There was confusion in the eyes of the seven year old Surangi as they dipped mango leaves into the sandal-turmeric paste to anoint her. She did not know what marriage meant, she was just told that she would move into a new home in a village far away...
Chaaturmaas, the period of four months between mid-July to mid-October, corresponding with the Indian monsoon and autumn, is regarded as a sacred period reserved for austerities, fasting and other religious observances. The eleventh day of the month of Hindu month Ashadh which falls in July is observed as Devshayani Ekadashi, the day the Gods are symbolically put to rest in the belief that deities like Vishnu reposed on the Shesh Naag during the period. Weddings, thread ceremonies, house warming, etc are not held during Chaaturmaas, these may commence after Kartiki Ekadashi in October.
Madhav's grandmother explained the rationale behind the penance and austerities. The fury of the monsoons, the cascades and the swollen rivers made travel on the sodden dirt tracks inconvenient and dangerous. People could neither host occasions nor could guests undertake travel to attend them. The cultivators were busy planting paddy and other crops so they had no time to spare for celebrations. Because it rained incessantly the elderly would turn to devotion as there was little else to do.
In the monsoon the produce was contaminated with soil, so leafy greens, vegetables that grew close to the ground or those that were likely to have insect larvae in them were avoided. Unable to breathe through their skins in waterlogged ground earthworms and other critters climbed on vegetation to survive. People gave up eating raw foods, starchy tubers, onions, garlic, brinjals, fish, poultry, meat or beverages made with unboiled water to avoid being affected by water-borne illnesses. Simple, easily digestible foods and fasting meant the digestive system was not overburdened. Yashoda faced a challenge in choosing the right produce that was suitable to serve, especially to Vidya who was due anytime now. Bananas, pomegranate, dried fruit, okra, gourds and pumpkin dominated the menu.
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The fifth day of the Shravan month was Naag Panchami, a day devoted to the Indian cobra, locally known as Naag. Aaji explained that snakes are important to farmers because they feed on rodents that destroy grain. In the monsoon the snake holes become flooded and the snakes are seen slithering around. People are wary of them since the cobra, like the viper, is a venomous snake. A bite could be fatal. Care needs to be taken while walking around. Farm labourers are most vulnerable and on Naag Panchami day people try to appease the cobras by worshipping them symbolically and by avoiding ploughing the field or using sickles lest they harm the snakes or be bitten. No chopping or frying is done on this day, instead steamed cakes filled with sweetened coconut and chickpeas are eaten.
The children did not mind the Chaaturmaas austerities, they had been conditioned to them since they were toddlers. Surangi became more and more comfortable taking swimming lessons from Madhav and the elders who coached her. She still had to wear wooden floats around her waist but in a few days she could swim without assistance, albeit always in the presence of the more experienced adult swimmers. Madhav was happy with the progress she was making, both with her swimming and her studies. He made her practise arithmetic, setting her problems on a slate, almost every day.
He found it amusing when she would absent-mindedly scratch her head if she was stuck on a problem. Both Surangi and Waman regarded the gifted Madhav as their guru or teacher, seeking his blessings on Guru Pournima. He took his role as guru even more seriously after that, much to their chagrin. Everyone is born a dud in Math, only practice can make one accomplished in the subject, he would tell them as he posed question after question to them. One day after a particularly long and annoying session Surangi finally snapped. "Aaji sasubai says I must learn to cook and to keep house and you want me to become a mathematician like Bhaskaracharya. What should I become when I grow up?" She asked him with a pouting face.
