Storizen Magazine August 2021 | Exploring Point of View by Storizen Magazine

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STORIZEN AUGUST 2021

EXPLORING

POINT OF VIEW Exclusive Digital Issue For more Columns and features, scan the QR code

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Cover Story Exploring the Point of View

Brand Partners Aleph Book Company Bloomsbury India

Book Reviews Swapna Peri

Editors Pria Raiyani Saurabh Chawla

Fingerprint Publishing Hachette India HarperCollinsIndia

For Advertising, Contact us attalktous@storizen.com

Pan Macmillan India Penguin India Roli Books Rupa Publications Westland (An Amazon Company)

WHAT'S INSIDE 22

EDITOR'S NOTE

COVER STORY Exploring Point of View - Pria

- Hachette India

HOT OFF THE PRESS An Economist at Home and Abroad: A Personal Journey by Dr Shankar Acharya

HOT OFF THE PRESS Mountain Tales by Saumya Roy

HOT OFF THE PRESS How To Kidnap The Rich by Rahul Raina - Hachette India

STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE The fruits of old age

- HarperCollins India

- Riya Gulati

HOT OFF THE PRESS Intrinsic by Sharath Jeevan

Minimalism the Way to Rediscover Life

- Hachette India

- Ankur Rastogi

HOT OFF THE PRESS Billy Summers by Stephen King

- HarperCollins India

STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE Unleash Your Creative Side

- Hachette India

HOT OFF THE PRESS What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror? by Nikita Singh

STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE

- Aparna Mukherjee

STORIZEN HEALTH Dealing with Male Infertility - Sushma M. Bhardwaj

WHAT'S INSIDE 40

STORIZEN REVIEW

The Great Hindu Civilisation by Pavan K Varma

STORIZEN POETRY Hey! Are You Still There? - Mamta Joshi

- Swapna Peri

STORIZEN REVIEW

And Then, There Was Kirtan

Song of Draupadi by Ira Mukhoty - Swapna Peri

- Vidya Shankar

- Swapna Peri

STORIZEN POETRY Dreamlike

STORIZEN REVIEW The Owl Delivered the Good News All Night Long by Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai

STORIZEN POETRY

- Nikesh Jain

STORIZEN POETRY Space and Time - Sangita Kalarickal

STORIZEN REVIEW Sooley by John Grisham - Swapna Peri

STORIZEN POETRY One Amongst Us - Sumantra Chaudhury

STORIZEN POETRY The Anonymous healer... - Madhumathi H

To read Storizen on the web, visit storizen.com. Follow Storizen on Instagram @storizenmag.

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Storizen Magazine July 2021

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from the editor

calling all writers!

DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF STORIZEN FAMILY? You can also be a contributor. Mail us your entries at talktous@storizen.com. Your smart ideas and inputs help us create our informative issues.

"A ugust rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new

fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” This quote by Sylvia Plath was stuck in my head since I read it. The weather behaved unevenly, sometimes too humid, sometimes the rains washed away all the dark emotions within. Writing your heart out needs you to be free from any restrictions or distractions. A freely written prose or verse or story or even a novel is far more relatable than the one that is written with limitations. One important aspect while writing your story is to consider the point of view in which the story is narrated. We have dedicated this issue to exploring the different Points of View of telling a story and how the other authors have written successful ones. Do check it out on page 8! For the bibliophiles, we have curated a list of six hot new releases this month to keep you busy in reading. This month in Storizen Health, we bring you tips on dealing with Male Infertility. Do check out the article on page 36. We thank our readers and contributors for their constant support and motivating us to bring you some of the best content each month. Keep spreading the love and support! Do read, like, comment, and share with your friends and family. Happy Reading!

editor@storizen.com Saurabh Chawla, Editor in Chief

COVER STORY

In the third person, the author or the narrator of the story stays outside the events happening in the story

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Exploring the Point of View Text by Pria Have you read a book and wondered from whose eyes you have been walking through? Point of View will tell you who is the narrator and his or her relationship with the characters in the story. In Storytelling, first thing is to decide the point of view that the story will take. Whether it will be in the first person, second person, or thirdperson point of view. With first and third-person used more frequently, the second person point of view is used less frequently but still, it is being taught in writing classes. The differences between the first person and third-person point of view are many. How do you identify which one is the story using? The pronouns come into play when you need to know from whose perspective the story is being told.

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The pronouns I, we are first-person and refer to the author himself. The pronoun 'you, which is used for both singular and plural antecedents, depicts the usage of the secondperson point of view. Lastly the pronouns he, she, refer to the usage of third-person point of view. You can easily identify a narrative and classify them as first person, second person, or third person based on the pronouns used. FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW In the first-person point of view, the narrator or the author is writing the story from his own independent perspective. You will see the pronouns I (or we if the author is a group of people or representing a group or a team). The first-person point of view gives you more insight into the perception and the attitude that is being carried by the main character of the story. Whatever you will see, feel, perceive will be through the main character's eyes only. Putting it simply, your main area of focus would be the main character and what's happening in his life only. If all of this seems overwhelming, do read the small excerpt from the old classic Jane Eyre below 10

