““…that relationships are not sustained by violence but by love. Love is a creative act. When you love someone, you create a new world for them…” — Trevor Noah, Born a Crime”
POCKET DIARY BOOK CLUB
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
YEAR 2024
04.02.2024 03:00 PM
Edition 29
“…that relationships are not sustained by violence but by love. Love is a creative act. When
you love someone, you create a new world for them…”
-Born a Crime, Noah Trevor
Priya: I am a middle child from a joint family.
Janvi knows what being a big sister means. Light pain relief session.
We should have an adult PTM for us. Nirali entered and said, “blaming parents.”
Not quite, thought Priya, as she saw herself with her three siblings, all kicking each other, lying on one
diwan, all suffering from measles . She wasn’t happy that they didn ’t get chicken pox instead, it would
have increased her importance amidst her class girls.
Many new faces today, the moderators waiting to begin the session but it’s a custom, to begin with the
rules. But some were late.
Aswathy brought in a boat 2. We don’t allow unregistered members but she brought three men1, to say
nothing of the dog. These men were so ill (Jerome) or tired (from their unproductive hard work) that they
decided to go for a vacation.
“George goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and
put him outside at two”
Montmorency’s never-ending feud with the kettle was all that we needed. Heart-warming stories on K9s’
and their names (fond memories of Hottie overwhelmed Rajesh), Mantra shared the story of his dog and
his tryst with pressure cooker.
Next time, lets rent a boat, take a book and two friends and then look at each other, expecting someone
to paddle.
Me: “I can’t, I have liver disease from drinking too much water.”
Mitesh: “Do not look at me. I have a daughter, a husband, a lover to sit and think about, and soon there
will be my lover’s mistress too in the scene, once I imagine her face.”
Shanker: “Are there dogs nearby, trained to row a boat?”
It was supposed to be a travel guide, but then
Janvi – Sorry I am not listening1.
We felt we were in the boat, agreeing with J, we understand, we are all suffering. Some from overwork
and some from procrastinating a break.
Continuing to tickle the funny bone with s uave and subtle takes on the society and its norms was none
other than Mr. Wilde who came along with Nija. Importance of being Earnest and its bag full of punch
lines which Nija had diligently noted down and gave the quintessential Wilde flavor to the afternoon ,
cheeky and subtle slap on the wrist humor.
Meghna recalled that reading The Picture of Dorian Grey made her skip school the day after, I wonder
why it was?
“When in town, one amuses oneself, when in the country, one amuses others.”
“To lose one parent, is a misfortune; to lose two is carelessness”, brilliant wordplay Mr. Wilde
This book gives many hints to Oscar Wilde leading a double life like Bunburyism and the title is quite
contrary to the dualism of Dorian Grey in my opinion.2
Another hilarious line is, “The number of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly
scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.”
Then, after a point, Nirali and Priya suggested giving tranquilizers to Rajesh Ji and Me, which was
warranted TBF3.
P.S. Nija knows a lot about Wilde’s personal life4, almost like how we find out about our crush… she took
a leave from work to read(eat) the book ‘The Importance of being earnest’ at one go.
Coming to Mitesh, who got recently engaged, he refused chai!!! Very unlike Mitesh I say. He was reading
‘क ु ल्हड़ भर इश्क: काशीश्क’, chai pi nahi sakte, to chai hi padh lete hai
But he disappointed Rajesh ji by not including the “MEET CUTE”, which, according to Rajesh Ji is essential,
and he took the book, started searching in the pages, he made it a mission to find out, ki aakhir dono mile
kaise? Vo pehli baar… jab hum mile… let’s find out… from the book…
Mitesh: इसमें लड़का जो है थोड़ा मासूम सा शाांत (justifying innocent expression),
लड़की जो है थोड़ी दबांग टाइप की (Rajesh हँसा जोर से)
1 Printed on her gray t-shirt
2 https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/36471/gupea_2077_36471_1.pdf?sequence=1#:~:text=The%20duality%20of%20Wilde%20is,high%20society%20and%20a%20socialist.
3 To be fair
4 I googled it and click on the link above to read or forget it, aage padhiye
A badass girl, a demure boy and the backdrop of Banaras. A lover’s tiff, name calling and sweet nothings.
This book goes to my TBR list.
“All roads lead to Rome,” said Brida
But then…
I asked if I could write her story down, s he agreed initially, but whenever we met after that, she kept
raising obstacles (she slept on it ). She asked me to change the names of those in-volved (I hate such
people); she wanted to know what kind of people would read the book (how would the writer know?) and
how they would be likely to react (log kya kahenge?).
“I’ve no idea,” I said. “But I don’t think that’s why you’re creating all these problems.” “You’re right,” she
said. “It’s because it seems to me such a personal story, and I’m not sure anyone else would get much
out of it.” (if all writers thought like this…)
What a passage, buil ders vs gardeners , the last line was a full stop to my thoughts: “Gardeners always
recognize one another, because they know that in the history of each plant lies the growth of the whole
World.”
Priya pasted a picture she found in the book on the first page. It was of a boy kissing a girl’s forehead with
her neck craning to look up at him, her eyes were closed.
…
How will you go about finding the thing, the nature of which is totally unknown to you?
How will you find these tran sformative things that push your boundaries? What are these things that
changes us, for better or worse, apart from a trauma or a partner?
I looked down, and there were 2 copies of यार पापा. Two Manoj and two Sasha…
They changed me, thought Priya.
“I never was lost in the woods my whole life”, said Daniel Boone, though once I was confused for 3 days.”
Books, Movies, Conversations with strangers, silence, everything that tells a story that shakes everything
inside perhaps. This is what we come for here? To share our stories, the books we read, the lines we
underlined, to find a new story, and out of 100 books, 1 will touch us, transform shake us.
The Song of Achilles & Ruchi, Poetics by Aristotle & Meghna, Tuesdays with Morrie , on a Sunday , For
whom the Bell tolls, Born a Crime, Storm of Swords, Me, Myth of Sisyphus, Nidhi, Anagha, Mudit, Vivek.
If you visit Africa, it is not considered a good thing to have a cat.
There were books and conversations, laughter and arguments, tea and some more tea going on till 6 pm.
This is what I caught with both hands. I am Mantra and I belong to the Game of Thrones.
This is the 2 nd last edition of phase III. Saying this, leaves a bittersweet taste on my t ongue. Like the
aftertaste of masala chai.
– Priya