Book Highlights

• paternal love obviously overestimating progeny’s abilities.

• Anybody with experience in a shady business does really well in education,’

• I fell facedown and landed on a wooden table covered in a white sheet. It had a protruding nail that cut my cheek. Blood covered one side of my face. Sweat drops appeared on my forehead. I had finally given my blood and sweat to studies.

• My thoughts went to our media strategy, then to Raghav, and from there to Aarti. It is amazing how the brain will connect one thought to another until it gets to where it wants to be.

• ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Fine’ means somewhere between ‘whatever’ and go to hell’ in Girlese.

• Aarti got out of the car upon spotting me. ‘I am so so so sorry,’ she said. Are the prayers over?’‘Can the prayers ever be over without Aarti?’ I said.

• ‘Most people who own colleges in India haven’t. Stupid people go to college. Smart people own them,’

• That’s what human relationships are about - selective sharing and hiding of information to the point of crazy confusion.

• ‘Revolution 2020. That’s his goal. That India must have a full-blown revolution by 2020. Power will be with the youth. We will dismantle the old corrupt system and put a new one in place.’

• Money, status and power -however evil people may say these are - get you respect in life.

• Girls can come up with the simplest of messages that have the most complex meanings.

• I wanted to kiss her a million times, or however many times it was possible for a person to kiss another person in a lifetime.

• ‘We don’t have to do anything. In fact, I don’t want to do anything.’ ‘Famous last words from every guy,’ she said and walked into the hotel.

• Girls are contradictory. They will say they like communication, but on certain topics they clam up. If they like you, they would prefer you sense it rather than make them say it.

• ‘Sometimes losers get ahead in life. Never forget that,’ I said out loud, to practise for D-day.

• ‘Yes. Politician, businessman and educationist - power, money and respect - perfect combination.

• ‘When it comes to daughters, Indian parents are insane,’ she said.

• There would be no revolution in this country by 2020. There wouldn’t be one by 2120! This is India, nothing changes here. Fuck you, Raghav.

• I realised why Keshav kept coming to me. Once upon a time, I was Keshav - sweet, innocent and unaware of the world. As life slapped me about several times, and thrashed the innocence out of me, I had killed my Keshav, for the world didn’t care about sweetness. Then why didn’t I crush Raghav completely yesterday? Maybe that Keshav hasn’t died, I told myself. Maybe that innocent, good part of us never dies - we just trample upon it for a while.

• Sometimes life isn’t about what you want to do, but what you ought to do.

• ‘Life may not offer you the same chance twice,’

• ‘Why are you doing this for me?’ he asked. I got into the car. I rolled down the window. ‘Aarti is a childhood friend. Besides …’‘Besides what?’ Raghav said. ‘Everyone has to do their bit,’ I said as the driver whisked me away.