The Intrigue

Let me tell you a story. This is a story of intrigue, a story of betrayal, a story of reconciliation. This is the story of my very close friend. I cannot divulge his name as many of you who may read this might just know him, but for the sake of narrating this story I shall call him Jack. Jack! Why did I even think of that name? This is a very common name and I do not like to give common names to the protagonists of my stories. Jack is the nickname for a person whose official name is John, but then why not call him John! Both are four letters and in that way two new names can be formed. Calling John, Jack, serves no purpose at all. I mean, John is a very nice name and so is Jack, so why waste two beautiful names on one person? This really makes no sense to us Indians who have millions of names to choose from and some parents even come up with new names by combining two old names!

I apologize for diverging from my story. So, I have this friend Jack… but wait! If I narrate the story as it is and keep the names of the places then some of you might just find out who Jack is and that will be very embarrassing for him and for me. This means that I will have to start over once again.

Let me tell you a story. This is a story of intrigue, a story of betrayal, a story of reconciliation. This is the story of my very close friend, Jack. His parents had shifted to the small town of Campamento…

I think I have heard that name before… it sounds like the name of an actual city… let me check the atlas…

THAT is a real place! Campamento is the name of a place in Honduras. Let me think of a new name for the town my friend Jack shifted to and where the action happens…

Let us call the place Tulun… Well, even this seems to be the name of a place in Russia!

Let’s call the place Quanzhou… and this is a real place in China!

Humpolec! Now that is a unique name for a place to stage such a powerful story! ….and even this is a real place in Czech Republic!

I give up! This is impossible! I never realized that it was so difficult to narrate a story with fictional names and places. How does the author of the Lord of The Rings or Eragon come up with those names?!?! I cannot even come up with a fictional place and they come up with new languages! I am a pathetic story-teller. I think it is time I gave up.