21 Unsent Letters: My Entry for the Get Published Contest
A twenty-something editor (narrator) finds a job in
a well-known publishing house and shifts from a small town to Delhi. The
emptiness of living alone in a big city and a series of failed relationships,
leave her with little faith in love. A loner with hardly any real friends in
the virtual world of Facebook and Twitter, she prefers spending time alone
rather than going out or dating men.
Coffee and muffins keep her going and on most weekends she is found in a kitsch little cafe near her newly-rented apartment in north Delhi. One evening she stays back to shipshape her home. While cleaning a cupboard, she comes across a decrepit shoe-box. Curious to know what it contains, she opens the box only to find a bunch of unsent love letters wrapped carefully in a mottled silk handkerchief. She rummages through them and discovers that all the twenty-one letters are addressed to the same man—Anirban Roy of Amherst Street, Calcutta. Written in 1970s by some Sashwati, the letters are full of warmth and ardour; so much so that the narrator is totally absorbed in them and wants to find the lovers.
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| Source: Internet |
Will the young editor find Sashwati and Anirban? Who are they? Are they
together even now? Will the narrator ever come out of isolation and find love?
This true love story imbued with the excerpts of the twenty-one billets doux of
unconditional love take you through a roller coaster ride of emotions, pathos,
and passions. What makes it even more convincing is the fact that the locations,
characters, and situations are real. The narrative tries to bridge the gap
between old and new and explores the reality of relationships over two
generations.
Excerpt:
‘I opened the sealed envelope and found a neatly folded letter within:
January 14, 1974
Dear Anirban,
I don’t know where to begin from. I want to preserve our precious memories forever. Therefore I am writing fragments that come to my mind as letters. I don’t know whether I’d ever be able to hand them to you. Maybe someday, when we grow old, we’ll read it together. Wouldn’t it be beautiful?
It’s dawn.
Ashy fog surrounds the windows.
Blurred houses fade into oblivion.
Our cup of tea is still warm with love.
Bits of cake lie scattered on a plate...smiles kiss our lips.
Your name is embossed on my palm...written with a red pen in your beautiful handwriting.
Silence echoes all around.
Dear Anirban,
I don’t know where to begin from. I want to preserve our precious memories forever. Therefore I am writing fragments that come to my mind as letters. I don’t know whether I’d ever be able to hand them to you. Maybe someday, when we grow old, we’ll read it together. Wouldn’t it be beautiful?
It’s dawn.
Ashy fog surrounds the windows.
Blurred houses fade into oblivion.
Our cup of tea is still warm with love.
Bits of cake lie scattered on a plate...smiles kiss our lips.
Your name is embossed on my palm...written with a red pen in your beautiful handwriting.
Silence echoes all around.
The
smudged kohl in my eyes speaks a thousand words.
History
can boast about the stories of kings and knights; they are too cheaply
scattered and known to all.
But our
stories...those fragments of few months spent together are curled in time's box
like a precious solitaire.
The dust of time cannot tarnish it...it can only add to its brilliance.
The dust of time cannot tarnish it...it can only add to its brilliance.
The stories
of those beautiful moments...only two people know of it...only two people will
ever know of it.
Yours,
Sashwati
Yours,
Sashwati
The words were written with an ink-pen in cursive
handwriting.’
This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs fromYashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.
Total no. of Words - 500
Bloggers can vote for me by clicking on the picture below:
Total no. of Words - 500
Bloggers can vote for me by clicking on the picture below:
21 comments/suggestions:
The form is perfect. I am sure the contents will be too.
Awesome...My most favorite entry so far. Its written with so much heart, poetry and thought Anukriti. Cheers to you! :)
The story starts with a suspense if the couple got married or not. If the letter are read by the person whom it is meant for. Then how the girl is going to find it. Very nice one, with good screenplay, the story can be converted in to cinema.
@Uma Sir
Thank you Sir! I hope to live up to the expectations.
@Ekta
Thanks for the awesome comment! Means a lot! :)
@Udaya Chandran
Thank you so much for the wonderful comment. Converted to Cinema! Well that would be an honour.
That is a great idea.
Hope it gets selected :)
And will certainly purchase the book as you write from your heart.
All the best!
It's really captivating! I'm sure, the editor would have fallen in love with the charm of letters, & would be willing to find her love too.
You will, surely, be getting your place to get published! All the best! :)
Aah!! Very nice Idea!!! looking forward to it...cheers :-)
That's a good one Anukriti :) all the best.
Very well written!! Keep up the good work!!
Hi, I am Surbhi, author of blog" Vivacious Puerile" and I hereby Nominate your blog for THE LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD. For more details kindly refer to Liebster Blog Award at http://surbhibafna.blogspot.in/2012/12/liebster-blog-award.html
Hi, I am Surbhi, author of blog" Vivacious Puerile" and I hereby Nominate your blog for THE LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD. For more details kindly refer to Liebster Blog Award at http://surbhibafna.blogspot.in/2012/12/liebster-blog-award.html
Hi, I am Surbhi, author of blog" Vivacious Puerile" and I hereby Nominate your blog for THE LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD. For more details kindly refer to Liebster Blog Award at http://surbhibafna.blogspot.in/2012/12/liebster-blog-award.html
Nice....loved the uniqueness of the concept...it would be difficult to pull it off in writing (not as easy as filming them).
Voted for you. Good luck
I just found the time to read your submission Anukriti, and must say you have lived up to the expectations...:) Here's wishing this gets published...and many get to read the 21 love letters...have voted...:)
Beautiful plot...and a smooth narration...loved it
Peep into the story of an amateur writer.. and do vote for it if you like
http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/439
Novel concept... :)
Liked yours...
Do read and like mine...
http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/461/
Hi Anukriti,
Hmmm, the sound of letters reminds of an era bygone, when letters were the only medium of communication.
This looks like an idea with a different twist to it. Waiting for the full version :)
My vote goes to you, wish you luck :)
P.S. Do check out & vote for my entry for Get Published.
Regards
Jay
My Blog | My Entry to Indiblogger Get Published
very interesting concept!!hope to read ur book!
Fresh from the oven!Baked to perfection! :)
Voted for you. Please read mine and see if it rings a bell in your head and kindly vote.
http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/248/
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