0:08

1971 while working the late shift out

0:10

of seattle crisis clinic, true-crime writer

0:12

and rule struck up a friendship with

0:14

a sensitive charismatic young co-worker,

0:16

ted bundy three

0:18

years later, eight young women who disappeared in 7

0:21

months and roll begin tracking a brutal

0:23

mass murderer but she had no that

0:25

the police were seeking with the

0:27

same ted would become a close friend

0:29

and confidant read the new edition

0:31

the true crime, classic, the stranger

0:34

beside me the inside story of

0:36

serial killer, ted bundy, wherever

0:38

books are sold from

0:39

norton hey,

0:41

but this week's episode i chatted

0:43

with ibarra she's reading from new the

0:46

immortal ralph the great breed

0:48

hope you enjoy it i'm

0:50

jude brewer you are listening

0:52

story

1:12

rao less this world as the most influential

1:14

person ever to have lived he

1:17

, at possessing not even a name name

1:20

the beginning his mother to be stood

1:22

at the little general store and the center of her village

1:25

eyeing the tins of so piled

1:27

neatly on the countertop facing the facing

1:30

it was nineteen fifty one rather

1:33

has seen this brand

1:34

the for on excursions to regime

1:36

under a with her father and sister

1:39

the finding a stack of soaked into their shop

1:41

three high and too wide heres

1:44

pair his parents perez pair

1:46

as parents something

1:48

else altogether brother

1:51

was eighteen and she hated cut the police

1:54

this hot wet nothing of a village

1:56

nestled in the elbow crack of one of the many

1:58

canals delivering the

1:59

the ivory river east to the bay of bengal

2:03

it's name men simply new village

2:05

the equivalent and bella do of the newtown

2:08

scattered around the english speaking world several

2:11

variations on the name could be found in the region

2:14

this particular village was distinguished

2:16

if that word can even be used by

2:18

the arrangement of it's small center around

2:21

the circle where the roads convert the

2:24

middle of the circles that the people tree under

2:26

which men congregated in the shade sitting

2:28

on return wooden crates borrowed from the general

2:30

store must stray much made language

2:33

tours around mum hoping for food scraps

2:36

around the circle where the government school

2:38

the offices of the tax collector in the

2:40

village council press then the vegetable

2:42

and fruit vendors with their carts a shop

2:44

selling farm two hours and the general

2:47

store before which rather stead international

2:50

products such as tears as british brand

2:53

did not often appearance at the police store

2:56

the shopkeeper one of the most reviled

2:58

men in the village was a mean eagle

3:00

eyed miser when it came to his customers

3:04

panting the where the politicians his favor

3:06

he required the that

3:08

sweaty man but the skin of a dead

3:10

hammer and tree and big curling

3:12

lips black at their edges and pink

3:14

inside

3:16

which you pressed together in a grotesque way

3:18

that reminded brother of assists

3:21

he sat behind the counter perched on the high

3:23

school

3:25

when customers weren't around he passed his time

3:27

reading or finally

3:28

your nails with the scrap the sand paper

3:30

the nostrils narrowed and concentration

3:34

behind him was the storehouse recap most of the

3:36

gods

3:37

grocery toiletries housewares

3:40

under the counter in front of him where the grain and

3:42

i agree in big dude sacks and

3:44

the cooking oil and an aluminum ten i'm

3:47

a countertop he displayed items meant to draw

3:49

the attention of people passing by he

3:52

kept his jars of sweets there for instance

3:54

and now that school had and dead children push past

3:56

rather and lingered in front of the counter

3:58

ogling the treats that

3:59

just out of their reach are

4:02

you gonna buy some the shopkeeper

4:04

we used that them the never

4:06

stopped wheezing the condition that

4:09

because he was a mean man inspired

4:11

were false and rather than compassion not

4:14

get outta here

4:16

the curly haired boy produce discard little

4:18

coin and asked what he could get for

4:21

the shopkeeper side and began haggling

4:24

the rest of the children crowded around offering

4:26

their advice about the best use of the coin the

4:29

now rather swiftly grab one of the soap

4:31

ten stuck it in her armpit where no one could

4:33

see

4:33

it and duct around the corner

4:36

once out of the shopkeepers say she ran

4:38

past her house was doubled as a father school

4:41

for dalit children the muslim

4:43

graveyard the roof to

4:45

for archstone structure and the center

4:47

had always been her secret hiding spot most

4:51

people avoided the graveyard that death

4:53

for place but rather feared

4:55

nothing she was

4:57

a wild haired big boned dark

4:59

skinned girl the intimidated

5:02

the ball she knew this it

5:04

was partly because up a her father was

5:07

a headmaster and partly because she

5:09

had brains and an inborn imperiousness

5:12

the village store with it's occasional imports

5:15

from other lands was the closest

5:16

the had gotten into a more cosmopolitan life

5:20

soon she had determined see

5:22

would move to roger monday she

5:24

had applied to the teachers college there the

5:27

my my heard except dead a girl

5:30

a dalit would be unusual the

5:33

her father had connections and she was sure

5:35

that when she told him of her plans he would help

5:37

her execute them you would leave

5:40

him behind

5:41

and her sister the

5:43

book doted on her that her father and sister

5:45

had never understood each other

5:47

the imagine them living after she left

5:49

and embarrassed silence neither

5:52

able to begin a conversation that wasn't about

5:54

her still i

5:56

gave her only a slight paying of guilt you'd

5:59

always had the feeling greatness was in

