My sister's bed time stories for the kids are generally around gods and goddesses, like our mom's when we were kids. Navratri is a special time for my sister as Durga is her favorite deity. My niece was born after a lot of prayers and struggles and is named after Parvati/Durga (the nephew on the other hand is merely 19 months younger - he is resilient and plows his way through every situation successfully managing to hog the spotlight).So, when navratri started, it was natural for her to talk about Maa Durga and her power and love etc. While telling them about Durga Maa, my sister also told them that she used to pray to the deity to give her a daughter just like the goddess. Brother, always a hajirjawab with an answer for every situation gleefully says "Aap Durga Maa se beti maange par woh to apko beta de di!"
This incident brought another long forgotten incident to my mind. One of my sisters always used to tease me and my grandma (dad's mom) that she was so happy when I was born that she had drums sounded in the whole village. I never could get the joke. Later on, my elder sister told me that my elder brother and uncle's son were born on the same day and the two letters announcing the birth of the respective sons reached the grandparents in the village together. The grands were so happy at the birth of two sons that they had drums sounded in the whole village. Now although my parents did not really need another kid, I was conceived as it was felt that "ek deepak se kaam nahi chalta hai, do aankh hona chahiye" (one lamp is not enough, there should be two eyes in the family) and my grandma almost cried when she came to know that her eldest and most beloved and responsible son had another daughter to raise! (Did my dad intend a pun when he named me Deepti?) Hence the joke of her being happy at my birth.
And life turned a full circle when my sister and I desperately prayed for a girl when my niece was conceived! Thank God some prayers are answered!
This incident brought another long forgotten incident to my mind. One of my sisters always used to tease me and my grandma (dad's mom) that she was so happy when I was born that she had drums sounded in the whole village. I never could get the joke. Later on, my elder sister told me that my elder brother and uncle's son were born on the same day and the two letters announcing the birth of the respective sons reached the grandparents in the village together. The grands were so happy at the birth of two sons that they had drums sounded in the whole village. Now although my parents did not really need another kid, I was conceived as it was felt that "ek deepak se kaam nahi chalta hai, do aankh hona chahiye" (one lamp is not enough, there should be two eyes in the family) and my grandma almost cried when she came to know that her eldest and most beloved and responsible son had another daughter to raise! (Did my dad intend a pun when he named me Deepti?) Hence the joke of her being happy at my birth.
And life turned a full circle when my sister and I desperately prayed for a girl when my niece was conceived! Thank God some prayers are answered!
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