Fractured legend

Fractured Legend

Author : Kranthi Askani

About The author

Kranthi Askani is a novelist from Hyderabad, India. His fictional style integrates magical realism with gothic elements.

What do you do when you get a personally autographed book from the author?? Well I’m not sure about most of you, I was Happy, and was all set to read the book. Of course, you need not always feel the same state of emotion you were in initially. So here I started off, and with the very first line I went “ehh, errr whatt’ yea! So anyways, I read on further, and come across ‘I would squeal and scurries back like a touch-me-not….’ And here I was thinking that squealing and scurrying was attributed to a rat/mouse.

Further, ‘of the eleven others, I like Aardya the most. She is humble and has a straight Jaw. Everyone teased her, I never teased her’. Yes , i still kept reading!!

So here I realized that definitely the author’s fictional style of integrating magical realism and gothic elements was definitely not something I looked forward to reading.

I found it really hard to read the book owing to the writing style of the author, which I personally felt, would put Indian soaps to shame. You know how each dialogue is said in slow motion in serials?? I felt the writing to be such. Also, just because you use some bi words out of context doesn’t make the content worthwhile.

None of the characters were appealing; they only managed to make me want to yawn.

There is an obvious lag in the story line, for instance, Priyambada goes to talk to Annapurna about how she could earn money or rather get some job. Here Priyambada is distracted by a ‘Sieve’ (Yes a SIEVE for crying out loud), and we are told as to how she lost a sieve herself. So I’m sure you get the point, right?

The book is divided into three parts – Slave, Manuscript, and A very long letter. In each pat , we have thre different female protagonists - Priyambada, Nandhini and Pravalli . Somehow, none of them were interesting

I personally did not like the Book. For me it was definitely Fractured.

My review:  1/10.

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Serah ( Part II )

( Serah Part I )

Both our teams overcame the initial hassles. Well that did not come in easy, there was lot of melodrama, catfights, name-calling, and finally after our Principal intervened we started working for our ‘college’. Though both the team members despised each other initially, I guess we somehow mellowed down along the way. Love blossomed as well, and no it wasn’t me. It was Serah and Hridant. 

Serah and I were assigned to work on the story board together, after the initial awkwardness,and her faint memory of having thrown soda on my face etc, we somehow managed to work together. Yes we did have very different opinions and views, but somehow we used to find a third way out. Yes, it was neither my way nor her way; it was always a third opinion or idea, which we would mutually agree on.

So eventually the three months of preparations gave way to our competition. Though we did not land the first position, and were ‘content ’of being placed 3^rd, I found a Friend in Serah. I envied her, not because she was always ahead of me, but she had a beautiful gift, of masking her sorrows over her ‘Happy-go’ lucky face, and trust me she was too good at it, rather, good is an understatement.

Our friendship grew, and from Rajan, I was christened Rajaaaa. That’s what she used to call me. Serah and Hridant were also going on, as everyone else said ‘Strong’. They were the ‘Perfect Couple’. So if they were so Perfect’ why wasn’t Serah’s smile reaching her eyes? Why did her laughter loose itself somewhere between her upper lips and the bridge of her nose? No no I wasn’t jealous here, I just happened to notice her a lot better than the others did.

Three years just passed away in the blink of an eye. We were awaiting our final year results, and well ‘planning ahead’. I had already decided on pursing writing, and luckily my Parents backed me up as well. Serah was to an extent clueless. She was what they called”Jack of all trades, master of none”. But that was again because she never really placed much importance on a career as such. Although I must add, that in the 3 years, she was a known person. It was not every time that you came across a person, who was fab at music, dance, poetry, art – you name it, Serah was it. So now you know why she wasn’t fascinated with a particular thing. She used to tell me that she would easily get bored, if she realized that she could do certain things without putting in much effort.

However Serah started off as an Intern with an advertising firm, and found her work interesting. Hridant and Serah parted ways in between all this. When, how, why was never known, and I never asked. She used to like that about me. That’s how we grew close.

