half-girlfriend-chetan-bhagat

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‘Well, it's a girl, Indian-origin. She is in her early twenties. Her real name is Riya. I don't think she uses that on stage.’ ‘I can't help you with such limited information. Did you see her perform somewhere?' 'Well, no. Actually, she is an old friend. I am trying to locate her,’ ‘Sorry, getting another call, bye.’ She hung up. I had another sip from my Venti-sized cup, which held over <strong>half</strong>-a-litre of coffee. Americans are into size, whether it is their cars, bodies or food. I had ten minutes of lunch break left. I called a few more bars and one more talent agency. Finally, I made a route plan to visit six bars in the evening around the Tribeca area.
40 'No Indian singer here. I’m sorry,’ she said. I had come to Tribeca Nation, a small bar with thirty seats and a tiny stage for solo vocalists. The singer had just finished her performance. I had gone up to her and told her I loved her voice. I asked her if she would have a few minutes to sit with me. She looked at me suspiciously. ‘I just have some questions. Nothing else,’ I had told her. She ordered a Jack Daniel’s whisky and Diet Coke, and urged me to try the same. Erica was twenty-two years old. She was from Rhode Island, a state north of New York. She wanted to act in a Broadway play, and tried her luck at auditions during the day. At night, she earned a living through singing gigs. ‘I finished high school and came here.’ I looked at her. ‘No college, sorry.’ She grinned. Over the past few weeks, I had learnt a thing or two about Americans. If they wanted something, they went for it. They didn’t think about the risks so much. Which Indian parent would allow a girl to sing in bars at night after class XII, I wondered? ‘I really need to find this girl,’ I said, now two whiskies down and more talkative. ‘Love. Makes us do crazy things,’ she said. ‘Well, I am going a little crazy.’ ‘Love.’ She laughed. 'At least it keeps us singers in business.’ I gave her Riya’s description. ‘You spoke to agents?’ ‘As many as I could. No luck yet.’ ‘If she has a stage name, it can get quite difficult.’ ‘Well, she is Indian. I am hoping someone will remember her. 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?’
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I had proposed to her. The least sh
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said in a baby voice. I took that a
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secretary must have asked a hotel i
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11 We had practised for less than t
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I went back to my book. ‘What do
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‘What is your problem? I’m not
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She stood up to change her seat.
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12 Six months later After my break-
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asshole doing here? It's amazing ho
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isk steps away from me. ‘Riya,’
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13 We walked out to her car. She ha
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Our eyes met. Maybe it was my imagi
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‘I’m sorry.’ ‘It’s fine.
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more dignity than I thought I had.
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14 One year and three months later
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The other interviewers cleared thei
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‘It’s just a way they express l
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ACT II Bihar
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class, rest low class’ bullshit t
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‘Like whom?’ ‘The over-educat
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I folded my hands to wish both men,
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‘SMDC didn’t send anyone,’ he
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The difference between seventy kids
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answers for us.’ ‘I am from her
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treatment,’ I said. ‘Now the vi
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not declined the ticket.’ ‘What
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18 I reached the Raj High School pl
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tray from her. Mrs Ojha touched my
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My mother knew the political game.
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19 I prepared a proposal for Ojha a
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I smiled. I did go to the best Engl
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‘We are a poor school. We don’t
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20 'Speech?’ my mother said. 'In
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‘So what do I do?’ ‘You work
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hotel called Nest, provided I didn'
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‘I’m Madhav,’ I said. ‘All
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22 I returned to Dumraon after my P
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I looked around. I wondered if I sh
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lobby, my eyes fixed on the entranc
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23 We sat at a corner table and had
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‘Nestle. I am in sales, for their
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‘What?’ ‘Ask me things. I wil
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famine. I bought the two-rupee tick
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‘All the time.You should come som
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8. Calling call centres and choosin
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‘All we have for peace in this ci
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choosing my words with care, afraid
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inaugurated her hot plate and utens
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There isn’t much to see in Dumrao
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27 Savitri tai served us daal and s
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‘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.
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: Shailesh gasped. He covered his mou
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
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