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There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so somber, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed. — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847 Jane Eyre is narrated by the story's main character who is a governess. Everything that is told is based on her past memories and impressions be it of weather, Mrs. Reed's dining habits, and getting a lecture from Nurse Bessie. From the above excerpt, it is indeed clear that we come to know that is known by Jane herself and we cannot get the idea of what the other characters know. Whatever information that is unknown to Jane, is also unknown to us. AUGUST 2021

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SECOND PERSON POINT OF VIEW Unlike the first-person point of view, the second-person point of view is driven by the character who is ascribed to the reader, one known as you. Narrating the story from the second-person point of view is more engaging for the reader. The reader is immersed in the narrative as a character in the story. The reader can be the protagonist in these stories and must make choices that can determine the plot and the ending. Many classic authors such as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, speak directly to the reader, involving them in the story. Even contemporary writers today write blogs and non-fiction addressing the reader as "you" whenever they offer advice or share insights with them. AUGUST 2021

One of the finest examples in fiction for second-person narrative is Jay McInerney’s novel Bright Lights, Big City. At the subway station, you wait fifteen minutes on the platform for a train. Finally a local, enervated by graffiti, shuffles into the station. You get a seat and hoist a copy of the New York Post. The Post is the most shameful of your several addictions. — Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City, 1984 The second-person point of view makes the reader the central character of the story and the reader then immerses themselves into the narrative, enhancing what is at stake for the characters and the readers.

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THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW The third-person point of view is the most widely used narrative. In the third person, the author or the narrator of the story stays outside the events happening in the story. The narrator relates to the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by using thirdperson pronouns he, she, or they. Going deeper into the third person, it is classifiable into three categories - omniscient, limited, and objective. THIRD-PERSON OMNISCIENT The meaning of the term Omniscient is "all-knowing". In a third-person omniscient narrative, the author is well aware of the emotions, feelings, thoughts, and motivations of each and every character of the story, even if they don't reveal anything to other characters in the story.

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Here's an example that well relates to the third-person omniscient narrative is written below “When the dead doctor’s daughter saw Mr. Smith emerge as promptly as he had promised from behind the cupola, his wide blue silk wings curved-forward around his chest, she dropped her covered peck basket, spilling red velvet rose petals. The wind blew them about, up, down, and into small mounds of snow. Her half-grown daughters scrambled about trying to catch them, while their mother moaned and held the underside of her stomach.” – Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon The story is not being told from the point of view of Mr. Smith, the dead doctor's daughter, or anybody else. It is narrated from the point of view of an observer who is carefully

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observing each character's feelings, thoughts, actions, and emotions. Closely check out the usage of character's names and third-person pronouns he, she, his, her, them et al. If you see in this example, it is evident that the narrator of the story is omniscient. He knows about the characters' thoughts and about the next steps the character is about to take. THIRD PERSON LIMITED In the third-person limited narrative, the author is still outside the story events but has limited knowledge about the thoughts or motivations of all the characters. In this case, the story is driven by one of the characters, and the reader is given

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a closer peek into that character’s psyche than the others. Have you read Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling? The author utilizes a third-person limited narrative. Have a look at the following excerpt Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation. He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him. What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an alltime low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only

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weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway. — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999 Here, the narrator is not Harry as Harry is referred to as "he" but still the reader is immersed in his thoughts. Like Harry, we are also uncertain about other characters' thoughts. THIRD PERSON OBJECTIVE In third-person objective narration, the author narrates the story and the events taking place without knowing the thoughts or motivations of any of the characters in the story. We are not aware of what is driving the plot till we hear them speak or observe their actions. Have a look at the following example -

post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns, there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 25th. But in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. — Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery," 1948 Which point of view do you use in your writing? Do share with us your take on this on talktous@storizen.com.

The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the

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About Pria - Young mesmerizing freelance blogger, social enthusiast, an economics graduate from Jharkhand University with Master in Child Psychology. She is hardworking yet crazy, a passionate reader, an ardent music fanatic, an avid caffeine lover, and a maniacal animal lover too. She has been a part of numerous anthologies, articles, and write-ups for newspapers and magazines which are multi-linguistic. She has also written screenplays for YouTube series.

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HOTthe OFFpress Written with warmth and a rare honesty, An Economist at Home and Abroad presents the engaging journey of one of the most erudite and accomplished policy economists of our times whose views on contentious issues are often the definitive opinion.

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HOTthe OFFpress We are in a motivational mess today. Many of us feel like we are going through the motions - as workers, managers, spouses and partners, parents, and citizens.

Sharath Jeevan is one of the world's leading experts on re-igniting our inner drive (intrinsic motivation).

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STORIZEN MAGAZINE

Billy Summers by Stephen King

You won't put this story down, and you won't forget Billy.

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STORIZEN EVENTS

STEPHEN KING is the author of more than sixty books, all worldwide bestsellers. His recent titles include The Institute, which was described by the Sunday Express as a 'masterpiece', The Outsider (voted winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery and Thriller 2018), and If It Bleeds.

ABOUT THE BOOK BILLY SUMMERS is Stephen King's gripping and compelling novel about a contract killer, an ex-marine, with one last payday to earn before he retires. Once again King sets his storytelling talent on a new path with this epic new thriller.

Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong? How about everything.

From legendary storyteller and No. 1 bestseller Stephen King, whose 'restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained' (The New York Times Book Review), comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad job. Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He's a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he'll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first, there is one last hit.

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What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror? by Nikita Singh

HOW MUCH OF THE PERSON IN THE MIRROR IS TRULY YOU?

