The Stone God

Atreyi starts the engine of the car. The car, a battered old ambassador was what she was driving nowadays. Just 3 days back she had scratched the side view mirror of Atul's brand new baleno with the wall of the garage. Atul was besides himself with fury, lectured her a full half hour on her clumsy driving. Snatching away the keys he had shouted "That old ambassador is suitable for you!"

It was everyday's work. Atreyi drove her twins to school. Atul has just got transferred to this village-town as BDO. The english medium school was a 15 km drive along the highway. Atul was keen on bringing the brand new baleno along while Atreyi knew the simple villagers had not seen anything like this before.

Each 10 yr old was so different from the other as two sides of the coin, her son occupied the front seat with a command at the dashboard music player belting out his favourite songs one after the other while his sister younger by 8 mins was doing maths, occupying the large back seat with all her books and copies strewn.

Leaving them cocooned in their own safe worlds, Atreyi looked out of the window outside. Fields of paddy, yellow mustard flowers and green patches of vegetables splashed a riot of colour both sides of the road. The highway itself was free and smooth that early, only the ambassador was giving out loud distress calls now and then, muttering softly she sweared, aghhh... god... when suddenly just beside a big tree her eye catches a glimpse of red. She could just make out a large stone painted deep vermillion, a small stick with a red flag sticking out, a donation box and an offering of flowers and fruits. Some bystanders were accumulated as well. Amazed at the sight, if this is today, yesterday the stone was not there.

On the backward journey, Atreyi stopped the car and observed the scenario closely. The red stone, the flag, the flowers were decorated to make it look like a shrine, village women were kneeling down offering prayers, men were throwing coins.

Atreyi had never seen such drama which she was to witness for the next few days. The crowd of people was increasing day by day, some cars and autos stopped for passengers to disembark at the shrine. Another day she saw a priest holding puja at the site with pomp and splendour, prasad was distributed to the travellers. Atreyi herself was thoroughly enjoying the real life drama surrounding the "Stone God". She smiled at the thought that someday a temple might be erected there. She looked protectively at her children and couldn't help wondering what world will they step in to when they finally step out of the car. That silly battered ambassador pricked her eyes though. Casting a sly glance at the stone god she wished for her wish to come true.

That evening while she and Atul sat for dinner, the twins in their room, she was toying with her thoughts about the "Stone God" when Atul spoke out "Tomorrow I am taking the ambassador, its a small village beside the highway, I have to inaugurate a temple there, the new car will be unsuitable."

Next morning Atreyi and the gods above (if there is any) chuckled as she sped past the temple of the "Stone God" in the brand new baleno.