'On one side, the sea. On the other, the city. A city that seemed to believe that the Queen's Necklace was enough past for it, a city sacrificing its beauty at the dirty altars of money.' An acclaimed contemporary Marathi novel, Half-Open Windows (Khidkya Ardhya Ughadya) is a striking portrait of India's urban upper middle class on an obsessive quest for riches and prestige. Set in the enticing yet treacherous city of Mumbai, it closely follows the lives of people connected to SNA Architects, an up-and-coming firm, basking in the glory of their recent success--a high-rise in the premium area of Colaba. As events unfold, we encounter the corrupt and ruthless Niranjan, founder of SNA, and his associate, Nita, who think bribery is a small price to pay to get to the top; another founder of SNA, the honest but naIve Sanika, and Shushrut, an aspiring writer who is no longer content to play her stay-at-home partner; an NGO worker, Swarupa, torn between her loyalty to an old friend and her duty as a whistle-blower; a lonely widow, Joshi Kaku, who wonders if moving to the US to live with her son and his family--with whom she can forge no connections--is a wise idea; and Ramakant, a young student of architecture, who is contemplating suicide in a desperate bid for attention. Even as this diverse cast of characters chases happiness and success, Mumbai emerges as the central character--the driving force behind their aspirations and dreams, and their ethical compromises. Combining sharp observation with dry humour, Ganesh Matkari provides rich insights into the human psyche. His compelling prose and Jerry Pinto's pitch-perfect translation make Half-Open Windows an unputdownable read.

Half-Open Windows

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Ek Shoonya Mi

Dear friends, do you really want to read and understand Vapurza, then open it to any page, start reading. Do not ever consider to finish reading it in one sitting, from start to end. Never. Have you ever noticed the bottles of perfume lined up on some dressing tables, in some enthusiastic houses? What is the purpose behind having so many bottles lined up together? We use only one at a time. The purpose is to use the fragrance that the mind desires at a particular moment. This book is also like the lined up perfume bottles. Open it to the page that your mind desires. Get enveloped in the fragrance, enjoy it thoroughly. There is no binding of finishing reading that has been started. Enjoy it as and when and how much you wish, without any botheration or anxiety of `what next?`_x000D_ If your mind is taken away by a particular perfume, then do not hesitate, feel it again. You never know what you can come across while trying to find something anew. Keeping all these things in mind, there is no sequence, no index and no references given in this book, with the sole intention of allowing you a free mind for all the ideas, concepts and feelings._x000D_ And now a few words about the book by Va Pu himself._x000D_ "Dear Friends, the glass which is shown on the cover page is empty, you might be wondering why? The reason is it is ready to grasp every single word coming from the depths of the sky. The glass will always remain empty for new ideas if you try and keep it clean from all the under estimation about others and the overrating about yourself. Then the glass will be empty to capture the skies. I know that your minds were free from all such evil things; they were free for those many manifestations, I am indeed lucky to have some place in your mind. Dear Friends, bless me today that my glass will remain empty throughout, of all the bad and evil wishes, let it be free from all the misconceptions, egos and ill wills. Let it be ready forever to accept the blessings of the skies, always... "आपापल्या मूडनुसार वेळेनुसार कोणतेही पान उघडावे न् तेवढेच वाचूनही वाचनानंद मिळवावा असे हे पुस्तक.'' कोणतंही पान उघडा आणि वाचा! ‘वपुर्झा’ हे पुस्तक कोणासाठी? ज्यांना मोत्यातील चमक बघायची आहे अशा वेड्यांसाठी! हे पुस्तक कसं वाचायचं? एका बैठकीत? अथ ते इति? एका दमात? छे! मुळीच नाही. काही हौशी घरांमध्ये ड्रेसिंग टेबलावर निरनिराळ्या अत्तरांच्या बाटल्या असतात. जसा मूड असेल तसं अत्तर वापरायचं किंवा जसा मूड व्हावासा वाटत असेल तसं अत्तर निवडायचं. हे पुस्तक असंच वाचायचं. हवं ते पान आपापल्या मूडनुसार उघडायचं आणि त्या सुगंधाने भारून जायचं. एखादा सुगंध पुन्हा घ्यावासा वाटला तर? पुन्हा शोधायचा. त्या शोधात आणखी काहीतरी सापडेल. म्हणूनच या पुस्तकात अनुक्रमणिका, क्रमांक, संदर्भ काहीही दिलेलं नाही.

VAPURZA

The animals of Manor Farm have revolted and taken over. Upon the death of Old Major, pigs Snowball and Napoleon lead a revolt against Mr. Jones, driving him from the farm. The animals embrace the Seven Commandments of Animalism and life carries on, but they learn that a farm ruled by animals looks more human than ever.

Animal Farm

Getting rich is not just about luck; happiness is not just a trait we are born with. These aspirations may seem out of reach, but building wealth and being happy are skills we can learn. So what are these skills, and how do we learn them? What are the principles that should guide our efforts? What does progress really look like? Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur, philosopher, and investor who has captivated the world with his principles for building wealth and creating long-term happiness. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is a collection of Naval's wisdom and experience from the last ten years, shared as a curation of his most insightful interviews and poignant reflections. This isn't a how-to book, or a step-by-step gimmick. Instead, through Naval's own words, you will learn how to walk your own unique path toward a happier, wealthier life.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

My Bookshelf, a collection of books created by Kaushal Joshi. With books like Half-Open Windows, Ek Shoonya Mi, VAPURZA, Animal Farm, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant