She is Durga:
 
Eons ago, the King of Demons was demolished by the Goddess. Cut to the present day.


__________

Karunesh's theme:

The din of traffic could be heard even in this dark and isolated corner of the
colony. The Durga pandal was coming up here. In the next ten days, there would
perhaps be a hundred thousand people streaming through, eagerly suffering the
high heat and humidity of Calcutta to look at the unique decoration of this
pandal.

Karunesh sat there in the darkness, smoking. He had planned everything
perfectly. This was to be his big breakthrough. The idea was to use lasers to
highlight the creation of the deity. With his engineering background, he had
created a meticulously drafted plan that would make his pandal[1] the most
talked about in Calcutta.

He had put in a lot of effort over the last few years, and had been named the
deputy secretary of the "Nabadarshan Durgotsab Committee"[2]. Given the fact
that the honorary secretary was a septuagenarian, he was responsible for
almost everything.

Karunesh was quite excited, as he had conceptualised and almost brought to
fruition the concept of "Jyotipunj", the divine mountain of light. This was to
highlight the concept of amalgamation of all the divine energies that created
Durga. Beams of lasers would be used to showcase this theme.

__________

From the Markandeya Purana:

In former times war was waged between the deities and demons for one hundred
years. The antagonists in this battle were Indra and Mahishasura. The former
was the chief of the Devas (the Gods, or the good ones). The evil ones were
the Asuras (demons), led by the latter.

In this war, fortunes had swung over to the Asuras. Led by the invincible
Mahishasura, a master of warfare and illusions, they had routed the Devas, and
were the rulers of the realm. Such was the power of Mahishasura, that even the
holy trinity of higher gods was perturbed. The victorious Asuras were
nihilistic and debauched. And they immediately set about on a path of pillage
and persecution.

The scattered bunch of Devas then prayed to the holy trinity (Vishnu, Shiv and
Brahma). After invoking the lords, they explained their predicament, and
showed them the devastation that the Asuras had wrought.

Having heard the plaints of the Devas, and seeing the plight of hapless
mortals, the Trinity flew into a rage. They perceived a calamity that could
end the Universe.

They pooled their powers together, and a being of omnipotent power was created
as an orb of radiance. As the Devas watched, the being transformed into a
female shape. She seemed to be so large and radiant that her form seemed to
transcend the earth and the sky. The energies of the Trinity and the various
devas were coalesced and formed into various parts of this divine
apparition[3]. Perceiving the vastness and inherent might of this celestial
being, the Devas exulted. They gave this radiant form all their weapons and
belongings of power[4].

Thus was unleashed the most beautiful yet the most lethal force in the
Universe. Arrayed in a red silk dress, the finest jewels and the most mighty
weapons in the universe, she was christened Durga. All the assembled gods, the
holy Trinity included, bowed to her. They prayed for deliverance.

Durga readied herself for battle with a cry that shook the heavens and the
earth. As she made her way to the Earth, her beautiful yet terrifying visage
visible from far.

__________

The emergence of Mahesh, Chikka and Chima.

"Hmmph ... . Dregs of society". "Why doesn't the police do something about
them?!?" Those were the type of comments that 'civilised' folk would pass,
whenever they'd see Mahesh or his fast friends in crime, Chikka and Chima.
These were the goons of the area. Known as History Sheeters (people with a
fairly long record of crime), they were hecklers and burglars. Reviled by
society in general, people would still engage them in unsavoury tasks like,
threatening a stubborn debtor, or forced eviction of an unwilling tenant.

Durga puja being the time when people would shop, it was windfall time for
people such as Mahesh. He in particular was a self-taught anti-social. An
orphan boy who initially grew up working in buffalo sheds, he easily
gravitated to a life of crime - pickpocketing and burgling to begin with;
going on to robbery as he grew older and stronger.

At the age of 25, he was strongly built, with broad shoulders, big chest and
arms. He would frequent a local gym, where he was renowned for his capacity to
lift heavy. He was also a formidable street fighter, and even the police would
be careful in arresting him, as he would be a handful for even half a dozen
cops. Chikka and Chima were his lieutenants and co-conspirators. The former
had good connections with local powers that be, and the latter was good with
swords and knives.

And it was this trio that had latched on to the idea that the Nabadarshan
Durga Puja would be a source of income for them, if they played the game
right.

About ten days before the festival, the trio pulled down the electrical lines
at the pandal, right in front of the committee members. When quizzed, they
blatantly asked for money, justifying their demand as money for 'protection'.
The scared committee members quickly coughed up 10k bucks, asking them to not
do any further damage.

The next day, they held up a delivery van, asking for money to be paid for
delivery of goods. After a lot of cajoling, they agreed to let it through,
only after the committee paid 5k.

The same day, at the committee meeting, it was decided that the goons would be
paid a lump sum of 5k every day, to not only ensure their compliance, but to
also gain their cooperation in case they needed some muscle power.

The very next day, a few pedestal fans were stolen from the venue. From a
discrete camera recording, the committee came to know that it was Mahesh and
his lot again. Instead of reporting to the police, the committee reverentially
approached the trio, and tried to reason with them. But they faced flat
denials and fresh demands for money if they wanted the equipment back.

Needless to say, this spineless approach of the committee rankled with
Karunesh. And he spoke out: "You guys take money from us, and then you steal
our equipment too! We should go to the police." As soon as Karunesh said these
words, Chikka and Chima grabbed hold of him and roughed him up. The committee
members pleaded with the goons until they decided to let Karunesh go.

Mahesh said: "This is protection money. If you don't pay up, you will not get
the puja pandal up and running. The police is with us also, so do not make the
mistake of going to them. I will know." Walking over to the shaken Karunesh:
"Don't screech like a parrot. I'll just need two fingers to throttle your thin
neck".

Later in his room, Karunesh sat on his bed. Sobs racked his body, as anger and
helplessness in equal measure washed over his mind. That night he cried
himself to sleep.

__________

The coming of Sonali - the light:

The next evening was the usual Calcutta weather. Hot and sultry. The old,
squeaky fan failed to provide much succour to the committee members. To add to
the sultriness was the sour mood of the committee members, especially after
their experience with the goons.

