878, 877

Last night, I had driven my mum, neighbours and another girl who works with us to a Durga pandal near Congress Bhavan. It is supposed to be the biggest Durga Pandal in Pune and the busiest. So I wore a saree, convinced my mum and got my neighbors excited about the pandal as well. It was the first day though so the stalls and stuff were not set up yet. The devi's murti was there though and I love the first glimpse of Durga in a pandal - dazzling white and red. The durga murtis that I love though are the ones I have seen in the Ram Krishna Mission and ISKCON. Even the Patwardhan Park in Bandra. Also, the one at Koregaon Park and the one I had seen near Someshwar Wadi. Those durgas are what I am used to imagining Durga as. She was only sixteen and very beautiful and fierce. The durgas in Maharashtra usually are older and look matronly. That's not the durga I search for during this season. I look for eyes that blaze and mesmerize. She has the youth and innocence of one who knows that she will vanquish. She looks like a rose moulded out of fire.

Anyway, the pandal was beautiful. We did the darshan and sat around having juice and ice-creams. The neighbors are hard-core vegetarians and I think they were a little surpised to see non-vegetarian food being served in a devi pandal. This is something I had never thought of growing up because mutton chop and prawn biryani was such an integral part of our durga darshan.

Anyway, driving back I was thinking about how much I liked this - staying in a new place and taking my mom around the city. Or if she wants something, I like being able to get it. Not just my mum. I like doing that for people I love and am responsible for. Yes. I think I like being the provider - in as much as one can provide something for someone. By staying away from them, of course. Proximity I am still not okay with.

So no. Not done with Pune yet.