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STORIZEN EVENTS

Nikita Singh is the bestselling author of twelve books, including The Reason Is You, Every Time It Rains and Like a Love Song. She is also the editor of the collections of short stories 25 Strokes of Kindness and The Turning Point.

ABOUT THE BOOK A book written in isolation, it consists of 15 stories my mind conjured and couldn’t let go of. While no one story is like another, in terms of writing style, format, and subject matter what ties them together is the common theme of the secret inner lives we all lead. Lives that might surprise those who claim to know us. It excites and terrifies me to put this out in the world, but I also can’t wait for you to pick it up and make it your own.”

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HOTthe OFFpress All of Mumbai's memories and castaway possessions come to die at the Deonar garbage mountains. And among these vast, teetering piles of discarded things - medical waste, rotten food, old clothes, broken glass, and twisted metal - a small, forgotten community lives and works.

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HOTthe OFFpress Ramesh Kumar examinations consultant wakes up in a room he doesn't recognize. Next to him is spoilt brat Rudi, drunk and high on cocaine from another night of binging. Suddenly, two goons enter the room - they kidnap both boys and chop off Ramesh's pinky finger. Rahul Raina divides his time between Oxford and Delhi. He runs his own consultancy in England for part of the year, and works for charities for street children and teaches English in India in the down season.

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THE FRUITS OF OLD AGE by Riya Gulati

Every age has its own charm but despondently when it comes to old age, our society has taken a few steps backward and tremendously failed to look at the bright side. When it comes to job opportunities, many so-called good companies slam the doors for experienced & wise people. If an elderly try to join a new course, apply for a job, join as a club member, visit his/her child’s office, accompany grandchildren, our society gives stupefying reactions. The love and tenderness which a newborn gets, the same is required for our older population but they are woodenly shunned. It’s disgraceful to see the rampant emergence of old-age homes in a country that is well known for its morality. A nation wherein the people

have a deep reverence for priests, saints and are good at debating over what’s right and what’s wrong but turn gibberish towards the elder population. How one treats the (known/unknown) elder population tells a lot about a person's ethical value. Here is the list of reasons which will justify why we need to revamp our modern thinking for our old population: Old Age is an Asset: Whether it is wisdom or experience, elderly people are on the upper edge. I have worked with a 35 y/o employer and 75 y/o employers and realized where more sincerity, maturity, calmness, balance, ethics, and consciousness lie on. It’s not a generalization, but, due to deep focus and attention retention, elderly people have the ability to think more intelligently and ethically. For example, PM Modi, Ratan Tata, Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Soman have proved that age is just a number and are gleefully sharing their blessings with others.

the influence of the virtual world and too many indoor activities, the youth is comparatively less active than it used to be. The elder population is much smarter in managing multifarious tasks as compared to the youth. But the emphasis is always focused on youth which stands for naivety, hasty judgment, and lack of discernment. The biographies of the famous old men and women suggest that they have continued their productive activities into the years well beyond the normal span of life. Old age implies one has more wisdom & life experiences: Indeed, age is the dawn of wisdom. Life is short to have bad experiences, and we must learn from the mistakes of others. The elder population is much more involved in the inner world than the outer world, therefore, they have much more to offer. One is more likely to acquire life-related wisdom from their grandparents, elderly family members, teachers, employers, and seniors.

Some people are young at 80 while others are old at 18: Due to

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Old people are much needed: Some employers shut down the doors for the people who are 40+ as the emphasis seems to be on youth. If the employer replaces their shallow thinking and realizes that the elder people are not selling their age, rather willing to share their skills, talents, understanding, and wisdom gathered over the years on the marketplace of life. Whether it is school, college, office, and home, we need old people for their guidance, love, and blessings. We need them more than they need us. It’s our time to help them to welcome the change gracefully.

prisoners of society rather we must motivate them to be a producer. It’s never too late to set and start over a new dream or goal. Madame Ernestine SchumannHeink, reached the pinnacle of her musical success after she became a grandmother. Isaac Newton was hard at work close to 85. Socrates learned to play musical instruments when he was 80 y/o. George Bernard Shaw was active at 90 whereby the artistic quality of his mind had not relaxed from active duty. It’s our obligation to provide the healthiest and peaceful environment to our senior citizens.

Old People are young by mind and spirit: Old age is often regarded as a second childhood, but they are not given the same amount of care and admiration as a child. Whether it is in the workplace or at home, society wants to get rid of them. They should not be asked to resign or leave because of their age, as it is the time when they could be more useful in the organization or home. They don’t need your money; they just need some emotional support. They usually don’t react to the tantrums and chaos as they are tapped in their spiritual world and have the ability to think justly and meekly. Starting over a new venture: We must not let our older population become the 26

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“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art”

Lec

Riya Gulati is a Paralegal at Law Offices of Caro Kinsella, Ireland. She is LL.M (Intellectual Property & Information Technology) from University College Dublin & BA.LLB from Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University.

- Stanislaw Jerzy

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Minimalism: The Way to Rediscover Life

by Ankur Rastogi

inimalism in life is all about concentrating on what is crucial for us to live contentedly and seeding willingness in our conscious stemming out thoughts & physical possessions from our life that distract us. The long-tailed lockdowns witnessed by the human race last year have added a new dimension to our lives. Less is more, we heard it many times, an ageold simplistic style of living culture followed by many in Japan and have been a buzzing mantra for some time. However, most of us had a first-hand experience of this life during lockdowns.

