The bestselling author took to Facebook to apologise to the girl in question after screenshots of their private chat started doing the rounds on social media
Mumbai: In a long Facebook post, author of The Girl in Room 105, Chetan Bhagat, acknowledged that the screenshots of WhatsApp conversation with a girl were true.
He also apologised after screenshots of their private WhatsApp messages started doing the rounds on social media as the #MeToo movement finally hit Indian shores.
He also said that he had felt miserable when he was trying to flirt with her despite being married.
In one of the texts shared on Twitter, Chetan wrote he wanted to 'woo' the girl and also expressed frustration with the 'married man label'.
Read the full unedited post here:
Dear All,
I would like to make a couple of points about the screenshots that someone has shared just a couple of hours ago. It has taken me this much time because I saw them a bit late, and then I was in a conversation with Anusha. I am telling you all whatever I told her, which to my recollection is the truth.
But first of all, I am really sorry to person concerned. The screenshots, are of course real, and I am sorry if you felt they were wrong I hope you will accept my apology.
Just in terms of more information, these screenshots are several years old, and I had met the person in question a couple of times. We hit it off really well as a friendship, and as I say in the screenshots, I did feel a strong connection with her. I did find her a good human being, sweet, cute and funny (as I also say in the screenshots).
As I also say in the screenshots, I realized I was married and this was not about looking for any action. I just had not felt that kind of connection in a while. Maybe I was going through a phase, maybe these things just happen, or maybe I felt the person felt the same too based on our conversations (which I don't need to repeat here). However, it was stupid of me, to feel that way and to even share that with her. I just told Anusha about it as well, and apologized to her for doing the same. I should have had better judgement, but I guess I erred a bit there. Maybe I misread the friendliness. Also, I am not completely sure because it was long ago, but the 'wooing' bit may have come from a conversation we had about how nobody woos anyone anymore and how sometimes one misses being wooed. My new book then was also about women (One Indian Girl) and we also discussed wooing and relationships in that context.
Also, I also want to clarify that there never was was nothing physical, no lewd pictures or words that were ever exchanged. I think I deleted the person's number soon thereafter and we haven't been in touch for years. We do feel certain things sometimes, and I did too. I found this person special, and different from all others I had met. I shouldn't have, and maybe I shouldn't have shared it with that person in a private conversation either.
Once again, I am sorry to the person concerned, and of course most of all to Anusha. I hope you can forgive me.
For everyone's information, am running this response past Anusha first, to ensure she is okay with it.
Regards,
Chetan
However, netizens aren't really buying his explanation. One follower commented on the post, "Just because you take your wife's name thrice in this 'apology' doesn't mean you weren't dishonest to your marriage. The only reason you were in 'conversation with Anusha' regarding these 'screenshots' is that they are going viral currently."
There were some who agreed with Bhagat's 'phase' saying, "As you rightly said, this phase does arrive in everyone's life when the crisis hits. You too went through it."
Others found the situation ideal for snarky one-liners such as 'You mean she was half girlfriend, nothing much.'
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