Three years with Hridant did leave a scar, and that was slowly beginning to heal. A year later, she informed me about Tony. She met Tony through one the projects she was working on, and well they bonded really quick. Well I felt 2 days was really quick . Now Tony was a model from UK, and was here just for the week. However, I’m sure the Serah charm rubbed on him too. He stayed back.

As far as I was concerned, I did have my occasional share of relations, break-ups etc. I could never understand as to why I never felt any strong emotion or rather connection towards any of my Girlfriends. I realized why, 6 years later.

I still remember that night, feels like yesterday. I opened the door to see Serah completely drenched, and shivering away. She walked inside leaving wet footprints in her wake. I hate the monsoons, and cannot fathom the pleasure people derive in getting drenched in the rain.

So here she was sitting on the floor with her knees drawn to her chest. Her wet hair clung tightly to her frame as though afraid of being taken away. Her eyes were tightly shut as though warding off invisible demons. Her broad forehead was burrowed in creases that couldn’t be ironed out. A drop of water made its way from the end of her pixie nose to her lips. Her lower lips trembled with the cold, pulling me back into realization that she was shivering. I rushed to get her a towel and something dry to change into.

She was still sitting as I had left her. Two fat tears rolled out of her eyes. She bit her lower lip and looked up at me. She shook her head sideways, and looked down. I bent down and started drying out her hair and handed her the towel and the clothes I got her. She silently got up, and tiptoed towards the bathroom.

As she came back I handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

‘How is Tony’? Our conversations used to usually begin with ignorance of the others situations. We felt it would give us the time to decide if we wanted to talk or not. I know it sounds foolish, but this was how it was, this was how it was always going to be. 

I knew they were having a rough time. The last conversation I remember was of her wanting to settle down with Tony, however he was hesitant. She was done with their on and off relation status, done with him cheating on her, and then begging for forgiveness. She wanted Tony to take them seriously.

‘Tony and I are not together anymore’, she paused, I knew there was something more to the breakup, and I knew she was coming to it. She looked helplessly at me. Her big round black eyes, screamed for help, and yet they were hollow. I looked away and puffed away on my cigarette.

‘I’m pregnant’, she sighed ’he doesn’t want the baby, but I want the baby, I’m keeping my child.’ She finished in one breath.

To those of you who are wondering about her parents in this equation. Well Serah never spoke about them, and I never asked. I threw the cigarette away and saw it holding onto its last breath before fading away.

‘How old is the Baby’

‘3 weeks’, her eyes twinkled.

‘I’m not sure about this pregnancy thing Serah, but I guess you should not be getting drenched in the rain again, the baby may catch a cold or something’

She looked at me and stared for a millisecond before bursting out into a thunderous laughter. For the first time in 10 years I saw her happy.

to be continued

Serah ( Part I )

He looked back at the man staring at him. Wrinkles sought refuge on his face, like they yearned to be there. He crinkled his eyes, ran his hair through his receding hairline, and winked back at the reflection in the mirror. Not bad, he thought aloud. Rajan Pillai tugged at the collar of his crisp white linen shirt and flattened invisible creases on his broad shoulder.

The wind blew in the ruffled curtains and covered his face. He sighed and looked back at the direction of the wind, and relished in the memory it bought him. A distant laughter filled his ears. He admonished the wind, and his eyes fell on a collage of pictures that adorned his wall. Serah, he whispered.

******

‘Why is it that love always eludes me, I’m loosing out on myself, you know Raja, I feel like i'm going down’

2 weeks later

‘helllooooo Rajjaaaaa, eeeee, IMA in looouuuveee’, she rambled over the phone.

Oh I almost forgot to introduce her. Trust me after knowing her, you would be wishing that you didn’t know her. I’m serious. Look at me! Alright so let me get to it. I know Serah since she was 20 years old. Oh she is 36 now, oh and I’m Rajan her best friend. But this is not about me. This story is purely about Serah. My Serah.

It must have been Summer, my memory fails me about the season, but why I think its summer is because of Serah again. Ok I am hopelessly in love with her, but who wouldn’t be! I still remember the time I saw her. She was wearing a cut out ripped denim, and an equally cut out white sleeveless t-shirt. Well the t-shirt was more or less something small enough to cover her assets; well you get the point right?? No and i’m not a conservative hypocrite, who secretly leched at her, I just found the outfit a tad too small.