Lockdowns may have enhanced the growth of digital platforms but parallelly have revitalized channels of real pleasures through simple ways - music, reading, knitting, DIY activities, cooking, yoga were much-appreciated activities. Further, we realized the redundancy of multiple collections in our houses that add no value but high entropy in our lives. The baton of Minimalism which usually gets associated with being beyond 50s

The constraints compelled us to control urges towards running to the malls, splurging our money in superfluous buying. Another bewitching spell was of attractive offers cast by the eCommerce sites. Everything inessential paused under lockdown, a blessing in disguise. Listicle items of necessary goods purchase and stay at home became the new norm of life. We became conscious of eschewing any wastage - Baking a cake from the overripe bananas, a dish out of leftovers, and even squashing the toothpaste to the last squeeze, was a common sight in many homes. "Necessity is the mother of invention’’, well said by Plato and best applied during lockdowns, introduced many of us with a new facet of a Minimalistic lifestyle.

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age has been observing the embryonic entry of Youth-the next Generation. A few reasons for oscillating away from a maximalist lifestyle are the deleterious impact of excessive consumerism on the environment, the financial turmoil worldwide & increased global social awareness.

The key to real happiness lies in unlocking your real desires. Once discovered, cajole your mind to purge out trifling thoughts and create more space for true desires.

However, the thing that intrigues many of us is how Minimalism offers life with less stress, fewer diversions, more freedom, and time for self & loved ones?

A friend of mine was stressed out soul seeing stacks of books dusting in her shelf collected right from her childhood. The sentiments attached with memories were holding her back to let it go but unnecessarily weighing her mind. Finally, she decided to donate them to the neighborhood library and kept a few as reminiscence. With all the physical clutter cleared, she had a relaxed state of mind and feels contented when sees her book being shared & read by others. Thenceforth, she continued the cleaning drive-by trimming down her wardrobe, kitchen, office, and other areas in the house stuffed with things not needed anymore. Radiant refraction of her home reflected positively on her well-being and her family.

Minimalism provides a panoramic perspective of simplified day-to-day life. A minimalistic lifestyle isn’t about a hermitage living with bare essentials, but an informed choice towards frugality. It is often confused with antimaterialism which is certainly not the case. You don’t have to give up anything you intend to keep and value. Minimalism is not about keeping white-grey shaded bare walls and rooms with a minuscule set of things. I love my house to feel like a home. To add colors to it, to exhibit my souvenirs, artifacts on counters, and pieces of furniture to enhance the beauty of my place. For me, the perception of minimalism is setting off on a journey of self-improvement. You learn to appreciate what you already own and dispose of anything that causes chaos in your wellbeing.

A MESSY ROOM EQUALS A MESSY MIND -

What we see or perceive affects the behavioral pattern of our minds. Marie Kondo, a Japanese writer in her book ‘’Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’’, states that clarity in the physical environment around us brings calmness, cognizance and stimulates our positive energies. COLLECT DIAMONDS-

MEMORIES,

NOT

I know a friend who gives no expensive 30

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gift to his child on his birthday but replenishes with fun-frolic family vacations, outings, and dining. His son recounts each birthday by the memorable moments he had cherished happily in his heart for a lifetime. When you begin to shift your focus from possessing materialistically to memories, the space of your closet may shrink but creates lifetime memories for you to keep smiling, which is priceless. When you step into a minimalistic mindset, you save time, money, and effort to mine finer aspects of your life. Collect the moments and not the things as they endorse your true self. BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL & MAKE IT LAST Consumerism is not bad, but reckless and mindless certainly is. Excessive consumerism shifts our concentration on materialistic upmanship. In the race of being a step ahead of others, we begin to evaluate our success markers with the number of materialistic possessions and tend to deplete our resources. Loans, debts of credit cards are common stories, causing mental stress and, in quest of paying off, you trade-off less time with your loved ones. However, minimalistic consumerism does not imply ‘zero materialism’. I love to honor my commitments towards possessing worldly essentials like AUGUST 2021

home, car, comfort are essentials or fall in the category of convenience. But will draw out a red line towards splurging or wastages. Be a Conscious consumer and think before shopping - Why do you need it? How will it be utilized? Where will it be kept?. A minimalistic lifestyle is a continual journey of rediscovering life. We may not follow its ideology instantaneously, but with passing time, the principle of chaos to calm will brush our conscious and will have a sparkling impact on our well-being. By choosing Minimalism, I’m filling my life with stories to tell not, stuff to show. What are you choosing for your family?

Ankur Rastogi is a blogger and an author.

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Unleash

YOUR Cr

e a tiv e Si d e

by Aparna Mukherjee

olding something for long which you crave to do, but you cannot do it can make you feel restless at all times. Neha, the creative girl, who has a passion for painting has held her creative passion deep within. Neha is the central character of our story and the story revolves around our pretty and talented girl who is 25-years-old. Presently, she is an HR in a corporate firm, earns a handsome salary. Although Neha has an elder brother, she is the only girl who supports her family financially. Neha's elder brother does not earn as he is a paralysis patient who spends most of the time in a wheelchair. Neha always dreamt to be a professional and an acclaimed painter. Neha has pasted some of her painting work on the wall of her cubicle. Her works of painting have been highly appreciated by her colleagues and her superiors. From 9 am to 9 pm, Neha spends her time in the office. Her eyes are always stuck to the screen of the computer. When her colleagues used to take a break, she used to stare at the computer screen for a long time, doing her office work. It goes without saying that Neha is an extremely diligent person who understands nothing beyond her work.

