Title: 5 American Masters
By
Aiswarya M
10 B
I am really glad to talk about a wonderful book because it has really made me happy. It is a collection of humorous short stories that have been written by the 5 American’s best authors who are O Henry, Jack London, Henry James, Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe. My favorite story is the gift of Magi. The specialty of Our Henry’s short story is there has an unexpected twist awaiting us at the end. It had made me happy and have taught me a lot of lessons.
Title: BFG
Author: Roald Dahl
By Manav K P
9B
Eight-year-old Sophie peers out the window of her orphanage one night and sees something terrifying. A huge, dark shadow is coming down the street. A gigantic hand reaches through the window and plucks her from her bed. She squirms as the giant man holding her hurries to his cave in Giant Land.
Sophie soon discovers the giant isn’t planning to eat her as she’d feared. He is a big, friendly giant (or BFG). Unlike the other nine much larger and more horrifying giants that live in Giant Land, the BFG is fairly civilized. While the others are big, smelly, hairy and wear loincloths, he dresses in regular clothes. While they scour the world each night in search of people to devour, he doesn’t eat humans. But like all the giants, he has a strange, mixed up way of speaking that sometimes baffles the little girl.
The BFG tells Sophie if she wants to be safe, she must never let the other giants know she exists. He feels sad for her as she tells him about losing her parents and the sorrows of orphanage life. She asks him what he was doing in her town, walking the streets at night with a long, thin trumpet and a suitcase. He explains that he can hear things very keenly with his big ears. He can even hear dreams floating in the air. He collects them and, with his trumpet, blows good dreams into children’s rooms at night.
A giant named Bloodbottler enters the BFG’s cave, and Sophie hides inside an unpleasant vegetable called a snozzcumber. Bloodbottler takes a bite of the snozzcumber and spits it out, spewing Sophie across the room. After the unsuspecting Bloodbottler leaves, the BFG cleans Sophie off. The two begin hatching a plan to get rid of the other giants.
One day after being tossed around by the other giants as they would a toy, the BFG takes Sophie with him to Dream Country. He shows her how he catches dreams with his net and bottles them, labeling them so he’ll know what each is about. He even catches one bad dream and gives it to a giant named Fleshlumpeater back home. The giant’s thrashing during his nightmare ignites a brawl between the nine giants but still does nothing to eliminate them.
Sophie suggests they tell the Queen of England how the giants are snatching and eating people. She and the BFG decide to create a dream for the queen. In it, the queen will see giants eating English children. The dream will tell her about the BFG and how he can help her capture the giants. Finally, the dream will reveal a little girl sitting on her windowsill, who will lead the queen to the BFG. Once she awakens, she will find Sophie on her windowsill and know the dream was true. The giant mixes many dreams together to get just the right story for the queen’s dream.
The plan goes off without a hitch, and the surprised queen allows Sophie to introduce her to the BFG. After the queen makes arrangements for Sophie and the BFG to have breakfast with her, she calls a few other countries to confirm that they, like England, have had groups of humans go missing in the past few days. She is convinced the BFG’s story is true.
The queen sends her military with nine helicopters to follow Sophie and the BFG to Giant Land. The sleeping giants are tied up and carried by helicopter back to England, where an enormous pit has been dug to contain them. The BFG brings his collection of dreams back to England with him, as well as a bag of the horrible snozzcumbers. He says he will help the royal gardener grow them so the giants can eat them forever.
World leaders send gifts of thanks to the BFG and Sophie. The queen has a special home built for the BFG and a cottage next door for Sophie. The BFG also gets a special room for storing his dreams, and people all over the world write him letters asking him to visit them. Tourists come at feeding time to hear the giants eat their snozzcumbers. The only tragedy occurs when three drunk men climb over the safety fence and fall in to the giant pit. Sophie teaches the BFG to read and write properly. As the book ends, readers discover the author is the BFG.
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Title: MY STORY
Title – Manul of warrior of light
Author- Paulo Coelho
By Navya
The book is a collection of philosophical thoughts and stories it’s all about living our dream . Paulo Coelho helps us to discover the warrior of light within each of us with inspiring short passages, we are invited to embark upon the way of the warrior .
