Shubho Sharadiya- Happy Festivities during the season of Sharat i.e., autumn
Refers to Durga Puja in Bengal.
Durga Puja which takes place in Bengal begins from the 6th day after the new moon i.e., on shoshti. The seventh day is called Saptami, the eighth, ashtami, ninth, navami and the tenth is dashami.
This celebration during autumn is called 'akal- bodhon' or untimely worship.
Legend says that this was started by Lord Rama when he worshipped the Goddess to seek power to defeat Ravana.

Here's wishing everyone a very happy Sharadiya Durgotsab! May the Goddess shower you and your family with blessings! May her presence defeat all evil aspects and enemies in your life! 🙏

......................

4th October

Sampurnaa's pov:

It is Shoshti today!

I arrived in Kolkata yesterday at midnight but I got up fairly early at 6 today! The excitement of visiting this city, going pandal hopping has really induced a new energy in me!
I want to visit most of the popular puja pandals today itself since puja technically begins from tomorrow.

I decided to go with casual clothes today. I will begin wearing my traditional outfits from tomorrow.

I am neither thin nor am I fat. I have a normal body and I am not ashamed of it. I used to feel quite shy back in high school when I had serious weight... But I gradually reduced a bit and am now comfortable in my own skin.

Pic credits: google

We have a flat here near Science City. We are headed to Boudi's place right now. Dada is there with her as she wanted to be there with her grandmother. Her house is at Ballygunge Circular Road, one of the posh areas in Kolkata.

I had been put in charge to map out a route for pandal hopping. I had selected a route which began near Ballygunge and ended at Salt Lake which is quite near to our place.

..............

Ballygunge Circular Road

We reached Boudi's house in 45 minutes which is quite a miracle considering the jam packed roads with thousands of excited pandal hoppers. Dada, Boudi, her parents, her grandmother and Indrayan were waiting for us.
Dida, aunty and Maa were the only ones who had made efforts to wear saree. Adrija Boudi was dressed in an indo-western outfit. Baba and Uncle had dressed up in casual shirts while Dada and Indrayan had chosen to wear jeans and tees.
I greeted everyone and bent to touch Dida's feet to seek her blessings. She wanted to meet me as she had heard a lot about me from her granddaughter, daughter and son in-law.
She blessed me and then asked me to stand still in front of her. She looked at me from head to toe in a scrutinising way. I really didn't know what she had been trying to see.
After awhile, she cleared my confusion,"Bhaalo laagche. Ekdom modern,mishti and beautiful!" (looking good. Absolutely modern, sweet and beautiful)

I blushed a bit at her compliment and then we all proceeded to begin our expedition... Mission Pandal Hopping in Kolkata.

.....
We had two cars. Dida, Boudi, Dada, Indrayan and I were in one while the two senior couples had taken the other. Dada was driving since he knew the roads well. Boudi was sitting beside him. In the backseat, Dida was sitting in the middle with me and Indrayan on either side.

Our first stop was Maddox Square.
There was a lot of rush! The puja vibes were radiating off each person! I had missed this so much!

The next places we visited were Ekdalia Evergreen, Singhi Park and Deshapriya Park. They were quite nearby; but owing to the swarms of people walking up to see the pandals and idols, it was impossible to visit one pandal in less than 30 minutes. Car parking was another huge problem. It was decided that Dada and I would drive taking turns. Once we were done with Gariahat, Golpark and other surrounding pujas, we proceeded towards EM Bypass. We visited Bose Pukur and a few other pandals on the way.

It was 1 pm when we stopped by our place for lunch. Had this been an outing with friends, lunch would have definitely been outside... But since Dida and Boudi were with us, we decided to skip the long queues at the restaurants and eat lunch at home instead.

Since we don't live in Kolkata much, we have a maidservant only for cleaning once in a while. Today's lunch was therefore cooked by maa and me. Baba helped with the desert and tasting, and upon my insistence, he even chopped a few vegetables for us.
Maa had prepared some rice, Shukto, Alu posto, daal and chutney, fish curry. I had cooked the chicken curry and some custard.

