Mrinalini♦

1. Lotus

THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO: 

 My mother, for her sacrifices, love, and strength. 

To Goddess Durga, who symbolizes maternal love and protection. The one who is the mother of all living beings.

To Goddess Lakshmi, the one who signifies the sacrifices and struggles of women. The one whose ability to adjust brings harmony and prosperity to the household. The one who provides strength to Her other half, the protector of the universe.

To Goddess Saraswati, the consort of the creator of this universe and the preserver of all knowledge and learning.

To the sacred and divine women and mothers who nurture life and uphold love.

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"A lotus has delicate petals which open only when the sun shines upon it at dawn. With the twilight, the petals close. Girls represent the lotus and their life their petals; the sun must shine, for them to bloom."

-Elegiac_Damsel
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June 2017

Third person's point of view:

The sun had just risen in Kolkata at 5.00 a.m. 

The birds were chirping noisily that summer morning and the lotuses had just started opening their petals. The first rays of the sun fell on the mucky, muddy, almost opaque water of their habitat, and reflected the golden beam of light that seemed to have descended from heaven. The early morning bells could be heard chiming rhythmically in all the temples while the sound of many conch shells being blown in unison echoed in the horizon. With the fishermen immersing their nets in the Hooghly river and flower sellers already setting up their stalls, it was just another blissful dawn in the City of Joy.

In a particular one-story house near Entally, the sunlight seeping through an East facing transparent window frame disturbed the sleep of a young 21-year-old girl. Her eyes opened slowly, depicting the delicate petals of a lotus. She was no stranger to the dawn; with the years, rising with the sun every day had become a habit. Stifling a yawn, she sat up in bed only to be greeted by the empty spot next to her. 

Mrinalini did not have to look around anywhere for her mother though; the shrill whistle of the pressure cooker followed by the clanking of vessels let her know of her mother, Rai's whereabouts. She was obviously in the kitchen, cooking. 

Lifting herself off the bed, she proceeded to go about her daily routine, making the bed, bathing, and getting dressed for college. She packed her satchel with her books and other stationery and then skipped to her grandmother's room next door. The room had a marble temple wherein the idols of Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha resided. On two small thrones nearby, resided the brass idol of a baby Krishna and the Narayan Shila (rock representing the protector of the universe). Mrinalini's grandmother, the matriarch of the Debnath household, Brindadebi was preparing for the daily worship. She smiled as her granddaughter walked in, dressed up in a modern yet conservative way. 

"Good morning Thamma (grandmother). What can I do for you?" she asked cheerfully.

"Get me some sandalwood paste and after that go to the kitchen to fetch me the kheer your mother has prepared to serve the Lord. It is a Thursday, we must pay our respects to Him and Goddess Lakshmi," Brindadebi instructed her granddaughter.