#sita hours

[ramcharantitties]

˖⁺‧₊ आवन कह गए आशिक़ रंग और, बीत गए बरसों, सकल बन˖⁺‧₊

Sita/Angel, 20, she/her ~°`•~ writes for: Ramaraju from RRR (actively)~°`•~ ~fluff ~smut ~angst ˖⁺‧₊

masterlist requests profile read my posts from the tags!

[the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see]

when you read my mind and find the deepest root of what hurts me more than anything in the world you find this image

[sp-aace]

I love seeing my friends' spotify wrapped. the statistics of it all is the one thing tempting me to abandon my mp3 player (i would never ❤️)

[starryalpacasstuff]

Fire (1996): A Mostly Spoiler Free Pitch Because You Should Watch It Immediately

It's time for "An Indian QL bulldozed past my expectations and I am reeling in awe", Part Two!

A few days ago, @neuroticbookworm told me about Fire, an old lesbian Indian movie she'd been wanting to watch. Me being me, I promptly tracked it down and settled in to watch it.

Very loosely based on the 1942 short story Lihaaf, the movie follows Sita, a newly wed bride who is settling in with her in-laws, which is how she meets Radha, who is married to her husband's brother. Both in unhappy marriages, they find solace and company with each other, quickly falling in love. Length: 1 Hour 40 Minutes TWs: Homophobia, C-word mentioned once, some depictions of domestic violence Release: 1996

The is almost entirely in English, and while one generally expects Bollywood movies to be in Hinglish, it's definitely a conscious choice here, which does make me wonder if the movie was supposed to be promoted to a greater international audience. You can find it here on Youtube, most of the (very few) Hindi dialogues have hard subtitles. I think it's also available on Prime? It wasn't available in India though, which is odd, but I didn't bother investigating. Let me know if anyone can figure anything out about this!

Going into this movie, I expected a melodramatic, emotional movie with a bittersweet tone. I did not expect a biting, incredibly engaging movie with excellent satire, symbolism, discussions of chastity culture, and an incredibly sweet, beautifully written romance. And I was certainly not prepared for how incredibly horny this movie is??? Both in subtle tension and overt sex scenes. There's also partial nudity, which again, completely unexpected. If you're going taboo, go taboo all the way I suppose. It's also very well directed, and while I'm not nearly as good at identifying details like that as some of the people on here, I did pick up on some colour coding and interesting framing. It's just overall packed with little details that I think a lot of us would have a field day analysing.

Honestly, I could talk about the cultural nuances in this movie for hours. Contrary to my assumption about the reasoning behind making the movie fully in English, the movie seems to rely on the viewer's understanding of North Indian customs to deliver a lot of it's messages, particularly with its satire, more on that below. While I don't think it's necessary to enjoy the movie, it definitely does add some meat to the story. Then again, I'm a biased party, so it'll be hard to determine just how many messages may be lost to someone from outside of India without someone to compare notes with (this is me shamelessly trying to get you to watch the movie). Honestly, I'd be 100% down to write a more detailed, spoiler-including post that goes into the implicit nuances if people are interested.

There's two main selling points for the movie; the incredible way it shuts down purity and chastity ideology and the absolutely adorable relationship between Radha and Sita. The movie is set on ruthlessly tearing down and emphasizing the ridiculousness of purity culture. A lot of the messaging is indirect and uses metaphors, but there's also several explicit scenes addressing the issue. It's one of the main themes of the movie and I'm almost convinced the real reason it's titled 'Fire' is the sheer number of burns it dishes out on this subject. The romance portion of this movie is one of the thing's that completely defied my expectations. It wasn't sad and dramatic, it was heartfelt and silly and adorable. There's several scenes of the two subtly flirting, laughing together and just being lowkey in love. But that's not to say there's no emotional depth—they're also there for each other and are quite vulnerable with each other.

The movie used a lot of metaphors, but my favourites were the almost satirical representation of mythological stories. In a religion as diverse as Hinduism, every holiday has two dozen stories behind it and each story has two dozen versions, so it's to be expected that you'll find a number of problematic or otherwise kind of ridiculous stories in the mix. The stories were told completely seriously, but the context of the movie highlights their absurd facets in a truly brilliant way. I'm not going to give too much away, but I will say, it was a delight to watch the juxtaposition of the myths and the storyline of the movie, particularly it's ties to the purity culture discussion. You'll understand when you watch it. I'm not turning this into a Hindu mythology lesson (yet) but one interesting tidbit is that Radha and Sita are both names of mythological figures; namely the partners of two of the most worshipped avatars of the god Vishnu: Krishna and Rama respectively. And I was overjoyed to find that their names do have relevance to the metaphors in the story, particularly Sita's.

When the movie was first released, there were massive protests against it, I'm talking hundreds of people storming into theatres to destroy them and drive away audiences. I don't know what to say here beyond this, but what I will say is that I think Fire is an amazing movie that absolutely does not deserve to be lost to the sands of time. I hope you give it a shot, and if you do, tag me in any posts you make about it!

Tagging people who seemed interested in recs from my last post, let me know if you'd rather I not tag you!

@lurkingshan @impala124 @bengiyo @letgomaggie @winnysatang

@watertightvines @nutcasewithaknife @blorbingqls @twig-tea

@waitmyturtles @cryingatships @benkaben @usertoxicyaoi

@befuddledcinnamonroll @flyingrosebeetle

[spikershoyo]

morning light | Kid x GN!reader x Sita | fluff | mild suggestiveness

warnings, tags, and notes: mild suggestiveness, kissing, mentions of violence, this is purely self-indulgent and for everyone at the dev patel hive, this is a poly fic don't like it don't read it, if I missed anything please feel free to let me know! @ashsimpsalot MY OFFERING TO YOU BABE

You're reluctant to open your eyes as the sun shines through the window, a gentle reminder that you have to leave the house for work.

But how could you?

You had everything you needed at your side. Well, more like everyone you needed.

Sita was curled up into your chest, her arms wrapped around you while Kid's slithered under you, his other arm draped over both of you. You felt at ease, feeling both of your lovers so close to you.

But that ease is short-lived, seeing that time kept ticking and you needed to head to work.

As quietly as possible you slide out of their grasp and look over both of them, they seem so at peace. It was as if they weren't running away and knocking on your door just a month prior.

You hoped they never had to go through that again. Sita's rose gold dress still hangs over your hamper. Kid's suit was tucked away into a plastic bag in your dresser. The evidence of Queenie's blood along with Baba Shaktie's and Rana's was all over their clothes from that night. It was the only remaining thing tying them back to the violence.

You think about how they looked at your doorstep, both of them shaking because of different reasons. Fear and adrenaline. You could see it in their eyes.

But you don't dwell on that thought, instead opting to head to your bathroom and shower.

At the sound of water running Kid's eyes open slowly, noticing you are no longer in bed with them. It takes him a moment to wake up fully and he relaxes, pulling Sita closer to his chest and hoping you come out before she wakes.

His hands run through her long dark hair, fingers playing with the strands and twirling them. She still smells like roses. Kid smiles at the thought of his girls, his cheeks getting hot. Whether an hour or 15 minutes pass by, he doesn't know, but you're out of the shower and in your work clothes.

He smiles softly when you catch his eye, you seem more awake when you notice he's up. You walk over and sit at the edge of the bed, smiling at the sight of Sita still asleep and curled into Kid's chest.

"Good morning, darling." You whisper and kiss his lips gently. He eases into the kiss and reaches for you, bringing you closer and making you lean down. He was always so needy, especially on the mornings you had work. "Morning." He whispers back, entranced with you already.

Sita stirs softly but you both don't pay mind, too focused on each other. Kid reaches for your waist and you have to force yourself out of his hold because if you didn't you were definitely not going to work that day.

Sita's eyes flutter open, seeing how both of his lovers were in a heated makeout session. She wanted in. "Wow, I see how it is." She whispers, a teasing lilt to her voice. Both of your eyes tear away from each other and fall onto her, the unexpected attention makes her curl into herself but she smiles. You sit on the bed and beckon her over, Sita eagerly shuffles closer to you and kisses up your neck, her customary wakeup routine for you.

