Mills and Boon paperbacks have always played an integral part in a girl’s growing up years. Some guys have probably read a few of them too, although they would rather die than admit it. When I graduated from Enid Blyton’s stories, it came almost as a tradition to go on to M&Bs. The first one I read was lent to me by a cousin. After that, I procured them from bookshops, libraries, friends, cousins, aunts and became an ardent fan.
Now that I have grown old, wizened and amazingly worldy-wise, I thought I’d share what I didn’t learn from years of reading M&Bs. For one, M&B heroes are always tall, dark and handsome. In real life, Mr. Right is more likely to be – taller and darker than you, with a cute smile. He could even turn out to be shorter than you and be downright ugly. That’s why poets wrote cheesy things like ‘Love is blind’ and ‘Beauty lies in the beholder’s eyes’. It is to placate all of us who fall in love with lesser mortals.
Mills and Boon heroes are also usually arrogant, moody and chauvinistic. The classic ones always have a sardonic twist to their sensual mouths. Real men are humble, nice, humorous and support the MHIP. Maybe not support the MHIP, but are atleast not arrogant. Or if they are, they hide it very well under their aprons.
Well, I haven’t been forcefully kissed or felt anybody’s chest hair so I cannot comment on the pleasures of that. In real life, especially if the elders had their way, real men will kiss you or go further only after appropriate applications have been sent, with signatures from their parents and an enclosed Pastor’s consent.
M&B heroes are also usually stinking rich and powerful. They live in castles or atleast in a penthouse and drive around in a porsche. In real life, realistic women should be willling to make little adjustments like supporting their husbands. It’s only fair, you don’t expect his parents to support both of you, do you?
These paperback heroes also have this charming habit of sending a dozen red roses or something similar, which will also have a note forcefully signed in black ink. In real life, the only flowers I ever received was from a dork*, a sweet guy, but a dork who probably read too many Mills and Boon. From Mr. Right, all you need is a hand while crossing a busy road.
Lastly, Mills and Boon stories always end when the heroine agrees to marry the hero. In real life, the story starts when you say ‘I do’ and live with Mr. Right and his family. And as long as you read M&B’s, your rosy lenses will show all men to be hopelessly inadequate in all departments and you may never ever get to live with Mr. Right and his family. So, better close that book and put away the rosy lenses, girl 
(*The sweet dork is a platonic friend who sent flowers to his girlfriend and on an impulse, sent me some too. It was really sweet of him and I apologise for calling him a dork, even though he is a dork.)
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November 16th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
a nih ka ring rengah.. J hian 4 out of 10 i pe maw tia.. a thinrim deuh a nih hi
i lo sethiam dawn nia.. dear_diary hi a nutei ania.. a tran teh mai ania 
mahe nangchu M&B atrangin MB (Mercedes Benz) ah i lut deih a!
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November 16th, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Tinge Benzi an a hauh che i hlau deuh a mi?…Mercedes Benji ti mai la… hehe maybe thats the only benz u can drive crazy out here…ah a posting ah khan porsche nei..sap hmeltha…sang bawk si kha an duh a…mizo chu an vang awm e..ka lo ti mai mai mawle..
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November 16th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
I love this post. Can we find a way of publishing it? for the sake of us poor normal guys who always face unfair comparisions with ‘too good to be true’ M&B guys hehe.
i hav a saying… if something sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not true. now see where i hav made that comment before
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November 16th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
benjy ni lo. . J hian mawle
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November 16th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
Goldmember wrote “mahse nangchu M&B atrangin MB (Mercedes Benz) ah i lut deih a!”
Kha kha nia ka lo sawi zawk chu…
He posting hi a tha ka tia…tiang ang hi tun hnai te hian a tlemin ka hria…chuan posting hi rating hi pek theih se..comment hi chu a tha tho na in…mi comment kan chhiar vak a..a threnah phei chuan Cowbawiha te inhnialna kan chhiar a ni ringawt a…:)
This posting also shows that How big one can dream during our youth days..and how reality hits us as we grow up..and we have to compromise….maybe thats why we said..”duhtak te nena bahra laih ka thlang zawk” thlang lo mahila thlan a ngaihtlat chuan……
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November 16th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
Dear Cody and Goldilocks, you two should be on the Gong Show.
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November 17th, 2006 at 3:03 am
tu nge dear_diary hi? ka star bon botol top nia. committed ni toh mahse
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November 17th, 2006 at 4:03 am
You are not alone
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November 17th, 2006 at 9:58 am
Sorry Cody, 4 out of 10 i tia mo ka tia lom. Tar a lamah hi chuan engmah hi kan hmu fiah toh lo nih hi huihammmmm.
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November 17th, 2006 at 10:23 am
I am here with you..
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November 17th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
here also
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November 18th, 2006 at 1:35 am
dear_dairy fans club!
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November 21st, 2006 at 7:03 pm
No Problem…Atomic bom tih vel ai chuan..hehe M and B hmeichhia ten an chhiar ang chiah in…Cowboy bu mizo mipa ten kan chhiar a..phawi ran vel kan nun ah (real life ah) a lo trul vak lohzia chu kan hre threuh ang a..mahse dear_diary ang hian kan ziak ve thiam awm si lova..ka rawn ziak lo mai ang…
Cowboy bu-a achhang tupa te hi an phawi rang thei hle..an tawngkam pawh a ngeng ngat mai a…mahse kan mizo life ah chuan apply tur a tlem khawp mai..kan naupan laia ka thianpa 1 fel ve deuh chu..meizial te..drugs leh zu te pawh a ti ngai lo..Sandes School kal peih ang chi hi a nia…mahse cowboy bu a chhiar avang hian a character a inthlak thleng tops a..tunah chuan drugs addict..eng atan maha lak tlak loh a ni ta mai chu a ni sia…
Moral of the story..too much of something is always bad…..
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November 21st, 2006 at 7:06 pm
The Gong Show…eh min van ngai TNT awm ve a…upa chuan in hre ve hle mah ila J…in generation kha chu kan hre vuai vuai chauh a ni…
Am not a boy and not yet a Man !!
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November 21st, 2006 at 7:16 pm
Thank you for the clarification but all that’s already quite obvious in your lack of manners and sophistication
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November 21st, 2006 at 7:24 pm
Now which manners are you talking about!! Am just confused..maybe I should ask Maimawm…hehe…I comment ah hian i in ti upa thei em a..ka lo ti mai mai mawle…no offence…I kum chu sawi loh..tunge i nih pawh ka hre lo a nia….
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