Saturday, October 18, 2014

Down Memory Lane with the festival of Lights


                                                         Image courtesy-. Konkani Speaks

Come diwali and life becomes hectic like a whirlwind romance. The heart pumps up to make way for goddess lakshmi’s arrival. The cleaning, dusting and all the sundry work associated with this festival of lights works through the bones of a housewife.

Inspite of all that stress, this festival brings joy and happiness in abundance. The whole family is together and the camaraderie that follows is indescribable.

My best memory about this festival goes back eons ago when life was a happy jolly ride. It transports me back to my carefree ways in my lovely village Cortalim in Goa. A tiny village full of beauty imprinted on its very soul. We used to have diwali vacations after the half-yearly exams. As it was a vacation time I used to celebrate the diwali festival at my grandparents house.

The preparation for diwali used to start a week before. I and my cousins prepared the diwali lamps at home with color papers. glue and bamboo and different designs to decorate the lamp. On diwali day we youngsters woke up early in the morning to start the celebrations. We kids were lined up by our grandmother and given a sound oil massage and later followed by a hot water bath. The first thing we had to eat was a few seeds of bitter gherkin. It is considered auspicious to start the day with bitterness so that we can relish the sweets later. In Goa we prepare a good many dishes with flat rice. Flat rice becomes the main ingredient in the preparation of sweets and namkeens. Not only flat rice, ragi is also used to make vermicelli. Flat rice mixed with grated coconut and fresh jiggery, flat rice in a bowl of coconut milk, flat rice with boiled potatoes seasoned with onions,curry leaves, green chillies and mustard seeds. The most tasteful flat rice is prepared from boiled rice which was grounded in the local flour mills. Not just a little but one or two gunny bags of flat rice! How we waited eagerly for the feast! My favourite were always the sweet dishes as I have a sweet tooth: D

Another wonderful tradition which is followed in Goa, is visiting our neighbours on this day. We kids used to carry a polythene cover while making these visits. The time we reached home from all that wandering our bags were full of all the goodies which were served by our neighbours. And for us kids it was a real fun to find our bags full: D

In Goa in some areas painting and terracotta exhibitions are held during this festival. It is called Chitrakari.  Once I got an opportunity to go and watch this magical display at my aunt’s place in Colvale in north Goa. Beautiful paintings, arts and sculptures were on display. We had to ferry across on a tiny island to be part of this amazing display.

What I like the most about this festival is lack of environment pollution.You might be wondering how is that possible during diwali. Well it is possible in Goa.We don’t burst crackers during this festival. Only light lamps and worship goddess Lakshmi devotedly.

Life gets more hectic once we cross that stage of childhood bliss. Now, diwali is more of a routine with family. Before it was an occasion we used to wait eagerly due to the joint family system. With nuclear families it has lost its zing.

I know life has become more practical now. But sometimes wishes floods the gates of nostalgia without any warning.



Friday, October 10, 2014

Hunger Pangs





With a piercing ache through his bones, he walked tall among the mortals. The hungry mouths waiting at home goaded him to sustain the pain and let him dance to the tune of destiny. His attire became his shield, to hide those pools behind that mascara. Tomorrow might never be the same, as fate cheats.






Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Embossed scars




The shared past haunted the soul everyday. 

Inspite of all the adjustments and compromises the age old ghost raised its head to bring more pain and shattered whatever little solace found in each others company. 






How I wished the scars would be erased along with time and let life breathes!






This post is in response to....

Unsaid words



She always wanted to know about his dreams. His life was a mystery to her. The way he carried himself with an elegant aura always left her speechless. What was going through his mind? What made him tick inspite of the harsher climes that life seasoned on him? 

Maybe those eyes of his carried too many secrets or may be, unknown pain which feasted in his heart when he took the drastic step.

She was too late and too young to understand those shadows in his eyes. The reverence she felt for him never allowed her to ask the inevitable.

This is in response to Wednesday prompt on write trip.


Monday, February 10, 2014

My passion

People do always wonder when I tell them that my biggest passion in life is to pursue knowledge in any form. For me there is no substitute for knowledge. If I am given an opportunity to rewind my life, I would certainly do it the right way this time without letting life's rough roads take me the other way.

