#Amit Shah talks

[townpostin]

Champai Soren's “New Chapter with BJP” Likely Soon

Former Jharkhand CM in capital for talks; decision expected within days Champai Soren’s Delhi visit sparks rumors of potential BJP alliance, with a decision anticipated soon. RANCHI – Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren’s Delhi trip ignites speculation about joining BJP, decision expected in coming days. Champai Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, has once again found himself at the center…

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

HLC REACT TO MC HAVING AN OUT OF CHARACTER OUTBURST

Requested by: @ma1egamer

MC had a bad week. The worst week. An awful horrible week. But they still smiled. No one could know what was broiling just beneath the surface. They were the cool popular kid at Hogwarts, they had a reputation. If they just kept up appearances until the end of the day, they could go out after classes and fight a few dark wizards. That would help them de-stress.

They were lost in thought when someone accidentally ran into them, knocking their bag off their arm and causing it to spill its contents all over the floor. One of their ink bottles smashed, staining what was a lengthy essay they had just completed the night before for astronomy.

MC lost their carefully collected shit. "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING!? IF ITS NOT ONE THING, ITS ANOTHER!! EVERY! SINGLE! DAY! But, if we didn't have bad weeks, the good weeks would be so amazing." It was like someone flipped a switch. MC was entirely calm again while using their wand to clean up their stuff.

The hall was dead silent. The whole crowd of students and faculty watched MC pack themselves up and walk away smiling.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: "Welp, I feel sorry for any dark wizards or goblins that cross MC's path today." This included himself. He steered clear.

OMINIS GAUNT: "What happened? Why did they shout like that? Are they okay?" He needs context. He's worried.

ANNE SALLOW: She avoids eye contact with anyone in the crowd. She doesn't know what's going on, don't look at her.

IMELDA REYES: "What, in the actual fuck, was that?"

NATSAI ONAI: She marches after MC. They clearly aren't okay and she wants to know what's up.

GARRETH WEASLEY: MC's outburst made him drop a jar of pickled slugs. Now he was having a bad day too. The smell was awful.

LEANDER PREWETT: "They're cracking under the pressure. Sad."

AMIT THAKKAR: He has shrunk away from the noise. He doesn't deal with that kind of energy very well and removes himself from the situation.

EVERETT CLOPTON: "Merlin's beard, and here I thought Kogawa had a temper."

POPPY SWEETING: "Yeesh, I knew MC had fangs but I've never seen them take it out on a random student. I wonder what's bothering them."

ELEAZAR FIG: "Oh dear." He shuffles through the crowd and shepherds MC away. "What was that about? Are you alright? Please, don't lie to me."

MATILDA WEASLEY: She bristled at MC's volume. She could take house points for that, but instead ask MC to come to her office. She wants a word.

CHIYO KOGAWA: "Move along, everyone. You all have places to be." She shoos the crowd and stops MC from leaving. "Let's talk. My office."

AESOP SHARP: He gets it. As far as anyone is concerned, he saw nothing.

ABRAHAM RONEN: He's immediately by MC's side, helping them with their books. "Can you spare a moment to chat?" He wants them to be actually okay.

MIRABEL GARLICK: She walks quickly to catch up with MC and hands them a colorful bloom. "Here...it's Worry's Blight. It'll help you feel calm. You seem to need some more than me today."

MUDIWA ONAI: She invites MC up for tea. A special blend and good conversation is what they needed.

BAI HOWIN: Everyone has a bad day. There was no confrontation about the items dropped, so she let it go.

DINAH HECAT: "You shouldn't be shouting the halls, MC. However, instead of taking points, I have an assignment for you." She gave them a small price of paper with a location. "This is an ashwinder camp I heard wind of in the Three Broomsticks. It's a big one. Use this information as you may."

CUTHBERT BINNS: He just ghosted on out of there. He had a lecture to prep.

SATYAVATI SHAH: "No shouting in the halls. That's five points, MC." She didn't notice the vein fit to burst on MC's neck when they just smiled back at her.

PHINEAS NIGELLUS BLACK: "Children. Always whining about how hard life is. They know nothing of the real troubles life can throw at you."

[legacyshenanigans]

Garreth: One time, one of my concoctions actually worked out REALLY well, and professor Sharp was so impressed, that he said I should bottle it up and sell it *smug chuckle*

Leander: Nice, I once beat Professor Ronan at Summoners Court *smug chuckle*

Amit: I travelled all over the land star gazing and did a really aesthetic graph of all the constellations, and Professor Shah cried when she saw it because she said it was so beautiful *smug chuckle*

Sebastian: I killed someone *smug chuckle*

Garreth, Leander and Amit: (?!?!?!?!?!?!)

Sebastian: ...What? I thought we were talking about fun achievements?

~

[holistictimedrfiter]

Can we talk a little bit about Amit?

He's probably my second favorite guy character in HL.!! ✨😁

I admire his enthusiasm for Astronomy and his kindness to MC. Even though he knew the last journey they were on would be dangerous, he still went along.

Amit strikes me a nerd vibe and is still willing to help his classmates and friends. I can also see him as best friends with MC, as well as Poppy, Leander, and Adelaide/ Samantha.

At the astronomy class

He even know how to read Gobbledegook 😆 this is kinda cute <3

Me and MC is looking to the next journey xD

A little appreciation to Amit Thakkar

P.s thank you people for correcting that is “ Astronomy “ not Astrology ! I’ll remember that Professor Shah 💪🏼

[superconductivebean]

#1215: uhhhh, julia-related

just after i yapped about my hogwarts inquiries project i had self-combusted into Strong Feelz about a scene that happens after the high keep mainquest (sharp was Very Not Happy about what julia and natty did for the exactly the same reasons matilda wouldn't be)

ok so that project is pivotal to the julia's story development because what essentially im doing is drawing the timeline of the canon events. i was only able to plot until the end of october. that second trial's date falls on oct 31st isnt really important here but events prior absolutely do

so far i was able to guess aka establish to myself that the excursion to Feldcroft occurs on oct 25th, 1890. it's saturday and it was this day's evening.

after mc and sebastian were teleported back to undercoft, it would be around dinner of the oct 25th, and at the same night they had astronomy class (so the High Keep quest takes place on the oct 26th).

for whatever reason, sebastian doesn't attend the class, and so doesn't natty.

tags for the delulu gang: @myokk @espressoristretto-patronum @theladyofshalott1989 @thriftstorebabayaga @catohphm @infernalrusalka

i suspect sebastian got his arse kicked given he's absolutely useless during the loyalist fight at the ruins of isidora's home. so he decided to skip the class (to then have ominis an earful about ancient magic thus pestering him about the scriptorium i suppose; remember: sebastian thinks of ancient magic —of an innate ability— as of an archaic form of wielding magic, not as of its own thing like being a seer or talking to snakes or being able to naturally morph like tonks).

but natty also doesnt attend the class. natty was sneaking away from hogwarts to get to the falbarton castle in time.

suffice it to say, by entering the class, mc was up since the morning (and on their way to feldcroft, raced imelda! if to add to this day's events another one), perhaps had lunch on the way to feldcroft, but then was out and about until midnight and likely skipped dinner.

then, professor shah urged everyone to go stargazing outside the class, in the surrounding wilderness.

which means outings aren't prohibited at night but may be limited.*

the student's right can be revoked by the headmistress, matilda weasley, if she suspects they'd get themselves in danger. it nearly happened —or happened, i forgot ;-; — to adelaide oaks when she expressed the concern about her uncle who's gone missing lately and wanted to search for him, alone. perhaps this is why both natty and fig advise mc not to tell a soul about what they're up to. or matilda will be like, uh huh huh

after the brief and permitted and absolutely encouraged stroll with amit ends, mc hurries to the falbarton castle hungry, tired and perhaps, very sleepy.

