Surangi, The Child Bride

Part 18

Surangi watched with amusement, any effort to swaddle Gaju was in vain because as soon as he was wrapped he wriggled out like a worm squeezing itself out of a constricted space. He constantly moved his hands and feet as if preparing to be a strong-limbed boy. Both Surangi and Waman would coo to him and he listened and responded with his own intonation. Surangi often lost track of time during the baby talk. "Gaju, when you grow up you can visit us for your holidays, I'll pamper you and ply you with sweets like gulab jamun and puranpoli. We can play together and have lots of fun!", she would tell him. Madhav heard every word of her prattle slyly but pretended to be busy studying, making his wife envious about his ability to focus on schoolwork without being distracted, even if he was sitting in the same next to her. 

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival was near and the children were excited. Family members who had migrated to other towns for work would return home for the family celebrations. It is a tradition to worship clay idols of Ganpati, the elephant headed Hindu God and son of Shiva-Parvati. Religious rituals and idol worship are typical to Hinduism because the mind tends to objectify Godhead even though one regards divinity as formless. Schools shut down to enable families to participate in the festival. New clothes are bought, homes and yards are thoroughly cleaned in preparation, walls are given a fresh coat of paint. The area of the house where the idol is installed is decorated with flowers, gourds, wild berries and herbs. The women are busy in their kitchens preparing snacks like chakli, modak, coconut karanjis (fried pastry turnovers) and laddoos to be served to family and visitors alike.

Weeks before Ganesh Chaturthi dainty idols made of shaadu maati (clay) have to be pre-ordered in the artisan's workshop, where they are sculpted and painted with simple vegetable colours. The material used for worshipping includes seasonal flowers, fruit and certain foliage, all of which is easily available locally. The idols are immersed in a river or lake after the festival, supposedly to put back what one had borrowed from nature, to minimise the ecological cost. In towns where they have community worship of idols, musical and cultural performances are held for the occasion, with participation from local as well as professional talent.

On the third day after Ganesh Chaturthi, Gauri is celebrated in many homes. While some families bring clay idols of Gauri, for the Chitpavans the Gauri is symbolic, taking the form of smooth riverside pebbles (khadyachya Gauri) that are scrubbed clean for the puja. Gauri is welcomed during the Avaahan, decorated with silk fabric, jewellery and flowers before being worshipped elaborately. She is treated with affection just as if she were a daughter coming home from her in-laws. On her second day she is offered a ceremonial lunch with traditional sweets and on the next day she is immersed along with the Ganesh idol on the riverbank, so that the cycle may be repeated in the next year.

On the last day of school before the holidays began the children hurried home from school. The next day was to be observed as Haratalika when women and girls fast and pray to Parvati, Shiva's wife. Some women may not allow themselves even a drop of water but in the Oak household Aaji insisted that they would consume fruit and milk to maintain energy levels through the day. Surangi chatted away with Chandri about her first Haratalika vrat as a married girl when she slipped on the moss-covered ground that sent her tumbling, causing her skirt to be lifted off her hips. There were peals of laughter as unscrupulous kids mocked her mercilessly, yelling chaddi disli! "What is there to laugh at? " She complained to Chandri who stepped forward to help her get on her feet.

Madhav stood by angrily, upset about her momentary humiliation. "Can you not see where you are going? Watch your step instead of gossiping all the way home!" He said, trying not to be heard by others. He quickened his step and Waman tried to keep up, but Surangi did not bother to match his pace. "And I am supposed to fast on Haratalika for him! Why did he have to get angry, I did not fall down on purpose!" She cribbed, making Chandri laugh. "That's because husbands are possessive about the bloomers area, other fellows should not look at you there!" Chandri blurted out. "What do you mean? They don't wear bloomers, so why should they care?" Surangi expressed her indignation innocently. "Sorry, but I cannot say more, you are much too young. And lucky your privates were concealed under the bloomers, I don't even own bloomers myself!" Chandri remarked.

"Oh  I did not either, Vidya vansa got me some, she said girls are using them in the city!" Surangi clarified. Their conversation veered back to the holidays and the bloomers were soon a forgotten topic though Surangi did sense that there was more to subject, something she did not know yet. She got home, freshened up and changed. The children snacked on phodniche pohe and milk. Surangi rushed to meet Gaju, who had just finished nursing at his mother's breast. "You smell of milk!" Surangi addressed him and helped him burp. Since the boys were not around Surangi narrated her tale of woe about the fall to Vidya, hoping to get some clarification from her. "I do not know why he was so upset with me!" She added.

Vidya smiled at her indulgently. "Madhav is quite sensible, but boys can become a little aggressive when they approach teenage. As your husband he is supposed to guard your honour, he may have felt that he failed you when others laughed at you. May be that's why!" Vidya deflected the tension gently. " Parvati did penance to convince Shiva to take her as his wife. But you seem a little cross! So, does it mean you will not fast tomorrow?" She asked her. "Oh no, of course I will fast, just like the other women of the house." Surangi replied quickly. "Then what if you get Madhav as your husband in your next life too?" Vidya was having fun teasing her. "In the next birth I shall be the husband and he can be my wife!" Surangi declared while playing with Gaju. "Ok, run along now and see if mother needs any help!" Vidya told her, sending her off to the kitchen. "Your Mami is cute, isn't she?" She asked, smiling at her infant son.