My latest book BURNING HEARTS is now available at a reduced price for readers on Amazon Kindle.
The initial price of Rs.199 has been reduced to Rs.99. Grab your copy at the earliest. Don’t forget to leave your valuable reviews and ratings on Amazon and Goodreads.
Hello friends, if you want a taste of my book BURNING HEARTS, to see if it piques your interest before you buy a copy, here I’m offering you the prologue and first chapter of the story. Do read and if the plot and characters catch your fancy, you know where to find the book to read.
Paperback on Notionpress, Amazon, Flipkart
PROLOGUE
Canada, 2022
“I know it’s too late. But still…”
Though she remained quiet, her eyes locked with his.
“I’m sorry.”
“CUT.” For a moment Pranav and Pallavi couldn’t connect with their surroundings but in a flip second, they did.
“Are the visuals okay?” Jasmine came towards the screen before Viren to check the visuals.
“Beyond perfect since you are handling the camera,” he winked at her.
Jasmine ignored his obvious flirting. Pallavi smiled at them and strode towards her vanity van whereas Pranav hesitated for a moment before walking into his.
Hotel Trident, Suite: 568
Pallavi walked inside her room and locked the door. She closed her eyes leaning on the door for a minute. Images from the past flashed across her mind. When she opened her eyes, it was blank. She stood there for a moment before walking in for a shower. Much later, sitting in the balcony watching night settle over the city, she dialled a number. As soon as the line connected, her face lit up with a smile hearing the voice at the other end. She whispered into the phone, “I miss you.”
Hotel Trident, Suite: 571
Pranav barged into the room slamming the door behind. Though he expected things to be hard, he never counted it to be this torturous. There was no one to blame because it was all his doings. Suddenly his mobile started to ring. The caller ID read ‘Janaki.’
“Hello.”
“Good evening, Pranav. Hope I am not disturbing.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“How is the shoot going?”
“Good.”
{Silence}
“Pavan asked for you.”
“I will call him after a shower.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.” He disconnected the call and moved towards the balcony to open the curtains. The sky wrapped in a dark robe, and the city adorned with lights posed for his view. Slowly, he let the memories engulf him.
CHAPTER-1
2010: Munnar
Veer Nanda was lost in thoughts.
My elder daughter, Nisha never gave me a headache over academic choices, but my younger one is a champion in that matter. Pallavi, who is turning eighteen in a month, stood firm in her decision to pursue acting and in her ambition to become an actress.
Though I appreciate my daughter’s talent and passion, I’m not entirely pleased with her choice to make it a career. My wife is angry with me for giving in to Pallavi’s decision but how can I not when my sunshine turned her trusting eyes onto me, silently pleading to give her the freedom to do something she believed in? I can’t let my daughter down; all my life I’ve taught them to stand up and fight for what they believed in. I just hope my daughters find the right path always and make the right choices, and learn from their faltered steps.
Pallavi Nanda was the most beloved member of her family. Cinema was her biggest obsession since childhood and somehow even before she knew it, being an actress became the biggest desire of her life. She daydreamed of herself as a warrior queen fighting her enemy on battlefields, dancing alluringly to hit music, emoting to intense scenes which would move the audience to tears; she’s a dreamer and goner. She’s someone who would mimic and dance around the house to appease her angry mother when she got up late or irritated her sister lost in medical books by engaging in dialoguebaazi like a full-throated drama queen.
Pallavi was a die-hard fan of Pranav Malhotra and found his journey to becoming an actor as her inspiration. He commanded the film industry and ruled Pallavi’s heart too; typical teenage celeb-crush. Her teenage mind saw the world with rose-tinted glasses but real life and its harsh side were soon going to beckon her.
As usual, Pallavi was going to surf the entertainment section of the newspaper to learn the new gossips in tinsel town when the bold headline on the front page stopped her heart.
PRANAV MALHOTRA, NO MORE A BACHELOR!!!!
Mumbai: Pranav Malhotra, the Raging Star of the cine world, the heart-throb, the most sought-after bachelor, broke many hearts yesterday night. He got married to Janaki Kashyap, the new CEO of Kashyap Industries, yesterday in a strictly private function held at his residence. There were very few members from the film field and the media was not allowed. This sudden unannounced marriage has come as a surprise to many and news for heart break for his female fans. Anyways, we wish Mr. & Mrs. Malhotra a Happy Married Life!!!
