My grandmother was dressed in a powder-pink satin saree with a delicate lace trim, carrying a round brass plate with offerings to bring to the temple. She smiled at me and gestured me to come. She put my hand on the plate, which she covered with an intricately designed crochet cover, pale cream, circular, with little pearls dangling on the ends, handmade by her. Nanaji joined her in a crisp, white, starched cotton kurta, lovingly basking in her radiance. I watched them descend the stairs, helping each other carefully, and wondered if all my grandmother’s prayers had already been answered.
Shalini Gupta is discovering how to write flash and has been published in NFFD 2025. She can be reached on Twitter @shalini_writes.