Anti-Story : Part Three

Author's Note: Numerous readers have given me feedback that this anti-story is getting all too complicated. Owing to the interactive nature of this medium, I must take a due cognizance (what a word!) of these complaints. Afterall, readers are the raison d'atre of writing, especially fictional (which this isn't, I know)! So, honest now, I'm going to try hard not to confuse you the reader any more.

Let's get back to the story then!

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Part Three: Divertimento

Enough about Abhishek then; just because he's my best friend, I cannot keep talking about him. Sooner or later, someone is going to ask - but what about her? What about the gang?

So let's start exactly where we started before:


"Surprise me", she said.

"What do you mean?", I blurted out, confused as a hell.


At this point, last time, I derailed into contextualizing -- with all its inherent dangers. Well, let the bygone s be bygones. We're taking a fresh new stance.

So what was this she, whoever she was, doing with me, a single in a gang of singles, with long term single-hood prospects -- by my own admission? What if I tell you, that this she was the beautiful kid sister of the vamp-ish Hritisha-- the adorable Rachana? Would you believe me? You would have to. But I won't lie to you. However I wish it was her, I am not an eminent historian who could change history! I'm just a humble narrator.

Most of it (of her being with me, or rather, I being with her), has to do with a first grade plan that the gang had come with (very different from Abhishek's pathetic attempt at plan), to try and change our predicament. Of course, I can't tell you the plan just like that (the interested can contact me, with all the details about their target). Suffice to say, that it was a great success! Here I was sitting with her, drawing circles in the sand on Chowpati (a sort of beach -- or what's left of it, after innumerable number of eating joints have proliferated). Why? Too many hindi movies again, I guess. What else was a just-yesterday-was-a-single supposed to do with a beautiful girl, who by her own admission was madly in love with him? I know what all you dirty minds are thinking, but come on! This is family entertainment channel ...

That was our first meeting, after a long e-romance. That, my friends, is when she said that line to me. Now, you can understand better, why I blurted out what I blurted out. And moreover, why I was confused. Con-text, afterall, has its own value. Now, I agree that Abhishek has nothing to do with this, but then this is the first time I'm narrating a story. That, mind you, is a difficult art! Besides, not everything that I told you about Abhishek is irrelevant to what's to come later (in short, there is going to be another part, at least).

For those who're confused with too many names, here is some relief. You won't need to remember these characters anymore: Mrinalini, Kunal, and Manish. They've served their purpose. How often do you see writers being so kind to you? I've read so many novels, and you always have to remember all the characters till the end. And more often than not, the ones that you forget, turn up in the next ten sentences! Not here. (Some people might say that I'm doing this because I cannot think of ways in which I can use them, and am myself confused with the way the story is going. Don't believe them!!)


"I mean, surprise me!", she said, in a very helpful way.

At this point, multiple things crossed my mind. I can't just write about them here. But I knew that I did not have guts to do most of them.

"Ah! Surprise you!", I said, trying to buy some time.

"Yes", she said, not relenting the pressure a bit.

What happened after that is a history! But we need to tie some lose ends first, just so the impact is maximum. I plan to do that in the next part.

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Post Script: Being a Software Engineer, I've never known how to schedule anything! Consequently, I miscalculated the number of parts that I'm going to need, twice now. Finally, I've given up calculating! Besides, there is a strong funda called lazy evaluation, in our field, which simply means -- don't do it, till you have to do it. Well *that* has been my life-philosophy anyways. In short, I'd let you know when the story is finished. No more guesses anymore.

Previous Part: Part TwoThe Hidden Agenda

Next Part : Part IV Thank God It's Not a Love Story