#Kahaani

[sunshinexvibes]

Every "kabhi sunn toh zara jo main keh na saka" deserves a "tune jo na kaha main woh sunta raha"

[k-star-holic]

What if it wasn't for Suzy?

[bollywoodisforlovers]

Episode 149 - Sujoy (Ghosh) Division: Kahaani and Jaane Jaan

To celebrate Noirvember this year, we delve into the catalogue of Sujoy Ghosh with the (not exactly noir) thrillers Kahaani and this year's Netflix release Jaane Jaan. 

Show notes:

Noirvember and our Noirvember playlist

Sujoy Ghosh

Adventures in the Public Domain: Aladin and Arjun: The Warrior Prince

Kahaani

Kolkata as asphalt jungle

The effectiveness of a pregnant detective

INTERVAL ("Jaane Jaan" from Jaane Jaan)

Jaane Jaan

The Devotion of Suspect X and Keigo Higashino

Comparisons to Drishyam

"Aa Jane Jaan" from Intaquam

The Kalimpong atmosphere

NEXT TIME: Detective Balan

Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts!

Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

[cinemapremi]

Top 10 Must-Watch Suspense Thriller Indian Movies

Top 5 Hindi Thriller movies to watch

1. Andhadhun (2018)

Release Year: 2018 IMDb Rating: 8.3/10 Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte Director: Sriram Raghavan Description: A blind pianist becomes embroiled in a series of mysterious events, blurring the lines between reality and deception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iVYI99VGaw&ab_channel=Viacom18Studios

2. Drishyam (2015)

Release Year: 2015 IMDb Rating: 8.2/10 Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran Director: Nishikant Kamat Description: A common man's ingenious efforts to cover up a crime take unexpected turns in this gripping thriller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuuX2j14NBg&ab_channel=Viacom18Studios

3. Kahaani (2012)

Release Year: 2012 IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 Star Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui Director: Sujoy Ghosh Description: A pregnant woman's quest to find her missing husband unveils a web of secrets in the bustling city of Kolkata. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsjamVgPoI8&ab_channel=T-Series

4. Talaash (2012)

Release Year: 2012 IMDb Rating: 7.2/10 Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji Director: Reema Kagti Description: A police officer's investigation into an accident leads him to unearth haunting truths about his own life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMkKSyd8ieo&ab_channel=T-Series

5. Ek Hasina Thi (2004)

Release Year: 2004 IMDb Rating: 7.6/10 Star Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Matondkar Director: Sriram Raghavan Description: A woman's life takes a dark turn after an encounter with a charismatic but dangerous man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovKi412VMj4&ab_channel=UltraMovieWorld

6. Badla (2019)

Release Year: 2019 IMDb Rating: 7.8/10 Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu Director: Sujoy Ghosh Description: A successful businesswoman seeks retribution when accused of a crime she claims she didn't commit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWQiok-ei0&ab_channel=NetflixIndia

7. Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997)

Release Year: 1997 IMDb Rating: 7.3/10 Star Cast: Bobby Deol, Manisha Koirala, Kajol Director: Rajiv Rai Description: A murder mystery intertwined with betrayal, deception, and a hidden truth that shocks all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsl2U855nH0&ab_channel=KajolsWorld

8. Talaash: The Hunt Begins (2003)

Release Year: 2003 IMDb Rating: 4.8/10 Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Rakhee Gulzar Director: Suneel Darshan Description: A man's quest for justice becomes a labyrinth of mysteries, leading him into a dangerous game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urvoAjFMHMI&ab_channel=ShemarooMovies

9. Ugly (2013)

Release Year: 2013 IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 Star Cast: Ronit Roy, Rahul Bhat, Tejaswini Kolhapure Director: Anurag Kashyap Description: A missing child case reveals the dark underbelly of human relationships and the lengths people go to protect their secrets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ougQY2-zpk&ab_channel=DarMovies

