Wednesday, April 10, 2019

A2Z April Challenge 2019: I for Indrajeet


I spend quite a bit of time working on names for my characters, especially the protagonists. I have an Excel sheet where I enter every single name that I give my characters and try my best not to repeat. I also do my best to make sure that the names suit the region and also the characters I create as much as possible. And of course, there are times when it seems as if the characters pick their own names and refuse to let go. 

Indrajeet Thakore belongs to a family of contemporary royals and his ancestors have ruled over the land in and around Udaipur for four centuries. So, I had to give him a name to befit his status. Indrajeet—the one to win over Lord Indra—fell into place instantaneously.

Indrajeet Thakore of The Marriage Predicament fame, is the eldest of the Thakore children, and his younger siblings are Rajvardhan and Dayanita.  

Indrajeet seems to be the silent type, but he is pure strength and holds an excellent relationship with all those around him. He is not only the pride of his parents, Gajendar and Ragini Devi, but also makes his cranky old grandmother, Rajmata Santhini Devi, extremely happy. To begin with, he gets his grandma a much-coveted membership into an elite club and later on manages to restore their heritage palace to its original glory much to her delight. 

As an elder sibling, he deals firmly with the shrewish Dayanita, giving her direction in life when she’s confused. Indrajeet is also a loyal friend to Ritvik Bansal of Maharaja International fame. 

And I truly believe Indrajeet is God’s gift to the tarnished Princess Yashodhara Jadeja. As her husband, he not only gives her unconditional love, but also helps her to face her fears and…

No, I would rather you read my book to know more. 

And last, but not the least, Indrajeet is an ideal son-in-law, dealing firmly with Rani Hyma Devi, a strong woman with a lot of misconceptions. 

For me, I for Indrajeet is a perfect hero.

An excerpt that will help you understand Indrajeet better…

Indrajeet Thakore looked up from his laptop when his grandmother, Rajmata Santhini Devi Thakore, stepped into the library. He got up to walk towards her with a wide smile on his face. “Good morning, Grandma. How come you are up and about so early in the morning?” he asked, a gentle, teasing note in his voice as he eyed the clock behind his working chair. It was nine in the morning. While Indrajeet had been up since six, it was rare indeed when the sixty-nine-year-old Santhini Devi got up from bed before ten.  

Santhini Devi pouted at her eldest grandson, the gesture anything but royal. But then, she could be playful when the mood suited her. “Only for you, Indrajeet. This is all about you.”
He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue as he helped her on to a newly brocaded sofa. He pulled a velvet pouffe, lifted her feet gently and placed them on the footstool. He settled down next to her and said, “Now tell me, have you had coffee or breakfast?”

Santhini Devi gave a mild shudder, shaking her head. “No breakfast for me. I did have coffee, but wouldn’t mind another cup.”

Indrajeet went and opened the door to his study and beckoned to the footman hovering around the main hall. “Ramlal, could you please get two cups of coffee?” He didn’t notice Santhini Devi wince as he shut the door to go back and sit next to her.

“Indrajeet! This is exactly the one thing that I don’t like about you. You…”

“What?” There was amusement in his voice as he eyed his grandmother with his coffee brown eyes that were the exact shade as hers.

“That’s another thing. Don’t you dare interrupt while I am speaking. Have some respect for the Rajmata. You…”

Indrajeet laughed softly, hugging his grandmother. “You na, Grandma, have too many conditions. And it looks like you have more than one thing that you don’t like about me.”

Santhini Devi gave a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. Her expression immediately changed to one of joy when she eyed the freshly renovated fresco on the high ceiling of the royal library that her grandson had converted into an office-cum-study for himself. “That’s alright. I forgive you everything.” She looked at her grandson with affection. He reminded her more and more of her long-gone husband. “Just because you have brought our palace back to its former glory. But tell me something, Indrajeet, is it really necessary to go out into the hall and give an order for coffee? Can’t you just ring the damn bell? Aren’t we royalty?”

Indrajeet guffawed even as he heard a knock on the door. He got up to open the door, letting Ramlal in as the lackey carried a heavy tray that held a silver coffee service with two china cups and saucers, along with a plate of homemade cookies. He took the tray from the other man and dismissed him with a nod of his head before placing it on a low table in front of the Rajmata.


“There you go again. What’s wrong with you, Indrajeet? Why don’t you behave like the prince that you are?” Santhini Devi was totally frustrated.

“Grandma, I’ve accepted you for the old tyrant that you are. Why don’t you just accept me for what I am? I don’t like standing on formality. Poor Ramlal is older and weaker than I am. Now drink the coffee like a good girl before it gets cold,” he insisted, pouring the coffee into two cups and handing one to his grandmother after adding milk and sugar to it.

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