THE HARBINGER OF NOR'WESTER

Sowing Festival

It was a leisurely afternoon. The fairgrounds were still packed with preparations. People were mostly flocking inside a massive shed that was prepared with mats on the ground for people to sit and tarpaulin over it supported by a lot of bamboo poles. A rickshaw pulled up to the entrance. Sattu held her hand and carefully helped her alight from the rickshaw. She immediately rearranged the pleats of her saree, once she balanced herself on solid ground.

"Do you know?" Biraj casually walked striking a green stubble off his shirt. Then he put his hands in the pocket and pursed his lips as he looked at the woman beside Sattu.

"Yes," the woman replied joyfully, "I heard he wanted to take her on a tour...!?"

Vaibhav peeked behind Biraj. The woman tilted her head and looked at him questionably. Biraj turned around and stepped away allowing Vaibhav to come forward. Vaibhav looked at the copper coloured woman, her hair slick with oil and tied in a neat bun. The way she wore her saree gave pencil fashion a new sense.

"This is Chandrani Bakshi, wife of....!" Biraj introduced her to Vaibhav pointing at Sattu, and then turned to the woman, "Doctor Vaibhav Roy, I'm sure Sattu told you about him."

"Only his poetic wisdom!" Chandrani folded her hands into a namaste, "I once read Frankenstein in my school. That did not helped in a high opinion of you, imagining you dissect dead bodies!"

"Maybe you will let me tell the story of how Mary Shelley, the author wrote the novel to reconnect with her husband..."

"Maybe I will!" Chandrani laughed musically.

"What were you talking about?", Vaibhav shrugged while asking, this seemed like an invasion of privacy but also the best way to initiate conversation.

"You remember Chaitali," Biraj raised his index finger.

"I remember Sattu sweating!" Vaibhav laughed.

"Chaitali was his first love," Chandrani said plainly, "you could say he learned to stammer because of her!"

"And she reminded you of your wife back at the hospital!" Vaibhav raised his brows, "I've to rethink my opinion of her!"

All of them laughed heartily. Vaibhav took a moment to observe Chandrani top to bottom. Chandrani smiled from the corner of her lip and held onto her husband. She looked up to Sattu for an explanation.

"You're pregnant!" Vaibhav spurted out.

"She is!" Biraj took his hands out of the pocket and locked them behind his back.

"How do you know?" Sattu asked.

"Don't invoke him!" Biraj warned him.

Chandrani took a step towards the fairgrounds followed by the three men.

"So have you seen the sowing festival before, Vaibhav!?" Chandrani asked as she crossed the threshold holding up her saree.

"My mother insisted on the Basanti puja. Except that, No!", Vaibhav replied.

"Well this may not blow your mind, but...."

Vaibhav arrived at the opening where the stage used to be. He was told that this annual fair stays on the ground for continuous three weeks, packing itself in various stages, various community celebrations underway in the period. Sattu took Chandrani away to the sheds.

"You okay!?" Biraj nudged him on the side, "you know your efforts in pinpointing each member in Master da's gang were appreciated by Chaitali!"

"I'm not going nuclear on our mystery goddess, I would very much like to know who she is though!" Vaibhav answered with quips.

"I thought we agreed!"

"On not letting supernatural forces confuse us. I am investigating, totally different," Vaibhav stopped walking, "I think she is involved with the Naxals! In fact I think She is responsible for Saikat's dead partner!"

"You've no evidence!"

"Seriously, now you need evidence!?"

"If it isn't Vaibhav Roy!" a jolly voice broke between Biraj and Vaibhav. They turned to see Surojit Samanta, with his rather undecided sense of self, making his way towards them, "Bimal warm up to you yet!?"

"He allowed me to go out, so I think so!" Vaibhav smiled as he replied.

"Of course he is," Surojit extended his arms patting Vaibhav on the back. Then he took hold of him, "let me show you the main celebration! Biraj" Surojit eyed him as he dragged Vaibhav to the sheds. Vaibhav looked back at Biraj walking away as he walked with Surojit.

Surojit greeted everyone cheerfully as walked Vaibhav through the grounds. They took out their shoes at the entrance to the sheds and walked inside.

For the first few rows, people sat peacefully surrounding a singing group. They were clapping rhythmically to the melody. A little further there was a long line leading up to an elevated platform. Vaibhav tried to join the line. Surojit urged him forward past the queue.

"So we worship Basanti Maa here, the goddess of springs," Surojit stopped at the corner of the platform, "all the farmers come and offer a handful of rice from their past harvest."

The idol was visible from here, ornamented with various flowers, almost covering the goddess.

"I heard that the puja was misplaced!" said Vaibhav folding his hands, "that Prince Ram worshipped her at the eve of war in the wrong time of year. Answering him, the Goddess had to take the form of Durga. Fighting evil started to gain preference over blessing an honest living..."

"We pray for our life to gods!" replied Surojit deeply, "the farmers pray for a good harvest. A lot of gratitude owed to the farmers misses them by accident. Funny thing is, they don't even want it!"