Scripted in Sanity: 01/10/2025

THE LOW-LA MIXTAPE

The year 2025 seems to have passed by like a bad dream.

In terms of career prospects and personal finances, the year has been one of several failures and disappointments. One bright silver lining though is that I have managed to make time to revisit my blog and make an attempt to revive it.

The year also saw certain Indian companies make the news for all the wrong reasons. One such company was a manufacturer of electric scooters (let's call the brand Low-La), who began launching his products with great fanfare from 2021 onwards, but has been facing severe brickbats because of the alarming rate of breakdowns ever since.

What makes you cringe is not the seemingly massive failure of his product, but his arrogant and defiant attitude, and the lack of urgency he is showing to address service requests and redressal of complaints. As of date, he seems to be spending more time posting on social media and getting into spats with stand up comedians on X (formerly known as Twitter).

According to reliable sources (only reliable to yours truly), a small set of irate customers are planning to put together a music album in the form of a mix-tape. The move is expected to help them build pressure on the company and also possibly recover some of the money wasted on their scooters.

Since I never hesitate to put in extra efforts to keep my readers ahead of the news, I have decided to share the tracklist with you. Enjoy!

Track #1: Oh Break-Downeya

Sung to the tune of Oh Bedardeya from the movie Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023)

A heart-wrenching ballad of betrayal by a scooter that suddenly conked off mid-ride.

Track #2: Aaj Ki Raat

Sung to the tune of the sizzling item number from the movie Stree 2 (2024)

The new version goes like this:

Thodi fursat bhi meri jaan kabhi customer care ko dijiye,

Aaj ki raat sazaa ride ka service centre se lijiye!

The seductive energy of the original takes a new lease of life with the service centre's come-hither vibe.

Track #3: Tere Vaaste Sadak Pe Main Parts Launga

Sung to the tune of "Tere Vaaste" from the movie Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023)

The music video for this song apparently features an over-eager love-crazy guy promising to find spare parts and accessories to get his lady love's electric bike up and running again.

A reprise version of the song, which goes "tere vaaste sadak pe tow van launga" is also on the cards. Stay tuned.

Track #4: Scoot Lutt Putt Gaya

Sung to the tune of "Lutt Putt Gaya" from the movie Dunki (2023)

No explanation needed here. Every single customer's review, loud and clear!

Track #5: Tauba Tauba

Sung to the tune of Karan Aujla's chartbuster featuring Vicky Kaushal, from the movie Bad Newz (2024)

In this song, the protagonist delivers a high-style calling out of the manufacturer's false promises.

Track #6: Aaya Re Toofaan

Sung to the tune of AR Rehman's hit from the movie Chhaava (2025)

Contrary to what many believe, this song is not about the speed of the electric bikes. It is actually about the speed of the oncoming deluge of customer complaints and service/repair requests.

Track #7: Uyi Amma

Sung to the tune of Madhubanti Bagchi's popular track from the not-so-popular movie Azaad (2025)

"Uyi amma haaye haaye main toh marr gayi" is the scooter's battery crooning with full energy before unexpectedly running out of juice. Perhaps the "...main toh marr gayi" warning should have been taken seriously.

Track #8: Khada Hoon Aaj Bhi Wahin

Sung to the tune of Delhi band The Local Train's indie-rock ballad, Choo Lo (2015), which has somehow seen renewed interest on Instagram over the past couple of years.

The track's intro goes "khada hoon aaj bhi wahi, ki dil phir bekarar hai, khada hu aaj bhi wahi, ki tera intezaar hai". A poetic lament about being stranded, both physically and emotionally, next to a scooter that simply refuses to move.

Track #9: Scatoor (Scooter)

Sung to the tune of Ghafoor from The Ba***rds of Bollywood

Very apt, because those scooters really are bad(ly-made) MFs.

Track #10: Breaky

Sung to the tune of Sanju Rathod's Marathi sensation "Shaky Shaky" (2025).

Instead of "ek number, tujhi kambar, hay chaal shaky shaky", the lyrics to the revamped version go "fake wonder, mothi blunder, tujhi bike shaky breaky"

Bonus tracks from the past: For people like me whose playlists take an awful amount of time to evolve.

