Singhta
You couldn't wait for the holiday break, already wearing your Christmas sweater and Santa hat. Just a few more things to pack and you would be leaving you dorm to head to your hometown.
While packing the last items for your trip, you turn to see your dorm mate Saheb moping on his bed. "What's got you down?" you ask him.
"Just sad that I won't be seeing my family during the break." Saheb sighed.
"Didn't you just see your family a few months ago?" you asked rhetorically. You remembered your Punjabi dorm mate travelling to India in October for Dawali, which Saheb explained to you as a kind of Indian New Years. As far as you were concerned, trading Christmas for Diwali seemed like an equivalent exchange. "By the way, can you pass me that star-shaped tree topper?" you requested while bending down to place more items in your suitcase.
"It's not the same" Saheb refuted, "When I left for Diwali, you still had most of the campus still around to keep you company. But today, almost all of the students are going to leave for Christmas and I'll be all alone." Saheb grabbed the star shaped tree topper and looked down at it in his grasp. He usually couldn't see what Americans saw in the plastic star with cheap lights, but in that moment it symbolized the family time they would have that Saheb would not. The feeling was almost magical.
Normally would would have been more comforting towards your dorm mate, but your rush to get home and lack of sympathy for Saheb's situation made your response just a bit too sarcastic. "Yeah? Well it's too bad you Sikh's don't believe in Santa. Otherwise he'd probably give you company this Christmas."
"I wish I wasn't the only Sikh left here for Christmas." Saheb looked down at the star-shaped tree topper and saw it light up. He thought it odd, was the cheap thing plugged in?
You are startled by a jolt through your body making you stand up straight. "Vhat vas dhat?" Your voice sounded off.
You thought your Santa hat felt tighter, not realizing it had changed into a soft red turban. You also scratched at your Christmas sweater as it suddenly felt hot and itchy with your new body hair. You couldn't tell what was wrong, but you were starting to forget why you wanted to leave in the first place. You needed to get away as soon as possible. "Vell can you hand me dhat starr Veer ji. I rreally musd be going" your R's roll in your accented voice.
Saheb didn't seem to register what you said, still looking down at the glowing star. "I wish I did have a Santa here to keep me company."
You winced at your Christmas sweater becoming even more uncomfortable. You looked down to see it stuffed beyond reason with your bloating belly. The growth and jiggling made the fabric rub against your thick body hair, a sensation that was absolutely tickling on your softer fat stomach. "My God! Vhat is hap- ha- stop id- haha- HOHOHO!" you release a jolly deep belly laugh. Your sweater becomes a much more comfortable white kurta with a red sherwani on top, giving you much more room for your jostling gut. You arch your back and hold your belly to deliver another joyous laugh. "HOHOHO!" a rosey color paints your chubby cheeks above your snow white beard. You look down at Saheb, who seems to finally take notice of you again.
"W- who are you?"
"Me? Vhy, I am Singhta of courrse! I hearrd you have been a verry good bacha ji this yearr.
"I-" Saheb stammers, not sure what is going on, but knowing this is what he wanted, "Yes, I guess I have!"
"Dhen id is dime forr your prresend!" With a flick of your wrist, Saheb's pants fell down like winter snow. You gazed hungrily at his kacchera, the underwear tied with a drawstring Sikhs wear to protect their modesty. With another flick of your wrist you turned that drawstring into the kind of ribbon one would find on a Christmas present. You could not wait to see what gift was inside.
