Home is where the heart is #YourStoryIndia

Chapter 16

Philip was up early like every other morning. Only to see everyone else was up too. Apparently Asthami was the Devi Durga's day and the most special and important part of the Pujo.
On this day, the people had a special Onjoli,dedicating flowers and prayers to Maa Durga. Everyone was in pure Bengali traditional attire.

Men in dhoti and punjabi, women in sarees draped the traditional way.
Even kids weren't spared. Tintin was complaining throughout about his dhoti making him itch. Not that his mother was concerned. The ladies of the house were thoroughly engrossed in preparations for Pujo. Slicing fruits, making the huge Naibiddi, arranging the flowers and other such smaller details. Most people only saw the outer splendour of the Pujo and tended to forget the people who had made it possible.

Maina went down in a yellow silk saree, back to her simplicity. She too helped out her Grandmother and the rest with the preparations. She had missed doing all the Pujo work which she had done since five years of age. She knew exactly what went where in the Thakurdalan, the platform where the Pujo was conducted. Philip was just as busy. He had mixed in their family like salt in water. Nobody treated him like a guest.

The Onjoli was conducted in a grand manner,when the priest would read out chants that were repeated by everyone participating in the Onjoli, then they would give the flowers in their hands to Maa Durga. A hundred and eight diyas were lighted signifying the hundred and eight forms of Maa Durga. When Maina wasn't looking, Philip would surreptitiously throw the flowers her way. It surprised Maina to no end when she found petals in her hair.

They had Kanyakumari Pujo, where the Goddess was worshipped in the form of a young virgin girl. After that was the Dhunuchi Pujo where, the women meditated praying for the well being of their families with earthen bowls of burning cinders were placed on their head and hands. The said family members then sat on the womens laps as the blessing of the Goddess was passed out to them. It was a tough practice but many did it. Even though all of these rituals may seem very medieval and weird, it was tradition and carried forward the strong beliefs of the people.

"Isn't all this absolutely fascinating? " Philip asked as he saw Maina's mother in deep meditation, in awe and admiration. " What these women are willing to go through just for their family? "
"Hmmm.... I'm used to it by now. It seems more interesting to you." Maina replied.
"Oh no....this is amazing. I could never get used to this. " Philip answered.
"After this is done, get ready. " Maina said.
"Why? Are we going somewhere? "
"They didn't tell you? We're going pandal hopping and sight seeing around the city. "
"What does that mean?"
"See there are many famous Pujo pandals around Kolkata so we go to see them every year. Since you're new to the city, we decided we could show you around the city in the meantime. "
"Hey, that's great! I can't wait for it!" Philip said all excited, clapping his hands and then running upstairs to get his camera.
Maina smiled. He's such a kid, she thought.
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"Will the traffic be as bad?" Philip asked once all of them had assembled near the car. Koyel was the only one missing. She was sulking in her room and refused to go.
"Traffic? What traffic? " Surya snorted. "The roads will be so crowded that the cars won't move let alone form a traffic jam."
"Oh god! Then what are going to do? " groaned Titli.
"I like crowds. I find the sheer mass numbers and surging raw energy very calming. " Philip mused.
All of their eyes widened then they simultaneously burst out laughing. All except Maina. She couldn't get over the fact that Philip had just volunteered information about himself,no matter how little.
"Look bro, all your energy will go out the window once you see the Kolkata crowds during Durga Pujo. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, from every suburb, near and far, are out on the streets today, including the Kolkata people themselves." Surya explained.

Maina saw the changes immediately. There were more Pujos, one pandal in every lane and bylane, each more grand than the one before. It was like every family had organised a Pujo. She wondered where Bengal would be if half the money spent on such extravagant useless preparations were used to feed the poor.