6:01

store for her

6:02

she was after all

6:04

rouse mother to be

6:08

the the arab death that lingered in the graveyard

6:10

did not phase rather she

6:12

and her younger sister sita had grown

6:15

up playing their now ,

6:17

in a corner of the structure and making as

6:19

little noise a shithead rather

6:21

unbox the soap and carefully

6:23

peeled off it's paper wrapping so

6:26

she could get a better look and feel

6:29

she'd never committed such an act as this

6:31

but what has she done exactly shooting

6:34

considered stealing because you plan to return

6:36

the item the soap

6:39

was cool and light and her palm

6:41

it had rounded sides and the loveliest

6:44

color clear but with a deep

6:46

amber tent like an amulet

6:48

that belonged that the breast of an ancient queen

6:52

she turned the soap around and her hands

6:54

and thrall

6:58

it was the advertisements on the radio

7:00

and billboards promising that parents

7:02

could turn bad skin good that had made

7:04

her so desirous when

7:06

she lived in a hostile and roger monday

7:08

she decided she would be it's with

7:11

one of these

7:13

robert wouldn't have realized but

7:16

, can't help but remarked upon is

7:18

that paris had been selling it soaps across the british

7:21

empire for a long time and

7:23

eighty ninety nine at the

7:25

a british colonialism when advertisement

7:27

had read the first step

7:30

towards lightning the white man's burden

7:32

is through teaching the virtues of cleanliness

7:35

paris south is a potent factor

7:37

in brightening the dark corners of the earth

7:39

as civilization advances the

7:42

time the lever brothers william and james

7:45

acquired paris toward the end of world war

7:47

one established impressive markets

7:49

around the world including in india several

7:52

years later when indian soap sales

7:55

fell william lever suspected

7:57

that gun the is where they see movement was

7:59

to blame

8:00

then he purchased a little soap making plans in

8:02

calcutta tell him position as products

8:04

as just as indigenous as the local stuff

8:07

the move through present soon

8:09

afterward in one of the world's first transnational

8:12

merger as

8:13

leave her brother's combined with the dutch margarine

8:15

producer margarine uni

8:18

when india gained independence and codify

8:20

that's economic nationalism the

8:22

celts had a plant meant unilever indian

8:24

subsidiaries could operate under the

8:26

same terms as any bombay a competitor

8:29

first the nationalists resist as bad

8:32

as rather entered high school of their opposition

8:34

was fading hence the

8:36

arrival of paris i could the police store

8:41

robin noticed someone coming into the cemetery

8:45

she , froze was had the

8:47

route a boy in her class at class

8:50

and he was coming toward where coming had peddlers

8:53

father the richest ballot landowner

8:55

in the village was a friend village her father's

8:58

had the had an identical twin brother chynna

9:01

their personalities were nothing alike center

9:04

was confident ambitious and popular

9:07

friends with brahmins and read these as well

9:09

as though at had that was

9:11

bitter lazy and friend less

9:15

had a period into the structure and stood

9:17

looking at rather as expecting something

9:21

hi she said standing the

9:23

gunmen to sue with her town the

9:26

her voice when it came out surprised

9:29

wet so be

9:32

you must have heard it too

9:33

he didn't answer but

9:35

he didn't leave either and after a moment

9:37

he side old inside and stood facing

9:40

her the suppose

9:42

you'd come there for some private business of his own

9:44

that seat in their first

9:46

the sweetest her and she thought she

9:48

gave him a look of annoyance meant to convey this

9:51

these are the soapy

9:53

store had the said

9:55

she read and i

9:57

, it had the last

9:59

bitter

9:59

the that's not what the shopkeeper

10:02

said shopkeeper said walking by and heard

10:04

him telling the children to run and find you if

10:06

they did they get a reward they're wondering

10:09

all over town i thought you'd be in

10:11

your usual spot the

10:13

atmosphere between them was charged if

10:16

they were both boys someone might have stat

10:19

instead had the move close

10:21

and made a completely unexpected

10:23

moves taking

10:26

her by the shoulders he's been heard of face

10:28

one corner of the structure and stood

10:30

right behind her his hot breath

10:32

wedding her neck strange

10:35

pressure hard and soft at the

10:37

same time pushed , the

10:39

curb of one of her hips hips

10:42

with the soap in her hand and her

10:44

and not for him

10:46

but for the soap for the life she had promised

10:48

herself when mute the

10:52

hands kept her hips and pulled her to him

10:54

the bucket against her seated

10:57

perfectly motionless holding the

10:59

bar of soap tight and her fist one

11:02

when she thought he had unzip his pants this

11:06

is scream and fleas that would be the

11:08

correct thing to do

11:10

there was that desire

11:12

she was not herself she

11:15

cried out and he did too spreading

11:18

a warm jet a fluid unter london

11:22

them down the road kim the shopkeepers voice

11:26

hey who that in there at

11:28

once he was at the arch peering in

11:31

what's this what's this said

11:34

the gassed pulled away and sprinted

11:36

added the cemetery

11:37

leaving rather alone to confront the shopkeeper

11:40

the to their breathing so heavily

11:42

she could see as got moving up and down

11:45

the children saw what you are doing in here

11:48

he said they renting dot me he

11:50

took her roughly by the shoulders and steered

11:53

her toward the village center shouting in

11:55

the direction of her father's school as they passed

11:58

headmaster hey see we are little girl

11:59

that there after weekly

12:02

that

12:02

when i got are doing

12:04

