all the go-doers are alive and in charge ; the skaters, the cyclers, even the tenants of their pop-up resting points who sell over priced bottles of water. this morning, helena opts into the proactive shtick of getting some exercise because, really, she can’t remember the last time she’s done anything for the sake of her own health benefit. yoga seemed like a good idea at the time… until she saw an empty bench that overlooked the rest of the park, the foam mats littering the green grass. clad in workout clothes, she decides it’d be better to take a seat and reveal a bag of classic lays potato chips to indulge in. a shadow overcomes and helena halts with a nonchalant tilt of her head ——— “i thought about joining, but then i remembered my body doesn’t bend that way.”
BEING ACTIVE WAS NEVER difficult for shantipriya who was practically born to be active . as much as she enjoyed yoga she wasn’t that much of a fan of doing yoga in a PUBLIC SETTING . she turned to helena once she had sat on the bench . popping open her water bottle she took a heavy sip from her hydroflask . ❝ yeah ---- i just find it WEIRD when white people look me in the eye & say NAMASTE . ❞
* CHARACTER INTRODUCTION : MATHUR , SHANTIPRIYA | it took a hot minute but here it finally is , red with her final intro before we open ! as usual , feel free to message me any time for plots or ask for my discord !
shantipriya was born in india her mother was a bollywood starlet in the late 70s and early 80s. while her career did exist in the 90s ( and even somewhat today ) her star power and allure drifted when she had gotten married and had children because shantipriya was the oldest her mother blamed her lack of success on her only daughter. another notable thing to mention is despite living in india, a prominently hindu nation, the mathur family were muslims. much like the old bollywood actress madhubala, the mathur family was forced to practice their religious beliefs in secrecy until they were able to move to america. the mathur family moved when shantipriya was around sixteen years old, this is also when her father had passed away due to a heart disorder ( one she also inherited )
shanti’s world came to a crashing halt when her father passed away, even at the young age of sixteen it effected her greatly. she was never close to her mother but her father was someone she not only loved but idolized. his death broke her as did her relationship with her mother. shanti’s mother was old school desi. she had gotten married when she was very young and expected her only daughter to do the same. while the arranged marriage was already in place the ceremony would take place on her eighteenth birthday. unfortunately, shantipriya never was able to see her eighteenth birthday because she had been kidnapped and forced to join a doomsday cult where she spent the next seven years inside a bunker. going into the details of what life was like inside the bunker isn’t necessary because shantipriya doesn’t remember much of it. she suppresses her memory of the event and struggled to testify in court when her and six other women were found.
after being freed from the bunker, shantipriya moved to pakistan where she lived with her aunt and uncle.because mental health being taboo in desi culture she wasn’t given the proper treatment she needed to recover from the events in the bunker. however, shantipriya did find therapy in the world of dance. one of the only things she admired about her mother was her ability to carry a tune with her hips and enchant an entire audience with a bat of a lash. what started as dancing in private had flourished into a career for shantipriya. in pakistan shantipriya taught young girls how to dance and it was her aunt and uncle who encouraged her to return to the states, establish a career as a dance instructor/dancer, and reunite with her mother. she was terrified for many reasons but eventually convinced herself to return.
when she was there her mother and brothers greeted her. a lot of questions arose about the bunker on shantipriya’s part as well. she wondered if her family looked for her. the answer to that question is still *shane and ryan voice* unsolved. suppressing this as well, shantipriya was regretting her return when her mother had still been keen on having her daughter become a bride. shantipriya wasn’t here for it and left her mother in the dust. during this time shanti got her education, she went to college, she traveled and earned some culture under her belt. it was difficult but shantipriya was a woman who liked to tackle the world head on.
she opened a successful dance studio in los angeles had inspired shantipriya to do bigger and brighter things. her studio expanded into a chain and she auditioned for bollywood movies and quickly became a rising star in bollywood. her emergence to hollywood began when she starred in a broadway play that earned her, her first tony award. shortly afterward she received her first oscar nomination. life is great for shantipriya but she feels like she’s missing something. firstly, she never fully recovered from her traumatic past and refuses to acknowledge it which can be very dangerous. secondly, she’s traditional. she wants to get married and have children and is eager on filling that role in her life. she was in a relationship with a fellow bollywood a-lister but things went sour quickly. she’s concerned if she should keep trying or just give up all together.
she’s in east van at the moment, living a humble life while she is preparing for her second hollywood motion picture. while this is something shanti is proud of she ?? doesn’t brag about it nor talk about it very much. she’s a solemn starlet and refuses to go down the same path her mother did when she reached her own fame.
