The Honest Woodcutter- Fiction (Aesop's Retold)

“You are not honest.” The angel sighed. “Not even close to it.”

The wood cutter’s hand tightened around the three axes as he stopped walking, turned and looked up at the angel. His hardened face skewed into welt lines lashed with the abrupt accusation.

“But I did the right thing… Didn't I?”

“Oh …. Really? So, tell me, my dear man” She taunted “What happened? And what did you do, that you think is so right?”

“My axe. It fell into the river. My mistake. Was not handling it properly. And just as I thought that it was done for, you came forward to help but retrieved a golden and silver version of my axe before coming up with my own. And yes, as honest as I am, I owned up to only my own axe.”

“And then…” she prodded.

“You gave me all the three as a gift to my honesty. Right??”

 “Well, that’s true.” She paused, her warm red lips dipping into a delicious smirk.  “But wouldn't a really honest man simply refuse the other two axes given as gifts. And what’s the point of being honest, if you start accepting bribes for the very act, the one you deem to be in accordance to your own moral principles.”

She calmly shook her head, her soft flowing hair reveling in the mellow breeze.

“Oh… please…… Didn't you see this coming? What are you… a thumb sucking kid? You are honest because you choose to be; not because someone greases your palm now and then for your good deeds.”

The wood cutter blurted out. “But it was a gift.”

It was then that she started to laugh. Her luscious voice raining through the entire valley, her guffaws drizzling with the dew of her mirth, her dark eyes exploding with a million teasing tinges, she turned around towards the bottom of the river. And just before leaping in into its arcane depths, she gave the bewildered woodcutter one last look and sighed.

Another wannabe. A honest one at that.



Author's note-

Another attempt in twisting the Aesop's with regard to a more skewed version of morality. The argument that is made by the fairy is ambiguous and questionable but I think it is still valid in its own right. If we are not enjoying something and doing it just for the end result- then that I think marks the first step in the decay of human purpose. (Well, that went too philosophical than I intended to. Pardon me.) And I would love to hear what you guys think of my version of honesty.

Also, If you guys are interested to check out the other Aesop's that were retold by me, kindly check out this link. Also, the original tale of the honest woodcutter can be read in the following link.

The Puberty Talk-

The following contains material of mature discussion between my sister and myself and reader discretion is strongly advised. The author does not intend to hurt anyone’s ethics nor their cultural perceptions. The issues raised are but a fragment of quite a few pertinent questions that creep around the fringes of our mind, concealed, camouflaged and forgotten but still breathing, pulsing and very much alive.

The Snap-

Sis- “I wonder why it’s that hard for parents to teach their own kids about Sex, their menstrual periods, related stuff. I think they don’t really know the kind of misinformation that’s rampant among teens especially girls.”

Myself- “Misinformation really. I honestly thought that with internet, face book, chatting and stuff, kids today are more knowledgeable than ever.”

Sis- “You THINK??”

Myself- “Wow, you sound pretty raw!! Why what happened?”

Sis- “hmhm… My friends and I were discussing about our first periods, the way our parents handled us, the problems that we faced, our first education on hygiene during periods and so on …………. and I heard some pretty fucked up stories; Stories that I know to be true but just cannot digest the reality of them.”

Myself- “Okay….”

Sis- “you do know my old roommate! Right? Did you know that she actually believed that she had cancer when she had her first periods? She misinterpreted her bleeding to be associated with cancer and assumed that she was going to die. Imagine her terror as she struggled mentally for 2 months with that misunderstood fact! Thankfully, her mother caught her bleeding during the third month and that put an end to her misery.”

Myself-“Wow- that’s pretty hard to take in”

Sis- “Okay, then you are not going to believe a word of the next one. Happened to one of my class mates. She had her first periods. Her mother helped her clean up. They had the usual ceremony* marking her first menstrual cycle. Then they went on with their lives. They never really talked about what happened. And now again, imagine the state of the girl when her second period starts. She was not just flabbergasted with the unexpected bleeding but ill equipped to handle the situation when it occurred to her in school. Sordid chagrin of a memory.”

Myself-“I…..... I don’t know what to say!!”  

Sis-“Yeah, it does feels daunting! Right? To acknowledge that matured adults are pretty much fumbling in the dark when it comes to dealing with issues on teaching their own children stuff such as periods and sex in a sensible manner. It’s not like I want to generalize but I think the majority of those who rant about the preservation of culture fall under this same category.”

Myself- “hmhm… yeah, that argument can be made. And yes, honesty with regard to such issues between kids and parents are pretty low. But still I am at loss for words. How can such extremes of ignorance exist?”

Sis-“hmhm…  It’s hard to reason it out or explain. In a society such as ours where people want to preserve the idea that they are culturally enigmatic, sometimes gives rise to some pretty messed up scenarios. Some even hilarious!! You know, what happened to me!! ”

Myself- “WHAT?? ”

Sis-  “After my first period mom was explaining to me about hygiene with regard to tampon usage and its proper disposal. You know how she is – quite a stickler for keeping things neat and compartmentalized. She was explaining to me that the best way to manage the stuff to be used during periods was by keeping a separate bag for all the pads and wipes being used. Then she gave bag for me and instructed me to start using it. It was then that I saw a similar bag on the credenza and asked her about it. She shrugged nonchalantly and told me, it was her own bag for her own periods. I looked at her appalled and blurted out “You too have the same periods!!!” ”

* In Tamil Culture, the first Menstrual cycle of the girl is celebrated as a customary ceremony of welcoming her into adulthood. 

Author’s note-

This is not an effort to impart any knowledge, nor any solutions to  bridge the gap that exists between the parents and their child when discussions pertaining to issues of sex, menstruation, hygiene and such are concerned.(I am hardly hardly an expert.) It is just a confirmation of the issues that are at hand and are eating away at the rims of our society. I just want people to take notice. Just want them to ponder for a few seconds. Just want them to be aware. Nothing more. Nothing less. Hence the succinct and sharp tone of the post. 

Of fair women & fairer men

Disclaimer –
The following is just the author and his friend shooting the shit together and is not intended to establish any credible facts with regard to anything. It’s just another day with two argumentative Indians talking about some crap but then who says shit ain’t interesting. : P



The Snap -

Myself- Do men actually fall for that bull shit. John Abraham all smiles and muscles, asking people to care for your skin. Pathetic.

