Tryst with a book idea

Writing a book had been a thought tried to put into my head when in my higher-secondary by an aunt who lived overseas. But I never believed I had any potential. She was quite encouraging realizing that I used to write 'Letters to the Ed' on the papers and I was on my way to be a journo some day. She even asked me why not compile my published stuff into a book, but I was like naaaa.
Then a few years later, I explored the idea of coming up with a complilation called 'Life Until 25' but I found no takers. Come to the current year, sometime June when I was not having the best of my days health-wise and having recently read a novel 'The Last Scraps Of Love' by Nipun Ranjan which was riddled with grammatical errors right through, I said to myself if this guy could get published, why not I?
It was then I said to myself, may be not a novel, but I could always write an anthology of fictitious short stories themed on love. And I targeted myself with a story to write a month.  And so began in right earnest my effort, and within the first two months I wrote 'A Hope of Love Stays Afloat' and 'Virginity Deflowered' and had a few other story ideas in mind but which did not materialize. Reasons being inexcusable, to be frank. Some weeks ago when I realized my cousin was on her way to be a published author, my happiness from within knew no bounds. Finally, we were to have the first writer in the family. I helped her with my social networking skills, and within a matter of a few days her book manuscript got approved. While she was all  thrilled about the approval, she had been asking me 'Why not I get my short stories published too' (I had told her earlier I was writing short stories)  or alternatively, get my articles published. Hmmmm, while I haven't dwelt on the latter idea, about the collection of short stories, I need time, effort and dedication to get re-started. But when ?! It is another matter altogether but shelved for now.
Reason being over an SMS late 12th October night, I got an offer to write a biography of a girl at  the end of her teens. She kind of told me her poignant story at the point and even mentioned to me that she was penning her story, at 13, when her uncle just tore off the pages and she hadn't the heart to start all over again. This was when I popped up the question 'I could write your story' and she was 'all game.'
To rewind a bit, it was Divine Providence (which she staunchly believes in) that she connected with me on FB and somehow got my cell number and since mid-October we have been texting a lot and she had quite a lot to tell and I was all the more curious to know more and more about her. And I was like 'This is it' - 'I always wanted to write a biography' and I had a willing young woman to reveal her story 'Dil Se'.
Cut to mid-morning - 20th October, I had plans to meet an FB Pal, Sana Krishna - mutual friends with Manasvi Mamgai  Femina Miss India World 2010 which for some reason did not materialize. And I was still stuck in town (Margao, where I live)  beyond 10am. And needed a contingency plan to not let my day away from work go to waste and awry.
Then it immediately sprung to my mind, about the girl who had given her consent to write her biography. Till the day, we did not get the opportunity to meet up for some reason or the other. So  I decided to call up the girl and fix a meet that morning  itself with her and get started on the book. And fortunately, she was up for it on the day as she was still bumming on her bed with little else to do.
While she may have been on her way with her beau (who dropped her off) couple odd hours later, I told her that she would be relating to me about her childhood which would be the 'First Chapter' of  the book-to-be. And hence later mid-noon, we met up at a place in my locality away from any interference or inquisitiveness of any individuals. And she got talking and talking. She expressed her thoughts, emotions and experiences of all she could remember and was told about in relation to her life in an easy and understandable, clear, no - holds - barred manner. At times, I found her story so emotional, that I could not look into her eyes and continued to pore down over my book scribbling away my notes as she divulged her story. At another time, I sensed her voice go a touch quavery, looked up, saw that she was alright and did not require a tissue or two (had that in my bag, just in case).Her open-mindedness, bravura to speak from her heart continued to amaze me.
In the two hours odd spent with her, hearing her out attentively, asking questions and scribbling away her emotional story with a few interesting anecdotes thrown in for good measure, I found her strong-willed, determined, with oodles and oodles of guts and gumption. It is no mean task to pour out your heart, your soul to someone you befriended like about two months ago online and meeting himfor the first time to get the book idea in motion.
Day 1 - October 20, 2011 - 2 hours (approx) on the tentative Chapter 1 was very encouraging. The respondent bared her heart as should be while working on a biography and the content was more than what I had expected. In fact, I expect more to come while I begin work on the skeletal details disclosed to me on the  'First Chapter'.