peanuts

Fire

2008-04-12T10:57:00.001+05:30

The heat was intolerable.
I could hear some explosions.
The fume coming out was acrid.
I had a choking sensation.
My throat was parched.
I ran frantically searching for water.
There was no water around.
I was running downstairs when Jane stopped me.

“What’s it Mickey, you look sick”

“Give me some water to douse the fire, Jane”

“Fire… Oh God, Mickey, is our tree house on fire?”

“Its worst, Jane !
My tummy is on fire,
I shouldn’t have tried those Tundey Kebabs at DokSaab’s party.”

Strength

2008-03-18T12:43:00.001+05:30

"Mickey, you can have the strength of two studs, but that will cost you a fortune."

"DokSaab, take any money, but Jane should be fully satisfied."

He gave me a box of golden capsules, five hundred bucks apiece, to be taken one hour before going to Jane. Even I was astonished with my performance. Jane told I never had that much strength before.
Soon I reached the last capsule. Curious monkey that I am I opened the capsule to see what’s inside. I tasted the white powder and immediately recognised, Glucose !!.

"You cheat", I barged into DokSaab’s chamber, shouting. "You sold me glucose capsules as power pills."

"But they worked, monkey, didn’t they."

"Yes, but.."

"See the real strength was in your mind. I just made you believe in your strength. Those capsules wouldn’t have worked had I sold them at 5 rupees."

Addiction

2008-02-11T20:17:00.000+05:30

I want a divorce, Virmani Uncle.

Why Jane? On what grounds?
Mickey is such a nice monkey,
I know him since his childhood.

Uncle! isn't addiction sufficient ground under US laws.

Mickey and addiction, why he is a teetotaler, I can vouch for him.

Not alcohol, Uncle, he is addicted to Orkut.
Whole night he is sending scraps.
Shweta, Sweta, Rashmi, Nandini, Seema, Shinjini, Richa, Ana, Priyanka,
I don't know with how many girls he is flirting these days.
He has stopped talking to me. Even I have to scrap him.

Jane beta, I can't take your case, because if I win, it will set a precedent.
Your Aunty is trying hard to divorce me on the same grounds.

Winter

2008-02-11T20:16:00.000+05:30

It was a chilly winter morning.
I was on my daily jog.
Suddenly it started to pour.
I ran under a porch for shelter.
I was drenched, my body shivering with cold.
I saw, near the wall, some burning coal.
I started to blow them to ignite fire and get some heat.
"Those are not ember, monkey, those are ripe red fruits."
I saw Virmani mocking at me, Purple Krown perched precariously over his head.
"With hands and feet, you look like a man.
You're even tailless!
Don't you have a brain too?"
This was enough to infuriate me.
I snatched his Krown and shattered it into pieces.
"Teasing a monkey! this will teach you a lesson, Surdie"

I Told You So

2008-02-11T20:11:00.000+05:30

I woke up with pain in my back. I saw DokSaab smiling at me. I felt for my tail. It was not there.

"What did you do with my tail?"

"I had to remove it Mickey, I told you so!"

"You told you'd do a minor surgery for the boil."

"Yes, but your tail was useless, so I removed it."

"It was symbol of my Manhood, err Monkeyhood. Jane loved me because of it. DokSaab, I told you so!"

"I will talk to Jane, don't you worry, Monkey."

As he was leaving, I saw my sexy tail, hanging from behind DokSaab's white apron. Now I realised he duped me. He had huge crush on my Jane and stole my tail to win-over her.

Love

2008-02-11T19:36:00.000+05:30

I think I am in Love, Sweta.

Why Monkey, how do you know its love?

Sweta, since the day I have seen her, I am feeling strange.
My heart beats faster these days.
When she comes to the window, my breathing becomes difficult.
I can't sleep the whole night. She is always there in my eyes.
I keep sitting on the mango tree in front of her house,
waiting for her to appear in the balcony.
Even the juiciest berries seem tasteless to me when she is not there.
Am I in love with Jane, Sweta?

