Kumud, panting, reached Mrinali and (still panting) said,
"I... I came running... (takes a deep breath) so that I could have the darshan at the temple with Madam Ji... but you have already finished your darshan... and now it's even time for you to head home..."
Mrinali replied, "Oh, take a breath first and relax. Then say what you want to."
To calm herself down, Kumud sat there beside Mrinali. After a while, when her breathing returned to normal, she began to speak-"How do you wake up so early, yaar? When it's still the middle of the night for us, you're already studying at 2 AM. I thought today I'd join you for early morning darshan and sweet-talk Mahadev a little too, but I only woke up at 5-kept turning off the alarm since 3."
Saying this, she made a face like an innocent child and started complaining.
Hearing this, Mrinali smiled and said, "No worries, we'll go to the temple this evening and catch the Ganga Aarti too. And tomorrow, we'll call you and wake you up early, so you can join us for morning darshan."
Saying this, she smiled and turned all her attention toward Ganga Maiya.
Hearing Mrinali's words, Kumud also felt happy and peacefully rested her head on Mrinali's shoulder, gazing at Ganga Maiya.
After ten minutes, both stood up and started walking.
The two friends strolled through the lanes of Banaras, chatting away-Kumud was doing most of the talking, while Mrinali listened seriously, yet with a gentle smile on her face.
When they reached the lanes near their homes, they said goodbye and went off in their own directions.
Upon reaching home, Mrinali opened the door to find a large courtyard, right in the center of which stood a beautiful Tulsi plant on a raised platform, adorned with rangoli made of kumkum and turmeric all around it.
The old walls of that Banaras home stood like silent witnesses of time.
The wooden doors, the sunlight streaming through the windows, and Amma ji pouring water on the Tulsi plant-together, they turned that house into a living temple.
Mrinali's grandmother,( Kalyani Devi), offered water to the Tulsi plant every morning. Water would trickle gently from a bronze lota as verses of the Tulsi stuti echoed softly from her lips. A small oil lamp flickered in the courtyard, and the Tulsi leaves, glistening with dew, sparkled in the morning light. Her devotion seemed to sanctify the entire house.
Mrinali, too, folded her hands to the Tulsi Mata and made her way toward the kitchen.
Right past the courtyard was the kitchen door. Inside, her mother, (Ketaki Sharma), sat at the hearth, flipping rotis, while the aroma of ghee and tempering filled the house.
The scent of Tulsi, the jingle of bangles, and the fragrance of food cooking-this was the true flavor of home.
Mrinali sat down beside her mother to help make rotis. After they were done, Ketaki ji moved on to the rest of the household chores, and Mrinalini prepared tea for everyone.
(In the morning, Amma ji doesn't like any noise until her prayers are complete, so everyone works quietly.)
After the Tulsi puja in the courtyard, Amma ji sat down on the cot placed nearby.
By then, Mrinali's father, (Pradeep Sharma), also came out from the prayer room after finishing his morning rituals.
Seeing her son, Amma ji called out loudly,
"Arre oh... Koi hai ki nahi e ghar jo chai pila de? Ya e budiya ke chai ke nasib upar hi khulihai ka ?"
("Arre oh... is there anyone in this house who'll give me some tea? Or is this old woman destined to have her tea only in the afterlife?")
Hearing his mother's words, Sharma ji replied,
"kahe subh subh aisi bate kr rhi ho Amma aa rhi hogi chai"
("Why are you saying such things so early in the morning, Amma? The tea must be on its way.")
Before Amma ji could say anything more, Mrinali arrived, carrying a tray of tea in her hands.
She touched the feet of her grandmother and father, took their blessings, served them tea, and then went off to wake up her dear brother,(Prakhar Sharma), in his room.
She quietly opened the door and stepped inside. Soft sunlight was spilling into the room. A poster of MS Dhoni hung on the wall, books and a half-open laptop lay on the table. On the single bed, her brother was fast asleep, half-covered with a blanket, and an open book rested beside his pillow.
Mrinali quietly entered the room, smiled, and placing her hand on his forehead, said,
"Uth jao Cheeku, subah ho gayi hai..."
("Wake up, Cheeku, it's morning now...")
(Here, everyone in the family lovingly calls Prakhar Cheeku, so we'll call him that too.)
Turning over, he mumbled,
"Bas do minute aur Didi..."