mc doesnt get to sleep the rest of the night though, as they and natty escaped harlow and returned to hogwarts by morn. crucial thing to note here: end of october means longer nights. when mc and natty are back, it wouldn't be around 4 or 5am. it will be around 7. hence natty noted people could see them through the windows; hogwarts would have had first breakfast goers by that time i think?

then, mc has fig to visit and sebastian's beef with ominis to sort out. sleep-deprived and unhinged, mc goes into scriptorium and gets arse roasted by crucio as if they weren't hit and tired enough the previous day lmao poor mc learns magic the most agonising of ways (and gets called Learning-The-Bare-Minimum by sharp anyway LMAO but honestly that man was able to swing the troll with an one hit too so He Has The Authority in this and his sharp criticism is rather warranted and im not sorry for that pun)

anyway, thought id share

[mohabbaat]

that anon is so insensitive ffs, they literally said 'hope you're unbiased here' and its pretty evident that they were referring to palestine.

sanghis out here blaming leftists and bringing in rafah. their beloved prime minister hasn't said a word about this issue.

they are using the deaths of innocent people as a shameless competition.

exactly?? like its not a competition. sanghis are so blinded by their hatred that they must bring in their islamophobia everywhere. also, modi has talked to the lieutenant governor of j&k and provided the injured with medical assistance. amit shah has tweeted about it too.

[acciomorningstar]

Shattered

Story tags: Hogwarts Legacy, Angst, Hurt/Comfort (kinda), Poppy Sweetingxgn!MC Characters: gn!MC, Poppy Sweeting, Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt, Natsai Onai, Amit Thakkar, Garreth Weasley, Imelda Reyes Synopsis: After MC is permanently scarred at the repository battle, they will have to adjust to a new normal – which is proving to be their most difficult challenge yet

Warnings for heavy angst, mental/physical scarring and disabilities, depression

Reread my previous angst post and got inspired, so I decided to try my hand at something heavier. It turned out longer than I expected, but I'm proud of the end product, considering I usually suck at bittersweet storytelling lol Significantly heavier than most of my previous posts on here, so tread with caution.

While relief took hold among the students of Hogwarts and things soon returned to a sense of normal after Ranrok’s attack, for some the struggle was only beginning. Poppy had attempted to find MC in the wake of the repository battle, but all she was told was that Professor Fig had perished and MC had been critically injured, having been directly transported to the infirmary once their unconscious body had been retrieved from the rubble. She wasn’t allowed to visit, so her only resort was to hassle the nurse for details whenever she was able to. Eventually, she managed to find out that MC was being sustained in a magical coma as the pain of being awake was likely to tear them apart. It wasn’t so much a matter of when they would wake up – it was whether they would ever wake up at all.

The news took its toll on MC’s entire inner circle. Sebastian and Ominis bickered less, Natty was strangely absent-minded during classes, Amit’s marks in Astronomy tanked to the point where Professor Shah constantly asked whether he’d taken ill, Garreth’s concoctions noticeably suffered from the absence of his potion companion, and even Imelda seemed more prickly than usual.

Poppy herself wasn’t faring much better. She woke up sick to her stomach every day without any news about MC, and she found that her usual pastimes weren’t doing much to keep her mind off things either.

And then, after a few agonising months and a lot of sleepless nights, news came that MC’s condition was stabilising. The nurse cautioned that they were by no means out of the woods yet, but at least they were allowed to have visitors over.

Poppy made her first visit along with Natty, who had also jumped at the opportunity to see their friend. MC was barely responsive when they stood at their bedside, and the nurse told them to get out after five minutes because they needed rest.

“All those scars… there were so many of them,” Natty said, shaking her head as they walked back through the corridors. “I cannot even begin to imagine how they will ever bear the pain if they regain consciousness.”

“They are still the same person underneath,” Poppy insisted. “You’ll see.”

She knew she was mostly talking to herself, but the alternative was simply too painful to consider. And for a while, things genuinely seemed to be improving. After a few weeks, she received news that MC was finally awake and responding, and she rushed to the infirmary so fast that people in the corridors looked at her with shocked faces and asked whether there was an emergency.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, she noticed MC’s bed had been moved to a sectioned-off corner in the back of the hall. It was for the wellbeing of the other patients, the nurse explained – MC had developed a habit of waking up screaming every night, to the point where it had become an active obstacle to the recovery of their fellow patients. As horrified as Poppy was to hear this, it was even less of a shock than the sight she was confronted with once the curtain was drawn back. Fresh scars ran up the right side of MC’s body, all the way up to their face, which looked as if it had been cut up with a knife. Purple veins stood out under the almost transparent skin near their right eye, which appeared strangely discoloured. When Poppy looked down, she noticed an unmistakable tremble in their burnt hands.

“Poppy,” MC said in a raspy whisper, “is that you?”

“Yes, my love,” she answered, having to suppress the quiver in her own voice as she gently took one of MC’s hands. “I’m here.”

MC seemed disoriented, so she had to remind them where they were and explain how they ended up here. Her heart broke when they asked where Professor Fig was – she debated internally whether she was the right person to tell them, but she didn’t want to lie to them either. When she told them the truth, MC just sat there against the pillow, their brow furrowing as they tried their best to understand. Then the tears came, and the screaming, and all of a sudden it wasn’t clear anymore whether MC was wailing out of sadness or out of pain, and Poppy ended up holding them until the nurse hastily arrived and instructed her to leave.

For all the lack of news in the last couple of weeks, there suddenly seemed to be an awful lot of it… MC was regaining strength in the parts of their body which weren’t affected by Ranrok’s magic, but it wasn’t like there were a lot of those left to begin with. Their eye wasn’t healing and at this point this likely meant they would end up losing half of their vision; the tremble in their hands persisted and they barely had any mobility left in their right arm, but the worst news she was told by MC in person. Apparently, the magic had eaten away at the nerve system in their spine, which would likely leave them all but paralysed from the waist down for the rest of their life.

“They say I’ll never be able to walk again,” MC sobbed at her through a mist of tears. “Never play Quidditch again, never again climb the hills or swim in the lake –”

Poppy simply held them as they cried. She didn’t say anything, lest her voice betrayed the tears burning in the corners of her eyes.

The inner circle and the school faculty tried their best to accommodate MC however they could. As soon as MC was allowed to leave the infirmary for short periods of time, professors accompanied them to help levitate their wheelchair up stairs so they were able to attend classes. Whenever MC was too tired to leave their bed, the professors would organise little private classes at their bedside. Sebastian and Ominis would indulge them with late-night chats about their personal experiences with living with a disability. Natty would entertain her with stories about her homeland, staying with them to ease their path into deep slumber, after which she’d watch over them. Amit made sure to supply them with notes to help them keep up with schoolwork, Garreth frequently dragged his potion kit all the way up to the infirmary to brew new concoctions next to MC’s bed (much to the chagrin of the nurse), and Imelda personally escorted MC to every Quidditch match, jinxing everyone who gave them as much as a funny look. Sometimes it would even feel as if things had truly returned to something resembling normalcy – if it wasn’t for MC freezing up at every strike of lightning or explosion in the corridors, or bursting into tears whenever someone as much as mentioned the name of Professor Fig.

In spite of everyone’s monumental efforts, no one was as devoted to taking care of MC as Poppy. She visited the infirmary and offered to push them around the castle as often as she was allowed to, and if she wasn’t she would spend her hours holed up in the library and interrogating Professors about any means to alleviate MC’s suffering. People started commenting on the bags under her eyes and she had to give up most of the free time she’d usually spend caring for beasts, but those were sacrifices she was willing to make.

