I swear my name is Ashok

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After having three daughters over a ten year period , the Dhansukhlals were desperate for a son . After all, only a Dhansukhlal could carry on the family jewelry business .

During such times a Swami always comes in the picture. After hefty contributions to the local temple and blessings of the priest Howratanada and his magic powder ( Viagra tablets in crushed form ) ,the lady Sabarmati became pregnant with a male child in her womb.

Born on Mahashivratri day the baby boy was taken home the next day for a gala naming ceremony to be conducted by ...who else but Swami Howratananda.

The name chosen was Ashok.

The food was about to be served,and Swamiji , true to his name, with his stomach growling waited impatiently .
Unfortunately , the youngest girl’s puppy started yelping .In all innocence , the little girl picked up a puri and gave it to the pup .

The Swami was incensed ! A pup fed before him !What an insult ! He would teach them a lesson , he swore to himself.
He put up a convincing act, throwing himself on the ground , while the audience giggled in shock.
When he calmed down, he prophesied , “ I have heard His voice, the voice of Nath himself. From this day onwards , no one but Ashok himself can say his own name .
Bad luck will befall anyone else who dares to do so .”

And so Ashok grew up with his name distorted in every manner of speech.

“Asook dikra” his mother would say.

“Shook Shook “was his father’s pet name

His sisters addressed him as” Sooku Sooku .”

Ashok grew up to be a normal child ..His parents had to explain to him the Swamiji’s proclamation ,Being brought up as a religious boy , he grew up believing this myth .

In his first week at school in first grade, the principal was let into this secret too ..he thought they were crazy at first …superstitious silly morons.
But he patiently decided to play along .
He went to the boy when he was alone and said , “Welcome ,Ashok, you will like the school. “ at which Ashok looked up surprised .
No one had addressed him by his real name yet .

On the way back to his office , the Principal very smug with himself forgot to look down , see the banana peel on the floor . In the blink of an eye he was face down on the floor with a broken nose and two broken wrists.
Although this was just coincidence , he became an instant believer .

Next day , over the loud speaker , the entire school, teachers , students ,and janitors heard the instructions
“ Upon fear of your life , no one is to pronounce the name A-S -H-O-K .Any variation is permissible. “

So the curse stuck with poor Ashok throughout school , college and amongst friends. People got used to it but not Ashok .He would dream every night that they would address him by his real name .Alas, the reality was altogether different.

“Ashoo” the girls would say, sometime taking it down to Ash .
Many a fight he won and some he lost when some evil minded boys would call him Arse , even Arse-ooo . !

Saviours come in different forms. After what Ashok had endured all his life, one came in the form of an angel .At least that is what Ashok’s first impression was.

In his last years at Wilson College, on a rainy day , he dropped his note books on the steps without realizing it. Suddenly he heard his name , loud and clear in the sweetest voice he had ever heard .
Turning around , approaching him in the rain under a dainty umbrella , was the most gorgeous girl in the world , who said smilingly,
” Ashok ! You dropped your notebook. I saw your name on it .It’s not too wet but …what is the matter ? “

Ashok could not speak .His face turned ashen pale, he fully expected something to happen to this girl. On the other hand he had fallen head over heels in love for the first time .
He pulled her to one side saying , “ We must talk. “

Her name was Damayanti, he learnt as he explained the curse.

“ Oh! Come on , You don’t believe that do you , Ashok ? “

At that Ashok winced , looking at her as if her time had come .
From that day , he would be waiting early morning to see if Damayanti had made it alive through the night and stayed with her all evening , escorting her to the bus stop.

No girl received so much T. L C. .. Damayanti was overwhelmed.
As the days and weeks went by and nothing untoward happened to Damayanti ,Ashok slowly became convinced that the curse had passed . He informed his family and friends and actually started living a normal life .

The engagement to Damayanti was inevitable. He felt obliged to visit the temple with her and tell Swami Havratananda that the omen had passed .

But the years had gone by and the Swami had passed away . However they did meet an old Swami who knew Havratananda from the past . As Ashok gave his story , the Swami did not know whether to laugh or cry .

He explained , “ Havratananda was a good man, well versed in the Vedas. But he loved to eat anything and everything day or night . He became so fat that diabetes , hypertension , arthritis , heart failure did him in .
I am so sorry that your family suffered from his prediction.
At one wedding when he was served cold sambhar, he had predicted that the children would be born with feathers growing out of each ear . Of course the audience took it as a joke as most people did.
Your family took it seriously. But all’s well that ends well. “

 

hi mythraeyi,
thank u for being my ist comment
I truly appreciate it still finding my way around IL

 

hello Sriniketan,
i'm happy to know u liked it ..yes it did end well its my comedy blog lol!

 

hello Mindian,
ha ha yeah i'm fastidious about the apt names .. thank u so much for comments