Kavya Janani U.'s Blog, page 12

Diya Rai – End of a Puppy Love

It was too much for Diya. Karan’s I-don’t-care attitude was a definite put off for her. Added to that was his phone number which was always unreachable or switched off. She wondered whether he had eloped with some other girl. She also despised his attitude of not informing her about his whereabouts. Then, she came to a conclusion. She decided to visit Romin Apartments and confront him directly.

“Mahima, I need your help. After our cycling session, let’s visit Romin Apartments. I want to meet Karan. He has been behaving differently. His phone is always switched off. I don’t know what to do. I must meet him and get to know the truth.”

“Okay, okay, cool down. Take time to breathe.” Mahima consoled her.

Diya heaved a sigh and continued cycling. After gulping chilled blueberry soda from a supermarket, the girls visited Romin Apartments. The apartments was divided into two blocks – A & B.

“Uff! I don’t even know Karan’s block. How will I find out his flat then?” She grumbled, irritation reaching its pinnacle in her mind.

“Don’t worry. We’ll ask someone,” replied the practical Mahima.

They found a young boy playing with a ball, kicking it ferociously.

“Hey! Do you know Karan?” Diya put forth.

“Do you mean Karan bhaiya?” the boy asked in his teensy voice.

“Yes, can you call him down? Tell him that Diya wants to meet him.”

“Okay, Didi, I’ll call him.”

Minutes later, Karan appeared. Looking at Diya, he beamed at her. Nonchalance was written all over his face. ‘Doesn’t he feel ashamed to smile at me?’ That was Diya’s mind voice.

“Hey, Diya, what a surprise! How are you?”

“I am fine. How are you?” She swallowed her anger and asked him rather politely.

“I am awesome. Why have you come here?”

“I just needed to ask about your mobile phone. Why is it switched off?”

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t inform you. I had a fight with my cousin. In a fit of rage, I threw the mobile phone on the floor. A few parts broke. So I have given it for service.”

“Oh my god! That’s so sad, Karan. Why did you fight with your cousin?”

“Hey, it was just a silly tiff. Nothing to brag about. You know, yesterday I went to watch the movie Bhoot along with my uncle.”

“Wow! Was it scary?”

“Yeah, it was. I was frightened like hell.”

“Ha ha! Luckily, I am not afraid of ghosts. I can watch a horror movie without getting scared.”

“Proud of you, girl!” Karan exclaimed delightedly.

“Okay, your 10th grade results are out, right? What’s your total?”

“I scored 836 out of 1200. Very bad score!”

“It’s not bad, Karan. Quote it as average.”

“Hmmm, by the way, who is this?” He pointed to Mahima.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce her. She is my best friend Mahima.”

“Hi Mahima!”

“Hi Karan! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Of course, I am popular in this area.” He prided in himself.

“Well, I didn’t mean that, Karan. I’ve heard a lot about you from Diya.”

“Oh, okay.”

“So, when will you get your mobile phone?” asked Diya concernedly.

“Maybe after two weeks. I’ll give a missed call to your landline number once I get it back.”

“Okay, Karan, I am happy to meet you after a long time.”

“Well, I am surprised that you came till my apartments to speak with me. Thank you!”

“Mention not. Okay, bye.”

“Bye Diya. Bye Mahima.”

As soon as they were out of Karan’s sight, Diya asked, “Mahi, don’t you think that something is amiss with Karan’s behavior?”

“Hell no! He spoke well, right?”

“No, he didn’t. He seemed like he wasn’t interested in speaking with me. Now he secretly wishes that I shouldn’t meet him anymore.”

“How did you analyze all these?”

“With his behavior. During the initial stages of our relationship, he wasn’t like this. He used to speak jocularly. Now he has adopted a bland tone.”

“Hmmm, I see. Okay, wait till he gets his mobile phone. Let us see whether he gives you the missed call which he said so.”

Diya remained quiet. She knew that the call would never come.

*****

Diya successfully made it to the 9th grade. She completely lost touch with Karan. Neither did she get to know about him nor did he contact her. It was like the two lovebirds had separated, but Diya pined for him immensely. Though she put up a brave face and accepted his impassive behavior, she wasn’t ready to lose him completely. ‘I want to live with him lifelong’, she repeatedly thought to herself. Also, with each passing day, she was getting spoiled by mushy Bollywood movies which portrayed love in an unimaginable form. She couldn’t establish a line between imagination and reality.

It was almost after a month that she met him. Yet, it was accidental. She was standing along with Mahima in the bus stop, chattering about the best sanitary napkin brands in the market. Just then someone whizzed past her. The guy had tied a handkerchief around his semi-bald head. The growing hairs stood up like a porcupine’s hair. Diya could only glimpse the back of his head. Something told her that the guy was known to her. And then he turned. With his bright beady eyes, he glanced at her and ran away to his group of friends.

“Hey, Karan!” She hollered after he had joined his friends, but he took no notice of her.

He rollicked with his friends and did not even glance at her again. She was disappointed. That’s when realization dawned upon her. Karan was deliberately avoiding her. ‘What wrong did I do? Weren’t I a good girlfriend to him? Why does he behave like this?’ But her rational mind knew that the answers won’t come to her magically, only Karan can provide them.

Though she kept gazing at him, her heart pained like hell. The budding heart of a 13 year old was marred due to a worthless 15 year old’s ignorance. On the persistent advice of Mahima, Diya boarded the next bus to her destination. As soon as she climbed the steps, she looked down at him. To her horror, he was waving at her. And what more, he was also beckoning her to alight, fully aware that the bus had started.

‘What does he think about me? Am I a superwoman to jump from the bus?’ Diya was pissed off.

“I was there all the time. He didn’t even notice me. Now, he is asking me to alight. Why the hell should I?” She grouched to Mahima, who as usual put up with her tantrums.

That evening, Diya tried Karan’s mobile number on the cordless telephone. It started ringing.

‘Bullshit! It’s ringing. Oh my god! My day is full of surprises.’ Immediately Diya cut the call. She had hoped that the phone wouldn’t ring, since it was switched off for a long time.

‘Does he really love me?’ She broke into tears.

*****

Yet another evening, the same happened. Karan was in the same bus stop as Diya. He was glancing at her, but did not move forward to speak with her. Similar to the other day, she boarded a bus and looked down at him. Once again, he was beckoning her to descend from the bus. She angrily signalled him that she cannot and straightened herself. She held a taut expression on her face.

“What happened?” Mahima asked.

“I think Karan reads too much of DC comics. He expects me to be a supergirl.” Diya fumed.

“Okay, I can understand,” mumbled Mahima and kept quiet after that. She didn’t want to add fuel to fire.

*****

‘I am not going to let him do his antics once again. I will speak with him today.’ Diya grinned.

As expected, Karan arrived at the bus stop on a bicycle. He knew that Diya was present. Yet he completely ignored her and entered the shopping complex adjacent to the bus stop.

“Mahi, hurry up! Let’s go to that shopping complex.”

“Why?”

“Karan has gone inside along with his friends. I am going to confront him today.”

“Arey yaar, I am bored of your confrontations.” Though Mahima sulked, she joined Diya. She never wanted to let down her best friend.

Standing at the entrance of the complex, Diya eyed at a girl who had accompanied Karan’s group of friends. Karan had gone into the basement which housed fancy articles, dolls, gift items, snowglobes, and greeting cards. The girl was gorging on a cup of vanilla ice-cream. She then paid the cashier and moved towards the entrance. Diya waylaid her.

“Excuse me! Can you please call Karan? I am his friend Diya. I need to speak with him.”

“Okay, wait a minute.” The girl disappeared into the basement.

After three minutes, Karan came outside. His face was stern and he walked briskly, which meant that he was angry. He neared Diya. The latter was excited that finally he was going to speak with her, but Karan was wickedly smart. As soon as he neared Diya, he took a left turn and moved towards his bicycle, leaving behind a bewildered Diya.

“What the hell! He came towards me, Mahi. Why is he leaving?” She almost screamed.

“Diya, calm down.”

But she did the opposite. She opened her floodgates and wailed like a banshee.

“Diyaaa! All are looking at us. Come, let’s go!” Mahima ushered her to a corner of the bus stop and wiped her tears. After a few minutes of consolation, they got into a bus and veered towards their destination.

*****

‘Tring! Tring! Tringggg!’ Karan’s mobile phone rang. He knew that it was Diya.

“Hello!” came his excited voice from the other end.

“Hello Karan, this is Diya.” Her voice was gurgly.

“I know that.”

“I thought that you might have forgotten me. Do you love me Karan?”

“Well…ummm…no!” He spat out.

“What? Why?” Diya roared.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean by you don’t know? It was you who proposed me, right? You were the one who fell in love with me initially. Now what happened, Karan?”

“I don’t know, Diya. The actual reason is Ranjan. He told me not to get into this relationship.”

“Ranjan? But actually we were already in a relationship when we met him. How can he be the reason?”

“Well, that’s it, Diya. I cannot give anymore explanations. I don’t love you.”

Karan could listen to Diya’s sniffs at the other end. Yet he remained like a stone.

“Ka..Karan, ple..please don’t do this to me.”

