Tag Archives: desi romance

A Life Worth Living Chap 6 (1): Kash

Chapter 5 (2)

Kash she was from the get go. And so she was meant to be. Kash–short for Kashish. 

We knew she was coming. The question was not if but when. She had announced her arrival in our dreams. Therefore, when she finally did, it was like homecoming. I thought I was prepared. I was wrong. 

It was a surreal experience.. Like watching a movie—a beautiful play from which I was excluded for the most part or shall I say reduced to the role of a bit player. 

I was immersed in wonderment. A change had come over my wife. There was a sweetness in her smile I hadn’t yet perceived, a brightness in her eyes, an extraordinary gentleness in her movements. And it was all because of Kash, our sweet little gift. Our baby girl. Our bundle of joy. She and her mom– they were a unit. When they were together time stopped and nothing else mattered.

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Podcast: My novel Inconvenient Relations: Chap 1 and 2. Listen!

I’ve been asked a few times why aren’t my novels in audio? Well, I never thought about it. And then I had to find a suitable desi voice. Too much hard work. But then now that I have my own podcast I thought why not narrate it myself? So here it is! In installments for free! Hope you like it. Will try to post at regular intervals.

Inconvenient Relations- Chap 1 and 2

https://anchor.fm/s/2f64f51c/podcast/rss

HealthWise: Drink Some Tea and Visit the Nilgiris!

Drink tea and be happy and healthy.

Enjoying the lovely weather in beautiful Coonoor, in the Nilgiris (blue mountains), in the Western Ghats, sipping a nice cup of piping hot tea and getting inspired to write a book. What else could I want?

I need no excuses at all but for those who like some scientific data a long term health study (7 years) published online by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology which followed more than 100K Chinese adults and compared those who drank tea less than 3/week with those who drank more. Those who drank more were found to have a 20% lower risk of heart attack and 22% lower risk for dying of heart disease.The findings don’t prove that tea drinking was responsible for those benefits. But both green and black tea are rich in compounds called flavonoids that help dampen inflammation, a culprit in heart disease. Tea drinking has also been linked to lower cholesterol and improved blood vessel function. Source: Harvard Health Letter.

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Human After All Chap 24: Let’s Spread the News

heart-book-read-love

Chapter 23

She lay in her bed unable to sleep yet again, but this time for a different reason; Khanak was excited! She was impressed by how Shaan had come through on his word and so quickly and efficiently had got both their families on the same page. He was as he said a man of action, not just words. Things had happened in such rapid succession, she felt as if she needed to pause to catch her breath but then he always had that effect on her. She blushed with embarrassment and hid her head in the pillow, when she recalled the lessons he had planned for her. The funny part was, she knew exactly what he meant thanks to her education but was a novice when it came to the actual experience. It frightened and excited her at the same time. She closed her eyes tightly trying to wish away the images forming in her mind’s eye. It was to no avail.

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Milan (A Wedding Story) Chap 10: Closer

Milan-cover (2)

chap 9

Mili was uptight. In fact, that had become quite the usual for her nowadays. Anxiety, confusion, sheer nervousness when she was in Ahaan’s company; agitation, restlessness, a maddening confusion when she was not—for sure she was becoming irreversibly unhinged, she had no doubt about it.

She contemplated herself in the mirror; having lost count on how many times she had changed her outfit tonight. Nothing seemed to fit the bill. It was going to be the first time they would be seen socially together and she didn’t want to let him down, rather she wanted to impress him, make him puff up with pride. But how—she worried as her eyes ran critically over her shapely frame enhanced to perfection by the charcoal dress with a silvery sheen that shimmered each time she moved. Was it too revealing? No, she didn’t think so; it did cling but not too blatantly, with the scoop neck revealing just the right amount of silky skin. But would he think so too?

Oh Ahaan! How much do I not know about you!

“But I don’t care! Let him think what he wants to! After all, it was his decision to marry me, not mine!” She defiantly addressed her reflection.

