Insight Stories

As usual under his painted face And a façade of smile  He was ready to make them  Laugh and giggle, in his own style For the first time, he saw a face  Amidst all the crowd Who could read his eyes and  See the pain which was obvious and loud His heart lurched, and eyes smiled As his soul was full of hope Unimagined and wild But he was not destined To be happy and alive As his fate favoured None, the happiness nor solace However he may strive Once again with his destiny's wit And under the façade of smile The clown is now ready  to make everyone giggle In his own made up guile - Anu Shah This posts was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To know more,  read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories shelf.

बसुनी तीरी प्रतिबिंब ते, चंद्राचे ती पाहीत असे. पाहुनी चंद्रमा आठवी सजणा, गोड कशी ती लाजित असे. चंद्रमा जो माझ्या तिरी,  तुझ्या ही तो दारी असे.  दोघांत आपल्या एकच धागा, चंद्र सखा तो जोडीत असे.  तरंगत शीतल पाण्यावरती,  माझ्याशी तो बोलीत असे.  साजण तुझा तुझ्याविना गं,  विरहाचे गीत गात असे. अरे सख्या, जा सांग त्यांना,  गीत आमचे एक असे.  तुझ्याच सवे परतावे त्यांनी,  शृंगार माझा अपुर्ण असे. बसुनी तीरी प्रतिबिंब ते, चंद्राचे ती पाहीत असे. - जागृती This posts was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To know more,  read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories shelf.

She had a steak left unfinished, some moments yet to be cherished. She had a promise to keep  and a friend to meet.  But the world stood still  and nothing she could fulfil. She had a conversation to complete and some mistakes to repeat. She had confusions to be made and some goodbyes to be said. But the world stood still  and nothing she could fulfil. - Aparna Kulkarni This posts was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To know more,  read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories shelf.

जखम  नातं आणि मन जखमांनी रक्तबंबाळ होऊन वाहायला लागतं तेव्हा तिचा आटोकाट प्रयत्न नाती जपण्याचा फारच केविलवाणा वाटायला लागतो तिला नेहमीच सवय, उसवलं की शिवायची  टराटरा कपडे फाडावेत तसं तिच्या मनाच्या हजार चिंध्या करून  तो एकदम निर्धास्त कसलीच तमा नसल्यासारखा आणि ती मात्र आपल्या नेहमीच्या सवयीप्रमाणे ठिगळ लावत केविलवाण्या प्रयत्नात - अनु शाह This posts was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To know more,  read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories shelf.

We struggle to capture and live in time And even end up labelling it as money Until we encounter a moment which narrates in silence What it means to live beyond the clutches of time Then we can laugh at the fleeting feeling Of being in control of time Throw away our pretentious garbs And walk the path of innocence - The Last Nomad  This posts was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To participate,  read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories shelf.

बऱ्याच वर्षांपूर्वीची गोष्ट आहे. थंडीचे दिवस होते. मुंबईतली असली तरी थंडीचं कौतुक (होतं आणि) आहे आम्हाला. शाळेतल्या मुलांकडे मोबाईल फोन नव्हता तेव्हाचा काळ. तेव्हा मिळणाऱ्या अनेक सुट्ट्यांपैकी सगळ्यात आतुरतेने वाट पाहायचो ती दिवाळीची. पण याचं कारण ही तितकच वेगळं होतं. नरक चतुर्दशीच्या पहाटे, चक्क चार साडेचारपासून घरी गजबज सुरु व्हायची. त्यावेळी आमच्या सोसायटीत एक प्रथा होती. सगळी मुलं नवीन कपडे घालून चक्क पहाटे सहा वाजेपर्यंत फटाक्याची पिशवी घेऊन मैदानात उतरायची. फटाके फोडून झाल्यावर घरी फराळ आणि मग पुन्हा खाली जाऊन धुमाकूळ. तर अशा पहाटे दादा तयार होत असताना, मी उठून खिडकीजवळच्या पलंगावर निजायचो. बाहेरच्या काळ्याकुट्ट आकाशाच्या पटलावर घरचा कंदिल संथपणे तरंगत असल्यासारखा वाटायचा. कितीतरी वर्षांपासून हा एकच कंदिल आम्ही लावत होतो ज्याचा आकार उडत्या तबकडीसारखा होता आणि त्याला छोट्या छोट्या अंडाकृती रंगीबेरंगी काचा होत्या.  दादाची हाक ऐकू येईपर्यंत पलंगावर पडून बाहेर त्या कंदिलाकडे पहात राहायचा छंद मला नकळतपणे लागला होता. मधेच कुठेतरी दूरवर एखादा फटाका फुटल्याचा आवाज यायचा आणि मग पुन्हा शां

