I had no hala in me, no sin, no crime, no guilt. What I had done was to respond to the call of life within me…’ Ahalya. Created by Brahma; married to one of the greatest rishis of all time; desired by the king of gods, Indra. A woman maligned and cursed.But who was Ahalya? What did she want? Did she have ambitions and desires?In this sparkling retelling of the well-known legend, bestselling author Kavita Kané draws out the voice of a character that lacked one—even before she was turned to stone. Tracing her journey from a precocious child, to a studious and sheltered princess, to the loving wife of Rishi Gautam, Ahalya’s Awakening delves into the mind of a woman who yearns to control her own destiny. In her tale lies the story of every woman, even today.

    They are popular deities of worship all over India, but what remain largely unknown are some of their extraordinary stories.Award-winning author Sudha Murty walks by your side, weaving enchanting tales of the three most powerful gods from the ancient world. Each story will take you back to a magical time when people could teleport, animals could fly and reincarnation was simply a fact of life.

    The popular tellings of the Mahabharata are about Duryodhana'sdeviousness, obstinacy and greed for power that would bring about thebattle of Kurukshetra between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, and hisown downfall. But was there more to him? Was he all black, or was it a matter ofshades of grey? What was he? True heir or pretender to the throne?Arch villain or brave prince defending his rajadharma?Ace strategist or wicked schemer? History, they say, is written by the victors. So we have never heard theside that Duryodhana presents. The epic's enigmatic villain finally hashis say -- on people, their motives and their machinations. For the firsttime we read a different meaning into episodes we may be familiar with --be it the attempted killing of Bhima, the burning of the wax house, thefamous game of dice or even Draupadi's vastraharan -- and get insightsinto the story we may not have come across before. Here is the crownprince of Hastinapura as we have never known him, adding yet anotherdimension to the labyrinth that is the Mahabharata.

    Without Vishnu, he was afraid, chaos would ensue. So he and his son Narada, the wandering sage, set in motion a plan to get Vishnu to return to earth.A talking anthill, an arrogant sage, an irate cowherd, and even the asura king Ravana, each have their parts to play in these stories that describe the founding of the Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati. Set amongst the lovely Tirumala hills, this temple to Lord Vishnu, is one of the most beautiful temples in the world. It is said that more than 50,000 people visit this shrine every day, to pray to Venkateshwara to wash away their sins.

    A natural rebel, she has had some fairly life-altering experiences which Mum and Dad would not approve of at all if they get to know. But will her spirit and her stand be enough to fight the forces of parental pressure and heckling aunties baying for her nuptials?Back in the bosom of her conservative family, Naina cannot even begin to imagine the turn her life is going to take. It's wedding season, and she must now be married. Because every self-respecting upper-middle-class family in India do that, right? Marriage at the 'right age' to the 'right family'…whether she likes it or not.Naina's worst nightmares are about to come true. What hits her within a week of being at home completely changes her world and her life as she embarks on a journey that will define her and provide her an education that only life can. Ayaan, Rohan, Akshay, Shiven. Who will it be? Will she even have a shot at romance, being with someone she loves, irrespective of his caste, respectability or bank balance? She will have to summon all the chutzpah within to fight for herself. For her notions of love and living. Will she succeed? Like a chrysalis unfolding, will Naina, too, emerge with her wings unscathed?

    I am the mightiest warrior of mytime. I have violated my dharma and murdered a man in cold blood.I have, single-handed, wiped out a whole generation of my kinsmen.I have committed acts of unspeakable brutality on the battlefield.I have done it all for the love of one woman. A woman who lovesmy brother.I am Bhima, the second Pandava. This is my story.Possessed of amazing strength, fierce loyalty and greattenderness, Bhima as a character is almost always eclipsedby Yudhishtira and Arjuna. In spite of his many virtues,he is destined to be remembered as all brawn and biceps.Now, in Vikas Singh’s retelling of the Mahabharata,India’s greatest epic is narrated through the eyes of ahero who has never got his due. A fascinating accountof a fascinating character—his extraordinary courage,his obsessive love for Draupadi, his deeply conflictedemotions about his brother, Arjun—this stunning work,written in a racy, entertaining style, provides the definitiveanswer to the question: What was it like to be Bhima?

    Drawing from the Hindu sacred text the Shiva Mahapurana--said to be written by Shiva himself--Vanamali selects the essential stories of Shiva, both those from his dark wild side and those from his benevolent peaceful side. Vanamali discusses Shiva’s many avatars such as Shambunatha and Bhola, as well as Dakshinamurti who taught the shastras and tantras to the rishis. She explores Shiva’s relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya. Examining Shiva’s acceptance of outsiders, Vanamali explains why ghosts and ghouls are his attendants and why his greatest devotees are demon kings, like Ravana. She includes famous Shiva stories such as the Descent of the River Ganga and Churning the Milky Ocean as well as those that reveal the origin of the festival of lights, Diwali; his creation of the cosmic couple, or hierogamos; and how Shiva and Parvati taught the world the secrets of Kundalini Shakti. The author also draws upon Shaivite teachings to illustrate the differences between Western science and Vedic science and their explanations for the origins of consciousness. Integrating Shiva’s two sides, the fierce and the peaceful, Vanamali reveals that Shiva’s form depends on the needs of the devotee. Understanding his teachings allows one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life, for Shiva is the wielder of maya who does not fall under its spell. While Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, Shiva is the remover of tears.

    Hundreds of miles away from her home, the immortal Guru and His secret disciples meet in a forested mountain to discuss metaphysical ways of steering her soul back to a life of happiness and prosperity. This treasure is the second instalment in the Immortal Talks book series. It contains six priceless chapters: A Thousand Lives; The Linga Code; Incomplete; The Invisible Four; The Awareness Setting; Continuity.

