2020: Story 2: Srinatha's Braid
The second short story of the year. The theme was "For Hire". Word Count: 1000.
I tried adding in a picture of Srinathji, but there seems to be some problem with loading images on the blog. To see the picture, go to this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrinathji#/media/File:Sri_nathji.jpg
Nathuram almost fainted at this sight. Who would have thought that the Lord would have created a miracle like this for a lowly human! With tears in his eyes and a voice that trembled with joy, Nathuram went about his daily worship, rejoicing to think of how the Lord had blessed him.
After a while, there was a commotion outside the temple. The Raja had arrived and was striding in, demanding the curtain hiding the sanctum sanctorum be drawn open, for he wanted to see Lord Srinatha.
“Just a minute, Maharaj, I’m completing the last part of the ritual!” called out Nathuram from inside.
The arrogant king wouldn’t wait; he roughly pushed the curtain aside and rushed inside, stopping with a rude shock at the sight of the Lord’s braided hair.
“Humph! You think fixing a braid to the Lord’s head will save you, Nathuram?” mocked the Raja, and his arm lunged to pull at the hair. Suddenly, a spasm shook the king’s arm, his face contorted with pain, and a loud cry burst forth from his mouth, sending a chill down the spine of all the devotees in the temple.
The king’s attendants rushed to help him, and carried him away to his palace, even as he kept crying out, for his arm was now twisted at an abnormal angle.
Word spread around the village, and people flocked to see their Lord Srinatha with braided hair. A neighbor rushed into Nathuram’s house to pass on the news.
“Meena, where are you! You know what has happened at the temple?”
Wan-faced, fearing the worst, her head covered customarily with her sari, Meena came to greet the neighbor.
“Did you hear? It seems Lord Srinatha was decked with a long braid today. And the Raja’s arm has been stricken into an abnormal position! Nathuram ji is crying, and everyone is singing praises of his devotion! Come, Meena, come, let’s run to the temple and see this miracle and get Lord Srinatha’s blessings!”
Wonderstruck at the news, tears coursing down her cheeks, Meena silently bowed to the idol of Lord Srinatha at the altar in the house. As she turned back to her friend, the sari slipped off her head.
“Meena! What happened to your head!” cried the neighbor, taking in the sight of the angry red patches that dotted Meena’s head, from where it looked like hair had been torn out from its very roots.
“I was the cause of the problem, so I decided to fix it myself,” said Meena with a sweet smile.
I tried adding in a picture of Srinathji, but there seems to be some problem with loading images on the blog. To see the picture, go to this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrinathji#/media/File:Sri_nathji.jpg
As usual, waiting to know your thoughts on the story!
The loud and urgent knocking on the door reverberated through the small house, startling Meena. As she opened the door, she was even more stupefied seeing the terror-stricken face of her husband Nathuram.
“Lord Srinatha, You alone can save me now!” cried Nathuram, as he rushed in and collapsed to a sitting position on the floor, leaning against the wall.
“What happened, ji? Why are you so distraught?”
“It’s all your fault, Meena! Oh God, what will happen to me now!” wailed Nathuram.
Meena’s face fell. She was used to her husband’s caustic tongue, which always found fault with her. Yet, she had never seen him so full of despair ever. Despite her fear of the tongue-lashing that would follow, Meena again pleaded with Nathuram to share the news.
“The Raja was passing by the temple today. We offered him the prasad, and guess what! He found a dark, curly hair in it! You know how excitable our king is! The next thing I know, I was summoned into his presence. He taunted me about the hair, asking if Lord Srinatha has dark, curly tresses!”
“Oh God, how can it be! I did clean the kitchen before preparing the prasad....”
“Humph! Then how did the hair come to be there? See where your foolishness had landed me!”
Slowly, the rest of the story tumbled out. The king had seen the hair and taunted Nathuram. In his fear and confusion, the priest had agreed that yes, Lord Srinatha did have long, black hair. The Raja had insisted that he would come when the temple opened the next day to verify this for himself!
“It’s already late now! All the shops will be closed! I can’t even hire the artificial hair from the shop that supplies it to the drama troupe!” Saying these words, Nathuram shuddered to think of his fate the next morning.
Refusing dinner, the priest sat deep in prayer before a small idol of Lord Srinatha at the altar in his house. His desperation deepened the level of his devotion today, but within his innermost heart, he knew he wasn’t such a great devotee that the Lord would work a miracle for him.
“Lord Srinatha, You alone can save me now!” cried Nathuram, as he rushed in and collapsed to a sitting position on the floor, leaning against the wall.
“What happened, ji? Why are you so distraught?”
“It’s all your fault, Meena! Oh God, what will happen to me now!” wailed Nathuram.
Meena’s face fell. She was used to her husband’s caustic tongue, which always found fault with her. Yet, she had never seen him so full of despair ever. Despite her fear of the tongue-lashing that would follow, Meena again pleaded with Nathuram to share the news.
“The Raja was passing by the temple today. We offered him the prasad, and guess what! He found a dark, curly hair in it! You know how excitable our king is! The next thing I know, I was summoned into his presence. He taunted me about the hair, asking if Lord Srinatha has dark, curly tresses!”