“I am sorry, Diya. I don’t know what to say to you or how to console you. You’re a small girl. You’ll understand when you reach my age.”

“What’s the difference between 13 and 15, Karan?” She flared up.

“Please, Diya, leave me. I am in no mood to explain you.”

“You are being rude, Karan. Tell me, that which occurred between us, wasn’t it love?”

“No, it wasn’t. It was puppy love, Diya.”

“What the hell do you mean by puppy love? Don’t confuse me with new words.”

“I mean…err…puppy love means…err…our puppies were in love, Diya. Britto and Lyka. They were in love. That’s what is called puppy love!” Karan was near to chuckling.

“How dare you make fun of me, Karan? I am boiling over here and you’re laughing at me. Idiot!” She barked.

“I am sorry, Diya. Bye.”

“Karan, please don’t end the call.”

But all she received was a beep tone.

Once again, Diya cried bitterly. Though she wasn’t a melodramatic queen, she wasn’t used such pain. Karan had wounded her heart beyond her hurt-bearing capacity.

‘God! Please help me.’ She buried her face in a pillow and cried even more.

*****

“Happy birthday Karan.” Diya sent a message from her mom’s mobile phone, after a week of her breakup with Karan.

“Thank you, my dear friend.” He replied.

Karan mentioning her as ‘dear friend’ was the last thing she wanted to hear. She didn’t reply. She deleted the messages. After that ugly breakup evening, she tried calling him once again, but he never picked up.

Also she learnt the true meaning of ‘puppy love’ from Mahima. With that, she started burying Karan’s thoughts.

It was painful, yet it preached her something that could stick to her lifelong. She learnt never to trust boys. She accumulated so much hatred for the word ‘love’ that the proposals after Karan were met with deadly consequences.

**********

Diya Rai – Middle of a Puppy Love

Sneaking out to the balcony with the cordless telephone, Diya Rai dialled Karan’s number which Mahima had given her the previous day. Her hands began trembling as she held the phone. She had never lied to her mom or cheated on her family members, but the thrill of doing something secretly for her so-called ‘love’ was exciting enough. Though her mom had been loitering around her bedroom, she was brave enough to bring the cordless telephone from the hall and tiptoe to the balcony without being noticed by anyone. After a series of rings, Karan attended the call. Diya’s heart began pounding with fear as she contemplated what to speak with him. She was new to love and all such stuff. So she didn’t know where to start. Nevertheless, she took the plunge fearlessly.

“Hello.”

“Hello Karan, this is Diya. How are you?” Her voice was rather shaky.

“Hi, Diya, I am fine. How are you?”

“I am good.”

“Seems you are nervous. Just chill, girl!” Karan’s easygoing attitude came to the fore.

“Oh! Ha ha ha..” Diya broke into a teeny-weeny laugh.

“Wow! Your laugh sounds like honey to my ears.”

“Thank you, Karan. Don’t make me blush.”

“That’s what lovers should do, Diya. Now, make me blush.”

“Stop it, Karan! I can’t do.” Diya felt embarrassed. She wished he would stop there.

“Just try.”

“Okay…”

“Come on, Diya.”

“Okay, you are the handsomest boy in the world and I am crazy about you, Karan…..” She dragged her words to make it sound romantic.

“Wow! Good try. But it sounded as structured. It should come in a flow, Diya.”

“Ha ha! Okay, I will try my level best next time.”

“So, what are you doing now?”

“Thinking about you.”

“Arey! Now this sounds lovely, darling. You know, I haven’t even started studying for my board exams.”

“When are they commencing?”

“March 21st. It runs till April 2nd.”

“Uff! Start studying, Karan. Then you’d feel pressured when the exams near.”

“That’s not an issue, Diya. I’ll just skim through the books and pass the exams.”

“Nice to hear that. Had your lunch?”

“Yeah, I had. You?”

“Of course, I had aloo paratha with dahi. You know, my mom is the best chef in the world. She makes yummy aloo parathas.”

“Hmmmmm…I can get the smell of the parathas here. Well, it seems that you’re a foodie. Our conversation was rather dull initially. And the moment I started about food, you began raving about it.”

“Ha ha ha..Well, food makes my world go around. Especially mushrooms.”

“Mushrooms?”

“Yeah, mushrooms, haven’t you eaten them?”

“They are toxic, Diya.”

“Karan, aren’t you even aware of edible mushrooms? Haven’t you heard of mushroom fried rice, mushroom biryani and all that?”

“Nope, I haven’t.”

“Then, let me take you to a restaurant when we meet.”

“Voila! I am honored to have such a sweet girlfriend.”

“You’re making me blush again.” Diya suppressed a smile.

“Proud that I make you blush!” Karan chuckled.

“Okay, I think I need to hang up now. My mom might barge into my room at any time to search for the cordless telephone. And mind it, Karan, don’t ever call to my landline number. Always let me do the dialling. Is it okay?”

“I am okay with it. I don’t want to put you in trouble.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Okay byeeee..”

“Bye…” Diya hung up immediately, deleted the dialled number and scurried away to the hall to place the telephone back on the base.

‘The boy I am going to marry is soooo sweet!’ Diya smiled at her reflection in the mirror. As she was placing the phone, her mom noticed her.

“Diya, what are you doing? What makes you take the phone?”

“Ma, it was slightly off the base. So I was correcting its position.” Diya’s heart thudded.

“You’re bluffing, Diya. Minutes before I noticed that there was no phone on the base. I was actually on a lookout for it, when I noticed you. To whom did you call?” Mamta Rai’s stern voice triggered various reactions in Diya.

“I..I didn’t call anyone, Ma.” She began stuttering.

“Then? How come the phone is in your hands?”

“I..I just took it to save the contact of one of my friends.”

“Is it? Then why did you lie earlier?”

“I am sorry, Ma. I thought that you wouldn’t like my friends’ numbers in the telephone. That’s why I bluffed.” Tears welled up in Diya’s eyes.

“Hmmmm. So you’ve started lying to me, eh? Look, I am your mom. I always have an eye on you. Don’t think that whatever you do goes unnoticed. Now give the phone and go back to your room!” Mamta hollered.

“Sorry once again, Ma.” Diya replied meekly and handed over the phone.

‘Has Ma got to know that I called someone?’ A cold fear gripped her heart.

*****

Diya wished Karan for his board exams by making a call on the day before. Fortunately she didn’t get into yet another misadventure with her mom. Soon, her calls increased as she wished him for each and every exam. Though Karan advised her not to call him and get into trouble, she didn’t budge. She felt happy to speak with him. What mattered to her the most was her happiness. There was no compromise on it. Hence, she turned into a daring one and put up a come-what-may attitude when it pertained to her love affair.

It was April 1st. No, Diya wasn’t in the plan of fooling Karan or anyone else. She was dying to meet him. Though it was Karan who had proposed to her first, it was she who became obsessed with him thereafter. Karan was experienced in love, but Diya was a newbie. And so, everything relating to Karan was exciting to her. She hopped onto her bicycle and spoke with her mom, “Ma! I am just….”

“Diya! You’re on the bicycle? But you don’t have painting class today.” Mamta Rai exclaimed.

“Uffho! Ma, I just came to tell you that. I am going for cycling. I would like to meet a few friends and talk with them. Can I go?”

“Of course, you can. Cycling is a good exercise,” said Mamta Rai, straightening her curls with her index finger.

“Thank you, Ma.” And off she went. As soon as she was in the next street, she stopped by a roadside shop which had a payphone. She dialled Karan’s number.

“Hello! Who is this?”

“Hello Karan, I am Diya. Calling from a payphone in my next street. Would you like to meet me now? Have you studied for tomorrow’s exam?”

“It’s Geography. There’s nothing to study, Diya. I will come. Where should I meet you?”

“Vishnu Street corner. Okay?”

“Okay, I will be there in 5 minutes.”

*****

“I stay in Romin Apartments. Don’t you know that?” asked Karan surprisingly.

“Hell! I didn’t know that, Karan. You know, if I open my bedroom window, your apartments will be seen from the next street.”

“So I think we can have a balcony love story going on.” Saying so, Karan chortled. The lovebirds were cycling through many streets, having sweet talks and getting to know each other.

“My mom will kill me. But I can meet you by telling that I am going out for cycling.”

“That’s good. Well, where is your painting class?”

“It’s in Ramratan Street.”

“Oops! We’ve passed by that way. I hope you don’t have any problem. Wouldn’t your painting teacher complain to your mom that you were with a guy?”

“Not a problem, Karan. Even if she complains, I can manage by telling that you’re my classmate in school.”

“Cool! Come we’ll have some golgappas.”

The duo gorged on delicious panipuris. Though Diya wasn’t a fan of that street dish, she obliged, because Karan liked it. She was too much in love with him to refuse him.

“Okay, tell something about Reena. How was your love story with her?” Diya threw a bombshell at him, while slurping the spiced water.

“Don’t ask me about that. You know very well what happened. Well, her parents are like demons. Thank god, we broke up. Otherwise I’d have been turned into minced meat.”

“Ha ha ha..cool down! I won’t ask about her anymore.” Diya understood that Reena’s topic was making Karan pissed off.

After having a few more talks, Karan accompanied her till her home.

