Nav Durga Sadhana

“Which fruit do you like to eat?” I said to a dark colour girl in shabby clothes with dishevelled hair.

Her face was stern. May be she did not understand my accent!

I requested the shop vendor to ask her.

“Which fruit do you want to eat? Apple, Orange or Banana?” He asked in a loud voice and the words she could get.

She smiled. She smiled more. She giggled. She giggled more.

“Tell quickly! What do you like?”

She laughed uncontrollably.

“Speak up!” He raised his voice a bit.

In between her laughs, she said with great difficulty. “Apple.”

I picked up some fresh apples from the crate and handed over them to the shopkeeper for weighing.

“1 Kg for Rs. 90/-.” He told.

After completing my Nav Durga Sadhana, I had to donate the set aside money (Rs. 10/- per day) for a noble cause for a girl. It was a coincidence that it totalled the same. I paid the money and turned back. She was still laughing. I handed over the packet to her. She was laughing and swinging in a rhythmic manner.

Crazy!

“Eat one.” I asked her. I was not sure whether she would get any apple to munch on reaching home.

She took a bite from the reddest one. Now, she was laughing hysterically and simultaneously trying to chew the bite. She lost her grip on the apple. And it was on the dusty floor. She laughed. She picked it up. Her hair was frowzled. Her teeth were shinning white. Her tongue was lolling. Her red lips were beaming. She looked darker.

She laughed wildly.

MA Kali was laughing!