You hum and run your hands through her hair then slowly inch under her sleep shirt and rub her back. "How's my girl?" Your voice rings through her ears and she almost purrs, feeling how Kid's eyes run over both of you. Kid looks into your eyes and you see how his gaze begs for both of you.

"I'm great," Sita answers, her hands now running down your arms. The temptation to undress you is a lot for both Kid and Sita, wanting you back in bed. "I'm doing really great." She hums, and her kisses never stop even as she feels Kid's hands snake around her hips.

If only it excites her more. You're just as tempted to ditch work until you see what time it is. Your eyes widen and you cup her cheeks, pressing a kiss to her lips and reaching for Kid's hands and squeezing them. "I need to go." You chuckle, seeing as they are a bit stunned.

Kid fights back a whine, wanting to just pull you down and for him and Sita to have fun with you. Yet he understands that you have more people to take care of since they can't head outside yet, their faces all over the news.

"Fine. But come here for a sec." Sita smiles, leaning in to kiss you one more time. Kid is eager for a kiss as well, you can tell. You give him one and run your hand over his cheek.

"You two behave while I'm gone, yeah?" They share a look, one that says we won't. But you know better.

[hd-fan-fair]

H/D CAREER FAIR 2023 MASTERLIST & REVEALS!

What an amazing fair we had this year. But this much awesomeness doesn't occur on it's own. The mods would like to take this opportunity to thank some people:

♥ To the authors and artists. We're so so thrilled you participated for the 2023 fair. Your talents and amazing works truly made the Fair what it is! There would have been no fair without you all.

♥ To our readers and viewers. Thanks for taking time to view, read, kudo and comment. We truly appreciate your efforts and love every single comment that was left.

♥ To everyone who participated in our Fair Cup. You guys were incredible! You put in so much effort to read and comment and hustle for your team. We hope you had much fun!

♥ To those of you who spent the time reccing stories and artworks you loved – thank you!

♥ And finally, to everyone who helped beta and cheer for our participants – you're all amazing!

So give yourselves a round of applause! Without further ado, this is the reveals!

Much Love, phoenixacid & sassy_cissa (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER) ART 1. chachisoo drew "H.J. Potter", (2019) oil on canvas, Draco Malfoy (Digital Comic, General) 2. P_pato_roldnart drew Close Observation (Digital Art, General) 3. Itsphantasmagoria drew Holes (Digital Art, Explicit) 4. LordAzazel23 drew Under the Dementor's Watch (Digital Art, General) 5. porcelainheart3 drew One Foot In The Grave (Digital Art, Teen) 6. PinkElephant42 drew In Life & Death (Digital Art, General) 7. Dustmouth drew Harry Potter Gets a Job (Traditional Art/Comic, Mature)

ART & FIC 8. Bubblegumhead drew and wrote The Thread that Binds Us (22k, Teen)

FIC 9. harrows wrote Wherever You Go, There You Are (12k, Explicit) 10. Sleepstxtic wrote Connecting Lines, Connecting Crimes (15k, Mature) 11. annanotherthing wrote Amourous As This Lovely Green (15k, Explicit) 12. Romaine wrote Terminal Lucidity (3k, General) 13. Sita Z wrote Full Fathom Five (18k, Explicit) 14. Mischievous wrote All the Good Things and the Bad Things that May Be (11k, Explicit) 15. oflights wrote If the Bees Know (20k, Teen) 16. Meowfoy wrote WanderFull Fit (7k, Explicit) 17. starlitsilvereyes wrote Death is Not Fit to House a Love (21k, Explicit) 18. ravenesse wrote Let's Get Physical (10k, Explicit) 19. Flightinflame wrote Another Side (2k, Teen) 20. Ladderofyears wrote A Year In The Life (19k, Mature) 21. xErised wrote Playing Quiddick (12k, Explicit) 22. arminaa wrote Within You Without You (40k, Explicit) 23. Poison_literature wrote Blood Tainted Fingertips (7k, Mature) 24. dysonrules wrote A Competitive Cooperation (20k, Teen) 25. Maraudersaffair wrote My Own Personal Poltergeist (11k, Explicit) 26. Enchanted_Jae wrote Scanning the Skies (3k, Teen) 27. apricitydays wrote Once More To Arcady (32k, Explicit) 28. rei382 wrote The Sinful Serpent (11k, Teen) 29. Moon_Peach wrote Californian Calcite (31k, Mature) 30. DrWhoIsGinnyHolmes wrote Broom Service (7k, Explicit) 31. StarQuesting wrote Half Sick of Shadows (40k, Explicit) 32. Phoebe_Delia wrote Just Take Me Home (5k, Teen) 33. SanderVanSunshine wrote Ten Visits to Fire and Flight: The World of Dragons (17k, Explicit) 34. epsilonargus wrote means to a triumph (5k, Teen) 35. Tigersilver wrote The Plot (15k, Teen) 36. toxik_angel wrote Fawning Over You (39k, Explicit) 37. Aulophobia wrote To Have A Home (128k, Explicit) 38. meloflavor wrote Can't Pretend (3k, General) 39. saltwatergarden wrote port in a storm (8k, Mature) 40. peachpety wrote Playing for Keeps (7k, General) 41. DodgerKedavra wrote The Scent of Soft Rains (20k, Explicit) 42. SquibNation10 wrote Launch me to Ultralife (39k, Teen)

PODFIC 43. Cailynwrites read Call Me, Won't You? by Aelys_Althea - a Podfic (4 hours, Teen)

We will post stats and banners and Cup results shortly! ♥

[enigma-the-mysterious]

Bheem: How long does it take until you start hallucinating from sleep deprivation?

Sita: I think-

Ram: 72 hours

Bheem: How do you know?

Ram: There’s a clown behind you

[mitziholder]

people will be like ohhhh there is so much good lesbian media what are you complaining about? and the lesbian media is like Prostitution x GL or some French director abusing actresses for 40 straight hours or actual cartoons for children. Yeah thanks. no you get it. that is exactly what I wanted. now if you will excuse me I’m going to go read Sita and torture myself with visions of a world I’ll never know

[dailydemonspotlight]

Jatayu - Day 83

Race: Avian

Arcana: Sun

Alignment: Light-Law

July 31st, 2024

Hinduism has always been a purveying theme throughout the SMT series. As one of the biggest eastern religions, and one whose practitioners spread throughout the whole world, the lack of Hindus in Japan does not take away from how common and widespread the concepts and beings that make up the sprawling tapestry of Hinduism are throughout the series. Whether it be DDS's overarching themes connecting deeply to Hinduism, to the common recurrence and respect of several Hindu deities throughout the series, I find it interesting how SMT takes so much from the faith, even to the point of pulling out far more relatively obscure figures to make up their scores of demons. Case in point, today's Demon of the Day, and one of the only commonly recurring Avians throughout the series- the nephew of Garuda and attempted savior of the goddess Sita, Jatayu. While the King of the Vultures may have perished, his memory lives on through this series... but how did he die?

Jatayu seems to originate from the Hindu Epic Ramayana, purported as being the son of Aruna and Shyeni, with Aruna being the older brother of Garuda, who I'm sure you're familiar with if you've played through the series. Growing up with an elder brother in the form of Sampati, the two birds were downright inseparable in their youth. However, this would all change one day. The two were competitive spirits, after all, and their favorite contest was to see who could fly higher than the other. Soaring up and up, the two would speed ahead of each other day after day, until, eventually, it began to grow hot. The two had entered into Sūryamaṇḍala, the mandala of the orbit of the sun! Jatayu realized too late that he was about to get Icarus'd, and, scared for his brother's safety, Sampati sped ahead of the other bird and shielded him from the sun at the consequence of losing his own wings. Sampati was sent spiraling to the ground, the two cursed to never meet each other again.

