La La Land

La La Land – Chapter 4

Smoke drifted gently from one of the huts, as the lady of the house went about her task of preparing the day’s meal on a mud stove. It was fuelled by the wood bought home from the nearby jungle a few days ago.

It had been left to dry in the sun and now crackled and burned fiercely with its fellow branches, all of which had been chopped off the same tree.

It was soon joined by a couple of others of its ilk and their insistent crowing woke up some of the sleepy headed people around who stretched, yawned and reluctantly got up from their cots.

In the cow shed adjoining the milkman’s home, the cows were far more active. They munched happily on the straws provided by their owner before they would be milked and made loud moo sounds expressing their contentment with life in general.

Bright sunlight soon warmed the courtyards of homes and somewhere a mother was calling out to both her children, “Hey 24, call 10, breakfast is served!”

For you see the tribes of NLOO had one peculiar custom – They took their names very seriously and had devised various methods to be christened. For starters, they did not name their children immediately on birth.

It was only on the 21^st day that a baby would be named. Now this was not any simple affair!

A large brass vessel which was the common property of the people and kept in the custody of the village Sarpanch would be bought specially for this occasion. It was filled to the brim with water and turmeric was liberally added to it and stirred, until it imparted its deep yellow colour to the liquid.

Then many strands of Bermuda Grass, locally known as Durva or Doob grass would be mixed in the water. Each family member (including the baby who was to be named) would be given a single grain of rice.

Each member would then keep a note mentally and mark his/her grain while standing around the vessel along with others. Before coming they would have already thought of a name they would like to give to the baby (in case they emerged victorious in the naming ritual), or they could decide one at the place itself.

The vessel was then tapped gently, and rice grains would start floating towards its centre where the baby’s grain lay on the blade. The people assembled would cheer enthusiastically for the family member they wanted to win. Each rice grain was egged on like participants in a race!

Whosoever’s rice would come closest to the baby’s grain would emerge victorious and the winner was met with raucous applause and whistles of celebrations!!

The name finalized, the infant would then be bathed in the same turmeric water and the Doob grass blades crushed and rubbed on its skin. The grass known for its innumerable health benefits, was an integral part of the rural medicine kit. Among its various benefits were its anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antiseptic properties.

The tribes believed it would protect the baby lifelong from various skin diseases including the dreaded leprosy.

However, sometimes the naming ceremony would end with unintended consequences. Once the grandfather of a child desirous of having his own name passed on to the future generation won the rice race.

Now the mother of the child was in a fix. How can she call the child by the same name as her father-in-law?! That would indeed be blasphemous!!

So, the child was promptly given a name based on some special characteristic trait in their personality and his/her identity would be formalized on this basis.

The local panchayat would then meet to debate and finalize the proposed name. This name could be given at any age, but it was not necessary that it stay with the person forever. It could again change with a change in circumstances.

It was such quirks that made life in La La Land so peculiar and different!!

All Illustrations have been done by Kishor Mistry and you can follow his Instagram account kishormistry_ for more wonderful art!

This work of fiction, written by Wasim Jawaid is the author’s sole intellectual property. All rights are reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including printing, photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author. For permission requests, send an email to the author wasim.jawaid@gmail.com

La La Land – Chapter 3

The news had spread like wildfire in the village. Shikari had successfully hunted down a Sambar!

That meant food for the entire village tonight!!

There was a buzz in the air, and everyone had gathered in the village square to receive the men who were carrying it back.

This was met with loud cheers from the villagers including Mafia Mona who had scrambled back quickly from her aborted fishing trip.

Later –

Imrul was one of the wealthiest members of the tribe. He had inherited a flourishing business from his father and had expanded it further with his sharp intellect and enterprising nature.

But more importantly he was a connoisseur in all matters related to gastronomy. In fact, Intel Imrul on every month’s full moon night would host a dinner in his home and serve the best mutton to his guests.

He would use these occasions to select meat from amongst the finest of the goats by conducting their catwalk.

Yes, a catwalk of goats! Would you believe that? But when it comes to food and Imrul you must learn to believe anything.

Anyways a few days before full moon, Imrul would approach the friendly butcher and ask him to show all the goats from which he would choose. The butcher in turn would take him to an open field just behind his shop, where the parade of the goats would be held.

A curtain made from sack cloth hung on the door at the rear of the shop. These sacks would arrive in dozens every month at the butcher’s filled with goat feed. Little did the goats know they in turn would be fed to a food buff like Imrul on some blessed day!

The curtain was soon parted to reveal the ‘show.’

