Book Review: Pride And Prejudice

Jane Austen was an English writer. A novelist who has written tremendous works like Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and more; she was among the first women to convey humour, moral issues, wit and intelligent matter through her beautiful works. She inspired women to make an extra effort and do what they love doing. Her novels depict eighteenth-century England with realism and Victorian Literature as well. Here's a book review of the novel which is undoubtedly considered the best work of Jane Austen — Pride and Prejudice. 

The novel focuses on romance, family, relationships, love, affection and misconceptions. It describes the life of the upper class during the Victorian era. 

It is a romantic comedy about the pride of a man and the prejudice of a woman. The protagonists of the story are Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman Mr Benett, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a prosperous aristocratic landowner.

The story revolves around Elizabeth and her Benett family. Mr and Mrs Benett have five daughters and no son so Mrs Benett wishes to have her daughters married to well settled and financially stable men.

Elizabeth is generous and lively and she favours her father’s hatred for the conventional notions of society regarding the importance of prosperity and status. She is thus originally unfair and prejudiced against the noble hero, Fitzwilliam Darcy, in whom she sees exaggerated pride and arrogance.

On the other hand, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy is a proud and arrogant man, specifically to those that he assumes of inferior social status.

But later he falls in love with Elizabeth and it's a happy ending of the story.

It is a very unique novel with a touch of romanticism. It is worth reading and one can feel the characters and events as the tale proceeds. 

Happy reading!

travel blog: Badrinath... breathtakingly beautiful !

There is vivid memory somewhere in my mind that takes me five years back from now. I was 15 then and had just appeared for 10th board exams. A sudden plan to visit the Badrinath Temple was proposed by my father,  things went really smooth and we left for Badrinath two days later. The journey itself was worth remembering- the cool breeze, streams and rivers besides the road after every few miles.

I had always heard about the beauty of the place but it was now my turn to experience it. It was a long journey of 14 hours but the sights were prepossessing. The magnificent mountains, the sound of running rivers, the men and women of that place in traditional attires were all delight to the eyes.

It felt as if the river was taking us to the destination.

     Image: Badrinath Joshimath Highway

Once we reached the Badrinath Temple, the spiritual atmosphere made me experience peace, calmness, heaven, tranquility and silence. The natural lukewarm water in the kund refreshed my mind and soul. I forgot all the tensions of life and felt the stillness. It felt that I wanted to be there forever. The glimpse of the statue of God Vishnu filled me with positivity, strength and energy.  We stayed there for few hours enjoying the landscapes around and getting idols of gods, some malas, prashad and pictures of the temple and beautiful mountains around. 

I wanted to capture the whole scenery in my mind forever. We returned the next day but it feels my heart still stays there.

  Image: Badrinath Temple 

It was such a pleasure to even listen the silence at that place and these feelings stay with you forever.  A minute throwback can give you beautiful memories to cherish for lifetime.

       Image: View of a mountain (during sunset) near the Badrinath Temple 

It is very important to take out some time from our busy lives and relax. Away from the chaos of the city, the traffic jams, pollution and hectic schedules are places that welcome us with open arms ready to heal us from the innermost. So without giving a second thought we should just pack the bags and experience nature whenever we get such an opportunity.

     Image: Badrinath Valley 

Buyers Guide: Conditioners which are BEST !

Hello pretty ladies! Are you having a bad time managing your hair? Do you want the perfect frizz-free and silky hair for the party tonight? 

Having a bad hair day is common but do you know how a perfect conditioner for your unique hair can work miracles for you! 

Looking at a variety of hair conditioners in the mall might put you in a dilemma about which one to get. So here's a buyers guide to the best conditioners available. Prefer buying them online to save money (trust me it's fun when everyone else in buying paying extra bucks and you save).

1. L'Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 Conditioner

Pros.

• Protects from heat caused by styling and blow drying.

• Consistency not very heavy and not very light.

• Less amount of the product works pretty well.

Cons.

• May cause hair fall in initial uses.