Just like many teenage fan girls, she mourned the news for a few days until her admission at Pune Institute got her going. She concentrated on her dream and worked hard for it. In a guest lecture session, she met Jasmine Elvis, a well-acclaimed Cinematographer. Jasmine was a strong-willed lady who made an identity for herself in the film industry with sheer hard work and passion. She was known for her tough nut image within the industry since she climbed the ladders of success at a young age. Her interactive sessions excited Pallavi.
Jasmine noticed the fire in Pallavi Nanda and became the much-needed morale booster she needed in this field. Though their ideologies were different about most things and they belonged to two different decades by age, their passion for cinema made them bond well. It was Jasmine who recommended Pallavi for her first break in films.
December 2011, Mumbai
Suraj Gupta, the renowned Film Director, had a project in mind for a long time. Since he couldn’t find his heroine in any existing actresses or new faces he auditioned over the years, he had the project on the backburner. However, when Jasmine handed over Pallavi’s portfolio, he knew he had found his lead actress.
When Pallavi opened the door, Jasmine took her in a bear hug. It had been three months since Pallavi came to Mumbai, after completing her studies and stayed with Jasmine. Pallavi was juggling between giving auditions and doing some random modelling and ad jigs to sustain like many other movie aspirants.
“Whoa, what’s up?”
“Catch this. Actually, you should be giving the treat, but it doesn’t matter.”
“But for what?”
“Your final audition.”
“What?”
“I am just coming from Suraj Gupta’s studio. He loved your portfolio. Want a screen test tomorrow itself. He was waiting for the right heroine to do Bepanaah; a script which he wrote himself. It’s a great story.”
Pallavi was too stunned to say anything. Jasmine grinned.
“I know how it feels. Can’t believe it right?”“Yes, I can’t believe this. It’s huge. Suraj sir….oh my God! Even to be considered by him is a great thing. Even if I don’t pass in the audition, no big deal.”
“Think positive. You will rock it. And yes, to be launched by Suraj sir is luck! And now before you fly high, you have one more reason to be happy.”
“What?”
“There is a chance that Pranav Malhotra might be the male lead of the film. He is Suraj sir’s favourite and seems like he has been fixed for the role for a long time.” Pallavi gasped.
“Yes, I can’t believe this. It’s huge. Suraj sir….oh my God! Even to be considered by him is a great thing. Even if I don’t pass in the audition, no big deal.”
“Think positive. You will rock it. And yes, to be launched by Suraj sir is luck! And now before you fly high, you have one more reason to be happy.”
“What?”
“There is a chance that Pranav Malhotra might be the male lead of the film. He is Suraj sir’s favourite and seems like he has been fixed for the role for a long time.” Pallavi gasped.
My first film paired opposite my favourite actor, and a launch under such an acclaimed director…dreams does come true.
Pranav and Pallavi met for the first time at a cemetery. Read BURNING HEARTS to learn their story.
Available on Amazon Kindle, free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Those who love the feel of a physical book, you can check out Notionpress, Amazon and Flipkart for paperback copies of BURNING HEARTS.
Check out the reel below:
My latest book BURNING HEARTS is now available at a reduced price for readers on Amazon Kindle.
The original price of Rs.199 has been reduced to Rs.149. A big treat for Indian readers. And not to leave behind global readers, book has been set at the lowest price range of $2.99.
Don’t forget to grab your copy at the earliest.
Hello friends, here is the first sneak peek to my latest novel Burning Hearts. The book is available on Amazon Kindle and as paperback via Notionpress, Amazon & Flipkart.
SNEAK PEEK:
“I know it’s too late. But still…”
Though she remained quiet, her eyes locked with his.
“I’m sorry.”
“CUT.”
For a moment Pranav and Pallavi couldn’t connect with their surroundings but in a flip second, they did.
“Are the visuals okay?” Jasmine came towards the screen before Viren to check the visuals.
“Beyond perfect since you are handling the camera,” he winked at her.
Jasmine ignored his obvious flirting. Pallavi smiled at themand strode towards her vanity van whereas Pranav hesitated for a moment before walking into his.
