PEREGRINATE

CHAPTER 12

Diwali in the 21st century was no different than in the 13th century. And I reveled in it for the next few days. The preparation of cotton wick, the soothing rough feeling of earthen diyas, and the slippery oil that seemed to get in everywhere.

It reminded me of the times we would visit the malls to buy new clothes. The time we bought firecrackers to be lit up. And the only time of the year, we were allowed to binge eat whatever sweets and snacks we could get our hands on. The colorful twinkling lights that would adorn the railing of our balcony. Some of our neighbors would leave them on even after Diwali and they always gave me company in early morning study sessions.

Celebration of the festival in the monarchy though included different activities, and yet the air still had the same level of joy and excitement. As far as I knew Diwali was a festival of light that took place in the month of November. We got a few days of holiday from school which also served as our study holiday. It held a deeper meaning in this era. It was a festival to celebrate prosperity, family, and love. It was to thank the gods for a good harvest. And rejoice in the little things of life.

The castle had not been spared from the festive spirits. The temple on the compound buzzed with activities. It sat atop a small hillock and was made purely of marble. It was marvelous. an oasis of serenity. It also served as the village temple and as a result the royal family had a small private entrance on the side, while the temple gates opened up to the main village.

The fort was to be lit by over a lakh diyas and tumblers of oil were stocked to fuel them. We had spent an entire afternoon and evening just preparing the wicks. The fragrance of fresh flowers just plucked from the trees filled the air. It took me a few tries but soon enough I learned to make garland. These were to decorate the numerous doors of the castle, hence, yards of them had to be prepared. My fingers felt stiff by the end of the day.

The kitchen was a madhouse of its own story. While I had prepared sweets and snacks with my mother just for the four of us, the head cook and her team cooked up their own storm. Liters of ghee in almost a hundred buckets were prepared. The aroma of ghee prepared from fresh milk made me gain a kilo or two. And then shed them all together and some with the number of times I climbed the stairs. Each day I went to bed exhausted and with the excited chattering of others serving as my lullaby.

Diwali would be incomplete without the presence of family and friends. So, the royal family had taken off to invite the kings and their families from the neighboring kingdom to join our festivities. Though they must have had messengers to send the invites, this family never confirmed to societal expectations.

I had separate plans of my own for the evening.

My dreams of finding a quiet corner at part of the castle that would allow me an unfettered look of the festivities alone were shattered and stomped on. Where I wanted to indulge in a pot of kheer while waiting for the skies to light up with the fireworks, I was dragging my feet behind Isha as we trotted on towards the temple. All my attempts of pouting, denying, and evading fell on deaf ears. I even entertained to last resort of feigning to have my periods to escape the visit. That line of thought only managed to enhance my anxiety as I must have been due anytime soon.

So with a puja thali of a diya and flowers in my hair, I took a step into the temple after who knows how many years. Much to my parent's dismay, I had never been a devout devotee. Sure I would tag along with them but my beliefs lay somewhere more concrete.

And yet I could not deny the calmness that I felt as the chants of the evening aarti filled my ears, the cold feeling of the floor and the familiar smell of camphor. I must be exhausted from a day of work and glad to finally get a moment of respite.