Monkey, this is not love.
You are most probably having anaemia.
Come to my clinic tomorrow, we'll take some tests.
You'll be well soon.

Candle

2007-12-17T12:49:00.000+05:30

Last Christmas, we decided to visit Jane's mother.

Whole day, we jumped across trees reaching my mother-in-law's home by evening.

The butler ushered us into that huge mansion.

Jane and kids went up to meet her mother.

I waited in the lavishly decorated hall.

There were expensive paintings, and sculptures all around.

Then I saw, on a side table, a basket full of fruits.

Apples, oranges, grapes and bananas, all so fresh.

I couldn't resist, hungry that I was, picked up one ripe yellow banana.

The moment I was to bite the fleshy fruit, my mother-in-law exclaimed,

"What are you doing monkey, that's not banana, that's a candle".

"Decorative candles, I know" I smiled foolishly "I was just smelling them".

Story

2007-12-17T12:48:00.002+05:30

Where were you?"
I asked Jane.
She was climbing down
From the thickest branch of our tree.
"Err, I was up there
reading a novel".
She looked tired, sleepy,
And strangely satisfied.
"But I saw Tarzan swinging away
From the tree few minutes back".
Her Shirt was torn, skirt crushed.
"Oh, He was going towards the town,
Just stopped to say hi to me".
Her hair was disheveled,
Face blushing,
Bite marks on the lips.

She was telling one story,
But every tear of her shirt,
Every wrinkle of her skirt,
Every strand of her hair,
Every scratch on her arms,
Was telling,
A different story.

Green

2007-12-17T12:48:00.001+05:30

"Papa, I have to write an essay on Green, can you help me?"

"How unfortunate, Junior, you have never seen green. It was a popular color in our times. Now there are only gray, brown, red and black colors around. In my childhood, when I lived in the forests of Kuano, there were so many shades of green around. Forest green, lime green, fern green, tea green, parrot green, olive green, even sea green. The green color of trees in springs was different from that in summers. There's nothing green around now, but I'll show you some trees and grass in the museum tomorrow."

"Dad, are you talking about pre-historical colors, I have to write about Green, the rock band."

Wind-2

2007-12-17T12:43:00.000+05:30

Prodigious, vigorous, swift,
Mighty Wind God blew
Over the huge mountains.
Forests fell, trees flew.

Beautiful Monkey he saw.
Clinging to a branch of tree.
Looking at the Wind God,
Awestricken, dazed was she.

Monkey and the Wind God
Were in love at first sight.
They danced over the hills,
Swam in sea, the whole night.

But came dawn, he told her,
His job was such he can't stay.
Being the Wind, he had to move.
Leaving her he went away.

Left alone she wept for days,
She had dreamt of marrying.
It was Wind's love child,
She knew she was carrying.

Nurtured his seed for months
Son of Wind thus took birth.
Hail Pawanputra Hanuman!!
Strongest Monkey on earth!!

Wind-1

2007-12-17T12:42:00.000+05:30

"Wind some cloth dipped in oil over his tail" roared the Mighty King "and set it on fire". The demon brought a piece of cloth and started to wind over the Monkeys tail. The Monkey closed his eyes and smiled. His tail started to grow. "Bring more clothes", shouted the king. Demons kept winding cloths and his tail kept growing, till all the cloth of the city was wound over his tail. Someone then lit his tail. The Monkey jumped to the top of the palace. He invoked the Wind God, his father. Soon strong wind started to blow from all directions, and the fire spread like jungle fire. The City of Gold was reduced to ash in no time.

Wizard

2007-12-17T12:18:00.001+05:30

"F1", the SMS from Dr. Saab said.
"What is it" Dr. Michele called back.
Saab was the new computer savvy neurosurgeon in our hospital, always talking about gigabytes, networking, Blogs and PowerPoint Wizards.
"Mickey, I am baffled with this sarcoma patient. He is not responding to any treatment."
"Try Radiotherapy"
"Didn't work"
"Four drug chemotherapy"
"Had to stop because of side effects"
"Then go in for surgical removal"
"The tumor is very huge, Mickey, I have no experience with such types"
"Then F1 will not bail you out, Saab, what you need is a Wizard. Shift him to OR-8. I will be there in 30 minutes."
Dr. Michele Jordan, the wizard of neurosurgery, was getting ready for another challenging surgery.