I suggest it because it one of the great inspiration I have acquired
We all are a warrior of light the one who accepts failure and the one whose quest leads him to the person he wants to be .
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Title : Murder in Mesopotamia
Title: AB: The Autobiography
Author: AB De Villiers
AB De Villiers was born on 17 February 1984. He was born in a sports loving family. He always loved sports,especially team games. But he excelled in many sports like Tennis,Rugby,Basketball,Badminton and mainly cricket. He was also called by the nickname ‘Mr 360’ in Cricket. His passion towards Cricket and Rugby was very much high. He always loved and was proud of bating for South Africa. He has played with so many great players like Jacques Kallis, Grasmere Smith and Mark Boucher while playing for South Africa. He always settled new records whether playing in Warmbaths or Bengaluru. He loved Indian pitches very much. At the opening of IPL(Indian Premier League) in 2008 he was bought by Delhi Daredevils, but after that was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and he still plays for the same team. The fastest 50 and 100 runs in One day International is recorded in his name. He always wanted to play Cricket life long, but retired from all international cricket in 2018.
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Title: Brief Answers To Big Questions
Author: Stephen Hawking
The ‘Brief Answers To Big Questions’ was the last book written by Stephen Hawking.
Title- Harry Potter and the goblet of fire
Author- J K Rowling
One fine day Harry Potter woke up with his scar hurting badly. He had woken up by seeing a bad dream of the dark and evil Lord Voldemort making plans with his followers and he had also killed somebody. Harry new very well that seeing a dream of Voldemort and his scar hurting was a very bad sign. He sent a message to his best friend Ronald weasly or Ron about this. After some time the reply came and Ron said that he and his father got tickets to go to the Quidditch world Cup. Harry was so excited. They next day, Harry, Ron and Hermione and their parents went and watcher the game. At night, when all of the people who came to watch the game were sleeping in their tent, Death eaters or Voldemort’s followers attacked the site and created fire which caused the dark mark. The dark mark happened after 200 years and it was a very bad sign. The ministry of magic announced everyone to keep themselves safe. After a week their classes started the trio went back to Hogwarts. On the first day, when everyone were having their dinner, Albus Dumbledore their headman announced that Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament only open to students of ages 17. The participants must put their names in the goblet of fire. Harry was not allowed to put his name in the goblet because he was not 17. So he did not put his name. The next day when the participants were chosen, Victor and Cedric were chosen. But after a second, the goblet of fire chose an other name which was Harry Potter. Everyone was surprised even Harry. The curse could not be taken back, so Harry was forced to take part with two boys who were older than him. The fort one was about Dragons. Harry did very well and he got the 1st place in that. The second on was about underwater. He didn’t study the spell for that, so he got the 2nd place. The third one was rather complicated, he had to face Lord Voldemort. Harry faced Voldemort very bravely and did very good but Peter Pettigrew took Harry’s blood, Tom Riddle’s bone and his own arm to rescue Voldemort. But Harry again did very good and he tipped down Voldemort. At last Harry Potter won the Triwizard tournament.
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The best of Ruskin Bond
Author : Ruskin bond
Title :To kill a Mockingbird
Author:Harper Lee
By
Nanditha S
Summary : The novel tells the story of the lives ofScout and her brother Jem, children growing up in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Along with their summer friend, Dill. The kids play a series of games which involves another neighbour,Boo Radley who was accused of stabbing his father with a pair of scirrors. The kids are incredibly scared by the very notion of this man, as are the rest of the street, the exception being Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, so they dare each other to go nearer to the house. While this is going on the children’s father,Atticus Finch is battling a court case, in which a young black man was accused of raping a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. The children get caught up in the trial, in which Tom is convicted and eventually killed trying to escape from prison. Jem and Scout become the targets of Bob Ewell, the father of Mayella, who tries to kill them one Halloween night on their way home from school, but Boo Radley,who the children have never seen,shows up to save them, killing Bob in the process.
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“ASURA” by Anand Neelakantan is a mythological fiction novel. It was first published by Leadstart publications in the year 2012. Anand Neelakantan is an author based in banglore ,he mainly writes mythological fiction. His other works include “The legend of Bali” and the AJAYA series.
