All Comments on 'Anjali's Red Scarf Ch. 12'

Bramble, I really didn't know how you'd land this series in a way that satisfied my yearning for a happy ending, but you brought it in smooth as silk.

Thank you for this series.

Dear Bramblethorn!

This has been one outstanding and, as far as I am concerned, most moving series on this site! I really suck for romance and happy endings as they say, but life is not always like this, at least mine certainly is not.

I think I realized in Ch. 11, that there probably won't be a happy ever after for these two, and that makes me sad. Personally, I do not think, that Sarah will find true happiness with Lucy, as lovely and understanding she may be. I also do not see why the story of Anjali and Sarah has to end at this point. They were apart repeatedly in the past, right?

But anyway, even I may not like how things ;-) evolved, how you made me feel all along the way was just beautiful! Anjali and Sarah will stick in my mind for a long time.

Beside that, I loved the humour in your writing, the introspection and the details, and I loved to learn about a lot of things ;-) you normally don't come across -- the insights you provide in an autistic mind especially, I really regard that as a gift! So, thank you very much! I am quite fond of your Stringed Instrument series, but this one is special!

That said, please continue and share more of your stories and let us not wait too long! Best, Abi

Bramblethorn, I have enjoyed this story enormously. It is beautifully written and at times achingly sexy. However, more importantly I feel I have learnt about your perspective on the world and what makes things difficult and how they can be better. Though that I hope I can be a better more understanding person. For that I thank you.

Jules

It feels like real life, not fantasy we all try to hold on to things that aren't perfect for comfort, not realizing that holding on can be unhealthy for everyone involved. Forcing yourself to stay in something that you wish you could change little things to make it better isn't really fixing it.This wasn't the ending i was expecting but it leaves it s self open to be revisited in a way just to do something where it could be written to check in on them years later to see that they have both. Kept the friendship on see how they end up as their life has moved too

I’ll miss Sarah.

Thank you, Bramblethorn. Your words are some of the reasons I made an account here.

This final chapter came out faster than I'd expected, and now I don't know what to say. I'm glad the series is completed, but sad there isn't more for me to read. I'm pleased with the way it ended, it was happy enough ending for me, but I bet I'll have separation anxiety now that I don't get to know what happens to all of them in their lives. I can't wait to see what you'll write next.

So...I'll just say thank you, and wish you inspiration and time to write going forward :-)

What most stands out for me in this so touching story is the heart and your love for your characters. Well done

Such a beautiful and touching story, and a deeply satisfying and intimate ending.

Thank you for this work. I have binged both your long series in the last week, but only had interest for this initially after brokenspokes mentioned it on their profile. It pulled me in, and it gave me a lot to think about, as the best stories do...

What a beautiful story. They say that the journey is more important than the destination and the same applies here. The journey was so incredible that it is almost impossible to end it in such a way to compare with the journey. I am in awe of your treatment on this subject, and while I'm not autistic, I now understand a bit more what people on that spectrum go through. Thank you for this journey. I will treasure it for the rest of my life.

Thank you so much for this perfectly imperfect story. I know I am not alone when I say that I will miss Sarah, Anjali, and Lucy dearly. No, I'm not crying, you're crying. I just have something in my eye.

As much as I wanted to see Sarah and Anjali together, I know that this is right for them in the end. Thank you for the insights that you've brought into your story about autism. My nephew is autistic and I see many of the things you mentioned in him. Seeing those things here is a good reminder to me on how to interact and understand him better.

the concluding author notes.

Also , this final chapter is finely crafted, full of the difficulties of real life situations, with their lack of space for happy-ever-after solutionis.

Going back to your author's page, I remember to have read with pleasure A Stringed Instrument, quite a long time ago.

Thanks for your writings.

Thankyou for teaching me about my own autism.

And thankyou for cleaving to reality and avoiding even a hint of a hollywood/soap opera conclusion about these wonderfully imperfect characters.

molesunlimited

No! No! No! This cannot be the end! Please let there be a Chapter 13.

