by Caryl Nugara
In a faded red saree, Rani sits beside her make-shift boutique on a
prominent pavement in the town.
 She followed a daily repetition of life, firstly preparing a simple
meal for her children, sent them to the temple school nearby and then
carrying her box of bangles, she walked to her stall.
In the lively activity of the morning, she began to display the
bangles arranging them carefully on the shelf. People hurried along as
the morning sun shone into her boutique transforming it into an
arabesque of colour. A young girl stopped to look at the glass bangles
in every hue of the rainbow.
They were alluringly beautiful as the sun’s rays lingered on the
transparency of blue, pink, purple, green and yellow glass. Women
admired the broad bracelets artistically created in mosaic designs with
small pieces of glittering stones or decorated with coloured bits of
plastic. Rani would say, “Put it on, lady. It’s so lovely and see how
nice they’ll look on your fair hands.” Many couldn’t resist the
temptation to buy some. Black and white beaded bangles were small and
dainty.
They were really for babies’ wrists. Rani explained that they would
surely keep away the ‘evil eye’ from a mother’s precious infant. For the
more fastidious lady, she had gold and silver-plated bangles set in a
net-work of designs. Career girls appreciated them. There was always a
demand for these trinkets.
The mother-of-pearl bracelets held an iridescent secret within them.
A lady would, at a glance get so delighted that she purchased them to be
worn on special occasions. Little girls went by, their eyes resting on
the variety of sparkling zig-zag bangles. Rani felt sad whenever a
child’s request for a few were not granted.
During the Christmas season and festivals she could make excellent
sales flaunting her attractive, gilded and glistening ornaments.If ever
you pass by that stall notice how skilfully they have been crafted so as
to arouse the desire of women and even children to possess at least a
few. Probably you will observe how the sunlight extends trails of
fascinating colour highlighting Rani’s collection of bangles. |