This illustration was created by artist Parag Gawade (Instagram: @inspire_721 ) for an excerpt from my novella, The Last Nomad. You can read the excerpt at the end of this post. While many authors think of them as secondary or an unnecessary interference among words, I think illustrations are very special. They add a different tone to the story. Of course they may not go well with every story, but illustrations or quick sketches also help to make reading more engaging in the age of online streaming where we 'watch' more than we 'read'. I am excited to work on my first illustrated short story. In which format will you like to read it? A. Paperback  B. Kindle C. Ebook (pdf) D. Series of blog posts Let me know your preferred choice in comments. Thanks! Here are some of my favourite illustrated books. A Midsummer Night's Dream : Shakespeare’s Greatest Stories (Abridged and Illustrated) Get this book The Little Prince: Illustrated abridged Classics Antoine De Saint-Exup

Wriggling and crawling, emerging from an insignificant egg Disgusting as bird poop, you began moving over the branches Fearful like a miniature monster, you chomped off fresh lime leaves One morning, in the guise of a leaf hanging upside down You began to wither as if death would arrive anytime soon In the stillness of dull days that went by The lime tree bore an odd flower, called butterfly - The Last Nomad Check out books from the Insight Stories webstore.

A baby elephant in a zoo struggles a lot to break free from the iron chains, tries hard to remove the constraints in his movement and struggles for freedom. The baby elephant being small, less powerful than a grown up elephant, is not always successful in his attempts. But do you really think an adult elephant, the largest land mammal cannot break that chain! Then what is it that stops him from trying one more time to break the chain, to achieve what he always wanted? He, as a baby, believed that he CANNOT break the iron chain. How much ever he tries, his efforts will go in vain, as they did when he was young and etched a lot of pain. He grows up believing that his attempts are of no use and he stops trying. BUT, he hardly knows that NOW he has the ability, capability, and strength to break the chains. Regardless of his ability, he is held back by his old false belief and he stops trying in the present, when now the goal is realistically achievable. We too, at times are chained mentall

Life is all about death...nothing in life is permanent but death is. We are born because we are going to die someday and if death wouldn't be the end point then we wouldn't have been born... Life is nothing but advancement or a slow journey towards death which is the only evident thing. Life is mysterious but death resolves all the mysteries.  Life is complex, full of surprises, struggles, highs and lows, and entirely unpredictable whereas death is like pole star: stark and shining brightly even in the mist. You can't miss it. It was and will be there guiding you all along towards the destination which is inevitable. There are no struggles after death. Death is concrete and certain. Death gives assurance of being liberated from the state of being imprisoned by life. With life comes inconstancy and we are enslaved by the perfidious and vexed emotions. Life demands understanding of things, people etc. Whereas death is self-explanatory and doesn't demand any understanding.

I am sinking Low, low, and deep I hear her voice and I try to peep But I am sinking  from where I can't come back I wanted to tell her, don't be afraid I will rise again She believes in phoenix but she is scared Our eyes met and we both saw the pain we endured I saw her through  the slits of my eyes and I told her this is just my reverie which I'll wake up from is my promise Now she smiles at me  holding me with a grip, Grip with promise of  not letting me go She found her phoenix her own phoenix –Anu Shah This poem was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To know more,  read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories webstore.

Accidentally I saw today Through the open balcony door Rain drops trickling from the roof On the shivering faded neem leaves Streams of water, as white as milk Pouring for hours from the grey skies And then I noticed a strange sight A pitch-black crow, sitting alone on rooftop Completely soaked, yet staring in the void As if seeing the face of time - The Last Nomad  This poem was published as a part of the 'Words Can Heal' series. You too can participate and explore your creative side. To know more, read this blog post . Check out books from the Insight Stories shelf.

