Go Green With DOT

Pollution is a major concern in today's world. The high number of wastes deposited in air, land and water has lead to several forms of illness. People speak of drastic measures to curb the pollution, but we all know, it's not easy to implement them in a short period of time. We need proper planning that can save the environment gradually, and create greater impact, rather than a rushed solution that may not be feasible in the long run. In short, what we require is a dot by dot measure.

Speaking of dots, a green mobility startup based in Gurgaon, India, came up with its app MY DOT (http://gowithdot.com/). This can be downloaded via Google Play on Android smartphones. The question arises as to what does this app address.If you list the major polluted cities in the world, you will find Delhi NCR right at the top, along with many other Indian cities and towns. DOT aims to clean the environment by launching services such as ebikes, electric rickshaws and buses in various locations in India. In fact, DOT is the first ebike taxi service in India launched in August 2015. Currently, the service is operational in Gurgaon, and the company is focusing next on Goa and Delhi. The ebike service company recently completed 100,000 kilometers in its pilot phase in Gurgaon.

Vineet J. Mehra, the former India Executive Director of Stemcor, and the founder of DOT, said, "Sustainable pro-environment business solutions offered by DOT will change the landscape of India and hopefully, into a much greener one."

How is DOT different from the rest? The biggest plus is its use of electric vehicles that reduces carbon footprints of the whole automotive industry. The e-bikes are free of both air and noise pollution, which is a growing menace in big cities. The numbers may look small at the moment but the impact they will have on off-setting the pollution caused by conventional fuel driven vehicles would be incremental, once DOT services reaches all locations of Delhi NCR and Pan India. For example, by completing 100,000 kms, DOT saved the Gurgaon air from emission of carbon dioxide by 8 Tons and PM by 31 Kgs. 

DOT is launched in support of Make in India, Digital India and Swachh Bharat initiatives. For any further information, one can contact Heavena at heavena@gowithdot.com or call 8510876554.

Hand-pump

I have been noticing him. Once chirpy and playful, he had lost the zeal to survive. Life couldn't have been crueler.

Tune back to the 80s. He ruled the roost in every household, field, school and office. Children used to hang on to his strong arm, and he cried in joy. He was respected and loved everywhere, a messiah to all.

And then came inventions. Doomsday.

Electric motors and water tanks annexed his empire. His fall from grace was swift, and before he could shed tears, they had dried.

The hand-pump was now left to rue his fate, alone.


This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - H.

My A to Z April Challenge Themes Over The Years

• 2016 - Things
• 2015 - Animals
• 2014 - Names
• 2013 - Haiku

PS: I was running short of ideas for this one. I was initially thinking of hammer, hat and the likes, but couldn't zero in on an appropriate plot. Thankfully, my wife came to my rescue and suggested me this particular topic. 

It's always a blessing when your partner is a creative mind herself.

Experience Movies With Flickstree

If you are a movie buff, and I am sure you are (after all, who doesn't love to watch good movies?), you need to bookmark www.flickstree.com in your web browser. You may be raising your eyebrows, and twisting your knuckles in wonder, because there is a high chance you haven't heard of this site before. Well, that is because Flickstree is a relatively new platform that is poised to be the next big thing in the entertainment and personalization space, redefining moving watching and satiating the thirst of the cinema lover in you.

In simple terms, Flickstree is a smart website and mobile app, so smart that it can recommend you movies based on your liking and taste. Yes, you heard me right. The algorithm uses an advanced machine learning, where every movie passes through a set of well designed critical lens of varied filters, before the suggestions are passed on to you. Also, the site informs you of the numerous platforms where the movie is currently available to watch and enjoy.

I am fond of watching quality movies, and discovering new ones. However, till recently, the only search mechanisms that I had to find movies worth watching were my friends, colleagues and peers, and a few websites. However, most of the them only provided names of popular movies, and the relatively unknown ones, though high in quality, were left unexplored. This utter indecisiveness also lead to wastage of time without any genuine result, and there were occasions when I had to simply abandon the plan to rent or download the film. Not any more, though. Flickstree promises to change that, and in a big way. The website is ready and roaring. In order to create a mobile site and an app, Flickstree is crowd funding on Indiegogo at http://bit.ly/1SvHLKS.