The book is a retelling of the Ramayana from the asura point of view .The book is narrated from two different perspective of Ravana, the asura emperor and Bhadra, a common foot soldier.
The first part of the book follows Ravana’s campaign to conquer India and bring back the lost asura empire, while the events of the Ramayana unfold in the second part, a little different from how we know it.
Though the book had a great plot and the author’s take on the Ramayana was compelling, it was rather slow and for a major part of the book the story didn’t seem to move at all .The purpose of the book is to tell us how the it would’ve been as we’ve only heard the victors tale . And it might not have been the whole story .
“Asura” was rated 3.6 on goodreads and was nominated for crosswords “most popular book of 2013”
To conclude , it was a slow moving book but I liked the idea of the book and how the “villain” and the “hero” were actually neutral.i would recommend it to everyone whose interested in Indian mythology.
“ Great cities and ships were built by men who had pride in their veins ,anger in their minds ,who cried when they were sad and laughed when they were happy, who were frightened when confronted by forces larger than themselves ,but strove forward with determination and a selfish love for all that they cherished. They constantly kept raising heir levels of ambition. Intelligence is just a tool to serve our emotions and I want to live as God intended man to live”
Title – A Season of Ghosts
Publication – Penguin Books
Book: Matilda
Author :Roald Dahl
By
Karthik Manikoth
IX
This book revolves around a girl called Matilda. She is an extraordinary child.when she was aged 4 she started to learn on her own by going to the village library during afternoon hours. Unlike other parents her Parent thought that she was a nuisance and they didn’t take care of her properly. At the age of 5 she goes to school.At her school she becomes a star because of which everyone likes her company out of her friends her best friend is Lavender who is very adventurous and generous. She gets a very nice class teacher too whose name is Miss Honey she too is very generous and teaches very nicely. Alas,out of her luck she gets a very bad headmistress called Miss Trunchbell who hates children. The story goes on to show how she tackes problems in her school. This story has many twist and turns. The story is written humorously.
Cons of this story
It’s small a small story and sometimes takes turns which are unrealistic.
Why I suggest it
The story is very inspiring and it gives an idol to look upon. Written In simple language so that everyone can read it. How the story develops is very fascinating also.
Hope you all will read the story and enjoy the time with Matilda and friends.
Thank you.
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‘Gardens of Water’
Author: Alan Drew
By
PARVATHI V. NAIR
CLASS XII-C
Gardens of Water is a phenomenal work of Alan Drew. This all-consuming soulful piece of work is well written and commendable. This book portrays the story of Sinan and his family and their struggles, hopes, despair and survival.
Sinan and his family were leading a modest and simple life. For Sinan, being a role model to his nine year old son and guiding his daughter Irem in the right path were his daily struggles. The beginning of the story also gives a picture of the intricate values that the family holds.
However, their life underwent a horrific change when a devastating earthquake struck the outskirts of Istanbul where they lived. At this juncture, Sinan could clearly notice his life crumbling and shattering as he was stripped of his home and livelihood.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, Sinan realised that he was indebted to an American whom he distrusts for his son’s life. Sinan was also left with no choice but to accept the help and services provided by the Americans as he was forced to live in one of the relief camps set up by Americans. This was extremely challenging for Sinan as he was born and brought up in a war-torn region and had also lost his father in the war which was initiated by the Americans. So his hatred towards Americans had also grown with him.
In the course of the story,Sinan gets entangled in a series of dangerous decisions. Finally, it is the realisation of Sinan that everything that he held so dearly was transient and are somehow destroyed, just like the streets of Istanbul that lie in rubble beneath his feet. This realisation draws the eventful, yet mesmerising story to an end.
In this piece of literature, the author in a very expressive fashion pens the struggles of people to tide over the difficult and challenging situations that arise after every disaster like earthquake or an ever-wasteful war. The author has tried his best to draw our attention towards the agony and sufferings of common people. This bottom line of the issue is something that we often fail to notice. The novel is written in detail and it also moves us emotionally. This book is thus not just interesting, but also very relevant and important in today’s world where we often face political unrest and terrorism. Overall the book ‘Gardens of Water’ is fascinating and truly worth reading.
