Wordless Wednesday #103@ Abracadabra

I found this sweet picture of this girl while I was browsing on net for something .
The eyes of girl are filled with so much of innocence .
I  marvel this picture .
I  am linking this post to Wordless Wednesday #103
With Lots of Love and Hugs 
Writer Gal

Tales of N and V part Fourteen

Photo Source : www.desicomments.com

V getting ready for office opens his  letter box up  and put all his letters that are retrieved  from the letter box  in  his bag and runs down to board his waiting car .On reaching his office  he get himself occupied  with  never -ended  client meetings .

N on the other hand  gets ready for clinic and leaves home after doing some needful household chorus as N amarata professional  is a dentist who had been on break for sometime. 
As Vikram's  life  was full of bumpy roads  .
But today life feels OK , as Preeti has finally decided to marry a guy of her father's choice.
It has been like a nightmare  for Vikram and her since Pushkari has left with Vishal forever .

While thinking on these line , she reaches the clinic and parks  her vehicle in front of it .Nodding to her patients she goes inside her cabin and requests her receptionist  to start sending in  the patients one by one .
Her receptionist duely does it .
V and N  after doing their respective work , headed home together because V  had sent  his vehicle to drop his  lady staff home as it had become quiet late .
So he calls  Namarata and requests her  to  come to the common spot where it would be easy for her to pick  him up .N comes to spot and picks him by inquiring  about his day in his office . V just smiles and says  'Good'and takes the keys from her hands by taking  his soft , juicy lips towards  the  smoothest lips and kisses her lips  very hard. N blushed and with a flushed face she comes out his fold .V laughed aloud on seeing her blush like 'you still have not change a bit , my  shy babes 'N punches his arm in delight. Finally after taking the main role of driver V  drives it happily as it been years , since he has taken a driver 's seat. N  too feels happy for him and enjoy the drive with him .

While driving V  see Pushkari and mutters a cruse .N hearing his words turns her head  to see , what caused  her husband V's  mood to change so drastically ?.

Seeing Pushkari N's heart beat and pulse rate  starts beating harder and harder .V suddenly looks at N and keeps her hands on his thighs and caresses her head. Seeing those beautiful dove eyes  which  had turned expressionless his heart broke and patting her hands which he kept on his thighs he said "Dear , do not worry about the things that happened  in  our past ".

Wordless Wednesday #102 @Abracadabra

I  found this picture in Devika Fernando's timeline long ago.I found the lady in this picture attractive and classy that I cannot get my eyes off this picture .


With Lots of Love and Hugs 

Writer Gal

Book Review of The Second Coming

Book Review :'The Second Coming ' book .I received the paperback copy of this book  as  the ARC from the author Shubha Menon herself via TBC .Thank you Rubina Ramesh for the same.

The story : The Second Coming is a story of Mirnalini Mehta aka Mini a wedding planner  who is dealing with   mid- life crises   where she thinks  the  romances in her martial life is fading away  .So in order to  make her husband  'Sicko' Shyam realize the need . She makes an escapes route to Mumbai where she meets the Parsi Guy and head of Soul -Mates Rustom who  looked  liked the  romantic heros popping out from one of the books  that which  she had read during the loveless  nights as she believes in fairy tale romances .So to woo Rustom she does all types of things and join a gym to look perfect in front of him .Rustom who is ladies man falls in love with Mini and proposes her too and eventually Mini falls in traps from which it is difficult for her  to come out .

Will Mini be able to make a right choice ? Then check this book out .

My Views : Shubha Menon has  written  the book in an effective way by  keeping the interest of readers in  her mind .She has penned down every emotion of women a poignant way .Her desires of ' Love' and to be 'Loved' are quiet retaliate .

The Annoying Part : I  disliked the part where Mini visits a gynac .I  felt that part is  out of the  place .

Me Recommends : The Second Coming by Shubha Menon  to all .

