My name is Diya- a storu shared in ArtoonsInn

https://prowritersroom.com/my-name-is-diya/

One day, my father came back from his shop alongwith another person. His ruddy cheeks pink with excitement, he exclaimed, “Diya…I am so happy for you. Meet Aahilbhai. He brings the happiest news. But wait…please get us water…pronto.”

Hearing the commotion outside, my mother looked at me questioningly. I shrugged. While I filled the glasses, my mother went out, taking care to well cover her face with her pallu in front of the stranger. That’s my father’s conditioning I thought, disgusted. I was proud to have mastered physiotherapy and had scant respect for these practices. But what to do?

When I entered the living room, my father declared boisterously, “Ahilbhai says that a boy saw our Diya, near the clinic. And since his family knew Ahilbhai, they asked him to approach me. It seems the boy liked you enough to make enquiries around. The boy’s name is Sameer…he wants to marry you. They have invited us to their home for further discussions day after tomorrow. Isn’t that fantabulous?”. My father was bursting with enthusiasm. “But father, I have just started my career. I have dreams to fulfil…”. But father interrupted me, “Bah…what career? Aahilbhai tells me, the family is into import-export and worth crores! And dreams can be taken care by them. Don’t worry. Do as I say, marry this Sameer and forget your career.” That day I hated my father the most, but I am an obedient daughter…just like his obedient wife.

The marriage was a fantastic affair. Sameer…well, he was no Adonis, but he looked quite presentable in the resplendent Sherwani. His family made sure to make me feel at home in their well-kept bungalow. It was a joint family consisting of Amerbhai, the head of the family, his wife, Johra, his elder son and his wife and Sameer, my husband. The brother of my MIL, also lived with them alongwith his own two wives and their children.

Though the house was quite crowded in the late evening and morning hours, once they left for work or school, I had the house to myself. A tinge guilty for judging my father’s choice negatively, I was beginning to enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of my new home.

One evening, Sameer was massaging his leg vigorously, when we were in our bedroom. As I sat near him, I noticed depression marks on his thigh. I started rubbing his leg tenderly and asked, “What happened to your thigh, haan ji? Had you kept some heavy stick on it for a long time? See how…”. Getting totally flustered, Sameer almost kicked me and got up. “Keep the dinner ready in few minutes, okay? I want to sleep early today.”

That night everyone had dinner quietly and retired to their respective bedrooms.

“I need to leave early tomorrow Diya. Wake me up at 5.30 am. okay?” and so saying Sameer went off to sleep.

The next day, I woke him up early. Wasn’t I surprised to see the entire household awake at that early hour! And just like that, everyone was ready at the breakfast table including the children. And no one was telling me anything. Again, I was left alone at home. An empty mind is the devil’s advocate. Why is everyone leaving together? Why are they being so secretive? Even Sameer? Why is he so dependent on the family? And… why am I being kept away?

I had to plan a taxi most surreptitiously to avoid any suspicion. The morning breakfast went smoothly. The demure DIL, that is me, attended to everyone. As everyone rushed towards the big family SUV's to go on their way, I waved at them. As soon as the SUV’s were out of sight, a signal was given and a taxi screeched to a halt. In jumped the DIL, shouting “peecha karo”. The taxi zoomed in and out of traffic, keeping at the SUV’s heels, while keeping a safe distance so as not to trigger suspicion.

I was surprised to see the SUV’s rushing behind a warehouse near the mall. From a safe distance I saw the entire family get down and rush into the first open door and disappear. With bated breath I waited for some time and then rushed through the same door.

It was dark inside. As I felt my way along the wall inside, another door creaked open. There I saw them in various stages of undress. As my eyes widened in shock, I saw them all occupy the chairs kept inside.

