Tell us about the book?
It is a collection of 23 short stories. These are stories which are set in today’s times and bring out the modern day dilemma and questions that we as a generation deal with. Questions about love and relationships, about role of fate and effort in success, about following your dreams, about situations in which we discover ourselves.
Does it narrate your personal experiences, like experiences at IIMA for instance?
While some of the stories are derived from personal experience, they are not linked specifically to IIMA. These are not MBA stories or campus stories. These are human stories, about everyone. These are stories about people and how they react in different situations. Like these is a story where a much married man encounters his past flame. Another is about a man who has lost his interest in life while in one of the stories a man encounters a ghost and learns a secret from him. So themes are quite varied.
How have the reviews and the feedback been?
The words used most often are entertaining, though provoking and interesting. One thing which has surprised me is that everyone seems to like different stories in the collection. Almost everyone has connected with a few of stories and liked others. Other comments have been that they are very visual and relaxing read.
Where can I get the book from?
Currently it is available at online stores only. Below are the links you can buy it from for Rs. 100.
http://www.indiaplaza.in/books/all/9788190585811/all/To-Catch-A-Smile.htm
http://www.hindushopping.com/books/pd.aspx?sku=9788190585811
How long did it take you to write these stories?
It took me over a year to compile them. Typically I will write only when I got inspired. It will mostly start with an image or an emption which I got infatuated with.
How did the book happen?
When I started writing, it was more for fun and joy of discovering oneself. I had not been a keen writer before. My efforts had been limited to occasional poetry that too mostly for personal consumption. You can find some of them on my blog http://www.dreamlimited.blogspot.com/. Response of early readers to the stories made me pursue it further. Once I had material large enough to be published as a book, I decided to go ahead. Support of friends and lucky coincidences were vital for it.
It sounds like a smooth sail?
There were many a moments when I felt it was not worth doing it or that I was chasing a mirage. It was never obvious to me what fate it will end up with. But hope prevailed over it. It took a lot of self-belief and risk.
How did being from IIMA helped in it?
Not in any direct way. IIMA gave me that confidence to go ahead and experiment. It also made me more perceptive of people by providing wider exposure to event and people. Otherwise for someone who studied in a Hindi medium school of a small town, to publish a book of English short stories is highly unlikely.
Do you plan to write more?
I do feel I still have a lot much more to be told, a lot many images and half baked stories waiting to be told. In fact I have completed my second work tentatively called “To catch a butterfly”. Unlike my current book it is a more serious work and is a quasi self-help type book. It is more of an analytical and intellectual work where I have exploited my story telling abilities to transform an otherwise may be a serious topic into an engaging and interesting read. Lot of credit for this work should go to my friend ‘Nitin Goyal’ (My current book is dedicated to him) whose ideas on life I have captured through this book.
Is this a hobby, a one-time thing, or do you plan to nurture it?
Everything has its own life and we are just instruments in the hands of life irrespective of what we would want to believe. I like my job and writing is an outlet of my creativity and imagination. It does not give me satisfaction but it brings me happiness. But tomorrow is another day.
What are your other interests?
I am part of Delhi based theatre group “Dramatech”. I acted in quite successful musical “Fiddler On The Roof” staged during Dec-Jan in Delhi. We are currently working on our second play “Hello Dolly” to be staged in Dec’2008. Interesting conversations will be my other interests. Any topic will do as long as there are new ideas incorporated in it.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Review of the book
IIM Alumni gives us a reason “TO CATCH A SMILE”
(Extracts from the review in the Free Press Release, (May 27, 2008) http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200805/1211903159.html )
The recent book by an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus – “To Catch a smile” is making waves in the literary circles. Vivek is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and is currently works at KPMG, the international advisor
"These are not mere stories created for drama and impact. These are experiences narrated with retrospective introspection. These are thoughts which capture the inner turmoil and dilemmas. They make you laugh, make you smile but more importantly, they make you think. Anyone who has lived life can easily relate to them. Because these are not mere set of events, these are people reacting to events with their preconceived notions; these are moments where life comes up triumphantly. These are moments which can define lives for some. These are discreet words spilling some sweet secrets of your life. These are stories which seemed to have been pulled from a chapter of your life." It seemed at first that the book would be like many a campus novels floating in the market. The trend that was started by Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone and Tushar Raheja's Anything For You Ma'am has given rise to potential authors who want to translate their campus experiences. I gave a quick look at the author's profile. A knowing smile floated on my face as I saw the pedigree. IIMA graduate, working for an international consulting firm. Hah, another one cashing the recent wave, I thought. What must he be talking about, I wondered - his days at IIMA? His struggle through the years to get there or what he faced once he was in there trying to give us a cooked up narrative of what will get eyeballs? I would probably have sealed its fate right there but something caught my eye. It was not a novel; it was a short story collection instead. May be I can flip through a couple, I thought. And I am glad I did. What struck me first was that it was not about IIM, it was about the person behind, which is what a story should be, I believe. As I kept finishing stories, more things occurred to me. After long, here was a collection of stories which was modern in real sense. It did not bank upon common notions about today's life and how it should be; it actually brought them forth the way you and I would have witnessed. It does not tell me that today we face lot of dilemmas and temptations, that a lot of us lead a confused life where multiple choices are facing us every moment. Each story lives these feelings but it never says them aloud. The tension, the confusion in the stories is very palpable and so are the elements of curiosity and vulnerability. Never once it appears to have been written keeping an audience in mind other than writer himself. He is very experimental with his style and narration. One moment it is abstract, the next moment it is subtle. If it is philosophical at one time, the next moment it is fun and exudes exuberance. It can be entertaining you with real life portrayal that you can relate to and at the same time it can transport you to a world where you feel engrossed in deep thoughts about life. I hate to use these words but I felt as if I could see writer's soul in a few of them. I liked what I saw. It had a bit mine in it.
