SHE - Episode 5

sudhavnarasimhan · May 25, 2007

Dear Sridhar,

well the story has not moved very far, and there is a lot of introspection in everyone's minds......noticed that you answered my doubt about Shiva not knowing his friend Captain's household.....and activities. well it is also true what u said that maybe Shalini would have changed the old man and his ways....well looks like Shalini did not attempt or the Captain was too rigid!

Also the way everyone is enquiring abt Rishi's character and not jumping to conclusions abt Rishi ( you have also made it clear taht he is a Sterling character), shows that we WOMEN KNOW HOW TO ADJUST TO OUR MEN!?! And vittu kodukamattom!
No one wants to symphatise with Shalini.....well she has it all so why crib instead of making an attempt to be more loving and giving?
Also have to say this from my life.....my hubby was also like Rishi....but of late he makes phone calls when is out of town and sometime enquires about my health etc.....well it made me a bit uncomfortable and i and my daughter wondered what's wrong with HIM!? Well ikkaraikku akkarai pacchai!
So i am willing to wait and watch !:2thumbsup:

mythili · May 25, 2007

Dear Varalotti Sir,
I was imatiently waiting for episode 5 and devoured it last night in few minutes even postponing my son's bedtime

I have mixed feelings about Shal's future after reading episode 5.

On one hand, I am happy that Shal is realizing something drastic needs to be done to her marriage life.
And I know that she will not have/care for any social/family pressures to keep her doing what she really wants.

But I am nervous about the climax. If it is the father, she is going to be quite devastated. I do remember you mentioned you cried out while reading episode 6... that makes my intuitions strong...

In my view, the dad should be more sorry about bringing her up to believe life is perfect rather than for marrying her to the 'wrong' family.

hey, I really enjoyed the joke you said about the father going to the maternity hospital, was thinking about it after I went to bed too made me think of my dear Achan too, he too worries all his life for us kids.

Mythili

varalotti · May 25, 2007

A General Caveat To All The ILites!

Most Gracious ILites,
Before I start replying individually I am now constrained to issue a caveat, a warning to all of you. I am amazed at your involvement with the story. I too have never been so involved with a story like I did with SHE.

But my warning to myself and all of you is that let's not get too attached with any of the characters. While it is okay to compare a trait or two of your husband with Rishi, or compare your fil with the captain, identifying any of the fictional characters with your real life characters will lead to needless worry.

No one person is like the another. Even identical twins are different from each other. God is infinitely creative. And in so many millions of his brilliant strokes, I have chosen a few to talk about life. And there ends all comparison.

At this stage it is okay to compare and say, I am not like Shalini, my husband is better than Rishi and so on. But three episodes later, it will be a different balgame altogether.

So judge the characters. Praise them. Admire them. Hate them. Loathe them. Do anything except comparison and identification.

This is the final sign to fasten your seat belts, and keep your seats upright to enable me take the craft off the ground.

With Love,

varalotti · May 25, 2007

Dear AGR (ji),

(Why this bracketed ji? Why cant you call a 28 year old lad, just sridhar?)
Shalini is not the type who will just burst out. She is now taking in all the insults heaped on her so that at the right time she will explode. I want you AGR to just remember your own words which you have written now, when Shalini comes out in full form, in viswaroopam, to assert herself.

I am just preparing my heroine to speak out her heart. No, no, I am preparing you all to be able to hear when Shalini speaks out her heart later in the story.

Thanks for the comments, AGR.

regards,

gayathriar · May 25, 2007

The story is taking interesting turn...! I thought about the dad too, when Shalini screamed 'oh...no'. Shiva shines well as a very caring and considerate father this week.

I guess I got used to the heroine now, so not much to complain this week. I really liked the hypothetical conversation between Shalini and Rishi - that brings out the sensitive writer in you. Kaash, how I wish Rishi( and all men like him were) was more considerate or atleast a sensitive male writer

-Gayathri.

varalotti · May 25, 2007

Dear Malathi,

(For quite some time all the heroines in my story had the name Malathi. In fact 6 years back my daughter's school-principal complained to me that while my stories are interesting, giving the same name to the heroine was not so interesting. But sentimentally I try to bring in the name of Malathi or Sharada in my stories. In this story there is a Malathi. Can you find out who she is?)

About that imaginary conversation. I strongly feel that writers should concern themselves more with the small pleasures and the small pains of life, rather than focussing on grand things and great sorrows.

I am sure every woman (and every man too) would unconsciously compare the actual conversation/relationship with the ideal conversation/relationship.

