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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAbout the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Deepak Khurana brings his keen understanding of technology and interpersonal dynamics to the pages in Circle With No Center. Working in the fast-paced world of software and systems, he has witnessed how digital progress can mirror\u2014and sometimes magnify\u2014our most personal struggles. Fascinated by how people connect both online and offline, Deepak channels those observations into storytelling that explores the fragile balance between ambition, relationships, and self-discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Excerpt from the Book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Thinking about all this, I finish my drink and pour another.<\/strong> I swipe through faces without much feeling, judging quickly who might be an easy match. It doesn\u2019t sit well with me to treat people like a catalog, but I keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then I freeze, caught off guard by a face that jogs some half-buried memory.<\/strong> We were in the same friend circle in college, but our conversations rarely went past small talk\u2014a polite smile here, a How\u2019s class? there. She was usually with that boyfriend, a perfectly average guy who never did anything blatantly wrong, yet I always sensed she deserved more. Not that I ever did a thing about it; I barely knew her beyond a passing hello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, staring at this photo, I notice tiny changes: the way her hair frames her face, the quietly confident tilt of her chin. My pulse quickens. It\u2019s definitely her, but different somehow\u2014like she\u2019s grown into someone far more self-assured. And for reasons I can\u2019t explain, just seeing her profile hits me harder than I\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without overthinking, I swipe right.<\/strong> At first, nothing happens\u2014just the usual loading spinner. I shrug, figuring she\u2019s already vanished into digital oblivion. Another few minutes pass. I distract myself by scrolling Instagram, refilling my drink, and stealing glances at the phone with a mix of anticipation and dread. Then\u2014finally\u2014my screen lights up: It\u2019s a match.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My breath catches, the whiskey buzz flaring into a burst of adrenaline. Heart thumping, I tap the alert, half expecting a generic \u201cHey\u201d if anything at all. But she\u2019s already messaged: Hey. Small world. I do remember you from college. How\u2019ve you been?<\/em> The casual tone sends a shiver of nostalgia through me, and I realize I\u2019m actually smiling. I let the moment sink in, rereading her words, unsure how enthusiastic to sound. My fingers hover. Then I type: Wow, hi! Didn\u2019t think you\u2019d recognize me. Been ages\u2014how\u2019s life treating you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her reply dings about ten minutes later\u2014just enough of a delay to keep me on edge: I hate texting if I\u2019m honest. Prefer talking in person. Free at 5 p.m. today? Caf\u00e9 Pots & Stones, near Connaught Place?<\/em> It\u2019s already one in the afternoon. I can\u2019t resist checking her profile again\u2014she\u2019s changed, but there\u2019s something unmistakably her in every photo. A ripple of excitement courses through me. Sure, let\u2019s do it. 5 p.m.<\/em>, I text back, trying not to sound too breathless. She simply sends a thumbs-up with no further explanation. The abruptness is oddly thrilling. I stare at the clock on my phone, realizing I have just four hours to pull myself together. Even in my mild whiskey haze, I can\u2019t deny the spark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The drinks push me into a contemplative mood. I pick up Men Without Women<\/em> by Murakami and reread my favorite story, \u201cDrive My Car.\u201d It revolves around unexpected connections. At some point I doze off. By the time I wake, it\u2019s 4 p.m. I scramble to freshen up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I choose a crisp white shirt, classic blue jeans, and an expensive watch\u2014my go-to date uniform. I grab an Uber, not wanting to risk parking and losing time. By 4:55, I\u2019m at the caf\u00e9 she mentioned<\/strong>. It\u2019s small, tucked away amidst some trees, with both outdoor benches and air-conditioned indoor seating. Late October in Delhi is still quite mild, so I opt for a seat outside and order a coffee while I wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At 5:00 on the dot, I spot her<\/strong>. She walks with casual confidence, wearing an oversized sweater, faded jeans, and black sunglasses that look stylish without trying too hard. She catches my eye and waves, and for a second it\u2019s as if we\u2019re back in college, except she\u2019s grown into a new version of herself\u2014more self-assured, more at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stand, considering a handshake or a hug. She beats me to it, giving me a quick side hug<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Reprinted with permission from the author<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check the book at Amazon<\/a> and read verified reviews from Blogchatter reader community here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"About the Book Is life a circle with no single center? It was a restless spin for him\u2015from brief romances to a safe but hollow job to a quiet longing for genuine purpose. For her, it meant heartbreak, then fierce independence, and finally, a passion that lit her every step. Each believed they would keep","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[19,147],"class_list":["post-10816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publishing","tag-books","tag-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10816"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10821,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10816\/revisions\/10821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblogchatter.com\/BeStorified\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The alcohol relaxes me and dulls the edges of loneliness. I pick up my phone and open a dating app, half out of boredom, half out of a vague hope for connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n