(Extracts from the review in the Free Press Release, (May 27, 2008) http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200805/1211903159.html )
The recent book by an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus – “To Catch a smile” is making waves in the literary circles. Vivek is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and is currently works at KPMG, the international advisor
"These are not mere stories created for drama and impact. These are experiences narrated with retrospective introspection. These are thoughts which capture the inner turmoil and dilemmas. They make you laugh, make you smile but more importantly, they make you think. Anyone who has lived life can easily relate to them. Because these are not mere set of events, these are people reacting to events with their preconceived notions; these are moments where life comes up triumphantly. These are moments which can define lives for some. These are discreet words spilling some sweet secrets of your life. These are stories which seemed to have been pulled from a chapter of your life." It seemed at first that the book would be like many a campus novels floating in the market. The trend that was started by Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone and Tushar Raheja's Anything For You Ma'am has given rise to potential authors who want to translate their campus experiences. I gave a quick look at the author's profile. A knowing smile floated on my face as I saw the pedigree. IIMA graduate, working for an international consulting firm. Hah, another one cashing the recent wave, I thought. What must he be talking about, I wondered - his days at IIMA? His struggle through the years to get there or what he faced once he was in there trying to give us a cooked up narrative of what will get eyeballs? I would probably have sealed its fate right there but something caught my eye. It was not a novel; it was a short story collection instead. May be I can flip through a couple, I thought. And I am glad I did. What struck me first was that it was not about IIM, it was about the person behind, which is what a story should be, I believe. As I kept finishing stories, more things occurred to me. After long, here was a collection of stories which was modern in real sense. It did not bank upon common notions about today's life and how it should be; it actually brought them forth the way you and I would have witnessed. It does not tell me that today we face lot of dilemmas and temptations, that a lot of us lead a confused life where multiple choices are facing us every moment. Each story lives these feelings but it never says them aloud. The tension, the confusion in the stories is very palpable and so are the elements of curiosity and vulnerability. Never once it appears to have been written keeping an audience in mind other than writer himself. He is very experimental with his style and narration. One moment it is abstract, the next moment it is subtle. If it is philosophical at one time, the next moment it is fun and exudes exuberance. It can be entertaining you with real life portrayal that you can relate to and at the same time it can transport you to a world where you feel engrossed in deep thoughts about life. I hate to use these words but I felt as if I could see writer's soul in a few of them. I liked what I saw. It had a bit mine in it.
Article on the book
Corporate honcho, management student give in to impulse, pen books
(Article in the indiaPRwire, (Jun 3, 2008) http://www.indiaprwire.com/businessnews/20080603/30551.htm )
Vivek Kumar Aggarwal and Zaheer Ahmed, one a corporate executive and the other a management student, have given a break to the structured thinking they are trained in and delved into the literary world with their debut books to get in touch with their 'spontaneity'.
"I like my job and the challenges it brings, but writing is an outlet for my creativity and imagination. That's why I am here, with my first book 'To Catch A Smile'," Aggarwal, who works with advisory firm KPMG, told IANS. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Aggarwal said that while his management years have taught him to think in a particular kind of way and plan ahead, writing is his outlet for creativity and impulsiveness. 'My years in IIM-A helped me get the confidence to go and speak my thoughts out. It laid a lot of stress on structured thinking and planning which helps me perform well at work. 'This book is an attempt to get back in touch with my spontaneity and gives me the courage to be a little unconventional, if I may dare to say so,' the 29-year-old author said. A book of short stories, 'To Catch A Smile' has nothing to do with the author's experience in the IIM campus, as many may expect. It's more like a collection of instances. Each story captures moments of intense human emotion under the given circumstances, which everyone can relate to. 'The inspiration for these stories has been the easy part. An image, a thought or overheard conversation comes first, and then I weave a story around it. None of the stories is a result of my fantasy. They have the reality of our lives at their core, while my imagination has made them more vivid,' he said. If Aggarwal's book is a result of a year's labour, Ahmed's draws from nearly a decade's experiences. His book, 'My Partial Autobiography', is a collection of poems, stitched together in the form of a simple story. Ahmed's book provides for a leisurely read with not too many complexities and has a free on-line version. 'I started writing poetry since I was in class nine. In my third year of graduation, I approached a publisher to get my poems published. However, they turned me down saying that people didn't have time to read poems since they were tough to understand,' said Ahmed, now in his 20s. 'It was then that I decided that I should stitch my poems in the form of a story for my readers. 'Why do I call it my partial autobiography? Because it traces snatches of my life through the poems,' said the author who is a student of the Fore School of Management. Ahmed's book is however not like any other book of poems. At the end of each poem, he puts forth some questions to his reader and prods them to think of the answers. 'The question-answer style which I adopted in the book is an inspiration from the self-help management books that I had read. It makes the book more reader-friendly since they involve his or her attention,' he said. Having received encouraging feedback from their readers, both Aggarwal and Ahmed, who don't know each other, have started working on their second books. While Aggarwal calls his next book a more intellectual piece than his first one, Ahmed's one is a science fiction. While they admit that they don't want to change their course of life, both say that writing is a passion, which they will always pursue. 'I do not have any plans or thoughts about turning into a full time writer. I started writing without any plans and only because I enjoy it,' Aggarwal said. 'But then again, tomorrow is another day!' - By Azera Rehman
(Article in the indiaPRwire, (Jun 3, 2008) http://www.indiaprwire.com/businessnews/20080603/30551.htm )
Vivek Kumar Aggarwal and Zaheer Ahmed, one a corporate executive and the other a management student, have given a break to the structured thinking they are trained in and delved into the literary world with their debut books to get in touch with their 'spontaneity'.
