#since one is back in india and the other one is not very... soft

[technically-human]

May I offer you a Charwin in these trying times?

@i-am-as-normal-as-you-are commissioned this one to try and cheer everyone up! :) Charwin loves grannies, and grannies love him

[itskattkm]

More that you could ever know

Summary: forced by your best friend you met Tara Carpenter on a Christmas Party in the frat house.

Warnings: fluff, alcohol, slipping, bad flirting? bad grammar?

A/N: for my Holidays lovers

Here I was. At a stupid frat house Christmas party. Forced by my best friend Layla. We had promised each other to do more things we usually didn’t. And since I mostly didn’t go to party’s Layla was the quite opposite. She said I need to have fun, get drunk and maybe even kiss someone randomly. Instead of being so careful and worried all the time.

So again. Here I was. Sitting on the stairs watching everyone getting drunk, dancing, laughing and making out. I had lost Layla about twenty minutes ago. She was dancing with some guy called Chad. As it seemed she knew him from the football team since she was a cheerleader. Sure she was, she was a beautiful woman from the India and knew how to move her body.

I watched them talking and having fun. At some point Layla pointed at my direction, Chads gaze fell on me and I waved awkwardly at him. He waved back and kept talking with Layla. A few seconds later I lost the sight of them. I sighed and looked at my empty cup.

„Y/N!“ suddenly a light voice called my name and in the next moment a woman fell down beside me on the stairs. Sitting now next to me.

I chuckled slight. Tara Carpenter. One of Chad friends as I knew from Layla. She looked so cute with her wide grin and the red Christmas hat she had on.

„Your name is Y/n right?“ she asked now with fear in her big sparkling drunk eyes while putting her hand on my shoulder.

I laughed and nodded. Tara sighed relived and pointed her finger at me „damn I got scared for a sec there. I thought I was sitting beside the wrong girl“ she explained and looked up to the stairs where other people sat.

Then her gaze met mine again, she adjusted her hat and held her hand out „Tara Carpenter, send by our friends to give you some company“ I laughed shy and shook her hand while introducing myself „Y/n Y/l/n the girl who was looking lonely at the stairs…“

Tara looked at me in a way I couldn’t really explain. For me it was a mixture of bring curious, cuteness and hotness at the same time… and for sure slight glimpse of drunkenness.

„not anymore… I’m here now“ she said with a tone in her voice that made me almost blush.

Then she took of her hat and put it on mine looking at me with a wide smile, showing her dimples. God that woman looked gorgeous, without even trying.

„So Y/n… what brought you here tonight?“ she asked and nudged my shoulder playfully.

I chuckled and looked over to Layla and Chad still talking, having fun „Layla… at the very beginning of this year we promised to do things we usually don’t. That’s why I’m here“

There was a little spark in Tara’s eyes

„And why exactly are you here? Because you don’t like party’s?“

I shrugged my shoulders „usually yes. But Layla wants me to have fun without worrying at all once. Drinking. Making out with random people… it’s just not my thing“ I explained

Tara’s eyes turned somehow softer, her smile had something flirty „but is it what you want?“ she asked me.

I began to think and right at that moment began to play all I want for Christmas. I laughed and said „seems like Mariah Carey is talking for me…“ I tried to joke but Tara’s gaze didn’t changed. It was quite the opposite, she looked even more intimidating now and said „so all you want for Christmas is me?“ I looked speechless at her not sure how to react while my face was getting hot „want me all for your own? More then i could ever know?“ she added.

I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or not cause I felt so caught off guard. Then suddenly Tara grabbed my jaw and pulled me closer and in the next moment our lips met. I felt goosebumps all over my body. My heart racing like crazy and my body getting so hot it felt like I was having a fever. When her soft lips left mine I kept my mouth slightly open in a overwhelmed way while opening my eyes slowly.

Tara smiled at me, still with that expression I couldn’t describe but totally felt turned on to. „congratulations you came closer to the making out with someone part on your list…“ my mouth was still opened and I looked confused away. Trying to process what had happened. Then I heard Tara laughing „sorry I really caught you off guard did I?“ she said and waved her hand in front of my eyes. I came back to reality and looked at her saying „what?“ Tara smiled more and then pulled her hand around my neck pulling me in „your really cute…“ she whispered before her lips met mine again.

I melted away right away and almost slipped from the stair I was sitting on while trying to lean in more into the kiss. Our lips separated because of that and Tara held me tight by my shoulders with wide eyes and a smile to make sure I wouldn’t fall.

I looked at her with wide eyes to and couldn’t help but laugh „I guess I was falling pretty fast“ I joked and Tara began to laugh too „I hope I don’t fall hard then…“ she said chuckling.

I sat back beside her while she held tight on my arm to make sure I wouldn’t slip again.

„…so… what about the drinking part then?“ I asked shy. Tara’s smile got wider and she leaned closer to my ear „but we haven’t finished the making out part yet“ I blushed slight and shivered at her whisper tone.

„Later?“ I asked and my gaze wandered between her lips and eyes. She nodded and got up. She held her hand out for me to hold onto it while guiding me down the stairs through the crowd. In the next few moments we drank together some shots and egg flip.

I furrowed my brows at the taste and looked at her confused „that’s the stuff you all like? No… I won’t accept that. I’ll show you something good now“

I said and took her hand guiding her into the kitchen. I began to look like crazy through all the cabinets. Tara giggled „what are you looking for Y/n?“

I stretched my self so I could reach the highest cabinet. But I couldn’t reach it.

„Pick me up I’ll help you“ said Tara and stood beside me. I smiled wide and pulled my arms around her tights and pulled her up, stumbling slight. Tara laughed and tried to hold herself on the cabinets „so what are we searching for?“ she asked. I giggled and looked up but was faced with her ass in those tight jeans. I blushed more and looked back down. But Tara seemed to caught me.

„hot chocolate…“ I said. Tara seemed confused but soon found some. I let her back down and she gave me the hot chocolate mixture grinning wide „did you like the view tho?“ she said teasing. I blushed more „I did… but what I’m seeing now is way more beautiful“ she nudged my shoulder before giving me a intense wet kiss on the cheek.

It took me sometime to come back to reality but I made it. „so you wanted to drink hot chocolate?“ asked Tara confused.

I had a cheeky smile and pulled out a bottle baileys out „with this one“. Tara seemed surprised and was curious to taste the upcoming drink. That’s when I began to look for the things I needed before preparing two hot chocolates with a shot of Baileys in them and some wiped cream on top.

I gave Tara the mug and we looked for a place that was way more quieter. So we went outside of the frat house and sat down on the porch watching the snow falling down while the street was fully lightened by the frat house itself. The Christmas music was changing to different remix variants and the Christmas lights were escalating.

„Cheers“ I said and toasted with Tara while taking a sip from the hot chocolate, I sighed relived because of the sweet taste and the undertone of the vanilla chocolate taste of Bailey’s itself. I felt Tara’s eyes on me and asked confused “what?” Again she had that now more luring expression with a shot of cuteness while looking at me “I see you do enjoy things with passion”.

I blushed slight and watched her taking a sip “mhm… okay…” she sighed satisfied “that’s really good!” She said and took another big sip. I laughed and looked at her admiring, when her gaze met mine I reached out with my hand and wiped some cream away from her upper lip “you had some wiped cream on the lips” I said quite and then wiped my thumb at my jeans while holding my cup with both hands to warm them.

I still felt Tara’s gaze on me. I looked at her and asked curious “what?” Tara almost looked like she was frozen. Her eyes then wandered between my eyes and lips whispering “you’re defiantly different” she leaned in so fast that she crashed her lips on mine. I tried to catch my breath and suddenly she had put both our cups away, turning her body fully towards me, holding my neck and kissing me deeply.

I cupped her cheek kissing her back slowly back. Tasting the hot chocolate on her lips. Not feeling the freezing coldness at all while kissing her on the porch while it was still snowing.

“Y/n are you here?!” Called Layla while entering the porch. When she saw her best friend making out with Tara she immediately covered her mouth with her hand and looked with wides eyes at them. She stayed quiet and walked backwards back into the house with pure excitement.

Our kiss slowed down and we catched our breath for a few seconds but not moving away one inch from each other. We both smiled. Curious I asked… “so… were you falling hard?” Tara laughed loud and pulled me back in, kissing me passionately while saying teasing between the kiss “we’ll find out”.

After kissing for a few minutes it began to get cold.

I got up and smiled wide looking down at her “from a scale zero to ten… how spontaneous can you be?” I asked.

Tara grinned wide “depends” I chuckled and held my hand out for her “what about ice skating? I know a place” Tara’s eyes sparkled and she grabbed my hand to get up from the porch, she suddenly slipped on the stair and I catched her immediately but didn’t thought that I would slip myself when I catched her and now I was lying on my back on the hard floor covered by snow. Tara lying on top of me looking worried at me.

I smiled weak and said “okay ice skating doesn’t seem to be a good idea then” Tara laughed and looked at me with so much admiration suddenly.

“At least… I can tell now that I feel hard…” I laughed “we both” added Tara sitting slowly up in my lap looking down at me. I kept laughing but felt a bit dizzy “I… why… why is everything moving?” Then there was worry in Tara’s eyes again and she leaned over me cupping my left cheek holding her fingers up “ how many fingers do you see?”

I struggled catching her fingers and tried to focus my eyes but couldn’t. Tara laughed worried and kissed me soft on the lips “I’ll take care of you now”. I smiled and never felt that relaxed and safe before. “Can I get another kiss?” I asked. Tara looked at me with a wide grin “you know… since I’m pretty hurt…” I said joking and then Tara leaned back down and kissed me so deep that I felt like melting away. Melting in her hands and thinking that the decision to go over my boundaries today was the best I could have done.

[survivalove]

Katara the selfcare queen

Every canon instance or mention (that i can rmr) of Katara indulging in selfcare in the middle of a war because I find it quite amusing yet fascinating.

I may or may not have made a post like this before but I wanted to expand on it.

1. Skincare routine

In 1x14, The Fortuneteller, Katara reveals she has a special seaweed lotion that she carries with her for soft skin. (Avatar Extras also made a point of saying that it smells…?) She even offers to get Aunt Wu some, as if she has extra. So my question is, who is this plug that she gets her steady supply of seaweed lotion from? 😭

Real-life: Seaweed has been used in skincare for thousands of years, first recorded in ancient Chile. Nowadays, seaweed extract is pretty common in skincare products especially from emerging brands in Nunavik and Iqaluit, Canada.

My headcanon: This is probably a recipe Katara picked up from the older women of her tribe, so she just plucks some seaweed whenever the gaang stops by a body of water. And she definitely makes it in cute glass jars and shares it with her fellow healers in the Republic City Hospital ✨selfcare queen✨

2. Spa Day

I just find this funny because when and how did she even find this spa? How long has she been going by herself? Look how comfortable she is like dhjfjcd she’s definitely a regular and they all know her.

Real-life: Saunas are pretty modern, starting up in Finland around 1112. (In canon, I think a firebender and a waterbender run a sauna in Republic City so hey.) Mudbaths on the other hand have been around for centuries and people have been doing it at any naturally occurring hot spring they can found. I don’t even have to tell you about massages so

My headcanon: Katara always knows where the spas and selfcare places are wherever they go. I definitely think she scooped up some stuff at the perfume abbey in season 1 (because she’s a kleptomaniac). I also headcanon she would have a spa setup in the back of Republic City Hospital because selfcare is healthcare too. Also, Aang gives her massages at home and he’s surprisingly good at it, but, Katara sucks at massages and Aang never lets her do it to him after that one time 💀

3. Yoga

In 3x11, Nightmares & Daydreams, Katara teaches Aang yoga to de-stress in a hot spring. My thing is, when did she learn about yoga and how often does she do it? We needed the Katara yoga mini shorts special. The kids would’ve loved it.

Real life: Yoga originating from ancient India is practised in a variety of forms in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The poses they do are the Upward Salute and the Wide Legged Forward Bend.

My headcanon: I imagine Katara must have read about this at the Air Nomad Section of the Spirit Library, given the cultural heritage. Knowing her she found a yoga scroll and swiped it (can you say klepto?). This is another selfcare thing she does with Aang because it’s his culture! They do it every Saturday until he starts complaining about his old bones 😅

4. Hair care

Katara also wears a special cap on her head when doing yoga which I assume is to protect her hair from the steam 🤔 I just found it very interesting since we hardly see her hair covered. Then I also realized Katara is the only character shown actually combing her hair and styling it like 4 times: from the bun-braid, to the formal earth kingdom look, to her fire nation look and finally the bun with her hair out.

