As part of our heritage, we have many beauty rituals passed down through generations. Let us travel back to the village, Rampur, where women were very particular to adorn and beautify themselves. Coconut was about to be discovered.
In Rampur, the women had tried out every ingredient in their kitchen on their skin and wanted something new. And that was when, Leela and Neel went to an unexplored island to spend a day there. They reached a clearing.
In Rampur, the women had tried out every ingredient in their kitchen on their skin and wanted something new. And that was when, Leela and Neel went to an unexplored island to spend a day there. They reached a clearing.
Neel went in search for some leaves to make a comfortable sitting. He realized that the island was covered with only one kind of tree which was very tall. Being a deft climber, he climbed to where there were fruits and leaves. He collected a lot of leaves and fruits and went back.
The couple created some comfortable seating arrangement and sat down with their food baskets. After their lunch, they decided to play ball using the fruits. But, when Neel threw the fruit, it hit a tree and smashed. The couple found the fruit broken into two and a bit of liquid oozing out.
Quickly, Neel went back to the heap of fruits he had carried previously and broke one. It was white and soft inside and had a bit of the liquid left. Rest had spilled out. Cautiously, he tasted it. Since he wasn't sure it wasn't poisonous, he urged Leela not to take it.
They carried some of the fruits back to the village. The elders of the village were equally ignorant about the fruit so they decided to observe Neel for couple of days before trying the fruit lest it be poisonous. When Neel was absolutely fine after a week, everyone started using the fruit.
The liquid in the fruit was sweet and filling. The white meat tasted equally amazing. Thus, the ladies got a new ingredient to try in their beauty regimes. Every woman now drank the fruit liquid once a day. It had, already, become the best bridal routine because of the resultant glowing skin.
They used the liquid in their face masks. Oil was extracted from the meat and it became a staple. It was used to treat the injuries and wounds without leaving scars. Women slathered the oil on their bodies. It made the skin really soft and prevented any discoloration.
It healed the scars and blemishes better than their homemade remedies. The older women were particular fans of the oil. It prevented the skin from sagging and wrinkling. The oil kept their eye area soft as well. It also kept the feet soft and prevented cracks.
Oil helped with dark elbows and knees and stretch marks when applied during pregnancy. The skin was no longer that dry and the ladies loved the smell. They also tried using the oil for cooking. Intake of coconut oil helped their skin become more healthy and fresh from the inside.
Thus was found Neelafal named after Neel and Leela. Today its known after its European name, Coconut, but the benefits remain still the same and we still love it as much as those ladies almost 5000 years back.
PS: This is a contest entry and the story is fictional. I have no idea how coconut was discovered so please persevere with me :D
