Pothiz - August 2010 & A Free Independence Day Song Book!

Announcement: The Independence Day Song Book - A Free e-book of Patriotic Songs

August is the month of celebrating India's Independence. On this occasion we bring you an e-book of 30 selected patriotic songs from Hindi Movies and Albums. If you were unable to enjoy some of these songs because of the difficulty in understanding them, this e-book contains meanings of difficult/obscure words as well as details of historical events referenced. So, sing along this independence day as you remember the martyrs of our Freedom struggle. Feel free to pass it around to one and all!

Free Independence Day Song Book

From the Publisher's Desk - Second Issue

We are back with the second issue of Pothiz! We are really happy with the overwhelming response we continue to get from the readers & writers of all sorts. We hope we continue to improve with every coming issue and become a staple in everybody's reading list. (Read more).

Story (Featured Entry) - Forbidden Love

He turned again while lying on his bed. His mobile was on silent mode but there was no way of avoiding the SMS’s that were pouring in. Sometimes angry, sometime pleading, sometimes plain scared! (Read more).

Translated Story - A Log of Wood by Dr Bishnupriya Hota (Original Odiya: Basanta Kumar Satpathy)

After much deliberation, it was decided that it would be cheaper to buy wooden logs and then get it split. Accordingly, I brought two quintals of wood from Bharat Depot and transported them on a pushcart to my backyard.
(Read more).

Story - Excreta etc. by Bharatram Gaba

Three years ago, on a wet afternoon, we moved the last of our bags up to our new house. The atmosphere was dreary and incredibly humid but the hope in our hearts dispelled that. We were moving from a spacious three bedroom apartment in the affluent western suburbs to a 300 sq. ft cubbyhole in the heart of middle-class Dadar. (Read more).

Experimental - Character Sketches by Rajendra Nargundkar

This is inspired by the Marathi humourist P.L. Deshpande, who wrote some immortal character sketches.
(Read more).

Story - Just Like That by Mona Bhageria Adurty

He was standing near the gate like he always did. I think he liked the breeze ruffling his curly hair, although I daresay he wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone.
(Read more).

Experimental - A Friend Lost by Jatin Pathak

Please don’t bury her, or bury me along with her, I am her best friend. This thought was foremost in my mind during Jenisha’s cremation. (Read more).

Story - The long road home by Shweta Ganesh Kumar

“Wake up, Roy. Wake up! You’ll be late for school.” Sister’s persistent voice rang through his dreams. (Read more).

Story - Matrimonially, perfect by Rati Ramdas

There she stood, in front of the mirror. Nothing extraordinary, definitely not exceptionally beautiful.(Read more).

Story - Light of the Day by Sree

“That bitch. Better not talk about her…she is a bad example of what a woman ought to be. Of course, she comes from a dysfunctional family…just look at your father…all from the same family. ” (Read more).

Poetry - Fake by Nicholas YB Wong

“I got you this Piaget in China.
It looks real.”
Then you left for another man,
who wore a real one.

(Read more).

Poetry - Terrorism: A few vignettes by Dr. Santosh Bakaya

Blood and tears freely flew in a sad profusion
Lifeless bodies lay around in chaotic confusion

The street was smeared with the ravages of senseless gore
To her bosom a woman clasped her lifeless child-aged four

Blissfully unaware of this sad story a man rummaged in a garbage can

(Read more).

Poetry - The Last Shot by Sunidha Ismail KRB

Hideous faces smile in my dingy calendar
Blood stains cover nudity of broken figures
W western winds open folios one by one
Beyond December I could see your image
Drenched, by the ruddiness of their gun shots.
(Read more).

Poetry - Madness by Ashoke Bhattacherjee

Let us be madmen,
Because sanity sells its flesh on the streets.
Let us be mad,
Because reason usurps even the last morsel
(Read more).

Poetry -Mathematics of Life by Nazrul Haque

I never went to a school or college
so, never got the chance to learn Maths,
not that I need it much

(Read more).

Poetry -There are people by aasif shah

there are people
who know what heartbreak is
to love and not be loved back
the meaning of simplicity
(Read more).

Poetry -Blues Prayer by Ananya S Guha

something is amiss
someone is missing
someone is dying
trees whisper
(Read more).

Poetry -Like Never Before by Ratul Banerjee

lush green grasslands
roads carpeted by
fallen leaves, scattered

trail of my footprints

(Read more).

Other Entries

Read here.

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We hope you will enjoy this issue of Pothiz. Do give feedback to the authors using the comment form on the entries. Also, entries are invited for October 2010 issue of Pothiz. The deadline is Spetember 15, 2010.