Originally posted by: Innika
Twerping, I have a bone to pick with you.
I just realised that I don't get PMs from you anymore!
Please send me PMs, I need to always know when this fic has been updated so I can cheer😆
Sorry I haven't really being leaving many comments recently, I have exams and so I'm drowning in pressure! I had some spare time this morning, so here we go!
I love your writing!
It's just so raw and yet so extremely profound. You manage to strike all the right chords, without sounding overly sappy or too distant. You manage to keep this beautiful balance, and I appreciate that a lot when I read The Masquerade.
I love reading both your Shivaay and your Annika.
To be honest, I think that the show's ShivIka often get lost in the crowd.
Sometimes, I don't really understand how their minds work. Their relationship is supposed to be spontaneous and passionate, I understand that, but I just think that the CV's have been trying to do too much with them, and have therefore managed to leave them stranded with half-baked plotlines. I think that you fill in the blanks in this sense, and you actually manage to impart details of their personalities in your writing.
In this, Shivaay has so many layers and while the show may strive to show this too, in all honesty, you do it much better!
The way you write his emotional turmoil is absolutely heart-wrenching. The whole idea of her being his forbidden fruit is so intelligent, and I felt so deeply for Shivaay during his reflection on what had happened between him and Annika.
I keep waiting for his realisation to sink in on the show as well. I love that Shivaay realises that she's not at fault, and that her trying to be happy is completely understandable. I loved the comparisons between his relationship with Tia and Annika's relationship with Nishaanth as well. I salute you for writing about his struggle with society's expectations, and that all he really wants to do sometimes is break the rules, and while he consciously knows that being with Annika would let him do just that, his own rules won't let him.
I love that he is trying to let go of her, for her own happiness. Letting go is such a hard concept to wrap your head around, in real life and fiction, and s/o to you for managing to do it so realistically. I actually cried in this update, and I think that that in itself should be reason for you to be proud of your work. I admit that I cry very easily, but I liked that I didn't cry because of some in-your-face type of tragedy. I cried because I felt that I had gotten an insight into Shivaay's emotional upheaval. When a writer manages to make someone cry by leaving subtleties and waiting for the reader to read between the lines, it's an indicationnof their obvious talent.
Annika, as well, is written brilliantly.
I fell in love with Annika for one thing that she has radiated throughout her whole characterisation. Her self-respect. I think that at times, she too is filled with insecurities and self-loathing, but I admire that she never shows it to anyone, and rather, keeps it in the dark recesses of her mind, and only expresses her own pain when alone.
Again, I love that she too, is warring between her morals and her obvious affinity towards Shivaay. In the update before last, I absolutely loved that while we think that she finally gives in to her desires, she pulls away at the last minute. It speaks to me as a reader, because I realise that I've done that too, restricted myself from what I want, because I've already set myself some ground rules.
I love, love, love ShivIka's emotional anguish in this. I think you've captured the very essence of ShivIka - the fact that they are both fighting between their morals and social rites and each other. They're each other's forbidden fruits, and we all know that the forbidden fruit always tastes the sweetest!
I love your Tia, as well.
The show's Tia is being established into a vamp, and so while I originally liked her, I find myself growing to hate her everytime she makes an appearance now. I really wanted Tia Kapoor to be genuinely good, albeit a bit naive, immature and spoilt, I wanted Shivaay to be put into a real fix when picking between her and Annika.
She is perfect for him in society's eyes, while a relationship with Annika is a cause for scrutiny. I would want Shivaay to pick between society and his love.
But at the moment, I feel like the CV's are trying to establish a worldly difference in Tia and Annika's moral ground, making it even easier for Annika to be the desired one. I wish that they would make Tia a really positive persona, and that even with her being the obvious choice, he falls in love with Annika.
Anyhow, they aren't doing that at all on the show, but at least your Tia makes up for it! In your most recent update, I like that we see her point of view for once. I think that the audience often makes the mistake of assuming that she doesn't really matter because she's not exactly the brightest, and that saddens me. Tia Kapoor is still a woman, with feelings and aspirations for her wedding, so thank you for actually expressing that in your depiction of her.
Even Nishanth managed to make a significant impact on me.
In no way did I particularly like him, but I did understand him. Even though we make high claims about moving past society's expectations, in reality, some of us are still being bound by them. I felt for Nishanth as well, because I think he genuinely did like Annika, but he obviously didn't love her, because in love, we make a conscious effort to forget about our beloved's shortcomings. I think people like Nishanth do exist, and while we may not like him, I love that you decided to create his persona the way that you did. Embittered by society's bounds, people like Nishanth are inherently weak and they can't handle the challenge of fighting back. Thank you for creating Nishanth, he was an insightful addition to The Masquerade.
Anyways, I'm going to try to cut it short now, god knows you have a lot of comments to read!
By the way, I'm bengali as well, so I understand the extra pressure you had with Durga Puja and all!
Kudos to you for still managing to update, all I had time to do was study and dance 😭
And thank you, because reading this update inspired me to start a new ShivIka story that I should hopefully post soon 😆
God bless and thank you again for such a brilliant update! I promise to try my hardest to keep the comments going whenever you update next 😊
Love,
Innika
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