Thursday 16 December 2021

No 13429, Thursday 16 Dec 2021, Afterdark

Solution to 1D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Rangoli by Gowri

ACROSS
1   Hijacks, first neutralises driver with ease reportedly to collect money (11) COMMANDEERS {COMMA}{Ne...s}{Dr...r}{EE}{RS}
9   Gallery gets approval abroad; recorded (7) NOTATED {NO{TATE}D}
10 Used fake riots, removed leader at State reorganisation (5-2) SHAKE-UP {SH}{fAKE}{UP} No riots required for this
11 Snap at prince, angry with second loss (5) PHOTO {P}{HOT}{lOss}
12 War paint on spectators: commotion between husband and wife (3,6) EYE SHADOW {EYES}{H}{ADO}{W}
13 Im mining uranium to process in country (5) NAURU URANiUm*
15 Relatives working in first and last shifts, by rule get a bonus essentially (4-2-3) SONS-IN-LAW {Shi{ON}ftS}{1}{boNus}{LAW}
18 Nair in showers... (9) RAINFALLS {NAIR}* [RA]
21 ... spirited, animated, lively, invigorated, vivacious, energetic from the beginning (5) ALIVE Acrostic
22 Nursery apparatus in a country has rust, to be returned (9) INCUBATOR {IN}{CUBA}{ROT<=}
24 Give good oration (5) GRANT {G}{RANT}
26 Gynaecologist’s treatment is vague (7) OBSCURE {OB'S}{CURE}
27 Deduced it’s excellent to accommodate monk (1,6) A PRIORI {A{PRIOR}1}
28 Like a successful book about singles picking top boys, exercising leverage tactfully (4-7) BEST-SELLING {SINGLES+Boys+Ex...g+Le...e+Ta...y}*

DOWN
1   Put up with Cook, say to get a kitchen implement (3,6) C?N ?P?N?R (Addendum - CAN OPENER {CAN}{OPENER} - See comments)
2   Saying that teetotaller is holding glasses afternoon (5) MOTTO {O{TT}O}<=>{M}
3   Harry’s frustration’s not in playing surface (9) ASTROTURF {FRUSTRATiOn}*
4   Cheats extracted money from tenants day before (7) DODGERS {lODGERS}<=>{D}
5   Perhaps Asian, fourth in order, an authoritarian (7) EASTERN {ordEr}{A}{STERN}
6   Cut lady out, take man to crush (5) SMASH S(-l+m)MASH
7   Latest by first of December, Chile leader to be toppled in a riot at capital (3,5) NEW DELHI {NEW}{De...r}{cHILE*}
8   Special woman, full of energy in issue (4) SPEW {SP}{E}{W}
14 Expenses incurred on product/service delivery cuts into distribution (4,4) UNIT COST*
16 Maiden won by a new promise, a life starts (9) INAUGURAL {IN}{AUGUR}{A}{Life}
17 Fighting and winning over lady (9) WRESTLING {WREST{L}ING}
19 If they are French, they will help in population control (7) LETTERS [CD]
20 Go after Suresh halfway and beat (7)  SURPASS {PASS}<=>{SUResh}
22 Hero to perform in Israel (4) IDOL {I{DO}L}
23 Link on top right corner in books for advertisement (5) BLURB {L}{U}{R} in {BB}
25 Sauce added with a bit of rosemary and vinegar to make this dish (5) AIOLI rAvIOLI

Reference List
Used = SH(Second Hand), Prince = P, Husband = H, Wife = W, Good = G, Teetotaller = TT, Glasses = OO, Afternoon = M(Meridian),  Lady = L, Man = M, Special = SP, Woman = W, Energy = E, Israel = IL, Link = L, Top = U, Book = B, Right = R 


Tale
Piece
By Dr RKE

Rani Mehta, the BEST-SELLING author is at the Cha Bar at the Oxford Book Store, Connaught Place, NEW DELHI for the INAUGURAL sale of her latest work of fiction. The PHOTO in the BLURB of this book is the same one that she has been using for 20 years. She looks visibly older now- the EYE SHADOW cannot hide her age entirely. Didn’t the Bard say ‘age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety?’. This IDOL of women authors is reputed to have SURPASSed all records in sales figures. That was thought impossible for a woman hailing from an OBSCURE town in EASTERN U.P. To have a mass readership and be praised by men of LETTERS is something only a few authors achieve.

The new book is called “SONS-IN-LAW”. It is claimed to be the story of 2 men married into the family of NAURU Bhicaji Rustomji, the business magnate from GRANT road Mumbai. Rustomji has only 2 daughters and they are into art and music, with no aptitude for taking over the huge empire he had painstakingly built. So, Veer and Sameer, their husbands, are WRESTLING with each other to gain control of the aging Rustomji’s companies. Veer, the elder one has the MOTTO - “SMASH any rule, if it helps your business”. Sameer believes that honesty alone pays. He wants to SHAKE UP the entire staff and weed out the artful DODGERS. Veer SPEWs venom at the sight of Sameer, but Sameer is more even-tempered. There is a sub-plot in which Veer’s new born son is being kept ALIVE on an INCUBATOR and can only be saved by bone marrow transplant and the only matching donor is…………. 

I do not want to issue spoilers. Buy the book (its UNIT COST is only Rs.350) and read it, enjoy the pacy narration. Don’t miss the striking use of language which is why Rani Mehta is the reigning queen of this genre. 


