Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Oshmita's story.

Hello people.
So this friend of mine, Ujjwal and I decided to do an experiment. I had written a story to which he decided to write the male part. We figured it would be an interesting idea to see how the male and female versions of the story differ, and where they come back in the same path.
I've put up my story in this post, and will put his up in my next one.
Waiting for your feedbacks! Hope you all enjoy this little something :) Here goes.....

~~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~**~~~~~~**~~~~~~

Oshmita's Story.


I had always laughed at him for being slow when it came down to the heart.


He spent his days composing music.. Finding those chords in the tips of the piano which would ever be able to sing his heart, to explain those thoughts and to bear out his love.
His own love,which he never understood.
But his piano did, and so did I,who heard him..

We had been friends for over 4 years..

The story goes .... I was a dancer, in the personal crew of Ashley Lobo. We had a production show in Kuwait. Before the finale of the last piece, my co-dancer, Nina got an unfortunate injury. The lifts were impossible for her,her injured knee wouldn't support all the reverse lifts, the spins. So I had to take over,and I did.

The last step with Ashley,his hands in on my waist and my right leg pointed up towards the sky, became the picture poster over all the towns and countries.. Our production show was a success so huge and glorious.


I met Amartya there. After the show. Among the hundreds who were screeching to just shake my hand once.. No, not among them.
He stood quietly at one corner of the stage, looking at the brimming crowd around Ashley and me. He wasn't staring. He looked in a way that didn't make me conscious, but shy... I felt appreciated by his eyes, I felt peace in his posture.

Among the hundreds who were pulling me,to just feel my hand,to carry a mote of dust from the glitter that smeared my body.. I was trying to look away, at him.

And then? He burst my bubble. He walked away.
I was taken aback. His unpredictable mood swings were a part of him that I was yet to discover.

He hurried out of the hall, and my eyes were just following his fast pace,resting at the closed brown door behind him.

Wasn't till Ashley shook me and I looked at him distracted and irritated, and quickly made up with a fake smile,that came back to where I was. What a pity he never understood my feelings..Not in dance,not in reality. But he was a good man. And I was there with him,for that very reason.


The show was over,and we had two days in hand. To look,to just explore Kuwait.
I was always a very...socialising and happy person. Going out for trips with friends/co-dancers was something I always looked forward to.
But this time,after the show, I didn't feel like. I felt the kind of emptiness that one feels after having consumed lots of alcohol,and then realizing it never did give me a high.
The show was a success, but the end..Was just incomplete.
I decided to go alone. See and venture,alone. After a long long time.

~*~
I saw him in the gallery. He was looking at a photograph that caught my eyes,first thing.

It showed a man and a woman,naked,embraced in each other,standing on a rock. And the sky around them was a deep shade of navy blue with stars,and the moon looking larger than it's usual. A surreal dream.
The interpretation could vary from mind to mind.
To the simple mind of mine, it was love. That's it.

I wanted to go there. Have a better look. But I didn't. He was there, and after our first strike,there was no way I was making way for another.
I looked at the other photograph, but my eyes knew where to look. The lulled sleep of silence in the gallery was almost screaming his presence.

Why was I so intrigued? I hadn't spoken to this man. I hadn't known he existed till 22 hours back.
Why was I so over whelmed by his presence? Why did I feel so intoxicated whenever I saw his posture shift, almost as if each of them reflected what he thought?
I made useless efforts of looking at the photographs,but was caught by my own self looking at him every few minutes.
And to all my feelings,thoughts,and uneasiness,

he walked out of the gallery, again.

~*~
As fate kept proving it's mythical existence, we met again, at a cafe, few streets down the gallery.
When I saw him in,I chose to sit out.
It was hot. And I was disgusted how my attraction towards him compelled me to repel him. It was so silly, and more over,unlike me. I ordered for a smoothie,and waited.

I saw him glance at me,his eyes hardly looked a mere 3 seconds. However,I felt naked under that gaze. He seemed to have sorted out who I was,and what I might be. He looked away.
My amusement and intrigue turned into irritation.
I looked down, and concentrated in the pattern of the table cloth.

After 5 minutes or so,I smelt a different flavour of aftershave. I looked up,and he was there.


"Hi, I'm amartya"  I was baffled. At the beauty of his face. His smile, so warm,and his eyes,greeting.

"Hi. Oshmita."

"Mind if I sit down? I was hoping to talk to you since last night's performance."

