Chapter 6: Birthday Fair
It was the morning of Birthday of Gauri. Gauri along with her father, uncles and other members of the spiritual group visited the Rudra Temple to get the blessings of God. Special prayers were done as the birthday ceremony. After prayers, all the elder gave their blessings and gifts to Gauri. Birthday celebrations are planned for the evening when all the leaders of different villages and even some faction leaders will join.
Gauri was walking in the town of Singrauli. Abhay was beside her and a few other boys and girls were following them. Some boys and girls were even carrying gifts given by different shopkeepers and passers-by. Gauri is the future leader of the spiritual group and many people are aware of her birthday, so her father asked her to visit the market and some main places to give other people chance to wish her happy birthday.
Gauri visited the Singrauli main market, City Management Center, Spiritual education center, Science Education Center, Martial Arts Center, Yogi Practice Center and also Devi Temple. These places are the main places of education and public activities. Gauri received the best wishes and blessings of different people. Abhay was extra attentive toward Gauri's security whole time which made Gauri amused. Still being with Abhay whole morning and afternoon made her happy.
At last, their friends also gave their wishes and gifts and said them goodbye when Gauri reached her home. When everyone left, Gauri asked Abhay "Don't you have any gift for me?"
Abhay looked at her and then asked: "Do you want me to give you gift?"
Gauri was not prepared for this response from Abhay. She felt unhappy from the heart but when she thought deeply, it felt right. Everyone is giving the gift, it should be different from Abhay. She smiled and said "Then stay around for the whole day. I will consider that as my gift."
Abhay laughed "I was planning that. But you still called that a gift."
"So, It is just for my security?" Gauri said and felt downhearted.
Abhay did not want to make her sad. It is her birthday. He smiled and stroked her hair and said in the soft voice "Not just that." and he walked inside the house.
Gauri did not understand first. But when she thought about those words again, she felt happy. She giggled and ran inside the house. He touched her head affectionately and also said something rare to his indifferent nature. She felt happy. This was a great gift for her.
Gauri was sitting at a side in the courtyard on the chair. She was feeling happy. Abhay is practicing sward with some other guards of the house. Gauri's house has about twenty guards who are well versed in spiritual and martial arts practice and are the trusted people of the spiritual group. These all guards live near to the house of the leader so that they are always around.
Abhay was fighting with the wooden sword with one of the guards. Gauri was watching them. Abhay is trying different ways to defeat his opponent but he is not able to be successful. Suddenly he was pushed and fell on his back. Gauri laughed and Abhay glared at her.
Gauri hid her mouth with both her palms and tried to suppress her laughter. Then she said "Sorry, sorry. I did not see anything. Please continue." Which made other people also laugh.
Abhay showed fake anger and said, "You can't even do that, why are you laughing?"
"Today is my birthday, so you did that to make me laugh. Right?" Gauri smiled and asked.
Abhay felt defeated by her response and said "Okay, okay. Whatever makes you happy, think it that way." Where did this girl pick her mind from? Who would heart their hips to make someone laugh? Gauri felt amused seeing Abhay's expression.
Many people are running around making preparations for the birthday celebration which will happen in the evening. The courtyard is filled with hustle and bustle. Many people are used to their bickering. It's always Gauri pulling the leg of Abhay and finally Abhay accepting his defeat.
Finally, the courtyard was cleared and a pavilion was created in the courtyard with sitting arrangements. The courtyard is big and chairs were arranged in two rows facing each other. Each row has fifty chairs. Rows are at a distance of almost 20 meters from each other. Tables are also arranged for each row. This arrangement is made for special guests. All other people who will be an audience will be seated on chairs under the shades made on all four sides of the courtyard.
Electric lighting is done. Singrauli city is the main city for coal mining and they also have patented method invented by leader Prajapati for pollution-free electricity generation from coal. So, Singrauli is also known as an electrically independent city.
There was also a podium created at the center of the pavilion which has a statue of God Shiva placed on it. There are oil lamps are placed around God's statue. The count of oil lamps is exactly 18 which is the number of the birthday of Gauri.
Host position is for Leader Prajapati and is placed in a way to face both rows of people. From host place, one row is on right and another on left and in front is the podium. And on one side of the host chair is the chair for Gauri and another side is for his most trusted friend and advisor Bhadra.
After sunset, leaders of different villages started coming. They were seated on their respective positions by the organizing group of boys and girls. After sometime Leader, Prajapati entered with his group of people and Singrauli management committee. Soon everyone was discussing the things happening in the city and almost 40 to 50 villages under it. People are talking to each other and also some people are conveying their issues to higher level leaders.
When Gauri walked in everyone went silent. Many people were charmed by her unaffected calm and innocent smile. They all thought she really was the future leader of the spiritual group. Everyone was her elder here, so she bowed to everyone before entering the pavilion. Abhay was with her. He looked indifferent and bowed slightly along with her. They walked slowly between the rows of chairs and then around the podium and reached Gauri's seat beside leader Prajapati.