Track #11: Kaise Hua? Kaise Hua? Tu Itna Khataara Kaise Hua?

Sung to the tune of "Kaise Hua" from the movie Kabir Singh (2019)

A tear-jerking introspective ballad, in the form of an interrogation of a scooter that promised mobility and delivered worthless scrap instead. The song also symbolizes the disappointment and disillusionment that owners of these blessed two-wheelers have ended up with.

Track #12: Email Na Koi Sandesh

Sung to the tune of Jagjit Singh's ghazal "Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh" (1998)

A song about the pain and frustration that builds up when follow-up calls, emails, and other correspondence go unanswered for months.

Track #13: Sadak Tak Chal Saath Mere

Sung to the tune of "Falak Tak Chal Saath Mere" from the movie Tashan (2008)

When your scooter is no longer able to run on wheels and battery, all you can do is 'walk' it down (bad) memory lane.

Track #14: Aaya Tow Van Jhoom Ke

Sung to the tune of "Aaya Saawan Jhoom Ke", the title track from a Dharmendra-Asha Parekh starrer (1969).

A song of abject surrender, half celebrating the arrival of the tow van with relief, resignation, and a hint of madness.

There you go! Hope you liked the tracklist. Do feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments section below.

This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.

SINDHUDURG DIARIES - PART 1

This is a follow-up on my previous post, where I had attempted to showcase Sindhudurg.

For those of you who weren't able to read the previous post, my wife and son, who are suspected thalassophiles (fancy term for beach lovers), were eager to go on a holiday to Goa during their school Diwali break. Me, on the other hand, who didn't want to visit the same place again (we had last visited Goa in October 2021), suggested that we visit some other coastal town. When I finally managed to get a go-ahead on this, my research on scenic beach towns with a rich history and a sprinkling of ancient & medieval historical monuments led me to Sindhudurg as our holiday spot.

With this post, the first in a series of three, I am taking you along for a dive into our first full day in this coastal gem.

Choosing our accommodation

When it comes to looking for accommodation options, I like to start by plotting out all places of interest within a city/town and then make decisions based on factors like room cost, proximity to airports/railway stations, tourist spots and restaurants & eateries. In our case, we zeroed in on the Devbag peninsula (see Google Map screenshots below), hoping for smaller crowds and richer experiences. Going by the map, we believed that this spot would have a lot to offer in terms of beautiful beaches (including the sea on all three sides as the southernmost point of the peninsula), and unique experiences of the confluence of the tranquil backwaters of the Karli River and the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea at a point called the "Sangam".

We booked a room for 3 nights/4 days at Hotel Ocean Bliss. The booking was done on Indigo Airlines' hotel booking portal through an app which gave us a cashback of Rs.1,500. For more details on this cashback app, read this post.

The Train to Sindhudurg

The next important thing for us to decide was how to travel to Sindhudurg. We didn't fancy a 11 to 12-hour drive, so our next best (and most feasible and budget-friendly) option was to travel by train.

The Sindhudurg Express (10105 Diva-Sawantwadi Road) was our best bet at the time. On paper, the train was supposed to depart from Diva Junction (in the Thane district of the state of Maharashtra) at as early as 06:25 IST and was supposed to get us to our destination (either Sindhudurg or Kudal railway station) before 5 pm the same evening. The seats we had booked were in economy AC coaches, so we were looking forward to a comfortable and humidity-free journey.

With a 6:25 am departure, we had to wake at an unearthly hour (I actually woke up a few minutes before my 3 am alarm screeched to life). Although we managed to reach the station about 20 minutes before the departure time (we should have actually reached earlier, but Mumbai never sleeps), we had a tough time finding the correct platform. After a dozen frantic foot-over-bridge sprints and a volley of commuter queries, we found our way to the correct platform and our bogie just in time.

The journey went as planned until about 1:30 in the noon. From this point onwards, however, the train was forced to halt for more than an hour at a station named Ukshi to allow several other trains to cross the route. The congestion got cleared only at around 2:30 pm, and our train finally reached its destination at around 7pm, almost two hours later than scheduled.

