THIS IS CHENNAI AFTER ALL !!

Hi Chevy

Thanks for churning out so many chapters with after burner efficiency. if Chevrolets were so efficient, they would really be very efficient :D


(ps. i wrote this before you posted 20 & 21)

Here are my 2 cents (as the saying in the west goes, makes one wonder, "they really know how much their opinions are worth)

Starting chpt 17, there is a noticeable difference in tone, almost as if the events are being narrated rather passively, in a dispassionate phlegmatic undertone. it's after all lalli's diary entry and she is feeling emotionally low. [kudos if this was your intention, else kindly overlook]

the quick acknowledgment and dismissal of events towards the start of 17 gave the impression that many years could have passed between this and the prev. 'dear diary' entry, and yet in chtp 18 only the 1st yr of college is over (meaning many more months of goody college raconteurs)

and sean for some reason gives off "the cut on the top of the mouth that would go away, if only you stopped poking it with your tongue" feeling.

top notch on the parents' guilt trip.

would like to hear some of her neck bleeding lame jokes though, something like. why is CA so difficult? cuz if it was AC it would be much cooler.

Waiting to hear more about the guy that, let her learn about not judging people too soon (the band troupe guy)

the story seems to be taking an abrupt turn, just when you started developing a few what seemed like central characters, pretty patti, charlatan gautham.....

will wait to see what other turns you have for us.

oh & good catch on gandhiyan vs. killua being an assasin!


with 20 & 21 Lalli's seems to be whining a little

Hey Killua

Thank you so much for your reviews.

Well, I must admit you have been quite right about that "change". Thanks for noticing it as well noticing that I do admit the time gap and dismiss the change in course of events and attitude, in the start of the 17th.
However, let me highlight a few lines in the 17th and 18th for you.

Quote:

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The CPT exam was written, passed and forgotten. So was the big gang of friends at the CA institute. As time passed I became more anxious about the “passing clouds” in my life

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In the 17th

Quote:

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I spent the entire first year of my college hoping to re-establish friendship with Sean

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Well, there was nothing else that took Lalli’s interest or time in the first year, other than that in response to your many more months of goody college raconteurs.

Hats off, to your apt way of putting it

Quote:

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Sean for some reason gives off "the cut on the top of the mouth that would go away, if only you stopped poking it with your tongue feeling

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Had Lalli been made to realize that, she wouldn’t have exhausted her youth and “once gone, lost forever” valuable college life, over this and there would have been more chapters on her youth and exuberance during the first year.

While the 17th stands at the finishing stage of the first year, 18th declares it over with,

Quote:

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By the time, our first year came to a royal finale,…

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Still, in real time, amidst my studies and work, I do this leisure writing off and on. Thus, I am confident you'll have a better observation and opinion about lack of coherence. I will still revise all the chapters when I find time. Thank you so much.

Regards and Diwali Wishes.
Chevy

ps:
apologies the name misinterpretation

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chevy

He spoke Tamil! Not bad, there are good looking Tamil guys after all.

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:?

22

I recalled my first monsoon experience in India. Patti still maintained her standard “Bajii” with hot chilly “Chutney” whenever it rained. I relished it with no surprise. By now, I’d got used to the Indian cuisine and being occupied full-time, I just ate to keep my car moving.

There was this insecurity contained within me that kept me silent when at home. I wrote and spoke less to Mom and Dad, who tried more frequently to reach me, given that Patti had resorted to complain to about my increasing change in attitude. Though Mom, was extremely delighted at Patti’s concern over me, I just trashed it saying that was just a selfish statement as she was bored without my offering her a listening ear to her reminiscences and her conservative attitude towards the happy, lively, educated Indian youth, living in today’s latte-fuelled, metropolitan lifestyles, much of which was the lifestyle I lived!

Friday, the thirteenth, in April, had initially freaked us out! The “staring guy” at Kaveri’s had followed us to tables and sat on the very next. Consciously we spoke less and sipped our drink in low tones. But his ceaseless staring got on our nerves and a very short-tempered Divya went up to him and demanded, “So do we owe you anything? Why are you going on staring at us?”

The guy raised one brow and sneered at his mates who at the other end of the restaurant.

“You think you can go on doing what you please and you assumed we’d do nothing is it?”, Divya yelled out, this time loud enough to catch the attention of the whole restaurant.

Before much pandemonium could break out, Vidya and I went up and Vidya softly inquired, “ Any issues? You kept looking at us so…”

The chap mellowed her placidness for a moment and sneered again when his cronies signaled to him. Clearing his throat, he queried,

“Hmmm. I guess we’ve met at someplace before?”


“Yeah. I guess we have. That’s why I don’t go there any longer.”

Vidya replied firmly and walked off.

I and Divya giggled as we followed our quick-witted comrade out of Kaveri’s.

