APRILDOM: B for BIRYANI

I am so glad that the month of April is off to a fabulous start. Wrote my first post for Aprildom, the challenge as I have named it. You can see the post HERE. It is small and sweet so won't take much of your time!
Today's prompts are:

1. The topic has to begin with the word B (AtoZChallenge) and,

2. that of a poem that tells a lie. I think you could have a poem that’s all lies (that could be very funny — full of things like “the sun is the size of a nickel”) or a poem that steadily builds to telling one big whopper. (NAPOWRIMO)

B is a wonderful letter to begin with..From Bat to Batman and Bows to Brows the world can go twisting down its edges! So I closed my eyes and thought of that One thing I cannot live without that starts with the letter B. And guess what came to my mind....
BIRYANI!
So..what is Biryani?
Biryani is a one-dish rice-based meal that consists of layering cooked rice and meat in a casserole, before baking it in the oven. (Courtesy: Cookthink )
Want to try and cook Biryani? Try from a recipe at AllRecipes




•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ  BIRYANI   •● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ

Stratum by stratum

One Falls, another defaults

Feast of kings, the poor slain

Coronation of a new end.

Milky white pearls adorning the

Chunks of bristled boulders of time

Brush past them and they don’t mind

In vigour and praise, they both unite.

 

Fragrant

Makes the weak, weaker

Lets him dream of an illusion

He cannot fulfil.

He lurches, falls flat

The road ahead is nothing but a maze of tar.

Blocks bellowing blackness

Who knew Hope was a rainbow

And the powerful had the prism.
I shall someday grow pale
and hope shall see its death
as I see it dying in a pair of watery eyes
that knew the edges, etches and ebbs of life.

The little boy still looks at me

Hoping against hope, salivating

I give him my share of the tempest

He knows not, what greed beckons.

And as I move a step or two,

Four more little boys follow.

The Stratums

Shall be pierced someday
the lies shall be swallowed
and deceit unveiled.

But for now they must be hungry

For hope still has time.

•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ  BIRYANI   •● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ

This wonderful prompt also reminded me of two books, differing in genres that I'd read that have the name Biryani in their title. The Hyderabadi Biryani by Anil C.S.Rao and The Spicy Bites of Biryani by Ashwina Garg.

And I think, now that a lot of you who are visiting my blog internationally, have been duly informed about Biryani, which when objectified in a literary context would imply aspects of Spice, Twists, Humor or surprise. True to their titles, the two books have chunks of spice, humor, entertainment as is promised.

SPICY BITES OF BIRYANI

Spicy Bites of Biryani by Ashwina Garg is an Indian fiction published by Shrishti Publications.

They say that the world is changing. That social norms are altering too. With ideas of equality, freedom, ambitions, mobility flouting around like bubbles, I wonder being a woman, how much has changed really? The rising number of rape and assault cases against women, especially in India is a reason for concern. 

However, Ashwina Garg with a garnished usage of wit and sarcasm, manages to deal with the issue of "freedom to marry- the when, what and whom" with flair. The protagonist, Aditi is being pressurised into matrimonial alliance and she is firm with her decision to wait and watch till she finds the right guy for her.

All is fair in love and war and the plot gives us a sumptuous amount of both, with characters falling in and out of their compartments that finally lead to Aditi's re-discovery of her self, her thoughts about love, career, life, and relationships. Almost resembles a chick-lit except that Aditi isn't much of a "chick" but an ordinary female in an ordinary Diaspora to tackle. Does she find the man of her dreams? Or does she resort to compromising on her dreams? Will the tensions between Sanjay and her, ruin the possibilities that lay ahead? Read more to know!

You can buy the book at a discounted rate HERE.

•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ  BIRYANI  •● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒჱ ჱܓܓ

HYDERABADI BIRIYANI

I picked this book up, especially because of its genre. Anil C S Rao along with a few others in the Indian Comic Books industry, has wavered the flag for the advent of Graphic novels in the Indian literary feat.

I know Anil personally, and as crazy as he is, his ideas for his novels and poetry anthologies perfectly define his zest for thinking 'out of the box'. He released the book in last year's Comic Con that was held in New Delhi.

Hyderabadi Biriyani describes a plot based in Hyderabad which involves a pizza delivery boy, Imran, An enigmatic personality named MC and Radha, his ex-girlfriend. Spicy to the core, racy and sporadic twists and turns make it an enjoyable read. 

Buy yourself a copy HERE.