“Bow wow boww wowww bow!” A small puppy ran towards the main gate.

“Is that your puppy, Diya?” asked Karan excitedly.

“Yes, his name is Britto.”

“I have a puppy, too. Her name is Lyka.”

“Wow! That’s amazing, Karan. When shall we meet again?”

“After my exam gets over, we can meet frequently. But you have to call me. Okay?”

“That’s for sure.” Smiling, she entered her home-sweet-home and announced her arrival to her family members.

That night, she slept peacefully with Karan’s thoughts. Being in love felt magical.

*****

In yet another meeting of Diya and Karan, they were joined by Ranjan, a hefty boy who claimed to be Karan’s best friend from childhood. As the trio kept cycling, Ranjan popped an incredible question at Diya, “Seriously, have you lost your mind, Diya? Why did you decide to love this guy?”

Diya was taken aback. She didn’t expect such a question. “Why are you asking like this?”

“Karan is somewhat like a rowdy. And he has also tattooed Reena’s name in his hand. How can you love someone who is not relieved of his past completely?”

Diya’s eyes bulged out and she glanced at Karan. He, in turn, signalled to her that Ranjan was bluffing. Enigma crept over her as she didn’t know whom to believe. Then, Karan rolled up his sleeve in his right hand and showed her that there was no tattoo.

“Thank god! He doesn’t have any tattoo, Ranjan. Don’t try to separate us.” She retorted swiftly.

“Foolish Diya! Why didn’t you check his left hand? It’s there!”

“I don’t need to check. I know about my Karan.” She snapped.

“Mch! Then I cannot do anything. You’re going to suffer, Diya.”

“Don’t you have any sense, Ranjan? What kind of a friend are you? If he is your best friend, it doesn’t mean that you can speak anything about him.”

“Chod dho, Diya. You’ll understand later.”

For the rest of their cycling, Ranjan did not speak anything, while Diya and Karan bantered as usual.

Once at home, Diya began having mixed feelings. ‘I have met Karan only three times. But in all those meetings, it was I who had asked him whether we can meet. Though it’s a protocol that only I should call him, he never showed any interest in initiating a meeting. Does that mean he doesn’t love me?’

However, she brushed away such thoughts and made herself feel good about him.

*****

Another 15 days elapsed. Each time Diya had called Karan for a meeting, he kept telling her reasons. He even made elaborate explanations for his inability to meet her. Though she took everything lightheartedly, somewhere at the corner of her heart she felt miserable. She felt that Karan wasn’t completely into the relationship. Hence, she decided to talk to Mahima about him. She cycled away to Mahima’s house which was situated near her old school. Ringing the bell fiercely, she bawled, “Mahi! Are you there?”

“Yeah coming, Diya.”

Mahima made an appearance after two minutes.

“I need to talk. Can you take your cycle and come?”

“Sure. Wait, I will consult my mom and then come.”

Mahima’s mom, being the jovial woman, allowed her daughter to cycle along with Diya. Soon, the girls were riding through streets.

“What do you think about Karan, Mahi?”

“Karan? Why are you asking to me? You guys are in a relationship, right?”

“Yes, of course. But I think he has another dimension to him which he is concealing from me. Do you have any proof that he truly loves me? What had he spoken about me in your tuition?”

“Well, let me remember….yeah! He said that you are a sweet girl and you’d make the best girlfriend in the world. Also, he was going to design your name on his skin with a compass! We stopped him from that.”

“What the heck! Is that true?”

“Yes, of course. Why should I spin stories? He began behaving like a psycho. We had to stop him.”

‘Oh my god! Karan truly loves me. Why did I suspect him? And why did I pull Mahima into this?’ Diya thought regretfully.

“Thank you, Mahi. You’ve rekindled my faith on him, but don’t tell this to anyone.”

“Stupid! I am your best friend. You can count on me.”

“Have you ever fallen in love, Mahi?”

“Love? Though I have played the cupid between many youngsters, I have never fallen for anyone. I think that 12 isn’t the right age for all these things. We should study well, complete our education, get settled in a job and then find someone to love. If we fall in love at this age, we might get distracted from our studies. I am of this opinion, but I don’t have any qualms about others.”

“Oh! That’s good.” That was all Diya could reply. She knew that Mahima was indirectly hinting at her. Hence, she kept quiet.

*****

Can you meet me in Vishnu street corner? Diya typed on her mom’s new Nokia 1100 and sent it to Karan. There was a reply after a minute.

Sorry, I have some work.

Ok, take care.

Karan did not reply anything after that. Diya sent him a picture message which had a few hearts and the words I love you, but there was no reply for that too. Fed up, Diya deleted the messages and placed the mobile back on the table.

No more messages, conversations or meetings happened between them for another 15 days.

*****

Diya was enraged immensely. Suppressing her anger, she picked up the cordless telephone and climbed to the terrace. She dialled Karan’s number and waited impatiently for him to pick up.

“Hello, Diya. How are you?”

“I am fine, Karan. How are you?” She spoke through gritted teeth.

“I am awesome. What makes you call suddenly?”

“Today is my birthday, Karan!” She exploded, at last.

“Oh my! I completely forgot, Diya.”

Immediately tears rolled down Diya’s cheeks. “How did you forget, Karan? I thought that you’ll meet me at least today and give me a gift.”

“I am extremely sorry, Diya. Wish you a happy birthday!”

“Thank you.” She replied rather bluntly, wiping away her tears.

“Okay, I have some work now. Call later.” Saying so, Karan hung up in a jiffy.

“Hey Karan…” But Diya heard the phone click. She felt heavy at heart. She had set her expectations high and thought that Karan will buy a gift and meet her, but she was visibly put off by the way he was treating her. She was hurt miserably. She didn’t have anyone to share her feelings. She was violently in love with him that her feelings were beyond control.

‘Am I traveling on the right path? Does Karan really love me? He has changed a lot. It has been a month since I’ve met him. He had cleverly avoided my requests to meet him by quoting lame reasons. He is also ignoring me. How can I believe him now?’

More tears flooded her eyes.

**********

Diya Rai – Beginning of a Puppy Love

Diya’s tryst with a boy happened in her 8th grade. Well, she never wanted it. It was her curiosity which attracted the so-called ‘puppy love’ towards her. And also, she wasn’t the one who took the first step. That was also a proposal. The boy was Karan, a fair Gujarati with a cute narrow face, beady eyes and lots of curls on his head. He was in the 10th grade and was suspected to be a playboy. He had had a girlfriend, but they broke up after the girl’s parents discovered about the cutesy love affair, and then, it was time for Karan to move on and find his next catch.

Though Diya was aware about his existence right from her 6th grade and she had also secretly admired him, she never had the courage to converse with him. She also knew that he was an orphaned boy who was taken care by his grumpy grandfather. Even his relatives back home in Surat weren’t fond of him. Engulfed by too much negativity, Karan had resorted to become a mischievous boy. He allowed himself to be admired by girls who drooled at him. Thanks to his prodigal handsome looks. He had joined Diya’s school in Bangalore only at the end of his 8th grade, as a result of his transfer from Surat. Though he had noticed Diya a number of times, he thought that she was way too nerdy in appearance. So he never pursued her, instead he began eyeing Reena of 9th grade. The latter was also crazily attracted to Karan that she never objected to his advances. Soon they were in a relationship (could that even be called a relationship at that age?). Right when things were getting mushier, Reena’s parents got to know about it and they separated the young love birds. Being the playboy that he was, Karan began following Diya, whom he had initially thought as boring ‘stuff’.

What was even more surprising was, Diya had left that school after 6th grade. She joined a new one in 7th grade and was happy with her new clique of friends. Soon 8th grade happened and along with it things named crushes, infatuations, and complicated friendships too happened in her class. Even though it was the year 2002 (mobile phones were rare), the 12-year-olds were clever enough to stay in touch with their partners. There were only three months for 8th grade to end. That was when Karan made an entry in Diya’s life. One fine evening, she was cycling back from her painting class. As she turned around in her street, she came across a group of boys, whom she recognized as the ones from her previous school. She cycled past them and stopped in front of the main gate of her house.

“Diya!” She heard someone calling out to her. Looking back, she saw the hefty and stunning Karan.

“Hi, Diya, do you remember me? I am Karan.” He was also on a bicycle, but he was pedaling it rather slowly, as if participating in a slow cycle race. Diya was taken aback. When she was in her previous school, she hadn’t even spoken a word with him. And here he was, addressing her with her name and asking whether she remembered him. Not knowing what to reply, she just nodded.

“Which school are you in now?” He questioned.

“Seshadri Vidyalaya.” She replied calmly.

“Which grade?”

“8th grade.” She never questioned him back.

“Okay, bye.” He waved at her and moved past her house.

Still confused with the unusual meeting, Diya opened the gate and entered. Just then, a boy from Karan’s group came running to the compound wall and asked her, “Karan is asking about the location of your school.”

“Koramangala Main. Just a kilometer from here.”

“Okay, I will convey.”

After the boy’s exit, Diya thought, ‘What’s happening? I have never spoken with Karan. How did he get to know about me? And why is he asking me these questions?’