The Second Coming

by 

Shubha Menon

The Blurb

A wedding planner who believes in fairytale weddings, Mini yearns for romance in her own marriage. The magic of the initial years has vanished, leaving behind a hunger that she assuages with chocolate. Mini would love to change her situation, but she is over the hill, overweight and under confident. The chances of having a hot affair with a happening man are dim, if not non-existent.
An erstwhile royal scion decides to wed a Bollywood starlet and Mini is sent to Mumbai to plan the celebrations. The manager of the Mumbai office is young Rustom, the answer to Mini’s secret dreams. Goaded by impending menopause, Mini decides it’s now or never. She simply has to take a second stab at romance.
Rustom is a ladies man. He is also married, and a skirt chaser. Mini decides to shape up and get into the kind of skirts Rustom would want to chase.
Working together closely, Rustom and Mini fall into each others’ arms. Meanwhile, her husband gets wind of the affair and tries to reclaim her. Now Mini must choose between heady romance and steady matrimony.
But soon, Mini discovers that her romantic idol has feet of clay. In a dramatic end, the trusty husband stages a timely rescue. And Mini learns that a rock solid husband is worth many a dream lover.

Buy @

Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Flipkart 

Meet the Author

This is her first book. She is currently working as a Senior Creative Director with Ogilvy Delhi. A practising Buddhist, she dreams of living in the hills where she can read, write and grow climbing roses. She lives in Delhi with her husband, daughter and two Dachshunds. 

You can stalk her @

                           

         Check out the Rafflecopter (Only for Reviewers of this Blog Tour) This Tour is Hosted by 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Pinterest | Linkedin

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tales of N and V Part Thirteen @ Against the Wish

Photo Source : G + Rohit Surya's page

Vikram Good Morning  dear ! Namarata says by waking him up .Preeti look 'How your Dad is sleeping ?'. OMG!  V says and gets up with a jerk . 

Ha ha N laughs on seeing V  's expressions .Immediately V pulls her into his arms and stares at her for  full  twenty minutes that made her heart beat aloud .Vikram... she  calls his name very hoarsely .V kisses her lips intimately that forced Namarata's  potent desires to explode  .She nudges closer to him instead  but seeing their closeness and coziness Pushkari  smartly retorts 'Today it seems like  there would be another wedding for you both ' Accha ...by the Pa you know na there are two beautiful twin daughters of an marriage age .
Yeah yeah  I  did not  know  regarding this  child! Vikram exclaims  getting out of the bed .Lifting the paper in his way  he walks away to the living room where his morning  tea  has  been waiting for him .

Umm. Nice tea he says and leaves for bath but ..his sight falls on a newspaper column Wanted a tall , fair   handsome and rich  bridegroom  for a tall , slim, fair and beautiful looking bride .

Disgusting   he felt and threw the paper on the ground as he feels that  such ads are the cause and the effect of  our matrimonial sites to function  too well for their own good .Keeping his hand on his laptop and switching it on .He type an email to the employees of his company by giving  them  a task .But  the task seemed to be a tough though , his employees were ready to do it .

One fine morning Preeti  knocks V's stomach badly with her head .Ouch ! he shouts and mutters a curse .But on seeing Preeti's  face all his anger melts like Ice cream ,and  may I  know why you did this to me ? .What is  this  Pa ! Preeti  asks him teasingly pointed out to the content of an email  .
Accha now ...you are gone dear ha ha V laughs as he sees N's eyes. Namarata 's eyes are misted   he wipes them off  firmly by saying 'N I   hates tears  re 'totally in Rajesh Khanna's style .

Book Blitz of Coke by Barun Chanda

About the Book:

“Can you help me, please?”
Pradipta wheeled around.
Standing behind was an unusually attractive lady. She wore a dark blue, chiffon saree which set off her fair complexion even more. Other than a thin gold chain with a tear-drop pearl pendant on her neck, she wore no jewelery. Her lips were pale pink, with no lipstick. Only the dark make-up on her eyes made her look even more unfathomable.
 “You’re talking to me?”
Thus begins Coke, with this chance encounter at Kathmandu airport. But the plot thickens when the lady requests him to include her suitcase as part of his checked in baggage and then does a vanishing act, once the aircraft lands in Calcutta. What follows is a riveting page-turner, replete with unexpected twists as you encounter gangs warring over narcotics, policemen, functionaries, and a sinister master-mind who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The furiously paced narrative takes you from the sleepy airport of Kathmandu to the packed streets of Calcutta, a mysterious mansion on the outskirts of town and an unforgettable chase-sequence through New Market.
From the author of the acclaimed Bengali novels ‘Kidnap’, ‘Shaaper Jhaanpi’ and ‘Robibar’ comes a high-octane thriller that’s seriously addictive and keeps you hooked till the end.

