love – When I tell stories

September 3, 2017

This love that feels right – Book Review

If you were to be stranded on an island with only three people – a woman and two men, one of whom is lost in his own world to find his way back and pays no attention to you and you are not interested in the woman since you are straight, the other man gives required attention, who would you fall for?

Isn’t the answer obvious….Naina – fell for Aarav in This Love that Feels Right…

Ravinder Singh in This Love that Feels Right tries to bring in a dreamy relationship and half heartedly tries to justify why Naina’s crush feels right.

What I liked about the book.

1. The plot – the subject is interesting

2. The language – is easy to follow and understand

3. The flow of the story – is pleasant and peppy

4. It is crisp and short – a quick read

What I did not like about the novel or I beg to differ

1. What is the novel about?

It is not adultery as adultery is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse.

It is not infidelity as Naina had no on going affair with Aarav neither did she or he confess love or have even a paragraph which remotely relates to the feeling of love.

For me it is infatuation and I will tell you why. Most of the novel Naina talks about her feelings for Aarav and how she wants him to react or do things that will please him.

I thought the later part of the story is very rushed.

2. Only Naina’s life is well portrayed, very little is spoken of Malvika’s (Nain’s friend) life and nothing is spoken of Aarav. I wanted to know more about him, his appearance, his life, his past and more so his feelings. Most part of the novel he plays the just character of “its natural…and its ok”

3. I had a major problem with Naina’s thinking. We are talking of a young woman (who apparently

shies to let the readers know her age and weight) from our capital DELHI which is a metropolitan

and a modern city. I was aghast at reading sentences like “I have never been with a man in a room

alone” or all through she questions herself on things which are so normal in today’s world like an instructor taking measurements at a gym. I was basically in complete conflict of thought process with Naina.

4. It is portrayed as a love story….but where is the love story? There are very few scenes of Aarav

and Naina together and when we feel now they will talk of love, either of them backs out.

5. There are pages and pages of conversation, either a monologue of Naina’s thought process or

she talks of moral policing Malvika’s life – it became boring to just read through their endless debate.

6. The END – so you know you are in love with someone and you know that you don’t love the

person who you are married to – you make a choice! She chooses to stick to her marriage – fair

enough – but what is the reasoning? The novel still goes on saying Naina tried to reason with her

husband but he didn’t change his ways. So I was unable to understand why she was stuck to him, I

was fine with the choice but not the reasoning at all.

7. Malvika has an open marriage – ok so? Why is it made such a hype? Understand it is not that

common in India but she is portrayed as a very modern woman still the novel feels open marriage

is like a wrong thing to do.

Should you read it?

I suggest everyone to read it to understand my review. I have read a love story of a woman who falls in love outside marriage it is a classic “ the Bridges of Maddison County – Robert James Waller published in 1992” Read that too on my recommendation and then you will precisely know what I am referring to in this review.

Good reads: 3.6/5

Sunshineandzephyr review: 2.0/5

Blurb: Life would have been easier had it been possible for us to plan falling in love more importantly avoid falling in love . . . Love is not for you she told herself. Inside just like any girl she desired to be loved. She had accepted her life the way it was till one day love showed up unannounced uninvited That s the thing with love. It doesn’t take permission. It s in its very nature to gatecrash into our lives. Standing face-to-face with love she finds herself asking Is this love right? The answer is not simple. It never was . . . This intense love story will shake every belief you have ever had about love. About the Author Ravinder Singh is the bestselling author of I Too Had a Love Story Can Love Happen Twice? Like It Happened Yesterday and Your Dreams Are Mine Now.

November 17, 2016

Whose mistake? – Quick fiction

Rohan stood there getting beaten up, soaked in blood as two men caught him and the other two bashed.

His body limp but mind focused and eyes fixed on her red face with inconsolable tears.

With a final blow on his head his voice tore infinity, “What did I do Ananya?”

Parallel thoughts stormed,

Rohan: “My mistake I expressed my harmless, innocent love for a Hindu girl”

Ananya: “My mistake I shouldn’t have made his expression of mere love boast all villagers.”

November 7, 2016

Where were you Ananya? – A fiction

Where were you Ananya?