Karunesh, usually the most enthusiastic of the lot, sat there wallowing in
despondence. His planning notebook lay at an angle before him. A few empty
glasses of tea dotted the table.

There was a dull boom somewhere, and the locality plunged into darkness. "I
hope load-sheddings are not too regular this time around, else we will exceed
our generator fuel budget this year too ... " groaned one member, as he groped
for the LED light on his cellphone.

The meeting room door suddenly flew open. A pleasant fruity-floral perfume
wafted in. The perfume seemed to galvanise Karunesh, who had sat there moping
for nearly half an hour. Two-three beams of LED lights from the cellphones
were aimed at the door.

Somewhere in the background, a conch shell sounded. All heads turned as the
lights fell on a shapely figure standing confidently in the doorway. Her
orange khadi kurta was rolled up, revealing curvy, toned forearms that went up
to broad shoulders. More beams of light fell on her body, revealing a pleasant
looking figure, tall and erect. She said: "Hi! I'm Sonali. I am here to see
Karunesh."

__________

Durga in battle:

Durga descended on the battlefield. She was sight of great beauty, stirring
desire in man and woman alike. Tall, taller than any other male, she strode on
the battle field, her lion by the side. Her raged shout resounded across the
battle plain, filling the hearts of the Devas with courage, and that of the
Asuras with despair.

Mahishasura was himself shocked by the appearance of this being of tremendous
power and beauty.

His general, Chickchura, rallied the Asuras. He called his battle commanders
and made them go forth with their regiments of footmen, archers, chariots and
war elephants. Each commander was an able warrior, versed in the arts of
fighting with multiple weapons.

As the Asura armies streamed towards Durga, she drew her bow and let loose a
volley of arrows that divided and spread into a shower of lethal blades that
cut to pieces large swathes of the Asura army.

She then spread her arms, creating a large cloud behind her. Suddenly, a huge
army of Ganas (amazon warriors) materialised from the cloud, each woman clad
in battle armour and carrying various weapons.

As the amazon and the Asura armies clashed, Durga's lion shook its head and
roared, and rushed to slash, bite and trample the Asuras.

As the battle became a close quarter one, Durga took up various arms in
succession - her sword, the trident, and the mace. She jumped into the midst
of the Asuras, closely followed by her lion. Swaying and slashing, swinging
and bludgeoning, stabbing and thrusting, stamping and squashing. Durga killed
multiple enemies with each blow. Her movements were a blur, an occasional
glint of her sharp weapons, and the red dress all that could be made out of
her. Wherever she moved, heads and limbs, weapons and viscera flew here and
there. She was mercilessly macerating the Asura army.

Even though she was moving through the Asura army at will, their numbers will
simply too large. Therefore she summoned fire energy, and burned to death
thousands of Asuras in an instant.

For the first time in ages, the Asura army was in retreat. The terrible
destruction wrought by Durga had brought dread into their hearts. Looking at
this, Chickchura, the general of the army, attacked Durga on his chariot.

Durga, dancing on the plain of death, laughed loud. She welcomed the arrival
of Chickchura. As he approached, she let loose with her bow, destroying his
chariot and many of his weapons. Chickchura tumbled to the earth. Picking
himself up, he raged furiously. Taking his sword and shield, he leapt to
strike at Durga, but was blocked by her lion. Furious, he hit its head with
his shield, dazing it. He then threw the sword at Durga, managing to graze her
arm. Durga jabbed at him with her trident, shattering his shied. In response,
Chickchura invoked a powerful celestial weapon, bright and flaming. But even
before he could use it, Durga knocked it from his hand, swung it and stabbed
his thigh.

As Chickchura lay in pain, Durga put her mighty foot on his chest. As she
pressed it, his metal armour began to cave in. Chickchura grunted in shock. He
tried to push away her foot, but Durga just smiled at him as his ribs began to
crack one by one. Chickchura couldn't breathe, and blood flowed from his mouth
and nose. Suddenly, Durga's foot pushed through, crushing his heart
completely. The feared general of Asuras was dead.

As the Asura army looked on in dismay, Chickchura's comrade and friend
Chamara, raged in anger. He diverted his war elephant towards Durga, rushing
with his forces like a tidal wave.

As he approached her, he discharged a divine weapon, Shakti. The weapon flew
like a thunderbolt, but just as it was about to strike Durga, she let out a
mighty roar, which completely dissipated the weapon.

In shock, he tried other deadly projectiles, but they were shot down by her
arrows, which seemed to guide in to the weapons he unleashed.

As they neared each other, both took out their melee weapons. Leaping from the
back of her lion, Durga sprinted and leapt onto the forehead of Chamara's
elephant. Using the power of her hands, she forced the elephant to stop and
scream in pain. Chamara was dislodged from the elephant, but quickly grabbed
hold of his mace and attacked Durga with great vigour.

As they fought, Durga let him land a few blows on her. She seemed unfazed by
the blows; on the other hand, Chamara was wearing out. As the battle wore on,
his shoulders drooped, until he could not lift the mace.

Durga stepped up to him, grabbed his mace arm and tore out the weapon from his
grasp. She then reached out with her arms and tore off his armour. Chamara
could only stand and watch as he was stripped of his weapons and defence.

Durga then grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the groin. As Chamara
recoiled in shock and horror, she grabbed his throat and held him up in her
arm. Durga roared, as a multitude of Asuras dropped their weapons and began to
flee in panic. She held up the helpless Chamara, who feebly tried to pry off
the mighty arm that was choking him. She walked the bloody earth like that,
displaying her power to the Devas and Asuras alike. Finally, as Chamara
stopped moving, she used her free arm to grip his head; with a mighty tug, she
pulled it off.

As the sun set, the victorious Deva army and Durga's Ganas got together and
had a great feast.

All this while, the Asuras collected the bodies and body parts of their slain
comrades and lit huge pyres to cremate them.

__________

Sonali and Karunesh:

Karunesh was always small in stature. What he lacked in height however, he
made up for it with his determination and feisty spirit. He was always the one
who raised his voice to protest against violence against animals. As he grew
up, he worked part time with an NGO that aimed to eradicate blind faith. He
always had a desire to give back to society, and was a member of the Rotary
Club as well.