"......Sure." [After walking out on me twice since yesterday,sure you were..] I added to myself.

"So. I presume you're Bengali?"

"Yes. Oshmita Sengupta. You?"

"Amartya Bhattacharya. Doesn't the name suggest I'm Bengali?" The sarcastic edge to his voice annoyed me. I was just trying to make conversation.

"Uh,not quite. Anyhow. You were saying you wanted to have a talk? Please go ahead"


"Franky,I just wanted to congratulate you."


"Oh. Thank you" I was disappointed. I wanted him to say so much more. Had I been wrong in guessing he understood my dance? Had I been wrong in thinking he'd know my feelings at every step and turn,last night?

"A fan of Satyajit Ray,I see?" He looked at the book peeking out of my bag.

"A huge one. So what brings you to Kuwait?"


"Nothing."


"That was quite elaborate! Thank you"

He smiled.

"You see.. I came here because I wanted to see this place. My grandfather died here when I was a kid. I wanted to see the great deal he spoke off. I wanted to understand why he thought dying here was better than dying in Lahore"


"Lahore?" I looked,interested.

"He was in the army."


"Wow."


"I'm sorry?"


"I like army"

"Anybody from your family in it?"

"No. I wanted to be in it." The shock on his face was priceless. Men. No matter how old they grow.. I smiled,to myself.

"What was the smile at?"

"At the shock which mocked your face."


"Your adjectives need to be brushed."


"Sorry?"


"It was never shock. It was awe"


"In that case, your face has major expression issues."

"About that...You bet!" He almost quietly said to himself.
And then,he smiled at something only his mind could see.

While I...tried not to fall in love.

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*
Our friendship sewed itself. Weaved itself from the initial wools of the flight back to India,and then to the 4 years that followed.

I learned how his mind worked,better than him. We used to spend ample amount of time at each other's.. Him composing music, and I dancing along with anything I liked.
He wasn't expressive. But the slightest of gestures he did brought out the obvious fact of his care for me.

We partied. Oh yes we did. He saw lots of women,I saw men. But no matter how many dates we went to,we'd be back with coffee in his house,late at night, talking. Just talking.

Sometimes,he'd play a tune unknown on the piano and listening to it, I'd fall asleep. And no matter how stressful life might have seemed,the sleep after was the sweetest thing ever.

Our love for each other was platonic... or so,he thought. But somewhere inside,no matter how many dates and second dates I might have been to with men, I'd never be closer to another soul than him. I'd never feel more protected in anybody else's arm no matter how skeletal Amartya might have been,and no matter how cliche this line might have sounded.
I wasn't in love with him. But it was definitely something. And I didn't want to know.


He fell in love with a girl from the studio he worked in.
I helped him deal with it, I heard out his feelings. At the end of his outburst,I kissed him on his forehead, and assured him that she'd be with him,soon enough.
I asked him to go to sleep, and I was about to leave his room when he called,


"Osh.. What would I do without you?"


"Gnite sweetheart."


"I love you."


"I know that ass! You've always been so slow when it came down to the heart."

I smiled a wink at him,switched the lights off,and shut the door behind me.

I was watching T.V sitting on his couch, I didn't feel like getting back home. The blue light from the T.V illuminated the contours of my face, which was deep in wonder.

I felt his hands reach out to me from behind my neck, a hug. He kissed me on my forehead,smiled sleepily, and said "Gnite sweetheart."
He walked like a sleepy child,dragging his feet towards his room,while my heartbeat rose and the wonders that my face reflected was born out of a tear, and I realized that, that definitely something was something I had come to know,after all.

I was in love with him.



The girl from the studio and he dated for about 7 months.

One day he came to my house, his shoulders slouched.

"Yeap we're off." he said with finalment in his tone.

"I can see that in your shoulders.. Want to tell me more?"

"Osh,some coffee please?"

I got him some coffee.

"She thought I was too closed in a nutshell. She said I didn't let her enter the private corners of my life"

"Why--"


"She had a problem."


"With what?"


"With you."

I looked at him in shock. I was taken aback.


"God, I could talk to her? Amart, you want me to call her right now and tell her there's nothing up?!"


"No."


"But! But you can't let this go because of her suspicions! I thought she understood your silence! I thought she figured your feelings without you having to yell them at her!"

"Every body's not you,Osh."

And we left it at that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*
Another year passed,Amartya still stayed submissive to his own thoughts. His frustration,anger,happiness,love- everything was reflected in the tunes he made.. In those chords he played.