"I like my job and the challenges it brings, but writing is an outlet for my creativity and imagination. That's why I am here, with my first book 'To Catch A Smile'," Aggarwal, who works with advisory firm KPMG, told IANS. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Aggarwal said that while his management years have taught him to think in a particular kind of way and plan ahead, writing is his outlet for creativity and impulsiveness. 'My years in IIM-A helped me get the confidence to go and speak my thoughts out. It laid a lot of stress on structured thinking and planning which helps me perform well at work. 'This book is an attempt to get back in touch with my spontaneity and gives me the courage to be a little unconventional, if I may dare to say so,' the 29-year-old author said. A book of short stories, 'To Catch A Smile' has nothing to do with the author's experience in the IIM campus, as many may expect. It's more like a collection of instances. Each story captures moments of intense human emotion under the given circumstances, which everyone can relate to. 'The inspiration for these stories has been the easy part. An image, a thought or overheard conversation comes first, and then I weave a story around it. None of the stories is a result of my fantasy. They have the reality of our lives at their core, while my imagination has made them more vivid,' he said. If Aggarwal's book is a result of a year's labour, Ahmed's draws from nearly a decade's experiences. His book, 'My Partial Autobiography', is a collection of poems, stitched together in the form of a simple story. Ahmed's book provides for a leisurely read with not too many complexities and has a free on-line version. 'I started writing poetry since I was in class nine. In my third year of graduation, I approached a publisher to get my poems published. However, they turned me down saying that people didn't have time to read poems since they were tough to understand,' said Ahmed, now in his 20s. 'It was then that I decided that I should stitch my poems in the form of a story for my readers. 'Why do I call it my partial autobiography? Because it traces snatches of my life through the poems,' said the author who is a student of the Fore School of Management. Ahmed's book is however not like any other book of poems. At the end of each poem, he puts forth some questions to his reader and prods them to think of the answers. 'The question-answer style which I adopted in the book is an inspiration from the self-help management books that I had read. It makes the book more reader-friendly since they involve his or her attention,' he said. Having received encouraging feedback from their readers, both Aggarwal and Ahmed, who don't know each other, have started working on their second books. While Aggarwal calls his next book a more intellectual piece than his first one, Ahmed's one is a science fiction. While they admit that they don't want to change their course of life, both say that writing is a passion, which they will always pursue. 'I do not have any plans or thoughts about turning into a full time writer. I started writing without any plans and only because I enjoy it,' Aggarwal said. 'But then again, tomorrow is another day!' - By Azera Rehman
Article - TOI
IIM-A and the funda of writing books
(Article in TOI June 23, 2008 at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/IIM-A_and_the_funda_of_writing_books/articleshow/3154808.cms)
AHMEDABAD: Call it the management of words, a supply chain of thoughts or whatever. A new crop of alumni from the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) are not only re-engineering the corporate and financial world but also raising a storm in literary circles. Walk into a bookstore, browse through the shelves and you are bound to stumble on a bestseller by an IIM-ite. And, they don’t preach management fundas. These management gurus are the new-age literary dons, penning sagas of love, life and longing with as much ease as they go about doing business in the corporate world. If Chetan Bhagat, the 1997-batch IIM-A graduate and now well-known for his literary prowess after the stupendous success of his first novel – Five point someone – is making waves with his third and latest novel, The three mistakes of my life , Mainak Dhar, of the batch of 1996, is creating a stir with his novel, The funda of mix-ology . So is Vivek Agarwal, from the batch of 2005, who has released his collection of short stories, To catch a smile . Do B-schools inspire seekers of literary excellence? Agarwal feels it does make them communicate better. "It is not that the stories depict incidents or have people that I came across. The institute has groomed me in a manner that made me better at communicating to the masses what I am thinking about. These short stories, some structured and some abstract are things that have happened to me or things I have experienced," says Agarwal, now a senior consultant with KPMG, based in Mumbai. Dhar's latest book 'Mix-ology' is not based on the campus life, but is about the life of a guy after he passed out of the institute. "I have written three fictions and there have been people from the institute who have found a place in my books. My friends often become characters in my books and the story revolves around them." Dhar is working with an MNC based in Singapore. "IIM-A gets the best of the lot and I am not surprised that they have taken giant strides in the literary world. IIM-A students have great creative ability which is now getting manifested in the form of books and music albums," says IIM-A director Sameer Barua.
(Article in TOI June 23, 2008 at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/IIM-A_and_the_funda_of_writing_books/articleshow/3154808.cms)
AHMEDABAD: Call it the management of words, a supply chain of thoughts or whatever. A new crop of alumni from the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) are not only re-engineering the corporate and financial world but also raising a storm in literary circles. Walk into a bookstore, browse through the shelves and you are bound to stumble on a bestseller by an IIM-ite. And, they don’t preach management fundas. These management gurus are the new-age literary dons, penning sagas of love, life and longing with as much ease as they go about doing business in the corporate world. If Chetan Bhagat, the 1997-batch IIM-A graduate and now well-known for his literary prowess after the stupendous success of his first novel – Five point someone – is making waves with his third and latest novel, The three mistakes of my life , Mainak Dhar, of the batch of 1996, is creating a stir with his novel, The funda of mix-ology . So is Vivek Agarwal, from the batch of 2005, who has released his collection of short stories, To catch a smile . Do B-schools inspire seekers of literary excellence? Agarwal feels it does make them communicate better. "It is not that the stories depict incidents or have people that I came across. The institute has groomed me in a manner that made me better at communicating to the masses what I am thinking about. These short stories, some structured and some abstract are things that have happened to me or things I have experienced," says Agarwal, now a senior consultant with KPMG, based in Mumbai. Dhar's latest book 'Mix-ology' is not based on the campus life, but is about the life of a guy after he passed out of the institute. "I have written three fictions and there have been people from the institute who have found a place in my books. My friends often become characters in my books and the story revolves around them." Dhar is working with an MNC based in Singapore. "IIM-A gets the best of the lot and I am not surprised that they have taken giant strides in the literary world. IIM-A students have great creative ability which is now getting manifested in the form of books and music albums," says IIM-A director Sameer Barua.
Story - Some win some lose
Usual Talk@A shared Room in a Mumbai Suburb
Characters:
---------------------------------------------------------
Rish: The lover boy
Piyush: The unwilling support shoulder
Udi: The unintended victim of Rish’s love-story sessions
---------------------------------------------------------
‘I think I love her,’ said Rish apparently looking at the ceiling fan.
‘I know that. I know that pretty well,’ replied Piyush curtly trying to submerge his head under his pillow.
‘What do you know, Piyush?’
‘That you love her and that you sometimes think.’
‘What else do you know?’ Rish insisted.
‘That if you utter it one more time, I will throw you out of your bed,’ replied Piyush from under his pillow.
‘Dude, here I am sharing my love story with you and instead of supporting me like a good friend should, you are threatening me. Whatay insensitivity! No wonder you’re single,’ snapped Rish, getting up and looking at Piyush.
‘Buddy, I’ve heard your love paeans so many times in the last three years that sometimes I feel am in love with her,’ said Piyush, nonchalantly pulling his bed sheet over his head.
‘Huh! What will…’
The love-story session between Rish and Piyush is interrupted by a loud kick on the door followed by the entry of the third flat-mate, Udi. ‘May I ask what you rascals are up to at 2 am in the night? Why don’t you two go to the ‘Gateway of India’ and talk there? Please, for God’s sake, let me sleep. I’ve got to go to office tomorrow and I have work to do,’ said Udi with mock anger filled with frustration.
