Night Out

Sorry Sir, but I've never read the writer you're talking about. It's definitely not plagiarism. I can vouch for it. Still, it gives me a a lot of pleasure to note that people, across generations, can think and write alike!

I have read neither the article nor the comments and I don`t desire to do so as well. What I have noticed are these lines...
``Mrs. Da Cuhna handled death like she handled life. Head-on, with zest``...
blatantly lifted from a Razia Bhatti obituary...Editors please take notice...Refer to the collection of Razia Bhatti articles, post humously published by Oxford University Printing Press.
If someone else has already noticed and pointed this out in his comments...I offer my apologies for duplication.

thanks for all the nice comments...it feels really good...
soma

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Dear Soma,

One of the best stories I have read on Chowk. It is so very professional. Have you been published before? Anyway, keep writing. This is great stuff.

Warm regards

Sucheta

Love the narration. The copulation thing is a bit jarring coz it comes outta nowhere. Rest is smooth...

Chowk staff,

At this point, now that the Delhi-ite is out - it is only appropriate to register my protest as follows:

When the Beej was banned - the ``2-day`` period latsed eight calendar days!

When Delhi-ite was banned - the ``2-day`` period lasted - two calendar days!

Not fair - especially to Delhi-ite!

Do I have four times his clout!?

Feel free to dock him for another six days to even things out!

Sincerely,
Beej

PS: I hope he was not gobbling idli and vada in the dog-house and slurping sambar from his dog-dish!

Re: # 28
Thank You Mr Dilliwala, You are a true gentleman.
From now onwards I will ignore such like people.

PS: Key to successful Sambhar is adding correct Masala, also you add some Ghee.

Chittapa Srao,
I know that you are new to Chowk, please pay absolutely no attention to these bad people. They think that you are me just because you came to chowk around the same time I was banned.
I appreciate your sense of humor and I do love Sambar/Vada and Idli. Eggmore station in chenai has one of the subsidized Idlis, it used to 50 Paise per Idli. Also Gitts brand Sambar is cool. Seeing you reminded me to go and eat Rava Dosa. Good Luck and stay away from these evil people. I will protect you.

Okay Seree!!
PoH!

A beautiful story by a most sympathetic, humane writer. mirmir

Re: # 25 (aashee),

Don`t forget the most important part; a 57 year old post menupausal `grandma` being taken by her lover under a lamp post after midnight the day after her husband died. And yes, it isn`t appealing to me either.

Irfan.

``He took her standing. Mrs. Da Cuhna had never known anything like this.``

A 57 year old post menupausal `grandma` being taken by her lover under a lamp post after midnight is not much appealing to me...:(

Re#23 Srao

My lovey-dovey darling,

Do I sound angry? Not at all! What a foolish thought!

In fact, I feel a sense of deep love and bonding developing for you (be careful of such deep love, it can be all-encompassing and all consuming (of its object (faster than any sambhar you may have ever slurped)))!

Now how about taking that challenge that I threw to you in #22?

Come on sweetheart, go for it! Show us the courageous stuff you are made of – at least show us the guts to DENY those charges. No need to pee!

And whatever gave you the shocking idea that the chowk site has any “hateful” characters lurking around – you are making me worried – I thought this place was a full-fledged lovers-lovefest-only round-the-clock necking zoo – with YLH its first specimen and you perhaps his chamcha – always on permanent display for your prowess along those lines – in all his (her (your)) crowning (crowing) glory!

Lovingly,
Beej.

Re: # 22
You are an angry person Mr. Beej. You are an another drop to the this ocean of hateful people on Chowk. Please don`t mind and take my comments in negative light. Unless, the darkness that you live in has made you color blind or even totally blind(I hope not).

Also, why are you pretending to write this short story? If you have another NICK that you go by on Chowk, then let us know. It is not a crime you know....

You need to visit WalletJess in Holland for rehabilitation.

Good Luck.

PS: Try Rasam with Puddii for your ailment.

Re#21 Srao

Dear Srao (do you pronounce it as “shrew”?),

You have every right to your opinions – even though they run counter to what most others here have expressed – and in my view, your opinions are quite foolish – since I see you insist on calling this piece a “masala” piece.