grab his father came out of school the

12:07

shopkeeper called out over his shoulder

12:09

i know she's my bad girl but it

12:11

myself

12:13

the center the president or the village council

12:16

to emerge from his office shielding

12:18

as eyes from the sun rather

12:21

face when hot with rage she

12:23

wanted to shout that the shopkeeper was lying

12:26

then

12:27

there was the siemens wetness soaking through her

12:29

longer the soap and her fist

12:33

the the shopkeeper had not even taken it from her profit

12:36

little fool she told herself it'll

12:39

be his word against

12:40

or as

12:42

she couldn't bring herself to do it the

12:45

ridiculous ness of the situation the

12:48

joke of it even though the joke was on her

12:50

made a strong impression in

12:53

her final moment of freedom my

12:56

grandmother to be that bar of

12:58

paris with a faint smile and

13:00

did not let go

13:05

the morning of the wedding had the told

13:07

his twin chennai the hidden plan

13:09

to consummate the marriage yet wouldn't

13:12

that chennai who had bird a crush on rather

13:14

ever since her father the schoolmaster

13:17

had combined the boys class with the girls drawn

13:21

china would whisper late at night the

13:24

like a horse ever

13:26

since the engage in the brothers had barely

13:29

spoken the talk

13:31

of delaying the consummation was his first

13:33

acknowledgement albeit an indirect

13:35

one that is breach

13:38

a flinched

13:40

that in the dirt don't

13:43

be immature he said you're

13:45

going to have to touch or one of these nights he

13:48

added not like you've never

13:50

touched her and start again

13:52

as if expelling something disgusting

13:57

the wedding took place on the rao property

13:59

which

13:59

one called the garden because the land was

14:02

famously fertile the

14:04

roused livelihood came from a sizable coconut

14:06

grove around which they had built their homes

14:10

there was a good family to marry until that

14:13

afternoon robber stood

14:15

street shoulder the grim

14:17

and resolute as a political prisoner

14:20

awaiting execution

14:22

when had the her groom tied

14:24

them

14:24

well see through around her neck and nodded

14:27

at three times she did not flinch

14:30

malibu have had the of sand

14:32

need

14:39

later on the seas consumed

14:42

chicken bones and other posts prend deal debris

14:44

tossed in a heap for the goats and

14:46

the and soon as room swept clear

14:49

they're caught strewn with marigold pedals

14:52

that bastard in the all of the room looking

14:54

at his wife who sat on the caught it

14:58

occurred to him that he did not

15:00

her at all

15:01

they were strangers brother

15:04

, with her legs folded to one side

15:06

and her back pressed to the wall wall

15:09

the hand that designs on her feet with her with

15:13

had the murmured almost as if

15:15

themselves

15:16

the not like other men

15:18

man rather sad phillips

15:21

twitching a little she's the

15:23

precisely every vowels

15:25

and consonants standing erect

15:27

in it's place the verbal equivalent

15:30

of good

15:30

there

15:32

other men like to show off about how great they

15:34

are he said i take action he

15:38

had rehearsed these lions but

15:40

his words now mortified him stupid

15:43

grandiose the wondered

15:45

if china to is sleeping out on the veranda

15:48

tonight the room had been turned into the marital

15:50

chamber could hear the conversation horror

15:53

of it they

15:55

had that was technically the older one having

15:57

been born nine minutes to fortunate

15:59

he knew he was less impressive by all

16:02

other metrics i

16:04

was handsome and sharks featured had

16:06

, soft and lymphatic lymphatic

16:10

attracted friends and admirers and

16:12

welp had that repelled them simply by entering

16:15

a room it must have been

16:17

have does perverse sense of competition with

16:19

gender

16:20

it never left him

16:22

the compelled him toward rather that afternoon

16:24

in the graveyard he

16:27

had never regretted anything more

16:30

grab her picked up a marigold pedal on tour it

16:32

in half great she

16:34

said amy

16:37

and will work together side by side that

16:39

he was losing his the red because

16:41

you're stronger like a horse she

16:44

laughed harshly she might as well

16:47

slap them

16:48

a horse she said

16:50

but no dear husband i'm

16:53

going to be

16:53

the teacher not a farmer

16:56

oh god what have you done to get

16:58

to disappoint she

17:00

had a part of it's you hadn't she she

17:03

had pressed against him he could have sworn she

17:05

had the hadn't see been

17:07

the one to steal that soap to refuse

17:09

even the to return it to the shopkeeper when

17:11

she had been discovered like some kind of imbecile

17:15

now here she sat frowning on the car

17:17

as if she where the victim his

17:20

ill will toward her thickens the

17:23

arms were spring loaded they

17:25

took effort to keep them at his side after

17:28

a while she's dead and walk just pass them to the far

17:30

corner of the room for her belongings

17:32

lay folded in the chest

17:35

the back to him she reached between

17:37

her breasts and unfastened the hooks of her

17:39

blouse under her sorry small

17:43

swell rose and him

17:45

them combination the care and

17:47

last the focused

17:49

on this encouraging at to expand

17:51

and displaces anger that

17:54

must feel better he said don't

17:57

look at me she replied

18:00

the pictures gays toward the bed and

18:02

silently counted the marigold petals there

18:06

one two three four

18:09

and heard the russell of his wife undressing

18:12

five six seven

18:15

was reminded of his childhood when

18:17

his cousin sister used to strip in the rain

18:19

and splash naked in the shallow pools of

18:21

water that collected at the edge of the clearing

18:24

between the house and the coconut grove the