10. Johnny Gaddaar (2007)

Release Year: 2007 IMDb Rating: 7.9/10 Star Cast: Dharmendra, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rimi Sen Director: Sriram Raghavan Description: A heist goes awry, leading to a web of betrayal, deceit, and unexpected twists in this neo-noir thriller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZCxKgD5yiw&ab_channel=EntertainmentFactory In conclusion, these must-watch suspense thriller Indian movies offer a gripping cinematic journey, blending intense narratives with stellar performances. Whether you crave edge-of-your-seat suspense or intricate plot twists, these films cater to diverse tastes. Dive into the world of Indian cinema's finest thrillers, where every frame is a masterpiece of intrigue and excitement. Elevate your movie nights with these suspenseful gems and let the cinematic magic unfold! ����✨ #IndianThrillers #MustWatchMovies #SuspenseCinema #BollywoodThrillers Top 5 movies of Ayushmann Khurrana: must watch Also checkout: Read the full article

[localrants]

Jin se aik baar dhutkaar milay unk pas palat kar janay ka jurm nahi karna chahiyay.

Yaram by Sumera Hameed

[waeziverse]

Royal Punch: The Apple Festival(part 2)

Connie's mouth felt dry. All she could say was; "Sid..."

Atsidas the Orc held out his bag with bread. "Walnut is still your favorite, right?"

Connie looked at the orc. Then she looked at the paperbag. She then took the bag out of his hands, placed it at her feet, then she wrapped her arms around Atsidas and buried her face in his chest.

Atsidas ran a hand through her hair. "Connie, I-"

"Don't say anything." Connie tightened her hug around the orc. "Just let me have this."

"Connie, I need to pee."

Connie was still happy. But now she was also very annoyed. She let go of Atsidas and glared at him. "We have been apart for more than a year... and you didn't think to use a bathroom before our reunion?!"

"I did. Really!" Atsidas blushed. "But I need to pee again. Real bad."

Connie rolled her eyes and groaned. "... My bathroom is to the left."

"Sorry..." Atsidas went in through the front door. He paused and turned, smiling at Connie. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you like crazy." As Connie heard him close the door to the bathroom, she was unsure if she wanted to kiss him or kick him. She then turned to Santiago the Grindylow who looked very awkward.

"Soooo..." Santiago's tail tapped the ground. "That's your boyfriend? He is... well..."

Connie sighed. "Yes, he is an orc. I don't expect you to understand."

"Oh, no. It's not that. It's just..." Santiago lowered his voice in case the orc could hear him. "... He is so damn hot."

Connie couldn't help it but smirk. "Yeah, I know."

Santiago's tail tapped the ground even faster. "He got any siblings?"

"Yes, five. And they are all pricks."

"Aww, man!" Santiago then heard the sound of the toilet flushing, so he coughed. "I will just, you know... piss off."

As the sea-creature left, Connie closed the door and went to her stove, activating the heat crystal under her kettle with water that had been boiling not long ago. While she waited for the weather to boil once again, she prepared a teapot with some oolong tea that Andreas and Edward had sent her with their last letter.

After finishing his business in the bathroom, Atsidas entered the living room of Connie’s small house and took a look around. There was a round table placed in the middle of the room. One of the table’s legs had been a little bit broken, so a book had been placed under it to keep the table balanced. Two woven chairs were at the table. The window had curtains made of green fabric with a flower pattern sewn into it. A small bookshelf was placed next to the window. It had two shelves, on one was five books and on the other was a stack of letters. Traces of flour were left around the room.

Connie entered the room with a teapot in one hand and two cups in the other that she placed on the table. She looked at Atsidas and waved a hand towards the chair at the opposite side of the table while taking a seat herself. “Sit.”

“Connie, I-”

“I said; sit.” Connie raised an eyebrow at the orc as she then poured tea to both of them.

“Um, okay.” Atsidas did as he was told, then accepted the cup with steaming hot tea that Connie pushed toward him. “Am I in trouble?”

“No. Now…” Connie took a sip from her own cup. “Tell me everything.”

Atsidas blinked. “Everything what?”

“Everything since…” Connie couldn’t help but bit her lower lip as she recalled a very unpleasant memory. “... Since I left you at the hospital.”