All it takes is a couple of words, to make or break our minds. Language drives us in ways we cannot totally understand. A word of love and joy elevates us. A cuss word crashes our soaring minds. Starting today, share the story of conversations that made your life bright. Audio/video stories will be published on YouTube/TheLastNomad Get your longish posts/articles published on www.InsightStories.in .  Use the hashtag #wordsheal in your Instagram/Facebook posts. Feel free to tag me @thelastnomadindia.  Send your articles, audio/video stories to connectinsight@gmail.com . Rules: Entry fee: Nil. If you like, you can share this post with your friends. :)   Language : Any Indian language or English. For articles, audio, or video stories in languages other than English, Hindi, and Marathi, a translation/summary in English is required. Let's celebrate our diversity.  Blog post Word limit: 500 words Audio/video story Duration: Not more than 4 minutes Please leave the audio/video recording o

I have been into social networking for the past 12 years. From the days of Orkut and Minglebox till date where everything is like a miracle or everything is like things happening like a swift sway of the magic wand. The 12 year journey made me evolve as a human being. Set many examples in front of my brains eye. These 12 years gave me lot of insights where I happened to learn many things and made wonderful like-minded friends who in the course of time emerged into the members of my own family. Social media leveled me to cope up with my knowledge, build strong professional bonds, aided in my experiment and practice of Heutagogy too. Are these advantages of social networking I am talking about? May be yes…but the underlying element is that being sane and thoughtful in social networking can actually aid in evolving. I am deeply humbled to be asked to write a review of this short, crisp and implementable book that Heramb has authored, named “7 Ways to Stay Sane on the Social Media”. This i

Thank you Neeraja for this review and featuring it on BooksThroughTheLens. Book Review 7 Ways to Stay Sane on the Social Media by Heramb Sukhathankar ------------------------------------- Essence: A guide to optimal, effective and productive use of time on social media ------------------------------------- Inspiration: Today we live in the age of digital revolution. The lockdown in the past few months due to the pandemic has taken digitalization to a whole new level with even technology shy people struggling with their smart phones and kids attending their online schools. Social media has helped during these days keeping people closer and helping reduce the loneliness. However, too much of anything is never good, and abuse of social media is the new social evil. ------------------------------------- Summary: This book is written with the intention of helping readers not only optimize their time on social media but also use these apps and platforms in a productive way. The book has seve

While everyone on the web is teaching the parents how to control and restrict children's interaction on the internet and social media, here's how a mother chose to talk to her child at home. My dear child , It's been a long time since we sat together and talked. Although we have been confined at home due to COVID-19 since the past few months, we are hardly away from our gadgets. Your daddy and I are busy in our work and you are busy attending the virtual class. I know TikTok has been banned and you maybe feeling bored. With no friends to meet, no outings, and movement restricted to this house, I am sure you may be even hating this period of rest. I am not telling you to stop using your mobile or reduce browsing. All I am saying is no matter how many people follow or unfollow you, we will be there for you. There are times when everyone feels lonely. Don't try to ignore that feeling by switching to your mobile. Come and talk to us. Until this dark night ends and you meet

Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, I have been watching the efforts and struggle of teachers and well as students to adopt to this new experience of digital/distance/technology-enabled/virtual/any-other-funky-name-you-want education. For those who believe technology can transform the learning experience, like a magic wand, I would like to wish them luck. However, no matter which subject, the learning experience will largely depend on how well the teacher can adapt and teach as per the needs and capacities of the class. And technology is the last block in this puzzle. Formal education has been a fun(?) experience for me. But before we take a dig at that serious world, let's get a little serious.  The word 'education' is derived from the Latin 'educe' which means 'bring out or develop (something latent or potential)'. Have you experienced this sense of 'development' in your formal education or was it totally opposite? I think I was always AWAY when