The entrance to Sindhudurg railway station

We were afraid that we might not be able to find transportation at the railway station so late in the evening. Thankfully, there were several rickshaws standing in wait, and we negotiated a deal with one. Having reached our hotel at around 8:30 pm, we simply dropped our bags in the room, proceeded to the restaurant for a quick dinner, and retired to our room for the night.

The next morning was a struggle to wake up for the complementary breakfast, since the previous day's travelling had left us really tired. At the breakfast table, I got my wife to agree that we would only relax in the hotel or at the private beach adjunct to the hotel. However, by around 12:30 in the noon, my wife changed her mind and got me to go for a stroll outside the hotel.

And that's where we were approached by a few local guys asking us if we would be interested in a motor boat ride to Tsunami Island and other spots. Our kilometre-long walk led to conversations with at least three different people on the subject, and eventually culminated in a deal struck with one of them for 3 pm.

And I must say that was a wonderful experience!

Our Boat Ride to Tsunami Island

For Rs.2,000, we had the boat all to ourselves. We were asked to take our shoes off at the jetty point before getting into the boat. Once the ride began, our navigator (who also doubled up as a guide) gave us information about all the beaches on the route, the forts & bastions on the shoreline, a lighthouse (close to a place called Vengurla on the Maharashtra-Goa border), and other interesting points on the route.

Our ride for the evening

There was a unique sand bar in the middle of the sea, called Seagull island. We were told that seagulls, who are migratory birds from colder regions of Europe and Central Asia, frequent this spot at certain points of time during the day. What is also unique about this 'island' is that it only emerges from the sea during low tides.

Another golden spot on the route, and I mean that literally, was a unique scenic rock formation called the 'Golden Rocks' near the Nivati beach. The rocks shine like gold during sunrise and sunset, offering stunning views.

Golden Rock

Also on this route were a couple of decrepit and forlorn forts on the hills skirting the shoreline; the names I am able to recall are Sarjekot and Nivati Killa. Then there was a lush coconut grove, which the navigator referred to as Mini Kerala.

At some point during the ride, the boatman pointed to a patch of the sea where apparently dolphins sometimes show up. Unfortunately, we were not able to spot anything.

Further down the line, he showed us the 'sangam point', viz., the point of convergence of the region's Karli river and the Arabian Sea.

On our journey back towards the jetty, the boatman made a 30 to 40-minute halt at the last spot on the ride, a small sandbar-like island at the delta of the Tarkarli river. Although some locals claim (falsely or out of ignorance) that the island was the formed after a tsunami in 2004, it is a natural phenomenon wherein an otherwise completely submerged sandbar appears only during low tide. Locals conduct water sports activities on this sandy strip, including banana boat rides, speed boating rides, kayaking, and others.

For the three of us, however, the biggest highlight was the intricate rangoli-like designs that we saw across almost the entire stretch. We soon realized these rangoli-like patterns were tiny sand bubbles—crafted by unseen sea creatures beneath.

It was only after a closer look that my wife spotted at least a million small-sized crabs peeking out of all of these holes!

When a local saw us treading carefully (partly out of fear of hurting them and partly out of the fear of getting attacked by the crabby multitude), he told us that they didn't bite. That’s when we shed all our hesitation, tiptoed through the crabby crowd, and captured it all on video. I have pasted one of these below for your viewing pleasure.

By the way, these are apparently known as sand bubbler crabs (also called rangoli crabs).

After clicking some wonderful shots of the sunset, we decided to get back to shore.

Sunset at Tsunami Island

At the end of the almost two-hour boat ride, we went to have an early dinner at a Malvani Restaurant near the jetty point. In between bites and smiles, the three of us began a discussion and agreed that this was one of our best memories for 2025.

Clicked outside the jetty point

Hope you enjoyed this somewhat lengthy post. Do share your thoughts, past experiences, and questions in the comments section.

Resource Links:-

Disclaimer: Some of the links on this blog post are affiliate links. This means that if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I genuinely find useful or believe will add value to my readers.