Read an Excerpt:

At the first ring, Rustam picked up his mobile. It showed Bob’s number on the screen. He put the mobile to his ear and listened.
“I’m speaking from the loo…there’s news for you.”
“Why from the toilet?”
“Because no other place in the house is safe to talk to you,” Bob whispered back.
“When can we meet, then?”
“In the evening, after my duty’s over.”
“Didn’t you say you have day-night duties from now on?”
“They are letting me go for now in the evenings. But not at your place. It’s too risky.”
“Okay. So, where and when?”
“Hello, someone seems to be knocking at the door.”
The phone call ended with the roar of the flushing toilet.


At eight-thirty sharp, Rustam met Bob at Girish Park.
“Why didn’t you get in touch with me the last three days?”
Rustam looked sharply at Bob.
“There were problems.” Bob let out a thick cloud of cigarette smoke.
“It’s getting increasingly risky to come out and meet you like this.”
Though they stood in close proximity, their faces looked away in diametrically opposite directions. Unless you looked carefully, it was difficult to make out they were actually talking to each other.
Rustam idly looked at the snarling evening traffic, his hands on the railing of the park.
“So, what’s the news?”
On a bench inside the park, a young couple took advantage of the darkness to get cozy with each other. Bob simply couldn’t take his eyes off them.
“The red suitcase…” 
Bob’s voice trailed off as his eyes were riveted on the frenetic activities of the couple on the bench, their bodies wrapped under a shawl. 
“Yes, what about the red suitcase?”
Rustam cast one sharp glance at Bob, before looking away.
“I know where it is.”
Bob’s face got hidden in a cloud of smoke.
“Good.” Rustam’s voice sounded relieved. “In which room?”
“Upstairs, in boss’s bed room.”
“What makes you so sure?” Rustam’s eyes narrowed as he watched Bob’s face intently. For some inexplicable reason, he had never been able to fully trust Bob right from the beginning.
“One of the middle rooms on the first floor…was kept under lock and key all this while.”
Bob’s eyes were still very much on the couple on the bench.
“Bob…why aren’t you saying anything?”
Rustam’s voice sounded impatient.
The couple’s bodies were locked in a tight clinch under the shawl.
“Bob?”
“I saw one of the sentries take the suitcase away from the middle room to boss’s bedroom.”
Rustam kept his eyes on the Central Avenue. A traffic jam was forming near the crossing, adjacent to the park. An eccentric man, with a wooden stick in his hand, was trying to regulate the traffic, in the process, making things much worse for everyone.
“Did you get to see where he hid it inside the bed room?”
“No.”
Bob watched fascinated what the couple was doing on the bench, underneath the shawl.
“Niyogi shut the door after entering boss’s bed room.”
For a while both stood facing away from each other, in silence.
At long last, a cop appeared on the road and was seen trying to control the traffic. Inside the park, the couple was still locked in a tight embrace. Bob puffed at his cigarette and blew another cloud of smoke from his mouth. Rustam fanned with his hand irritably, trying hard to keep the smoke away from his face.
“Anything else?”
“Yes, there is.”
Bob looked directly at Rustam for the first time in the evening.
“I think Harry is going out of town very shortly.”
“Outside Calcutta, or outside India?”
“How should I know that?” Bob answered irritably.
“Somebody came from a travel agency with a sealed envelope. I signed and received it.”
The traffic at the crossing had eased by now. The couple on the bench sat still, exhausted.
Rustam noticed Bob smiling at them. 
“What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing.”
 Bob took one last puff from the cigarette, flicked the butt end casually towards the footpath and walked away. After a while Rustam came and sat at the bench in the park.   The couple got up from the bench and walked away, each in a different direction. Rustam watched them leave, took out the mobile from his pocket and started speaking into it in a low voice.


About the Author:

In so far as the pursuit of any true vocation is a life in itself, Barun Chanda – advertising guru, actor and writer, may be said to have had three. Born in Dhaka, he did his Masters in English at Jadavpur University. Following a brief stint as a lecturer in English, he embarked upon a career in the creative department of advertising that spanned more than 30 years, won him numerous awards and culminated in his tenure as Creative Director at Clarion McCann.

