Prologue-01

It is not everyday you sit in front of your computer on a Saturday morning and get

an email like this:

From: Ahd_businessman@gmail.com Sent: 12/28/2005 11.40 p.m.

To: info@real3.com

Subject: A final note

Dear Aarav

This email is a combined suicide note and a confession letter. I have let people down

and have no reason to live. You don't know me. I'm an ordinary boy in Ahmedabad who

read your books. And somehow I felt I could write to you after that. I can't really tell

anyone what I am doing to myself - which is taking a sleeping pill everytime I end a

sentence - so I thought I would tell you.

I kept my coffee cup down and counted. Five full stops already

I made three mistakes; I don't want to go into details.

My suicide is not a sentimental decision. As many around me know, I am a

good businessman because I have little emotion. This is no knee-jerk reaction. I

waited over three years, watched Ish's silent face everyday. But after he refused my

offer yesterday, I had no choice left.

I have no regrets either. Maybe I'd have wanted to talk to Vidya once more –

but that doesn't seem like such a good idea right now.

Sorry to bother you with this. But I felt like I had to tell someone. You have

ways to improve as an author but you do write decent books. Have a nice weekend.

Regards

Businessman

17, 18, 19. Somewhere, in Ahmedabad a young 'ordinary' boy had popped

nineteen sleeping pills while typing out a mail to me. Yet, he expected me to have a

nice weekend. The coffee refused to go down my throat. I broke into a cold sweat.

'One, you wake up late. Two, you plant yourself in front of the computer first

thing in the morning. Are you even aware that you have a family?' Anusha said.

In case it isn't obvious enough from the authoritative tone, Anusha is my wife.

I had promised to go furniture shopping with her – a promise that was made

ten weekends ago.

She took my coffee mug away and jiggled the back of my chair. 'We need

dining chairs. Hey, you look worried?' she said.

I pointed to the monitor.