‘AASHAA get down the staircase, it’s slippery there, oh God, I don’t know what to do with this girl!’

Asha’s mother merrily said touching her forehead.

Yes, Ms. Asha Patel, a mechanical engineering student just came to stay with her parents in Nagpur.

Though Patels were typical Gujarati people with a family business of textiles at Nagpur Asha has always loved engineering, she has always been a bubbly girl with a free spirit, she never believed in juggling multiple things as per any family traditions and rituals, and whenever someone said, ‘Oh, this is a boy’s job?” rather than being offended, she took it as a fun-challenge in fixing things. Being a mechanical engineering student, she loved climbing step-ladders to change bulbs, repairing switches, fixing ACs and fans, handling basic electrical and mechanical repairs, assembling gadgets around the house with confidence and ease whenever she visited her home!

Asha always believed that things just like people should be given chances. In Indian tradition she grew up understanding that instead of discarding things carelessly; we should cherish them enough to spend time fixing them with joy!

The only fear Ms. Patel always had was to never ever have to live a life ruled by routine and boredom, a life where fears remain untouched and adventures remain unlived!

Asha believed that sweetness or mithaas that actually comes from sugarcane, often mistaken for bamboo because of its appearance, releases its sweet juice only when it is crushed under pressure!

Asha loved watching Bollywood movies and thriving with life. She lived with the philosophy of ‘zindagi na milegi dobara’ and trusted there is always a possibility of a happy ending where love is involved!

Sometimes Asha used to see her mother fasting in special celebrations at home, though Asha understood a thing that there is definitely something beautiful about fasting for God, fasting for someone close to your heart, and offering prayers for them before God; she never was interested in the concept of fasting.

One such afternoon, Asha sat on the floor to repair her laptop; a screwdriver set, and a determined smile was all she needed.

She carefully opened the device, examined its components, cleaned the dust from inside, tightened all the loose connections, and went on with her fixing until she finally brought it back to life.

It was pure summer in India and she was sweating profusely.

Suddenly she heard loud temple bells ringing and Vedic mantra chanting coming from their neighbours’ house- ‘Vitthal Vitthal, Panduranga Vitthal’ (Praise to Lord Vitthal, the divine Lord Panduranga).

Asha ‘s mom heard it and smilingly chanted Jai Shri Krishna and touched her forehead with folded hands.

Seeing Asha amused, her mother started saying, ‘Oh that’s Puran, we call him Puranpoli lovingly, such a loving boy, you know Asha he is our Marathi neighbour Mr. Joshi’s boy, ever since childhood. He aspires to become a chef, whenever I meet his mother, she says as of how her son talks about of creating wonderful dishes that would bring people together!

Next morning…

The Joshi family, who lived next door to the Patels, were celebrating Gudi Padwa. They had invited the Patel family to join the festivities, and this time, Asha, who was spending her vacation at her parents’ home, accompanied them to the Joshi family’s house.

The festival scene here was extremely lively; Marathi people were helping with Gudi Padwa celebrations with Joshi Family.

With colourful rangoli designs at the entrance, the Joshi family had beautifully decorated their doors with flowers and mango leaves. Asha was awestruck by the beautiful decoration and the warmth of the festive atmosphere.

The most important ritual is the raising of the Gudi (a bamboo stick decorated with a bright yellow silk cloth); beautiful flower garlands, mango leaves, neem leaves, and a sugar garland (gathi) attached to it. An inverted silver or copper pot (kalash) was placed on top in their balcony.

Asha saw Puran for the first time, and was softened by his gestures, his innocent smile while busy in preparing celebration snacks and dishes all by him; his mother was helping him with preparing puranpoli, shrikhand, batata bhaji, thalipeeth and all the essential Marathi delicacies in their kitchen.

Puran’s mom looked at Asha and her mother and laughingly said- ‘Meet my son Puran, I call him puranpoli, his favorite dish!’

Asha and her mother just exchanged smiles and glances between themselves.

Asha came near Puran, they exchanged pleasantries and within a few hours they became really great friends; Asha was drawn to Puran’s simplicity and Puran to her liveliness.

They started bonding over food, spirituality, technology and sometimes even on Bollywood!

Asha to Puran was his sweetness or mithas in life. Puran had his father’s dairy farm business to look after, but before meeting Asha he was living a routine life.

Asha on the other side started developing interest more in spirituality just like Puran, and a constant urge how she can bring more mithas (sweetness) in Puran’s life!

One day they were discussing their individual fears standing on Asha’s home balcony, while Puran said he feared the concept of stealing, Asha said she used to fear heights, but she said she overcame her fear by climbing step-ladders.

Meanwhile they saw…

Asha’s neighbour Tatya Bhau, the grumpy wrestler shouting at children for hurling stones at his mango trees to get some mangoes!

Tatya had the best mangoes in the garden, but he was famous as khadaoos Tatya (Rude Tatya), as he never shared his mangoes.

Asha looked up at Tatya’s mango tree, sighed deeply and said, ‘Oh, how much I love mangoes, if at all I can get a mango from there!’

Puran said softly, chori karna paap hai! (it is wrong to steal).

Asha smiled, touched Puran’s cheeks with her hand and said jokingly, ‘You know Puran life’s sweetness often lies on the other side of the road, and love gives us the courage to cross it for those we care about!’

Next day…

Asha and her mom visited Puran’s home with home-made Gujrati delicacies Khaman Dhokla and Thepla.

In India, when people are served delicacies in somebody’s home, they return it with something sweet from their side as well.

Asha was very happy saying how she had kept her first fasting that day and they were chit-chatting with Puran’s mom.

Suddenly, their AC stopped working. Perhaps there was some electrical fault.

It was a scorching hot day. Asha insisted on checking on the AC duct all by herself.

Puran’s mother tried to stop Asha from climbing the ladder to check the AC duct. ‘Don’t do it,’ she said. “Puran will come home in no time and take care of it. Don’t worry!

Asha on the other hand assured Puran’s mom and climbed the step ladder, and before she could check anything about the AC, something happened which never happened before. Unfortunately, her legs slipped and she fell down, immediately she got unconscious and was rushed to the hospital.

Next Scene:

Asha’s parents and Puran’s mother visited Asha at the hospital. They saw Asha was much better now and laughing!

Seeing their daughter all okay Asha’s parents informed her that a development just took place in their neighbourhood. People saw their neighbour Tatya Bhau walking around their neighbourhood area with a big stick, looking for the thief who had stolen his mangoes.

At the same time, he kept laughing and saying that he had already beaten the thief black and blue!

Asha felt pity for the thief.

After her parents and Puran’s mom left, she noticed someone mumbling- Deva Deva,,,Panduranga (in a very feeble voice), a voice coming from below her hospital bed!

Asha sat up with a start – ‘Hey wait I know this voice!’

‘Puran where are you!’

She saw Puran crawling and coming outside from under her bed, crying and laughing uncontrollably at the same time! He was holding mangoes in his hands.

Asha saw Puran’s hands, it took her no time in understanding that it is Puran who had actually stolen the mangoes for her, as she once said she loved mangoes and got beaten black and blue!

‘It is wrong to steal, but for love we conquer all our fears, isn’t it Asha!’

Have you ever noticed Puran, why we met?

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Asha laughed and lovingly asked her innocent Puran, ‘In India, what do we call it when a person’s wish is fulfilled?’