Soon a team of men approached them. Flabbergasted, I saw this team opening their tool kits and…start applying makeup to the family’s faces. My FIL was the first to finish, but… a very old, bent man emerged from the cocoon of men surrounding him. As he grabbed a stick to barely stand, my MIL was nowhere to be seen. In her place stood a gaunt, crooked woman, her cheekbones protruding grotesquely. While the other family members appeared leprosy stricken, I almost puked when I saw Sameer disappear and a cripple occupying a push board. Overcome by dizziness, I almost fell but willed myself to see this through. I hoped against hope, that my family was a family of film stars. That would explain the riches, so I followed them further, always taking care, to stay in the shadows. What followed was startling to say the least.

As I followed Sameer, I saw him put on a most pitiful face and ask for alms from the people frequenting the mall! Beggar!! The family I had married into, was nothing but a family of beggars. Over the next few days, I came to realize many things to explain their riches.

I am back home now, yes…my father’s house. I have restarted my physiotherapy practice again. And no…my father no longer behaves as if he owns us. My old man learned it the hard way, a parent may always have the good of his progeny at heart…. but he may not always be right.

Book review - Wind Chimes by the sea

 Book Title – Wind Chimes by the sea

Author – Beetashok Chatterjee

Publisher - Readomania

Beetashok Chatterjee gets it right with the title itself, which says, “Stories blown ashore”. For the stories have truly been blown ashore by the master story teller, whose vast experience of travelling the seas in all corners of the world comes handy, and combined with his tremendous story telling skills, he conjures up tales of every hue, weaving them into a web of words, in which the reader loses herself only to emerge at the end, with a smile on her face.

The stories show the entire range of human emotions and characteristics. 11 tales, and no story is similar though all connected to life at sea. When a seaman is on a ship, his mates are his family but he is still, all alone on a watery prison which can test anyone’s mental toughness.

While ‘Service to the nation’ explores a patriotic theme, ‘In the heat of the night’ makes the reader pray for the protagonist’s life.

‘Island in the sun’ takes you back to the middle ages, the 16th century, where the protagonist is a pirate living precariously on the edge, and whose love is doomed. Does he survive the battle with the authorities? Does he find love at the end?

A seaman always dreads the fury of nature, which quickly turns the peaceful waters into monster waves, helped along by fiery gales and everything comes alive in ‘The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’.

A seaman, after a lonely long trip always looks forward to a shore leave, wherever he may be, but if this shore leave is forced by a medical emergency in an unknown country, then what happens. Please read ‘Shore leave’ to know more.

What happens when a ship’s captain is irresponsible and doesn’t follow basic SOP of navigation? Read ‘Okinotori Shima’ to know more.

Anyone would love to have his family on board, especially a young seaman. But how does the wife, accompanied by her newborn child, cope with the challenges thrown at her by the lonely life at sea? Read ‘There and back’ to know more.

If sea life is challenging, a Captain can add humour to it, with some eccentric schemes, however positive the intention may be. Have a good laugh with ‘The GM Diet’.

 The Covid pandemic affected the entire humanity but hardly anyone gave a thought to the challenges faced by those involved in “essential services”. Do read ‘The forgotten’ to understand what the seamen went through.

If the weather can challenge a ship with violent storms, it can also confront with extreme cold. Read ‘Frozen’ to discover artic winter at its worst.

“All’s well that ends well” lives up to the title to wind up this great anthology of sea faring stories.

Pick up “Wind Chimes by the sea” to lose yourself in a topsy turvy sea and enrich yourself with the effortless language of a gifted author.

Book review - Hawk's Return

 Book Title - Hawk's Return

Author - various

Publisher - Room9 Publications

One thing is assured, when Room9 Publishers from ArtoonsInn come out with their offering, readers are assured of some tremendous stories. It is the same case with Hawk's Return, the 3rd book from Room9 Publications. So, without wasting any words further, let's have a look at the stories here.

Darussalam by Dr. Supriya Bansal - Dr. Supriya Bansal is a storyteller par excellence, and she doesn't disappoint at all, and the anthology starts with a bang. She peels off the story, one layer at a time, to finally reach a climax that surprises the readers to the core.

Rotten wood by Nigel Yu - I read his story for the first time and loved the languid pace. The story proceeds like a lazy stream, and by the time it ends, you are overcome by emotions.

