Return to India, Part 7-B: On the painted holiday of the final full moon of winter, Sujitha and Kruthika go back to get a necklace
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 2:55PM ;)
The next day, Sujitha's cousin Kruthika came by and then the three walked about two blocks to this spot to catch a ric. Suji still did not have her necklace. She had to have it. Maybe with Kru's help, she could make her choice.
Right after we reached the place about two blocks away where the rics waited, two painted young men came strolling by. It was Holi - a religious holiday celebrated on the day of the last full moon in winter. To say goodbye to winter (such as winter be) and welcome spring, participants splatter each other with color in giant paint fights. Holi originated in the north and is most heavily celebrated there, but the numbers of people in the south who participate in south Indian is steadily growing.
Rising above us all is the unfinished Metro, being constructed to ease the congestion of Bangalore and speed up the flow of people. Although I heard complaints about the pace of construction, I was astounded see how far the Metro has advanced since I was here in 2009. Similar metro trains are being built, with federal help, across India. I saw them in all the major cities we visited. India is moving forward.
I now have a great urge to do some editorializing about the situation in the US, but I will refrain.
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On the way back to the necklace store, we passed by a now-deserted Holi gathering.
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Back at the store, Suji and Kru studied necklaces as they climbed the steps into the jewelry store.
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Upstairs, Suji laid a necklace against the saree she would need to wear a necklace with to see how it matched. It didn't quite make it.
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So they looked at another. Suji decided to try it on.
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Kruthika studied the necklace on Suji as Suji checked it out in the mirror. I saw nothing but beauty.
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Kruthika took a close look at the necklace itself.
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They looked at another....
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...then laid it down to compare with still another...
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They stepped away from the necklaces to think about them for awhile and Kru found a set of huge earrings. The two cousins - who, in their cultural way, are sisters - tried to imagine what someone who dared to wear them would look like.
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They took a look as this hair clip, but rejected it.
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Next, they turned their attention to reasonably-sized ear rings.
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A salesboy laid out a whole new selection of necklaces before them.
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Suji did, in fact, settle on a necklace. I will post the wedding probably Friday... no, more likely Saturday. If you come back, you can see for yourself what necklace she chose. When I was the age the salesboy appears to be, I had a paper route. Once I saved up enough money to buy a surf board, I did. Then I said "to hell with work" and went surfing.
;)
Then they went downstairs to buy make-up and such. I was glad to see women working in the makeup store.
;)
Suji then treated Kru and me to mango milk drinks. They were cold, and good. And yes, I joined the toast, too - but I had to get my picture first.
;)
Lavith Goletcha, son of Hemanth, came in from celebrating Holi to the same refreshment shop to get a cold drink of his own - but he never woke up to drink it.
;)
We caught a ric and returned to the house. Suji's henna appointment was scheduled for 6:00 AM at the house. I don't remember what time we all settled down and went to bed, but it wasn't early. I was still jet-lagged and did not want to get up that early, but there was no way I was going to miss the henna painting.
Not long after the henna was done, we would board the train to Pune.
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