Category Archives: Inconvenient Relations

Weekend Getaway: The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon. Who hasn’t heard of it? Everyone has. But you need to go there for yourself to realize it’s awesomeness! Grand doesn’t come close to describing it. I’ve been there a few times–still I catch my breath each time I lay eyes on it. Over two billion years of earth layers were cut by the mighty Colorado river and it’s tributaries.

My last trip there a few years ago was my most memorable one. It was part of a school trip– with my daughter and some of her classmates. We stayed in the Grand Canyon village at the South rim for two days and even hiked down the South Kaibab trail— only part of the way (it’s extremely steep and strenous). We also saw a mule train, the once almost extinct California Condor which the largest flying bird in North America with a wingspan reaching 10 ft—brought back by a dedicated captive breeding program.

As I have mentioned before I am inspired by my travels and the places I visit. I try to bring them into my writings whenever I can. You will find some of my experiences of the Grand Canyon in my books– Inconvenient Relations and its sequel- Now and Forever. You can check them out here.

Words and Images: Ancient Giants

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It wasn’t just a grove. It was a magical, mystical jungle of living, breathing giants that left Shaan awe struck. Neither of them spoke as they ambled slowly on the well-worn dirt paths and listened to the trees, some almost two thousand years old, as they related tales of times gone by. Of emperors, and kings and queens, and of battles fought for love and for greed.

A sudden transformation came over Ruhi when they came upon a fallen tree. She leaned against the dead trunk; her frame dwarfed by its girth, then closed her eyes and whispered in a voice rife with melancholy. “Who am I but a speck of dust this poor soul can’t even see?”

Shaan couldn’t keep his emotions in check. He hauled her into his arms and they wept together as they grieved for their mutual loss.

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A Life Worth Living Ch 4 (2): From 2 to 3

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4 Part 1

The lobby was deserted. The automatic sliding doors of the entryway were locked. The Afterhours Exit is to your Left—a sign pointed toward the ER. I saw lights flashing outside and people running. Curious, I walked over to the doors. A helicopter had landed on top of the hospital. A few EMTs rushed out with a stretcher. I guessed they were ferrying someone to another facility. Someone very sick. It was one thirty in the morning. Just like babies, sickness too arrives unannounced. The thought left a bad taste in my mouth.

I turned to the vending machines and scanned the repertoire—chips, salted peanuts, sunflower seeds, trail mix, fat free popcorn, pretzels, power bars. They even had one dispensing hot sandwiches. Yuck!

I was engulfed by a sudden craving for homecooked food. Ruhi’s parathas; mom’s baingan bharta—If I closed my eyes, I could smell the aroma, almost. Mom–the word stirred a flurry of emotions. I felt my heart squeeze inside my chest. What would she be doing now, I wondered. Lunch would be almost over if things still operated as they did before. After I’d left home all those years ago. Of course they did. Why would anything change?

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A Life Worth Living 3: Okay

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2: When

“Shaan, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I mashed my arm with my hand, screwed my eyes tight shut and tried not to curse out loud. “I’m fine Ruhi. It’s no big deal. Must be a pinched nerve or something like that. I’ve been banging on the keyboard way too much.” My attempted laugh came out sounding like a croak. My wife looked at me suspiciously but didn’t say anything. She examined my arm carefully and then when she didn’t see anything awry, massaged it gently. Then made me a new ice pack and forced me to swallow a couple of ibuprofens. She was taking care of me while it was supposed to be the other way around. Sorry mom-in-law!

I felt foolish and angry at myself as the pain abated again. But it left behind a strange tingling and numbness. I couldn’t feel the keyboard as well with my left hand as I could with my right. I couldn’t figure it out. I felt fine otherwise. It was more of an irritant than a concern.

I googled it. Pain in the elbow and arm. Tennis elbow. It was the first thing that showed up. Yeah that’s it!

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A Life Worth Living 2: When

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1: Turn

When it began, I had no clue what it was or what I was in for.