This is a beautifully written story. A bit slow at the start, but eventually becomes a real page turner. It becomes very apparent early on that both Anjali and Sara truly love each other -- but neither can honestly admit that fact to themselves. It's also apparent that, even they part in Iceland, that they each still love each other and will (or at least should) get together again sometime in the future. It's also apparent that even though Lucy is in love with Sarah, any relationship they will have will be one of friendship, not true love. Lucy always will be just a rebound for Sarah.

Now, I truly appreciate the efforts of the author. My knowledge of the trials and tribulations of those effected by autism is close to zero. I am very appreciative that the author gives us a real insight into their world. Before reading this story, all I knew of autism was limited to Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of an autistic man in the movies. Which, I am truly sure is not reality. Thank you, Bramblethorn, for shedding a light into the darkness we all have of that world.

But, I, and probably most of the other readers, believe that Sarah and Anjali's story cannot end here. Or, that there must be a lot of life to live before Sarah and Lucy develop the same love that Sarah and Anjali left behind. Right now, we all feel empty. Unfinished. Unsatisfied. Please tell us that there will be a Chapter 13!

Thank you for this challenging story. It's perfect.

Loved it. Caught up on the last 3 or 4 episodes so had to go back to the start to refresh. Worth it. Wonderful.

It may have taken you three years to compose and complete this story, but it was so VERY worth the wait. You've created another master piece! You've allowed us to glimpse a little bit into how autistic people can perceive the world differently and how hard they have to work every day so us "boring folks" can feel comfortable around them. This series was such a beautiful story and highlights that not all relationships have to end with "happily ever after" or a scornful/traumatic breakup. No matter how long it takes, please keep writing!

Perfection is overrated. I’d sad I didn’t know how you’d finish this story in one chapter. Well,,if you’d taken your characters on my mental road trip, you’d have needed 3 years to finish, 3 very unnecessary years! Your journey was simpler, genuine, authentic. My annoying inner romantic may have been rooting for Anjali and Sarah to live happily ever after, but not every real life relationship ends in marriage. I think they shall be lifelong friends and that is nothing to be sneezed at. What’s perfection? Unreachable. But this is mighty fine. Thank you

Wow! What an intriguing story, I really wanted Anjali and Sarah to end up together, but I can see why they did not. Anjali has places to go and so does Sarah. Thank you for your efforts.

I loved Stringed Instrument, it's something I go back and re-read when I want to read something I'll enjoy rather than risk something new.

Red Scarf shares very little in common with Stringed Instrument, they are totally different to me. The things I did find in common were a) lesbians and b) a excellent story well written.

Thank you Bramblethorn for sharing your talent with us.

I really wish I could rate this series higher than 5 stars. Very few writers pull me into their stories as strongly as you have.

Thank you for sharing the gift of a well crafted tale.

1. I loved the puns throughout the story

2 I wished it had ended differently, but I understand why it had to end like this. Nonetheless, heart-breaking.

3. As a metalhead, nerd, queer person, German, who lived in India for a bit, I felt very much at home with this story. It's quite satisfying understanding so many details.

4. Your characters are amazing. And relatable. I rejoiced and suffered with them.

5. Reading this was a delicious anxiety trip. (Binging it on the night before an important interview perchance didn't help...)

I'll soon read your other works. You've swiftly ascended to be among my very favourite writers here.

PS: regards to the user BrokenSpokes for recommending this story

It was an amazing story. Really liked the way you gave small chuckles from time to time. Felt mesmerised by both Anjali and Sarah.

I started reading your stories based on the recommendation by the amazing BrokenSpokes a fave of mine. I felt I was watching the love develop between Sarah and Anjali - I laughed with them, I cried with them, I even masturbated with them. So beautifully written and so beautifully developed characters.

Venus

This story has been one of my favorites for quite some time. I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like to recently so I just catched up on the last chapter. Even though I started reading this story quite some time ago, the whole story flooded back into my memory nearly instantly. Not many authors' works stand out like this. You describe your characters in a way that allows us readers to relate with them. It is obvious how much effort has been made for the story, so many captivating themes being combined. Autism already is a complex topic to build into a story and Anjali's family dynamic is equally facinating. I wouldn't have guessed I'd enjoy reading about cargo mamagment any time soon. Guess I was wrong there. Overall the story simply is unique and beautiful in it's own right.

