“Devayani! Come here, breakfast is ready. I have made idlis for you. Take the chutney, it is kept on the oven”, she said.
“Yes aunty! I am coming, just a minute please. Changing my clothes right now”, I said.
It was a rainy day. It had rained all through the previous night. I was to report to the workshop sharp at 7:30 in the morning. As I was about to open the door, a cool breeze drew the curtains apart and lashed against my face. It was then when I decided to drop the workday and self declared it as a holiday.
I changed back to the night clothes and went back to deep sleep, in my world of fantasy. The sound of rain drops falling on the roof was amazing. The gentle force with which they landed on the tree leaves made them sway gently from side to side. There was no sunlight; a shade of grey enveloped the entire city. The drops ended their journey on the roads and made them appear even darker. The dust was lost in the crevices of the roads and the smell of wet earth lingered around. The drops splashed playfully in the pool of water collected just outside the window of my room. The birds chirruped softly all huddled together. And I dozed off to sleep.
The sound of bells from the other room thwarted my dream bubble. It was aunt’s voice. Never in all these days had I heard her sing. It was melodious. She was singing prayers to Lord Balaji in Kannada. The smell of incense sticks crept in slowly through the gap just at the bottom of my room’s door and made its way straight to my nostrils. It was ambrosial. I was immediately transported to something very similar to heaven. Though drenched in sleep, my mind danced gently to the rhythm divine.
Suddenly the door opened and aunty came in. She had a brass plate in her hand. The flame of the earthen lamp too flickered playfully and cast familiar shadows on the walls of the room. I wanted to get up and pay respect to whatever was happening in the vicinity but the shackles of laziness strangled me real hard and brought me back to the warmth of the quilt. Aunty came inside and drew the curtains apart. I closed my eyes in anticipation for sudden sunlight after darkness gives a pain. But it was still raining and shades of grey peeped in. She then came to me and patted my cheeks. I smiled in response. She tried to push holy smoke and scent towards my face and again the incense reached me. I felt like a god. And I dozed off to sleep.
‘Devayani, how much would you sleep girl? Come on, get up and come in the kitchen,” she said.
I involuntarily got up from the bed and went to the kitchen. I took a chair and sat beside the gas stove. This invited another heavenly smile from aunty. She ran her hands through my lose tresses and got back to her daily chores. She took a pan and put some oil in it. Then she picked up some curry leaves and put them against their will into the pan and out came the crackling sound. Though I am a grown up but this sight made me laugh, I was happy! The aroma of the spices was good and made me feel hungry. She got to know of it and readily served me food. I ate all of it within a few minutes and again fell down to the blow of sleep.
And I saw a dream, rather a reality which had occurred once upon a time. As the instances and moments began to conjure themselves in the labyrinth of thoughts, I felt the warm touch of my destiny and slept peacefully in those arms. :-)
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