An old radio gleefully played out the popular song “ଆହା କୁହ ନା ତୁମେ କିଗୋ ମୋତେ ଭଲ ପାଓ ନା “and to its tune the goats did a catwalk…or was it a goat walk? 😄

See I told you he was called Intelligent Imrul for a reason. He simply had Intel Inside!

So yes, coming back to the feast, it continued well into the night. Our La La Land folks were clearly in a jovial mood and going to sleep was the last thing on their minds.

Dear Reader,
Hope you find the character Intel Imrul interesting! 

All Illustrations have been done by Kishor and you can follow his Instagram account kishormistry_ for more wonderful art. 

I have also penned a few traits of Imrul's personality in a short verse below. Do leave your thoughts and comments and as always I look forward to replying to them 😊

The Intel Imrul Poem

People are jealous; body shaming me by calling me fat,
For they can find no shortcoming other than that!

I am wise, my brains as sharp as a razor,
I can pinpoint opportunities just like a laser!

Yes I am fond of eating, that is my passion!
When I get so much happiness, then why do I ration?

I am rich, successful and nobody's fool,
I romance food and my name is Intel Imrul!

La La Land – Chapter 2

Hello Everyone,

Today on the blessed occasions of Suna Besha Darshan of Lord Jagannath and Eid Ul Adha, I present Chapter 2 on this double auspicious day.

Happy Reading!

……………………….

She was the elder of the 2 daughters of Sizzler Shikari. As far as Mafia Mona could remember, her father was the one person she was the closest to.

The reasons for this were many. Shikari had been more of a friend to her than a parent, more of a confidant and companion than a disciplinarian.

She was her papa’s daughter unlike her younger sister who was more inclined towards their mother.

However, what excited her more was that Shikari would invariably bring a gift for her from his jungle expeditions.

They could vary from the simple like wildflowers and mushrooms to the exotic like berries or a slab of wild honey from the beehive.

While paddling back in memory, she also recalled the way she got her moniker Mafia Mona.

As she was growing up, she realized she had many qualities of her father including his guts and fearlessness. Words like thieves, jail and Mafia were commonplace in her discussions with Shikari.

This created a fantasy world for her and she would roam around the village with an air of audacity around her.

*ମୋଁ ନା in English translates to ‘my name’

Somehow over the years those words condensed, and her name stuck, but in reverse order – Mafia Mona!

Though she was short in height, she more than made up for it by being high on confidence. She felt that she could beat the blues out of errant poachers and rogue tribesmen!

To prove her point she even rolled up her frock sleeves and with her teeth clenched, she punched both her arms in the air mocking a fight and repeating her name “Mafia Mona, Mafia Mona!”

Now, as she sat with her son hoping to catch fish for dinner, she knew her father was somewhere in the vicinity hunting and trying to arrange food for the village.

Just then she felt a tug at the bait on her fishing rod and also heard a gunshot in the far silent distance!

Did the alphabet carry a meaning? Were the birds trying to communicate something…Instinctively she knew both father and daughter had simultaneously ‘caught’ their prey.

While returning and unseen by her, Mafia’s 3-year-old son quickly dropped the still struggling fish back into the river.

Dear Reader,

It is good to have you back to read Chapter 2 of La La Land 😊

Hope you liked the character Mafia Mona! All Illustrations have been done by Kishor and you can follow his Instagram account kishormistry_ for more wonderful art.

I have also penned a few traits of Mafia's personality in a short verse below.

Do leave your thoughts and comments and as always I look forward to replying to them.

Impulsive and talkative, with a bit of ego in my core,
Nature and its beauty brings my best to the fore!

Not mere words, I believe in action..
Will speak my mind, regardless of your reaction!

Willing to take risks, I follow my gut feel,
Life's adversities bolsters my nerves of steel!

Undaunted, even by the mighty Corona..
I am feisty and my name is Mafia Mona!

La La Land – Chapter 1

It was close to 5 pm on a hot summer evening in La La Land. The sun was on its way down after having worked tirelessly through the day, scorching everything in its wake.

Now the rugged landscape seemed to be breathing a little easy as the sun’s setting rays cast a soft orange hued glow across it.

It was here that deer, wild boar and sometimes the occasional bear came to quench their thirst, before they set out into the deeper jungles to graze.

The air today was hot and completely still.

..thought Sizzler Shikari.

For while hunting there is always a possibility of your scent being carried across the jungle. Any good hunter would tell you that this could spoil your hunt.

And Shikari was too much of an expert to expose his position to the wild.

For this, he had his own 3S mantra which he followed when hunting!

He had to stay invisible, silent and still.

The hair bristled on the nape of his neck. Sizzler Shikari lowered his head and without any perceptible show of movement, slowly turned his head right to look behind.

What he saw made him catch his breath!

