SHE - Episode 5

Yes, Gayathri, the story is taking a turn now. And it will be taking a turn every week. Seeing the enthusiasm of you all, I am bringing in so many issues into the story. I am not presumptuous enough to think I am giving some message to this group of enlightened readers. I intend provoking discussion on a range of issues which have not been boldy discussed so far.

It is the duty of the writer to make the readers get used to his or her characters. When you know someone really close then you can only like him. That's why God loves us all; because She knows us really close.

I too enjoyed writing the imaginary conversation in this episode. Though inserting that meant extending the story by one more episode, I was sure that it would be relished and if not actually enjoyed, will at least be appreciated. Many lives are spent in such kind of kaash moments.

Though I have the capacity to portray sensitive characters in my stories, whether I am that sensitive or not, only my wife can tell. She holds her opinions to herself; but this much she has said, that I am not like any of the good characters portrayed by me. I will have to take it as a compliment. At least she has not likended me to my bad characters.

regards,

 

Dear Sridhar,
I was really worried when there was too much of an identification with the characters. The problem is like this: now we are just taxiing the runaway. so any comparison or identification is okay. But some three, four episodes down the line, we will be at a height of 40000 feet above MSL. Any comparison at that time might hurt. So I just wanted to warn now itself. Of course, as you rightly put it, who can ever prevent you all from making those comparisons. I deem it as the highest compliments paid to my story. Thank you for this touching intrepretation. It also increases my responsibility towards the story.

About the second paragraph of your post, why do you first think, that it has to be only death? It can be something else, and be more devastating. Any further attempt to answer your repeated questions will be letting the cat out of the bag, a week in advance, the last thing I want to do.

Thanks for the nice, touching words of appreciation.
regards,

 

Hello Meena,

Well about the counsellor's advice we had a lot of discussion in the last episode. So let's leave that issue now.

I am not going to expose Rishi any more than necessary. Writing, Meena, is more like painting. The painter takes the brush in his hand and makes a powerful stroke here but makes a gentle brush there. The colour is the same the intensity is different. In fact the difference in intensities of the brush-strokes give life to the picture. If Rishi has got only a light 'brush-up' so far, let it me. Let's see how he grows up later in the story.

The statistics say that almost 90% of the divorces happen within 5 years of marriage. A marriage that has stood for 5 years is more likely to stand for 25 years. But in Shiva-Shalini case the heroine wakes up after 5 years to find that she is trapped in a loveless marriage.

I fully agree with your observation that most men are not loveless. But do not know how to express their love. I had also used that to defend the husband of one of the ILites.

But I also think that in order for love to survive, it has to be expressed sooner or later. Unexpressed love soon dies and the person becomes really loveless.

These are some issues which we men should think deeper than we are doing now.
Your observation about men's need for sex before love is also illuminating. The psychologists used to say. For a woman love is primary. She does not mind sex being a byproduct of love. For a man, sex is primary. He does not mind love being a byproduct of sex.

Of course there are exceptions on both sides. But did they not say that the exceptions confirm the rule?

Thanks for the wonderful post, Meena.
regards,

 

Motivational Series! 13th Article Posted

Most Gracious ILites,

I have just now posted the translation of my 13th essay which appeared in today's Dinamalar. It is about hard work vs smart work.

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/sundays-with-varalotti/8050-hard-work-vs-smart-work.html

Looking forward to seeing your responses for that.

regards,

 

Dear Anjana,
Thanks, Anjana. But as of now we are just still taxiing on the runway. I have approached the ATC for clearance to fly. And in an episode or two we will be up in the air.

Any man appears differently to his daughter than to his wife. Normally speaking, a man shows the best of him to his daughter. But there are exceptions like Shiva who showed their best to their wives and even to the rest of the world, as we are going to learn soon.

Anjana, I find all the ladies sympathising with Rishi though I have tried my best to paint him in a dark shade of grey. Every one agrees that what Rishi did was wrong but no one is willing to judge him based on this single incident. I only presume that the ladies in this forum are so loving and so caring that all your spouses should be damn lucky to have you.

Let me tell you what happened in the last scene when the phone rang. You see.. .. sorry, Anjana, other ILites are objecting. Just wait for 120 hours.
Thanks,for your response,
regards,

 

Dear Sujatha,

Thanks a ton for your kind words. I want to tell you something, Sujatha. This non-expression of love and no-love has been analysed enough. A psychologist friend tells me that if you do not express love for long, then you become loveless, in the same way if you do not move your limbs for long, really long, they lose their power to move.

The same is true with all emotions. Inability to express them robs us of our emotional richness and we become as flat as a dial tone. Love or hate, fear or joy should be expressed. If we cant express it to the concerned person, at least we should express it to ourselves, before God, before any other person.

Rishi being denied his mother's love and looking for the same from Shalini is a new angle, which Sujatha, honestly, I have not covered or even thought of it. It shows how kind, balanced and loving you are. Thanks for that observation.

regards,