- Page 2 and 3:
Praise for the author Many writers
- Page 5 and 6:
First published by Rupa Publication
- Page 7 and 8:
For my mother For rural India For t
- Page 9 and 10:
expectations, Love accepts some fla
- Page 11 and 12: ‘Half-girlfriend,’ ‘What?’
- Page 13 and 14: possible. ‘She used to like your
- Page 15 and 16: ‘I’d like to cancel a ticket on
- Page 17 and 18: 1 Where?’ I gasped, trying to cat
- Page 19 and 20: ‘Do you speak in full sentences?
- Page 21 and 22: Piyush to translate what I had said
- Page 23 and 24: ‘I’ll do my best, sir.’
- Page 25 and 26: passed the ball. The crowd tittered
- Page 27 and 28: the next half. As her team meeting
- Page 29 and 30: even Hindi. He meant: will you play
- Page 31 and 32: ‘Yeah. But if they do, then see y
- Page 33 and 34: anymore. I wanted to fit into my ne
- Page 35 and 36: We had played a half-court game; I
- Page 37 and 38: iuinraon, the oldest princely state
- Page 39 and 40: ‘They're ditzy. Forget them,' she
- Page 41 and 42: The hands-on-hips pose meant no fur
- Page 43 and 44: is bothering you. And, if something
- Page 45 and 46: Police guards tell you to stop and
- Page 47 and 48: ‘Even though you eat all my lunch
- Page 49 and 50: me. ‘Madhav, please understand, I
- Page 51 and 52: 6 She entered my room and I slammed
- Page 53 and 54: ‘Good observation.’ I looked st
- Page 55 and 56: 'No woman has ever meant more to me
- Page 57 and 58: Shailesh said. 'What?’ I said. As
- Page 59 and 60: ‘Shut up, fatso,’ Shailesh said
- Page 61: I stepped inside. A maid gestured f
- Page 65 and 66: ‘It’s okay, uncle,’ Rohan sai
- Page 67 and 68: ‘Riya, babe, you only got guy fri
- Page 69 and 70: spring rolls. 'Madhav, so many gues
- Page 71 and 72: Riya raised her eyebrows from the d
- Page 73 and 74: ‘You are the new exotic creature
- Page 75 and 76: ‘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 and 128:
not declined the ticket.’ ‘What
- Page 129 and 130:
18 I reached the Raj High School pl
- 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
- Page 179 and 180:
My mother did not respond. Riya too
- Page 181 and 182:
28 'I have a confession to make,’
- Page 183 and 184:
‘Can we please not do all this ot
- Page 185 and 186:
the quality of the kiss, or what di
- Page 187 and 188:
29 'So this is the famous Dumraon R
- Page 189 and 190:
I moved to class IV and then to cla
- Page 191 and 192:
‘You are so sweet. There is no ne
- Page 193 and 194:
Riya had not reacted much to her fa
- Page 195 and 196:
‘You want to sleep here?’ No an
- Page 197 and 198:
indignant. Samantha had called me o
- Page 199 and 200:
the royal family,’ Samantha said.
- Page 201 and 202:
‘And in this backward Bihar is th
- Page 203 and 204:
Students took over the stage again.
- Page 205 and 206:
talk later, okay? I need to rush. I
- Page 207 and 208:
‘Many people are coming home for
- Page 209 and 210:
I asked you to stay back last night
- Page 211 and 212:
‘Where is that divorcee friend of
- Page 213 and 214:
‘Sure, sir. Sir, I will move her
- Page 215 and 216:
notice period.' ‘When did she res
- Page 217 and 218:
‘Just take them,’ I said in a f
- Page 219 and 220:
the gifts that arrived from London
- Page 221 and 222:
‘I am not comparing anything. I w
- Page 223 and 224:
silence. So I walked up to the beds
- Page 225 and 226:
'I don’t want anyone,’ I said.
- Page 227 and 228:
35 Chanakya Hotel, Patna Madhav con
- Page 229 and 230:
from her in years,’ Madhav said.
- Page 231 and 232:
36 After Chetan Bhagat left, I rema
- Page 233 and 234:
urger and a large order of French f
- Page 235 and 236:
‘Ah, no wonder Michael said you h
- Page 237 and 238:
37 'Name?’ the officer at the imm
- Page 239 and 240:
done an MBA from Harvard after Step
- Page 241 and 242:
I reached the southeast corner of t
- Page 243 and 244:
38 You bagged a Gates Foundation gr
- Page 245 and 246:
‘Everything? You thought she was
- Page 247 and 248:
singers are?’ ‘Too many, my fri
- Page 249 and 250:
39 The Gates Foundation’s head of
- Page 251 and 252:
Shailesh gasped. He covered his mou
- Page 253 and 254:
40 'No Indian singer here. I’m so
- Page 255 and 256:
vegetables, arrived on our table. I
- Page 257 and 258:
around Pylos. I used to live here e
- Page 259 and 260:
41 'I'm so ashamed, I can’t even
- Page 261 and 262:
‘Thank you, Madhav. I look forwar
- Page 263 and 264:
42 Of course, my visit to Union Squ
- Page 265 and 266:
‘I actually have to go home.’ T
- Page 267 and 268:
43 'Surprise!’ A crowd of people
- Page 269 and 270:
Saturday and Sunday. Each table had
- Page 271 and 272:
whispered to Shailesh, making up wh
- Page 273 and 274:
Where can I get a cab?’ 'Want one
- Page 275 and 276:
it said. ‘C’mon, Madhav. Be ama
- Page 277 and 278:
You're beautiful, it's true.' The b
- Page 279 and 280:
‘Sorry, I left because I got scar
- Page 281 and 282:
She unzipped a side zipper and step
- Page 283 and 284:
‘Tourists spend a day with our ki
- Page 285:
Table of Contents girlfriend My pho