Kishore- hmhm….. It always cracks me up, the way they usually show your skin color getting fairer in a very short period in such ads. Imagine the world if that one was really possible, there would not be a single fellow with dark skin.

Myself- Oi…. Don’t say that. Our skin is our identity. I like its brown color. I just can’t understand the idea of men trying to get fair.

Kishore- Yeah, but then you speak for yourself. I know people working with me who use that men’s fairness cream.

Myself- Dude- Seriously! Oh god. I think that men are losing the idea of what it’s like to be men actually. Men are supposed to be worldly, funny, burnt from all the roaming in the sun. I mean, not all of us market our asses to wine and dine, only a few like Abraham-ji get to do that.

Kishore- I think, that all this has to do with- love for white skin. I think it’s rampant even more so, than when we got our independence. May be some mind set that’s left over from our colonial era.

Myself- No, that really isn’t it. I think that corporate work is making pussies out of men. What kind of men wants to be groomed and fair for his girl? You want to be strong for her. You want to be funny, yeah intelligent but fair. I can understand that it’s in the nature of women to be concerned with their looks. But men! I find that hard to digest.

Kishore- Now, you just being a sexist asshole.

Myself- yeah, I am if it means to save the last piece of honor left for men. Hey, did you know that Miss.World this year is a Chinese girl.

Kishore- hmhm…. I remember this mock group discussion we had in our UG days. The topic given was whether all these beauty pageants were doing any credible good or just a waste of time and resource. I remember this guy’s argument. He was quite convincing actually. His assertion was that all these beauty pageants are but vehicles for all these skin care and cosmetic items to enter in to the country. He did have a few valid points. Like how, after Aishwarya Rai was crowned Miss.World, the influx of all foreign cosmetic brands in India increased exponentially. It was like, she gave credibility to them. And I think that, it’s pretty much the same with all the countries.

Myself- Damn…. That’s one heavy argument to make. Yeah, it’s pretty hard to defeat that argument. Even if you say that, the selection process is democratic and everything is done for world peace, you just cannot avoid the fact that it’s just a great publicity vehicle not just for the girl but anything brand, industry or life style associated with the girl.

Kishore- If you ask me, all their concerns about the world, the way those girls talk about poverty, and peace and any other issue dressed up in their cleavage arresting designer clothes is pretty much a satire in itself.

Myself- hmhm…. You got that one right. It’s like KarunaNidhi suddenly caring for the Lankan Tamils now. Pretty much BS. And hey, did you know that he has started an official twitter account.

Kishore- who? KarunaNidhi. No kidding. Hey, I think I am going to open a twitter account just to follow his tweets.

Myself- hahaha…. Do that. You don’t want to miss the BS of the master of BS.




Author’s note – 
We had this conversation this week end. Though, we talked about a lot of things, Like P. Sainath’s lecture at a Kollam university (which we buffered it on YouTube), the immense stupidity of the movie my friend saw (battleship), the prospective market and the features for the new counter strike global offensive, about some music and some politics. I limited the exchange to general issues so as not to bore you guys. Hope, the shit was worth shooting.


PS-
And yes, Mr.KarunaNidhi has started a new twitter account @Kalaignar89. You can get your daily dose of BS in just 140 characters.

A cultural chaos- An expedition of feet & the mind

The Meenakshi Amman Temple- The majestic entrance.






The post-


Someone said that due to some accident or something the buses in the route are being delayed. A collective groan rang out from all of us waiting for the bus.

A possibly long night. Or may be the start of a long morning. The clock had just stuck two. Tired and exhausted to the bones, I watched as a cold winter morning, with damp drifting winds complete; soaking my already sweat drenched shirt. Drifting in and out of the grey regions of slumber, I looked around.

Being a busy route, in no time there was quite a crowd waiting for the bus. People wanting to get to their homes to their loved ones; every one lost in their own version of life; Strings of thoughts throwing multiple shadows in the crevices of their own urgency and need. Just like a heap of gooseberries poured from a sack, a myriad of people sat around scattered with their eyes expectantly looking out at the entrance of the bus stand.

Almost four hours of waiting was starting to get to everyone.

A few mothers were trying to calm their children, pulling the red worn out muffler over their exposed ears; a couple of old men more wrinkled than the quilts that they dug into with their skinny hands blue veins protruding, laid low huddled together; a group of farmers tried to best the chill and the wait chewing their pan squatted around talking among themselves. A handful of working men restless, probably returning home for the week end were heatedly engaged in critiquing the transport system. And of course a few lost souls like me were passing time by watching the entire milieu unfold. Every bus that came into the bus stand was rushed into by us, only sadly to realize that not even one of them were en route to our destination.


The gargoyles leaping out-





The Impulse-

Just then, a bus slowly moved out of the bus stand, the dull lights of its interior painting up the destination board that read – Madurai. My eyes popped out. The bus was almost half empty and my legs were yearning to take a rest. On an impulse, I got on the bus. Of course I wanted to get a bit of shut eye in those warm inviting seats but most of all, I was simply giving in to my sudden urge to visit Meenakshi Amman temple of Madurai.



Meenakshi Amman Temple –

A place that I last visited almost 10 years ago, when I was in my 6th standard. Memories of the school excursion flooded my half awake senses. Nostalgia closed in. My school friends, the unforgettable bus trip, the dance that we did as we stepped into each other’s legs while travelling in the bus, a piece of laughter that was shared, a trip that was cherished and remembered almost a decade ago, a child’s memory with it’s own nuances and sauces; I fell asleep.

The earth was slowly warming up to the kiss of the sun’s early morning light and the birds were making a delightful ruckus in the trees around the temple. A few peddlers selling flowers and incense to the devotes who have arrived early to avoid the rush, A old lady was busy sweeping the yard in front of the road side stalls, someone was decorating the front of the temple with a rangoli, a couple of foreigners were asking for directions from locals, the air was warm and inviting. A good day to have come to visit the temple, I thought to myself as I looked around standing at the entrance of temple. It’s Gopuram (Temple Tower) as majestic as ever stood above the environs basking the glory of its own regality.