‘What Udi! I also have to go to office. And for your kind information, we work in the same office. You’re a kind man yaar. Will you not listen to my love story?’ said Rish in an attempt to seduce Udi into the conversation.
‘Story? You call it a story? An idiot loving a myth! No actually, an idiot thinking he loves a myth? Even porn flicks have a better storyline than that!’ Udi snapped as he picked the water bottle and began gulping water.
‘No yaar, it’s not like that. Today I discovered how deep my love is,’ revealed Rish.
‘Pray how deep it is? I hope it’s deep enough to drown yourself? If so, just do it and sleep,’ was Udi’s response as he continued drinking water.
‘Listen yaar. Today I found that even if she needs me after she gets married and has two kids, I will still go for her,’ Rish said as a sheepish smile surfaced on his face.
‘Well, the rate at which you are going, I’m sure that that’s a very likely scenario. I heard she’s getting engaged and that too to some loser from your college itself. I heard someone say that the girl had made a really smart choice. She hooked the second best loser of the college as the biggest loser could never gather courage enough to tell her,’ said Udi.
‘Come on yaar. Don’t say so. I am pretty courageous,’ Rish meekly protested.
‘Oh...oooo. Please tell me about just one act of courage of yours,’ Piyush, silent till then, finally chipped in.
‘Well, I loved her. It takes a lot of courage to love anyone. I did my part, and now she should do hers. A love story can not be one-sided after all.’
Piyush fell down laughing. Udi could not help but give a frustrated smile and heave a sigh. Rish, as usual, smiled in a way that left Udi utterly confused. Was it the smile of a guy who knows he is a loser and is okay with it or of someone who just acts like one? He always wondered.
‘Haah! Sometimes I wonder who the bigger idiot is. You, who rediscover your love each night or we, who sacrifice our sleep to hear about your discovery,’ said Udi.
‘No yaar. I really love her. You know sometimes I wonder what will happen when we meet on our 25th alumni meet.’
‘What can possibly happen?’ Udi said with a frustrated sigh.
‘If she tells me, ‘Rish, you never told me. I was waiting for you to’. I might commit suicide then,’ said Rish in a dramatic tone.
‘Ah, God! Why don’t you tell her right away and save yourself from committing the sin of suicide?’ said Piyush in desperation.
‘Right now, I’ll live for 25 more years. Whereas if I tell her and if she says no, I’ll die right away,’ reasoned Rish.
‘Ah, hell no! God why don’t you take this guy to heaven and save us from murder? I guess I’ll go mad if I stay here for one more minute. I’m going to sleep in the hall,’ said Piyush and walked off with his pillow and blanket. Udi stood there in silence for a while staring at Rish who followed Piyush’s movement out of the room, and finally broke into an idiotic smile.
‘Why don’t you do something about it?’ Udi suggested. ‘What can I possibly do yaar? I tried in college but it did not happen. I think it’s too late now,’ replied Rish.
‘No, no. It’s never too late. You should try at least once. Why don’t you tell Parima?’ Udi insisted.
‘What is the point yaar? Nothing will ever come out of it,’ replied Rish.
‘What will happen? At worst she’ll say no. But then it’s pretty much the same anyway.’
‘I already know she’ll say no. So what purpose will it serve?’ Rish insisted.
‘It’s not serving any purpose anyway. So, why not try and be over with it?’
‘Why, at least I know I could’ve had a chance but did not try. Which is better than knowing I never had one,’ philosophized Rish.
Udi stood there for a while, waiting for Rish to break into his usual smile. But it never happened. For a change his gaze was fixed and his eyes appeared sincere. He wondered if they were moist too. He could not bear the silence as he could feel Rish’s helplessness in it. He left the room in a hurry as Rish took his pillow and started adjusting it.
Attempts Usually Fail@College Get-Together in a Mumbai Restaurant
‘Hi Parima.’
‘Oh, hi Rish. How are you?’ replied Parima with her large black eyes roving all around before settling on Rish’s face.
‘I’m pretty good. Am only three pegs down right now so am good. Two more pegs and only I will be good,’ said Rish with eyes fixed on Parima, as he broke into a wide grin and blood shot into his ears.
‘Hahaha…Ya…ya. Hold yourself. I still remember the day you got drunk in campus and almost convinced me to marry you. God, I was so taken aback. For a moment I thought it was for real before I saw that bastardly smile of yours.’
‘Haha. Yeah, for all you know it might have been for real,’ smiled Rish, his eyes widening as he sipped from his glass.
‘I know you better than that. Achcha, show me what’s in your plate? Curry, my God. Where did you get that? I want it. Do you mind if I take some from your plate?’ Parima said.
‘Only if you excuse me for that night’s behavior,’ said Rish as his shoulders started shaking nervously.
‘No, no. That I’m never going to do. I’ll always remember that and tell your wife that you tried to seduce me,’ said Parima, bursting into laughter with her head falling back as she almost spilled food over Rish.
‘Ok, Ok. Take the curry anyway. Listen Parima, I wanted to talk to you about something,’ said Rish, his tone turning grave. Parima looking straight into his eyes as if to ascertain why, said, ‘Rish, I think I know what you want to say.’
‘You know it?’ blurted Rish, his body frozen and shaking at the same time.
‘Yeah, you’re not the first one. Quite a few have said that to me before. Girls have a stronger sixth sense.’
‘What, what have they said to you before.’
‘That Riyo is not the right guy for me. I can do better than that etc. etc. Were you not going to say the same?’
‘Ammm…yeah…no…not exactly,’ managed Rish. ‘It’s okay. You can be frank. I don’t mind. See Rish, I am not like other girls. I think differently.’
‘Of course you do,’ murmured Rish.
‘I know people say he’s not good looking. Some wonder if he can match my professional success. But are relationships based on career? Are all good-looking and well-to-do couples happy? Isn’t love enough for two people to marry?’
‘Yeah. You are right. Love is enough. It’s good enough,’ said Rish, his head down and his hands fiddling with his glass.
‘So you’ll be the only one meaning it when you tell me what a nice couple we make. Isn’t it?’ she chirped.
‘Yeah, I’ll be genuine,’ he said looking up at her.
The expression on his face puzzled her for a moment and reminded her of something. Something from that drunken night of campus, but she couldn’t figure out why. She caught sight of her friend waving from behind.