Being diminutive, he didn't have physical strength, but was not afraid to
raise his voice for a just cause. That's why he would also get into trouble
against anti-social elements as well.

Once, during his college days, he was on an assignment with an NGO, when a
bunch of charlatans turned onto him, threatening to beat him up. That day, his
knight in shining armour had been Sonali.

As the ruffians had ganged up on him, Sonali had delivered a swift kick to
their leader, who then failed to get up. That broke their morale. As they
fled, Sonali helped up Karunesh, who had fallen down when the gang had pushed
him.

Karunesh was struck by this amazon woman, standing almost 6 inches taller than
him. Sonali said: "I just saw you pick up a fight with these idiots ... Hope
you aren't hurt! I'm Sonali, by the way." "Hi! Thanks! I'm Karunesh ... "
Dusting himself, he said: "I'm OK ... just keep getting into scraps like these
... ". As he had hurt his knee, Sonali helped Karunesh to a nearby eatery,
where they ended up having coffee, and a fairly long discussion thereafter.

Sonali had been visiting Calcutta on her Holidays. Thereafter, she had kept in
touch with him, through mail to begin with, then through a site called
FaceBook that had become such a rage.

Karunesh had fallen in love with Sonali, though he couldn't muster the courage
to tell her that. She seemed to be quite fond of him too, although her social
circle was much larger. He wasn't sure how she'd take it, maybe she'd laugh at
him, or worse, laugh at him and shut him off from her life completely.

So the feelings lingered. Grew stronger. Karunesh was externally happy, doing
well in his fledgling career as a lighting engineer. But inside he felt the
pangs. Doubt, fear. They gnawed at him from the inside.

Sonali made herself comfortable in the couch in Karunesh's small but
comfortable apartment. They were both having beer. Karunesh had just recalled
the recent incidents with Mahesh's gang. Sonali had listened grimly, and said
that it needed people to get together to make a difference in their lives. "If
you all get together, not even thirty of those ruffians can do anything to
you." Karunesh nodded and said, "Yeah, if only we all got together ... Here
they just want to give money and be done with them. They say it buys
'security' ... "

Changing the sombre mood, Sonali said: "Sorry I dropped in like that ... I was
in town and I just knew I had to meet you!" Karunesh smiled his shy smile.
"Hey, fine, Chill! Just that the committee members were awestruck - the way
you appeared, it was almost as if like how Durga materialised in front of the
gods, ready to destroy Mahishasura!"

Sonali laughed. Her rich, hearty laughter made his heart soar. God! He so
loved her ... "So, is there a Mahishasura here now, for me to destroy?!?" They
both laughed at that. "I have always wanted to see the Durga Puja in Calcutta.
So I decided to take a longish leave ... Karunesh, I didn't know you are a
Puja Committee member ... else I would have not come this year ... " "No, no
... It's perfectly fine. Everything is on schedule, so I will have time to
show you around ... " "There are so many other puja's as well, they'll take
your breath away. Are you OK to visit these places late night?"

"Karunesh, I'm OK. Just let me know when you are free. I'm staying at the
Intercontinental, so I'll just walk over quickly."

They chatted a bit about how their respective lives were heading. They knew
about each other's family, career, close friends. Just that the topic of being
together had never been breached. Not even: "Do you have a boyfriend?" types.

After a pensive pause, Karunesh said: "Sonali, I still remember that day, when
you rescued me from those jokers ... Dunno what would have happened had you
not saved me. Thanks, for the rescue, for picking me up."

Sonali had gone through this earlier too. Karunesh kept talking about the
rescue frequently. She held Karunesh's hand. "Karunesh! I saved you from those
ruffians. I picked you up. You don't need to thank me for all that." She drew
closer. "After I got to know you, I realised that you are a great guy. OK, you
may not be so strong physically, but there aren't too many guys who stand up
for what they speak, and stand up to bullies. I see this as a rare quality.
You truly are a man, Karunesh. And I like you for what you are."

They were facing each other now. "Karunesh, we have so many likes - we both
love to travel. We are active in social issues. We both love Reading. Music.
Movies. I have seen you dance too, though we haven't danced together. And both
have a fondness for continental fare." Karunesh nodded. His Adam's apple was
bobbing nervously now. His hands were shaking. "S-Sonali ... I ... uhh ...
aa.." The beer had made him a bit unsteady. A bit heady.

"Karunesh!" she cut him off as she stood in front of him.

In the long pause that followed, Karunesh eyes are locked onto Sonali's. His
heart beat wildly. She stood there in front of him. Her lithe form. The
strength in the legs. Noticeably bulging calves. The muscle tone of her arms.
Such power. Such grace. Her loose T shirt couldn't hide traces of her oozing
sexiness.

Her eyes were flashing with intelligence and charm. Her lips - strawberry
luscious. She smiled, revealing her perfect teeth. Then she reached out and
pulled him up. Holding the unsteady Karunesh tight in her arms.

Karunesh was swept away by Sonali's beauty, charm and strength. She was too
much of a woman for him. Woman? Hell no! She was a Goddess.

Sonali brought Karunesh's face closer to hers. Her lips locked with his. Soft,
delicious lips, making his eyes close, making him swoon. They kissed, slowly,
continuously, sucking on each other. Feeling their lips together.

Urgent banging at the door! "Karunesh, Karunesh!"

Sonali let Karunesh go, unwillingly. Karunesh took a few seconds to compose
himself. As he opened the door, Chandan, a friend, said: "Karunesh! It's those
goons - Mahesh and his friends. They are dismantling the pandal!"

__________

Durga's battle with Mahishasura:

Looking at the devastation wrought on his army, Mashishasura decided to use
his vast powers of Maya (illusion). He let loose an army of wild animals on
the forces of Devas and Ganas, while he himself took on the shape and form of
a huge buffalo (Mahisha). In this form, he roared, swung his horned head and
lashed out with his hooves. He created a din so terrible that many devas threw
down their weapons and clamped hands to their ears. His hooves gouged out
large mounds of earth that he showered the Devas with. Galloping into the
midst of the ganas, he swung his horns, flinging many of them here and there.
Looking at his wild and terrible form, the Asuras took heart and attacked the
Devas with renewed vigour.