Interestingly, though, this tragic tale would only be the start of the themes of self-sacrifice common throughout Jatayu's forays in Hindu myth. This noble display was only the start of an idea brewing in the Ramayana, one of the most important (and biggest) epics in not just Hinduism, but history as a whole. The King of the Vultures' spotlight wasn't quite over yet, as his exploits would continue on into the life of Rama, specifically in Aranya Kanda, one of the many parts of this sprawling poem. Later in the bird's life, he befriended Sita, one of the many avatars of Vishnu as well as being the female protagonist of the epic. However, this would come to a head when the demon king, Ravana, had abducted her. Hearing her cries for help, Jatayu went to assist, and a tense standoff soon turned into a fight to allow her to get away. To quote,

These just and reasonable words of Jatayu but inflamed Ravana the more and fire flashed from his twenty eyes. He sprang at Jatayu in dreadful rage and a terrible fight ensued between them in that desolate forest, even as if two cloud banks or two mount Malyavans(tags) dashed against one another.

The two's battle was fierce, and surprisingly exciting- I'd honestly recommend looking at it as it's a genuinely well written fight scene- However, a demigod bird only stands a ghost's chance against the king of the demons. After struggling, he'd finally pull Sita away from the demon king, but eventually, Jatayu would be struck down. Taking the opportunity for sacrifice, likely having been inspired by his brother all those years ago, Jatayu had a final stand against Ravana, leading to an hour-long battle ultimately ending in the bird's untimely death.

Thus, the rakshasaking and the vulture-king fought with unabated fury for over an hour ; at the end of which, Ravana profited by a chapce to hew off with his sharp sword the pinions and feet of Jatayu, who fought so nobly for his master Raghuveera. And the lord of the vultures fell to the earth in the agonies of death.

However, even in his death, as he lay nearing his end, he took the time to explain the situation to the then-arriving Rama, as the King of the Demons had kidnapped Sita again already. His sacrifice to uphold Dharma and to protect Sita may have failed, but he still took his last breaths to spite Ravana by weakening the king and giving Rama the information he needed. The recurring themes of selflessness and sacrifice in Jatayu's appearances are incredibly interesting to me, especially given his connection to vultures, a bird which most would consider very selfish. Perhaps, without Jatayu around, they became a far less proud race...? I dunno, I'm just spitballing. Interestingly, something I found in a post going over the story of Jatayu in great depth seems to indicate a greater spiritual significance to birds in general, and perhaps, Jatayu's death may have spelled the end for Ravana as a whole. To quote, as this is a line from the epic,

You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity, for you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting.

In honor of Jatayu, a great sculpture was erected in the Indian state of Kerala, at Jatayu Earth Center, named so after the bird himself. The massive sculpture is the largest bird-based piece of art in the world, showing the significance of the great King of Vultures in both history and mythology.

As for the design in SMT, Jatayu takes the name of King of the Vultures way more literally than most other depictions- the golden crown seems to reflect royalty, and the fur coat around the neck may be an allusion to several depictions of Jatayu also resembling eagles. However, I'm completely unsure as to where the lizard tail came from, as with the overall color palette- sure, it looks nice and intimidating, but for such a benevolent bird, isn't it weird? Whatever, I'm sure someone out there can find connections that I'm just not seeing. I will say, though, it is a very well done design, and I appreciate the fact that it hasn't changed after all the years it's existed in the series. Kinda like Cerberus, it might be a callback, but I'm unsure. Overall, though, I wasn't expecting to get so oddly attached to the vulture king, but his kind ways and tragic patterns of sacrifice certainly make him a surprise stick-out.

Now stop ambushing me in V. Please. I stole your eggs ONCE, JATAYU. PLE-

[horrorvillaintourney]

NEW TOURNEYS

Hey, housekeeping notes! Starting in November, I'm gonna run one tournament and start prep for another, which will begin in December. In two weeks we go into Best Horror Villain of 2024 (which automatically includes sixty-four participants who will be listed below, although if your favorite isn't on the list, you can send me a message or an ask and I'll add them), but you can also start submitting for Best Horror Film of 2024 below.

Oh, and the new polls will only be up for 24 hours each, because I want to knock these out before New Years, and only the film polls will include photos because a lot of these are pretty fucking hard to find in the first place. Happy hauntings, and a wonderful spooky season to you all.

Here is the list of participants:

Edward Lemeul (A Diffrent Man)

The Creatures (A Quiet Place: Day One)

Abigail (Abigail)

The AI (Afraid)

The Xenomorph (Alien: Romulus)

Sarah (All My Friends Are Dead)

The Castavets (Apartment 7A)

The Creatures (Arcadian)

Josephine (Azrael)

Beetlegeuse (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)

Slater King (Blink Twice)

Herr Konig (Cuckoo)

The Presenter (DarkGame)

Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)

William Brown (Destroy All Neighbors)

The Samurai (Exhuma)

Ty (Festival of the Living Dead)

Garraka (Ghost Busters: Frozen Empire)

Sita (Grave Torture)

Mr. Reed (Heretic)

The Grey Man (Hold Your Breath)

D.O.C.S. (Humane)

Mr. Melancholy (I Saw The TV Glow)

Chauncey (Imaginary)

Father Sal Tedes (Immaculate)

Johnny (In a Violent Nature)

Beatrice (It's What's Inside)

The Creature (Lisa Frankenstein)

Longlegs (Longlegs)

The Entities (Lovely, Dark, and Deep)

The Evangelist (MaXXXine)

Mickey Mouse (Mickey's Mouse Trap)

Munjya (Munjya)

The Evil (Never Let Go)

The Demon (Night Swim)

The Shark (No Way Up)

Count Orlok (Nosferatu)

Ted Timmis (Oddity)

The Zombies (Outside)

Kurt Barlow (Salem's Lot)

Vanraj (Shaitaan)

The Smile Entity (Smile 2)

Paddy (Speak No Evil)

Sting (Sting)

The Lady (Strange Darling)

Lockwood (Stream)

Sarkata (Stree 2)

The Astrologer (Tarot [US])

Art the Clown (Terrifier 3)

Vincent Roeg (The Crow)

The Demon (The Deliverance)

The Demon (The Exorcism)

Cardinal Lawrence (The First Omen)

Solange (The Front Room)

The Jack (The Jack In The Box Rises)

Elisabeth Sparkle (The Substance)

The Watchers (The Watchers)

The Monster (There Is A Monster)

TBA (Time Cut)

Cooper Abbott (Trap)

Lilith the Shark (Under Paris)

Winnite-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2)

TBA (Your Monster)

Reatrei (The Night Curse of Reatrei)

[houseofbreadpakoda]

Kalalu

Life had begun to seem like a fairytale. An unconventional one at that.

To the world, fairytales were made of castles and thrones and kings and queens and gold and gems and what not. One would think of waking up around silken sheets, slipping into royal clothing, eating off precious china-ware and spending hours strolling in the garden or in the presence of maids, serving as a piece of entertainment, with a glass of wine in hand.

But for Sita, fairytales were made of anything but kingdoms and royalty. Rather, she was repulsed, even at the thought of being part of royalty.

Because Sita knew, the silken sheets never helped soothe her anxiety. There was never a time she was allowed to step out without dressing up in royal attire. She'd seat herself on the humongous dining table for breakfast, all alone. The china-ware, although pretty, served no use in helping her swallow the food. The hours spent in the garden, were spent not in a joyous spirit, but rather in a worry; whether her elder brother would approve of the choices she had made. The few minutes of light-hearteness with her maids would wear off once they began advising her about the alliance that had come up. Because Sita knew, that these royalties served only as a tiny compensation for the masked life she had to live.

She had learnt that fairytales were built, not by materialistic things, but by emotions. Fairytales were built by kindness, by trust, by empathy, by laughter. Love. By Love.

From the day she set foot in Kashmir, every single day, every minute, every moment was a fairytale. A tale prettier than any other.

Because it had Ram in it.

