I woke up with a start at the sound of a blast, only to realise it as the sound of crackers from the temple, coinciding with the morning rituals. As always, I had slept peacefully through the night. I got up from the bed and looked at the street below. The crowds I saw yesterday were not there, but there was a steady stream of devotees going towards the temple.
I quickly freshened up and went down to have a cup of tea. I stopped at Durga’s door to knock a couple of times, but she seemed to be sleeping. Deciding not to disturb her, I left the hotel and went to the restaurant from where I had bought dinner the last day. I was having a cup of black tea when my phone rang. It was Durga.
I picked up, “Hello, Good morning. How are you today?”
Durga replied, “Good morning! Did you know at the door some time back? I just slept off deeply, I could not find anybody outside when I checked”