The battle raged strong, and the Asuras seemed to be flowing over the Devas,
until Durga lassoed him. As she ran to pierce his body with a spear, the
buffalo suddenly changed form to a lion. The terrible beast charged at Durga,
trying to bludgeon her with his great paws, and sinking his fangs into her
shoulder.

Durga wrestled with the lion, holding off its great snapping jaws with one
arm, the other trying to keep off its sharp claws from raking her skin.
Rolling like this on the ground, it seemed that the lion would devour the
Goddess. Suddenly Durga clamped her thighs around the lions' ribs, bringing
her feet together around the back of the animal. The lion roared, trying to
break free. Durga began to squeeze the lion hard, ever so hard, until its ribs
cracked and the animal was still. Durga took her sword and cut off the lions
head in one clean blow!

As the blood spurted from the animal's neck, another creature seemed to form
from it. This was Mahishasura's spirit, which coalesced into a man form. But
as Durga reached to strike him down, he transformed into a bull elephant.
Larger than any other elephant seen on the earth, it was adorned with massive
armour on all sides.

The Devas and Ganas, seeing their Goddess victorious, fenced her off, and
showered the elephant with arrows. However the arrows bounced off its hide and
armour as if they were dandelion seeds. The elephant began to scream and
trample the Devas. Seeing this, Durga's lion mount attacked the elephant.
Climbing on its back, the lion gouged its skin and drew blood. Enraged, the
elephant caught the lion in its trunk. Holding it tight, the elephant tried to
gore it with its tusks, but it was unable to hold the lion firm. So the
elephant dashed it on the ground, stunning it.

As the lion lay there stunned, the elephant brought up its leg to crush the
lion. As soon as the foot began to descend on the lion, Durga reached there
and put her knee above her lion. The elephant's leg came down on Durga's knee.
But it couldn't press down any further. In frustration, it lashed out with its
trunk. Durga caught it's trunk in her left arm, and with a swipe of her
dagger, cut it off.

Screaming in rage, the elephant ran off. At a distance, it transformed back to
Mahishasura, his red eyes blazing with rage. Mashishasura assumed many other
terrible forms, trying to attack Durga and ravage her armies. Each time Durga
fought and defeated the illusory form he presented.

However, this couldn't go on forever, she realised. She would have to take
matters into her own hands. She had to catch Mahishasura when he was in his
human form.

That evening, as Mahishasura prepared his forces, Durga sat on her lion with a
flask of Soma (liquor). She emptied the flask in one go. Wiping her mouth with
an arm, she screamed lustily. "Come, come Mahishasura! Battle with me. Feel my
might. Tremble with fear as I overcome you with my power ... "

Mahishasura responded with a bellow. He had again assumed the form of a
buffalo. He was charging at her, his horns swinging ominously, hurling Devas
and Ganas like chaff as he plunged into her army. At one point, he reared up.
In a thunderous voice, he proclaimed that he would not only defeat Durga, but
would take her as a servant and make her pay for daring to take on his might.

Durga and Mahishasura charged at each other.

As they met, their thunderous clash raised a huge cloud of dust like a giant
mushroom. The sound of her weapon clashing with his horns created a shock wave
that threw lesser mortals to the ground.

Mahishasura was trying to gore Durga, but she held him off, with her arms on
either horn. Both had locked in their heels, trying their best to overcome the
other in a test of might. Mahishasura' s charge had managed to push Durga
quite a distance; her heel marks on the ground indicating the force with which
he had managed to push her back.

They both strained mightily, blood mingling with sweat flying off freely from
numerous wounds. Durga realised that Mahishasura would need to be defeated
differently. Spreading her legs to balance herself, she suddenly twisted
Mahishasura's head and pushed it down. The animal suddenly found itself head
down on the ground.

Durga planted her left knee on its neck and held it down firmly. Mahishasura
struggled hard, but couldn't do much. Taking out her sword, Durga swiftly
decapitated the buffalo.

As the animal thrashed in its death throes, Mahishasura materialised in human
form. Quick as a cat, Durga leapt on him. Forced to fight her in his human
form, Mahishasura unleashed all his might. With his strong upper body, he
wrestled Durga almost to her knees. His claw like fingers tore her silk dress
and rent her skin. His superior arm strength began to take a toll on Durga.
She was tiring.

Just when it seemed that Durga was about to fall, she used her superior height
to advantage. Wrapping one long leg about his, she tripped him and they fell
on the ground. Rolling together, they lashed and gnashed at each other.
Mahishasura said: "Durga, when we stop wrestling, you will be mine. I will
drag you from this battlefield, and cast you among my concubines." His rage
and lust were now on equal levels. Durga answered in a terrible voice of her
own: "Mahishasura, know this, this is your end. You will not leave my hold
alive. I shall tear your soul from your body and crush it to smithereens."

Suddenly Mahishasura tried to choke Durga. Both his hands were on her throat
in an iron grip. Grimly, Durga wrapped both her legs around Mahishasura's
torso. Both the combatants squeezed with all their might.

It was Mahishasura who conceded in this battle of power. For Durga had cracked
his ribs between her iron thighs. As he lay on the ground screaming, Durga
pounded his face hard fists. She smashed his face and broke his teeth. As he
lay there groaning, Durga got up. Looking at the assembled armies of both
sides, all of whom had stopped their battle to see this one, she called out in
victory. Flexing her arms in a bicep pose, she put her left foot on the
struggling Mahishasura's chest. The latter, already in great pain, couldn't
resist the power of Durga's foot on his chest. He screamed. And for the first
time ever in his life, he uttered the words: "You win!".

Durga roared again. And pressed down hard with her foot. Mahishasura's mouth
erupted with bloody foam. She pressed down even harder, feeling his pummelled
chest giving way. She felt his pectorals, once hard and defined, now soft and
bruised. She pressed her heel, and then the ball of her foot. Each squeeze
giving the Asura a jolt of blinding pain.

