Mira is haunted by the death of her mother and her specially abled sibling. Mira believes Yuchan’s mother Jiwon’s cruel insults to her mother was the reason for the mishap which robs her of her family. Her thirst for vengeance leads her to drastic steps which unfold in the story.
Pretty lies by Sulmi Bak (imagined by Nano Banana)
The book is in the form of journal or letter entries – more of a confession to crime or guilt. Each character has their own perspective of the crime and the cascading effect it has not only in its own family but unknowingly in other families.
This book should be skipped by the faint hearted as there is a vivid description of animal cruelty. The sheer audacity of the killer to crunch on the voiceless innocent animals – it’s a difficult part to read yet you will not be able to skip.
Since the COVID epidemic had shown us the promise of the least contact, more productivity in work and work-from-home is the only work norm, we have come a long way to bite the dust.
I have one of the lucky few corporate slaves who dig in and around the leaves (counting the maternity leave and the blissful journey a year back) to work from home since 2020. Happy and jolly, giving my best from the comfort of home and having meetings through the giggles of my child in the other room – all well, till the stroke of midnight on Christmas when I was informed of 6 hours mandatory office hours thrice a week!
Hard hitting reality
I spiralled into panic. Those grim memories of traffic, long queues in the office canteen and chair stealing came back jousting one another for priority.
Cut to three weeks later,here I am on the first day back to the office! After fighting with insane snake-like traffic and then looking for a parking spot like a squirrel looking for a spot to store a nut – I managed to reach the office door. Now, let me mention that “rules” state that I sit my client ODC but since my access was in progress, I proceeded to a “Hybrid ODC” which basically translates to open for all, come and waste time here. I sat down at an empty seat, making myself comfortable in an uncomfortable chair.
Two cubicles away was a group of 7 girls all hurdled in a space meant for 2 people. The Professor Mcgonagall in me wanted to shout “babbling, bumbling, band of baboons!” to them for the slightly audible chaos they were creating. Their happy but anxious faces reminded me of the honeymoon period every fresher goes through – the no or minimal work, shadowing around seniors, going for a cup of tea every 2 hours, mandatory post-lunch stroll around the campus and stopping by every counter in flea stalls for the day! I let out a sigh as I relieved those days.
As I look back to those happy and gay days of being a fresher, I understand now more than ever what a burden it is to be a senior that too, in the same company for a decade – and be back after close to 5 years, inside proper workstation. I couldn’t understand the new norms, I had forgotten where to leave my used meal tray, I had forgotten that the parking lot had few connecting bridges for extra parking space, I had forgotten the vending machines were(well, it has been shifted mostly!). I had to sit on a call with the Helpline team to get my system now adapted to a workstation with an intact office Wifi. I had to memorize which lifts stop at every floor, and which stop only at the odd or the even ones. There’s so much more to figure out before I can call myself “settled in my seat”.
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
The Past is what has shaped my present and my Present will shape my Future.
I would be lying if I said I did not dwell in the past. I often take the trip down the alleys of nostalgia and skip through the albums of happy memories. Those moments have sculpted what I am today. I go back to the library, dust off the jackets on my sweet memories and
For eg, I learnt swimming in 2025. The sheer achievement of holding my breath underwater without being panicked – it makes me smile ear to ear.
I completed certification in POPM – while nursing and taking care of my beautiful child. Such tiny feats in 2025 brings me immense pleasure and makes me wonder what the future holds for me.
