AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN EX-SUPERSTAR

I am female author Rajani. In fact I am a novelist whose works have proved popular. I was at home working on a new novel when I received a phone call. I answered it when a female voice came on saying “I’m Kajal Kumar. Does the name ring a bell?”

I said “Yes. Don’t tell me you were once the superstar?”

“Quite right. I want to publish my autobiography. Can you ghost write it? I’ll compensate you for it.” I was silent a moment and she said “It will be a show all, tell all, no hidden truths including my having appeared nude, and not a word to anyone that it is ghost written.”

I recalled that Kajal had appeared nude in Hollywood creating a stir at the time.

I said “I can do it if you give me all facts.”

“Of course I will. Can you be at my place at 9 tomorrow morning? I’ll tell you about my acting career and life with 3 successive husbands.”

I was at Kajal’s place the next morning. She was wrapped in a housecoat with her grey hair in a bun.

She said “Rajani please sit down. You can make notes as I recount my story or if I say something you consider significant and worth quoting. I may veer off the turf but you must put it all in sequence.”

I opened my notebook and started writing. I also recorded her talk.  Birth: In Cape Verde island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Dad: Kumar, citizen of India. Mother: Maria, Portuguese. Moved to India. Schools studied: only 2: SHC and CMS. “Discontinued at age 12 when I had my first period surprising me and my mother. My development was rapid thereafter.”

I asked “Do I have to include the detail about your first period? It is something natural.”

Kajal: Of course. Remember it will be a tell all book. My growing breasts asserted my feminity. When I was 15 I was a buxom figure eight. I appeared for a dress competition and film director Sonawala chose me to star in a minor film role. It was no doubt a small part but bigger parts awaited me.

First big time movie: SUBHADRA. I was to take a bath in a river. Sonawala says sḥow more cleavage. I nearly expose my large breasts. I have become a superstar!

Next movie: TILAKAVATI.  I lie nude with a sort of gauze covering my body when the king comes. I’ve difficulty getting up but the king helps me. He could see all of me though you as cine goers can only imagine what it was like! I used to look at myself nude in the full length mirror and would fall in love with the image. Actor Manu had seen all of me in ḥis role as king. He became my first husband.

First wedding: It was a glittering ceremony and we went on a honeymoon to where else except to Cape Verde.

Kajal said “Rajini I know you’re married and are far younger to me. You can imagine how our honeymoon went. Remember and write about our first night.

I was a bit reluctant to write on the subject and said “But my husband had probably done it differently.”

Kajal said “The reader will be interested in details and will swallow anything. Start with Manu removing my clothes. He has seen me fully nude including my curls and now is touching me there. The memory still creates goose bumps even though he has done it several times thereafter almost every night when I was able.”

I wanted to show that I wasn’t shy though I really was and said “But before that didn’t he fondle your breasts?”  Sheer bravado!

Kajal said “Very good point. See these are now headed to the knees and need to be folded before being put away! Naturally I forgot. But by now he had known very millimetre of my breasts.You’re buxom and I’m sure you would’ve also been subjected to such handling. Write about it in detail and the reactions it created.”

Kajal: We did it regularly for 4 months but no result. Not a sign of a baby forming. Manu drops me in favour of Nawaz Begum. As if she had something extra which I lacked. Except she had a sumptuous perfection of her hind quarter. You could drum on it!”

There was some silence and then Kajal said ”I fell in love with actor Arjun. But before that I appeared nude in the film made by Titus Isaac. I showed everything except my pubic patch. You know…..”

 I hastily nod not wanting to hear descriptions of an always concealed part of the female body but Kajal continued.

”My patch was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen and I’ve seen many.  Nice little curls. Uniform  color and density throughout. Here is a photograph. Arjun and I made a photo jointly standing in the nude titled Adam and Eve. It was made after Goldie….”

Rajini: “Who is Goldie?”

Kajal: She was a pussy stylist and was briefly my lover even though she was female.  She studied my pubic patch and took photos to redesign it. She showed me pictures of my patch as it would look if restyled as per Mexican and Brazilian modes but I didn’t approve. I left it to be natural. These are the photos. You can see how the patch looks.”

Rajini: I ventured to look and drew away my eyes as I didn’t want to see the pictures. I was somehow repelled to see the close ups of a woman’s concealed part.

Kajal: ”Goldie fell in love with me due to frequent coming into contact with my patch. She comforted me in Arjun’s absence. Here you can see her patch. It’s all over grown. Here you can see me and Goldie in the raw. Arjun dropped me because of Goldie.”

Rajani: I note I am repelled by the sight of so many women’s parts.

Kajal: Then came my marriage with Hari with whom I acted. But it lasted only a short time. By then I felt tired of acting and joined a charitable organization to which I contributed as aid to the suffering. That organization Is still going strong. My days as a superstar were ending. Hari is still my friend. In fact he suggested my writing my autobiography. But while I can act any part with script given I don’t have the ability to write which is why I contacted you.

After a few more interviews with Kajal I wrote the autobiography and chose the photos to be included. Kajal refused to pose for her current picture. And I knew I couldn’t include photos of the several patches! Nevertheless the book sold well in India and abroad and I was well compensated. Kajal asked me about my authorship of her autobiography and I said “My lips are sealed.”

END