This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.

FANCY A SOJOURN IN SERENE SINDHUDURG?

Back in mid-September, my wife reminded me (actually clenched her teeth and gave me an ultimatum) that she and our 12-year old boy didn't want to spend their Diwali vacation doing nothing at home. After all attempts to change her mind failed, I set myself on a tough mission to find a holiday destination that ticked everyone's boxes, while also not burning a big festive hole in our pocket.

At this juncture I must tell you that my wife and son are both beach people. I, on the other hand, have a soft (a red-hot) spot for old forts, palaces, temples and other ancient & medieval historical monuments.

So I put on my travel-planner hat and consulted Google Maps in my quest for a spot close to Mumbai that offered both sea and history. My approach was to add Mumbai as the starting point and Goa as the destination, and then search for sea forts along the route. This approach threw up several results on the long western coastline, as you will see in the image below. After excluding several spots that we had already visited, including Madh within Mumbai limits, Alibag and Murud-Janjira in the Raigad district, and Goa, I was eventually left with previously uncharted spots in the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

Snapshot of my Google Maps search result

My quest for our Diwali holiday destination finally ended when I recollected that one of Indian history's greatest relics, one of the battle swords wielded by Maratha Warrior King Shivaji, was housed in one of the temples inside Sindhudurg Fort. It ticked the coastal allure for my wife and son and the historical charm that I had been craving for a long time.

Sindhudurg, a coastal district located about 460-500 km away from Mumbai, is steeped in rich Maratha history, and is famed for its sea and hill forts, pristine beaches, Malvani cuisine, and rich biodiversity. The district came into being in 1981, when it was carved out of an erstwhile much bigger Ratnagiri. As of today, Sindhudurg comprises the tahsils of Sawantwadi, Kudal, Vengurla, Malvan, Devgad, Kankavli, Vaibhavwadi, and Dodamarg.

Named after the iconic Sindhudurg Fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th century, the district literally means “fort in the sea.” With a 122-km-long coastline running along the Arabian Sea on the West and the Sahyadri hills forming its eastern boundary, the district has a lot to offer in terms of scenic beauty and ecological purity. The district forms the southern-most point of the state of Maharashtra, sharing borders with Goa and Karnataka.

Some of the top tourist attractions of Sindhudurg are as under:-

The Sindhudurg Fort

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/

Built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj between 1664-67, this majestic sea fort stands on an island named Kurte just off the coast of Malvan. Accessible by a short boat ride from the Malvan jetty, the fort has 3-4 km long perimeter walls that are about 30-feet high and 12-feet thick, several bastions, temples, storage areas & granaries, and even freshwater wells. In its glory years, the fort also had a palace, large assembly areas, cannons, and other structures. One of the main attractions of the fort complex is a Shivrajeshwar temple built by the Warrior King's son, Chhatrapati Rajaram, in which one of his battle swords is kept on display.

Rajkot Fort and Chhatrapati Shivaji Smarak

Image: https://nativeplanet.com/

The Rajkot fort was originally constructed around the same time as the Sindhudurg fort as a strategic military outpost. As of today, not much of the original structure remains besides a bastion. In late 2023, a 35-foot statue of the Chhatrapati was constructed at the fort, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Modi. Unfortunately, this statue collapsed in August 2024. It was eventually replaced by a new and much taller 91-foot statue in May 2025, which gloriously towers over the Arabian Sea.

The Tarkarli, Malvan and Devbag Beaches

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/

The beaches in the district (especially the Tarkarli beach) are known for their powdery white sands, clear waters and serene atmosphere. These are a popular hotspots for water sports enthusiasts and those who enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, banana boat rides. jet ski rides, parasailing, kayaking, etc. There are certain spots from these beaches where you can spot dolphins as well.