Yet another day, she met Karan along with his friends, but not in her street, it was in the street next to hers where she had to cycle to reach her street. Though she tried to ignore the group and pedal away speedily, Karan spoke up, “Hey, Diya. How are you?”

She applied the brakes and turned around to face him. “I am fine, Karan. How are you?”

“I am good. Where are you coming from?”

“I had my painting class. Okay, just tell me, when is your school Annual Day?”

“Your school? Madam, do you remember that it was your school too?”

“Yes, I do. Okay, sorry for that, tell me when is our school Annual Day.”

“All right! It’s on February 21st. Why did you ask?”

“I need to attend it. I didn’t miss the previous year’s Annual Day. So, I should make sure that I attend this year, too.”

“Okay, hopefully I might meet you there.”

“Okay! Bye.” Flashing a warm smile, Diya cycled away to her home.

Once safely secured inside her pink-lavender room, she began foraying into her thoughts. And surprisingly, Karan occupied most of her thoughts. She couldn’t even fathom why she was thinking about him, when she should be doing her Maths homework. She replayed their conversation repeatedly and a warm feeling seared through her heart. At that moment, she sowed the first seed of puppy love.

*****

“Diya! Are you there?” It was Mahima. She slowly opened the latch of the main gate. Listening to the sound, Mamta Rai ventured out. “Arey, Mahima…what a surprise! Come inside. Diya is getting ready for her painting class.”

“I know, aunty. I have a doubt in Physics. So I thought Diya could help me out for few minutes.”

“Sure, she would. Be seated.”

Soon, Diya emerged from her room. Looking at Mahima, she spiralled into a wide grin.

“Mahi darling, how are you? It has been a long time since we’ve met.” She lunged forward and hugged her best friend.

“I am fine, how are you?”

“As usual, I am happy.”

“Good to hear. Well, has your mum gone inside?” Mahima’s tone turned into a whisper.

“Yeah, what’s the matter?” Diya whispered back.

“I didn’t come to ask a doubt in Physics. Do you know Karan bhaiya?”

“Karan bhaiya? Is he a brother to you?”

“Yeah, I address him like that. We are in the same tuition. You know him, right?”

“Of course, I know him. We have been meeting recently. I mean, we met accidentally. Though I haven’t spoken with him during my 6th grade, he seemed to know about me and initiated a conversation.”

“Well, well, he passed a message to you.”

“A message? What’s that?” Diya was taken in surprise.

“He said ‘I love you’ to you.”

“Whaaattt?” For a nanosecond, Diya had reminisces of her 6th grade, where Shreeka had conveyed Akshay’s proposal.

“Yeah, he said that he is in love with you.”

“Mahi, what are you speaking about? Two years ago, you were there when Shreeka had conveyed Akshay’s proposal. And you very well know how I’d reacted to it. Now, what do you expect from me?”

“Arey, I know about you. And I don’t expect anything from you right away. Karan bhaiya has asked you to tell whether it is a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.”

Diya just gazed at her blankly. Gulping some saliva, she asked, “Are you sure, Mahi? Did Karan really sent the message through you?”

“Of course, Diya, he was constantly speaking about you in the tuition.”

“Okay, I will let you know my answer tomorrow. Is it okay?”

“Completely fine. Think about it and decide.”

Though the girls were conversing in hushed tones, they had the Physics book wide open in front of them, eliminating even the slightest doubt of Mamta Rai that they were speaking something else. After all, adolescence was a period where boys and girls were experts in the art of cheating.

*****

Diya’s heart raced like a speeding car. She acquired the butterflies-in-stomach feeling whenever she thought about Karan. She fidgeted with her fingers and broke her knuckles. Though she was alien to the concepts of crush and love, she could feel happy at the thoughts of Karan. And that made her to believe that what she was feeling was indeed love. She convinced herself about it. She was also aware that her decision would require her to waste a lot of time in useless thinking and also to cheat her family members thereafter. But she couldn’t even care an iota for all that. She was excited at the thought of getting into a relationship. The new feeling called love was alluring. And Karan’s handsomeness was acting like a love-philter to her.

‘I will say yes to him.’ She thought and squealed in joy. Impatiently she waited for Mahima’s visit.

“Diya!” Mamta Rai hollered from the kitchen.

“Yes, Ma, coming.”

“Do you need strawberry milkshake? I am gonna prepare for Anjali.”

“Yeah, I need. And I think Mahima will be here in a few minutes. Prepare for her too.”

“How do you know that?” Mamta asked inquisitively.

“Arey, I met her yesterday, right? She told me that she had doubt in Chemistry too and she will come today.”

“Okay, okay.”

The bell rung. Diya sprung into action to open the door.

“Hi, Mahi!” She beamed with happiness. Immediately Mahima knew that the answer would be ‘yes’.

“Hi, Mahima, I have prepared a delicious strawberry milkshake for you. Take it.” Mamta handed over a glass of milkshake.

“Thank you so much, aunty.” Mahima received it with gleaming eyes.

As soon as Mamta moved away, she whispered to Diya, “What’s your answer?”

“Hey bhagavan! You know, I was totally confused yesterday. I am alien to all such things. I thought, thought and thought. And finally, I decided that I should go ahead with this. How beautiful Karan and I would make a pair! Sounds exciting! And everyone would be jealous that I would be marrying the most handsome boy in our school.”

“Marrying? So, you’ve even decided to marry him, eh?” Mahima displayed shock.

“Of course! Getting into a relationship means marrying the person whom we love, right?”

“Oh ho! You need to learn a lot, Diya. I am sure you would learn as days go by. Okay, I am happy for Karan bhaiya and you. Let me convey this to him.”

“Thank you, Mahima.” Diya engulfed her best friend into a tight hug.

*****

“Annie, did Karan come to tuition today?” Diya asked desperately. It had been 15 days since she had said ‘yes’ to Karan’s proposal, but there was no response from him. Neither he met her in her street nor Mahima contacted her regarding the proposal. So, Diya chanced upon another girl named Annie who was also studying in Karan’s tuition.

“No, Didi, he did not come. Don’t you know about his suspension from school?” Annie asked innocently.

“Suspension? For what?” Diya panicked.

“Karan was in a relationship with Reena. You know, right?”

“Yes, I know about that. But they broke up after Reena’s parents came to know about the affair.”

“Oh! Don’t you know what happened after that? Karan had visited Reena’s house once again. He just wanted to meet her to return some money which she had given him, but her parents discovered him. So, they complained to the principal of our school and he was given suspension for a week. And that week has begun yesterday. Post this, he will have his board practicals. I think he would attend tuition only after that.”

“Oh my god! This much has happened and Mahima didn’t tell me a word about it. Okay, did he say anything about his love for me?”

“What the hell! Is he in love with you now? Or are you cooking up a story?”

“Shut up! Why should I spin a make-believe tale? He has proposed to me by sending a message through Mahima and I have also accepted it. Otherwise, why should I ask about him?”

“Aha! Didi, I am completely unaware of this. Let him come to tuition. I will roast him like a chicken.”

“Ha ha ha! Cool down. If you get to know anything about him, just come to my home and convey it to me. Okay?”

“Okay, Didi.” Annie flashed a pearly smile and left the place.

‘Does Karan really love me? Or is he playing a game? Or did Mahima dish out a false story?’ There went Diya’s unending thoughts.

*****

Almost a month passed since the proposal episode. Diya was yet to meet Karan and start her relationship with him. She received no information about him. Her conversation with Annie was the last she had heard about him. With shattered dreams and crashed hopes, she began concentrating on her studies and painting. Then, one fine day, Mahima visited her. She was studying sincerely for her History annual exam when Mahima fiercely banged the main gate latch. Peeping from her window, Diya was overjoyed to see her. She welcomed her with a warm smile, while Mamta Rai requested the girls to enter.

“No, aunty, I just have a simple doubt in Maths. I’ll ask her and go away.” Mahima replied promptly.

So the girls stood in the porch.

“Go and get your Maths textbook. Quick!” Mahima spoke through gasps.

“Why?”

“Aarrgghh! Don’t ask questions. Karan is waiting over there with his bicycle. He has sent me to give his mobile number to you. His grandfather has bought a new Nokia 1100 for him. So, get me your Maths textbook!”

Diya’s joy knew no bounds. She couldn’t contain herself as she hurried inside her home to retrieve her textbook.

“Come! Let’s move to the main gate so that I can see him.” She spoke excitedly.

“Give me the book first. I’ll write down the number.” Mahima snatched the book and penned a string of 10 digit number.

“Wow! I never knew that Maths could be so simple. Just think if every problem is diminished to the size of a 10 digit number.” Diya bantered. And then she heard the tinkling bell. It was Karan. He was ferociously ringing the bell from his cycle. Taking it as a signal, Diya moved to the main gate to glimpse at him. He waved to her with a smile pasted on his face. She waved back and yelled, “I will call you tomorrow!”

“Sure! Byeeee…” Karan replied in a singsong voice.

Once inside her home, Diya Rai blushed for the first time in her life.