18:27

boys sometimes stole the girls underwear and

18:29

threatened to feed it to the stray dogs idiots

18:32

the girl shouted coming out them with

18:34

the hands get back here would

18:36

break your rotten teeth the

18:39

girls were leaving now one by one

18:41

married off

18:43

his wife moved toward him

18:46

she had changed into a plane cotton sorry

18:48

ochre colored

18:50

he walked past him to the car where she sat

18:52

and undead her braid releasing

18:54

her hair into loose waves around her shoulders

18:57

without looking at him she pulled her legs

18:59

under the caught turned away and

19:01

like curled against the wall he

19:04

bristled with desire what

19:07

was he supposed to do the

19:10

minute stretched on forever the

19:13

her careful breathing he could tell she wasn't

19:15

sleeping finally

19:17

he sat on the bed and put in on her shoulder

19:21

when she didn't recoil he said you

19:24

look like amanda can lemon it

19:27

was her father's nickname for her which eat over

19:29

her it he froze

19:31

but didn't open her eyes they

19:34

were those red robes he said over

19:37

explaining did

19:39

you call me she said the

19:42

laughed nervously

19:44

i'm gonna call you that from now on he said

19:48

don't she said and separate

19:52

hold he said rubbing her shoulder

19:55

and when she didn't answer he said

19:58

lemon are you cold

20:00

no she said she

20:03

gave a shrug so violent that his hand

20:05

slipped from her the

20:07

move closer raising himself on

20:09

an elbow so that he was propped above

20:12

her per cent wouldn't

20:14

musky and vegetal manish

20:18

i can he be warm he said there's

20:20

voice sounding grow guess even to himself

20:24

if you touch me she said scream

20:28

that i'm your husband

20:30

you can understand what his brother saw

20:32

in this girl i

20:34

swear this time i'll scream

20:39

the truth was that she terrified him that

20:42

he gathered his courage and rolled close

20:44

to his wife taking her in his arms

20:47

her breath caught

20:50

they told you don't touch me she murmured

20:53

he didn't move i

20:55

mean it she said that

20:58

she wasn't as insistent as

21:00

it been earlier or

21:01

and we shouldn't seem so to him from

21:05

behind he clamped as the and over her mouth

21:07

hard to straddled her

21:09

shifting her onto her back in holding her

21:11

legs down with his own

21:15

he had expected her to scream as she had promised

21:18

the , she only stared up at him with wide

21:20

wet eyes as if waiting to see

21:22

what would happen next he

21:25

pulled her sorry and petticoat up past

21:27

twenty years and moved into her and

21:30

, gulped a couple of times but late

21:32

quietly still staring

21:34

up at him he

21:36

kept his hand over her mouth and pumped on

21:38

top of her brothers

21:40

breath was hot and wet on his palm

21:44

i love you i love you i love you

21:46

he said he

21:48

thrashed her head around for

21:50

, caught in her mouth and snot dripped from

21:52

her nose she was crying

21:55

there's so much fabric between them others

21:58

ochre folds

22:01

the press themselves to her tightly and said my

22:03

wife there him

22:05

a swell of joy and a bursting

22:08

and finally emptiness

22:10

and shame

22:13

the extracted himself he found blood

22:16

on his biased

22:17

i'm bleeding he said with alarm

22:21

now your husband she said i'm

22:23

bleeding in

22:26

the middle of the night he awoke to find rather

22:28

in the corner of the room near the chest with

22:30

her back to him fully clothed she

22:33

was untangling her hair with her fingers then

22:36

she stood looking at the hannah designs lightning

22:38

on her palms there's a bad

22:40

omen the early oranges are

22:44

you alright he said she

22:46

turned to him the colors

22:48

fading she said

22:51

come back to dad my men

22:52

he told her the

22:55

his great ah and gratitude

22:57

she did

23:01

when rather return six months

23:03

it or to her childhood home behind the schoolhouse

23:05

rooms she insisted to see

23:08

that that she had allowed to happen only

23:10

once sex she

23:12

told her sister was an inherent violation

23:15

the a closed yourself after her husband after

23:18

that one awful nice which

23:20

was the say she knew for a fact that

23:22

it had been that nights by once they had produced

23:24

her unborn spawn

23:28

see to was robbed as opposite the

23:30

kind of girl whose son okay

23:31

in asking for more than she was given when

23:34

rather disappeared into the rafol the

23:36

after the wedding neither visiting or

23:38

spending more than a couple of minutes was seat that

23:40

and her father when they came to the rouse place themselves

23:43

it's either had accepted at as the new order of

23:45

things she was sitting

23:48

on the veranda the

23:49

cool when their father brought rather home

23:51

to spend the rest of her pregnancy their according

23:53

to custom

23:54

until the time came to give birth seat

23:57

the left up and let her sister into their fathers

23:59

federal

24:00

when her sister and lane down seat

24:03

the brought her a glass of lemonade

24:05

rather see the noticed the

24:08

not look well

24:09

several months had passed since they had been alone

24:12

together rob as bulbs

24:14

stomach meter seem even more like a stranger

24:17

there were some it was round at the stats

24:19

they dissolved from her arms and hit

24:22

and a fine line had appeared the need each

24:24

of her eyes sheath

24:26

i had expected her sister to seem radiant

24:29

like young brides and story she had read

24:31

the opposite was true

24:33

there was a darkness to her sister that she'd never

24:36

seen

24:37

that frightened her the job

24:39

the real rather had hidden somewhere inside

24:41

this other woman and wasn't lost for

24:43

good

24:44

hicks in your new family or overworking

24:46

