Friday, April 3, 2015

April 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge- Chapter 3- Chalk and Cheese

I'll Be There Beside You


Chapter 3

Today’s Idiom – Chalk and cheese
Meaning- This idiom is used to compare things or people with nothing in common.

I noticed that Lalitha avoided looking at me as she answered questions from my mother and my sister.

“Why don’t we allow Lalitha and Sudhir to talk to each other in private? I’m sure that they’d having a lot of questions”, my mother piped up.

Bala uncle looked annoyed as he said “Padmini akka, don’t you think it’s wrong for a girl and a boy to meet in private before marriage?”

I looked stupefied. I couldn’t believe that Bala uncle had such archaic thoughts even in this modern age. How would his daughter choose the right life partner for herself if she didn’t get a chance to speak to the boy before marriage?

“I understand your sentiments but I believe that the decision to marry or not should be left to Sudhir and Lalitha. Let them get to know each other and decide if they are compatible and if they think that they are correct life partners for each other then we should take things further. After all it’s their life. I don’t want to be held responsible for forcing my decision upon Sudhir”, my mother replied with a smile on her face.

Bala uncle was about to retort back when his wife placed a hand on his shoulders and stopped him.

“Yes, I think they should discuss and then come to a decision. Rashmi can accompany Lalitha and Shilpa can go along with Sudhir.” Asha aunty tried to control the situation and ushered us to the terrace before her husband could change his mind. While following Shilpa up the stairs. I pondered at the difference between my mother’s and Bala uncle’s thoughts. Their attitudes were as different as chalk and cheese. Being a single, independent woman had made my mother more strong and liberated. I felt a sudden surge of pride and love towards her. I wondered about her opinions of Lalitha.

Rashmi, who was Lalitha’s first cousin, stopped near the two deck chairs placed under a canopy and looked at us. “Why don’t you two sit here and talk? We’ll be right over there.” The two ladies sauntered over to the other side leaving Lalitha and me alone.

I didn’t know how to initiate a conversation and Lalitha sat morosely looking down at her feet.

“What are your hobbies?” I asked although it seemed like the most mundane question to start a conversation. But Lalitha did not mind, for her eyes lit up as she looked around the small but bright and colorful garden around us.

You can read the previous chapters here-
Chapter 1

34 comments:

  1. I love Sudhir's mom's views :) And also the way the story is progressing ;)

    Crux

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    1. Thank you Swathi and I'm loving the way your story is progressing too :)

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  2. Still people have such archaic thought..I can't believe. Nice take. :)

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  3. I take that Sudhir's mom is truly a main character of the story. Her struggle as a single working parent have given rise to a more liberal and practical outlook towards life. Just waiting to see how the story unfolds. What happens next ? :)

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    1. Thank you :) The character is inspired after my own mom who started working in her late 30s after the demise of my father :)

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  4. Chalk and cheese indeed!! I'm loving how you are bringing in different idioms and beautifully incorporating them into a story! Quite a challenge that is!! I can't wait to see what idioms will I get to read for the difficult alphabets!

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  5. Hard to believe that there are such ancient people still around. Your writing reminds me of Sudha Murthy. Don't know why :)

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    1. Whoa! You've made my day, week, month, year and maybe my lifetime :) Thank you for such a huge compliment :)

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  6. Nice...I read it from the beginning. I am liking it. looking forward to read more.

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    1. Thank you :) Hope to see you here to read the remaining chapters of the story :)

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  7. Hope Sudhir and Lalitha are not like Chalk and Cheese :D
    Liking the way this story is progressing. Good going, Prasanna :)

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  8. I am hoping Lalitha and Sudhir get along together. The story is shaping up well :)

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  9. Oh Gosh! I wanna read more Prasanna..Lovely read..

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  10. I like how this story is progressing, Prasanna. Staying tuned for tomorrow.
    *Shantala @ ShanayaTales*

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  11. Wow. Sudhir's mom is one nice lady :) Lovely narration, Prasanna.

    Leo

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    1. Thank you Vinay. I'm loving your short stories too :)

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  12. I do like the way you are introducing the idiom in such a natural way into each episode, and conveying character in a few words of dialogue and description.

    ScotSue of Family History Fun at http://scotsue-familyhistoryfun.blogspot.co.uk

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  13. Nice concept. Looking forward to following this all month.

    --
    Tim Brannan, The Other Side Blog
    2015 A to Z of Vampires
    http://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/

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  14. Chalk and Cheese is a funny little saying really.

    Good luck as we all head towards Z

    Rob Z Tobor

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  15. Well written, love simple narration.

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  16. I never heard the "chalk and cheese" expression before. I will have to use it. Interesting story.

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  17. Always difficult to initiate a conversation :p Loving it :-)

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  18. So typical of these kind of meetings :) Well described :)

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  19. This kind of mirrors my situation, but more on that on another day. This is interesting!

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