4 Ways These Fictional Characters Will Improve Your Networking Skills

If there’s one thing that Ashwin Sanghi’s most recent book, The Sialkot Saga, taught me, it would be the indispensability of networking in today’s world.

Arbaaz Sheikh and Arvind Bagadia.

Both at the top of their games.

But, how did they reach there? What was the secret behind their continued success?

Readers come to know the key to this alleged success early on in the story and they are assured of it time and again as the story progresses. You don't have to be an observant reader to identify their key to success.

As you flip the pages of the book, you will realize that though both Arbaaz and Arvind seem to be poles apart, they have one thing in common: a growing network of connections built with cunning foresight and the knowledge that humans don't sacrifice; they give. They give with the expectation of getting something in return. And it is precisely that which drives what Brazilian best-selling author, Paulo Coelho, refers to as the Favor Bank.

So, how do you build your network? Through LinkedIn? Facebook? Twitter? You'll reach your own conclusion by the time you finish reading this.

In the meantime, let's take a look at a few ways in which Arbaaz and Arvind built their networks.

1. They approached people. If not, they made themselves approachable at the right time and right place.

When the characters started out, they belonged to an era where television and internet were unheard of. This meant that they did not sit cooped up in front of the laptop screen, sorting through possible connections on LinkedIn and neither were they busy friending a stranger on Facebook.

Instead, they relied on the people they knew in their daily lives to get their work done. Whether it was Murali for Arbaaz or Joydeep for Arvind, both were able to identify the potential in their fellow classmates and thus, strengthened the roots of their friendship early on, way before either could even imagine being listed in the Forbes list of India's Top Richest People. And it wouldn't have been possible if either had remained aloof or surrounded himself with an invisible wall.

2. They made sure to reciprocate a favor.

The pen that you borrowed from a classmate a month back? You'd better return it. Even a supposedly small thing like that could uproot the trust that a person has put in you.

Arbaaz and Arvind, though shrewd and not always morally correct in their ways, were sharp enough to know that they were duty bound to return a favor to someone kind enough to do them one. Murali showed compassion towards Arbaaz when he was caught with his homework incomplete. Arbaaz didn't accept it then but keenly reciprocated the kindness later in life. Meanwhile, Arvind made sure he passed on some of the moolah from his scams to his friend, Joydeep for allowing him to use the printing machine in his father's school. Both of these childhood friends proved to play an immense role in the main characters' successes later on.

3. They were genuine at heart.

When your best friend turns out to be disloyal, you immediately face disappointment. Why? Simply because if you had been in his place, you would not have done the same.

Both Arbaaz and Arvind feel slighted more times than one, and they immediately become defensive. Having deposited in another's Favor Bank with expectations that the person would shower them with due kindness, they feel let down by the most important people in their lives. Ultimately, though, they realize their own mistakes as well and take action to correct the balance in the Favor Banks of both parties. The expectation, guilt, and subsequent corrective action would not have arisen if they hadn't built their relationships on trust and genuineness.

4. They reached out.

When was the last time you talked to your favorite teacher from school? Been a while? Don't even think of leaving a message and letting it go at that. Will it possibly hurt to give her a call?

Arbaaz and Arvind frequently dropped in to meet their acquaintances when in the same town. Moreover, Arvind’s periodic communication with a man who went from being next to nothing to being the Prime Minister of India is admirable. His care in sending handwritten letters from the very beginning and being aware enough to congratulate the man on reaching every milestone, while also showing support during his so-called failures, shows the effort he took in keeping touch with the people in his network. It is a reflection of the respect and responsibility with which one should maintain relationships and not just build them.

If you read the book, you will figure out how flawed both Arbaaz and Arvind are as human beings. Then again, we all are. But as networkers, you can certainly say that they are some of the best. True, their tactics don't comprise all it takes to be a great networker but, they surely cover the basics!



Written by Priyanshi Sheth
"Namaste!" from a creative, Indian soul who aims to keep herself motivated as she writes, travels, photographs, and thereby, shares her knowledge.

Top 5 Bookstagrammers who should be storming your feed !

Being a big unabashed book geek I feel that it is my sacred duty towards ignorant humanity to relish the plentiful bounties of the written word and its aesthetic beauty.

Reading books takes you into another dimension where everything is anything but dull.

The fight sequences, the gut-wrenching monologues, the proclamations of passion, the fierce betrayals and everything in between. The bookish world is where you want to be.

It is an utter pleasure to witness so many dedicated bookworms or booklions as they prefer to be called, not only share reviews and recommendations but also scintillating aesthetics of their current favorite reads.