Weak, his tears flowing, Mashishasura said: "O Mighty Durga, you have defeated
me. You truly are stronger. No god, not even Lord Shiva could defeat me. But
you are supremely mighty. Not only your power, your beauty is unparalleled.
Please let me go, and we shall rule this plane together. Nay, you shall rule,
and I shall follow your every command."

Durga laughed. A rich, mighty laughter. "Mahishasura, are you in any position
to negotiate now? You are defeated. You cannot negotiate. You can only beg,
plead and worship." With that, she pushed hard into his chest again.

Screaming, Mahishasura said: "O Almighty Durga! Please forgive me. You have
brought the most powerful Asura down to the ground. In front of you, I quiver
weakly like a dry leaf." His hands went up her legs, feeling her soft skin,
and the mighty bulge of her calf muscles as they poured the pressure on his
chest.

His body, broken and in pain, protested the pressure. But his organ quickly
rose up straight. Like a flagpole, it stood up through his loincloth, saluting
Durga.

"You are nothing but scum, Mashishasura. You are nothing but a fleck of dirt
on my toenail. You deserve nothing better than to crumble to nothingness as I
flex my calf in your face."

Suddenly, Durga took her foot off his chest. Mahishasura had barely a moment
of respite from the pressure and pain, when 'THAK' her foot smashed into his
left bicep. "Yaaaaarrghhh" he screamed, as Durga's foot rose to smash into his
other arm. Slowly, methodically, Durga destroyed Mahishasura. She broke most
of his bones, and ground all his hard muscles to pulp. Completing her
destruction of his body, Durga returned her foot back to his chest.

"See, Mahishasura, how I have completely broken you. Your limbs are now
useless, Let alone a sword, they can't lift a needle even!" Lifting her foot,
she smashed it into his chest, pressing deep into it.

Her foot seemed to make way into his chest. Mahishasura was in extreme pain,
as his eyes rolled up into his head, and his limbs thrashed in seizure. The
only thing that remained steady about him was his throbbing cock.

"This is the hell that you will get, Asura. Shout and scream my name ...
perhaps your eternal torment will be less." Mahishasura screamed: "Durgaaaa
... . Oooo Durgaaa! You have vanquished me ... . Please liberate me ... . Free
me from the cycle of life and death ... let there be no death that is more
painful than mine. Release meeeeee ... ... "

Durga completed her rout of Mahishasura by smashing his chest and crushing his
heart with her foot. At the same moment that his soul left his body, his seed
spurted. A victory fountain of white splattered all around.

The victorious Devas and Ganas cheered and ululated, leading away the
vanquished Asuras who offered no more resistance. The Holy Trinity themselves
came to pay obeisance to Durga, as she stood there in battle gear. Petals of
all colours and smells showered on Durga, as her lion mount rubbed itself
against her leg like a domestic cat.

__________

Sonali vs. Mahesh:

Karunesh ran to the pandal, where he saw Mahesh and his friends damaging the
elaborate decorations made. "Stop.. Stop! What is this? Why are you doing
this???"

Chikka said: "The scrawny parrot has come again. Shall I ... ?" Mahesh said in
a loud voice: "I am breaking these decorations because I don't like the
colour. I want something else here."

Karunesh: "But these have been made keeping the theme in mind ... If we change
these, we will lose visual continuity in ... .aaaRRHH!!!" As Chima slapped him
hard across the face.

Mahesh said: "Hey parrot! Change the decorations. If you don't, I'll destroy
the entire pandal." Karunesh exclaimed in indignation: "You bloody goon, who
do you think you are? You come and make your demands here, and expect us to
pay money for your destructive habits? F*^k you!"

The committee members tried to save Karunesh from the rage of the goons, but a
lot of them got beaten in the process. Mahesh held up Karunesh by his collar
and punched him hard. "You squawking parrot, I'll smash you today!"

"LET

HIM

GO"

Three words spoken with grim determination and force of character. It was
Sonali.

The pandal was silent now.

Mahesh was shocked to see a woman speaking thus. He let Karunesh crumple to a
heap. Recovering his speech, he moved into the pandal. Spreading his muscular
arms : "Now look what we have here: A woman leads this army of weaklings!"

Sonali quickly moved to Karunesh and helped him get back to his feet.
"Karunesh, are you OK? Karunesh?" Karunesh dizzily opened his one good eye and
smiled weakly: "Hey! I'm fine. You get back, I'll show these louts ... ." "NO!
You have done what you can, Karunesh! Now I will teach these characters a
lesson ... "

Mahesh, Chikka and Chima broke out into laughter. After a long hard laugh,
Mahesh said: "Chikka, get that bitch and teach her a lesson. Bring her to my
feet. Tonight I wanna have some fun. I wanna give her some pain ... "

Chikka, who hadn't stopped laughing, reached for Sonali.

In a rapid movement, Sonali had caught and bent his fingers the wrong way. He
screamed shrilly as intense paid radiated up his arm. Trying to undo the grip,
he reached out with his free hand, only to get the fingers entrapped in
Sonali's strong grip.

Chikka was on his tip toes now, screaming at Sonali to stop. Sonali kept the
pressure up for a few more seconds and let go.

As Chikka pulled in his arms towards his body, Sonali let him have a
roundhouse punch that lifted him from the ground and deposited him on some
plastic chairs a few feet away. Chikka was out cold.

As the audience (the rest of the committee and bystanders) gawped, Sonali
walked into the centre. She pulled up her full sleeves to her elbows, exposing
toned arms that arched with the presence of taut muscle. Her calf muscles
bulged through the denim with every slow step she took in that arena.

Sonali stopped in the middle and said. I learnt about what you three have been
doing. It is time you stopped terrorising the people here. Which one of you is
Mahesh? I will humble you last."

Mahesh took out his kerchief and tied it to his neck. Taking a comb out of his
back pocket, he combed his hair and said: "You, girl! I am Mahesh. You don't
know me. I will teach you manners today. And I will have fun with you tonight.
I will take you and rape you again and again until you cry ... And then I will
rape you again and again ... and again and again ... but there will be no one
to save you.. Ha Ha ha!!!" He motioned to Chima; "Bring this girl to me ... "
pulling a chair close, he sat down to watch.