yeah she gently teased the

24:49

added nervously worried that her did

24:51

alliances might have shifted since their marriage the

24:54

teasing people

24:56

were sitting on the foot of her sisters bad her knees

24:58

up drilling rather about her life

25:00

that the rouse home by

25:03

i had prepared is room for rather so

25:05

she could rest well and when have to share a bed with her sister

25:08

the moved to the school room floor where he slept

25:10

on a rolled out palace

25:12

the

25:13

rubbish and her father

25:15

she was i rate with them for forcing her into

25:17

marrying pepper you

25:19

let people think of him as a progressive man

25:22

he had shown himself to be a spineless as any

25:24

other you've been

25:26

putting aside the horror of the wedding night brother

25:29

admitted the hadn't wanted a child

25:31

at all when she gave birth

25:33

she would have to stop her studies and stay at home

25:36

even though she hadn't had many tourists the guard and

25:38

because of her pregnancy she failed

25:40

at the one she did have the

25:42

you tried at first valiantly

25:44

then waking up

25:45

three in the morning to start the breakfast preparations

25:48

and wash laundry by moonlight before

25:50

going to school

25:51

she wasn't used to it home

25:53

their servants had always been the housework the

25:56

guard and everyone was expected to pigeon

25:59

to keep the

25:59

the ration running

26:01

the woman that meant taking care of all the cooking

26:03

and cleaning the women of

26:05

the garden it was sad often died before

26:07

their husband's dead the

26:10

smoke from the kitchen fire made brothers eyes

26:12

read and and hurt and she tired so

26:15

quickly at the big mortar and pestle that

26:17

her chutneys turned out fibrous and bitter

26:20

when she caught pneumonia from the nighttime shell

26:23

and had to spend days and bad he

26:25

heard the lives of pet does cousins mulder

26:27

that they thought she was strong the whole reputation

26:30

had been for being strong the

26:32

not entirely said the fortitude for which she

26:34

was famous when she was alone

26:37

she'd privately terrorize the unborn

26:39

creature outta here

26:41

she told it and her mind the me

26:44

alone sometimes

26:46

she punched her stomach to punctuate the point

26:49

imagine the creature to that of a leech

26:51

that couldn't be dislodged from inside her

26:54

that meet her ill

26:56

the morning she woke early so the others

26:58

wouldn't over here her vomiting in our house

27:01

to at home the the creature would receive her messages

27:04

get outta here

27:05

leave me alone the

27:08

creature a her food shared her blood

27:11

isn't it possible that it could absorb her thoughts

27:15

oh what is she can here and still warren

27:17

seat the whispered

27:19

so grow up thinking my

27:21

mother hates me i heard

27:23

or from in there before i was born

27:25

little miss up her whole life don't think

27:27

such thoughts the

27:30

creature was an innocent

27:32

rob hissed it was a monster

27:35

when she punched that the monster punched

27:37

her in return

27:39

this was war

27:41

it was violence it wasn't the magical

27:43

x syrians people talk about was

27:46

it is daughter she added it's

27:48

definitely a son

27:52

when rob as contraction started the

27:54

midwest came over and climbed onto the com the

27:57

to watch the midwest part her says his legs

27:59

and

27:59

pure between them the

28:02

midwest give a short sour laughed and said

28:04

stop being a pervert and go sit next to her

28:07

these and see them have to place this up

28:09

on the floor next to robbers head the

28:12

midwife chattered as you press that rather stomach

28:16

he made mean comments about mutual cousin

28:18

of their as he was an albino

28:19

seat the laughed heartily

28:21

out of appreciation but because she wanted to be

28:24

on the midwest good side she

28:26

held rob as work tough and hand and

28:28

preston the vein the very sisters rest soon

28:32

she thought gloomily she would

28:34

be married herself and her own

28:36

belly expanding into hard venus

28:38

balloon with the nodded center and

28:40

end up on the same caught with the midwest this

28:43

between her legs it

28:45

made no sense to

28:47

felt like she and her sister with children squeeze

28:51

rather his hand her sisters eyes

28:54

were shot in pain and she didn't return the squeeze

28:57

the curves are brothers nostrils flared and

28:59

dots of sweat bloomed on her brow and

29:02

drift into her hair

29:03

the made wet grunting noises

29:07

many hours passed

29:09

the contractions narrowed and rather

29:11

began screaming

29:14

then

29:15

the midwest committed an act of sheer

29:17

violence kneeling

29:19

she subs her hand into the flesh between

29:21

rather legs rather mule

29:23

than moved like an animal being butchered

29:26

the the gripped her sister shoulder but

29:28

rather flung out an arm and cried get

29:31

off

29:35

how could birth so resembled death

29:38

the midwives the bony rest flexed inside

29:40

rather than out it came

29:43

covered in blood and await is greece

29:46

the incense head grassed in the mid

29:48

wife's hand like hand cut of meat the

29:51

whole child the merged and breathing

29:54

the midwest held him upside down by his legs

29:56

and one fist and with her free hand

29:59

west the backside until he wailed

30:04

my father was born with his eyes

30:07

wide open and crust rim he

30:10

had a muddy exam at s complex

30:12

and from his belly a gluten

30:15

grub swayed until the midwest can step

30:17

between two fingers and snipped with

30:19

the scissors her husband used for by bring

30:22

she laid the umbilical cord and the scissors

30:24

at the end of the pot near robbers feet

30:29

only then did see

30:30

i turned from the spectacle of childbirth and

30:32

notice her sister broth

30:34

is breathing was labored in her face