“Well…” The young orc scratched the back of his left pointy ear as his eyes looked up at the ceiling, as if he looked for his memories. “Ah… I was in bed for a… week, maybe? Yeah, a week. You know, till they were sure I didn’t have brain damage. The healer and the hospital staff were not very nice to me.” He frowned. “Actually, I don’t think anyone in town was very nice to me. And when I got out of bed and went back to my apartment, I found out I had been kicked out of it for not paying rent.”

Connie bit her lower lip again.

Atsidas went on. “I tried to find out where I could live and where I could get a job. But I couldn’t get either of those things because everyone had heard about…” He shrugged. “Well, about you and me. And a lot of orcs pushed me around, calling me disintegrate or something.”

Connie narrowed her eyes. “Degenerate.”

“Yeah, that thing. I don’t know what it means, but I guess it is not a very nice thing.”

Connie sighed. “You don’t wanna know…”

“Anyways, I knew I had to get out of town, get a job and somehow get to Mino so I could find you. So I figured I could do sort of all of it by working on a boat.”

“Huh…” Connie took another sip from her tea. “That’s kind of smart for you.”

“Thanks.” Atsidas smiled. “So, I couldn’t get a job on a ship to Mino, but I went to another ship because I thought I might get halfway to Mino or something. My captain is a really nice guy, he said I’m a genius!”

Connie stopped herself from snorting, then raised an eyebrow. “Ah… really?”

“Yeah, but being on a ship is super easy. I don’t have to think, someone is always telling me what to do. Cleaning the deck, tying different sorts of knots, hold and not let go of a rope during a storm, I have not been thinking a single thought by myself as long as I have been at sea.” Atsidas snickered. “I don’t get what everyone else was so impressed about, it’s easy to be a sailor.”

Connie squinted her eyes, unsure if Atsidas was kidding or if he was too dumb to realize that he was apparently a prodigy when it came to sailing.

“Actually, when my ship was going to Mino and moments before that octopus attacked us, the captain asked me if I wanted to be his first mate.” Atsidas finished his tea. “I didn’t get to ask him what that means, but it sounds nice.”

Connie dropped her jaw.

“Oh, so it is a promotion? Neat! Could I have another cup?” Atsidas reached his cup towards Connie. “Well, it doesn’t matter, I wouldn’t have said yes.”

Connie poured him a fresh cup of tea. “Why not?”

The orc shrugged. “Well, if it was a promotion, then I probably had to tell others what to do, I would not be okay with that. Also… Being on that ship was always gonna be a temporary thing, I wanted to get to you.”

Connie raised an eyebrow. “If you quit being a sailor, what will you do now?”

Atsidas shrugged. “I don’t know. But the important thing is that we are together again.” Atsidas stopped smiling and looked worried. “You, ah, you still wanna be with me… right?”

Connie stood up. “What kind of stupid stupid question is that?!” She then grabbed the orc by his collar with her very firm arm, pulling him so he stood up and kissed him hard. Atsidas wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up so he didn’t have to crouch.

“OUCH!” Connie pulled away and cleaned her lip for blood with the back of her hand.

“Aww, stupid tusks.” Atsidas slapped his forehead and blushed. “Every dang time!”

“It’s fine. Now…” Connie grabbed Atsidas and pulled the orc with her as she marched. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To bed, obviously.”

“Wha- Hey, hold up.” Atsidas pulled himself free. “Isn’t it… I don’t know, are we going too fast? We haven’t been together for a while.”

“Exactly.” Connie placed a hand on the orc’s chest and looked him directly in the eyes with a look that had a weird mix of stern and sad. “Sid, you are my best friend, my boyfriend, my soulmate and, not the least, my lover. And you haven’t touched me for what feels like a lifetime.” Her eyes now just looked stern. “Get in my bed and love me like there is no tomorrow!”

Atidas took his shirt off. “Yes, ma'am.”

***

Atsidas gasped, letting out a little laugh. He then started to move so he would get off Connie, but the human woman had her arms around him tightly.

“Stay like that. I like feeling your weight pressed against me.”

