In Serial Novel - Chapter 14 of Tanya Guptopolos Dus2r By Sangeeta Deogawanka, Kolkata, India
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RECAP T is felicitated on virtual networks, for her research into new-age lead-induced disorders and their mitigation. She is voted the “Earth Seer’ for her three successive pro-active research related to the environment. While Sun looks on with a sense of pride, his mother calls him to fly over. She is ill and can sense her approaching end, so wishes to meet him, T and KK. For once, T can sense the feeling of distraught besieging Sun, as he is faced with his mother’s imminent death. However, much as she tries to comfort him, or remain nonchalant, she is herself swayed by the tide of emotions that surge within her. Unable to cope up with this state of emotional influx, she faints.
T had been the victim of one of the characteristic disorders of the century, exhaustion from sleep-deficiency and brain over-drive. She required a blood cell transfusion, and it happened that Sun could oblige. By mutual consent, the men in white had kept T under enforced rest with medication, while Sun attended to various matters and send off KK back to Pullu’s Villa. Initially unwilling and stubborn, KK however relented when Sun took him into confidence. However, when he tripped in to kiss T goodbye T happened to open her eyes. “Oh, Mama, you are awake!” KK was deliriously happy to see his best friend T, awake and recovered, unaware of his slip-up. He had never before called ‘T’ by any other name. T promptly fainted again, from shock; the men in white told the visiting Sun, much later. When T came to, she asked for Sun to visit her personally ‘on a priority basis’. He had to be woken up from his sleep, so urgent was T’s call for him. The first thing T told Sun was “Do you know he called me ‘Mama’?” Only T would call him up in the middle of night to tell him that, she was indeed amazing! Oh, what the heck, this was great news for him too! “….bring him? I can’t see KK,” T was asking him. “He has gone back to Pullu’s villa, Tan. I have some other plans for you,” Sun told T, distracted by her hair spreading over the pillow. How I wish that … “Oh,” T made a small moue of disappointment, which added to Sun’s agitation; he loved these myriad expressions that had been emerging over the years of their acquaintance “I heard you gave me a cell transfusion, Sun, that’s quite nice of you. How can I ever repay you back for all the things that you do for me?” T confessed with a wobbly smile. It sure feels weird, having Sun’s cells inside me, as though he had …… where are my thoughts veering to? I must be more ill than I realised. “Ta..aan, how can I convince you that you don’t owe me anything. Aren’t we the best of friends?” Sun shook his head, trying to control his irritation. “On second thoughts, maybe you could, repay me back you know, as you offered. Come with me to Gumarg, but as TANYA GUPTOPOLOS DUS2R. Let us spend some time together,” Sun gave her a broad wink and laughed to see T getting all flustered. “I know, I know, you like this matriarchal set-up in Kerala, just like your Spartans and all that, but now that K calls you ‘Mama’ and you seem to like it too; don’t you think you ought to give him a traditional family structure? Isn’t this what you wanted to give him? A normal family set-up?” Sun went straight for the kill. “Does it mean you want us all to … to live together?” Tan spluttered feebly. Sun’s reply was physical. He moved forward to press a button, jack-knifing the bed upwards, which pitched a trembling T straight into his arms. I am lost, were T’s last thoughts for a couple of hours, as she experienced physically the throes of passion for the first time in her maiden life. So all this nervous agitation and peculiar sensation at the pit of her stomach whenever Sun was around was all because of this? As T experienced sensations which were alien to her existence, she wondered. Was this why I could not sleep, and the only times I ever ate were during the outings with Sun and KK? She thought she heard Sun mumble in her hair, “…never thought it could be like this, or is it because of you Tan?” Moving away, T sat up and asked him with her characteristic candour, “Can you explain that Surya Dus2r?” A sheepish looking Sun grinned at T and pulled her hair playfully, “You will take away my male pride, you Spartan female! Okay, you can have it. I am on a different high now!” “I have never been with a woman before, Tan,” Sun remarked, continuing on a haughty tone, “you are the first woman who has made me feel this way, so I guess that makes you special, huh?” “Tanya Guptopolos Dus2r, this is going to be a very ‘real marriage’, so beware!” and there was no place for the verbose for a long time. When wet coals dry up, if stoked, they take time to catch fire. Yet, once ablaze, they burn fierce and intense, smouldering for a long time afterwards.
* * THE END **
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thank u so much for sharing such a "different" story with us dear!!
and yes, our fingers are crossed
waiting to read you next creation!
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Thanks Chhaya, but no, I think once was it ... its very strenous on my nerves, in fact, keeping off time-bound submissions for sometime .... am a free spirit...lol
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OMG Sng, that's grand end, and a romantic one...and I loved it...perhaps this is the way romances will happen in 2070? even my son will be 70 and it will be my great grandchildren we would be looking at in perspective huh? And really sng, you think people will give up sex altogether? thatz hilarious!!!
Perhaps you could write a humorous sci-fi another time? I think you have grand ideas on the future by the way!
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Thanx for your mail, echo your sentiments ...lol
I guess it is indeed hilarious, future folks wanting to have sex, but not being able to do it...!
But then, not hilarious if you think that its yr grandkids who will live in the 2070s and beyond .... and thanks, hope I can offer some solutions too, before I die!
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Hi Sangeeta,
My congratulations on completing this serial - an interesting one. You must be already on the way to the next one, and I am eager as well, to read the novel from the start.
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Thanx Uma, am looking forward to yr novel too, but begin working on the same before work piles up, pre-nuptials.
But I am henceforth depending upon you for any title ... you have an awesome way with titles!
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Glad to see romance rule... a great end. And congrats on the winning slogan. It really is good.
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Ah yes, the way it has in my own life!
Thanx.
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May it always rule
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Excellent! Your foot note sums up the entire purpose of the novel. I feel like reading it again all from the start! It is time we begin rekindling the fire of existence aptly so that we can strike a balance between technology leanings and human values. and then we can rest assured that your following words will apply to humanity at large!
" When wet coals dry up, if stoked, they take time to catch fire. Yet, once ablaze, they burn fierce and intense, smouldering for a long time afterwards."
Congratulations too for winning the slogan contest!
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Kalyani, your comment has indeed made my day.
Have been wanting to ask this, for a while, are you a professional/ freelance writer? Your writing is of such a calibre, it makes me wonder at all this talent amongst Indian women, yet untapped.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the novel as much as I have cherished your comments!
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Thanks for your kind words Sangeeta! I am not a professional writer but have always wanted to be one. Infact my word power is quite weak but somehow expressions come easy when I feel strongly about certain things. You are perhaps right about the untapped talent in Indian women and the various interesting submissions here in 4IW is a proof to it. We must thanks the team for this!
Enjoyed your novel, I surely did, though I must admit that intially I found it a little difficult to get into the mood with the hi-fi jargon (used so intelligently by you). But I loved the way you dealt with it to arrive at a profound message. I am serious I am going to read it all again!I see a very warm hearted down to earth human being who enjoys living in you. I feel so nice about your policy of replying to each and every post addressed to you whether in the blogs or the forum.
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Gosh, if you are not a pro, you are wasting your time .... anyway, its never too late! After yr daughter's exams, pl do soem serious writing.
As for scientific jargon, some of my fellow SF writers felt this was wrong forum, but I wanted to prove them wrong... There are chapters I knew I messed up, but could not exactly pin point till a fellow-writer in another forum pointed out (Thank u Ratyz!).... need to re-work those, I think those were also chapters which put off a few readers. But on the whole, I feel I have got some readers/ writers interested in futuristic and SF.
As or being a 'warm hearted person' thanx, you are the first to say this in all my 40 plus yrs! Yes, have learnt to appreciate life after being given a new lease of life (makes u appreciate all the good things and wonder 'why ....' like Nazneen..)
Replying to every post, is one etiquette I have learned from Irene, who has been with this forum much longer and takes time to encourage everyone.
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Wondeful story, Sangy! And an amazing end! Loved your footnote as well... it was the essence of the whole novel.
Many congratulations for winning the slogan contest as well! And thanks a lot for always being a motherly figure for me...
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Thank you Neha! This is one thing I have picked up from you, that there ought to be a message too ....
Thats what I like about this forum, where we can network freely, without thought to any barriers, in this case age .... lol.
Anyway, I think any barriers in life are of our own making,right?
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A great sci-fi romance.Congrats on winning the slogan contest.Thanks for being there always for all to guide.
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Thanks on both counts. We are all there for each other, Jasmine. It makes a difference for a woman to network with like-minded women, especially if you happen to be of similar age .... lol
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Hi, come to think of it, isn't it like a lovely kitty party sans boring chit-chat of jewellery and me-rich-than-you snooty behaviour.I am glad to have found you all.
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You hit upon it! A definitely intelligent version of the typical ladies networking.
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Sangeeta, hope you will excuse my asking this, but since I am still new to this commuinty, I am yet to know most of you well. You have mentioned in reply to my comment and also in Jasmines' blog about a 'new lease of life' and proplonged illness. Have you been suffering from some serious problem? I ask this only out of concern and may perhaps learn something by knowing how you faught back.
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awww, sangeeta, such a beautiful ending to an amazing story...i really really hope to read a sci fi book written by u soon...
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Always wait for yr comment, as you are one of my few hardcore SF readers (the only one from 4iw ?), besides my pals from SF cyberspace. In a yr or two perhaps.
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That's a beautiful ending or I will say a "begining".. The beginning of a new life, new future and hope for another "beautiful story"
The message in the footnote is a reality which people needs to take seriously.
And congrats on winning the slogan contest..
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