30:37

was pale she didn't

30:39

smile nor when the midwest

30:41

held their child out did she raised her

30:43

arms to receive him she

30:45

, her eyelids and groans

30:48

groans spit bubbled from her mouth read

30:50

s like rusted water had

30:53

she bittner tongue

30:55

the the white the bloody saliva with her thumb

30:57

and such two sisters forehead it

31:00

was wet and hot

31:02

the she supposed to be like this cs

31:05

and the midwife hadn't yet said

31:07

when blood began trickling then

31:10

gushing from between robbers legs

31:13

the best sprinted

31:14

in the street to where the doctor a

31:16

dutch man known as the hollander lived

31:19

by the time they got back to

31:21

the house brothers lips were playing

31:24

the , cord had fallen to the floor and

31:26

a pool of blood their father

31:29

was crouched over rather pushing

31:31

rather hands pushing her her name peter

31:34

was peering at him uncomprehending

31:36

when the midwest dressed the swaddled child at

31:38

her the the turn to her father

31:42

since you reach out to him him

31:44

the child

31:46

radha would tell her she thought for a confusing

31:48

moment that would know

31:50

what today

31:55

a brother had a given name planned

31:57

she kept it secret from everyone

31:59

including

31:59

that

32:01

even the child surname was up in the air

32:03

since it was not clear whether in the final

32:05

accounting he would be taken in by had

32:07

does family the rouse or

32:09

by his late mothers by

32:13

a blamed robbers in laws for her death

32:16

his friendship with peddlers father be damned

32:19

and wanted to demand a refund of the dowry

32:22

but fifa was in the throes of and uncommon

32:25

fit of willfulness if

32:28

she married had the and adopted the child

32:30

the rouse couldn't demand a new dowry it

32:33

would be distasteful your

32:35

grandson is part of that family even

32:37

if you don't like get in this way you

32:40

don't have to pay another dowry for me to marry someone

32:42

else said the said a

32:45

buyer normally a man of

32:47

unbending judgment had shrunk

32:49

in his grief the

32:51

end he didn't agree with his younger dot his plan

32:54

so much as he stop protesting at

32:58

they had been calling the why only him

33:00

or the child peta

33:03

wanted to name him as a rebuke to those

33:05

pitied him for having been born under a

33:07

bad star

33:09

raj she thought for roger

33:13

it was peppers brother agenda and anglo

33:15

file to convince her to use the english

33:17

version of the name

33:19

king

33:21

she figured you'd better listen to him she

33:23

and the baby were to be rouse and as a

33:25

wife and a son their selves would be subsumed

33:28

into the rao collective the

33:30

internet's father was getting old welp

33:33

had their should have been next in line to assume

33:35

the family drown technically being

33:37

older know unexpected much from him

33:40

then i clearly would be in charge a

33:43

big name for a little run some of her new

33:45

and laws teased

33:47

peter wasn't in the mood

33:50

the has strong bones she responded

33:53

straight face he has

33:55

a regal lip

33:57

see that had hired a neighbor girl to nurse

33:59

him and the child drank from

34:01

her breasts with slurpee gumption he

34:04

has a strong suck all seater said

34:06

he'll live up to at

34:09

radha was dead

34:12

long live king wow

34:27

it is to more episode ahead of

34:29

you right back after this quick commercial break

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story about

36:49

hey you're missing the story bound

36:51

with author why he any vara she's reading from

36:53

her book the immortal king route and now

36:55

we're going to jump into an interview that we had

36:57

were stocks matter book

37:02

why is this the origin story

37:05

of the immortal king row who is described

37:08

on the inside cover is the most

37:10

accomplished text ceo in the world why

37:12

must his mother rather suffer

37:15

like this and because

37:17

this this that you've had to live with

37:20

as you were writing it and through all these stages

37:22

and you've had to relive it through many times and you

37:24

relived at forest reading it now

37:26

it's hours to live with and my own

37:28

conclusion that the suffering that informs you

37:31

it feels like it comes from a place

37:33

of grief because

37:35

you're talking about one character

37:38

kind of succeeding another so

37:40

if am i right in that and my touch him and anything

37:42

does it come from greece where does that suffering

37:45

for you speak from

37:46

absolutely i

37:49

mean there are two ways to answer that question then

37:53

the honor sort of character level

37:55

for king to

37:58

me it felt like

37:59

this would this was like one of the first parts of

38:02

i i spent thirteen years writing this book in this

38:04

was one of the first parts that i wrote

38:06

and it felt to me that king

38:08

is a character who has the sort of

38:11

like the primordial

38:13

indoors sense of loss and a sense

38:15

that there's like something he needs to make up for

38:17

in mice and sir as sir as

38:20

and then as a teenager in that as a young adult and

38:22

then even as an adult when he's very powerful

38:24

an accomplished like is always seeking

38:27

something more and to me

38:29

it felt like that comes

38:31

from in large part from

38:34

this like early just this loss

38:36

and the first moment of his life a

38:39

person who would have been a very important figure

38:41

in his life and a person who

38:43

is intentionally set of drawn on the page

38:45

as an impressive larger than

38:48

life

38:48

director even though she's gone by the end of the first chapter

38:51

i myself lost my sister and

38:53

my sister died of cancer when

38:56

we were younger when we were sort of like in our

38:58

late teens early twenties and