Both man and animal froze, stunned by their unexpected meeting. With his senses in overdrive mode, Shikari realized he could still fire a shot at the prey even with his back to it.

In his mind he had already made a rough calculation of the distance between them. It would be no more than a 22 yard cricket pitch.

At that range he could get a shot!

Continuing to sit in his position, Shikari slowly turned the rifle towards his prey. From the corner of his eye he could register the spot between the stag’s neck and upper torso which he would target.

The shot rang through the still air shattering the silence of the jungle.

To be continued..

Dear Reader,

Just as the famed duo of comic book artist -Albert Udorzo and editor/writer- René Goscinny bought us the awesome Asterix and Obelix comics, this is a humble attempt from Yours Truly and Kishor Mistry to bring you a fun, wholesome entertainer named La La Land.

All illustrations have been done by Kishor. He is a budding artist from NIFT, Bhubaneswar. He is based in his hometown in West Bengal and creates wonderful art under his Instagram account kishormistry_ 

Look forward to your comments below on Shikari's hunting expedition!

Characters Introduction – Part 1

Hello Everyone,

Happy Utkal Divas!

It’s been a while since I first posted the Background and Introductory chapter of La La Land (1st August 2020 to be precise.)

The delay has primarily been in searching for an able digital artist who could do comic illustrations as well. This is because since beginning, I have visualized La La Land to be a blend of text and images which will help create a strong visual impact on the reader’s mind.

I am happy to mention that I finally found a match in young talented artist and an exponent of the digital medium – Mr. Kishor Mistry.

Kishor is excellent at drawing figures, bringing out the true essence of people in their day to day surroundings. You will soon find this out yourself from the below images which have all been inspired from real life people.

So, in a sense he has drawn hyper realistic portraits 🙂

(You can follow his Instagram page kishormistry_ to enjoy some wonderful art!)

So, I come to you today with a brief introduction of 5 characters in this wonderful, mythical land located in Odisha.

This is the first set of characters and I will introduce more to you as we go along.

Happy reading and hope you like them!

Character 1 – Khiladi Kaka

I am the Sarpanch of La La Land,

Gentle and wise; my decisions given by fair hand.

Resolving villagers' issues is my topmost priority,

Khiladi Kaka is my name and I am sharp and witty!

He is the head of the 5 wise men who form the village panchayat. He is fun loving, friendly and always with a twinkle in his eye. In his younger days he struggled from scratch to set up his business of selling water pipes and made it a success. His son now runs the show.

Khiladi however has one problem – he keeps forgetting things and mixes up people’s names leading to hilarious situations. This is accentuated especially when he pronounces the panchayat’s verdict on any case!

Character 2 – Sizzler Shikari

Quick in my thoughts, even quicker in action,

A master of geography, I can beat GPS to the nearest fraction!

Disciplined by Time, Nature my soul's chingari*,

My best friend is the rifle; and I am Sizzler Shikari!

*chingari – a spark

He is Khiladi’s younger brother and one among 4 siblings. Shikari is a retired cop and and a self-confessed nature lover. He is aggressive, can get angry very quickly (and cools down equally fast!) and a stickler for time.

Yet outside his tough exterior he carries a heart which softens at the slightest hint of love and affection received, especially from children.

He came to be known by this moniker when he hunted down a man-eating tiger single-handedly (by keeping himself as a bait) on a full moon night!

Character 3 – Sadabahar Shami

My hair jet black, my teeth pearly white,

I may be a senior citizen, but still youthful alright!

Adaptable and easy going; I am born under the Gemini star,

Always evergreen and smiling, I am Sadabahar!

She is the only sister amongst the 4 siblings and the youngest too! As such she has been indulged and spoilt for love by her 3 brothers and parents.

Sadabahar derives her name from the flower Periwinkle which is an evergreen blossom! Like the flowering plant, Sadabahar too looks ageless.

More importantly, just like the Periwinkle plant has a host of medicinal properties and can cure multiple illnesses with its’ rich ayurvedic legacy, Sadabahar Shami too with her love, affection and a young heart can melt all your problems away in matter of minutes!

Character 4 – Jumping Janab

With full enthusiasm I jump into each case,

Putting criminals behind bars, brings a smile to my face!

Honest to my job, I wear the police uniform with pride,

Jumping Janab is my name and call of duty my bride!!

The current Thanedar** of the village police station and Shikari’s son-in-law.

He is an enthusiastic cop and cannot stay away from action! He is honest, hard working and is accompanied on most adventures with his trusted subordinate – Halla Havaldar.

Janab is intensely respected by the villagers for his ever helping nature and for keeping the doors of the police station open for them to walk-in with their problems anytime.

