Jai Mata Di / Hail the Goddess

I made a total of 1 rupee and 20 paise that day. I was over the moon. I was still too young to realise that this festival and its oblations were meant for girls and not for boys. So, ideally, I should not have been a part of it in the first place.

Neighbour from house number 7 was always first to invite me, “come soon, we are waiting for you to start the prayers”. I was ready with my spanking new stainless steel plate and a hanky to cover the plate with, once it will be full of propitiatory offerings and some coin of money, generally 10 paise. I went to the neighbour’s house, sat on a rug. I was surrounded by at least 7 girls of my age, just under 10. They are supposed to have at least 7 girls for this. One boy is usually ideal to be part of the group.

We were all sitting on the rug, cross legged with our plates lying in front of us. The scent of sandalwood and aroma of incense sticks was spreading everywhere in the house. Lying in front of the idol and a huge photo of Durga goddess was another big shiny plate in silver. In the plate there were some silver coins, some grains of rice, a small roll of thin red thread and a red powder. Some fruits and dry fruits also adored the front of the goddess outside the silver plate in separate bamboo baskets. The photo of the goddess had a garland of sunflowers on it. She appeared to be looking at me with her dark black big eyes. She always rode a lion symbolising that god has the energy to destroy the World apart from being able to create and preserve it.

When the girl sitting next to me started talking to me, the neighbour told us to keep quiet. The prayers started soon. They first sprinkled a small amount of water and washed our feet. As the chanting of mantras was on, one member of family started tying the red thread on our wrists like a friendship band. We were now friends with the goddess. To me, now the lion was not going to say anything to us. Then they applied the red powder on our foreheads with their ring finger as if we were going to fight in a war.

Within a few minutes the prayers were over and each of us was given two puris - small round cakes of unleavened wheat flour, deep fried in ghee, some halwa – pudding of flour and sugar made in ghee, and some black chickpeas. And the best of all, a coin of 10 paise that rested in the middle of the halwa.

All the girls and I quickly came out of house no. 7 and we all went back to our houses to empty our plates for the next invite. I pocketed the money. My mom told me to go to house no. 5 now. Someone had been from there in the meantime. I quickly grabbed one puri, it melted in my mouth, and ran to house no. 5. House no. 5 always did white chickpeas rather than black and I liked them. Same procedures were performed again. End result, another 10 paise in my pocket on top of more puris, halwa and chickpeas. Some girls got some colourful hair bands or ear rings. No such thing for me, I did not want it anyway.

We came out of house no. 5. Our slippers were lying outside. We always moved around in slippers at this time because if we had shoes on we will have to remove them outside every house every time and then put them back on while going back. We agreed to go back and empty our plates in our houses. Mom said now I had to go to house no. 17. I was now richer and she was my secretary now keeping a record of my appointments.

It started early in the morning so it was important to wake up fairly early and get ready after a shower as you can not participate in any religious event if you are not clean. A shower and clean clothes is a must.

All this finished by early afternoon.

I invested my money in a new wooden bow and arrows set. This was a season of bows and arrows as it was that time of the year just before Diwali when Rama the God’s avatar would kill Ravana the evil with his bow and arrow symbolising the fact that truth prevails or wins over lies. The happiness that I had on having that bow and arrow that day has remained unrivalled to date. Not even my latest iPhone 4 could give me the same level of happiness today.

Anyhow, my new bow had a red and silvery strip of foil kind of thing wrapped around it from one corner to the other. It looked so shiny. It had a thin steel string joining both ends which acted as the launcher for the bamboo arrows. I showed the girls my new bow and arrows. They were not very keen on it. Only Saina wanted to know how to use it. I think she was the only girl in the group who always tied her hair in a pony tail and I like pony tails. I stood behind her, helped her to hold the bow in correct position and we shot the arrow together. It was great charm to have done it together.

Saina complained it did not go far enough. I knew it did not, it was not meant to. They were such light weight arrows. I knew a way to make them go faster and farther. Put some melted coal-tar or asphalt on top edge and give it a straight and rounded shape like a lollipop. I went out hunting for some. I knew they were paving some new roads near the market place. When I reached there, a big road roller decorated with tinsel almost similar to the one on my bow was levelling the road and a man was throwing water on its hot and burning wheel from a canister. The festivities were so huge and widespread that they seemed to have taken even this ugly looking road roller into its embrace. Everything and every place looked and smelled of festivities. I asked the short man in big moustaches and he gave me some coal-tar for my arrows. It was hot and melted so I could not put it on arrows then and there.

I was back. Saina and I launched this ultimate arrow. And it actually went so high that it went out of sight and came back after a few seconds tumbling its way down. We really thought it will never come back. It was brilliant. We were loving it now. We took position again. Bow in her left hand; arrow in my right hand. We pulled the bottom of the arrow down on the launching string together while its top rested on the shiny bow. Pulled the string hard and left it. Once again, we believed it will pierce through the sky. Instead, it cracked the window pane of house no. 8. The lady came out shouting. Even the power of goddess Durga would have been bleak in front of her.

We were already on the run. We ran as fast as we could. I held my bow and other arrows in one hand and Saina’s one hand in the other because I did not think she was running fast enough. My special arrow which was equipped with the power of coal-tar was left behind. Fortunately, the lady had not seen us or else she would know where to complain.

Raja, one of the boys in my playgroup had seen us running from there together. I knew he was jealous of my company. Only two days were left before evil lies will vanish when Ravana, the powerful evil, will be killed by the mighty and powerful, man of self control, Rama. Truth will prevail, I thought. I knew it will because I was told it’s a universal truth.

I decided I will go back and admit my doing. When I reached home I first munched on the puris and halwa which came from the house of the broken window pane and then told my mom about the incidence. She was not very happy about it initially but because I had spoken the truth she embraced me in her arms and promised me that I will be fine. After all, her teaching me over and over again that there is nothing more important than speaking the truth, had not gone waste.

Two days later, Rama killed Ravana and the lady from house number 8 never complained because my mom had told her before anyone else could.

xxx

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