Image courtesy : Dirty Hair Halo

Anyways, so here I was finishing my essay that was to be submitted for my honors programme for Ancient Indian Culture. Ok stop judging me already, and yes I was an average looking guy, only because I failed to pay much attention on my appearance and more on academics. So here I was minding my own business when she struts in (literally), and places an order for a Pepsi. Her eyes sweep over me, and remained fixed on a group of guys playing basketball. Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed her eyes, and well who could it have been - Rishabh or rohit, oh some ‘Dude’ of the college. Now rumor mills suggested that Serah and so called Mr. R. were dating since they were 16 years old, and recently broke up. I didn’t know the reasons.

So buzz was it that he had already started dating someone else, and she was the one who was alone, and as quoted by some girls ‘Heart broken’. So while I was watching this scene unfold in front of me, and also witnessing the ever changing emotions and expressions that waltzed away on Serah’s Face. I could feel my pants getting wet. No this isn’t some kind of Pervert reaction to her presence, but madam, was absentmindedly pouring the contents of her drink into an already overfilled glass, which was falling on me and on my 3 weeks of hard work.

‘Shit, what are you doing…?’ I screamed, and tried to save my thesis.

‘Oh no…i'm... ummm  what the hell are you doing staring at me, you.. you  Pervert!!!’ she screamed back, ‘Take this’, she flung the remaining in my face and walked off, and left me to deal with public embarrassment.

Yes, that is how we first met!! . I cursed her, and even wished that the earth would swallow her and not even burp. That was how much I hated her, as I failed to land my desired Honors seat, and was forced to get an alternate English Literature Honors instead. And lo behold who did I have sitting right next to me – why the mistress of misery herself!!!

She showed no remorse over her deeds last week, what I meant it she did not bother to apologize.In a way i was enjoying my Eng lit Honors programme, as that is where I decided on my vocation. Yes I knew I wanted to be a writer.

Did we talk??? No ways, I hated her as she had the answers to every damn question in class. She was one step ahead of me in every aspect, academically of course. So how did we become friends?? Well, now you guys do know how much I despised her, don’t you, no no there wasn’t any secret love brewing for her either.

Two months into the honors programme and we already had our big group assignment. We had to script, and enact a story, and the best group would get a chance to do the same at an inter - collegiate competition. She wasn’t in my group now. There were 18 groups in all, and I wanted to be among the best, and especially since I had already decided on writing as a vocation, I decided to check my writing skills.

3 weeks later we were ready to put our best forward with our play. The best thing about being in college is that you tend to know what the other group is doing, no mater how secretive they try to be. So buzz was it that 4 groups had excellent storylines, and well needless to say my group was one of them, and well so was hers.

We were the eleventh group to perform, and well we were a bit anxious as watching 10 groups perform before us does definitely tire the audience. Serah’s group would be performing 16^th , and this time I was happy to have been way ahead of her.

When my group was done, there was no applause for 5 seconds, those 5 seconds had my heart beating so fast that I felt it was ready to burst out of my body and lay punctured on the floor. I put my best face and went with my group on stage to bow before the audience, no sooner did we come on stage than a loud noise erupted in the hall. I feared the worst, of bullets being fired on us for our performance, but here the entire hall rose and gave our group a standing ovation. The claps died down only after 5 minutes. I was overwhelmed, excited, I wanted to scream. Oh and we did all of that. I was on top of the world. We did not wait for the results and rushed to the canteen and feasted like there was no tomorrow.

Finally the results were announced, ‘Two teams have similar scores and are on the first position, and we have to deliberate on either one of them’

Two teams!! Now i felt the celebrations were uncalled for.

‘We have come to a conclusion that both these teams will represent our college on an inter collegiate level, and only 10 members as per the rules would get to be on stage, I’m sure with the help of your teachers ,both the team members would come on a unanimous result’.

‘The winners are team number 11 and team number 16, congratulation to both the teams, and on the third position is team number 13’

To be Continued ......