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AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED
Author: Khaled Hosseini
By
Swathi Dileep
Class VII-B
Today, I am going to talk about the book “And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini. There are nine chapters in this book. It is written similar to a collection of short stories with each of nine chapters being told from the prospective of a different character. The book’s foundation is built on the relationship between ten years old Abdulla and his three years old sister Pari and their father’s decision to sell Pari to a childless couple in in Kabul because they are poor. This book explains well about the social and economic difficulties of Afghanistan people of those times. There is a beautiful quote in this book and that is “it is a funny thing… but people mostly have it backwards. They think they live by what they want. But really what guides them is what they are afraid of what they don’t want”.
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HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD
Author: J K ROWLING
By Swathika P
VII B
Harry Potter and the cursed child is the eighth book in the Harry Potter series. This book is written by J K Rowling , John Tiffany and jack Throne. Harry Potter and the cursed child is divided in to two parts, it has four acts and various scenes. This is the story of relationship between Harry Potter, a 37 year old over worked Ministry of Magic employee and his son Albus Severus Potter, who has to carry the weight of unwanted popularity and history that comes attached to his last name. But Harry Potter and the cursed child has more than that to offer, it brings our favorites Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny and the much hated Draco Malfoy together in situations in which they can’t escape each other. It also had mentioned many dead characters – Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory , Lord Voldemort , James and Lilly Potter an all of them have something to contribute in their own unique ways.This book traverses through our pleasant and unpleasant memories of the Wizarding World- students boarding Hogwarts express at platform nine and three-quarters, the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, Ministry of Magic, floo powder mode of travel, the Godric’s Hollow, the Triwizard Tournament and what not! It juggles between past and present in ways that could change their future to extends that are unimaginable and unforeseen .This book is compelling enough like its predecessors, to force you to not put it down. I am surely recommending this book to you.
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An Era of Darkness: the British Empire in India
Author: Shashi Tharoor
By
Megha
9 C
Shashi Tharoor’s An Era of Darkness is one of the best must read book especially for history lovers. This books says about the British colonial rule in India. The author gives all the arguments required to establish the fact that the British colonial rule was an awful experience for Indians.
According to the author the colonial rule was an era of darkness for India. Throughout Indians suffered several man made famines, wars, racism and economic exploitation.
Everything the British did on India was for their own benefit and never that of Indians. The Britishers used India’s soldiers, materials,and money for wars especially the world wars 1 and 2 that they fought in India and overseas.
The British rule had ruined the country economically very much. Before the British came India share in the world economy or GDP was about 27% an with no time under the colonial rule it decreased to just 3%.
Even though the British did so much harm it did some sought of awareness of our rich culture and linguistic heritage and the abolishment of practices like that of sati by the initiative took by Rajaram mohanroy.
I think this is a good reference book too. I recommend this book for each and every Indian to know about one of the important period of India.
Super 30: Changing the world of 30 students at a time
Anand Kumar
By Aman Shams
Anand Kumar mathematics teacher born in Gaudiya Math Patna, secured a place In cambridge university but he couldn’t attend because he had no money and sold pappads in the evening instead. He prepared a coaching Center fot underprivelaged students preparing for IIT and JEE examination.Super dirty has an astonishing success rate and on average 27 to 28 of the 30 students crack the exam every year.The super 30 says that they have never seen a better mathematics teacher before.
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THE IVORY THRONE – CHRONICLES OF THE HOUSE OF TRAVANCORE
Author: MANU S. PILLAI
by Neha Fathima Wahab (12-A)
“In July 1497 when Vasco da Gama set sail for India, King Manuel of Portugal assorted a distinctly expendable crew of convicts and criminals to go with him.”
So begins the debut historical book of the author and researcher Manu S. Pillai, before delving into the social setting of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Kerala as an introduction, with 20 meticulously-researched pages of facts and events involving the fall of the Zamorin and the rise of Martanda Varma.
