New year.

"A good year to you" my two acquaintances, middle aged women clad in bottle green Mysore crepe and deep purple Kancheepuram silk Saree's respectively greeted me, on my way to the temple on New year's day.

We exchanged pleasantries and parted ways. A few paces ahead , 2 voices chirped in chorus ' Happy New year"--in English!The source , 2 middle aged women in faded polyester Saree's , seated on the road margins, on the space they had bagged for themselves.They stuck out their hands , most of the fingers were eaten away by disease [cured], expecting some contribution from me for their upkeep.

Unlike my acquaintances who were happy but displayed the tensions , in anticipation of the multitudes of tasks that lay ahead of the day , like running their household, cooking, tackling the maid, paying social calls,and chatting or talking to their children settled abroad, these two women on the road side who have no establishments to run were not only happy but radiant and jubilant , at the prospect of rich pickings that lay ahead on a day when people throng the temples in thousands.

It made me stop short on my tracks wondering at the anomalies of life.