She walked passed the corridor and placed her suitcase looking at the small temple where a diya lit like her unwavering faith. As she left the house keys on the key stand above the shoe rack he came out of the study his bluetooth on his ear.

“Where are you going?” he questioned with a gesture.

She turned to face the door.

“Ananya” he excused himself from the call. “Where were you?” he surprised himself with what he just asked.

Ananya turned to her love and with with a tight smile spoke

“I?”

She looked at him for a minute the longest in the last she remembered seeing him.

“I was here Rohan. Lying somewhere in your life.” She paused.

“I was right here stacked among host of messages on your Whatsapp. I also stood in between the tight deadlines over months. Didn’t you notice me in the several voicemails.” her eyes brimmed as she spoke slowly and softly.

“I was that fleeting thought that would have passed as you busily worked on your submission. Didn’t you see me Rohan? I was trying to share a smile when you commuted after work to go to an important dinner. I waived at you over an occupied Saturday movie and a Sunday photography session. I was that struggle that got tossed between work and hobby. Colleagues and friends. I was that time between a work week and a deserved unwind. I was right there just out of your sight.” she spoke without a tinge of sarcasm.

“Oh is it?” her pain barely reached him, “So where was I Ananya?”

“You jaan?” Ananya swallowed a lump and spoke.

“You were the page I turned as I read a book. You were the blanket I cuddled on cold mornings alone in bed. You were the half filled tea cup I spoke to for hours sharing my petty gossips. You were the smile that faded when I heard our favourite song. You were the phone call that I never missed to make during lunch. You were there in my questions, in my feelings and in every emotion.”

The rage, the anger melted in seconds. That was Rohan’s heart. A silent tear rushed passed Rohan’s warm cheek as he took small steps towards his first love.

“Ani, I am sorry. Can we not work on this.” he gently held Ananya.

“Rohan.” she placed her palm on his rough beard. “We haven’t lost it all. I am still Ani for you.”

She could bear any storm but not a tear in his eyes. He embraced her in his arms as she rose to her toes giving it all once again. May be the times had changed but the solace the hug brought hadn’t.

“Miss you Rohan” She hugged tighter digging her face in his chest.

October 23, 2016

The Wait – FRIDAY FICTIONEERS (100 words)

The Saturday market where locals came to sell goods had become my interest in this new lonely city.

My eyes fell on a dilapidated stall among the buzzing stalls selling jams, olives, cheese

“Whats the price of this bronze medal?” intrigued I asked the old lady.

Picking up the medal among various inconsequential things her trembling voice said, “These aren’t for sale child, I am waiting for my love who has gone to fight the World War, they say it will be over soon, he would recognise these and come back to me.”

Choked with emotion I silently walked away.

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This story is a response to the Challenge posted on Friday Fictioneers, which is a weekly blog link-up led by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields at Addicted to Purple. A story inspired by the photo prompt, a beginning, middle and end in just 100 words or below, making every word count.

PHOTO PROMPT © Claire Fuller

October 16, 2016

The Meeting – Fiction (Concluding part)

To read part one click here

This was by far the slowest weekend I had ever lived and my mind was racing like a sprinter. I wanted to fast forward button in my life right now, I was seeing her everywhere walking by a beach with me, hand in hand barefoot or picking her up from a street like a jumper and standing on the city’s watch tower feeling the cool zephyr overlooking the city. And then the very next thought would be what if she just looked at me turned and walked away or slapped me how was I to react then.

“Damn!” I said to myself.

Sunday I decided to finish all the work that I had been lazily postponing to kill time. Evening would have been worse so I left with Vikram and Karan for two movies back to back. I reached home at 2.00 am and then tossed in bed for long. When I got up I saw it was bright, the watch peeped 10.30 a.m. on me, the time was not far I smiled to myself.

I had rehearsed it several times but just to recollect again, 3.30 the Object Oriented Programming class would get over, another 15 mins I would be with Prof Gupta to submit the Basic Electronics assignment, walking to commerce wing would be 10 min and I would be well in time to meet her.

I looked for Prof. in the staff room he wasn’t there. Leaving the assignment wouldn’t make sense as I was to sign the submission sheet. 3.45 I sat there breaking my knuckles when he suddenly appeared from the rest room, “Sir, this is my assignment where do I sign, I need to go” I managed to speak in one breath.