On a side note, I really adore your style of writing. It's elaborate and easy to understand at the same time. You got some talent there. Hoping for many more stories to come.

I collect so many thoughts as I read through the installments of your story, so I will try to relate them to you in no particular order. In terms of perfection, I think this story is not far from it. You strike the desired balance of moving the story forward, describing the intimacy of Sarah and Anjali, and having Sarah detail her many passions, be it coding container management, or gaming. For those readers you may have lost, I suggest you dragged an equal amount after you. The letter that Anjali left Sarah near the end of the story is worthy enough of a 5-star rating. It is precious moments such as that that elevate your writing to an exceptional level.

The complexity of "Anjali's Red Scarf" is indeed a level above that of "A Stringed Instrument" (also wonderful), and warrants the extra time spent writing it. Lastly, I love stories that teach me, without being hit over the head to say I am being taught. May your muse continue to prosper.

Other readers have said the things I wanted to, so I hope you don't mind a little repetition.

Sarah was a wonderful, engaging character, and I really enjoyed her monologues. They gave me insight into who she was. I liked her mix of self awareness but also being a little clueless about what she wanted. She felt real.

Anjali was great too. I loved getting to see her grow into her own person.

I appreciated that they didn't end up together. It wouldn't have felt right for them. The ending they had was wonderful though, and I'm so glad they could stay friends, and perhaps occasional lovers.

Thank you for this story.

Thank you for this amazing, compelling story.

I tend to appreciate stories (and movies, and many other things) in two broad ways: the experience of reading them, and the degree to which they stick with me afterwards. This story is a grand slam in both ways. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. Your writing style is wonderful - clear, concise, melodic. Sarah and Anjali are such complex, believably deep characters who grow and who challenge us.. plus the puns... the cultural references... their intimate conversations. Your story is unpredictable and yet rings so true. The ending left me sad, but satisfied and optimistic. And I know I will be thinking about this story for years to come, because you have taught us a little bit of something about mathematicians at work, about PhD students making hard life choices, about one corner of Indian culture, about the word “neurotypical” and how it is to not be that, and so much more. Plus - completing this amazing multi-year effort while going through life changes and the pandemic? Amazing. Thank you.

I was deeply affected by the sadness of the ending of Sarah and Anjali's time together. In Sarah's words: it hurt like f***.

Wow... What a story!! Thank You!! Your description of the Blue Lagoon made me laugh out loud because it is exactly my same description. I passed on swimming there since the local swimming pools were better.

Very good story. I appreciate your comments at the end about sex workers, etc. I was a little squicked out about Sarah and Anjali’s relationship. One could argue Sarah was in such financial control that her looking for dom activities over Anjali was borderline abuse. How can someone in dire financial straits say ‘no’ to the one controlling the purse strings?

@Anon - money (and many other things) do create major power imbalances, and those do complicate consent. That's definitely part of this story, and one of my priorities in writing was to explore both how Sarah and Anjali deal with that imbalance and how it shifts over time. But I'm not sure I'd connect it to the BDSM angle. IMHO, that power imbalance/consent question would be just as much of an issue if they were doing purely vanilla sex (although the BDSM maybe brings it out in the open a little more). For that matter, it can be an issue even in a non-sexual context - I think there's a huge discrepancy between how we talk about people "forced" into sex work by financial pressures, and people who take on shitty dangerous back-breaking jobs that don't have a sexual aspect because they need the money. For somebody like Anjali, the work she does with Sarah is less draining and damaging than, say, working retail.

As a probably Autistic and certainly Neurodivergent (ADHD) lesbian interested in BDSM, this story made me cry because it represented me. I haven’t been represented like this before. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you so much for this,

This story is a Masterpiece ...... Yes it is complex and to understand your ART of writing it is truly helpful you explained the autistic beings and the traumatic lifestyle connected to it ...... Unfortunately there was no happy end , as i had wished it for sarah/anji to open there hearts and confess there love ....... You expressed it not only onest how hard it is for autistic beings to find a common ground, feeling safe and trusted, so the two of them it was sisters lovers but they not partners? ...... Its your story and sarah is not you but you shared a big part with her, so i hope for you in your private RL that LOVE LUCK TRUST SAFETY HAPPINESS is all part of your life ....... Thank you for this marvelous tale ...... Fanatic

💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝

Just going to toss my 2 cents into the ring here about the whole power roles of Sarah/Anjali. It seems to me that Anjali was determine to go the sex worker route way one or another. The way Sarah worked it, she established limits and a safe word that were both honored. Anjali got the money she needed with a friend instead of a bunch of unknow people. Sarah was in a position to abuse Anjali trust but never did. So together they worked out a solution that worked for both.

