The Yellow Butterfly

H  of #AtoZChallenge  'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times,  if only one remembers to turn on the light!' (image courtesy: Google images) I was amongst the 'first receivers' of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer' s Stone and Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets books in India; the British  editions published by Bloomsbury! My Gaurav Kaka bought them in London when he was coming back to India and had gifted me. I was in my sixth standard back then; some eleven years old. SAME AGE AS HARRY :)  Only back then I didn't know what I had received! Though I was amongst the first receivers of the book, I was NOT amongst the first readers of the books! It took me a while to realize that I was sitting on a goldmine! My creche Mavshi, Jyoti Kakee and Jui Tai had taken the entire group to watch the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The movie shook me to the core! Harry's journey to Hogwarts, exploring the magical wo...

'E' of #AtoZChallenge I never figured whether I started loving elephants because Ganpati was (and has been) my favourite or whether I loved Ganpati because he is Elephant-headed.  OR  Whether I started loving elephants because I had my own little elephant since I was a year old.  His name is Appu, he is around thirty-one years old now. He is from Dubai and was given to me by my Surekha maushi on my first birthday. He is soft and grey and has black beady eyes and he has a tiny, cute, flat tail. Over the years he has had multiple surgeries because I would always tuck him in my arms and take him around everywhere I went be to the doctors, to the dairy, while visiting the relatives; and also because I always hugged him and slept every night for the longest time! He has sock-made-tusks stuffed with cotton (which have been stitched over and over by my mum through all these years).  Appu was not just my playmate and a companion, but he was my brother!...

Kaal Gauri ani me kharya arthane sakkhe shejari zalo. Shejari kase asavet? Jey ekmekanchya ghari yeun have tey khanyacha jhinnas, kutchi goshta magun gheun jaanare- sakhar, virjanasathi dahi, aala aani vattel tey! Jey ekmekanshi daarat ubhe rahun gappa martat aani khup charcha kartat; Jey ghari banavlelya recipes exchange karun ekmekanna manapasun appreciate karnare asey shejari! Tar hya majhya definitions madhe basel ashya prakarche ‘shejari’ kaal Gauri ani me zalo. Kahi divsannpurvi me ghari jevayla hote. Aaini kutchitari boring bhaaji keleli. Me jevayla basnarach, tevdhyat bell vajli. Baghte tar Gauri ani tichya haatat zakleli vaati. Gauri ne swataha chicken curry keli hoti. Tey ti muddamun majhyasathi taste karayla gheun aali hoti. Tey jevan kay masta lagla mahitye ka! Mag kaal me swatahun kolambicha kalvan kela hotå. Mag hyaveli me tichya ghari dabba pochavla. Ghari parat yetana, jey satisfactory feeling ani ananda hota tey mhanje ‘shejarpancha’! Mala vatt...

It was a beautiful night. The snow sat still and the stars shone bright. Andrea’s house was the tiniest on the lane yet the lights wrapped around her roof and the fence made her house look the prettiest. She lived alone. Her children had grown up and had settled in other cities. Her grandchildren visited her once a year in summer. But t onight, she was not going to be alone. Tonight was Christmas night. It was going to be a special night.  Tonight, she had invited all the people she loved. Andrea had cooked a delicious meal of chicken and steak. She had baked her famous fruit and wine cake and made a special batch of choco chip cookies. The table was set with cutlery and candles. The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated and around it laid wrapped gifts for everyone, handpicked by Andrea. Just as the clock struck six, her people walked in.  First one was her best friend, Lucy with whom she had shared her entire life, followed by Lucy’s husband, James. Then wal...