Anamika

              

Anamika

 

"Where is the red colour”?
Anamika set the turmeric aside and looked around. "Oh my god, I'm running late."
She is getting help from her sister and a few friends as she prepares for her first theyyam performance. After her uncle passed away, she lost interest in theyyam. He used to tell Anamika stories and myths.  She accompanied him while he prepared and performed.

Today is her arangettam. "You know it's the only theyyam where women perform?" her sister nodded in return.

 

She grew up seeing her uncle perform theyyam. Her father used to perform, but he quit after getting a government job. Recently, Anamika showed interest in theyyam and learned Devakoothu theyyam, and they are on their way to performing it at Tekumpad Koolom Thayakav.

She became aware of three individuals making fun of and laughing at her during her performance. Snatching up the saw, she shot in their direction. No audience member attempted to stop her. Even though the three ran for their life, she pursued, discovered three of them, and cut everyone while yelling angrily.

 

********** ******** ********* ******** ******** ***** *******

 

She found herself back at home as she opened her eyes.
Her father was folding her blanket when he said, "Anu, it's nine. Amma has made puttu and kadalacurry, fresh up."

 

Father served Anamika, her mother, and her younger sister. He appeared to be extremely delighted, but Anamika covered up her skeptical look since she didn't want them to find out that she had killed three people. Amma complimented Appa for his new hairstyle and everyone guffawed at it.

While dining, Amma observed her husband’s face had red marks on the back of his ear. Seeing his wife staring at him, he hastily wiped the area. It drew her to the past events.

Anamika was gang raped when she was five, by her brother, her adored uncle, along with three of his buddies. On that same day, the father killed his brother-in-law and stored the body inside the temple where everyone was still going and worshipping. People believed that he had vanished, since the other three were minors who had left to pursue their education, and now they returned at the time of theyyam. Anamika started acting differently when she saw all three of them at the same location where she had been abused. Her father decided it was the perfect moment to act on the karma for his paranoid daughter. He applied the deevakoothu makeup for women and killed the three.

 Anamika thought she was killing the three people, but that was just what her subconscious was trying to tell her. However, she is now happy that she got her retribution, a bright future awaits her.

 

 

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