I agree with other commentators here that this was a wonderfully written story.

5/5

J

Some stories get you all hot and bothered, and some move through the sweaty bits to make you also want to offer a respectful virtual thank you hug for moving us onto a higher plain. I knew some of this story very well - living in Melbourne, swimming in the Blue Lagoon, being a little ASD, hearing more of a comment than a question - but most of it I knew little of and it stretched me. It’s a very precious tale that you’ve woven, and very generous of you to share. Thank you.

I've now finished all of your works published on this site, and not once have I been disappointed. Entertained, pleased, amazed, introspective, and reflective, describe where you have taken me through your talented writings. I'm sure I'll visit to reread most of these stories. I hope you're aware of how appreciative I am, and from the tone of the comments, 'we' are for your efforts. Thank you!

Thank you Bramblethorn, and the beta readers who helped polish it, for this wonderful series. I read it all in one sitting, and it was a very enjoyable, if ultimately heartbreaking experience. I guess I should have known what's coming when a story starts with "I'm thinking of becoming a kept woman". In the initial chapters, I had hoped that once the 1-year period Sarah and Anjali had decided on was over, they would move past the transactional relationship and figure out some other solution for Anjali's financial needs (they're both highly intelligent women after all). But when they just renewed their contract with a few easy words, I realised this was not going to be a happily ever after tale.

As an Indian myself, I found your portrayal of the Kapadia family very believable. Sure, Indian (or Asian in general) parents wanting to make doctors (or engineers) out of their children is a well-known fact, even a meme by now. But the subtler details, like them telling "practically the entire Indian diaspora in Sydney that Anjali Kapadia was going to be a doctor", the issue of Anjali switching from her medical studies being "exacerbated by some sort of rivalry with the Daswani family down the street", and many others, ring very true. And Anjali's father's password, "tendulkar34357", was just icing on the cake. I had a good laugh over that. (For those not in the know, Sachin Tendulkar is a retired Indian cricketer, one of the best batsmen of all time, and for us Indians, the "God of Cricket". The 34357 is a reference to the number of runs he scored throughout his career.)

I loved basically everything about this series. I loved the intimate scenes. I loved the tidbits of information you've sprinkled throughout. And Anjali's adorable puns <3 Although comments like mine, which shower praise with nary a constructive criticism, may not help you improve your craft, I hope it conveys my appreciation for the time and effort you have put into these stories. Wishing you all the best <3

Anon: glad to hear that, I'm not Indian but I wanted to make that side of things authentic and I had a lot of help from an Indian friend. It's always good to hear the effort was worth it!

I was afraid that you were going to end without concluding, and no, we didn't get to see how the love between Sarah and Lucy blossomed and came to fruition, but with the excursus to Iceland and the interlude with Miep you showed the end of one indecipherable (because words are just boxes, after all!) relationship and the flow into something new. That Lucy's love would manifest in learning how to read Sarah was touching beyond measure.

Thank you for a most edifying journey.

Enjoyed the story

A somewhat bittersweet ending. It's not what I hoped for since Lucy came into the scene rather late and didn't get much screen time or character development, but it fit the story told well. I guess I personally prefer a bit less reality in my stories, but thank you, nonetheless. Beautifully written.

I've binged this series in less than a day.

If that doesn't tell you enough: the sex was just the icing on a cake with tasty ingredients like some of the most lovely characters I've read about on this site and a well-written actual story.

I've binged this series in less than a day.

If that doesn't tell you enough: the sex was just the icing on a cake with tasty ingredients like some of the most lovely characters I've read about on this site and a well-written actual story.

I especially liked that you didn't go with a couple ending for Sarah and Anjali (but suggesting a high probability of both finding happy endings, partly thanks to their shared experiences).

I loved everything about this series.

