Scoop-Wallah - Life on a Delhi Daily

Scoop-Wallah - Life on a Delhi Daily is being re-published as part of Summersdale Publisher’s classic travel series on 2nd February 2009 with a new forward by the author.
Buy this book from amazon.co.uk

Extract - Part 1

Scoop-Wallah - Life on a Delhi Daily is being re-published as part of Summersdale Publisher’s classic travel series on 2nd February 2009 with a new forward by the author. Buy this book from amazon.co.uk Buy this book from Amazon.com

Sindoor and Sex

Yashwant was looking out of the window at some policemen in the garden, spread out on the grass under one of the trees.  ‘Tell me, are any of those cops down there good-looking?  My eyes are so terrible.  Was this Hari character good-looking?’

That is not quite the point.  In a society where this kind of thing is so hush, hush, how is an eighteen-year old girl going to know how to protect herself when she is picked up by some much older man?  I just don’t believe that she is going to give Hari a little speech about using a condom, and no, none of them are good-looking.  They are just a bunch of very ordinary cops with little moustaches minding their own business under a tree.’
    Yashwant continued to peer at the group, narrowing his eyes to try and focus.

‘Of course, she should insist on a condom.  I think the one on the left is nice.  What do you think?’

‘Of course she should but she won’t necessarily because she is afraid and believes that HIV is just for queers, prostitutes and street junkies.  No, he is not remotely cute, just thin.’

‘Homosexual or gay, not queer.  I think you are under- estimating how pushy Indian women are.  Yes, he is definitely cute.  I am beginning to focus now.’

Sourish was less distracted than Yashwant when his turn came for comment.

‘Are there any rules and regulations about what I can and cannot say when it comes to writing about sex?’

‘No, no, as long as it is not puerile or gratuitous.’

‘And what does The Indian Express regard as puerile or gratuitous?’

‘Indian politics.’  Sourish broke into his great belly laugh.

‘No, no, really, you know the sort of thing.  As long as it does not come across as being pornographic, unless you are quoting someone in context, then we can just star anything too bad to give a general thingy.’

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