Sunday, October 6, 2013

The brown belt.

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 42; the forty-second edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "COLOR"



Abhay pulled up his trousers for the umpteenth time, like every day. He almost did it subconsciously like it was akin to breathing. Any trouser was a misfit on those skinny hips of his. But he never wore a belt. Wearing a belt brought back memories.

Image: Pixabay.com


Painful Memories.

Those of his father. Of the putrid smell of alcohol mixed with smoke. Of his towering, overpowering presence in their shanty. Of being thrashed mercilessly. That snaking brown belt. Around his father's rotund belly. How he dreaded it when his father ripped it off it's favourite perch! How he cowered when it found its way on to him! Of the blue and red strips on his back and hands, and his legs and face. Across his ears. Yeah, that incident had left him partially deaf. And partially blind. He remembered withering away slowly. The years of wetting his bed after evenings of whippings.  The feeling of sleeping on a bed of thorns. The ache penetrating every nerve ending in his body. 

The belt. The brown belt.


Why him? he wondered. Was it his mother? Was it because she ran away? Or was it because she ran away with his best friend? Maybe he reminded him of his mother. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the penury. 

Memories.

Beads of perspiration began to form on his forehead as he thought about them. He felt a pool of water forming at his feet. His trouser soaking in the warm wetness. His slippers starting to smell.

Memories.

Shalini. The only love of his otherwise drab life. What a breath of fresh air she was! Warm like the sunshine, untouched like the morning dew, and delicate like a flower. He smiled as he thought of her and how much colour she had added to his life. And then the smile turned to a cry as her lifeless body spun around in his head. His piercing cry rented the air as he buried his face into his palms letting the tears of anguish flood them. The black burns of cigarette butt on her unblemished skin, the teeth marks that had left behind red blood clots, and the look of terror on her face had shattered him. And then he saw his father. Lying next to her, consumed by alcohol, consumed by lust, consumed by his own apathy. The brown belt lying next to him. 


He had run out and retched till his stomach hurt. The years of being thrashed seemed painless now. 

He returned a little while later. He looked at her body lying limp on the ground, terror still evident in her eyes. He sat down beside her and wept. The beast still lay asleep. Abhay reached into his pockets and felt the silver cold metal against his warm hands.  His fingers slid effortlessly into the groove underneath. They landed a string of six messengers of death into his father’s head. The smell of burnt flesh pervaded his senses as he bent down to feel his father’s pulse. There was no sign of life.

Then he closed her eyes shut. She had seen enough. Enough for redemption. He removed the ragged brown belt lying next to the beast and fastened it around his neck like a noose. Pulling it tight till he felt the neck snap.

Just to be sure. 

Just symbolically.

He smiled. And pulled up the trouser weighed down by the wetness. The smell didn’t bother him any more.

The brown belt. It was no more.

They were now just memories.
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32 comments:

  1. This was so chilling :O
    Excellent piece this is!

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  2. Hai Titli, the story is so vivid that I can visualise the bruises left on his body by brown belt. Very painful story.

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    1. thank u ma'm...we can ignore our pain, but when someone close to us is hurt we pounce back like an injured tiger..

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  3. it's awesome as always.. :D i love to read you posts :)

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  4. Liked the way you wrote this piece ! ..The year of being trashed seem painless now what a significant line .. Glad you see you back after so many days !

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    1. the kids exams and the festival is kind of keeping me busy, but i hope to be back to writing more often, soon enough! glad u liked it Ankur!

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  5. Wow... well written...loved it !!!! :)

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  6. Brilliant. Grim dark and interesting.

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  7. This is an unique piece. Brown Belt, now it is just a memory. Keep writing Tilti.

    Someone is Special

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  8. Brrrr... That's all that there's left to say.

    All the best, Titli.

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  9. I sent a comment earlier..but I guess it never came through lol...

    But was I said was: sheer brilliance :)

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    1. uh-oh! the blog ate it up perhaps! and thanks a ton!!

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  10. ouch! can I offer you some hot chocolate, samosas and kishore da songs? :) Jokes apart certainly did not expect this take on the topic.

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    Replies
    1. that was such a sweet thing to say Sunjoo!! i would love that please! and thanks!

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  11. *Goosebumps* As soon as I saw the word painful memories, I caught my breath and read it tell the end. Chilling posts. :)

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  12. बेहतरीन लिखा हैं आप ने
    दर्द शब्दों से आँखों तक आ गया

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  13. Well done. I like the flow. Good writing. :)

    All the best.

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  14. Intense. I had goosebumps as I read the story. It is really a pity that the brown was the only dominant color in Abhay's life. But i am glad it came to an end.
    Amazingly written Little Princess :)

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  15. Very morbid story...it's sad that such things are a reality for some of us.

    Well narrated.

    ATB for BAT 42

    Cheers
    CRD

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  16. I liked the name of the post, the picture, and the post itself :)

    Very nice narration.

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At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person..deep gratitude for those who have lighted the flame within me!! your comments will be appreciated..

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