'True patriotism is better than wrong piety'

Sketch by - Bhargab Bhagawati

All about writing!

Poem by - Anmol Chandak

What is writing?

A hobby for some, pastime for the rest,
For a few, it's the thing they do the best;
It's their life for some, passion for many,
And the best mode of expression, if any.

For me, it's a mode of travelling in time,
In a sheet of paper, I sublime.
It's where I lose myself and find myself too,
I am very sure this also happens with you.

A Sky Full of Stars

Art by - Arnab Jyoti Sharma (1st semester, AMC)

"Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing"

Art by - Anurag Sarma

City-lights

By - Anmol Chandak

Far away into the horizon I stare
Breathing the crisp midnight air
The wind smells sweet, though somewhat bold
The sky's all black, with a few patches of gold

I'm in a new place far away from home
Life here's metallic, painted in chrome
I try to stand still - my mind flutters away
Even when awake, of 'home' I dream everyday

Amidst this blur, clarity I desire
Something to soothe me, to soothe my inner fire
I close my eyes and take a deep breath
I fail to pacify the storm underneath

I gaze at the city, trying to get lost
In it's fire and in it's frost
This place here might have many pleasant sights
But all I see are the glimmering City lights.

Fantastic Beasts 2 - the new entry in the Pottertown

- Dibyaraj Dutta

(An honest review by a potterhead)

[No major spoiler]

After a wait of almost 2 years, the new Fantastic Beasts movie is out. And boy! Potterheads cannot help but be ecstasized. But wait! Does the movie really live upto all the hype and expectations around it? Or is it all show and no go?

Adultery

By - Sampriti Gogoi

(Lapidation or stoning to death is a vile form of capital punishment in the Middle East. Though its nothing compared to the enigma associated with the act, the poetess has tried to portray the victim's perspective of the event.)

Eyes concealing clandestine poignant
anxieties hidden behind my nikab you saw;
When the solitious gazes of those perturbed eyes was all I saw.

"Battery!" - from the diary of a myopic kid.

By - Nidarshan Kashyap Kalita

"Oi battery! Eifale ahh."

Rajbir was used to this name. Infact, he doesn't remember a time when he wasn't 'battery'.

This is Rajbir's story.

অশৰীৰি

By - Sampriti Gogoi

Image source: Google

গতিশীল মানবীৰ মাজৰ স্তব্ধতা মই,
অদৃশ্য মই,অস্পৃশ্য মই,
এৰা !লাভাণ্ডাৰ গন্ধিত বায়ু প্ৰদূষিত কৰা আৱৰ্জনা মই!

ভোগ বিলাসীতাৰ উৎসৱৰ মাজৰ শূন্যতা মই,
অনাদৃত মই,অনপেক্ষিত মই,
পুষ্টিৰ অভাৱত উৱঁলি যোৱা শৰীৰেই যে মোৰ পৰিচয়।

"Let then the Fair one beautifully cry, in Magdalen's loose hair and lifted eye..." - Alexander Pope

Art by - Sagarika Das

The Arnab Agenda (a tête-à-tête with Arnab Goswami)

Arnab Goswami - the man with the black rimmed specs, jet black hair and a black coat. Hailing from a high-end political family in Assam, the man has single handedly revolutionised the media to a form of journalism in which the news anchor wasn't just a silent spectator to the ongoing debates, but was one of the panel, with an opinion to which he clung as he grilled his guests, exposing their hypocrisy. And as his voice roared with "the nation wants to know", he resonated with the vibes of the common man.

What does Arnab has to say about himself, being a man who took the whole nation by a storm? What is the Arnab agenda? Yes, the nation indeed wants to know!

She's Beautiful

By - Anmol Chandak

Image source: Google

She doesn't have a perfectly crafted body,
Nor does she have brilliant looks;
Her hair is not always neatly made,
She's mostly engrossed in books.

Fashion is not her cup of tea,
But she's got her own style;
"Comfort is what matters to me the most",
Says she with a gentle smile.

Best Durga Puja Pandals across Assam this 2018

The Durga Puja marathon just came to an end!