The heart of the story is formed by the irrevocable enmity between Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the last Maharani Regent of Travancore and her cousin, Sethu Parvathi Bayi, the Junior Maharani. We are told that during the pre-colonial era, the royalty of Travancore was customarily headed by a female, or as the author says: a family ‘did not take after the patriarchal model of man, wife and their children’, but instead consisted ‘of man, sister, and her children’, which meant that a female could become a Maharani in this matrilineal society only if she was related to the maharajah, either by blood or by adoption, and not by marriage.
At the crucial juncture when Sethu Lakshmi Bayi is made the Maharani Regent as Senior Maharani, the years ahead mark the growth towards the culmination of the resentment of the Junior Maharani towards her cousin, as the younger Maharani is denied some of the benefits that the elder, more exalted Maharani gets.
The book successfully chronicles the history of the transformation of a society with highly-detailed research and the joys and sorrows of the Senior Maharani with equal poignancy, encompassing the controversial Newspaper Regulation Act of 1926 and the pivotal abolition of the Devadasi system and prohibition of animal sacrifice, including the surge in women being appointed in the administration. As the author noted in an interview, “She ruled only for seven years, but it affects the way Malayalis live even today.”
But although the author’s narrative on the Senior Maharani is mostly positive – even attempting to whitewash her controversial activities, such as the Newspaper regulation act, which suppressed freedom of speech – the Junior Maharani is cloaked in resentment towards the Senior Maharani from the beginning, unfairly portrayed in sinister tones by the author. However, the author does admit at certain parts of the book that the Junior Maharani was a dynamic woman, with her radically progressive views such as the revolutionary Temple Proclamation Act of 1936.
The author’s narrative is exhaustively informative while providing the exchanges between the two cousins against the backdrop of a changing Kerala in a manner which promises to keep the reader intrigued throughout its 694 pages. It also provides pictures of the main characters, scenes, and paintings in between, which allowed me to complete my visualization of the people and places mentioned. It ends with roughly a hundred pages of the author’s notes, offering a closer insight into events and people mentioned.
All-in-all, I would suggest this book for anyone who is searching for a single book which covers the major episodes in the dynamic history of Kerala.
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The blue umbrella
Ruskin Bond
By
Arundhathy V Nair
7 C
The blue umbrella was like a flower , a great blue flower that had sprung upon the dry brown hill side…. Everyone on the road turned their heads to stare at the girl with the bright blue umbrella…
The short story blue umbrella is written by Ruskin Bond, an Indian author with British decent. In this story a small village girl Biniya gets a beautiful blue umbrella from a group of tourists in exchange for her tiger claw pendant .Everyone in the village admired the beautiful umbrella especially the crooked old shop keeper Ram Bharosa. He set up many plans to acquire it but none of them succeeded in its mission. Then he chose the most wicked way. Biniya with her kind heart changed Ram Bharosa’s mind in to a good one. But to know what was the most wicked way and how they made a good use of the blue umbrella, you will have to read the book.
The main characters in this book are Biniya, her brother Bijju, Ram Bharosa, and Rajaram, the sales boy at Ram Bharosa’s shop.
It is a beautiful book with colorful pictures and good narration. Enjoy reading the book. Happy reading.
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Antony and Cleopatra
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Sita: Warrior of Mithila
Author: Amish Tripathi
By
Anaswara K M
12 C
During a trip from trikut hills, Janak the king of Mithilla and his wife Sunaina find a child in a furrow being protected by a vulture from a pack of wolves. They adopt the child as they didn’t have any and name her ‘Sita’ as she was found in a furrow of mother earth. Few years later Sita is sent to the ashram of Rishi Shvetaketuwhere she learns martial arts and gains knowledge in various subjects. One day, Maharishi Vishwamitra who is the chief of the malyaputra’svisits the Ashram and impressed by Sita’s skills and wisdom he elects her as the seventh Vishnu and asks her to keep it as a secret. At the ashram sita makes friends especially with Radhika and her cousin Vayuputra Hanuman and also wins the trust of Jatayu, a naga member of malayaputra.