Chima walked cautiously towards Sonali. He had taken out a folding dagger from
his pocket. He waved it menacingly at Sonali as he suddenly sprang at her.
Sonali lithely stepped aside, the thrust missing her completely. She pushed
him in the direction of thrust, making him stumble and go crashing into the
bamboo barricades at one end.

Wiping off blood from a split lip, Chima came back, albeit more cautiously. He
circled Sonali, who clenched her fists in a classic kick boxing stance.

Moving his knife viciously, Chima tested Sonali. After a few tries, he waded
in with a flurry of slashes and jabs. Trained on the streets, Chima knew how
to wield a knife with deadly effect. Sonali backpedalled to avoid his slashes.
Taking advantage of her relative unbalance, he dove with his hand
outstretched, stabbing her in the hip.

Sonali rolled on the ground and came up. Taking a quick glance, she saw that
the blade had glanced her belt harmlessly. Not giving a chance for Chima to
recover, she kicked his arm, knocking his blade away.

Next, she drove in a flurry of punches to his tummy and chest. Softening him
up, she kicked him behind the knee, bringing him to kneel. She punched him
hard on the face, drawing blood from his lips. With her left knee she smashed
his face.

Chima collapsed in the pandal, his facial features very much disturbed by
Sonali's blows.

In the meanwhile, Chikka had returned to his senses. As Chima went down, he
tackled Sonali at the hips, both of them going down ad rolling in the soft
clay.

Chikka was stronger than Chima, and he tried to use brute force to keep Sonali
down. But Sonali wrapped her thighs around his torso and squeezed him so hard
that he screamed and tried to pry away her thighs from his body.

Turning him around so that she was on top, Sonali slapped him. "Now, do you
feel like a man? Huh? How does it feel to be crushed by me?"

She slapped him again. And again. Just when it seemed that his ribs would
break, Chima attacked her from behind, holding onto her neck.

Sonali let Chikka go. Grabbing Chima's hair, she pulled him to make him tumble
over her shoulder. She balled her fist, stretched it back and dealt a mighty
punch to his solar plexus. The goon would have been thrown back hadn't she
held on to his hair. Again, she cocked back her fist and slammed him, this
time in the face. And again. After a few blows, Chima had lost a few teeth.
His face was unrecognisable. She let go of his hair and he crumpled into a
shapeless heap.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Chikka pick up a wooden plank. She ducked
under the wild swing. As Chikka turned around, Sonali screamed "Haaai ... "
and jump-kicked him on the chest. Propelled like a marionette by the immense
power of the kick, Chikka flew a good distance and lay at Mahesh's feet like a
bag of limbs.

Seeing his lieutenants dismantled, Mahesh got up from the chair. He was
awestruck by the grace and might of this woman. She was more than a woman.
There was something about her.

In his mind, he had analysed her fighting, and come to the conclusion that she
had the skills in kicking and punching. But she would definitely not be as
strong as him, and not so experienced in grappling.

So Mahesh approached Sonali in a slow, casual looking walk. A jab. That stung
him. Another. Damn! This woman was so fast. Suddenly, Sonali's foot caught the
edge of the plank dropped by Chikka. In that moment of unbalance, Mahesh
evaded her fists and trapped her in a bear hug.

"Ha ha ha ha!" He laughed maniacally. Using brute force, he lifted her and
swung her around. Sonali hadn't lost composure, but was trying to free her
arms. "Now, you girl, you will realise how I can hurt you. I will take you and
make you scream, girl ... "

Still carrying her around, Mahesh was gloating at the assembled people. "I
will take this girl and make her pay! I will ... " THWACK! Karunesh had hit
Mahesh with the aforesame wooden plank. But it served to only stop Mahesh's
monologue. He turned towards Karunesh and said: "She will see me break your
bones. Thereafter, I will rape this bitch ... and make you see each and every
thrust of mine ... ". As he made these grim threats, he did not realise that
Sonali had slipped a little from his grasp. As soon as she had the chance, she
hit him on the bridge of his nose with her forehead.

"Gnnaaahhhhrrrggghhh ... ." He cried, as blood streamed from his broken nose.
He let her go and stumbled to the side.

Sonali went to Karunesh and firmly pulled him to the edge of the pandal.
"Karunesh, you will not do a thing. Just stay here and watch."

As she turned around, Mahesh barrelled into her. They fell together onto the
bamboo barricade. Fists swinging, they pummelled each other. Mahesh fought
like a wild animal, roaring like a lion, charging like a buffalo. Each time,
Sonali was able to counter his attacks. The fight was bruising, high energy.
Both the participants rolled in the clay. Limbs and torsos hit the bamboo
barricades. Bruises and sweat, scratches and blood. All happened like cause
and effect. Cloth, soil and exclamations flew from the brawl.

Suddenly, Mahesh had clamped his hands around Sonali's neck. Her face was
turning red under his attack. She needed to break his hold, else her brain
would starve of oxygen. Reaching between his arms, she gripped his Adam's
apple between her thumb and forefinger. And crushed it.

Mahesh instantly let go of her neck and tried to push away her arm. The fight
had swung back in her favour. His face in a paroxysm of pain, Mahesh managed
to push away. He stumbled to the edge of the pandal. Chest heaving, he had his
hands on his throat trying to regain his breath.

Mahesh had always been a strong. Never one to back down, he would always fight
to win. And win he would, however gruesomely bruising the fight was. He was
proud of this fact. But in a short span of a few minutes, his self-assuredness
had come down like a house of cards.

Mahesh ran from the pandal in panic.

But Sonali was not done with him. She chased him, as he ran over gates,
vaulting over low walls and climbing the wall of an adjacent factory.

Sonali followed him up to the wall, and pulled him down from the wall. As she
turned him around, he had his hands folded ... "Spare me, please spare me ...
let me go ... I am sorry ... I will never come back again ... I swear by my
mother.. I swear by AAHHH!" Sonali punched him hard. "No, no, no, please ... "
WHACK! Her knee plunged into his chest. As he bent over, Sonali hit him on the
kidneys with her elbows.