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Milan (A Wedding Story) Chap 9: 4 Weeks..

Milan-cover (2)

Chapter 8

Chap 9: 4 Weeks..

—o—

Mili woke up with a start. It took awhile for her to get oriented. Sitting on the bed, her limbs entangled in the mussed up sheets, she waited for her pulse to slow down, while watching the tiny fragments of dust float in the rays of the morning sun.

It had been a restless night; of memories and dreams, real and unreal; of realizations; of flights of fancy, the very notion of which made her burn with mortification.

Why had Ahaan told her all that he had? How would she be able to face him now, without imagining herself in his arms? How would she be able to dispel such thoughts from her head? He had completely upset her equilibrium and she hated him for it!

A loud knock at the door made her jump.

“What is it?” Mili called out irritably. She was just getting settled into an imaginary argument with Ahaan.

Kiran stepped in, “beta (child), what’s going on? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Maa…I…I,” Mili’s eyes sought the clock as she tried hard to shield her agitation, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…I must have overslept…”

But Kiran was shrewd. Little escaped her doting mother’s eyes, but whatever she saw pleased her. Sitting on the bed, she pulled her daughter gently into her arms, “I have news for you…”

“`
4 weeks…

Mili stood in front of the floor length mirror, and contemplated herself. But instead of an image of a beautiful young woman on the brink of life, she could only see a tangled mess of nerves. With trembling hands she drew her muslin scarf  over her head and was suddenly startled by the sound of something heavy scraping against the window sill.

It was Ahaan holding a medium sized terracotta pot.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded, quite rattled.

“Since I wasn’t able to go hunting for wildflowers today, I chose to pick something from your own garden. I hope you don’t mind,” he said with a rueful grin.

“But why the whole pot and not just a flower?”

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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 🙂

 

USA

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AUSTRALIA

BRAZIL

CANADA

FRANCE

GERMANY

UK

ITALY

JAPAN

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SPAIN

Human After All Chap 21: Killing Me Softly

jane-eyre

chapter 20

21: Killing Me Softly

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Khanak couldn’t shake the feeling of unease as she wandered over to the dimly lit music section. She was concerned about Shantanu. Had she been too harsh with him? But then he had started it, and what was that about getting jealous of a poor fifteen-year-old, who was only going through a difficult stage in his life? Hadn’t Shaan been through it himself? Couldn’t he empathize instead of blowing his top? Hmmph!

But where was he now? What was he up to? Did he leave? How would she get home? What would she tell her Mom and Dad? She wasn’t used to lying to them yet at the same time she couldn’t bear to hurt them, Khanak brooded as she stared at a huge poster of Lady Gaga.

“I certainly wouldn’t want you to look like that.”

She shivered when the familiar voice rumbled in her ear. He had come as close as he could get without establishing physical contact yet had made the tiny follicles in her neck to stand on end. This habit of popping out of thin air at the least expected moment had totally messed up the integrity of her nervous system. In desperation, her fingers pressed against the side of her neck to quiet the strong pulse that had begun banging away, causing her ears to ring.

But Shaan as usual looked unperturbed, his eyes inscrutable in the dim light as he observed her with his arms casually crossed over his chest.

That irked Khanak. She tapped her foot furiously on the carpet then turned on her heels and proceeded to walk out of the store when Shaan grabbed her wrist and firmly pulled her back.

“Not so fast! I’m not used to playing catch me if you can with immature female doctors!”

“Nor am I used to being accused of leading on adolescent boys by so called mature men!” On impulse she stepped on his shoe.

“Ouch! You Vixen! No. Not again! Not before you hear me out!” His grip on her wrist only got tighter as he tried to overcome the shock of pain.

He pulled her toward the listening station which was fairly isolated at this late hour except for a lone young fella who looked ridiculously funny jamming to soundless music with his earphones on. Khanak was seized by an insane desire to laugh out loud. Shantanu was making her completely distraught.

