Why must you live in gaps, when you own the world?
Own every stone, fiber, even me,
To know you, I must enter the gap,
Hear the sweet music of my being,
And hum along softly, till the unfamiliar song becomes one with the tongue.
For you give, where no one else will, If this sounds selfish, then I should probably tell you, It’s this selfishness that you cure, little by little, with your unconditional love.
All doors and windows are open, come softly, gently like the wind,
Stay tangled in my hair, caught in the buttonhole on my chest,
Come, let’s lie cheek to cheek, there are chairs and tables and pillars and hidden spaces,
Come, we’ll hide in this openness, in this aloneness…
Uncountable summer days and quiet sultry nights, the madness has died,
Fever simmers in the blackened corners of the mind,
I’ll say these are generous times,
Love, like fallen leaves may have fallen, but it now travels a hundred miles,
Unafraid, unbound, uninhibited, un everything...
Brown Earth loosely scattered,
Matted with twigs, pebbles, glass, fallen leaves, footprints, smells and scents,
Kissed by the Sun, befriended by the Wind, circled by the Moon,
She’s been lazing under a blue sky for centuries,
In the Wind, she has an unlikely friend, who plays and sways and runs like a child,
While, Earth like an ailing old woman suns in her verandah, cracking her knuckles,
Wind cajoles and cries to come run with her, through the mustard fields, lush valleys and house of concrete,
A smug Earth smiles and says, ‘I am bound by my nature,
Infused with energies that ties me to the ground,
No matter how hard or long I try, I can never learn to fly,
Wind, my dear, I am made this way.’
Suddenly, a playful Wind dashes through the sky, sprinting like a deer,
Kicking up a dust-storm, tossing Earth like a dinghy in the ocean, riding the waves,
The calm and poise of moments ago is replaced by a reckless abandon, wild and free.
Human nature is infused with the many energies of anger, greed, desire and ego. It’s not easy to fight our nature. We only have to observe our own thoughts to know how violent and self-serving, the best of us can be. Therefore, like the earth we need a little help to fly, and that is what silence, mediation and prayers does, it gives us wings.
"A breathless tale of ancient secrets and modern terror" The Hindu
The Taj Conspiracy by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is a novel that has set a new benchmark for crime fiction writers. The well crafted plot surrounds none other than the crown jewel of India, the Taj Mahal and the controversy surrounding it.
It all begins when a young Mughal conservator stumbles on a conspiracy to destroy the Taj Mahal, she must battle her inner demons and overcome a prejudiced police to decipher clues that will unmask the mysterious conspirator.
A writer of great caliber, Manreet’s superb research into history, politics and religious fundamentalism surrounding the Taj combined with her vivid story telling skills make the book a compelling read.
In Manreet's own words, ‘Crime/thriller genre is nascent in India. However, I believe that the crimes in a country reveal much about the country itself.The Taj Conspiracy pivots on a central question - what if Babri Masjid were to happen to the Taj Mahal? - and I use the tropes of crime fiction to explore how growing fundamentalism threatens the ancient pluralistic fabric of India.’
Blurb:
On her return to India Mehrunisa starts work with her godfather, an eminent scholar on Taj Mahal. One night she discovers the body of the Taj supervisor, slain according to Sharia law, and the Quranic calligraphy on the tomb of Queen Mumtaz altered to suggest a Hindu origin of the Taj Mahal!
Mehrunisa's investigation of the Taj conspiracy reveals several threads: Islamic militants are planning an attack on Taj to coincide with the visit of the US President, while a Hindu right wing party looking to reverse its electoral loss is ratcheting up its anti-Muslim agenda by discrediting the famed Muslim monument.
In a series of suspenseful twists and turns, the action traverses from the warrens of insurgent Peshawar to the serene splendour of Taj Mahal in Agra, from intrigue-laden corridors of Delhi to snowy Himalayan hideouts. Can Mehrunisa unmask the culprit in time to prevent a major catastrophe?
How Hitler Reacts to The Taj Conspiracy. A must watch trailer!
Media Reviews:
The Taj Conspiracy released in June 2012. The
book has hit several bestseller lists - Flipkart, The Hindu, Asian Age - and
garnered great reviews.
"A thriller that leaves the reader spellbound"
The Sunday Guardian
"Someshwar spins a tale of intrigue, bravado,
suspense and loyalty that just grips with you with such force that you are
swept off your feet." Sakaal Times
Author Bio:
Manreet Sodhi Someshwar trained as an engineer, graduated from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and worked in marketing, advertising and consulting. An award-winning writer (Commonwealth Broadcasting Association), and copywriter (Creative Abbey), she is a journalist and a popular blogger as well.
Her debut novel, Earning the Laundry Stripes, released in 2006 to critical acclaim, with India Today calling it ‘an enjoyable tale of a sassy girl’s headlong race up the corporate ladder…’
Her second novel, The Long Walk Home, published in 2009, has garnered critical acclaim and hit several bestseller lists in India. Legendary poet-lyricist Gulzar has called it ‘a narrative of pain that knows no borders’. Celebrated writer-historian Khushwant Singh has hailed Manreet as ‘a gifted writer of great promise a new star rising on Punjab’s literary horizon’.
She has featured at several literary festivals including the Singapore Writers Festival, the Shanghai International Literary Festival and the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival.
Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and several Indian publications.