Acting occupies the second of his three worlds. In 1971, he scorched the big screen as a high-flying executive, playing the protagonist in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Seemabaddha’, and winning a special President of India Award for his performance. After a hiatus that lasted over two decades, he returned to the screen during the 90’s, and has since then acted in numerous TV series and more than 35 movies. Tackling Bollywood and Tollywood roles with equal aplomb, he has distinguished himself in films such as Lootera, Roy, Chotushkone, Aborto, MIshor Rohoshyo, Nayanchampa-r Dinraatri , Bela Sheshe and Jogajog. Chorabaali, where where once again he plays the protagonist, is his latest venture.

Barun’s third passion is writing. A regular film reviewer and contributor of articles to major dailies, in the last eight years he has published four highly acclaimed and successful novels in Bengali. His work has played a major role in establishing the adult thriller genre in Bengali literature.

Coke is his first novel in English.

Facebook

Book Blitz of First Brush on the Canvas

About the Book:
Graham, Daniel, their friendship, life and death.
Vampires, guardians' adventures at night. Coffee, love and a new couple. Imli and her mother in a complex web of darkness. A small town girl confused about virginity. Michael Jaikishen and his writing endeavours. Child adoption by a gay couple. Mahabharat - a modern tale in an epic form. The spine-chilling tale of Tina and Uncle Joe. A juicy love story by our guest author Sujata Parashar. These and many other unputdownable stories in this book.

First Brush on the Canvas is an anthology comprising selected stories from Melonade (2014), a nationwide writing marathon organized by Writersmelon.com.

Goodreads * Amazon

Melonade Authors’ Intro:

Uttiya Roy – Nourished with Bangla literature, he aspires to change the world someday writing in English. His days pass blending Life Science textbooks with poetry. 

Upasana Bhattacharjee – We catch ‘em as young as they get! Our youngest writer is still a student, but that doesn’t reflect in the matured story she’s written dealing with inconclusive logics and paradoxes. 

Stuti Chandra – She writes because she’s alive. This lovely lady is from Patna and has dipped her nose in English Literature at Delhi. 

Shaily Bhargava – A photographer, a logophile and an Equity Technical Analyst – all in one. She reads and writes in Noida, accompanied by beautiful clicks through her lens and lots of Coffee. 

Arunav Chowdhury – Have you met this Proletariat Axomiya before? He’s a movie buff and a news junkie rolled into one, who writes wonderful modern takes on the age old Mahabharat. 

Rafaa Dalvi – A Mumbaikar, an engineer, a blogger and a prolific writer. He’s already made his presence in three anthologies and likes to experiment with different genre. 

Diptee Raut – A quilter, a blogger, a quirky mom, an amazing writer and our co-winner of Melonade’4. She’s one bundle of positive energy who can spin stories and weave quilts simultaneously. 

Abhishek Mukherjee – Have you read his blog posts yet? Though he likes to believe he’s only a Cricket Historian, you have to read his humorous takes on Mythology to believe he’s the best. 

Anwesha Ray – An amazingly sensitive writer, she lives and works in Bangalore with her family. 

Avishek Basu Mallick – He’s the winner of Melonade’4. If you wish to laud him for more, he’s an engineer and an MBA, working in Bangalore and a featured writer on Sportskeeda.

Arijit Ghose – Blend Carnatic music with exceptional satire and the result is Arijit Ghose. Cheeky, expressive and vocal – we hope he becomes a great writer someday. 

Amit Nangia – For those working in MNCs for years, he’s your inspiration. Amit’s first novel has just released after facing many rejections but that didn’t deter him from writing. Climbing the rocks, gliding in a parachute, bungee jumping or making cocktails; nothing could elevate his spirits as much as writing did.

Tnahsin Garg - Tnahsin often exercises his freedom by convincing other folks that ‘free will’ does not exist. His first novel ‘The Prophecy of Trivine’ is a science-fiction based in India.

Sujata Parashar – Author of the immensely popular ‘In Pursuit Of’ trilogy, and a wonderful poet. She contributes articles to various websites and magazines, and is a social activist. She’s a guest author in the book. 

Tales of N and V Part Twelve @ Commercial Endorsement

Namarata look at this new girl on the block dear .She seems like some bubble who will be white wash from the Indian markets soon  Vikram says looking up from the laptop .

'You and your advertising field 'N says nodding her head in disbelief .Money talks in this field and so all the youth of this generation find it very interesting to earn  money this way .