An Amazing story and series. Great character development. I enjoyed the story outside of the relationship and how it developed thought the different chapters. The insight of how Sarah felt and the challenges with autism (+ how they were overcome) was really unique and make the story extra special. Really good. 5 Stars

Wow. Good story, well written, great characterisation, kept me entertained for ages. Thank you.

Another great story, nice to see there is honesty and loyalty still in this world, even is it is only in prose.

Interesting story - thought provoking.

Lovely story...

Really get into the heads of the characters..

Thanks

Belinda

It is a brilliant story.

Autistic life. True life conversation in a restaurant:

Waitress "Why did you tip me, was it because I was nice to you?"

Me "No", waitress disappears.

Next day, same waitress

Me: "I'm a bit autistic and what I should have said was it was because you are nice to everybody"

Waitress: "I'm a bit autistic too."

Thank you for a thoroughly delightful, engaging and well-written story. In quality a worthy equal to your excellent A Stringed Instrument, though with a very different storyline.

I’m enamoured with your rich and detailed descriptions of both unique and mundane encounters, sprinkled with tiny gems throughout; from Charlotte Brontë to Settlers of Catan and Forbidden Island to Zero Wing, among many more.

A story with many different themes and twists, playing out among their many incarnations — Sarah and Anjali, Miriam Blaylock and Lily, Miss Bell and Miss Thorn, Lilabel and the utterly delightful Lady Tanglespine — eventually ending in a haunting, melancholy hopefulness… Truly wonderful.

I liked the interesting quandaries about the hazing of limits and boundaries as Sarah and Anjali got more and more mixed up with Miriam and Lily, especially for Sarah; I get the feeling that for Anjali the shading of black and white was more distinct, and she endeavoured to keep it that way. Though Anjali also mixes up Sarah and Miriam, she’s better at compartmentalising, which is important when — in many ways — being the weaker party in an unequal relationship.

Though based on a transactional arrangement — with Sarah nominally being the stronger party — the situation strongly resembles that of a friends-with-benefits arrangement. And in such a relationship the question ultimately becomes where does the friendship end and the benefits begin? It’s easy in the beginning when the fresh rules are strictly followed by both parties, but habits makes slaves of us all if we are not careful — especially when feelings eventually come into play. In this case there was a distinct physical marker — the scarf — as a reminder of the arrangement, but as the story went on it got less prominence in the mind of the narrator, and therefore — by extension — in the narrative.

If one is a romantic at heart one always looks for the potential Happily Ever After. You were very clear from the beginning, however, that this wasn’t a romance per se, though as the mixing of Anjali and Lily went on for Sarah it became more clear that we would need to resolve the situation in one way or another. And as it was clear that Anjali didn’t have any romantic intentions, that would not be the resolution for Sarah. If one didn’t have the ‘distraction’ of Lily, the more classical storyline of the tentative steps of wooing from Lucy would more quickly become apparent in the narrative. And the signs became more and more clear as the story progressed; what greater sign of love is there than learning to speak the language of your prospective inamorata? I would very much have liked to read the whole story of Sarah and Lucy, but as that wasn’t the main subject of this tale that is understandable. Though we got their origin story as a bonus of the overall narrative.

As to being oblivious to flirting, I’ve definitely been in situations where I’ve been totally preoccupied with getting the right amount of eye-contact, balancing listening versus talking, thinking up reasonable subjects and generally trying to act like a normal human being during an encounter only to later get a comment along the lines of “eh… what were you doing? She was trying to flirt with you…”

Oh, and by the way: your puns are truly awful, in a very good way…

Looking forward to your future endeavours.

Alles Gute!

P.S.

So, this such a good story. So good that I’m extremely annoyed that I have not skill to adequately praise it. Loved it? So much. Awed by the effort and perseverance to complete? Yes, yes I am. Moved, frequently to tears, by it? Like I was picked up by an unseen hand and deposited a thousand miles away. Completely enamored of Sarah, Anjali, Lucy? Completely. Dazzled by the nerdiness of the trivia, the game nights, the esoterica of container management? In nerd heaven. The puns? The PUNS!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bramblethorn, for this masterpiece. So much of yourself invested in it, we are forever in your debt.