The Devbag Peninsula, the Karli River Backwaters and Tsunami Island

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in

Those who are not keen on water sports can simply take speed boat rides in the Karli backwaters. The backwaters are formed because of a unique peninsular formation at Devbag, which is essentially a thin strip of land bordered by the Karli River on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. This creates a confluence point (or sangam as the locals call it), where the Karli river empties into the Arabian Sea. The boat ride offers a glimpse from a distance of several key points including Vengurla, some hill forts along the coastline and peninsula, Golden Rocks (natural rock formations in the middle of the sea that reflect the sun's rays in a way that makes them appear golden), and the sangam. The boat will also stop for a while at a small sand bar in the middle of the water called Seagull Island which is frequented by these migratory birds, and a so-called Tsunami Island, which is named so because it is an otherwise completely submerged sandbar that appears only during low tide. Besides water sports activities, what I found enchanting about this island was the intricate bubble designs created by the millions of small sand bubbler crabs (also called rangoli crabs) that thrive thereon.

Geoglyphs/Petroglyphs of Konkan

Image: https://travelkonkan.in/

Petroglyphs are carvings into rock surfaces, while geoglyphs are large designs created on the ground by arranging stones or removing earth to reveal contrasting soil. According to articles that I have come across, there are more than 1,500 petroglyphs/geoglyphs spread across more than 70 locations in the Konkan region (including some parts of Goa), all dating back to the Mesolithic era. Initially academically discovered in 2012 (although local tribes & communities simply knew these as signs left behind by their ancestors for years), some estimates peg these art forms at more than 12,000 years old.

The Malvan Marine Sanctuary

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/

The Malvan Marine Sanctuary is a 29.22 square kilometre World Heritage site (designated in 1987) which is a biologically-rich coastal region and home to diverse coastal species, including sea anemones, molluscs, pearl oysters, corals, seaweed, mangroves, crustaceans, and much more. One can spot several fish species and subspecies, animals such as Nilgai, leopards, wild boars, barking deer, sambars, migratory birds, ducks, etc., in this region. The Sindhudurg fort, Padamgad fort, Rajkot fort and other rocky structures fall in the buffer zone of this sanctuary.

Rock Garden & Chivla Beach

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/

Located next to Chivla beach (and a few minutes drive from the Sindhudurg fort jetty) point, Malvan’s Rock Garden is a landscaped garden situated on the rocky shores of the sea. Featuring a children's playground and sea-facing benches, it is visited by many for breathtaking views of waves crashing against the rocks and beautiful multi-hued sunsets.

Temples

Image: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/

There are several temples in the region, including many from medieval times. These include the Kunkeshwar temple (also called as the Kashi of South Konkan) originally built in 1100 CE, the Shri Rameshwar temple (built in the 16th century), the Shri Devi Bhagwati mandir (also built in the 16th century), and the several temples inside fort complexes.

The Sawantwadi Palace (Rajwada)

Image: https://sawantwadipalace.com/

This is a relatively less-visited spot in the region. Built between 1755-1803 by rulers of the Sawant-Bhonsale dynasty (initially allied with the Adilshahi rules of Bijapur and later with the British), the palace combines native workmanship with European arches, stained glass, decor, and other European-style elements. There is a lake right in front of the palace complex. One wing of the palace has been converted into a heritage boutique hotel.

Local Cuisine & Konkani Culture

From spicy Malvani seafood to solkadhi and mango-based desserts, the region’s food is a highlight in itself. Cultural festivals and local handicrafts add flavor to the experience. You can make a visit to local marketplaces to buy Kokam syrups, cashews, and Malvani masalas/spices.

How to Reach

By Train

This is the mode I chose. The closest railway stations to Sindhudurg are at Sindhudurg, Kudal, and Sawantwadi. I must warn you that the train journey can be really long, all exceeding 9-10 hours (including delays caused by excess traffic on certain railway crossing zones). But I personally consider this a less tiring and stressful mode as compared to driving on narrow road sections. All three railway stations are about an hour's drive from Sindhudurg. You could either hire an auto-rickshaw from just outside these railway stations (they don't follow the meter, so negotiate well), or request your hotel to pre-book a vehicle on your behalf.

I was able to do my train bookings through Amazon.

By Road

If you fancy driving, you will need to get onto National Highway 66 (NH-66), that runs roughly north–south along the coast, parallel to the Western Ghats, passing through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

By Air

The district's Chipi Airport was inaugurated in October 2021. There are flights operated by a domestic carrier named Fly91 to Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad and Pune. Goa's Manohar International Airport is about 1-2 hours away.