I walked inside the temple drinking in the serenity.

The temple was almost empty and in its void, I felt perfectly peaceful. After all you don’t need to be a theist to feel the aura of a temple; you just need to listen. After spending a while, taking in the freshness of the atmosphere, I started to wander about lost with the purpose of being lost.



Beside the Porthamarai Kulam (the sacred pond)-





The perfect symmetry of stone pillars, the exquisitely engraved statues, the walls with tepid stories painted with vivid colors untainted, Stone gargoyles with fangs menacing leaping out at the edges of the walls, spacious corridors well laid, ceilings brush stroked with beautiful geometric patterns, the Thirukkural (Tamil poems) that have survived the passing of time etched into marble walls, the temple towers purple and mighty with their brows looking at the sky; The entire place is a standing testimony to the brilliance of the architecture of the Dravidian*(ie the Tamil) culture.

I took a deep breath and felt glad that I responded to my impulse and took the trip; a worthwhile expedition to put my camera to good use.

I started clicking away.



A detailed design on a pillar-






A temple is a whole new level of stage where people act out their religion. Sometimes stern faith, sometimes even absurd faith – instilled by blood.

People were busy praying, completely involved in their poojas, trying to catch a glimpse of the holy deity, sitting around eating prasadham (blessed food), some singing hymns in praise of the lord, everyone in their own way practicing religion just they way their parents and their parents before them would have done, no questions asked. A local was explaining to a curious foreigner – the culture of the south as he saw it- the customs, practices and the religion.


After standing around listening to him for a few minutes, I found myself trying to wrestle with a few questions.

What is culture?


Is our culture defined by our religious practices, the customs of matrimony and other such practices we surround ourselves with?

Is it our language? The way we express ourselves – the phonetic finesse of our evolution.

Is it the way we relate ourselves to our caste and to our own creed?

Is it a collective dictum of India as a nation?


The ambiance filled emptiness-




With every one brandishing their own version of culture – from the thakareys, the self proclaimed saviors of Marathi culture to KCR in telangana, the self anointed political reviver of Telangana culture-

The word culture has been interpreted in a million ways or may be even more- After all, political parties keep at it everyday- bringing in new meaning to the word itself.


I stopped wandering and sat down. My mind alone still lost with a purpose, searching for an answer.


I gave out an involuntary sigh. The more I sought for a clear definition, the more ifs and maybes cropped up. The vaguer, my own idea of culture became.



May be- Culture, though defined as a collective prerogative of a group of people, its outlook with regard to every specific individual has to be decided by that individual itself.

May be- It is in the “variety of interpretation of culture with regard to passing time” - the evolution of the social and the political society of tomorrow depends on.

May be- Culture is in taking pride in what we are, rather than in politicking what we are.

May be- Culture is about accepting people for what they are with their short comings, tears and laughs.

May be- Culture is what that makes us believe that we are one as a society, a human civilization.


Too many answers..... Nothing specific.... But everything related and bonded with each other- moving in cohesion with the chaos of humanity.



The paintings on walls-





Sitting amidst alternating dance of shadows in the the Thousand pillar hall, I finally seemed to have realized the source of it all.




It's in pride.

The pride of what we are. What our forefathers have achieved. Our sync as a civilization.

Every one wants others to know and acknowledge, the richness of their own past, of what they have achieved and the potential they hold within themselves.


That's why, people get ruffled when talked about culture. After all, blood is thicker than water.


But, then...

Doesn't real plume, pomp and pride shows off without any effort.? Just like the way, the great temple of Meenakshi Amman has astounded me, putting me in touch with the architectural culture of my forefathers.

Just like the way India stand as a edifice of meditation, yoga and spiritual without anyone advertising it?

Like the way, every time- you hear an exquisite poem in your native language, you get your blood pumped up and your heart revved up. You can feel the beauty of the words, blooming with the poem.


For me, that's culture.


Nor I have the need to barter it. Nor do I am too insecure, to protect.

I am content just to take pride in my culture of what I am -- a lineage of people who strive to be themselves, establishing exquisiteness in things they work towards, thereby leaving a piece of themselves behind for the future generations to take pride in.



Inside the thousand pillar hall-





I see the temple as a standing testimony to that.

Ha... Ha... May be even my blog is a part of me. Something I leave behind. A part of my culture, challenging you to think for yourself.

To believe in yourself. To push and break your own boundaries.



Now... About your own culture..... I leave you to decide...









Author’s note-

I visited Meenakshi Amman temple a few months back and this post was written with the frame of mind, I had during that visit. The post goes along my own flow of thought process and impulses.
The snaps that I have posted were taken with a Nikkon Coolpix- P5100. I have reduced the resolution, for easy uploading.


PS-

( I was not able to upload all the good snaps I took, so If you guys would like to have the original snaps with high resolution, do ask so, I will mail you.  people who are interested in knowing more about the temple - do visit this link- I have purposely avoided telling too much about the temple as that data can be obtained from web.)


See you guys in the next post.

A perspective war-

Author's note-


A few sketches of random Dialogs often hit us in the face with some fresh perspectives. Sometimes silly, sometimes outrageous, sometimes even unacceptabe but then, don't perspectives make the world what it is?? :)

This post, guys is a conversation I had with my friend a couple of days ago.



The snap--






The dialog-



Pari- "How about you muthu. Will you take any dowry."

Myself- "Nope. I think that dowry in a way degrades the man more than the women. What kind of a man will take money from the women he promises to love and care for."

Pari- "hmhm.... but didn't you say that you want a working girl."

Myself- "Of course, yeah.... I paused for a second.....Why??? Whats wrong with that.. "

Pari- "Well... she going to bring her earnings along with her for life. Isn't that dowry enough."

Myself- "But...... " I paused, my mind scampering for a proper reply and returned back empty handed. I thought aloud. "I have never thought of it that way"

"But then..... " I retaliated. "A marriage is not a buying and a selling issue. You are going to share your life and I wanted a married girl coz I want the girl to be somebody on her own, have a passion of her own, a story of her own."

Pari sighed. "Yeah... yeah... yeah... but then you could not really refuse my argument head on. Could you...."

I replied back. "It's just perspectives my friend. Just perspectives.... "


I had no other reply.