God know when their  hang over of being the next fashion model will  go...As it is quiet irritating you see ...Namarata says pointed .V who has been listening to  her rants  suddenly laughs at her .N  gives him a mock stare and says "We had Enough discussion on this topic  can we switch over to something else".

Yeah yeah Vikram says and kisses her forehead as he finds tears in her eyes which he hates  to see them as it makes N  look dull .

V easing her head on his lap whispers  some endearing  words like dear , darling , beautiful , lovable , sexy and babe while patting her head as he knew  she had gone  through such a horrible ordeal of losing her daughters Preeti and Pushkari at the hands of the  a very very successful yet a shady ad maker who once  upon time was their school mate too .

No No dear   don't cry N  there is no one to hurt or break our family thread  so do not fret  about ,  regarding this stuff.
N  who has been listening  to him  re positions  her heads and sleeps there .
Unaware of the fact that " Vikram  is finding it very difficult to bear the weight of her head".

After Namarata goes in deep sleep state he slowly  pulls a pillow from his back and then slowly  places  her head on it .
Later on he stretches his limbs on the bed caressing each and every muscle of his legs .V  then jumps out of his bed and goes out of their bedroom to have  some water by switching off the table lamps .

Once inside the kitchen he makes a hot cuppa of chai for himself and stares at stars that fills up the sky like the rice bulbs and types out a formal and aggressive  letter to the ad makers  regarding the type of ads they make in recent times that  are forcing  each and every youth to  join the bandwagon and glamour field  without having any second thoughts about their future and career .



I  have written this post for #Monday Musing  

With Lots of Love ,

Writer Gal 

Book Review of Milan by Simi . K.Rao

Book Review : I received the copy of Milan  from the author herself via b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in.Thank you Debdaata  for the same .'Milan' is first book that I have  read written by Simi K. Rao for the first time . Hopefully I will catch with other book written by her sometime later . The story is simple  when a girl grows  and turns up of marriage then how parents gets worried and when  they find a perfect match for the girl .What are fears  , anxiousness she has cross over is described in this book effectively by Simi .K. Rao. It  is story of Mili Bhradwaj and Ahaan Kapoor .

The book is based on how arranged marriages takes places in India. The girl 's fears of  leaving familiar surroundings to an unknown  destination  with the person  whom she knows yet does not much about him .Simi has weaved the story very well in a masterful way .I like the way in which Mili Calls Ahaan 'TOI ' the name which she  had given  him when they were school buddies .

I love the part where  Mili  feels  guilty of  her actions .... to know more about this party please read the book .

Overall the book is a good read book .

Milan (A Wedding Story)

When a daughter turns marriageable age, what should a responsible father do? Easy--wed her to the most suitable boy who comes knocking on the door. Jai Bharadwaj, Mili's father and owner of The Serenity Tea Estate in the idyllic Nilgiris would've probably liked to do the same, but being who he was, he had to ask her first. What would she say?




 Goodreads I Amazon




About the Author:

Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in both northern and southern India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years. She is the author of multicultural contemporary romantic fiction.
The inspiration for her books and other creative projects comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.
Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.
Much of Rao's down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world.
A practicing physician, Rao lives in Denver with her family. Her published works include Inconvenient Relations and The Accidental Wife. She is currently at work on her next release.

Contact the Author:
Website I Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads

‘Behind the scenes at an Indian Wedding’

Indians in general are deeply rooted in tradition. Our culture gives us our identity. Most of us (especially those living away from the homeland) cling to it, even though several aspects in these particularly modern times, make no sense at all. Why do we do so? Perhaps because it brings us together as a community and provides us comfort in a foreign environment. The same I think applies to immigrants from all over the globe.

Marriages in India, in particular Hindu marriages are long drawn intricate affairs fraught with age old tradition. Little has changed over the centuries except for certain embellishments due to modernization. To non-Indians these ceremonies appear just that—elaborate colorful rituals flavored with plenty of pomp and show.

In the following story I take my readers on a ‘behind the scenes' tour at a traditional Indian wedding. I’ve tried to illustrate the proceedings from engagement to the wedding ceremony with “generalized” Indians---my characters, and have also made an attempt to expound on the emotional upheavals that occur in the background and often aren’t spoken out loud. Milan is more of a ‘short story’ concept where it shows the before/during and after of an event than it is a ‘long novel’ about characters with hopes and dreams and goals. And its purpose is exactly that, to show the emotions Indian couples go through during the process of a wedding. This story may help the reader get a better insight into the culture of marriage in India.