Where to Stay

I personally like to mark out all my must-visit spots on Google Maps and add an additional search for hotels close to most of these spots before triangulating on my stay options. Since this is a coastal town, I looked for something that was adjacent to a less-crowded beach.

My search got me to book a room at Hotel Ocean Bliss in Devbag, which fit my budget. While it does not have too many amenities, it has a decent restaurant, good sea-view rooms, and a gate that opens directly onto the beach.

Clicked by me on the beach in front of our hotel

The entrance to our hotel's restaurant

Besides MakeMyTrip, GoIbibo, Skyscanner and other hotel aggregating websites, check out for deals on Indigo Airline's Hotel bookings portal as well. I was initially unable to find a room in my hotel on other websites, but was able to on Indigo. Not sure why, but maybe this is because airlines tend to have a steady inventory of rooms for their crew, ground staff and passengers at several points.

Hope you enjoyed this somewhat lengthy post. Do share your thoughts and experiences, and feel free to pose questions (if any) in the comments section.

Resource Links:-

This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.

EARN WHILE SPENDING WITH CASHKARO

Swati and Rohan Bhargava: Co-Founders of CashKaro

Hello Folks!

We're inching towards November already. This year seems to have flown by really quickly.

September-October signals the beginning of the festive season across almost all parts of the world. In India this year, we celebrated the South Indian festival of Onam in September, Dassera and Durga Puja in the first half of October, and Diwali in the latter half of the month. And Christmas is just around the corner.

In India, the festive season is all about spending. Households tend to splurge big bucks on new clothes, home decor, gifts, sweets, new gadgets, and even on gold, silver and jewellery. Families often will not hesitate to stretch their budgets to make the occasion feel extra special. And all of this happens organically and without anyone holding back; because in the festive frenzy, spending with an open heart (and wallet) is an expression of love, tradition, and togetherness.

Given these realities, imagine if you could earn back even a portion of your spends (and not just during the festive season) by way of cashbacks and other rewards.

Say hello to the CashKaro app.

CashKaro allows you to earn percentage-based cashback every time you make online purchases via the app on any of its client websites/apps. As of today, it partners with more than 1,500 e-commerce players and retailers/brands with an online presence. This includes popular websites and e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Ajio, Pharmeasy, Firstcry, Netmeds, Zandu, Minimalist, Mamaearth, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Croma, Reliance Digital, JioMart, and many others.

The best part? These are real cash earnings, where every Rupee earned is equal to exactly one Rupee; no conditions, no conversions, no deductions.

The company's business model is fairly simple. It operates as an affiliate marketing platform for its e-commerce/online retail clients, encourages end-users like you and me to use an app to shop from these businesses, and then shares a portion of its affiliate earnings with us — the customers.

You might wonder why retailers would want to partner with platforms like CashKaro. To put it simply, businesses with an online presence are forced to rely heavily on online ads and push notifications on third-party apps and websites (such as OTTs for example) to generate traffic on their own websites and apps. But only a fraction of that traffic converts into actual purchases. By partnering with apps like CashKaro, they are able to outsource the effort, tools and marketing investments required to draw end-users to their websites. And since they largely have to pay for clicks that eventually get converted into actual sales, the Return on Investment (RoI) for the Amazons and the Myntras of the world is much better when they partner with such platforms.

Although the app itself has been around for more than a decade (it was launched in 2013), it has only been gaining significant traction in recent years. The company which runs the app, Pouring Pounds India Private Limited, was established in April 2013 with its registered office in Gurgaon. Its co-founders, Swati Bhargava and her husband Rohan Bhargava, are alumni of the London School of Economics.