And to confess something Malathi, there are also women who are loveless. I can immediately think of half a dozen aunts who used to be irritated with their husbands and their families. 25 years ago I was staying with some distant uncle/aunt. My birthday came. The uncle who was fond of me told the aunt pleadingly, 'today is sridhar's birthday. why dont you prepare some paayasam.' The aunt, otherwise a good woman, was in a foul mood. She said within my hearing, "Who has the time?". More than me my uncle was upset. Rishis exist in the feminine gender too.

And there was an interesting twist to that paayasam incident. Crestfallen I went to my training place. It was a huge auto-ancillary factory. In the afternoon when I sat for lunch with the other workers in the factory I was surprised to see Paayasam served. My eyes filled up. My colleague told me, "Serving paaysam on Fridays has been our custom for the past several years."

Are we going to go deep into Rishi's character? I am not so sure. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

regards,

varalotti · May 25, 2007

Dear Sudha,

This serial is neither Haunted House nor B&B. There is no scope for fast movement.

Rishi is a very special character. There are times when evil can emanate from persons who are not alchoholics, womanisers or wife-beaters. Rishi is one such instance. Some of my young friends are software engineers or call-centre operatives. They at times behave like Rishi. No bad habits. No financial indiscipline. No love either.

But honestly I don't want any comparisons to be drawn with the living characters in real lives. Because the comparison may hold good now; but tomorrow if the story takes a turn for the worse then we will be hurt by the comparison.

One more thing, Sudha. Some men are loveless. While some are full of love and tender feelings in their hearts, but do not know how to express them. From the way you put it, I think your man should belong to the second category.

regards,

Kamla · May 26, 2007

Dear Sridhar,

I see you are having a handful (or is it penful?!) not just answering our comments, but also fighting off the emotional hang ups of us IL'ites!! Hmm...your protests about comparing your fictional characters to real life characters was very touching, but I honestly don't think it is going to hold much water. We are who we are! We compare and dissect everything, who can stop the emotional roller coaster?! Relax and take it as a compliment that your characters are so true to life.
As for me, I am impatient. Am in no mood to draw equations with anybody...I Have to know who's turn it was this time round???????????? My instincts tell me that it is Shiva. Has to be Shiva..Is it Shiva? Oh no, is it Shiva?..( Okay, I can sense where you are heading this time. A totally free Shal, no harness to hold her back or anyone to prick her conscience. The girl has spirit and is stubborn. As of now, it is only her dear dad who can talk any sense into her. So with him out of the picture, the real adventures of our protagonist might roll forth. ..But...Was it Shiva???!

L,Kamla

meenaprakash · May 26, 2007

Hello Sridhar,

Ok, now the story is getting a little intense.
atleast Shal is intelligent not to take a hasty decision, she has started dissecting her decisions and that's a nice move. Hope the counsellor has been fired, Sridhar. I just couldn't stand such insensible advise - a child when the relationship between shal and Rishi is almost dying. I've heard this advise by many elders too; it's pathetic. anyway, I shld've mentioned this in the last episode. sorry for bringing this here.

loved reading all conversations between shal and Shiv. the sudden call at 9 and emotional talk by Shiva does signal something worse.
It's high time you exposed Rishi to us. still can't gauge his character. In any relationship, the initial few months to yrs is the foundation period but between S & R there seem to be no bond of any sort; what is holding them together - is it just the "MARRIED" tag - that's holding them, just like millions of other marriages of the worlds ? that's sad... really sad.

I don't think Rishi is Love-less. most men are like Rishi. they just don't know or just don't understand love and small little emotions attached to it. only sex would open up that emotion in a man. once that part is ignited, then their behaviour does change. understanding, sharing, possessing and a whole lot of unknown/new emotions starts showing in a man only after his sexual needs are taken care of. what can you expect from a man who grew under the shadow of a military ruler, his Dad.

would like to leap to the next episode ASAP.

Regards,

varalotti · May 26, 2007

Dear Mythili Madam,

You have made me feel guilty with your very first sentence. Guilty of robbing a little boy's sleep, albeit for a few minutes.

Very happy to note that you have mixed feelings about Shal. Thats exactly what I wanted. My teacher for Advanced English used to say that a writer should not paint her characters black and white. You can find this in the old Tamil films (even in some new films too) and most of the TV serials. The central character will be all goodness. And the villain (male or female) will be diabolic to the core. But in real life we do not see black or white but very rich shades of grey.

Will Shal do something really drastic? We will have to wait and see, Madam. Please do not have any "intuition" about the ending of the episode. It need not necessarily be death of some one. It could be something even more devastating. As of now let's keep guessing.

Happy that you enjoyed the maternity joke and happier still to know that I made you think of your dear acchan. In fact now I can heave a sigh of relief for I have done some retribution to the sin of robbing your son's sleep.

regards,