half-girlfriend-chetan-bhagat

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irritated. ‘So I didn’t mention it. Anyway, you go play. It’ll clear your head.’ ‘My head is fine.’ ‘See how you talk to your mother? If your head was fine, you wouldn’t have gone to the MLA.’ ‘I just wanted to help.’ ‘Enough. Eat your food.’ My mother still treated me as if I was ten years old. The funny thing was, I let her.
18 I reached the Raj High School playground at 6 in the evening. I saw a l few teenage students on court. We smiled as we acknowledged each other. I asked for the ball. A student passed it to me. I was touching the dusty and dotted-rubber texture of the ball after ages. I took a shot. Chhaak.The soft sound of the ball going through the net without i ouching the ring told me I still had it in me. A few students clapped. 'Where’s St. Stephen’s?’ one boy said. He had noticed my college T-shirt. I looked at the boy. He seemed clueless about my fancy college. I had been like him not too long ago. I told him about my alma mater. ‘English college?’ he said. ‘Completely. That too high-class English,’ I said and laughed. ‘I will never make it.’ ‘I entered through the sports quota. Maybe you can too.’ I dribbled the ball. The thumping sound matched my heartbeat. ‘I’m not that good,’ he said. I threw the ball at him. He caught it reftexively. ‘Let’s see. I’m Madhav, by the way.’ ‘Parth,’ he said and dribbled the ball. I tackled him as he ran across the court. He was good, but not experienced. It took me twenty seconds to take the ball back from him. I took a shot even though the ring was quite far. I missed. Parth collected the ball and took a shot. He scored. I high-fived him. The last of the sunlight fell on the court. It cast long shadows of the already tail players, I stared at the darting shadows, unable to focus on the game. 'What?' Parth said, He had scored another basket. ‘Nothing,’ I said, blinking rapidly. He passed me the ball. I caught it by habit, still lost in thought. I
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Praise for the author Many writers
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First published by Rupa Publication
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For my mother For rural India For t
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expectations, Love accepts some fla
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‘Half-girlfriend,’ ‘What?’
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possible. ‘She used to like your
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‘I’d like to cancel a ticket on
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1 Where?’ I gasped, trying to cat
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‘Do you speak in full sentences?
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Piyush to translate what I had said
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‘I’ll do my best, sir.’
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passed the ball. The crowd tittered
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the next half. As her team meeting
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even Hindi. He meant: will you play
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‘Yeah. But if they do, then see y
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anymore. I wanted to fit into my ne
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We had played a half-court game; I
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iuinraon, the oldest princely state
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‘They're ditzy. Forget them,' she
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The hands-on-hips pose meant no fur
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is bothering you. And, if something
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Police guards tell you to stop and
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‘Even though you eat all my lunch
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me. ‘Madhav, please understand, I
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6 She entered my room and I slammed
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‘Good observation.’ I looked st
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'No woman has ever meant more to me
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Shailesh said. 'What?’ I said. As
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‘Shut up, fatso,’ Shailesh said
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I stepped inside. A maid gestured f
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‘So thoughtful. This will keep me
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‘It’s okay, uncle,’ Rohan sai
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‘Riya, babe, you only got guy fri
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spring rolls. 'Madhav, so many gues
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Riya raised her eyebrows from the d
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‘You are the new exotic creature
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‘Have you been in love before?’
Page 77 and 78: I had proposed to her. The least sh
Page 79 and 80: said in a baby voice. I took that a
Page 81 and 82: secretary must have asked a hotel i
Page 83 and 84: 11 We had practised for less than t
Page 85 and 86: I went back to my book. ‘What do
Page 87 and 88: ‘What is your problem? I’m not
Page 89 and 90: She stood up to change her seat.
Page 91 and 92: 12 Six months later After my break-
Page 93 and 94: asshole doing here? It's amazing ho
Page 95 and 96: isk steps away from me. ‘Riya,’
Page 97 and 98: 13 We walked out to her car. She ha
Page 99 and 100: Our eyes met. Maybe it was my imagi
Page 101 and 102: ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘It’s fine.
Page 103 and 104: more dignity than I thought I had.