Vishal Baradwaj once said Deepika Padukone is a combination of superstar and good actor. He described it as a rare combination that a performer is a superstar and at the same time has great acting abilities. As a superstar, Deepika can reach a larger audience and the characters she play have more visibility and discourses around it. And as an actor, Deepika is a master of her craft enabling her to translate the heart, mind and soul of her characters. They breathe beyond the screen & sometimes even more than they do on the paper. And that is exactly why Deepika portraying the unconventional women, the ones who ditch the boxes they are pushed into, are revolutionary.
Deepika Padukone and Shakun Batra in a recent interview said that they’ve often seen ambitious women being portrayed with a negative connotation on celluloid and they wanted to change that perception with Alisha of Gehraiyaan. But honestly, Deepika Padukone has been doing that right from her second film. Even before she peaked as an actor she has been making choices where her roles charter into the uncomfortable territories. She has portrayed ambitious women with clarity and given them voice in mainstream cinema. Deepika easily transitioned the words dream and passion with ambition and drive onscreen.
In her second film, Bachna Ae Haseeno, she essayed Gayatri Jhakar, a hardcore independent woman who believes in earning her bread and living life to the fullest. She defies the norm of wanting a married life with happily-ever-after and considers it a distraction in her well planned life. While the film ultimately takes the detour to proper bollywood happy ending, diluting the character, Deepika’s choice of voicing Gayatri’s ambition in her second film is interesting.
The next time she donned the cape of an ambitious woman was in Lafangey Parindey as Pinky Palkar. Pinky, coming from the slums in Mumbai, is desperate to channel her future in a different direction. Pinky can only be described with ambition. She has the drive and works hard towards her goal. Even when struck by a tragedy, she gets ready to go back to her ambition. The film brings a knight in shining armour to help her but we are not seeing a woman wallowing in self pity who has to be ‘awakened’ again. She needs agency and she takes it when she gets it. It is one of the best female characters to come from Bollywood and Deepika who was sharpening her talent then is able to do justice to the fire in Pinky.
In the same year she did Aaliya Khan, another ambitious woman. Her intro scene begins with a bride advising a smoking Aaliya that it is injurious to women’s health. Aaliya retorts by saying she thought it was injurious to all. That one dialogue sets the tone for her character. Aaliya is unapologetically herself encouraging the people around her and beyond the screen to see her as an annoying and rigidly ambitous girl who would value her goals over relationships. A tough trope for a mainstream bollywood actress to play in a romcom. The film sees her being selfish for herself, choosing her happiness, breaking away from the relationships that stifles her. She is unreasonable at times but has it in her to rectify her decisions and apologize for taking her loved ones for granted. But she never lets go of her goals. She learns to embrace it along with the relationships in her life. A very empowering woman character and her shades come through in Deepika Padukone’s safe hands.
Two years later, came the turning point in Deepika Padukone’s career, and it was again with a flawed character who had the label of alcoholic party animal with a selfish streak to her. But Deepika who had found her tuning with her craft by then, portrayed Veronica of Cocktail with her layers of selfishness and selflessness, making Veronica one of the most endearing characters of her career. The narrative or Deepika doesn’t hide Veronica’s weaknesses and flaws. But they also convey the goodness in her, taking the character’s perception from black and white to an acceptable realm. Veronica hits the right notes with audience more than the stereotypical vanillaic Meera, and that was a major win.
In 2013, with Leela in Ramleela, she pushes the boundaries of her character once again. A woman who is clear about not wanting to rot in the ancestory of vengeance, seeks out her love & escape. She walks away with a man who killed her brother and while he is still torn over the decision, Leela is making plans for her wedding and future. The narrative could have painted Leela as a sick in love, impractical character but Deepika portrays Leela with clarity. She is today’s woman seeking out what she wants and is willing to fight for it and not care about the names she is labelled with.
In 2015, Deepika Padukone christened herself as her character Piku, in the minds of audience. Shoojit Sircar was rewriting the sugar coated bond between a parent and child with the film Piku. Piku takes care of her father diligently, most often putting his needs and desires above having her own life. But she is not the stereotypical docile loving daughter we are used to. Piku never hides her irritation, never hesitates to yell at her dad, she becomes his parent/caregiver and makes sure that it is loud and clear that this isn’t easy on her. Deepika’s co-star in the film Irrfaan Khan said in an interview, that Piku as a character was as irritable as her eccentric father on the paper. But Deepika Padukone played Piku with a depth that we see the concern behind her yelling, the care behind her actions, her love behind her exhuasting equation with her father. Piku resonated with audience in a way that the real life Pikus in our society felt seen beyond their anger tantrums.