PS-


A happy new year guys. I hope that every single one of you have a great year ahead, do what you guys always wanted to do, get everything that you guys always wished for.


& I wanted to see where the Telangana issue is heading before I write about it as a post. Since this issue rises a lot of questions of rather uncomfortable in nature- I felt it would not do justice unless I write a complete trilogy on the subject. My last trilogy which indeed was my first was a self satisfying, in a way self questioning experience. So, I look forward to write this. Do give me some time.


(If you do wanna try out my Trilogy on sex and society :- Do chk out- the links are- part1 , part2 , part 3 )



See you in my next post guys....

Of humans & humanity -

The city-

A city that was found on the banks of the river Musi, A juxtaposition of the magnificence of the old and trendiness of the new. A city whose development in the last decade is not just astounding but mind boggling. A city that still reeks of a rustic charm with the edges of sophistication and refinement creeping in. A city that once courted the Nizams. A city where the beauty of the language Telugu flourishes along with lavishes of Urdu and Hindi added. The city of pearls, of lakes, of a climate red hot and of girls hotter than that. :D

A city which will be my home for the next three months -- Hyderabad.


The snap-




A chaotic hub of activity welcomed me when I arrived here, at the junction of Secundrabad one week ago. The buzz of rushing human life played around me, always constant and engaging. Dozens of stores with a million goods of every sort; T shirts, bags, flowers, combs, locks, fruits, trousers, Remote control covers, Cushions, Cushions covers. A multitude of things that were being haggled over for better prices by both the seller and the customer.

Auto Rickshaw wallahs looking out for everyone and anyone coming from inside the junction for a prospective passenger. People with pale shirts clean and pressed rushing over to their destination unknown, offices probably to confront whatever the morning has prepared for them. Students with ties and a twinkle in their eyes hurrying past the milieu, their heavy bags lugging behind their backs. A few teens fooling around; A couple of men in lungis* sitting in front of closed shops reading the news papers; Buses, taxis, Autos and what not zooming past loaded with people and their early morning concerns; A haste of activity, An onslaught of life.

And as I stood there, a kid enthralled by the flurry of whats happening around him; I saw her.


She-

White wisps of hair; greying in the frays probably from the dust billowing from the road, dry and lifeless, a sad shine in it's last days in those old eyes, clothes beaten and faded; colors long forgotten, A face wrinkled blue more with the worry of hunger than of age, A poor old women looking around for someone who would be her savior today; giving her a few coins; winning her today's bread.





And of all those people who moved past her in haste or of even those just loafing around, nobody seem to even notice her. They were too lost in the maze of their own life that they have just become a bit too immune to see the pain and sufferings that's at their door steps.

As I stood there waiting for my bus, I really wanted to see someone help out that frail figure of an old lady. But alas, even though the explosion of activity increased ceaselessly along with the trickle of time and the blooming of the sun, nobody, not even one seemed to mind her. The hunger in her eyes,her dry, parched lips, the streaks of her tears; dried.

A lost soul amongst a million lost souls.

Humans if needed may learn to eat humans to live. But can we be called humans then?

A few more moments crawled by. The lady lost all her hope that she will get to eat something today and sat down with hunched shoulders trying to bear another day of her drab life.

May be I was destined to buy the lady her morning food. I smiled to myself. Quite a destiny.

I gave the lady some money and asked her to go and eat. She looked at me with those silver eyes with mixed emotions. I moved away before she could thank me.

After all, I was just trying to salvage the reminder of the humanism and kindness in my heart & for that, sorry but you don't really need thanks.



Author's note--

This post is but what I felt when I looked at that poor lady & by no means, do I credit the city for the plight she was in.

And Guys, I am having quite a time in here in Hyderabad. Will soon post about my wanderings and experiences here. :)


PS--

Guys, Since I am staying here in Hyderabad in a hostel and doing my blogging from a nearby net cafe, I am not able to keep up with your blogging. So, so pardon me. Will sure catch up soon.

Until then... Cheers.

A satirical silhouette - a few thoughts tweeted

Guys, This is another collection of my tweets. I have made an attempt at satirical tweets. A few brutal ones, a few silly ones and a few even rhetorical as always.


The Quote -

It is when we learn to laugh at ourselves, we get to know what it is to be ourselves.

--Muthu

Morality -

There is no good & bad. Just a Grey area of uncertain morals. People paint them definite colors with their own prejudices.

Nobody wants to hurt any1 unless of course they don't know about it. After all gun makers don't cry over the victims.

Of course sex is the most natural thing in the word& that why people's faces usually turn red when U say anything about it.

In a way all humans are masochists, even though life has shown us it's painful face more than once we still learn to enjoy life.

There is no such thing as a clear conscience- It s a myth like tooth fairy. U make it up 4 kids who still believe sex is kissing.



The snap- A wicked definition.





Out of the box--

When sum1 asked me 2 inspire him fast. I slapped him hard& "boom" he was inspired 2 slap me back. After all hate 22 inspires.

Some1 said real beauty is skin deep& am still searching him 2 kick his ass. Wat really is d use of having a beautiful pancreas.

Of course all guys are jerks and shit heads. How else do U think we manage to fall for gals. :P

Bathing everyday is just a reminder 2 let U know tat- there is space 4 improvement everyday-

Wen people say they don't have regrets, they just don't want to accept that they could have done things better. Its OK 2 regret.



The snap- Sometimes it's fun, even inside the box.





Of Politics & Society-

Sharad Yadav says- Pass d women's reservation bill& I will consume poison& die- I say- Thank U Sir, Indian govt could really use your early retirement

Comedians are not politicians but of course U cannot always say d same about thing about politicians being comedians.. :D

Politics is of course a potty hole of shit- but then we do need to keep our toilet clean. Right??

Lalu says- d society is adversely affected by gay sex. I say-Of course Lalu ji-Ur wisdom trespasses all boundaries just the way ur family size has.

Why does Lalu think Gay sex is a crime- He is afraid that some guy might make a pass @ him. After all he is the father of a dozen children :P

Of course everybody watches rakhi ka swayamvar - It feels good 2 know tat even Rakhi has competition for her hand. :P

My mom is totally against same sex marriage. She think tat its against nature. But then mom- even dressing is not natural Y should we do it?



