(Mar 10, 9:02pm)

I brought a nice, sudden present for mom today... actually, it's Shivaratri today.. and I had gone to this temple in old Patna, where my grandmother lived..

And where we have a whole diary of memories, of all the good times and festive gaieties marked together..

XXX

While returning, I was struck by the array of pavement shops selling beautiful, dazzling pictures of Gods and Goddesses...

And I picked one for mom... A Radha-Krishna, studded in a maroon designer frame... I bargained it to 200 from 250..

XXX

Will ask the carpenter to fix it to the wall facing mom's bed, when he reports for work tomorrow... actually renovation is going on at my house, and I thought why not take something for muma's room too..

It's another matter, that I am specific about not altering or adding anything there... her room is still the same since she last breathed..

I haven't moved even the tea pot or the little diaries and scrap papers, spread all around in the bed... her habitual mess-up after she had finished her day's reading and taken notes..

XXX

And yes, don't think the gift is paltry or dull.. what if 200, I have taken something which is striking.. will upload a pic of that tomorrow..

In the morning, I went to the old Kali temple in the river bank... and offered pooja to Mahadev Shiv, after bathing the "Lingam" with panchamrit..

It was very nice... I am here on Shivaratri after 2009!

XXX