Real life: I typed so many things and I finally found something similar called a chinoiserie satin skull cap? (sorry pic limit). It’s similar in design and even has a tassel like Katara’s. Focusing on her hairstyles, the signature “hair loopies” are actually based on a traditional Inuit style known as qilliqti and her earth kingdom look is based on a traditional Manchurian style called liangbatou.

My headcanon: Like Katara’s mysterious seaweed lotion recipe, she probably makes several haircare products for herself, and has a major hair routine. So, it would make sense she wears protective caps from time to time. I also think both Hama and Katara are tied to the myth of Senna, the Inuit sea goddess, through the comb Katara uses which I headcanon is the identical comb Hama had in her home (again klepto).

If there’s any more selfcare moments I left out, please feel free to share or reply with your own Katara ✨selfcare queen✨ headcanons!

[kitty-lemon]

Since some of y'all do not know how to celebrate our achievements in space exploration:

Facts:

1) India became the 5th ever country to reach the moon surface back in 2008 with Chandrayaan-1.

2) India is the 1st ever country to soft-land the south pole of the moon and 4th country to soft-land on moon.

3) India has never physically placed a flag on moon- Only USA and China have physical flags on moon. 'Having a flag on moon' is said as a way to signify a country's presence on the moon through a mission.

Now from all the reactions I have seen, I can categorise them as follows:

1) Space enthusiasts: (Indians and non Indians) Wow! We have a rover in the south pole of moon now! For the first time ever! So proud.

2) Jingoists: YAYyyyy....India is has joined the group of the big bad countries with expensive space missions. Now we are in the same category as those countries who are known for their imperialism and power in world politics bahahahah. WE ARE ONE OF THEM (Modi hai mumkin hai)

3) H!ndu nat!onalists: "SomE coUnTrIeS hAvE FlAgs oN mOoN, oTHerS hAvE MooNs iN fLAgS". (Modi hai toh mumkin hai)

(2) and (3) are actively disrespecting the scientists, engineers and the whole team which made this possible, Out of their love for science and exploration and hard work to make this dream, People have had for decades, come true. They did not do this for small minded nationalism and religious politics.

Moving slightly away from the topic, Y'all were cheering for our Olympic wrestlers when they came home with medals and were very 'proud' of them. Same type of nationalistic things were said. But then y'all abandoned them, Even called them traitors, when they protested against a powerful BJP politician who was sexually harassing minors and women for several years. They asked for support and were met with ridicule. Till this date that person is roaming around free with only a non existent chance of holding him accountable.

So if you're proud of ISRO because y'all got to be jingoists and religious supremacists for a day then you may as well shut up and go back to school. This wasn't for YOU.

[daydreaming-en-pointe]

˗ˏˋ street food date ´ˎ˗

(isn’t that just the most creative title :D)

requested by very a lovely person who wishes to remain anonymous <3

Pairing: Pavitr Prabhakar (Spider-Man India) x Fem!Pakistani!Reader

Type: Oneshot - Fluff

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: terms of endearment, mentions of food & eating, usage of Hindi (translations provided), I don’t speak Urdu so it’s google-translated 😭

A/N: Reader speaks Urdu and Pavi (canonically) speaks Hindi. Since both languages are pretty similar in terms of speaking, at least from what I’ve observed, let’s assume that they can understand each other fairly easily :)

I absolutely LOVED writing this omg it was such a cute request! Sorry it took me so long so do this, I was so busy that I completely forgot abt all my reqs for a while 😅

Btw this was barely proofread so if there are mistakes no there aren’t <3

“Meri jaan, you’re spilling it.”

You turned at the familiar voice, just barely managing to balance a paper plate in your hands with an absurd amount of dahi papadi chaat piled onto it.

“You’re late,” You noted, biting the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from smiling like a lovestruck idiot as Pavitr approached you, flashing that dazzling, slightly crooked grin that had your heart stumbling and falling over your mind trying to make sense of it all. You dropped your gaze to the floor, trying your best to cross your arms without dropping the food on the plate.

“I know. And I’m sorry, I really am. But you know that juggling my… duties and timings are hard,” He dipped his head slightly to make you look at him, brushing a small piece of papdi off your kurta. God, he was so annoying sometimes. His eyes were so soft and irresistible and he knew it.

“Come on, look at me,” He said teasingly, stepping forward slightly and grinning as you glanced up at him, then immediately frowned at your lack of willpower when it came to him. “There she is.”

You felt a smile break through so you set down the paper plate on a nearby ledge, leaning forward to wrap him in a hug and bury your face in his clothes. “Arre, you’re insufferable,” You mumbled, to which he let out a small chuckle and effortlessly picked you up to spin you around despite your little yelp of surprise.

“Oh, yeah, definitely. I’m sure that’s why you came out here on a date with me to have street food, right? Let’s go, meri dhoop. No use of you being all sad right now, naa? Look, there’s even pani puri a few stalls down.”

You almost got whiplash from how fast you turned your head to look, your eyes widening in excitement as all previous thoughts were forgotten. “You should’ve mentioned that earlier!”

Pavitr laughed, the easy chuckle - as cliché as it sounded - practically music to your ears as you grabbed his hand and took off, leading him to the pani puri vendor. “I knew that’d cheer you up.”

One shared paper plate of (admittedly quite messy) pani puri and a whole skewer of seekh kebab later, you leaned against a ledge overlooking the Mumbattan bridge right next to a whole row of new vendors. Pavitr wrapped an arm a little too tightly around your shoulders, nervously measuring the distance you would fall if you tripped.

“Pavi, relax, I won’t fall,” You gave him a reassuring smile, and he breathed out slowly before giving you a slightly strained smile in return. “Yeah, sorry. Spider-Man stuff. Lots of, uh… bad things happen. Usually near large drops.”

Your eyes flicked to his hand, gripping the railing so hard his knuckles were starting to lose circulation. Sensing his discomfort, you moved away from the railing back into the middle of the cobblestones.

“I’m going to braid your hair,” You declared suddenly to ease the tension in the air, examining the smooth waves that framed his face, pushed back slightly with his blue headband. His eyes widened in horror at your statement. “Wait, what? No! I said I was sorry for coming late! I’ll do my absolute best to come on time, I promise!”

“I’m not that rough,” You protested, scrunching your eyebrows as he cupped his warm hands over your cheeks. “Of course not, meri jaan. You’re so gentle, my hair definitely doesn’t feel like it’s being sent to an early grave.”

“Aap drama baghair kisi wajah ke bana rahay hain.” (You are making drama for no reason) You frowned at him and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

“Kabhi nahin! Mei achcha vajeh se drama karta hoon. …Uff, thik hai, tum mere baalon ko tod sakte hain. Lekin… pehle ise kha leh.” (Never! I do drama for good reasons. ..Okay, fine, you can tear my hair out. But first… eat this.)

He held up a plate of vada pav, his smile growing as your eyes lit up again, the familiar scent bringing back memories of sitting in your grandparents’ house and watching them cook, masala-infused aromas wafting through the kitchen from the large utensils.

“What did I do to deserve you?” You wondered aloud as you started stuffing your face with the nostalgic dish. Your tone was lighthearted and playful, but it had a few traces of the underlying truth. You were so, so lucky to have him, and you knew it.

You could see it every time he dramatically presented you with some knickknack or the other that he picked up along the way, handing it to you with a bashful ‘it made me think of you.’ You could see it every time he adjusted your dupatta, every time you caught him staring at you with round, loving, awestruck eyes as if you were the very centre of the cosmos itself.

And when he smiled at everyone it was usually genuine, sure, but you had a special kind of smile reserved for your eyes alone. One that made the small dimples at the corners of his mouth even more noticeable, one that made him scrunch his nose subconsciously with how wide he was smiling.

The kind of smile he was using right now. And oh, good grief, you were so far gone for him. He was so effortlessly gorgeous it actually hurt - wavy hair swept to one side behind his headband, brown eyes turning gold in the sun, the light dappling his face and flicking tiny spots of shadow onto his skin.

“Tum bohat khobsorat ho,” (You’re so beautiful) You whispered, completely spellbound. Pavitr blinked in surprise, his smile turning slightly shy. “Arrey, tum mujhe bahut zyaada phlait karte ho.” (You flatter me too much)

“No, really!” You insisted, tapping the tip of his nose with your pinky and laughing when he scrunched it instinctively. “You’re very pretty, you know that? Mera khobsorat ladka. Pretty, pretty boy.” (My beautiful boy)

“Aap adhik sundar hai.” (You’re more beautiful) Without warning, he gently grabbed your torso and pulled you into his arms, burying his face in your hair. You looped your arms around to meet behind his shoulder blades, resting your chin in the crook of his neck.

You were scared to move, to disturb the silent peacefulness of it all, but you wanted to tell him something that would hopefully put his worries to rest.

“You know I won’t leave you, right? I won’t be your… what is it, canon event? Whatever that is.”

At the words ‘canon event’, Pavitr flinched as if he had been burned, his eyes wide and searching as he looked at you. “What? Where did that come from? And how-”

“Okay, listen, so it’s kinda my fault,” You began, choosing your words so as to not agitate him any further. “But you know how you said I could read your journal, because basically every embarrassing thing you’ve written is you being lovesick for me?”

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it!” He covered his face with his hands in embarrassment, messing up his hair in the process.

“Anyway, uh… you left it open on your drawer and I maybe kind of accidentally looked through the last entry. But only because I was worried. You’d been acting stressed out the whole day, remember? I’m sorry!”

“I don’t… hmm, actually, that’s pretty sweet that you were worried. I appreciate it.” He lifted his head to meet your eyes, almost smiling before his face crumpled again. “Hang on, what else did you see? Oh, god, did you see the whole page of poems I wrote? No, wait, hear me out! In my defence, I was absolutely whipped for you. I still am, but-”

“Pavi?”

“Yeah?”

“Ai, meri mohabbat. Chup ho jao. Mujhe lagta hai ke yeh dilkash hai,” (My love. Shush. I think it’s adorable) You reassured him, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose before moving in to press a soft kiss to his lips, an attempt at putting his worries and ramblings to rest.

That shut him up pretty well.

Please know that I am not Pakistani! I tried my best to write this, but if there is anything I’ve gotten wrong, please let me know and I’ll be happy to change it. <3

Meri jaan - my life

Meri dhoop - My sunshine/my sun

A kurta is a loose, collarless type of shirt worn by people in South Asia. It usually extends up to or just past the knee.

A dupatta is a length of material worn arranged in two folds over the chest and thrown back around the shoulders, typically with a salwar kameez or a kurta, by women from South Asia.

Papdi chaat (or papri chaat) is crispy fried-dough wafers served with typical chaat ingredients such as chickpeas, boiled potatoes, yogurt sauce, and tamarind and coriander chutneys; it may also contain pomegranate seeds. Dahi papdi chaat is the same thing, but more yoghurt is used (dahi means yoghurt/curd).

Pani puri is a popular Indian snack consisting of fried puff-pastry balls filled with spiced mashed potato (the puri), spiced water, and tamarind juice (the pani).

Seekh kebab is a type of kebab made with Indian spices, spiced, minced or ground meat, usually lamb or chicken, formed into cylinders on skewers and grilled.

Tags: @hobiebrownismygod @l0starl @therealloopylupin2099

[shmaptainwrites]

𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 [𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘]

PAIRINGS — Violet Bridgerton x fem!Reader [Modern!AU]

SUMMARY — More news comes to light about Landon, putting Violet and Reader on damage control.

WORD COUNT — 3K

WARNINGS — some descriptions of panic and anxiety

NOTE — And here's chapter 2! From here on out posts will be weekly, most likely on Fridays, but I hope you enjoy this start to the story and I can't wait to share chapter 3 with all of you!

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐀𝐎𝟑

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑰𝑰: 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑯𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑫 𝑴𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑮𝑶𝑻 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀

A few weeks had now passed since Violet had hired you, and she couldn’t have prayed for a better fit. Even though they were behind on some of the budgeting for the gala, things were running so smoothly Violet was confident that they would catch up. 

“You look like you’re in a good mood.” 

Violet looked up from her tea at her friend who she was visiting, a smile creeping up on her lips. 

“And what if I am?” she asked. 