**********

Diya Rai – Junior No.1

2000

The lunch box was designed with Pokemon stickers. It was one of Diya Rai’s favorite cartoons. Others included Scooby Doo, Tom & Jerry, and Flintstones. Even after getting into 6th grade, she was fond of watching cartoons, while girls of her age were into soap operas. She opened her lunch box carefully, wishing that the sticker wouldn’t come off, as it was chipped at one of its corners. Inside her box was a sandwich. Yes, it was a mushroom sandwich. Though her mom detested cooking mushrooms regularly, she had to undergo the ordeal just for an adamant daughter.

‘Wow! This looks yummy.’ She flicked her tongue across her lips. Mahima, her bench mate and her best friend, threw a disgusting look at her.

“I think you should probably marry a mushroom,” she said, hoping it to be a good piece of joke.

“Awww! That would have happened if it was a human being. I wish that the males in this world are as delicious as mushroom.”

“Ewww! You are turning grosser with each passing day.” Mahima’s face twitched.

“You make me speak like that with your lame jokes, Mahi.”

“Oh my! You consider every joke as lame until it genuinely makes you laugh.”

“Yeah! That’s what a good joke should do.”

Mahima turned silent after that. She knew that there would be no point in leading that to an argument. Diya’s clever tactics in an argument are something no one can match up to. She was a marvel even as a 10-year-old.

“Achcha, tell me the starting date of our half-yearly exams,” requested Diya.

“It starts on 15th December.”

“Okay, I will note down the date in my diary, so that I can start preparing for it soon.”

“Diary? I thought you share only personal matters in your diary. Do you even keep a record of academics in it?”

“Of course, my diary is not only my best friend, it is also my daily planner. I want to be the first and the best in everything. And my diary helps me to achieve that by reminding me about the exams I have to take and the events I have to attend.” Diya declared proudly.

“What event does a ten-year-old attend?”

“Ah! There are lots I must attend along with my mom. Most of them are her conferences and meetings.”

“Does she compel you to attend them? What do you do there?”

“No, she doesn’t compel me, but she’d request me and there’s no way I can turn down her request. I do nothing over there. She just wants to flaunt Anjali and me in front of her colleagues.”

‘A family bitten by pride,’ Mahima thought.

Diya continued, “I don’t think my mom is proud about showing us off to her colleagues. She just feels secure when we’re around her.”

‘Oh my god! Did she read my mind?’ Mahima felt terrified that Diya could possess telepathic abilities and she would have read her mind about her ‘pride’ comment.

“Ye..yeah that’s true, Diya. She would feel safe with her two daughters,” Mahima blurted out.

Soon, the lunch break was over and the students returned to their respective seats.

*****

The classroom was surprisingly silent. The shuffling of pages was the only sound which occurred inside. The students appeared as if they would enter the textbook, live the sentences written in it, and then return to the real world. After a few minutes, the shrill of the bell broke the silence. Many feet stood up, packed their bags, and rushed to their respective exam halls.

“Oops! I am sorry.” Diya collided with a 5th grader.

“That’s okay, Didi.” The boy uttered.

‘Oh my goodness! Are we going to be seated along with 5th graders?’ Diya thought. She was expecting one of her classmates to be seated beside her, so that she could chat with him/her after the exam.

Soon, the children were seated in their respective seats, question papers and answer sheets were distributed, and the click of the pens commenced. Maths was a subject which Diya loathed immensely. And that was the first exam! Though she had practiced well, the questions seemed to be difficult. She turned and looked at the boy seated beside her. It was the same 5th grader whom she had dashed. She flashed an acknowledging smile at him and began her exam.

Two and a half hours passed even before Diya could realize. She was working on the last problem when the boy beside her spoke, “Didi! Don’t strain too much. If you don’t get the answer, just leave the problem.”

“Grrrr! What do you think about me? Though Maths is my weakness, I am one of the toppers in my class. I cannot afford to leave a sum just because it is tough.” Diya retorted.

“Okay, sorry Didi, you continue.” The boy was sincerely apologetic.

Once again Diya smiled at him and continued the problem. She cracked it within a few minutes and turned to face the boy. “What’s your name?” she asked in a friendly tone.

“Akshay!” he replied jubilantly.

“Nice name. Have you been studying here right from LKG?”

“Yes.”

“Oh! I haven’t seen you. That’s why I asked.”

“But I have seen you, Didi. You’re always active in school. You study well, participate in painting competitions and you even won prizes on our Sports Day. That was awesome!”

“Thank you, Akshay.” Diya grinned. She was also amused that Akshay’s incisors were just developing.

“I know your house also, Didi.”

“Is it? How?”

“It’s in the street adjoining our school, right? I have seen you returning home in the evenings. I should pass by your house to reach mine.”

“Wow! I am amazed. You know so much about me and I didn’t even know that you existed.”

“Ha ha! It happens, Didi. You’re a popular girl and I am just a below average boy. I don’t study well and always score poor grades.”

Diya just nodded her head. She didn’t have any advice for slow-learners. After a few moments, the bell rung and the students dispersed.

Though Diya scurried away to her classroom, Akshay kept gazing at her from behind.

*****

“What’s the exam today?” asked Akshay slyly.

“English. I am quiet good at it. And what about yours?” interrogated Diya.

“It’s Hindi.” Akshay sulked.

“All the best!”

“Thank you. Same to you.”

“Thank you!”

Mid-way through the exam, Akshay felt restless. He patted on Diya’s hand and asked, “Do you have water, Didi? I am feeling thirsty.”

“Awww! I didn’t bring, dear. Ask the examiner…”

“Shushhhh! What’s going on there? Don’t talk!” The invigilator’s stern voice floated from the other end of the classroom.

“Miss, Akshay is feeling thirsty. He needs water.” Diya asked politely.

The invigilator handed him a bottle of water. After gulping it, he spoke, “Diya Didi, you look beautiful today. These two plaits suit you well.”

“Thank you, Akshay.” Diya blushed a bit. Akshay stole another glance at her and continued writing.

After finishing the exam, the duo began chatting in hushed tones. Akshay cracked jokes and Diya giggled, while Diya narrated facts and Akshay registered them in memory. But he was rather registering every expression of Diya in his mind with each passing minute.

*****

“Hey, Akshay! Good to see you here. Are you also participating?” asked Diya. She had struck up a good friendship with him during the course of the examinations. She was also selected as the coordinator of the upcoming recitation competition. Hence, she had the duty of visiting each classroom and noting down the names of interested participants.

“Yes, I am eager to participate. The reason is you, Didi. As soon as I heard that you’re the coordinator, I decided that I should participate. I need to level myself with you, Didi, since we’ve become friends.”

“Ha ha ha. Funny boy. I’ve never heard of someone participating because of me,” she said, giving a light stroke to Akshay’s feathery hair.

“I am inspired by you, Didi. Just note down my name. I assure you that I will perform well.”

Diya smiled back in response and entered his name in the list. She then moved on to the next classroom. That’s when she heard something peculiar.

“Duppu!” someone called behind her. “Duppu! Duppu!” The chants continued. She turned back to see who it was. To her surprise, it was Akshay’s friend who had mouthed that. He ran away on seeing her, giggling all along the way.

And from that day, wherever she went, she could listen to the chant of ‘Duppu’. She knew that that name was hurled at her. She knew that it was Akshay’s close friend who was teasing her. She even knew that Akshay kept following her everywhere along with his nutty friend. Yet she kept quiet. She couldn’t understand what was happening.

*****

The Annual Day was approaching. Diya was excited. She was a regular in the previous annual days. Her dance performance was the most celebrated one. She was also included in a group dance along with her friends. There was only merriment in the air during the rehearsals of the dance.

On one such rehearsal, something happened, which introduced Diya to a peculiar term. Or rather a peculiar emotion. She was chit-chatting along with her friends after a tiring rehearsal. The next moment, she saw her favorite 4th grader approaching her. Her name was Shreeka.

“Hi, Shreeka, how are you doing?” asked Diya in her usual ebullient tone.

“I am doing good, Didi. How are you?”

“I am great!”

“Didi, I have to tell you something important.”

“Yeah, tell me. I am all ears.”

“Do you know Akshay?”

“Which one? That 5th grader?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, he was my friend.”

“Isn’t he your friend nowadays?”

“No, he isn’t. His best friend started teasing me with a name called ‘Duppu’. So I stopped talking with him.”

“Didi, you know one thing, there is a reason for their teasing.”

“What’s that?”

“Akshay is in love with you. He said to me to convey ‘I love you’ to you.”

“What in the world does that mean?” yelled Diya.

“He is in love with you, Didi.”

“Arey, but what is meant by love? Mahima, is that the thing which they show in movies, where the boy and girl hold hands, hug, and kiss each other?” Diya turned to her best friend for help.

“Yes, Diya, of course it is.” Mahima reassured her.

“But, Shreeka, I thought those things exist only in movies.”

“What are you telling, Didi? Don’t you know anything about love? Akshay has proposed to you.”

“All I know is love is a bad thing. It shouldn’t occur between boys and girls. Also, I looked upon Akshay as my brother!”

“What the hell! How can you consider him as your brother after seating beside him in the examination hall?”

“How foolish are you, Shreeka? How can sitting beside him in examination hall can be counted as love? I don’t even know the proper meaning of love.”

“But he isn’t your brother, Didi. He is in love with you.”

“Aaaaaa! Don’t irritate me. He mentioned me as ‘Didi’. So, he is my BROTHER! Understand?”