The Setting of MILAN:

Whenever I travel back to my homeland, I prepare for a culture shock. The crowds, the noise, the pollution have all increased several fold as the country races forward at breakneck speed to catch up with the rest of the world. There are very places left where it still seems like life goes on as it did a few decades ago, where people are laid back and nature is not at war with mankind.

MILAN is set in one such place; Coonoor-- a hill town located in the Nilgiri Hills, about 56 kms from the Coimbatore Airport, in the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is part way from its more well-known cousin Ooty. I spent some time there during my last trip and was so enchanted that I chose to use it as a setting for my story. Known for its tea plantations, Coonoor is a lovely, rustic little town. With its abundance of greenery and quaint architecture it is a throwback to India as it used to be. The temperate climate and serene environment help the restless soul to relax and take a few breaths of peace. When you are there, don't forget to take a ride on the Nilgiris meter gauge train, as well as a personalized tour of the tea estates.
I want to thank Debdatta for giving me this opportunity to express myself and for hosting this blog tour. I also want to thank all the bloggers who are participating in this tour and have made space for my book on their blog. Your time and generosity is much appreciated.
Please visit my website http://simikrao.com/ for more info on me and my work. You can also connect with me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simikrao and twitter https://twitter.com/simikrao
Happy Reading!

Simi K. Rao

Book Blitz of The First Life of Vikram Roy by Lakshmi Hariharan

About the Book:

His family is being held to ransom by a deadly mastermind. 

Vikram never should have left his family, but when Vikram's father brings his half-brother Vishal home, life will never be the same. Vikram thinks things will be better now that he's gone. He's met the love of his life, his future looks bright and then everything is shattered. Now, his family's life is hanging in the balance, and only Vikram can do what needs to be done to save them. From the bestselling dystopian fiction author with over 200 reviews and ratings of her dystopia books across Goodreads, Amazon and other retailers. 

If you’re looking for books like Hunger Games, then this dystopia romance series, The Ruby Iyer Series is it.



Book Links:
Goodreads I Amazon

An exclusive excerpt and GIVEAWAY from The First Life of Vikram Roy

The Ruby Iyer Series—by Laxmi Hariharan

Clad uniformly in jeans, hoodies and baseball hats, the boys look pretty slick. Tenzin wears a brand new Lacquer jersey, another gift among the many he receives from home on a weekly basis. Me—I like my faded old leather bomber jacket. My concession to fitting in with the boys is my very own pair of Wu-Tang jeans. There's just something badass about them. It's a brand I am going to stick to, especially in the more trying times of my life ahead.
Not that you'd know it that day, as the five of us swagger up the strip in the town centre. It's August, just a few months into the start of the school year. The sun is just beginning its descent, and the shop lights twinkle on, one by one. We perch at the gang's customary spot. It's a bench at the edge of the mall. If you look down you can see the rest of the town spread out one way. Look the other direction and the entire mall spreads out before you. More importantly, you can see every single girl who walks by. It also gives them a clear view to check us out. 
"So remember, stay cool. Don't give these girls the time of the day," Tenzin lectures as I take in the scene. "Especially this girl, Miriam—Mirri—boy, I so want to get into her pants. But, you know, got to act all casual around them. Let them come to you, know what I mean?"
"The Italians call this passeggiata," I say to Tenzin, as I stand next to him at the bench.
The others sprawl in various poses, meant to convey casual disregard of their surroundings. All of them have a lit cigarette that they puff at. Tenzin offers me one, which I refuse. "What the fuck is passe … passage … dude?"
"It's an Italian tradition," I say. "A gentle stroll in the evening through the town centre—for which you are meant to dress up, of course—and then you walk through the piazza, to see and be seen."
"Yeah, whatever, man." Tenzin puffs away on his cigarette, coughing a little. "You going to Italy or something?"
"Nope, Oxford probably. It's just … this reminds me of a passeggiata, Indian-style."
"Dude," he taps me on my forehead, "all that studying is frying your brains. You need to get out more often. Check out the girls … know what I mean?"
"Hmm! You need both brains and muscles … dude." I grin, but I know what he means. The flame I've been carrying for Ash has died a natural death, but it's left me with a bitter aftertaste. No, I don't think I am headed anywhere near girls anywhere soon. I might look at them, but that's about it for now. 
"Hey, Tinny!" A girl in mini skirt, boots over her knees, leather jacket zipped up to enhance the thrust of her breasts, approaches us. 
"Tinny?" Did she really call him that? I chuckle. Once. Before wiping all expression off my face. 
"Hey, Mirri," Tenzin nods. He's playing it super cool, but his body is wound tight; he is almost vibrating in anticipation, hoping to speak with her.
"Who's your friend here?" She nods at me.
I raise an eyebrow at her and almost choke at the surprise on Tenzin's face. Apparently she's interested in me. The rest of the boys are watching us, too distracted to smoke now.
"Ah, my friend, Vik. Vik, meet Mirri." 
I nod, unsure what to do next. Then I put out my hand, and when she places her smaller palm in mine, I kiss it. "Enchanted," I say.
The boys around me chuckle. But Miriam takes no heed. Taking a step forward, she looks up and her eyes round with interest. Curling a strand of hair around her forefinger, she asks, "So, you want to go see a movie?"
Charm. It definitely gets you everywhere.