The snap- Too much thinking can also have adverse effects. Do be careful-






Author's note-

Satire is one of my favorite genres. To ridicule with wit is the basic idea of satire. The tweets posted in the political section are a bit old in the time line(Since I wanted to post them as a collection, I delayed the post). & also these tweets are not absolute truths(they are variable with difference in opinion) and If you feel different, do feel free to spar words. After all it is the difference in Ideas and Ideals that makes life chaotic and beautiful.

If you liked the above, please do follow me in twitter. My handle is @aarthycrazy. I may not tweet regularly but then my tweets aren't that regular either.

The Elegy of the coitus- A short story

The snap:




The story:

Note: This story has two plausible endings like taking two different routes to come to the same finale. One is the shorter route “The Slap” and the other one is the longer one “The Kiss”. The slap has a very abrupt ending and leaves a lot for the reader’s own deduction and understanding. The kiss has a long and fully explained ending giving the reader all the facts of one possible assumed ending that the story can take. As the name suggests, the slap may be offensive, but do read the kiss and then comment.




The Conversation-


You know something….

What??

I….. I have always wondered….

Wondered??

Well if you hear this, you may think I am bit of a freak. I know this kind of thought is rarely expressed but I think that all the married girls will at least think about it, one time or another.

Hm hm…

The thing is I really don’t know how to start it. I am afraid I am going to be blunt with you. Is that ok with you?

Ok..

Ok, here it goes… I have always wondered what it would be like to actually have sex in a physical sense and then get pregnant as a result. Not getting impregnated with sperm from your husband’s removed balls. In my case your ……………removed balls.

Huh???

Well it’s not like I don’t like doing it with you. I love you. I love making love to you. But its just that I kind a don’t feel it right getting pregnant artificially. You know what I mean, don’t you??

Kind a!!

The thing is ….. Can’t you keep a check over the population by using other contraceptive stuff ---condoms and ? Do you really need to go this extreme as to making all men seedless on their marriage and storing away their balls in a cryogenic freeze??

But..

Yeah, I know we humans don’t have enough living space and the population has been in control after implementing this system but I really think that its odd, to have a technician say to you that you have been artificially impregnated and you are pregnant. It simply lacks the surprise and the pleasant anxiety of waiting for the doctor’s verdict of your pregnancy.

Hmhm…… yup..



Ending 1 - The Slap:


More than that, you know what I think ………. I think that when we alter nature, it has its own side effects on which we can have no control over. Of course, we always know the probability of things that are to happen, perhaps like the toss of a coin but what if on the toss, the ceiling falls down and no ones left to see the result of the toss.

Huh???

Yeah, that’s highly improbable with the advanced neural networks looking after the sequence of our daily activity. But I do have my qualms after going through chaos theory in detail. Taking in hand a theory that says anything can affect anything and using it to predict everything is quite contradictory. Don’t you think so?

May be….

Yeah, it is….. It is a clear case of conflicting interests.

Baby, just a second….

What??

Can you just turn over please…… I want to do it in your anus now.



Ending 2- The Kiss

More than that, you know what I think ………. I think that when we alter nature, it has its own side effects on which we can have no control over. Of course, we always know the probability of things happening, perhaps like the toss of a coin but what if on the toss, the ceiling falls down and no ones left to see the result of the toss.

Huh???

That’s highly improbable with the advanced neural networks looking after the sequence of our daily activity. But I do have my qualms after going through chaos theory in detail. Taking in hand a theory that says anything can affect anything and using it to predict everything is contradictory. Don’t you think so?

May be….

Yeah, it is….. It is a clear case of conflicting interests.

Baby, one sec….

What??

I think I am done.

Oh, ok then. Let’s get dressed up. By the way do you really think that these experiments and reports will do any good? May be, will help us to get back what we have lost or in the least understand what we have lost.

Frankly, I don’t know.




--The report:

Experiment no- 4561; Experiment code- d beta; Date- 12-10-3045;

There is still no available practical proof of why our ancestors practiced the act of sex or coitus other than to create their own progeny. The material evidence suggests that the coitus must have been quite a pleasurable experience to undergo for both the male and the female. But the experimental evidence suggest otherwise. Further research into the dead end theory that suggests “hormonal changes that must have resulted from the complete birth control technique implemented a century ago must have done irreversible damages to several primal hormones destroying the sexual drive and the coital pleasure of humans” is advised.



The End-




Author's note-

I have used the idea of chaos theory in this science fiction. Chaos theory in simple words can be said as a theory that suggests that every random happening in turn causes another random happening that may in essence never be related. For example, the flutter of the butterfly wings in California may cause a cyclone in Sri Lanka (hence the theory is also called the butterfly effect.
A lot of movies & novels have been based on this Idea. Eg- The movie Jurassic park & the novel- The lost world on which it's based. The movie- Butterfly effect. For more information on the theory- try this- [link]


This is one of the first science fictions that I wrote long time back. I have tried to give a fiction that forwards itself just by the conversation between two individuals. The idea of an alternative ending was inspired by Jeffrey Archer's short story - One man's meat, that had 3 different endings. Though I am not a serious fan of Jeffrey Archer's short stories, I found the idea worth a try. I myself love short stories(science fictions) of Sever Gansovsky, who is my soul inspiration as a short story author. His stories have not just awed me but have always left me inspired and thinking. I just want to achieve the same with my stories.


PS-

I am a bit sick with fever, running cold and infected throat guys so I was not able to blog for a few days. And thats why i am posting this story that I did a while back. I think I will get back to my usual cheery self in a couple of days. Will sure post a few stories that I am mentally working on.


Until then-

Cheers..

Muthu

Sex & the society - Last part of the trilogy

Warning-

Highly Adult content. The post discusses sex, men and women, so people who think they are not mature enough to read about the subject please do not read any further.

The Snap-



The quote-

If People can understand that women too are human beings with sexual desires like everyone else, if the segmentation of sex alone can be defeated, the entire system of prejudice and misunderstanding will take a heavy dent.
And that dent will be the start of a more liberated and dynamic society in every single way.

--muthu

I thought I had all the answers – All the answers to all the questions that would be raised on this particularly controversial topic of sex - a need & a pleasure for both men and women.