Which didn’t mean that things were getting any easier. She had her own life, and juggling commitments had never been her strong suit. Moreover, the more time she spent with MC, the more often she would find herself at the receiving end of their outbursts of frustration and self-loathing. One particularly nasty fight came after she had taken Highwing out for a flight, only to suddenly remember that she’d promised to take MC out to the courtyard for some fresh air.

“I am so sorry,” she gasped as she stormed into the infirmary, cheeks flushed from exertion. “I was caring for Highwing and I lost track of time –”

MC looked up at them from their wheelchair, a cold expression on their scarred face. “Oh, don’t bother with excuses,” they said. “I’m sure your beasts need your help more than I do.”

The sneer struck her like a hot arrow to the chest, but she knew not to take it personally. “Don’t be silly,” she answered as she walked up to them. “You know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be –”

“Please,” MC scoffed. “You’re only here because you pity me. Guess that’s all I get for risking my neck for a bunch of stupid birds.”

She felt something different now, a fit of hot anger bursting its way up from her core. “How can you say all of those things? You know, I haven’t had a single proper night of sleep since they found you under that rubble, and I’ve been sacrificing everything to help you when all I get in return is anger and resentment –”

“Well, I’m so sorry to inconvenience you!” MC snapped back, their voice cracking. “Next time I run into Ranrok, I’ll just ask if he finishes the job, all right?”

“Please,” Poppy said, tears running down her cheeks, “you don’t know what you’re saying –”

“I don’t want your help!” MC shouted at her, before hunching forward in their wheelchair, crying out in pain as they clutched their sides. Poppy took an instinctive step forward, reaching out to help them, but the nurse pushed her away, telling her to leave. She did as she was told, and ended up crying herself to sleep.

They made up, eventually, as they always did. But the argument revealed an underlying truth which was slowly becoming undeniable. Poppy was pouring all of herself into MC’s well-being, to the point where she didn’t have much more left to give. She knew it, felt it, but still she toiled on, not knowing what else to do.

A few weeks after their fight, Poppy was called to the garden above the Hufflepuff common room. Upon her arrival, she saw MC sitting on a balcony, facing the lake. They had their eyes closed and the sunlight gave their face an ethereal glow, which made even the scars look less gruesome.

“Hello,” Poppy greeted them with a smile, kneeling next to them. “You look well.”

“Better than I’ve felt in a long while, that’s for certain,” MC chuckled. They extended their good hand to her and she took it, gently rubbing her thumb over their skin. MC’s expression grew sober. “Poppy, I’ve given this a great deal of thought. The lengths you all have gone to these past few months to accommodate me – I… I will be forever indebted to you all, and to you especially. You’ve given meaning to every minute of my life since I met you, even if it was at your own expense… I would never have dreamed of anyone ever doing that.”

“The feeling is entirely mutual,” Poppy answered. “You… you have touched so many lives around you, MC… if only you could see that the way I do –”

MC smiled. “I know. But I can’t allow you to keep throwing away all of that because of me. That’s why I’ve made the decision to leave.”

“Leave?” Poppy asked, feeling her heart stop. “But… to where?”

“To a place where I’ll be able to live in peace. I know telling you this would hurt, but I can’t keep going like this, Poppy, not with everyone looking at me with pity in their eyes and feeling like a burden to every person I care about,”

“But you’re not,” Poppy insisted, tears welling up in her eyes, “you can’t give up now, there’s so many things we still haven’t tried –”

“Poppy, listen,” MC said, and they winced as they brought their hand up to cup her cheek. “You’re so much stronger than you think. You’ve escaped from a terrible existence and built up an entirely new life for yourself. There’s so much you’re still going to achieve, you can’t let all of that go to waste just for me,”

“But that choice isn’t yours alone to make. You don’t deserve any of this –”

“Maybe not. Bad things happen to good people, you of all people should know that. But this is the only thing I’m able to do to repay you for all you’ve done, and it might very well be the last choice I’ll ever be able to make – so please, let me make it.”

Poppy finally broke out sobbing, leaning against MC’s shoulder as the tears flowed freely. MC gently stroked her hair, feeling something moist running down their own cheek.

“I-I’ll never forget you,” she sniffled, her voice barely above a whisper.

MC planted a kiss on top of their head. “Never.”

And so, life went on. MC left Hogwarts, and after a while they even disappeared from daily conversations as people found new things to laugh and worry about. Poppy found it hard to pick her life back up at first, often still ending up at the infirmary with the intention to ask about MC or visiting Professor Weasley for counsel. She didn’t get back into her shell as far as friends were concerned, however. MC wouldn’t have wanted her to, and she was determined to do right by their memory.

Eventually, she was able to move on – though she would never forget the day that one new fifth-year came to Hogwarts and changed her life, for the better.

[roohuh]

Mc at That Time of the Month

Ominis X MC

One Shot

Summary: it’s shark week for MC and Ominis is there to comfort.

Warnings: none just floof

“Leander I couldn’t give a flying fuc…”

Professor Shah cuts you off mid sentence as you lay into Leander for breathing too close to you while you try to locate a constellation on a star map hung on the wall.

“Miss MC, I do not appreciate foul language in my class room and will be deducting hearty points from your house. That being said I think you may want to go change your skirt as there is something personal soiling the back of it.” Your cheeks flush with embarrassment you were not supposed to start for another three days yet there it was. Mortified, you pull your cloak back on escaping to your dorm room. As you enter your room you trip over one of Imelda's many brooms scattered across the floor. The room is utterly trashed all thanks to your Scottish roommate who “does not have time for cleanliness” you shed your stained skirt and pull on loose comfortable trousers. Stomach twisting in pain you feel the need to vomit, or scream, or cry, or maybe even all three at once. You are just thankful Sebastian was not there to see your embarrassing miscalculation or even worse Ominis. Searching for your stash of chocolate you always keep on hand you are sorely disappointed to find the box empty. Curses freely roll off your tongue as you try and remember if you ate the last one or if one of your roommates had pilfered your stash while you weren’t looking. Nothing you could do about it now anyways. Grabbing your book you decide to hide in the Undercroft. You weren’t keen on talking to any bunk mates at the moment and the solitude of you and your friend's secret hideout seemed like a welcome retreat. Relieved to find the room empty, you snuggle down into a nest you had made from blankets and pillows with your book; quickly are lost in the adventure. Unaware of the tears rolling down your cheeks you look up as Ominis and Sebastian walk in together laughing. An exasperated huff escapes your lips at the intruders.

“Everything alright MC? Were you crying just now?” Sebastian cranes his head at you.

“What if I was?” You snap shutting your book with a loud “thump”

“Don’t need to be so testy MC! I swear the way you have been acting all day a person would think it was your time of the month or something.” Sebastian snips back in a sulky voice. Before you realize what you are doing your book has left your hand and is flying through the air smacking squarely against the side of Sebastian’s head.

“What if I am?” You feel hot angry tears prick at your eyes, the embarrassment of the whole class seeing your blood stain still fresh in your memory. Sebastian rubs the back of his head as he mumbles,

“Okay, I’m sorry. No need for violence.” Ominis sits down beside your nest handing you your book back as he takes your hand.

“Sebastian, why don’t you go and fetch us something sweet?” Ominis dismisses his friend, who is about to argue he is not a house elf when he sees the sharp glare indicating he best just be on his way. As Sebastian makes his exit Ominis moves behind you starting to rub at your tense shoulders. Closing your eyes you melt into the touch which distracts you from the sharp pains in your abdomen.

“Are you alright? Amit told me about your misfortune in class.” Ominis softly inquires. Willing the floor to open up and swallow you whole you groan in embarrassment,

“Does everyone know?” You half sob.