It was he who had made her feel things she never had. Ram and Sita barely had time to spend with each other, but every moment they could, they'd remain entwined in one other's arms. She'd wake up every morning in his arms. Some mornings were spent at the camp, having breakfast with the rest of the troop. On other mornings, she and Ram ate with each other in their tiny portico which faced the snow tipped mountains. They'd roam the streets, hand in hand, Sita playfully pulling away and Ram tugging her back into his arms. He'd halt everytime he saw a trinket trader, holding up earing after earing upto her face, slipping in rings into her fingers, promising things each time he did so, trying to match jewellery to attires she owned, to which the trader would ask "Pyaara haina Saab?" Holding up an anklet. "Isse pyaara?" Ram would ask the trader pointing to his beloved, when she'd softly hit him on his arm giggling. They'd go to weddings, some of friend's, some of stranger's, and would practice their wedding vows. He'd take her on bike rides, stopping midway to buy roasted peanuts, and the two would then settle on a rock and talk till the sun had begun to set. On occasions when the snowfall had stopped, the duo would be seen running and twirling around the tulip fields, with Sita taking pictures of her Ram with the film camera he had stolen from his friend, which would eventually land in his hands, making it his turn to have some fun. They'd hike up grass covered hills, only to roll down, heaving for breath, giving up on climbing back up and then spend the day picking flowers for each other. Ram would get excited everytime he saw a flower match the color Sita was wearing, would pluck it and place it behind her ear. Other times, Ram and Sita would cuddle at home, talking about where they'd go for lunch next time, how they'd look after they both turned old and what they'd name their children, two cups of hot tea in hand, as he played with her hair.

Her life was moulded around Ram, a part of him present in every aspect of her life. And for Ram, his entire world revolved around his Sita.

She was Sita, only because he was Ram.

.

.

.

.

@whippersnappersbookworm @thegleamingmoon @nspwriteups @celestesinsight @thelekhikawrites @yehsahihai @harinishivaa @vibishalakshman

[ramcharantitties]

Okay so I'm obviously not too well versed on the subject but the Valmiki Ramayan mentions an incident where Ravan raped Apsara Rambha(who was his daughter-in-law). She complained to her husband, Nalukuvara who then cursed Ravan to be unable to cause violence to any woman who did not consent to be with her. If he tried, his head would shatter into numerous pieces.

The curse is stated as a reason why he couldn't force Sita to submit to his desires.

oh

Because all I knew was that Ravana never forced Sita. He kept his distance, gave her time (unlike many men of today lol anyways) but i didn't know that was the reason??

Besides he was always a firm believer of Shiva and a very knowledgeable, man with wisdom. I'm pretty sure not many people know about this

[janaknandini-singh999]

Chapter 8

The petals gently flew around as she placed it on the thaali and folded her hands, bowing in the temple in front of her God's idol. And then she sighed, looking up.

Shlokaa met Ram ji's eyes. He was looking as serene and beautiful as ever, one hand outstretched for giving blessings and the other clutching his bow. His strong wife, Sita right next to him adorned in a bright fire and white coloured sari, and his beloved brother Lakshman on the other side, all three in similar poses - as if they were carved out of the same heavenly element. And their dearest devotee Hanuman at their feet in reverence.

Shlokaa's vision suddenly followed another line and she met Krishna's eyes, whose idol was just in the next mandap. He was smiling enchantingly as he held onto his murli in a breathtaking mudra and by his side, his eternal lover Radha's hand was outstretched to give ashish (somebody had placed a mogra between her fingers so it appeared as though she was offering it as a blessing to her devotees), whose other hand was lovingly holding onto Krishna's shoulder. A spark danced between both their eyes as if they knew something that Shlokaa didn't and were giggling about it with each other. Shlokaa shook her head, finally giving in, and smiled too.

Suddenly somebody put their hand warmly on Shlokaa's shoulder. She immediately turned around to see who it was.

"Hello, Shlokaa beta. Main madad karu?"

The woman gently took the thaali from her hands and helped her place the bhog and flowers to the Gods. Shlokaa looked on, relieved and feeling overwhelmed by this woman's warmth but froze as soon as the woman smiled. That was exactly Vilasini's smile and expression. She could never mistake that face for anybody else, even in a crowd. Never.

Oh God, it was Vilasini's mother.

Before she could run away, Vilasini's mother looked at her with such intent that Shlokaa warmed up again on spot, by that motherly tenderness.

She almost wondered to recollect the last time her own mother had shown such a closeness towards her.

"Darro matt, beta. Main madad hi karna chahti hu tumhari. Bahot pyaari ladki ho." She softly patted Shlokaa's face and whisperer "I know what dilemma Vilasini must've put you in. I know my daughter. I'll help you. Now listen carefully."

"Where are we going?" Vilasini demanded to know but no use. She had asked the same question at least a million times in the past hour but Shlokaa had been silent as a statue. Vilasini had seethed initially but sighed now. Shlokaa on the other hand couldn't even meet Vilasini's eyes.

"Koi crime vrime karne toh nahi jaa rahe na?" Vilasini asked, desperate to get anything out of Shlokaa's mouth now but she just stared back at her. Vilasini groaned.

In reality, Shlokaa hadn't even understood anything Vilasini had asked in hindi except the word "crime". Crime? Really?? What crime?! Vilasini can puppet Shlokaa however she likes, this plan of 'one hour' Vilasini decides upon, everything she does but when it comes to Shlokaa it's a crime??? Does this girl even have ANY IDEA that everything she's doing, everything she has been making Shlokaa feel since day one should be classified as nothing less than a CRIME?

She almost threatened to snap because of such trains of thought when she suddenly heard Vilasini stop in her tracks, take in a sharp breath and breath out slowly. And then Vilasini laughed - making Shlokaa forget everything else in that sound. Finally. Vilasini laughing genuinely after what seemed like centuries to Shlokaa. Shlokaa couldn't help but smile secretly.

They had reached their destination.

It was a big carnival amusement park place. Vilasini took off like a missile to the rollercoaster as Shlokaa momentarily froze upon seeing it but clenched her fists and strode on.

"Everybody please tighten your seatbelts!"

*clink* *clink* They all quickly followed the instructions. Vilasini was still not over the high of finally being on a rollercoaster after so long! How did Shlokaa know she loved this?! She grinned giddily and did the same as others, clasping her belt over herself. She turned over to look at Shlokaa who was sitting beside her. Shlokaa appeared to be numb and white, looking straight ahead as if she had seen a ghost. She was even shivering a bit. Vilasini immediately grew concerned and that's when she realized it. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, whispering "oh mummy you.."

Shlokaa suddenly zoned back in and looked at Vilasini who had moved her hand to she keep it over Shlokaa's to steady her. They looked at each other as..

"3,2,1 AND GO!"

Vilasini threw her head back in bliss as her hair flew and eyes closed. And Shlokaa looked at her.

Walking back, Shlokaa's legs felt so wobbly. She also felt pukish and dizzy. Vilasini sighed and feared the worst - that Shlokaa would be throwing up all over soon so she took her over outside the carnival, near an isolated, dark area where a kothi was in ruins.

"Why did you have to do this?"

"Do wh-" Shlokaa buckled over and fell on her knees, hands instantly shooting off to clutch on her stomach.

"THIS" Vilasini gestured wildly at Shlokaa "Why did you listen to my mother? KYA ZAROORAT THHI? Zyaada bhoot tujh jaisi ladki ko chaddha thha mujhe impress KARNE KA?"

Shlokaa felt like crying. She had no idea what Vilasini was shouting. It was all hindi and a headache to deal with right now which was attacking and increasing her already existing, stabbing headache.

"Arey toh mujhe PEHLE THAPPAD KYU MAARA? KABHI BOLTI HAIN MERE LIYE RUK JAAO, KABHI MAARTI HAIN, PHIR WAAPIS PEECHHE PADHKE MUJHE HI GUILTY FEEL KARAATI HAIN. KYU??? KYU?? Kya hain yeh SAB?"

Ahh, guilty. That was the only word Shlokaa caught onto, which was now burying itself mercilessly in her chest like a knife. And Oh God, this headache.. everything was a blur.