Home by Kruti Bharadva - the background of World War 2 is perfect for a story about painful loss and final redemption, ending positively.

O Captain!My Captain! By Sheerin Shahab - a story that unfolds through diary entries of an innocent little girl, whose hunky dory life is not so rosy as it seems. Beautiful narration.

The village that could not sleep by Dr. Pallavi Sawant-Uttekar - one of my favourite writers at ArtoonsInn, and she comes up with a story that has a life lesson in it.

Return to her mother by Charulata Panigrahi - a story from The Ramayana cannot go wrong when it is narrated by Charulata Ma'am

Strange are the ways of Providence by Sudha Vishwanath - when the story starts, you feel sorry for the protagonist but by the time it ends, you will be as happy as her, that's the strength of Sudha Ma'am's narration.

The Ascension by Lalitha Ramanathan - a beautiful tale that teaches you that it is never too late to pursue your forgotten dreams.

The Ghosts of Lidice by Narayani Manapadam - another story with a war background by another favourite author of mine. This time, the ghosts are looking for deliverance from their sorrows.

The Longest Return Journey by Srivalli Rekha - a story from another Indian epic, this time The Mahabharata by the veteran writer, Srivalli, about one of the biggest heroes from the epic.

The Lost Memory by Venkat Raman V – one more story with a war background where the protagonist discovers a ghastly truth at the end, when he finally remembers everything from the war.

Ruth’s Patties and Pies by Shankar Hosagoudar – the anthology ends with a bang with this excellent story about a protagonist who finds his true calling in life while helping his aged grandmother. P.s. – this story has a pleasant surprise for some wannabe bakers.

 Give some love for my story...

https://prowritersroom.com/salon-de-la-reine/

“Such a beauty! Is she a movie star?”, the girl, doing the facial of a masked lady on the back of the Salon, asked the girl who was straightening my hair. Though I couldn’t see her, I could feel her admiring side glances. I felt like a queen, regally sitting in her throne, as I sat there, having my beauty regime done at ‘SALON DE LA REINE’. It was my favourite place, a cozy corner in an usually crowded Salon.

I was used to such adoring behavior from total strangers, especially boys and many middle-aged, portly men. While some were direct, anonymously wolf whistling in the streets, the others ogled at me from safe distances. Men walking with their wives, kept their gaze straight if I appeared in their sight of vision, but as soon as they had crossed, I had noticed some of them turning back on some pretext or the other, leering at me with their half admiring half lascivious looks.

Soon, I was going to leave this middle-class neighborhood to establish a kingdom of my own at the matinees.

16 years later

I am back. It's all so changed. Being back to my roots, my town of birth and my family, feels so nostalgic. A feeling of peace transcends my whole being though numbed by pain. The cancer has spread and I no longer wish to live. But nothing in my life has gone as per my wishes, except for the first 5 years after I left this town. Then, it all started falling apart. So here I am, back to my town, to spend the last few days in peace before I get bedridden. I might as well visit 'Salon De La Reine' for old times' sake, in my favourite Cosy corner. 

As I glance at myself with trepidation in the mirror, a precocious girl, as beautiful as a rose bud, long tresses cascading from her petite shoulders, stares back at me. The vision is momentary, but it is enough to break my resolve, I am hit by violent convulsions of pent-up despair, the tears just flow undammed. 

I feel two hands holding my shoulders, then embracing me from behind, trying to comfort me. As I wipe away my tears with shaking hands, I realize it's the same girl who had straightened my hair, all those years back, albeit with extra kilos on her frame. I try to force a smile but break down again. Then, before I can react, she reaches for the electric hair trimmer, puts it to her thick, afrotextured hair and just like that, she is standing there, all bald and beautiful. Overcome by her empathy, I stand and envelop her in a tight hug while she caresses my bald, chemo-affected head, as incessant tears flow in that Salon.