Here are a few Bookstagrammers without whom we can’t live without:

@5ftinf isn’t all books, all the time like most of these accounts but it is one of my favorite accounts on all of the instagram, run by a British artist who’s best known for her gloriously lit daily shots atop her wooden table. She has an eye for color and old books, and when she does post book shots they’re amazing.

@bookmusings posts beautiful books, flowers, and monthly stacks of what she reads each month. She tends towards the classics and her photos are always beautifully composed.

@booksugar prefers to style her book shots against a plain white background, which makes for striking photos. She features a nice mix of classic and modern reads. (Instagram bio: “Nothing is sweeter than a book – except Colin Firth in a suit.” )

@strandbookstore  features a healthy mix of self-promotion, bookstore shelfies, and general bookish enthusiasm. You’ll wish you were local so you could pop in to all the author events and local meet-ups they have on site and share on instagram.

@inspiredbymaya features books, of course, but lots of pens and journals, too, plus the occasional cityscape.

@silkreads is a Denmark teen who shares books, greenery, and her cats in interestingly-styled photos.

So, what are you waiting for? Check them ou and follow them ASAP.

My personal Instagram handle is  @yamilands  ( it features loads of book aesthetics and even if you aren’t a book lover follow me anyway :-)

Written by Yamini Jaiswal

She spills dreams on paper and hopes to resurrect the power of the written word through artistic expression. An Illustrator for poetry and musings.

Why do we need to READ?

Often we see a lot of discussion about why should we read books. Not just books, even newspapers or anything that’s good for you. Here I am with the reason; books or any source of information helps you to grow, not just mentally but intellectually as well. Some people find it boring while some just flip through the pages like they have been forced to read. But I feel that if you don’t read you don’t discover your inner imagination and creativity.

There are even books that tell you how to read a book but the simple answer is that by reading you not only improve your writing skills and English but also increase your vocabulary. Start with the book that attracts you or is of your interest. Be it a love story, fiction, sci-fi or self-help literature, each genre is worth giving a try.

I had no interest in reading books but I got a gift from my grandmother on my birthday, must say the most valuable gift till date which was a book titled The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, a self-help book. It not only changed my thought process but made me believe in myself, I gained more confidence and focused on the positive aspects of life. After The Secret, I started venturing with more genres. After that I started reading love stories, though I never had an interest in fiction I still gave a chance to some of the books. After reading different genres not only I could write better but it also made me more creative and imaginative.

Now I come to the topic of what sorts of books we should read. Well, the first thing is that don’t finish every book you start because your time is precious too. If you feel that a book is not worth reading, leave it and start with another one. But again don’t stop; focus on expanding and improving your own library. As Francis Bacon said "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and few to be chewed" that is, some books are to be read but only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously and some few books to be read wholly, with diligence and attention.

I am a devoted student of self-help literature and I have heard a lot of saying that how can a book teach you how to live? Well, it's true that a book cannot teach how to lead your life but it can give you positivity, some good tips by which you can make your life better, hope and obviously knowledge.

So, never in life judge a book by its cover. Read it and explore it.

Written by Chayanika Singh

Unique name right? Well, I am a big time foodie and a travel junkie but I also love to write about serious issues and problems all over the world. Sometimes my write-ups will be of great joy and sometimes they’ll make you think about issues.

Quotes: The Wise Men Talk

Someone once said that a pen is mightier than a sword. This person had clearly understood the strength of words. Words can cheer you, depress you, transport you and deliver you. And some words can question your whole existence and make you think, see and understand things anew.

Presenting here are some dialogues that redefine the strength of words for me-

1. “Pain is to be fought and thrown aside, not to be accepted as a part of your soul and as a permanent scar across one’s view and existence.”

― John Galt, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand




2. “If you look for perfection, you will never be content.”

― Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy




3. “You never really understand a person till you consider things from his point of view.”

― Atticus Fitch, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee




4. “Whenever we feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in this world haven’t had all the advantages you have had.”

― The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald




5. “Understand that the first step is acceptance & only with acceptance can there be recovery.”

― Dumbledore, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire by J .K. Rowling




6. “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

― The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho




7. “Everyone is a slave of routine. It’s hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.”

― Calvin, Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson




8. “There is no greater natural advantage in life than having an enemy overestimate your faults unless it was to have a friend underestimate your virtues.”

― Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather by Mario Puzo




9. “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

― Les Mise’rables by Victor Hugo




10. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

― Animal Farm by George Orwell


Books, after all, are your close friends and they give wise counsel. Some of these quotes have been just the words I needed to keep going at times. If you have any such quote that stirs something in you, feel free to share it here. I would love to hear them!


Written by Shreya Srinivasan
A person of varied interests, with a possible ADHD that went unnoticed as a child. A gypsy philosopher looking for her place and space in the world. Admittedly a little odd at first, but then, you have to be odd to be number one.

The Legend of Harry Potter Continues

It was a long time back, in 1997 when the first book of The Harry Potter series, The philosopher’s stone was released. No one, not even J. K. Rowling would have imagined the success that her books received worldwide. Today, Harry potter series , featuring seven books and eight movies based on them, probably is the most widely acclaimed story of all times.

No matter how many times, you read it, you can never get enough of this book. The story of the wizarding world, where people can perform exceptional tasks by the power of their magic, although appears far too realistic, but the excellent portrayal by Rowling will make it all believable for you. Probably, this is the reason why Harry potter today is not just a book or a movie series, it is a culture. The huge fandom, which finds solace in this work of fiction, actually wants to believe in the existence of magic. Does it not say a lot about the exceptionalism and excellency of this work?

In an interview after the success of the first book of the series, Rowling had stated that she was rejected by almost 12 publishers, because they thought that the idea of her story was too ridiculous to interest the readers. Today, these people must be the ones, who might consider this to be the worst decision of their lives.

Rowling continuously wrote the seven books of the series, with every new part breaking all the records of its predecessor. It was finally in 2007, when the last book ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ was published, and she announced that this would be the end of the Potter’s story.

The books were made into eight successful films, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in lead roles. The movies too, just like the books received a lot of appreciation from people, and set new records, one after another at the Hollywood Box office. When the last movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –Part 2 was released in 2011, the fans were sad, because they did not want the story to end ever.

After years of speculation, finally, Rowling announced that she was working on the eighth part of the story in late 2015. This story, which has been titled ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ is the story of the protagonist’s son, as he starts his journey in the magical world and experiences the pressure of the carrying the legacy of his father. Rowling however clearly stated that a movie would not be made for this story, because she wants to convey it to the audiences through another medium. As a result, The Cursed Child has been set up as a stage play in two parts, which will be premiered in London from July 31, 2016.  The screenplay would also be available in the form of a book, which will be released on the same day.

It would therefore be interesting to see  how much the continued story meets the expectation of it’s readers.


Written by  Avinash Srivastava
A Writer of Stories, Loves Novels and Movies

Upcoming Book to Movie adaptations: 2016 Edition

So, I have a reading list and a movie list prepared at the beginning of each year and then I derive divine pleasure while striking off the contents of those lists.

It becomes even more fun  when the book you just read is being adapted into a film. It’s like- take the trouble and make it double.

Here’s a list of adaptations you shouldn’t miss this year:

1) BFG by Roald Dahl

Plot:  A young girl, Sophie, befriends the titular big friendly giant.

Starring: Bill Hader is playing the Giant, and Steven Spielberg will direct the live-action adaptation.

Release date: July 1

2) Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

Plot: A high-school senior gets caught up in a creepy online game of truth or dare.

Starring: Emma Roberts and Dave Franco


Release Date: July 27

3) The light between Oceans by M.L Stedman

Plot: A lighthouse keeper and his wife discover a baby and a dead body near their home off the coast of Australia after WWI. 

Starring: Michael Fassbender will star, alongside Alicia Vikander as his wife.

Release date: September 2

4) The girl on the train by paula Hawkins

Plot: In this mystery, a woman thinks she may know something about a crime involving a couple she sees on her train commute every day. 

Starring:  Emily Blunt

Release Date: October 7

5) A monster calls by Patrick Ness

Plot: A young boy deals with bullying and his mother's illness by inventing a fantasy world filled with monsters and other creatures.

Starring: Felicity Jones will play Mum, with Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver costarring.

Release date: October 14

6) Inferno by Dan Brown

Plot: The Da Vinci Code series continues with Robert Langdon's latest adventure as he tries to stop another international scheme by following clues in Dante's The Divine Comedy.

Starring:  Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Langdon, and Felicity Jones will costar as Sienna Brooks. Ben Foster will play the villain.

Release Date: October 14

7) Fantastic Beasts and where to find them by J.k.Rowling

Plot: Rowling revisits the Harry Potter universe in this book about Newt Scamander, who "wrote" the textbook that Potter and his classmates would study.