“Hmmm.” Gupta adjusted his glasses and took forever to find the submission sheet. I quickly signed and sprinted looking at my watch 3.55.

Hopping on the stairs skipping two each I banged into a guy who was running down, my laptop bag fell with sheets of other submission and stationary. He too injured himself as his bag was heavier and spilled things too. I gathered all and scurried upstairs, I turned suddenly recollecting something but then preferred to meet her as priority.

I saw Kiran at the corridor, she never misses a chance to make money.

“hey” I waved to her.

“Boss can’t happen today.” her face dropped.

“Why” it was too much to contain myself.

“She has gone to the dean’s office sobbing, come back next week” Kiran busied herself on phone.

Have you ever ran a race where you were in the lead and then in the last stretch someone just overtook you? It exactly felt like that. I was somewhat ready with Ananya being sad but not meeting her was not something I had thought of in the many scenarios I had sewn.

I started walking back in baby steps to hostel. I saw her sitting on the stairs, I recognised her from her hair from the back. She was eating that looked like a homemade sandwich from a small box on her lap. I settled myselft next to her.

“Hey” I tried to talk.

She continued eating when I saw a tear drop fall I placed my palm to catch it and she looked at me.

“ Ananya, I am Rohan.” I gave my ever pleasing smile.

She looked down and continued eating.

“You are so much like me, I too eat a lot esplly when I am sad.” she looked at me instantly questioning how did I know.

“Ok I know, but can I release this tear in my palm to never return back?” I tried to smile opening my palm as she nodded lightly smiling.

She looked beautiful when she cried, I know that would be mean to say but she did.

“ I am Ananya.” She spoke forwarding her hand. “ Happy to meet you Rohan.”

The universe stopped the moment she spoke my name, the earth stopped moving in it’s axis, the Moon shone bright and Sun even brighter, the stars smiled and everything around just frozen in that nano second.

“I think I gave you my shayri for the vote.” everything again set to motion.

“yes you did” puzzled I questioned “was that for a competition?”

“yes, my roll number and division was thus written.” she continued ÿou didn’t vote, anyway I lost.” she pouted her lower lip. In that moment she looked sweeter.

“My bad, I didn’t understand it.” I wanted to talk more but there was silence.

“Why were you in tears Ananya?” that was definitely the right time to prod.

“Oh that!” she spoked in a soft tone “I lost my wallet”

“Damn….When, where” I built up quizzing her.

“Well I thought I left it in the hostel when I was at college on Friday then when I went to the room it wasn’t there, I thought I left it here in the college locker, waited for Sunday to pass and then checked today, it isn’t here. I think it would have got stollen on Thursday itself.”

I looked at her deep, lost in her voice than her story.

“Wallet….What did it look like Ananya? Was it brown small, leather with crocodile print?”

“y….how do you know?” She stood up tall looking down at me.

I pulled the wallet from my laptop bag, this?”I handed it to her.

“oh yeah…”she jumped in joy almost hugging the wallet, quickly opened it and checked something yayiiiii she jumped again and then realised what had happened.

“How did you get it, did you flick it from my bag when I gave you that paper?” she spoke bitterly.

“Sit first, if you remember you weren’t carrying your bag that day. Just sometime back I bumped into someone while coming here and everything from both our bags fell off. I think while gathering stuff I realised I picked up a wallet and then what surprised me was that it was a ladies wallet with him. When you spoke of it, I knew I had the right one.” I explained.

“Well thanks I believe you, I got my wallet and it had my Ma and sis’s picture so it is very precious. Thank you Rohan.” She lightly hugged as I got up too.

“So where is my treat for returning such preciousness back?” I chuckled seeing her break into a smile.

“Chai at the roadside stall?” she suggested.

“Sure, I picked my bag and walked along.” patting myself for the accomplishment.

Kiran in the few introductory sentences that she spoke about Ananya made sure that she wouldn’t talk to me just like that. I had to put my charm to test and it surely got proven as this pretty girl is taking your’s truly for a chai treat that too happily. Now when, where and how I managed to get the wallet back to her, I leave to your intelligence was Kiran my accomplice or the guy I bumped into, may be I flicked it myself. All is fair for a chai treat from Ananya especially when Rohan doesn’t drink tea :).