I could hear them with so much clarity, and he played them with such accuracy. Yet, I smiled with a sad heart that he never realized what his heart held.

Talks of my marriage began at home,back in Calcutta. A boy was selected. He came down to Delhi,as I couldn't leave rehearsals. We met..a nice gentleman.

That night,when Amart came to meet me,he had a strange feeling to his eyes.



"Nice guy?"


"Yeah.. Nice guy." I smiled at him.

"So..it's on? The wedding?"

I looked at him. And I didn't say anything.

"Don't spend your life looking for the perfect guy,Osh. Give it a chance when life's being generous enough to lead you to what you've dreamt off."


The marriage was on.

~*~*~*~*~*~
I felt the gold adorned in my hand. I felt my earrings, big and long. My eyes drawn into lashes of a doll. My apparel...... A Bengali bride.

My brothers carried me to the altar on the tiny stool- The Bengali tradition.
And as I put down those two beetle leaves that covered my eyes, I saw a groom who didn't smile at me.
I saw a groom,who didn't posses the capacity of just looking at me and letting me know that I looked beautiful. Who couldn't make me feel the euphoria of being a bride...

As I sat in the altar, I saw Amartya making his way out of the crowd..Wearing a maroon kurta and a golden cotton dhoti..
His panic left him in paintings,he looked at me and smiled. He looked at me and made managed to make me feel I look beautiful. When he looked at me,I felt like a bride..

We both knew what he had realized,
and we both just looked at each other,as the rituals of the marriage continued.

62 comments:

  1. well scripted... very subtle and a gr8 read. can't wait for the nxt post

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  2. Well written. I was actually looking forward to it ever since Ujjwal told me about it.

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  3. Wow, when you mentioned this to me, I had no inkling of how good it would be...
    I think it seems very real and believable. I think it's also handling the issue of time passing very well.
    Can't wait for the next post. Upload soon!

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  4. Wow, this on surely has a feminine touch to it...such sensitivity

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  5. THAT....WAS....JUST....WOW!!!!

    But wherez the rest of the story??? Or is this the end???

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  6. @Rishi: Thank you so much! Yes, but the wait shall be worth it ;)

    @Sinan: Thank you tonnes!

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  7. @Shiv: Thanks sweetheart :) I'm glad you liked it! Oh he told you!? Dang it,he spoilt the surprise. Guys. :|
    Haha, but hey, wait for the next one to come ;)
    Much love and hugs <3

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  8. @Charu: Heyyyy Charu! Yes,I know. I just kept this little experiment to myself, so as to surprise you readers with a little new something on my blog :)
    but Yaaayyy you liked it! So hah, I'm glad the surprise worked :)
    Sure! The next one shall be up. Soon :)

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  9. @Pesto: Thank you so so much :)
    I'm truly glad you liked it!
    -Cheers! And be back soon.
    -Nil.

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  10. @bengalimishtiz: THANK..YOU..SO..MUCH! haha yes,that was the end. I wanted to leave the readers intrigued,and i guess it worked ;)
    Yesssssssss. But there's the male part to it, that my friend wrote.
    Shall put it up soon.
    Thanks for visiting and be back soon!
    Cheers!
    :)

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  11. good! looking forward to amartya's perspective

    ashley lobo ha? hehe. cool. :)

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  12. I have no words. Except that you're wonderful.

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  13. @Dipti: Yess. You shall see his story very very soon :)
    Haha lol. Yeaah, Lobo =]

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  14. @Ramit: I have no words, except that you make my day!
    Thank you so much
    :)
    Much love.

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  15. Laddoo face, it was an amazing read! I love love love your style of writing. Get the next one, quiccckk :)

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  16. interesting that your post is about a wedding.

    thanks for the well wishes on my blog!

    cherylclarke.blogspot.com

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  17. Good 1... but i just feel the guy version will be half the length of this :P

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  18. Niceeee... Cant wait for the rest of the story.... :) just wat i lik readin ....

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  19. @oRange*: Awwwwwwwwwwww! Thanks babeeeeee! =] Yayayayayayayyyyy! I'm superrr glad that you liked it! I am :)
    Yesssss. The next one,very very very soon :)
    Much love!