39:02

so for me writing

39:04

the scene of rob as death

39:07

them people's perspective

39:09

why is i mean it wasn't

39:12

intentional i didn't sit down and say like i'm gonna

39:14

write this scene of someone's death from

39:16

the perspective of her younger sister because i've seen

39:18

oh that's his i'm his i'm stand

39:20

and

39:21

the younger sister but certainly

39:22

like looking back on it now i understand

39:25

that to be a you know in

39:27

part my expression of great played that

39:29

great that seat that feels on the page of

39:31

course from comes from my own experience

39:34

of of a similar grief over having lost my

39:36

older sister i guess it's interesting

39:38

because she seems

39:40

to suffer

39:43

so much at the hands of i mean to different

39:45

levels of men throughout her life and

39:48

that's super upsetting

39:50

you know for me growing up he was

39:52

just my mother and i i gotta

39:55

live with my father so i

39:57

naturally just was like i'm on my mom's

39:59

side

39:59

yeah i'm on my mom

40:02

and i saw it was kind of like well i guess

40:04

i'm against the whole world now in

40:07

, way to me in yeah and i

40:09

feel like it's very easy to feel

40:11

for her and not feel

40:13

for her husband

40:16

her really wonder what the future holds

40:18

hold surrounded you have

40:20

this beginning figured out before

40:23

anything else a i did not

40:25

know i think in the first versions

40:27

of the blood

40:29

i believe this if i'm remembering correctly

40:32

i started more with kings own story

40:34

and then the story of his birth came a little

40:36

bit later but it was all it was all of the

40:38

very beginning and if

40:40

i'm remembering correctly remembering is so is started

40:42

this book in graduate school

40:44

and i was in ah no the

40:47

workshop i was in this workshop where we were all working

40:49

on novels and the writer

40:51

matthew know with the networks up

40:53

with me and he works up to

40:55

the first chapter of a book in

40:58

which this character who seems

41:00

like they're gonna be the most them care important character

41:02

in the buck

41:03

it killed off by the end and

41:05

i was like ah that so ball he

41:07

says in a to be

41:10

honest i honest i i saw that on

41:12

that idea from him i can't remember

41:14

though i can't actually remember the tiny maybe it maybe

41:16

we just like separately came up with it together

41:18

or separately came up with the with the same concept

41:21

around the same time but i do remember thinking

41:23

that was ballsy and i feel like

41:25

it certainly as i've been revising

41:27

like i've had that in mind and

41:29

in writing that chapter because i think like

41:32

in i'm game of thrones you now worth

41:34

six that they based they started

41:36

killing off like characters he thought would be key

41:38

characters like the first the then everybody

41:40

was like you can't do that and he the a built

41:43

like a like a similarly like just interesting

41:45

craft choice but then also like

41:47

it set like i said it it wasn't

41:48

just because it was a fun crap to is it was because

41:51

likes it felt like a really important backdrop

41:53

for king story well and it earns

41:56

it's place as soon as you bring

41:58

it into the first person

41:59

they more or less

42:02

sophisticated example would be

42:04

the movie scream have you seen scream

42:06

has i mean it's a nice car

42:08

so in the beginning of scream drew barrymore

42:11

is is you think she's gonna

42:13

be your lead that seven seats

42:15

to their like c n and but they're also playing

42:17

off of her cultural significance of people

42:19

like oh i recognize drew barrymore size

42:21

wouldn't killer off

42:22

like in the kitchen of that house and yeah

42:25

that's right as a killer off at the beginning and

42:27

your

42:27

yeah yeah so you're

42:29

inspired by

42:30

exactly yeah he a matte no good

42:32

credit i take that back with mad if

42:34

you're listening to this the zipper one of us

42:36

yeah i do i am familiar with

42:39

your essay about your sister

42:41

where you were you were co riding

42:43

with an ai essentially because

42:45

by the end of that piece it is

42:49

it interesting how you the

42:51

used to just in abundance of your

42:53

own words and a copy of it to

42:56

try and get a different response almost like you

42:58

are arguing are getting frustrated with the ai

43:00

and feeling that frustration was was

43:02

interesting because i had a friend

43:04

who passed away and i used i am

43:07

it's called replica yeah

43:10

you been there since they are you can have a conversation

43:12

with

43:12

i remember looking at that rate

43:14

so i found myself having a conversation

43:17

with is really important person my life was no longer

43:20

around and then it was like now

43:22

i'm screenshot in it and sharing it with one of my other

43:24

friends insane isn't this like so

43:26

strange i'm kind of mine i'm kind of buying

43:29

into a like my brain is accessing

43:31

some magical thinking right now yeah

43:33

it's really strange did you read there is that

43:36

san francisco chronicle story about

43:38

a guy who like tried

43:40

to create a chat bot representing his

43:42

dead partner i have not heard about actually

43:45

yeah it's pretty wild how like there's

43:47

a way and wet some

43:49

like we like to think of technology and i think

43:51

it's like largely true that technology

43:53

doesn't represent the the realist

43:56

deepest parts of ourselves but

43:58

that unlike because it's so

43:59

that it in our lives like their these ways in which

44:02

we can use it to access this pirates

44:04

in surprising ways

44:08

here's to more interview ahead

44:11

will be right back in his final version

44:21

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the next or every you are listening to this