Princess

2007-12-17T12:18:00.000+05:30

The Princess was coming to Sydney for the first time.
A grand reception was awaiting her arrival at the harbor.
A huge crowd had gathered for a glimpse of her.
They said she was very beautiful, most elegant and graceful.
I had never seen a royal beauty since I came to town from the jungles.
So I sat on a branch of the big banyan tree overhanging the sea.
Suddenly there was a big hullabaloo.
I saw that a big ship was coming in our direction.
It was a grand ship, very beautiful, most elegant and graceful.
I was looking for the regal lady on the ship,
when I saw written on the bow of the ship,
"The Caribbean Princess"

Magic

2007-10-03T22:13:00.001+05:30

I longed for Jane at two in the night.
How to reach her, that was my plight.

Couldn't use magic outside hogwarts, I knew.
Desire overtook reason, out my wand I drew.

A big monkey I transfigured to, jumping on the trees.
Into her room I entered, leaving behind all my worries.

Scared at first, she recognized my voice.
I hugged and kissed the lady of my choice.

In came her mother hearing the jangle.
I jumped out, my wand on the table.

"Whom were you talking", she scolded her.
"What's that?" she took my wand with her.

Since then I am hanging near her house, on the tree.
God! When will I get my wand back and be free.

Conversation

2007-10-03T22:12:00.000+05:30

He was the master of conversation. He could talk on any subject. Steering the conversation from mundane to complex was a child's play for him. Page-3 socialites dreaded him. He could dig out their deepest secrets in a few tricky questions. He had a very special guest for tonight's show. He went to the studio unprepared, as usual. On the hot seat was a monkey.

"Hello! Karan, I am Mickey."

"Nice Coffee!"

"Have you seen my latest movie?"

"How did you like my role?"

"How was my chemistry with Jane?"

"How about casting me in your next film?"

The master conversationalist was speechless.

"Err! Hello Sir" was all he could mutter to justify his talk show In Konversation with Karan

Morning

2007-10-03T22:11:00.000+05:30

It was early morning and I was still sleeping snugly on the mango tree, dreaming about Jane, when this noise woke me up. I scratched my back and yawned. Then I looked for the source of noise. To my utter horror, Jane was lying near the pond and was puking out. Her sister was by her side. In three jumps I reached beside her.
"What happened darling", I asked, "you look sick".
"You naughty ape, look what you did to my sister".
"We only played some games, Linda. But why is she vomiting, she never ate any wild berries". "You foolish ape, this is morning sickness. You are going to become a father".
What a lovely morning that was.

Smile

2007-09-10T18:54:00.000+05:30

I can never forget that smile.
It certainly was a smile…
She was in great pain.
Her body was writhing,
Almost convulsing.
Face wet with sweat,
Hairs disheveled,
Teeth clenched,
She cried in agony.
Suddenly,
The pain worsened,
She went into a spasm
Her fist gripped my hand tightly,
A loud cry we heard,
Lusty cry of a baby.
She looked at me
A brief glint in her eyes
Just for a moment
Her lips curved upwards
And the dimple in her cheeks deepened.
It certainly was a smile….
I can never forget that smile.

Body

2007-09-10T18:44:00.000+05:30

Thakur Padam Singh was looking at his third bride, in utter disbelief.
There she was lying, calmly in his flower-decorated bed.
Ranno looked beautiful in the red banrasi sari.
Her face had a strange look of peace and agony.
The chit he found under the bottle of rat poison was still in his hand.
"You knew that I loved Lakhiya, still you forced my old father into marrying me to you.
You took fancy to my body, so here is my body for you.
Feast on it and satisfy your hunger.
But my soul belongs to Lakhiya and only he will have it,
We will meet, if not in this life then in the next one."