THE PLOT THICKENS

I am male and my name is Zenky. I was told it is African for a mythical being which brings luck. My dad had settled in Africa where I was born. He had returned to India and had settled in a city from where his forebears had hailed. He has left me enough money to live at ease. I had had schooling in Scotland and had graduated in that country. I am 35, handsome, and live alone reading and writing.

My dad’s investments are looked after by a firm of money managers. The daughter of the firm is Irma, a very good looking woman of about 28. You should not be surprised that I came to know her well.

Irma and I were in love. But she was surprised that instead of making my money grow I was spending time mostly writing. I said “Irma, my teacher Mackintosh in Aberdeen had said I had very good ability to express myself in writing and I should follow it. In fact I’ve written a novel which I hope to publish.”

Irma knew little about books or writing. She said “I wish you good luck.”

When I was ready I took my book to Alexa head of a publishing house. She said “Zenky I’m awfully busy these days. My God! Your book is over 400 pages! I’ll call you in due course.”

It was a month later when Alexa called me. She said “I was disappointed to read your book. Your plot is too thin though your language, characters are all in order. It requires a lot of rework. You meet Myrtle who edits well.”

 Myrtle lived in a gated colony and welcomed me in. She looked about 28 and seemed to limp. I could see she was quite comely.

She said “Alexa told me about you. Please sit down.”

 Seeing me eying her limp she said “My limp was due to an accident. About a couple of years ago my mother and I had set out on holiday with me driving our car. In the rain the road had developed a sink hole into which my car landed and I was injured in the leg. My surgeon Ram said I would limp for life.”

 I gave her my book RHAPSODY OF LIFE. Looking at it she said “It’s indeed a saga of 465 pages! I must go through it to edit.”

It was very pleasant talking to Myrtle. I told Irma about Myrtle but she was quite indifferent. She said “Zenky, I’m leaving for America next week to attend an 8 week course for which I’ve enrolled. We can fix a date for the wedding after I’m back.”

Two weeks later, Myrtle called me.  She said “I’ve finished reading your book.”

I said I would join her. At her home she said “I’ve some suggestions for redrafting your novel. First let me review the story. In part one the hero and heroine meet. There are some halcyon times together. The hero gets embroiled unknowingly with a gang planting forged currency. He is threatened not to reveal the criminals. As a warning, the gang gets a dead body and leaves it in the hero’s garage. He is told ‘tell the police and you’ll end up this way’. The body is taken away the next morning. The heroine is also threatened. She is studying abroad and leaves.” She stopped and said “I hope I’m clear.”

I nodded. She continued “A woman of gangland now enters the scene. She is heroine 2. For reasons she has, she is actually taking revenge on the gang. Heroine 2 tempts hero and there are good times together which you’ve described fully.”

I said “Not that I wanted to write porn….”

She laughed and said ”I didn’t means that. What you’ve written is appropriate. The gang comes to know of heroine 2’s double game and abduct her. Police try to rescue her but heroine 2 is killed.”

I said “I agree it is tragic.’

She said “That is life. You’ve portrayed it correctly. Now there is a renegade gang member who wants revenge on the leader. He had sided heroine 2 and needed to be punished. You have described it in detail. The man is stripped and one of the slaves of the gang, a woman, is made to anoint the man from head to toe with honey. The man is led to an ant hill in the forest. The red ants finish off the man by biting him.”

She paused and said “The gang’s exploits suddenly go to the background. It would appear the gang has been frightened by the police. Why the gang’s handling counterfeit currency is abruptly stopped, and about how a rival gang exposes the criminals need to be fully described. The scene where the gang versus gang shooting takes place must be described in full.”

I was noting down her comments. She said “Next I come to the closing part: Heroine 1 returns from study abroad. Hero is still in love with her. Someone who has his eye on her starts blackmailing her saying he has pictures of her with him. You have made hero physically attack the blackmailer. Instead hero could’ve induced the police to take action. The court scenes would have been interesting. Hero and heroine get married. Your gang members are not convincing. They should have been made to be more violent and to respond instantly.”

I listened silently. She said “Make the book into 3 parts retaining the title given by you. The first part can be called ‘Cupid’s Arrow Strikes’. The second could be titled ‘Impediments Removed’

and the third merely ‘Euphoria’. I can help you to transform the book.”

I said “I can compensate you for it by whatever fees you demand.”

She was silent. There was a phone call and she cut it out. I said “I hope I haven’t invaded your privacy.”

She laughed and said “It is that Dr.Ram the surgeon. He has been proposing to me.

Good man no doubt. But not an intellectual like you.”

I immediately volunteered to make Myrtle my wife. She said she would consider it. I brought her a diamond ring to make my suit serious. She agreed.

At this stage Irma returned and was incensed to hear that I had agreed to marry Myrtle. There were harsh words said and an encounter between the two women but I had taken the decision. It was the disappointed Dr.Ram who proposed to Irma and was accepted.

Dr.Ram called Myrtle, congratulated her and said  “I’ve found a new way to repair your ankle by a minor surgery so that you don’t limp. I’ll do it later.”

My revised and edited book which came out a few weeks later saw sales which Alexa had not anticipated: It went into a second printing!

END