A society that has the ability to question and break away from a century of sexual prejudice between men and women can achieve anything. It will be a learned society that will be intelligent enough to question the makers of politics to the brokers of economy. I want to be a part of such a group of people. People who would listen to reason and love rather than to bigotries and hate.

Yeah, but the final question boils down to the singular level. How much do we want to be a part of that society? How much radical are we willing to be? Where will we draw the lines of acceptable and not acceptable, if we are to erase those present now?
How will you react to the situations of controversial nature that may rise in the future? How will I react to the same?

And the question that the Bondgal_rulz posted in the comments section of the last post was right on the bull’s eye.


The kick in the balls -

Bondgal - As we go on vehemently discussing here about issues such as sexual discrimination, sexual liberation, need for people to recognize women too as sexual beings---
Think 20 years down the line. You are a family man, who has a say 19 year old daughter. Will YOU be comfortable enough with her partying out in the night and boozing with her friends?

Muthu- *Scratches the head* *Clears the throat* *After a distant thoughtful look* I think I need time to think.

I feel like I have just been kicked in the balls. Courtesy- Bondgal_rulz. (Yeah sure she rules).



The singular questions-

The question bondgal asked was the beginning of a fresh batch of questions that rose in my mind & every single of those new questions that had a singular trait to them. They questioned me as to how I will react to the scenario on my direct involvement in the prospective future.



--- Will I dominate my wife with my comparatively strong male physicality on subjects our opinions differ rather than trying to convince her of the merit of my stand?

--- How understanding will I be if I am extremely horny and my wife refuses me in the bed saying that she is not in the mood?

--- How much liberal and understanding will I be to my wife on the aspect of her past sexual relationships?

--- How will I react If my daughter says to me- that she is thinking of moving in with her boy friend after she has become a major?

--- Will I be able to accept the fact that my daughter may want to have sex with the guy she is going out in the future (that is when she is major)?

--- Will I be ready to accept and appreciate my daughter or son, if their sexual orientation turns out to be homosexual?

--- What will be my advice to my own daughter on sex, on the ethics of sex, on what the society thinks about sex?


The answers-

I believe myself to be a liberal leaning heavily towards the radical. My opinions have always been blunt and pointedly progressive on the aspects on sexual equality, discrimination based on sex, color & creed. I believe you need not be a supporter of women’s right to see what’s wrong and right. To see what’s prejudiced and what needs a change desperately. But propagandas and beliefs aside, we are all humans who go around with our daily activities.

How much can we be -what we think is right.

I am not going to make statements about how radical I am going to be with my wife & daughter. This after all is not any election campaign. It more of a search of how much I really am of what I propagate.

And the search I believe is infused in the blood and soul of my everyday activity as is the case in yours. In every of our decisions and actions, we express what we believe. And it’s not going to be easy to do things as to say them.



I want to love my mother, sister, future wife, daughter and every other woman I meet without any prejudice or predetermined beliefs. I will desire to give them space and faith that I myself would expect in their shoes. And in that desire I will hold my spirit of seeing the society change for the good.
(And yeah bondgal my daughter will party if she wants to and the only thing I will want to make sure is that she knows what she does. I will want to allow her to make her own decisions, her own rights, her own mistakes- After all it her own life to live.)


The lever of change-

Education is learning from others. And whatever is learned from others will always have a part of them, a part of their own system of values, a part of their own beliefs, prejudices that are passed along. Education will never solve social problems. The only salvation is to self questioning. Self realization.

Every one of us of every segment of the self segregated society that we are, are born to be rejoiced and celebrated. Not to be discriminated. Do you think the child that passionately hugs the bosom of its mother and quenches its thirst suckling knows that what its doing can be also classified as vulgar & not as divine? Our ideas of chastity, sexual morality and concept of discrimination are learned behavior.

And it is in this learned behavior- that we learnt eagerly without questioning its merits and its basis, we have allowed the roots of prejudice and bigoted discriminations to bore deep.

Society in understanding is nothing more than a herd going along with the stride. It would not just be a monumental task but impossibility and a suicide to social life to go against the society.

But of course, the least you could do is to question whats right & ethical rather than to choose to go along with the herd.

And that you can do.Cant you??



Author's note-

The above is the third and last part of the trilogy series I have been writing. So please do read the other two parts to appreciate the conclusion given in this last episode.
Part 1 [link]
Part 2 [link]

In this concluding post, I took the line of what drives each of us individuals personally rather than relying on statistics. Of course the statistics says that In India alone once on two hours one girl gets raped. Two women are subjected to house hold violence. In the course of writing this trilogy, I went through a lot of info on the web about the every aspect of discriminations in every nature that people face.

And I realized something, it isn't ignorance that makes people go along with these prejudices & bigotries but people choose to just follow the crowd rather than questioning things as to why should they be done so in the way they are being done now.

Please, all I ask is to question things. Make it a habit. Inculcate questioning attitude in kids. We are born perfect & all the answers to the questions are within us. But the only way we are going to find those answers within ourselves is though questioning.



PS-

Sorry guys, I took almost a week to publish the concluding post. Unexpectedly, I got stuck in Chennai for almost 4 days and also this is my first time writing about such a heavy topic as a trilogy. Please do leave back your comments and criticisms on my attempt. I have tried to cover every aspect of the problem and people I bow to your comments as they showed me the different perspectives of the problem.

And lastly I sincerely appreciate people who inspired me by reading this trilogy and commenting on it.

Thank you guys.


Will soon post the poems i wrote when I traveled. (I always write when traveling)


Until then.


cheers.

Sex & the society - Part 2 of the trilogy

Warning-

Adult content. Please do not read any further if you think you are not mature enough to discuss about sex, men and women.

The Quote:

It is at the moment we start to talk about equality between men and women; we unknowingly acknowledge that there is discrimination between the same.

-----Muthu

Are you a feminist – a supporter of the women’s liberation movement?

For People who don’t know about the feminist movement-
Feminist movement – The definition. (Courtesy- Wikipedia)

The Suffrage movement (also known as the Women's Movement or Women's Liberation) is a series of campaigns on issues such as reproductive rights (sometimes including abortion), domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. Feminism is a struggle against sexist oppression. It is necessarily a struggle to eradicate the ideology of domination that permeates Western culture on various levels.


