SHIKHA


She stepped out of the shower. Her hair was wrapped in a blue towel; water droplets barely contained trickled down her neck and on to her bare shoulders. She scrutinized her body which had changed considerably since the last time her sister called her ?scrawny?. But, that was six months ago. Now, Shikha realized with a pang, she had again outgrown her lacy bra for the 2nd time. Which meant she?d have to buy a larger size and soon.

Shikha was the thin, quiet one of the two sisters. Neha was the vivacious child who went against all norms of their conservative upbringing. Neha was the one with the love letters from the boys in their school. Neha was the one who got the bluff calls and the flowers on Valentine's day. As for Shikha, she felt like a mere shadow in front of her lovely younger sister. Their mother always remarked how Shikha's big brown eyes did not quite fit into her small, narrow face. Her voluptuous lips often caused surprised looks from strangers. Their sanu ma would lament, if only they could fatten up her cheeks, she would be beautiful. Shikha had long before been de-sensitized to comments about her features and her thin body. She had learned not to care. But, she had also learned to fantasize about an ample body and a perfect boyfriend. Shikha was a dreamer. She was, an escapist who skillfully balanced her imperfect world with a perfect fantasy.

Neha, Shikha's younger sister was getting married in two months. To her mother's amazement, Neha had agreed to marry Binod, their father's friend's son, a family friend. Her family had expectations of Neha, to do the outrageous: to elope or to marry a Kuhire. It was, the family's way of bracing for impending disaster given Neha's track record of having dated beyond the acceptable Nepali caste, and color line. Shikha remembered an overjoyed mother rushing to the ?Hare Krishna? temple to offer prayers of gratitude, donations and flowers at the thought of Neha settling down with a ?good? huney khaney, Nepali boy. And, to one the whole family approved of.

As Shikha struggled into her jeans, she smiled secretively. Her time would come, soon, very soon. The email she had received from Jeevan assured her of that.


**********to be continued**********

Sometimes i wonder if i was born in Mars too. Atleast i would too........aaah anyways, nice writings.
nivaN

सिताराको आख्यान-काव्यादिको पाठन पछि प्रतिक्रिया लेख्नु भन्दा पनि अक्सर त्यसै टोल्हाएर बसिरहने पाठकहरुको वर्गमा पर्छु म ।

यहाँ पनि त्यस्तै त्यस्तै अवस्था हो मेरो ।

तथापि यी दुई शब्दहरु राखें ।

स्निग्ध (smooth) आख्यान, मादक शैली, पात्रहरुसंगको दार्शनिक घनिष्टता र जीवनका शास्वत (eternal) प्रश्नहरुमाथिको कटिवद्ध खोज-भाव सिताराका विशेषता हुन् । वास्तवमा सिताराको श्रेष्ठता कथाको विहङ्गम चित्र (bird's eye view) वा संगठनमा भन्दा तिनको सुक्ष्म परिपाठ (fine detail) मा बेसी झल्किन्छ । काव्यात्मक बहाव, यथास्थान दार्शनिक टिप्पणी र बेजोड प्रत्युत्पन्नमति (wit) ले सितारा आफ्ना पाठकहरुलाई भुतुक्कै पार्छिन् ।

मेरो त के कुरा, म त सधैं मुर्छा प-या छु, सिताराको तस्वीर होस् या तसव्वुर (thoughts) !

Lol nepe dai/uncle when ever i read u feels like watching "Mahabarat" or "Ramayaan" in DD(Doordurshan chanel). Hahahaha hope to read more...parantu, kintu,,,bhatra shree,bandu, etc.
nivaN

sanchai dharo dharma maile yo thread thyammai bujena, tution chiyo !

When this thread started on the last day of my oral exams (ok, I confess, I check Sajha during exams, too), I said to myself, "Wait, it says Sitara. I should savor it when I am done with everything." Until today, I kept thinking that the story was still going on! Story sakiyera k k huna bhyaaisakechha. It will be an injustice to the author if I even try to comment on the story. I will just say here that it was great as usual.