“I understand. But you don’t understand, Didi.”

“Uffho! Leave about this. I will take care. I need to practice for my dance performance.”

Mahima couldn’t resist laughing. Once Diya was away from her, she burst out. She hadn’t imagined that a junior would fall in love with a senior. Worse, even she didn’t know the complete meaning of love, yet she had a jolly good time in replaying Shreeka’s conversation again and again.

*****

“Akshay, stop!” Diya screamed. She was walking in her street, towards her home. It was a serene evening for her, except the irritable factor called Akshay, who was scuttling away from her in hurried steps.

“I say stop! Why are you running away from me? Shreeka told me everything. What is this, Akshay? Do you really know the meaning of love?” She almost pleaded him.

Akshay stopped in his tracks. He turned around to face her. Then he flashed a toothy grin, with childish innocence written all over his face. At that moment, Diya took to heels with a raised hand. She intended to slap him, but Akshay was too fast for her.

“Idiotic Akshay! Stop there! I am going to get you. If you ever come before me hereafter, I will make sure that you are turned into minced meat.”

Diya chased him all along the street till she reached her house. Panting for breath, she spoke through tiny gasps, “I will slap you if you dare to see me again.” But Akshay was gone. Diya’s marathon chase convinced him that she was mentally retarded. And her ignorance about the feeling called love assured him that she was a boring little brat.

As for Diya, she had developed a serious case of juniorophobia – the fear of junior male students! Her 6th grade ended with this infection.

**********

Diya Rai – Prologue

“Hey, guys! So, I am inventing a new way of the Slam Book culture. Usually we’d find final year students going around with their slam books and begging their friends to write pages about them. But I am gonna record a video of my friends raving about me. I can preserve this video for ages to come. I can write this video in a CD, store it in a pen drive or memory card, and also e-mail it to myself, so that I don’t lose the video. Okay, I am off to meet my friends and ask them their opinions about me.”

Diya Rai hit the Pause button and looked around to find her mom Mamta Rai loitering around in her bedroom.

“Ma, come here. I wanna show you something.” She pointed to the laptop and beckoned her.

“What is it, dear?” Mamta asked politely.

“It’s the video Slam Book which I made in the final year of my college. You must know what my friends say about me.”

“Why? I know you enough. You are my daughter.”

“No. Honestly, you don’t know me, Ma. So, just come over and watch the video.”

Mamta Rai went over and sat beside her daughter, rather reluctantly. Diya hit the Play button and the video continued.

“So, this is Mahima, my best friend. Oh, now don’t ask me whether I won’t be in touch with her. We are like blood and skin, but she has some interesting things to say about me. So, go on, listen to her.”

The video focussed on Mahima’s face. She had a porcelain skin tone, which shined pink in the daylight. Her pink lips and jet-black tresses were the prominent features that stood out. Her honey-brown eyes looked dazzling. Overall, she was a woman who’d make boys drool over her just for her looks.

“Hi, this is Mahima. Well, I don’t have much to say about this brat over here. As she said, she is my best friend. She is an extrovert, who can make friends at the drop of a hat and talk endlessly about topics that presumably don’t exist. Ha ha ha. Well, as you can see, she is almond-brown in colour. Oops! She wanted me to say this, okay? Boys are never attracted to her deep-set black bespectacled eyes, dimpled cheeks, arched eyebrows, shiny broad nose, pouted lips or her shoulder length wavy hair. Ha ha ha ha. They are bowled over by her intelligence and her ability to give smart answers to their questions. Her satire-filled jokes are a runaway hit with them. The equation which she shares with them in terms of friendship is unbeatable. Yet when it comes to proposals from them, she draws a firm line and chases them away.”

“That’s enough, Mahi. I think you are planning to give away more about me, which I wouldn’t permit, actually. Lemme introduce you to my another friend Priyakshi. She has something to tell about me, too.”

Priyakshi’s bespectacled face came into view. “Hi, this is Priyakshi. I am gonna talk about the foodie side of Diya. Her food habits are not something to write home about. She loves anything that has mushroom in it. Any kind of mushroom – be it Portobello, Oyster or Shiitake, she is okay with it. She loves mushrooms so much that she dreams of opening a restaurant named ‘Mushrooming’ which provides only mushroom dishes for breakfast, brunch, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner. She also follows the M-Plan diet which includes a mushroom dish a day. Other than that partially toxic fungi, she loves chocolate cakes and aloo parathas. She doesn’t have a liking for biriyanis or golgappas as most of her friends do and indulges in them only occasionally. Well, that’s it. I am Diya’s foodie friend and I can only talk about the food that she prefers.”

“That was actually interesting, Priyakshi. I have never known someone who’d talk about my food preferences in such an engaging manner. Okay, here is Bipasha. She, too, has something interesting to blabber about me, I think.”

“Hey, guys, this is Bipasha. When I think about Diya, only one thing strikes me immediately. She is a very good writer. Excellent in the whole college. And, of course, being a writer, she loves to read too. She contributes a major part of her intelligence to J.K.Rowling, Arthur Conan Doyle, James Patterson, Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, Cecelia Ahern, Danielle Steel and Dan Brown. Her small pink-lavendar room in her house has a teak-wood bookshelf which is replete of books ranging from classics to coming-of-age tales. Her whole life revolves around books and movies. English movies aren’t her forte (except Christopher Nolan films), instead she prefers Bollywood and other regional flicks. She isn’t a music maniac, though she listens to Amit Trivedi, Sachin-Jigar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and other contemporary composers occasionally. She also appreciates A.R.Rahman’s songs which aren’t the run-of-the-mill kind.”

“Well, well, well, that sounded good, Bips. You know a lot about me. Okay, hmmm, I’ll be making a part 2 video slam book soon. Till then, tata, bubye.”

Diya closed the video and looked at her mom eagerly.

“Er, well, I didn’t know many of these things, Diya. All I know is you are 25 years old, hold a degree in English literature, earn money by writing articles for a listicle website – God bless me, I don’t even remember the website’s name, and also you write for a newspaper column and you occasionally go to the office for editing articles.”

“Ma, do you at least know the newspaper’s name?”

“Well, I know that. Times of India. And, well, you are single. You don’t love anyone. A choice which is readily disapproved by your dad and me. You don’t like to depend on anyone. You don’t want your wings cut by binding yourself to a romantic commitment. You don’t want to be caged by restrictions. You don’t want someone to rob you of your precious time which you set aside for hobbies (painting, cooking new recipes, and writing your diary), shopping, going out with girlfriends, etc., And, well, blah, blah, blah of your Single status.”

“That’s enough, Ma. You don’t know what happened after that.”

“What do I not know?”

“You don’t know many things. You don’t know what I am going through.”

“Well, you can go through many things, but a single mushroom dish can pep you up. Am I right?” Mamta let out a nervous chuckle.

“Ma, I am not in the mood to be jovial right now.” Diya picked up a smiley ball from her writing desk and started pressing it.

“Oh, okay, I understand.” Mamta replied and hastened away from that room. Diya looked at her mom’s retreating self and smirked. Her mom was a career-oriented corporate dame who kept adding zeroes to her salary and maintained the family well. Though she seemed lenient, she treated her husband and kids strictly, constantly advising them on their habits and preferences. Meanwhile, Diya’s dad, Rohit Rai, was not the one who’d slog all day, shed his sweat, and bring in huge amount of bucks for his family. He was a couch potato, whose God was the idiot box. After having lost his job, he turned into a vegetable, who wouldn’t move his body around, except for a few chores here and there.

Diya had a sweet younger sister, Anjali Rai, a chubby cheeked and curly haired beauty-conscious plump lass. She was in her final year of fashion designing in a prestigious college. Unlike Diya, she went around with boys, dated them, dumped them, dated again, dumped again, and the cycle went on. She shared a good relationship with Diya and was supportive of her career and relationship decisions, unlike Mamta Rai, who didn’t see writing listicles as something which would catapult her daughter to opulence.

Diya picked up her mobile phone from the desk and began scrolling through the photo gallery. Her bad conversation with her mom had sparked up something in her. She found the picture that she was looking for. It was of the man she loved. The only man she ever loved. And the man who broke her heart mercilessly. People around her knew that she had refused N number of proposals right from her adolescence, but they never knew that she too had fallen in love with a man. Then, all of a sudden, anger splurged through her. She heaved an angry sigh and immediately deleted the photo. She rushed to the kitchen, where her mom was cooking something that smelled great.

“Ma!” She almost bellowed.

Mamta Rai turned around, a look of disgust on her face. “What is it now?” She asked.

“I am moving to Melbourne for that writing assignment, Ma.”

Mamta’s expression was taut, which said that she neither agreed nor refused.

**********

Diya Rai – Blurb

Hi, friends. I have been planning this for ages. I had a series running in Wattpad, named as Diya Rai. It’s a lighthearted romantic chick-lit.