42 comments:

  1. THE EYE CATCHERS
    Today, Doctor's tale about Suleiman & Hurrem had me wondering, in a collective sense, about all the women, through the centuries, who have caught the eyes & captured the attention of Kings, Dictators & other powerful men. Many of these women were plucked out of their current lives & forced to become wives, consorts & mistresses of the men who had taken a fancy to them.

    Both historically & geographically, this has been a recurring theme from England to TANZANIA, from Turkey to India to the United States.

    What is the common thread that connects these women - from Mehrunisa aka Noor-e-Jehan (in pure URDU), who caught Emperor Jahangir's fancy to ANN(A)e Boleyn, chased by Henry VIII?

    Although History IDEALISES most of them as unparalleled beauties, in reality, many of them were ordinary RUSTIC women. Completely caught unaware & OUT AT SEA, many of them were ILLUDED into believing that the men really loved them. The curse of Romance proved to be the EPIDEMIC here. Of course, the men who seized them were virtually UNGOVERNED by the laws of the land.

    The men, who knew they were no ROSE COMBS, behaved like ONE ARMED BANDITS, out to ensnare, what they considered to be nubile nymphets, with no mind or choice of their own. Their power made them feel, they were GOOD ENOUGH for any woman on this planet. From ODALISKS to CAIRDS, age, race, caste was no bar. In their NODOUS, scheming minds - the only question that arose was SO WHAT?

    How else can one explain the virtual carnage & creation of Church of England by Henry VIII? The death of thousands of SOLDIERS in the Trojan war, all because Paris took a fancy to Helen? The triumphant killing of the Rana by Khilji & his marching into Chittorgarh to the accompanying sounds of hundreds of BUGLES, all engineered to conquer Queen Padmavathi ?

    Exactly what must have passed through the minds of these women is a mystery, that hasn't been solved, even after the passing of thousands of SIDEREAL YEARS. One only hopes that IN TIME, they must have accepted their fate as 'THATS LIFE' & EMULATING their predecessors, tried to make the best of the given situation.

    The only exception to this oft repeated scenario, seems to be Cleopatra. Here was one woman, who allowed no man the right to rule her body or mind. She controlled her life & to some extent the lives of her men. Alas she too had to meet a sad end, not very different from the docile women of her times.

    Of course Rani Padmavathi too was an exception. Erupting like Mount ETNA, she chose Sati, of her free will, in preference to being subjugated by Khilji.

    Now that we are in a modern democratic world, have things changed for women? That women are no longer relegated to the shadows behind the ORIELS, that they no longer just serve, but also drink TODDY occasionally, of their free will, should augur, a more independent life, for them.

    But the ME TOO movement has revealed that things are not as rosy as they seem. Women are, by and large, still judged by their external appearances, the colour of their EYE SHADOW, so to say.

    Well! Who said, battles can be won in a day? Each small step is precious & each tiny victory worth celebrating. To all the women out there - Hold on! We are almost there. Sure we will be touching the finishing line of true equality & liberation soon. Till then don't lose hope & don't lose courage.
    As they say, soon the stars will be ours to hold & not merely gaze at from a distance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NEW DELHI is ALIVE with the news!
      The PHOTO and the BLURB of the BEST SELLING newspaper says it.
      Yes.
      There is going to be a SHAKE UP in the Ministry.
      No seats for SONS-IN-LAW!
      An OBSCURE candidate from the EASTERN part of the city SURPASSES his rival by a thumping margin!
      Common man:
      Will the UNIT PRICE of petrol come down?

      Delete
    2. πŸ‘ŒπŸΌπŸ‘‹

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    3. History analysed well and written very nicely. Must have taken SOME preparation.

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    4. Padmavati movie nicely captured here. Happy to read your tale.

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    5. No Paddy. No research. Just off the cuff. Thank u.

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  2. 20D What did I do?😲😯😳

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. May be because of all the 5-star chocolates!!?

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    2. What did I do? Appear in the Newspaper!

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    3. Ungalukku sur....rnnu kovam varama irunda sari. 😊

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  3. Cryptic reading is off in many clues, IMO, but solvable!

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    Replies
    1. +1 like 28a picking: don't know, may be technically correct but didn't feel afterdark.

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    2. And aren't OB and Gyn two different specialities? And OB gyn a single word.

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    3. Across 1,9,10,11,12,13,26,28
      Down 2,3,7,25

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  4. 1d-CAN OPENER = a kitchen implement : (Alistair) Cook = opener.
    Put up = Can? How?

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  5. Colonel - Thank u so much !!!

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  6. Dear Mr. Shrikant aka Afterdark,
    I salute you for this tricky grid and 12-A is a superb clue.

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  7. Use of comma in the wordplay subtle as Aldo the ravioli. Finished the puzzle but had to look in here for a few annos. Thank this blog.

    Three tales all superb but with that twisted Bard's quote brought in like performing plea Dr RKE commandeers the show today. Very enjoyable...

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  8. Sons in law complements toddy yesterday. Won daughter thus?

    Two ways to play with eye shadow. Nice

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  9. Very well written case for our women force!

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  10. hope Dr RKE will cure New born baby. Well written Dr. your story is too nice. esp. reading in night hours. due to tight schedule unable to spent time in morning hours.

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  11. @Gowri
    Could visit the blog only now.
    Beautiful rangoli!
    Wonderful story!
    Very nice Gowri

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  12. I am amazed at the tales produced by Dr. RKE day by day. What a resourceful man!

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    Replies
    1. Doc - i am going to start stealing ur ideas!!!

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