Dida entered our flat and one could easily make out that she was tired.
Although she was pretty cheerful and lively even at her age, she did have physical limitations. Boudi was tired too. Being pregnant, it was very difficult for her to push her way through crowds.

After lunch, Dida and Boudi wanted to rest awhile. I was feeling restless and bored.
I went to Maa, "Maa! I am feeling bored. Can I go out alone?"

She looked at me sternly and replied, "No! Absolutely not! You are not going anywjere alone!"

"I am 25 maa! Why can't I go alone? I would have gone to North Kolkata!" I whined.

She looked at me like I had landed from Mars.
"You think I am allowing you to go there now? North Kolkata pandals are very crowded and very unruly people visit them. You can be pushed around and there may be pickpocketers. We will visit North together, Shona." she explained me gently.

I agreed reluctantly. She is my mother after all.

.................

Indrayan's pov:

It was way past 5 pm when they re-commenced our pandal hopping expedition. Adrija was feeling uneasy and even Dida wasn't feeling quite well so they stayed back. Abhimanyu wanted to be with Adri, so he stayed back with them
Dad, Maa, aunty and uncle went in one  car and Sampurnaa is driving the one we both are in.We could have easily balanced the load on each car... But for some reason, our parents insisted on this arrangement.

We are staying at Sampurnaa's place tonight because there are puja rituals that begin from 5 in the morning. Being a Brahmin, my parents and grandparents have always ensured that I take part in all sorts of religious things diligently.
Talking about Brahmins, I can't help but reminisce the day Adrija announced that she wants to get married. My word! Dad was angry that someone had manipulated his daughter, Maa was concerned and I was beyond furious at that idiot who wanted to take my sister away from our house. Dida was more concerned about the boy being a brahmin more than anything else. Typical elders!
In the end it turned out that Abhimanyu was a Bengali, a Brahmin and a trustworthy guy who would take care of my sister. So they were married of course and now they are expecting!

Shifting back my focus on the roads of Kolkata, I noticed crowds everywhere. Children in their parents' arms, newly-weds hand in hand, old people trying to match their speed with the younger members. Street food was selling everywhere and loud sounds of dhak  (a percussion instrument particularly popular in Bengal. The beats are really loud and the entire spirit of Durga puja can be approximated through the sound and echoes of the beats) resonated about. I turned my head slightly on the other side. Sampurnaa was sitting there coolly with one hand on the steering wheel and another on the gear. We were stuck in the traffic. A slight smile graced her face.

I asked her curiously, "Why are you smiling? I mean we have been stuck in here for so long! Had this been Mumbai, you would have started screaming!"
I said the last part as a joke and she scowled. Her scowl however soon got replaced by a smile.
I looked at her with curiosity.

"I don't mind getting stuck in a traffic jam during Pujo. In Mumbai, I am at work. Here, this traffic speaks heights about the importance of this festival, about the people's immense patience and their will to endure a bit of all this to enjoy in the end. This reminds me of my childhood. As a kid, I had one of those candy flosses in my hand." she pointed at a child in her mother's lap who was holding one of those.
She continued, "I went to the small fairs and purchased cooking sets and even clothes for my dolls. I loved buying things for God too. I used to go around in the fair looking for small lamps that could be lit in front of the deity, in the puja room. I really miss being a child! My father would carry me whenever I felt too tired after walking during pandal hopping. Dada would pull my hair and make me cry whenever I dropped ice-cream. It is really overwhelming to drive on these roads during Puja time. It is like driving down memory lane literally." she confessed

A car honked at us. Sampurnaa realised that the traffic had cleared a bit and that she could propel her car forward.
She did so and then looked around. I suddenly realised that she was looking for our parents' car. Heaven knows which road they decided to take!

"We have lost them! They must have passed this signal long ago! We don't even know where they were headed next!" she exclaimed in a frustrated way.

I smiled a bit at her annoyance. She looked at me and glared.

I immediately straightened my facial expressions.
Her expressions changed almost instantly!

"I have an idea! Let our parents go wherever they are! Let us go around like we wanted to. We'll visit Newtown, Rajarhat and Salt Lake tonight!" she declared excitedly

I nodded in approval and she continued driving once the traffic light turned green.

