It wasn’t, by the way. Not even close.

It’s like saying, the thunderstorm is a person’s fault, or the flood is.

The problem with writing a blog in one’s own name is that there is a limit to the stuff you can divulge. You ask yourself how desperately you want to tell the complete story and how badly you want to piss off someone. They might never see the blog, but then someone might and tongues, as we know so well, wag, especially when there is something juicy to wag about. Do I want to write, or do I want to fight?

It wasn’t the woman’s fault. Anyone with an ounce of common sense in them could see it. But the thing about rumours is that there need be no truth attached to it.There is a special channel by which rumours spread – and that is a path often shunned by common sense.

Someone said, when the shadow of the earth falls on the moon, poisonous substances will be released from your food.

The shadow falls all the time, across space. It just so happens that once in a while there is a satellite on its path – big enough to be visible from our home. They teach science in school. It’s just a shadow. Harmless. Don’t give in to superstition.

But no…

What if poison is actually released? What if it is true? We don’t actually know, do we? What if,…

What if it is the woman’s fault? What if she brought about the thunderstorm? The flood?

The tragedy is that she had been trying hard to be good. That’s what irks me. She has sacrificed a great deal to be where she is. She wasn’t managing somehow.

Nothing I said to the rumour-monger would change their opinion. They would spread the tale anyway. Because there was something so delectable about fresh gossip. About someone who was already in their radar. Someone who had been admired greatly at the start. Someone who seemed to have no failing. Someone who did not give away much about themselves. Controlled. Cultured. Nonetheless, ripe to be talked about. The more difficult it is to find something about them, the more delicious it becomes. And the ears that gather the news would be thrilled to spread it further.

What if it is her fault?

Actually, it is her fault. It must be. Everything had been so perfect. There is no other culprit. Then it must be. 

When the shadow enters, venomous creatures raise their heads… Once the shadow recedes, they crawl back to the hole they came from. It sounds true, so it must be.