Abhay & Piya

Brotherly love.

News flash!

Siddharth (Sid) has turned out to be Abhay's older brother - also a vampire - and really quite angry with his whole vampiric family. He's hell bent on causing trouble, only problem is he hasn't met Piya yet..

Turns out, Piya was also the love of his life.. but she of course only had eyes for the younger brother (with good reason). I suspect Sid was the one who tattled to Maithili's daddy dearest which resulted in her burning and reincarnation as Piya. Today Sid, with the intention of meeting Abhay's new girl is conducting internship interviews at the college.

In attendance is Paanchi who we see is starting to like her eccentric and odd ball boss. Jury is still out on Sid's side. Piya's interviewing - she could do with both the experience and money. Abhay meanwhile has has a fantastically funny exchange with his brother - who quite blatantly has said he intends to make a living misery for Abhay.

Abhay in retaliation has promised to return the favour. I loved their conversation! Sid is perfectly evil, and believed, quote 'You're a disgrace to vampires and that little brother, breaks my heart on a new level' He's great, and cheeky to boot. Love it.

Reminds me of Lestat in that sense... Abhay's doing his absolute best to keep Piya away from himself - this includes flirting with the evil teacher (Shanaya, who does indeed work for Sid) and telling Piya to stay away from him in very harsh tones. Aww. Poor Piya is distraught and confused. He's hating himself for it but he's trying to push her away so Sid doesn't see her face and join the dots...

And the drama begins...

More on Wednesday!

The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde

This is one of those popular books that if you haven't read, you certainly must have heard about.

Meet Thursday Next, a detective in a world that is a little more advanced and differently prioritised to ours. They have detectives for every branch of the world - Thursday is a detective in the literary genre. Which means she polices texts and their characters or those who attempt to harm them.

In the Eyre Affair, as suggested, she wanders into Jane Eyre's world, albeit unintentionally and thwarts a criminal mastermind who intends to exert his influence and add ctredibility to his criminal status by altering the Eyre world. Great story - the characters are sufficient. I just didn't enjoy this in the beginning or at the end.

It takes a while to adjust to the world and its terms and traditions. Then the story gains momentum through Thursday's interactions with her nemisis and his plans, as well as her family a little later. The back and forwards in time and her fight to save Jane Eyre is great - well executioned and it really keeps a hold on your attention.

Then we have a sudden wedding at the end and its all ruined. Sure, weddings are great - but only when the reader can see they are coming, or their an expectation that this is where the story is going. In this case, Thursday's wedding is really quite sudden and for me, it was thrown in largely I think to consolidate that Thursday, being a female character requires a wedding to be complete.

As a reader I was severely disappointed when it appears everyone lives happily ever after - I love happy endings but only when its clear that the story aims to do so, when its thrown in the way Thursday's tale ends, I think its incredibly cliche and stereotypical. Surely in the day and age we live in a wedding isn't the be all and end all of our lives?

3*s but only read this if you don't mind plot devices thrown in unexpectedly.

Abhay & Piya

Right so, I know I said the posts would be more regular and they haven't been so I'm sorry. Apologies.

You didn't miss too much however. What we've had in the two weeks I didn't post is..

Piya and Abhay agree to stay removed from one anothers live. Abhay sums it up with, 'This is a love story that has no happy ending. I can't see you hurt, and that's exactly what I will end up doing.' So they walk down two separate metaphorical (and real) off into the mist. I Wikipedia'd Dehradoon - it's definitly on my list of places to visit - but apparently it is actually cold and misty in winter, woohoo!

As if this would be a pact they could maintain. But first... We've now met four interesting new characters. Shanaya makes an entry after Abhay's little announcement. Shanaya is the college's new sports teacher, she looks good and she's hell bent on causing strife in Abhay's life. She makes constant reports to someone on the phone and its all very hush-hush.

Siddarth - is Paanchi's new boss, a business rival of Arnab (Piya's dad) and the Raichand's (Abhay's dad). Further Shashank, a new college counsellor who is taking an interest in Misha. And of course we've mentioned Shaurya - the architect who Mischa took an interest in. What's common is all of these people are cornering Abhay and Piya - and all their phone conversations appear to be to the one person - each call is an update on what they've managed to divulge about the Abhay-Piya saga.

