Author's note

I have remained a loner since my childhood. Being an introvert to the core, leading an active social life is not my cup of tea. So it was but natural that I had a limited friend circle. But strangely enough, even an introvert like me longed for companionship. Thus being trapped in conflicting expectations, I looked for an escape route. And what could have been better than the internet, where my desire for camaraderie was fulfilled without allowing anyone to encroach into my private space. I was introduced to the internet by my daughter and my life changed forever.
It was an absolute new experience for me, when I started interacting with strangers in the cyber world. I was cautioned by my husband for venturing into a territory, where sinful desires stem from the dark side of our mind. That being the general perception about internet chatting, his concern was understandable. But what he did not want to believe was, that every coin had two sides and I wanted to cash in, on the positive side. That is why, in contrast to the widespread belief, my exposure in the virtual world had a different story to tell. I have found many friends here, who have enriched my life in some way or the other. 'Delayed Monsoon'; is a tribute to all my friends, whom I met in this so-called shadowy world and because of whom, I am what I am today.
In this cyber world, looked down upon by the virtuous variety, I met Anamika (name changed), the wife of an Army officer. Her husband was posted to a remote Army base, while she stayed in a separated family accommodation. Her thought patterns had an uncanny resemblance with me and I was intrigued by her life story. But it never occurred to me that an interesting story could be made out of her life, till my friend Gaffar suggested that with my natural flair for writing it would be a good idea to dig into my potential and give a chance to the author in me. I was sold by the idea and the outcome was Abhilasha, a fusion of two lives, Anamika and me. As I started writing, both the lives became one and I found myself switching over from one life to the other. So this Abhilasha is neither me nor Anamika. She is the synergy of both and even more. It is mostly a work of fiction, though inspired by reality at some instances.