An Extract on this Devi Paksha in India
Mahasthami, September 30, 1994
Mahasthami. The climactic day of the festival. The entire household had been downstairs since dawn in new clothes and ornaments. The women wore a red liquid, called alta, on their feet, and anchal over their heads. The men wore dhoti [33] and silk kurtas [34]. Everything smelt of flowers, incense and happiness. The dhaki (drummer) played on the drum incessantly. The goddess was obliterated inside a thick smoke from the incense.
Neil was feeling nauseated. He was woken up at five in the morning by the sound of the drums. He stuck in his room till late morning. He asked Manik to serve him tea and breakfast in his room. Mahamaya came up once wearing a red-bordered crème-colored sari and lots of jewelry. She said, “At least, come down today. Put on your new clothes and come down. Everyone’s missing you.”
He shook his head in negative. “I have work to do. I have to go out.”
Mahamaya didn’t say a thing. She didn’t know how long it’d take for things to revert to normalcy. Whether it would at all, or not. She didn’t know what she should do about the whole affair.
Neil went out around lunchtime wearing his favorite blue T-shirt and jeans. He, rather, crept out in the midst of a dramatic aaroti [35] being performed in the thakurdalan, that transformed the arena into some kind of a transcending mystery.
He subconsciously scanned the crowd. And then he spotted her. She was standing on the thakurdalan and had seen him. Her eyes said, “Don’t go.”
He lowered his eyes, heaved a sigh and crept out. The streets were dusty and sunny. It was a warm day.
“Neil…” He turned around. Tuli had come out with all the ornaments, in a peacock blue kanjivaram sari with the aanchal over her head. Her feet were bare!
She came running to him. He stood transfixed. She had never looked so beautiful before!
“Where are you going?” she panted.
“Go back! You shouldn’t come out like this.” He scanned around. People were beginning to notice her.
“Don’t go anywhere. Please stay back.” She was pleading, her eyes watery.
“Why?” Neil asked before he realized it.
“Because I love you. Because I am dying inside…
Mahasthami. The climactic day of the festival. The entire household had been downstairs since dawn in new clothes and ornaments. The women wore a red liquid, called alta, on their feet, and anchal over their heads. The men wore dhoti [33] and silk kurtas [34]. Everything smelt of flowers, incense and happiness. The dhaki (drummer) played on the drum incessantly. The goddess was obliterated inside a thick smoke from the incense.
Neil was feeling nauseated. He was woken up at five in the morning by the sound of the drums. He stuck in his room till late morning. He asked Manik to serve him tea and breakfast in his room. Mahamaya came up once wearing a red-bordered crème-colored sari and lots of jewelry. She said, “At least, come down today. Put on your new clothes and come down. Everyone’s missing you.”
He shook his head in negative. “I have work to do. I have to go out.”
Mahamaya didn’t say a thing. She didn’t know how long it’d take for things to revert to normalcy. Whether it would at all, or not. She didn’t know what she should do about the whole affair.
Neil went out around lunchtime wearing his favorite blue T-shirt and jeans. He, rather, crept out in the midst of a dramatic aaroti [35] being performed in the thakurdalan, that transformed the arena into some kind of a transcending mystery.
He subconsciously scanned the crowd. And then he spotted her. She was standing on the thakurdalan and had seen him. Her eyes said, “Don’t go.”
He lowered his eyes, heaved a sigh and crept out. The streets were dusty and sunny. It was a warm day.
“Neil…” He turned around. Tuli had come out with all the ornaments, in a peacock blue kanjivaram sari with the aanchal over her head. Her feet were bare!
She came running to him. He stood transfixed. She had never looked so beautiful before!
“Where are you going?” she panted.
“Go back! You shouldn’t come out like this.” He scanned around. People were beginning to notice her.
“Don’t go anywhere. Please stay back.” She was pleading, her eyes watery.
“Why?” Neil asked before he realized it.
“Because I love you. Because I am dying inside…
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