The Suitable Bride:

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‘Bhai Sahab, we have nurtured our girl in a complete traditional environment; in complete stringent upbringing. You will never hear a single utter from her. You will always find her either in kitchen or household chores.’

‘Wah Trivedi ji! Your daughter is a gau.’

‘Ji bhai sahab.’ He grinned, while his palms remained folded.

‘Doesn't utter a single word, all day!’ Trivesh, immersed in his smartphone, turned to them, ‘Papa! I wonder whether you are looking for a life partner for brother, or a puppet…. Slave fits better though.’ He gave a sneer to both.

‘What do you mean, Trivesh.’ His brows narrowed.

‘Leave it.’ He got up to leave, ‘the problem’s with the centuries of oppressed mindset, that still inhibits us to think right; which turned a woman from ardhangini, to a mere daasi.’

Dress Code

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“And today, our Prime Minister met the German Chancellor. While the opposition pronounces it PM’s another tour; several contracts & agreements signed between the delegations of both countries, indicate the strengthening ties, heralding a new dawn!”

‘I must admit it; this man has definitely worked on our nation’s branding, changing perceptions!’

‘Wow Mom! You seemed to have developed a liking for our dude.’

‘Oh!’ Her face turned red, ‘What rubbish. It’s about our country, that’s it. There, another news breaking.’

“Meanwhile! A Bollywood actress on her promotional tour met our PM. Here’s the complete story….”

‘This girl’s my goddess! She’s so cool na mom?’

‘Now there, why am I not surprised? Any pretty face that garners overnight sensation is your idol. A real icon represents strength and endurance that comes over years and sometimes decades of labor.’ She frowned.

‘Ok Mom cool down!’ her eyes widened in astonishment, ‘We can deal with this success mantra subject some other time. What’s annoying you in actual?’

‘Just see her wearing, legs exposed. Is this how you represent our country? You are meeting in person with the PM, where’s the decorum?’

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‘First thing first! Dressing must never be a criterion to judge a person.' She rose, 'Second, she’s not a diplomat, nor she was in Germany for political reasons. Instead, I appreciate her for visiting our PM out of blues. Don’t you see goodness in that?’

‘But Beta….’

‘Have you researched our scriptures enough to claim her dressing as a sign of sluttiness. You once taught me that it’s our sanskaar that matter, and now you judge a woman for her dressing? That’s not you' She looked her in the eye, 'but centuries of oppression speaking, mother. As we failed to realize our heritage, our actual values.’

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Jingle all the way

“Hurry, we must make it soon, else they will catch us” Jacob was running restlessly.

“Wait! I am not an athlete, gimme a moment” Mishka stopped him, breathing heavily.

“Look, it was your idea; we have got the stuff, now we must deliver it to them. If father founds us, we are surely gone then.”

“Look, there’s a teddy bear lying there in the lane, good we got stopped here. She had it on her wish list you see.” she chuckled.

“We barely stopped for a minute and I am freezing, the merits of running are over, brrrrr.”

“Ha ha ha! poor you. Let’s go now, they are just two blocks away, it won’t take us long. We will deliver the stuff to them and return. Our fathers will never know.” They started running again.

“Yeah right, don’t know how I always get into your stupid plans. Look, there they are.”

Mila and Ronan were just like other street children, orphan and homeless. Their eyes twinkled when they saw Mishka.

“Here you go guys, MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Mishka shouted in a gala mood. Daughter of a rich dad, her heart was a pure gold; she befriended with both kids just a week ago and convinced Jacob to donate their gifts to both poor children. She and Jacob gave all their gifts to them, including the teddy they recently found.

“Thank you so much guys, you really made our day” said Ronan and Jones” it’s so nice of you, you both brought every single gift we wished since we were….I don’t even remember since when.”

“Just enjoy your gifts; here, I got the cake mommy made for me. I have already got enough gifts with me; wish Santa had gifted me personally, every year I try to wake but fall asleep and then he drops whatever gift I wish for.”

“Okay, we must leave else our parents will come looking for us.” Jacob said, waving goodbye to both.

They turned back towards their homes, but Mishka was sad, her wish to see Santa was not granted yet, the only thing she actually wished this year.

“Cheer up Mishi, there’s no Santa okay; it is our parents who arrange these gifts for us.” Jacob tried to cheer her.

There was dead silence in the street, they continued with their walk,. Suddenly, a gust of wind astounded them. They looked up in the air, and their jaw dropped, a flying sleigh with reindeers attached to it arrived and halted. A giant figure appeared ”Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas children!” This was Mishka’s moment and she was the happiest child in the world.

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Three words:

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'Marriages are made in heaven'; their affection & compatibility verified the saying. The whole world could see, how deep they were into each other. And the news of a new life augmented the merriment in their lives.