Atsidas did as he was told, his elbows against the mattress so he wouldn’t squeeze her.

Connie smiled. She wanted this moment to last forever.

“So…” Atsidas kissed Connie on the forehead. “What about you?”

Connie sighed as she let go of her grip around Atsidas and stroked his back. “What about me?”

“Well, I told you what I've been doing. How about you? How did the whole… well, being-pregnant thing go?”

Connie stopped smiling. The moment had been ruined. She pushed the orc away from her.

“I’m sorry.” Atsidas pouted as he took a seat at the edge of the bed. “Did I say something wrong?”

Connie had crossed her arms and turned her head away from Atsidas while still lying on her back. She groaned. “No. No, you didn’t say anything wrong, it’s just…” She sat up on the other side of the bed, her back turned to Atsidas. “You know how some mothers tell you about how wonderful it is to be pregnant?”

Atsidas shrugged, he had turned his torso as much as he could so he could look at the back of Connie. “I mean, I guess.”

“Well, I couldn’t see what was so great about it. It was the most… uncomfortable period of my life. Ever.”

“Shit, really?”

“I felt like a balloon filled with water. But the water was… alive and punished me. I was weak like an old grandmother, losing my breath over nothing.” Connie nudged her temples. “I felt so… pathetic! I don’t ever want to go through that nightmare again.”

Atsidas scratched the back of his hand while staring at his knees. “I’m so sorry…”

“I’m not sure if I could have gone through this and not lose my gods-damned mind if it hadn’t been for Andreas and Edward.” She rolled her eyes. “They must have thought I was nuts when I started eating like a pig.”

Atsidas blinked. “Who's Andreas and Edward?”

“Oh, um…” Connie blushed, unsure why she did so. “They are… They are the couple who adopted the kid.”

“Oh…” Atsidas didn’t know what else to say. He felt strange.

“They were… well, nice.” Connie shrugged. “It’s such a lame word to describe them, but they were. As soon as I got in contact with them, they insisted on living with me for the last two months, taking care of me.”

“Right.”

Connie turned to look at Atsidas who was now the one to have his back turned against her. She narrowed her eyes. “You are not… mad at me, are you? We agreed that adoption was for the best.”

“No, no. I’m not, it’s just… Does it sound stupid if I say that I don’t know how I feel about it?”

Connie stood up and walked around the bed so she could sit next to Atsidas. “Na. It’s not stupid.”

“I mean, I knew that you had found parents to adopt… Or I was pretty sure you had. But now…” He shook his head. “I feel weird about it.”

Connie rested her head against Atsidas’ left shoulder. She still hadn’t gotten used to the feeling of his thick green hide. How it made her feel… at peace.

Atsidas blinked. “Wait, I’m confused.”

Connie placed her hand in his massive one. “I get if you need to get used to the idea-”

“Oh, no. Not that. It’s just… which one of them is the mom?”

“What?”

“Andreas and Edward, which one of them is the mom? Is Edward a girl’s name?”

There was an awkward pause as Connie didn't understand the question. But then she groaned and slapped her forehead. "There is no mom! THEY ARE GAY, STUPID!"

"... Oh. Ooooh, right." Atsidas blushed. "Got it. Duh."

“You are lucky you are cute.” Connie smirked, she couldn’t help it. “Look, they are good men, and I’m sure they will spoil the hell out of the kid. Does that make you feel less… whatever it is you are about it?”

“I mean… yeah.” Atsidas smiled. “Yeah, I think so.”

“They wrote me a couple of letters. I could read them for you if you like?”

Atsidas hugged her. “Maybe, I’m not sure.”

Connie buried her face in his chest. “So, tell me… You quit working working on that boat you came on?”

“Yeah, I told you, I just wanted to get to-”

“So my boyfriend is a jobless bum again?”

“Ah, oh… Yeah, I should probably find somewhere I could get work.”

“So once again, all you got going for you is that you are big, nice-looking, but not much else.”

Atsidas grinned. “Well, I’m VERY nice-looking.”

Connie snorted. She didn’t do that often, but Atsidas the Orc had that effect on her. “A pretty good Apple Festival after all.”

