The Final Sacrifice

Twenty years ago, a letter from a village in Himachal Pradesh arrived at the Ministry of Defence. The writer was a school teacher, and his request was as follows. 

He asked, "If possible, could my wife and I be granted permission to see the place where our only son died a heroic death in the Kargil war, on the day of his first death, his memorial day, on 07/07/2000? It's okay if you can't. If it is against national security, I will withdraw my application".

The Department Officer who read the letter, said, "It does not matter what the cost of their visit is, I will pay it from my salary, if the department is unwilling to and I will bring the teacher and his wife to the place where their only boy died" and he issued an order.

Two Tickets For The Final Match

The final match was scheduled.

The closing ceremony was to be a grand affair with the nation’s favourite performers, and, of course, a spectacular drone-show and fireworks.

There was a long queue.

Three of them, consisting of two adults and a youngster, were eagerly waiting to enter the stadium.

Photo Prompt: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

The tickets were exorbitantly priced.

Still, all tickets were sold-out.

They just had two tickets.

But, their hope and belief was strong!

The young girl was praying sincerely.

With a spark in their eyes, they showed the two tickets to the ticket-inspectors.

Three of them were let in!

They danced joyfully!

100 Words story for Friday Fictioneers

Based on the true experience of my sister (one of the adults in this story) at the recent Hockey World Cup Final held at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

Do you believe in prayer?

Stranger Than Fiction

This is set in the 1930s in a village in Ganjam, Odisha, India.
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Thak-Thak! Thak-Thak! 

Thump! Thump!

Hearing the banging on his window, Hariprasad was woken up from his slumber. 

His friend, Natu, often did this at dawn to awaken Hariprasad.

The two would then set out to plow their agricultural land.

But, that particular dawn no-moon (Amavasya) night, it appeared Natu had arrived earlier than usual as when Hariprasad opened his window, it was still dark outside. It appeared darker as there was no moon. It was a cloudy night & there were no stars too.

"Natu, you don't sleep or what? It's not yet dawn and you woke me up!" 

Natu just mumbled, "Hmmm."

Natu was walking at a faster-than-usual pace and a still-drowsy Hariprasad followed him to the field.

"Natu, Let's draw the water from the well first. But, it's pitch-dark & still we have to fill the pitchers."

So saying hardly had Hariprasad handed a pitcher, when Natu had filled it in a jiffy!

Hariprasad found it pretty unusual.

All the pitchers were filled in no time.

Open Sesame!

She was enchanted when she heard the story "Alibaba and Forty Thieves" from the Arabian Nights, especially the magic words "Open Sesame!" that opened the door to the cave with the treasures. 

She had totally fallen head over heels in love with all what she read and was so crazily lost in the world of books and their characters that she sincerely believed that such magic can happen in real life too. 

Action Figures by Edith Vonnegut ; Photo-Prompt- Magpie Tales

A Common Girl's Story

I am Guddi, a common girl next-door.
I face a common problem- Pimples.

It all began when I left my home & city to pursue my higher education in another city that ranks amongst the most polluted in the world. 

Apart from pollution, the following reasons affected my skin in adverse ways by gifting me pimples:

1.      Lack of sleep

2.      Stress

3.      Junk Food & not balanced diet

4.      Less water-consumption

5.      Use of a new soap on my face

6.      Dandruff in my hair 

My Ayee

This post is a humble tribute to my Ayee, my maternal grandmother. Today is her first death anniversary. Miss you, Ayee. 

My Ayee, Shrimati Saraswati Padhy, was a force to reckon with. In  fact, she still is. Though she is no more, but she lives in our thoughts AND memories...

My Ayee- Shrimati Saraswati Padhy

Things that define her

My Ayee was not an ordinary woman. She was always larger-than-life AND very enterprising.

Rhymes Remind Good Times...

I have many fond memories associated with nursery rhymes and stories that I had heard when I was a kid.

I knew many rhymes. During my vacations when we visited my grandparents’ place, I was much in demand as everyone wanted to listen to the superhit rhymes rendered by my sweet voice!

I had many favorites and I knew so many rhymes that I was the cynosure of all eyes!

Some memories associated with the following two rhymes:

REAL, REEL AND RHYME!

