Shiva with Ganga spouting from Topknot
Courtesy of YouTube
Shiva quickly grabbed a bowl from the table and dumped the contents on the floor. He thrust the bowl on top of his head upside down. “Whatever do you mean, my love?” Water began to pour from the rim of the bowl all around his face obscuring the view of his wild Goddess.
“Don’t give me that! You know what you did. I mean sure, you're supposed to observe, but this?!”
Realizing the absurdity, and frankly the danger, of not having a clear visual of the raging Goddess, Shiva maneuvered the bowl so that his face was not covered. Soon his elbow was on the table holding the bowl tilted halfway back on his head . A waterfall sprayed down on the floor of the kitchen. “I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about, dear. Would you be so kind as to make breakfast? I’m so hungry. Keeping my eyes open all the time is a real pain.” Shiva wipes his face and fakes a large yawn as water cascades behind him.
“Oh! So we are going to play it like that are we?” Parvati looked at him incredulously. “Really.” Shiva looked as uncomfortable as a baptist in any place called Tito’s Titti Twister Town. Parvati walks over to the stove and slams a pan onto the metal surface. Shiva winces. “So, my husband, why, may I ask, are you flooding my floor? Is this a new thing?”
Shiva shrugged absently, “Yes, something new that just started flowing today. It gives life to all others.” Shiva pointed down the river that escaped his head to the people rejoicing in the water downstream. Parvati looks down, sees the revelers, frowns and slams a box on the counter.
“So my kitchen has to be flooded for others to live. You realize the mess you are making!”
“I can go into the living room if you like.” Shiva begins to rise out of his chair.
Parvati rushes up behind him and pushes firmly down on his shoulders until his rear lands with a thump. “Oh no husband, please stay…” Parvati’s sickly sweet voice froze Shiva in his seat. Her fingers were leaving indentations in his shoulders. “And how long is this new life giving gift going to last?”
“Well, you see, that’s hard to say. If it doesn’t stay everything will die.”
“Oh just stop!” Parvati rips the bowl out of Shiva’s hands and Ganga’s stream spews forth. Parvati slams the bowl down on the floor where it shatters in a thousand little shards. “How dare you bring another woman home!”
Shiva stands slowly but firmly, “Woman! Get ahold of yourself--” The dismay that registered on Shiva’s face lasted a full second before Parvati had picked him up and crashed him against the floor. With the majesty of the Goddess that she was she placed one foot, and then the other firmly on his chest.
“Don’t you dare take that tone with me, you cheater!”
Shiva’s breath came shallowly due to the pressure that was being exerted on his chest. “Wife, please. I’m sorry!”
Parvati’s rage melted slightly. She stepped off of Shiva’s chest slowly, the wildness in her eyes receded slightly. “Why did you bring her home?”
Shiva rubbed the spot where she had so recently danced on his body. He sat up slowly, water spouting out of his topknot. Parvati happened to be in the line of fire and Ganga soaked her through. The surprise of it shocked her through to the core. Quivering lips gave way to trembling eyes. A flood of tears began to pour from the Goddess’s eyes. She sank down into the kitchen chair and put her hands over her eyes to hide the torrent.
Shiva came up behind her slowly, carefully, “Wife... Please... Know my only love is for you.”
“Then, then why...Why is she here?”
“If I hadn’t trapped her she would have destroyed the world. I had to net her in my hair as to save all of creation.”
Parvati slowed the display of her grief. She looked up slowly with hopeful eyes. “Oh, she was going to destroy everything?”
“Yes dear, everything we had built together. I couldn’t allow that. I care too much for what we have done.” Shiva wraps his arms around Parvati tightly. She melts into his embrace.
“But I can’t stand it husband. She is able to be closer to you than I. I am your wife. I am the observed. Yet she gets to be next to your head at all times?”
“Oh! So we are going to play it like that are we?” Parvati looked at him incredulously. “Really.” Shiva looked as uncomfortable as a baptist in any place called Tito’s Titti Twister Town. Parvati walks over to the stove and slams a pan onto the metal surface. Shiva winces. “So, my husband, why, may I ask, are you flooding my floor? Is this a new thing?”
Shiva shrugged absently, “Yes, something new that just started flowing today. It gives life to all others.” Shiva pointed down the river that escaped his head to the people rejoicing in the water downstream. Parvati looks down, sees the revelers, frowns and slams a box on the counter.
“So my kitchen has to be flooded for others to live. You realize the mess you are making!”
“I can go into the living room if you like.” Shiva begins to rise out of his chair.
Parvati rushes up behind him and pushes firmly down on his shoulders until his rear lands with a thump. “Oh no husband, please stay…” Parvati’s sickly sweet voice froze Shiva in his seat. Her fingers were leaving indentations in his shoulders. “And how long is this new life giving gift going to last?”
“Well, you see, that’s hard to say. If it doesn’t stay everything will die.”
“Oh just stop!” Parvati rips the bowl out of Shiva’s hands and Ganga’s stream spews forth. Parvati slams the bowl down on the floor where it shatters in a thousand little shards. “How dare you bring another woman home!”
