I am deeply grateful to all those who contributed to the creation and completion of this novel. This his journey has been so precious thanks to the unwavering support and encouragement of my family and friends. Their love and understanding have been my source of strength.
I would first extend gratitude to the higher power, the universe which has listened to my pleas and showered me with endless opportunities. I feel so blessed to have been chosen for this. To my parents, thank you for your unwavering support and belief in my flair for writing. Papa, thank you so much for trusting me with this story idea, it is only your constructive feedback and insightful suggestions that I was able to shape the narrative as we read it. For your patience and understanding during the challenging moments of the creative writing process, I would never be able to thank both of you enough, mummy and papa.
Joel Jacob, thank you for your earnest dedication to bring the imagery of this novel to life with your illustrations. Thank you for visualizing the book cover I envisioned. It was truly a pleasure and honour collaborating with you.
To my friends, Kavvya, Saad, Khushi, Gaurang, Om, Dhruv and the others who aren't named here, your encouragement and enthusiasm fuelled my creativity. I couldn't have asked for a better set of people to go on this debut novel writing expedition with.
To Anand Tharaney, Arup Chakravarty, Amrita Motwani, Khushi Mittal, Om Chapekhar, Kavvya Dudeja and Saad Siddiqui for your valuable time spent doing the trial read of the novel in its nascent stages. Without your honest feedback, this novel's journey of becoming what it is today would be incomplete.
Special thanks to my Nana, Shri L. K. Vaswani, without whom this book would have never come to life.
Thank you Mr Sudip Talukdar, for your invaluable editorial assistance and attention to detail. Thank you K. Hema for being a wonderful publishing manager who filled me with so much confidence. To everyone at Garuda Prakashan, I will always be grateful for the belief shown in me and my bundle of creativity Love in Filmcity.
To Kamal Hingorani, thank you so much for the promotional material that you intricately curated to help this novel reach as many people as possible.
Lastly, I extend my gratitude to the readers who will embark on this journey with my characters and me. Your support and appreciation make every moment of the writing process worthwhile.
A bride dressed in a coral pink lehenga sat amid her cheerful friends. Henna was being applied to her feet and hands. Her eyes were wrinkling at the corners, and small tear droplets were shining against her glowing skin. Her head was so full of happiness and elation. It was surreal for her and she found it difficult to believe that it was finally happening. Her dusky complexion shone as the warm sunshine poured positivity and good luck upon her. All the love she felt exuded from her and she felt immense contentment. She did complete justice to her name; she looked like a pure diva.
Diva's friends surrounded her and exchanged glances and jokes. Everyone felt light-headed, as if they had entered a trance of sheer joy. Noises of chatter amid the elderly ladies could be heard, while there were some women who were performing traditional folk songs with dholaks. Some of the younger girls sat encircling those women with spoons and plates in their hands to amplify and add to the percussion. A group of adolescent girls was dancing to their hearts' content to the music being played.
All of the clamour kept fading in and out for Diva, as her heartbeat grew loud and fast; she could hear it in her ears. She felt many emotions; inexplicable pleasure with a tinge of sadness and vulnerability. As she stared into oblivion while looking at the henna on her hands, she got lost in memories of her past.
Divya, as she was once known, was sitting on a stool in a huge studio green room. She hurried to finish applying henna on the hands of a top-tier film actress. The actress murmured something, which made Divya slow down and shift her attention to creating an intricate design on her palm. She was working meticulously on the design when she heard a male voice approach her, screaming incoherently. It sent jitters down her body. Before the man could charge at her, he was stopped and soothed by a calm man.
Diva sat there tense until her chain of thoughts was broken by the nudge of her friend. She grounded herself back in reality and attempted to enjoy the moment. She had a bittersweet smile on her face, remembering the man she had immense adulation for.
As the chain of events progressed, Diva was ready to take nuptial vows. She continued to look at her hand, which was now placed in her groom, Raunak's hand while they were seated for their wedding rituals. She took a deep breath while having a meditative smile on her face. The priest started chanting hymns and mantras. Raunak and Diva sat with their hands tied together.
As the priest finished chanting his mantra, the couple rose. A nuptial knot, tied to their wedding attires connected them. They stood in a stunning dome-shaped mandapa, surrounded by their loved ones.
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