"You know what? I know exactly how girls like you are. First you put up this act of 'righteous' homophobia. Then you feel bad but it was all a play pretend anyway coz you wanted to experiment with the other girl all along. But I won't let you use me and then throw away. And before you try anything.." Vilasini halted. Hoping that she'd receive retaliation from Shlokaa who'd shout back just as furiously that she was nothing like that. But she didn't. Not even once.

And what more? The blank expression on Shlokaa's face probably even confirmed the words she was hurling at her, if nothing more.

Something changed inside Vilasini, something happened. And that's when it happened too.

Before Shlokaa could react, Vilasini's lips pressed themselves firmly on hers. They didn't move though. It was a fierce liplock. A revolt. And fireworks. Real fireworks. They actually bursted above them afar in the sky, going off from the carnival.

Vilasini tasted like honeyed snow. And Shlokaa's lips were softer, warmer and more desperate.

If Shlokaa could fall further by the impact, she would have. But she was already on her knees. A small sound escaped her own lips when they parted from Vilasini's, almost like a retaliation now.

"And before you try anything..." Vilasini whispered "let me use and throw you away instead." She breathed deep again "This is what you wanted, didn't you? All this tamasha to experiment with me? Well, you've got it now. Goodbye."

And just like that, Vilasini vanished in the shadows, leaving Shlokaa alone in the ruins.

[ronaldofandom]

Drunken Truth or Dare

Ok people. This is the craziest, whackiest, most insane drabble I have ever written.

Plot: Ram, Bheem, Sita and Jenny go on a double date. Get drunk. And play truth or dare. The women get nuts and the men get scandalized.

No warnings. This is sheer whackiness with some fluff.

...........................................................................

Jenny and Sita had spent only two months together. But in that short time, they had forged a deep, unbreakable bond, almost akin to Ram and Bheem.

They had so many layers of shared memories and stories by now; it felt like they had known each other since forever. Each was that friend to the other, who is always there just when you need them. Who has this weird telepathy with you and can just tell when something is off with you. Who knows you and understands you like no one does.

This friendship had meant a lot to Sita. But it meant infinitely more to Jenny. She spoke to Sita about some things that she didn’t even share with Bheem, not yet. Sita was her mentor, her guide, and her support system in this new world. Jenny learned from Sita’s silent wisdom every day.

The woman was also crazy when she wanted to be. Very few people knew that side of her. Maybe since her circumstances never really allowed her to let loose. But with Jenny, Sita took the liberty to discuss anything under the sun.

The two women were sitting by the lake, chattering away. While the two men were indulged in a passionate, animated debate about some plan of action a short distance away. The women knew it was normal for them. That they would kiss and make up soon after the argument. So they ignored them and got back to their discussion, which was far more interesting than the men anyway.

Sita had that half smile on. Jenny knew she was about to ask a scandalous question.

‘Sooo, who was the first person you had a crush on? The first person you wanted to kiss? And don’t say Bheem; that’s such a boring answer.’

Jenny narrowed her eyes at Sita.

‘What if the answer ACTUALLY is Bheem?’

‘But it’s not, right? I can feel it’s not. C’monn, tell me no.’

Sita wiggled her eyes at Jenny, making the younger woman smile. Jenny caved, and started to tell the story.

‘Well, he was a professor at Eton who used to home-school me on subjects I was curious about, which were not covered in my school. World history, economics, oceanography etc. I heard my cousins talk about these things all the time and I wanted to learn too. So my folks caved and let me have this home tutor. And boy, he was something.’

She giggled and looked down. Sita clapped her hands in delight, waiting for Jenny to continue.

‘He used to come every day at 6, and our session went for an hour. But I always had so many questions, so it went on for a bit more. I loved his intellect, his gentle eyes, his non-patronising attitude, and his genuine willingness to help a 15 year old girl learn. And…well, he had a great physique too. Like really amazing.’

‘Ofcourse he did.’

The women giggled together.

‘So, did you ever tell him?’

‘Are you crazy? He was a friend of my eldest cousin. The scandal would have been drastic. And I wasn’t in love or anything. I just wanted to spend time with him because I guess he was the first true gentleman I had met. So different from everyone else I knew at the time. He was the reason I started to travel more, to learn. And that’s how I also came to India by the way.’

‘Hmmm.’

‘Now, your turn. And if you say Ram, I will hit you.’

Sita laughed and covered her face with her hands.

‘My answer is silly. You will laugh at me.’

‘I promise I wont. Tell me, please?’

‘Uhh ok. Well, my first crush was not a person. It was a god.’

Jenny was about to gasp, but she recovered quickly, nudging Sita to continue.

‘You see, we have a god called Krishna. We all have heard his stories while growing up. Particularly his tales from when he was a child / teenager. He appealed me to in a way I can’t describe. He was everything I could dream of.’

Jenny was tuned in by now. Krishna had captured her attention.

‘His earth-shattering cuteness as a baby made me want to have him as my child. To care for him. To take pride in him being my kid. He was that kid who was the apple of everyone’s eye. Everyone wanted a piece of him.’

For some reason, Jenny immediately thought of Bheem. And wondered what his childhood had been like. Somehow, she felt Bheem would have been that kid too. Everyone would have wanted a piece of him.

‘He was a very naughty child, he troubled his mother so much. But he loved her a lot, the most. I wish I have that one day.’

For the first time, Jenny wondered what it would be like to have Bheem’s kid. His mini-me. How could having a little version of him around be daunting? What was she so afraid of? She hadn’t been there for Bheem’s childhood but maybe she could experience that with his kid. To see him be a baby again with his child would be priceless. Shocked by how real and imminent that emotion felt, she tried to put that on a back burner and focus on Sita’s story again.

‘He was a cute little thief. Thief of hearts mostly, but also butter. He loved it so so much that he used to steal it from other women in the village. Funny thing is, if he had asked, they would have given it to him anyway. But he loved playing with them and teasing them. Secretly, they loved it too.’

Jenny closed her eyes and tried to visualise this menace of a child. All she could see was round perky cheeks and curly hair. And the kid could run like the wind.

‘And, when he grew up, he became the centre of attention again. Of all the young women. Everyone loved him. Everyone wanted him. Gosh, they would have done anything to be with him. To be his chosen one. He was sweet, kind, mischievous, gorgeous, loving, caring and strong. All in one. There are many stories of him protecting the people. He was their saviour, their healer, their pride. He was divine, yet so real.’

Jenny rolled her eyes. This was a story she had heard from Sita and Loki too many times. Of how everyone wanted a piece of Bheem now as well, but in a different way.

‘But, he had his heart set on one. While there were many gopis, there was only one Radha for him. She was his one true love, his whole heart.’

Jenny had no control on her reactions anymore. Her eyes were moist and her heart was racing. This was too real, way too real.

‘Did they end up together, then? Did Krishna marry his Radha?’

Sita came out of her trance and looked up at this question.

‘Actually, they didn’t.’

Jenny’s heart broke for Radha.

‘Why?’

Sita pondered over it for a few seconds.

‘I think Krishna had to go away. At least that’s what I remember. But I will ask the village elders, they would know better. Somehow I can’t remember the full story.’

When Jenny just nodded and didn’t look up, Sita linked her arm with hers.

‘Even though they didn’t end up together, what they had was eternal love. Even today, their names are always taken together. There is no Krishna without Radha, and vice versa. They were soulmates, and somewhere in heaven, they must have found each other.’

Jenny looked up at her friend. Once again, without her saying anything, Sita had understood the turmoils of her heart. Gosh, she was really a godsend.

Sita attempted to change the mood, and chimed in.

‘So, how long did it take for you to imagine your Bheem, when I spoke of Krishna? Not long I am guessing.’

Jenny just smiled. It seemed like a rhetorical question.

‘Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a woman madly in love.’

‘Yeah? As if you are any different.’

Jenny elbowed her. Sita elbowed back, laughing at their antics.