“No, not even Sebastian knows and I made sure Amit was clear that if I heard this was spreading around the school he would feel the full extent of my wrath.” The blonde pulls you into a hug from behind pressing lips to the back of your head. You chuckle at his protectiveness fully knowing he would make good on that threat. Noticing your wincing from the pain in your stomach Ominis lifts his head slightly.

“Are you alright?”

“Just cramps.” You shrug.

“I am so sorry dearest. Hand me your book and I shall read to you if you would like while you lay down and close your eyes.” Ominis sets the book on the ground next to him, his wand hovering over the page as he reads, his other hand stroking your hair as you lay with your head in his lap. Peacefully you drift asleep to the sound of Ominis gentle reading.

——————————————————

Short and sweet I just want Ominis to read to me while I wrestle my own cramps

[nohkalikai]

full text:

Activist calls for border march in Ladakh to mark land lost to China

The march would be taken out in the north and south banks of Pangong Tso lake, Demchok, Chushul among others along the Line of Actual Control with China; two dates are shortlisted — March 27 and April 7

Around 10,000 people from Ladakh will march to the border along China this month to showcase how much land has been lost to the neighbouring country, climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk said on Tuesday.

Mr. Wangchuk has been protesting in open in sub-zero temperature in Leh, surviving only on salt and water for the past 14 days, to demand constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory.

“We know from the shepherds that they are not allowed [anymore] to go to the places that they always used to go. In particular areas, they are stopped kilometres before where they used to go earlier. We will go and show whether land has been lost or not,” Mr. Wangchuk said.

The march would be taken out in Finger area (north and south bank of Pangong Tso), Demchok, Chushul among others along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

He said two dates have been shortlisted for the march — March 27 and April 7.

“The march will also highlight the areas, prime pasture lands, that are being turned into solar parks. On one hand, nomads are losing their land to corporates who are coming to set up their plants, maybe mining in future. Nomads will lose 150,000 sq km of prime pasture land, on the other hand they are losing pasture land to China which is encroaching from the north, the Chinese have captured huge chunks of land in the last few years,” he said.

After the June 15, 2020 incident in Galwan where 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, several rounds of talks between the two armies have taken place leading to disengagement and creation of buffer zones or no-go areas. These areas in eastern Ladakh were regularly patrolled before April 2020 when China started amassing troops close to the LAC. At least 26 patrolling points out of total 65 PPs in Eastern Ladakh are not being patrolled due to the border dispute.

At the centre of Mr. Wangchuk’s protest that has received huge support from the locals is the failure of talks between Ladakh civil society leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 4.

The members of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) representing the Buddhist majority and Shia Muslim dominated regions respectively in Ladakh, are jointly protesting for Statehood for Ladakh, inclusion of Ladakh in the sixth schedule of the constitution thus giving it a tribal status, job reservation for locals and a parliamentary seat each for Leh and Kargil.

Though ministry officials had in previous rounds of meetings agreed to examine how the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution can be implemented in Ladakh’s context, the meeting with Mr. Shah “did not result in any positive outcome”.

“Government has been declining to keep their promise on Sixth Schedule. The Home Minister said we cannot give this but we will give you some constitutional safeguard,” Mr. Wangchuk said adding that he wants to awaken the people of India to this “breach of trust”.

“People are disillusioned, disenchanted and angry. There is no chance BJP will win a seat here in the upcoming elections. But this is not only for Ladakh, am trying to awaken the nation, if this is how election promises are honoured, then elections are a joke. Why did we vote this party to power twice?” he said. Ladakh’s only parliamentary seat was won by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 and 2019.

After the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked by the Parliament on August 5, 2019, Ladakh was turned into a Union Territory without any legislative assembly.

[seedsinmygarden]

hello!! i’m peter, 22 yo, any pronouns!

i’m a writer, i’ve been writing fanfiction for a long time and have been finding myself in the corner that belongs to the hogwarts: legacy gang! most of this blog will be hogwarts legacy content, really lol

“legacy? what is a legacy? it’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”

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you will only get responses if you follow my guidelines!

i will write for…

students: Lucan Brattleby, Natsai Onai, Leander Prewett, Garreth Weasley, Poppy Sweeting, Everett Clopton, Amit Thakkar, Ominis Gaunt, Imelda Reyes, Anne Sallow, Sebastian Sallow

ocs: Phillip Hans, Leon Lancaster, Thomas Dharby, Scarlet Fawkes, Florence Seymour, Cassius Briarwood, Peter Green, James Smithson, Amoria Dovah, Ariel Evans

professors: Black, Weasley, Fig, Hecat, Ronen, Sharp, Garlick, Kogawa, Onai, Shah, Howin, Binns

[townpostin]

Champai Soren and Sudesh Mahto Meet BJP Leaders in Delhi

Former JMM leader and AJSU supremo discuss seat sharing for upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections Champai Soren and Sudesh Mahto arrive in Delhi to meet BJP leaders, including Amit Shah, for seat-sharing talks ahead of Jharkhand elections. NEW DELHI – Former JMM leader Champai Soren and AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto have traveled to Delhi to discuss seat-sharing arrangements with BJP leaders for…

[crovvlipso]

May I ask how Agatha would interact with an MC that's a complete mother bear? As in, will love and coddle and take care of her friends, but also scold them in the "I'm not mad, just disappointed" tone? My MC's name is Siyana Devonshire, and she's an Indian girlie, like Amit and Professor Shah, actually. This is her btw.

The only reason I haven't drawn my baby and written a character sketch yet is because I'm still trying to get through the game without spoilers but I sent ask because I enjoy Agatha and she's very pretty. Plz don't be mad I'm just curious.

She's so cute 😭 khhfdgfd fellow Asian MC 🫶

I think at first Agatha didn't find her that interesting (she always be like this it's typical Agatha) but I think if they talk to each other there might be a very high chance for these two to get along, Agatha is pretty chill about it they may not have to a best friend but neutral like every time they see each other they always wave and greeting

Sometimes they sit together in some of the classrooms. and one of them starts a conversation like "have you eaten breakfast?" I like relationships like this they are healthy

[meetdheeraj]

TIL Bŗihaspathi, Brahmaņaspathi and Brahma were the three major gods of Rig-Veda and not Trimurti of Shiva-Vishnu-Brahma who we consider today as major deities. Later were minor gods in Vedas who were elevated when Puranas were written. They were given more powers, virtues and functions in respective Puranas.

Why might this be? While I don't have the answer, here's something to speculate.

Vedas, considered oldest Hindu texts were written by people who traveled to India from European (central Asian) regions. Were there people in India already?

Yes. Harappan civilization had long ended. Indus Valley Civilization started declining with arrival of Vedic migrants. Here's something more interesting.

Shiva as he is seen today was already present in Harappan civilization. Yes, Shiva was here (with people) long before Vedic people arrived here. So it is highly likely (in fact many historians have already said this) that Shiva and so many other gods (almost all that we worship today) were assimilated into new religion by migrants who arrived here. Coopted. Stories (Puranas) were written in this process. They probably tried to convert natives into their vedic religion. It didn't work. And so they went many steps ahead and instead started calling gods of natives as theirs own. And to support this claim they also wrote stories. A job well done.

Lemme enunciate this further with a recent instance. Last year or a year before that, during Covid, at our annual function of a local deity "Naag Brahmo" who is most times just a god worshipped in form of peepal tree or even a mango and when given form is shown as multi-headed-serpent (sometimes 3, other times 5, 7 too). For some reason someone decided up call people from ISKCON to conduct a bhajan. They arrived. They saw our god who at this place was a five-headed-serpent and slyly told us how this was no ordinary serpent but serpent of lord Vishnu. For the record, we don't consider our god a simple serpent, at times we talk of him with abundant power to move natural elements. But anyways, you get what was happening here.

