Ponchomi

The Mehendi-wallahs have already taken their

place in front of the bright-silk Pandals.

Balloon-kaku must be on his way.

Twenty odd ice-cream counters have mushroomed

across the street, each more drool-raising than the next -

One young lady trips on her yellow sari and

looks around in vague embarrassment, anxious

for this little slip in her graceful flow to have escaped

notice. I look away real fast.

Satisfied, she skips off to join her frantically-waving

group of friends. She is feeling pretty alright!

Rickshaw-Kaku brags to his friend about the incredible double-fare he has managed this

early into the Pujo. 

Somewhere someone blows a whistle that sounds

unbelievably like a mouse sighing in happiness. 

A toddler wearing a Batman tee and a

wide-eyed look of wonder 

tugs at my jeans for no reason at all. His Dadu laughs apologetically on behalf of the mini-man.

It's hard not to smile ~

I imagine you looking at some other little kid with shiny-coin eyes, 

at that end of our pretty city.

I imagine you finding it hard not to smile too, and

I smile:)