2018 has witnessed multiple pandals that have adhered to elaborate and innovative themes - both traditional and contemporary in their own rights.

Hold your horses. Team penfreak brings to you the most attention grabbing pandals across the state, from Bongaigaon and Mangaldai to Tinsukia and Dibrugarh, and from Silchar and Guwahati to Nagaon and Tezpur, and also covering the towns of Jorhat and Sivsagar.

1. Bangaigaon

The commerical hub of Assam had much to offer this autumn. With themes so innovative, the town, no doubt, had to be one's top pick for pandal hopping.

Auf Weidersehen

By - Manaswi Dutta

(All characters and names are fictional)

This is medieval age poetry.  Set in the old German period, it depicts a soliloquy in two different time frames. 

(1)

(The lady is a new recruit to the Battle ship 'Ehre'. Her father is the captain. She believes in omens and has premonitions.  Her comrades call these things 'strange'. 

She liked one Roemho. It appears they had romantic interests. Yet he didn't share all secrets with her. He seemed to be the only person to believe her. 

Top 5 Durga Puja Pandals in Dibrugarh this 2018

Picture credit - Suruj Jyoti Dutta

Compiled by - Dibyaraj Dutta

(Special thanks to: Nidarshan Kashyap, Ajay Das, Naba Raj Chetri)

Happy Durga Puja, people.

After our Top Durga Puja Pandals in Guwahati this 2018 compilation, team penfreak presents a compilation of the Top 5 Durga Puja Pandals from Dibrugarh this 2018.

Have you been to all of them?

1. Marwari Patty

The buzzing bee, the giant flower and the twinkles of greenary all around - this pandal is definitely at par with those from Kolkata. This has gotta be our top pick for the best puja pandal in Assam this year.

Top 8 Puja Pandals in Guwahati this 2018

By - Pratap K Das

"Dhaker Taale Komor Dole,
Khusite Nache Mon,
Aj Baja Kasor Jama Asor,
Thakbe Ma Ar Katakhan..."

Its festive season! Bolo Bolo Durga Maa ki Joy! Durga Pujo or Navratri holds different values and traditions for various communities; but one thing that remains constant is that it's synonymous with shopping, pandal hopping and doi-mishti with gorom gorom jilaapis.

Guwahati has always been a hotbed for Puja celebrations year in and out. We took a ride out on the night of Maha Saptami (as we did last year) around the city and we present to you our top picks for this year’s Puja. This is our 3rd installment in making a 'Top Puja Pandals around Guwahati' list. Make sure to visit as many of them as you can this time round.

1. Lakhi Mandir, Beltola

"Staring at the bottom of your glass, hoping one day you'll make a dream last. But dreams come slow and they go so fast" - Let Her Go, Passenger

Art by - Sohail Ahmed

ৰাঙলী বেলিৰ ৰহণত জিলিকি উঠে অপৰাহ্ন‌, পখীবোৰে দি যায় কলৰব প্ৰশান্ত

Photography by - Asif Iqbal Khan

শিৰোনাম সৌজন্য - Ankita Saikia

Venom: the new anti-hero in the town

By - Harpreet Singh Dhillon

Image source: Google

It's almost autumn, and with the marvel cinematic universe launching some great hits this year, the recent spider-man spin-off venom just filled a gap that was present amidst the next marvel movies that are to come.

Starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, this dynamic and talented actor has outdone himself yet again.

অসন্তুলন

- অভিজিত বৰা

Image source: Google

পাৰাপাৰহীন মহাসমুদ্ৰৰ এক প্ৰান্তত
          নীলিম শূন্যতাৰ আৱৰণৰ মাজত,
প্ৰজ্ঞাৰ শলিতা জ্বলাই দূৰ কৰাৰ হাবিয়াস
          অন্তৰৰ দাবানলময়ী ক্ষুধা।

শান্তিহীনতাৰ পাৰিপৰ্শ্বিকতাৰ হেন্দোলনিৰ মাজত
          আক্ষেপ কৰি ৰৈছে নিৰ্জনতাই ;