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Sometimes long fiction just makes my world beautiful 🙂

October 11, 2016

The meeting – Fiction part 1

Vikram, Karan and I had become friends on the very first day of college as we stood in the queue registering for a badge, we clicked instantly. Vikram looked a complete nerd and there wasn’t a thing Karan would not pass a joke on, and his jokes were not just hilarious but meaningful too. I don’t know what I was doing between them, neither was I studious nor crazy hilarious. I was just a normal guy who knew was charming but hadn’t thought of testing it.

I realised the need when I first saw her. Yes, that Friday when I kissed the head of this almost going bald guy next to me to have dragged me in the room where she was. These cultural activities made no sense to me when I could experiment my code in the computer lab. I always wondered what would the students be taught in a commerce or an arts stream? But that day was different, I as always was hastily running adjusting my laptop bag when I saw Prof. Shyamsundar walking towards me, there was a wild rumour that he would catch hold of students and give them random assignments that were tiresome and made no sense and I didn’t want to fall prey to this tittle-tattle. I dodged behind the guy with a shiny head and he suddenly turned left into a room, to avoid direct confrontation I turned too and that was it.

I stood behind the door for prof to pass when I heard her the first time, her voice was feminine but not shrill or thin. I tried to turn and get a glimpse but there was silence, I took a step towards the door and she spoke again. My intrigue grew and I turned to see her face, a small group surrounded the chair on which she was standing.

She spoke again, it sounded like she was reciting something, after hanging on her words a bit more yes it was a poetry in Urdu. Poetry isn’t my thing and Urdu well let’s leave it at that. But I had to see the face, I made my way through the group and there she was.

Sheets of paper in her hand, her face beamed with the love for what she was reciting. She wore a beautiful white chudidar with a red duppatta that kept dropping off her shoulder and she gracefully placed it again on her shoulder. Her silver earrings kept kissing her tender neck as she spoke. a bunch of silver bangles clung giving perfect rhyme to her words, I noticed her big black kohled eyes that conveyed more than her words. I gazed at her full lips as they lay over each other every time she paused. I was transfixed in that moment as her words echoed,

“Do you want these?” it echoed again

“hey”she moved her hand in front of my eyes and smiled “do you want the copies?”

I took them as she smilingly handed them to all others around, I turned picked my laptop bag in one hand and stormed out.

I had read that paper she handed me a zillion times by evening, sometimes sitting on my hostel room floor or the parapet of the balcony, on the toilet seat and lying on the bed.

Shayri Exchange it titled.

ज़िन्दगी की किताब से इक पन्ना छूट सा रहा है

मुक़द्दर फिर से कुछ रूठ सा रहा है

पलों को क़ैद कर रिश्तों को रुखसत किये जाते रहे

तक़दीर कभी हमें हम तक़दीर को आज़माते रहे

– Ananya , 2nd year B.Comm, Roll No. 135

That made no sense to me but that paper was invaluable, it had her name on it and the name was beautiful, I don’t remember the number of times I would have said it to myself. I slept thinking about fictional scenarios of our meeting, my first words to her and thinking if she would like my name as much as I did, how would it be to hear Rohan in her mesmerising voice. I started building fiction stories in my mind!

The next morning I was more energetic than ever, I wanted to reach college and meet Ananya, I wanted to know more about her, listen to her and put my charm to test. It was then that I realised my roommate was quizzically looking at my grinning face.

Dressing up was not that difficult, I paired an Ed Hardy black tee, put on a white shirt and denim, a quick look at myself in the mirror, tall, dark and handsome….do girls seriously believe in this shit, swiftly I adjusted my spikes picked my laptop back and rushed to college.

Where do I start, I cursed myself for not having friends in other streams. In my random obliviousness I somehow remembered Vikram having a huge crush on this 2 year B.Comm girl who he had spotted in the library. I rushed to the library and there he was sitting in an angle where he could eye her.

“Can you ask that girl about Ananya?” I blasted panting.

“Shhh” he looked at me.

Why don’t people understand the emergency? I calmed myself

“Hey Vikram, ask your chick if she knows a girl named Ananya?”