I’d been up all night running tests on my final solar battery model and getting all excited with the results when a sudden sharp electric pain shot down the outside of my left arm and I yelled out. It was a cry—equally of surprise because I hadn’t done anything to cause it. Instinctively, I rubbed my elbow when I felt a burning sensation. As if I’d stuck my arm inside the fireplace. It was so intense that I burst into a sweat. I cradled my arm and rushed into the kitchen and grabbed one of Ruhi’s readymade ice packs from the freezer (the ones she used for her frequent headaches even though her OB had told her it was okay to take Tylenol in her condition but my darling wife didn’t want to take any chance with the health of our baby). The shock of cold did help ease the agony a slght degree that I was able to examine my arm to see if I’d been bitten by a spider or something else. We were getting an extension built – an extra room and bath for Ruhi’s parents and in the process a lot of the yard had been dug up. Besides, it was summertime, and the bugs were starting to show up everywhere.

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‘None of Your Business’

How many women are around there for who plough through every day with broken hearts? For whom marriage has lost it’s meaning. Many I’d say. But not Ruhi Sharma:)

 

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Like it? Want to read more about what my gutsy heroine did? How did she turn her fortunes around?

Then you better buy a copy of Inconvenient Relations and it’s sequel Now and Forever. Available now on Amazon and Kindle. Links below 🙂

 

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‘Now and Forever’ Blog tour, Free download and Giveaway!

Hi Friends!

A very Happy New Year to you!

Now through Jan 6th you can download my latest novel Now and Forever (the sequel of Inconvenient Relations) free on kindle worldwide! Plus get a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card by entering a giveaway here! Also follow the blog tour below and read excerpts and get to know more about my books. How’s that for a New Year gift?

Prism Book Tour

Feel free to share the joy!

Happy reading!

PS: A request to those who have read and enjoyed Now and Forever– please drop a few words in review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Personality Talks, It Walks and Rocks!

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The statement is absolutely true. At least it is for me. For example how often have you come across someone who’s gorgeous to look at but then they start talking and you realize they aren’t so hot at all. You almost wish they hadn’t opened their mouths. The opposite also holds true.  

Its personality or character that makes or breaks a person. The same goes for a good novel too. What I’m getting at is character development. I may get drawn to a book by its attractive cover and plot summary but if the characters are insipid, if they don’t talk to me or get under my skin my interest dissipates rapidly and I will usually dump the book.

I’d like to say the characters in my books usually have several dimensions (they aren’t necessarily schizophrenic), with subtleties that are revealed slowly or kept hidden similar to many people we all know and acquaint ourselves with. I cannot write my characters unless I know them or I am them. Often I live them and dream them. They are my friends and I talk to them. I ask them how they feel then jot down what they say.

Inconvenient Relations and its sequel Now and Forever have some interesting characters.It is vital to read book 1 to enjoy book 2 because in essence this story is a study of a relationship and its various phases.

An imperfect yet perfect couple—

Ruhi or my chile dulce (sweet chili pepper) as her spouse Shaan likes to call her, starts of as a young woman from a cherished background, with dreams of building a future with her one-in-a-million husband who has been carefully picked for her by her parents. But her hopes are challenged right from page one. She is coerced into taking on a role that is quite alien to her or maybe had been held back and didn’t have the chance to manifest so far. It isn’t uncommon to see certain traits reveal themselves only under times of duress. Instead of bowing down and mutely accepting what destiny has doled out to her, Ruhi chooses to stand up to it. She shows her husband the mirror by turning the tables on him. She disguises her vulnerability in a bold and brazen avatar, She is a novice hence rash in her ways and often undiplomatic in her conversation yet she is also coy and secretive. All in all she is a maddening bundle of fun and mischief who adroitly twists her willing hubby around her little finger and exhibits no qualms about it. She loves him with a passion and won’t stop at anything to get him what is rightfully his.She is a woman to be reckoned with.

