Category Archives: Character

My mother’s secret diary

I found a beautiful poem in my mother’s secret diary. She dedicated it to my father but she called him “Cookie”…

I FELL IN LOVEChandini – a Poem for Cookie

Nothing can capture the beauty
of a full moon’s night
I feel drawn to you like
a moth to a flickering candle.
Your name like a grape ready
to melt in my mouth,
Lips so soft, a smile that
lights a thousands stars in my heart.

Damian

Damian is not only my uncle but he will also be my father-in-law soon. As per Indian tradition I shall move to the house of my in-laws soon. Damian is a real Aussie man with tattoos, white skin and blond hair. He loves fishing, motorbikes and loud music. I can imagine him young on a surf board or scuba diving but when I met him he had been a bit more settled already. He came to our house often when I was a kid. Then we moved to Mumbai and we could not hang out so often. What I would say about uncle Damian is that he is a lot deeper than you would think at first sight. He needs a few drinks (kingfishers) before he opens ups but then he can actually be quite chatty and charming. I would say he is a manly man with a soft touch. My sister Leyla told me he cried at my mum’s funeral. Well, that shows how much he valued her friendship and that he missed her.

 

Astrid

“Auntie” (and soon-to-be my mother-in-law) Astrid has always been a very strong help in my life. Since I never met my mother, Astrid was the female role model that I needed when growing up. She is strong, intelligent and very warm. Astrid left her family together with her husband Damian in 2012 when they started a world trip from Australia. Who would have thought that they would fall in love with Kerala and return to live there?

If you wonder why she is my soon-to-be mother in law I recommend you start reading the first chapters of Double Happiness. You might find an indication there.

Big hugs

VMS

I am about to faint

Last night I had a few glasses of champagne after an important event. On my way home I received an invite to send Ranbir Kapoor a friend request on Facebook. I still do not know if it is genuine or if in a few weeks I will be spammed, my computer will be full of viruses etc.

I told him that I have the perfect role for him (Raj). Once in a while believing in magic has helped. So what if he is the real RK? I could tell, I was a bit excited about this idea. He is such a big star and I am now one of his groupies. He replied to me. I have had the same excitement when I joined Twitter and could suddenly send messages to stars. At the end of the day he is also just a human being who wants to bathe in the love of his true fans once in a while. So maybe he really wants to have those fans and if it is not him this person is really convincing.

Maybe one day my biggest dream will come true and I will write a screenplay for the bollywood movie of “Double Happiness” and then I will ask Ranbir to show me some cool moves.

hugs and kisses

VMS

Ganesh

The Amber Palace in Jaipur

Uncle Ganesh is a friend of the family. He is becoming an important friend for my mother and Lara in the first part of “Double Happiness”. Ganesh is running a tour through India (Jaipur is one of the stops) where my mother Vivi and Lara meet. He is married and has a little daughter. He lives in Delhi and his sister Gitanjali wants to get married too. Ganesh is an open person who deals with a lot of different people. He is an extrovert and becomes a successful business man later in his life.

Mohamed

Mohamed is Samir’s best friend since childhood. He initially meets him for a weekend in Europe but later he gets arrested for a terrorist attack in Tunisia. Obviously, he is innocent but he stays in detention for a long time. Mohamed is a very loyal person. He supports Samir and protects him throughout the novel. He is also one good Muslims who cares for his religion and follows the rules. Mohamed is a true friend and good soul. May God protect and bless him.

The Raja of Alipura

The Raja of Alipura is Raj’s father and by birth he is a real Raja. He is powerful because he also has made it big in Indian politics. In the first part of “Double Happiness” we do not know too much about the Raja. I do not want to spoil the surprise but let me tell you that he is a very strict father and has high expectations of his son. Mainly, like most ambitious men, he wants his son to follow in his foot steps.

If the Raja would be played by a bollywood actor I’d vote for Amitabh Bachchan, one of my all-time fav’s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VBlp-jaHGE

Samir

Uncle Samir Wardi is my mother’s first husband. He is connected to our family through matters of fate for the whole novel. Samir somehow cannot let go of my mother even though he knows she has fallen in love with Arjun and that there is no way back. He wants to have a career in politics in his home country but gets into a political conflict that follows him until the end of his life. Samir seems to be weak first but he has resilience in him and charisma that will help the world in the end.  Without saying too much I also heard from trustworthy sources that Samir is a good father even though some of his children did not see much of him when they were younger.

I still like his accent when he speaks English but by now he is fluent in Urdu and Hindi so we hardly speak English anymore at our family gatherings. This could be a role for a big B’wood star like Aamir Khan. Tell him you want him to play this role here >> http://www.aamirkhan.com/index.php