‘Achcha listen, I need to catch up with other people. See you later. Call me sometime,’ she said before vanishing in the background.
‘Yeah, sure!’ said Rish to himself as he moved towards a group of his batch mates.
Usual Talk-Part II@A Shared Room in a Mumbai Suburb
‘So, what happened at the party? Did you talk to her?’ asked Udi with Piyush shuffling clothes in the cupboard.
‘Yeah, a lot!’ chuckled Rish, as he bent down to take his shoes off.
‘And did you find out what she thinks of you?’ enquired Udi, settling on the bed looking visibly excited as Piyush readied himself for the response.
‘Not exactly. But I did find something interesting,’ said Rish, glancing at Udi for a moment before busying himself with his shoes.
‘What! What did you find out?’ asked Udi getting increasingly impatient as Piyush held the doors of the cupboard with both his hands.
‘That we both love curry,’ said Rish, finally taking his shoes off and getting up.
Characters:
---------------------------------------------------------
Rish: The lover boy
Piyush: The unwilling support shoulder
Udi: The unintended victim of Rish’s love-story sessions
---------------------------------------------------------
‘I think I love her,’ said Rish apparently looking at the ceiling fan.
‘I know that. I know that pretty well,’ replied Piyush curtly trying to submerge his head under his pillow.
‘What do you know, Piyush?’
‘That you love her and that you sometimes think.’
‘What else do you know?’ Rish insisted.
‘That if you utter it one more time, I will throw you out of your bed,’ replied Piyush from under his pillow.
‘Dude, here I am sharing my love story with you and instead of supporting me like a good friend should, you are threatening me. Whatay insensitivity! No wonder you’re single,’ snapped Rish, getting up and looking at Piyush.
‘Buddy, I’ve heard your love paeans so many times in the last three years that sometimes I feel am in love with her,’ said Piyush, nonchalantly pulling his bed sheet over his head.
‘Huh! What will…’
The love-story session between Rish and Piyush is interrupted by a loud kick on the door followed by the entry of the third flat-mate, Udi. ‘May I ask what you rascals are up to at 2 am in the night? Why don’t you two go to the ‘Gateway of India’ and talk there? Please, for God’s sake, let me sleep. I’ve got to go to office tomorrow and I have work to do,’ said Udi with mock anger filled with frustration.
‘What Udi! I also have to go to office. And for your kind information, we work in the same office. You’re a kind man yaar. Will you not listen to my love story?’ said Rish in an attempt to seduce Udi into the conversation.
‘Story? You call it a story? An idiot loving a myth! No actually, an idiot thinking he loves a myth? Even porn flicks have a better storyline than that!’ Udi snapped as he picked the water bottle and began gulping water.
‘No yaar, it’s not like that. Today I discovered how deep my love is,’ revealed Rish.
‘Pray how deep it is? I hope it’s deep enough to drown yourself? If so, just do it and sleep,’ was Udi’s response as he continued drinking water.
‘Listen yaar. Today I found that even if she needs me after she gets married and has two kids, I will still go for her,’ Rish said as a sheepish smile surfaced on his face.
‘Well, the rate at which you are going, I’m sure that that’s a very likely scenario. I heard she’s getting engaged and that too to some loser from your college itself. I heard someone say that the girl had made a really smart choice. She hooked the second best loser of the college as the biggest loser could never gather courage enough to tell her,’ said Udi.
‘Come on yaar. Don’t say so. I am pretty courageous,’ Rish meekly protested.
‘Oh...oooo. Please tell me about just one act of courage of yours,’ Piyush, silent till then, finally chipped in.
‘Well, I loved her. It takes a lot of courage to love anyone. I did my part, and now she should do hers. A love story can not be one-sided after all.’
Piyush fell down laughing. Udi could not help but give a frustrated smile and heave a sigh. Rish, as usual, smiled in a way that left Udi utterly confused. Was it the smile of a guy who knows he is a loser and is okay with it or of someone who just acts like one? He always wondered.
‘Haah! Sometimes I wonder who the bigger idiot is. You, who rediscover your love each night or we, who sacrifice our sleep to hear about your discovery,’ said Udi.
‘No yaar. I really love her. You know sometimes I wonder what will happen when we meet on our 25th alumni meet.’
‘What can possibly happen?’ Udi said with a frustrated sigh.
‘If she tells me, ‘Rish, you never told me. I was waiting for you to’. I might commit suicide then,’ said Rish in a dramatic tone.
‘Ah, God! Why don’t you tell her right away and save yourself from committing the sin of suicide?’ said Piyush in desperation.
‘Right now, I’ll live for 25 more years. Whereas if I tell her and if she says no, I’ll die right away,’ reasoned Rish.
‘Ah, hell no! God why don’t you take this guy to heaven and save us from murder? I guess I’ll go mad if I stay here for one more minute. I’m going to sleep in the hall,’ said Piyush and walked off with his pillow and blanket. Udi stood there in silence for a while staring at Rish who followed Piyush’s movement out of the room, and finally broke into an idiotic smile.
‘Why don’t you do something about it?’ Udi suggested. ‘What can I possibly do yaar? I tried in college but it did not happen. I think it’s too late now,’ replied Rish.
‘No, no. It’s never too late. You should try at least once. Why don’t you tell Parima?’ Udi insisted.
‘What is the point yaar? Nothing will ever come out of it,’ replied Rish.
‘What will happen? At worst she’ll say no. But then it’s pretty much the same anyway.’
‘I already know she’ll say no. So what purpose will it serve?’ Rish insisted.
‘It’s not serving any purpose anyway. So, why not try and be over with it?’
‘Why, at least I know I could’ve had a chance but did not try. Which is better than knowing I never had one,’ philosophized Rish.
Udi stood there for a while, waiting for Rish to break into his usual smile. But it never happened. For a change his gaze was fixed and his eyes appeared sincere. He wondered if they were moist too. He could not bear the silence as he could feel Rish’s helplessness in it. He left the room in a hurry as Rish took his pillow and started adjusting it.
Attempts Usually Fail@College Get-Together in a Mumbai Restaurant
‘Hi Parima.’
‘Oh, hi Rish. How are you?’ replied Parima with her large black eyes roving all around before settling on Rish’s face.
‘I’m pretty good. Am only three pegs down right now so am good. Two more pegs and only I will be good,’ said Rish with eyes fixed on Parima, as he broke into a wide grin and blood shot into his ears.