Excited to inform you that '7 Ways to Stay Sane on the Social Media' has been nominated for TCK Publishing's 2020 Reader's Choice Awards. To help this book reach more readers, you can vote for it online.  How to vote? Visit the voting page: https://www.tckpublishing.com/2020-readers-choice-voting-page/ Scroll Down to locate the listed books. Click -> (forward arrow) to find the Self-help category page. Finally, scroll down to locate the book '7 Ways to Stay Sane on the Social Media' and Click on the entry to register your vote.  Thank you!  #tckpublishing #ReadersChoiceAwards2020 Thank you TCK Publishing! - The Last Nomad

सध्याचे कोविड-१९ चे दिवस म्हणजे ‘वायरल’ या शब्दाला एक वेगळाच अर्थ प्राप्त झालेला काळ. नोवेल कोरोनावायरस बरोबर अनेक गोष्टी ‘वायरल’ झाल्या.  अशा या अत्यंत अनिश्चिततेच्या काळात, जेव्हा जवळ जवळ सगळ्याच देशांची पाऊले थबकली, तेव्हा दुप्पट गतीने सुरु झाला आपला आंतरजालावरचा, म्हणजेच इंटरनेटवरचा प्रवास. सगळ्या गोष्टी ऑनलाईन कशा सुरु करता येतील याकडे सगळ्यांनी कूच केली. मनोरंजन, शिक्षण, वैद्यकीय सल्ला, आरोग्यसेवा, खाद्य उद्योग आणि अशा अनेक गोष्टी बघता बघता घरपोच येऊ लागल्या. पण या सगळ्यात समाजमाध्यमांचे, म्हणजेच सोशल मीडियाचे, एक वेगळेच रूप आपल्या समोर आले. एकंदर परिस्थितीबद्दलचा राग, द्वेष, टीका, राजकीय चर्चा(भांडणे!) यांना उधाण आले. हा सगळा भावनांचा उद्रेक होणं जरी सद्य:स्थितीत स्वाभाविक वाटलं तरी या पूर्वीही सोशल मीडियाचा उत्तम वापर नेमका कसा करायचा यावर खरच आपण विचार केला होता का?  हे माध्यम केवळ विरंगुळ्यापुरतेच मर्यादित आहे का? की याच्या दुसऱ्या आयामांकडे आपण दुर्लक्ष केले? सोशल मीडिया या गुंतागुंतीच्या वाटणाऱ्या पण अनेक संधी असणाऱ्या विश्वात सावधपणे वावरून यशस्वी कसे होता येईल याचा सोप्प

Leela What started as thoughts and poems written in moments of solitude is now a book, thanks to Writersgram Publications. Presenting Leela, a collection of quotes and poems. Releasing on November 10, 2020 exclusively on Amazon and Writersgram. Pre-order your copy today! Synopsis  "Poems and quotes happen in time and space but are universal. They come unannounced keeping the authors on their toes. Leela is a compilation of such playful moments. A perfect book for casual reading, you can read and enjoy it in sequence or skim through to find your quote of the day. With quotes interspersed with poems, the author hopes to make the reader experience the joy of finding more in less." Amazon (Paperback): http://bit.ly/Leela_Amazon Writersgram (Paperback and e-book): http://bit.ly/Leela_Writersgram Add it to your Goodreads shelf:  http://bit.ly/Leela_Goodreads 7 Ways to Stay Sane on the Social Media   Synopsis The COVID-19 times have given a different meaning to the word ‘viral’. In

