Strangled - Predator and the Prey

Chapter- 4



I could see a tiny helpless soul dying in front of me, killed and eaten by a Spider. This behemoth really knew how to use his numerous giant legs; he held his prey in his two feelers and stung it with his other two poison fangs, within seconds only one living creature existed on the web. Oh! I hated this goliath monster so much. If I had the power, I’d have loved to torment him to death for torturing such poor creatures and eating them. But sadly I was feeling so small and helpless, filled with mixed emotions of anger, frustration and fear!


I questioned myself that was he was MY predator as well? Will I be eaten next? If he was Argiope, even my life would end soon and I’d perish in these woods, may be next minute or next second, depends on his jumping speed, from that web to mine. I dint wish to think of his swallowing speed though. Gulp! I choked, there was a blob in my throat and I stay still on this viscid death bed. I was talking to myself again, “why am I dying so soon, what wrong had I done? Just that I was playful kid and I didn’t listen to my Mom and my friend. (That’s called being disobedient, I know) Well, I am sorry Mom, I really am and now I am scared. God help me!”


I was trying to respire without moving my nostrils and my belly, and tried to face the freak in his eyes. This monster had four eyes on the top-front of his head, big brownish-black legs on the sides of his body, scary hairs popping out and I could hear him breathe, something which I couldn’t do at this point of time. I lay numb, half dead.


I could recall, I had seen him imbibe the tissues of his “prey”, I looked at his face and he appeared quite satisfied and I wished his hunger had died and his appetite was full. He jumped down from that web for a while, then with one of his legs, started pulling a thread towards his own self, I was wondering what he was trying to do, and there were broken threads one after the other, he was destroying his own well-knitted mesh. I was trying to reckon,” what is the concept behind it. First make a shiny white web, invite poor little preys (like ME), trap us in sticky webs, lasso it with sticky bolas, mimic the prey, to avoid detection, or run it down and after all this hard work, destroy what was made. They dint kept any proof of their crime. COWARDS…!” I felt so proud for a moment, that I called his specie a Coward.


At the same time, I thought, why are the birds or wasps not eating him? And my observation clicked again, may be ‘coz he’s a little smart, as his coloration was camouflage that helped him to evade his major predators. Huh..! So my predator was a smart and coward one, I’d call that as a “Smartorward!” Which ability counted more? None, but his ability to kill me..!


And our eyes met, the predator and the prey, and my heart skipped a beat, all thoughts vanished and my mind gave a Blank signal. I was sure my heart beat must be showing a Straight line now, and my eyes were wide open, not that I was admiring the demon’s beauty, but I just couldn’t move anything, simply nothing. The smartoward enormous monster approached towards ME..!!! Gosh..!!

Strangled- Now with Ruby

Chapter-2

Thinking of the little time that I had with me, nervousness pinching me from inside, I wanted to think of something else, at least to keep me distracted and breathing, so I started moving my eyes at the things around me, a bird sitting in her nest was watching me and around her laid three Eggs, yellowish and big, also I could see watermelon near the pond, butterflies were fluttering amidst the air, I felt they were mocking at me. Oh how much I missed flying now! I closed my eyes, started praying to god, to save me from dying and promised I’ll be a good Bee. I heard; “that’s a little difficult”.

I was smiling because God was speaking to me, but then I felt I shouldn’t smile, I have no reason to be happy and suddenly I opened my eyes and saw a fire-fly staring at me and said, “You are on Argiope’s web, he’s a gigantic spider, has got four eyes and eight legs, so it’s a little difficult that some one can really save you.”



Then I realized that it was the fire-fly who spoke to me and not God, though what should really make me sad at this point of time should be that I was going to be a food for someone, oh he had a name, Argiope, why did she had to tell me Mr. Spider’s details, wasn’t I looking scared enough! I asked” What should I do?” She moved her brows up and said, “Just don’t move, Argiope is a genius in sensing vibrations on his well-meshed web”

I was thinking, should I be thankful to her for sharing the genius’s exquisite details or should I be grumpy at her for scaring me more and more. I just gulped and kept mum. She asked, “Do you want me to go and call someone, from your home or so? You want to have a word with them?” I was plainly looking at her, was she here to help me, did she mean ‘last words’? Or she wanted to make me feel terribly small? Somehow, I managed to say” No, thank you. I don’t want anyone at home to know about me in such situation”.

She said” But they might be worried for you” I dint wish to prolong this
conversation, so I asked, “You dint tell me your name.”

She cracked a little smile, looking at my curiosity to know her and giving her more words to blabber. She said: “Ruby, that’s because of my color at night, I glitter you know.” Oh well, so I had a company here, who could speak as long as I wished (does that matter), who was slightly able to distract and retract me, supplying me with knowledge of my predator.

Strangled..

I was strolling with my buddy, over the bushes, when the weather was warm and nice. Pleasant sunny days are always welcomed! We were looking for some fresh beautiful flowers, there were many, colorful shades. But today I wanted to be a little different, try something new. So I thought, why not break the Rules! I was told not to go very close to the ponds, but I saw a light, like an ultraviolet light reflected by flowers and I really wanted to go there, but Debbee frowned at me and warned with a scowl:”Don’t!”