অনেক দিনের ইচ্ছে থাকা সত্ত্বেও সময়ের এভাবে বইটা পড়া হচ্ছিলো না। গরমের এক পড়ন্ত দুপুরে তুলে নিলাম মহাস্বেতা দেবীর “হাজার চুরাশির মা”। প্রথম পাতা থেকেই হৃদয় বিদীর্ণ করা কষ্টের স্রোতে বাসতাম লাগলাম। হয় তো সদ্য মা হয়েছি বলে আরো কষ্ট পাচ্ছিলাম এক একটা পাতা উল্টাতে।
নক্সালবাদী ছেলে ব্রতীর আকস্মিক মৃত্যু সুজাতাকে এনে দাঁড় করে অনেক প্রশ্নের সামনে । ব্রতীর আসলে কে ছিল – সে কি এমন করেছিল যে এক দিন শুধু “১০৮৪” হয়ে চিহ্নিত হতে হলো। সুজাতা নিজের পরিবারের অমানুষিক ব্যবহার মেনে নিতে পারেনি – নক্সালপন্থী বলেই কি সত্যিই একটা মানুষ খারাপ হয়? যে বাবা পরকীয়াতে জড়িয়ে দিনের পর দিন মায়ের উপর অত্যাচার করে সে কি তাহলে? যে মেয়ে নিজের মা কে ক্রমাগত হেয় করে চলে সে কি তাহলে? শুধু ব্রতী কি ভাবে দোষী হয়? নন্দিনীর থেকে জানতে পারে ব্রতী কতটা আবেগপূর্ণ ছিল। বন্ধুদের সতর্ক করে দিতে নিজের প্রাণ রক্ষা আর করতে না পারা ব্রতী কি শুধুই আদর্শবাদী তা তো নয় । গল্পের সূত্রধর সুজাতা বারেবারে খুঁজে ফেরে তার হারিয়ে যাওয়া ছেলের চিহ্ন, যত্ন করে সাজিয়ে রাখতে চাই সেই মধুর স্মৃতিগুলো, হাতড়ে বেড়ায় ব্রতীর কথা, ব্রতীর ফেলে যাওয়া ভালোবাসা। মায়ের কষ্টে যে ব্রতী চেয়েছিলো মানুষের মতন মানুষ হয়ে নিজের পায়ে দাঁড়িয়ে মা কে অন্য জায়গাতে নিয়ে যাবে। ব্রতী নিজের জীবন প্রদীপ দিয়ে নিজের কাছের সবার জীবন আলোকিত করতে চেয়েছিলো, চেয়েছিলো অন্যায়ের বিরুদ্ধে লড়ে, জন্মভূমিকে রক্ষা করতে কিন্তু অচিরে প্রাণ হারাতে হলো। কাহিনীর মর্মান্তিকতা যেকোনো কারুর মনকে নাড়িয়ে দিয়ে যাবে। ভাবতে বাধহয় করবে যে আজ কি এই মানসিকতা প্রাসঙ্গিক?
What do you think of this little piece? You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
This was my first book by Coco Mellors and the first 5-star read of 2025. The story follows the narrative of three sisters Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky who get together a year after their fourth sister, Nicky’s death.
Avery binds herself to the “eldest daughter” syndrome and bears the burden of taking care of her sisters and her family. A former heroin addict, now a lawyer is now settled in London with her wife. Bonnie, an ex-boxer flees from a defeat and ends up working as a bouncer. Lucky, the youngest starts modeling early and travels around the world to explore all kinds of drugs to survive the aching pain left by the sudden death of Nicky. Closer to the first death anniversary, the sale of the apartment where all of them grew up, brings all the sisters together. They finally face the hard denial from the grief of losing Nicky over a year, a pain that each of them bore alone.
“A sister is not a friend. Who can explain the urge to take a relationship as primal and complex as a sibling and reduce it to something as replaceable, as banal as a friend?”
Blue sisters, Coco mellors
“It was easy to love someone in the beginnings and endings; it was all the time in between that was so hard.”
Blue sisters, coco mellors
I have seldom read a book where the author has so realistically painted the sibling bond. The jealousy, transparency, the fight to be visible, the sibling rivalry – all of them woven in a story that transpires across timezones yet brings them together when they feel the tuck in their soul. The story made my eyes moist with tears. If you have loved and watched “This is Us” series then this book is for you!
Head to the comment section and let us know if you have read the book. You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.
Indian Middle class and the rhetorical quotations that get thrown around a couple of times a day. I, for one, have over the years, gathered the gems my father – my BABAI as I lovingly call him – has shared for my prosperity and better life. Yes, I admit not all the times when he had said so were happy memories but looking back I do realize his words had a profound impact on me. I have adhered to it till now. So the following are some of his words (mostly in Bengali but I will translate as much as possible.)