In the same year, she played Mastani in Bajirao Mastani, who like Leela seeks out the love and life she desires. Inspired from a real life legend, Deepika portays Mastani with dignity and presented her with an authoritative agency. Even while caught in a sea of hate, Mastani is unshaken. She accepts her situations and never takes an insult lying down. She lives the life she wants unapologetically and doesn’t get bowed down by the challenges that come her way. While the centuries and situations might be different her spirit and attitude is something that resonates with today’s woman.
Five years later, she became Malti of Chhapaak onscreen. Using her stardom she highlighted a social issue, bringing it into dinner table conversations. She played the role of an acid attack survivor, inspired from the life of Laxmi Aggarwal and went through the beats of Malti’s life with dignity and strength. The narrative goes beyond the agony and trauma of Malti and focuses on resurrection of her life back to normal and her fight for a better tomorrow. It is a story about triumph and with ease Deepika as Malti made audience uncomfortable.
Going beyond the screen, as one of the producers of the film, Deepika conducted social experiments offscreen where she walked the streets in Malti’s avtar and gauged the eyeballs that come in the way of an acid attack survivor, effectively holding a mirror to the society. With an expert team, they tried to see how easily acid is bought and sold in the country conveying the gravity of the situation. With her reach she took the issue to a larger context and minor changes showed soon after the release when acid attack survivors said they felt a change in the acceptance from society. This role actually underlines Vishal Baradwaj’s statement.
This year, with Alisha Khanna from Gehraiyaan, Deepika has again proved she is not going to go by the rulebooks. She essays Alisha who commits adultery and is dealing with mental health issues owing to childhood trauma. By etching out the layers of Alisha she impacts the audience and once again gives rise to discourse around her character. She goes against the mainstream heroine expectations when Alisha sleeps with her cousin’s fiancee, discusses abortion with a practical head, enlivens panic attacks. She is again an ambitious woman who wants to rewrite her life from what that was of her mother’s and goes about it ruthlessly. She takes the plunge and faces consequences but as director Shakun Batra wanted, Alisha like other characters in the film is able to gain acceptance and understanding as a grey character. There are no justifications, no crutches to soften the edges. Alisha is a painfully honest portrayal and seeks acceptance for the way she is.
Coming to the conclusion, I would like to make it clear that this post is not made because I am a fan of this artist. I would be writing this piece for any actor who would play these roles with the same panache. It has more to do with my relief at being seen, represented in the language of cinema. Over the years and across languages I’ve seen characters that resonate with me being portrayed by credible actors. But often the narrative or the execution tends to highlight the grey in those characters without giving them a voice to be real and acceptable. Deepika Padukone as an actor has been that authentic voice I have been seeking on celluloid, that resembles and resonates with me. With her, even when the narrative tends to take the opposite direction she plays her characters with an intelligence and genuinity that they exist beyond their flaws. I am eagerly waiting to see what unveils with the remake of The Intern; hopefully the pressures of motherhood on working mothers is addressed and Deepika adds one more role to her filmography that speaks the unconventional language.
Happy Valentine’s day friends. This year on the day of love, I welcome you guys to my fiction world. I’ve made a reel on my books. Scroll through them and see if you find your type of love story & ideal boyfriend/girlfriend 🤗
Special offers going on as Valentine’s special.
Like I promised in the end of Kindle version of BURNING HEARTS, here is the alternate ending to it. I have to warn you, this isn’t your happily-ever-after kinda ending. If you are up for a more raw deal, read ahead.
Burning Hearts: Alternate Ending
I still can’t believe at times that we are together. All those years ago it seemed impossible; as if we were destined to walk separately and we did go a little distance without each other. But destiny brought us back together; I hope it remains intact till the end of our lives.
But life is never constant.
Next day Pallavi woke up and went down to make coffee for both of them. She took a vessel and placed it on the burner. After a while Pranav heard her screaming his name and rushed down to check on her. Pallavi was standing in the middle of the kitchen confused and perturbed. The vessel was on the burner and the milk poured out relentlessly.
“Pallavi,” he called out for her attention turning off the gas.
“What happened? Why didn’t you turn off the gas? Didn’t you see the milk spilling?”
