Love can be tough to sustain, or so believes Ravinder Singh, one of India's best-selling romantic novelists.
Appearing in an online session on Friday, November 13, as part of the Sharjah International Book Fair, Singh asserted that opening your heart to another comes with its fair share of risks.
“When I began writing more than a decade ago, I wrote of eternal or everlasting love. Today, my understanding of the subject has broadened. I now think love also has an expiry date,” he said.
“I believe that the day you accept your partner’s proposal and decide to make a life together, that very day you have given the right to him or her to break your heart someday.”
Can technology influence romance?
Known for his bestselling 2007 English debut novel, I Too Had a Love Story, Singh is famed as India's king of modern romance, having penned nine books that focus on relationships and which are set in various Indian cities.
As a former software engineer, Singh doesn’t believe technology has ruined the thrill of finding an organic relationship. Instead, it offers seekers a wider range of options.
“Technology has a significant role in our lives; perhaps it gives us too many options at the click of a button,” he says. “But it also enables you to achieve your goals. And if my goal is to find a partner, I will leverage the power of technology to find that special someone.”
A good book is a successful marriage
Singh described the cut and thrust world of publishing as similar to a passionate relationship in that it can be full of euphoria and rejection.
He experienced both emotions when I Too Had a Love Story was rejected by countless publishers before appearing on bestseller lists.
"A book is a marriage between a publisher and an author, and has to generate value for all stakeholders,” he says.
Literature also has the power to heal a broken heart. Written in the wake of his girlfriend's tragic death in a car accident, Singh said writing I Too Had a Love Story was a soothing experience.
“Slipping into a meaningless existence after losing my girlfriend in a car crash led me to piece together our story and courtship days; it was cathartic," he says.
“I wanted to keep her memory alive through the pages of my book. I encapsulated all my pain and put it on the bookshelves across the country. It was therapeutic and healing; it helped me move on. I thus became an author by chance but continue to be one by choice.”
Running for 10 days, the Sharjah International Book Fair ended on Saturday, November 14.
The fair adopted a hybrid model with physical events held on site at Sharjah Expo Centre and online sessions featuring more than 50 local, regional and international authors.
For more information on the fair and sessions visit sibf.com
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Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal.
Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson.
Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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