The place

The place beckoned each time she sat on the bus and passed it.

The smell of the place filled her senses.

The gleaming lights, shelves filled with books, quiet interiors

was a delight to witness.

However, what attracted her most was the smell, a musty, lingering smell

one that promised stories and secrets.

Hours could easily pass by just standing in one corner, with a book in one hand

and the smell creating an aura around her.

The shelves were all categorised as fiction, crime, biographies, history etc…

She always stood in front of the fiction shelf

each book title enticing her to enter the land, yet unexplored.

Dramas, love, passion, life, all trapped within those well-thumbed pages.

It was the most serene place where excitement brewed in every corner

It was the library!

 

 

Rejection

She stood by the door clutching a bunch of wildflowers in her hand……….her new dress splattered with mud and her face grubby.

She wants to gift them to her most beloved person, she is all of six years old! However she is scared her new dress is spoilt, the only one she got during this festive season, she had strict instructions to look after herself!

Her eyes are a mix of confusion…..love, sadness but the foremost being rejection!

 

He loved recitation and even though he was an amateur, he grasped the opportunity to recite verses at events!

He proudly posted his first public performance on the social media. He then checked the site every second, if possible, it had only been 5 minutes since the post was published.

Already his head hurt, his eyes were glazed and his palms were sweaty from continuously holding the tablet. There were no likes yet!

He was disheartened, he shuddered at the prospect of rejection!

 

She was new to the city, she wanted to make friends. She had met a few people at a social gathering, at the community hub.

After work she would like to catch up for some coffee and meet some people. Hastily she texted a new person, inviting her to join her at the cafe!

A whole hour had passed since that text, she checked her phone frequently! She felt sad and lonely. She did not like being rejected!

 

Snippets here and snippets there…..

Of all the human emotions that we have, the fear of rejection looms large. It plants itself early on in our lives and grows into a tree by adulthood.

With time however, our ability to be patient with another human being lessens. The onslaught of the internet has severely decreased our span of attention, limited our inability to give ‘TIME’. We quickly feel rejected and unapproved.

Yes! the key is time…….

 

 

Image sourced from Google*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 5 days

In Hinduism Durga Puja is the worship of the mother goddess. It is celebrated each year during the months of September/October. In Bengal ,in India it is a 5 day festival where the Goddess is worshiped as a destroyer of evil.

She arrives at her mother’s house along with her 4 children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartick and Ganesh.

At her feet lies the demon god Mahisasura.

Mythology states that Mahisasura was wreaking havoc on all people on Earth. So the people all prayed together to the Goddess to destroy the evil and protect them. Thus arrived Devi Durga, resplendent on a lion, bearing weapons in her ten arms. Mahisasura at that point realized that his end was somehow near. Yet, there was fought a bloody battle , where finally the Goddess slayed him and he lay at her feet.

Each day of the Durga Puja has a significance related to this tale.

On the 6th day, Sasthi, among prayers and rituals, she is decorated with all her weapons, to signify her readiness for the battle.

On the 7th day, Saptami, the Goddess  is invoked with special prayers to give her life and more strength and power for the battle. The significant among them is the ritual involving the banana plant, Kola Bou Chaan.

On the 8th day,  Ashtami, the demon is killed by the Goddess, hence it is the most significant day of the festival. The highlight being the ‘Sandhi puja’ which is is conducted at the meeting point of the 8th and 9th day. In this puja 108 diyas are lit and amidst constant beating of the drums and blowing of conch shells a special prayer is offered.

On the 9th day, Nabami, grand aartis are held with various festive items like mirrors, conch shells and fans.

Finally arrives the 10th day, Dashami, it is time for the Goddess to return to her husband Lord Shiva, in Mount Kailash, along with her children. A time to bid adieu with a solemn promise to meet again next year.

So, as we gather to celebrate another year of such festivities, it is opportune enough to recall or understand the underlying meaning of the Pujas. It is a reminder for all to curb their animal instincts and live together in peace and harmony.