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After returning home from the office, Neha becomes so exhausted that she does not get the strength to do household chores. Still, she gathers strength for making dinner. Her strength is her family. No matter how exhausted she is, when she looks at her parent's and brother's faces, Neha's gleaming face makes her family smile. As she was the only support of her family, every member depends on her, as she was the only bread earner in her family. When darkness covers the earth, Neha starts Friday into her passionate side of doing the painting. When the world enjoys the pleasure of slumber, Neha enjoys the pleasure of painting. Every alternate night, Neha unleashes her creative side in the form of painting. In her painting, one can feel passion and pain. Her pain cannot be seen from her face; her pain and stress can be revealed through her painting. When she paints, she gets engrossed in her painting. Her painting makes her forget everything around her. At the time of painting, she forgets her agony and the stress that she goes through in her daily life. Looking after her brother and parents, taking care of them, doing housework, and fulfilling the responsibilities in her work in the office have brought dark circles under her eyes. STORIZEN MAGAZINE

But, Neha never gave up. She tried her level best to fulfill her duties and responsibilities in every field of her life in the best possible way. One day, while fixing her eyes on the computer in her office, her boss came around to know about the experience of work of every employee. Neha's boss is quite friendly and helpful. If any employee experiences a problem at work, he sorts out the problem at once. When her boss came in front of Neha's cubicle, he paused a little to look at the creativity which Neha had posted on the wall of her cubicle. By seeing the paintings, her boss was astonished to see the mind-blowing creative work done by Neha who is also one of the best employees in the office. Looking at the stupendous creative work, Neha's boss called her in his cabin.

was the first time in her life someone realized her creative side. Neha's joy knows no bounds. Moreover, her boss said that he would help her in promoting her painting by giving her paintings in the exhibition of an art gallery. Neha's boss asked her to take a leave for a day and then collect all her paintings and bring them to the boss's house. As per her boss's words, she did it accordingly. Her paintings were exhibited in one of the famous art galleries. She never dreamt that her paintings would sell like hotcakes. In a week, her paintings have not only sold out but also have become extremely popular among art lovers.

At first, she did not understand the reason for calling her in the office. She sat on the chair which was placed in front of her boss in a hesitant way. Her boss said, "Neha, I called you to let you know that you do great creative work. Your painting is full of life. You should take your painting passion seriously. You have a hidden talent which you should unleash to the world." Hearing a bag of compliments from her boss, Neha felt a little shy, as she is not used to compliments. So far, she has not received compliments from any person. It

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Her life changed for the better since that day. From her paintings, she got a huge amount of money which was no less than a dream for her. Now, her employees, relatives, friends, and other people have high regard for her because of her talent in the form of stupendous paintings. Neha always feels highly grateful towards her boss who has brought her creative work into the limelight.

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In a few words, Aparna defines a woman who beholds high aspirations and firmly believes in expanding her horizon. She holds a Master's degree in English from Mumbai University. By profession, she is an online Senior Content Writer and Blogger who writes informative articles for various Indian, UK, and US blogs and websites.

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Dealing with Male Infertility by Sushma M Bhardwaj

STORIZEN HEALTH

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. It does not intend to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases. Get the help of a certified medical professional or a certified dietician before making any changes to your diet or exercise regimen.

nfertility is a term that has most often been referred to in correlation to female infertility. Male infertility has always been a subject of taboo. In the present scenario, it is no longer a term confined to women, but a problem with needs to be addressed for the members of the male gender also. The idea that male fertility is eternal is a misconception now. The hormone testosterone is produced in the male testes which are responsible for the onset of puberty in males. The most fertile age is from 30 to 35 years and after that, the decline starts but these days the decline in male fertility starts at an early age. The reasons are countless: 1) Medical reason: Infection which sometimes leads to swelling in the veins 2) Retrograde semen enters the bladder 3) Tumor or cancer malignant bodies AUGUST 2021

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4) Genetic problems like cystic fibrosis 5) Hormone imbalance hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, and low testosterone levels 6) Defects of tubes: Tubes that carry sperm (seminal vesicles) may have some blockage 7) Problems with intercourse: Such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities, and less libido 8) Certain medications like steroids to enhance muscle power surgeries like prostrate, large intestine, and rectal cancer 9) Environmental factors like industrial and chemical exposure like pesticides, painting materials, heavy metals like lead, X-ray radiations, overheating of testicles, frequent use of saunas, working on the laptop for a long time 10) Lifestyle disorders a. Drug use: Steroids stimulates muscles but shrinks testicles and sperm production is reduced b. Alcohol: it can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production STORIZEN MAGAZINE

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c.Tobacco: lower sperm count and reduces their motility d. Overweight: BMI should be less than 25 otherwise it will cause swelling and hormone changes e. Stress: A byproduct of modern lifestyle, paralyzes our whole-body system because it affects the brain and the brain is the driver of the whole body HOW TO DEAL PROBLEMS?