    While unrest surrounding the sudden death of the king of Devangarh grows, young prince Rudra Pratap Chauhan prepares to ascend the throne.But the kingdom is in turmoil. The Devangarh army is outnumbered and the British forces are closing in. To make matters worse, Rudra discovers the king’s death may not have been accidental after all. The strange appearance and disappearance of a mysterious hooded stranger and a series of ritualistic murders in which the bodies have been drained of blood, spread panic across the realm.As Rudra struggles to manage his new responsibilities and investigate his father’s death, dark secrets will be uncovered that will disrupt life as he knows it.

    Perfectionist is married to his job. Relentlessly toiling for the promotion he wants, he doesn't have time for anything, even a girlfriend. Naturally, marriage is the last thing on his mind... But not for his parents, who have plans of their own. Enter Shreya, the girl-next-door. One meeting and Mr. Perfectionist is instantly besotted—he even begins to dream about marrying her. During coffee meetings and Long drives, Siddharth comes to know that a boy has entered Shreya’s life—an IIT graduate named Shivam Malhotra she met on her flight to Bangkok. Shivam is a flirt, a Casanova, and the type of guy Shreya abhors. But there is more to Shivam than meets the eye. And Shreya, despite herself, finds herself hating him less and less every day... The wedding is approaching. What will happen with this trio?.About the AuthorHimanshu Bhatia was born in New Delhi. He received his B.Tech. degree in Mathematics and Computing from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati. He did his MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore. Currently, he works as an actuary with a life insurance company based in Gurugram. Apart from being a national level chess player, Himanshu has a keen interest in art and music. One can always find him with his earplugs on, humming his favourite tunes! His creative mind and experiments with poetry finally tempted him to pen down his debut novel Just Missed!. For more updates, follow him on Instagram - @creative_hb Facebook - Author.HB Linkedin - himanshubhatia Himanshu also loves travelling and clicking beautiful pictures. Please check his page @littilstories on Instagram.

    Indian mythology is replete with tales of Dévas battling the Asuras constantly. The interesting thing to note is that whether it is a God or an incarnation of a deity in human form, aka an Avatār, there was also a human element involved in these stories. The teachers of the Dévas (gods) and the Asuras were human sages, known as Rishis.    Find out what happens when seemingly unconnected individuals get drawn into a world of suspense and action, as mythology collides with their world in the book 'The Mahāsiddha Field', the first in a new sci-fi/fantasy series!   An elderly wandering mendicant in South India, two young Indian-American men, two soldiers from the Indian Army and a mysterious sage from high up in the Himalayas are thrown together in an adventure unlike any other; as a most unlikely adversary leaps out of the world of Indian Mythology to challenge their beliefs, their sanity and their courage.

    The Solar tribes are without a ruler, and the return to Aryavarta has resulted in a confederation where hitherto there was a united clan-hood. Rakshasas, Gandharvas and Yakshas threaten the nascent cities of Aryavarta, and if their rise is not checked the Solar tribes may lose all they have gained.And thus rises Ikshvaku, the son of Manu and descendant of Surya. He forms Aryavarta’s first Kingdom and unites the Solar strength against the Anaryas- Rakshasas, Gandharvas and Yakshas.But the Seal of Surya is still missing, and Ikshvaku will need to find it to put his claim and authority beyond all doubt. This is the tale of Aryavarta’s first dynasty, the Suryavansha, and its first King- Ikshvaku Manava.

    Years later, Sheila, a quantum physicist, finds a source of energy unparalleled in human history under an old castle in Gudem, a remote village. It just might make India the next super-power. Or it might end up destroying the world. Govind Kiromal, an all-powerful politician, is hell bent on taking over the old castle to harness the energy.Ace lawyer, Raghuram Surya, files a case to stop the take over of the castle because it is the only remnant of his ancestry.Rathaya, a blind old man, dies clutching a piece of cloth. On it is ancient knowledge that can stop the approaching end of times. Raghu and Sheila must stop the impending apocalypse by using quantum science to interpret the knowledge. Through it all, they have to be one step ahead of Kiromal just to stay alive. Now is the time of final reckoning. Will Kiromal succeed in his plan to harness the unfathomable energy in Gudem? Or, will the evil succeed in eradicating the planet? Or, are Raghuram and Sheila merely pawns in an even deadlier game? A game as old as time!

    But MT Vasudevan Nair (popularly known as “MT”) turned him into a three-dimensional figure, more sensitive and thoughtful than he is usually given credit for. “He took familiar building blocks and created an entirely new, incredibly compelling construct from them,” says Prem Panicker, senior journalist, Rediff.com co-founder and a long-time admirer of MT’s work.

    Rasiq is riding the highs of life thanks to his successes as an investment banker. But his arrogance soon gets the better of him and he ends up losing everything he holds dear. Managing to salvage only his grit from the wreckage, Rasiq reboots his life and teams up with five uniquely talented superheroes to start a rescue venture - DareDreamers. These superheroes Nick: a crazy inventor; Halka: an inhumanly strong man; Arjun: a champion shooter; Natasha: a Bollywood stunt-double; Dr. Vyom, a medical Sherlock Holmes; and, of course, Rasiq: the mastermind combine their unique talents to deliver spectacular rescue operations. Their skyrocketing success, however, comes at a price an enemy hell bent on tearing down their fame and reputation.Will DareDreamers defeat its wily adversary? Or will it become yet another failed start-up?Treachery, action and adventure come alive to make DareDreamers a page-turner.