SHE - A Curtain Raiser!

Most Gracious Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greetings From Varalotti

“My pen and I belong to the class of hopelessly optimistic romantics and we team together only for raising temples for true love and love of the truth.”

Do you remember having read that somewhere? Let me jog your memory: you read that in the curtain raiser for my second serial The Beauty And The Brain.

My two serials in IL were just a substantiation of the first part of my statement, “raising temples for true love” and now a time has come to vindicate the second part “love of the truth.”

And therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, this third serial will trace the life journey of a woman who went in search of truth and her true identity, because her love for truth was her only true and lasting love.

When I first started writing in IL a good lady friend of mine made a flattering statement, “Writing is Varalotti’s second nature.” Well, I am not sure, the ladies would agree to that. But very recently another good lady (may she be blessed) commented, “Controversy is Varalotti’s middle name.”

This statement is a hundred times closer to truth than the first. And you will have no qualms accepting that after reading my threads on gossiping, listening, hypocrisy and HAMB. And you will know soon, that the third serial of mine will vindicate this statement too in my creation of a unique character, my heroine, Shalini. (The good and kind Shalini (or Shalinis, I don’t know) of IL, please excuse me. Any name I choose, there is someone with that name in IL. So I chose the name which I like the most which I subjectively think will best suit this character.).

For most of us trapped in our lives, circumstances, jobs or marriages Shalini is controversy herself. She rebels against the very institution which we are trying to protect even by sacrificing our little desires and great goals at its altar – I mean the institution of marriage.

For about 12 weeks (give or take 3 weeks) you will be watching with trepidation every foot taken by Shalini in her chosen path. You will hate her guts, despise her words and condemn her actions and even ridicule her way of life. But eventually you will love her; and who knows you may even understand her though accepting her still looks like a remote possibility to me.

There may be some gracious ladies who might complain (at least in their minds) ‘But, Varalotti, we will be missing your discussion on controversies.’ To them I answer, this story will be the mother of all controversies. Every week we will have something hot to discuss, argue and fight over with. Moderators beware!

Like the ladies who spend more time choosing a matching blouse for their sarees than choosing the sarees themselves, I spent a lot more time on the title of the story than the storyline itself.

I submitted a dozen titles to a good friend. My friend rejected them all. I was furious. My creativity had dried up. I shouted in despair, “Ok let me like an accountant call this story No.401.”

My friend laughed and came out with a brilliant suggestion. “You call the story, SHE. The story is all about how she lives and how she thinks and feels. It is not just her love or her mind or even her men. It is the whole of herself. The story is SHE. SHE is the story.”
SHE will walk into your lives next Saturday. To accept her or reject her, to hug her or hit her, to love her or hate her, will be your prerogative in which I do not have a say. My only request to you is do either one or the other – either accept her or reject her, either love her or hate her, either hug her or hit her. But please, please do not ignore her or neglect her. SHE can bear it but not her creator.

And soon SHE will be in your hands.

With a heart overflowing with love and full of impotent anger that I can never even begin to repay what my better half has done to me so far, I dedicate this story to my wife, Indhu.

Varalotti

Just as I am about to bid goodbye for this day, my friends seem to embellish IL with their interesting posts...Sleep can wait.

Dear Varalotti.....Welcome back...You seem to be back with a bang:)

On this auspicious day of Akshaya Thruthiya, your return will paint IL with bright and colourful hue creating a lot of excitement and joy for its members and also incite them to thoughts and musings.

I am looking forward to your SHE.

All the best and very glad to see you back.

L, Kamla

Sridhar
ok, I too wait for SHE to come into our lives....
But next Saturday means, I'll be out of station .... So I can only read it on Tuesday....

Gayathri.

Today is Friday and Saturday means tomorrow or is it next saturday. If it is tomorrow oh my God have to wait for atleast another 20 hours to read this? My nails are trying to hide themselves for the fear of me biting them.

Dear Sridhar,
Good to have u back...that too with a serial .....what more can we ask!
Waiting now for the saturdays !

Hello Sridhar,

welcome back and Good to see you!!!!
hearing all about SHE makes this story irresistible. not just your SHE, a lot more SHEs are questioning and goin thru a lot of turmoil within on many other things existin in our society. with the communication becoming so easy and exposed to diff cultures of the world, there seem to be lot more questions creeping up all the time on lot more silly rituals, do's don'ts speciallly pertaining to the SHEs.
Hope your SHE throws some light (atleast) on such diff issues if not bring an answer to intricate questions.
Look forward to meeting your SHE sooon. the word controversy attracts attention.
all the best to you.

Regards,

Hello Sridhar,

Welcome back! Looking forward to reading SHE. Keep up the good work my friend.

Regards
Vara

Hi Sridhar,

Eagerly waiting for 'SHE'? / 'SHE'?

Hello Varalotti,

Good to see you back in IL with SHE in tow. From past experience, we all know that we could love or hate your characters, but not ignore them. Am especially touched that you dedicate this work to the one woman in your life- Indhu. A secure and balanced woman without whose support and magnanimity, IL would not enjoy the works and thoughts of Varalotti.

regards
Vidya

Dear Sridhar,

Welcome Back!!. Glad that you are well rested and ready to rumble, and wow us all with your new serial SHE. Whatever SHE brings with her I am sure IL will welcome her with warm hands. It is only befitting that you have dedicated your new story to your beloved wife Indhu. Eagerly wiating for SHE.

Regards,
Jothi.