“I….I…forgot how to turn it off…”
Pranav stared at her. Pallavi’s face was a picture of helplessness and confusion. This had been happening from some time now. She had been facing some trouble with her memory. She forgot her dialogues in between shoot, put more sugar or salt into dishes she prepared, forget names of people, forget to comb her hair before going out, etc. Initially Pranav didn’t feel anything wrong and attributed it to stress from work. But now things were getting serious; she had angry outbursts when confronted, and at times it made her hysteric. He did not want her to get into hysteria now, so led her out of the kitchen wordlessly.
He was with Pallavi all the time, helping her out and at the same time observing her. She zoned out at times; while she was in the middle of something she suddenly stopped it and moved away not knowing what to do. She was trying hard but he could see it was slowly affecting her. Hence when they returned back home, somehow Pranav convinced her to be examined. She was angry at first, but he assured her that he just wanted her to relax and was doing it to help her. Finally, she conceded.
But what the doctor revealed changed their lives forever. Pallavi was having symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and was diagnosed as in the initial stages of it. Pranav requested the doctor to keep her in the dark about this since he knew she won’t be able to handle this information. Considering her well being, to not cause her more stress and restlessness, doctor informed her it was the after-effects of stress and advised her to take maximum rest. Pranav started to take care of Pallavi like never before. He knew physically he may not lose her because of this disease, but he knew he could lose her mind one day. But he did not want to think about it for now. He was focusing on taking care of Pallavi in all ways he could and live maximum moments with her. He continued to do that, until one day Pallavi chanced upon her medical reports accidently.
She could not digest it. The jigsaw puzzle that her life had become was now clear to her. She was in denial first, but soon broke into hysteria. She threw everything that her hand touched and kept screaming. She was angry that Pranav did not tell her, her heart broke realizing she was going to be a liability to all those who loved her; she would forget all who were dear to her and everything that was her world until now, soon. She wanted Pranav to be free of her, free of this gruesome phase of her life, of that huge responsibility.
“You have to leave me and go, Hero. This is over, I said this is over.”
Pallavi was yelling at him while tears ran down her cheeks unchecked.
“I’m not going anywhere, Pallavi, no matter how much you scream or how many things you break.”
He was adamant and his defence mechanism had always been anger. Pallavi’s body hunched in defeat; she sat down slowly amidst the chaos crying.
“Try to understand. This, is going to eat me up slowly…in no time I would forget everything…including you…I don’t want you to stand by and watch my destruction. Leave me, Hero…leave me alone…” she sobbed into her palms.
“Pallavi…you don’t know what you are asking me to do. Just relax; we can talk about this later,” he tried to pick her up in his arms.
She allowed him to do that. He took her to their room and made her sit on the bed; she held his hand and he obliged her by kneeling beside her. She cupped his face.
“You still have a life ahead of you…You have your career waiting for you, your son, your direction dreams. You have many things to achieve yet; more heights to reach. I don’t want to be a burden on you…when you should be out there…achieving success. Don’t waste it all for me…for this life that is…about to end. Go away…live your life, Hero.”
He couldn’t help the crack in his voice though his eyes refused to moisten.
“What are you saying, Pallavi?”
“I have lived a wonderful life with you, Hero. But now…everything has changed…everything and I mean it. If we continue together, I don’t know…maybe…maybe I will hurt you each day…by forgetting everything between us, slowly. So please…please leave me alone to deal with this…..”
“Would you have left me if I was diagnosed with this illness?” She stared at him with wet eyes.
“Would you have gone ahead with your life and career leaving me behind? Would you have left me alone to deal with this phase of my life, when I need you the most?”
“Hero…”
“You will not. I know that. Then why do you think that I would? I might be the most selfish person you have seen in this world and this time too I’m being selfish. I want to be by your side always, in good health and illness. I want to grow old with you by my side and I would do anything to keep you with me. So don’t you ever compete with this selfish man; I’m going to get what I want, always”.
He hugged her fiercely. She continued to cry nonstop.
“What if I forget you one day? What if I don’t recognize you…push you away from me?”
He hugged her more tightly.
“I will come closer, each time you push me away.”
He did not dare to answer her first two questions; because both of them knew that it would happen eventually. All he could do now was hold onto her. They did not talk after that, but stayed in each other’s embrace and cried for the fate that was ahead of them. Life is never constant!