My story in ArtoonsInn Writers Room - The Last Year

 Read and enjoy

https://prowritersroom.com/the-last-year/

Radhika and her husband, Neelkanth landed in Mumbai early morning, on a Sunday. Radhika cosied up to Neelkanth, her hands clasping his right arm, eyes tearing up, their taxi speeding towards their destination, Wada.

“Neel, I hope we did the right thing, coming back to India permanently. But we have to be with Aai at this challenging time”, said Radhika as she wiped her swollen eyes and glanced out of the window.

Neelkanth caressed back her hair and held her face, to comfort her.

“Yes Radhi we did take the right decision. We were in USA to build a future for us. But…but…”, he paused, lost in his thoughts. “Nothing to look forward to, so far away from our country…our family…friends. Let’s spend these last days with Aai.”

Various national governments had not disclosed anything fearing widespread chaos. Then, a buzz started spreading on social media about an extraordinary natural calamity, which was estimated to hit earth within an unknown timespan. People indulged in all kinds of speculations, finally seeking clarity from their governments. The US government was the first to finally disclose that an asteroid, 25 km. across, was expected to hit the Earth within 16 to 18 months. And it was expected to wipe out almost all life on earth. Initially no one took the warning very seriously. However, hardly 3 months had passed after the warning, when a new, bright star appeared in the night sky. And within the next 2 months, it had become the brightest in the sky. That’s when panic set in. The share markets started crashing everywhere. Looting and mugging became common.

It was in this scenario that Radhika and Neelkanth had that phone conversation with her Aai, which convinced them to make their permanent move back to her Aai’s village, Wada.

In the beginning, everything went on normally in Wada, a typical small town. However, as time went by, changes started to be felt. Once Radhika had accompanied Aai to the market. The vegetable shopping done; Radhika took out her phone. Finding no code to scan she asked, “Bhaiya, where is the QR code?”.

“Arre madam, I have discontinued code. No one knows what will happen in future. So, I will deal only in cash henceforth. I need cash to run my household. It’s better to carry cash, no use keeping in banks. Here, take these vegetables and pay Rs. 550/-.”

“550…but this is plain thievery. This is worth only Rs. 200. Why 550?”, a furious Radhika asked.

“What can I do madam? Prices have increased in the entire pipeline. Take if you want, if not, move ahead, but don’t eat my head”

When they reached back home, Radhika was taken aback to see the biggest TV in the living room and Neelkanth in front of it, his twinkling eyes watching the moving pictures on the screen. Eyes wide with surprise, Radhika asked, “Why have you splurged on this?”

“Radhika, have you not heard of something called a bucket list. Well, this was on my bucket list. If not now, then when?”, replied Neelkanth. Even though surprised, Radhika was happy to see the child-like excitement on Neelkanth’s face.

Next day dawned as usual. A red hue enveloped the skies while the winds dropped. Neelkanth went to withdraw money from the bank, but he was informed that he can withdraw only 50% cash. And since 50% was substantial enough he withdrew. As he exited the bank, two masked persons elbowed him in the chest, and sent him sprawling to the ground. One of them snatched the money bag and both escaped on a waiting bike. They disappeared in a jiffy. A few passers-by helped Neelkanth to his feet.

“Sir, this has become a common occurrence nowadays. These predators wait for vulnerable prey and pounce on them to make off with whatever they can get. Everything is so expensive now, not everyone has money for even the basic things”, said one of the passers-by who had moved forward to help him on his feet.

Without wasting any time, Neelkanth reached the nearest police station. When he asked for filing the FIR, he was surprisingly told that it was a futile exercise. The muggings were too many and the police, too few. To his utter shock and dismay, he was sent back from the police station without filing FIR. A dejected Neelkanth returned home, feeling resigned to his wretched fate. A fate he shared with everyone on this planet.

However, not everyone was resigned to their fate. The Government was making efforts. To counter the general anarchy in the country, martial law was declared to support the citizens and maintain a semblance of social Order.