Starring:  Eddie Redmayne will star in the film trilogy

Release Date: November 18

I hope you marathon your way through these beautifully written books just in time to watch the films.

Till then, Happy Watching!


Written by Yamini Jaiswal
She spills dreams on paper and hopes to resurrect the power of the written word through artistic expression. An Illustrator for poetry and musings.

15 Confessions of an Avid Reader

READER’S RELATABLE 101

So, as an avid reader and the supporter of the paperbacks over kindle movement. I feel responsible for these little bundles of joy in my life. I feel deep empathy towards all the readers who feel left out in social situations or lack social skills because they were too busy being lost in the sea of literature to actually bother about the socialisation process, while growing up.

Yesterday I stumbled upon a very relatable post on my Tumblr dashboard and I couldn’t help but share my utter relief and joy on finding similar bookworms like myself.

1. Creased Book spines are the bane of our existence.

2. We cannot go on extended holidays without taking a tote full of books along with us.

3. We pre-order before the entire world even realises the existence of the book.

4. We always have “ENOUGH” money to buy a new book, if nothing else.

5. We squeal with unbridled joy when we find someone reading our favourite book.

6. Our bookshelves are always over crowded.

7. We love literary banter and puns.

8. We fall in love with fictional characters. All the time.

9. We love the smell of books.

10. Books and coffee are the best combination.

11. We love solitude.

12. We love discussing a book, piece by piece. After we are done reading.

13. Our phones are flooded with pictures of books and our online carts are full of book purchases. 

14. We get emotionally attached to fictional people.

15. We hate it when somebody interrupts our reading Zen/zone.

I hope you find this post entertaining and relatable and just don’t forget that we all are in this together!

Happy Reading!

Written by Yamini Jaiswal

She spills dreams on paper and hopes to resurrect the power of the written word through artistic expression. An Illustrator for poetry and musings.

Top Ten Books to read this Monsoon

“Books are uniquely portable magic”, said Stephen King, perhaps the most celebrated author of all times. Truer words have never been spoken. A reader’s curse is to live a million lives and wanting to live a million more through those inked pages.

Since it is the monsoon season which more often than not evokes an unidentifiable longing to escape to undiscovered places and hide away from humanity, I present to you My personal favourites. Keep a book and a cup of coffee by your side and you switch off the world for hours at length.

1.

This book has been on reader’s to be read pile since the beginning of the year.

The story is about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

2. 

This controversial yet brilliant literary piece by Vladimir Nabokov is one of the highlights on my bookshelf.

Humbert Humbert - scholar, aesthete and romantic - has fallen completely and utterly in love with Lolita Haze, his landlady's gum-snapping,the  silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. 

3.

This coming of age novel by Salinger is what stimulated the minds of a million young adults all over the world, no wonder it is part of the American curriculum.

The Catcher in the Rye is the story of Holden Caulfield who has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school.

4.

The classic written by Jane Eyre at the tender age of eighteen under the pseudonym of Currier Belle tells the tale that did away with the docile interpretation of a civilised woman.

Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. 

5.

One of my all time favourites is this haunting account of a possible future of humanity.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

6.

This book implores the reader to understand sadness and depression not as a taboo that is often kept under the wraps, away from the eyes of society.

A vulnerable young girl wins a dream assignment on a big-time New York fashion magazine and finds herself plunged into a nightmare. An autobiographical account of Sylvia Plath's own mental breakdown and suicide attempt, THE BELL JAR is more than a confessional novel.

7.

Jay Gatsby wants to earn money. He gives up the present to chase the future, to undo, rather, reclaim his past.

it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s that resonates with the power of myth. A novel of lyrical beauty yet brutal realism, of magic, romance, and mysticism.

8.

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS.

Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

9.

The journey of discovery and love between the perpetually jovial Lou Clark and the cynical pessimist Will Traynor. 

This book has got millions of fangirls pining for their own customised Will, I wish the world was a wish granting factory.

10.

A boy survives an accident that his mother doesn’t. He is taken in by a wealthy family, joins an elite school but is bullied. He longs for his lost mother and clings to the only thing that reminds him of her- a painting.

As he grows up he discovers underground art and starts working at an antique store where another dangerous game is being played and he somehow, is a pawn in the game.

I hope you read a few of my recommendations, nothing’s better than a reader and a book, especially if it’s recommended by yours truly.

Until the next post, Happy Reading


Written by Yamini Jaiswal
She spills dreams on paper and hopes to resurrect the power of the written word through artistic expression. An Illustrator for poetry and musings.