SCRAMBLING TO FINISH

Working on the laptop I looked at the clock. It was past 11 in the night. I felt sleepy and retired after closing down my computer. However I kept thinking of the novel I was writing and the date 4^th January 2021 by which the editor said it had to be completed. I had revised the draft keeping in view the editor’s suggestions. My novel starts in America and moves to Bangalore in India. My hero Pablo, with his fiancée Carmen arrive from America in search of buried treasure. I had written much about their doings and adventures in the novel. Now came the question of whether the treasure has to be retained or donated to a museum due to the curse on it. The editor had pointed out that killing the heroine whom the readers would like to be rewarded would be tragic. Could I find an alternate end? I thought long and hard about it. The final date was approaching and I still had to revise the last 3 chapters. Sleep overcame me.

The next day my friend who regularly plays Scrabble with me came home unexpectedly. He said “My wife has gone on a pilgrimage with some others and would be away 3 days. With Covid 19 prevailing, we have been neglecting the play. We’ve missed the annual tournament also. Let us start playing now.”

My friend is neither a reader nor a writer of books. Telling him that I had a deadline to meet in writing wouldn’t impress him to excuse me from playing. I yielded to his request and lost time which I could’ve used to complete revision of my novel. As we played he asked “How is your novel coming up?”

“It’s almost complete. In fact the publishing deadline is very close and I’ve still some work to do.”

“You say the same thing every time.”

I laughed and said “I waited for comments from a few friends about my novel. Then the editor came up with his views which I should respect. Taking all these into account release of the novel has been considerably delayed. However this time I’m sure the book will be released as scheduled.”

My friend who is a dedicated Scrabbler said “I’ve now  formed a word with mainly vowels. I’m putting it in so that my score goes up by 50 points.”

I challenged him only to discover his word was right! My novel was forgotten and we played on. Another day was lost. That evening I got a message from the editor of a newspaper asking me to send in an article of at least 500 words on a current topic that could be published in the Sunday edition. I knew sending in an article would enhance my status as a writer. I needed time to think up a topic but finding nothing immediately, I thought of writing on the pandemic. I needed data for it and so spent time searching google and other sources to write. The writing, the revision and the editing all took time and another day was lost. Though I sat up long hours in the night I really couldn’t keep up with editing my novel. I cancelled Scrabble play the next day and resolved to continue working on my book.

The next day we had a major problem with the plumbing in our house which had to be attended to urgently. Our plumber had been proved Covid + and couldn’t attend. I went in search of another and by the time I found another who fixed the plumbing, another day was lost. Luckily I could complete an article on problems of quarantine and the urgent need of a vaccine and sent it across to the newspaper.

I decided to give up all other activity and concentrate on my novel for the next few days. The denouement was important. I had to look up an earlier chapter to see if I had missed a character. Yes! He was caught in the rain and had to stay with the heroine. There was editing to do in the earlier chapter! I did it painstakingly.

Next I had to edit the coming together of the hero and heroine towards the end. Did he drink drambuie or champagne previously? I go back and search and correct it. What clothes did the hero and heroine wear when they first came together? Got it! This will be the first time they come together after picking up the treasure. They will make love again. In my story I had made it as having been initiated by the hero but the editor had pointed out it was old fashioned. Wanting to make it realistic I wrote that the heroine had taken the initiative. I racked my head and not finding a way to describe it, referred my copy of the KAMASUTRA, a love treatise written centuries ago. Not finding anything to help in the book, I asked my wife about it. She laughed and said “You’re looking for love making modes in an ancient book! Why not write your recollections about how I went about it? You were always bashful!”

I said “You see I don’t write anything explicit.”

“Your writing on sex is always effeminate. You talk of explicit writing! DH Lawrence has written such things. Only it should be tasteful. Take his description of Lady Chatterley decorating game keeper Mellors with flowers. It won the best flower arrangement award for Her Ladyship!”

“I understand. But in my novel there’s no scope for it. I’ve to write only about who starts proceedings. The editor feels the lady should do it.”

“He is right. I’ll write it for you.”

“No, no! It can’t be explicit.”

“There you go. You’re chicken. That’s what I discovered about you. Go ahead and write that the woman was passive and your book will be read by grandmothers and grandfathers who at this stage can’t recall what parts they used or what the parts were for and what they did in their prime!”

After my wife’s discourse I re-worked the scene of the hero and heroine coming together. I knew my wife would laugh at it! However I found it satisfactory. I had reached the final chapter. 4 days to go! Would it be a tragedy with the heroine dying or would I keep her alive?  After much thought I decided to kill the heroine. The retrieved treasure would be destroyed with her and won’t end up in a museum. To compensate the reader I created a sister to the heroine who looked exactly like her so that the hero wouldn’t miss the dead lady. It fitted well.

At this stage I got a message from the editor. Due to a staff having contracted Covid, the printing division was locked down and the deadline for submitting my book was being extended to February 2021! I was a bit disappointed no doubt but considering that the scramble was over, I heaved a sigh of relief and called up my friend to resume playing Scrabble!

END