[musiquesduciel]

It should be mandatory for all Bollywood hits to have an Epilogue or at least a reference in the director's next movie about what the characters from the previous movie are upto years after the events of the movie.

Like I wanna know how Aditya Kashyap and Geet are doing 15 years into their marriage and if they ended up buying a house in the hills. I wanna know how Prem and Jenny from Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahaani are doing and if Prem made her VP of the Happy Club. I wanna know if Aisha and Sid from Wake Up Sid! ended up marrying and if she published her own book with his photography on its cover. If Aditi and Jai from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na have kids who they teach the steps of Pappu Can't Dance? If Bittu and Roshan from Delhi-6 got married and settled down in the same villa Roshan’s grandma brought him to? If Kavya and Humpty Sharma moved to the US eventually and opened their own wedding gown/lehenga shop. What country Naina and Bunny from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani are currently in. Did Om Kapoor end up marrying Sandy after Om Shanti Om? Or does he visit the burned site to meet Shanti everyday? So many questions.

[aadhiskanmani]

[crazybollywood]

[k-star-holic]

Moon Bin sister' Moon Sua, eventually active Abortion-rights movements .. "Still missed brother"

[pariaritzia]

Ranveer Singh and Tota Roy Choudhury performing kathak, an Indian classical dance form typically performed by women, in ROCKY AUR RANI KII PREM KAHAANI (2023)

[sunheraxsavera]

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

[nainawithspecs]

“Tu kya hai, yaar?”

“Jo bhi hoon Tera hi hoon, yaar.”

[waeziverse]

Royal Punch: The Apple Festival(part 1)

On the small island of Mino, there is a story about a nymph.

There are many tales about these mythic creatures and their love for the world. But there is also a tale about a nymph named Sib who loved a mortal more than the world.

And five children had taken a seat in front of a big apple tree planted in the middle of the town square. Under the crown of the tree stood a very handsome creature with pointy ears, a well-trimmed beard and he had six fingers on each hand. He was dressed in purple and his clothes had silver buttons. His name was Shaun the Half-Elf and he was the mayor of the island. And it was tradition that the mayor would share the story about the holy Sib during the Apple Festival.

"It is said that the holy Sib had met a harpy on Mino hundreds of years before the first minotaur was created. And Sib loved this harpy with so much passion that it almost hurt. But what truly hurt was that Sib had to leave the island after having blessed all plant life on Mino and she had duties elsewhere. But she promised her beloved harpy that she would return to them."

One of the kids, a sphinx-centaur hybrid, raised her hand. "Did they kiss?"

Shaun smirked. "Oh yes. Alllll the time!"

"EWWWW!" All the children giggled.

Shaun cleared his throat and continued his tale. "A year had passed before Sib could keep her promise. Nymphs are very busy, you know. But when the nymph arrived on the island, she was met by a terrible surprise: A sickness had infested every plant on Mino, making it dangerous to eat any fruit or vegetable grown on the island. A great deal of creatures had died of starvation because of this horrifying stroke of bad luck... Including Sib's beloved harpy."

A dwarf girl with a bushy beard and a pair of horns gasped. "The harpy died?"

Shaun nodded. "The holy Sib was so heartbroken that she cried for two whole days. She cried and she cried. But her magic tears made apple trees grow from the before bare ground in a matter of minutes. Mino was filled with giant trees with juicy fruits. This saved the good creatures of Mino and prevented any more death as a result of starvation."

A canary-type harpy boy covered his face with his wings as he still had trouble turning them to arms. He cried. "That story is so sad. I don't like it."

Shaun patted the bird boy on the head. "Yes. Yes, it is. But it is also a very important story. Its because of this story we have an Apple Festival." Shaun plucked a big red juicy apple from the tree and gave it to the boy. "Because of Sib, everyone on our island celebrated apples and love. Two things everyone on the island we need. Apples because farming them is what we do best, and love because so many couples on the island had moved to this island because some think there is right and wrong love."

"Like my grandma?" The dwarf girl with horns raised her hand. "My mommy and daddy says my grandma is mean to them and that I'm sick."

