Saleem tumhe marne nahi dega. aurnHum, Anarkari, tumhe jeene nahi denge!

- Mughal e Azam

 

Yakshi, 3

Yakshi, 3

'The Yakshi is all around us. Also within us, if we're not trying to please everyone all the time! Any person or any behavior that doesn't confirm with the narrow norms is marginalized, isolated, pushed to the edges.Followed by feared, fantasized about and revered. '

Ashi walked to her car, and fought back stuffed Guru into the passenger seat. All the others had sensed the imminent move away from the house they'd grown up in, and quietly disappeared in protest. Cats are sensitive creatures.  It had been a week since she'd gone out with Saiju, and 2  since Guru died and resurrected.

Saiju was back on his feet and back to his philandering ways once the effects of his food poisoning wore off. He stopped his bike next to Ashi's car to say hello. when he saw the luggage and Guru stuffed in the car, he parked, got off and quietly gave Ashi a big, warm, goodbye  hug that actually felt genuine . Ashi was a tough soul who never let her emotions do the talking but this was such a charged moment that she hugged Saiju back tightly and silently sobbed on his shoulder. This time, as last few times in the town of her birth, Ashi felt neglected, persecuted, sidelined, feared, lusted after, loved- all in one quick wave . Unlike the Yakshis who had lived before her, she was grateful for the rule of law that afforded her protection form being sacrificed in the name of faith. Unlike the Yakshis who lived before her, she was also sad to note there was almost zero chance of her being worshipped in the name of faith.

-Shankar

You mustache for it clearly instead of giving stubble hints.if you don't shave what you mean it can turn beard later.

Yakshi, 2

Yakshi, 2

Mr & Mrs George were the quintessential,  married forever couple. Married long enough for people to think they were born married! They frowned at each other more than they smiled, and loathed more than enjoyed each other's company. But a rare topic they agreed upon was Saiju and what's best for him. Saiju was their only child, a recent college graduate and a Charmer par excellence. It was his thoughts and worries about his career, marriage & life in general that both the Georges obsessed about, together & solo. He was equally disappointing on all three fronts. While he had graduated from the University an year ago, he showed no inclination of doing job, or even looking for one. He spent his days at the gym, roaming around the city on his bike, and nights either drinking with friends or womanizing.

Tonight, as they took their customary post dinner walk around the building compound, they were quieter than usual, and spoke in monosyllables. On the surface, it sounded like couldn't care less apathy, but in reality was grave worry for their son's wayward ways. He had been spotted chatting up with the mysterious neighborhood spinster and tongues were roiling in gossip. She was variously seen as hypnotic beauty (by men of all ages) and a seductive witch (by the women). She never socialized with anyone in the society and revelled in her stylish, solo life. That she was a glamorous diva was something of a universal truth, that everyone acknowledged, happily or begrudgingly. Saiju had boldly asked her out to a drink and she had agreed. Tonight was the night. As he was  dressing up in smart casuals to meet her as a good neighbour and a bit of a fanboy, his parents were scared more than disapproving. He dabbed his most expensive cologne, on the neck, wrists and also a bit below the waist, just in case. Mr George couldn't control a sigh as he looked at his biggest project, his dear son, walk towards sure ruin. Ashi was a woman with a reputation. She fascinated many men, but most of them had the good sense to stick to the viewing and fantasizing. This idiot son of his, though, was intent on tempting his fate by actually taking this woman on a date.

Saiju rung the bell and waited, shuffling uncharacteristically. He also noticed that the bouquet he held was slipping due to the sweat on his palms. The self anointed playboy of Kochi was now scared and having second thoughts about this date. Should be just bolt back home and pretend he forgot about it? Should he own up to his squeamishness and tell he couldn't take her in that date? Should he.. The train of thought broke as the door opened and he found himself staring in stunned silence at the diva stranding in front of him. Now, Ashi was glamorous, even when she was putting out trash in faded pyjamas, ruffled hair and no makeup. But today was a different level altogether, as she looked splendid in a pearl white off shoulder dress, a necklace of large pearls on her neck, and white stilettos.

Saiju had to quickly gulp twice before he could gather himself and offer her the flowers. She smiled a wide smile, adding many more pearls to her ensemble. She leaned towards him and gave him a thank you peck, driving him into a deep crimson blush.

The evening went by in a blur for Saiju. They drove in her car, to her choice of restaurant, drank the merlot she chose to drink, ate the prawns she ordered. Mr playboy turned puppy was on a state of perpetual stun and only went with the flow, this exceptional evening. The next thing he remembered was them standing in her apartment, kissing passionately, clothes half off. Actually, what brought him to his senses was the sharp pain of her teeth digging into his neck. He started with a jolt, excused himself out of the embrace, picked his shirt and was out of the door in 10 seconds, buttoning up as he climbed down the stairs.

Next morning, back at the George household,  he woke up to his mother curiously considering his neck. As of dawned on her that there were teeth marks on her son , she let out a blood curdling scream and ran to tell her husband about what the witch had done to her dear son. Though the marks were declared harmless by the family doctor, Saiju was quiet and withdrawn the entire week that followed. He moped at home all the time, missing his gym, bike, friends and womanizing. He was struggling with his sudden lack of lost at the moment destiny presented him. He was struggling with self worth. He was struggling with.. Love??

His parents should have been happy that he was living a quiet, non rabble rousing life but they were scared that their only child had been snatched away by the witch. That bloody neighborhood witch.

