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On a foggy morning, as the sun's gaze fell on this part of planet earth, I opened my eyes- from a nasty dream. I shivered- droplets of mist, all over me and fear deep inside my heart. The fear, that would accompany me till my grave! The fear - am sure is not unknown to mothers like me. I wake up each morning, ignoring my ill health, the cold weather, the urge to sleep- with a prayer on my lips- my children….. My pretty daughters……All asleep, blissfully unaware of the cruel world they live in.

Nothing makes me happy than the sight of them smiling at me, all in unison, all in glee…. I forget all my worries and smile with them, play with them. My children, my treasure, my world, my all….. I wished for them all prosperity, all happiness, all the luck they could ask for…. and a long life. They had dreams-fly like a kite, sing like a nightingale, dance in the rain…. I would lie awake, just to listen to them whispering to the stars and the moon. I saw them smiling….spreading their arms, embracing the wind and getting lost in their own world. 

It was just another day and I woke up, daring the cold weather and I smiled on seeing my sleeping beauties. They woke up- one by one and we all geared up for a cheerful day. What started as a mild breeze, gathered speed and we were all swinging in the arms of the gust- unaware of the gaze that fell on us- a dark cloud, set to spell our doom.  Our eyes met- I saw the man approaching us. He had the eyes of a hawk. He kept on staring at my children and I cringed as his palm caressed their soft cheeks. I saw the fear in my children’s eyes and the pain on having been touched with a palm that carried all the harshness of the world.  I screamed, asked him to back off. He smiled at me and touched the youngest of my kids- crushed her. I passed out before I saw her lifeless body hit the soil. One by one their petals fell.....

The agony of being a helpless mother, of seeing the worst of your nightmare come true, of waking up to see your kids- no more. I saw them get killed for the pleasures of a monster. I am alive and breathing- I live to tell the world the story of a helpless mother and of daughters, trampled  before bloom....

                                                                       

Joy to the world......

"Joy to the world! the Lord is come; 

 Let earth receive her King; 

 Let every heart prepare him room, 

     And heaven and nature sing,    

   And heaven and nature sing, 

     And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing...."

Carols...they've got a peculiar charm that adds to the nostalgia... The song that fades in and out in the cold December nights...In the land of latex, letters, spices and achayans….the spirit of Christmas is hard to miss!! The mild drop in temperature, fog that filters through the rubber trees, the vibrant cakes that sits atop the glass shelves of the bakeries, the paper made stars that lit up homes- it’s Christmas in the air. Temporary stalls selling Christmas tree/crib decoratives, greeting cards, crackers etc pops up everywhere-where all our pocket money vaporizes. We used to decorate school buses with color papers, balls, paper stars of all shades, bells, and what not!! There was a silent competition among the commuters of each route- to showcase their bus- the best... Before all the niceties of Christmas, there stood a hurdle- the terminal exams, aka Christmas pareeksha!! From the day the time table gets announced, it’s a wait-a wait to get out of the clutches of the exam monster and leap into the holiday season. A day after the exams comes the Christmas celebrations at school - secret santa and other games, house-wise carol/ x-mas tree competitions and that very evening on the way home, we would unceremoniously bare our school buses off all the sheen and glamour. Freedom from books, flurry of cakes, crackers, greetings...a lot of tv, a lot of sleep, lot of games…  

At home, we had an ivory wood tree, which we christened-our Christmas tree. Mornings, we would rush to the tree to check the damage the mist has done to the paper decoratives, and wait for the sun to tend to those-hurt. We kept on burdening the tree with all colorful things that came our way, till the end of Christmas season. Strains of drum beats in the middle of the night- the carol gang doing rounds- “Shaanta raatri, thiruraathri…” the Santa dancing to the song in the light of petromax lamps. The glee on seeing the carol singers and the sorrow that creeps into the heart on seeing them leave- taking away with them the joy of Christmas….It was sad to see the paper stars and trees disappearing....The joy of Christmas leaves your heart, with a promise to return, a promise as sweet as the Christmas cake....as bright as a lit star.... Sing with me, my fav carol……. 

 “Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh 

 O'er the fields we go Laughing all the way 

Bells on bobtail ring' Making spirits bright 

What fun it is to ride and sing A sleighing song tonight! 

Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way. 

Oh! what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh. 

Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way; 

Oh! what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh “ 

Merry Christmas, all…………….