2. TRESemme Smooth & Shine Conditioner 

Pros.

• Works well for all hair types.

• Makes hair shiny and soft.

• Has good texture and effective from initial uses.

Cons.

• might cause hair fall as all conditioners made of chemicals do.

3. Pantene Advanced Hairfall Solution Conditioner

Pros.

• Best in price range and very effective from first few uses.

• one of the best conditioners till date.

Cons.

• has chemicals.

4. Mama Earth Argan Conditioner

Pros.

• Paraben & Silicon free.

• For all hair types. 

• Contains natural ingredients like coconut oil, almond oil etc.

Cons.

• Bit expensive

• Might not be useful for too frizzy and long hair.

5. Biotique Bio Theme Conditioner 

Pros.

• 100% ayurveda and chemical free.

• Has no side effects.

• Gives volume to hair.

Cons.

• Can make hair rough.

• Has dilute (water-like) consistency which makes it difficult to apply.

6. WOW Skin Science Hair Conditioner 

Pros.

• Pure and organic product that works on thin and weak hair.

•Sulphate-free.

Cons.

• Expensive.

Honest Review: Permanent Roomates (Web Series)

The importance of recreation in life cannot be ignored. After all it's a major part of our lives and at the end it's a small happy funny moments of life which we remember lifetime. 

My routine in this lockdown was quite normal eat, sleep, cook something and repeat. I am not such a huge fan of watching TV shows or web series. But one of my friends suggested me to develop interest in watching web series and recommended to watch " permanent roommates" . At the first, I was not sure whether to watch it or not and finally after a while I decided to give it a try. This web series is rated 4.6 out of 5 on mouthshut.com and 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb. After reading some reviews, I watched the first episode. It was a perfect combo of romance and comedy. 

I kept on watching more episodes. The story keeps you engaged throughout and the viewer is fascinated to know what the next episode brings. 

Kudos to the acting skills of the entire cast. Sumeet Vyas and Nidhi Singh have this amazing chemistry which impells to just get struck on the screen. Each new episode unfolds something which might be obvious and yet surprising. The entire series doesn't let you move a bit and keeps fully entertained with power packed acts of the characters and amazing dialogues.

Well known actors like 'Asrani', 'sheeba chaddha' 'darshan jariwala' are spectacular and satisfied with each expression and dialogue. 

The series has two seasons and it makes you believe in love all over again. The perfect comic timing makes it a pleasure to watch. 

If you are a beginner who is struggling to develop interest in watching something new and different, you should finally go for this one.

The series will not disappoint you.

Book review: The Mayor Of Casterbridge

The mayor of casterbridge is is one of the best tragic novels by Thomas Hardy. The story takes us to 19th century rural England. 

The novel is based on the fact that character is destiny and destiny is character. The logic of cause and effects in the novel are based on the fact that fate and chance also have important roles to play.

       Hardy's art of plot construction is unique. He builds the story with minute details. Slight incidents, which are barely noticed, become controlling forces of destiny of characters later. The incidents are in perfect continuity. The novel has a dramatic quality to grip the reader and arouse a feeling of curiosity to know what happens next.

      The novel basically can be considered as the biography of the main character Michael Henchard. 

      The story begins with Michael Henchard, a hay trusser who comes to the village of Weydon Priors where, in a drunken state , he sells his wife Susan and daughter Elizabeth Jane to a sailor Newson for five guineas. When he returns to his senses, he regrets the decision and takes a solemn vow not to touch intoxicants for twenty years.

       The story further take a lead of few years. Henchard becomes rich and the mayor of Casterbridge by his hard work. After 18 years his wife returns, Newson than supposed to be dead, she unites to her husband along with her daughter Elizabeth. 

        Donald Farfrae, a young Scotsman helps Henchard by showing him how to salvage substandard grain he has bought. 

        But soon Donald Farfrae becomes Henchard rival in both business and love. He marries Lucetta who had formerly been in love with Henchard. The story of the sale of Henchard's wife is revealed and he loses his mayorship. He is ruined in business and takes to drink again and learns about the death of his daughter Elizabeth Jane. His stepdaughter is now his only support but Newson returns and claims her. 