Next, we have Abhay have a vision (oh yes, this boy can do it all!) that someone or something is going to take Piya into the woods and he won't be able to save her this time. By seeing this, he freaks. Meanwhile Shanaya organises a charity fashion show - where the seniors (our cast) - put on a show and the ticket sales go to a charity. It's also a competition (which ties into being a sports teacher how, I don't know *plot hole*) and Misha wins! Much to her glee because well, she doesn't do fashion and second she'd gone to all the trouble to impress Shaurya... awww. A few hours before the show, Kabir and Abhay (whose had enough of Kabir's verbal jibes) play basketball and Kabir has the floor wiped with his ass - hehehe.

At the impromptu party her dad throws her - Kabir decides he needs to know what's going on between Abhay and Piya. He can't stand the long looks and the understanding glances. So he's asks Abhay. In front of everyone. Loudly. I think this was several kinds of frustration - but poor thing, his face is absolutely crushed when Abhay says, she's my girlfriend, I'm dating her. She's all mine.

She's all mine. He smirks.

And he smirks. Lol I kid you not, the boy smiles and smirks and I fell off my chair. Haha! Then he takes Piya by the hand and outside, where he promptly says this is going to be an act that we maintain until whatever it is, whoever it is that is after you has been stopped. She meanwhile looks frustrated like you wouldn't believe. Haha. Ah well.

Next, Abhay discovers the truth about Piya's dad. His name and the whole sad story. She cries, he swears to never let anything she doesn't want, happen. Between her and anyone - he promises to look after her. We are now at the point where Abhay and Piya have won the Valentine's Day competition. This was not something they wanted to do, but they are coerced into by the other happy couple - Ruhi & Angad who are finally dating!

Its a q&a thing - we all know Abhay gets an A in Piya studies, but Piya actually knows everything about him too - and no one is more surprised and secretly pleased than the man himself. His favourite book, flower, colour. Love in the Time of Cholera, lilies and red for all who care. Sad part is, after they win and while they share a dance, Abhay reminds Piya to not enjoy the festivities too much as its all a sham, a temporary sham. Sigh.

Yesterday, Piya's maternal uncle, who also turns out to be a trustee of the scholarship Piya won last year, rejects her scholarship for this year. Despite her being the most deserving and highest scorer of the college. Abhay talks to him and makes him realize that she deserves a little something - especially something that she clearly deserves. He then repents and grants her the scholarship.. yay!

Misha (and Piya)'s dad arrives as they're all whooping and jumping around - Misha takes the certificate to him and he reads the name on it and the light dawns! Piya is his daughter Piyali Jaiselwal that he was looking for! Aww - she realizes he knows simultaneously as she's witnessed the whole reading and dawning. She goes over to him, cries and accuses him of leaving her and her mother - ruining their lives and hurting his wife and daughters as well. She then tells him he should keep away - for the sake of his two daughters who still think of him as a hero.

She runs crying deep into the woods and we see her cry and call out to her mum. Ask her all kinds of dad-related questions of why and why nots

Abhay of course has felt that she is in pain and he's running into the woods as well - he finds her as night falls and all the blood becomes tempting for him. We see a battle of wills take place. His fangs come and go - as he struggles to help her or want to feed from her. We hear Shanaya's voice call to him, as if urging him on to drink.

NB: all of this creepiness on the part of the 4 S people (Shaurya, Shashank, Shanaya and Siddarth) makes me think they are wolves and want Abhay to drink from someone so they can eliminate him...

Abhay finally manages to gain control of himself, he goes to Piya - minus the fangs - and heals her wounds. She comes to a little and then collapses after calling his name. He realizes she's stone cold.  Thinking back he recalls his vampire father saying although their blood is cold, their blood can warm people. So what does he do?

He strips!!! And covers Piya with his jacket (oh lord) and his shirt (*faints*), we all know this isn't enough and so he picks her up and hugs her close. Can I just say, he has the best upper body?

And the episode ended there.. more tomorrow!

Abhay

I think we should take a moment and admire this boy.

He smiles! Well, kind of.

He glares! So well!

*sigh*

I think I'm done for now. But really, its a great show and the entire cast does really well... they just don't look as good as the male lead.

My So-Called Life

I've never posted this often before, a time for change perhaps. Or, maybe its the fact that I'm sick today and have nothing better to do. For the record, I hate vomiting, it's among my least favourite activities and falls just above eating horse meat. Chewy, salty and a little tough, in case you're wondering.

Apparently my eyes, vision and cornea decided this past weekend that I have been abusing them. You know, dressed in a wife-beater,  hockey stick in hand and bash, bash, bash, that old kind of abuse. Sigh. I'm sorry eyes and all, I simply don't have money to upgrade the lenses so you must continue to rebel and I must continue to mount my forces against you.

