LANCE ARMSTRONG
with Sally Jenkins
THIS BOOK IS FOR:
My mother, Linda, who showed me
what a true champion is. Kik, for completing me as a man. Luke, the greatest gift of my life,
who in a split second
made the Tour de France seem very small. All of my doctors and nurses. Jim Ochowicz, for the
fritters . . . every day. My teammates, Kevin, Frankie, Tyler,
George, and Christian. Johan Bruyneel. My sponsors. Chris Carmichael.
Bill Stapleton for always being there. Steve Wolff, my advocate. Bart Knaggs, a man's man.
JT Neal, the toughest patient cancer has ever seen. Kelly Davidson, a very special little lady.
Thorn Weisel. The Jeff Garvey family.
August 30, 2010
August 28, 2010
Chetan Bhagat - 2 States The Story of My Marriage Full Novel(6)
Ask what’s the matter. Something is wrong,’ Shipra masi said.
‘Who will ask?’ Rajji mama said. ‘They are not saying anything.’
Kamla aunty wore a worried expression. Ten minutes passed.
‘What’s going on?’ Ananya said.
I shrugged. Shipra masi told the younger cousins to move back. She folded
her hands and went to Duke’s father. He looked the other way.
Ananya and I stepped back a few metres. We could see the elders but not hear
them.
My mother and her two brothers folded their hands in front of Duke’s parents.
Like a landless farmer, they waited for the feudal lords to respond. A few minutes
later, one of Duke’s aunts spoke to my mother.
My mother nodded as she listened carefully. After Duke’s aunt finished, my
mother came back to huddle with her siblings.
‘Who will ask?’ Rajji mama said. ‘They are not saying anything.’
Kamla aunty wore a worried expression. Ten minutes passed.
‘What’s going on?’ Ananya said.
I shrugged. Shipra masi told the younger cousins to move back. She folded
her hands and went to Duke’s father. He looked the other way.
Ananya and I stepped back a few metres. We could see the elders but not hear
them.
My mother and her two brothers folded their hands in front of Duke’s parents.
Like a landless farmer, they waited for the feudal lords to respond. A few minutes
later, one of Duke’s aunts spoke to my mother.
My mother nodded as she listened carefully. After Duke’s aunt finished, my
mother came back to huddle with her siblings.
Chetan Bhagat - 2 States The Story of My Marriage Full Novel(5)
33
‘Bike?’ Ananya beamed when I went to pick her up on a black Yamaha RX 100.
‘Bala’s,’ I said.
Ananya sat pillion in a maroon salwar kameez, using her white dupatta to
cover her head and f ace. She looked like a member of Veerappan’s gang.
Pondicherry is a hundred and forty kilometres away from Chennai, down the
East Coast Road, or ECR, running along the Bay of Bengal. Fisherman’s Cove
falls on the way, twenty kilomet res outside Chennai city.
We left Ananya’s off ice at Anna Salai. She sat behind me and held the sidebars
tight. By the time we left the city at Lattice Bridge Road, she switched from
gripping the sidebars to my shoulders. We took the Old Mahabalipuram Road,
which led us to ECR.
‘This is beautiful,’ I said as the sea became visible.
‘I told you.’ Ananya planted a kiss on the back of my neck.
‘Bike?’ Ananya beamed when I went to pick her up on a black Yamaha RX 100.
‘Bala’s,’ I said.
Ananya sat pillion in a maroon salwar kameez, using her white dupatta to
cover her head and f ace. She looked like a member of Veerappan’s gang.
Pondicherry is a hundred and forty kilometres away from Chennai, down the
East Coast Road, or ECR, running along the Bay of Bengal. Fisherman’s Cove
falls on the way, twenty kilomet res outside Chennai city.
We left Ananya’s off ice at Anna Salai. She sat behind me and held the sidebars
tight. By the time we left the city at Lattice Bridge Road, she switched from
gripping the sidebars to my shoulders. We took the Old Mahabalipuram Road,
which led us to ECR.
‘This is beautiful,’ I said as the sea became visible.
‘I told you.’ Ananya planted a kiss on the back of my neck.
Chetan Bhagat - 2 States The Story of My Marriage Full Novel(4)
‘More chutney?’ Ananya’s mother’s question (and my shaking my head) was
the only insightful conversation we had during the meal.
Uncle reversed his Fiat from the garage. He peeked out to look at me several
times. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to avoid me or make a direct hit.
‘Sit,’ uncle said. I went around the car to sit next to him. Sitt ing with my
girlfriend’s f ather in a car brought traumatic memories. I took deep breaths. This
is not the same situation, play cool, I said to myself several times.
Uncle drove at a speed of ten an hour, and I wondered what reason I’d give my
boss for not coming to office two hours ago. Autos, scooters and even some
manual-powered vehicles like rickshaws came close to overtaking us.
I wanted to talk but couldn’t think of any trouble-free topic. I opened my off ice
the only insightful conversation we had during the meal.
Uncle reversed his Fiat from the garage. He peeked out to look at me several
times. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to avoid me or make a direct hit.
‘Sit,’ uncle said. I went around the car to sit next to him. Sitt ing with my
girlfriend’s f ather in a car brought traumatic memories. I took deep breaths. This
is not the same situation, play cool, I said to myself several times.
Uncle drove at a speed of ten an hour, and I wondered what reason I’d give my
boss for not coming to office two hours ago. Autos, scooters and even some
manual-powered vehicles like rickshaws came close to overtaking us.
I wanted to talk but couldn’t think of any trouble-free topic. I opened my off ice
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