Why do they do it? My theory is, caste system exists in their world and anyone outside of it is a threat or one less human not under their control. Whatever the reason, fact is, the ancient form of Hindu religion was a religion of migrants and not of natives. While today all of us have traces of Harappa DNA (recent books have abundantly cleared this), ideology is still alien. There's absolutely no reason to be touchy about the religion of migrants. And also tell Mr Amit Shah and company when he calls fellow Indians migrants from here and there. His ancestors, if he thinks he comes from Vedic ancestry, were migrants too.

Finally, just remember how none of the Vedic gods are worshipped by masses today. Gods we pray to were created using Puranas as vessels of their stories. If you think about it then, the only thing that is still practised from Vedic age is caste. So whenever you say your religion is old, sanatan, whenever you try to assert oldest, this is the bit that is oldest and still practised. We all abandoned our old gods but stuck to caste system nonetheless. Caste in that manner was more important to us than even our gods.

[news-venue]

Priyanka Gandhi Joins Wrestlers Protest, Asks Cops To Show FIR Copy

The Delhi Police, which functions under Amit Shah's Home Ministry, filed the two first information reports (FIRs) hours after the Supreme Court ordered them to do so.

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met protesting wrestlers at Delhi's Jantar Mantar today to express solidarity with their demand for action against the alleged sexual harassment of women athletes by superiors. The wrestlers have been on a sit-in at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on complaints of sexual harassment.

At the protest venue, the Congress general secretary hit out at the Delhi Police for not providing a copy of the First Information Report, or FIR, filed against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"I don't have any expectations from the PM (Narendra Modi), because if he is worried about these wrestlers, then why has he not talked to them or met them yet. Why the govt is trying to save him (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh," she said.

The Delhi Police on Friday filed two cases against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief after the Supreme Court ordered them to do so. One of the FIRs is over a complaint of sexual harassment by a minor, filed under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which gives no scope for bail.

The Delhi Police will pursue the case actively, sources said.

But despite the assurance of police action, the wrestlers said they will continue their sit-in protest demanding the "immediate arrest" of the WFI chief.

"We respect Supreme Court's order, but we don't have faith in Delhi Police. This fight is not for an FIR. This fight is to punish people like him. He needs to be in jail and stripped of his portfolios," the wrestlers said.

Earlier this week, Priyanka Gandhi had slammed the government, saying that the pleas of the sportspersons, who enhance the country's honour, were being ignored. She had asserted that "when the arrogance of a party and its leaders" is sky high, then such voices are crushed.

Congress leaders such as Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda and Udit Raj had also joined the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar earlier this week to express solidarity with them.

Mr Singh, who is also a BJP MP, welcomed the Supreme Court's order to file the police case into allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Mr Singh told reporters the wrestlers should have waited for the report of a committee that was tasked to look into the matter before they decided to sit on a protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

"I am happy with the judiciary's decision. The Delhi Police will investigate the allegations and I am ready to cooperate with them in every possible way. No one is bigger than the judiciary in this country. The order has come to file an FIR (first information report). The government had also said it had no objection to filing an FIR. I am not larger than the Supreme Court. I welcome the order," Mr Singh told reporters.

[pmwritesandpoems]

A Timeless Hogwarts Legacy: Why do You Have to be so Mean? (2/16)

Fandom: Hogwarts Legacy Main Title: A Timeless Hogwarts Legacy Pairing: Ominis Gaunt/Original Female Character Tags: Romance; Hurt/Comfort; Angst; Fluff; Friendship; Mutual Pining

Chapter: 2/16 Title: Why do You Have to be so Mean? Word Count: 4,537

Last Chapters: AO3 (All Chapters): AO3 Tumblr: Chapter 1

Last Chapter Preview:

“Enchanted to finally meet you, Mr. Gaunt.” Evelyn said with a smile.

“Enchanted to meet you too as well, Ms. Rose.” Ominis responded. Comforting silence accompanied them as they smiled at each other. Until Ominis cheekily continued, “Although, I must remind you again to not. Tell. Anyone. About the secret place you so stumble upon yourself.” 

Evelyn laughed. She hoped that this interaction was the very first page, not where her story with him line ends.

Reminder:

I won't mention the main character house, you could choose her house yourself

You could change my original character name with yours, I’ll try my best to not mention her skin, hair, and eye colour so you could match it with your own. 

I  am no expert of the Victorian era, the use of the calendar system, etiquette, and many other things from the said era are changed as I see fit to support the story. Several insertions of modern era culture will be present as well to support the story.

You could also read this on AO3.

Enjoy!

2. Why do You Have to be so Mean?

Late Autumn 1890

It was freezing. Evelyn started to move in the direction of the staircase that led down from the upper astronomy viewing deck while still feeling the chill of the late-autumn air in her already trembling body. Since the shivering became greater with each stride she made, her steps are a little shaky. She hated the cold so much.

“Merlin, I never thought Professor Shah would actually make us observe the stars in this weather.” She complained to herself while trying to get more warmth by rubbing her hands.

“Yeah, she tends to do it.” A voice came from nowhere.

“Ah!” Shocked, Evelyn accidentally bumped into the girl beside her. “Sorry.” She apologised to the Slytherin girl, who was clearly annoyed that her stargazing was interrupted.

“But, isn’t it fun? You could see the stars clearer in winter,” The boy who surprised her continued.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, “Yes, it is a bit fun. Until the cold seeps in and hypothermia kicks in.” She then shied away from the girl she bumped into earlier, who was still giving her the killing glare even though she had already apologised. She sighed, “Or die because of someone’s death glare.” 

Evelyn continued her way down in search of warmth. She needed something warm to drink or eat. Maybe the dinner hadn’t finished yet in the great hall. Oh how she wanted the—

“Sorry for that.”

Evelyn’s steps halted when she heard the boy talking again. She almost forgot about him. She sighed again and hugged herself before finally turning to see the boy who had surprised her. At least he has a friendly face. Evelyn knew him. From potions, if she remembered correctly.

“Hello again! I can't believe we haven't met again. I'm Amit. Amit Thakkar? We met in potion class.”

Evelyn nodded. She was right. “No need to be sorry.”

“I like Astronomy better since there’s less explosions,” he joked, probably to lessen the mood.

She smiled at the joke and hugged herself tighter due to another chilling wind passing through her. Her voice was low, “Well, I prefer potion with its explosions over freezing to death, thank you very much.” Amit laughed, and Evelyn continued, “Nice to meet you again, Amit.”

“I couldn’t help it. I love astronomy.” He smiled, curiosity in his voice, “Anyway, did I hear Professor Shah say that you don’t have your own telescope?” Sheepishly, he continued, “I... have a spare one you could borrow for the rest of the term.”

Evelyn was shocked by the boy once again. Her eyes went wide and both of her eyebrows shot up. Giving his old telescope? Isn’t it too much? 

But with the Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment being out of reach in Diagon Alley and her economic situation entering a period of obligatory frugality, Evelyn eventually decided to accept Amit’s overly kind offer. However, she decided to ask Amit again for his willingness to give her his old telescope. “That’s very kind of you, Amit. Are you sure you won’t need it?”

“I’m certain. It’s my old one.” Amit spoke confidently. He began to talk animatedly. “I finally got my hands on the new Celestia Contemplor. You’ve heard of it. I assume? I mean, of course you have. It’s only the pinnacle of all personal stargazing implements.” He smiled with so much pride and then cleared his throat, “But my old model’s not too shabby either. Goblin-cut glass, first-rate optical enchantments...  Hate to think such a fine instrument is just collecting dust.”

With her brain thinking only about how to get warm, Evelyn had a hard time listening to Amit fully. But thankfully, she still got the gist of it. Amit was giving her probably the best telescope in the world—well, second best after his. “Well I—um, I—thank you, Amit.” She said sincerely.