“I would ask why because you have been so stressed you’ve been giving me grey hair, and now, miraculously, something has changed.” 

Violet chuckled at Agatha’s dramatic flair and placed her tea down in a saucer before speaking. 

“You remember this whole thing with Landon,” she said. “Dealing with the aftermath of it was terrible, but I recently hired someone to fill his position, and she feels like a very good fit. I’m enjoying working with her.” 

“A good fit,” Agatha smiled. She had a feeling there was something else her friend wasn’t sharing, but she knew it would come with time, not wanting to press too hard quite yet. “I suppose that means the gala is raring to go?” 

“Yes, and I would be so grateful if you could attend,” Violet said with a soft look in her eyes. “I’m trying to make sure all the family is back in time for it, but you know my children.” 

“Like herding cats,” Agatha said with a chuckle, and Violet nodded with slight exasperation. “Speaking of, how is everyone?” 

“Alive,” Violet chuckled. “Anthony is still in India, he won’t be back until the gala I believe; Benedict is Lord knows where; Colin and Penelope are on assignment in Indonesia last I heard. You probably already know that Daphne and Simon are settling in with baby number three.” 

Agatha nodded. 

“Eloise is at school taking summer courses because she cannot be without some sort of mental stimulation for too long; Francesca has just started her position at the philharmonic; and Gregory and Hyacinth are at home getting on each other’s nerves as usual.”

“So I gather the house still isn’t quiet?” 

“Not in the least,” Violet shook her head. “Hyacinth is so excited I’ve agreed to let her go to this concert with Benedict. I believe I’ve heard all of the album so many times I could do the concert myself.” 

“But watching one’s mother sing is not nearly as entertaining is it?” Agatha teased and Violet laughed. 

“No, surely not.” 

Once the laughter settled down, Agatha looked at Violet, a curious glimmer in her eyes. 

“Are you sure there isn’t something else you wish to speak with me about?” she asked. “Perhaps something different from the usual?” 

Violet frowned a little, unsure as to what her friend was referring to.

“No, I don’t think there is,” she shook her head. “Why do you ask?” 

“No particular reason,” Agatha shrugged. “But you do know you can tell me anything.” 

“Of course I do,” Violet nodded her head, her lips pressed into a small, thin smile. “You are my closest friend, if there was something to tell, I would tell it to you.” 

“Good,” Agatha nodded, content with that response. 

Violet sipped her tea and thought back to Agatha’s question. Was she reading into something that wasn’t there or did she sense something Violet didn’t? The only really different thing in her life at the moment was you and, in her mind, that was normal. You were an employee who was working well, but then again so was Marianne when Violet had hired her, and she hadn’t necessarily sung her praises in front of Agatha. 

She was about to open her mouth and ask her friend further questions about what she meant, but she was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. 

Seeing your name flash across the screen, she excused herself for a moment, answering the phone and stepping outside of the room to take the call. 

“Hello?” 

“Violet, hi,” she heard your voice on the other end, you sounded a little nervous. 

“Is something going on?” she asked. 

“Nothing major,” you assured her. “Just I-I noticed some discrepancies in the accounts…Okay that’s pretty major, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry to cut your tea with your friend short, but I think we have to talk about this.” 

Violet pressed her lips together and nodded her head. 

“Are you at the house?” she asked. 

“No, I’m at my apartment in the city. I can be there in forty minutes.” 

“No need, I’m closer to you, text me your address, I’ll come over,” she said. 

“Alright, call me when you get close, I’ll come down and get you from a side entrance.” 

Violet felt a small flutter in her chest at the reminder that she may be exposing herself to wandering eyes, but your voice quickly reassured her that there were ways to be discreet. 

“I’ll see you soon,” Violet said. “Maybe call the lawyers while you’re waiting for me, I’ll call Anthony on the way.” 

You agreed and exchanged quick goodbyes before Violet entered the room, an apologetic look on her face. 

“Dinner to make up for this?” she asked. 

“Your place, you cook,” Agatha nodded and Violet chuckled. 

“Deal,” she came into the room and gave her friend a tight hug before grabbing her bag and jacket, letting herself out. 

She got into her car and began the drive to the address you had sent, calling Anthony once the GPS was set up. 

“Hey Mum,” the voice of her daughter-in-law rang through the car and Violet smiled. 

“Kate, my darling, it is so good to hear your voice,” she sighed. 

“It's good to hear yours, too,” she could practically hear Kate smile over the phone. “Let me guess, more issues with work?” 

“Unfortunately, yes,” Violet nodded. “It may be good for you to hear this as well, but can you get Anthony?” 

“Of course,” Kate assured her and went to go get her husband, informing her when they were both on the phone together. 

“Mum, what’s going on?” Anthony asked. 

“Our new manager’s just found some discrepancies in the accounts. I thought you said the lawyers didn’t find anything?”

“They didn’t,” Anthony swore quietly. “What was it?” 

“I’m not sure yet, but I would not be surprised if it has anything to do with Landon. I’m heading to her home right now to go over things with her, and she’s calling the lawyers,” Violet explained. “Just, could you maybe go on damage control with your siblings and make sure no one is spending exorbitant amounts of money on anything, not that they would, just try to keep things within limits.” 

“Okay, Kate and I can handle that,” Anthony nodded. 

“Are you sure you don’t want us to come home?” Kate asked. “My family would understand, we can come back another time.”

“Oh no, my dear,” Violet shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t want you to do that. This time is special, Eddie isn’t always going to be this young. Your family should get a chance to enjoy him like this, too.” 

“Alright,” she sighed. “But don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. I feel like we left you alone at such an inconvenient time.” 

“It’s no matter, we have a manager now who I really think we can trust. I’m sure she’ll be able to help me figure whatever this is out.” 

“We love you, Mum,” Anthony said. “Check in soon.” 

“Will do. Kisses.” 

Both Anthony and Kate made a small kiss sound over the phone before they exchanged goodbyes and hung up just before Violet pulled into the area where your apartment was.

It took her a moment to find parking, but she called you while she did and you came down to greet her by the side door, ushering her inside. 

“You found the place okay?” you asked, and Violet nodded her head. 

You could see the stress clearly in her expression, especially as she fiddled with the rings on her finger or played with the ends of her hair while you were waiting in the elevator. 

Once you finally got inside your apartment you quietly excused the mess. 

“I moved in just before I started working for you, I haven’t had the chance to get everything out of boxes yet,” you explained, bringing her over to your office that was more or less set up. “Okay, this is what I found.” 

You showed Violet the papers splayed out and began to explain them. 

“Basically, it’s a money trail,” you said. “At first glance it actually looks quite normal, which is probably why the others missed it, but I didn’t recognize this name,” you pointed to the document, “and decided to do some additional digging. I found out it actually goes all the way to this shell company working out of Seychelles. Unfortunately, I can’t touch it and it looks like there’s a couple hundred million in there.” 

Violet could feel herself growing nauseous. Ironically, she wasn’t worried about the money, but more so what kind of attention this would bring to the family. The kind of attention she was trying so desperately to avoid. 

“V-Violet, are you alright? You look a little pale,” you said softly, gently reaching to place a hand on her back. “Do you want to sit down?” 

She nodded her head, and you helped her into one of the nearby seats, watching as her eyes scanned the papers. 

“We have to call the police, don't we?” she said finally and you nodded your head. “This is my fault,” she whispered and you frowned, kneeling down in front of her. 

“How on earth is this your fault?” you asked. 

“I hired Landon,” she explained. “He worked for us for years, and I didn’t notice a single thing.”

“Violet,” you placed a hand on her knee, and her eyes moved to where you touched her. The contact was not unfamiliar, but she felt herself wanting to lean into it. “These weren’t your actions,” you said quietly. “They’re Landon’s, and it’s not like he made his intentions clear to you. He lied and was manipulative.” 

Violet chewed on the inside of her cheek, holding her forehead in her hands before running her hand through her hair and leaning back into the chair. 

“The money will find its way back-” 

“It’s not about the money,” Violet shook her head. “We have more than enough of that, and even if we didn’t…it wouldn’t be the end of the world.” 

You stayed silent, waiting to see if she would say more, but your mind found itself drifting back to the comment she had made during your interview. 

“It’s the press, isn’t it?” you asked, and she nodded her head. 

You chewed on your lip, trying to think of something, anything that might relieve her worry, but you were afraid nothing would do the trick. 

“You must think it's silly,” Violet said, leaning back in her chair, her body language becoming more closed off as the topic progressed. “That someone who has lived her whole life in the spotlight should probably be used to the press by now.” 

“I never said I think it’s silly,” you spoke softly, still kneeling by her side. “I can't imagine having my whole life available to the public, whether it is the truth or lies fabricated to get more viewership. That is not a life I think anyone sane would long for.” 

Violet pressed her lips together and sighed. 

“Then let’s try and keep this low profile for as long as we can. It will inevitably get out, but maybe by that time, things will have cooled off.” 

You nodded your head, patting her knee and standing up. 

“Of course, then we can focus on lighter things like this gala.” You smiled. “I just got word that they secured the venue you wanted, so that’s good news.” 

Violet couldn’t help but smile at that. It was good news. She’d always had good luck when she’d hosted at this venue, managing to raise more and more money each time, and she would always make sure her own family’s donations would match. 

Edmund had always said that money was a tool, and when it was used properly, it had the opportunity to do good in the world. 

Now that most of her children were able to support themselves, she worried less and less about giving more of the money away. Yes, they had lived a fairly privileged life, but she and Edmund tried to make sure they didn’t focus their spending on luxuries. 

Aside from their home, which had been in the family for eons, they kept things simple. A few people to help around the house due to its large size, security when it was necessary, but that was the extent of it. 

Violet watched as you picked up the phone to call the lead officer on Landon’s case. Eventually they had given their number to Violet in case anything suspicious came up, but she thought they were in the clear and would never have to use it. 

When you were finished talking, telling the officer you would meet him at the Bridgerton’s residence, you grabbed your keys and your purse, but Violet stopped you. 

“We can go together, I’ll bring you back afterwards,” she said. 

“Are you sure? I know today has been hectic already. I don't want to add anything on your plate.” 

“Driving is the only time I get any peace, you’d be doing me a favour,” she assured. “Plus, I just got Gregory to clean the car so it’s spotless,” she teased. 

You chuckled at what she said, still packing your keys in your purse. 

“Okay, let’s go then,” you grabbed the papers and files from your desk that were relevant and headed to Violet’s car. She took a quick look around, before giving you a nod to get inside, and she followed soon after, starting the car. Hearing the quiet hum of the hybrid engine come into the space, she pulled out of her parking spot and began the drive back to her home. 

You wouldn’t lie, you weren’t particularly expecting Violet to drive herself around, but clearly she had proven time and time again her family did not do things the typical way. 

“So you enjoy driving?” you tried to make friendly conversation. 

“I do,” she nodded. “And I find I do so much of it, I may as well get a car that’s decent for the environment.”

“Really, you drive a lot?” you asked. 

“Well, more when all of my kids were still living at home. We used to joke and say I was the family chauffeur, but I loved driving with the kids, it let me spend more time with them when everything around us felt unmanageable.”

“Are you still chauffeuring Hyacinth and Gregory?” 

“Not as much as I used to. Hyacinth definitely, but Gregory gets himself around, much to my dismay,” she chuckled lightly. “But before I know it, Hyacinth will be off to school, and I’ll be alone with a lot of time on my hands.” 

“Maybe I can engage your services, then,” you teased and Violet smiled. 

“Tit for tat, I like that,” she turned off of the highway and went to one of the less crowded offroads that led to the house. “What about yourself, do you have any simple pleasures?” 

“You know, that is a good question,” you sighed and sank back into your seat. “I love art. Even just looking at it, I suppose.”

“And how do you satisfy that need?” Violet inquired further. 

“Museums, mostly. I’ll just go and sit there for hours looking at a particular painting. Well, I used to, I don’t have enough time to do much of that anymore,” you admitted. 

“You’ll enjoy the venue for the gala then,” Violet said. “It’s filled with art, I find it gets people in the right mood to give generously.” 

“You do a lot of that, don’t you?” you asked, turning your head over to her, watching as her eyes were focused on the road ahead, sunglasses tangled in her hair, the ghost of a smile on her lips. 

“Give generously?” she asked. “Yes, I’m afraid there may have been something I failed to mention when I hired you.” 

“Which is?”