Scientists all over the world coordinated with each other to find solutions. Though they had given up on their dream of deflecting an asteroid with the help of a nuclear explosion near the approaching asteroid, due to the sheer humongous size of it, they dreamt of escaping from the planet’s surface with the help of the super-secret SpaceXtreme program…at least by saving some of the brilliant human minds.

The Sun had been blocked out for the past few days by the huge asteroid, now occupying a major portion of the sky. Earthlings came to terms with the approaching end. While some like Aai, Radhika and Neelkanth became subdued and stuck indoors, others challenged the martial law, and indulged in mass looting and killings, just to satisfy their animal instincts. While some did their respective religious rituals to satisfy invisible Gods, others went berserk in a frenzy.

 And in those last few weeks, while most of the humanity counted their remaining hours, a few rockets left for the new home, Mars, never to return. Whether they reached their destination or whether the huge asteroid’s own gravitational pull had any impact on the trajectory, will never be known.

Tooth f-hairies

 I reached the dental clinic with a spring in my step and an extra bounce in my fast depleting hair, such was my enthusiasm. My wife had insisted on accompanying me for this visit to the dentist, being concerned about my mental balance. After all, this was the first time that she was seeing her husband in high spirits before a visit to that most dreaded of all medical practitioners. When I was called in, I almost had a boisterous song on my lips and my wife's concerns grew exponentially. Inside, we were asked to sit in front of the dentist's table instead of that petrifying chair. My wife threw anxious side glances at my glowing, smiling face. And when the dentist stretched to reach over and give a sharp pull on my receding hair, she almost fell off the chair. 

"The roots have strength but Keratin levels have depleted. Your hair loss is permanent. We will have to your hair from the roots and do a hair transplant. Have this antibiotic and come after 5 days", pronounced the dentist. 

My wife was zapped. Was this a dental clinic or mental? I won't be surprised if that thought crossed her mind. She kept looking at me quizically on the way home.

"First I was worried about your mental balance but now I am perturbed about mine. Did we visit the dentist or a dermatologist? A dentist advising hair transplant instead of a tooth...eh?", she seemed totally confused. 

Laughing at her discomfort, I said "Don't you know that dentist are also authorized to do hair treatments? Your GK is truly VK...er...weak. Isn't it exciting? I can take leave from office for dentist appointment but have a totally different treatment on the sly. And when I go to office next, they won't recognize the hirsute stranger."

Yes, friends. I was enlightened about the hidden talent of dentists while reading a small news article which said that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the guidelines issued by the Dental Council of India, which permit Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, who are generally dental practitioners, to perform aesthetic and hair transplant surgery across the country. The PIL has been filed by some business challenged Dermatologist and Hair Transplant Association since it was affecting their daily bread, if I stretch it far. So my bald pated friends, rush to your neighbourhood dentist before their share of the hairy pie is snatched from their fingers and you are advised unnecessary dental implants and make leaks in your pockets. 

Yatindra Tawde

From Africa they came

 Whatever their fate in their new land, the 8 cheetahs from Africa have already made history, being the first Cheetahs to fly. Well, they have been recorded to run at an amazing speed of 98 km/hr but they had to fly from Namibia to India for their Indian sojourn. A special jet was hired to bring these special guests to India followed by a helicopter ride to Kuno National Park, where they were released in a specially designed enclosure. Now they will begin a life of being acclimatized to Indian prey and forest conditions.

It's their good fortune that hunting has been banned in India since 1972. Otherwise the ex-Royalty of India or the neo-royals would have made their life a formidable struggle.

Settling in new lands is a challenge in itself, hopefully they would find sufficient prey in the National Park. And poachers would be on the prowl too. I am not aware whether any highways pass through the national park otherwise there would have been an added hazard. Not to mention, they would also have to compete with their cousins, the leopards for their prey and their habitat.

And when they start sprinting, I hope the area of the national park doesn’t fall short to break them into a trot.

People line up in Mumbai to gawk at the penguins. A similar line would have been seen at Kuno to ogle at the new arrivals but for the cool off time given to them to first settle down.

Yatindra Tawde

Thanks to @pumplekin for making this photo available freely on @unsplash 🎁