** thanedar – Inspector In Charge of a police station.

Character 5 – Sundari Soapia

Born with a talent to act and emote

Give me any dialogue and I will have it by rote!

To be the voice of the village women - is my aim,

Beautiful to look at, Sundari Soapia is my name!

Daughter of a late tribal folk singer, Sundari has made her name in drama and the stage. Like her father she is immensely talented and is a star participant in all the village plays and jatra.

But other than acting, she nurses one secret ambition – to be elected leader of the women folk with the greater aim of making their voices heard in all matters concerning the tribe.

Will she be able to fulfil her aim?

Click below link to read the Introduction chapter –https://thatodiaboy.com/2020/08/01/la-la-land/

With humour, adventure, action and romance; this tale is like a multi coloured garland,
So sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful ride through La La Land!

Part 1 coming soon!

The Background

“Once upon a time there lived…”well this story is of present times and not so long ago- however since interesting stories begin like this, I thought of starting mine too with the famous opening line!

Before I start telling you the story, it would be prudent to let me briefly describe what the term La La Land means.

Collins Dictionary describes the term to mean an imaginary place, a place that is remote from reality.

The Urban Dictionary defines it, “A mental state of being high or actually being high where one envisions happy images” while Oxford says it is “A fanciful state or dreamworld.”

What we do know is the term La La Land started being used in the late 1970’s and early 80’s as a nickname for Los Angeles, California, specifically to refer to Hollywood. It puns on the city’s common abbreviation as LA and comments on the cinematic illusions made by its film industry— mostly dreamlike sequences detached from the harsher realities of life.

However I personally heard it the first time when I saw the 2016 Hollywood blockbuster musical La La Land. Oh! the romance and those dance sequences between the lead characters – Sebastian and Mia portrayed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone respectively, set my pulse soaring!

Since then the images have struck a chord in my heart and when this story idea developed in my head, I thought the term as its title was very apt for it 🙂

So, this story is based in a fantasy land named ଲା ଲା (La La) Land located in a remote corner of Odisha. In it dwelled a few indigenous tribes. Our story focuses on a small tribe of about 50 families who resided here too. They were named the Nature Lovers of Odisha or in short The NLOO tribe.

Our state of Odisha is home to approx 60 tribes spread across various districts. Unlike in towns and cities, where rapid advances in modern living has caused irreversible changes in some of our traditions, many of the tribal population have somehow managed to keep their ethos and entire culture intact.

They still worship nature (hills and streams), follow peculiar customs in various aspects of life ranging from agriculture to marriage and have an infinite passion for music and dance.

Some of the tribes still believe in sorcery and for some using bows and arrows to kill and defend, is still the preferred mode of weaponry.

Some of them have existed since centuries in Odisha and even find their names mentioned in The Mahabharata and Ramayana!

So dear readers with this rich backdrop forming the crux of the story of La La Land let me give you a snippet of things to come!

PRELUDE

A narrow mud path wound its way upwards towards the house. Clumps of shrubs bordered it on both sides. Even when it rained the roots of these shrubs would never let go of the soil, holding them together as much as possible against the water inundating the hills.

The dark hued saffron colour of the soil mixed freely with the green foliage. In nature, both the colours seemed to co-exist in harmony.

The path itself had forked to the right from the main road which curved and continued further into La La Land. This area was on a hillock and if you had a chance to visit it, you would definitely take a moment to pause here and admire the beauty of the place.

(Art by Reshmi. My dear cousin and creator of wonderful oil paintings)

From this vantage position you could see the young folds of the Elephant Mountain in the distance. At one point it seemed to touch the sky and then at another it seemed to stoop to kiss the cool waters of the river Behta Pani – the main source of water for the various tribes of this Land.

A slight mist hovered above these waters; as if an old lady was trying to pull a shawl around herself to protect her body from the winter chill.

Somewhere up in the trees, myriad birds warbled and formed a soothing lyrical background. At this morning hour the sun had yet to reach the top of the trees and thus part of the scenery was still in the shade. If you drew in a lungful of the crisp chilly hilly air it would make you feel alive!

However this morning was different than the rest. Troops of villagers were busy making their way up this path. They were in small groups and their excited chatter filled the air.

A very unusual event had happened the evening before warranting the panchayat to call for an assembly. Hence things more important than admiring nature were on their minds today!

A sole Palash tree stood on the right of this path, with its roots exposed and it seemed to be greeting the villagers like a doorman in front of a landmark house.

This was apt, for you see the path sloped slightly upwards and ended at the door of the most important person of La La Land – it’s Sarpanch.

To be continued…

(This is completely a work of fiction. It will be told through several chapters. Hence it occupies its’ own pride of place in my blog’s menu bar :))