Shiva stands slowly but firmly, “Woman! Get ahold of yourself--” The dismay that registered on Shiva’s face lasted a full second before Parvati had picked him up and crashed him against the floor. With the majesty of the Goddess that she was she placed one foot, and then the other firmly on his chest.
“Don’t you dare take that tone with me, you cheater!”
Shiva’s breath came shallowly due to the pressure that was being exerted on his chest. “Wife, please. I’m sorry!”
Parvati (Called Kali in this Incarnation) dancing on Shiva
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Shiva rubbed the spot where she had so recently danced on his body. He sat up slowly, water spouting out of his topknot. Parvati happened to be in the line of fire and Ganga soaked her through. The surprise of it shocked her through to the core. Quivering lips gave way to trembling eyes. A flood of tears began to pour from the Goddess’s eyes. She sank down into the kitchen chair and put her hands over her eyes to hide the torrent.
Shiva came up behind her slowly, carefully, “Wife... Please... Know my only love is for you.”
“Then, then why...Why is she here?”
“If I hadn’t trapped her she would have destroyed the world. I had to net her in my hair as to save all of creation.”
Parvati slowed the display of her grief. She looked up slowly with hopeful eyes. “Oh, she was going to destroy everything?”
“Yes dear, everything we had built together. I couldn’t allow that. I care too much for what we have done.” Shiva wraps his arms around Parvati tightly. She melts into his embrace.
“But I can’t stand it husband. She is able to be closer to you than I. I am your wife. I am the observed. Yet she gets to be next to your head at all times?”
Shiva leaned his forehead in till it was touching hers. There eyes were a breath apart. He was careful not to point Ganga at her again. “I understand your concern, my love. How about this, what if we merge ourselves? You will be my right half and I will be the left half. That way no one can be closer to me than you.”
Parvati’s eyes alighted with the proposition. “Oh, really? You would do that for me?”
Shiva smiled and squeezed her hand, “For you my love, I would destroy anything!”
“You are not just saying that?” Parvati said hopefully.
“Have I ever lied to you?”
Parvati looked puzzled as she contemplated this. “Well, I only remember since you last opened your eyes...”
“Have I lied to you today, then?”
Parvati smiled. “No my husband. You haven’t!”
Shiva wrapped her in his arms and Parvati returned the embrace. A white light outlined them as the two melded into one being. Soon Parvati was the right side and Shiva was the left. “There, now we are closer than anyone will ever be.
Parvati’s eyes alighted with the proposition. “Oh, really? You would do that for me?”
Shiva smiled and squeezed her hand, “For you my love, I would destroy anything!”
“You are not just saying that?” Parvati said hopefully.
“Have I ever lied to you?”
Parvati looked puzzled as she contemplated this. “Well, I only remember since you last opened your eyes...”
“Have I lied to you today, then?”
Parvati smiled. “No my husband. You haven’t!”
Shiva wrapped her in his arms and Parvati returned the embrace. A white light outlined them as the two melded into one being. Soon Parvati was the right side and Shiva was the left. “There, now we are closer than anyone will ever be.
Shiva and Parvati Combined
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Parvati beamed happiness, “You are the most giving husband! I love you!”
Shiva smiled, thankful he had averted any real danger, and in truth, he would at least never get stepped on again. “I love you to my faithful wife.”
Author's Note: This story was created from the story about how Parvati was angry when she learned that Ganga was in Shiva’s hair and was closer to Shiva then she was. She felt like she should be the one closer to her husband and would not abide having one between them. Thus in order to rectify the problem Shiva suggests that they merge together so that no one could be closer to him than she was. Thus was born the God and Goddess being one representation.
Shiva smiled, thankful he had averted any real danger, and in truth, he would at least never get stepped on again. “I love you to my faithful wife.”
Author's Note: This story was created from the story about how Parvati was angry when she learned that Ganga was in Shiva’s hair and was closer to Shiva then she was. She felt like she should be the one closer to her husband and would not abide having one between them. Thus in order to rectify the problem Shiva suggests that they merge together so that no one could be closer to him than she was. Thus was born the God and Goddess being one representation.
I put in a couple little Easter eggs such as the part where Parvati steps up on Shiva’s chest. This is originally when she danced on him to keep his eyes open to observe. I also mention the job of Shiva as observer and Parvati as the one to be observed. Also the fact that Shiva is the Destroyer, I had him state he would destroy anything for his wife, and thus that was an endearance to her. I put in the part where every time Shiva opens his eyes everything starts again, I thought that was a funny part that even the Goddess won’t remember the previous incarnation of the world.
Thank you for sharing this story. Right off the bat, I knew that I would like it. The bit about Shiva wearing the bowl on his head to hide the water that was flowing out of his topknot really tickled me. The way you described his actions and how the bowl and water reacted was quite comical. It kind of reminded me of the goofy antics of the three stooges (which I like quite a lot). The Easter eggs you threw in added a nice touch too. They were so subtle and well-placed that I missed them entirely. Once you revealed them in your author's note, however, I knew exactly what you were talking about. Great job! The story as a whole had a nice flow. The dialog between Shiva and Parvati was smooth and I really felt like I was standing in the room with them, listening to the dilemma unfold. The drama was palpable. You also did a good job reflecting the original story, but in a way that felt more modern and palatable than the original telling.
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