IT IS 12.15 PM  & MRS SHAH IS BUSY MAKING THE MIDDAY MEAL IN THE KITCHEN & REMINSCING ABOUT THE JUST ENDED FESTIVAL OF THEIRS "PARYUSHANA" & SIGHED A SMILE OF WHIMSY.HOW GOOD IT WAS FOR THE 8 DAYS WHERE ONE GOT A CHANCE TO WEAR NEW CLOTHES &JEWELS & SHOW OFF ON THE DAILY VISITS TO THE TEMPLE. COOKING WAS ALSO LIMITED OR ALMOST NON -EXISTENT AS PREETI WOULD HAVE A FAST & HER HUSBAND MR JAYANTIBHAI SHAH WOULD HAVE JUST 1 MEAL.SHE WOULD SERVE HIM KHAKRAS & FARSAN LIKE LADDOOS ,KELA WAFERS & GANTHIYA & HIS DAY WOULD BE MADE!!!NEVER MIND THE SUBSEQUENT INDEGESTION & INABILITY TO PASS STOOLS THE NEXT DAY!!!! AT LEAST HE FELT HE WAS BEING RELIGIOUS.HOW ABSURD WAS THE MERE THOUGHT!!!! LIKE ANYBODY COULD BECOME RELIGIOUS IN EIGHT DAYS ? WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR ? WAS IT A STATE OF MIND OR HEART ? MRS SHAH LONGED TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS OF HER HUSBAND & THE FAMILY MUNI'S ?BUT HAD NEVER THE GUTS TO DO SO.  

                         HER SECOND DAUGHTER JAYA WAS ATHEIST BY HEART ,BUT RELIGIOUS BY RITUALS & MIND.CONFUSED? SO WAS MRS SHAH !!!! SHE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT THAT MEANT?,BUT HER DAUGHTER PERSUADED HER NOT TO TAX HER MIND ON THESE NEW FANGLED PHRASES.SHE SIMPLY MEANT ,THAT SHE KNEW NO GOD EXISTED BY HER OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES . NO ONE CAME FORWARD TO HELP IN TIMES OF CRISIS OR MONEY SHORTAGE BUT PERFORMED THE RITUALS TO KEEP THE FAMILY & NEIGHBOURS HAPPY.ALSO IT LOOKED VERY FASHIONABLE TO BE RELGIOUS IN THE WEEKLY PRAYER MEET AT THE "PATHSHALA".MRS SHAH WAS ALWAYS WORRIED THAT JAYA ATTEMPTED TOO LITTLE  FASTING  & TOOK ALL SORTS OF LEEWAYS LIKE HAVING GREEN FRUITS ,FORBIDDEN IN THE RITUALS OR MAKING FACES ON HAVING BOILED WATER. JAYA COULD NOT HELP IT !!! AS SHE HAD A WEAK CONSTITUTION & STRICT ABHORENCE OF ANY PULSES OR CEREALS.SO WHAT WAS LEFT TO EAT ? WAS HER ARGUMENT !!!

                          MRS SHAH HERSELF WAS NOT TOO RELIGIOUS.COULD NOT FAST AS HAD HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & VARIOUS ASSORTMENTS OF ACHES,PAINS & MEDICINES TO INTAKE!!! STILL SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS QUITE RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL,MIND U ,THOUGH UNAWARE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO MEANINGS. NEVERTHELESS SHE WAS HAPPY TO PERFORM RITUALS IF IT MEANT ,NIL COOKING,MEETING FRIENDS AT THE TEMPLE & CHANCE TO BE POPULAR IN THE COMMUNITY. SHE A/W HER FELLOW NEIGHBOURS JAIN WIVES WOULD PRACTICALLY DOZE OFF IN THE AFTERNOON PRAVACHANS & PASS BAD ODOUR IN THE VENING SESSIONS.ALL THIS THANKS TO OVEREATING !!!!! THE NIGHTS WERE RESERVED FOR DOING THE ARTI HALF-SLEEPILY & SHOUTING AT THE HUSBAND TO NOT TO FORGET THE NEXT DAYS DAKSHINA TO BE GIVEN .

           IT WAS TO BE RS 5 PER PERSON STRICTLY & NOT RS 10 ,AS HE GAVE WAY THE PREVIOUS YEAR!!! "AFTER ALL THEY WERE RETIRED & NOT EARNING WELL AS THE GOLDTRADER NEIGHBOURS & ALSO HAD TO ADHERE TO THE MONTHLY BUDGET" SHE MUMBLED TO HERSELF MENTALLY " GOD WOULD FORGIVE THEM THIS STINGYNEESS, AS THEY PRAYED FROM THE HEART & HE HAD SAID, TO PRACTSIE COMPASIION ,TRUTH,LOVE,BENEVOLENCE FOR FELLOW MEN & NOT DO VULGAR DISPLAYS OF WELATH EARNED THROUGH DISHONEST MEANS LIKE THE 101 NEIGHBOUR MRS KOTHARI A DIAMOND MERCHANT'S WIFE"