Old Fashioned :


The wife was  simple, from rural base, ,though educated, pragmatic though not stylish. The young husband was very smart  and well placed, The husband often asked her to accompany him in evening clubs  and social get-together. She did not relish much the out-door life and stayed back .
One day the husband lost his cool and shouted back -"old Fashioned ".
The wife absorbed the  remark and then decided to re-pay or  in return. 
She joined all social  and cultural  clubs , became a  magnet of the  local society and was ever busy and in demand in all 'get-together 'and culural  performances. 
The husband got  stuck-up in all family issues , even taking care of the child.
Then feeling the 'last straw on camel's back , one  day the husband  complained against all of her out-door life,
The wife looked straight into her husband's eyes for a good length of time  and let it out ---"old Fashioned"!
Not known what happened in aftermath.

  DEVOTION  Vs  DUTIES   ( Short Story)

Narada , the  God Vishnu's ambasador to the world , boasted too much claiming to be the best disciple of Vishnu  as  he, day and night, chanted  Lord's name.
In one cosmic Cycle -day he even asked Vishnu :  Lord am I  not your greatest Devotee ?
Vishnu was  silent and Narada  suffered from depression, like USA Corporate CEOs,
To give him a practical lesson , Vishnu  gave him a oil- pot, filled up to the brim  and asked him to take it to  a laborer- devotee in a remote village on Earth and then come back.--------_------------------------------------------------
Narada finally  returned to Heaven. Vishnu asked him about the poor village laborer. Narada  replied that the poor fellow was toiling day and night and could remember God only  once ,-bed time !.
Visnu asked Narada,; -'-During your journey to earth with the oil-pot,I gave you , how many times you remembered me'?.
'Oh1 my Lord ! ! how could I --with the condition you imposed of not a drop of oil , flowing out !
Vishnu smiled and told Narada ;  see that poor laborer's condition was worse than you for all the time of the day or life. And yet he managed to remember me at least once a day ! And You Narada  getting so much benifits & bessings from me, in cluding  due TAs & DAs;  yet coud not find time to remember  me even once with that oil-pot in hand ! So do you know who is-------.
Vishnu looked at Narada , who could not lift up his head ,inshame !
[Abriged and edited/compressed version from' Narada Bhakti Sutra']

Mythoogy _Reconstructed ( Short story)

In Indian Mythoogy, Ravana a DEMON-King was killed by RAMA the king (to be ) of Ayodhya. But it could not happen on the stage when the play was enacted i in 1940s, in my child -hood in the remote village in Dist of Barisal in Eastern Part of BENGAL.
RAMA was the real hero representing everything good and Ravana was a villain andvery strong , physically too.
As the rich Villager who donated most for the expenses (say mr. X )got the main role of Rama and the hardworking poor neighbour Mr Y was given the role of Ravana.
A few days before the Play they, both had a big fight on a small issue and Mr X with his men gave a good thrashing to would -be- Ravana. When retuned, his wife was so angry because , even being so strong her husband did not give a good fight, But he shouted back to his wife saying : -" shut up ! Just have patience and see the out -come on the 'Stage'.
I was then a mere boy of 9 or 10 and was all eager to see and enjoy the play (JATRA - by Native term) ......
The play started and proceeded to final scene of BATTLE betwwen RAMA & RAVANA. But -----even after repeated promtting from the' wings' Ravana refused to to fall and die ....We were so excited and enthralled by the high suspense of the play ! ( Even, Hitchcock woud have copied it if he was lucky to be there ! )
Any way in the END , when rebuked by the DIRECTOR and even byRAMA for - not falling down( last straw) RAVANA(Mr Y), threw his 'stage -weapon' and shouted " that day you thrashed me enough ! And today I will teach you the lesson and write a new 'RAMAYANA" and so saying he jumped on RAMA and pinned him on the stage to the great joy for me and for all the villagers to see a real heroic seen on a RURAL-Stage.!