A Sweet, Yet Spine-Chilling Experience!!

  Prologue

  I laughed at my own thoughts swirling around her, unaware that she and other ladies are watching me. I was so awe-struck by her beauty that I hardly concentrated on work that day. It was lunch.

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Kites tuning up the moods

  Sankranthi, the colorful kite-flying season, I am convinced, would always bring to my mind a funny incident that happened recently. I was deputed by my boss, a chartered accountant to a certain company to finish an incomplete task. I agreed and went over there. Seven days of work, yet there was much to be done. As pressure built up, I decided to start early every day from then on.

  One fine morning {really it was a foggy chilly morning} I was at the office at seven sharp. Before getting on with serious work, I have to have a cigarette smoke.  Strolling leisurely in the verandah, I lit up one, and threw a glance around. That was the beginning of a delightful yet spine-chilling experience.

  My eyes rested on something which was marvelous. I was stunned. For just in front of me, a few yards away, I saw a lady soaking the muddy floor in front of her house with water mixed in cow dung to draw colorful rangolis over it.

What a Beauty!!

  No, it was not the act that caught me but her beauty. If one cares to look at her from a particular angle, one can trace a sort of defiance in her beauty that instantly provokes one to pull her cheeks in a lighter vein exclaiming ‘Ha My Sweet’! If one views her from another angle one can see the Einsteinian in her beauty. That is, if one keeps looking at her for one’s whole life, it would just seem to be a second. Such is her beauty!

  I laughed at my own thoughts swirling around her, unaware that she and other ladies are watching me. I was so awe-struck by her beauty that I hardly concentrated on work that day. It was lunch.

  Standing in the verandah, I took out a cigarette and lighting it, I casually threw a glance around in that direction. She was there again chatting nothing with the other ladies. She caught my glance with a serious look on her face sending shivers down my spine. I simply hung my head fearing something dreadful. Thinking what it might be, I involuntarily looked over there dragging on my cigarette.

  She said something to the other ladies and pointed her finger in my direction. Fearing it might not be me, I looked around there was no one but only a cow resting near me.

  My goodness! It’s me they are talking about! I closed my eyes in fear. I was sweating like anything, not even trying to mop up my face expecting something disastrous to happen.

  Being an alien to that area, I have reasons to be afraid of. Oh my! It’s going to happen what ought not to happen. This time she is taking small but measured strides towards me. She is sure to pull me up and make a scene, to hurt me where it hurts most - my personal dignity! Now at stake!

  And for few seconds I was freezed to death like lamb expecting to be butchered. Few seconds elapsed. Wondering over her silence I opened my eyes I was stunned… again. She was walking back coyly with the large chunk of cow dung in her hands, that’s been there in front of me – just two feet away.

Rangolis Reflect Women’s Beauty

Rangolis Tune-up Moods

Simple but Beautiful Rangoli 

  Then it struck me that Sankranthi season is on and there is bound to be a sort of competition in rangolis among the womenfolk. Yes, rangolis acquire much more beauty when drawn on a mud-floor coated with cow dung.

  I laughed heartily at my own unfounded fears.