Want to find out what happens next? Click here

About the origins of Ruby Iyer:

Growing up in Bombay, my daily commute to university was inevitably nightmarish. It's just how public transport is here. The man behind you on the bus will brush up against you. You know you are going to be felt up on a crowded train platform. All you can do is accept it and get on. Or so you think. I did too, until, a young photojournalist was raped in the centre of Bombay in broad daylight.  It made me furious. Nothing had changed in this city in all these years. Then, I had a vision of this young girl who would not back down; who would follow her instincts, stand up for herself regardless of consequences.  Thus Ruby Iyer was born. Make no mistake, Ruby’s her own person. She leads. I follow. You can download the RUBY IYER DIARIES, the prequel novelette in the series free HERE

About The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer

2015 Readers' Favorite (Bronze) YA Action

 YA Finalist 2015 IAN Book of the Year Award

Finalist 9th Annual Indie Excellence Awards

When her best friend is kidnapped, Ruby will stop at nothing to rescue him. 

Criminals run the streets of Bombay. Jam-packed with the worst degenerates. The city is a shell of the pride and joy it used to be. Ruby knows something must be done, but it isn’t until her best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr Braganza that she knows that she and she alone must save city, save her best friend, save the world from total destruction. Armed only with Vikram, a cop-turned-rogue they are about to embark on a road they may never return from. If you’re looking for fast-paced books like Hunger Games or dystopia fiction like Angelfall, the Ruby Iyer series is perfect for you. 

DOING MY BIT
All SEPTEMBER earnings from the RUBY IYER SERIES will be donated to SAVE THE CHILDREN: SUPPORT CHILD REFUGEES OF SYRIA. All the RUBY IYER books with their brand new covers, are on SALE all this month at 99p/c & Rs 69/49. Click HERE to buy them. 

YOU can also donate to SAVE THE CHILDREN directly HERE 

About the Author:

She almost died. But when dystopia romance author Laxmi Hariharan had a near death experience, she was told to write. Laxmi is the creator of dystopian romance series, RUBY IYER SERIES (The MANY LIVES OF VIKRAM ROY - FINALIST Indie Excellence Awards, the bestselling The RUBY IYER DIARIES , The FIRST LIFE OF VIKRAM ROY, The SECOND LIFE OF RUBY IYER & VIKRAM ROY, PANKY's FIRST LIFE), and the Amazon bestselling, eLit Gold winner, The Destiny of Shaitan (Bombay Chronicles, 1). If you're looking for books like Divergent and Angelfall, you'll love the RUBY IYER SERIES.

Laxmi writes books similar to Hunger Games while listening to electronica & progressive rock, and downing innumerable cups of extra sweet ginger-chai. She is also an avid photographer of street art and believes she was a tree -- a redwood -- in her past life. London is where she creates. Bombay is what fires her imagination. 

Receive a free copy of THE RUBY IYER DIARIES when you sign up to her Newsletter 

GIVEAWAY

The First Life of Vikram Roy, The THIRD book in the RUBY IYER Series, launches this month. To celebrate the launch of the FIRST LIFE OF VIKRAM ROY I am giving away a $30 gift card. Winner will be drawn, Oct 1, 2015, and announced in my next newsletter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway