The Offering

Devi rushed down the stairs, gathering the pleets of her sari as she hurried towards the temple gate. The rhythmic beat of drums echoed through the air while the deep call of conch shells rose above the crowd. It was time for the aarti,the offering of light to the Divine.

This temple was almost three hundred years old. It was small and unassuming but stood with a quiet dignity that only time could bestow. Beside it stretched an ancient banyan tree, its roots embraced the earth like weathered hands. A small pond rested nearby, which was full only during the monsoons.

On two sides of the temple, narrow lanes were lined with tiny shops overflowing with offerings for worship;flowers, coconuts, sweets, incense, vermilion, and colourful prayer items. Bright red cloths were folded into neat stacks that spilled onto the street. Beyond them were shops selling brass utensils and artificial jewellery, their glass stones caught the afternoon sun and scattered tiny flashes of light like mirrors.

Breathing heavily, Devi stopped at one of the flower stalls.
'Please pack some sweets, fruits, and a garland',she said hurriedly.
Her eyes wandered over the flowers. Deep crimson hibiscus blossoms lay bundled in one corner. Just as she was about to ask for them, something else caught her attention.
A delicate white garland woven with alternating lotus flowers.
It was simple, elegant and almost serene.
'I will take that one',she smiled.
The shopkeeper paused.
'No',he said firmly. 'The Divine Mother does not accept flowers that are broken, incomplete, or tampered. Take the red hibiscus instead.'
Devi looked at him impatiently.
'Fine,give me the red one. Please hurry. The puja has already begun.'
As he packed the flowers, his words lingered in the air long after she had walked away.
'The Divine Mother does not accept broken flowers.'
She gathered her offerings and hurried inside.
The temple courtyard was overflowing with devotees. A long queue wound through the narrow passage leading to the sanctum.
She joined the end of the line.
Minutes passed but the queue barely moved.
The afternoon heat pressed against her skin and sweat trickled down her forehead. The smell of incense mixed with flowers and burning camphor filled the air until it became difficult to breathe.
Her mind refused to settle.
'Will I make it before the temple closes?'
She shifted from one foot to another, growing increasingly restless. Every passing moment only deepened her longing for a single glimpse of the Goddess.
Nearly thirty minutes passed and the queue had hardly moved an inch.
Just then, one of the priests stepped outside.
'The temple will close shortly',he announced. 'Those standing at the very end may return later. The offerings are already delayed.'
Devi looked ahead;she was almost at the very end.For a fleeting moment, she considered leaving.Her house was nearby and she could always return in the evening when the crowd would thin.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when a sudden surge of people from behind pushed the entire queue forward.The crowd swallowed her and she lost her balance.Someone's shoulder struck her arm,another elbow pressed against her back.It seemed the air disappeared from her lungs.
A frail hand reached out and caught her's just when she was about to fall.An old woman stood beside her.
Devi could barely make out her face amidst the movement of the crowd, yet something about her remained strangely vivid.Her large eyes framed by thick eyebrows, and a bright red bindi resting quietly on her forehead.
The old woman looked at her with unexpected tenderness.
'Poor girl' she said softly. 'Why are you here? You should go back home now.'
Something in her voice unsettled Devi.Fear rose inside her without reason and her eyes were filled with tears.She wanted to leave but there was no turning back.
The crowd behind her was denser than the one ahead. It carried her forward without asking.
Within moments, she found herself inside the sanctum.The chants grew louder and the drums thundered through the stone walls.The sound seemed to pass not through her ears, but through her chest.She closed her eyes.
For the first time since entering the temple, she tried to pray.Yet the shopkeeper's words returned once more.The Divine Mother does not accept broken flowers.A quiet question rose from somewhere far deeper than a thought.
Then what about people?
Does She accept hearts that are broken?
She did not realise when she had reached the very front.Someone gently touched her shoulder and she opened her eyes.
There She was.The Goddess stood cloaked in crimson, the very embodiment of strength. Her dark image held an irresistible radiance,not one that dazzled the eyes, but one that quietly drew the soul closer. Every flicker of the oil lamps seemed to deepen, the mystery of her presence. Her eyes were vast and luminous, carrying the stillness of eternity;the ones that had witnessed every sorrow and every joy that had ever lived. There was neither judgment nor expectation in them,only an unfathomable knowing. She was fierce enough to shatter fear, yet tender enough to gather every wounded heart.Devi stood still before the godess,serene, timeless, and impossibly alive.
For a single breath, time ceased to exist.Nothing miraculous happened though. No voice spoke nor any vision appeared.But,the noise in her mind dissolved.She simply stood there as though every restless corner within her had been gathered.Fear loosened its grip and a sense of calm prevailed.The silent majesty before her washed over every doubt she had carried inside.She stood in awe staring at the beauty.
The priest accepted her flowers and offerings. After placing them before the Goddess, he returned them to her with a gentle smile.
'Please move ahead',he said softly.
She nodded. As she stepped out, she watched people still rushing towards the sanctum.They hurried through rituals, clutching flowers, whispering prayers, each hoping to reach the Goddess just a little sooner.
For the first time, she noticed the temple itself.
The intricate carvings covering the ancient walls.
The curved ceiling painted with fading colours.
Stone deities emerging from pillars worn smooth by centuries.The sanctum remained dim, lit only by flickering lamps.
She stepped out into the afternoon light.
The world outside looked exactly as it had before.Only something within her had fallen strangely quiet.
As she walked past the flower stalls again, the fragrance of hibiscus drifted through the breeze.
This time, the shopkeeper's words returned once more.But she smiled and kept walking.