A few blows later, Mahesh was on his back. Mahesh's world had emptied out like
a leaky bucket. This mighty woman had matched him and his friends blow for
blow, and defeated him, the mighty Mahesh who was the most feared brawler in
South Calcutta. Tears flowed from his eyes as he begged and pleaded with this
machine of destruction. He screamed like how an old man had screamed, when he
robbed the man of his monthly wages in a dim alley. He begged like that
desperate boy had begged him, when he was mercilessly thrashing the boys'
father. He pleaded, just as a young prostitute had, when he waylaid her on a
dark night.

Finally, Sonali stopped hitting him. Putting her foot on his chest, she
squeezed hard. Her calf bulged like a giant onion, threatening to split the
sleeves of her jeans. The pressure of her foot made him wheeze. He felt like
an asthmatic old man, helpless, at her mercy. The only thing he could do was
to try and push her foot off. But so strongly had Sonali planted it there, it
felt as if an iron pillar had taken root on his chest.

Mahesh's will was broken. He no longer wanted to resist Sonali. His hands
stopped pushing. They just feebly felt her calf, trying to make sense of the
power flowing through that muscle. Even though he had been beaten thoroughly,
his manhood throbbed.

Just a few minutes back he had 'claimed' this girl. He had said that he would
rape her. How the tables had turned. How he had been humiliated. Publicly. How
this woman had beaten him up so thoroughly. How she stood there with her foot
on his chest. How he had been so completely dominated, so completely taken!

Sonali gave one final squeeze with her foot. She was satisfied with the
audible crack of a rib. This one had more than a broken rib to worry about.

__________

The Victory Celebration:

Back at Karunesh's apartment, she had cleaned up. The fight had left her with
raw knuckles and her body a bit sore and aching. Nothing that a massage and
gentle stretching would not clear. She came over to Karunesh, who was still a
bit shaky from the fight. He had taken a double whisky on rocks to steady
himself. An ice bag was helping him with the bruised eye.

She sat next to him on the bed. Her smile. Warm! So lovely. Somehow, it made
him relax. They hugged each other. Sonali said, "Karunesh, it's over. Those
goons won't be troubling you again." Karunesh looked at her: "Sonali, I was so
worried today, I thought you'd get hurt..." She cut him off: "And who asked
you to hit him with the plank?!? But you know what? You are my hero!"

She smiled, and pulled him closer. They kissed, kissed long and hard. Sonali
moved her arms down to hold him by the waist. Suddenly she pulled him towards
her ... so suddenly that Karunesh gasped and put his hands on her breasts!

Karunesh was shocked. Sonali laughed, and said: "Keep them there, Karunesh,
feel me, feel my breasts."

He could feel her tighten her grip around the waist. His body moved closer to
her ... feeling the power of her forearms around his waist and back. His chest
and tummy were now close enough to feel the soft firmness of her bosom and
abs.

Sonali got up, pulling Karunesh with her. She moved him to the wall, pushing
into him with her hips. Suddenly, she pulled him up so that their eyes were
now level. Karunesh's feet were dangling at Sonali's ankles.

He moved his hands on her strong shoulders and back, feeling the rippling
muscles working to keep him up in the air. A throbbing began in his loins.

Her lips. So red and full. Strawberry red. Inviting. He kisses her. Slow at
first, feeling the contours of the lips. Then her upper lip, slowly pulling on
it, teasing it. Feeling the sweet moistness on it. Then he went for her lower
lip, feeling the natural roundness ... running the tip of his tongue on it.

Sonali likes it. She signs, and her lips suddenly cup his mouth. She gives him
a deep kiss that takes away his breath. Her tongue moves in, probing, playing
with his. Poking at it. His tongue pokes back, trying to wrestle in the
confines of his mouth. Her tongue wins, dominates his mouth, running across
over the top of his tongue, making it submit.

Sonali then carries him back to the bed, placing him gently, so gently, like a
baby. She is on top of him, on hands and knees.

The dresses fly off quickly. The cool draft of the AC gives her skin goose
bumps. Karunesh runs his hands over her arms and shoulders, feeling the goose
bumped flesh, and the muscled power within.

Sonali then grabs his wrists in each hand and pins them by the side of the
head. Her grip feels like steel. "She can hold me in place, or even crush my
bones." He feels.

But she is not going to give him pain. She dips, running her hard, strong abs
over his soft belly. He feels her firm breasts run over his chest. Her large,
knob-like nipples knead the skin over his ribs. Sensation like electricity
runs through him as Sonali rubs her nipples up and down his smooth chest. The
sensual body on body massage makes his dick stand up, poking between her legs,
looking for a crevice.

She feels him down there. She tells him that his dick seems quite alive. This
makes Karunesh even more hard. Sonali then clamps her thighs around his. And
squeezes gently. Karunesh feels like his thighs are caught in a giant vice.

Sonali says: "Those thighs have crushed naughty boys and haughty men. They
have made Asuras beg and cry out in pain. They have pulped a beast's ribs."

He can feel these thighs giving him the subtlest hint of the supreme power
contained in them.

She releases and tightens her thighs rhythmically. He arches his back in
response, his seven inch dick is now tall and ready. Sonali smiles knowingly.
She reaches forward to kiss him on the neck and shoulders. Tenderly, softly.
Kneading the skin between her lips, gently biting the flesh.

A drop of pre cum trickles down his shaft. Karunesh has never been more
primed. Sonali's sexiness is too awesome!

Sonali bring down her hip, and takes in his shaft. It dithers a bit at entry.
But lubricated with their own juices, it moves in. She moves your hips slowly,
taking him in gradually. She moves back and forth a bit, so that his shaft is
lubricated. She does this so that he will not hurt when she starts pumping
him.

Finally, Karunesh has been drawn inside by her. He can feel the muscles of her
pussy, squeezing his shaft. Their hips touch - he is inside her, taken in by
her. He feels completely encompassed.

Sonali moves up. Her incredibly strong pussy muscles hold his dick so hard
that he is pulled up too. The feeling is incredible. She holds him up like
that for some time, until he gasps for breath.

Then she brings him down again. She lets his wrists go, and props herself up
on hands and elbows. That leaves his hands free to feel the power of her
shoulders and back.