However, it is quite dishonest of you to call your remarks a “compliment” – you appear to be merely trying to cheapen this work. To me your remarks appear to be more revealing of your jealous state of mind rather than any genuine appreciation for this truly wonderful piece.

If you are truthful, go ahead and tell us that you DON’T have another nick by which you are better known on this site – and go ahead and challenge chowk staff to verify that to us – they have claimed to have that ability! THEN you will have more credibility.

Let’s see if all that “idli, sambar, vada” eating (again, a claim I disbelieve) has given you any strength in “balls” of your own or merely filled you with the hot air SO typical of “ass-firing” writers!

Sincerely,
Beej.

Mr. Beej,
I do not understand your comment, what was the need for such negativity?
This is an interesting short story that has all the ingredients to make it what I call ``Masala Chap``, likes of which often show up in newspapers like ``Mid-Day``, ``Naya-Din``, ``Sangarsh`` etc.

FYR, it was a compliment. Are you co-author or what?

Good Luck!!

very matter-of-fact. nicely done!

Re: # 18
...i know lalloo yadav is funny...but all biharis..? that`s a stretch...but who knows...

aik dhoondho hazaar miltay hain
do naqad sau udhaar miltay hain

Re#17 by khamkhwa

Oh my Gosh, I got another one of those Pakistani bandas hopelessly falling in love with me on this site!

Touched a raw nerve, did I?

[...the proper word is `suc_ker`...not `faller`...]
Yes my sweat-heart, that “faller” was indeed a replacement for the first term you suggest with such assurance – a term which the Chowk filter highlighted in yellow – an experience YOU probably enjoy highly, but not everybody does. Tell you what, I’ll let my tears fall – you can go suc_k yours – or just sulk!

Sometimes, when I talk with you, why is it that I feel I am wasting my breath – as if it’s all just for khamkhwah, period.

[...i am confused slightly]
I am impressed by your modesty in saying “slightly”!

[...are you soma sarkar or are you beej singh or both of you are the joint writer of this piece..]
I WISH I had written this piece myself – I was not kidding when I said in #1 that it made me late for work – and as some people know, most janitors take their work rather seriously!

This work appears all the more noteworthy when one compares it to the preceding one this same author published here – feel free to read my interact on that one too, and judge for yourself – maybe (just maybe) you can open up to a slightly increased range of vision – i.e., beyond your current narrow bean-counting domain! It is NOT impossible, believe me!

Re: # 16
vidyasagar jee...
[I am always a faller for tear-jerkers ]
...the proper word is `sucker`...not `faller`...

...i am confused slightly...are you soma sarkar or are you beej singh or both of you are the joint writer of this piece.. i would like the real writer to come over and accept my congratulations for a wonderful piece of writing...

Re#15 Srao

Dear Srao,

I suppose that this story perhaps fell a bit short on your desired quota of Idli, Dosa, Sambar and Vada which – according to your interactor page – are the best things that Muthu created in the world – so it is fully understandable that you will feel less than completely full and will consider the effort inconclusive – which will lead to the comments you “dropped” in #15. Still, I can not but wonder whether you are truly THAT clueless on the plot line here or are you just another one of those forever “ass-firing” chowk “writers” who have difficulty dealing with newcomers hitting a sixer out of the ball-park?

Beej.

Ms Sorkar,
Interesting mix of trivia of life & death and Sex. Great writeup, would you be finishing the story at some later date?

Great article....raced through it...very gripping..

#12 seedy,
dilli got whacked due to his references to other folks mothers wombs on upplugged. nothing to do with his inanities .. so dont worry, post freely ;-)

Re#10 by Saminasha

[Every good writer can take suggestions without losing face. And they can choose to experiment with various prose devices, or not. Its the amateurs who get hysterical if faced with the idea of revision.]

True, of course! Hope you did not mind a little wisecrack.

I just could not resist an opportunity to make a “smart” remark! (It’s all Delhiwala’s fault – he got me started with that DESI stuff.)