--------
Bhetne kuraa ta kaan fus fus baata faisakyo; yehaa k post gari bhayo ra! Baru bheteko belaa eutaa "story reading session" pani hunu parchha -- taali bajaaune haru ko kami hune chhaina! :)

Nepe ji, Dhanyabad! Also, for the observation you made on the "bird's eye view" versus the "details" in my narration. Although, my characters are fictional, I seem to have no choice but to develop an intimate relationship with each one before I start giving the story a shape.

M.P. Thank you. I was wondering where you had disappeared. And, Congratulations!

Nivan, it gives me much pleasure to see you EVERY time I write. You put a lot of effort in reading someone you say you don't understand. I, however, appreciate your time and comments.

Nepalean, Nivan will happily agree with you, I'm sure! :)

Newuser, poetry has dried up by the DC heat! :)

good article sitara. you are a real pro.

hey sitara babes when's your next chapter coming ????eagerly waiting...

from your writing you seem to be a tall girl ...proly taking up medicine or science and jotting these things up btw breaks...love to hang around with ya sometimes...

"Indi babe tyam taym ma ali ali josh chalya bela ma lekhay. I got an email from one silent reader saying the story touches too many raw nerves, re. "
---->
Raw nerves? Perhaps it needs to be cooked. Anyways, it was (one) of your intent while jotting this provoking piece. You succeeded. My nerves were long dead; heart recently :p, nonetheless it jerked something. Wonder what it was. Hmmmmmmmm....

Baru yeso alik chadai chadai sano tino katha paske panda ananda authio hajurko. Or busy acting a la Uma T. Kill Bill esstyle; defending (in the process, dare I say ripping apart those mortals ( indeed INCLUDING me ;) :p), well; the man (Ref: MAOIST LANGUAGE THEORY) ;) hahahah.

Hajur ko lagi aula chalaune ta ho ni; hamro lagi entertainment, education and more importantly "revisiting-the-lexicon-101." LOL.

P.S: Who could that "Silent Reader" be? Nepe ji bhanau bhane lekhi halnu bho. Confused ho ki? Hahahaha. Confused ra Nepe ji ma toss garnu parla. Ani ke bhancha ta Sitara (Jyu).
Hmmmm how could i forget dark horse Laughing budda. Hahahaha. Confused aka perturbed; fi u ever find out, lemme know mate hai.

Bhole Babaji, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Hush babes, I "The End"-ed it; no more chapters for this one. Am I tall? well, both my legs touch the ground, except when wearing 4 inches heels! I'm not a science major(but, I play one in TV! :P) As for hanging out, sure, we'll do so when you come out to DC. It would be a pleasure to meet one bright, smart, candid lady like you.

Indi babe, keep the "jerks" under wraps lest they overpower you! Nepe and confused that vocal reader ni... why silent? As for Laughing Buddha, he keeps me laughing when I need it most!
In Maoist Lang theory... did i rip you apart by ignoring you? :P, How remis of me!

But, Indi... thanks for taking the time to read long story despite your discomforts.

correction: are vocal readers ni**

Ouch! That hurt. Hahaha. You wish. ;)

You try to hard chitara babe. That was mere reference of your sharp tongue which was rather subtly brutal. But anyways, thanks for making an 'effort'. Rest assured, next tyam that happens I would know that you are actually trying hard to ignore. LOL ;)

Hmmmm... Confused is no longer vocal reader. Aba timro gupchup vocal bhe malai tha bhena hai. Confused dude, we all know ur watching. Yeso clear garnu paro kuroo. :)

"But, Indi... thanks for taking the time to read long story despite your discomforts. "
---> Now are ya serious? LOL. Hahahahhaa. You indeed are as mysterious as batgirl. ;).

---IndisGuise:)

Indi Bro,

Have no intention to join in your 'jerking' game. Just came to ask you not toss my good name with your comrade-in-arms jerk.

While I am here, let me tell you that I like to stay away from 'Confused'- whom you have been referring frequently and gleefully- for his/her cheap sexual connotations in every remarks to the extent of harassment, fragility of a person at the verge of insanity, shameless display of sexual frustrations, cynicism and indecency. Keep that in mind, hai ?