आज सिद्धार्त दादाची झाडांसंबंधीची फेसबुकवर पोस्ट पाहून काही महिन्यांपूर्वी घडलेल्या एका घटनेची आठवण झाली.   डेक्कन कॉलेज, पुणे, येथे शिकताना भेटलेला एक मित्र म्हणजे अरुणाचल प्रदेशचा बानवांग लोसू. एके दिवशी तो मैदानात काहीतरी उपसताना दिसला. पाहिलं तर चक्क शंभरच्या वर रोपांचा ढीग! जमिनीत उगवलेलं तण म्हणून ती टाकून देण्यात येत होती पण बानवांगने ती दुसरीकडे नेऊन ठेवली. झाडांचे वेड असल्यामुळे मी ही या प्रकारात ओढला गेलो. मुळात हे करण्यामागे निदान माझा तरी कोणताच मोठा विचार नव्हता. त्या क्षणी आमचा हेतू केवळ ती रोपं जगवण्याचा होता. मुंबईसारख्या शहरात मोकळ्या जागा आणि खास करून वृक्ष लावण्यासाठी जागा यांची वानवा अनुभवल्यामुळे घरातील कुंडीपुरतेच माझे निसर्गप्रेम मर्यादित राहिले. एकदम इतकी रोपं लावण्याची संधी पाहून मी चक्क झपाटलो गेलो.   साधारणपणे ती आंब्याची रोपं असल्याचे समजले पण नेमकी कोणती व्हरायटी हे समजत नव्हते. एकूण संख्या मोजल्यावर आमच्या लक्षात आले की ती चक्क २५० होती! पुढचा मागचा विचार न करताआम्ही त्यांची रोपं करण्याचे ठरवले. आमचा मित्र संजय हरगुडे याच्या मदतीमुळे २ दिवसात आम्ही सगळी रो

After days of procrastination, finally I made my first shortfilm. Completely shot at home and made in a single day, due to the lockdown restrictions, it was a fun experience. Hope you enjoy it. Synopsis: In a city under complete lockdown due to a pandemic unfolding globally, a woman is busy working from home. Deserted streets and silent skies. But why is she hearing some strange whispers? She tries to chase them but its too before she realizes that a whisper can be more than just a sound. Featuring Shamitha Vokkaliga A film by Heramb Sukhathankar Watch the film: https://youtu.be/yDiprLIpD6s - The Last Nomad

And this time it's a collection of poems and quotes. Leela...coming soon!   Thanks to Writersgram Publications.  Follow @writersgrampublications @thelastnomadofficial on Instagram for updates.  #poetrylovers #comingsoon2020 #bookcollection #poetrycollection #thelastnomad - The Last Nomad

तू ठरवलस तर होऊ शकतोस बुद्ध, नाहीतर राहशील राजपुत्र गौतम बनून सोन्याच्या अदृश्य पिंजऱ्यात. तू ठरवलस तर होऊ शकतो रात्रीचा दिवस, आणि थांबेल काळही त्याचा निर्लेप गाभा उघडून तुला पाहण्याकरिता. तू ठरवलस तर होऊ शकतोस मुक्त प्रवाहाच्या लाटेतून, नाहीतर वहात जाशील निष्प्राण ओंडक्यांसारखा नशिबाला दोष देत. तू ठरवलस तर अशक्य हा फक्त एक शब्द म्हणून उरेल, आणि प्रकाश शोधणाऱ्यांच्या हृदयात पणतीची ज्योत होऊन तेवत राहशील. (बाबा आमटेंना समर्पित) - The Last Nomad

It stood in the park, Deserted by the flowers of spring, Left alone by birds, And ignored by visitors. Will life be any different, If ignored in our vanities, Left alone for unending pleasures, And deserted by the sweet scent of truth? - The Last Nomad

It gives me great pleasure to share with you that my Marathi poem, सरळसोट, has won the Wingword Poetry Prize. Here's the recitation. Hope you enjoy it. - The Last Nomad

It was the year 2020, when we did this crazy thing, Gathering on rooftops, balconies, and all places we could. To play gongs, plates, whistles and clapped for everyone who helped us survive a deathwave. This moment did what many could not. It brought us together, different people from distinct worlds, To experience the flip of a coin. One flip and our world will change. Before we assumed our differences again, we realized we are life. - The Last Nomad

*Update: The Writersgram store in being revamped. More updates will be posted soon. My select quotes are now available on Writersgram. With simple and elegant designs, the folks at Writersgram Publications have done a fantastic job. A perfect match for a thoughtful moment over a cup of tea or coffee or a cool t-shirt to grace your casual moments, I hope these products will add to your :-) moments. Here are the links: Mug 1 Mug 2 Mug 3 T-shirt 1 T-shirt 2 T-shirts are available in 4 different sizes and 13 different colours in half/full sleeve varieties. Cheers to thoughtful moments! - The Last Nomad