‘Hahaha…Ya…ya. Hold yourself. I still remember the day you got drunk in campus and almost convinced me to marry you. God, I was so taken aback. For a moment I thought it was for real before I saw that bastardly smile of yours.’
‘Haha. Yeah, for all you know it might have been for real,’ smiled Rish, his eyes widening as he sipped from his glass.
‘I know you better than that. Achcha, show me what’s in your plate? Curry, my God. Where did you get that? I want it. Do you mind if I take some from your plate?’ Parima said.
‘Only if you excuse me for that night’s behavior,’ said Rish as his shoulders started shaking nervously.
‘No, no. That I’m never going to do. I’ll always remember that and tell your wife that you tried to seduce me,’ said Parima, bursting into laughter with her head falling back as she almost spilled food over Rish.
‘Ok, Ok. Take the curry anyway. Listen Parima, I wanted to talk to you about something,’ said Rish, his tone turning grave. Parima looking straight into his eyes as if to ascertain why, said, ‘Rish, I think I know what you want to say.’
‘You know it?’ blurted Rish, his body frozen and shaking at the same time.
‘Yeah, you’re not the first one. Quite a few have said that to me before. Girls have a stronger sixth sense.’
‘What, what have they said to you before.’
‘That Riyo is not the right guy for me. I can do better than that etc. etc. Were you not going to say the same?’
‘Ammm…yeah…no…not exactly,’ managed Rish. ‘It’s okay. You can be frank. I don’t mind. See Rish, I am not like other girls. I think differently.’
‘Of course you do,’ murmured Rish.
‘I know people say he’s not good looking. Some wonder if he can match my professional success. But are relationships based on career? Are all good-looking and well-to-do couples happy? Isn’t love enough for two people to marry?’
‘Yeah. You are right. Love is enough. It’s good enough,’ said Rish, his head down and his hands fiddling with his glass.
‘So you’ll be the only one meaning it when you tell me what a nice couple we make. Isn’t it?’ she chirped.
‘Yeah, I’ll be genuine,’ he said looking up at her.
The expression on his face puzzled her for a moment and reminded her of something. Something from that drunken night of campus, but she couldn’t figure out why. She caught sight of her friend waving from behind.
‘Achcha listen, I need to catch up with other people. See you later. Call me sometime,’ she said before vanishing in the background.
‘Yeah, sure!’ said Rish to himself as he moved towards a group of his batch mates.
Usual Talk-Part II@A Shared Room in a Mumbai Suburb
‘So, what happened at the party? Did you talk to her?’ asked Udi with Piyush shuffling clothes in the cupboard.
‘Yeah, a lot!’ chuckled Rish, as he bent down to take his shoes off.
‘And did you find out what she thinks of you?’ enquired Udi, settling on the bed looking visibly excited as Piyush readied himself for the response.
‘Not exactly. But I did find something interesting,’ said Rish, glancing at Udi for a moment before busying himself with his shoes.
‘What! What did you find out?’ asked Udi getting increasingly impatient as Piyush held the doors of the cupboard with both his hands.
‘That we both love curry,’ said Rish, finally taking his shoes off and getting up.
Story - I do not have any wish
It seemed like a perfect morning. The sun, lurking shyly from behind the curtain of clouds looked down and I could feel its warmth. The breakfast was ready and I called upon Alka. While waiting for her, I stood facing the sun and soaked in the scenery spread before me. The green hills were covered with fog. And the lazy sunlight that lay on them looked like a bed-sheet wrinkled by wanton lovemaking. The smell of passion still lingered in the air. I drew a deep breath and stood there for a few moments, free from all mundane thoughts in the world for a while.
Alka and I have been married for over seven years now. Ours was a late marriage. I had mostly remained occupied with career and personal life therefore, had taken a back seat. For Alka, it was more a matter of not finding the right person to settle down with. I don’t know what she was looking for and whether she found that in me, but her wait proved to be lucky for me. After marriage, life seemed to be more complete than ever before. Nothing was amiss for next few years which just slipped by. But then, one fine day, I noticed a void in her eyes. Something was troubling her. ‘Sudhir, it has been four years since we got married. I’ve still not conceived!’ she whispered.
‘Sudhir, hurry up. We have to reach the temple before noon. They said it’ll take us three or four hours to climb up.’ We were joined by our guide Vijay to help us reach the temple. We had been to almost every temple in the country in last three years, hoping to fill the void of her eye which has spread to consume our entire life by now.
As we approached the temple, our guide Vijay started narrating the story of the temple. Apparently, this place was blessed by Lord Shiva himself and anyone who prayed here was granted his wish. Blessed or not, I knew that the visit would keep Alka happy for the next few weeks. And that was enough of a blessing for me.
The two of us sat inside the temple. ‘Sudhir, close your eyes,’ said Alka enthusiastically. I could not help but wonder at her naïve belief which refused to shake. When I looked at her, sitting with her hands folded and eyes closed, I felt guilty about doubting God’s graciousness. I closed my eyes as well. For a few moments, the world ceased to exist. I felt as if I was slowly getting sub-merged into a sea. I could see thousands of fish around me but could touch none of them. My lungs choked but I did not feel any pain. I was slowly reaching the bottom of the ocean. I closed my eyes and in those last moments before hitting the bottom, asked myself and everything around me, why me? Why was I chosen to go through this? I do not seek remedy but just the answer. Why me?
‘Sudhir, Sudhir, get up,’ I heard Alka saying. I got up suddenly, slightly embarrassed and started to move out of the temple. Alka, after the prayer in the temple, had lightened up and her eyes now glowed with life. As she happily ambled ahead, I chose to walk with our young guide, Vijay.
‘Vijay, do you really believe in the story about the temple?’ I asked.
‘Of course, saab. It is true. So many people come back when their wishes get fulfilled. I’m sure you will also come back soon.’
‘What is your wish in life?’ I enquired.
‘Mine? Forget it saab. All this is not for people like us, he replied.’
‘Why, did you never wish for anything?’
‘Saab…when I was sixteen I wanted to join the army, but then…’
‘But then? But then what?’ I insisted.
‘Haah, saab. My mother died of cancer that year…and my father also joined her next year. I was left with two younger sisters to take care of. But with God’s grace, both of them are married now.’
‘And what about you?’ I asked.
‘I am too aged to join the army now and too poor to get married.’
