a vase of bones

}~sarees and sexism~{

doors greeted by saamandhi garlands.

pillars and the valavu carrying the green and freshly folded thoranam.

the dust that settled on the wood carvings of scenes of ramayana,
above the doors were cleaned by a wet cloth.

savouries and feasts were spasmodically prepared with no break.

the smell of mouthwatering food and sweets  floating around the palatial house,
swarmed with relatives and people making arrangements in the marriage.

every day in the chettiar household was already an occasion and in that case a social occasion, is certainly a carnival for everyone.

I was in my room, arranging the bed sheets and  dusting the curtains.
janaki athai had already made it very clear that everything better be "perfect" for her daughter's wedding.

I didn't understand why she was being so stubborn, its not like her daughter is going to get married in my bedroom.

she would obviously send someone to clean my room but I never was enthusiastic about the idea of strangers in my room,
touching my antiques,

and since I was not interested in socialising with stereotypical and judgemental acquaintances of my family.
I considered to use the opportunity.

I heard shuffled footsteps outside the door and the struggled noise of someone opening the door.
I knew who it was.

I rushed to opened the door to come face to face with anbu carrying a huge box.

he came in slowly and closed the door with his leg and with the box,
which looked quite heavy.

he ran to one end of the room,
and he sat down next to the box and opened it and I saw that it was filled with all our mann velaku, thanga and velli velaku.

I paused and looked up at Anbu,
"ada,arivu irruka,what did i tell you to bring and what have you brough—,"

he motioned me shut my mouth.
and slowly took one of the diyas out and took out a large iron bowl with a plate on top of it.

inside it was filled with ghee-filled delicious sweets- jhaangiri, unni appam, paniyaaram,
mysore pak and more.

me and anbu slowly started devouring.
as I slipped some tasty paal beda and filled my mouth with them,with no mercy.
I asked anbu what took him so long.

"aiyo akka adha yen kekura, this janaki athai almost caught me,so I had to hide it in this box and pretend like I was helping,"

"one work also you cannot properly do,"

"akka its not easy sneaking out the sweets that have been kept in the saami arai—,"

"Well that is there,"

anbu comically brought two panniyaaram to his eyes, like a pair of spectacles, and tried to look adorable but miserably failed.
as he saw me histerically laughing, he continued eating his sweets.

"I don't understand the point, akka, why they prepare so many sweets enough to start a kadai, but keep it in the saami arai for saami to bless the food ah,"

"well don't you think its good we eat food blessed by the god,"

"illayw akka, it is good
but if it is so necessary then shouldnt we eat food blessed by saami everyday?"

I had no satisfactory reply to give him but he didn't expect me to, he just continued,

"everyone remembers kadavul only during celebrations or calamities, adhu romba thappu, thats highly selfish.
true belief is always there only not under certain conditions,"