.....

"Excuse me! Please allow me to go ahead. I am with that lady!" I tried in vain to make people clear the path for me.

We were at Sreebhumi which was a serious puja! It looked like people were getting lottery tickets for free judging from the sea of unruly commuters.

Out of nowhere a hand grabbed mine and pulled me right in front. I got a wonderful view of the deity.
Sampurnaa pulled me further and then we both were pushed out of the pandal by someone else!
I sighed as we both got out. It was so suffocating and hot there! I was sweating profusely. Thankfully I had the sense of putting on a T-shirt today! Sampurnaa had sweat beads on her forehead too. We went and stood at a corner in order to stabilise ourselves.
"You have to learn to push these people! Unless there are ladies and pregnant woman or children of course! No one's going to pay heed to your 'excuse me'!" she explained a bit amused

"I am never entering in here again!" I spoke out without much thought

"Oh you are! You definitely are going to visit much more crowded places so please be prepared!"

I nodded and we both proceeded to walk. The car had to be parked 2km away. There was no place here for parking. People took up all the place on the road.

On our way, there were ice-cream vendors. For some freaking reason, I was really craving a ChocoBar! I stopped Sampurnaa from walking ahead. She turned and looked at me.
I pointed at the ice cream vendor in response.
She smiled, "You need one!"
She was referring to my flustered state.

We both took our ice-creams. She decided to take an orange stick!
I mean really?
"Who takes an orange stick?" I asked her
"Me!" she replied with a sickly sweet, sarcastic smile.

We both kept walking along the narrow lanes.
..........

Abhimanyu's pov:

I was at home with Dida and Adrija when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and saw Maa, Baba, Ma and Dad standing there. Did they not start barely 3 hours ago?

Maa judged from my expressions what was on my mind.
"We went to visit the Salt Lake Sector V pujo and another nearby. I have to cook and anyways it is very late." she said pointing at the wall clock behind me. It was past 8.

"Bon kothay?" (where is Sampurnaa?)
Maa looked at Adrija's mom and they both grinned naughtily, "Must be out pandal hopping!"

Their reply was casual but I could make out their motives.
Shaking my head, I shut the door once they entered and went to the kitchen to get some water.
......

We had our dinner. The two fools are still not back. Maa is as cool as a cucumber while Baba is a bit anxious.
Dida had a broad smile on her face. When asked why, she replied happily, "I am happy that they are out for so long."

Some serious matchmaking business was on and almost everyone was involved in it equally. I hope both of them remember that we have Pujo in the morning.

........

Third  person's pov:

Meanwhile the other two were going around in the city. They went to Dumdum park, Belgachia and Salt Lake.
It was finally at 11 pm that Sampurnaa looked at her watch and realised the time.

"It is freaking 11! Maa will kill me!" she exclaimed out loud.

They were somewhere near Jessore Road. They started out immediately after.

On the way,
"Will there be food at home?" Indrayan asked Sampurnaa
She thought for a while and then answered, "There is supposed to be. If not I'll cook some instant noodles for both of us. You won't go to sleep empty stomach!"

There was silence again as the car passed by Salt Lake stadium.
"Your flat has 3 bedrooms. How is the arrangement going to be like tonight?"

"Dada, Boudi in their bedroom. Aunty and Dida in my bedroom and You, Baba and Uncle in the master bedroom.
Maa is going to sleep on a mattress on the floor and I guess I am going to sleep on the couch." Sampurnaa replied casually, totally focused on the road.

"Why the hell are you going to sleep on the couch?"

"Because all the beds will be occupied. And by the way, you have to sleep on the pullout couch in the master bedroom, so your situation is no different."

And that was that.
Both of them returned. Sampurnaa's mother was waiting for both of them. There was no food as it had been assumed that they would eat outside.
Sampurnaa did not say anything to her mother but simply asked her to go to bed.
Once she left, her darling daughter entered the kitchen and cooked two packs of Maggi Atta noodles.
It was around 12 when the flat finally delved in silence. Everyone fell asleep gradually. Durga Puja was about to begin, officially, at 5 am on Saptami.