Both knew how deeply they felt for the two men. Their relationship dynamics were very different, yet the depth of the bond was similar.

This is how Ram found them - giggling and play jostling with each other. After the heated debate he had just had with Bheem over their next mission, he was in no mood for such perkiness.

‘The cabin is ready. Bheem is putting the final touches. We can go now.’

He said curtly, making the women look up at him.

Sita stood up first, half-annoyed with his tone, and ended up stomping on Jenny’s toe.

Jenny cried out in pain and Sita cried out in guilt. She bent down to check the gash her heel had made on Jenny’s toe. It wasn’t too deep but it needed immediate tending to. She just hoped it didn’t need any stitches. Sita needed her medical kit, which was in her bag in the hunting cabin. She always carried her kit with her, it had become a habit now.

Ram was still processing the scene in front of him and wondering what to do. It was all too sudden. But Sita swung into action immediately.

‘Ram, we need to get her to the cabin. Quickly. Carry her and follow me.’

Both Ram and Jenny recoiled in horror at that statement.

Ram dragged Sita aside and started speaking in native tongue.

‘Are you out of your mind? I can’t carry her.’

‘Why the hell not? This is an emergency. We need to get her to the cabin. NOW.’

‘Sita, she is……why do I need to spell it out? Isn’t it obvious?’

‘Are you really that small minded, Ram? You seriously think Bheem would have a problem with this? That he won’t understand the situation? What’s wrong with you?’

‘What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with YOU? Even if I forget Bheem for a second, which I can’t, don’t you think she would have a problem with this?’

‘Well, both of you need to suck it up. If the situation was reversed, don’t you think Bheem would help me?’

‘It’s different. You don’t hate his guts. And he thinks of you as his sister.’

‘Why? What do YOU think of her, then?’

‘THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT AND YOU KNOW IT.’

Jenny was hearing the argument from the sidelines and understood enough that it was about her. She stood up with some effort and tried to put pressure on her toe. It wasn’t that bad.

‘Sita, look, I can walk. It’s not bad. I promise. Let’s go to the cabin.’

Sita looked between the two stubborn people, huffed in annoyance and agreed reluctantly.

‘FINE. But for the record, I am very displeased about this.’

‘Heyyy, I am the one who is hurt. Now come and help me.’

Sita stood next to her, wrapping her arm around Jenny’s waist. Jenny leaned on her, and held on to Ram’s arm on the other side.

The cabin wasn’t too far and they reached in a short while.

Bheem was fixing the outer boundary of the hut when he saw them. But something was off, they were walking weirdly. That’s when he realised Jenny was limping, and galloped in their direction. Reaching them in a few seconds.

He scooped her up in his arms immediately, and paced towards the cabin. Sita gave him a download of what happened.

Both the healers tended to Jenny’s injury. Thankfully, it didn’t need stitches.

‘But why did you walk?’

Sita looked at Ram pointedly, in an ‘I told you’ look, but stopped short of ratting him out.

‘Because it wasn’t too bad. Look, it’s healing already. Stop worrying, please.’

Bheem was neither pleased nor convinced, but this wasn’t the time to pick that up. So he let it go.

The group had their lunch then. Today was one of the rare days when they all had the afternoon free. Jenny and Sita had completed all their chores and classes for the day. And the men had only returned last night from a long mission, so there was no training today.

The mood improved markedly with lunch. Jenny had made the dessert with a lot of love. She had recently learned it and it was one of Bheem’s favourite too. Sita’s fish curry was legendary as well.

In the middle of the chatter, Bheem kept re-applying the ointment on Jenny’s wound every 15 mins, earning her a teasing smile from Sita.

It was a happy day. Sita was feeling particularly joyful today. And playful. It had been a long time since things seemed somewhat decent and stable. She didn’t know how many such days were there in her kitty. So she wanted to live today to the fullest. She wanted to let go and for once in her life, she wanted to have fun. They were away from others, up at the hunting cabin. It was the perfect time.

‘I have an idea.’

She said chirpily, with a twinkle in her eyes. Jenny knew she was up to no good.

‘You know what will make this afternoon memorable? Some bhaang.’

Bheem choked on air and Ram choked on water.

‘Yes, you heard me right. I said bhaang. Guess what, I have had bhaang too. More than once.’

Ram looked at her like she had grown horns. Who was this woman and what had she done to his fiance?

His reaction made Sita more adamant.

‘Why the surprise, Ram? Because I chose to not be sullen all the time? Or because only men should drink, not women? What is it?’

Ram had no such patriarchal notions. Neither did Bheem. They were just genuinely surprised by all this coming their way from Sita.

‘Umm, I am not sure we have the ingredients.’

Bheem pitched in, when Ram was still struggling to form words.

‘Oh I am sure I saw some bhaang trees on the way, not far from here. Ram, would you be a dear and get some for us?’

‘It would also help with the pain, I guess.’

Jenny chose that moment to double down, looking at Bheem lovingly, while holding on to his arm.

Sita smiled proudly at her friend. Well played.

Ram and Bheem looked at each other. They had never seen either woman drunk. Heck, they had never seen each other drunk. This was all a new unchartered territory for them.

But they both felt that there was no getting out of it. Sita knew that the decision had been made, and she was going to get her wish.

‘Bring enough for a few turns. Don’t be miserly.’

She instructed Ram, who nodded in response and went away quietly.

‘Are you sure you want to have it? It’s quite strong.’

Bheem whispered to Jenny, while Sita was merrily preparing the rest of the ingredients.

‘I could try. I haven’t had much hard alcohol before but I have had fair bit of champagne. It was quite nice.’

She smiled at him with excitement, still holding on to his arm, and Bheem didn’t have the heart to say anything else. So he shoved his concern aside.

Ram returned a few minutes later, carrying a ton of bhaang leaves, as instructed.

As Sita started to pour them into the mixture, Ram began to instruct her on the quantity. But she shushed him.

‘I know.’

She said decisively, leaving Ram guessing how many times she had made it before.

‘Ta-daa.’

Sita put down the glasses in front of everyone, beaming with joy. Bheem looked at her and smiled. She had never been this open, this cheerful before. He wished she had more moments like this. She definitely deserved it, for the wonderful kind heart that she had.

Bheem decided to join in the cheerfulness, but Ram was still wary.

All three of them took the first sip and sighed happily.

Jenny looked at their reactions, and decided to take her first sip as well, with Bheem side-eyeing her throughout. She gagged, but the taste became better after a few seconds. So she took another sip. And another. Bheem constantly requested her to pace herself, but she paid no heed to him.

When she climbed into his lap after downing two full glasses quickly, that’s when he cut her off. She protested loudly, but Sita sided with Bheem. That traitor. Jenny swore to her that she would remember this, but Sita laughed in her face. That was annoying. But she was too happy to care. This liquid joy was addictive, and Bheem’s lap was too comfortable. She snuggled happily and tuned out the world for a few minutes.

Sita was nowhere close to done yet. She put another glass in front of the rest. Bheem refused politely, pointing towards Jenny who was mumbling gibberish in his lap.

Ram liked this feeling. Of zoning out. Of not constantly thinking. He wasn’t there yet but he was on the way. So he took the glass readily and then another one. They were four glasses down now.

Bheem was very amused by their antics. Ram was still mostly under control, mostly, but he had a loopy smile plastered on his face.

Sita was laying flat on her back and laughing maniacally, while breaking into a strange floor dance every once in a while. Ram cheered her on.

That’s when Jenny decided to wake up. She was still heavily drunk but her senses had absorbed the worst of it. Bheem slowly placed her outside of his lap, next to him. She didn’t protest and moved willingly. Just when he thought they were close to winding down, Jenny clapped her hands.

‘Alright everyone, let’s play a game.’

‘Yessssss. Letsssssssss.’

Sita rose up from the floor, swaying heavily on both sides.

‘So it’s called truth and dare. We can get a turn where we have to pick either truth or dare. And the person has to do what others ask.’

‘That’s such a profound game. I love it. Let’s do it.’