‘Oh.’ An eerie silence engulfed the entire hills as we kept walking in silence.
I saw the hope in Alka’s gait. It stood out starkly against Vijay’s despondence. I could take it no longer and blurted out, ‘Despite all this, you still believe in the power of this temple? Why didn’t God fulfill your wish?’
Vijay stopped in his way and turned towards me. For a moment I thought I had angered him but his eyes were still as calm as before. He looked at me blankly for some time and then said, ‘God gives pain to those who are close to his heart because he knows they will not question his ways. He takes away their share of luck and gives it to those who do.’
We then visited the places around and left for our home after a couple of days. As I began to start my car, Alka, looking a bit disturbed asked, ‘Sudhir, do you really think it is true?’
‘What are you talking about?’ I casually asked her as I tried to turn the ignition on.
‘This thing about wish fulfillment and all. I mean we’ve been visiting these places for years now. I‘m feeling somewhat silly for making you do all this.’
I stopped for a moment and then got busy again with the keys, ‘don’t be silly. I don’t know about yours…’
The engine suddenly came back to life.‘…but mine got fulfilled just now.’
Story - Always know where you are headed
‘Excuse me. Helloooo…Is there some one here? Helloooo…’ shouted Harry trying to find someone in the wilderness.
‘God! I should have listened to Urshi. She was right, this is no weather to go on a drive,’ he lamented.
‘And of all the places, I had to choose this deserted road only. I like taking roads less traveled. I am a big Idiot, idiot, idiot. That is what I am,’ he realized.
‘Hellooo, helloo, somebody please help me.’ ‘Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...’ he further screamed.
A man emerged from behind a dilapidated building. His muscular built was wrapped in an air of smugness. His face was smeared with dust and mud, and his hair was horribly tousled. He looked like the kind of man who cared less for himself, and even lesser for others. He moved towards Harry with scorn and irritation written all over his face.
‘Hello there. Are you an idiot or what? What makes you shout so much? Come over here,’ the man commanded.
Harry turned to face the man and took slow, reluctant steps towards him. He was mentally calculating whether the man was an answer to his prayers or a result of his curses.
‘Sir…my…my bike broke down. I am Harry, I mean Harish.’
The man, towering over Harry, stood still and gave him a hard look which seemed to gauge his honesty and intentions.
‘Why...why...are you staring like that? I...I’ve come from Delhi. You can have a look at my bike too. It’s over there,’ Harry pointed.
‘Where were you headed to?’ the man enquired.
‘I...I don’t know sir. I was going ahead just like that.’
‘Whaaat? Do I look like an idiot or what? You want me to believe that you were riding down this road without any purpose? Tell me, why have you come this way? Tell me, where does this road go? Tell me!’ said the man, his voice grew hard and body tensed as his veins started showing.
‘Sir...sir...sir please. I...I do not know. I...I thought you may help...help me.’
‘Help? You want me to help you? And what about me? Who is going to help me? Tell me honestly where does this road lead? I swear to God I wouldn’t do anything to you,’ the man said.
‘Sir...I…I honestly don’t know where this road leads. I...I have come here for the first time,’ Harry mumbled.
The man moved closer to him, grabbed him by his shirt collar and howled, ‘Have you been sent by that Naseer to hunt me down?’ His eyes became red-shot and his voice grew murderous. ‘Or are you a policeman? You bastards will never get me alive…’
Harry’s voice trembled as he wriggled to free himself. ‘No...no...I know no Naseer and ...and… am no policeman. I work in a software company. This...here...here…you can see my id-card…here…here is my driving license …here is my visiting card…please sir… please …I beg you…I...I do not know where this road leads…I swear by my family...please sir... please...let me go…’
‘Huh, you really don’t seem to know where this road leads…’
‘Yes...yes sir...I really do not know…can…can I go now? I…I…will find a way...may be I will get a lift…’ Harry said as he began to move away from the man.
‘Hey listen!’ the man called. ‘Come here, sit down with me,’ said the man as his voice suddenly sounded dejected yet friendly.
Hesitatingly, Harry moved closer to him and sat next to him, trembling and sweating profusely.
‘Do you smoke?’ the man asked Harry.
‘No...no...I mean yes...sometimes...but I am fine...do not feel like it…right…now,’ he responded, stuttering.
‘Here, have one while you can still taste it...couple of hours...and you will be like me…’ the man said looking straight, as if searching for something in the horizon.
‘What…what do you mean...like you...?’ Harry said slowly picking up the beedi.
‘You know, one should always know where one is headed. All the time...every time...’ said the man.
‘Yeah, I know. My father always used to tell me. One should be clear about where he wants to reach in life,’ said Harry, suddenly finding his voice back while the man kept looking towards the horizon.
‘If only I knew where I was headed when I killed Naseer’s brother. If only I hadn’t got so scared! If only I had taken the left turn instead of…if only…I wouldn’t have been stuck here for days.’
‘But...but...why is it so important to know? We...we can get a lift or just start walking. It’ll be better than being stuck here. Don’t you think…so…sir?’ Harry lost his voice again as man turned his face towards him and looked straight into his eyes.
‘Did you still not get it? We can not go anywhere from here. We have to stay here. Till we find out where this road is headed.’
‘B…b…but...why?’ Harry blurted, confused.
‘Your bike did not break down on its own. I did that. I put that log in your way, and you stumbled over.’
‘What???’ Harry was shocked.
‘Yeah, because when my truck went down this hill, I didn’t know where this road leads to. I had to know the destination of the last journey of my life…before I could start a new one.’
‘Wha...what are you talking about?’ said Harry as the world began to swirl in his head.
‘I had no way of finding out except to ask someone passing by, so I had to do this to you. I am sorry friend...’ said the man, looking softly at Harry, his eyes saddened with disappointment.
‘So...so...you mean to say...you mean…’
‘Yeah, you are dead. We both are dead. See, the wound on your hand is still fresh. You can not smoke that beedi now, like me. You can have no pleasure…’ the man revealed the secret as matter-of-factly as possible.
‘So…so…what do we do now? I mean what one is supposed to do when...when…when one is dead?’ said Harry trying to grasp what he had just heard.
‘He is supposed to find out where he was headed when he died,’ said the man standing up and looking at Harry with eyes filled with wisdom attained a little too late.‘Let’s go and find out then,’ said Harry, his eyes filled with excitement of a new born, as the sound of a car filled the air.
