Meeting Shridhar Raghvan

Meeting Bollywood's most promising Screenplay writer

I met Shridhar Raghvan last week in Mumbai exactly after twenty years. In fact, I had lost contact with him soon after college until someone equipped me with his latest contact details. That was sometime in the beginning of this year. With bated breath, I waited riddled curiously with the nature of response. Thankfully, the conversation took no longer than a second to find itself fondly recalling old days and anxiously asking each other who all were still in contact. I was eager to meet him. But work kept me busy here in Delhi.

Then last week I got an opportunity to travel to Mumbai for a day. We met near the airport at a bar as soon as I landed. Shridhar Raghvan turned out to be the same old college boy. Right from the first sip of the Vodka, we caught on as if it was just yesterday that we had parted. John Lennon had once remarked during the making of the song in 1967 by the same name " Oh I get by with a little help from my friends". Frankly, I too, for whatever I am today in the creative business, I have a lot to thank Shridhar about. I remember besides Lennon, we shared stories, cigarettes and vada sambhar at our college canteen during those beautiful days. The only difference, I chose a career which was in many ways anti creative (though I still love it due to my addiction to the thrill and adventure it treats me with), while he is still stuck on to his belief. Already winner of a national award for the movie Apharan and famed with the success of the movie Khaki, he is presently busy with the movie Chandni Chowk se China which has Akshay Kumar in the lead.

It was absolutely fascinating for me to hear words of praise for my book 'The Bet'. He is very confident that the book qualifies for a good movie adaptation . He also feels that it might even work as a TV serial as well. At a time, when I am just about to wrap up my second book, I think the information acted as a catalyst that allowed me to take the extra last peg. Thanks Buddy, wishing you a lot of luck and looking forward to a closer collaborative association. Cheers!

Title: The Lonely Mall and Maya (A flash fiction)

It is eight in the evening. The mall is crowded. Maya is absent, but the coffee still tastes good. Happiness is perplexing. I must repent, I admonish myself. But the inner voice is revealingly unconvincing. The girl on the next table is staring. But I know better - she is also talking on the cell.

Suddenly, the place begins to shake violently. The chandeliers in the atrium are menacingly dancing in preparation to fall down. All are running for cover heading for the faraway corners. But the girl is still is busy talking on the phone. My coffee is placid in the cup. I slowly turn the cup and it flows on the table. A chandelier comes crashing down. It falls next to me killing a rat that just happened to be running underneath. Now I see, there are many rats. More than humans. Some men too look like rats and many women are like rats wearing lipstick.

The girl has now hung up and is alarmed at the surrounding. Run, I scream at her. She is looking at me now. Her eyes are reflecting the glass beads of the broken chandelier. A smile hesitates to come on her face but disappears. I am sad, I have spilled my coffee. There is no one at the counter .I can't offer her a cup of coffee. Or cold coffee with ice cream. I am sure she would love that coffee with ice cream. All girls do. Even Maya is very fond of it. I walk up to her. Her eyes are now moist. Another chandelier falls down but misses us. I pick her up in my arms and walk up to the counter of Barrista.

It is not too difficult to make a cup of coffee. Thankfully the machine is still working and the power is miraculously alive. She is looking at me with her hand on her mouth. Now there are no tears. She is smiling when I hand her the glass of coffee. Suddenly, there is a spark and a spray of light beam and then total darkness. Her lips find mine. The place is still violently shaking. I am sure it is end of world. I kiss her and am surprised by the familiarity. My hands begin their hungry prowl. I am mesmerized with the known rise and falls. I know, at last, I have yet again found a new Maya.