Shaun patted the girl on the head between her horns. "Garnet, that is an awful thing to say about you. You are a bundle of joy."

"Sweetie!" A gorgon with purple scales dressed in a white tank-top and star-shaped shades waved at Shaun.

"Darius, babe!" The half-elf hugged his husband and kissed him on the forehead while the snakes attached to Darius' head played with Shaun's hair. The kids giggled and blew raspberries at the two male creatures, then ran to get candy apples from a stand.

"So, you told the kiddies the boring version of the myth?" Darius smirked as he adjusted his glasses.

Shaun rolled his eyes. "No, I told them the appropriate version of the myth. Their parents would be merciless if I told them that Sib started to urinate everywhere on the island since the pee of a nymph can make plants grow supernaturally fast."

"I don't get the problem. I was told the pee-version when I was a kid and I thought it was hilarious." Darius snickered as he wrapped an arm around Shaun.

"It's not suppose to be funny, it's a tragic love story. Say, I'm a bit hungry. Wanna split a plate of apple slices? We could go to Kahaani's bakery."

***

Kahaani the Human, better known as Connie, was extremely busy because of the Apple Festival. She was a young woman with light-brown skin, log dark, braided hair she often had around her neck as if it were a necklace.

Connie hated the Apple Festival because she loathed the fruit. So being a baker and having to make seven different cakes with this fruit she so loathed as the main ingredient meant she was in a bad mood.

But to be fair, this young woman was usually annoyed. She had been told a couple of times that it would suit her to smile more, but that annoyed her even more. Even more so when someone said she would look prettier if she smiled.

She was busy dipping apple slices in a dough made of cardamom, milk, flour, vanilla and salt. The apple slices were then placed on a pan with butter and a little oil to prevent the oil from burning. The name of the dish was something as unimaginative as apple slices.

After having made the sixth batch of apple slices(the cake), she realized she was out of apple slices(the fruit).

"Oswald!" Connie called for the owl-type harpy kid who had recently been taken into the bakery as an apprentice. Something that annoyed Connie for several reasons, like that she didn't care much for children. "Oswald, I told you to cut up more apples for me twenty minutes ago. Chop chop! Literally!"

The owl boy with fussy brown feathers and yellow eyes came to his supervisor with a worried look. "Sorry, but I just finished peeling the apples, I need a little more time to-"

"Peel them?" Connie raised an eyebrow. "Why the hells would you peel them first?"

"Ah..."

"We are on a schedule, these stupid cakes sell faster than I can blink, and you thought PEELING them was a good idea?"

Oswald nervously scratched the wooden floor with his talon. "Well, I don't like to eat the peel, so I just thought-"

Connie moaned and rolled her eyes. "We are wasting time, give me that!" Connie took the bowl of fruit and the knife Oswald held. "Oh, for crying out loud, you put the fruit and the fruit trash in the same bowl instead of separate..." Connie closed her eyes and tightened her eyelids as she took in a deep breath. She then looked at Oswald who seemed rather nervous. "I'm taking care of the fruit, you do the dishes. Don't talk to me for the rest of the day."

"But-"

"What did I just say?" Connie glared at Oswald as she started to slice of the apples with the speed of a running centaur.

Oswald opened his beak, then closed it and went toward the sink with dirty spoons plates and such feeling defeatist.

"Oh, and by the way, when you are done with the dishes, you can leave if you like. Go to the festival if you like, I can clean up and close up the kitchen by myself."

Oswald was just about to burst out a thank-you, but then recalled that he had been told to not talk to Connie, so the fussy bird boy just nodded gratefully and started washing the cutlery. He could already taste the caramel apples.

***

"Have a nice day." Connie said with a stern look as she handed the last apple pie to an elf with red hair who was the last customer Connie had after a very long day. As she cleaned the counter of the bakery, a tigersalamander-type grindylow walked in with a sack filled with orages. His name was Santiago and like most sea creatures he didn't wear anything but a pair of trouser. But he spoke land-language fluently which was unusual.