("Just two more minutes, Didi...")
Pulling the blanket, she laughed and said,, "Tumhare do minute kabhi poore hi nahi hote!"
("Your two minutes never end!")
The room was still messy, but her voice seemed to fill it with warmth and affection.
Cheeku (opening his eyes, said):
"Aap bas mujhe hi uthate ho... aur woh badi Didi? Woh bhi toh nahi uthi hongi abhi, unhe toh sajne-swarnay se hi fursat nahi milti!"
( "You always wake me up... What about Badi Didi? She probably hasn't gotten up yet either-she's always too busy dolling herself up!")
Mrinali (gently, with love):"Tum hamesha Didi ke peeche kyun padhe rehte ho, woh badi hai na hum dono se, aise baat mat kiya karo unke baare mein, Cheeku."
("Why are you always after her, Cheeku? She's older than both of us. Don't talk like that about her.")
Cheeku: "Haan badi hai toh kya hua, jo sach hai wahi toh bola! Unka toh makeup pehle, duniya baad mein!"
("So what if she's older? I'm just speaking the truth. For her, makeup comes first, the rest of the world later!")
Mrinali:"Aur tumhara Didi ke liye gussa pehle, nashta baad mein?"
("And for you, anger at Didi comes first, breakfast later?")
Cheeku (smiling):"Nahi... ab toh paratha pehle, baaki sab baad mein!"
("No... Now it's paratha first, everything else later!")
Mrinali (smiling and running her hand over his head): "Waise toh roti-sabzi bani hai, par tumhare liye parathe bana denge."
("Well, there's roti-sabzi, but for you, I'll make parathas.")
Hearing his sister, Cheeku lit up with joy and got up to head to the bathroom.
Mrinali, having woken her brother, went off to the kitchen to make parathas for him.
(It was a rule in the Sharma household that Cheeku had to have parathas for breakfast-and they had to be piping hot. That's why Mrinalini would always wake him up first and then make parathas for him.)
After a little while, Cheeku also came out, completed his prayers, and sat down with Amma ji.
Meanwhile, Sharmain returned from hanging clothes on the terrace, ready to wake up the princess of the house.
(A large, well-decorated room. A mirrored dressing table, clothes scattered around, and the scent of expensive perfume in the air. It's 7:30 in the morning. This is the room of the princess of the house and the eldest daughter-Malini Sharma.)
Ketaki ji (gently entering the room):
"Pari... uth ja meri gudiya, din chadh gaya..."
("Pari... wake up, my doll, the day has already begun...")
Malini (covering her face):
"Mumma... tang mat karo na, meri beauty sleep poori nahi hui, phir glow nahi aayega."
("Mumma... don't bother me, my beauty sleep isn't complete yet-my glow won't come without it.")
Ketaki ji (smiling):
"Arey meri gudiya toh bina glow ke bhi chaand jaisi lagti hai... chal, nashta rakha hai - wahi diet wala..."
("Oh, my doll looks like the moon even without the glow... come on, breakfast is ready-your diet one, of course.")
Malini (with attitude):
"Hmph... theek hai, ab jao... uth jaungi."
("Hmph... fine, now go... I'll get up.")
Ketaki ji (lovingly):
"Tera yeh chehra dekh loon subah-subah, din ban jaata hai mera."
("When I see your face first thing in the morning, it makes my whole day.")
Malini:
"Haan haan theek hai."
("Yeah yeah, fine.")
Sharmain went off to set the diet breakfast on the dining table for her daughter, while their princess headed to follow her morning skincare routine.
(A little while later, at the dining table, Ketaki ji was explaining to Mrinali that Malini's breakfast was light-oats, fruit cuts, dry fruit milk. For Cheeku, there were parathas, and for everyone else, ghee-brushed rotis and cauliflower sabzi.)
For breakfast, Amma ji took her seat on her chair, Sharma ji sat down reading the newspaper, and then Prakhar also joined. Just then, the princess of the house, Malini, made her grand entrance-hair down, light makeup and perfume on, dressed in a soft pink kurta set.
Seeing Malini, Amma ji made a face-because she knew that in front of her son, she couldn't say anything to his darling daughter.
*******
That's all for today! So, how did you like meeting the members of Mrinali's family? I hope you enjoyed this part of the story.
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