My Unforgettable Encounter with Twinkle Khanna and Alex Michaelides
It was a Tuesday afternoon, and the air was thick with excitement. I was one of 40 lucky participants in an online author meet-up, where none other than Twinkle Khanna, Bollywood star and witty columnist, and Alex Carter, the acclaimed author of “The Fury,” were set to speak. Yes, that Twinkle Khanna. And that Alex Carter. Two literary giants (okay, one literary giant and one Bollywood goddess) in front of me, talking, breathing, existing.
The rules were simple: submit a question, and if it got selected, you’d get your moment to shine. A simple enough process, but also the longest hour of my life. I typed my question, took a deep breath, and pressed send. Then I waited. And waited some more. The hour dragged on like a dramatic Bollywood monologue.As the clock ticked closer to the end, I was beginning to feel like the supporting actor in a film who never gets a close-up. “This is it,” I thought. “I’m going to be that guy who watches two celebrities chat while silently crying in a corner.” The disappointment was real.But just as the meeting was about to wrap up, a miracle happened. Out of nowhere, I heard my name!
Suddenly, my audio and video were unmuted. This was it—the moment of truth. I composed myself as much as a person can while internally hyperventilating.
“Hello, Alex, thank you for crafting something so wonderful,” I began, attempting to sound calm and professional.
“Hello, Twinkle ma’am, I read your last column in The Times of India, and it was super funny. By the way, belated happy birthday to your son!” I casually added. What happened next was nothing short of magical. Twinkle Khanna, the queen of sass and subtle humor, looked utterly surprised. She paused, blinked, and then broke into the warmest, most genuine Thank you, almost in disbelief that I had remembered such a personal detail. Score one for me.
Feeling like I was on a roll, I turned to Alex Carter. I had a real literary question for him. You know, the type that makes you look super intellectual (or so I thought). I quoted from “The Fury,” the part where the narrator, Elliot, mentions keeping notebooks of his thoughts, ideas, and overheard conversations. Then I asked, “So, in your real life, do you carry a notebook? And if so, does it also include overheard conversations?”Now, let me tell you, nothing could have prepared me for what followed. Both Twinkle and Alex burst into laughter—*uncontrollable* laughter. At that point, I wasn’t sure if I had just nailed it or completely embarrassed myself. But hey, laughter is good, right?Finally, regaining his composure, Alex answered with a witty remark that, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t quite catch because I was still reveling in the fact that I had made Twinkle Khanna laugh. My mission in life felt somewhat accomplished.
But, like any true overachiever, I decided to push my luck. “Alex, one last question!” I blurted out. He chuckled and said, “Yes, yes, please go ahead.”“Character or fate?” I asked. This was the big question from his book, the one that had been gnawing at me ever since I’d finished reading. Surely, this would make me look profound. Alex looked genuinely impressed. “What a wonderful question!” he exclaimed, looking as though he’d just been hit by a wave of intellectual curiosity. I was so mesmerized by the fact that I was having a conversation with Twinkle Khanna and Alex Carter that I totally zoned out during his answer. Yep. I missed the whole thing. I have no idea what his brilliant response was because, in my head, I was still on cloud nine.
Before I knew it, the meeting was over. I stared at my screen, both thrilled and slightly disoriented, a little like waking up from the good dream ever.So, if you ever find yourself in an online meet-up with two celebrities, remember: be cool, don’t zone out during important answers, and always—always—remember their kids’ birthdays !