Goal!!!

After three months of incessant rain, I can look out of the window and say-

And in honour of the Sun showing his face, here's a precious memory from the monsoons.

GOAL!!!

Walking home, I saw the kids playing football on the street. Wet teeshirts clinging to their backs, water dripping off their hair. I was glad they were not my kids- I didn't even want to think about the germs they were picking up.

The splashed through puddles as they ran to kick the ball. Their laughter carried up to me. I longed to join them. I knew I couldn't.

A misjudged kick. The ball came flying towards me. I could have dodged the impact- instead, I moved to intercept it. My foot made contact. 

No Goal could have been sweeter!

_____

A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Abusing the trust?

"Mamma, do you know, Bharat kissed Muskan today", my second-grader informed me.
I had no idea how to react. "Really? And what did Muskan do?"
"She said, 'ooohhh' and smiled", he said.
"Why did Bharat kiss her?", I probed gently.
"Because he loves her. And she loves him too, but her friends tease her, so she doesn't talk to him."
"Does your teacher know?"
"No. And you don't tell her, okay."

I am stuck. I think the teacher needs to know what is going on. But how do I do it without abusing the trust my kid placed in me?

_____

A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Henna Tattoo Parlour

[This is a work of fiction.]

Every year at festival time, I take my place on the pavement with my friends, arrange my tubes of henna paste and pattern books around me, and set up up an alfresco henna tattoo parlour. The moment my customer gives me her hand, my fingers know exactly what to do. The henna paste flows out under my expert guidance, and peacocks, flowers and abstract designs take shape on her palms. Even the most intricate designs take me not more than ten minutes, my clients are always satisfied.

The money is good- it will pay for my canvas and oil paints.

_____
A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Ganpathi Bappa Morya

"Ganpathi Bappa Morya. Praise Ganpathi, Our Father."

The ten-day long celebration in honour of Ganpathi is the festival that defines Bombay. Communities vie with each other to erect larger and larger idols of the elephant headed God. The entire community comes together to pray, people come from across the town and queue up for hours at a time to see the more popular idols. Plays, often on socially relevant themes, are performed at the foot of the deity. Ganpathi loves modaks- the festival is the perfect excuse to indulge in the sweet made of coconut and jaggery.

"Ganpathi Bapa Morya."

_____
A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Fatigue

Even before I was ten, I learnt that when a Hindu festival and a Muslim festival fell on the same day it would lead to religious riots. Things only got worse in the next two decades. Then fatigue set in. People realised that violence served no purpose. Co-exiting was easier.

Today is Ramazan-Eid. The ten-day Ganapathi festival starts tomorrow. When I heard about the police deploying extra troops to maintain law and order, my immediate reaction was, 'What nonsense! Who has the time or the energy for all that?"

Indians have learnt their lesson. I hope the World does too.
_____

A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Photograph from The Times of India- an artisan taking a break to say his prayers.

Nights of Feasting, follow Days of Fasting

[Iftar - traditionally, the evening meal partaken by Muslims after a day of fasting. Today, a celebration which non-Muslims join in with gusto- who doesn't love a good meal?]


Be prepared to loosen your belt by an inch if you choose to walk down a street selling Ramazan delicacies. The aroma from the mutton kebabs and lamb chops travel straight up your nostrils and settle onto your hips and tummy. You can enjoy teh sensory experience of the sticky sweet jalebis and maddeningly fattening malpuas without even digging into them.

"What is the point of fasting all day, when you gorge at night?", you ask someone.
"Thinking of the evening meal helps us get through the day", they reply. "Besides many of these delicacies are available only during Ramazan.

_____

A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Education gives you a good life?

A couple of hours after his sixth birthday party, my older one started planning his next one. He wanted a "big" party at Pizza Hut; I have been trying to steer him towards something a little less extravagant. With barely three months to go before his Big Day, the topic came up again last night.
"Can I please have my birthday at Pizza Hut", he began, staring at me with a plaintive look in his eyes.
"Why don't we take a few of your really close friends out for an afternoon?", I asked.
"But it would be more fun to have a party at Pizza Hut", he argued.
"Wouldn't it be fun to spend an afternoon with your friends, and have lunch with them?", I asked, before adding. "We can even get you a Spiderman cake, if you wish."
That seemed to tilt the scales a little. "Okay", he said. "But why can't I have a party at Pizza Hut."
I debated for a second, before deciding this was as good a time as any other for a lesson in sharing. "Because, a big party at Pizza Hut is more expensive than an afternoon out with friends", I explained. "We can give all the money we save to some poor kid who needs it."
"But what will the kid do with the money?", he asked.
"Maybe his parents can use the money to send him to school. Then he will learn things, and when he grows up, he will have a good life."
"Will he really have a good life is he goes to school now", my son asked.
"Yes, of course", I replied. "Education is the key to everything. Now, the child is poor and doesn't have a good life. But after he gets an education, he will get a good job, and be able to earn money, and then he will have a good life."
He was silent for a few minutes. Then said, "Okay. I will have a smaller birthday party, and you can give the money to the kid's parents. But don't tell them I gave it, okay. Let it be a surprise."

I was so proud of my son, I nearly agreed to give him his party at Pizza Hut and also make a donation to an institution working to impart education, but contented myself by hugging him tight and telling him how proud I was of him.


Poverty is, perhaps, the biggest problem facing the world today- and Education is the most effective tool by which to fight poverty. Every child in a school, every adult literate- that should not have to be a distant dream. If every one of us is aware of the magnitude of the problem, and is willing to do our bit, we would be a little closer to the solution than we were yesterday.

Today, September 8, is International Literacy Day. Can you take a few minutes off to reflect on what literacy means to you, and if possible blog about it, to spread awareness. And if you can, could you also do your bit towards contributing to the education of a child? There are many organisations which allow you donate online. And even if you can't do either, do check out Burrowers, Books & Balderdash for some unbelievable statistics that Mari has put together on (the lack of) literacy.