So, now that you know about the feminist movement- tell me-

Are you a part of it?

Do you want to be a part of it?

Do you know what I think? I think feminist movements can never be a lasting solution for what we have in our hands. And what we have in your hands is a society – with manifestations of century long prejudice not only in habits, customs, religion and culture but the depth to which things are predetermined is so colossal, that even the language that we speak has its scars.

How else am I to explain why people when afraid are termed as pussies? Or the fact that people when they behave idiotically without any consideration for others are called as a prick?

Sexual discrimination like any kind of discrimination is a sword without a handle. It doesn’t really matter whether men use it against women or women use it against men, both will always end up hurt.



I am not heartless & insensitive because I am a male nor any girl is gutless just because she is a female. Grow up. I ask for how long are you going to believe in those age-old agendas.Agendas that are too silly to say that things like them even exist – Like,


---If married people can have sex and unmarried people cannot, then “Is Marriage - a publicly punched license to have sex?”

---If women who are good to look & are sexy create the desire in men to molest them, then “Are men, such wimps that they don’t have any control over themselves?”

---If divorced women always finds it hard to get remarried than divorced men. Then “Does marriage tarnish women but leaves men alone pure?”


Bollocks. Complete bollocks.


I believe fighting for feminism or for the cause of women is not going to help anyone in the long run.When someone campaigns for a feminist cause, they in all their good intentions do the devils work for the devil. They separate men and women in the name of feministic ideologies. Feminist supporters and opposers make a war- a war of debates, ideologies, arguments and controversies.




And the only thing history has taught us always is that war does not yield much. Be it peace or a solution to a stigma of century’s long discrimination.


Do you really think a feminist movement---

--- Can change the attitude of a male who wants to lose his virginity before marriage but expects his wife to be a virgin waiting for him to deflower her?

--- Can make every man realize that rape is not a crime against women by against the entire fabric of humanity?

--- Can assure a married girl that her husband will love her enough to give her space for her to grow as an individual?

--- Can go save every girl who at this second, as you are reading this post is being harassed physically or emotionally?

Of course, they can’t. The Feminist movements and NGOs how much ever they want to make a difference do have their limitations. But my billion dollar question is rather unrelated to any feminist movement. It is rather simple.

------ Do girls really need saving? Or is it the rest of the world that needs to wakeup?

The question I would try to battle with in my next and the final post in the trilogy.


Author's note-

This is the second part of a trilogy. So people do read the first and last part to completely appreciate the second-

 [Sex and the society - Part one of the trilogy]
 [Sex and the society - Last part of the trilogy]

Guys, I took my time in writing the second part of the trilogy to make the argument strong and also crisp & pointed. Also I did not want to take the line of bashing up the existing system as it would rather get rhetorical as the list of discrimination and bigotries existing are endless. I wanted to question ourselves as to whats the solution to this and that I hope I have done that well. And I am not against the feminist movement. Its just that I believe that it cannot make a lasting solution. It cannot change the mentality of the all prejudiced people and thats what we immediately need in the present scenario.

PS-

I want to thanks for all the comments posted on the first part of the trilogy esp the comments of Keshi, Shakthi, Srini, Vinnie, Rajlakshi, Diya, Preposterous girl and one anonymous. I hope my second post have given you a depth of the corrupted bigotry of the society that has become ours. The comments not only gave food for my thoughts but also have raised a lot of questions in me. Guys do go through those comments in the first part of the trilogy for I think the comments gave a lot of new angles and problems we will have to counter. And I assure you I will try to find the answers to those questions & also to the questions I myself have raised in the these 2 posts in my final post for the trilogy.


And I am off to Chennai for a couple of days for an urgent work guys. I will be back by Monday. And will post the last segment by monday evening.


Cheers.

Until then.


muthu.

Sex & the society - Part 1 of the trilogy

The Warning –
Highly adult content. Please do not read any further if you think you are not mature enough to discuss about sex, men and women.

The Quote:

Men when they fuck around, they say they do it for fun. Coz they are after all males & it is in their genes to spread their seed. Fucking for fun is not new. Men do it all the time.

So what’s up with women? After all they too are entitled to have their fair share of sexual pleasure. Right??

------ muthu

Guys, if you find the above quote unacceptable, brutal, hurting and blasphemous. Stop reading this now. I repeat. Please stop reading this now. For this post is nothing but an answer to the question I posed above. And it is my opinion and so as always it is the truth as I see it. And the truth in its nakedness stinks a lot.

For others, hang on to my words, for may be, I will throw light on a few rarely discussed topics or may be I will pull you more into the obscurity in which I always wander. Will show you how much we never bother about the preset prejudices that are passed on to us as it has been passed on for generations. Will give you not only some food for thought but I will, may be if you allow me – will muddle a bit with your thoughts. Will show you the best of the bigotries that sex alone can provide. Will give a reason to defy if that’s what you want to do.


All Bigots are welcome to read, but trust me, this post of mine will sting. So better be prepared.


The Inspiration:


I saw the movie DEV D yesterday night. I am happy. The Indian film industry is finally coming of age. A mature movie that deals with love, ego, sex, pain, drugs, booze and salvation. And a hindi movie at that. I was amazed. Apart from all the crap and masalas that bollywood has become, I am glad that movies such as DEV D are made. I am not going to tell more of the movie and spoil it for those who haven’t seen it.

But how about a few questions – a few questions that the movie touched about.



The questions-


Like why is that when men fuck around, He is called a stud.

And when a woman does the same she is called a slut.

Really…. Is stud the male word for slut?

Well, I searched the dictionary- It defines slut as “A promiscuous or disreputable woman” and however much I went through the web and the dictionary there seems to be no male word for slut. So what the dictionary really means is that males being promiscuous are either ignored or celebrated as Studs but alas when the same is done by the fairer sex, she becomes disreputable.

Wow. If you ask me – that’s a load of crap. But what’s even shittier is that this crap seems to be the generally accepted norm.


If men have the right to go around having sex for fun, then why not women I ask. And no, I am not a feminist but you don’t really need to be a feminist to see the logic in this, you just need to be just a normal guy who thinks straight. Are you one of those guys??



