Land. Me. Home. Please. Pretty Please.

Lakshmi

Laskhmi and Lakshmi, were cousins in a typical South Indian family where girls look beautiful and are extremely strong. Both of them shared the name of the Hindu Goddess of wealth, because wealth is all that there is to life and happiness.


Lakshmi was married off to a famous “Reddy” man who are apparently rich people. So this rich Mr. Reddy that Lakshmi is married to, is the owner a hotshot PG Accommodation in Bangalore. He is a tall, well-built man who only wears white. Most of the days you can find Lakshmi drying this huge collection of starched white clothes and school uniform for the kids. Lakshmi was the person to go to in the PG Accommodation, for power cut, bad food, washing machine, geyser troubles, clothes theft and what not, which includes opening the main door in the middle of her sleep at 3am after a party, opening the main door in the middle of her sleep at 3am again, for a morning trek. And what does Mr. Reddy do? Mr. Reddy sits beside the main door on weekends at night and watch questionable content on this phone, at times snaps at the PG Accommodation girls when something is demanded, at times looks at their breasts for one fifth of a second and on most of the times, beats Lakshmi behind the closed door. Mr. Reddy would talk to someone over phone, would flirt for hours with few PG Accommodation girls half his age, would never ever work, would not even think twice before slapping Lakshmi in front of 10 odd eyes but he ‘allows’ her new clothes, jewelry, AC, TV, fridge and luxury.
Lakshmi, with white flower on her hair and a red bindi on forehead, was wealthy, just as the name suggested.




Lakshmi was married to a not-so-famous Raju. Raju is the cook in the PG Accommodation that Mr. Reddy owns. Raju, a lean and smiling man, does not have a house, or a room. Raju and Lakshmi lives in the space extending the PG Accommodation kitchen. Raju has a sharp supervision on the food but does not think twice before secretly passing on the sweets to the old PG Accommodation sweethearts he considers as his sister. Lakshmi hops around the PG Accommodation, finding girls to gossip with in Telugu, or playing with the children of the beloved cousin. On Wednesdays the PG girls would flood over their favorite Raju Bhaiya because it is the chicken day and what would Raju Bhaiya do? Raju Bhaiya would diligently make one side fried egg, just the way Lakshmi likes, because she does not eat Chicken. On most days, Lakshmi would sit at 4^th floor PG Accommodation balcony overlooking the city, and Raju would just stare at the twinkle of her eyes, wishing to fulfil all that, that heart desires. Raju Bhaiya would make Roti-s continuously the entire evening and Lakshmi would help, later they would go to the local market and get groceries, hand in hand, and spend the night behind the make-do cardboard door of the kitchen, laughing, chatting, living. She wears the same set of few salwar kurta pairs and a dhaga on the neck for jewelry.
Lakshmi, with white flower on her hair and a red bindi on forehead, was wealthy, just as the name suggested.

And I? I have always wondered, if they would look each other in the eye and wonder, just wonder.
Who knows?

Batman Speaks

For once;

Beyond the cave, cape and mask,

All that a tired Batman asks for

Is,

To fall back

And not worry.

To speak dirt

And not be sorry.

This time?

-Abhishikta