Pampering Whimpering

 

Pampering Whimpering

“Ted! Where are you?”

“Here mom! A last minute brush up for the party” Ted raised his tone as he replied from the lounge room.

“I’ve been looking for you all over the place”. Mom’s face had somewhat mixed expressions as she entered the room. “What? Are you buckling up her sandals?” 

“Tiara’s dress is too tight…not easy for her to bend down. We’re already late, mom!”

“But why are you late? Don’t you think she takes a bit long to dress up for a simple party!”

“Not a simple party mom! It’s my office party and I want her to look good”

“But you cooked the lunch too. Was Tiara away somewhere?”

“Mom! She was away for hair-styling!”

“Oh well! You could’ve told me. I had cooked ample food in my tiny kitchen. You never come over. Like you did when you were younger” Mom said as she began to walk towards her room

“But mom, what would Tiara have eaten on coming back from the hairdo?”

“I know, she doesn’t relish my simple food”

“Mom! Be happy. We’ll come back late tonight”

The pair walked away arm in arm, laughing. Mom sighed. When she was young, Ted’s father had never been so caring. She often wondered where Ted got it from – this knack of wife pampering.

In fact, Ted did have his dad as a role model. For he did all that his dad did not do; albeit he got carried away and did that a bit too much.

© 2016 Alka Girdhar

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For:  Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers hosted by Priceless Joy

It was already Saturday when I checked this week’s prompt picture for FFfAW. Recently I had decided not to write any more stories for a while. But this prompt did the trick…again.

Modern Love Story (a short story)

A Modern Love Story

She liked him for all right reasons. Who wouldn’t want to marry this charismatic son of a steel magnate. But how to know him?  That was the problem.

When a mysterious woman miraculously invited her to one of his parties, she quickly availed it.

Looking her best was the next challenge. Her exquisite satin red gown came from a designer thrift-shop. She borrowed a pseudo-Chanel clutch from her friend and diamante stilettos from her newly wedded cousin.

All went well. Being a good dancer she impressed the rich hunk, who was anyway dandy very easy to impress. But the vibrant party was in full swing when she got too carried away. Due to her fascination for all things expensive, she couldn’t resist fine wine that was offered to one and all for free. She overdid it, and that did the job. She forgot the invitation lady’s warning; that she must get back before midnight or else her party-wear will change into her everyday apparel.

Now. Two minutes to go before midnight, before her gown turns into ripped jeans and a tee, and her heels become flip-flops… while her pseudo-Chanel purse hangs like a canvas school bag that she was wearing while still at her home, before the party.

How can she go back home so quickly? She can’t. Intoxicated that she is, she’ll have to take a bus back home next morning.

Cinderella had better sense than this gal from a modern fairy-tale.

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First written for: FFfAW  a weekly story challenge.

Social Butterflying – a flash fiction

Photo prompt provided by TJ Paris

Social Butterflying

Sheena looked at the mirror a millionth time and scrutinized her face. The curled hair lock looks better on the cheek. She loved her spiky winged eye-liner that added to her mysterious eyes; kind of waking them up. Hope the mascara is not overdone! Is the dress too loud and flowery?

Flowers! This reminded her that she needs roses – real or fake – for it was a theme party. She went out to pluck a rose but stood watching the pretty butterfly sitting on flowery cacti.

Butterfly! The word rang a bell. Only yesterday somebody had commented on her ‘Sheena, the social butterfly!”.  She sensed a hint of jeering in the remark.

Why! What’s wrong if she likes parties and loves colorful clothes? She stood pondering. This world loves beauty. A plain Jane is quite like this butterfly that was once ignored for being a creepy worm till she developed pretty wings in brilliant hues. Nature’s fashionista is never ridiculed for her transformation!

Thus emboldened by the tiny butterfly, Sheena confidently headed towards her college party. She heard her mom’s voice from behind, “Come back before it gets too dark! Will you?”

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That was my flash fiction/short story in response to this week’s Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers hosted by Priceless Joy

Copyright © 2015 Alka Girdhar

Luigi – The Alto Achiever

Another take on story writing for Mondays Finish the Story.
This is a unique flash fiction challenge where we’re provided a photo and the first sentence of a story. We have to finish the story using 100-150 words, not including the sentence provided

Photo by Barbara W. Beacham

The family had no idea that little Luigi would grow up to be a fashion-model. Most members of Bosco family, despite their lovely complexion and fine features, were lacking in body height. Luigi, who took after his Mama, was the most diminutive kid in his big family.

In school, everyone teased Luigi and called him ‘basso’. He didn’t mind but his Mama was hurt to see her baby side-lined in all major school functions. She fed him all sorts of foods but to no effect.

No wonder, the family was shocked when one day Luigi disclosed that a big company had selected him be their fashion-model. Jubilation and merry-making followed.

Actually, this company had manufactured a nutritious protein-shake.  A short handsome model was needed who, with camera trick, would be televised to have become taller after regularly consuming this shake.

Luigi had proven that every person has value for this world. He basked in his glory, while his cousins felt jealous of him.

(148 words)

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‘basso’ is Italian for short, and ‘alto’ means tall

Yes, it’s a faulty world where looks are promoted, and people are obsessed with enhancing their appearance, but Luigi had to prove himself within this faulty world.