Sona munda Shaan Ahuja (heat factor to the power of infinity) is a gorgeous nerd who falls for the wrong woman and ends up paying for it dearly. He quashes the dreams of his brand new bride by announcing on their wedding night that he loves another and then is forced to eat his words. Shaan is a sensitive man with an arrogant streak who is devoted to his wife and his job. He is a jealous lover and possessive husband. He falls for his wife at the outset and doesn’t recognize it or is kept from acknowledging it by his ego and maybe his insecurity. Regardless, she drags his feelings out in the open after a cat and mouse game and they have a wonderful time until life tests him again. But then he has his trump card at his side.

I cannot conclude without talking about Sunshine, who happens to be my favorite character in the books. A frail septuagenarian, she is the catalyst in Ruhi and Shaan’s bonding. But don’t be deceived, this little old lady has a zest for life that rivals even those a quarter of her age. Enough said, I have to leave something for my books. Happy reading!

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Love is Sunset on the Beach

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Here is another Excerpt from my upcoming book NOW AND FOREVER BOOK 2 OF INCONVENIENT RELATIONS

Jealousy. Nothing burns more like it. Especially when what you think is yours is snatched away from you and the foul act is committed right under your nose. So mused Ruhi as she slow danced with her husband and observed Des from the corner of her eyes. The bitch (she couldn’t think of the woman as anything else) wore a placid smile on her blood red lips as she walked around among her guests making small talk like a gracious hostess. But her telltale eyes gave her game away. They revealed her thoughts were elsewhere and they weren’t very pleasant.

Her head shot up when a sharp pinch landed on her hip. ‘Wake up Ruhi! It isn’t every day you get to dance with your husband.”

Ruhi flushed, “Sorry Shaan. Actually I was distracted by the sunset.” She pointed to the horizon. “I haven’t seen anything quite like it, have you?”

Fortunately for her, Shaan bought her ruse. He scanned the western sky, taking in the panorama of the rippling river of grey clouds that reflected the orange red rays of the sun onto the ocean below and nodded, “Yes it is spectacular. Like a scene right out of a David Lean movie.” Ruhi smiled recalling his love for the classics.

They were both at Spacegenic’s annual summer party that Rich was hosting at his residence—a grand palatial bungalow built on top of a steep bluff overlooking a long stretch of private beach in Malibu. She had been persuaded to attend by Shaan— “I wouldn’t care to go but for Rich. He wants to celebrate the success of the Venus project with all of us. Besides, now that I am one of his team leads it would be rude if I gave it a miss.”

Ruhi was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t an intimate get together as she had feared. Rich had organized the party outdoors so to take advantage of the wonderful weather and the glorious views. The music was live and upbeat, the wine free flowing and the crowd large and raucous making it easy for her to avoid run-ins with her enemy. That is if her mind would let her do so.

“Rich is very lucky; don’t you think?” she said almost to herself.

“Yes he is. But not as lucky as me.”

Ruhi beheld the tender expression on her spouse’s face and was immediately besieged by remorse. Something was terribly wrong with her. They were here to have a good time weren’t they? She was then struck by a sudden notion. “Come with me!” She grasped Shaan by the arm and pulled him to a passageway near the front of the house that she had spotted on the way in. It had a sign that said it led to the beach. There she removed her wedge sandals and urged him to follow as she raced down the wooden steps hewn into the hillside. Then once on the ground she plodded through the warm sand to a small copse of tall thin palm trees. Shaan was out of breath and laughing when he caught up. Yet he seemed to have grasped her intention—that she wanted to be alone with him.

They gazed at each other. Their solitude amplified by the roar of the ocean crashing on the beach. His skin gleamed gold in the fading light. Abruptly she flung her arms around his neck; “Shaan! You will never know how much I love you.”

“I don’t need to,” he said and then stepped forward and kissed her. She tasted salt on his lips. It was intoxicating. She leaned back against a tree trunk and pulled him closer. His kiss grew deeper. And then all of a sudden…..

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I am waiting eagerly for the book release. Are you? 

Cover reveal coming soon 🙂