:lol:

23


Fourteenth of May and it was a Monday. Heavy rains lashed into our house and I had to wade through to get in or get out of home. In the evening, Patti ordered Chembarathi to get someone to place a flat wooden board from the road to the entrance. The coriander plants were all washed off. Mango season was in and Patti got bags of mangoes from relatives from the village-side. Homegrown mangoes were aromatic enough for me to be able to smell them being cut in the kitchen right from the entrance. I didn’t volunteer to ask who the relatives were and turned a deaf ear to Patti when she volunteered herself. I recalled her indifferent attitude towards me and the attempts to keep me away from the rest of the family initially, though by now, I did understand why she did that. Why should inter-caste, inter-religion or inter-language be a problem? Haven’t my parents proved success in such a marriage with several years of togetherness? They are great socialists who would work for the pure pleasure of delivering the best service. Despite having most of their benevolent qualities, I had changed pretty much in India. With people who’d be kind enough to allow any one to spend for them, I couldn’t manage with what I had. Transport was one major money eater and telephone was the next. Socializing was third. And it was just not enough. I considered doing some telemarketing job or some online work after my articleship hours. But time was so insufficient and more important than cash, so I decided against it. Fine, I’ll limit my socializing. And Talk less. Work more.


This year’s Monsoon had a solemn effect over me when I was alone. During college hours, or when Divya or Vidya were at my place, the sound of falling water, the nature’s music I loved the most, seemed to have an enchanting effect over me. While, we chirruped in non-stop in Tamil or English or Tanglish (Both mixed), the rains lashed the ground in rhythmic “shshsh” music and the clouded, grey sky had a cool, black out effect in our single windowed second year classroom which made our lecturers clueless as to whether our eyes were open or shut. We made muffled noises and heaved about to show activity if any lecturer screamed (yawning along too), “Girls! Are you here?”


When Divya and Vidya were over at my place, we stood sat out in the balcony and chatted as Chembarathi brought in at regular intervals, Patti’s adaptation of Tomato Soup (which was boiled and salted, diluted tomato paste) which we peppered before sipping and of course the standard “Bajji” , or sometimes , “Vada” or “Pakoras” or whichever was that day’s special at home.

Considering at we just had two more years to go, the three of us, spent more time together and I enjoyed the effortless and cheerful manner in which the three of us got along. Sometimes, I wondered why we hadn’t befriended each other this close in the first year. I would have saved me from those series of “passing clouds”. Sometimes I wondered if this was a passing cloud too? Crossing my finger! No, please!


The rain time, when I was alone was entirely different.
It was no state of euphoria.
The dimmed sky forecasted a “life is going to be this dark” option towards me.
The rain thrashed the soil as if deteriorating me at my roots, weakening my strengths.

:)

[quote="chevy"][tscii]Hey Killua

However, let me highlight a few lines in the 17th and 18th for you.

Quote:

---

The CPT exam was written, passed and forgotten. So was the big gang of friends at the CA institute. As time passed I became more anxious about the “passing clouds” in my life

---

In the 17th

Quote:

---

I spent the entire first year of my college hoping to re-establish friendship with Sean

---

Well, there was nothing else that took Lalli’s interest or time in the first year, other than that in response to your many more months of goody college raconteurs. [quote]



You are right, there's plenty of indications.

This is what comes from growing up on Nancy Drew, missing obvious clues becomes second nature :D

(the latest 2 chtps) a ray of sunshine at the horizon.



Wish you a happy Diwali as well. & Hope your exams went well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by killua

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chevy

[tscii]Hey Killua

However, let me highlight a few lines in the 17th and 18th for you.

Quote:

---

The CPT exam was written, passed and forgotten. So was the big gang of friends at the CA institute. As time passed I became more anxious about the “passing clouds” in my life

---

In the 17th

Quote:

---

I spent the entire first year of my college hoping to re-establish friendship with Sean

---

Well, there was nothing else that took Lalli’s interest or time in the first year, other than that in response to your many more months of goody college raconteurs.

---

You are right, there's plenty of indications.

This is what comes from growing up on Nancy Drew, missing obvious clues becomes second nature :D

---

:lol: K. NvR Mind.

24

Time rolled. I remembered Sean’s birthday. How much ever I tried to forget it, when his birthday dawned, I woke up thinking if he’d be happy if I’d remembered his birthday. Or would I just seem obviously desperate? Divya would stop talking to me, if I cared so much for this. Vidya simply suggested that I had so much fun in college, and we trio spent such wonderful moments together. Patti was increasingly accepting me and I, naturally and almost effortlessly, transformed myself to a cultured Indian girl in my way of speaking, cladding, thinking and style. My parents were well settled now and life was never better. Why did I worry myself and let this gloominess affect my merry disposition? Why was everyone branding me lackluster and ominous these days? Why force this unhappiness into myself, when I was beautifully casting like clay and taking shape in the Indian mold?


“Well, I am like clay, Vidya”, I told. “Soft clay. Casting into a dejected mold. With time, the intense, burning indignation within my very self, has baked the clay into intransigence and inflexibility. And once baked, you can't change it's shape. Unless you want to break it? ”

Divya turned a deaf ear towards me. Nevertheless, both of them spent the whole day with me.

I ate dinner with Patti and Thatha.

I rang up my old CPT mates and chatted for long till Patti came knocking at the door inquiring why was the line kept busy for so long. I abruptly cut the call and told her it was my friend’s birthday. It was almost unintended. I swore to myself, that I hadn’t been contemplating whether I should wish him or not. But it was just one of those excuses that usually blurt out of me.

Nonetheless, I knew I was just lying to myself.

A hundred different feelings amalgamated within me.

Indescribable. Totally.

I had remembered his birthday.

And there is no harm in letting him know that I did. Anyone will be touched and thrilled to know they’ve been remembered.

Without further thought I rang up Sean.

And he picked.

And we spoke.


Finally.