The golden morning light pierced through the ornate windows of the haveli, but to Bondita, it felt like a spotlight on her failure. Dressed in a vibrant yellow silk saree that shimmered with heavy gold embroidery, she flew through the corridors. The frantic, uneven jingling of her anklets felt like an alarm bell echoing her hammering heart. It was 6 15 AM ....forty-five minutes late. The sacred silence she usually shared with Dida had been broken by her own exhaustion.
At the threshold of the puja room, she stopped, her chest heaving. The air was thick with the scent of fresh hibiscus and sandalwood. Watching Dida’s serene silhouette, Bondita felt a wave of guilt. She stepped in like a shadow, offering a silent, desperate “Sorry” to Durga Maa before sinking to the floor to seek Dida’s blessings.

Write a comment ...