This weekend I was supposed to watch all 19 episoes of My So-Called Life. I hope you've all heard of it? I caught a few episodes at a friend's house and ever since have wanted to watch this teen show from the 1990s that somehow got under my rader. I mean, how? I loved Clarissa, Kenan (less so Kel and his orange soda), Sabrina, The Baby-sitters, the Wakefield twins and even, yes even, Amanda from the Amanda Show. But clearly Angela (Claire Danes) escaped me, never fear I shall remedy this as soon as I can get my hands on the dvds, sigh.


If you've never heard of it, shame, shame, shame! Check it out below and come over, I'll host the marathon in 2 weekends when my copy arrives =)

Abhay & Piya

Abhay Raichand

Abhay Raichand. At the beginning of the series we meet Abhay as the strange guy who rescues Piya when she trips and is about to fall off the cliff. Since then his family - dad Chand (moon), mum Haseena (beauty) - and himself have moved to Dehradoon officially, upset the local order and managed to place themselves at the top of the pecking order. Before the Raichands arrival, the Dobrials had been at the top of the rich list in Dehradoon, a relatively smallish city, however their arrival and consequent purchase of a leading business and the largest old manor in the area creates a rift in many of the circles where the Dobrials are used to ruling. Interestingly, Arnab Dobrial and Chand Raichand take an instant dislike to one another. We have also recently learnt that Arnab is very interested in vampire mythology and he shares this interest with Piya.

Abhay likes Piya. This much even blind folks can see. The interesting part is that 300 years ago Abhay was a stable boy for a Princess Maithili who he fell in love with. Abhay’s reaction and attraction to Piya can be understood to some extent as Maithili and Piya share the same face. Piya realises this when she begins delving into Abhay’s past and secret. We’ve now reached the point where Piya knows Abhay is a vampire, she’s tricked him into revealing the fangs and blue eyes. Piya goes to the old cottage where Maithili had been burned down for loving a man beneath her by her father, and she recreates the whole horrible night for Abhay. She goes into the cottage and sets fire to it with herself inside hoping Abhay will come to her like he did for Maithili.




He does of course, and in his human form he simply doesnt have the strength to battle the fires and save her - so after a struggle within himselh he bares the fangs and blue eyes and picks her up and carries her out. She meanwhile, freaks, calls for help and runs away from him. Poor Abhay looks stunned and heartbroken and all he can say is that ‘You’re asking to be saved from me?!’  Poor thing. 



She freaks out - as is expected I suppose and runs away, going a step further with leaving Dehradoon the following night. I love the scenes where Abhay arrives at the bus stop as she’s leaving and they have this intense eye contact conversation. He’s angry, she’s upset - no longer afraid, just wary - he picks up her bag, flings it on the roof racks as if daring her to leave him. And she does! *tear* He gets back into his car and drives off as she boards the bus and leaves the other way.

Half way from the city, the bus stops for a break. All through the journey she’s been having flash backs about all the times he’s saved. Most important of all, she remembers that just two days ago he brought her back from being mostly dead with a kiss... Going to take a second now and go back an episode or two..

This was the best episode. She’s been hit by a maniac driver (Danesh, although no one but viewers know this) and is in hospital, with collapsed lungs, bleeding that won’t stop and he is miles away in a different city. This was his crazy effort at going away from her - that and his parents know she’s trouble - so they all up and leave Dehradoon for the other side of the country. Anyway, he’s sitting in his rocking chair and all of sudden he feels as if she’s calling, as if she needs him. So he does this fantastic rewind of events thing in his head - he tries to see where she is and what’s happening and he see’s her come out of her hostel, and a car head towards her and then run over her and speed off. That’s all it takes before he runs off (literally) and arrives at the hospital with his hood drawn so as to be undetected.

He walks into the ICU when everyone else has left and kisses her everywhere she’s hurt and or bleeding. Finally he kisses her and her vitals improve *sigh* lovely stuff. He promises to stay with her as long as she needs him. Now back to the last episode..

Piya realizes it doesn’t matter what he is, she loves him and she wants to know why on earth he didn’t tell her before what he was. Why did he let her find out so she could freak out like she did? She wants to see him and ask, and she wants answers because it’s all too much not knowing and loving him. *Aww* So, she comes back to her hostel where Misha is awaiting her arrival and keen to berate her for leaving so suddenly. Abhay is waiting downstairs in his car, and Misha sees him as she leaves but Piya doesn’t realize. All night we see Abhay rehashing Piya’s reaction to his vampiric form and ignoring Piya’s calls thinking that its best if she not have to love a blood drinking animal.

