How I Got Rid of "Ester Nutzer"

For weeks it sat on my browser - Chrome - two words I had no clue about. "Ester Nutzer." I didn't know what it meant. Was it Malaware? Was it a spying program? Was it one of those phishing things I hear about.

​Though reasonably tech savvy I had no idea what this was.​

I was completely at a loss.

I put a message of Facebook. The replies weren't encouraging. I searched the net and found that "Ester Nutzer" meant first user

​ ​

​in German​

. Well I am the first user of my computer, who else could have access to it?

I downloaded a Malaware programme, which was of no use to remove those two hateful words. Again, the sense of loss continued unwittingly. I have too many documents of importance on the computer to want to lose anything. 

Only now have I realised the importance of backing up my data.​

We live in an age devoid of privacy. Whatever we do is available and visible to someone sitting somewhere. I was thinking of this: is he reading my mail, is he deleting my files? Who is he? And

​

, interestingly,the US administration says they have a right to snoop into our emails in the greater interest of humanity. I know the security of the human race comes before anything else in this beleaguered world, but what about my security? Is there no guaranty

​

for that?

Then today I went to the settings of my browser. (It is the icon with the three horizontal lines right at the top end of the browser.

​)​

There again I find my friend "Ester Nutzer" sitting above my name as the first user. What the heck

​?​

Get away, off with you, man. I don't want you snooping on my computer anymore. There was a small button to delete him. I did it.

Mercifully now my browser doesn't have his august presence imprinted on it. I can rest content.

Finished Fourth Round of Editing on Mr. Bandookwala, M.B.A., Harvard

Finished the Fourth Round of Editing on the Novel


Coming to the end of a long journey is filled with forebodings. It's like the disembarkation after a train journey, where you are a bit shaken and the ground beneath you seem to weave and your head is fuzzy with the sights you have seen. Yeah, something similar. What next? Your steps falter, you find it hard to adjust to the light, and you think what's bleddy wrong with me. You were never like this before. What's this feeling of emptiness?
 

The thought that is troubling you now is: how do you push this down the publishing shaft where a lot of talented writers have perished? Will it disappear into nothingness or will it be smooth sailing? A sense of danger abounds, you feel the vacuum building.
 

Let us end this waffling. First things first, the fourth editing of your novel Mr. Bandookwala, M.B.A., Harvard has drawn to a close. You are immensely satisfied by the work you have done. If anything, this novel will define your writing, your oeuvre. The last month, after the hospitalisation, has been a very productive phase in your writing. So many days of waking up at 5 a.m. has helped. You think morning is the best time to write.
 

But what lies ahead? Heard the literary scene is bitchy and bastardy. So much so that all the big slots are taken; and whatever is left is being filled up fast by those smart kids with their laptops and spreadsheets. Yeah, spreadsheets for plotting. What chance do you stand? What if your novel meets with failure? Face it. Every movie director encounters it on Friday; every author has to reconcile to the eventuality on the launch date.


Right now there are a hundred doubts running through your mind. You are confused. Will it succeed? Won't it? Will it be accepted, rejected, ignored, panned? Will there be polemics, will there be vehement opposition, will there be an extreme reaction?

 
You have heard it said that the author has to let it go at some point. But you hate to let go of your baby. You are the possessive kind. You think you will have your say on the book cover. You already have sketches of how it should look. You wish you had a good agent who can push your work. Ah, that would be nice, and then you can relax. Anyone?

 
You think the system is biased against new authors. Somehow there's this set notion that a new author takes long to be established in the market. Is that true? Anyone?

 
Meanwhile, after the fourth round of editing, you sit and fret. Is there anybody out there?