On the eve of Karva chauth

Another important day is almost here. Tomorrow I celebrate Karva Chauth, the only married-woman thing that I do. I don't wear a bindi on my forehead, or a mangalsutra around my neck. I don't wear vermilion in the parting on my hair or even bangles.. yes I mostly prefer the uncluttered look and rarely adorn myself with any kind of jewellery.. to my mother's horror, my wrists are bare most of the time (confession: I carry bangles in my bag most times to be prepared for encounters of the motherly kind).
Then comes this day once a year when I do all of this. As with Navratras and most festivals, this is more about nostalgia and preserving a family tradition than pleasing any Gods or elongating my husband's life (he will have to join a gym for that).
This day has such a dramatic, romantic feel to it. For all the years that I can remember, the preparations for this festival began a week or so before the day. Mamma started worrying about what to wear and promptly went saree shopping. So I don't know if this happens in every home but in my home, we buy a new saree every year... :)

The day before was reserved for shopping. Colorful glass bangles and puja things, applying henna on hands. Then dawned the day of Karva Chauth. It was actually one of those very few days in the year when I would see dawn. We would all wake up at 5 in the morning and join mamma to eat her morning meal. The huge spread consisted of gobhi paranthas, sweets, custard apples, almonds, sweet seviya, etc, etc.. And one of us kept running out to the balcony, straining the neck to check if the stars were still visible in the deep blue sky, for the fasting started as soon as the stars vanished and the new day began. How can I forget the final course of this grand meal.. one capsule of B complex vitamins and a paracetamol swallowed with one last glass of water.

Mamma spent most of the day in bed. When the time for the evening puja came, she adorned herself with the new saree and heavy jewellery that finally got to see the light of day. After the puja, we all collected at our grand mother's place and had glasses of fresh fruit juice. This was one respite that our grand mother offered to her daughter-in-laws. The time after the puja was the worst part of the day for my mom, the wait for the moon to rise, thirst increasing every minute. Papa would be back home from work by this time and try to pacify her foul mood and keep running to the terrace looking for the moon.

When the yellow moon finally rose, we ran up to the terrace... puja things and all.. mamma held up the sieve and saw the moon through its mesh and finally touched papa's feet. Papa always surprised her with an expensive gift.

Why this long ballad on my mother's Karva Chauth?? Well mine is quite similar too.. other than a few changes. I try not to stay home and keep active and busy so I don't think of food or water and I don't touch P's feet. I just can't. It somehow signifies a difference in status in a marriage and that's just not how it is for us. We are equals. And most important of all, P has never gotten around to getting me a gift for all the starving that I do for his sake. Maybe touching of feet has something to do with it ... :)

I'm all set for tomorrow. My hands running on the keyboard look pretty with henna, the earthy, warm fragrance gives me a high. Shopping done, the new saree is at the dry cleaners for ironing. Its a red-beige printed tussar, subtle by Karva Chauth standards so I've teemed it with a hot red zardozi choli. The jewellery is out of the bank locker.. the choices are either gold or red kundan. Any ideas?