“I don’t think this is going to be a permanent position,” she said quietly. 

“And why is that?” you asked curiously. 

“Once Hyacinth is in school, Anthony and I have made plans to…essentially give away most of the money.” 

“As your financial manager, I feel compelled to advise you against that,” you said, “but as a human being. I admire your detachment.” 

“Oh, I assure you there are selfish motives as well,” she said. “Each of the children will be left with a sizable trust, I will have enough to let me have a comfortable retirement, but Anthony and I thought it was time we got rid of the thing that keeps all the cameras constantly on our family.” 

“Do all your children know about this plan?” you asked. 

“More or less,” she nodded. “They’re all capable individuals. They will live happy and comfortable lives, and I know for a fact they won't struggle and neither will any of their children, or their children after that. They just might have a chance at some semblance of normality.” 

You nodded your head, understanding. 

“I’ll obviously need your help with that transition once it happens, but after that I’m afraid I won’t have much of a need for your expertise. Unless you also do taxes, then perhaps I can keep you around,” she looked over at you briefly. 

“I don’t tend to do taxes,” you said. “But I think I’d make an exception for you, Violet.” 

Violet bit her lip and smiled. She had certainly hoped you might say that.

TAGLIST —

@paola-carter @madde11 @thesamesweetie @cherrysxuya @philocalistwrites @mako-mermaids2021 @oh-mydarling @courtneyteal @amethyst-bitch @etherynn @lilisdarling

[keep-calm-and-drink-caf]

Cuddles and Khakhra

A Pavitr oneshot

Pairing: Pavitr Prabhakar (Spider-Man India) x Indian!Reader

Word count: 1.5k

Warnings: No use of (Y/N), reader gets their period, use of pads, reader’s mood is kind of all over the place, and the rest is fluffy stuff like kisses, cuddling etc!

A/N: This is one of my first times properly writing from scratch in a little while since I’ve had so much homework and assignments and stuff, but enjoy ☺️

As always any constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated! 🫶

The Hindi in this is probably quite flawed since it’s been a while since I properly spoke it and I was never that good at Hindi but I tried my best lol. I would have liked to do Marathi because Mumbattan (Mumbai) but I don’t know Marathi and I don’t really want to use a translator

I’m not very sure about the poojas (basically rituals, usually prayer-related) that some people do when they have their period, and whether it’s sometimes a monthly thing or not, but when I was a child I never had any done after the first time

Reader uses pads because tampons are scary

Huge thank you to @hobiebrownismygod for the tips for writing Pav’s character!! 💙

———

You knew something was off the moment you woke up with a metallic taste in your mouth and an ache all over your body that made it feel like a valley was being carved straight through your nerves. Upon seeing the damage done to your bedsheets, the blood seeping into the white fabric everywhere, you grumbled to yourself softly and reached over to your bedside drawer for a pad, dragging your sore limbs out of bed and to the bathroom.

Once you got out of the bathroom, sitting on the floor against your bed and battling a cramp that was just about beginning to throb painfully, you contemplated calling your mother. A glance at the clock ruled out that possibility, though. It was 7:00 am. Both your parents would definitely be asleep downstairs, and very, very grumpy should you wake them up for something that you could definitely handle yourself, despite how tired you were starting to feel. You stripped the stained sheets off the bed, replacing them with clean ones from the cupboard and putting the soiled ones in the bathroom to clean up just a little later once the initial fatigue wore off. You went back and lay on your bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

No sooner than you had gathered the strength to go get a painkiller than your phone rang, obnoxiously loud for the relatively early hour. You grabbed it, glancing at the name of the caller on the top of the screen, relaxing slightly with a soft sigh when you saw who it was.

“Good morning, mera pyaar!” God, how was he always so cheerful? It seemed even at 7am on a Sunday morning he was out of bed and fully awake.

“Yeah, hi, Pav.” You pressed the phone against your ear as you rummaged around in your drawer for an advil, silently cursing your reluctance to sort through the mess of pens, papers, and random knick-knacks that had begun to accumulate over time.

“You sound tired. What happened? Are you okay?” His tone immediately took on a note of worry, and through your haze of steady, throbbing pain you felt your heart warm at his concern.

“Check your calendar.”

You could hear rustling at the other end of the line as he moved towards his wall. You could picture the adorable little scrunch between his eyebrows he did whenever he was trying to figure something out, his eyes trailing the events marked on the pages in his scrawled but somehow neat handwriting. Finally he found what you were waiting for and you could hear him inhale sharply.

“Oh, meri jaan. It it… that time?” At the end of his sentence his voice became hushed, the caution in his tone making you chuckle softly. You finally found an advil, swallowing it and hoping that it would kick in sooner than later.

“Arrey, don’t sound so surprised. You were there last month as well, remember? And the month before that.”

“It happens every month for the whole year?“

Your tired sigh at your end quickly shut him up. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll swing by and I’ll even get you a snack, okay? Just sit tight.”

“Wait, Pav, I’m not so sure that’s—” You were interrupted by him hanging up on you, no doubt already on his way. You tiptoed to the door, resting your ear against the wood to see if your parents were up. A light, barely audible snore told you that that wasn’t the case. You were just about to head back to bed when you heard the window click open, someone landing on the ground in a crouch.

You panicked and threw the first thing you could reach, which turned out to be an empty laundry basket. It landed smack dab on the unknown person’s head, knocking them backwards a few inches with the force of the throw, eliciting a small groan of pain.

“Ow. What was that for?”

“Pav?”

“Of course it’s me, who else would jump through your window?” He took the laundry basket and set it down in the corner, giving you a small bow. He was dressed in his suit, which might have aroused some suspicion when he was on his way here, but you were just happy that he had come. He pulled off his Spider-Man mask, running a hand through that annoyingly perfect hair of his with a sunshiny grin at you.

“What were you thinking?” You chided him, taking the laundry basket and putting it back where it was supposed to be. “You scared me, Pav. You could’ve just come through the front door. I would’ve let you in.”

“I did say I would swing by,” Pavitr joked, holding out a paper bag almost like a peace offering. A frosty glare from you prompted him to give you a rather nervous smile. “Fine, you’re right, that joke was kind of terrible. But this is good, I promise. You’ve had khakhra before, haven’t you? I asked Maya Aunty, she said crunchy snacks are good for cravings.”

“I’m not entirely sure that’s true for everyone,” You pointed out, but you took the bag from him, gently squeezing his hand in gratitude. He sat down with his back against your wall under the window, patting the floor next to him as an invitation. You followed suit, allowing him to wrap an arm around you, pulling you into his side.

“Meri jaan? Can I ask you a question?” His voice interrupted the peaceful stillness of the moment as you struggled to tear open the plastic wrapper of the khakhra, your nails just not finding purchase on the slippery material.

“Of course, Pav, what’s up?” You gave up with your nails and instead slotted the packet between your teeth, succeeding in ripping only a tiny fraction. You were beginning to feel frustrated, not to mention hungry.

“Is this whole thing kind of like… you becoming a ketchup packet for a week?”

Your teeth finally ripped through the khakhra packet, the thin, crunchy discs spilling out and falling all over your lap as you looked at him in surprise.

“Aapne mujhe kya kaha tha?” (What did you call me) You had no idea whether to be shocked, amused or just plain outraged. You were leaning more toward the last option, though, and it clearly showed on your face. Pavitr quickly realized his mistake and held his hands up in surrender.

“Main bas to majaak kar raha hoon. I’m kidding, I promise.” (I’m just kidding)

“Oh, I’m sure you were,” You grumbled. He chuckled at your grumpiness, bringing you closer into his side again. Despite your wish to be at least a little bit annoyed at him, you ended up resting your head on his shoulder, vaguely wondering how someone could be so warm, both physically and emotionally. In all senses, he really was a ray of sunshine.

“Bhale hee aap ek ketchup packet the, aap ek sundar hojaega.” (Even if you were a ketchup packet, you’d be a beautiful one)

You whacked his arm lightly, trying your best to suppress a smile at that. “No more ketchup packet jokes. Or you’re not getting any khakhra.”

To emphasise your point, you gathered the flaky discs back into the ripped plastic wrapper, taking a bite out of it and relishing the crunch followed by the cracker-like salty taste.

“Mmm, it’s so amazing and so tasty. It would be a shame to not get any, but then again, more for me—” You cut yourself off with a laugh at Pavitr’s imploring puppy eyes looking down at you. “Fine, here you go.”

You plopped the packet on his lap, and for a while you both silently ate together, very nearly finishing the packet. Once you finished eating, no longer hungry, you gave a silent thanks that the advil was still working, warding off any cramps that were threatening to ruin your mood.

“Did it hurt?”

You turned your head to look at Pavitr, your eyes narrowing suspiciously, but he just gave you that same goofy grin. You had a feeling you knew where this was going, but with a sigh you decided to humour him. “Did what hurt?”

“When you fell from heaven.”

The way he delivered that line in a deeper voice than his own, waggling his eyebrows at you made you giggle softly, and his grin grew even wider. “Really?” You raised your eyebrows at him. “Of all the lines you know, you really went with that one?”

“Hey, at least it’s not a ketchup packet joke.”

“Stop talking or I’ll throw something at you,” You warned, the amused glimmer in your eye and the fact that you were nestled so close against him telling him that the threat definitely wasn’t serious. You glanced at the brightening sky, suddenly remembering something. “Hang on, did you drop everything for me? Don’t you have to go be Spider-Man? Aren’t you supposed to be busy?”

Pavitr shook his head, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the top of your head. “I have time. Besides, my spider-senses will tell me if there’s anything urgent. I’m never too busy for my ke—”

“Don’t say it.”

He laughed softly, squeezing your shoulder with the arm that was wrapped around you.

“My girl. I’m never too busy for my girl.”

———

Translations:

Meri jaan - My light / My life

Mera pyaar - My love

Arrey / Arre - Hey!

Khakhra is a large, thin cracker made from wheat flour and moth bean that is a Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack. I know it’s Gujarati, but I’m quite sure it’s found everywhere else as well :)

Taglist:

@hobiebrownismygod

[scapegoated-if]

If you're not too sick of hearing opinions about this yet lol, I admit that as a brown woman I was a tad disappointed when I first saw that the MC could only be white. But most IFs only let you choose skin colour and it doesn't have any effect in-game anyway, so I was open to seeing how it would turn out. And I can confirm I'm now 100% on board and obsessed with your WIP 🤩. Honestly it's such a gem, finding it made my day!

Firstly, it's really well written. I love the variety in choices that you've given us and also how the flirt options can be subtle, sometimes just physical gestures. It feels realistic. I think you really capture the vibe of the time period as well. I love all the little name drops, not just of people but places and events too.

Character wise I ADORE Vince 🥹, I love the longing and both of them trying to hold back (and failing in my game lol, I definitely replayed to see if something would happen in the hotel room if MC doesn't hook up with Fleur). Not to mention the clear soft spot he has for the MC (I'm definitely team “he's in love with MC”). Will we ever hear any of the songs he’s written about her that he's “lost count” of??. I really like Penn too, and I'm intrigued by Leon (don't worry I'm not going to beg for him to become an RO lol). I thought the scene where MC is trying to distract him from his book by poking him in the face and fixing his eyeliner whilst he ignores her was cute, lol. It shows their comfort & familiarity with each other in a realistic way.

I'm so intrigued by the cliffhanger too… (this was literally my face when I realised the demo ended there: :o). It already shows the need for the genderlock, and for what it's worth I love genderlocked female IFs so I hope you don't get too much grief over it. I'm especially excited to see how the MC’s gender affects her experiences.

I was surprised that the MC was from Europe (I'm British!), I wasn't expecting to see Top of the Pops name dropped in an IF lol. It's honestly refreshing since I'm so used to seeing it reversed with American protagonists in a European setting (if you've played the Choices app, most of the books set in Europe somehow have an American MC lol). It's interesting that you mentioned the immigration protests in the UK will be mentioned in-game, since my grandparents immigrated from India in the 70s.

Sorry this is a very long & rambly message…I can't wait for the next chapter, I'm desperate to know what happens next 😭!!

Never apologise about anything (unless you insult me, then I will need a formal apology and financial compensation--I'm joking, mostly). I'm sorry about the race-lock, I do know it's frustrating! But thank you for giving my IF a chance nonetheless; I'm glad it was worth it.

I'm glad you find everything realistic so far. I'm really excited for the next chapter, because the next stop after New York City is California, baby! Laurel Canyon in the late '60s will be so fun to write.