“Who do I ask, damn I have never spoken to her. We are still in the first step, talking through eyes, I just know her name.”

I left, this nerd can’t be of any help. Just outside the library I bumped into Kiran, “Hey dude watchout….the shatabdi is at 13.25.”

Kiran, she was the sunrays I was looking for, 5.10, well built with a squeaky voice she was always found among guys giving them advice from love, how to date to what to wear…..famously known as love guru.

“K..kk…kk…Kiran.”I blurted…as she gave me a nasty smile..

“No.that wasn’t deliberate. Ananya.”I paused

“2nd year B.com, roll no. 135 stays alone here in Indore, parents in Mumbai, classy sassy, quite popular among you species ”she looked at me top to bottom paused…”don’t even try”

I raised my eyebrows, I hadn’t heard any of what she said, all I knew was she knew her.

“Please Kiran get me her number !!”

“ok 250 bucks”

“and an intro?”

“500 plus a month of canteen bill!”

“done!”

“Monday, commerce wing, 2nd floor corridor, 4 pm.”

Meeting Ananya wasn’t far at all!

to be continued…..

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Gone are the days of long fiction but the love for it always stays 🙂 Happy Dusshera 🙂

July 11, 2016

The Perfect Date – A fiction

Tuxedo? na! A double breasted suit would be perfect…so would that be just a casual jacket and denim. Rohan was never the one to make decisions in a go he would always be ambivalent of things when it came to Ani. It had been three years together but still he did all to impress her.

While Ananya was meticulous it wasn’t so difficult to impress her. She would see him smile and just say you look amazing Rohan and build heart felt praises till he blushed.

Rohan had taken Ani for many dates but this was the first time she had popped the question while walking hand in hand at Marine Drive on Saturday.

“Rohan…” she always paused after taking his name

“ÿeah Ani” he responded casually walking

“I wanted to ask you out on a date?” she was already blushing

Rohan stopped in his tracks turned and looked at her and beamed, paused and walked after a minute of no exchange of words he turned again and smile, “Would love to!”

Rohan scrolled his WhatsApp and checked the date and venue, Tuesday, Albert hall, 20.00. His addled brain was trying to guess, preempt on what it could be at a hall that big. He set his hair one more time, breathed on his palm to check his breath and left for Albert Hall.

Just as he parked his car another message pinged, the first hall on the right corner, 1st floor sealed with a kiss emocon. The venue was a tall medieval kind of a building with a huge entrance which opened in a big hall with a very broad staircase in the centre. He hurried to the said hall on the right first floor. It was dark as his footsteps echoed in the room. He walked to the centre of the huge hall but no sign of Ananya. He looked around as the sunset beam of summer lightly lit the room through the glass windows.The huge golden drapes fell silkily down the windows and the panelled walls shimmered in gold tapestry. He was mesmerised looking around when he hit a spotlight right in front of him.

Ananya stood there in a sensuous flowing white chiffon see through dress looking seductively at him. The corset dress had a plunging neckline showing her cleavage that had his heart thumping. Her hair left lose set shiny brown in the spotlight as her grace needed no other accessory. He absorbed her in a moment admiring her elegance. She walked on her toes as the spot light followed her and stopped just a heartbeat away from Rohan.

He managed a whispered hi under his racing heart as she placed her finger over his lips and smiled. He delicately kissed her finger and breathed deep to her lavender fragrance. She walked back just a step when the music played a romantic song. She flicked her legs getting closer and held his hand to dance. Rohan held her hand and matched her moves. Ananya’s hip swung as he lightly lifted her and she rolled under his hand hugging him from behind and swinging to the groove. Her eyes kissed him and hands caressed as she danced with him sensuously on salsa moves. Romance was personified and love twisted on the crisp turns as he held her curves every time they moved. Lost in each other she was luscious and nubile to him and he alluring and desirable.

They danced forgetting the world in each others arms till he held her close and placed her on the piano. She looked at him ravenously her back straight as his hand lazily moved on her bare back. Ananya exhaled on Rohan’s lips holding his face close and he thumb on his cheek and finger brushing his neck. She teased him gently stroking his lips barely kissing them. He closed his eyes when she moaned feeling his hands tighten around and her lips parted. He took over and gently tilted his face to kiss her. The kissed completing each other, they kissed baring it all and they kissed embracing the imperfections to make them one.They made a beautiful “US” and fitted perfectly.