WITH

THE

To get over the problem of male infertility we have to make the following changes in our lifestyle 1) 6 to 8 hours of sound sleep 2) Make your lifestyle stress free and filled with a positive attitude 3) Exercise circulation

4) No alcohol tobacco intake

increase

blood

consumption

and

5) Diet: We must take antioxidant-rich food like vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene coenzyme Q10, etc. take less carbohydrate because it reduces sperm production, instead take fat and protein in sufficient quantity. Include fresh fruits vegetable sprouts and dry fruits. Take 38

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Click here to watch on YouTube an apple, beet, and carrot juice. Take protein, vitamins, minerals, Omega into your diet. 6) Keep the temperature of your body low, take a cold water bath 7) Take proper organic supplements to enhance sperm count and other intercourse-related problems. In this regard, I would recommend Testobooster from OK life care private limited for the following reasons. Testobooster has the following ingredients: 1) Makka root extract: Minerals, vitamin C, iron, protein and it also is a powerful antioxidant 2) Shilajit, safedmusli, ashwagandha: Is used in Ayurveda for centuries to enhance the sexual power

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3) Zinsang: It strengthens the muscles and increases physical performance 4) Ginco Biloba leaf extract: it increases brain power and manages stress 5) Niacin: it metabolizes fat and protein 6) Alpha-Arginine and alphaCitrulline: It dilates blood capillaries and increase blood circulation 7) Zinc: It is a natural producer of testosterone 8) Diindolylmethane: Producer of male hormones The above lifestyle changes and stressfree life improves sperm quality. These steps will help you encounter the problem of male infertility and help improve your lifestyle with your partner.

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A Well Researched Book! Reviewed by Swapna Peri

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India is a country that is diversified in many ways. Be it the landform, culture, ethnicities, languages, or tradition, it is a perfect mixture of many kinds. With this, it is also unexplainably apt to say that India has had a glorious history too. It is also one of the countries that had a great civilization. In the pages of history worldwide, India and its heritage are the most talked about things. Though there is much to talk about and learn from the history, certain aspects like Westernisation and the present trend of some forces acting upon the elements that talk great about the Hindu civilization are masking the glory. These comments and statements, where some are absolutely true, are discussed in the latest book by Mr. Pavan K Varma's book, The Great Hindu Civilisation. Pavan K Varma, an author and a former member of Rajya Sabha, quotes in this book that ' the academic elite ' of India, now in the present times, have shortchanged the Hindu culture and civilization.

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About the Book In this exciting book, author Pavan K Varma talks about the most famous vocabulary used across the country by certain groups for example, liberal, secular, etc. But in another way, he opens a new direction to think deeper into why he made such statements. However, the book in this age may create confusion among the readers.

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Final Verdict This book is readable with a conclusion that is framed like we need to research our past with greater care and energy — avoiding unscientific assertions — and educate our children about the great Hindu civilisation! (check out storizen.com for full review)

A passionate book reviewer, writer, narrator, translator, and copy editor, Swapna has a B. Tech in Computer Science and is a former SAP Technical Consultant. She is the writer, narrator, editor, and translator for three books published with Literoma Publishing, Kolkata. She created and manages the “Book Reviews Café” official blog and Facebook page that contains all the book reviews. Swapna is also a content writer and reviewer with Storizen Magazine, CriticSpace Journals website, The Literature Times website, The Asian Review website, and the Literature Today website. She is a columnist with one of the leading women's websites in Telugu named 'Vihanga'.

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

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An Intense Story Reviewed by Swapna Peri

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weaving them together with Draupadi as the central character makes the book interesting.

BOOK REVIEW

This is the 21st Generation, and we have Gen X and the next generation citizens reigning the world. But what remains unchanged is the ever debatable books or epics like Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Also, it is to be observed that the women characters of these epics that were once confined to only the tales and the books are now being studied in detail. There have been many books in the fiction genre emerging with this as the central topic. The female protagonists of the stories are the reflection or the mirror images of the then-women characters but in a new avatar! Be it queens or princesses or warrior princesses, many of them are inspired by these two epics. In this connection, talking about Ira Mukhoty's book - Song of Draupadi stands apart!. Apart from the mentions of the ever-talked superheroes of the epic story, the main focus on the character of Draupadi is something worth reading. Mahabharata itself is a massive treasure box of tales in it, and

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About the Book The narrative of Mahabharatha takes a new face when the story is re-told from a woman's perspective, and this is proven here. This talks about the amount of research and study that the author has done for the book.

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The narrative of Mahabharatha takes a new face when the story is re-told from a woman's perspective, and this is proven here. This talks about the amount of research and study that the author has done for the book. Visit storizen.com for full review

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

AUGUST 2021

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A Thoroughly Recommended Book! Reviewed by Swapna Peri

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Folktales are a kind of story that gets passed on from generation to generation. This is true in many cases, and this element gave the new age authors the liberty to write their own versions of popular kinds of traditional tales, such as fables and fairy tales. It is also a fact that a folktale does not have a single author. The tale itself takes many versions as the generations pass on. The word folk in the folktale itself answers this. It is also a fact that many folktales are old. For many generations, these tales were told. Most of them are in the brain but not on paper. As a result, folktales like Arabian nights from the middle east or the Indian folktales that comprise of many animals as the main characters were told aloud long ago in many places but now are written down in books. These folktales talk about many stages and parts of life. They tell about happy times, sorrows, animals, birds, kingdoms, virtues, ethics, heroes, and villains. But, every tale tries to teach a lesson or explain something that is difficult to comprehend.