The funds that will be collected via this campaign will also help Flickstree expand its horizon. For example, it can then cater to more languages of cinema, run insight gathering and feedback program to improve the platform further. Flickstree as a concept has a huge potential, and the future for it looks really bright.

Gown

Jennifer was excited. Finally, she had found the perfect match for Roy, her darling son. She had heard about the girl from one of her friends, and was impressed by her profile. She called up the girl's parents and found them amiable. Tomorrow she would be visiting them with his son.

Roy took out his mother's wedding gown from the cupboard, white and pristine. He closed the room's door and tried it infront of mirror. How beautiful he looked.

"Roy," he heard his mother's voice.

He quietly opened the gown and placed it back in the cupboard, as always.


This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - G.


My A to Z April Challenge Themes Over The Years

• 2016 - Things
• 2015 - Animals
• 2014 - Names
• 2013 - Haiku

Fence

She lived on the other side of the fence. We never spoke. Perhaps I was still a stranger. To break the ice, I sent her a friend request on Facebook.

We started chatting, slowly opening up. One day, I confessed my feelings to her. She typed a smiley.

I met her the following day, asking if she too felt the same. She smiled, and entered her house. I didn’t see her after that.

They had relocated.

It was only later that I came to know that she couldn’t speak; yet, her smile spoke words that I’d always dreamt of.

This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - F.

My A to Z April Challenge Themes Over The Years

• 2016 - Things
• 2015 - Animals
• 2014 - Names
• 2013 - Haiku

Earrings

“Have you seen my gold earrings?” she asked.

“No darling. Did you check the cupboard?” replied her husband.

She searched everywhere, but couldn't find them. “It must be the maid,” she thought.

She accosted the maid, who didn't accept her guilt, and her month’s pay was deducted.

A week later, her diamond earrings went missing too.

She lodged a police complaint. The maid’s house was searched, articles ransacked, but in vain. Humiliated, she left work.

That night, at a nearby bar, her husband gambled with two diamond earrings, trying to compensate the loss he had faced with gold ones.

This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - E.

Dustbin

Little Johnie was basking in the sweetness of his favourite yogurt, as he walked on the streets. Suddenly, the bowl of yogurt slipped from his grasp and fell.

Johnie bent to pick it up, but his mother intervened, “No son. This yogurt is dirty now. I will buy you a new one.” She threw the bowl in a dustbin lying by the pavement.

After they left, three rag-pickers, barely in their teens, leapt towards the bin. They shared and savoured the discarded yogurt, a dessert they were not privileged to taste often.

“Yummy,” said one.

“Yes,” agreed the others.

This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - D.

Candle

He lit up the scented candles one by one. It was their first night in Pattaya, their honeymoon.

Their parents had decided the match; he was glad they did. Sanjana was beautiful and friendly, and he had fallen in love with her. But where was she? He dialled her number.

“Honey, you won’t believe who I met in the hotel lobby. Remember Sunil? I am with him, catching up on old times. I shall come in a few hours. Ok?”

He just nodded. Sunil was her ex.

The candles kept burning the whole night. And so did his heart.

This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - C.

Bag

Three officers of the bomb disposal squad walked towards the bag abandoned on the railway platform. They opened it and found some clothes and two soft toys inside.

Just then, a young guy of twenty arrived there, “Hey, that’s my bag.”

The officers signalled, and two uniformed policemen grabbed the guy’s wrists.

“So the bombs are in these teddy bears?”

“No. Those are for my sister. It’s her birthday.”

Ignoring his plea, the officers tore apart the toys, only to find cotton inside.

Meanwhile, in the nearby town, a little girl awaited her birthday gift – her favourite teddy bears.

This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - B.

Almirah

She opened the almirah and placed the three envelopes inside. Locking it, she silently walked out of the house.

Raj returned home but couldn’t find his wife. He noticed the almirah, on which a paper was stuck – “Open Me.”

He found the envelopes inside. As he started reading them, fear gripped him tight.

“I hated how we fought last night.”

“I don’t think we can be together. I am leaving.”

With sweaty palms, Raj opened the third envelope, fearing the worst.

“April Fool honey. Don’t worry, I’m at the market and will be back soon. I love you lots.”

This 99 word fiction is shared with Blogging from A to Z April Challenge - A.