       Henchard becomes lonely. In the meantime his ex lover Lucetta marries Farfrae but her love affair with Henchard becomes public and she falls into a fit of hysteria and dies.

       Farfrae and Elizabeth agree to marry. Henchard comes to attend the marriage but is treated badly by Elizabeth. With a heavy heart he returns and dies after sometime. 

5 free facilities at any petrol pump which you might not know about!

Fuel station or petrol pump- where you usually go to refuel petrol, diesel or cng etc. 

Did you know there are 5 essential free services which the petrol pump owner must ensure. Know about them below

1. Free Air 

There is free air to fill in your vehicles tyres which is available at the fuel pump. Even if you do not refuel your vehicle you can still avail the benefit. On the other hand, filling in air in the tyres from shops nearby can cost you upto 100 bucks.

2. Free Water

You are on a long journey and are short of water. Here's what you can do- it's a right according to Govt. guidelines that fresh clean drinking water must be provided. 

3. Toilet Facility 

Clean toilet facilities should be available at any fuel pump. It is their duty to do so and also to maintain it clean. You can even register complaint if the toilets are not clean.

4. First Aid 

Accidents have become very common these days. Either due to reckless driving or drunk driving mishappenings take place every other day. So it is the duty of the petrol pump authorities to ensure first aid facilities at the pump and you can ask for it in case of slight injury etc.

5. Fire Safety 

You must have noticed buckets full of sand and fire extinguisher cylinders at the fuel station. In case any incident related to fire happens at the pump, these are used to take control over fire and extinguish it. They cannot charge extra for this.

So next time you visit the fuel station, remember your rights and enjoy free services. 

Social Media Influencers Vs Real Life Influencers

Rihanna argued to buy a shampoo suggested by her favourite followed Instagram influencer. Her mother explained her about the chemicals the shampoo contained but in vain. She was not ready to hear a word. Finally she ordered it and found out her mother was correct. She not only faced hair fall problem but also doubted whether the influencer she considered an ideal really cared about his followers!

Influencing means the capacity / power of persons, things to be a compelling force to produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, thoughts etc. of others. 

People always had ideals to follow and they aimed to become like them. These ideals used to be people at great positions who accomplished and conquered which nobody thought they could and yet they were so down to earth. They were the Real Influencers and rather can be called Leaders as they changed lives of people for the better. 

Consider Gandhiji who himself experimented on everything and then asked others to do so. This would not only have an everlasting effect on people but also nobody could raise a finger on him.

Times have changed, with years passing by we have Social Media Influencers. Like the name suggests they influence people on social media to do things, participate in specific events, buy particular products and much more...

People follow them blindly wearing whatever they wear, watching whatever they watch, buying everything they suggest and there have been numerous cases where these so called "Social Media Influencers" provoked people and tried to instigate them to fight for their religion, caste and what not. These influencers divide people on the basis of racism by promoting products that make you fair and fairer. All their social media posts include branded clothes, luxury cars and other items which negatively impact teenagers and people to buy them and be like them forgetting what their financial status and affordability is.

Is this what influencing is or should be?  

Is this what social media was made for? to spread hatred and misinformation?

Leader and people who influenced the society for example president Abdul Kalam, Swami Vivekananda had visions and they change the society for the better. They taught people to be together. They taught people through experiences and motivated them to become assets for the society and nation.

A famous quote says "promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate".

It is a basic human tendency to have opinions that differ from others but that doesn't mean harmimg others would resolve that. These things should be accepted as they are. There is nothing you can do on what others think. 

To make this world a better place we should always think and act. Blindly following somebody will always cause harm to us and our loved ones so we should be careful. 

There is a huge difference between influencing the society and social media influencers. The gap between the two is really a large one as of now and to fill this gap everything needs to be realistic and people should start caring for each other and promote just love and harmony.