Amit shook his head, “Think nothing of it. Anyway, the telescope’s in the storage room right underneath us. You can’t miss it.” 

Evelyn nodded. Storage room, below. A telescope that probably looks brand new.

Amit nodded as well and nervously continued, “I have some, uh, reading to finish on the lower deck. Come find me there afterwards—and bring the telescope. There’s something I want to talk to you about.” 

Evelyn felt there’s something he hadn’t said yet, but she ignored her doubts as she saw the boy leave her behind. Even if there’s a catch to the telescope, it wouldn't be as hard as the keeper's trials, would it? She then walked to the opposite side of Amit's direction, where the stairs to the storage room were. Still hugging herself, Evelyn stepped down the stairs and found Amit’s telescope lying neatly on the desk beside the last step.

Astonished, Evelyn took the practically shining telescope, checking in from one end to the other, asking herself, “This was his old telescope? It’s practically brand new!” She grinned, “Called it.” She then tucked the telescope in her pocket and began her way back up.

“Now where is the snake constellation?” Evelyn heard a boy grumble as she took her third step up. She had a hunch about who was speaking. What was his name again? The one who was helping her in her first herbology class? Ah, yes, Prewett. Leander Prewett.

“Do you mean Serpens?” Another boy spoke. Now that’s a voice Evelyn definitely knew. She couldn’t be wrong to recognise the one who got her into trouble in her first class of potions. The red-headed ‘my aunt is the deputy headmistress and I am her pain in the arse’ Garreth Weasley.

With frustration in his voice, Leander answered, "I don't even know, Garreth."

“Hurry Leander. M-My brain is beginning to shut down because of the cold. Professor Shah’s just about as cold and distant as the bloody stars she wants us to chart.” 

Evelyn giggled at Garreth’s comment. Well, she herself was also beginning to shut down. It was nice to know that she wasn't the only one who thought the professor was cruel. Even though Garret’s remark about the stars being cold was completely wr—

“Well if she assigned us to find a snake in Hogwarts, we would’ve probably been in our dorm room by now. It’s obvious where the snakes at Hogwarts are.” 

Leander's fuss made Evelyn stop her thoughts. She obviously didn’t like his accusation, but decided it was none of her concern. She began her way up to the upper astronomy deck, taking the steps with a shiver.

“I-If it is a joke, I can’t laugh a-at it right now. M-my mind is fr-freezing.” Evelyn heard Garreth's frustration between his shivers.

“Well, you do know there is a house at Hogwarts that has a snake symbol on its crest? The house of cunning snakes and soon-to-be dark wizard hangout.” Evelyn's steps halted just as she arrived at the upper deck. Her eyebrows raised as she heard what the taller Gryffindor had said. 

Leander then focused himself again on his telescope, probably still searching for the serpent in the sky. Before continuing with a tone full of accusations, “Even the direct descendant of probably the father of the dark arts is there. Surely the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. His ‘depression’ in being a Slytherin is obviously a farce. He’s probably practising the dark arts in secret and Merlin knows what he’s done with all the secrets he knows, being Salazar Slytherin’s descendant. I’ve even heard rumours that he even found a secret chamber that contains a dangerous beast that only submits to pure blood who understands snakes.” Leander stopped stargazing and chuckled at the other redhead beside him, “He might be planning something ominous. Get it?”

Garreth stayed silent at his friend’s joke, probably not expecting all the things that came out of Leander’s mouth. 

Leander shivered and complained, “Ugh, maybe he could find this damned serpent constellation sooner than us…” He snickered, “But, then again, how could he?” And then swayed one of his hands in front of his eyes.

“Did the cold get into your b—”

“Why do you have to be so MEAN?!” Evelyn’s shout could be heard throughout the observation deck. Everything became silent. Even the wind stopped breezing.

Garreth, who was cut before he could give Leander a piece of mind himself, slowly stepped away, seeing how the new fifth year student was angry. He saw how Evelyn stormed towards the Gryffindors and shouted at Leander. Still shivering but reluctant to go as he wanted to see how Leander would end, Garreth stood approximately five steps away from them. He had been the recipient of Evelyn’s wrath before—the first potion class accident—and he didn’t want to be in that position. Ever. Again.

Startled, Leander stammered as he answered, “W-what?!”

 "You heard me," Evelyn said, still in a high voice. Why you have to be so mean?”

“Mean?” Confusion could be heard in Leander’s voice.

In a matter-of-fact tone, Evelyn answered, "Yes. You’re mean. You pointed out and made fun of other people's flaws.” Anger then made her tone go up, “It is not a flaw in the first place!”

“I did—”

Evelyn was furious, saying, “How dare you?! Mock others behind their backs, ridiculing who you found different, and giving Merlin knows what gestures, while knowing that he, can’t, see it!” Evelyn then poked Leander’s shoulder in every word, “How, dare, you!”

Stunned and awkwardly stepped back with every poke he got, Leander responded in panic,  “I—”

Full-on rage Evelyn ignored him, “You dare to call him something he is not. You dare to accuse him of something he certainly didn’t and won’t do. And you dare to spread rumours about him, when you don’t even know who he is! Do you even talk to him? Have you ever tried to have a conversation with him?!”

“Ominis and—”

“Don’t you dare say his name.” Evelyn cut off the boy's attempt to explain. She then continued sceptically, “Did you really see he was faking his depression? Did you really see him practising the dark arts? Hmmm?” Seeing Leander's face becoming red, her scepticism quickly turned into sneering, “Or did you just hear it from Merlin knows where since your ear is soooo big, it must catch all the gossip. Even from the merpeople of the black lake!”

Satisfaction came to Evelyn when she heard Garreth chuckle and saw Leander’s face beginning to redden even more. But it was not enough. “And about the secret chamber, maybe you’re the one who found it? You can certainly listen to all the whispers in this school. Even if it’s nonsense.”

Leander’s face was as red or even redder than a tomato. Desperately, he said, “I didn’t me—”

“Stop with your excuses.” Evelyn cut the poor boy again. Stern in her voice made it more prominent, “The more you talk, the more I know how lonely and pathetic you are. You called and picked on a man you thought was weaker than you. Never realise it was yourself who was weak.” 

Evelyn paused. She held her head high in pride, “Ominis will be one of the greatest wizards of the century.” And then she narrowed her eyes to Leander, “And all you're ever going to be, is mean.” Her gaze contained so much repulsion that it made Leander cower. “Mean, old, man, who is alone in life, drunk all the time, and could only grumble to his own pathetic self.”

“I—”

“I’m not done yet.” Another cut from Evelyn. Solemnly, she warned, “If you still have even an ounce of conscience in yourself, you listen here and listen to me well, Leander Prewett. Stop with all your nonsense thinking about Ominis and Merlin knows, anybody else you got a whiff of rumours about. Purge yourself of this pathetic way of living. If you really want to insult them, at least do it in front of their face. Not behind them like a coward.”

With his face already more scarlet than his own ginger hair, Leander just stood there after hearing what the new fifth year had said. Five steps aside, Garreth was doing all he could to suppress his laugh. Which was failing as he snorted two times in a row. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, scared to ruin the solemn mood. This was better than Garreth ever imagined. The cold he felt clearly paid off. It was the best astronomy class session ever. 

Evelyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Calmly, well, as calm as she could be, she continued, “So, Leander Prewett.” Her eyes looked straight into the embarrassed ginger’s eyes. “Why do you have to be so mean?”

“I….have no excuses.” In defeat and guilt, Leander sighed, “I am sorry.”

Content with his answer, Evelyn finally calmed down completely. She spoke softly, “Tell it to the one you insulted.”