The company had its pivotal moment in 2016, when it managed to secure investments from the Late Ratan Tata and from venture capital firm Kalaari Capital. To date, it has raised investments to the tune of Rs.250 crore, backed by the estate of the Late Rata Tata, Kalaari Capital, Affle Global, and Korean Investment Partners. As per its most recent financial and operating results, the company was able to generate revenues of about Rs.350 crore in financial year 2025. Along with other group businesses, it managed to drive over Rs.6,000 crore in gross merchandise value (GMV; in simple terms the aggregate value of online transactions) for its partner brands, thereby completing over 36 million transactions during the year.

Yours Truly has been using CK since August 2021. I have personally earned close to Rs.17,000 through the app so far. Although it took me more than four years to get to this mark, I would look at it as bonus savings made on transactions that I was going to make anyway. These include shoes and garments, medical supplies, flight & hotel bookings, cosmetics, and even a few bill payments.

How does the app work?

Download the app (you could use the QR code below to find an installation link)
Sign up for free with your email or mobile phone number
Search for your favorite store on the homepage—either scroll through the icons or use the search bar
Check the cashback terms—including eligible categories, cashback rates, tracking timelines, and payout conditions
Click the orange button titled “Earn Rewards with [Store Name]” to be redirected to the retailer’s site/app
Shop as usual
Wait for the transaction to be tracked—this can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 72 hours
Once confirmed, your cashback will appear in your CashKaro account (usually within a few weeks, up to 75 days)
Withdraw your cashback to your bank account (via UPI or bank transfer) or redeem it as Amazon/Flipkart gift cards

What I Like About CashKaro

It's really a no-brainer: There's zero additional investment involved. If you’re someone who shops online even occasionally, CashKaro is a smart way to earn while you spend.
Real savings: I’ve earned a lot of cashback on travel deals, groceries, medical supplies, appliances and gadgets.
Bonus coupons: CashKaro also gives you exclusive promo codes to save even more.
Referral rewards: You can invite friends and earn when they shop too!

What I Don't Like

Since retailers want to pay only for sale transaction that were 100% influenced by the app, there are a lot of conditions to be fulfilled in order to ensure that transactions are properly tracked and confirmed. Some of these might come across as painful and outright ridiculous, but it is what it is. Some of these conditions include not having items already lying in your retail cart or in your wishlists before you use the CK app and not having other coupon code websites/apps open in the background/other browser pages. These steps require extra effort.
The waiting time before confirmations and payouts can be excruciatingly long and frustrating.
There is a mechanism to raise disputes on the app. However, I have on a few rare occasions found the process very annoying.

What Fellow-Bloggers Might Like

One of the retail partners listed is Bookscape, an online bookstore featuring over 1 million titles. CashKaro offers flat 10% cashback on all orders made on Bookscape via the CK app. Us the coupon code WELCOME10 to get a flat 10% discount on your very first order.

Download the CashKaro app using the QR code below and start earning.

Other Resources

Online articles about CashKaro and its founders

A short video showing the app interface

This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.

FIVE-POINT AGENDA FOR WORLD PEACE

World leaders today seem to be in a frantic race to win shiny peace prizes. Peace, meanwhile, remains as elusive as expectations of a bright future in my rapidly sagging career graph.

Now, I’m no expert in these matters. I can not tell my inner peace from the green peas lying in the corner of my freezer. But watching global leaders try to manufacture harmony with the finesse of a toddler assembling IKEA furniture (some aren't even pretending to try) is simply put painful.

So, in a moment of high EQ (and low tolerance for cringe), I’ve compiled five action-points to push for and achieve world peace. Here goes nothing:

Launch dating apps exclusively meant for world leaders: The 100% foolproof way to ensure world peace is to keep politicians emotionally entangled and romantically distracted. Keep them busy launching pick-up lines and cringey forwards instead of missiles. Replace trade wars with love triangles.
Conduct G-20 Summits and other global forum meetings inside massive pillow forts: No one would want to talk about violence inside cozy fortresses of fluff. Still wanna fight? Let's have a pillow fight!
Replace all political debates with rap battles: Because mic drops are any day better than bomb drops. Get war mongers to showcase their lyrical combating skills and verbal ammo instead of military ones.
Get world leaders invited to a podcast; or get them to feature on a chat with KJo or Kapil S: Put heads of state in a spot. Allow them to grapple with all the odd questions and awkward jokes for a while. Maybe all the over-sharing will lead to eventual regret and embarrassment, and force them to under-perform in the geopolitical arena.
Get the hopelessly war-crazy ones to feature on India's Got Latent or any stand-up comedy show: After all, the easiest way to get cancelled these days is to crack 'offensive' jokes.

