Hi,
Everyone! I am back with the trials and tribulations of Keshu’s background.
I was tripping along nicely with my writing, when I
came to a screeching halt—I wasn’t kidding when I said the moments of ‘horror’
were a daily occurrence! Eek! I
realized, Keshu’s name had to change
…! My plot depended on it. He was going to use a false identity which would, of
course, have to be his identity for the rest of the story.
Why had this not struck me before?
It was inconceivable to me to change Keshu’s name at
this point. He had become an entity.
I believe, I sank my head in my hands and sobbed—and
sobbed. Then, I girded my loins and bent my mind to the task.
All was not lost. If I could find a name for which
‘Keshu’ could be a nickname, I could still ride clear. But that was easier said than done. For two days I pondered over it.
The parameters were restrictive:
·
Chitpavan
Brahmin name
·
1900 era
·
With ‘Keshu’ as
a contraction.
Believe me when I tell
you, I came up with not one name.
There was only one
person who could solve my problem—my mother, Dr. Indrayani Sawkar, a most amazing personality (I should
really have taken the problem to her right away and saved myself heartache and
headache).
Immediately, I used my
‘phone-a-friend’ lifeline.
The next day, my dilemma was solved. My mother not
only had a name for me—Pulakeshi—she
also had given me the historical background for it …!
Phew! Now Keshu could remain ‘Keshu’ …! I tacked on
a ‘raj’ and made Keshu’s new name ‘Pulakeshiraj.’
Those days whenever I thought of Keshu, a picture of
Milind Soman, actor and model—of whom I was an avid fan in my young days—would
come to mind. So ‘Soman’ a Chitpavan Brahmin last name was the obvious choice.
Voila! Pulakeshiraj
Soman, Keshu’s new identity was born.
And it wasn’t long before I was tripping on my next
hurdle—the assassination plot.
Pip-pip!
Anurupa
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