Bottle gourd

Every year, we used to grow bottle gourd along with other vegetables in our kitchen garden, in summers. The vine of bottle gaurd spreads speedily on trees if irrigated well. It bears white flowers. Its fruit is light green with smooth skin and white flesh used as vegetable. Its juice, raita and cooked form 'sabzi' are nutritive as well as light to digest.

In the photographs, longest bottle gourd ever grown in our kitchen garden is displayed by the kitchen gardener Bahadur. His naughty daughter Kavita insisted to be clicked along with bottle gourd. She wanted to take the credit herself as she has once irrigated the vine bed. Thats a different thing that she forgot to change the position of hose pipe which resulted in over flowing.

Festive mood

I was on the roof of my house, collecting dry clothes on the line. I was low and frustrated. With business problems and the problems which my mind created on its own were puzzling me. Confused brain was tired and was feeling more tired on seeing so much work which was yet to be accomplished. Festive season was on, everybody was busy in singing, enjoying music and celebrating. And what the hell I was doing, collecting the dry clothes and making a list of household chores which were to be attended as early as possible?

Then I saw a purple kite with white stripes in the sky. Emerging from a far away building, it was coming into view. Damn! People even have the time to fly kites. Oh no! It was not one rather two, three, four and my goodness five kites in yellow, green, red and blue all with similar pattern of same color on them, were flowing towards the direction of my house. Vow!! A train of connected kites with lose string was coming nearer and nearer me. I threw the clothes on the cot, ran to see them. By the time they were very close. I feared as they all were going to bang a ber tree which has thorns to harm their delicate paper skins. The wind was taking them away. Now, I want to protect the five sister kites.

As they were passing close but not so close to the roof wall, I jumped and got hold of the lose string. My left leg rubbed against the wall. A loooong scratch but I ignored the pain while giving direction to the kites against the wish of wind. I was happy as a child. Festive mood has dawned on me.

KNOCK! KNOCK!!

KNOCK! KNOCK!!
Who’s there?
A glossy black house crow was sitting on the windowsill of kitchen, was tapping her beak on the window pane. It’s the aroma of dishes cooked by my mother which attracted her.
KNOCK! KNOCK!!
My mother gave her pieces of chapatti. She gathered all in her small bill and flew away.

Next day
KNOCK! KNOCK!!
The same bird again, feeling hungry, wanted something just anything to eat. This very movement the meal was not yet prepared, so my mother put two biscuits on windowsill. She took away one biscuit and the other one was taken by some other crow that was hiding in ber foliage.

Third Day
KNOCK! KNOCK!!
The intelligent creature was demanding food as usual; as usual my mother gave her few left over bread crumbs. Soon seven- eight crows came who were sitting on the top branches and couldn’t be seen from kitchen window pane. In a minute everything was finished.

Fifteen minutes passed.
KNOCK! KNOCK!!
The lazy bird was yearning not only food for herself and her children but for her whole family. My mother stopped giving her any eatables.

One should never be helped fully. It makes one idle. One should be helped to some percent only so that one continued to struggle for its survival.

Relaxing time

My pet named ‘Kartiki’ was relaxing under my study table. On triangular face her erect pinkish ears, shinning black eyes, brownish black sensitive wet nose and white sharp teeth and her licking tongue made her the most beautiful creature in the world of course in my views. Yellowish cream fur coat of hers was soft to touch. Her curved tail’s tip always stroked her own body.

It was nap time. A cute pose to be clicked, so was clicked.

RELAX, baby relax, plenty of time to relax.

Monkey’s taste

Selecting a book from library is a labourious job if one can’t find the books of one's choice. Picking up the one; going through it, reading its summary and about the author to find of one's taste. Once I was in the same dilemma, select a book. Turning its pages, I by chance reached its last but one page. In blue ball pen ink, was written ‘This book is very boring.’ And below it someone else has written in red ink, from the difference in handwriting, I guessed that. “Bandar kya jane adrak ka swad”, meaning monkey doesn’t relish the taste of ginger. Does any one know the English proverb of the similar meaning?

After that, becomes my habit to start reading a book from the end but I am yet to come across such an interesting comment again.

Recession

An attractive duck with colorful speculum was floating in one of the lakes in Orlando. She is a proud mother of eighteen young ones. Some dull colored, some bright yellow and a few spotted ducklings are trailing her in swamp. Swimming, diving, getting entangled in aquatic flora but still following their mother.

In recession, upbringing of eighteen young ones is really a tough job, indeed tough.

Polythene bags

These days, almost every item is wrapped in polythene. Spices, pulses, sugar, biscuits, bread, washing powder, electric gadgets and readymade garments are there with a cover of polythene around them. Even liquids like milk and oil are also in polypacks.

Karva Chauth, a traditional festival for married women, no food no water. They keep fast for longevity of their husbands. On that day, rather at night they break their fast after moon rise.

This year, the faintly visible moon with a tint of orange and yellow seemed to be wrapped in slightly white polythene. Nature affected by polythene!