The Man

Every day he crossed paths with his “Man”. Watching him walk down the lane, exchange glances, nod, smile and move away, while he turned around for a view of those gorgeous butts, made his day!

An honest appreciation of beauty now turned into a mix of erotic fantasy and innocent crush! The tanned face, thick trimmed beard, slender nose, full pink lips he pursed as he smiled, fiery eyes adorned with a pair of thick rimmed glasses got butterflies flying in his stomach! Long legs, broad shoulders with modest biceps bulging through the shirt- an athletic body, his perfectly tailored clothes could hardly contain- got him weak in the knees!

Blame it on the heart, each day he found hope! He felt the nod suggested more than just a hello! He wondered if he could hug him, or kiss those full lips! Each day, desires soared higher! He blushed pink as they passed through! “He wants me to initiate,” he thought walking up!

He waited for the guy to appear, a little longer, and as they got closer, he gave out a wide smile and winked!! “Your Turn ” almost blurting out! The smile gave way to a perplexed scorn and clear anger! Mouthing a curse or two, straightening up menacingly, he shook the head as if to ask “What was that?”.

Throat growing dry, thighs shivering, he looked away! Walking faster, not turning back, stopping only at the bend of the road, he let out a gasp! He never took that route again!

The Cinephile

Movies were always a matter of pomp in the family! It was the eldest daughter who was the most infected by the cinema bug. There were times when the entire family of six siblings and the parents would go watch every cinema that came to the town! At times she watched them alone and narrated the entire script back home after the lights went out!

She was then married off to a family, which wasn't particularly interested in movies! The husband's disdain in the matter was most appalling! Nonetheless, she never let the love die down. She would drag the poor man along to the movies where he either dozed off or pacified her wailing infant, while she drifted into utter euphoria once the theatre lights went off!

Years passed and they aged! The hubby was no longer obligated to give in to the demands of the aging wife! She had to make do with the movies that were aired on Doordarshan every Friday night! She considered it a disgrace, watching cinema on TV, but had no choice!

She now pins hopes on her son who she finds mirrors her taste! He gets her the DVDs now and then, even takes her to the nearby PVR a place she finds glaringly misfit to be a cinema hall! There's still hope she thinks, this boy will carry on the lineage, she hopes as he sits narrating her new a movie she could not watch

Ajji

Ajji had been ill for more than a week! It had all started with a fall she suffered in the bathroom. The external bruises healed, but her health went for a toss. The boisterous grama was now a quietly aging creature with bouts of vomiting and bad appetite which rendered her fragile. Even the doctors were of little help.

And the housemaid intervened! "It must be an evil spirit that’s bothering her", she said. "I will take off the Drishti (the ominous sights of the demon) off her, just get me a handful of chillies and salt" It must be a baby demon, he mused. It was probably a spirit of a child that’s been haunting Ajji for she had transformed into a cranky toddler since the fall! She would call out to him for the simplest of tasks, pee in the saree, steal almonds and cashews from the shelf and would throw up all over herself right after eating them.

She had mellowed down a lot, obeying to whatever he said, and smiling for no reason. She would sit at the balcony for hours waving at the passersby until they disappeared down the street. He had surprisingly grown fond of her now.

"There! The spirit should stop bothering by the evening and would vanish by Amavasya", said the maid, drowning the chilli and salt into an urn of turmeric water. Though hopeful things will get better, he was scared! He seriously did not want the baby spirit to leave, which meant Ajji would get back to her bossy, quarrelsome and cunning self. He had a feeling he would lose her, the moment the spirit was gone!

Venting Out

The women in the family had a strange way of venting out! While attending to the daily chores, in the midst of mundane conversations, one of the ladies would break down cry her heart out while the others just patted her back and made comforting noises- “its okay!” or “enough now!”. No questions would be asked and no details sought as if it was a collective ritual and the intensity of the episode varied with the seriousness of the issue!

He had witnessed it so many times such scenes never bothered him anymore! And one day, it happened to him.

Unable to handle relationship troubles, Amma’s mounting pressure to get married and career issues, one day he saw it coming to him with full gusto! He was in the kitchen to fetch some water and he wept! And like never before! It was a full-mouthed cry, his face wet with tears and snot which lasted for more than five long minutes.

When it was over, he felt better and even better on realizing that one of the Akkas had been patting his back all this while saying All shall be well! All shall be well! He felt strangely close to the women of the family as if he was one of them! He felt light!

Forever

She watched Arun smile at his phone as she sat sipping the tea in the little stall en route Mussoorie!

"It must be her" she spoke to herself! "It's only for Reva's texts that he smiles so much!" she went pale for a moment and recovered

"What is she to him?" "Is he having an affair with her?" she laughed at the thought! "Hell no!" she said aloud! "I know him better! And Reva is an absolute gem! Everything in the world needn't have a name! I am being so stupid", she smiled!

Beep! Beep! Her phone buzzed!

"Happy Anniversary Sweethearts!" it was Reva!

"Six years and going strong! Love to you both!

PS: Your stupid hubby doesn't remember the day! Be good to him"

She looked at the message and repeated

"Six years and going strong!"

With that, she hurriedly gulped the tea and rushed to him as their car was repaired now and she was dying to get in!

She never kept count of their days together! Coz it was going to be forever!

The Relief

He was the blue-eyed boy of the family! Well behaved soft-spoken and docile! The only child to land a “Secure” job while the other kids "experimented” with careers! He had no demands as a child and his education didn’t cost much! “He will be a perfect husband” his mother would beam! Not to forget the prospective matches that were being made!

One day, It was all over! He was found “kissing” somebody! To add to it, it was a boy he was philandering with. With that, he came to be called as “that” with a wink!! His popularity sagged with the news and the aunts had their tongues wagging! 

His abnormality was attributed to the “Caste-less Marriage” his parents had.  All his virtues turned into vices overnight! Soft-spoken? Well-behaved? Very quiet? Oh! that was because he was a faggot in the hiding! He was never “clean”! His “good boy” rating reduced to a third and his hitherto useless cousins were “normal and fine”!

Strangely, he was unmoved by the decline! He took the mockery with an unusual grace as if he was waiting for the “dethroning”! Bereft of all the pretense and unburdened! He felt alive!