My paternal granny was a typical Maharashtrian lady, dressed in a nine yard Saree with a big kumkum bindi on her forehead and a long mangalsutra with a cloth bag in her slender hands. An aluminium box with betel nuts-leaves, lime and tobacco used to be her constant companion. She used to walk very slowly and was addicted to her weekly dose of vitamin injection, which used to recharge her for the entire ensuing week. She was non pretentious and a happy go lucky person in life. Her favourite pastime was seeing old black-white Marathi movies while massaging a small copper utensil on her tiny soles of her feet. An evening barefoot stroll in our garden used to be her exercise. She had a pure heart, devoid of any materialistic longings.
It was the summer of 1985, She had come to stay with us for a fortnight or so. She, in a concerned tone mentioned that she had left the tomatoes in the cane basket while leaving her home. We told her to forget about it. Anyway, she left after a fortnight and reached home. A pleasant surprise awaited her.
All the tomatoes had withered, except one. The Tomato had developed a long snout on its body, starting from the top and deviating to the right at the middle portion like an elephant's trunk. She cried a lot in amazement and disbelief. Lord Ganesha had visited her humble abode. It was a miracle. We rushed to her place and found ourselves standing in the back of a long queue of devotees eagerly awaiting the darshan of the 'Tomato Ganpati'. The news had spread like wild fire and my grandparents' home soon resembled a holy shrine where people of all walks of life turned to pay obeisance to the lord with a small hibiscus flower in their hands.. The Tomato had survived intense heat of summer for a fortnight or so. The skin was shiny and turgid as if it was still an un plucked vegetable from a creeper. Of course, the snout was like the Lord Ganesha's trunk. We knelt and become prostate and took the Lord's blessings.
This Tomato survived for 3 months!
Later, with tears in their eyes, they immersed it in a nearby lake. There were no news hungry TV channels to cover the event. My granny did not want any commercial or social mileage for the event. She was a simple lady of humble means and needs.
This miracle bestowed a lot of blessings and good fortune on our middle class family. We got what we wanted. We gradually ascended the social ladder of life. My aunt got married, dad got promoted and we excelled in studies. The goal oriented focus was back in our lives. My granny was all smiles. She was a kind soul and the Lord hence, had graced her humble home. She had an indirect role in our prosperity and well being. Her good deeds and a selfless nature sowed seeds of success in our life.
We used to visit her house every Ganesh Chaturthi when she used to make the most delicious modaks for us. Each modak was like a fortune cookie with a small 50 paise coin inside it. She usually put the coin in every modak, so as to make all her eager grand children happy. We would carefully keep the coin in our study to give us good luck. It always worked for us.
A decade back, my granny passed away.
Every Ganesh Chaturthi, I miss her loving, caring and the fortune cookie modaks.
Her garlanded photo watches over me, in each and every step of life.
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