Cue Awws. And here the episode ends. I’ll be better with the recaps from here on. =)

Abhay & Piya

Here it is the recap of Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani that I promised. For those not in the know, this is the Indian take on vampires and love. Some parts are similar to Vampire Diaries but it has an Indian kick to it. The story so far...

Piya Jaisewal. She's our main character. Strong-willed, passionate, ready to jump into battles for the right causes. She’s also friendly and kind, she tends to wear long skirts with tank tops - no idea why, but it works for her. Her style statement is completed with a silver chain with an ‘S’ (her mother’s name started with S and its the last keepsake she has of hers) and a scarf to ward against the ever-changing weather of her new surroundings. She's managed to get herself into quite a few pickles. An orphan from Delhi, she wins a prestigious scholarship and heads to Dehradoon, in the snow and cold she meets Misha Dobrial, a tomboy who quickly becomes her best friend. Along for the ride are Ruhi - 'Tracker' - who is boy crazy and the college beauty 'T' Tanushree. While Misha and Tracker are supportive of Piya, T generally serves as an antagonist.

Piya Dobrial

The twist in her friendship with Misha comes when Piya goes over to her place and meets her father. Misha's father is also Piya's father. As we've discovered over the past few months, Piya's mother and Arnab (Misha's dad) fell in love during a period of estrangement between Arnab and his wife, Madhu. Hence Misha and Piya are of the same age. Misha has an older sister, Panchi.

When Piya is three years old, her mother contracts cancer. Not wanting to be a burden on Arnab and not wanting to keep him away from his family, she fakes a car accident and has friends tell Arnab that Piya and her mother have died in said accident. A shattered Arnab returns home to his wife and daughters. When Piya enters their household, Arnab's wife realises who Piya is. They have a chat and Piya realizes that her mother sacrificed a lot so that this woman could be happy. The feeling is also shared by Madhu (the mom) and she asks Piya if she's ready to tell Arnab who she is.

Arnab & Madhu Dobrial in discussion

Piya decides against this and makes Madhu promise not to say anything. Madhu agrees, but feels guilty keeping such a large fact from her husband. Piya is angry at her father for leaving her mother at the time that she needed her most. We discover, Piya's mum died when she was 8, and Piya has grown up in St Mary's Orphanage.

At Mount College (in Dehradoon) apart from Misha and company, she meets Kabir, Misha’s best friend and all round nice guy, who is keen on Piya. They go on a few dates and this irks T, but pleases Misha who senses that Piya is very lonely, not just because she is without a family but because she seems to be caring a heavy burden of some sort.

Danesh plots.

Before we get to Abhay, some of the supporting cast deserves (and requires) a mention. Misha has recently fallen for an architect, Shaurya, who has in the past worked for her father and is now in charge of restoring a section of Mount College which had collapsed in an earthquake. Panchi’s ex fiance Danesh is out to get Piya - he was proven guilty of several misdemeanours by Piya (rape, attempted murder etc) and hence has lost face in front of his parents and family (Kabir is a cousin), he is now employed by the Raichands. Danesh tries to befriend Abhay over the course of the series as he works for Abhay’s father, but to no avail and often finds himself being beaten up by Abhay for his constant stalking and threatening of Piya. Sigh, some people just don’t learn.

Panchi decides to re-enter the workforce after discovering Danesh’s true colours, her new boss, name not given yet, is a ladies man who I suspect is one of the werewolves in town to monitor the Raichands. The other I fear may be, Misha’s love interest, Shaurya.

And this time I'm going to...

... drink his blood. That's how she ends her line. I like it. 7 Khoon Maaf or 7 Murders Forgiven stars seven men and one woman. A semi black comedy / film noir where a woman named Susannah marries seven times and from what the previews say, kills seven times.

As I say, whatever floats your boat.

 
Almost midnight note - I hate put downs that are really nothing more than thinly veiled insults. If you're trying to be subtle, I'd suggest you try harder. If the receiving party can see that your opinion is really more of a nasty comment, you didn't try hard enough. Just bloody well say it as bluntly as you can and deal with the fact that you (and I) have fears and insecurities that reflect on our equation with each other.

It's what friends are for, darling.