Sita backed her friend.

Bheem continued to be amused.

Ram was nervous - he didn’t like the sound of this game at all. But he didn’t protest. Not loudly at-least.

‘Wonderful. I can start to set the pace. Truth. Now you can ask me anything.’

Jenny giggled while rubbing her hands. Bheem loved this look on her, and smiled from ear to ear. The bhaang had done nothing to him yet but the giddiness of the environment was infectious.

‘Oooooh let’s see. Why don’t you tell me something juicy from your time in Delhi? Maybe something about the three of you?’

Jenny thought for a few moments, then jumped when realisation dawned on her.

‘I have got something. Do you know how my first meeting with Bheem was manoeuvred?’

The smile drained from Bheem’s face. As did all the colour. He avoided looking at Ram but could feel him staring daggers in his direction.

It had taken Ram half a second extra to process. When he did, his jaw dropped. How could she know? Unless Bheem had….that traitor. Ram had done it for Bheem’s benefit and that smitten puppy couldn’t even keep his mouth shut.

Smitten puppy. That’s what he will call Bheem from now on.

‘Ram threw iron nails on the road to puncture the tyres of my car. That’s how.’

Sita looked at Ram in disbelief. And part admonishment.

‘Ram, that’s so creepy.’

‘I-I know but hey, it worked right?’

‘God, are you really that stupid or you chose that particular day to say bye-bye to your brains? What if the nails punctured other cars, what about them? Did you go and help all those people too? Did you pick up the nails after?’

Ram looked down, like a scolded kid. Bheem couldn’t take it anymore and came to his rescue.

‘Look at it this way. If it wasn’t for that, we all wouldn’t be here right now. Sometimes the end justifies the means right?’

When both women narrowed their eyes at Bheem, he raised his hands in submission.

‘Can we please forget this and move on, in the spirit of the occasion?’

‘Fine.’

The women said together, then looked at each other, and laughed. Bheem breathed a sigh of relief.

Ram stood up to clear the plates and Bheem followed him, hugging him from behind.

‘Sorry Anna. I just blurted it out to her one night by mistake. Please don’t be mad at me. Please?’

Ram tried to break free from Bheem’s bear hug but Bheem just tightened his hold. And doubled down.

‘I love you, Anna.’

All fight went out of Ram. In a jiffy. This was a Brahmastra that never failed. Bheem could commit a murder and apologise after. And people would forgive him for it.

Bheem knew he had succeeded. So he ruffled Ram’s hair one final time and went back to the ladies, with Ram following behind. He would still call Bheem a smitten puppy though, that was decided in his head.

‘Ok Bheem, your turn. What’s it gonna be?’

‘Dare.’

‘I am proud of you.’

Sita patted his knee, and the whole group smiled at her antics. Including Ram.

Frankly, Ram was stunned to see this side of her. But it made him happy.

‘I heard you guys danced at that party right? I wanna see it. Please please please. I have heard so much about it.’

‘Gosh, it was amazing. Best thing I have ever seen. Everrrrr.’

Jenny chimed in.

Bheem couldn’t say no to the first thing Sita had asked from him. So he did a few steps himself, with a loud cheer from the rest. Then he dragged Ram up and the two danced together, instantly falling in sync even in an inebriated state. Without music. Without even looking at each other.

Sita was mesmerised and Jenny was nostalgic.

Once they were done, Bheem extended his hand to Jenny, asking if she wanted to dance with him. She didn’t know how much she could manage in this state but she could never say no to such an invitation.

He helped her get up, then placed her bare feet on his, moving them effortlessly.

Jenny was stunned to see that he remembered the steps. Like the back of his hand.

When she lost balance & swayed to one side, she yelped, and both his arms wrapped around her waist.

‘Shhh, I got you.’

He whispered slowly in her ear.

She smiled & wrapped her arms around his neck. This was not the posture of waltz but neither of them cared. They only cared about gazing into the eyes of their soulmate. Both thought back to that afternoon of the party a few months back and how much had changed since then.

Jenny willed herself to not get overwhelmed. To not cry. Because the moment was surreal.

However, Sita got teary-eyed looking at the two. Their love was palpable. She had seen their journey first hand - from the nervous shy looks to baby steps towards other to being madly in love. They made her believe in miracles. In destiny. They also reignited her faith in love.

It was sweet for a while but when the two kept going, she had to intervene. She was happy for them and everything but they didn’t need to rub their closeness in her face.

‘Ummm hello, get a room you two.’

They blushed profusely and sat down, still holding hands. Jenny tried to kick Sita but the woman anticipated it and ducked away in time.

Ram was glad for the intervention. Because he was about to puke at this mushy display. Smitten puppy was such an apt name for his love sick friend.

‘You are extra chirpy today, aren’t you? Fine, your turn then. Let’s see if you dare to pick dare.’

Jenny goaded Sita, wanting to get back at her. And it worked.

‘Oh please, I am not a coward. Fine. Dare it is.’

Jenny laughed her best naughty smile. Making Sita nervous for the first time that night. She didn’t like where it was going.

‘Give Ram a lap dance.’

‘WHAT????’

Ram and Bheem gasped loudly. Sita looked down. Her evil friend had her checkmated, or at-least that’s what she thought. But Sita was in no mood to cower away or back down. Not tonight.

She stood up, made another glass of bhang, downed it in a few sips and came back to her spot.

The men looked at each other nervously, and at the two women, not knowing what else to do.

‘Let’s do it.’

Sita declared, looking straight at Ram. The said man died a thousand deaths instantly.

‘Ok that’s enough. This is madness. This can’t go on. I can’t watch this. This has to sto….’

Jenny interrupted Bheem’s rant by covering his mouth with her hand.

‘Stop being such a prude. This is happening. If you can’t watch it, go sit in a corner and cover your ears.’

Bheem did exactly that. He huffed and puffed his way out of the circle, found the farthest corner, sat down facing the wall, and plunged his fingers in his ears. Sita was like a sister to him, and watching this would be wildly inappropriate.

Sita kept looking straight at an ashen faced Ram. Who was stunned into silence. And numbness. At the suggestion. And the acceptance. Both.

Sita wanted to do this partly to not back down. But also, she knew they would never get a chance to do anything remotely wild again. Their real life didn’t allow it. This was the only moment and she wanted to seize it. Curiosity got the best of her. Jenny had told her about their night in the cabin. She knew she could never have that degree of adventure but this was massive for them too. She wanted to know what this would be like.

But her legs didn’t move. Despite her best efforts. She needed more liquid courage, so she asked Jenny to fetch her another glass of bhaang. And gulped it readily.

When Ram realised she wasn’t backing down, he decided to put his foot down.

‘Sita, no. You are out of your mind. And pissed drunk. Let’s go back.’

Sita blew raspberries at Ram, making Jenny burst into a fit of giggles. Bheem could mildly hear the commotion from the corner and was horrified that the dance had already begun.

‘YOU ARE ACTING LIKE A CHILD.’

‘Oh, that’s the opposite of what I am going to do just now.’

Sita stood up, and slowly walked towards Ram, petrifying the shit out of him.

She opened her hair, letting them fall to her waist. And transformed into a siren that neither Ram nor Jenny could ever imagine.

‘L-listen, this is…..this is…..’

‘You just saw those two, didn’t you? Then why is this any different?’

‘Because…because..’

‘For once in your life, stop being a buzzkill will you?’

Ram shut up and stayed rooted to his spot, as Sita started to caress his torso and dance around him. She slapped his hands away from his face and made him look at her. Actually look at her.

Ram was equal parts horrified and mesmerised. Extremely confused by his emotions. The woman glided into his lap, and moved like the smoothest jazz dancer. For the life of him, Ram couldn’t figure where Sita had learned that from.

Jenny’s mouth open and closed repeatedly. She had no idea her dare would unleash this kracken. While she wasn’t a party to the dance, she was feeling all bothered inside for some reason. For a moment, she wanted to be in Bheem’s place. This had started to feel like an invasion of their private moment. But then, she would have never known this side of her friend.

