You are a magician. Words dance to your tunes. But, the readers’ thoughts swaying to your tunes is no mean feat. I am a fan!
What a fitting end to a marvellous start! Glad you turned this into a FF from OS. I am amazed beyond imagination on how you wove the chapters of this story - from say a 1-liner or a core thought. The immense control you have, for sharing the bare minimum details in every chapter, yet not letting the interest slip is class! Every chapter starts with a bang and end in a cliff-hanger.
Now to this chapter. I feel I was near yet so far! I could sense that the promise he took about leaving her might come to play; but, as per his accord. Hence had the confusion on why he was getting into the mind vs heart struggle about S. To me, if he had chosen to move away from P, then S’s return should scare him; not confuse him, as it did. When you revealed, how the promise took shape, it all fell in place. It all made absolute sense.
Liked how you begun the chapter, as a prequel to chapter9; to start from where it all started. She was so proud of having to have saved him from the bullet – earned the right to wear her vermillion! The next few lines reminded me of another sentence in one of your other chapters ‘unspoken words are the reason for various ruins in the museum of life known as world’. She knew; he knew. Yet it was unspoken.
It was emotional to read how she was caring for him in that car ride. Seeing him in pain, pained her more than the pain any bullet can give. ‘she needed to shine even if it’s the last burst to burn herself…’ best catches her effort to keep him away from darkness. ‘The end seemed like her fairytale’, the fairytale she always wanted!
‘They were caring for her body, she was thinking of her soul’. 👏
‘Raghav Rao can burn the whole world if he wishes too but he can’t be on knees…’ reminded me of what P says to him in the original series on similar lines. This reference, is just to appreciate how close in character, you keep them!
‘Her ‘life’ was offered for her life’. Beautiful. There could be no better way to put it, to get this impact.
And the final string of sentences, the ones reverberating in her head, the ones that made her to decide. The promise he made. The ticking bomb in heart. It could have been one of those that made her decide. It could have been both.
As I read the words the attendant spoke the word trauma rose again! I had underlined the word ‘landslide’ in chapter 9; but forgot it without giving it much thoughts. There it is.
And I should end this with a sentence that had me hooked right from the start. ‘The lack of arms holding him back’.
This. For me, I have not been able to put in words how awestruck I am, for the varied emotions and the arc that this single sentence has taken through this story. Words deceive; words masquerades; words just reflect!
It took so many forms. Love was not reflected; she is just an imagination/hallucination; lifeless body; letting-go.
Finally, yes, there might be lingering questions – but they are irrelevant. The crux that mattered has had its closure, and one cannot ask for more!
Thank you! It was a worthy 2 weeks!
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Debate Mansion
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Real Estate
Arjun