Pranav and Pallavi always had plans for travelling around the world. They took off once their existing professional commitments were done. Before Pallavi lost all threads of her memory they needed this time together; to be away from the whole world and savour beautiful moments before the ultimate sunset. They had put this off for long, for their kids and careers. But now there was nothing more important than this.
Pearl had realized Pranav was not her own father early on and it developed a distance between them. As soon as she touched teenage it got worse. But the present crisis in their lives brought them together as a unit. They became each other’s support system around Pallavi and her illness. Viren, Jasmine, Nisha and Akash stood by them as Pranav and Pallavi navigated their way around this. Pranav dealt with the situation with as much courage and patience he could muster. But Pallavi’s illness was eating into him slowly; Pallavi’s fragile memory helped her in forgetting the scars she left behind but it all became inked into Pranav’s heart affecting him for life. Pearl noticed it clearly. She could see it; anyone could see it looking into his dull eyes, the sudden greying of his hair, the weakness on his face and the loss of gusto in his walk.
Since the time Pavan was aware of Pallavi’s illness, Pavan felt differently about her. He was always neutral about her; he did not hate her, but neither could he adjust to her presence in his life. He could not adapt to it like he could with Ajith in his mother’s life. Maybe because he was too young and unprepared when Pallavi walked into his life. The way his father took care of Pallavi left him shook. He could see what she meant to his father clearly now. Slowly with time, something which was unacceptable to him became acceptable – Pallavi as his father’s wife; as a part of his family.
Pranav bore with her eccentric moods, handled her outbursts with patience and love. When she lost hope against the disease that was engulfing her, he reassured her. He did everything he could to fight their fate. With each day, Pallavi lost a bit of herself and Pranav lived with it. One day when she tried to wear a sari, she couldn’t remember how to drape it; he draped it for her. She was getting worse at handling kitchen. Mid way through preparing food she would forget how to proceed further or she would burn the food or damage the kitchen or simply forget to cook and eat on time. So Pranav slowly convinced her to let go of the reins of kitchen to maids. She would often misplace things, or brush teeth with his toothbrush, or come out after just standing in shower for a while without bathing properly. He had to be there for her, at every step and he did. Naturally their careers and life beyond this situation took backseat. Pallavi was slowly becoming a child, who needed absolute care and he diligently offered his wife that.
Pallavi now lost major share of her memory. Her mind had gone back to her childhood. She no longer recognized Pranav or Pearl. She often asked for her father and mother. Nisha was the only person she still recognized. After Pearl and Pavan left to pursue their careers, Pranav shifted with Pallavi to her hometown in Munnar. Since her memories belonged to that environment, he thought it was best for her.
She did not recognize Pranav but somehow let him take care of her. And that was a huge relief for Pranav. He no longer heard her calling his name, there was no sign of feeling in her eyes when she looked at him, and at times she angrily shouted and screamed at him asking who he was. It hurt him a lot but he coped with it. Their loved ones felt bad for Pranav more than Pallavi. Pallavi at least was unaware of what’s happening to her and still had her blissful moments. But Pranav was bearing it all with a sane mind.
It was their fifteenth wedding anniversary today. Pallavi obviously did not remember the significance of the day. Till last year, she did recognize Pranav and hence could be told about the day. But today Pranav was a stranger to her and there were no memories in her mind. Even if she didn’t remember, Pranav was determined to make this day memorable for them, as usual. He assisted her in bath and got her ready in a red sari and adorned her with all signs of a married woman. He took her to the kitchen but she was adamant about sitting in the garden. He gave in and made her sit on the swing in the garden so that he could watch her through kitchen window while he baked a cake for her. It was their anniversary routine.
Pranav did have an eye on her time to time. When he turned towards the window after placing the batter in the oven, he couldn’t see Pallavi. He rushed out calling her name but got no response in return. He panicked and ran into the house searching every room. Not finding her there he ran out of the house. Since maids were on leave owing to their anniversary there was no one else at home who could have noticed her. He ran down the lane before the house in search of her. He did ask a few people on the road and they did see Pallavi and told him the direction in which she went. He ran down the road and finally found her standing before the crossroad not knowing where to go. He ran towards her and as soon as he reached her, he hugged her. He was trembling with tears.
“Pallavi!!!!!!!!!!!!!…………..Dammit, you scared me!!!!!”
