Mahalaya

The sun was about to set. The beauty of the rays reflected in her eyes. Out in the distance, the clock chimed loudly bringing back memories of a similar evening long gone by.

The boss had just screamed at her again. Thrown the papers in her face in front of the whole office. A numb silence followed where everything seemed to move in slow motion. Picking up the torn pieces of her efforts, she walked slowly out of the office. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she walked down the boulevard. People walked past her and cars zipped by. Was this what she was meant for? Would she have to pay this price for leaving behind everything she so dearly loved?

Surely this was not how it was supposed to end. What was it that was stopping her from becoming who she was meant to?

The wind blew her hair across her face. The first leaf fell. It signalled the arrival of autumn which also signalled the arrival of the most awaited time of the year. The beauty, the fervour and the enthralling fierceness flashed in front of her eyes. All in an instant it was clear to her what was holding her back.

As she lifted her pen to sign her resignation, her eyes rose up to see a fiery red streak in the sky. It was dawn. Out in the distance a clock chimed loudly. All she could hear was a conch blow. Ma had arrived.

She smiled and looked at the sun reflecting in the holy river. A conch blew in the distance as the scent of the incense wafted through the air. She was back where she belonged.

Shubho Mahalaya.