No, I am not arguing that women should also go around fucking nor am I a liberator of women to satisfy their sexual needs. Do not be silly and ridiculous. Grow up. All I really want to ask is –



How can we be so bigoted and prejudiced in the most basic issue of all? That is sex.

Where from did we learn to discriminate between women and men as sexual beings?

Where from did we get the guidance and inference?

The general answer to this question with which people would respond is

“We follow the norms of the society”

“It is the system of life that is prepossessed with ideas and we just move along.”




Ok, let me ask you, do you think that you are not a part of the system that is prejudiced and bigoted to its core. Sorry to break it to you my friend. But how more wrong can you be?


You are the system. I am the system. We are the system.





We are those people who have no qualms when passing that MMS of that gal who was caught on tape naked, without any thoughts as to how it will ruin her life. We are those people who listen and gobble up every single word of gossip about the local gal who sleeps around and then comfortably call her a whore. We are those people who do not care about the free navel show and glamour shower that Bollywood is so much associated with but raise questions when an intelligent film about sex is made.

Bollocks. Complete bollocks.

Do you know, what I think is the reason for all this-


I think we are developing a sexual culture of escapism. Nobody wants to confront the facts. Set things right. Be bold for once not caring what other people will think about it. The sad fact remains that sex is not talked about much as much as it is done. And no don’t tell me, I am wrong. Our perpetually growing population supports my hypothesis.

And talking about how to do sex is not what I mean when I say to talk about sex. You do not need an Aristotle to point out what monkeys and apes do without any second thought. But really- Have you ever thought about how the idea of sex is prejudiced, for example. Or how much you are open minded about sex, that is do you want your future partner to be a virgin?

Now that question opens up a whole new can of worms. Doesn’t it?

A can I just got inspired to make a dish of in my next post.



Author’s note-


In the above post, I have not tried to pass any judgments nor express any already formulated opinion. The post is more like a few of my questions-

And my own attempts at answering myself.

I have done a trilogy in the same topic- this post being the first of it. The other two are given below.

Part 2 - Feminist movement - the savior??

Part 3 - Whats really the solution??

I welcome your comments guys and your take on what I have tried to express here. On what you think is right and on what you think is wrong. On what you think is prejudiced and on what you think is silly. Your comments will feed me along with my own thoughts for my follow up post.

If you think, one of your friends would have a good opinion about this post, please do give them the link. And I invite opinions that don’t go along with what I have expressed. I want to know- where we stand as a society.

I would like to see how people react. I would like to get a variety of opinions.


PS-

And for people who haven’t seen the movie DEV D, what are you waiting for? Its one of the most mature movies I have ever seen in Hindi. Chalo yaar, See it soon.


And yeah, guys I had a great time in Kodaikanal.

Lovely weather, yummy chocolates, green valleys, hot and spicy road side corn, flowers of every color imaginable, Roses red enough to take your breath away, a slight drizzle that keeps the chill in the air-
The place is paradise my friends.

Will post about the trip as soon as I am finished with the trilogy. :)


Ciao.

Cheers until then.



Muthu.

The case of the independent canditates -

I actually wrote this as a comment on Ms.De's page but after writing it, I noticed that it has a larger relevance to the Indian political Scenario, so I am posting the same a bit edited and rearranged.


Why should we vote for independent candidates if we think they are worth it?


Our Indian politics is slowly becoming a family business. Every single party this time is putting forth their own family members sons and daughters usually to contest. What they want is to singularize the democracy and to monopolize the ruling institution.

What would be the reason for democracy if each and every time the majority party is going to win the election? If we are not allowing someone like an independent candidate to win the election for once, we will never know how much worth the majority party is or how much of crap the majority party is....

Ok, lets try being more specific. Lets take Mr.Modi for instance.


I am not against Modi. In fact I appreciate a lot of developmental efforts he has put in gujarat. Under him, almost all the sectors and the industries of the state have been considerably developed.


We are educated or atleast we claim so... Think you guys... how do we know how much any government is doing good unless we have a measuring stick and how are we gonna get this measuring stick by always electing the majority party.....

Many claim - Mr.Modi is a lot better than other CMs. He has done to his state a lot more good than a lot other people have done to their states.

Yeah, I too accept that Modi is better than his counter parts in the other states.

But think, you guys,the other CMs being such wastes doesn't make Modi any better... Modi himself is not the God or something... He is too human and he can be improved upon... and Politics desperately needs fresh blood
(and by fresh blood, i do not mean younger generation - if thats the case then varun gandhi would also be fresh blood - Is he???)

By fresh blood I mean, People who can speak for themselves, People who need not hold on to a party propaganda to get elected, People who do get their kicks by throwing words around, People who believe that this country needs to improve a lot and people who would rather embrace new things rather than sticking with the "India has as rich culture and we need to save it" shit.


Modi is of course better than the rest of the CMs. That goes without any questions but what i appreciate about Independent candidates like Mallika is that she is trying to take a stand against the system. The system that has made us cynics, by not ever delivering us what it promised.

Are we here voting to get the best of the bunch. Aren't we a bit too short of choices. Why is that people who try something new are shunned(like independent candidates.....).

Our culture is represented by we people and does not require saving, (hopefully we will look after it) but what abt our country....

We need people like kamarajar in TN. When my father says how he never campaigned but got elected every time, I get goose bumps all over me.... He was so dedicated to people and never cared aboutt himself that he only had 2 pairs of dhotis....

He took the government bus where ever he went and he stood in q at the ration shop.

and all this happened merely three and a half decades ago... I am flabbergasted, what went wrong in these 30 years.....

I am not asking 4 the dedication of kamarajar but at least we people can be true to his soul and provide opportunity one or two new guys..... just to let us know... what we are missing......


So I appreciate from the bottom of my heart the efforts of Mallika and people like her. If she is reading this, let her know there are a lot of people like me supporting her....

India damn sure needs a hell a lot of women like her.



PS :

This in a way is a reply to Ms.De's post on supporting the independent candidate of Mallika. What is written above is just to raise a few questions and not to establish any facts. As I have said before I myself have always loved Modi's dynamism and progressive ideas. But anyways asking a few good humored questions do not mean any harm. Right????