(Psst:

I am saying all of the above only to appear nice in the eyes of “chowk-staff” – because of certain reasons, I have developed a sudden dislike for the dog-house – and I can not help but notice what the “chowk staff” just now did to Delhiwala for his #7. Boy, this place is fast turning dictatorial (Not you “chowk-staff” – nobody must think of you as even one notch below Raja Harishchandra – and that Saddam looks NOTHING like you – and kumbh-karan is a GOOD word!))

i did not understand the significance of why her daughter brought the sofa-cover from australia?

great stuff, loved the `bugger` stereotype

Beej,

Your concern seems a tad misplaced. Every good writer can take suggestions without losing face. And they can choose to experiment with various prose devices, or not.

Its the amateurs who get hysterical if faced with the idea of revision.

Ummm...who is Rohan Mistry? And Anudhati Roy?

If you are going to ask an author if their work is derivative of another`s writing, please, please make sure you at least get the names and/or spellings right.

Of course, the reality of whether Soma`s work is at all like either of the two writers you mentioned is debatable. But let`s work on the names and spelling first, shall we?

Rohinton Mistry
Arundhati Roy

Re#7 by delhiwala

[No Offence, but I always sense that DESI writers have to copy their style from Rohan Mistry/Anudhati Roy or some other DESI writers who got fame in West.]

No offence, but at what point in time did that great illumination of knowledge – the revelation, shine upon that (well-covered, I’m sure) brain of yours that there is such a creature as a DESI writer – that one coin and that one shoe of definition which fits ALL individuals no matter who they are or what they write or how they write it – and that culprit hiding therein, that DESI individual, must be exorcised by pretending to be something OTHER THAN a desi?!

[Was this narration style your own? Just curious?]
Good question – I could swear it had DELHIWALA wallah-wallah written all over it!

Re#6 by Saminasha
[…. The sofa section was perfect. The sex scene was a bit risky-you had the main character doing it in the road- ……]
Different strokes (and settings) for different folks!

[…. edit out half the adjectives here and get rid of most of the Tbits…..]
Or just let Ms. Saminasha write it for you! You mean she did NOT write this piece herself?

No Offence, but I always sense that DESI writers have to copy their style from Rohan Mistry/Anudhati Roy or some other DESI writers who got fame in West.

Was this narration style your own? Just curious?

Indeed, this is really well done-particularly the nuances of cultural life. The sofa section was perfect. The sex scene was a bit risky-you had the main character doing it in the road-but it was pulled off as it did not become the end of the world. My one quibble with this is the pacing-it moves too quickly, a forced march of cheerfulness and efficiency. On one hand, you could argue the pace matches the main character`s mask over her mourning, but if you are inclined, slow it down and see what happens.

If you are interested in slowing it down, edit out half the adjectives here and get rid of most of the Tbits like ``Time has passed me by, Mrs. Da Cuhna sighed wryly.``

Looking forward to reading more!

This is simply amazing. The best piece of writing I have seen here.
It has a great flow and a rhythm that keeps you tightly in its grip. Not a word is wasted and the writer is nowhere to be found. The story tells itself. That I think is the beauty of this piece.

soma:

concur with B, J and Z

simple but spontaneous! well-coherent and a lovely piece of writing!

Soma, this is a great piece of writing. I love the matter-of-fact style which says so much in so many layers. Beautiful and poignant, with great attention to detail.

This one hit me with its raw power! I am always a faller for tear-jerkers written from the heart! Good job, Soma, this web site is still worth hanging around!

Most people handle life’s little and big troubles by crying out loud, but some get their therapy through physical activities. The lady pondering over the meaning of Joe’s life – letting the currents of varied emotions run through her – all while getting through the chores of life – made a real strong impression on me. (You even made me late for work!)

She tries to make herself busy so she would not have to think about her late husband – and she gets well-versed in doing so because of the prolonged illness. It works for a while – yet only for a while. The inevitable will eventually arrive. She seeks refuge in all manners of diversions – finally, when all else fails – visiting an old hang-out and even having sex with a stranger – Jatin being just another figurative stray dog sympathetically licking her face while getting his own little bit of satisfaction.

The problem with the realities of life is that they are always waiting for us patiently and we can only run for a while – eventually fate will catch up.

One can feel a lot of sympathy for the main character in this story – and must never begrudge her the little satisfaction of peaceful sleep at the end. Eventually though, she must wake up again.

[The stain remained but the cloth wore out.]
The stain invariably long outlives most of our “clothes”.