It's also good to hear you think there's enough of a range of options! It's hard to know what's overkill and what's not enough, so I'm relieved.

There's a lot of songs coming! Songwriting for this story has been so challenging, because I really try to write in the style of '70s songs. Sometimes I write them on the train, sometimes I write them in thirty seconds for the sake of while I'm writing (it probably shows--I hate some of them so bad, they're so corny, which is on brand for some of the music at that time, goodness).

And I promise no one is giving me grief, I'm more than happy to answer anything. There's so much I'm itching to cover, you have no idea!

Stay groovy!

[rambheem-is-real]

Gold Rings and Black Roses Pt 4

pt 3 here

-

On the fourth day Aadhya tries her luck in going outside. It’s been a while since she’s been exposed to direct sunlight, staying inside the house all these days. She walks up to the main door cautiously, but the men standing guard don’t even look at her. Now or never, she thinks, and takes a step outside. When she isn’t immediately shot, Aadhya slowly makes her way down the steps outside of the mansion until she gets to the gravel road. Here she notices the outside guards staring at her, but they make no move to bring her back inside, so Aadhya keeps walking, turning to see the mansion from the outside. 

Somehow it looks a lot less scary now than it had when she was first brought here, though that was because Aadhya had thought she was being led to her death then. She’s no architecture buff, but she thinks it’s beautiful. She’s also more familiar with the inside of the mansion now, both in terms of the layout and the people. Aadhya’s made friends with some of the women working for Radha Rama, especially the tall one that gives her clothes to wear for the day, Sara. She’s spent a few hours every day talking to Sara and the other women about her life in America, and listening to their stories of Khansaar. She’s come to the conclusion that Khansaar seems like a terrible place to grow up, what with the constant threat of being murdered, but maybe Aadhya’s just soft. Sara had spoken of it with barely concealed longing, and Aadhya had sympathized with being stuck in a place far from home. She didn’t sympathize with the rest of it, though. 

“I miss Khansaar’s government,” Sara had said last night. “Here in India, there’s way too many laws against killing people,” she scoffed. 

“...I think that’s the case in every other country in the world actually,” Aadhya had replied. 

Aadhya thinks about the rest of the conversation as she walks around the building, taking in the sights around her. She had gotten Sara and another woman working for Obullamma, Rohini, to spill about Radha Rama’s ex-husband. 

“It was a political marriage, Bhaarava was a powerful warrior and Raja Mannar wanted him in his control,” Rohini explained. 

Sara nodded. “And of course ammagaru didn’t oppose the marriage, she was willing to do anything for her father.” Rohini gave her a look. “Well, she wasn’t opposed to Bhaarava either,” Sara continued cautiously, looking like she was nervous of Radha Rama appearing behind her. “He was attractive, competent, and knew how to play the game of politics. Ammagaru… really liked him.”

Aadhya frowned. “Then what happened? Did he die?”

“Well yes, just after he was exposed as a Shouryanga spy,” Rohini spits. 

Aadhya perks up at the familiar name. Was this man related to her too?? 

“But Deva killed him and many of his soldiers in his quest to hand Varadha the throne.” 

Oh. Probably not, then. 

“Good riddance,” Sara says. “He betrayed our ammagaru, that pig. Even before he went for the throne, he sided with Rudra against her during the ceasefire.” 

So Radha Rama probably only felt resentment towards her ex-husband, Aadhya thinks as she makes it to the other side. She gasps as she realizes the back of the building is a huge garden, plants clearly only recently trimmed and wrangled into place. Delighted, she runs over, examining the different plants. She has no idea about the differences between the flowers, but she thinks they’re very pretty. Further along the path are ornate benches to sit on, and carved statues. There seems to be a fountain in the distance, in the center of the garden. 

Aadhya loves it. 

She spends the next hour exploring, and just enjoying the fresh outside air. Towards the end of the hour, she spies a cluster of beautiful black roses. The petals of the roses are pitch-black, looking almost alien amongst the rest of the white lilies and jasmines surrounding them. As she brushes her hand through them, Aadhya’s reminded of the black saree that Radha Rama wore on the first day she saw her, before she changed into the yellow one. She tilts her head, considering. Actually they remind her of Radha Rama in general. She knows there’s probably a superstition about black roses somewhere, that they represent mourning and loss, but beyond that Aadhya can see the elegance and mystery that surrounds the flowers, much like Radha Rama herself. Even though she was in mourning, and had been for the last seven years over her husband, her kingdom, and her father, Radha Rama had stayed strong throughout, still managing to be so regal despite her situation. 

“Aadhya Krishnakanth.” Aadhya jumps as she hears a voice behind her, turning to find a bored man looking at her. “You are expected for lunch in ten minutes.” 

“Oh, I’ll be there then,” Aadhya says, and it looks like the man is satisfied as he walks away.

She turns back to the flowers. Has Radha Rama ever received a bouquet of flowers in her life? Was Bhaarava the type to pamper her? Aadhya frowns as she thinks back to what she’s heard about the man. Probably not. She makes her decision, plucking a handful of black roses from the ground. She looks around and spots someone that looks like the gardener, digging a few yards away from her. Aadhya makes her way over to him. 

“Hello!” She attempts a friendly greeting. The man, who was muttering angrily to himself, turns to look at her. 

“What do you want,” he sneers. 

Aadhya’s taken aback by the blatant hostility emerging from this man, but soldiers on regardless. “So sorry to bother you, but could you please dethorn these roses?”

The gardener stares at her. “...Aren’t you the kidnapped girl?”

Aadhya squirms. “Yes?”

He looks at the roses in her hand, then back up to her face. “Who the fuck are the roses for? You’ve been here for less than a week and you want romance?”

She blushes. “Radha Rama, actually.” He stares at her some more, then a grin spreads across his face.

“I want to see this play out. Give me the roses.” He pulls a device out of his back pocket, overflowing with other gardening tools, and proceeds to clip and dethorn the stems of the roses. He hands them back to Aadhya when he’s done. “Here you go. Hope you go out quickly.”

“...Thank you,” Aadhya says, and tries to walk back inside as fast as she can. She knows she’s impulsive, but hopefully this doesn’t backfire on her as much as the gardener clearly thinks it will. 

-

Aadhya enters the dining room with the flowers held behind her back, wanting it to be a surprise. Radha Rama is already seated at the other end of the table as is their usual arrangement, scrolling through her phone. Aadhya had successfully convinced the older woman to download a few social media apps yesterday, but not before Radha Rama had gone through every sentence of the terms and conditions for each app. 

“I am not giving a random businessman my private information,” she sneered. But Radha Rama had seemed to find Twitter funny, which Aadhya counted as a win, as she believed getting the older woman on the Internet was the best way to integrate her into general society. She wasn’t royalty anymore, and it wasn’t healthy for her to hold onto that grudge for so long. Aadhya hoped Radha Rama would learn to have some fun soon. 

Radha Rama looks up at Aadhya’s entrance, raising an eyebrow at Aadhya’s hidden hands. “Are you going to try to shoot me?” Aadhya… decides not to be offended at how relaxed she is under the assumption that Aadhya has a gun behind her back. 

“Nope. I brought you a gift.” Radha Rama blinks in surprise, and Aadhya shoves her nerves down. She presents the loose bouquet of black roses, holding them out in front of her like a shield. 

When Radha Rama keeps staring at the flowers, Aadhya shifts on her feet. “I got you some roses from the garden. They’re black, and I thought of your saree, and also how cool you are…” Aadhya trails off as the older woman looks up at her, eyes piercing through her. 

“You got me roses?” Radha Rama’s voice is hoarse. “Because of… how cool I am?” 

“Well yeah. You haven’t killed me yet, and you’re mysterious and beautiful just like these roses.” 

Radha Rama lifts her arms to take the bouquet, gently stroking one of the roses as she inspects the flowers. 

“Radha Rama?” Aadhya asks. “Do you like them?” Aadhya hasn’t ever seen Radha Rama this unresponsive, and she’s nervous. 

“Rama.” The older woman says, and there’s a hint of a shy smile on her face now. “Call me Rama. It’s what my dad and-” she stops herself. “It’s what my dad used to call me, and it’s the name I prefer.” 

“Ok,” Aadhya says, relieved that Rama doesn’t hate the gift. “Rama, then.”

“I like the roses,” Rama says mildly, but Aadhya can see the blush high on her cheeks. Oh. Aadhya had done that, had put that blush there. Her heart starts to beat faster as she realizes her crush may have the remote possibility of being requited. 

Rama turns her head to the doorway. “Obullamma!” she calls. When the woman comes in, Rama hands her the flowers. “Put these in a vase in my room.”

Obullamma gingerly takes the flowers and leaves, not before shooting Aadhya a look, a mix of jealousy and bewilderment. Aadhya tries not to do anything as childish as sticking her tongue out at Obullamma. 

Rama turns back to Aadhya, then sits back down, gesturing for Aadhya to take her seat. “Let’s eat,” she says, smiling. Aadhya obeys, feeling very much like she’s accidentally rolled a Nat 20 on a charisma check. 

The lunch tastes exceptionally good that day, Aadhya thinks. 

-

Bilal finds Aadhya in her room sometime in the evening. 

“You gave flowers to WHO?” he asks incredulously as he enters. 

Aadhya sets aside the book she was reading, a political text that Sara had given her. She found it boring, but apparently it was a childhood favorite of Rama’s. Aadhya can unfortunately see that, all the talk about authoritarianism and the duties of a centralized government was right up Rama’s alley. 

“I gave them to Rama.” She shrugs, but can’t help the flush that runs through her at the thought of Rama’s smile at the gift. “She liked them.” 

Bilal stares some more. “Is this my life then? Am I to spend the rest of it running after Shouryangas who fall in love with Mannars?”

“Bilal!” Aadhya blushes. “No one’s in love with each other.”

Bilal scoffs, clearly disbelieving. “Uh huh. And you’re secretly Amma’s favorite child. Right.” He sits at the edge of her bed, keeping a respectable distance. “Whatever you’re doing to keep Radha Rama on your good side, keep doing it, but don’t get too close. Do whatever you can to get yourself out of here, then run. Don’t look back. Don’t come back. Forget about Khansaar and your biological family.”

Aadhya frowns. Her first instinct is to defend Rama, but she remembers that she’s here because Rama did have her kidnapped. But that was only to get Deva here, right? “Well, what’s the update on Deva? I’m here because of my brother, right? When’s he supposed to get here then?”

Bilal shrugs, looking uncertain. “I’m not sure, thalli. But when he does come, you should escape with him. He’s not going to let Radha Rama live when he realizes she’s kidnapped his little sister.”

“You assume he’ll care,” she mutters under her breath, but Bilal hears it. “Oh no, thalli. If Deva truly sees you as his, he’ll protect you in any way he can. He’ll tear Radha Rama to pieces if he needs to.” When Aadhya looks up, ready to protest, Bilal sighs, and lifts a hand to stop her. “You can’t protect her from him, Aadhya. You only know her good side. Deva has seen her at her worst, and if he realizes she was initially trying to set him up to kill Varadha, he’ll be even more angry.” Aadhya remembers what Bilal had told her days ago, about how Deva had beheaded a lord for daring to grip Varadha’s collar. “Think about it. That’s all I ask. Try to save yourself, Aadhya. If not for yourself, at least for your father who’s probably very worried.” 

Once Bilal leaves, Aadhya lapses into thought. Deva, with his history, has every right to kill Rama, and it would be the smart thing to do for her to use the opportunity to escape. But Aadhya realizes, with a jolt, that she really doesn’t want Rama dead, that she’ll truly miss the woman. She resolves to try to negotiate with Deva, whenever he shows up, bargain for Rama’s life somehow. 

-

Late that night Aadhya goes back outside. The skies are clear and she wants to see the stars, suddenly feeling homesick. As she tilts her head up to the sky, letting the vastness of space calm her down, she spots a familiar figure sitting on the roof. What was Rama doing up there? She wonders, but if Rama’s up there it means the guards will let her go up there. Aadhya finds the stairs that lead to the balcony of the mansion, giving an awkward wave to the unamused man standing on patrol near the staircase. She climbs up the stairs, then climbs up the ladder that leads to the rooftop. 

Rama turns her head to the side slightly at Aadhya’s approach, but seems to realize who it is and relaxes, facing forward again. Aadhya takes the opportunity to observe Rama from the back. 