Still rooted to his spot, Leander said meekly, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” 

Evelyn nodded and walked away, continuing her way to the lower deck. Not realising the other ginger followed her to the lower deck until he finally spoke jokingly, “I'm glad that I wasn't the one making you angry this time.”

Evelyn shrugged. “Well, I never thought he’s such a mean.”

“Leander sometimes doesn't think about what he’s saying.” Garreth said matter-of-factly. He then quickened his pace so he could face Evelyn as he spoke. Two steps ahead of her, looking straight at her, he teased,  “But, he might not be in the near future. After what I dare call ‘a magnificent to watch scolding��� you gave him.”

Evelyn stopped when she’s at the same step as the ginger. Her eyebrows raised, she questioned the boy seriously, “I see that you want some scolding as well?” 

His body rigid, Garreth replied, “No ma’am.” He continued seriously, “Sorry ma’am.” 

Evelyn broke out in laughter after seeing Garreth’s antics. Garetth laughed with her as well, and they started to descend more. The laughter ceased at the bottom of the stairs. Seeing Garreth’s smile, she suddenly remembered what he said earlier. “Actually, stars are very hot.” Evelyn said.

“What?”

“The stars.” Evelyn gestured at the sky and said, “When you’re complaining and making fun of our professor? You said that she’s as cold as the stars.”

“Uhh….” Confused, Garreth scratched his head as he tried to comprehend what Evelyn just said.

“It was actually hot. Like the sun. The star of our solar system?”

“Ooookay…?” Still confused, Garreth decided to change the topic, “Anyway! This is not how I wanted to spend my evening. But thanks to you, it was quite entertaining.”

Evelyn smiled and bowed like an actress after her performance. “You’re welcome.”

Garreth smiled and put his hands in his pocket. Playfully, he asked, “So...if someone said mean things about me in front of you as well, would you come to defend me too?”

“Well—”

“Or is it just Ominis?” 

Evelyn felt blood rush to her cheeks as soon as she heard what Garreth had said. She really didn’t find the answer to Garreth’s question. Of course she would stand up for her ginger friend as well, but to that extent? To the point where she also insulted the preparator? 

“No comment.” She muttered, turned away immediately, and took rapid steps away from the ginger. She didn’t care where she was going. She just wanted to get away from Garreth and avoid further shame as soon as possible.

Garreth smirked and began to run to catch up with the running new fifth year, “Hey, Eve! Wait for me!”

Evelyn was walking down to the great hall after finally escaping Garreth when a playful voice came out of nowhere.

“Soooo…you think Ominis will be one of the greatest wizards of the century?” Sebastian caught Evelyn off guard. She stopped walking, making the brunette bump into her.

“Oof!” Sebastian distanced himself a bit from Evelyn, rubbing his impacted chest. “Are you that surprised that I know everything?” He said with a smirk.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and turned to him, Oh, please.” With her hands crossed in front of her chest, she continued, “Do tell me where you get that nonsense.” 

“Leander suddenly apologised to Ominis when Ominis and I passed him a couple minutes ago. He is still listening to Leander as we speak. It was so awkward that I had to step away.” He shivered. “Look! My hair stands up when I remember it.” Sebastian gave Evelyn a clear view of his arm, its hair, indeed, was standing up. "I believed it might shower frogs soon," he said, trembling. But then the tremble stopped and a grin began to appear on Sebastian’s face, growing wider as the seconds went by, “Until I bumped into Weasley and finally knew that you’re actually the cause.”

Evelyn swore to herself that if she could, she would rip the grin off Sebastian’s face. But she couldn’t, so she turned and began to walk away with annoyance from the grinning brunette, quickening her pace as she went, wanting to get away as soon as possible.

Sadly, two steps Evelyn took were basically just one step for Sebastian, who has longer legs than her. Evelyn's attempt to get away failed quickly, as he caught up to her with just two strides. He continued to tease the poor girl, “I saw what you did to Weasley in the previous potion class. So I know how scary you are when you’re mad.” With disappointment, he said, ”Though I’m sad that I didn't get to witness you in action this time.”

Evelyn stopped, making the brunette surprised and halted late, just a few paces in front of her. “Continue to bother me,” she said, giving him a death glare, “and you will be the next one.” 

Continuing her steps, Evelyn threw her head in a different direction as she walked past him. However, her threat wasn't perceived as one by Sebastian, who then chuckled and continued his steps until he took his previous spot on her left, and continued his teasing, “Cooome ooon, you’re practically a hero!” 

Sebastian placed his hand on Evelyn's left shoulder, bringing them both to a halt. He turned Evelyn around to face him. With a straight face and in all seriousness in the world, he said, “Protecting and defending someone,” his eyes looking straight at hers, “when they didn’t even know they needed it.” His voice became more emotional, “You made me proud.” Then he annoyingly feigned to be touched and cried out of one eye. His hand wiped the imaginary tears.

Irritated, Evelyn shoved his hand off her shoulder and exclaimed, “I just did what a good. Human. Being would do!” She pouted, “Don’t taunt me about it!” 

Sebastian laughed at her reaction. “I am sorry, but this is simply too good. I mean, you even made Leander tell Ominis what he did and apologise for it!” He exclaimed. Sebastian laughed more, making Evelyn sulk even more than before. “He never did it before!” He added.

Evelyn could only cross her arm, waiting for his annoying laugh to cease and for him to continue. Sebastian took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. I’m good. I won’t laugh again. I promise.” He proceeded to put his hand on Evelyn’s shoulder, “You really are a Hero.” He grinned and added, “At least to me. Thank you for the much needed laugh.”

For the second time today, Evelyn wished she could punch Sebastian as hard as she could. But, lucky for him, she took the high road and a deep breath. “Just stop bothering me, please.” She pleaded tiredly.

Another jesting voice came out of the blue, “Yeah Sebastian, quit harassing our saviour."

Evelyn groaned when she realised who it was from the softer tone the voice had. There’s only one person she knew who has that soft yet firm, sumptuous yet humble voice. You know, the one for whom she stood up so valiantly before? Yeah, that one. The one and only, Ominis Gaunt. 

“Ugh, you’re just as awful as he is.” Evelyn grumbled as she turned towards the blonde on her right.  

“I am only giving back what I received.” He joked with a smile making its way to his face.

“Ah, here he is, the damsel in distress who was rescued by our valiant hero.” Sebastian teased.

Ominis rolled his eyes. “Well, I never listen to the rumours since I don’t care about what people think about me in the first place. People already judge me with whatever prejudice they have when they hear my last name.” With sarcasm practically dripping from his voice, he chuckled, “I wouldn’t stand a chance of changing the spotless reputation of Gaunt that has been built hundreds of years ago. A gleaming reputation, which I should thank for helping me gain numerous acquaintances throughout my youth.”

Evelyn's heart wrenched when she heard it. It must be difficult to be judged solely on the basis of your name. People might be avoiding him unintentionally since Gaunt's name had long been associated with cruelty and the dark arts. Ominis, on the other hand, was not like that. He might be rough at first…she wouldn’t lie about it. But she found that he was a good person. With him assisting her with the schoolwork—begrudgingly, Evelyn noted, since he always scolded her first before showing her the correct way—and navigating the halls of Hogwarts whenever he found her as lost as a blind kitten—again, Evelyn perceived he did it reluctantly because he always complained about it for the entire journey to her destination—for the past few months since their first full conversation in front of the Undercroft entrance, Evelyn believed he must be a very good friend. Not to mention how much he cared for Sebastian. Evelyn could only hope she would have the honour to have him as one in the future.

Trying to clear the air from the bleakness he created himself, Ominis cleared his throat. He stepped closer to Evelyn and moved his body towards her before saying softly with a smile, “But, it is nice to know that someone has my back.” 