Babai said “Result ja hobe tori hobe, golai jhuliye jate ghurte paris serokm koris nijer valo lagbe”.
Babai never motivated to rank first in anything but always encouraged me to give my best shot. He always reminded me to be the best and according to him, success follows hard work. Of course, there was a nudge for working smartly – to be smart enough to make sure that my visibility in any efforts delivered is getting noticed.
Babai said “Rastai sob somoy dekhe gari chalabi. Hoito tui thik kore chalchis kintu hote pare tor ase pase key valo kore chalalo na ar toke dhakka marlo. Sabdhan age tokei hote hobe.”
Quite philosophical to be honest. Often we think if we are honest then everything will just fall in place like a piece of a puzzle. However life hands over lemons most of the time, so hey, we have to be ready to make the lemonade. Even if we are politically correct, it’s more than often that a deranged decision of a close friend or family member may derail our entire journey. It’s better to be safe than sorry, be it on the road or be in personal relationships.
Babai’s influence has been immense on me. His contribution towards making sure I had everything happy under the sun is unparalleled.
What do you think of this little piece? You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
I see myself smiling ear to ear and hearing my child and spouse glee with delight as they play together. I see myself laughing till my tummy hurts and I join in the chaotic world of my family as we grow old together.
AI generated images from Canva
I see myself as content and happy, sitting in front of my large bookshelf with hardbound editions. Hopefully, the bookshelf will have an AI-like mind to read my mood, the weather outside, and the drink in my hand and dole out suggestions on what to read next!
I see myself having a mimosa by the beach, whilst reflecting on the decisions I had taken or probably should have taken, retrospecting about the choices I had made in the past 10 years.
However, 10 years is a long time to while away with dreams, but with the right people around me, I am sure it will just be a matter of seconds. I truly believe in Kismet and hope the universe will conspire to give me my happy ending! Because if it’s not a happy ending then, picture abhi bhi baki he mere dost!
What do you think of this little piece? You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
High school and teenage both are intertwined in funny ways. There is a sudden feeling that everything will be the way it is, the way we are happy for ever and ever. It is still the time before we get to know how cruel the world can be once we step in adulthood.
However I always had this intuition that this will not last forever (I still blame it on my Sagittarius compulsions). Though I never let it show on my face, I just knew I have to let go of the friendships – the ones we wrote in slam books labelling as best ones; the ones we did pinky promises of never breaking; the bonds we think we’re unbreakable.
I know this sounds so distressing, but another compulsion of Sagittarius is to spill the truth as it is. Yes, I have been able to retain my true friends—those giggly girls who didn’t require much effort—they were just there for me always. They are all just a ping away and listen to my meltdowns without any judgment. Yes, there are silver linings because by letting go, I have been able to make most of it.
High school taught me both – The art of letting go and the art of anchoring down.
What do you think of this little piece? You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
COVID years put everyone out of their comfort zone and catapulted to unknown territories. The toll it took on my mental health was immense as the boundaries between work and home went missing – at one point, I felt like I was working around the clock. With progress of time, I realised that I am in a rat race which I didn’t even sign up for!
Finally, I sat down one day and decided to choose my own battles. I drew a stern line between work and home. It was not easy. 2 years of COVID has conditioned me into a different person and I was, but only a puppet, dancing to someone else’s tunes. I took up a promise to bring this change in my attitude as well. There has been no turning back since then. I decide who and what rattles me. I decide what’s not worth even arguing. I determine my power setting.
I told my mental peace – I would be right back and went right back in smiling!
What do you think of this little piece? You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
Cycling with friends was my favorite task until work took over and balance went for a toss.
“Find your tribe” is my mantra. The “chaleability” gang as Zakir Khan mentioned in his “Delulu Express” – I do believe any exercise can be fun if you find like-minded, infectious energy level people around you. A friend motivates me to keep up with the “Healthy me, New me” New Year resolutions. Life can send a curveball but you can tackle it with your gang and viola! Have fun alongside
What do you think of this little piece? You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
Ordo Ab Chao 