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About the Book In this book, author Lopamudra picked up folktales from every state in India. Every tale in the story is fascinating and interesting. Language The language used is simple, elegant and with extreme clarity. The book is though a translated one, the narration in every small tale is absolutely dynamic, gripping and exciting.

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Final Verdict A thoroughly recommended book! (check out storizen.com for full review) A passionate book reviewer, writer, narrator, translator, and copy editor, Swapna has a B. Tech in Computer Science and is a former SAP Technical Consultant. She is the writer, narrator, editor, and translator for three books published with Literoma Publishing, Kolkata. She created and manages the “Book Reviews Café” official blog and Facebook page that contains all the book reviews. Swapna is also a content writer and reviewer with Storizen Magazine, CriticSpace Journals website, The Literature Times website, The Asian Review website, and the Literature Today website. She is a columnist with one of the leading women's websites in Telugu named 'Vihanga'.

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

AUGUST 2021

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An Intuitive Story Reviewed by Swapna Peri

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The story of Sooley is an intertwining between the many tragedies of the African continent, most of Sudan. The civil wars that made masses of people move away from the country, economic crisis, and political vendetta that prevails still have taken center stage in the story. His research and co-relation between African politics and basketball sport are absolutely stunning. Born into a family that is in the hemisphere of a political environment that does atrocities on its countrymen to stare and die for the oil companies' existence, Samuel Sooleymon or Sooley, the central character, is a 17year-old guy who loves basketball. At this juncture, NBA Talent Hunter Ecko Lam scouts various countries for future players, and his encounter with Sooley makes him bring the new talented teenager to the USA. Sooley joins the college and also prepares himself to play.

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About the Book Coming to his new book that was released in March 2021, Sooley is a pleasant surprise to the readers. Moving away from his usual writing style and weaving the story around court, law and politics, this story is about a person from the African country Sudan and basketball.

Book Review

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The game is also described in detail. But, there are some critic reviews\comments on the book few from the former players, that some points mentioned in the book about the game stand absurd. While shrugging out such comments, as a reader of his works for many years, I recommend this book to every Grisham book lover! Visit storizen.com for full review

@swapna.peri @sappy_dreamz_unlimited @swapna508

AUGUST 2021

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The Anonymous healer... by Madhumathi H Serenity framed! Cobbled pathway, ochre, mustard, yellow Grey whispers, complementing the happy hues... For whom he strums, the solitary singer?! Clocks dismantle themselves, for music is time Life flows in a rhythm, for those who listen... Cacophonies dissolve, harmony blooms When the music flows as honeyed streams For all the brine our eyes hold Soothing, healing, planting hope and love... He sings to silence, and to the invisible breeze Have we ever asked silence, how it feels Aren't we always the takers, never giving music To silence that often heals us?! The breeze! I see Her arms folded, leaning over the wall Gently perfuming the space with jasmine, sandal, petrichor As She sways and swirls to the song... He might leave the place, but I can still hear him Hear his voice, in the hues of art From countless canvas Translating the inexplicable into the language of colors Into lyrics of love... I want to meet that soul at the street corner Sipping coffee, gazing at the singer

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Wiping away his tears, making sure nobody saw him If only he walks across, and meet the strings closer Find a friend in the singer Mutually be shoulders to lean on... For whom he waits, to play that special song That one song he sang with a disarming smile I heard long ago, as I went past him on a rainy evening He doesn't know, my tears are part of that song now I do not want to ask him to sing for me I shall wait until his heart is ready To unfriend silence, and joyfully sing... 'Being alone, and 'feeling lonely' is not the same That is what I hear from his guitar To whom he vents each day... Solitude, peace, is what we may see around him But only he can tell, what is inside him... "His days are made of songs Making inaudible, the sobbing aches", said a voice I woke up startled, searching for the voice It could be the artist, it could be the art Speaking the truth, many refuse to believe...

A bilingual poet-writer(Tamil, English), Madhumathi is an ardent lover of Nature, Poetry, Photography and Music. Her poems are published in Anthologies of The Poetry Society(India), AIFEST 2020 Poetry contest Anthology, CPC- Chennai Poetry Circle, IPC – India Poetry Circle, Amaravati Poetic Prism, and in e-zines UGC approved Muse India, Storizen, OPA – Our Poetry Archives, IWJ International Writers Journal, Positive Vibes, and Science Shore. ‘’Ignite Poetry'’, “Arising from the dust”, “Painting Dreams", “Shards of the unsung Poesies" are some of the recent Anthologies her poems, and write ups are part of. Besides Poetry, Madhumathi writes on Mental health, to create awareness and break the stigma, strongly believing in the therapeutic and transformational power of words. Contact: madhumathi.poetry@gmail.com

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Hey! Are You Still There? by Mamta Joshi A lapidarian’s apprentice Tight-lipped and narrow-eyed Began carving a new script Of a brand new world Filtering out life. Dreams lay scattered Like paint smeared brushes On the table of a careless painter Who had gone for lunch His mind is a container of emptiness. Death is no longer heroic Nor difficult to conceive It has put itself on all four shows Matinee, noon, evening, and night The burial rites went awry. The broad contours of golf courses The glitzy spaces of malls The fragrant eateries and restaurants The schools and playgrounds Remain frozen in time.