I sniffed and moved to the other direction and as soon as Debbee was busy in her own expeditions, I couldn’t resist going back near the pond and I flew swiftly and quickly towards it. Before anyone noticing me, I bashed into it with a thump and there I was..!Over and above it. I looked in every possible direction, and yeah no one saw me, but I felt sad, sad because I was over sticky white threads, which were all so symmetrical. I dint know what to do, I lay motionless over there, on the white shiny spider web.

My brain wasn’t working, may be I never had a brain, may be I should have listened to what I was told, may be I shouldn’t have deceived Debbee, may be then I might have stayed alive a little more longer.


“Webbeeeeeee” , I heard someone yell my name, I knew I was in a sticky mess and I dint wish Deb to be here as well. I wished I could be like a tiny chamaeleon and change my color to the surroundings. Beneath me was the pond, above were lush green trees and surrounding were small herbs and bushes. Deb was getting closer; I just closed my eyes, took my breath in and stayed motionless. After sometime, the familiar voice vanished and here I was, alone, strangled, nearing my death.

2 states

Synopsis by C.Bhagat:

Love marriages around the world are simple:
Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
They get married.

In India, there are a few more steps:
Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy.
Girl's family has to love boy. Boy's family has to love girl.
Girl's Family has to love Boy's Family. Boy's family has to love girl's family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.

Welcome to 2 States, a story about Krish and Ananya. They are from two different states of India, deeply in love and want to get married. Of course, their parents don’t agree. To convert their love story into a love marriage, the couple have a tough battle in front of them. For it is easy to fight and rebel, but it is much harder to convince. Will they make it? From the author of blockbusters Five Point Someone, One Night @ the Call Center and The 3 Mistakes of My Life, comes another witty tale about inter-community marriages in modern India.

My Review:

I have read Chetan Bhagat’s previous 3 books, 5 point someone being my Fav. I read this book in one go. Though I feel Indians who watch Bollywood movies will get a feel of the book by its cover and will not jump off their seats after reading the twists in the book, but the book is good enough to grab your attention and interest.

The book is dedicated by the author to his in-laws* (with a * marked which says which does not mean I am henpecked, under her thumb or not man enough). Men…!! :P Its ok if they express their gratitude to their in-laws for giving their daughter to him, why * and clarify..!

The story is about Krish and Ananya, who met at IIMA. Krish is a Punjabi boy and Ananya is a Tamilian Brahmin girl, who fell in love with each other (a little 5 point some-one like love story in college.)

Krish is fair, intelligent, and good in economics and is madly in love with Ananya. He likes to take care of her Mom but is in no talking terms with his Dad, as in mostly pissed off when at home.

Ananya is independent, modern, educated, practical and logical (like most girls are) and is fair unlike other South-Indian girls (exceptions include Sri devi and Hema malini)

They both try to convince each others family in-turns. Krish got posted himself in Chennai ( Ananya’s hometown), lost his sleep, had to give tuitions to Ananya’s younger brother, and then helped her Dad in his (Bank) office work and her Mom by acknowledging her singing in a huge public. Hard work to get the love of his life. After all nothing in this world comes for free.

Also, asked the complete family to marry him and gave all three of them gold rings. Tons of appreciation and gold gifts….they liked the guy.

Ananya then went to Delhi to meet Krish’s parents, and received a lot of sarcasm for she being a witty and clever Madrasin and having trapped her baby boy. Later, Ananya’s parents gifted Krish’s mom with 3 sarees, krish wid 4 shirts and with dry fuits fromGoa.

Dowry system in Punjabi weddings is written well, and how “boy’s side” can put a life long relationship to hold if they don’t get a free luxurious car from the “girl’s side”.

Our MBA girl showed her smartness and confidence and subsidized the dowry, at the same time getting blessings and admiration from Krish’s family.

The book has well portrayed the differences in North-Indians and South-Indians, weddings, music tastes, food, clothes, cleverness etc etc.

Also, prejudices about caste system still prevalent in the so called modern India is shown well and not only parents smirk about it but also the children tend to think that will this be worth it? Giving unhappiness to everyone in the family for their own sake will not be worth..! Marrying outside the clan is still a huge question, why so narrow minded about it?

2 States brings together people of 2 different states and unite it to one- called India.
I hope people in my country open up and free themselves from the clutches of caste system and think of all as One, all as just human beings.

Overall, the book is a nice read.
Wedding is quite funny.
Though there was a time travel in the book I suppose, as he once said mobiles had not become very popular yet and are its very costly to talk on mobiles on the other hand he made Ananya’s mom sing the song from Kaho na pyar hai… :-/

Rating : 3/5

PS: Author kept the price unchanged since his first book in 2004. It is still Rs.95. The prices of commodities have increased, but Chetan Bhagat's books are still priced what it was five years ago.