I heard about Karwa Chauth fifteen years back. I was on my
way back from a cocktail party thrown by a friend to celebrate her promotion. At
seven o’ clock while returning home I found a colleague and his wife roaming
about on the streets looking up at the sky. I found it ridiculous seeing the lady’s
flushed up face and tired look. She looked as if she might faint anytime and
the husband was solemn and silent, holding her arm. I was curious. As he was
also invited for the promotion party I asked him why he had not turned up. He
gave me a slow smile and said,”Actually she had planned the party on a wrong
day. Today is Karwa Chauth” The man had declared allegiance to his wife by not
going to the party because she had kept the fast for his well being and was
waiting for the moon to show up so she can break her fast. The couple was out
searching for the moon. By this time another neighbor who had kept the fast ventured
near and asked me, “Didn’t you keep the fast?” When I replied in the negative,
she gave me a look which made me go red in the face without fasting.
I did not want to explain that I did not know about Karwa
Chauth or that I did not believe in fasts though I was not a glutton. Initially I thought Karwa meant the same as 'bitter'. The fast was a hard thing to do and so named bitter. Only recently I learnt that 'karwa' means an earthern pot with a spout - a symbol of peace and prosperity- that is necessary for the rituals and 'Chauth' means the 'fourth day' of the new moon on which the festival falls. There have
been instances where I have been forced to go without food or skip meals due to
many extraneous factors but the thought of fasting purposely would throw me
into a fit of hypoglycemia. A lady at work who used to observe fasts every week
due to domestic pressure once told me, “It is so good that in your house you
don’t have to keep fasts.” Now that was some revelation to me. The poor lady
was observing fasts every other day because her mother in law wished so. Can that
be included in our fundamental rights? The right to choose whether to keep or
not to keep a fast? All I could do for her was to not eat my regular quota of dry
fruits and chocolates which I keep munching between meals sitting next to her, to
keep my hunger pangs away.
Last year, returning from school I found the ladies of the
society in the lawn waiting for their turn to get henna designs done on their
hands and feet. One of them who was sitting on the bench with her salwar thrust
up till her knees for letting the design to be drawn on her feet, called out to
me. She wanted me too to get it done. I said I did not keep the fast but I didn't mind painting my hands. So I sat there and got the designs done on both my
hands expressing solidarity with the tribe. While they were getting the designs
done on their hands the women were throughout complaining of their household
chores and their husbands who returned from work to relax at home and never moved
a little finger to help them. I smiled at the thought that how wonderful a
species were they, who even when narrating the insensitiveness of the men in
their lives where enthusiastically preparing to give up food for a whole day
for them.
How many husbands would keep a fast like that for their
wives? May be there are many, who would hold their woman’s arm to watch the
moon appear and some who would pamper them with gifts bought out of guilt for a
day’s starvation. That is enough reward for even a grudged soul to reconcile
and look forward to the next Karwa Chauth.
It’s the eve of Karwa Chauth again; time to apply henna and
get ready for a day’s abstinence from food. Let love deepen and spread its
warmth throughout the year ahead. Happy Karwa Chauth! Wish for a cloudless sky and hope the moon comes out on time.
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