Pontianak

Night wasn’t all that young when I switched myself to the sleeping mode that night. It was that shaky silence which made me mark the age of the night. Young nights are always noisy and a synonym for celebration. Suddenly, like a pin poked into an inflated balloon, the yowl of two or more cats just outside, beneath my bedroom window broke down that fragile castle of silence.

First thing what the cats reminded me was Shah Rukh Khan  when he said “mujhe jungli billiyan bahut pasand hai”, meaning; I love wild cats in the movie Don. And what came second in queue was the story or a myth of this Equator city, Pontianak. Pontianak has got a history that is related with how it got its name.

THE STORY

The Pontianak is the female vampire- even more fearsome then your ordinary western vampire- of Asian origin. She's believed to be the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth. She relishes all types of blood, but the blood of a newborn is supposed to be the most preferred blood. She kills pregnant women and eats the fetus. There is no known way of killing this vile creature, but to stop it, one must drive a nail into its neck-the creature will change back to the woman it once was - or one must disrobe. But to do such a thing, the person must posses an ugly body. It's said that the Pontianak is fearful of sharp objects. It's also said that if one were to tie a red thread from a banana tree (the Pontianak's home) to the foot of the person's bed, the Pontianak would have to do the person's bidding, trapped.

Even I was told by my friends here that, on Thursday nights the cats be comes violent and start yowling and that’s when the cats see the vampire and all that stuffs. What I felt interesting was that at least some people believed these stories seriously. They may have their own reasons to believe that.

It is ironic if my colleagues find me calling this city a ‘cute little city’. That’s because I feel it only when I sit at home and think of it. This city, to an extent, stifles me...mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Can’t exactly nick name it with the dear name of homesickness. But neither can’t I ignore the fact that that name has its silhouette cast slightly over those mixed feelings. It has its own beliefs, tradition, heritage and culture. Most important of all they still remain unadulterated and intact with no ingredients added to taste or look better. This can be found in style of festivals they conduct. Especially the Chinese festivals. Pontianak has a Chinese sharing a major portion of its total population.

It’s a fact!! I feel alive only when I’m in my darling Thrissur. I feel myself breathing joyously when I inhale the air of Thrissur. I feel the warmth of staying alive when I get that hug from my mother. I feel my heartbeat to be normal when my heart synchs its beats with the THUMP-THUMP THUMP-THUMP of my Bullet. Childish!!! I know. But I have promised not to lie in my Aphorisms. Whatever is here is true.

But all these never pulled me back from lengthening my friends list. I think that’s easier than making enemies. That’s something what I suggest for a healthy mind. And Pontianak did give me some good friendship.