REAL

India has ‘Unity in Diversity’. From centuries, India has been open in welcoming outside elements & change, assimilating their culture & enriching its cultural diversity. 

Now, the whole world is in the same process. 

In her book ‘World Class: Thriving at home in the Global Economy’, Rosabeth Moss Canter, a Harvard Business School Professor, writes that cultural diversity is an asset. The key to turning access to cultural diversity into an asset is Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC). Without eliminating differences, ICC helps deal with clashing cultures.

Indian connection proves that the world is more Indian than we think.

People from all over the world come seeking for answers and get enriched by India’s wealth of wisdom.

In mid-1974, a young Steve Jobs, Apple’s ex-CEO, had travelled to India with his friends in search of spiritual enlightenment. They toured extensively in India. There was a transformation in their personality because of the time they spent here. 

Many ‘foreigners’ visit India as they are spiritually drawn & adopt India as their home. They learn and contribute. Sadhus & Sadhvis of ISKCON & those who stay by the banks of the river Ganga etc. are more Indian than we think.

Italy-born Ileana Citaristi, is now an Odissi & Chhau dancer, based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha since 1979. In 2006, she became the first dancer of foreign origin to be conferred the Padma Shri Award for her contributions to Odissi dance. Ileana is more Indian than we think.

Odissi Dance of Odisha, India; Source

Virginity & Character

This post is one of the Top Posts of 2014 in the list compiled by IndiBlogger.

Virginity means - 'Sexual abstinence before marriage'.
Virginity is sacred as per traditional beliefs, values, culture and religions. 
Virginity also means 'purity' (of thoughts and action).

As mythology & history prove, it's perfectly justified if the men lose their virginity, marry one partner, have extra-marital affairs or additional marriages! 
But, as per Indian culture, girls/women are not supposed to 'think' about or 'entertain' any other person apart from their spouse...

Married women haven't had a better deal...

Devi Ahalya was cursed and turned into a stone by her angry husband- Gautama Maharishi, when it was not her fault. The King of Gods, Indra, had come disguised as her husband & she had entertained him... Later, Shri Ram freed her from the curse.

Ahalya was the first Panchakanya - ("five virgins"), "archetypes of female chastity" - a group of five icons "whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited".

Agni Pariksha

I Felt Rich!

I felt rich when I got to board an AC-Bus going my way-
Yesterday when I started for the local-market...
Also as I got a seat & didn't have to stand!
My purse made me feel rich when I had to buy a ticket.

Granny's Story

Both my Granny & Grandma are responsible for shaping the story-teller in me as they told me many real-life stories about people they had personally interacted with.

One story of my Granny was about a woman who loved to eat 'Pakoras' (fried snacks) a lot and every evening, she would buy lots of Pakoras from the neighborhood shop.

Pakoras

IMMUNE INDIA

In the recent Hindi-movie, ‘Krrish 3’, Kaal Company unleashes an unknown Virus in Mumbai.

The effects of the Virus are debilitating, with the masses getting immediately affected and the healthcare & hospitals reeling under pressure. However, the movie’s protagonists- Rohit Mehra (Scientist/Father played by Hrithik Roshan), Krrish/Krishna (Superhero played by Hrithik Roshan) & the pregnant Priya Mehra (Journalist & Krrish’s wife played by Priyanka Chopra) are safe from its harmful effects. 

Image Courtesy

Earlier, in the movie, ‘Koi Mil Gaya’, Rohit Mehra had benefited from the powers of Jadoo (an alien from outer space). 

Image Courtesy

Consequently his son, Krrish, has also inherited the super-powers by birth. But, though his Krrish's wife, Priya, is on-site and is covering the news as a TV-journalist, she is saved as she is pregnant with their child, who also has the same blood. Thanks to Jadoo’s magic, Mehra family’s blood has the anti-bodies to be strong, healthy and immune & counter such terror. 

They remain unscathed and Rohit Mehra even manages to self-create a vaccine. For immediate problem solution, Krrish sprays it all over the city, exterminates the Virus and saves India – both health & wealth-wise. Not only are the citizens cured & normalcy returns, but also national wealth is saved as India does not have to depend on or pay Kaal Company for the vaccine! 

After watching this reel-life blockbuster, I really wished everyone had such immunity powers in real-life and India can be saved!