Til gud kha, god, god bola..

'Til gud kha, god, god bola,' said the Lady offering me two til guds on Makar Sankranthi. At home, Rama is half-ways into Pongal with pongal, avial, vadai and Makar Sankranthi rolled in til guds. In Mumbai, we are like that, half-ways into many. The Lady is no different. On the walk, we paused at Thampis for vada and chutney to cheers for Pongal and at Bhagwans for tea; Thampi wished us Pongal O Pongal. Long since Lady and me met; she coughed and colded, the usual in Mumbai without a winter. Today, winds are weak for kites and there are no kati patang tumults on housing terraces as schools are into maths and history. What's Mumbai coming to -- a city of no joy; India, a country of no fun. At street corners, kite shops were into early openings and the Lady bought a dozen kites with colour manjas for her birds and Dinesh the Donkey at home; 'they told me to get some to have maja, band-baja,' the Lady said smiling hoarsely. 'Over the last 10 days they have been in bed; took them to our family doctor Dr. Buddhu and he prescribed Vicks cough drops and some white homeopathy pills; they are better after passing on the unwellness to me,' the Lady explained. The Lady seems to have had a tough time with Dinesh the Donkey refusing Vicks medication; he coughed and brayed together. 'Things are normal; hope my cold does not go back to them,' said the Lady chewing a soft, warm wada dipped into a sambhar and chutney mix. She burped loudly for Borivili to hear and had no regrets; perhaps, she was not civilised by school teachers and college professors. Let's go to the Shiva temple and Church; hope you have time,' the Lady said. Loaded with surplus time, me went along first to the empty Lord Shiva temple; we prayed with the Lady mostly patting two stray dogs, the temple regulars; then to an emptier Church as schools and offices were working. 'So what did you pray for,' me asked being ever curious. She laughed and laughed, her stick fell off, vehicles stopped. At home she has a problem; this staying in bed for cold and coughs has turned her animals into Dilwales; a crow is in love with Dinesh the Donkey; a house sparrow with a myna; weird for the Lady; she has not been able to grasp it; she has read enough of Salim Ali and watched birds to know a male crow dancing a female; a male sparrow fitting a wedding ring to the toe of a female; but this? 'Not a mess really,' she explains. The Lady is on the mobile with wild life experts and top class vets; 'never heard such a thing, Lady you need a check up,' one vet told her. Nobody has an answer and the Lady prefers to let things be; if Dinesh the Donkey croons a crow, so be it. We wished Good Day and went our ways. Read Alice in Wonderland for clues, found none...searched Dahl ... no ...not being able to forward the tale. Closing shot: her room mates, munching til guds, flying kites with Dinesh the Donkey reeling phirkis.