Of course, we could actually do something selfless, brave, and world-changing for the sake of peace. But where’s the fun in that?

This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.

THE SWEAT ROLLS DOWN

The sweat rolls down like bills unpaid

A stream flows down my spine with flair

My garments stick like clingy love

Behold! My sodden underwear!

The fan spins fast, and yet I melt

The sweat rolls down like bills unpaid

The Western world shrugs "autumn's here"

La Nina's promise? Overplayed!

The bedsheet sighs beneath my back

My pillow leaks a sordid tale

The sweat rolls down like bills unpaid

And leaves behind a moisture trail

My deo’s gone, it tapped out fast

Its musky charm was lost in shade

That fan's not spinning fast enough

The sweat rolls down like bills unpaid!

This poem in the Quatern form was written for the dVerse MTB: 16: 4: 8: in the Grass

A Quatern is a French verse form, possibly from the Middle Ages. It is a 16-line poem made of four stanzas, where one special line keeps repeating in a different spot in each stanza.

ERINACEOUS ERIN

Gino lured Erin away from the group.

Now seated beside her by a bonfire, he made his move.

“I’m Ginormous Gino.”, he grinned, patting his crotch.

“Erinaceous Erin”, she responded.

“That Latin for horny?”, he winked, hand sliding behind her.

Then her spikes bloomed.

A brief struggle.

Then silence.

This exactly 49-word-long post was written in response to Sammi Cox's Weekend Writing Prompt #437 featuring the word “erinaceous”.

MOMENT FOR THREE

We had a moment.

It watched.

This post was written for Shweta Suresh's Six-Word Saturday Six-Word Story Prompt. The word given was 'Moment'.

INSTANT AWAKENING

I wouldn't call myself a coffee aficionado. For me, a hot piping cup of coffee (or tea), has always simply counted as a morning fix to kickstart my body into daily routine. Nothing more, nothing less.

For the first twenty-odd years of my caffeinated existence, I drank only instant coffee. Always with milk. And ALWAYS with sugar.

Coffee outside the house usually meant a trip to the local South Indian/Udupi joint. There, the options were simple: Instant Coffee (usually Nescafe) or Filter Coffee. I’d pick Nescafe nine times out of ten. Filter Coffee was reserved for moments of reckless adventure.

So imagine my culture shock the first time I tried ordering coffee at an airport. It felt like a lifelong vegetarian being asked to choose between a wide lineup of Mughlai-style chicken delicacies and an authentic sushi spread.

Believe it or not, here's how it went down (possibly exaggerated for your reading pleasure):

Me, squinting at the menu board, mumbling: "Latte? Espresso? Match...chee..aah..”

The barista, a young man barely out of school (or so it seemed), turned sharply to stop me before I could complete my blasphemous utterance: “Mah-key-aah-toe, Sir.”

I panicked, “I just want a cup of coffee.”

The barista could barely register a smile, “Of course Sir...what type?”

“Hot?”

“We've got latte, cappuccino, espresso...”

“Do you have...instant?”

The barista froze, one hand over his heart, as if I'd touched his coffee beans inappropriately, “We don’t serve instant coffee, Sir.”

The woman behind me leaned in and barked, “Just get a latte and move on!"

I felt a wave of perspiration avalanche down my forehead, "Just give me something that'll wake me up in a couple of sips."

The barista sighed, “Thank you Sir. One Espresso coming right up.”

I paid the lad, found a seat, and took a sip.

And at once I felt my soul grappling with my body to be let back in.

And from that day on, I've only been having instant coffee.

This piece has been written as a part of the Blogchatter Blog Hop. The word prompt for this week (September 30 - October 6) is the word "Coffee".

Turns out October 1 was celebrated as International Coffee Day, so here's me raising a virtual Cuppa right back at you!