Sonali starts to move her hips up and down. What a sensation as her pussy
rides up and down his shaft. Sonali is aroused too. Her juices flow down onto
his hips.

Karunesh bucks in rhythm, trying to push further when Sonali comes down. But
it Sonali who is controlling the love making. She pushes down hard, bringing
down his my foreskin completely. The sensation runs up his spine like current.

As she moves up, her pussy muscles clamp onto his dick, taking his hips up
along with hers. It is an incredible synchronised hip movement that Sonali
commands.

His feet bump into her rock hard calves. Almost subconsciously, he tries to
run his toes along the muscular ridges of the calves, but it is difficult to
do so in such a position. Sonali realises this, so she plants her calves below
his.

Karunesh feels his soft calves on her marble hard ones: It is an amazing
experience. He can actually feel them bulge when she thrusts with her hips.

The thrusting is now rhythmic. Not too fast - Sonali doesn't want Karunesh to
cum too soon. So she controls him with just the right input. It is just right,
as their bodies release enough fluids to lubricate the motion.

He nibbles at her earlobes. Lightly rubbing the tip of his tongue across them.
It makes her laugh. He runs his arms across her back, shoulders and arms,
feeling the bunched muscles at work.

Then he puts his arms around her neck and draws her closer as they kiss and
kiss as the hips continue to pump.

The tempo increases, as they both reach a high. Sonali's thrusts increase in
frequency and power. She is now pounding him now into the mattress. The bed
springs protest this assault audibly.

As he is about to cum, she suddenly stops the thrusting. Her pussy clamps so
hard on his dick that there is no release for him.

She laughs: "Not yet, baa-byyy".

Sonali brings Karunesh close to a climax twice more, pulling him back from the
brink. The agony he undergoes is ecstasy.

Then He feels her body flex and harden. Her eyes are shut. He darts his tongue
to her earlobes and reaches down with his hands to squeeze her bum cheeks. But
the flexed glutes are like steel.

Sonali opens her eyes and looks at Karunesh. She covers his mouth with hers.
Her hands go below to pull me up somewhat. In that position, she resumes
thrusting.

This time, her hips pound him. Her pussy clamps and releases his dick with
perfect synchronicity.

There is an explosion. A rainbow of colours. Warmth spreading up from the
groin. Sonali too arches up her body. They cum together. The fluids mix in a
torrent. Oh ... . So much moistness. So much warmth. Ummmmmm ...

She continues to thrust into him. His body spasms, almost uncontrollably.

Sonali grips his shaft with her pussy, letting it slide out after a long
while. Only after her pussy is done squeezing and milking the last drops out.

Sonali asks him: "How was it?" Feeling her velvety hair in his hands, Karunesh
says: "You have taken my body, owned my heart. I feel so warm, so contented.
Your face is above mine, your eyes looking into me. I feel so happy that I
cry. My soul too belongs to you now. I am a part of you, a slave to you. To do
as you wish ... "

Sonali smiles warmly at him. Her strong thighs part his legs. She moves her
hands to his butt and squeezes the cheeks and kneads them with her fingers.

And then her hand cups his dick and balls. She squeezes him, gently and
firmly. Pulls a little. Again and again.

Karunesh didn't know desire could spring back so soon after such a magnificent
session of being made love to.

Sonali says: "The night's just begun, Baa-by"!

__________

At the Puja pandal:

The goons never came back after the thrashing they got. The pandal was made
ready in time. Karunesh's laser light display has been a huge success. The
pandal has been covered by a local news channel and the newspapers. Awards and
recognition are round the corner for the Nabadarshan Durgotsav Committee.

But these are only incidental rewards for Karunesh. To him, the highlight of
the puja was when on Ashtami[5], Sonali had stood before the idol of Durga.
The morning sun was on her skin which shone like alabaster. To him, and to
many others there, she did not look any lesser than the idol in front of her,
she seemed to be an emanation of the deity that was being worshipped.

She is Durga reincarnated.

[1] Just before winter, mostly in the month of October, Calcutta transforms
into a massive fairground for the Durga puja, an annual event where huge
pavilions called pandals are set up to house and worship the figurines of the
Goddess Durga and her companion gods. The annual event, celebrating Durga's
victory over the Asura (evil demon) known as Mahishasura, draws massive crowds
numbering into millions during the six days of the festival.

This is the time when Calcutta grinds to a halt. Businesses are essentially
shut; people put on new clothes, and go pandal hopping. This is the annual
holiday for the Bengalis (people of the region). This is the time when
families get together, eat, drink and make merry till late in the night - a
festival of enjoyment.

[2] Several weeks, sometimes a few months before the puja, is when the people
form the 'Puja Committee', which plans, organises and executes the design and
erection of the pandal as well as the rituals and events that go along.
Working in the puja committee is a matter of prestige for the locals.

[3] In the words of Markandeya: The energy of Siva created her face; the
brightness of Yama made her hair; her arms were formed by the light of Vishnu.
Her two breasts were made by the moon; the space between them by Indra; her
thighs and the calves of her legs by Varuna; her loins by the light of Bhuvi.
Her feet by the energy of Brahma; her toes by the rays of the sun; her fingers
by Vasus her nose by Kubera. Her teeth were created by the brightness of
Prajapati; her three eyes by the energy of Pavaka. Her forehead by the light
of Sundhia; her ears by Anila; the brightness of other deities formed her
body.

[4] Shiv gave her his trident; Vishnu gave her his own Chakra (disc). Indra
gave the thunderbolt and the bell from his elephant. Various other gods gave
her the conch shell; a rosary; the weapon Shakti; a bow with arrows, a
Kaladanda (staff of death), a noose; a transparent sword and shield; a
battleaxe; a spear, an invulnerable coat of arms, ornaments that covered her
neck, shoulders and arms; rings of precious stones, anklets, garlands etc. She
also received a golden vase with wine; Lastly, she got a fierce lion as a
battle-mount.

[5] Ashtami is the principal day of the festival, when the weapons of Durga
are worshipped.

By Kavi Karmakar

Email: kavikarmakar@yahoo.com

Comments, reviews and suggestions are warmly invited.