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It follows the life of Diya Rai, as she battles the love proposals that come her way. I am not going to publish this as a book and it’s gonna stay as a free read on Wattpad and now on this blog too. I will release one chapter every three days. Here’s the blurb of the story:

*****This is the unedited first draft of this novel. Exclusively available for my readers.*****

Diya Rai, a 25 year old writer and journalist, reminisces all the love proposals that she had received in her life. She combats some serious ones and laughs at some funny ones. The list of proposals which she spurns is:

1. Two juniors, Akshay and Karthik, who infect Diya with a new disease named Juniorophobia.

2.Karan, a playboy, who gets into a puppy love relationship with Diya and breaks up with her for no reason.

3.Himanshu, a timid and failed 10th grader, who threatens Diya with a suicide attempt after she spurns him.

4.Dhruv, a cheesy classmate, who doesn’t know the real meaning of true friendship.

5.Preyosh, Diya’s distant cousin, whom she misinterprets as an artist and almost begins to fall for him.

Finally, the matured 25-year-old Diya meets Brian Josh, a feisty traveller and the man of her dreams. He is the perfect soulmate material for her. However, he ends up breaking her heart, after showing signs of being in love with her. Coping with the pain, Diya moves to Melbourne, where she meets Karan, her old flame. They become friends again. Meanwhile, Brian is also on a trip to Melbourne.

Coincidences, confrontations, and confessions begin. Will Diya have the happy ending that she’d always imagined?

Watch out for the first chapter tomorrow!

My Bumpy Journey – Seventh Month (April)

Before I start speaking about this month, I am gonna post a warning here. If you are a foodie, please refrain from reading this post. This post is sure to give you foodgasm, as I have named it as Swiggying Away Month. So, what are you waiting for? Delve into this delicious post if you wanna read about tons of food.

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On April 1st, my mom and I packed all the necessary things needed for our one-month stay at the hotel. We then took off in a cab in the evening. I was really nervous, because I was about to have outside food for a month and also I was returning to work after a three-month sabbatical. While the former dealt with my physical health, the latter dealt with my mental health. I wanted both the food and the work to keep me healthy throughout the month. It was a one-hour journey to the hotel. During the journey, I had reminisces of December 30th, 2017. It was the same way I had traversed from my office to the hospital, when I was bleeding profusely. I associated that way with that bad memory and it would always stay like that. We (my mom, my husband and me) reached the hotel and met the receptionist. He was the one who managed the entire hotel and he was the one who came to our branch for all the bank transactions pertaining to the hotel. So, he knew me well and he flashed me a warm smile. I returned the smile and spoke with him regarding my medical condition. We were given a room on the first floor so that it would be convenient for us, in case we chose to use the staircase.

Room no. 105 it was. It was a small room with a cozy bed, an old-fashioned TV set, a table, two chairs and window AC set. As soon as I entered the room, I checked the closet for its cleanliness. I was particular about hygiene and I always checked that the toilet was neat and clean. We placed our belongings in the room and went down to have dinner in the restaurant. We ordered fish fingers, veg fried rice, chicken fried rice and chicken manchurian gravy. After our sumptuous meal, my husband took leave. At first, my mom and I felt strange to dwell in an unknown area, but the familiar hotel staff served as a reassurance for us. That night, we found that the remote control for our TV was not working properly. One of the staffs changed the batteries for us. We watched some Hindi serials amd whiled away our time.

The next day was Annual Closing Day for the banking sector. So it was a holiday and a lunch was arranged for our branch staff by our Branch Manager at Abu Sarovar Portico Hotel in Kilpauk. My mom and I woke up around 7.45 in the morning and readied ourselves. We then went down to have breakfast which was complimentary during our entire stay. The breakfast consisted of idlis, piping hot sambar, coconut chutney, tomato chutney, vegetable upma, white bread, butter, jam, grape juice and cornflakes with milk. I opted for the idlis with some sambar. Mom too did the same. One of the staffs said that there were freshly-prepared dosas available. We got a few dosas too and dipped them in the sambar and ate to our stomach’s content. After the breakfast, we walked to my office. It was quite a refreshing walk. I met all my colleagues and it was a happy reunion.

Soon, it was lunch time and we headed to the hotel which was situated just opposite our branch. Since my mom was along with me, my Branch Manager invited her for lunch, too. The lunch was an exotic spread consisting of mouth-watering dishes. I gorged on everything in limited amounts, so that I could taste everything. It started with Egg Drop Soup. For the starters, I had one spoonfuls of each of these dishes: Egg Chat, Mexican Chicken, Pasta Salad, Panneer Dry, Lovely Fish (don’t ask me what that means, coz, the board above the dish displayed that name), Chilli Gobi, Sundal Chat and Kimchi Salad. I moved on to the mains with Chicken Kabab, Mutton Biryani, Pepper Chicken, Portuguese Fish (best of the lot), Jeera Rice, Baked Vegetables, Caninal Florentine (I have no idea what this is. Don’t Google it. It leads to Cannibalism), and Panneer Gravy. My favourite part of the lunch – the desserts – consisted of Bread Halwa (I am forever in love with this), Malai Musk Melon, Coconut Pudding, Caramel Custard Pudding, Chocolate Cake and Mixed Fruit Cake. I washed all these off with a glass of Buttermilk. It was quite a heavy lunch and it had been a long time since I had tasted such a sumptuous spread. My mom and I reached our room and had a good siesta.

That week, my workload was rather heavy, as it was the beginning of a new financial year. But my colleague and Branch Manager were kind enough to share it. My relationship with food improved, as I tried out various dishes that were rich gastronomical delights. Food delivery app Swiggy helped me a lot in my food journey. Usually, my dinners consisted of 14 Idlis with Sambar from Hotel Saravana Bhavan or Chole Poori with Channa Gravy from Namma Veedu Vasantha Bhavan. I also had Chicken Fried Rice with Garlic Chicken after a long time. We also had our evening tea and snacks in the hotel where we stayed. The Chicken Cutlet served there was the best ever I had tasted. Once, I ordered a different kind of Maggi from Maggevala for my lunch. My colleague also joined with me on that day. We had Chilli Garlic Maggi and Exotic Veg Maggi. They weren’t that much good, as I felt that they had spoilt the original taste of Maggi. Sometimes, I got my lunch from my grandparents’ home, as my grandfather visited my bank on a few days.

During the first weekend, I visited Express Avenue mall along with my husband. Actually we had planned to go to the beach and just gaze at the sea from a distance (since I was not supposed to walk on sand). However, there were roadblocks going on, which made us traverse and go to the mall instead. I had a nice time at the mall. There was a singing show going on in which singers from a popular reality show participated. In the following weeks, my mom and I visited a pregnancy-specialty temple named Karukathamman Kovil in Chetpet. We also visited the Chetpet Eco Park and spent an hour by the lakeside. Amidst all this, we shared a good rapport with our hotel staff and gained their kindness. I enjoyed work too, since many customers, whom I had not seen for three months, enquired about my well-being and talked to me like old acquaintances.

Above all these things, I enjoyed the ninja warrior kicks of my little one inside. I played melodious songs through a bluetooth speaker, so that my baby would be musically-inclined. I also played some fast-paced numbers, to which my LO kicked enthusiastically. Since I had lots of time in the evening, I read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, which turned into one of my favourite reads of 2018. I also watched a reality show named Enga Veetu Mappillai on Colors Tamil, hosted by Kollywood actor Arya. It was a show in which he searched for a potential bride for him. I wouldn’t comment anything more about the show, in case you are interested.

19 Energetic A.R.Rahman Songs To Kickstart Your Day

Happy Birthday, A.R.Rahman! This bundle of talent has been in the music industry for 26 years and he has never lost his charm. Even now, many fans are eagerly waiting for his upcoming albums to be released. You name any mood, Rahman has a song for you. Here are 19 fast-paced songs that can give you the necessary boost to go about your day.

1. Ellappugazhum (Azhagiya Tamizh Magan)

This one tops the list. Whenever you are down, just listen to this number. It can pep up your mood and make your day.

2. Balleilakka (Sivaji)

Of all the Rajinikanth introduction songs, this one is the grandest ever composed. Listening to this one on a lethargic morning can be really helpful.

3. Vetri Kodi (Padaiyappa)

Each and every line, coupled with the racy beats, is pure camp. Turn to this number for the much-needed inspiration.

4. Kaara Aattakaara (O Kadhal Kanmani)

I have personally found this number to be a refreshing listen on a torpid morning. The ebullient rap portion is the icing on the cake.

5. Aalaporaan Tamizhan (Mersal)

One of the best dance numbers to come out recently. Yet another phenomenal hit for Rahman-Vijay combo.

6. Mazhai Thuli (Sangamam)

Though this number has a sad undertone, it makes to this list just because of its enthralling beats. As soon as you start listening to this one, your feet would automatically start to tap.

7. Aararai Kodi (Anbe Aaruyire)

The foot-tapping rhythm, coupled with some motivating lyrics, makes this number the perfect one to listen to in the morning. And, of course, there’s Rahman himself yielding the megaphone here!

8. Oo La La La (Minsaara Kanavu)

This has been an evergreen classic for the past two decades. It still remains fresh and dynamic, owing to its upbeat rhythm and some wonderful vocals.

9. Patakha Guddi (Highway)

This Punjabi westernized-folk number is instantly addictive and catchy as well. The soul of the song lies in the powerful rendition by Nooran sisters.

