Devi-II

Devi II


The soothing whiff of Stella brought me out of my reverie.

Stella – the perfume line from Stella McCartney, the daughter of the famous English musician and former member of The Beatles Paul McCartney – had numbed by olfactory nerve and made me sit up.

Right in front of me stood a dusky beauty. She dazzled. She mesmerized. Her electric smile put the sunshine to shame. Devi was at her elemental best. Sitting down beside me, she asked: “Tea? How many spoons of sugar? What will you have for nashta?”

Ensconced in her palace, Devi Durga unpacked and changed into a skirt and top. A brisk and confident walker, Devi moved around to put in place her things and looked around for her necessities. And as she strolled around, she left behind the trail of Stella and her graceful beauty, which created a hypnotic effect.

Watching Devi in a nonchalant mood, her aides reminded her that she should get ready as people were already thronging towards pandals to have a glimpse of her. An observer to the whole episode, I watched quietly as Devi pulled out a sari in a jiffy, without wasting time on what to wear and what would suit her for the evening. She told her aides that she preferred not much face-do.

But then what were the cosmetic lines of Revlon, Avon, Nivea and the series of perfumes and deodorants doing in her parlor? I soon discovered that she stuck to a few selective facial makeup brands but loved possessing the best in the world of cosmetics to be displayed in front of her.

All the while, as attendants took care of her needs, Devi enquired about small details of their lives, the happenings and how people were making their ends meet. Somehow I felt Devi was loose on her purse, not really bothered whether her expenses were value for money. It seemed she was more careful about her penny and careless about the pound in her life.

A few minutes later, there stood Devi dressed for the evening in an orange, with an intricate zari work, Baluchuri sari. There was very little facial make-up, apart from black eyeliner, a light shade foundation and lipstick. The black bindi on her forehead made her face look more beautiful.

And then I felt the intoxication taking effect. The sensuous fragrance of Chanel 5 was in the air. It was emanating from the delicate frame of Devi. She mischievously smiled and walked up to me.

And just before leaving her palace to take her position in the pandal, Devi, oozing with beauty and oomph, did a surprise act.

Holding my arm, she took me towards her royal mirror. Keeping her head on my shoulder and looking up at me, she asked with her eyes sparkling, “How am I looking?” I said, beautiful. The teaser went further, “Now tell me, who is more beautiful?” she asked with her eyebrows raised. I said, you.

Smiling at me, she said, come let us finish the evening round. I fathomed that even in middle age Devi needed to be reassured. When I told this to Devi lightly, she rebutted: “I care for all and sundry, just as humans do. But I love only one.”