“Oh God, how can it be! I did clean the kitchen before preparing the prasad....”
“Humph! Then how did the hair come to be there? See where your foolishness had landed me!”
Slowly, the rest of the story tumbled out. The king had seen the hair and taunted Nathuram. In his fear and confusion, the priest had agreed that yes, Lord Srinatha did have long, black hair. The Raja had insisted that he would come when the temple opened the next day to verify this for himself!
“It’s already late now! All the shops will be closed! I can’t even hire the artificial hair from the shop that supplies it to the drama troupe!” Saying these words, Nathuram shuddered to think of his fate the next morning.
Refusing dinner, the priest sat deep in prayer before a small idol of Lord Srinatha at the altar in his house. His desperation deepened the level of his devotion today, but within his innermost heart, he knew he wasn’t such a great devotee that the Lord would work a miracle for him.
Meena too tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She cursed herself for having brought about this plight and prayed to Lord Srinatha too, asking Him for mercy, and to save her husband from the Raja’s wrath.
The next day dawned, and with a heavy heart, Nathuram rose and bathed and performed all the rituals in his house.
“Meena, I’m going to the temple now,” he called out.
“Ok, ji, I’m cleaning the cowshed. I’ve prepared today’s prasad and kept in the kitchen.”
Nathuram checked the prasad thoroughly for any errant strands of hair. Satisfied, he took the vessel and set out for the temple. On his way out, he peeped into the cowshed, and saw Meena in a dark corner, milking the cow.
With trembling hands and a heavy heart, Nathuram unlocked and opened the doors to the sanctum sanctorum. Placing the prasad in its regular place, he bowed at the feet of Lord Srinatha. As he raised his face to the Lord, a strange sight met his eyes. The hitherto smooth head of the Lord was covered with dark, curly tresses that had been braided into a smooth plait, embellished with colorful decorative hairbands, hanging down over the Lord’s left shoulder, ending at His waist!
The next day dawned, and with a heavy heart, Nathuram rose and bathed and performed all the rituals in his house.
“Meena, I’m going to the temple now,” he called out.
“Ok, ji, I’m cleaning the cowshed. I’ve prepared today’s prasad and kept in the kitchen.”
Nathuram checked the prasad thoroughly for any errant strands of hair. Satisfied, he took the vessel and set out for the temple. On his way out, he peeped into the cowshed, and saw Meena in a dark corner, milking the cow.
With trembling hands and a heavy heart, Nathuram unlocked and opened the doors to the sanctum sanctorum. Placing the prasad in its regular place, he bowed at the feet of Lord Srinatha. As he raised his face to the Lord, a strange sight met his eyes. The hitherto smooth head of the Lord was covered with dark, curly tresses that had been braided into a smooth plait, embellished with colorful decorative hairbands, hanging down over the Lord’s left shoulder, ending at His waist!
Nathuram almost fainted at this sight. Who would have thought that the Lord would have created a miracle like this for a lowly human! With tears in his eyes and a voice that trembled with joy, Nathuram went about his daily worship, rejoicing to think of how the Lord had blessed him.
After a while, there was a commotion outside the temple. The Raja had arrived and was striding in, demanding the curtain hiding the sanctum sanctorum be drawn open, for he wanted to see Lord Srinatha.
“Just a minute, Maharaj, I’m completing the last part of the ritual!” called out Nathuram from inside.
The arrogant king wouldn’t wait; he roughly pushed the curtain aside and rushed inside, stopping with a rude shock at the sight of the Lord’s braided hair.
“Humph! You think fixing a braid to the Lord’s head will save you, Nathuram?” mocked the Raja, and his arm lunged to pull at the hair. Suddenly, a spasm shook the king’s arm, his face contorted with pain, and a loud cry burst forth from his mouth, sending a chill down the spine of all the devotees in the temple.
The king’s attendants rushed to help him, and carried him away to his palace, even as he kept crying out, for his arm was now twisted at an abnormal angle.
Word spread around the village, and people flocked to see their Lord Srinatha with braided hair. A neighbor rushed into Nathuram’s house to pass on the news.
“Meena, where are you! You know what has happened at the temple?”
Wan-faced, fearing the worst, her head covered customarily with her sari, Meena came to greet the neighbor.
“Did you hear? It seems Lord Srinatha was decked with a long braid today. And the Raja’s arm has been stricken into an abnormal position! Nathuram ji is crying, and everyone is singing praises of his devotion! Come, Meena, come, let’s run to the temple and see this miracle and get Lord Srinatha’s blessings!”
Wonderstruck at the news, tears coursing down her cheeks, Meena silently bowed to the idol of Lord Srinatha at the altar in the house. As she turned back to her friend, the sari slipped off her head.
“Meena! What happened to your head!” cried the neighbor, taking in the sight of the angry red patches that dotted Meena’s head, from where it looked like hair had been torn out from its very roots.
“I was the cause of the problem, so I decided to fix it myself,” said Meena with a sweet smile.
Beautiful Anu...
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