I had nil expectations from Durga Puja this year. With my father falling sick after my son’s birthday and showing slow signs of recovery, we weren’t even sure if we could leave Kolkata and head toward my hometown, Berhampore, this time. Until the Chaturthi evening, my husband was with Baba at a diagnostic center for a CT scan. We tried to cheer him up by taking him to the puja pandals in New Town and Salt Lake, but his heart was elsewhere.

But my heart was worried and restless. After my son’s birth, we made it a ritual to return to our roots or the place that’ll always be home for my husband and me. On Panchami morning, looking at Baba’s yearning to return to Berhampore, we spoke to his Urologist and took him home.

On the way, the kid captured glimpses of kaash phool on the mobile; we envisioned creative pandals in the making. Like every year, I spent Saptami and Ashatmi with Baba as our trio gave Saptami pushpanjali at our Baganpara pandal. We spent the day eating bhog and hopping pandals.