Thin
Les wanted to be thin. All her life. Although she was only rounded in all the right places, the fashion diktat of her time said thin was terrific. Plump was out. Bony was beautiful. And while the fashion Nazis had been more tolerant when she was growing up, by the time she hit her thirties, they had become dictators. Be thin or be damned they said.
Inspired by the super models on the catwalk, she tried for a similar body. Diets, exercise. But they didn't appeal to her, it was just hard work. And she loved her food too much. She lived to eat.
Then, a chance encounter with an old friend opened new doors. Doors she had successfully avoided till then. It was like magic. It made you feel less hungry and actually made you lose weight. She was delighted. And took to smoking with a vengeance.
In a year's time, she was hooked. Totally and absolutely.
And by the time she hit her forties, she was chain-smoking. And she couldn't even remember why she had started smoking in the first place.
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When the doctor told her, she was devastated. And once again, she tried. De-addiction, rehab. But they didn't appeal to her, it was just hard work. And she loved her cigarettes too much. She lived to smoke.
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When they buried her, the cancer had eaten away so much of her, they had to get a child-sized coffin. And all the mourners remarked on how thin she was....
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(I am writing semi-fiction after a long time, but this is something I've wanted to write on ever since I saw a news item. From time to time, whenever the Muse inspires me, I am going to do these small and maybe semi-autobigraphical pieces. This is the first one....and feedback is very valuable to me. And with all due thanks and acknowledgements to my various inspirations, which are too many to list here)
15 comments:
have to ask here, did she actually die of Lung cancer or some other cancer!
C
Thanks C. Not quite what I expected, but thanks for reading it.
Well, she smoked and she died of cancer, so you guess!!! Why do u ask?
The writing style reminded me of the one page short stories that you would find in a weekly magazine specially the tamil ones. Not sure if that was your intention but it did come out well.
Ash (I like your new name:), I had no preconceived ideas on how I wanted it to turn out. Once the idea came into my head (and it came quite a while ago), all I wanted was to write it up before it vanished. I would have preferred something happier, but as a good friend once said, writing happy stories is harder. But I am glad you think that it came out well.
Interesting idea...neatly written and ending with a poignant punch.
A question: Is this pure fiction on based on real life? Does smoking really reduce appetite?
Hi Laksh,
Great effort. I see a lot of lateral thinking in that, very important quality to be an outstanding writer. Keep going.
Great Papji.. so many things well pointed out - the hype around being thin and underweight without even having a misiscule focus on health, the addiction to smoking to lose appetite, the horrid death due to cancer..
look forward to more of these from you...
Vidya
B: The basic premise is from a news item. But yes, I do believe that many Hollywood actresses and models elsewhere do smoke to keep the weight off.
Hari: Thanks so much for the encouragement. That will hopefully, help me to keep going.
Vidhu: Yup, as you can probably tell, this issue is something that I fee strongly about. And when I was in India last time, the number of females I saw smoking, esply in Bangalore, was unbelievable, and definitely lends crediblity to the fact the tobacco companies are targetting the so-called 'third world'.
hey! nice blog :)
this reminded me of a guy i heard abt yesterday who has survived on just TOAST and salt for the last 10 yrs - apparently!
Just found your blog! You've got some really neat stuff here!! With a strong mylapore flavour..feels like filter coffee.:D
Prerona: Welcome to me blog.
Confused: Your honesty appreciated. Thanks.
Hamsini: Welcome, fellow-Chennaite and keep coming back. Oooh, filter coffee... even if we bring back the same coffee and make it here, does not taste the same..
Good job. Nice style to pointing the small things even. Its never an easy job to show the small things in a big way, one can do this with magnifying glass only. and u have done it with yor writting style also.
Try to give the background to the story.
Waiting for yor next write up..........
Hi!Just saw your blog, its nice!I am an adyarite (or whatever u call a person who lives there:))but I went to school in mylapore- Vidya Mandir. I liked the story. One of my friends quit smoking and gained 30 kgs!!!
Hi to you, Akka and Vikas, and thanks for all the nice things you've said. Keep coming back, do.
Alright then. This might be a rather long comment.
I understand smoking is bad for one's health. I am a smoker myself and am a female and am an Indian. I'm bothered by kiwimyl's comment about the number of females that were smoking in B'lore. Wondering if that remark was sparked merely by the fact that the person in your write-up happens to be a female ?
Also, when you say you are going to be doing more auto-biographical write-up's are you in some sense implying that you used to be a smoker yourself ?
Just wondering and maybe I'm infering too much.
Surfed in here from the same place that inquisitive akka did.
PS: I smoke and I am by no means 'thin'.
Yes smoking does kill your appetite. It doesnt 'make' you thin.
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