Page 105 and 106: 14 One year and three months later
Page 107 and 108: The other interviewers cleared thei
Page 109 and 110: ‘It’s just a way they express l
Page 111 and 112: ACT II Bihar
Page 113 and 114: class, rest low class’ bullshit t
Page 115 and 116: ‘Like whom?’ ‘The over-educat
Page 117 and 118: I folded my hands to wish both men,
Page 119 and 120: ‘SMDC didn’t send anyone,’ he
Page 121 and 122: The difference between seventy kids
Page 123 and 124: answers for us.’ ‘I am from her
Page 125 and 126: treatment,’ I said. ‘Now the vi
Page 127: not declined the ticket.’ ‘What
Page 131 and 132: tray from her. Mrs Ojha touched my
Page 133 and 134: My mother knew the political game.
Page 135 and 136: 19 I prepared a proposal for Ojha a
Page 137 and 138: I smiled. I did go to the best Engl
Page 139 and 140: ‘We are a poor school. We don’t
Page 141 and 142: 20 'Speech?’ my mother said. 'In
Page 143 and 144: ‘So what do I do?’ ‘You work
Page 145 and 146: hotel called Nest, provided I didn'
Page 147 and 148: ‘I’m Madhav,’ I said. ‘All
Page 149 and 150: 22 I returned to Dumraon after my P
Page 151 and 152: I looked around. I wondered if I sh
Page 153 and 154: lobby, my eyes fixed on the entranc
Page 155 and 156: 23 We sat at a corner table and had
Page 157 and 158: ‘Nestle. I am in sales, for their
Page 159 and 160: ‘What?’ ‘Ask me things. I wil
Page 161 and 162: famine. I bought the two-rupee tick
Page 163 and 164: ‘All the time.You should come som
Page 165 and 166: 8. Calling call centres and choosin
Page 167 and 168: ‘All we have for peace in this ci
Page 169 and 170: choosing my words with care, afraid
Page 171 and 172: inaugurated her hot plate and utens
Page 173 and 174: There isn’t much to see in Dumrao
Page 175 and 176: 27 Savitri tai served us daal and s
Page 177 and 178: ‘Sometimes.’ My mother didn’t
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My mother did not respond. Riya too
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28 'I have a confession to make,’
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‘Can we please not do all this ot
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the quality of the kiss, or what di
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29 'So this is the famous Dumraon R
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I moved to class IV and then to cla
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‘You are so sweet. There is no ne
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Riya had not reacted much to her fa
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‘You want to sleep here?’ No an
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indignant. Samantha had called me o
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the royal family,’ Samantha said.
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‘And in this backward Bihar is th
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Students took over the stage again.
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talk later, okay? I need to rush. I
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‘Many people are coming home for
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I asked you to stay back last night
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‘Where is that divorcee friend of
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‘Sure, sir. Sir, I will move her
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notice period.' ‘When did she res
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‘Just take them,’ I said in a f
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the gifts that arrived from London
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‘I am not comparing anything. I w
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silence. So I walked up to the beds
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'I don’t want anyone,’ I said.
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35 Chanakya Hotel, Patna Madhav con
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from her in years,’ Madhav said.
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36 After Chetan Bhagat left, I rema
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urger and a large order of French f
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‘Ah, no wonder Michael said you h
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37 'Name?’ the officer at the imm
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done an MBA from Harvard after Step
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I reached the southeast corner of t
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38 You bagged a Gates Foundation gr
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‘Everything? You thought she was
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singers are?’ ‘Too many, my fri
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39 The Gates Foundation’s head of
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Shailesh gasped. He covered his mou
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40 'No Indian singer here. I’m so
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vegetables, arrived on our table. I
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around Pylos. I used to live here e
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41 'I'm so ashamed, I can’t even
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‘Thank you, Madhav. I look forwar
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42 Of course, my visit to Union Squ
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‘I actually have to go home.’ T
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43 'Surprise!’ A crowd of people
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Saturday and Sunday. Each table had
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whispered to Shailesh, making up wh
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Where can I get a cab?’ 'Want one
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it said. ‘C’mon, Madhav. Be ama
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You're beautiful, it's true.' The b
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‘Sorry, I left because I got scar
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She unzipped a side zipper and step
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‘Tourists spend a day with our ki
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Table of Contents girlfriend My pho
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