    <3

    P.S- 25th! :D

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  20. @Cheryl: Haha I know right! Aw you're most welcome! But hell you looked gorgeous :)
    Cheers to you and Him! ;)

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  21. @Sid: Haha thanks!
    But but but butttttt
    you're sadly mistaken about the guy's length part :P
    Haahaa. We're close enough!
    ;)

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  22. @PESKYME : Thank you so so much. And thanks tonnes for following my blog :)
    Yes,shall put up the other part very very soon.
    Take care,and see you around!
    Happy Blogging! :)

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  23. My darling little one,
    you really amaze me by the brimming talents in you. Your parents must be so proud. :-)
    This story was so well written, hat it almost reminded me of Shamalesh and my meet at the Cafe!
    He he. Your writing has a sort of a feel that very less people can make the reader feel.
    I can see your writing.
    Keep the good work up, little darling.
    You'll go a long way, and earn your loved ones pride, and yourself love and fame.
    Lots of love to you :-)

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  24. Oh and Orjun says hi!
    Yes,I have taken the day off to give him so little class of my own! ;-)

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  25. Maashi!
    now THAT comment absolutely made my day! Thank you!
    YOU AND DADA MET AT THE CAFE?!
    HOW COOL! :D
    Oh well,I'm just really really happy that you liked it so much. It really makes me happy :)
    And oh Say Hi to Orjun too!
    hahahah! poor fellow!
    I know what your class is :P
    Heeeheeeeeee.

    But, thankyou. Really. for all those kind words :)

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  26. I should really put my stuff on YOUR blog more often. More viewers :P

    Put mine up all ready.

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  27. @You Did Whaaat: Hi! Sure,I shall visit your blog fo sho' :)
    Thanks for the compliment!
    Keep visiting :)

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  28. @Ujjwal: Hahaha, Wouldn't mind thatt :P
    Yes,I will. I'm waiting for few more people to read it who'll kill me if I update before they have a go on it.
    But,Soon. Will do.
    :)

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  29. excellent post.. But do you seriously think this happens and it goes as you said in real life..

    but yeah if this was REEL life then it sure takes place..

    I loved the story though ... Excellent...

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  30. So i couldn' figure some stuff hey. But omg rest of it was flippin' awn wild! how friggin' awesome ARE you!!
    omg I missed your bloggggg cherry! Mll's down on with sadness, tee house locks y'see!
    i loved ths! and i love love love you!
    <3 <3 <3

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  31. @Bikram: Hi,and welcome to my blog! Probably this might not happen in real life, and that's why it's under the label of 'Fiction'. But then again, buddy, you never quite know what reality might lead you to! The end isn't penned down..So..we never know ;)
    And thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the story!
    Sure do hope you visit soon :)

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  32. @Seq: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Heck you've been away for a while!
    Haha yeah I don't blame you for not getting some stuff :P Issokay! I can always mail you the stuff u didn't get :)
    Awww thanks! No I'm not awesome, it was just a tad of an experiment I tried with a friend! :)
    But thankyouuuuuuuuuuu!

    I MISSED YOU TOO!
    MAIL ME SOON woman!
    Love! <33

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  33. hey nil! just wanted to let you know i have a new post up--and it includes more wedding photos per your request. :)

    cherylclarke.blogspot.com

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  34. Cheryllll! Omg really!
    On my way!
    <3

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  35. Cherry.
    You could kill me for not being around yo! But I'm just so sorry,it was friggin' ON at school.. Anyway.
    You messed me up again,yo.
    Amazing read yo, I missed your blog. I figured how much, after I read this =)
    How're you Cherr?

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  36. Rohaaaan! SHIT FINALLY! Yes, I could actually, LITERALLY kill you to not have been here in SO long.
    Mrill called,and I KNOW she's alive. But YOUUUU. Where have you been?! God!

    Aaah. Thankyou :) YAyyyy. I was waiting for you to have a go at this one!
    Im super kicked that you liked it :)

    I've been okay.
    AND SHIT I MISS YOU SAYING "YO" AFTER EVERY LINE!!!!! SO SO MUCH!

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  37. Woah there ease on Cherr!
    Yeah I went and figured you'd be pissed about not callin' yo.
    My sister's always chosen inconvenient times to call you, so you'd get all Hatsumomo at me for yo.

    Yeah,I loved it yo. It was something alright!
    Mother marry,I missed you too yo.
    I'm going to be tons more frequent now yo.

    So whatever's been up yo!?
    And I'm waiting for the other part yo.

