I was dreading it, you know. My heart was beating triple time.
Would it still be happening?
Would it get postponed again?
Would I be able to speak?
But I shouldn’t have worried.
It happened! I am officially an interviewee on TalkRadio! And I am not sure how long it will last, but here is a link for those of you to listen, if you missed it…
Go to the 20.30 -21.00 segment. Forward to 15 minutes in… And there, you will find Ritu!
You might remember a couple of weeks ago, I excitedly posted about being interviewed on TalkRADIO about my dear book baby… then, due to this horrible virus, it got delayed… then postponed.
Well, I am delighted to say that (touchwood) it is back on tonight!
I’ll be being interviewed for part of Badass Women’s hour (which is longer than an hour!) from 8.45pm by Harriet Minter, I believe!
Hey there, everyone! Just wanted to give you the heads up that my book baby, Marriage Unarranged is on sale this weekend, from Friday 3rd April, through to midnight on Monday 6th April!
Like in the Bollywood films, Ravi would woo her, charm her family and they’d get married and live happily ever after.
But then Aashi found the empty condom box…
Putting her ex-fiancé and her innocence behind her, Aashi embarks upon an enlightening journey, to another country, where vibrant memories are created, and unforgettable friendships forged.
Old images erased, new beginnings to explore.
And how can she forget the handsome stranger she meets? A stranger who’s hiding something…
And it’s gathering ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews too!
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Splendid
Marriage Unarranged is probably one of the best “Getting Over a Breakup” stories I’ve ever come across. Culturally rich and emotionally captivating, it’s a story that inspires us to find and refine our best qualities, to get back up off scraped knees when life knocks us down. From the first sentence, I was hooked. This novel, though written in lush prose, reads quickly, and deserves to be re-read in years to come. Sit back with a cup of chai and immerse yourself in the splendor that is Marriage Unarranged.
5.0 out of 5 starsYou fall in love with the characters… And India!! Such a beautiful read.
Where do I start!! An amazing read and incredibly relatable. I’ve read this in an afternoon! I did not want to put it down!! Ritu captures your full attention in the first few pages….. The mention of Hindi tapes! There are so many ‘throw-backs’ in this novel, which have made me very nostalgic about the 90’s (I’m a mid-80’s baby!) The Ravi and Nishi characters, their behaviour, reminiscent of many characters from my school-days, but then there is Aashi. She is courageous, displaying self-control, behaving with such integrity and dignity. She is inspiring. This is a fantastic read. Ritu has inspired me to revisit India!!
Another little prompt from that writing group on Facebook. We did a live sprint, or rather, several, and then ended up with a ten minute flash writing challenge.
The prompt was Death.
This was what came to me…
DEATH
Death.
Huh.
You don’t scare me.
Really.
You’re just a namby-pamby character in a stupid, dark, hooded costume.
That scythe? It looks like you ordered it from Amazon.
Seriously.
You know what scares me more?
Suffering.
It’s not the fact that you want to take me.
It’s more how you plan on doing it.
Will it hurt? How long will it last?
And will I be able to see my family one last time?
Now that.
That scares me the most.
Never seeing my family again.
Not being able to say goodbye.
Not being there to give guidance to my children, be the lifetime companion of my partner, be the support for my elderly parents.
Death, you can take me.
Just make sure you give me enough warning.
Enough time to embrace all the ones I love, just one more time
Enough time to write letters to them all, with my words of advice for them.
Enough time to make sure I’m not leaving them in dire straits.
Please.
That’s all I ask.
It’s not much, really, is it?
Well, obviously it must be at the moment.
You are in a right rush, aren’t you?
Taking people left, right and centre.
All I see are people weeping, broken because they couldn’t say their farewells.
I’m hearing reports of these poor folk ill, suffering, alone in a hospital bed, with no one but the medical angels around them, scurrying from patient to patient, easing their last moments as best, they can, knowing there is little they can do.
Seriously, Death, I’ve had enough now.
I’m actually not ready to go with you.
I’ve got far too much to do.
I’m stronger than you – well, my willpower is, anyway.
I’m not going anywhere.
Just you try.
Anyway, I’m not allowed out anywhere at the moment.
How are you going to get in, when I’m not even opening the front door?
Goodbye, Death.
I’ll see you when I’m ready.
Ritu 2020
A prompt this morning in a writing group I am a member of, on Facebook, resulted in these words…
Out of the shadows, it crept
I watched through the window and nearly wept
“Finally, you’re here!”
Then I actually shed a tear
A figure, covered from head to toe
Arms filled with boxes, bags and so
Upon my doorstep, they were placed
Then back, the figure raced
I tentatively opened the door
And knew I’d be hungry no more
Locked in self-isolation prison
I’d been worrying about getting provision
But the angel that lives next door
Has been my lifeline, and more
I looked up, and there he stood
He tentatively lifted his hood
A socially distanced smile reached out to me
“You need anything, just call me.”
Something good that’s come out of all this
We’ve reached out to people we’d usually miss
The elderly and the young
New friendships have sprung.
Ritu 2020
But I Smile Anyway... 