Gauri turned to Abhay and said in a low voice mentioning beside her chair "Why don't we put a chair for you here? I won't feel good. You said you will be beside me today." Her voice is full of uncertainty.
Abhay smiled and said while pointing at the back of her chair and said "I will stand there. It is not far so you can talk whenever you need. Also, some anarchists are coming today, it will be good to keep an eye on them that way. I will feel assured that way."
Leader Prajapati turned his head toward them and said "Today those people are coming as guests. Let us not forget our duty. Stop using that word for now."
Gauri smiled and looked at Abhay. Abhay frowned and then said quietly "Some unusual people are coming today, So I will stand and it will help me remain vigilant."
Gauri smiled and looked at her father but his father has already turned toward other people. She pouted and sat on her seat. Abhay smiled and stood beside her. Everyone knows about Gauri and Abhay and her silent affection toward him, so no one found it odd that she acted so carefree and lazily around him.
After sometime leader, Prajapati announced "Looks like we have to start the birthday celebration of my daughter with the people present. Other people can join later as they come." After the announcement of leader, all people gathered near to the podium.
Leader Prajapati went forward and picked a candle burning in front of the God's statue and called Gauri and said "Gauri! Come and light the oil lamps in front of God. These are 18 lamps indicating the shining and eventful years of life. This will also represent your will to keep shining, fight the darkness and progressing in life like them."
Gauri moved, she took the candle from her father and lighted the lamps around the statue of God Shiva. It would have been easy for her to just look at the wick of the oil lamp and willed it to fire up but to show her respect and not show off, she did it one by one using the candle. Abhay stood beside her all the time which made her smile more. The rich smell from the burning of liquid butter from oil lamps filled the surrounding atmosphere.
After that Leader, Prajapati came in front of the God Shiva's statue and said "God Rudra is the earliest Yogi and the creator of Yoga. So, we will start our celebrations with the prayer of God Shiva. Let us bow to him and Chant the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra five times."
After that everyone joined their palms in their front and slightly bowed their head toward God's statue and chanted the Mantra. The resonance of the sound in the house made the Atmosphere divine.
After few minutes Mantra chanting stopped and at the same time people from other groups entered the house and some guards guided them to the courtyard. They are the people of Khristan and Mughal groups and are almost 20 people. The peacefulness of the pavilion broke when an unrestrained laugh echoed from one of the leaders and he said in loud voice "Ha ha ha. It's good to be invited by the leader of the spiritual group in an important event. We are grateful."
Leader Prajapati looked at the newcomers calmly and said: "There was no problem with that. Please come and take the seats."
Those people looked where leader Prajapati pointed and saw empty seats in one row and they sat one by one. This is the group of people who are the anarchist group leaders causing trouble in Singrauli city. These people are supported by the science group and different ruling factions in one or more cities. Although those people sat one of them said: "We have come to discuss the important issue, shouldn't we sit near to the leader?"
Leader Prajapati looked calmly at that person and smiled. Bhadra said "Everyone present here is a leader and are treated equally. Please don't jest."
That person who spoke looked annoyed and he kept silent after that. Gauri looked at those people. Many of them were looking at her and if say accurately, they were probing her. Those gazes were filled with different expressions probing, attraction, mockery or lewdness.
Gauri looked at those newcomers and felt like these people were really at the lowest level of humanity. Their gazes, their actions, and expression all mentioned that they were here to cause trouble. She turned her head and looked at Abhay. Abhay bends his head and she whispered in his ears "Looks like these people are here to cause trouble."
Abhay nodded and said, "I guessed so, I am just waiting."
"You are no less. Some people like to cause trouble and you are waiting for trouble." Gauri smiled and whispered.
Abhay said "I like it. What can you do?"
Gauri curled her lips and said, "Then I will also learn to like it." Abhay smiled and she turned back and faced the audiences again.
Leader Prajapati mentioned one person and that person brought a big plate which has a pile of flower petals and stood in front of Gauri at a distance. Leader Prajapati said, "Please everyone come forward and give blessings to our daughter on her birthday and you can also give you gifts here."
Some spiritual leaders of different villages moved forward. They took the flowers and rained softly on the head of Gauri and gave the gifts they brought. Gauri bowed to them and received the gifts. One person was standing on the side, who moved the gifts to one corner. Everyone came one or in groups and repeated the steps.
"Ha ha ha. We have also brought a gift for the successor of Spiritual leader." One of the person of the Science faction supported group came forward and said.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Kritdeo
Kritdeo I have shown the Indian traditional way of celebrating the birthday. There are one or two more steps which are vows for self-improvement, distributing sweets.
Hope you did not feel this chapter was boring. Please provide your feedback.
I will write minimum 1 chapter per week and will try my best to make it 2. I will increase count if I get some ratings and responses from readers. I am really getting lazy due to lack of encouragement...........
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone