Writing a novel is not something easy. It needs patience, perseverance and the ability to perceive and achieve long term goals. Ishan Lalit seems to have been gifted with all of them, for he is out with his debut novel for Young Adults, The Bracelet, (the book launch is  at Cafe Coffee Day, GK2, New Delhi on Jan 30th, 2011) I hear he is already on to his next. Oh boy!

Now, who is Ishan Lalit?? Should I actually introduce him?? Most of you already know who he is. Anyways for those of my readers who don’t: Ishan is the famous Kid#1 of Ritu of Weaving a Web fame who figures in many of her blog posts. Now is there anyone who does not know the spunky Ritu who makes us laugh (a lot) and think (a lot too) with her writings?? I am one big fan of hers, not just her writings, but of Ritu as a person.

Here is what the back page blurb of Ishan’s debut novel says:

Abhay stood up. He was in a field of grass. Then he heard horses coming. Abhay looked to his right and then to his left, and saw that he was surrounded by horse riders. They stopped just before the dense grass and waited. A man appeared out of nowhere, walked up to him, and held up his hand revealing a bracelet.

What is the secret of the bracelet? Why is everybody after it? And who will get it: the Tantrics or the… Arthrakshaks?

Abhay, an ordinary college-going boy, is thrust into a world of secrets, lies, deceit, and supernatural entities. He finds out that he is an integral part of a war that he must win to save himself and his family from destruction. Will he be able to do it? To find out, read this fascinating novel that you just won’t be able to put down!

Sounds quite exciting. Right?? It does to me. I am no Young Adult, not by any stretch of imagination. But I sure am gonna lay my hands on the book as soon as I can and find out for myself what this is all about.

Ritu has tagged five bloggers to answer a few questions. I am one of them and am supposed to tag five more. By the end of it, I hope I have the name of five bloggers to whom I can pass on the tag.

Here I go:

1.  What does the name suggest?  Could be anything you know, even “Oops its my wife/girl friend’s birthday, what do I get her” Just put it down.

Hmmm… I looked at my own wrist on reading the name of the book. Apart from dangling earrings that dangle from my (obviously) ears a bracelet is the only other piece of jewelry I use, a thin gold one, tied around my wrist. (Why I am making things clear here is that the ads recently show  earrings, bracelets and bangles being worn in new innovative ways.)

2. If your loved one presented you a bracelet, what would you want it to be made of?  Alternatively if you had to present a bracelet to your sweetheart, what would you pick?

a.) Gold

b) Gold and rubies

c) Diamonds babe, just diamonds

d) Whateva, its gotta be expensive and look it!

e) Simple iron kada, or a silver one.  Not showy.

The best bracelet I would like to wear is one made of sweet smelling jasmines, something like what Shakuntala wore back in mythological times. Ohh yes, I definitely don’t intend wearing it along with my present attire. They would obviously clash. So for the flower bracelet, I would switch to traditional attire that Shakuntala wore back then. Whatever culture vultures might have to say on that, they better keep their mouth shut. You can’t fight with tradition, especially something popularized by someone like Shakuntala, Kanva’s own daughter!

3. Suppose your bracelet (or kada) had magical qualities (Like Aladin’s lamp) what magical qualities would you want it to have?  Let your imagination run riot … anything, money, power, world domination, elixir of youth …. Just pen it down – or punch them keys…

If my bracelet of jasmines had magical qualities?? Hmmm… soon as I inhale its sweet scent, I wanna be transported to some place where I badly want to go. Neptune. Why Neptune?? If you don’t know why, you bally well don’t know anything about me. So scoot.

4. Do snakes scare you or do you get strangely fascinated by them?

Do they what?? I’d honestly like to say they don’t scare me, that they do fascinate me, that I can let them slither all over me. But then I would be lying. Since I am committed to speaking the truth, I will just stick to good old truth and tell you that they positively terrify me. I am damned if I let them slither all over me. Well might you assure me that they are harmless and are God’s children like the rest of us. Well, whaddya know, these particular children of God, snakes, along with the lizards and spiders and the rest better keep to their side of the road and I will stick to my side. Fair deal, don’t you think??

5.  Harry Potter could speak Parseltongue.  Do you wish you could?

*shudders dramatically* Nope, I don’t wish to hold conversations with snakes however intelligent they might turn out to be. I’d rather prefer meowing to cats. Errr… I wish I could speak Meow-tongue though.

6.  What do you dream about?  No this is not about day dreaming, it’s not about wishful thinking, its about being in dreamland.

Hmmm… I dream about oceans and Apocalypse.

7. Do you remember your dreams?

Yes I do, very, very vividly.

8. Ever had your dreams interpreted?

Never, though I would love to.

9. Do you keep a dream diary?

I don’t need a dream dairy when I have a good memory that helps me keep tabs on my dreams. Part of my brain is allotted for dream-storing. All I have to do is evoke the right thought and retrieve whatever info whenever needed.

10.  Your favorite wrist jewelery?

a). Bangles

b)  Bracelet

c) Expensive Watch

d) Friendship band

e) Taveez or sacred thread (mouli)

Bracelet, of course, no questions asked. I am very fond of them. I wear no other form of jewelry, no rings, no bangles.

Now to tag five people:

Noorulayn

Aswathy

Deepti

Pallavi

Ruchira

Ok gals, go right ahead  🙂