Uriel was a multifaceted personality. He could stab with words, sting like Mike Tyson, and distort reality charmingly with the precision of a gifted cartoonist. He was sedate now and passionate the next moment. He could don the mantle of a carpenter, a plumber, or a mechanic, as situation demanded. He ran a school in Shillong in those days when I was there. That’s how I landed in the magic circle of his friendship. He made me a gargoyle. Gradually. When the refined side of human civilisation shaped magnificent castles and cathedrals, the darker side of the same homo sapiens gave birth to gargoyles. These grotesque shapes were erected on those beautiful works of architecture as if to prove that there is no human genius without a dash of perversion. In many parts of India, some such repulsive shape is placed in a prominent place of great edifices with the intention of warding off evil or, more commonly, the evil eye. I was Uriel’s gargoyle for warding off the evil eye from his sc
For, an unpoisoned mind perishes too quickly (in today's world).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the profound & thought-provoking post.
Not just in today's world, dear Indian Writer. Didn't Jesus advise people to have the cunning of serpents?
Deletekiss of life !! kiss of death !! A matter of perspective !!
ReplyDeleteLife and death, good and evil... poles merge, Aram, in the wider perspective.
DeleteReading this, I am reminded of Sylivia Plath's 'Kiss me and you shall see how important I am'.
ReplyDeleteVery few people were aware of the neurotic side of human life as Plath was. Thanks for bringing her here.
Deleteoh.. deadly! Reminds me of Jack the Ripper!
ReplyDeleteNot to such an extreme, Panchali. I was looking at the inevitable intermingling of good and evil in human life. Can innocence survive in the human world?
DeleteGood one...but as soon as I read the title, I could only think of Cadbury's jingle! :D Maybe it's time to have that ;)
ReplyDeleteYeah, you've just reminded me of the Cadbury ad.
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