~ Half Girlfriend ~
[ Prologue : 1 ]
writer ✍️
" They are your journals, you read them."
writer ✍️
" Listen, i don't have the time or patience for this " *said irritated*
Being a writer on a book tour doesn't allow for much sleep --- I hadn't slept more than four hours a night for a week.
writer ✍️
" It's midnight. I gave you my view. It's time for me to sleep now."
Madhav jha { ML }
"I want you to read them"
We were in my room at the Chanakya Hotel, Patna.
This morning, he had tried to stop me on my way out. Then he had waited for me all day; I had returned late at night to find him sitting in the hotel lobby.
Madhav jha { ML }
" Just give me five minutes, Sir" *following him into the lift*
And now here we were in my room as he pulled out three tattered notebooks from his backpack.
The spines of the notebooks came apart as he plonked them on the table.
The yellowing pages fanned out between us.
The pages had handwritten text, mostly illegible as the ink smudged.
Many pages had holes, rats having snacked on them.
[ Prologue : 2 ]
An aspiring writer , i thought.
writer ✍️
" If this is a manuscript, please submit it to a publisher. However, do not send it in this state"
Madhav jha { ML }
"I am not a writer , This is not a book."
writer ✍️
"It's not? " *said by lightly touching a crumbling page*
I looked up at him. Even seated, he was tall.
Over six feet in height, he had a sunburnt, outdoor ruggedness about him. Black hair , black eyes and a particularly intense gaze.
He wore a shirt two sizes too big for his lean frame.
He had large hands. He reassembled the notebooks, gentle with his fingers, almost caressing the pages.
writer ✍️
" what are these ?"
Madhav jha { ML }
" i had a friend. These are her journals ."
writer ✍️
"Her journals. Ah. A girlfriend ? "
Madhav jha { ML }
" Half-Girlfriend."
Madhav jha { ML }
*shrugged*
writer ✍️
" Listen, have you eaten anything all day?"
He shook his head. I looked around. A bowl of fruit and some chocolate sat next to my bed. He took a piece of dark chocolate when I offered it.
[ Prologue : 3 ]
writer ✍️
" So what do you want from me?"
Madhav jha { ML }
" i want you to read these journals, whatever is readable..... Because I can't."
writer ✍️
" You can't read ? As in, you can't read in general ? Or you can't read these? "
Madhav jha { ML }
"These "
writer ✍️
" why not?" *reaching for a chocolate*
Madhav jha { ML }
"Because Riya's dead. "
My hand froze in mid- air. You cannot pick up a chocolate when someone has just mentioned a death.
writer ✍️
" Did you just say the girl who wrote these journals is dead?"
Madhav jha { ML }
* nodded*
I took a few deep breaths and wondered what to say next.
writer ✍️
*After a pause* "Why are they in such terrible shape?"
Madhav jha { ML }
"They are old. Her ex- landlord found them after years ."
writer ✍️
" Sorry, Mr what's your name. Can I order some food first ? "
I picked up the phone in the room & ordered two club sandwiches from the limited midnight menu.
Madhav jha { ML }
" I'm Madhav. Madhav Jha. I live in Dumraon, eighty kilometres from here. "
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