I am very passionate about humanities. It ranges from history, geography, literature and world politics. This dream to pursue higher studies took root while I was a young mother of a four years old.I was already married for 10 years when I resumed the ropes of gaining knowledge  and set the ball rolling. With a determined spirit I could cross the hurdles and let knowledge lead me in the path of enlightenment. I am almost in my mid forties now and could round up my education with three post graduations.

But, the spirit of learning or gaining knowledge is not yet appeased. I have a deep desire to go for Ph.d before I hit my half century. I would certainly like to pursue Ph.d in literature in a reputed University in the United Kingdom, as this land of literature has always mesmerized me for ages. I would love to be part of Sheffield or Durham if destiny sides with my thoughts and my vagabond spirit.

Hope I cross the bridge when the time comes.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Emptiness







The stolen moments
Between yours and mine
Left emptiness
To be filled by the lost memories!


Ray of Hope



She knew that life is never going to be the same again. They decided to go ahead with the operation. The doctor’s prediction is going to come true. The wait didn’t bear any fruits. 



The difference now was between faith and hope. Little did she know that miracles do happen when we least expect them.



Sunday, January 12, 2014

Destiny

This happened last November while I was in Hyderabad for the book launch. I was put up at one of my friends place at Begumpet. The book launch was at Saptaparni near Banjara Hills.I had to travel alone. My friend told me not to worry as the Hyderabad auto fellas can be trusted. She assured that she will come down to pick me up around 8.30pm.

 I attended the book launch around 5pm and met many of my old poet friends. Along with our book launch there was also another event hosted by "SOCH "(Social Change).A wonderful initiative spearheaded by like minded Hyderabadis. There were many who shared their experiences on how they brought a social change in the field of education. There was Feroz who conducts skits around the country travelling on his bike; another was an NRI who revolutionized the teaching methodology and many more.

One of the speakers was Archana Londe who runs a wonderful organization called “Dirty Feet “ along with my friend NIvedita. They conduct village tours for kids below the age of 6-15 exposing them to the rich culture and heritage of the rural life. While she was going through her talk show, her surname “ Londe” rang a bell ! I know that it was a wild guess. There might be thousands of people having that surname. My curiosity was aroused and I was dying to meet her and appease it

So, after her talk show, I cornered her and asked her if she belongs to Madhya Pradesh? She replied affirmatively and then I shoot my next question asking her if she has a younger brother called Kartik. She was astounded beyond words. She kept asking me how I know her brother

Well, I was not ready to let the cat out of the bag so easily. I asked her if she has her brother’s phone number and if she can contact him that moment. She agreed happily with an amazed expression in her eyes

She called him and asked if he knows a lady called Sunita Prasad from Andhra Pradesh . He replied positively. She handed over the phone to me and I spoke to Kartik  for the first time inspite of knowing him for 2 years. He too was in shock. We spoke for a few minutes. Archana was waiting with bated breathe to know the truth

Here comes the twist! The World is indeed a small place! When I told Archana the reason behind knowing Kartik. She was totally zapped

Kartik was my scrabble partner on Facebook. We played many games together on Scrabble Worldwide for nearly two years. Last year facebook replaced the game with Mattle’s scrabble which is boring indeed! I lost touch with Kartik after that. I usually never add scrabble partners in my friends list. Kartik did ask me many times to add him, but I was persistent with my principles.

Due to some unavoidable circumstances, my friend couldn’t come to pick me up and I was in a real dilemma. I am not much used to travelling in Hyderabad and it was already past 9 pm. Luckily Archana and her husband came forward to drop me at Begumpet as they were going to Tarnaka. It was a day full of surprises.

Indeed It’s a small world! Imagine meeting an unknown person related to one of my virtual friends!


This is in response to the Wednesday Prompt It’s a small world.
by Shilpa Garg. 

Abused



She felt the grainy floor bite into her back. She cringed with pain. The nauseated smell on her battered body spoke about the gloomy night. Night of dread, wordy carnage and stinging blows.

How can life be so cruel? How can he treat her so inhumanly? This is not the person whom she married.

They were friends before marriage and after walking the altar faced life’s adversities with a smile and let destiny take them in its fold.

Her soul stigmatized by the vows. She is forever scarred. The one whom she loved turned into a stranger during the night!


 A 100 word drabble written on the prompt “Strangers in the night” at Write Tribe





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