The older woman is still in the red Banarasi saree she was in this morning, patterned with silver diamond designs. Aadhya absentmindedly wonders what her pajamas look like, or if she sleeps in the sarees she wears all day. Rama’s thick curls are gathered into a french braid, falling beautifully down her back, and Aadhya blushes as she realizes one of the black roses she picked this morning was carefully placed in the center, surrounded by silver earring chains. Rama’s still sitting as straight-backed on the roof as she does in chairs, but the set of her shoulders seems more relaxed than usual. As Aadhya sits next to her, crossing her legs, Aadhya’s breath catches as she observes the way Rama’s face gleams in the moonlight. The soft white light turns the hair in the front silver, making it look almost like a crown. 

Rama glances at her, brown eyes shining from the moonlight. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“I wanted to see the stars, so I came outside. Then I saw you up here, so I came upstairs,” Aadhya explains. 

Rama nods. “The stars are beautiful tonight.” 

Aadhya just barely stops herself from responding to that the way she really wants to. “Yes, they are,” is what she replies with instead. “Is this a habit of yours? Coming outside to stargaze at night?”

“I never did anything as simple as stargazing in Khansaar, no.” Rama sighs. “I was too busy for things that weren’t related to politics. It was always ‘Rama, there’s a rebellion that needs to be put down in one of our territories, authorize the military’, or ‘Rama, can you go sort out whatever’s wrong with your brother’, or ‘Rama, your husband didn’t show up to the lords meeting today, find out what happened’. I was my father’s finest weapon, and I’m proud of it. But in the grand scheme of things, does all that I did even matter? If the owner of the weapon is dead, then what good is the weapon?” 

She leans back a little, closing her eyes. “That bastard brother of mine didn’t even give my father an honorable death. Decapitated him right in front of everyone, then went and sat on the throne like it was his birthright. Of course that boyfriend of his slaughtered everyone on his way to the throne, then offered the crown he picked off my father’s corpse to my brother.” She swallows, and Aadhya can hear a deep bitterness in her voice. “It was still stained with my father’s blood when your brother crowned mine, did you know that?” Aadhya can only shake her head. “All those years Raja Mannar still kept that boy in his heart, even after he threw away my father’s greatest gift. He wanted to make him a lord, was willing to upset the Ghaniyars for it. And what did Varadha give him in return? Nothing. He kept taking and taking until he took what mattered most to my father.” 

The two sit in silence for a few seconds, Aadhya thinking about her response. She doesn’t want to anger Rama, doesn’t want to ruin the vulnerable mood between them, but as a neutral observer she thinks Raja Mannar is also very much in the wrong.

“Your father shouldn’t have punished him so harshly for what he did as a child,” Aadhya says hesitantly. Rama looks at Aadhya sharply, but Aadhya decides to keep going. “Not to mention killing Varadha’s friend’s entire family, and turning a blind eye to Varadha’s suffering all the years after.” 

Rama scoffs, quickly standing up, and Aadhya’s stomach turns. Oh, now she's done it. All the times she kept pushing, hoping that Rama would be charmed by her instead of offended, and now the worst has actually happened. 

“Of course you’d take his side,” Rama hisses at her. “You’re one of them Shouryangas too. I don’t know what I expected from you.” This is the first time Aadhya has seen Rama angry, and the shock is made worse by the fact that it’s directed at her. 

“Rama wait! I have nothing to do with the Shouryangas, I just got here! And I can’t just blindly take your side either,” Aadhya tries to explain. 

“No.” Suddenly the anger is gone, replaced by sadness. “No you can’t.” Rama wraps her arms around herself after a sudden cold gust of wind, and Aadhya’s horrified to realize that she looks close to tears. “No one takes my side, not even my own brothers, and not even my own fucking husband.”

“Rama…” Aadhya trails off, not knowing what to say. 

Without another word, Rama turns and descends the ladder. 

Aadhya stays up there for a few more hours by herself, feeling miserable and even more homesick than she was when she first came outside.

-

@illusions-of-serendipity @just-a-lazy-person @nini9224 @recentinterest @omgdontlookatmeuniverse @greatkittykoala @theimmortalprince

[aimeedaisies]

Princess Anne’s visit reinforces Sri Lanka-UK bonds - Plaudits for hard work and modest outlook

Published 14th January 2024

By Pramod de Silva

The British Royal Family is changing their outlook following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II and amidst increasing calls for truncating or even abolishing the monarchy.

Indeed, gone are the days when the British Empire was known collectively as a region where the “Sun never sets” as its colonies were located all over the globe, from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) to South Africa. Now there are only a very few British protectorates left, including the Falklands Islands. All others have either become Dominions with King (Charles III) as the titular Head of State (examples include Canada and Australia) or Republics with no sovereign ties to the British King, such as Sri Lanka and India.

A humble Princess Anne carried her own bags off the plane as she arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy LaurenceA humble Princess Anne carried her own bags off the plane as she arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Yet, the British Royal Family maintains a measure of popularity in the so-called Commonwealth Countries, which are former colonies of Britain, even if their fame has taken a hit in the UK itself particularly following the death of Princess Diana, and the separation of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle from royal life. The couple has since been living in California, USA.

Queen Elizabeth II’s visit

Sri Lankans, for whatever reason(s), do have a soft corner for the British Royal Family, in spite of the mixed colonial legacy in the country. This was evinced when Queen Elizabeth II arrived here for the first time in 1954. This visit was significant for two reasons. The first was that Sri Lanka hadsaman gained Independence from Britain just six years earlier, in 1948. And Sri Lanka was still a Dominion back then.

The second was that this was one of the Queen’s first official overseas visits after her Coronation on June 2, 1953. She wore her Coronation Frock at one of the events in Colombo during this tour. She would go on to occupy the Throne for nearly 70 years. Her next visit to Sri Lanka was in 1981, by which time the country had become a Republic. But judging by the raucous reception she received wherever she and Prince Philip went, her popularity in Sri Lanka was intact.

In between those two visits, the couple became the proud parents of four children – Princes Charles (the present King), Andrew (Duke of York, though now mostly retired from Royal Duties following a string of scandals), Edward (Duke of Edinburgh) and Princess Anne, now known officially as Princess Royal. She thus happens to be the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth.

It is no secret that Princess Anne is the sibling closest to King Charles, ever-ready to steady the ship amidst the turbulent storms that the Royal Family faced in the years following the tragic death of Princess Diana in Paris in 1997. Her scandal-free life and easy going nature had endeared herself to Royal fans all over the planet.

This might explain the buzz surrounding last-week’s official visit of Princess Anne to Sri Lanka to mark 75 years of diplomatic links between the two friendly countries. Given the revolving door that is Number 10, one cannot imagine a better ambassador to mark this occasion than apparently someone from Buckingham Palace – and the hardest working member of the British Royal Family at that. Princess Anne has earned that moniker from the press thanks to her non-stop work for good causes around the world.

A royal expert has explained why the Princess Royal was chosen as the first member of the family to go away in 2024, as she was praised as being “invaluable” to King Charles. Richard Fitzwilliams said: “Princess Anne is an example of what the public most admire in a working royal, she is dedicated, conscientious and prefers a low profile and no fuss.”

First-ever Royal visit for 2024

Princess Anne began the second day of her Sri Lanka tour with a visit to the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in KandyPrincess Anne began the second day of her Sri Lanka tour with a visit to the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy

In fact, her trip to Sri Lanka gained international media attention due to several reasons, with magazines such as Hello! And People devoting multiple pages to the coverage, not to mention all mainstream British newspapers. After all, this was the first-ever overseas visit by any Member of the Royal Family for 2024. Princess Anne is no stranger to Sri Lanka, having visited the country previously in 1995, as a patron of the Save the Children Fund.

The media were quick to highlight the fact that Anne (73) and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence (68) flew on a commercial airline to Colombo, whereas they could have requested a Government Airbus A330 or other aircraft from the Royal Air Force (RAF). In fact, SriLankan Airlines, the only carrier which flies directly between London (LHR) and Colombo (CMB) could not hide its delight, posting on X under the headline “A Service Fit for a Royal”.

A SriLankan Airlines post said: “We are delighted to welcome onboard Her Royal Highness (HRH) the Princess Royal on her journey from London to Colombo on a three-day official visit to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the UK. It is truly an honour to extend Her Royal Highness and the delegation our inherent Sri Lankan warmth and hospitality, thereby presenting the first taste of our island home through our service. We thank the HRH for honouring us with her presence onboard and choosing us for the journey.”

Royal commentators and observers were also delighted to note that the couple carried their own bags, both at the points of embarkation and disembarkation. Princess Anne and Sir Tim’s down-to-Earth nature was displayed by them carrying their own bags onto the flight, the commentators said. One eagle-eyed royal writer even noted that one of her bags was from the French brand Longchamp’s La Pliage Line, costing just 115 Sterling Pounds, at a time lesser mortals like to show off bags from the likes of Louis Vuitton costing thousands of pounds or dollars.

A welcome ceremony at the airport saw the two Royals greeted by dancers, music, Union Jack flags and a red carpet. Princess Anne, sporting sunglasses, was received by dignitaries including the British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, PC.

Princess Anne and Sir Tim kicked off their engagements right away, heading first to the MAS Active Factory near the Airport, one of the largest apparel tech companies in South Asia and identified by the UK Fashion and Textile (UKFT) Association as an important Sri Lankan partner. As President of the UKFT, the Princess Royal met staff and toured the facility to hear more about their innovative designs and partnerships with leading UK brands.

Princess Anne, Princess Royal signs the golden book after she arrives for a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka at the BIA in KatunayakePrincess Anne, Princess Royal signs the golden book after she arrives for a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka at the BIA in Katunayake.

Letter from King Charles

The couple also met President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prof. Maitree Wickremesinghe at the President’s House. Her brother King Charles had outlined “considerable challenges” that the world is facing in a letter delivered by Princess Anne to President Wickremesinghe during this meeting.

The Royal Couple also got the opportunity of meeting former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on this occasion. She was the incumbent President when Princess Anne last toured the island in 1995. Royal watchers praised the Princess’s modest outfit worn to this important event. Hello! Magazine described her outfit in this manner: “Putting on a colourful display, the Princess Royal asserted her sartorial prowess in a ravishing red shift dress adorned with blooming pastel flowers. For an additional pop of colour, the royal added a berry-red lipstick, balancing her ensemble with a draped cream scarf and white gloves.” Another royal watcher said that her white gloves worn at the event were a subtle nod to the legacy of her mother.

Princess Anne, with her lifelong affinity to the Save the Children Fund, also took time off her busy schedule of meetings to visit its offices in Colombo and inquire into their programs in Sri Lanka. After unveiling a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of Save the Children working in Sri Lanka, she gave an impromptu speech to staff and guests at the charity’s Colombo HQ.

Princess Anne said: “It’s a real pleasure to return to Sri Lanka and the chance to visit Save the Children’s (headquarters) and underline the fact you have been doing extraordinary work here for 50 years.’ And I know, because when I came before it was slightly different, things have changed a lot. But the very fact that you are here and seen as valuable partners to the Government and the departments – that says a lot for what you’ve achieved…So a big thank you to all those who have been part of that journey, thank you all very much.” She also visited the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) in Colombo.

Princess Anne paid her respects to the Fallen Heroes of World Wars when she laid a wreath in their memory in Colombo, during her first visit to a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery in the Jawatta area as the organisation’s President. They also visited the nearby Vajira Pillayar Hindu Kovil, where Sir Tim dashed a coconut to ward off bad luck. Chief Priest Sachithanantha Kurukal went into the shrine to conduct the pooja as Princess Anne and her husband watched, and they later toured the temple viewing the many shrines to Hindu Gods.

The Royal Couple then left for Kandy, where they paid homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Dressed in white, Princess Anne was ushered into an inner sanctum, reserved for the temple’s most important guests, to make her offering to the Sacred Relic in private.

Princess Anne engaged in a friendly conversation with Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike KumaratungaPrincess Anne engaged in a friendly conversation with Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga

Later, the couple travelled to Jaffna, where they toured the famous Jaffna Public Library, which was burnt down by mobs in 1981 and then rebuilt to reflect its former glory. The couple toured the library “where they heard of its significance to the community and met key figures from the fields of education, arts and culture,” said the British High Commission in Sri Lanka. Andrew Patrick, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, called the building “a landmark of great significance”. “This important moment marks the first visit by a member of the Royal Family to Jaffna,” he added.

The library was one of the largest libraries in Asia and housed over 97,000 unique and irreplaceable palm leaves books (ola), manuscripts, parchments, books, magazines and newspapers, before its destruction in 1981.

The couple had several other engagements in Sri Lanka before they flew back to the UK after a highly successful visit, which reinforced UK-Sri Lanka ties. Several more events will be held in 2024 to mark this milestone.

Princess Anne’s Sri Lanka visit is her second official engagement of this year, having returned to duties on January 4 to attend the Oxford Farming Conference.

The King and Queen are also set to fly overseas later this year. The couple are expected to visit Canada in May, before flying to Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in October.

As for the Prince and Princess of Wales, they too will be preparing to return to Royal Duties in the coming week, which comes after the family celebrated Princess Kate’s 42nd birthday on Tuesday January 9.

[sgenvs3000f24]

Unit 7 Blog Post

Living in the 21st century, our easy access and constant exposure to music can make us numb to its significance. Music is integral in all human cultures and has been key in community building since ancient times (Sahi, 2012). Some even hypothesize that music “predates humans--that rather than being the inventors of music, [humans] are latecomers to the musical scene” (Gary et al., 2001). This provokes questions about the origins of music and the reasons for its existence. In regards to culture and history, it is likely that human music “developed in contact with local nature and thus reflects the nature” around particular communities (Sahi, 2012). The extrapolation and utilization of nature in music is quite evident in many cultures, particularly in their folk music. Rune singing used for Finnish folk music contains rich lyrics describing the natural environment around them (Sahi, 2012). 

 After this week’s content, I was inspired to inspect my own culture’s music to see how large of an impact nature had on it. As I delved back into my favorite old-school Bollywood songs, I found that the most beloved songs usually drew inspiration from the natural environment. Nature is an excellent source of unique melodies and sound patterns that help facilitate the rhymes and vocals particularly for Bollywood songs. There are likely universal mathematics (Gary et al., 2001) within certain nature-sounds that catch our attention more than others, ones that invoke inspiration for composers. You can find music in nature when you listen to the wind whistling through mountains, or by observing the rhythmic pattern of the rain falling on the ground, or through the chirping of the birds. Bollywood composers often choose female singers with very high pitched voices (i.e. Lata Mangeshkar), which I believe they do to resemble song birds. Musical patterns in nature bring forth specific feelings for listeners (i.e. thunder correlates to fear/surprise, while ocean waves correlate with calmness), which is why percussion instruments are used to mimic abiotic sounds/patterns and add depth of a song. For example, Bollywood composers use the tabla to mimic thunder sounds and the ghunghroo to imitate rustling leaves.

Pyaar ki ek kahani is a song I particularly love because it takes me back to the mountain landscapes I visited in India. The background vocals remind me of how my voice echoed when I was in the valley areas or near river banks. The softness of the male singer’s vocals invokes the same feelings of airiness that I felt at that high altitude. The female singer’s voice mimics the beautiful sounds of the birds in the morning.

(Song context: The male character lives a peaceful life in a mountain village of Manila, India. A new journey starts for him when he meets a city girl. The use of mountain scenery, a song that creates a mountain ambience, and the characters’ story all work together to create feelings of airiness, openness, and blissful naivety.) 

Reference:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Publishing LLC.

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science, 291(5501), 52. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8

Sahi, V. (2012). Using folk traditional music to communicate the sacredness of nature in Finland. Spiritual Values of Protected Areas of Europe Workshop Proceedings. (pg 129-132). https://www.silene.ong/en/documentation-centre/spiritual-values-of-protected-areas-of-europe-workshop-proceedings#Proceedings_Spiritual%20Values_PAs_Europe.pdf

[theroseempress]

Felix and Kiseki for the physical description ask?

oh two of my boys!

I'll start with Felix since i have much more text with him. (buckle your seatbelts this might take a hot second)

Starting with two descriptions of him by Nerium in this piece, the latter of which is my personal favourite description of him! (technically he's like 13 or something in this, which is about 10 years younger than he is when the book starts, but shhhh the vibes still match)

... The boy had quite delicate, sharp, features, though they still had a soft look to them. Nerium was guessing he was somewhere in the area of thirteen. His hair was just past chin length, at an awkward length where it was just short enough to not fit properly into a ponytail or other restraint, but just long enough to get in the way, with a swooping half-fringe that draped over the right side of his forehead, almost falling into his eyes. The rich red of his tunic and tidy fit of the black undershirt were both definitely noble clothing, but there was a fairly sizable rip on the tunic’s side that had been sewn up in a distinctively inexperienced manner.

... (In the future, whenever Nerium thought back to this first meeting, this image was always the first that came to mind. Felix, grinning, eyes still sparkling with laughter and evening sun, hair almost golden in the dappled sunlight seeping through the autumn leaves above, one hand still shepherding loose hair out of his eyes and the other resting on his cane again. Something about the picture had always felt ethereal to Nerium, and though he no longer thought of Felix as the boy from a fairy tale, some moments it seemed all too accurate.)

Veering closer into canon, here's how Helen describes Felix when she first meets him. (RIP George, whoever he was)

...she’d moved about two crates by the time she noticed an unfamiliar young man walking across the grass. Frowning, Helen paused halfway through lifting another crate, and squinted at said young man. The first thing that caught her eye was his past-shoulder-length bright copper hair, and the second thing was how easily he was interacting with the various carnival hands he passed. Actually, maybe that should have been the first thing she’d noticed, considering Helen had never seen him before. Helen huffed, rolling her eyes. Good heavens, George, how many times do people have to tell you to pay attention to who’s going backstage? Despite the fact that the ginger was definitely not a carnival member, he seemed entirely at home in the bustle of the backstage area, ducking around two brothers as they carried a heap of cables across the grass with a wink, neatly avoiding getting run over by Rosie (one of Helen’s fellow dancers, who as usual appeared to be late for something) and waving at her as she receded into the chaos. Helen watched a moment longer, then decided he wasn’t her problem (that would be George’s problem when India found out he’d let another visitor sneak backstage, to be specific).

And last but not least, here's Scarlet's description of Felix when she first meets him, this one's getting very close to where canon starts.

Scarlet cast a glance at him out of the corner of her eye, curious. They were about the same height, she realized with some surprise. Probably a lot closer than it actually looked- casting a glance down at Monarch’s feet- considering he appeared to be wearing platform boots. Aside from said boots, Monarch was dressed simply in a dark blue tunic, knee-length loose black coat and black gloves with several rings. He had dark hair just past shoulder length, tied back in a ponytail, and… to Scarlet’s surprise, a pale turquoise courting necklace poking out from his tunic’s neck. “You’re surprisingly nice.” Scarlet observed. “Also kinda short. You’re like, the same height as me.” “Thank you,” Monarch replied, “also, rude. True, but rude.” They continued walking for a moment, breeze ruffling the end of Monarch’s coat and snapping at the various awnings. Monarch walked quite softly, Scarlet noted, the only sound he was making was the click of his cane on the cobbles.

Canonically Felix is not exactly the same height as Scarlet; she's five-six/167 and he's five-seven/170, but he's still definitely short for a man in Solace. (average height is around five-ten/177)

other details that aren't in text or I didn't include here:

Shannon calls Felix the sun pretty often, make of that what you will.

I call Felix ethereal pretty often, make of that what you will as well.

Felix is described as moving in a feline way quite often, and I personally write him with the thought in mind that he basically never stays still.

Somehow none of these descriptions mention it, but Felix is heterochromatic; his left eye's green and his right eye's blue.

He also has burn scars on the left side of his face and neck; those ones didn't get mentioned in text because he didn't have them in the first piece, he's too far away from Helen for her to notice in the second, and he's wearing a mask that covers his face in the third.

His hair's not dark as the third piece would suggest, it's bright ginger, but when he's out as Monarch he wears a wig. His hair's still the same length though.

Felix really likes wearing eyeshadow and jewelry, but he doesn't actually do it much due to that being a distinctly Amorian preference and him spending a lot of time around Solite nobility.

He's pretty obviously of Amorian blood, significantly less so than his twin brother Shannon (who's still a ginger but it's much more diluted; also he's not heterochromatic), which can cause quite a bit of conflict due to Amorians not being very well accepted in Solace.

(technically he's half Amorian and half Solite but the second half isn't very obvious)

He wears a lot of rings and is constantly fiddling with them.

He wears pretty flashy clothes.

Now, Kiseki on the other hand, I don't actually have any in-text descriptions of him, Mercy City being a newer WIP of mine. I do, however, have his physical description in the MC character doc! (here's that)

Kiseki Terris- Physical description- Male, 20. 5’7, lithe build with strong sleeper muscles. Suntanned freckled light skin, slanted dark brown eyes. Neck-length straight near-black dark brown hair with a sharp fringe. Nearsighted, wears glasses.

I think his glasses are the rounded-rectangular type ones, the frame's probably metal and silver.

I can't think of anything else, so thank you for the ask! Hope this wasn't too wall-of-text-y I just have a lot of thoughts on my fictional people (don't worry Kiseki's definitely going to get there as well in a bit)

[laurfilijames]

Home

Pairing: George Lowe x female reader

Words: 1,166

Warnings: Unprotected intercourse (not described), nudity.

Summary: George is home after being away for weeks in India, and the weight of missing him carries on even after your reunion, especially knowing he will be leaving again to try to conquer Everest.

A/N: I was away from home for 10 days and it physically hurt how much I missed my man, so this was written with some very fresh, first-hand feelings.

The series Hillary takes place in the 50's and I realize that pre-martial sex was frowned upon but it's me so we're going with it.

Prompts used for @deanobingo were Aftercare, "Don't move", and George Lowe

Photos courtesy of @blairsanne (I couldn't choose just one because LOOK AT HIM so there's another photo at the bottom of that beautiful face)

---

“I missed you,” he breathed, his quiet words reverberating softly enough it seemed like only your incomplete heart could hear them; cradled in your chest where his lips rested now, his beard scratching against the surface as if attempting to uncover it. 

You held George closer - as if possible - still feeling that ache deep within you even though you had no reason to miss him anymore; the time apart proving almost too much for you to bear. 

“I missed you too.” 

You spoke into the mess of soft curls atop his head, carding your arms around him as though you would melt into him if you did, the need to be as close to him as possible for as long as you could overwhelming. 

His breathing slowed beneath your palms as they smoothed over his warm back, the pattern evening out to contrast from how laboured it was only moments ago, and as he looked up at you it was hard to tell if his cheeks were tinted a reddish hue from his earlier efforts or from the sun reflecting on the blinding snow to cast a burn that lingered on his weathered skin. You traced your finger over the bridge of his nose, taking in the face you missed staring back at you so much it physically hurt, earning a smile that warmed you through despite feeling like an inferno already. 

His beard had thickened since he had left, but not enough to hide his dimples when he grinned like that, the colour a rich auburn compared to his hair that had been bleached by the elements which gave him a warm, sunkissed glow that matched the sheen that coated him from your lovemaking.  

The scent of him hung in the air around you, so potent now you'd been without it for too long, yet so familiar there was no way you could ever forget it. To indulge in it more, you tucked your face into the crook of his neck, prompting him to wrap his arms around you to keep you flush against his body. George took his turn in running his rough hands up and down your back, caressing you as much as he had throughout your entire reunion so far, his lips moving to press gentle kisses on your neck and collarbone. 

As he began to soften within you, you shifted your hips on his lap, moaning faintly at the sensation of his spend leaking out of your over-sensitive sex. George locked his arms around you tighter, preventing you from moving, shushing quietly in your ear. 

"Don't move," he whispered, knowing he needed to stay near you as much as you needed the same, the weeks-long trip to Nepal weighing on him more than he had let on. 

“Can we stay like this forever?” he murmured, his voice muffled as he kissed along your jawline, his beard tickling you each time his lips moved. 

“Please,” you answered, still feeling so desperate for him you could cry, relishing in the way he engulfed you in his strong arms. “I'll go out of my mind when you go to Everest.” 

Your admission came out strangled, dreading another stint that would be longer and more dangerous than this last one. 

He sighed heavily, applying a gentle squeeze with his arms around your middle. 

“Just one more, I promise,” he assured you, kissing your cheek while bringing his hand up to cup the other side, turning your head to face him again. “I have to do this.” 