‘God! I should have listened to Urshi. She was right, this is no weather to go on a drive,’ he lamented.
‘And of all the places, I had to choose this deserted road only. I like taking roads less traveled. I am a big Idiot, idiot, idiot. That is what I am,’ he realized.
‘Hellooo, helloo, somebody please help me.’ ‘Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...’ he further screamed.
A man emerged from behind a dilapidated building. His muscular built was wrapped in an air of smugness. His face was smeared with dust and mud, and his hair was horribly tousled. He looked like the kind of man who cared less for himself, and even lesser for others. He moved towards Harry with scorn and irritation written all over his face.
‘Hello there. Are you an idiot or what? What makes you shout so much? Come over here,’ the man commanded.
Harry turned to face the man and took slow, reluctant steps towards him. He was mentally calculating whether the man was an answer to his prayers or a result of his curses.
‘Sir…my…my bike broke down. I am Harry, I mean Harish.’
The man, towering over Harry, stood still and gave him a hard look which seemed to gauge his honesty and intentions.
‘Why...why...are you staring like that? I...I’ve come from Delhi. You can have a look at my bike too. It’s over there,’ Harry pointed.
‘Where were you headed to?’ the man enquired.
‘I...I don’t know sir. I was going ahead just like that.’
‘Whaaat? Do I look like an idiot or what? You want me to believe that you were riding down this road without any purpose? Tell me, why have you come this way? Tell me, where does this road go? Tell me!’ said the man, his voice grew hard and body tensed as his veins started showing.
‘Sir...sir...sir please. I...I do not know. I...I thought you may help...help me.’
‘Help? You want me to help you? And what about me? Who is going to help me? Tell me honestly where does this road lead? I swear to God I wouldn’t do anything to you,’ the man said.
‘Sir...I…I honestly don’t know where this road leads. I...I have come here for the first time,’ Harry mumbled.
The man moved closer to him, grabbed him by his shirt collar and howled, ‘Have you been sent by that Naseer to hunt me down?’ His eyes became red-shot and his voice grew murderous. ‘Or are you a policeman? You bastards will never get me alive…’
Harry’s voice trembled as he wriggled to free himself. ‘No...no...I know no Naseer and ...and… am no policeman. I work in a software company. This...here...here…you can see my id-card…here…here is my driving license …here is my visiting card…please sir… please …I beg you…I...I do not know where this road leads…I swear by my family...please sir... please...let me go…’
‘Huh, you really don’t seem to know where this road leads…’
‘Yes...yes sir...I really do not know…can…can I go now? I…I…will find a way...may be I will get a lift…’ Harry said as he began to move away from the man.
‘Hey listen!’ the man called. ‘Come here, sit down with me,’ said the man as his voice suddenly sounded dejected yet friendly.
Hesitatingly, Harry moved closer to him and sat next to him, trembling and sweating profusely.
‘Do you smoke?’ the man asked Harry.
‘No...no...I mean yes...sometimes...but I am fine...do not feel like it…right…now,’ he responded, stuttering.
‘Here, have one while you can still taste it...couple of hours...and you will be like me…’ the man said looking straight, as if searching for something in the horizon.
‘What…what do you mean...like you...?’ Harry said slowly picking up the beedi.
‘You know, one should always know where one is headed. All the time...every time...’ said the man.
‘Yeah, I know. My father always used to tell me. One should be clear about where he wants to reach in life,’ said Harry, suddenly finding his voice back while the man kept looking towards the horizon.
‘If only I knew where I was headed when I killed Naseer’s brother. If only I hadn’t got so scared! If only I had taken the left turn instead of…if only…I wouldn’t have been stuck here for days.’
‘But...but...why is it so important to know? We...we can get a lift or just start walking. It’ll be better than being stuck here. Don’t you think…so…sir?’ Harry lost his voice again as man turned his face towards him and looked straight into his eyes.
‘Did you still not get it? We can not go anywhere from here. We have to stay here. Till we find out where this road is headed.’
‘B…b…but...why?’ Harry blurted, confused.
‘Your bike did not break down on its own. I did that. I put that log in your way, and you stumbled over.’
‘What???’ Harry was shocked.
‘Yeah, because when my truck went down this hill, I didn’t know where this road leads to. I had to know the destination of the last journey of my life…before I could start a new one.’
‘Wha...what are you talking about?’ said Harry as the world began to swirl in his head.
‘I had no way of finding out except to ask someone passing by, so I had to do this to you. I am sorry friend...’ said the man, looking softly at Harry, his eyes saddened with disappointment.
‘So...so...you mean to say...you mean…’
‘Yeah, you are dead. We both are dead. See, the wound on your hand is still fresh. You can not smoke that beedi now, like me. You can have no pleasure…’ the man revealed the secret as matter-of-factly as possible.
‘So…so…what do we do now? I mean what one is supposed to do when...when…when one is dead?’ said Harry trying to grasp what he had just heard.
‘He is supposed to find out where he was headed when he died,’ said the man standing up and looking at Harry with eyes filled with wisdom attained a little too late.‘Let’s go and find out then,’ said Harry, his eyes filled with excitement of a new born, as the sound of a car filled the air.
Next Book - To catch a butterfly
To Catch A Butterfly
With eyes fixed far ahead I began to fly,wanted to paint red the vanilla blue sky,a sudden jerk and I landed in shores so dry,Confused, I looked around and asked, why?
Life had come full circle for him. He had achieved everything he ever wanted. But somewhere in the midst of his dream, he saw a chink. He was not happy and didn't know why. 'Everything is fine but why am I agitated?' he wondered. And one day things began to crumble. He created a scene at his office and walked away. He reached home to find that his wife had moved out of his life. The closely held edifice of his life was crumbling and his paradigm had failed. That night he did what he hadn't done in a long time. He acted on an impulse. He walked on the empty streets of Paris. Little did he know that it would lead to answers of all the questions that were hounding him. He met her. And through her, he learnt lessons of a new life, optimism rooted in pragmatism. She got him back his butterfly but with a warning… "Chase it but do not try to catch it" “A story of everyone who has dreamt and realized. Everyone who finds that seed of his nightmare were sowed in the centre of his dream only. That life is not what is outside you but how does what is inside you reacts to it. Everyone who strived, found and then lost everything other than one, the will to carry on”
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