BooksBarbecue
Back Meet Me In the Middle
Chapters (45)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. Acknowledgements
  44. About the Book
  45. About the Author

Anu, remembering what her coach used to say, did a tiny jump and was all ready to receive the return. Then, the world around her began to dance and she started to see twinkling stars before her. Did someone shoot her point-blank? Nope. The ball was smashed right onto her face. That is all.

When she opened her eyes, a woman in a saree was fanning her with a newspaper. May be an attendant. Meena stood next to her trying to look concerned.

‘Anu, I thought you knew how to play! So sorry I got you into trouble.’ When she cooed, Anu wished someone had shot her point-blank. Then she wished someone had shot Meena point-blank.

Anu sat up and murmured. ‘You go ahead and play. I am all right. I am out of practice, that is all.’

Meena walked away with a friend making sure Anu heard her loud and clear. ‘Doesn’t look like she was ever in practice to be out of it!’

Anu had no more anger or humiliation left in her. Grabbing her racquet, she walked out. That was when she noticed a man walking in step with her.

‘Rough morning, ye?’ The man said. He was a fifty-something white man.

‘Don’t rub it in.’ Anu, to her surprise, actually laughed. The man had very kind eyes and he was not mocking her. ‘Not a rough morning, it is a disastrous morning.’

‘Nope. Disastrous would have been if the ball had killed you. ‘I am Pete, by the way.’

‘Anu Misfit.’

The man laughed heartily. ‘Welcome to the club, then.’ He raised an imaginary glass in a toast. ‘To Anu not dying.’

16

16

Images

‘Do you want to have a cup of coffee? I am headed to the coffee shop.’ Pete made an offer Anu couldn’t refuse. She could use some company in that strange land that was in Bangalore but not Bangalore.

As they sat down with coffee, Pete asked. ‘So what is the story behind the forlorn look you are sporting?’

Anu sighed. ‘How much time have you got?’

Pete shrugged. ‘How much coffee can you buy?’

‘I will make it short then.’ Anu twirled her coffee to dissolve the creamy heart they had made. ‘I don’t want to be in Verdant Green. I want to go home but I can’t.’

‘Hmm, where is home?’

‘You wouldn’t know. Vijaynagar. The real Bangalore.’

‘Real Bangalore, is it? What is this place then?’ Pete sounded amused but he also looked curious.

‘This is a pretend western suburb. Where are the cows, the dogs, and the street vendors?’ Anu sounded like Arnab Goswami to her own ears. She had to become a little less animated.