Three Years ago.. HBAS Appreciation..

Exactly three years Ago..

A wonderful thing happened..

A Romantic couple was resurrected from the ancient Moghul era , and they gave birth to a beautiful love story - passionate and heroic ..

From the pen of a budding author, who then had to her credit only one novel , blossomed the epic story, which maintained the number one position in the fiction section of the Forum continuously for three years..

"HIDING BEHIND A STRANGER"

It was a story of how two strangers became soulmates for ever..

In the words of the author Lashy,

He, the most shrewd, determined.. a force to be reckoned with.. a recluse with simple tastes, the rich life held no real appeal... power didn't tempt him... women didn't interest him... his passion was work and his only family were a few loyal friends... he had decided that he wanted little else in life...

AND

She..Forced to flee from her motherland, the one home she knew... forced to leave behind her people, for whom, she was their only hope...forced to grievously abandon the last rites of her loved one while the flames on the pyre were still ablaze...the orphaned heiress of 16 overcame grief and many shortcomings, as she embarked on a long dangerous path... setting out to seek help and support, for her people and her lands...

Till a chance visit from a complete stranger would change that decision forever!

A laptop, a dictionary, some imagination and loads of dreams... Trying my hand at writing, once again...
Great to be back on this platform... looking forward to regularly catching-up with my lovely old friends ... looking forward to making new ones too!

As a response, the readers travelled with the characters all through these three years, participating in their every action , experiencing their every emotion, visualising their every movement , happy when they were happy, and grieved when they were in grief.. Thus Akbar Mohammoud Khan and Heera made entry into the families of the readers and were welcomed by them whole heartedly..

Samples of appreciation received then...

From our only one Shyamala Aunty..

"...I was carried thru your first two chapters like a leaf floating downstream. Faster and faster I went, as your narration gathered pace, though the tale was still just beginning. The eddies were clearly down there, beneath the surface, but their treacherous pull was not yet visible.

Lashykanna, you would have made a superb itinerant storyteller of old times, drawing your audience, grouped round a fire in the village square, in with you into the web of words that you were weaving. The warp and the woof have been handled with a sure touch, and yet with a palpable sense of hesitation as to how the story, when it acquires a life of its own, would develop,

I am not going to comment on the Rajasthani milieu of the period that you have got down pat, as I knew you would, and yet without overburdening the reader with local colour. I will even go along with your Amazon-cum-dream girl of an elder sister, and her Adonis-on-steroids of a fiance. Probably there is some unwritten rule governing such fiction that makes such spectacular pairs mandatory!

... ... ...

It is clear that your latest is, as they say these days, trending in the IF. 154 pages for just 2 chapters, my pet, is something to be proud of!..."

From.. NJAPA- addict

"..I loved the very first update. You know history has never fascinated me. And reading something historical is never my thing. But when I say this that I loved the update, it implies you've brought me to not only like the set-up but also have me hooked onto it. It's your words... your writing that made it so gorgeous.. so royal.. so majestic.. so beautiful to read.

..the scenes that were so vividly and impeccably carved into words.. that they revolved live in front of my eyes. And yes.. more than reading, I was actually visualising everything.. thanks to the splendid writing⭐️..."

From divyavm

"..What a wonderful chapter, slowly drawing the audience into the setting and environment. As always I love how you build up the scene- we don't know exactly where we are and slowly you build the scene so we understand where we are and the main characters.."

From hemakeerthi

"..It is the interest you create from the word GO that makes your stories stand significant from others. And this novel is no different. Right from the first line, the thinking hats become functional making us rake our brains as to who's who.. what's actually happening!!

There is a famous acronym in computer terminology - WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get!!) and this update is the EXACT OPPOSITE of that. 😆.."

From Karkuzhali..

An Ode to the Classy Lashy:

(Inspired by the poem,"The Solitary Reaper" by William Wordsworth.)

1.

Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass

Reaping and Singing by herself;

Stop here or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain

And sings a melancholy strain

O! listen! for the vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound!

2.

Will no one tell me what she sings?-

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old ,unhappy far off things

And battles long ago.

Or is it some more humble lay

Familiar matter today?

Some natural sorrow, loss or pain,

That has been and may be again?

* * * * *

Remixed:

Behold her, once again has come back to write

Our slashy Lashy with all her might

Writing and being happy herself;

Read now and also enjoy yourself!

Alone she does research and writes non stop

With her Lexicon and Laptop

O! Watch, for the forum overflows

With the members' posts of kudos!

Can any one miss the story that she writes?

Perhaps the prologue'd have attracted you

To the century-old history of the Kings and Knights,

And the customs of the Moghuls and Rajputs true blue.

Or is it the suspense that underlies in it

Kindles the expectation of you readers to await

Some beautiful romance and well written dialogue

Which'll take us along with her till the epilogue..

What a wonderful thing this is Aunty 👏

HBAS for me is not only a novel, it has been a major landmark in my life.

I have actually lived the lives of the various characters throughout this period.

I have shed tears beside Durga baisa’s brutalised lifeless body 😒 I have cursed the beast Khalil along with the Parnagarh folks 😡 I have marvelled at Heera’s healing cognitive abilities 😲 Like Heera I have gradually fallen hopelessly in love with the stranger who extracted 4 dams from her for water ❤️ and I have felt goosebumps on my person while he threw knives to make a ladder to help her out of the canal 😲

I have looked on lovingly seeing the camaraderie between Khan Sahib and his men 😳 and I have loved the way he’s not only mentored but been a parent to most of them. I have also loved the respect and single minded devotion that the men have for their Ustaad

I have loved the beautiful relationship between chachajaan and his son Akbar and thought for hours about how lucky both of them were to find each other I remember by heart each sacrifice that Chachajaan must have made to care for and bring up Akbar into the fine man that he is. And I’m aware of each tear that would have been shed during this momentous journey 😭

I beat witness to the turmoil that Khan Sahib faced at the moment when his heart chose Heera as its own ❤️ and I also bear witness to the pain that his heart bore when she came up to him, and, alas, he had to spurn her 😭

How can I ever forget the day when Heera came to the stables to treat an ailing Bahadur 😳 oh! the havoc she created in Sahib’s heart or that day in Parnagarh when Samarth Banna got to know about Harka Baisa’s betrothal with Kunwar Mahender 😭

I rode along with Sahib right from the dingy fly infested sarai till the capital and then to the forest in search of the Shehzaade so that he could stop Khalil the barbarian yet again 😭 Gosh! That day when Sahib confessed to his Huzoor about his feelings for the Sahiba 😲 I could see that blood was boiling in Huzoor’s eyes and yet he restrained himself And the arrow that hit Khalil 😲 it whizzed past my ear!

And the pilaf cooked by Sahib 😲 and his demonstrations of simplicity 😊

I felt sad at Heera’s Predicament- poor girl got a huge shock when she learnt about the Ustaad 😭 but I was among the group that celebrated their wedding the loudest 🥳What a grand affair it was!! And the cherry on the cake was the poem that he recited impromptu ❤️

Heera’s doubts and fears and Akbar’s frustrations 😔 I have the full record of their First Night too 😉

I can also never forget the many moments of togetherness that Khan Sahib and Heera shared. Some before they spoke out loud about their feelings and many after that 😳 I blushed every time Heera blushed and felt the same warmth that Heera felt while she was enveloped in her lover, her Sahib’s all encompassing embrace

I felt a new hope when Sahib stood in the woods with the plan of the Canal Project in his hands and I felt morose soon after, when Sahib got to know of the developments in the capital relating to Heera’s scrolls 😭

I remember the patterns and the number of tassels that the curtain of the Solitary Confinement room had and I’m privy to the cheap manoeuvres of Farooq Sahib too 😡 I shed copious tears when Heera left for the Capital and her folks gave her cold shoulder. But my heart swelled with pride when I saw the human shield Ibrahim Sayyid and other Sahib’s men created around her to keep her safe 🤪

I remember the dignity with which Harka Sahiba handled herself in the Mughal Court and I’ve felt the pain she endured during that ordeal 😳 I’m privy to the price she paid - not only with her jewels but also with her pride 😭

I mourned for days when Ustaad was lashed 😡 and cursed the Huzoor no end for his brutal and disgusting act. And I know of his feeble ego and completely warped sense of self gratification that must have led him to do this barbaric act 😡

I sat at the edge of my seat during both duels, with my eyes glued to the arena, taking 1-2 glances at the lady in the blue veil in between. And I jumped high in joy when Ustaad was granted his well deserved win

I hugged everyone around when Heera was reunited with her Sahib - kya Parnagarhi kya men of Ustaad 🥳both sides are my eternal family

So thanks Lashy Sahiba for enriching my life with so many wonderful emotions and so so so many wonderful friends

🤗

Thank you Lavanya..

What a flow of language Lavanya..👏 👏There is a tamil saying, "madai thirandha veLLam pola..", meaning, like the flow of water when the shutters blocking a water tank is suddenly opened..

Yes, we identified ourselves with them in every event of their lives..

That was evident by the count of the 'likes' we saw at the end of each chapter..

Aunty.

Originally posted by: Sabdabhala

What a wonderful thing this is Aunty 👏

HBAS for me is not only a novel, it has been a major landmark in my life.

I have actually lived the lives of the various characters throughout this period.

I have shed tears beside Durga baisa’s brutalised lifeless body 😒 I have cursed the beast Khalil along with the Parnagarh folks 😡 I have marvelled at Heera’s healing cognitive abilities 😲 Like Heera I have gradually fallen hopelessly in love with the stranger who extracted 4 dams from her for water ❤️ and I have felt goosebumps on my person while he threw knives to make a ladder to help her out of the canal 😲

I have looked on lovingly seeing the camaraderie between Khan Sahib and his men 😳 and I have loved the way he’s not only mentored but been a parent to most of them. I have also loved the respect and single minded devotion that the men have for their Ustaad

I have loved the beautiful relationship between chachajaan and his son Akbar and thought for hours about how lucky both of them were to find each other I remember by heart each sacrifice that Chachajaan must have made to care for and bring up Akbar into the fine man that he is. And I’m aware of each tear that would have been shed during this momentous journey 😭

I beat witness to the turmoil that Khan Sahib faced at the moment when his heart chose Heera as its own ❤️ and I also bear witness to the pain that his heart bore when she came up to him, and, alas, he had to spurn her 😭

How can I ever forget the day when Heera came to the stables to treat an ailing Bahadur 😳 oh! the havoc she created in Sahib’s heart or that day in Parnagarh when Samarth Banna got to know about Harka Baisa’s betrothal with Kunwar Mahender 😭

I rode along with Sahib right from the dingy fly infested sarai till the capital and then to the forest in search of the Shehzaade so that he could stop Khalil the barbarian yet again 😭 Gosh! That day when Sahib confessed to his Huzoor about his feelings for the Sahiba 😲 I could see that blood was boiling in Huzoor’s eyes and yet he restrained himself And the arrow that hit Khalil 😲 it whizzed past my ear!