After the demise of Sunaina, Sita returns back to Mithila to take care of her younger sister, Urmilla and her kingdom. Sita is made the prime minister of Mithila and is given financial support by malayaputra’s. With her childhood friend Samichi who is the head of police she brings many new reforms such as creating bee quarters in the slum, making roads etc. After her kingdom is stabilized, Sita goes to Agastyakoodam the capital city of malayaputras, for her training. One day Radhikainforms her that Rishi Vashistha has also chosen a candidate for next Vishnu, Ayodhya’s prince Ram and the declaration of next Vishnu with concern of both malayaputra’s and vayuputra’s. Sita thinks why Vishwamitra chose her over Ram and she come to know that it was due to the conflict between malayaputras and vayuputras and personal grudge between vishwamitra and vashistha.
Sita plans a marriage alliance with prince Ram so that after their marriage both of them can become the next Vishnu and work together. During the swayamvarSita is enraged to see that lankan king Raavan and his brother Kumbhkaran are also invited by her uncle Kushadhwaj. Raavan is insulted before everyone and he leaves with anger. Ram wins the swayamvar. Ram is married to Sita and Lakshman marries Urmilla. The next day, Raavan attacks Mithilla with 10,000 soldiers for revenge. As mithilla was being defeated, Vishwamithra forced Ram in the absence of Sita to use Asuraastra whose usage was forbidden by lord Rudra. Raavan flees in his puspakviman. After this incident Sita rarely talked to Vishwamitra. All of them return back to Ayodhya and Ram decides 14 years exile and is accompanied by Sita, Lakshman and Jatayu and his team of 10 malayaputras. They also take a supply of somras so that they can be young.
During the course of time, many incidents take place like jatayu goes to Mumbadevi for the fast heeling water, jalikettu and the visit by Vibhishan and Shurpanakha. One day while Ram and Lakshman went for hunting, Sita and Makarant went for collecting banana leaves and are attacked by Lankan soldiers. Jatayu fights and is attacked and wounded.Sita is taken to Lanka in PuspakViman. Sita is astounded to see Samichi attacking her………………………………….
In this book, instead of normal portrayal of lady Sita as a demure princess and faithful wife lady Sita is portrayed as a fierce warrior, able administrator and a master strategist. In this book Amish has written about life and achievements of Sita who is an efficient prime minister of the kingdom who spearheads many socio-economic reforms which transforms mithila into a powerful kingdom. It would be wrong to say that this book is another interpretation or another version of the great epic Ramayana.
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Title:Cosmos
By
****************************************************************************************12 Years A Slave
Solomon Northup
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Title of the book: The mother I never knew
Author: Sudha Murty
Publisher: Penguin books
Year of publication: 2014
The book comprises of two novellas that explore the life of two men. The novellas are named after the two men Venkatesh and Mukesh respectively. The story revolves around their lives and their quest searching for a mother.
The first novella deals with the life of venkatesh who is a bank manager. His wife is a businesswoman and he has two children Ravi who is a software engineer and Gauri who is medical student. One day Venkatesh gets transferred to Hubli. There he came across many instances when people thought that he was Shankar master. Finally in a temple he meets Shankar’s aunt and he reveals his true identity that he is Venkatesh. Venkatesh then goes to Shankar master’s house. Shankar master was a primary teacher and he lived in extreme poverty. Venkatesh came to know that Shankar master was his brother. Venkatesh wanted to do something for his brother but he didn’t have money. He asks his wife to help Shankar master, but she refuses to do so. Later his daughter Gauri gives him the money which could solve Shankar’s problem. Finally Venkatesh is successful in helping his brother, but he doesn’t reveal the secret to Shankar since he promised Bhagavva his stepmother.
The second novella is revolves around the life of story of Mukesh a programme manager at BBC in London. After the death of his father he came to know that he was adopted by Sumati. Sumati looked after Mukesh with love and affection. He then wishes to find his biological mother. He goes to Punjab to meet Rupinder who gave Mukesh to Sumati. Later Rupinder reveals the truth that he was the son of Nirmala. Mukesh catches a train to Delhi to see his mother. When Nirmala came to know that Mukesh was his son, she feels humiliated. However she is happy to see Mukesh in a good position.
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