 -Shankar

Yakshi , 1

 Yakshi , 1

Ashi turned the key in the heavy mahogany door and walked slowly in, in a slightly wayward tread. One inside, she casually flicked the light on. As darkness receded from her living room to be replaced by bright white light, she had second thoughts and switched the lights off. The heavy crimson & gold curtains were drawn apart and the room was now dimly illuminated through the windows by the reddish skylight that frequently occurred in coastal Kochi Sky. She took a moment to enjoy the darkness, it's anonymity, its sinuous seduction.. Smiling to herself, she started to tiptoe across the wooden floor, towards the tall French windows. This was a sensitive maneuver, since she had to avoid disturbing any of her opinionated flatmates, who were used to changing their sleeping places frequently, and without prior information.

Despite her best efforts to be discreet, she was making substantial noise as her designer heels tick-tocked and made the wood boards creak every time they descended. Feeling a bit adventurous, she untied the flimsy shoulder strings that held up her modesty. She felt a rush of sexy as her white satin gown slipped away to her ankles and was duly bid adieu to as she kept walking towards the windows. She was wryly aware that there were four other persons in the house any or all of whom might be awake..watching in careful silence. She had reached the windows to look down and away, the palms swaying gently in the midnight breeze, the thatched roofs of fisherman's huts, the silver brown sands glistening in the skylit night, and the waves of the infinite sea. The waves, tonight more than on other nights, rocked rhythmically back and forth, under full and willing control of the moon's gravitational pull. Ashi, too, felt the waves inside her rock back and forth, more assertive, more opinionated, and horny as hell, this moonlit night

Ashi stood next to the glass, taking it all in,hypnotized, for what felt like an hour when the absurdity of it all suddenly struck her. She was standing next to a full glass window wearing nothing but her flimsy lingerie, heels and some junk jewellery. Anyone could see her in this State . Perhaps someone should. There could be people in the courtyard of her apartment complex below, but that was 7 floors away and it was past midnight in early-to-bed Kochi. The people in the fishermen colony could, theoretically, but it just looked close from her vantage point, in reality were 2 kms away. Her apartment mates could, for sure, but she was comfortable in her skin with them, no issues there. So, flash we shall, tonight, to the world and anyone who is awake and looking in her direction shall be rewarded!

She gingerly reached her left hand behind her back and hesitated a moment, the way a rookie soldier hesitates before pumping his first bullet into another human's flesh. She sighed and took in the moment and then solitude of this pre monsoon , muggy Kochi twilight. She unclipped the single hook that stood between her excited heart and the sleeping wolves of the world. In this moment, she felt a wave of liberation as the layer of man made norms slipped away to make way for a real, organic, holy, naked connection with the world around her

As her bra made its way to her ankles, charting a slow, laborious path on the slender, athletic body, she jumped in surprise as she felt warm, hairy skin rubbing across her left ankle.

This started a mayhem that quickly spun out of control. As she tried to piece it together later, she did remember saying hello to Guru on her way from the entrance to the windows. He must've followed her quietly and lay at her feet, waiting for the right time to express his love. When he did, however, she had forgotten about meeting him earlier and reacted reflexively, jumping up startled & surprised. When she landed, though, it was on his tail and he let out a bloodcurdling yell that woke up all the others who promptly appeared out of the dark corners of the house to see who was murdering their brother. Not to save, not to intervene, but only to watch now & chat later about. Suddenly stunned ,and concisely concious of her nudity,  Ashi lost her balance and fell right on Guru, crushing him to an early, unfortunate , hazaar painful demise.

She quickly threw on her shorts & t shirt, and rushed the lifeless body of Guru to the vet, who, after making noises about being woken up late at night by irresponsible spinsters, pronounced the cat dead on arrival. Ashi, who had been caressing Guru lovingly this far, lost her cool and frantically slapped the poor cat across his face, getting a response that befit lifeless wood. She looked around the clinic and noticed an rudimentary electroconvulsion machine, typically used on post heart attack humans, that gives a one in 10000 chances of recovery. She did remember that the vet's wife was a cardiologist and might have kept this machine just in case someone insisted on it. She grabbed the terminals and flicked the switch before the vet could react. 2 cruel shocks later, Guru was still as dead as he had arrived. In a last ditch effort of despair, she put her mouth on the cat's and blew hard while squeezing his chest, over and over in patterns of 3,2..1!! The torture went on as Dr Varyar warily looked on wearily from behind his thick spectacles, his 2 decades of experience smirking at the futility of what this foolish woman was trying to do. He sighed and took out his billbook , messily scribbling night call charges, in addition to the regular visiting fee on the cheap pink paper. He calculated the total , first mentally and then again on the dusty Casio calculator, before he finally signed off.  Voila! The cat coughed and feebly stood on his feet, shaking itself from side to side.

Dr Varyar adjusted his glasses, and watched in rapt amazement as the now resurrected cat walked away in a dignified limp with his caretaker, the notorious neighborhood witch. Dr Varyar , the serious vet,  tore the bill as he found  his way to his equally serious car. 

-Shankar

The #pragatimaidan , literally #progress #ground , was thrown #open to #public in #1972 , a #bold#announcement to the #world that #india , led by#indira , was open to #business . No #longer the#socialist #restrictions and #limitations of the #era#bygone , the era of #nehru , Indira's #father and#first #prime #minister of the #country .

Circa #2017 , we #raze it to the #ground , only to#rise #again like the #phoenix — at Delhi.

For every door that is locked, there a lock which is doored.

-Shankar, dogigazameen.blogspot.com