The evening passed over a quiet dinner telling each other the little things they loved in their perfect world. Rohan loved her woman to sweep him off his feat and Ananya was the real woman who needed no weapons she was armoured enough to know what her man wanted and possessed his keys.

August 24, 2015

Take Me Now! – Wild Seduction

Rohan rang the doorbell twice with no answer. He stood there shifting his weight from one foot to another for five minutes thinking of the heated argument over a silly issue he had with Ananya in the morning. He placed his heavy laptop bag down and got the key to open the door.

The dark teak wood door opened in a lavish living room, a gush of cool but humid breeze brushed his face. The wind chime danced to the tune of the zephyr as it made its way through the full length sliding window. The room was dark, lights off and aromatic lavender candle burnt in a remote corner.

He walked to the window and stood there watching the dark clouds over distance sea from his 24^th floor penthouse. A light sound of an anklet tingling caught his attention to the single couch on another corner. He turned.

In the dim candle light her smooth skin radiated to the contrast of the black satin gown, the faint figure in the dwindling light appeared her to be sprawling seductively across the couch. His eyes moved from her inviting face to her voluptuous figure, the satin slip creasing exactly at the right curves. He moved forward with the sound of her anklets as she playfully moved her feet.

“What’s the plan?” he softly whispered lowering his face to hers.

“To apologize…to say sorry” smiling playfully she turned lying on her stomach.

Rohan dragged the pads of his fingers from the butt to the back of her thighs over to her calves and stopped the tingling of the anklets as he kissed her toes.

“Ah that tickles” she turns to sit facing him.

“So who’s saying sorry today?” he asks holding her close to his lips.

“You….” Ananya alluringly moves her tongue across his neck.

He unties her hair as she wraps the same scarf around his wrists. Rohan seems so beguiling his body warm and tasting sultry.

Holding his neck gently she climbs to sit across him and settles on his thighs. Passion unleashes when the lips greedily devour as Ananya starts to move. The craving deepens with Ananya’s every ride. Her palms settle on his masculine chest as she parts from his lips to move steadily to his broad shoulders.

Rohan unable to contain the temptation struggles to pull his hands off the scarf. In the next moment he embraces her encapsulating her under him to drop lightly on the floor his fingertips feeling her tattoo.

“Take me now!” she whispers biting his earlobe. The Victoria’s Secret thong with the satin slip are swung and thrown in a jiffy. Raw passion and endless love alternate as he fills her repeatedly with all the love he has. It lasts long before they consummate the light tiff with mutual affection as the drizzle from the falling rain lightly fall on them.

He seals the night with a gentle kiss repeating the question, “So, who’s saying sorry?”

“What sorry?” she sees him smile as the candle burns its end to the final flame.

June 16, 2015

My Quotes – 3 Day quote challenge – Day 1

I have been nominated by my blogger friend Dipanwita Chakraborty for a 3 day quote challenge. While I would have loved to share some beautiful quotes that have stayed with me which I read of other authors, I would like to share something from my upcoming novel, hope you like it 🙂

The rules are simple.

Post a favorite quote of yours for 3 consecutive days, obviously a different quote each day from any book, any author of your choice. It could also be your own quote.
Nominate 3 bloggers with each post to challenge them.
Thank the person who nominated you.

My Nominations for day 1 are:

Purba Chakraborty

Ravish Mani

Cifar Shayar

April 14, 2015

A-Z Challenge – L – Love, Longing

I know the theme is 5 sentence fiction and EmoIntel but when the letter L came and the emotion was Love there was no intelligence to it, I knew no other definition of Love but to give, to surrender all to Love. It was never to acquire or own, if things work give love, if there are differences then give more love, if two souls are purely in love with no vested interests or conditions giving surely works. Call me primitive but I need no space of my own in love, suffocate me and let me belong….dedicated to all those who have felt truly in love or loved even once in life.

Am expecting a pure as a melody post from Shashank on the same emotion, click here to read his form.