NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~ Thread 3- CHAPTERS 5 & 6 - Page 13

Originally posted by: -AkDha.Lover-

You're most welcome dii...🤗

🤣🤣

Originally posted by: -AkDha.Lover-

Good Evening Harshu di and all...🤗

good evng shagun...🤗

Hi Harshu di, shaam ka naashta done? 😆

Writer-e-khaas,

Sorry I am late for Chapter 4, coming to your second thread. I am sure you should have called this Chapter 4 continues instead of Chapter 5 and 6, as it will fill up :)

So, without much ado, I will go my take of your adventurous chapter.

I feel we are in complete tandem as writer and reader ... and credit to you for guiding the reader through the emotional tempo of your chapters.

Last week, you brought to life the storm that disrupted the life of Harka and Durga ... but near the end I felt you left the readers rays of hope ... a hope of healing and recovery, throughout Chapter 3.

And this chapter continued with the early signs of hope and healing, which is the theme for my take 5 for this chapter.

1. Our stranger arrives ... and you do not tell us much about him to begin with ... except his gruff Mughal accent. Yet, he brings two forms of relief ... information about the nearest town and some water, albeit expensive. Things seem to be slowly turning the corner ... and this is likely the beginning of how the stranger will bring support as the story progresses.

2. And Harka seems to be recovering ... taking charge of the situation with the Stranger. Near the end of the last chapter, Harka was weak and taken care of her maids and guards. As Durga's vision had reminded her, Harka's strength was her mind and Harka used it to take charge of the escalating situation here.

As the Stranger opportunistically asks for 4 dams for the water. she sees her entourage emphatically protest, particularly Bindiya who is back to being her strong-willed self (she is strong isn't she!). But speed was of the essence, Harka needed to make sure her men reached shelter and treatment soon ... so against the guidance of her chief guard, she speaks up knowing well how to deal with such folks. She tacticaly diffuses the tension asking if the 4 dams was for one sack of water or two ... and when her sarcasm does not work she decided to pay the Stranger so they can quickly leave for safety and shelter.

And our Stranger is very perceptive ... understanding that the voice and mannerisms of the woman he was dealing with was of no commoner ... but yet he moved on speedily after receiving his payment.

I am not sure if this was intentionally done so ... but this interaction reminded me of the scene before the "storm" in Chapter 2 ... when Harka saves Bindiya from an escalating tussle. It showed similar tact and negotiation related to dealings. Perhaps a sign that Harka is returning to normalcy or at least showing strength as a true leader of her people.

3. And finally Harka and her folk arrive to Aidabad. While the guest house is dingy and dirty, nothing like the idyllic estate of their past, it brought back some shelter and stability to the wandering past few days.

And most importantly, Harka quickly focused on her healing ways and making sure Mohan and Daya recover ... bringing together the herbs and her stock of water to help.

Again, this seems to be a signal of the healing process beginning for all of them ... as the "healer" brought her Golden touch, just as Durga had described Harka in Chapter 3.

Let us see where all this Golden touch takens them.

4. And then there was the breath of fresh air returning to her life, with Harka going on a stroll by herself, taking a break, and collecting her thoughts by herself for the first time since her life had been uprooted ...

Yet, all was not well and peace had not returned so easily or quickly. Here, I found the metaphor between Harka and the pebble beautiful.Just as the pebbles thrown into the water did not ripple the way they usually did in the raging water, her emotions were equally turbulent compared to her normal self. Finally, Harka found herself crying out to her jiji for help ...

5. And it seemed yet again, the bridge and world under Harka would be swept away, leaving Harka desperately scrambling for her life in the rapids ... and it was not her jiji that returned to help but another elbow that kept her up. The return of the Stranger. The first line after his grip of her elbow was "her hope renewed" as it exactly is for the reader. This stranger was to be a new hope for Harka's future journey.

As always, I love the way you build up your characters .. we see the form of the Stranger building ... first his voice, then his roughness, then his strength, then his physical features... the Persian, the hazel ... slowly this Stranger is becoming more familiar to us through Harka's eyes, ears, and even touch as she holds onto him to stay afloat.

I may be reading too much into this as well ... but in the end of the chapter Harka felt there was no way to get out ... as the bank wall was too slippery ... similar to her situation in life more broadly. When Harka could see no solution to get out of the water, the Stranger shows the rope ladder as an obvious solution ... perhaps, this is again a sign that the Stranger will offer some solution for the quagmire she is caught in overall in life.

And hence this chapter leaves us on a path of recovery and hope ... I am sure it will be a bumpy ride but the path seems to be emerging.

Thank you again for a gripping, engaging chapter ... Some moments to smile re-emerging ...

Originally posted by: cute.manasi

see lashy di , am not the only one...😛

Originally posted by: sharmacatty

I read few comments, not all but noticed that everyone was saying that's not possible in 17th century. Well whatever I wrote in my last comment, I don't think that makes a difference whether she's a 17th century girl or of 21st century. That's all I can say!!

And don't worry I am not bringing back this topic again. kal pmed me the links so had to reply her.