“Put this on.” And when she protested he placed a headset gently on her head surprising her by his sudden change in attitude. Then, placing a finger on her mouth, he took her hand and held it over his heart. Soon she was lost as he mouthed the romantic lines from an old Hindi ballad.

Shantanu’s face broke into a smile when his paramour’s complexion suffused with shy color and she hid her face in his chest. He folded her gently into the protective circle of his arms. It was clear she had forgiven him. Yet, he wanted to be absolutely sure so he went down on his knees in front of her.  As Khanak gazed at him dumbfounded, the sound of clapping hands and shouts of “C’mon Forgive Him,” brought her rudely back to earth. A small crowd had gathered around them they were egging Shaan on. She wrenched her hand free from his grasp and blundered out.

“I am sorry Khanak! I really mean it, look at me, please! Do my eyes lie to you?” Shantanu pleaded.

Khanak closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There’s nothing to forgive. I just wanted to see how much you cared for me.”

Cared? OMG Khanak! I don’t care about you, I’m mad about you! You drive me nuts but I can’t imagine being with anybody else. My life revolves around you and you alone can save me again and again and again. Don’t you dare doubt my feelings or I will…”

“Will what?”

“Lose my self-control and carry you away to some remote island and ravage you till you beg.” He hissed loudly in her ear making each word stick.

“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Khanak muttered under her breath. She was trembling like a leaf.

He traced her jaw line with his forefinger. “Khanak my love, I promise we will be engaged and wed within a week. Till then, we must try to find ways to distract ourselves, like this…”

He pulled her into a large shoe store and before she knew it had seated her on a padded stool. He flicked away her sensible moccasins and took both her feet in his hands.

“Shantanu, stop! This is embarrassing!” She said as some of the clientele had started to look.

“I’m doing nothing wrong, just admiring my girl’s hardworking feet. Poor dears, they need to be pampered,” he said, his voice oozing seduction.

Bewitched she watched as his strong and slender fingers expertly massaged her soles sending wildly inappropriate messages to her brain. Then after efficiently scanning the displays, he brought back a pair of shiny black jewel encrusted stiletto pumps which he slipped onto her feet before she could utter a single word in protest.

“Now walk!” He ordered.

“I can’t! These aren’t my style!”

“They are! They are my woman’s style. When she wishes me to know that she wants me as badly as I want her, she wears these.” There was a concealed threat in those fudge brown eyes and as she stared at him his pupils appeared to dilate ever so slightly making the message even more urgent.

She walked awkwardly down the aisle, trying her best to appear nonchalant while her heart thudded hard and fast, knowing that not only had she become a spectacle for the shoppers in the store, but him as well.

“They look great! We’ll take them!”

She watched with some trepidation as he paid at the counter and boxed her old shoes and walked out, his arm possessively around her waist.

“What was that all about?” she asked. “I don’t want new shoes, especially of this kind!”

“Well, I know that very well, in fact nothing about you is hidden from me, remember I told you that your eyes never lie?”

“Then why? Why this coercion?” She was confused.

He turned to her, “My darling, I want to dress you from head to toe, indulge you, spoil you. This was just a sampler. You don’t have to wear anything to please me, pun not intended. Be what you are. But humor me on occasion; it will hurt if you refuse.”  His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Khanak retorted, “Why don’t you shut up your dirty mind sometimes! You are just…”

“Too impossible? Irrational? Unbelievably crude? Well that’s my way, just get used to it.”

Khanak began to feel dizzy, she couldn’t understand if it was due to emotional hyperactivity or the lack of nutrition. “I.. need to sit down. Please don’t carry me!”

“Oh, my sweetness, I’m so sorry! You must be starving. How inconsiderate of me! And most of the restaurants have closed too.” Shaan looked genuinely concerned.

“Just get me a drink of some sort and I’ll be fine. I can eat something at home.”

He led her to a bench. “Sit here and I’ll get something from the coffee shop. Here, read your book in the meantime. Me Rochester to your Jane Eyre.” He smiled handing her the copy of Jane Eyre that he had bought at the book store, leaving her flummoxed.