46:02

podcast

46:05

the story bound or with author why any vara

46:08

and we're discussing her book the immortal

46:10

king route

46:18

they as i said i worked

46:20

on the

46:21

but for

46:22

dirty near they started in two thousand nine

46:25

and

46:26

have been like just working on it ever since

46:29

like even i got

46:30

wake up a copy edits back for my publisher

46:33

and

46:33

i was like riding in the margins and then i got

46:35

this that he know the page

46:37

proves that are supposed to be like the pages

46:39

you don't just check for a typo

46:41

and then i was like you know making plot

46:43

edges adjustments and changing character

46:45

as then i sent it back to my publisher norton

46:47

they got really mad at they were like you've

46:49

gotta stop this book is done

46:52

i mean i think part of the reason this book took me

46:54

thirteen years is that part of me as a writer

46:56

has like

46:58

the have not wanted to let go of the block like is

47:00

still on he now it's it's it's

47:02

you know bound and inside

47:05

a book cover now and it's all printed

47:07

and done and i still walk down the

47:09

street and like think of things that i want to change

47:11

or nina new plot development third

47:13

character details so for me

47:17

it's weird to admit this but like getting

47:19

the final copy of the buck like which

47:21

and sell enough should feel fully like a triumph

47:23

i think like felt currently like a triumph and partly like

47:26

are crap like i can't work on this

47:28

book and

47:28

more yeah

47:30

i feel very much like a still living

47:32

thing that i need to do some work to you

47:34

know allowed to exist out in the world without

47:36

me i'm also working on a collection

47:38

of stories that comes out in a year

47:40

or so that's the that's in the next book and i'm in

47:42

working on edit

47:43

for that back so feels good to have another project

47:46

so a feel like i've identified

47:48

as a writer for a long time i'm almost forty

47:50

now and this is my first birth and so feels

47:53

like now i can justifiably may be

47:55

more justifiably call myself a writer

47:58

you mentioned that you know

47:59

that and this book starts in the third

48:02

person but then this first person

48:04

voice pops in

48:06

in the back story behind that

48:08

was that

48:10

the my dad gave

48:12

me

48:13

the sort of germ of the idea for this

48:15

book i was like on this trip with my dad and

48:17

he was

48:17

the me a hard time for only writing short story

48:19

it looks like when he write a novel and

48:21

i was teasing him back it was like will dad

48:23

like when a you give me an idea for the novel then

48:26

and he said why

48:28

don't you write about my family coconut

48:31

wow where i grew up with a result

48:33

the drama and i was

48:35

like whoa that's actually a really good idea isn't

48:37

that but the problem is that i never live

48:40

i never

48:40

well i was not born and raised in india was born

48:42

in canada and raised there and in the us

48:44

i went back and visited that coconut

48:46

well but not regularly

48:49

enough to feel like it was my home it

48:51

felt like a little bit of an outsider even

48:53

though i'm indian american i am the let

48:56

my dad's veillette

48:57

and so i felt like i had to invent

49:00

this other character you

49:02

could access the story of

49:04

rob who wasn't trying to be king

49:07

rouse and that's where the i

49:09

actually came from

49:10

that of i'd i mean that at the i as

49:13

the character athena who is the i in

49:15

the book telling the story

49:16

i've never been to a coconut grove they're

49:19

they're beautiful yeah sounds beautiful

49:21

i did a lot of camry word

49:23

were what's the harvesting like with with

49:25

coconut grove

49:26

though you you harvest

49:29

seven years after planting

49:30

three the first harvest come then that's

49:33

a really long i'm a really long process

49:36

and it's changed it's changed over time

49:39

so my dad's family

49:41

family coconut business was in

49:44

of within like processing taking

49:46

coconuts

49:47

the breaking them open drying

49:49

the me inside and then selling

49:52

that dried coconut me and

49:54

after a while like they were they were

49:56

like been buying coconuts

49:58

from other farms and proper thing

50:00

it wasn't just their own family farm so his

50:03

farm was sort of

50:03

and evolving over the twentieth

50:05

century as

50:07

the kind of global economy was of of all

50:09

things which happens in the on the coconut

50:11

grove in the buck as well and so now

50:13

it's all like it's so different

50:15

than from from how it was back that like

50:17

back then it was all lot of like family small family

50:19

operations and now it's all but com corporate

50:22

like anything else like anything else

50:24

man for idea to bring us back to reality

50:27

exercise was his back

50:29

in the nice where the coconut grove was was smaller

50:31

and this lovely beautiful thing

50:33

now that's great i'm really excited

50:36

for everyone to read this book and

50:38

i'm so happy big either we got the chat

50:40

where the any so i hope you're happy

50:42

with the episode now it turns out i'm

50:44

not sure not will be this is a lot of his lot of unlike

50:47

any in your questions are so perceptive so

50:49

thank you for an innkeeper that things are being so

50:51

nice about

50:52

yeah my first reading

50:53

her from this book

50:55

the questions come from like the

50:57

twenty minute nervous breakdown before were even

50:59

chatting and i'm like i don't know anything i'm

51:02

i was running out of my yeah i guess

51:04

i'm the only ones have to have the nervous breakdown

51:07

oh no i should probably tell everybody that like that

51:09

it is be a forewarning is like both my

51:11

girls they wanted you theater and i told him like look

51:13

every time every time on stage no matter

51:15

what i always have to pee i see

51:17

also but i still gonna go

51:21

irina yeah no that's it's own a said

51:23

then i figured as i am like don't feel

51:25

like a natural on these settings either as out

51:27

of your natural and everyone's going here

51:29

if it's you're reading this was sent out little

51:32

thing so i think you'd what he knew var for

51:34

reading her book the immortal king rao is

51:36

available now at your favorite local books

51:39

thank you to aaron love it our friends at w w norton

51:41

and epidemic sounds production

51:44

assistants by mack keeley donny deutsch

51:46

madison richards and morgan swift nepal

51:48

glamour it social media help from sylvia

51:50

bell till our production coordinators door

51:52

and marin it makes engineers him car

51:54

plus the episodes editing

51:56

sound design scoring arranging hosting mixing

51:59

and mastering we're done immediate brewer

52:01

are , producers or myself just

52:03

number of the pa agglomerate and justin

52:05

alvarez of lit hub hub can

52:07

follow us on twitter and instagram at story

52:10

bound pod you can also to yet

52:12

me directly at dude brewery

52:14

new episodes or every tuesday thanks

52:18

for listening

53:27

hey

53:36

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