Once upon a time there lived a beautiful lady named Aiminabi. She was selected among the finest bachelorettes of the island. She receives hundreds of proposals each and every day. She rejected all the men as she had a man of her dreams captured in her heart. She was waiting for her man of dreams.
Hassan Thakuru, was one of the men who proposed to Aiminabi. He was a man of wealth as he earned his living by fishing. Aiminabi hated this as Hasan Thakuru spent his days at sea, coming home late in the evenings. After marrying him upon her parents wish, Aiminabi spent her days doing household chores. She was indeed very unhappy.
One day, as dusk was falling Aiminabi set out to the Mosque to collect water. Reaching the mosque well she filled the pot to the brim and lifted it on to her hips, securing it by curving her hand around the neck of the pot. She was on her way out when she sensed someone in the mosque yard.
Glancing up, who should Aiminabi see; it was the man of her dreams, fair and handsome. His eyes were so pure and filled with so much love. Aiminabi’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to go talk to him.
“Hi, what’s your name?” Asked Aiminabi.
“Hello, young lady, my name is Foolhu” he answered. “You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen”
Aiminabi smiled shyly, and walked slowly to her home. Her heart jumping of joy.
Aiminabi and Foolhu continued to meet in private like every other day. Aiminabi feeling happier each and every minute.
Hasan Thakuru unaware of the relationship of Aiminabi with Foolhu noticed Aiminabi’s changed blissful behavior.
To clear his doubt he decided to follow Aiminabi one day. To his dismay he found about the affair with Foolhu. In his rage he cursed Foolhu with his horrendous black magic and made him a beast, a fierce one with long navel.
Aiminabi was so scared she dropped her water pot and ran for her dear life. The” Handi” called after her, “Aiminabi, do not ever forget our love. This spell shall be broken, just don’t be scared of me.”
Beside her with shock and terror, Aiminabi locked herself in the house and cried her heart out.
Hasan Thakuru was tempered with anger.
“Why did you betray me? What’s missing in me? Money? Love? “
With Shame and a shaking voice, “I never loved you, I married you on my parents wish.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“What has happened to you,” he asked.
“Oh! That rogue Foolhu Dhigu Handi!! Wait and see I will get the better of him sooner or later. I am not scared of him, he can’t be better than me” His voice was imbued with so much determination, that brought Goosebumps in Aiminabi’s body.
“ I can’t let anything happen to my dear Foolhu, He’s the man I love, No matter how horrid he look. He is the man of my dreams, the king of my heart.” Aiminabi said wiping all her tears. “ I will protect our love.”
That night Foolhu Dhigu Handi came prowling round the house.
“Aiminabi, Aiminabi, Do you still love me?”
“Yeah I do, A lot” Aiminabi stammered.
Hasan Thakuru was wide awake and he widened his eyes with anger. He started to shout at Aiminabi.
“Never speak to that monster again. I shall send you to your parents if you do so, do you want to see your parents hurt?”
Aiminabi said no and nodded in obedience.
The next night Foolhu Dhigu Handi returned.
Aiminabi, Aiminabi, Aiminabi, Aiminabi, Do you still love me?”
Again Aiminabi replied “Yeah I do.”
Once again the Handi went away satisfied.
By this time Hassan Thakuru has had enough. “I am going to get rid of him”.
“what are you going to do to him” She asked in surprise.
“Just grind me some very hot lonumirus. Use a lot of chilies,” he instructed her.
“Lonumirus?, What are you going to do with it?, Please don’t hurt my dear Foolhu” Aiminabi cried.
“Wait and see.” Hassan Thakuru laughed evilly as was enjoying himself.
“When he comes tonight and asks you whether you still love him, tell him you don’t”
“I can’t”
“Yes, you can, or else it’s going to be the end of you as well. I am going to sharpen my huge fish knife and hone it to perfection.”
Aiminabi set about collecting all the ingredients required with a crying heart. She collected loads of red hot chilies, onions, salt and leaves and ground it to a fine thick red paste, her tears pouring drop by drop into the Lonumirus paste.
That night Foolhu Dhigu Handi came to find Aiminabi.
“Aiminabi, Aiminabi,” the Handi called “Do you still love me?”
“No, I don’t,” Aiminabi shouted. “I never loved you ever.” Aiminabi cried out as she was instructed.
“You don’t?” Foolhu Dhigu Handi couldn’t believe his ears.
“Yes I don’t,” replied Aiminabi.
Foolhu Dhigu Handi got so emotional that he poked his long, long navel through the thatched wall, inside the house in order to take Aiminabi out. But Hassan Thakuru was more than ready. He got hold of the navel as soon as it came inside the walls and started pulling and twining it round his arms till he got all of it in hand. Drawing out his huge sharp knife he chopped the long navel and at the same time applied lonumirus in the severed area. It was time when the spell broke, Hasan Thakuru dropped his sharp knife and looked at his navel which was getting long and to his changing appearance. It was the Paste of lonumirus which contained the tears of true love that broke the spell. Hasan Thakuru went out of the house in his shame and hollering agony as the hot chilies hit the raw wound, “A’ dhoma Foolhoo e Foolhaka Foolhoo e” (Oh! My hurting navel, Navel Oh! Navel) and ran off into the night never to be seen ever again leaving Aiminabi and Foolhu to live a happy life together.