The lanes and bylanes were the lifeline of Kolkata. They walked and walked, occasionally pushed and shoved aside but getting along just fine. At every pandal, Maina would do a head count to make sure everyone made it. They were twenty five in all, with little kids in tow. A large party, it was very easy for one of them to get lost or mugged, even kidnapped. The number of hooligans increased every year during that time. One could never be too careful. If something happened to any of them, all the fun would go down the drain. Maina was always paranoid about safety.
"Quit look around will you? Look at the idol, it's so beautiful isn't it?" Philip asked,continuously probing Maina.
"Stop it! I'm searching for Tintin. Where is he? I can't see him! Look at that man , doesn't he look suspicious? " Maina went on and on like that for the rest of the trip.
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After a quick lunch and a rather slow tour of the city, on account of the crowds, they ended up in Princep Ghat, on the banks of River Hooghly, a distributary of Ganga, watching the sunset.
"Wow, that sight is breathtaking." Philip commented looking at the beautiful hues of the setting sun, soaking in the warmth, sitting in a relaxed position with his fingers loosely interlacing with Maina's. She didn't even notice, she was so engrossed in the scene before her.
"Huh? What? Yeah. It's really beautiful. But it must be nothing compared to all the other beautiful sights you've seen?" Maina inquiried out of curiosity.
"How do you mean?" Philip asked, a little confused.
"Well your father said you travelled a lot. So I assumed, you've seen many beautiful sights around the world. You're really lucky that way. Travelling, meeting new people, trying out different kinds of food. Real exciting stuff. Wish I could do that." Maina explained with a faraway look on her face. Philip smiled, on the inside he felt elated all of a sudden. Maina had shown an interest in travelling. That meant a lot to him.

"Well, you can, actually." Philip told her gently.
Maina snorted. "Not likely. I can hardly make time to visit my family, how would I take out time to travel."
"You could quit your job."
"And what? Be a nomad like you? I don't think so. I need to secure my future. I need to be independent. "
"Well, if you really want to live a little, you've got to stop worrying so much. You've got to be a little more spontaneous. Like today, I made you have street food. Even though you thought it was unhygienic and would make you sick."
"It still might. I don't want to end up in my room barfing while everyone else has fun downstairs. " Maina reasoned, getting irritated.
"Have a little faith. You can't always plan out like this. " Philip interjected.
"And where has faith gotten you? You don't have a home or a good relation with your father or even a job. It's very easy to say all this, when you yourself have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford to be as carefree." Maina burst out. Too late she realised what she had said. Too late she realised her mistake.

Philip sat staring at her intensely not saying a word. Maina was too baffled by her own outburst for her to apologise.
"That's what you think of me? I see." Finally Philip said smirking, not the least bit offended.

"Well, what am I supposed to think? You never tell me anything. " Maina cried out in defense of herself.
"There's nothing to tell." Philip said nonchalantly. Maina frowned.
"That's not true. Everyone has a story. Don't you dare say you don't. You always seem so happy go lucky, not a care in the world. Always so world wisely, always the problem solver. But I'm onto you. Don't think you'll get away so easily. I see the pain in your eyes when my mother calls you 'son' lovingly. I see the look of longing when you see my cousins have fun together but you hide it well. You devil! You think no one notices and most of the time they don't. " Maina spoke passionately, throwing caution to the winds, her nose flaring with anger. She didn't know why she felt so strongly.

Philip was absolutely stunned. Never in his life had he expected Maina of all people to see so much. He felt exposed and vulnerable. Something he had felt before, but he didn't feel one thing. That was scared. It was okay for Maina to know, infact he was secretly pleased about it. That feeling surprised the hell out of him. Not once had he been out of words. Today he was.

"Well, looks like I'm wrong huh? " Philip finally said softly, his voice full of emotions.

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I think I have about 6-7 chapters left. Which is weird. I thought I'd have so much to say and now it's almost over. I hate writing, you know. Like putting down my ideas in written form. I have so many ideas just flitting around but I keep losing them just because I'm too lazy to put them down.
I wanted Philip to confess by this chapter, but he's such a bastard, he wouldn't! He's really surreptitious , isn't it? Well let's see what next chapter brings? I'm excited for it! Are you?