.....................

Saptami

Third person's pov:

It was 4.30 am when Sampurnaa's alarm woke her up.
She was the only one in the living room. As was her habit, she turned once and then got up from the couch. She rearranged all the cushions and pillows and went to freshen up.
Once she was done, she draped a saree around herself; the pink one that had been gifted by her sister in-law's family and then proceeded to wake up her mother and Adrija's mother and grandmother. The next room she knocked on was her brother's. He opened the door after 5 attempts, almost half asleep.
"What happened? Who has died?" Abhimanyu asked with his eyes still closed.

"Dada! Wake up! Aaj Soptomi! Kolabou Snaan ache!"  Sampurnaa told Abhimanyu shaking him by his shoulder slightly.
(Wake up! It is Saptami today. There is Kolabou snaan. Kolabou- Banana Bride)

The “Kola Bou” (কলা বউ) of God Ganesha, fascinates any Bengali kid. One of the first rituals of Durgapuja is of the Kola Bou. It is the  “Kola Bou Snan”.

Kola Bou: Popularly known as the wife of God Ganesha. The alternative story says, she is the manifestation of Maa Durga. It is a young banana tree, draped in a white saree with red border. Like the Bengali bride sports vermilion on the parting of her hair, the Kola Bou does the same.

Text credit : anirbansaha.com link found via google.

Abhimanyu nodded and shut the door again: either to go and sleep or to actually wake up and get moving.

The next room was the men's room.
It was easy to wake up Sampurnaa's father and Adrija's Dad.
Indrayan had gone to sleep much later than the other two. Moreover he had had trouble adjusting on the pullout couch.
It a bit of a task to wake him up; which his father did. (the female lead doesn't always trip and fall on the male lead😜)

Adrija wasn't much in the mood to go to the water body to witness the bathing of a banana plant; she was still sleeping. No one bothered to wake her because she asked them to let her and her baby sleep.

Everyone was ready by the time it was 5.30

The rituals commenced from the society pandal. They walked to the nearby lake near EM Bypass for the bathing ritual.

Pic credits: google

Once the bride had been bathed and dressed, everyone returned back to the society.
The priest performed all the required rituals and it was only at 8 am that everyone was called for Pushpanjali (offering of flowers)

Saptami did not call out for very complex or elaborate rituals, so it was all over in no time.
.....

It was around 11 am, when Sampurnaa changed out of her saree, back into casuals. She loves wearing sarees like any other Indian... But that love is only limited to a few hours‼

She was roaming about in her dress and going around persuading everyone to accompany her for pandal hopping.
In the end, Abhimanyu, Adrija and Indrayan finally decided to accompany her. They took two cars again because of Adrija. In case she felt uneasy or tired, it would be convenient.

They started towards North Kolkata this time.
The puja pandals that they went around to see included:
Kumartuli Park, Mohd. Ali park and Tridhara Sammilani.

They had lunch outside.
Adrija fell asleep in the car itself, so Abhimanyu drove her back home.
The other two continued there Durga Puja adventure with more popular pujas in the North, namely, Baghbazar, Shobha Bazaar Rajbari, Jaan Bazaar, Shyam Bazaar, College Square, Kumartuli Club, Belgachia and Hindustan Park.

It is no less than a task to actually enter the pandal and catch a glimpse of the idol.

At around 6 pm, Sampurnaa and Indrayan entered the iconic Indian Coffee House and ordered their usual coffees. They started driving for home at 6.45. On the way, at around 7.15, Sampurnaa stopped by a small puja in order to see the sandhya aroti. People were dancing like crazy... Beats from the dhak interfered constructively in the air and resonated about everywhere. A synchronised sound from the shonkho (conch shell) and ulu mingled together almost like a melodious cacophony!

That is Durga puja in Bengal! And that is how Bengalis become during the festivities!

...............................................................................

To be continued...

A/N

The next few chapters will focus on Sampurnaa's normal life. Let the two forget work and the court case for sometime! Till then enjoy Pujas and Navratri!

Happy festival!