Him..

She looked out of the window. It was the day she had been waiting for.

She looked onto the streets. What was keeping Him? Most of the Others had turned up..some last night..some early morning...

She looked out expectantly at the empty patch of road. Oh! Where was He?

She had woken up early, worn her beautiful new saree..

Glass bangles tinkled merrily on both her hands..

The bindi on her forehead twinkled as if winking at someone..

There... now.. she could hear the drums announcing His arrival. Happily, she looked at the procession..the boys beating the drums...in the front.

And...there He was.. sitting grandly, with a beaming smile and the head of an elephant! Yes, the Elephant-God had arrived..Ganpati Bappa Morya! Clad in a red dhoti..with his favourite - the modak held in one hand. One hand holding a conch, one holding the chakra.. and the fourth raised to bless his devotees. The people danced with the joy of his coming...everybody was rejoicing.. be it the 70 yr-old grandpa or his 40 something son.. and joining this melee..was a 2 year old dressed in a dazzling white kurta-pyjama dancing away to glory..He tried hard to follow the steps of the others. He couldn't quite match them but he did what he could by putting up his arms.. shaking his legs.. and jumping up and down. Oblivious to the indulgent grins around him.

The women and the girls made up the party from behind.. distributing prasad to people who came up to ask for Ganesha's blessings..

The procession arrived..and the idol was installed. There would be pujas everyday.

And.. finally Ananth Chaturdashi would arrive. It was the day she dreaded. He would leave that day and wouldn't return for a year! He would go again with the throng of people surrounding him, shouting "Morya..re Bappa Morya re...Ganpati Bappa Morya..Pudchya Varshi Laukar Yaa". The people requesting Him to come back the next year.

She sadly looked away..the happiness she derived from His arrival would always be driven away by the sorrow of His departure.