After several minutes of restless waiting, Khanak walked over to the cafe to find him laughing loudly with the teenage attendant at some private joke. Irritated, she marched up to his side and dragged him away.

“Hello! Possessive, are we? Nice. Here’s your ice cream float,” Shantanu grinned.

“Hang yourself from the nearest tree! What’s with you men? Did you forget I was waiting?” She said fuming.

“Sorry, but she asked me if I was single. Man, times are changing fast!” He shook his head.

“You!” She pummeled his chest with her fists then ran out of the exit.

“Hey hold on to your horses! Won’t you ask what I told her?” He yanked her around.

“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know!” she cried averting her face.

He forced her to look at him. “I told her I was married to the most beautiful girl in the world and I have no intentions of looking elsewhere for as long as I live.” She knew he was telling the truth when his lips descended hungrily on hers. A few moments passed before he said, “Let me take you home before things get out of hand.”

tbc

Human After All Chap 14: Hooked

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Sorry for my idiosyncracies. But I’ve realized that readers come to my blog to read my stories and not otherwise. So I’ve decided to continue to post HAA (Human After All). It is a soap opera. But heck don’t people love them still?

chapter 13

14: Hooked

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She lay on the forest floor, dead for all practical purposes. Her body deathly still and cold, her face pale and grey, her lips cracked and blue. She looked like a waif in her thin white dress of muslin. Her feet were bare. Even nature had given up, the gentle breeze sweeping the dry leaves on to her, covering her up to blend her in with itself.

The only thing to suggest there was life still, were her breaths. They barely managed to stir the air above her face and each successive one was followed by more prolonged pauses. But she did not want to give up yet. Her soul still clung to her body hoping for some reprieve. After all what wrong had she done? Therefore she remained, her ears straining for approaching humanity that they may stumble across her and save her ebbing life. She was too young to die.

And just before her brain slipped into unconsciousness, hope arrived in the form of the sounds of a trotting horse and therefore a rider. She listened as the horse protested being reigned in. The rider who had obviously seen her jumped down and strode towards her, his stride full of youthful confidence (maybe it was her wishful thinking). She heard the swish of his long cloak as it swung in rhythm with his stride. Hmm a nobleman! He paused. Then she heard the leaves crackle as he bent down to examine her face closely. She hoped he liked what he saw and was willing to give her the breath of life. Her diminishing heart beat quickened as she felt his warm breath caress her cold cheeks. Several moments passed yet she did not feel the warmth of his lips on hers.

‘What in hell are you waiting for? Get on with it! Have you forgotten the basics of Life Support?‘ She wanted to scream.

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Human After All Chap 8: Heartache

heartache

chapter 7

8: Heartache

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Khanak rushed back to the clinic for the last appointment of the day. She knew she was late but one of her patient’s indigestion had turned out to be a heart attack and he had to be rushed to the hospital. That happened to be one of the reasons why she avoided booking her late appointments. She didn’t like to keep her patients waiting. To make matters worse Deepak had waylaid her when she had stopped to get a cup of java at the hospital coffee shop. She had spotted him there loudly castigating one of the attendants for serving him dark mocha when he had asked for white chocolate. The poor man obviously in awe of Deepak’s name tag and scrubs didn’t bother to defend himself instead he literally dissolved in front of the screaming doctor.

Was Deepak creating a tamasha to give the curious onlookers an ugly demonstration of his power? That no matter how badly he behaved he could get away with it like some small time minister who had forgotten that the very people who had voted him in could as easily vote him out?

Khanak thought she had slipped out unnoticed when he suddenly materialized behind her and tapped her on her shoulder. She reacted heatedly; “Don’t you dare touch me Deepak. Don’t think that working with me gives you the right to do so.”

“Hey aren’t we touchy here! I’m sorry Khanak but whenever I want to talk, you just run.”

“What kind of talk?” she said not bothering to stop.

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