6 glasses of bhang in one hour and can drive the best drinkers nuts. And Sita had very little experience with that drink earlier.

So, just when Jenny was sitting on the edge of her seat, literally, Sita passed out in Ram’s lap. Like a light. Ram looked at her in confusion. Then looked at Jenny. The roller coaster of emotions had thrown their senses haywire. They had lost all context of reality.

‘Is the atrocity over or is it still going on?’

Bheem’s pained voice got them back to earth. Ram gathered Sita in his arms while Jenny found her voice again.

‘Umm yeah, it’s over. You can come back.’

Bheem returned to find Ram and Jenny shell-shocked, while Sita was dangling in Ram’s arms. He had no intention of ever finding out what happened there.

‘I-I should go back to the village. She needs to have some lemon in her system soon. And we don’t have any here.’

Bheem nodded at Ram, and Ram walked back to the village. Carrying a passed out Sita in his arms. If it wasn’t for the weight of her, he would be pinching himself right now to snap out of the dream he was in. Because, how could anything that happens just now be real?

Jenny decided that she needed another glass to recover. Looking at her face, Bheem didn’t even protest.

The drink did it’s job, and Jenny was chirpy again in no time. The scene from earlier already a distant memory in her head. But the heat from the situation remained. She hugged Bheem tightly, peppering kisses all over his face.

Before he could recover, she had dragged him to the cot and pulled him on top of her.

Bheem broke their kiss shortly, rolling off to her side. She whined loudly, reaching for him again, but he stopped her mid-way.

‘Jenny, you are in no state to give consent. Nothing is going to happen tonight.’

He said decisively, leaving no room for arguments. She wanted to be annoyed, to tell him that she was in full senses and that he should take her word for it instead of making his own assumptions. But she knew his heart was in the right place and she could never get him to budge on his moral grounds.

Cuddling with him was the best she was going to get. When she snuggled next to him and adjusted her legs, a cramp made her wince loudly.

Bheem immediately swung into action, inspecting the area and stretching her leg.

‘See, this is why you shouldn’t have walked after injuring your toe. You ended up putting extra pressure on this leg. Wait.’

He looked around the cabin and was glad to find some oil to massage her leg. He lifted both her legs to his shoulders, applying the oil on them tenderly. Jenny looked at his face throughout, as he tended to her.

In a different situation, the sight of her disheveled like this would have garnered a different reaction from Bheem. But right now, he was only concerned about bringing relief to her, and nothing else. There was no end to this man’s amazingness.

Somewhere along the way, she fell asleep, knowing he would be by her side through the night.

It had been some evening. They had all ventured into some unchartered territories, leaving some scandalized and the others giddy. But one thing was for sure. None of them was going to forget this evening and what transpired here.

....................................................................

P.S. - I may have been drunk while writing this.

@irisesforyoureyes @rambheem-is-real @thewinchestergirl1208 @eremin0109 @eenadu-varthalu @rorapostsbl @yehsahihai @budugu @maraudersbitchesassemble @justmeand-myinsight @rambheemisgoated @rosayounan @jrntrtitties @obsessedtoafault @rambheemlove @jjwolfesworld @alikokinav @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @dumdaradumdaradum @lovingperfectionwonderland @chaanv @ssabriel @milla984 @kaagazkefool @boochhaan @mesimpleone @filesbeorganized @ladydarkey @teddybat24 @stanleykubricks @burningsheepcrown @veteran-fanperson @ronika-writes-stuff @beingmes-blog @yonderghostshistories @nisreenart @chaidrivenwhore @bheemaxrama @umbrulla @mizutaama @rosefulmadness @gifseafins @fangirlshrewt97 @voidsteffy @maooyinysparkle @amalthea9 @vijayasena @stars-in-the-distance @astrafangs

[fangirlshrewt97]

*Ram laying face down on the ground while Bheem sits next to him*

Babai: …what happened to him?

Bheem: Oh, he told me he loved me. And then I got excited and said it back straight away. Even though we’d agreed I’d wait for a least a hour for him to process first.

Jenny: Huh?

Sita: Too many positive emotions makes Ram go bye-bye. He’ll be fine. He just needs a minute… I think.

[aurum-rays]

When you rewatch most childhood movies, the cult classics, the nostalgia rides, I realize how sexist and problematic they were and I was secretly hoping Veer Zaara wasn't one of them(I watched it when I was like 10 so I don't remember). This movie surprised me.

Veer Zaara features strong, resilient female characters. Be it our protagonist Zaara played by Preity Zinta or the catalysts of the love story Saamiya (Rani Mukherjee) and Shabbo (Divya Dutta) or even Zaara’s mother (Kirron Kher) and her Bebe (Zohra Sehgal).

Zaara Hayaat Khan is a feminist, one who is against the societal norms laid for a woman. It's refreshing to see this in her introductory song "Hum to bhai jese hai wese rahengey" sung beautifully by Lata ji, but as this 3 hour musical drama progresses it gets disappointing to see Zaara whittle herself away to the same norms she was against in the first place.

Everyone around her constantly tells her it's her responsibility to be a good wife and a good mother and to guard the respect of their families. Zaara crosses the border to fulfill a final wish of her ‘BeBe’(grandmother) all by herself.

In the midst of a rescue operation, she demands her things be lifted off along with her all while hanging on to an Air Force professional in his uniform.

She pushes the crowded men away and speaks with authority "I have a ticket and I need to get on this bus". In all these instances Zaara is scared yet heroic. She phones her mother and tells her that all her life she didn't do anything and probably won't in the future too and will probably end up being just like her mother - a good wife and a good mother, so she wants to do this one thing so she can respect herself. This is what irked me. I understand she's from an orthodox family but she can still have dreams and ambitions. From the start of the movie, she is portrayed as a rebel, one who doesn't comply with societal norms and laughs in the face of stereotypes. I can only imagine how curious she would have been as a child. That alone is enough to give her some dreams.

She fearlessly tells Amitabh's character what he is doing is unfair to the girls. If I went to someone’s house for a day especially someone I barely knew I wouldn't even dare to question their acts. Zaara does and she makes him spellbound. She doesn't go “I'm just here for one day so I’ll just mind my own business and leave”. She questions the injustice. "Imagine what girls could do if they were given the right education. Some of them might even surpass Veer".

I loved Zaara in all these scenes. She fearlessly stands up against mistreatment and calls them out no matter who the other person is. All this makes you root for her until it doesn't.

In a scene where Saamiya visits Veer's (Shahrukh Khan) hometown and finds Zaara there, she says to Shabbo "Yeh kis sadi ke log hai… ?" (transl. “Which century are these people from?”)

That's exactly how I felt too. “Kon hai ye log? Kahan se aate hai?”( transl. Who are these people? Where do they come from?) Spending their whole lives in the name of the person they never got to be with. Sacrificing everything and working to fulfill someone else’s dream. Zaara has always been that kind of person. She crosses borders to fulfill her bebe's wish and gives all her life to fulfill Veer and his Tau’s wish. She keeps doing everything for others. She spends her life making others’ dreams come true. She lives her life in the memory of her lover. This also reminded me of Sita aka Princess Noor Jahan from Sitaramam (also maybe Madarasipattinam's Amy).

If Saamiya saw these women she'd again say "Kon hai ye log?"

Even after decades of releasing love stories on-screen this "sacrificing" trope hasn't changed and remains to be a classic which I am not a big fan of. Why do these characters not have any characterization of their own? (Zaara) even if they do, it all changes when a man comes into her life (Sita/Noor Jahan). Ultimately the heroin has to either die or spend her whole life in the memory of her Romeo. (Remember what Mr. Dashwood says to Jo in 2019’s Little Women?)

Maybe I don't understand love stories. Maybe I don't understand love? I don't know. But I think in real life none of us are that insane to write our whole life in someone else’s name and live and breathe just reminiscing our lost lovers, at least I am not. Maybe that is why these movies will remain classics because they are too insane to happen in real life.