Evelyn felt her stomach flip once again. She didn’t know why, but the combination of his soft voice, his genuine smile, and his body gesture that made her sure he was talking to her and her only made Evelyn feel... warm. Even though he didn’t really see straight into her eyes. And Evelyn thanked Merlin he didn’t. She couldn't bear the thought of him seeing her in her flushed state.

“Hey, I've got your back too!” Sebastian, who was in the middle, joined the conversation and ruined the moment.

Ominis chuckled and took a step back, giving space to Sebastian. Evelyn felt sadness as she saw the distance between her and Ominis grow wider. He then responded to the brunette sarcastically, “Well, I am glad that someone else has my back. Someone whose solution is not necessarily a duel.”

“I can’t help it when someone practically begs for a battle with the best duelist in the school.” Sebastian boasted.

“Are you?” Evelyn said, frowning.

“Our last duel in the defence against the dark arts class was a fluke.” Sebastian replied smugly to the frowning girl. “Your victory was pure coincidence.”

Infuriated, Evelyn turned towards Sebastian and answered with her voice raised, “Oh, really?”

“Meet me at the clock tower entrance in the afternoon, and we’ll see who’s the best,” Sebastian smirked.

Evelyn attempted to rise to his challenge, but she thought it was an empty one and changed her mind. She shrugged and turned away from the brunette. “You simply cannot accept losing.” 

Smirking, Sebastian taunted her, “And you’re too afraid to show that your last triumph was not. Blind. Luck.”

THAT struck a nerve. Evelyn took a step towards Sebastian and said menacingly, “Oh, it’s on.” 

“Yeah?” Sebastian teased.

“Yeah!”

Ominis shook his head while he put his hands between the bickering pair and broke them up, “Sometimes I wonder how I could be friends with you both.”

Evelyn’s anger vanished as she realised what Ominis had stated. “I’m your friend?” She said, surprised.

“Well, after your performance at the astronomy tower, I would be an awful person to not consider you my friend.” Ominis said with a shrug. He then turned towards her, practically blocking all things from her view except himself because he had already stood so close to her when he stepped between her and Sebastian.

“I…” Evelyn was flabbergasted. Evelyn could hear her heartbeat increasing at an alarming pace with him so near. She tried to calm herself down, but when she looked up and saw him smiling, her efforts crumbled.

“Thank you, Evelyn.” He spoke tenderly.

And once again, ladies and gentlemen, Evelyn Rose felt her stomach churn. Her breath was taken away. Standing so close that her nose almost touched his, all she could focus on was his eyes…blue like the misty sea...  Wake up, you moron!

Evelyn shook her head in an attempt to clear her head. She lowered her gaze and looked back up at him from under her lashes. Smiling shyly, she answered, “You’re welcome, Omi.” 

Ominis smiled and something flipped again in Evelyn's stomach. Upset with all these new sensations, she concluded that there had to be something wrong with her. She decided to go to the hospital wing to check it out after this.

“Ooohh, a new nickname for Ominis.” Sebastian excitedly barged in and yet again ruined the moment. He continued animatedly over Ominis’s shoulder, looking delighted to both of his friends finally becoming friends, “Could I call you Omi too? Ominis is too long for me—I will call you Omi too from now on.”

“Don’t.” Ominis spoke sharply.

“Omiii,” Sebastian teased while shaking Ominis’s shoulder.

“Stop, or I will throw you into the black lake.” Ominis threatened. His wand pointed directly at Sebastian’s face without him turning his body.

Evelyn giggled at both of her friends. She was brimming with happiness as she saw them continue to squabble. She was glad that Ominis had finally accepted her as a friend. Hey, maybe she could finally ask about his wand! It was the purpose of her chase for him in the first place. It wasn't so much that she wanted to become friends with him only as to inquire about that. But it was more to...that’s the first thing she found intriguing about him. 

“Excuse me,” A voice came out of the blue and stopped Evelyn’s thoughts. It was Nerida Roberts, the Slytherin girl who attended the same astronomy class as Evelyn. “Amit told me to notify you that he’s still waiting at the lower observation deck of the astronomy tower.” 

“Eve? Are you okay?” Ominis asked Evelyn worriedly after hearing her sudden intake of breath.

“Merlin, I forgot!” She exclaimed, didn’t even realise the nickname she got, and ran as fast as she could back to the astronomy tower. Leaving two confused Slytherin boys and one Slytherin girl behind.

A boy in a Ravenclaw robe was seen standing on the lower deck of the astronomy tower. His breath made a misty cloud as he paced back and forth in hope of gaining warmth in the cold. 

“Where is she?”

[amongxylophonesandglockenspiels]

Bollywood Movies Part CCVIII

Inspector Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) investigates the murder of the influential Raghubeer Singh (Khalid Tyabji) on his wedding night to his young second wife Radha (Radhika Apte). As Jatil investigates, he learns more about Raghubeer’s proclivities and about family secrets long left undisturbed, including the truth about the death of Jatil’s first wife (Natasha Rastogi).

CW for movie: human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse of a minor, some gore. Raat Akeli Hai is a good whodunnit that gives us a satisfying ending, while also being a love story. I enjoyed Jatil and Radha’s interactions, but I loved the performances of Shivani Raghuvanshi and Padmavati Rao as the combative Vasudha (Raghubeer’s niece) and the reprehensible Pramila Singh (Raghubeer’s sister-in-law) respectively. Ila Arun was also good as Jatil’s mother who wants him to get married. Favorite song is Ghoom Charkhya (no subtitles).

Kaajal (Bhumi Pednekar) moves out from her cousin Dolly’s (Konkona Sen Sharma) place when Dolly’s husband Amit (Aamir Bashir) makes a move on her and leaves her hated factory job. To make ends meet, she starts working at an adult call center as Kitty and begins an affair with “Pradeep” (Vikrat Massey), one of her callers. Meanwhile, Dolly deals with trying to make ends meet for her and Amit’s new luxury apartment that under construction and with the backlash against her son Pappu (Kalp Shah) liking girly things.

CW: corporal punishment. Dolly Kitty aur woh Chamakte Sitare is a good film about two cousins and their lives. It does a good job talking about women experiencing sex and desire without punishing them for it. It also doesn’t shy away from showing the realities of the society they live in, but doesn’t make those realities disheartening. A great example of this is the call center and how all the women there support each other. Favorite songs are Neet Ve and Khwabida (audio only). Neither song has subtitles.

Akash (Aditya Roy Kapur) goes to local crime lord Sattu Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) to help take down a sex video made of him and his ex-girlfriend Shruti (Sanya Malhotra) without their knowledge. Meanwhile, Aalu (Rajkummar Rao) tries to help the woman he loves, Pinky (Fatima Sana Shaikh), when she comes to him to help get her husband out of jail for being prime suspect in a murder Sattu Bhaiya committed. After being released from prison, Bittu (Abhishek Bachchan), Sattu Bhaiya’s former second in command, meets Mini (Inayat Verma) who has run away from home and agrees with her plan to pretend to kidnap her to get her parents’ attention. Rahul (Rohit Saraf), after being taken by Sattu Bhaiya for being near the murder, manages to get Sattu Bhaiya’s money with the help of nurse Sheeja (Pearle Maaney), but Sattu Bhaiya sends his goons after them to get his money back.

Ludo is an entertaining dark comedy that is structurally based on the board game ludo (more recognizable to Americans as Parcheesi). It was quite entertaining and funny, while also being heartwarming. I loved Bittu and Mini’s story because of how cute it was, especially when Mini prompts Bittu on how to make ransom calls to her parents. Overall, a fun romp. Favorite songs are Qismat Ki Hawa Kabhi Naram (originally from Albela), Aarbaad Barbaad, and Meri Tum Ho. None of the songs have subtitles.