58/100 #100CholiCraze #debsaristories #iworkedout #100sareepact

Saree: floral embroidered georgette. Choli: keep it simple in sleeveless

Story: Life always finds it way. Amidst barren rocks, under water, tough concrete and also springs back after winter. The same nude branches last week blossomed with pale pink flowers inspiring me to wear this pastel Saree today.

I must have have been less than nine years old for sure (home was still under construction then). The old flower woman usedd to live in a hut outside our then under construction home. She would sell flowers morning and evening. Whatever she earned, she would spend to chew tobacco and also drank alcohol but none of that mattered to the seven or eight year old me.. she taught me make flower garlands. My guru. She was very fast at it... so every time I would watch her as I played on the sand pile outside our brick and mortar walls.. I would wonder at the magic in her hands. She was short tempered so I was not not confident if I should ask her to teach me.. but one day I finally did.

She told me to first cut strands of grass blades , which I did. Stringing Jasmine was like PhD. So I had to start with basics. She told me to knot the grass blades,  many trials and errors .. either the grass blades would cut or the string (naaru we would call it) would dry and rip off. I learnt to keep it damp as I strung.
I learnt to first string grass blades.. then flower woman was happy and let me help her with flowers.. Jasmine need to be patiently string because the stems are small and short, kanakambaram needs gentleness because the stem is weak, chaamanthi takes time because u need to bend the long stems And then string them, jaaji is easier compared to others.. kadambam..mix match khichdi.. although short tempered she would let me keep my string and sometimes used to decorate them in my long hair (once upon a time my hair used to reach mid thigh.. later my hormones played and vanished it).

Now when I look back.. I think she taught me few things.
1. One size doesn't fit all.. be it flower garland or anything in life
2. You never know who and how your Guru can enter your life. Like the swan that consumes milk, separating it from water.. there might always be good amidst many unwanted characteristics in a person. Nothing and no one is perfect.
3. There is no age to learn or teach.. needs just a heart to connect both ways.

I still string flowers, haven't forgotten the lessons learnt as seven or eight year old, thank you puvvula avva. Rip.  Wherever you are.