” Then, when they realize there’s no catch, something magical will happen. You’ll be viewed in an entirely new light.

Just think how far your kindness will go toward building trust, strengthening your relationships, developing teamwork and camaraderie, enhancing your reputation and sense of self-worth — not to mention, adding to your karma.


 
Things aren't always black or white. They aren't always right or wrong. There isn't always an evident answer; there is always that gray area. What we fail to realize is that people work the same way. Our thoughts and feelings are similarly complex like us. So half the time we spend just trying to figure out how we feel or what exactly we think without realizing that there is rarely a clear-cut answer. Sometimes it's difficult, sometimes impossible,  to put a name onto these feelings. Some feelings are not meant to be expressed into words. 

It's okay to have mixed feelings or a combination of thoughts. However, things start getting a little messy when the feelings begin to conflict one another or when the combination of thoughts is simply irrational. Love and hate or annoyance and admiration for example, two opposing extremes; still we find ourselves loving and hating something or getting annoyed by yet admiring them at the same time.

They say that the people we dislike most are usually the ones that remind us of ourselves, of our flaws. That's not always the case, but it seems to be true quite often. Other times, negative feelings arise from our own insecurities. When such negative feelings are directed toward us, it's okay to be a little sympathetic. It's important to still be ourselves and not let it be an excuse to act like anything less. 

And then there are times when find ourselves with extremely positive and extremely negative feelings toward one person all together. I can't help but think even the most extreme negative feelings must stem from some kind of passion. With time, one feeling will most likely overpower the other, but then again, who wants to wait for things to unfold? Especially when you keep finding yourself in the same position weeks, months, or even years later.

 
Can writers/authors be blinded by their own success? You bet…While success is what all writers/authors strive for, unless you’re prepared to handle it, success can quickly complicate your life. As strange as it may sound, success can often times be the precursor to failure. So my question is this: Is your success serving as a springboard toward significance, or is it merely a temporary state, precariously positioned and ready to implode with the slightest change in circumstance? Success without perspective, purpose, and focus can actually cause more harm than good. In today’s post all I am trying to discuss is how writers/authors can either leverage success into significance, or if they’re not careful, have it serve as a catalyst for a rapid downward spiral…

While not often discussed, nothing dulls the senses like a taste of success. A chance encounter with success can often lead to a feeling of being indestructible, which in turn can lead to arrogance, and the belief that success itself will breed success in any situation. Once a leader starts to believe their own rhetoric, trouble is not far behind. The reality is that past success, in and of itself, does not necessarily serve as an indicator of future success.

Life is full of seemingly successful people who regularly fall from the ivory tower for no apparent reason. We’ve all witnessed the lottery winner who hit the big one only to have their new found wealth derail their life, as opposed to solve all their problems. We’ve seen the same thing happen to young politicians who dream of changing the world only to find themselves corrupted by their own ego once they arrive at the Parliament.  How about the professional athletes who sign multi-million dollar contracts out of school? They all too frequently end-up running with the wrong crowd only to find themselves out of the league only a few years later with nothing left to show for their success. And finally, how about the executive or entrepreneur who rises to the top, gets the title and the paycheck to go along with it, only to later run their company into the ground and eventually lose their position and all the perks that went with it.

Are success and significance the same thing? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Sure, for those “who get it” success and significance are one in the same, but for most professionals success begins and ends with the achievement of a certain list of personal goals with little regard to the impact on others. These people confuse success with significance, and regardless of their wealth and professional accomplishments, they won’t accomplish the true greatness which only comes through making significant contributions to something other than one’s self. I don’t care how your resume reads or what your net worth is…what I care about is your motivation, and what you do with what you have.


 
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‘Opportunities knocks at all doors but only few of us have the courage to open it, welcome it and then revolutionize our lives.” The question that arises first in mind is why we regret change? It’s because we are so busy in comfort zone. It is because how change might change course of our life for which we aren't prepared. Is it because we are lazy or are we just boring? Actually it is a bit of everything.

Surprisingly most existing thing in our life is change. It is that constant force that let us live; not just exist. But it is the fear factor that torpedoes every time. Fear of failure, fear of unknown, fear of what others will say, fear of whether it will be worst than present or fear of shaking our lives. Unless we get rid of fear, we can’t be a catalyst to change.


We stick to our daily job due to fear. We do not fall in love although we love someone due to fear of unknown and failure. We are afraid that what will happen with us if we say our feelings. We do not do anything because the risk is too much.  But it’s the risk that changes the way we look life. When we take risk, there is new energy, new light in our eyes, new surge of confidence, new smile on our face and a new song in our heart. All of these work as neutralizer for fear factor.


Failure is the first step to success, a discovery. And when we take this step, we have to tell ourselves that world won’t end if we fail and new windows will open with new opportunities. There is no one on earth who hasn't failed. Students in exams, scientists in experiments e.t.c. All achievers have failed before succeeding. Thomas Edison was told that he failed 100 times before inventing a bulb. He calmly replied that he didn't failed. Actually it took him 100 steps to make a light bulb.


If we have same kind of attitude we will never fail. Those who want to experience change must be prepared to live with some amount of loneliness. If you fail there won’t be anyone around you but if you succeed others will surround you…



-Aman Sharma

 
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We have shared laughter,
We have shared tears,
Love lost, Love found,
Though it all we have stayed together,
From heart breaks to soul mates,
From life's hardships to life's happiness,
Our stupid fights, our silly talks,
Now that you're gone,
We don't share each others time,
But you're still with me everyday and night,
No matter how far you are from me,
I'll always love you Sis...


I still remember the first time we spoke, the first time we fought, the first time you cried keeping your head on my shoulder, the first time you held my hand, the first time you hugged me, the first time you came to my home and the first time you called me your BROTHER. 

Its been over 3 years since you first called me brother and started treating me like one, sharing each and every moment of yours, sending Rakhis and never ever forgetting to call me on every auspicious occasion. Though, I had no real sister, you never let me feel the emptiness of her in my life.  It's been more than a year we have met or seen each other and despite knowing each other boundaries our love, respect and relation never lost its essence. You understood my complications in life and never blamed me for not giving you time. You never complained for not messaging you or calling you. 



But I never expected or thought that this would arrive where I will standing all alone watching you leave me. i know its my fault to let go you but trust me I never wanted this. I feel guilty and will carry this guilt of losing a sweet and caring sister like you for a lifetime. All i wanna say is I am really very Sorry..... Please Come Back... I don't wanna Lose you... not now... not ever...
 
"Just another night
A gloomy, gloomy night,
Where your life became that sad song,
And you've given up acting strong,
As you stare at that familiar ceiling,
And the tears roll down your face...
Sticky and silently;
Not bothering to wipe them away
Tears that make no sense to you
And have no reason to come...
And when that night passes
That gloomy, gloomy night,
You're back again...
With a store-bought smile,
Plastered to your icy face,
And a genuine and happy laugh,
That never ever came..."