His look was pleading, searching your eyes with his flaming blue ones, and burying your selfish desires for him to stay home, you nodded, knowing you loved him too much to get in the way of fulfilling his dreams. 

“I know.” 

"Until then," he smiled gently, his eyes bright in knowing he had your support, "I intend to make up every moment I've been robbed of you." 

You smiled against his lips as he kissed you, his chuckle vibrating through his chest onto yours, and you wished that not even the everyday tasks like eating and drinking would interrupt you from hiding away together until he had to leave again. 

The movement of his lips slowed, gradually fading out to brush ever so lightly on your moistened, swollen flesh, and parted from you to look at you seriously. 

"I hope you know how much I love you," he spoke, his voice hoarse and holding a heavier tone than it usually did. 

"Of course I do, George."

Your fingers found their way into his long waves again, smoothing them back out of his face as they threatened to fall in his eyes, and with a kiss on his forehead, his features cracked into an easy smile. 

"I love you, too," you vowed, holding his face in your hands so his soft beard tickled your palms, bringing him into a meaningful kiss. 

When your kiss broke, George cleared his throat, almost nervously, and not making eye contact with you, he spoke quickly.

"Marry me?"

"What?" you blurted, convinced you misheard.

"Will you marry me?" he repeated, finally looking at you, his blue eyes slightly wet. "I-I mean, I don't have a ring to give you, or money to buy one but-" he stammered, his eyebrows rising with the pitch of his voice, his head shaking quickly from side to side like he was dismissing the idea as absolute ludicrousy. 

"All I have is this," he continued, blinking at you as he leaned over to the bedside table and plucked a small, circular piece of material from it. 

He held it up between your bodies, revealing a strand of what appeared to be from the shoelace of his boot that had been tied at both ends to form a ring, and smiled weakly with a shrug. 

"I made it one night on the mountain when I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"It's perfect," you exclaimed, feeling your heart pummel the inside of your chest wildly. 

"Is that a yes, then?" he asked, waiting with bated breath for your answer, his hopeful pools of blue dancing frantically in the lamplight. 

"Yes!"

He laughed heartily and gave an excited shout, wrapping his arms around you tightly to squeeze you like a vice, his joy unmatched. 

Still chuckling as he sighed out, George took your left hand and carefully slipped the worn string around your fourth finger, his cheeks red and round as he beamed at you. 

You rubbed your fingers together to shift the material, amazed at how it felt wrapped securely around your ring finger and even more in awe at how such an ordinary piece of nothing symbolized so much. 

"Maybe there'll be diamonds at the top of Everest," he chuckled again, his cheeks twitching as the disappointing reality of that hope set in. 

"I don't need diamonds, George," you assured, thinking it impossible for a woman to value gems above the unconditional love of a wonderful man. "I just need you." 

---

Taglist:

Everything: @guardianofrivendell @midearthwritings @cassiabaggins @lilith15000 @trishthedishofreis @linasofia @unbeatablecurlgirl @the-poldarkian @lathalea @enchantzz @blairsanne @legolaslovely @middleearthpixie @i-did-not-mean-to @sketch-and-write-lover @jotink78 @medusas-hairband @feeweeeee @missihart23 @fortheloveofdurin @i-am-still-bb @roobear68 @ichoosechoasandbeingqueer @legolasbadass @spngingerbread21

[lifeofacuckhubby]

A little introduction

Dear Readers,

Hope my message finds you well.

First time writing on this site. In fact, first time I have decided to find a voice of my innermost thoughts and feelings, and express it openly to the online world. So please be gentle with me.

As you may have noticed, I have chosen a bit provocative/ taboo name for myself. But, that is the sole reason for me to start writing this diary. I think there comes a time in one's life where he/she has to accept him/herself as they are. And stop trying to wear masks we all do so well time to time in society. I cannot wear such masks anymore. Yes, I am a cuckold husband. And coming this far, I don't mind saying that I am quite happy about it. Looking back at my good and bad experiences perhaps I have been a cuckold in the making for many many years. Now, I embrace it, and try to enjoy, cherish life's experience with open heart.

I was born and brought up in India. I had a difficult childhood. A typical set of problems. Father left when I was very little. Mother was unloving. Lack of money and responsibility do bring family out of such problems since young age. I also have a very soft personality, and it was like that since long. So it was extra difficult to find a way out of troubles. Severe bullying at home, school, in friends circle. Bullying is something of a constant for many many years. Perhaps my soft gentle nature provoked people around me to bully there way with me.

It wasn't all bad. I have seen so many good things happening with me, for me. Since young age I have firmly believed in the presence of higher power than us, that guides us, governs us. Such powers helped me time to time. And some people stood behind me as a guardian angels in life's battle. 

Life goes on. My journey continued. Being extremely shy, introvert and socially awkward I found solace in books, TV and movies. I was very average in school/ college. But my love for books and sticking to work greatly helped me in career. I moved here in the UK in my 20s.

Years passed. Now I am 42 years old. I have a fairly comfortable position in the corporate world. A well paying job. Some good investments and I am also a owner of a small franchise store. 

The wounds you suffer as a child and young boy leaves a deeper marks on you. And its hard to shake off. The sufferings of my past rarely left my side. The wounds were deeper than I expected. On one side I was getting good success in career, on the other side my social side never recovered from past traumas. As I aged, I retracted more and more into my secure shell that was made up of indoor activities, books and lots of TV & movies. Love, relationships and pleasure of intimacy was a thing of other world for me. By the time I was in mid30s, I had already made up my mind about being alone.

But, God, cosmic powers or whatever name one can give, had other plans. After spending my youth alone I finally met someone who would become my wife. We both come from different worlds. But something was common for both of us, a difficult childhood and long lasting suffering that came with it. Though we come from a different worlds, perhaps that's the one thing that brought us together - recognition, compassion and deeper understanding for each others pain and suffering. 

My wife works for an event management company. She is also a stage dace performer. And she built up a good career out of it. She also travels now and then to places for work. When it comes to personality, we are two poles apart. My wife is very social, likes outdoors, adventure activities. She had led free-spirited life. She had been active sexually long before we met, and had her share of affairs and boyfriends. So by the time we met she had seen all and done all. 

With age comes perspective and clarity. So my wife was looking for a stable partner, a place she can call home and build a life with someone nice, loving and caring. However, she also needed her freedom and space when she needs it to pursue her career and activities she likes. 

So, ours in a marriage of convenience on might say. I needed someone to love to, and she needed someone she could depend on without compromising her freedom. 

We are in our fourth year of our marriage. Things are fine between us. I am glad and happy to have a wonderful wife like her. And she is happy to have a supportive, caring and understanding husband like me. Me giving her freedom and space works best for us. She keeps busy and happy and when we together we enjoy our time and relationship together.

The freedom and open-mindedness I have with my wife helped us build us a good life together. However, it also made me a cuckold. 

If you have read so far, thanks! I will continue sharing our story in next journal.

Have a nice day/ night.

Nilesh.

[seppasolution11]

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[balapann-blog]

Day 93 - 8 December - Mumbai

Went for a run on the beach in the morning and there were loads of people playing cricket and football on the beach on the wet sand. There were lots of games happening simultaneously which felt a very Mumbai experience! On the way back I turned off the beach too early and had to run for 200m on the soft sand which was definitely took quite a lot off the time! We went for a swim on the roof and then went for breakfast, which was without the best breakfast we have had on this trip. I had a masala omelette and hash browns, puri and a potato masala, some rice, and a couple of other masalas, a chia seed pudding in coconut milk, coffee and masala chai. The people knew we were leaving and gave us a cupcake saying thanks for staying which I think was maybe a bit much but he stay was really nice!

We checkedout and got an Uber to the gateway of India which was about an hour away. The gateway was fine but crowded. We didn’t go inside but looked from afar. We then went to the Oval Maidan which was cool as there were hundreds of people playing cricket. It was insane there were multiple wickets side by side with games going on on each of them and then in the field there were multiple teams all concentrating on the game that was going on on their wicket but sharing the same space. We briefly spoke with some people who were playing and in the field. It seemed crazy but great fun. There was a more traditional game going on at one end. We watched for a bit it then walked to marine drive by the sea.

We walked down Marine Drive for a bit then decided to go to this Irani cafe a bit in from the coast. It was a really cool ambience, you can understand why Dishoom want to bottle that vibe. We had some chai, a delicious salty lime soda and a paneer tikka bun. Revitalised we walked down to Chowpatty Beach and then got an Uber to the hotel and picked up our bags and went to the airbnb in Bandra. We then walked into Bandra proper and had a nice drink in this bar called Bonobo (thanks Dalo/Alice) and then went to this pretty glam fish / Asian restaurant called Bastian (thanks Daly/Alice) which was good but quite expensive so we kept it pretty simple and then headed home. I watched the Spurs / Chelsea game and then we went to sleep.

Day 94 - 9 December - Mumbai

Woke up quite slowly as we didn’t sleep amazingly. We did some washing and got ourselves ready to go. Nin was going to the dentist so I decided to go and get my beard cut off as it was annoying me being so long. The guy egged me on to get it cut short which I was very willing to do. I picked Nin up and actually booked in for Tuesday morning for a teeth clean! We were both feeling a bit tired and the thought of going all the way into town before our food tour was a bit much, so we went to a cafe and got a drink and wrote our diaries (does this constitute breaking the fourth wall?) and then went back to the flat before we got picked up. I had a video call with Ben which was lovely as it was the first time we had spoken since we left.

We were picked up by Harini our guide who was a very lovely and chatty lady who I think had started doing the tours over the last 6 or so months (I imagine it was for something to do now her last child had gone to university). We drove the same way we had driven before into downtown Mumbai. Harini showed us a few famous buildings on the way, such as the absolutely ludicrous sky scraper house of Mukesh Ambani of Reliance industries which I had read about in university in the excellent essay Capitalism a ghost story by Arundhati Roy. It is the most expensive residence ever built and is only for 8 family members!

We got to the place where we were going to have our first food, near the famous Shivaji terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) The first food we had was:

Puri - in a place that had been around since the 1840s and was set up by a guy who saw a market for people who would get food after public hangings that happened nearby! The puri was very tasty - we had 5 flavours; plain, paneer, masala, spinach, potato. They came with a pumpkin and potato subzi. It was a great start!

Veda pau - We then walked about 200m to the place where we got our Veda Pav which was right opposite the terminus this was also really tasty and much more spiced than the veda pavI had had before.

Irani cafe - We then hopped back in the car and drove a bit to an Irani cafe that it turned out we had gone to the day before, so I guess we have good taste. We had a delicious chicken cutlet and a chicken puff all with some Irani tea (which we had also had the day before). Both the dishes were delicious the cutlet had lots of interesting spicing and the puff was like a spiced vol-au-vent. We also had a delicious semolina cake which was in a little tin wrapper and was very comforting. We also spoke with Harouni about the Parsi community that runs most of the Irani cafes which I think is such an interesting part of the story of Mumbai.

Bombay sandwich - We then walked around the corner and got our Bombay sandwich, which again was very delicious. Harini said that the sandwich was created for industrial workers to have a snack or meal that had all the food groups in it with the energy from the bread.

Pani puri and bhel puri - we then drove to a sweet and chaat shop near the opera house where we had pani puri with a sweet and sour sauce made from tamarind and a green chutney. We then had bhel puri which I can’t remember if I have had before which is kind of a mix of different snacks all mixed up with sauces. I wasn’t crazy about it at first but I did get more into it as it went on.

Dosa - Getting into the final stretch we were getting very full and were coming up to the dosa which is a South Indian food which we have had quite a lot of so far. We decided to go for a more plain dosa itch some masala and onion rather than a full potato masala or paneer as it was a bit lighter. Still very good

Pav badji - the last savoury thing we at was a pav badji which if pav/pau (a delicious Mumbai bread roll made by Parsi and Muslim bakeries) and a mix of lots of different vegetables in a kind of ragout with spices. Again this is an industrial snack as it has carbs and all the food groups. We were very full but kept at it and did manage to finish it feeling quite relieved there were no more tasty snacks to have.

We walked round the road and got a kulfi which is an ice cream hat is usually on a stick. This time it was in a disk in a mix of milk solid, mango, pistachio and orange. It turns out we had room for this and we had it willingly, so much so that I got another full disk of mango which I think was the most delicious one.

After this we rolled back into the car and drove home feeling very full and very happy with our day.