10. Uppu Karuvadu (Mudhalvan)

A peppy romantic duet can also kickstart your day, especially if it has some danceable beats and some brilliant singing by Shankar Mahadevan and Kavita Krishnamoorthy.

11. Sonapareeya (Mariyaan)

The ultimate fishermen song is also one of the upbeat numbers composed by A.R.Rahman. You would not stop dancing to this one.

12. Pappu Can’t Dance (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na)

This fast-paced song doubles as a dance floor number too. So, fill your mornings as well as your nights with this intoxicating track.

13. Veera Veera / Beera Beera (Raavanan / Raavan)

With an African dance rhythm, this vibrant number is one of Rahman’s innovative compositions of this decade. Listen to this one and make your mornings energetic.

14. Ladio (Ai)

This girly number is high on techno beats and gives a house-mix kinda feel. What’s more needed than this radiant song to brighten up your day?

15. Peter Beatu Yethu (Sarvam Thaala Mayam)

This dappankuthu number is a new addition to this list. If you need the kick to your day, look no further than this song crooned by G.V. Prakash.

16. Chal Chaiyya / Thaka Thaiyya (Dil Se / Uyire)

Not only your train journeys get better by this number, even your mornings can sparkle if you listen to it. A cult classic this one!

17. Jimbalakka (En Swaasa Kaatre)

This is one of my personal favourites, as I listen to this one to keep my energy flowing throughout the day. I recommend this one to all Rahman fans.

18. Masakali (Delhi – 6)

I am already feeling nostalgic when I think that this number is going to turn ten. So, for a decade, it has been my stylish inspiration and it will continue to be.

19. Kummi Adi (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal)

This celebratory song is a must-play in all South Indian weddings. With some upbeat folk rhythm and ebullient chorus, this track can enliven your entire day.

Noteworthy mentions:

1. Vaanga Makka Vaanga (Kaaviya Thalaivan)

2. Mona Gasolina (Lingaa)

3. Irumbile (Endhiran)

4. Chale Chalo (Lagaan)

5. Mayya Mayya (Guru)

6. Injirungo (Thenali)

7. Poovukenna Pootu (Bombay)

8. Raanjhanaa Hua (Raanjhanaa)

9. All the folk songs from my own blog post 32 Mindblowing Folk Songs of A.R.Rahman

I might have missed many songs, since I might have not felt them to be that energetic to kickstart my day. List them in the comments. What are your favourite Rahman songs that you listen to kickstart your day? Lemme know.

Author Interview with Balakarthiga. M

Hey, guys, I am here with an author interview. Balakarthiga. M is my dear friend and the author of Butterfly Met Hurricane, one of the best books to come out this year. While many people are raving about Circe, Latitudes of Longing, Half The Night Is Gone, etcetera, I would like to rave about this book. This story is an intense emotional drama with well fleshed-out characters. There is love, friendship, and betrayal. As you read the book, you’d come to hate one of the characters that you’d just want to kill him. No other book has ever brought out such a grey character. Overall, this book deals with the darkness that is found in each one of us. And it is the perfect ode to mother-daughter relationship. You can check my review of this book here: Butterfly Met Hurricane – Review by Kavya Janani. U

So, let’s have a candid chat with Balakarthiga, the coffee-addict, Potterhead, and Rahmaniac, and find out more about this book and her upcoming projects.

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Kavya: How long did it take before you zeroed in on the title ‘Butterfly Met Hurricane?

Bala: Quite a while, actually. For a very long time, the working title of the manuscript was First Impressions. Finally, it was sometime in 2017 that I arrived at the title Butterfly Met Hurricane.

Kavya: Your favourite character from the book?

Bala: Rana, of course. And Indira!

Kavya: Which character was the hardest to write?

Bala: Indira.

I was extremely nervous about bringing in a character who never says anything, or interacts with the main characters, but is a very silent and important spectator of the calamity unleashed between the hurricane and the butterfly.

Kavya: What is your opinion on fidelity in relationships?

Bala: Personally, I strongly believe that all relationships in life – be it family, friends or romantic – faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.

Kavya: Do you believe in the concept of falling out of love?

Bala: Yes. It exists. And it’s such a beautiful thing. It’s like that miraculous cure to a long term sickness.

Kavya: This question might sound cliched, but I am really curious. The inspiration behind this book?

Bala: The people around me. Millenials, in particular.

Kavya: What is your favourite mode of writing?

Bala: Laptop. I am team technology.

Kavya: Any writer pet peeves?

Bala: Perfect characters.

Kavya: Name five of your favourite authors and the best work written by them.

Bala: John Green – Turtles All The Way Down

Ashwin Sangi – Keepers of the Kaalachakra

Jane Austen – Northanger Abbey

HG Wells – The War of the Worlds

Agatha Christie – Endless Night

Kavya: Do you outline the entire plot before you start writing?

Bala Yes!!! I am a very religious outliner. I write down what happens at each chapter, and spend at least 7 days on it, before I start writing the novel.

Kavya: This is a tough cookie and it’s not related to writing. List out just five A.R.Rahman songs that you think everyone should listen.

Bala: Malargal Kaettaen.

Aaruyire.

Urvasi Urvasi.

Mazhai Kuruvi.

Mannipaaya.

Kavya: Something about your upcoming projects?

Bala: I am writing another contemporary and a historical fiction. I’m not sure which one will be published yet, but I’ll let you know soon.

Another current project I’m very excited about is a collection of short stories, I’m writing with some of the most inspiring writers I’ve been lucky to know. I miss writing short stories, and I’m so happy that I get to do that again!

Kavya: From when did you start writing? What was your first story?

Bala: I think I was in 4th grade. I wrote my first story for my school magazine, Lakshmi Darpan. I’m too embarrassed to tell the story here, so please excuse me!

That was a really interesting talk session with Balakarthiga. I am sure that you’d all love the book as much as I loved it. Here’s the link to get your copy in Amazon: Butterfly Met Hurricane by Balakarthiga. M

I will meet you all with another blog post soon. Keep reading!

Loads of love,

Kavya Janani. U

My Bumpy Journey – Sixth Month (March)

Hi, friends,

March dawned with a whiff of refreshing warmth, as I cherished the teeny-weeny movements of my to-be born. On March 1st, I had my anamoly scan, which would detect any defects in the foetus. It is a full anatomy scan and I was shown my baby’s eyeballs, nose, lips, ears, spine, hands, fingers, and legs. Of course, her heartbeats were also shown. My mom and husband were called in for this scan. After the scan, life went on as usual. I continued my content writing work. My client asked if I could sell my music blog (Desi Music Bazaar), which I had stopped in March 2016, and continue writing in it. What’s more? He said he would pay me for each post. Just imagine my excitement! I was going to do what I loved the most – combining music and writing. And then I started listening new movie albums and reviewing them in the blog.

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I released my science-fiction short story Somewhere In A Song on March 8th. Within a few days, it received pretty good reviews. It is a story which revolves around Emma Justin who is obsessed with a song composed by independent musician Kevin Roberts. The interesting thing is the vocals in the song sound similar to her voice. What does Emma do to find the truth? As simple as that. Well, after some vigourous promoting, I relaxed a bit and began continuing my content writing work. I also started writing movie news and listicles about movies for a website dedicated to Tamil cinema (kollywood.net).

On March 19th, a baby shower function was arranged for me, where only close-knit family friends were invited. My parents arranged a mini hall nearby my home, since I was not supposed to travel. Actually, that day was the most happiest day of my entire pregnancy journey. The reason? Well, my darling bestie Balakarthiga came over and we had a whale of a time. She was such an angel that I found myself bubbling with happiness. I am so blessed to have such a human being in my life. We clicked lots of pictures and she gifted me a Himalaya Baby Kit (my daughter’s first gift). What more? I chose her as the Godmother of my unborn baby. Here’s a picture of us together:

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The next day, I had a checkup with my OB-GYN. This time I went with my father who had flew down from Abu Dhabi. My OB-GYN said that I was in the pink of my health and my placenta had also moved partially. She advised me to return to work, if I wish. My mom and I laid out the options that would enable me to rejoin work withour posing any threats to my pregnancy. We called up many PGs and inquired about their facilities and availability of rooms. However, I was concerned about hygiene in those rooms. Also, there were only bunker beds available, which wouldn’t be possible for both of us. Finally, we decided to stay in a hotel nearby my office. This hotel had a current account in my branch. So we booked a room via MakeMyTrip.

This decision brought with it the inhibitions of having hotel food. But I decided to go ahead with my decision. I prayed Sai Baba to protect me and my unborn baby from any complications that would arise by having outside food. On March 31st, I had my glucose tolerance test. I was asked to come in the morning on empty stomach. I reached the hospital at 8.30 AM. To my horror, they said that they would conduct two tests in a two-hour gap and I shouldn’t have my breakfast till then. That means, 15 hours of fasting! I had my dinner at 8 PM the previous night. I thought I would faint. How can I be energetic with my blood being taken twice and my stomach being empty? I was actually worried about my unborn baby. Strangely, I was quite active even after my blood was taken twice. I felt just a little bit tired. I even visited the supermarket along with my grandma. Of course, the idlis, which I had after that hungry ordeal, was the most delicious meal ever.