And the pilaf cooked by Sahib 😲 and his demonstrations of simplicity 😊

I felt sad at Heera’s Predicament- poor girl got a huge shock when she learnt about the Ustaad 😭 but I was among the group that celebrated their wedding the loudest 🥳What a grand affair it was!! And the cherry on the cake was the poem that he recited impromptu ❤️

Heera’s doubts and fears and Akbar’s frustrations 😔 I have the full record of their First Night too 😉

I can also never forget the many moments of togetherness that Khan Sahib and Heera shared. Some before they spoke out loud about their feelings and many after that 😳 I blushed every time Heera blushed and felt the same warmth that Heera felt while she was enveloped in her lover, her Sahib’s all encompassing embrace

I felt a new hope when Sahib stood in the woods with the plan of the Canal Project in his hands and I felt morose soon after, when Sahib got to know of the developments in the capital relating to Heera’s scrolls 😭

I remember the patterns and the number of tassels that the curtain of the Solitary Confinement room had and I’m privy to the cheap manoeuvres of Farooq Sahib too 😡 I shed copious tears when Heera left for the Capital and her folks gave her cold shoulder. But my heart swelled with pride when I saw the human shield Ibrahim Sayyid and other Sahib’s men created around her to keep her safe 🤪

I remember the dignity with which Harka Sahiba handled herself in the Mughal Court and I’ve felt the pain she endured during that ordeal 😳 I’m privy to the price she paid - not only with her jewels but also with her pride 😭

I mourned for days when Ustaad was lashed 😡 and cursed the Huzoor no end for his brutal and disgusting act. And I know of his feeble ego and completely warped sense of self gratification that must have led him to do this barbaric act 😡

I sat at the edge of my seat during both duels, with my eyes glued to the arena, taking 1-2 glances at the lady in the blue veil in between. And I jumped high in joy when Ustaad was granted his well deserved win

I hugged everyone around when Heera was reunited with her Sahib - kya Parnagarhi kya men of Ustaad 🥳both sides are my eternal family

So thanks Lashy Sahiba for enriching my life with so many wonderful emotions and so so so many wonderful friends

🤗

First Poster of HBAS...😃

also...

thanx for the lovely thread patti.......🤗

Originally posted by: Sabdabhala

What a wonderful thing this is Aunty 👏

HBAS for me is not only a novel, it has been a major landmark in my life.

I have actually lived the lives of the various characters throughout this period.

So thanks Lashy Sahiba for enriching my life with so many wonderful emotions and so so so many wonderful friends

🤗

very touching write up...👏

lavanya di....🤗

The Plight of a Grandma.

(Based on the poem,"Story Telling" from the internet)

Every night when Baby and Bablookutty are in bed

After both their little prayers have said

They shout for me to come to their room

And the stories of bedtime to resume

Mostly of Jodha and Jalal going to the war

Or Jalal killing the tiger with his kanjar

Always such stories of 'dvenchur!

And I must narrate them with patience

Answering umpteen odd koschuns

About how Mohan was killed by uncle Jalal

And how Jodha'kka, killed the 'nemy with masala

If in the story comes a prince

That he is a hero I must convince

And show how he fights dishyum dishyum

How the enemies he'd thus overcome!

And at last came to me a great relief

The TV serial ended to my utter disbelief

Then the kids started to throw tantrums

Since they'd become part of Jalal's fandom

While all my efforts to please them failed

They simply kept awake and wailed..

They would whisper, "Grandma, we want Jalal's story"

And once again I'd start telling his glory

Thus again starting the second innings

They'll listen to it always with interest and grinning.

When I got fed up with repeating the same

There appeared a new story in the Forum

It had all the twists and turns

That the kids would love to listen

The kids soon fell into the groove

Started to love Akbar and his Bahadur

All that happened in no time so to say

To my cheer and the kids chosen way

This continued for quite some time

When the kids loved the stories bedtime

Alas one day the story reached the final chapter

With the ending "And they lived happily ever after.."

The kids are happy about the end

But grandma misses all her friends

Both in the house and in the story author has penned!

KK.

Originally posted by: SWATHIPALAN

The Plight of a Grandma.

(Based on the poem,"Story Telling" from the internet)

So touching lines, Periamma! 😒and such a lovely thread you manage to open to express our feelings.. Superb effort, Periamma! 👍🏼

Wow patti awesome thread with heartwarming messages

Your grandma poem was so emotional but at the same time so sweet

Lavanya di excellent message