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  38. Oiiiiiii Hatsumomo is from Memoirs of a Geisha!!!! :D Oh yaaay you read it too? Isn't it brilliant!
    And LOL @ the Mrill part :P
    Oh shut up, you were just too busy doing shit to Quantum Physics Yo :P

    Nothing's up. 11th grade started :D
    And and and, I just had a bad argument with mom :|
    Anddd... yeah, shall put up the other part soon :)

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  39. Hello ladies =)

    @CHEEERRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!
    HIIIIIIIIIIIII!


    @Little Bitch, why are you here again?

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  40. Oh god this is a nightmare.

    Go away already yo.

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  41. Shit you guys need to STOP commenting so fast! Really! It freaks me out .

    MRILLL HIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!! HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

    Ro, chill on it : P

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  42. I'm not going to eat you up baby brother.
    maybe just cut you into bits and pieces and leave them in Park Square
    =)

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  43. @Cherr: I'm sorry! I thought you went ol.
    Hiiii! Omg I misseddd yyoouuu!!!
    How have you beeeeeen!?
    omgggg I missed you hey!!!!

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  44. Yeah,i'm so scared yo.
    Look at me, I'm outta contr--o-l.
    Aargghh go buy some pink yo.
    Just leave the blondness in the store

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  45. Okay you guys have GOT to stop commenting so fast.
    Mrillll, I've been just fine! YES I missed you tooooooo!
    Call me soooon. We need to talk! ;)

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  46. @Little Bitch: awwwwww you've figured your new coolness-guru Eminem!
    Not cool, baby doll.

    Oh I'd totally buy pink alright!
    About Blondness... considering you were hittin' on Linda.. Let's figure who's fond of blonde ladies x)


    Yes cherry, he was hitting on a girl

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  47. I'm outta here yo.
    Your stupidity creeps me in and out.
    Later.

    Cherr, I'll talk to you soon!
    I gotta run, we're [family, yes it includes my sister,too yo] going to go for a funeral.
    So talk to you soon yo, take care! :)

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  48. Haha, you're the creeeep =)
    Try not wearing your Einstein boxers to the funeral. We don't want the dead to die again,do we?


    Later Cherr :)
    Love you!

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  49. DITCHERS >:(
    I'm not even sleepy. WTF do I doooooo?!

    Sigh. Yes okayy. Later,you guys.
    AHHAHAHHA!! at the Boxers xD

    Lol,
    mrrriill Love you too!
    ro! call me soon!

    Bye you both <3

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  50. Ok, Story ta khub bhalo, but critical comments promise korechilam. So here I go

    Tor subject matter notun kichu noye, tobe tor setake presentaion korar kayda besh bhalo. Realtionship er unfolding ta bhalo babe lekha.
    Sesher line e italics ta amar bhalo lageni.
    Ar tor Oshmita k aro rebellious banate parti. Sympathise korechis thik ache, kintu mone hoye character tar arektu expressive hoya uchit chilo.
    Thats about it.

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  51. Hello!
    FINALLY I got a critical comment that you promised :D

    Shob bujhlaam. Thank you so much. Definitely matha'e rekhe kaaj korbo ;)

    Thanks tonnes,again.
    :)

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  52. ohh nil...what do i say :) its got some very old memories refreshed..some old images falshing and after reading this post i also made a short call to someone far away..you know what i mean when i say,you write beautifully..not awesome,not wow but purely beautiful..like i never wanted amartya to turn back.like if only osh and he had looked at eachother once like that before,things would have been so different..beautiful..love you baby...you are a wonder....love ya

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  53. @My pink Patiyala Sister: Babbbbeeeeee!!!!!!! God you have no idea how amazing your comment made me feel. I'm glad you brought you down the memory lane..Always feels good naa.. :)
    I love you too. Thank you so much for appreciating me. Really,it means so much to me.. <3

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  54. Just loved it !!!!
    Could actually visualize the characters in the story. Keep it up !!!! Keep them coming ......
    Another great read.

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  55. Hiiiii Didi!
    Thankyou so so so much for those kind words :)
    I am truly glad you liked it!

    Much love <3

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  56. Ye Ujjwal thoda slow hai kya?? Second part ko itna time :P

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  57. Oops! Sorry sorry! I'll put it up today. For sure! :)

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  58. Another beautiful story! I still can't get over how mature your writing is.

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  59. here I am , now reading the guy's version !!

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Pour out your thoughts on mine.... :)