My fiction A girl was born under the theme Yesterday Today Tomorrow for #BlogChatterA2Z.
She was born 2.2 kgs. Her mother had put on so much weight during her pregnancy, that everyone was expecting a chubby infant. But, she was very small – mouse-like. No wonder, the doctor who delivered her called her ‘chuhiya’ (meaning mouse). Thankfully, her family decided not to play along. Her mother named her ‘Tara’.
Tara was a tigress. Supple, bold and fearless. At 5 years, she was the leader of the neighbourhood child gang. Everyone knew her, from the milkman to the grocer.
Living in the old part of Delhi had its perks. They just had to scale a low wall to find themselves in another house. If she didn’t like the food that her mother had prepared, she would hop to her neighbours’ to find out what they were eating.
She accompanied her grandmother to the terrace where they offered water to the Sun God and millet to the hovering pigeons. Her grandmother chatted with the neighbours who were drying papads or clothes, while she played with the kids.
She stood in the verandah for hours and observed the bustling life of the lane below. The peddle rickshawwala was ferrying school kids. Two well-built men were pulling a hand cart piled with boxes. A tired man was sitting on the steps near the temple and wiping off the sweat with his gamchha (towel). A buxom woman in a pretty pink sari with a shopping bag in one hand was trying unsuccessfully to avoid the filth on the road sticking to her sari.
The gajjak-maker had a huge ball of caramel in his hand which he hung on the big nail on the wall. He pulled the ball of caramel towards him and again hung it on the nail. She started counting the number of times he stretched the caramel and put it back on the nail, but she knew numbers only till 18.
If she felt like eating sweets, she would just climb down the stairs and cross the narrow street to the gajjak shop and ask for some freshly made gajjak.
“Khate mein likh dena!,” (Write down in the monthly account register) she said as she had often heard her grandfather saying.
In the evening, a chatwala into the gully. All the women milled around him.
“Give me 1 aloo chat!” One woman shouted.
“Give me some more meethi chutney!” Another one asked.
“Your water’s not as tangy as always. Maybe you didn’t put enough lemon!” The third one suggested. The poor guy didn’t utter a word. He just nodded his head.
Her mother never went down to eat chat. Her grandmother didn’t like that. It was improper for the women of their family to be seen eating chat in the gully. So, she sent their servant instead to get chat for her. Tara accompanied him many a times. The chatwala always gave her one puri to eat.
This has painted such a vibrant picture of Delhi! It makes me want to go 🙂 thank you for sharing!
My blogs in the A to Z: Self discovery via travel and a separate Interactive story.
Hi Andi, I seemed to have missed your comment. Thank you so much. Reading your post right away!!
lovely post… I myself am a delhite and can completely relate with this.. especially the popping over to my neighbours home if I didnt like what was cooked at home 🙂 our chat-wala used to come late afternoon, and he made the prettiest looking plates of dahi-wada 🙂
Glad you liked it! As someone born in Delhi but staying miles away from my birth town, I have some very fond memories of Delhi and it’s culture and food. As a Delhiite, I am sure you must be enjoying the street food so much.
I have heard a lot about old Delhi and the life there. You have created a wonderful narrative of the life there. I could imagine the scene around chatwala
Thank you neha. I had visited Old Delhi three years ago, and it is still the same. It is as if the time has stood still.
Lovely start, Anshu. Are you going to continue this story tomorrow or begin a new one?
Thank you ravish. It is the same story that I will be continuing with, however chapter names will be different
Such a lovely tale of chuhiya the tigress 🙂 I love the name Tara, somehow Tara name is always related to spirited women. What a brilliant beginning, looking ahead to read such beautiful tales everyday. Good wishes
Thanks Dipika. You are right, Tara despite being a celestial body is often related to spirited women. Do read my next chapter! Looking forward to read yours as well! Good luck!
Woah, this is an interesting read. I like how you’ve built it. Waiting eagerly for more of your post and some interesting built up.
Thanks Tamanna. Posting my second chapter shortly.
What a wonderful starting episode! I lived in Delhi growing up and I can imagine many kids I noticed around the neighborhood, described aptly in your writing. Good to get nice glimpse of Old Delhi 🙂
Thanks a lot. I have very fond memories of that place. Though my dadi is no more, we still have that kothi – our only connection with the old Delhi life.
In my childhood, every year we went to purani dilli where my aunt lived in yesteryears. I relived and remembered those trips and those congested streets. Surely coming back for more.
Thanks so much dear! 🙂
Wonderful post, long to read all ur post now. Chandni chowk ki galiya and its chaat. Its the place i have grown up too. You have expressed it beautifully what happens behind those houses and such spirited girls expression, love it all..
Thanks a lot!! Glad that you liked it! The story will take a turn shortly!
Loved reading the story. Totally engrossed in littler Tara’s world.
Thanks for reading Priya. Looking forward to having you here everyday!!
Indeed an intriguing beginning
Thank you so much!
Delhi life well described!!
Thanks Aesha!
Loved the picture you painted of the alleys of Delhi! Great start.. Looking forward to know Tara!
Thanks Meha for your kind words. It’s the Delhi I have seen and lived as a small child.
Thanks for dropping onto my blog for thats how I found yours. What a lovely tale you have spun of life in Chandini Chowk; I could visualise it so vividly! You have a real talent for writing fiction which enmeshes your reader’s imagination into the storyline
Hey thanks so much. Glad you liked the introduction. Your words of appreciation count a lot! Thanks again! <3
Thanks Neethu. Your comments really count. Looking forward to your appreciation and critique, both! 🙂 <3 <3
First chapter is very vividly described. Now i have to read others. Nice beginning…..
Thanks Meena for liking the post. Hope you like others in the series too! 🙂
I am hooked now! 🙂
Aww…thanks Meena. I am touched!! 🙂
Thanks Ryan, looking forward to your comments.