When I have said this much, let me also be honest with you and dare to share that I also find you sharing Confused's profile to some extent. As a matter of fact, at one point I thought Confused and you are the same person. I don't remember if I have already said this to you.

Knowing your fragility, you might have offended very much to hear all this. But I had to let you know this, for my own selfish good- to protect my good name from being a toy in someone's cheap jerking game.

You asked for it. You got it.

Have a good day !

Nepe dai,
First and foremost, let me apologize for unsolicited use of your name for the 'jerking' game.

I had no idea whatsoever you would be disgusted, so to speak; to be mentioned in a same breath as Confused. I however do not interpret his character in the same manner as you so self-righteously portrayed. Everyone has their good, and inevitably, bad points: dare I say, you, and me included.

That said, let me move on to your honest and/or quite possibly flawed (I am entitled to my opinion, am I not?) assumption; which at best, could have fostered from your selective reading. Rest assured, please throw away any shred of doubt you have, regarding me vis-a-vis confused, being the same person.

And NO, you have NOT said that to me until NOW.

Indeed it was meant in mirthful way, but the bitterly suppressed chewed words, although politely presented, speaks volume of how seriously you take the so called revolutionary discussions where I thought we all were exchanging views and see if we could learn a few things, and if not simply agreeing to disagree when we politick. I presume, those suppressed-for-the-time being anger, have now found a seemingly polite, and of course expectedly out-of-the-blue (for me) outlet.

Thus, me asking, albeit unknowingly ( dharo dharma la :) hehe), and you giving is, more or less, justified.

Even knowing my fragility (did this arrive out of my answer to you in the past, terming you act reacting fragilely and rather stupidly about the 'resume' posting? This IS a 'rhetorical' question.), your above statements did not offend me.

First, it made me realize my mistake.
Secondly, it made me laugh a little. (A smile would be a better word.)
And lastly, it just verified a well documented fact, how you carry minor tit bits in your heart.

Nepe dai, let me once again apologize for any genuine irreparable harm I did to your good name.
Henceforth, your reference shall be made when it is necessary and relevant, in some non-comrade-in-arms jerks.

Also, please take this with good heart, if you can; my fragility is far too strong, my conscience far too clear, to be broken and shaken, by few chillo Nepali, and largely redundant theories.
(Please note: I said largely, not entirely). Thus please take caution ( not that it matters ) while making sweeping statements.

I gracefully take what you gave me; please accept few I managed as well.

You have a great day sire :)
- IndisGuise.

Indi ji,

I accept your apology. Thank you.

But please don't try to "politicize" everything. Politics is a totally different realm. Confused's political views were much more sensible than his behaviours were.

Nepe dai,
Thanks for accepting my apology.

Also please note: the adjectives and nouns you associated with Confused and later cleverly associated me with those profile; was uncalled for, for me. Those nouns and adj. were more than far fetched, and more manipulative than sensible.

Just wanted to bring that to your notice.

Yes, we should not politicize everything. Glad to hear somthign of that effect from you.

come on Sitara post the next episode.

I thought I shall bring this to notice that, that "jerked" word was used as a metaphor. It just appeared to me that perhaps it was taken in a bad taste or it was taken on the face value and associated with the popular hush-hush terminology. What I wanted to express was, Sitara's story yanked, wrenched, and twitched something inside. I was merely applauding her brilliance to portray the character and the conclusion of the protagonist in the story.

I hope she did not take it in bad taste. As much as I know or have come to know her thru sajha, I have nothing but respect for her and enormous liking for her creativity.

Yesoooo socheko ta arkai artha lagayechan bhanera po buje maile. It was NOT, I repeat not indented to sound like a cheap sexual connotation. Honestly. Please be noticed.

Phewwwwwwww....Tyati ho :)

Confused in disguise??
Or confused is indisguise??
Me confused!

Indisguise, thank you for your kind words and your explanations. I never took it otherwise.

Hey Foe! :)