"I got this sack of fruit from a merchant, but I can't eat that much fruit by myself." The cheerful salamander-guy said. "You think you could use them?"

Connie shrugged. "Sure, I can probably think of something. Thanks." She then poured water on the floor and started mobbing it. "Watch your feet."

Santiago removed his massive feet from the floor and stood on his tail as Connie kept leaning the floor, then left to get a dry rag to dry the floor.

"Say, the festival is still on." Santiago said while while the human woman worked. "You wanna go with me?"

"Gods, no." Connie looked like she had eaten something she could stomach. "I don't want to see one more apple for the rest of my life."

"Oh, okay." The salamander-man placed his webbed feet on the floor once more and followed Connie as they went outside the bakery so she could lock the door. "Then... maybe just go for a walk? Talk a little?"

"I'm not in a talkative mood." Connie said, almost scowling.

Santiago almost felt embarrassed, wondering if he was trying too hard. "Well, we could walk and not talk? I could walk you home?"

Connie placed the key in her pocket and raised an eyebrow at Santiago. The she shrugged. "Sure, why not."

"Cool." Santiago almost felt like making a fist and raise it in triumph, as if he had finished a 100-yard dash.

As they were on their way to Connie's cabin near the beach, they met many happy couples wearing hats that were suppose to resemble apples but looked more like butts with a leaf sticking out between the cheeks. Most of them had their arms locked around each other or held hands, looking like they had a great time. Santiago waved at them, wished everyone he met a happy apple festival. Connie settle with a simple nod with her head because she didn't want to seem rude compared to Santiago. But her mood got worse.

"Something wrong?" The black and yellow grindylow asked.

"What happened to the not talking part of the walk?"

"Sorry." Santiago felt like a total loser as this black-haired badass would probably think he was lame for the rest of his life. The walk now felt like torture for him.

As they got to Connie's home Santiago could feel that his skin was getting dry, so he took the sack of water attached to his belt and poured it over his head so his moist and smooth skin would be hydrated. Connie made a wave with her hand, making water come up from her well next to her house, then sent said water to pour the sea man.

"Ahhhh..." Santiago made a breath of relieve over being soaked. "That hit the spot, thanks. Say..." This was one of those times he was grateful his kind did not sweat. "There's a concert next week, my cousin is the drummer for a band and I thought I would go. If you feel like it we could... go to the concert together?"

Connie blinked. "Is this a date thing?"

"Ah..." Santiago made a goofy smile and hated himself for it. "I mean... it could be? If you like, that is."

"I have a boyfriend."

Santiago felt a shiver run down his spine. "Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Connie raised an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry? There is nothing to be sorry for, I'm just not single."

Santiago had a strange sensation. Logically, he should feel bad. But he actually felt relived. "Well, okay. But we could still go to the concert. But as a friend-thing, not a date-thing."

Connie made a small smile. "Okay, why not?"

"And bring your boyfriend, the more the merrier."

Connie stopped smiling. "He... doesn't live here."

Santiago was confused. "He what?"

Connie rolled here eyes. "He doesn't live here, okay? On Mino. I... I haven't seen him in a year and a half."

Santiago was confused. But before he could ask, he heard a loud bell in the distance. It was the bell from the lighthouse, signaling that a ship was being attacked or otherwise was in distress. Meaning that anyone who could swim or somehow be useful in a sea-related crisis was needed. Since Connie and Santiago fitted into these categories, they ran towards the lighthouse.

At the beach, several creatures who still had candy apple stuck to their faces looked in horror as a ship a couple of miles away from the edge of the sand was about to get crushed. It was a rather large ship, the sort that came with goods to the island. So it meant it was an enormous octopus that had its tentacles wrapped around the ship. It had all the colors of the rainbow and its melon-shaped head was above the water surface, glaring at the boat with its three gigantic eyes.

Some of the creatures at the beach had fetched their bows and other long-distant weapons and tried to shoot this abomination while the sailors on the ship did their best to attack the tentacles to try make the monster lose its crib. There was one of the deckhands, a young orc with a ponytail, who kept swinging an axe against the hard skin of the beast, even managed to chip it.