“My dear wife! Nothing more now I seek or aspire from life’ he pecked a kiss on her forehead, ‘When I will be back from abroad, I will see that our son gets all my time.’

Weathers passed and the awaited day arrived.

‘Congratulations husband, you're promoted to fathership. Our girl resembles you totally, especially her eyes, where I delve into for hours. So now come back soon, can’t wait to see you.’ She messaged him.

She waited for an hour anticipating his revert. Finally her cellphone’s message tone clanged. Her fingers made no delay in opening the messenger. It was his message where he compiled all his feelings in three words.

Those three words that started with ‘T’ were enough to wreck her life, shattering her dreams of a pleasant future.

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A day not so far:

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They knocked at the door hesitantly.

‘Please come in.’ a female voice answered.

They entered the room, closing the door carefully. He helped her wife to the chair, holding her hands.

‘Mr. & Mrs.…..’ she glanced at the application form closely, ‘Naadkarni.’

‘Yes Mam.’ They said in unison, gently; posing a smile.

‘Let me first congratulate you for choosing city’s prime & eminent school. Your child is certainly in the best hands where we will shape our pupils’ future in concord with their dispositions & aspirations. We believe in providing the environment where the tiny tots will fly with their imagination. In our tutelage, the naive minds will evolve towards the right direction, towards conviction.’

‘Yeah yeah, the hypocritical speech’ He thought, ‘Absolutely Mam!’ An admitting grin followed, ‘any directives for us as parents.’

‘Not much really, we don’t believe in enforcement. Just a few things, we will provide guidelines for child’s education; diet plan; attiring etc. for his all round personality development. Therefore, it will be our request to make the arrangements from our affiliates only.’ She donned a broad smile.

‘Certainly Mam!’ the mother nodded in agreement, ‘along came the demands’ she brooded.

‘Thanks for understanding. Now the most important question’ she looked at her, ‘when’s the due date?’

Emptiness

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She cuddled her beloved’s shirt tightly. His scent used to refresh her morning while he was away, followed by their son’s cackles and capering.

‘Azim! Where are you son? Come to mommy now, we will play ha……’ She stopped, recalling, that they were never gonna be there for her. The chemical attacks that took her family away, endowed her with new companions; tears & loneliness.

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Allegiance:

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‘Just a few steps Rohini. We are almost there.’

‘Damn you Dhiren! The world goes Vrindavan on Holi…’She gasped, ‘and we are here, at this unknown hill. We are not young anymore, do take that into notice.’

‘Vrindavan’s cliché. Just try to observe the serenity here. No shouts and thankfully no pouts.’ He smirked.

‘Okay now pause! I need some air, before we move further.’

‘Yeah let’s relax here for a while. We have come long for Jagannath, let him now wait.’

They sat silently at the stairs, reveling the scenery. He preferred staring at infinity. While her gaze remained at him; beholding his strands of hair, waving with the breeze. She clasped her hand with his and rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing her eyes. A drop on her hand impeded the repose. She looked at him, it belonged his eyes.

‘What happened, Dhiren?’

‘Nothing, while here I tried to distract my mind from the hullabaloo; it diverted, there again.’

‘You’ve served the army, your country with pride and honor; let not that nonsense sway you.’

‘I wasn’t. But now I wonder what was I then; a proud army man, a patriot, a fighter….’ His voice choked for a second, ‘Or rather a rapist, murderer, a suppresser. While all those years I served my nation, our men are; I never realized we are being depicted in such way. It aches my heart Rohini, when a young innocent girl inclines towards the anarchists without reasoning the situations; politicians standing with “young student leaders” who actually advocate separatism, WHY?’

‘The world is mystical in its own ways my child. Calm yourself, you have done your karma, let people decide what’s right, and if they choose the evil, why do you cry upon it. The karma shall speak, not us. Here have this prasdam, BAM BHOLE.’

A hermit what they figured was coming downwards, towards them. Astonished as there seemed no one else few minutes earlier, they stayed cautious.

‘In the times of Holi, your Shiv chanting indicates you’re not out of Shivratri hangover yet.’

‘I believe in one God! He’s Ram in Dusshehra, Krishn in Holi and Shiv in Shivratri. Just consider Shiv is here to worship his Jagannath here in Holi.’

‘So you’re Shiv?’ He tried to mock him.

‘अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि, I am in him, he’s in me; that’s the ultimate truth, ain’t that?’

‘Guy’s gotta point Dhiren, especially when he has awed you.’

‘Indeed dear. Now, take this prasadam, it will relieve you from weariness, JAI JAGANNATH.'

The prasadam actually worked, his all agonies vanished, ‘Incredible, this is just awesome, is it some ‘herbalacious’ magic Ba..’ He turned to him, but to their wonder, no one was there, he was gone.

‘Well! May be it was him, to clear your dilemma.’

‘Yeah, like he said ‘अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि’.

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