He came out of the hug and cupped her face. At first, she looked at him strangely, and then she slowly smiled and handed over the flowers that were in her hand. It was a special variety of flower found only in Munnar. Unknowingly she fulfilled their anniversary routine where she always gifted him a unique flower variety for his garden. Pranav was shook beyond his core and searched her eyes for any signs of recognition for him. There were none. She neither recognised him nor realized her actions. Her mind which was scattered with her five-year-old self could not have given her this insight; but maybe her heart did. He was deeply touched and couldn’t contain his tears.
Her heart remembers!
“You…you remembered?”
“Huh?”
“You used to gift me unique flowers for my garden on all anniversaries.”
She looked confused for a moment before shifting her focus beyond him onto something on the road. He smiled through the tears not affected by her dismissal.
“I guess, I’m still there somewhere inside you.”
His heart burst out with joy. He hugged her close to him showering butterfly kisses everywhere. It was indeed the happiest moment of his life, in years. Though Pallavi lost her mind to Alzheimer’s, she probably had a moment of clarity and in that moment, she remembered Pranav, her love. This one incident would keep him going, would keep them going. Regardless of the tragedies that befall, a love like that can only have a beautiful ending.
Hello friends,
I’m excited to share that my third book BURNING HEARTS is now available on Amazon Kindle for ebook readers and as paperback on Notionpress and Amazon.
This feels surreal. Starting off with no clue to releasing my third book, this has been quite a journey.
BLURB:
“Falling in love is easy; walking away from it, hard” – Pallavi
“A part of me comes alive with you, only with you” – Pranav
“To know you are not loved is more painful than being alone” – Janaki
“Sometimes love brings about our selfish side” – Pranav, Pallavi & Janaki
Burning Hearts is a realistic take on a passionate love triangle that deals with an extramarital affair. The characters are the often judged other woman, the man responsible for the mess and the wife who pays the price.
Malayalam cinema aka Mollywood saw the rise of Minnal Murali last month. Indian cinema got its first male superhero film. But this post is dedicated to the female superhero of malayalam cinema, who showed her extraordinary powers, five years back. Yes, I am talking about HER. The survivor of Kerala actress assault case.
Imagine leaving your workplace in a car at night; being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, filmed and threatened. What would you do if this happened to you? Fear would be the emotion that control us in such a situation; even more than the pain and humiliation. Fear of facing the next day, fear of facing the world, fear of what this experience would lead us to.
Most of us would not have it in us to face people, not even our loved ones. Majority of us wouldn’t even dare to file an FIR against the crime done to us. But the woman I’m referring to or celebrating in this post, faced the worst experience, obviously had fear and pain reigning her thought process. Yet she showed the courage to take the legal route within 24 hours.
Despite being in an emotionally precarious state and vulnerable to the core she went through the norms of the procedure. Some survivors may not be even open to the touch of their loved ones in such a state. It is not easy; you need to be in a survivor’s shoes to understand the amount of courage and willpower needed.
Her case stands out in the MeToo movement of India. Why? Because she has ticked all the boxes of the ‘things to be done’ by a survivor once the assault happens – as per the naysayers of the movement. When a woman opens up about what happened to her years back, they are up in arms to tell her how she should’ve done this, should’ve done that, reacted immediately, filed the case in 24 hours. They have no thought for the trauma a survivor might be going through; they have no clue on how much it takes of a survivor to reach that point.
So according to the Me Too experts checklist, her case fits the bill. She reported the assault within 24 hours, didn’t succumb to the threats, took the legal route and has been fighting her case since 5 years. So the conclusion of this case is going to define the Me Too movement of India, at least for me.
Another factor to consider is she is rich, famous even, who can afford good quality lawyers and garner public support easily. The survivor is a privileged Indian woman who has all means to a fair trial. Will she get justice? If she doesn’t, what are the chances for a less privileged woman?
The trauma of that one day can last a lifetime, she has been living it and more since 5 years. Her resilience despite all of this is admirable. She is a superhero, because that kind of courage makes anyone a superhero. I don’t know what conclusion this case would have. I am not going to be the judge. But I hope she always has this strength and courage in life. I hope she wears that superhero cape of bravery proudly. I hope her loved ones, friends and colleagues who stood by her become great role models for the society. I hope we have a better tomorrow.
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