I found this link: Myths about becoming a fashion-model

 Copyright © 2015 Written by Alka Girdhar

Types of Tatters

Tattered Women

Two women in tatters
One for the want of needed clothes
Other wants tattered clothes.
 

Ripped jeans are in vogue. Those peek-a-boo type that reveal just a little to create the desired effect (or so the wearer thinks). The concept is that of straying away from perfection, to look rustic yet glamorous. Rubbed and smudged smokey eyes instead of perfectly lined eyeliner, tousled unruly hair instead of a prim bob or perfect blunt. All this teamed with torn jeans or tees. And still not look like a beggar. Now that’s creativity!!

Compare this to a poor girl/woman. Someone who wears clothes with a sole purpose of covering herself because she has to – so as to protect her body from weather. She can’t afford good clothes, she wears the same few clothes over and over till they start to look torn and tattered. No glamour, no creativity there.

So. It makes sense if all the fashionistas donate their unused clothes as much as they can, esp. the ones that are like-new but not in use any more, for they are, as women say ‘no more in vogue’. After all, what’s the point of holding on to them if they have already been deemed out-of-fashion by our snooty branded friends and relatives, isn’t it? Give them away and let some poor woman wear a complete and whole untattered dress, which she can proudly call her own.

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That was my Haiku for this week’s Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Challenge 41.
The poem was composed using two words that were given to us: want  & tatter

My above Haiku poem was awarded with A Ronovan Writes Serious Haiku Choice

These compliments were also showered along with the award:
“Alka Girdhar of Magnanimous Word:  Types of Tatters. A very good subject this week. In truth the best subject matter yet. @girally“

https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-41-review/

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Picture Credit: pixabay pinterest
Copyright © 2015 Written by Alka Girdhar ~ All rights reserved

You always believed in me

Huh!! Now they want us to play pranks on each other.  It’s April Fool’s Day and it’s customary to celebrate it, innit?  Ready…one, two, and three…Go!!  Play a prank!!!

No I won’t.  Naah. Staying awake till midnight (in my city) only to be prompted to play pranks. Are we kids? Tomorrow if they tell us to play ‘Ringa Ringa Roses’, how in the world are all of us global writers going to do that – hopping around the whole vast planet earth?

But who am I to get annoyed?  I should be the last person to do so because, if I seriously think of it, I’ve already been playing pranks with you all, my dear readers. I have already fooled you once.  In fact have done that ever since I opened this Word Press ID of mine. You know me by a particular name. Are you sure I am who you think I am?  Why did you believe me in the first place?  I had a URL by a genuine name of a female who genuinely exists in this world and has a real face so you easily believed I am A.G.  A person who puts up her real name and real picture has to be genuine. Far from it.

The fact is, I am a very well known ‘celebrity’ – this is how you always refer to me as.  In real life I can’t step out of my house without being noticed or my kid being picturized.  Day and night I was tired of trying to be my original self, the real KK.  But nobody lets me be me. One look at my Facebook Page and you can see how the world swoons at my feet.  I soon got tired of putting up pictures that drove people to leave their important tasks and write comments on my page.  I know, people love me for all possible reasons.  And hate me sometimes.

But deep in my heart I felt a need to leave those reasons behind and hide myself from the world. And yet I wanted to be out in public in some way as I am highly addicted to public life. Therefore one day I decided to write. I am not known to be a writer, right?  I thus became a new person whom nobody suspects to be me.  I didn’t want to have a pseudo picture of a monster, a zebra or a flower as my gravatar.  A real face, a real name of an Indian lady very well suited my needs. Voila! No one ever suspected. Did ya?

Adorning a new persona gave me a new feel about myself as I slowly became what I was born to be like – a thinker, a sensitive female like any other, a normal everyday kind of person – who is not merely popular due to her bags and back-age, I mean baggage.  I left them out of this blog.

And hey! Surprisingly, you all accepted me in my new avatar.  Here on Word Press you like me for very different reasons. You like me for my meaningful words and deep thoughts. Even though the number of followers on this simple blog of mine are not even 1/1000^th of the number of followers I have in other social media where I carry my real KK image, but still…who cares!!  I am happy like this. At least you all, my fellow bloggers on creative Daily Prompt, meaningful Photo Challenge/s and very friendly Haiku Challenge, are genuine.

You all are my faithful followers but you aren’t after my beauty, money or sophistication. Love it here!!  My point is, there are skinny people all around the world dying of hunger and I sincerely feel you gals and guys shouldn’t be so obsessed about the constant stream of news related to my body size and weight, my contoured nose, my personal relationships, about the ifs and butts of my life. Please please don’t ape me. Donate the money that you intend to spend on buying ridged leggings. Just because I wore them? Give these £1075 to some legless human being. (sob!).
Honestly, ever since I started writing at Word Press, my inner sensitive soul, my conscience has woken up towards the physical and emotional ailments of other flesh and bones people on this earth.

Till today I had been living with huge feelings of guilt, about hiding my true self from my dear readers for so long. This April Fool’s Day prompt brought out my truth. Hope you won’t desert me after knowing the reality.

Please promise you will stay with me and always read what my inner heart wants to write!!.  Moreover, don’t you think I too need true friends in life, like all of you here?

(sob! sob!!…sob!!!)

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My very honest response to The Daily Prompt:  Fool Me Once

It’s April 1st!  Pull a fast one — publish a post that gently pranks your readers.

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