Cats & Dogs

Fatty - lounging

Nanki by the water bowl

Its been quite a few years now - at all times, we either have a dog or a cat or both who adopt us.  They hang around our home, we feed them, they mate have babies...we play with them and as we all know, hardly any of them survive - we cry... swear never to get too attached...which never happens...and the cycle continues.  Around 3-4 years back, one pup survived - a female - we call her choti...feed her regularly...and she sleeps outside our door, barks when someone enters the compound and promptly runs away when they get closer (so much for being our security). Choti is affectionate, cute, scared, fertile and very horny (she also likes variety...ahem).  She's had 4 sets of pups till now... some dead, some given away, all cute.  This is about her latest set of pups, who are still very much around and absolute darlings. By the way, a male cat too has adopted us, we call him Kita. He's an old cat - scared of the pups, so stays away nowadays.  Now back to the pups.

Rachna's boy - trying to snack on my ear

Fighting pups

There are 5 of them - Fatty (who is not fat any more), Nanki (got droppy eyes, so we called him Nanak, found out he is a she - so its Nanki now), scared pup (he comes out only to eat), browny (he's detached kind) and lastly whom we call Rachna's son (about 3 weeks back, he somehow got out of the building and Rachna went and rescued him - so he thinks she's his Mom - comes running to her when he sees her).  They are adorable brats who chew on anything....the maids have to bring in their slippers now since they run away with it and chew it within minutes.  They keep jumping on us, so its difficult to walk when we have to go out - so one of us distracts them, and then makes a run for the car.   Fatty is a bit ill now (we pray he survives) but all others fit and funny. We hope they get adopted or else the survivors hang around our home - and so continues the saga... dogs, pups, mating, pups, dogs...

Hoi Mata

Cut to - a week before Diwali - year 1986...my ma-in-law told me about the family tradition of fasting on a particular auspicious day... for the goddess Hoi Mata.  Let me tell you all about it.

Back to - 2 days prior to Diwali - I fast for the entire day, except for water, couple of cups of tea and a fruit. Right until i spot the first star (believe me, on normal days i spot a star even at 6 in the evening, but on this day, no star till around 9ish).  Rachna helps me with the pooja ki tayaari... we draw out the hoi mata ka picture - Hansika joins in creating a riot. Aneeka joins us too.


So at last Ispot the first start - and the puja starts with me telling the Katha (story)...here goes....
There once lived a farmer (somewhere far away in the Northern area of India) called Ram. His wife Sita and 5 sons and 2 daughters completed the family.  As was his routine, Ram set out to plough his fields on morning and amidst his work he suddenly hears cries of pain - Alas! he's run his plough over some calves and they are all dead.  The mother Cow cries out in sorrow and curses the farmer Ram that he too would lose his beloved children.  Ram asks for forgiveness but the Cow does not relent. He hurries home to find his wife Sita in tears and all his children dead.  Helpless and sorrowful, both Ram and Sita start to pray, asking for forgiveness and their children's lives.  They were so sincere that a Goddess appeared before them and told them she was Hoi Mata - the protector of children. The farmer had committed a sin and so he must be punished - however, next year on the same day as he had killed the calves, he and his wife should fast the whole day and pray to the Goddess.  Ram and his wife follow whatever Hoi Mata had told them to do and as their puja got over, they heard a knocking on their door - and behold...their children were all back.  From that day on, whoever heard of this story, followed the tradition of fasting for Hoi Mata for their children's long life and prosperity.

So, the Katha done, i pour water out for the first star and whew ! eat at last.  Following the tradition set by my ma-in-law, i give sweets, fruits and fire crackers to Rachna and her friends who promptly go and burst them (burnt my money in just 20 minutes!!) :-).  Great fun...!!!  (Rachna ofcourse is as scared of crackers as ever - look at her :-)

P.S. - The dinner was vegetarian - but drinks toh banta hain...Anika made the greatest Long Island Tea i've had - and how much...i think all of us had 500 ml each.