Hidden Hues Of Henna

Kacche dhaage

Jeevan ke har mod pe,
mil jaenge humsafar.
Jo door tak saath de,
dhoondhe ussi ko nazar.

Pallavi hummed along Kishore Da's voice from the stereo that sat next to her beloved Lord Ganesha's idol in the north-east corner of the house. She went about decorating the the temple area,sprinkling marigold petals on the wooden platform where the deity sat, drawing swastik symbol with the sandalwood paste she loved so much,plating the besan ladoos she ordered,lighting the few extra lamps she had put around today. After being satisfied with her work,she got down and stood a few steps away in the courtyard and grinned at how pretty the entire set up looked. Her Bappa was glowing in the morning sun and the light from the lamps.

This was something she loved to do adorning her God and making him listen to songs she loved.She didn't know much about my
rituals,mantras or chants since she never had anybody to tell her about it all,but she knew this and she enjoyed this and she was sure her God enjoyed it just as much. It was different but it was her way of worship. People might think it to be childish but then it was for her Bappa ,not those people.

Her eyes then shifted to the huge wooden structure that stood next to the temple. It was her Baba's loom. It was kept covered up in storeroom but she had managed to find it and drag it out in the morning. Afterall it was the main object of importance today. Today was loom pooja day.It was a ceremony performed by the weaver's community of Hyderabad the proud representative of which was Vijay Deshmukh,her Baba. She didn't quite know what it meant or what the procedure was but she was willing to know about it for her Aai-Baba. She still remembers her mother's words from a week before.

"Vijay ji has decided not to do the loom pooja this year. He was saying that he had planned for Mandaar to do it from this year but you know what happened. He might probably ask someone else from the committee circle to sit for the rituals." A teary eyed Sharda informed her brother in law.

"But Vahini,Dada has been doing this for the last eighteen years! How can he give up so suddenly?"

"Leave it Milind,he has made up his mind."

Pallavi who was in the kitchen at that time,had heard the entire conversation and her mind had been overwhelmed with guilt since then. After three days of pondering over the matter,she decided that she will get Baba to do the pooja somehow. She can't have him give up something so important to him just because his son was no longer there. And so despite the financial problems she was facing,she excused an amount for the pooja preparation. Afterall the money was for the family so it should be used fruitfully. She had sought out Milind Kaka for help and he had been eager to provide support.From the temple priests to the community head,she talked everyone into agreement that none other than Vijay should do the pooja. She planned to surprise her Aai-Baba on the pooja day and now it was time to see their reactions.

She stepped forward, dipping her ring finger in the sandalwood paste and drew a small swastik symbol on the weaving machine. Once done with all the decorations,she simply joined her hands before her Bappa and said her regular thankyou to him.

Hearing a low groan from behind,she turned to see the sleeping figure of her brother, shifting in the makeshift bed he slept on in the middle of the courtyard. Deciding to irritate him further she turned up the sound of the song.

"Di! Please don't!"

"Jeevan ke har mod pe...!" Pallavi sang loudly moving towards him and taking away the pillow he was stuffing his head in." Mil jaate hai humsafar!"She shouted in his ear.