EID, NAVRATRAS AND LITTLE RUBINA'S INNOCENT EYES

I come from orthodox Brahmin background, such an environment where people don’t even eat onions. Even in my generation maximum are pure vegetarians. Fasting during Navratras is routine ritual. Being in service that I am, it is not always possible to fast for all nine days, moreover, my Ma has excused me from all these rituals because she understands the conditions I serve in.

A week before my ma called up and said if possible keep fast for one day (atleast). So, being Mama’s boy I decided that I will fast on 2nd Oct. It would be easy for me as it is a national holiday. Being in remote area it was not possible for me to get “Kuttu ka Atta” (a non-grain flour) but I managed it somehow.

Being a closed holiday, I was cleaning my cupboard and found two small gift-packs. During last medal round of Golf, I received these two prizes for “longest drive” and “nearest to pin”. I thought of opening them but something inside me said not to open.

Today I was fasting……

Being Eid, I called up one of my juniors Kifaitullah to wish him and his family. His 4 year old daughter Rubina picked up the phone. She did not recognize me, I told her “I am same uncle who gave you that Mauve colouerd sketch pen from my desk when you came to my office with your dad” her voice changed and she shouted OH YOU ARE THAT LAMBU MAMU, I am coming to you with Dad…… Kifait with great difficulty took phone and I wished him. After exchanging pleasantries He said, sir, I am bringing biryani and seviyan for you… and kept the phone down.

Kifaitullah and little angle Rubina came with a hot-case…… she jumped in my lap and started off ( I call her non-stop disco)

“Ammi has asked me to tell you that navratras are going on and she has made pure vegetarian biryani for her bahijaan and she has prepared all food early morning before cooking anything else and has asked me to make sure that her bhaijaan eats” oh she says everything in one breath.....

Kifait kept quiet, Rubina was in my lap and hanging to my neck, she said looking in my eyes “You will eat na lambu mamu?, Ammi has not allowed anyone to touch this hot-case, food inside this is pure” I promised her that I will eat what she brought for me. You know how kids are, she kept saying “you eat biryani later, but atleast taste seviyan with me right now, Ammi did not allow me to taste saying not before Bhaijaan does because it has to be pure....huh !! Ammi’s bhaijaan“.

I thought, whether the food was pure or impure did not matter anymore, fasting had no meaning right now, Goddess Durga was there right in front of my eyes. I took out seviyan and gave one spoon to Rubina and I took one spoon. The smile on her face and twinkle in her eyes is impossible for me to express and explain here in words……I Took those two gifts what I saw in morning and gave to her. I think Goddess made me take out those for Rubina.

I do not know whether I did it right or wrong. Mahatma Gandhi said once…WE MUST BECOME THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE…

I called up Ma and told her everything and told her that I could not fast……my Ma just said one thing…… "Whatever you did, I am proud of you"
        
       "HAPPY EID AND NAVRATRAS TO YOU ALL"

Tags: eid, rubina, navratras

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