Then, the octopus made a shriek of pain, not because of the wound it had gotten from the ax. No, it was because one of its arms got extremely cold and stuck in ice. The octopus shattered the ice and got its arm free, both the extreme cold had left a wound. The octopus turned its three eyes towards a small rowboat that was being pushed by a humanoid salamander creature who shivered now that the ocean got cooler. Inside the boat stood a human who glared at the octopus as she stepped out of the boat and the water her feet touched froze to ice.

Recognizing the small human as the threat, the octopus was going to swat it with one of its free tentacles bot once again shrieked in pain as the arm got penetrated by a massive spike of ice.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LUCKY-" Connie yelled while making a glare as cold as the ice she created. "AND I MEAN STUPID-LUCKY YOU ARE-" The ice below her feet started to spread across the surface of the ocean. "THAT I HATE CALAMARI?!"

Despite not actually being able to understand what the human said, the octopus most defiantly understood the sentiment. Octopuses are said to be some of the smartest animals in the world, and this one was smart enough not to pick a fight with something who could manipulate the water it moved around in. The the monster loosened its crib on the ship and dived into the ocean, leaving behind a big cloud of ink.

"WOW!" Santiago crawled inside the rowboat and gave Connie a hand as she stepped inside as well, the ice melting as her foot left the water surface. "Connie, that was amazing, I didn't know you are THAT powerfu-"

"BBBEEEEERAAFFFF!!!" Connie had gotten to her knees and held the edge of the boat puked.

"Ah... You good?" Santiago patted Connie on the back with his tail as Connie puked one more time.

"Sure... I'm peachy." Connie cleaned her lips with the back of her arm. She looked pale. "I was actually not sure that was gonna work." She sighed and leaned her arms against the edge of the boat with her face against the ocean in case she had to puke once more. "Could you push the boat to land? And I need water, I'm very thirsty..."

***

After scaring away the sea monster, all of the sailors from the boat had gone to Connie's home to give her their thanks.

So Connie not liking sentimentalities or crowds pushed a barrel filled with water in front of her door and pretended not to hear the men and women outside her home singing her praises.

"Maybe I should have let them drown..." Connie mumbled to herself as she decided to prepare dough for the next day.

"Miss! Please!" The human captain knocked three more time on the front door while the rest of his crew was behind him, each holding a gift of a sort. "Me men and meself want to show appreciation for taking down that beastie! There must be somethin' we can do-"

"Enough!" Connie opened a window, glaring at the ship crew. "LEAVE ME ALONE! You can take your gift baskets or whatever and bug off! Actually, no." Connie pointed at a gorgon wearing a bandana who held a large sack. "You, you can leave the flour bag next to my door. But the rest of you, leave."

"You saved our lives-"

"I DON'T WANT A GODS DAMN MEDAL!" Connie slammed her window shut, groaned. She then returned to kneading dough. She made three more bowls with dough when someone knocked on the door again. Connie glared at the door. "If you are from the ship, then I will feed you to the octopus personally!"

"It's Santiago." The voice of Connie's grindylow friend could be heard from outside the door. "But I got one of the sailors with me, he says it's important."

"Tell him to buzz off, I had a long day."

"He says he is your... wait, did you say you are her boytoy?! Ew."

Connie dropped the bowl. It shattered as it hit the floor. She gulped, then went to the door and opened it.

Next to the salamander man stood a very tall orc with enormous arms. He had changed his haircut so he now had a ponytail and he had grown a goatee, but he still had that puppy-like expression that made him look adorable instead of a big scary dude you wouldn't want to be alone with. He held a paperbag with walnut bread that he hoped still was Connie's favorite.

Connie's mouth felt dry. All she could say was; "Sid..."

[atimefordragons]

Grandfather, grandfather, grandfather, grandfather, grandfather... HEY! THAT IS RABINDRANATH TAGORE! ... I know.

#ME #AS SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE WEST LONG AFTER BOTH MY SILENT GENERATION DADA AND NANA DIED #I TOO HAVE MADE THIS MISTAKE #LOL