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Highways choke with barefooted millions Their dehydrated souls stained with sweat Expecting no alterity from heavens They march back to their villages No relief from a realm beyond reality. From my narrow one BHK window A lone cloud sails across the blue sky Is it uplifting to be alive? The pep-talk no longer aligns my growth Fears do.

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Mamta Joshi did her Masters's in History from Allahabad University. Her poems, reflective essays, prose pieces, and short stories have appeared in national dailies and international e-magazines. A free spirit, she works with equal ease in Hindi and English.

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And Then, There Was Kirtan by Vidya Shankar Words in rhythmic recurrence, yet no wordsmithing She only mouthed them, or at least those she could make out Clapping soundlessly, palms barely contacting Yet, with every clap The stiffness of her shackles Melting — A trickle Thin, slow A stiff-chaired business meet. My voice — well-groomed, respectful of my corporate audience. My presentation — carefully prepared slides, structured to impress. Economic strategies — I knew my numbers — A profitable, long-term revenue stream. A career-graph jump. Poetic justice for my diligence. Bank on me, I screamed. There was no poetry, no deep insights, no metaphors, no imagery Just prayerful praise! Words, melody, cymbals, percussion Sounds amplified, cadence rose Connecting her To the present She clapped, she swayed To glory! A stream meandering gaily Unmindful of her banks 60 |

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My promotion conferred, I meandered Through impressed faces, flowing adulation Feeling Not the expected excitement But a plummeting Somewhere within. Why did their words seem hollow, soundless? Their clapping, perfunctory? Their smiles, pretentious? Tiring civility. I felt all alone. Vibrant consciousness reverberated with ascending intensity A joyous, coming-together Of the small, exuberant group Clapping in ecstasy Folded legs flapping to the beat She rocked in oblivion Detached Transported to a sacred space A pulsating, uncontained river Flowing onward One with the Ocean

Vidya Shankar, poet, writer, editor, blogger, motivational speaker, English teacher, a “book” in the Human Library, and mandala art instructor, is the author of two poetry books The Flautist of Brindaranyam (in collaboration with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan), and The Rise of Yogamaya (an effort to sensitize her readers about mental health and the need to break free from an outdated society). A recipient of several literary awards and recognitions, she has been featured in the first-ever ‘Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English, 2020-2021’ as well as a unique coffee table book, ‘50 Inspiring Women boys and girls should read about, Chennai Edition’. She finds meaning to her life through yoga and meditative mandalas.

@shanvidwinsalways @vidya.shankar.author

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Dreamlike by Nikesh Jain I dream of a world of justice, Where rights of human is a reality. Where voices are not left unheard, And limpidity and accountability is verity . Working for the expansion of humankind, Seeking happiness and well-being. Greed and selfishness not creating Agitation and further craving. More than calmness, more than liberty, Humans understanding themselves within. All living their life of ease. For, we all are searching for peace. A heart understands another, A rich human helps the poor. It's the humanity that I dream, And the cruelty is what we don't need. I dream of a better world, Where each and every one blooms. You be black or white you be, All humans here, are free.

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Nikesh Jain currently residing in Bangalore, is an International Business Management graduate from MIT-SOM College, Pune. He says “If you don’t know where it ends, don’t run a race”. With a young mind motivated and driven on the business start-up “XROSS BUTTON”, an apparel brand, he is passionate about his future. He feels the power of a pen and a book together is greater than anything else. He has an intense love for writing and reading and put this out as a a useful tool to inspire and motivate people around him.

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Space and Time by Sangita Kalarickal

Camera watches The world go by. Cars rolling, kids on bikes, babies in prams. Camera watches From a vantage point. Zooming out different angles. Perspectives on life Camera watches the hourglass sand drip Weathered paces. Wizened faces. Wizening faces.

Born a poet at heart, Sangita Kalarickal has been honing her craft since childhood. Also a fantasy writer with a soft corner for literary fiction, she lives in Minnesota, USA, with her husband, kid, and the several characters she writes about. Currently she is working on her first chapbook. In her day job avatar she is a physicist and has also been known to moonlight as a gardener and a community volunteer.

Unrefuted links. Cameras. And watches.

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One Amongst Us by Sumantra Chaudhury

So what does it matter if he is shy, Or is draped in flamboyant costumes bright, Or whether his curls cascade eloquently, Like a waterfall, hiding the tales of his fights. So what if he saunters with a graceful gait, Or cries aloud and boldly expresses, Or whether his lips red with passion, Kiss a man whose love he fondly addresses. So what if in the shadows he hides, Sneered by so-called friends of man, Many a lesson up his sleeves he has; His experience is unmatched by anyone. He is a human... just one amongst us. Fearless... more a man than many I trust. A son, a friend, a brother, a lover... My faith in whom I blindly entrust.

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Sumantra is a young aspiring poet trying to express his thoughts, emotions, and ideas through rhyming verse. He is working as a Senior Consultant (Communication Design) with a reputed IT firm in Bangalore. He is also a trained Kathak & Hip Hop dancer and has performed in several stage shows. When not writing or dancing, he spends time creating short funny videos on social media. He believes that the best gifts in life come in small packages.

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