#navratri nine days

[jeevanjali]

Ashadha Gupt Navratri 2024: गुप्त नवरात्रि पर नौ दिनों तक माता रानी को लगाएं ये चीजें, पूरी होगी हर मनोकामनाAshadha Gupt Navratri 2024: इस साल आषाढ़ गुप्त नवरात्रि 06 जुलाई 2024 से शुरू हो रही है. गुप्त नवरात्रि में 10 महाविद्याओं की पूजा की जाती है. दस महाविद्याएं मां दुर्गा का ही स्वरूप हैं

[subhashdagar123]

[fortunatelytooartisan]

#देवी_मां_को_ऐसे_करें_प्रसन्न

During Navratri, devotees fast for nine days to please the goddess, which means they go hungry. But think about it, if children go hungry, can a mother be happy?

Read Gyan Ganga

[beingmomandmore03]

Goddess Joy: Intimating with Devi Durga the Radiant Spirit of Navratri

Discover the colorful essence of Navratri, a period of heavenly energy and blissful joy dedicated to honoring Devi Durga! Enjoy vibrant dances and a rainbow of colors for nine days, all infused with a deep sense of spiritual devotion. Let us take advantage of this auspicious occasion and learn why we celebrate the divine Goddess.

[newzquest]

Chaitra Navratri 2023: The Importance and Significance of India's Navratri Festival

Chaitra Navratri 2023 The festival is dedicated to the worship of the Hindu Goddess Shakti in her nine incarnations. Devotees fast and pray to the deity.

Navratri 2023: In addition to Sharada Navratri, the main nine-day festival celebrated every autumn, several parts of the country celebrate Chaitra Navratri in the lunar month of Chaitra, immediately following the spring harvest. Chaitra Navratri, also known as Vasant Navratri, is observed in most parts of India, though it is more popular in North India. According to Drik Panchang, the nine-day…

[revolutionsingingintherainnn]

Hi! Fellow desi here...

So Navratri is coming soon and I am really excited already!! Can you please write something about spending Navratri with Lando. It would be like teaching him the garba steps and the reader being obsessed with garba and Lando just being in awe.

I love your writing sooo much <3

Desi Girl ༉‧₊˚.

彡 ln x desi!reader 🪷

彡 fluff + smau 🪷

masterlist ☾☼

being an indian meant that there was some festival or the other every few months. that meant new clothes, new jewellery, and the same old feeling of being blessed by the gods and goddesses. for most indians, the blessings of the almighty was all they sought throughout the year.

navratri was one of y/n's favourite festivals. nine days of music, dance, and worshipping different goddessess. every year, y/n bought nine new chaniya cholis for the festival, and every year she danced all night till her feet had blisters. it was the happiest she ever felt.

this year was different though, because she had a boyfriend. a boyfriend who was hot and rich and very much british. since the festival and the autumn break coincided, lando had decided to spend the break with his girlfriend in india. y/n had taken him shopping to all kinds street markets, where all he really did was hold her bags, give his opinion when asked, and made sure that she was hydrated. he had watched as she bargained, and tried on jhumkas, and smiled and laughed even though the sun was scorching hot.

the first two days of navratri had been y/n doing garba with her family and friends, and lando watching from afar, afraid to step into the fast moving circles of humans who were dancing in perfect sync. everyone was sweaty, especially his girlfriend, but she seemed to shine in the sweat. that just made lando fall in love even more.

on the third day, y/n had decided that she would teach lando the basic steps of garba. she took him in a little corner, not too secluded, but there was enough space for him to practice. she taught him the footwork of the dance, but even after multiple tries, lando tripped way more than he ever thought was imaginable. his girlfriend laughed though, so he hadn't completely failed at dancing.

he had tried participating with her friends, where they were all doing the same basic steps that y/n had been teaching him. after a few minutes of stepping on people's toes, and people stepping on his toes, lando had given up, sweating, shining, smiling.

y/n had grabbed his hand and pulled him to the food stalls. lando had never eaten anything like it before, but y/n was excited, and she was happy, and lando eating whatever she wanted him to would make her happier, so who was he to question it?

their first stop had been the pani puri stall. it was certainly an experience to try and fit the entire puri in his mouth without staining his clothes. when he had complained to y/n that there was no way he could fit the whole thing in his mouth, she had smirked at him and said, "remember when i said that to you? that it wasn't going to fit in my mouth?"

lando was blushing, knowing exactly what she was talking about, "y/n,"

"what did you say to me then? ah, yeah, practice makes perfect," y/n had been smiling wide as she teased him. lando had choked on the pani puri, and y/n had laughed, patting his back.

they went through all the stalls, where y/n proceeded to stuff him full of food. it was all extremely spicy for him, and despite y/n laughing at how red he had gotten, lando was determined to not ruin the fun. eventually, she had fed him gulab jamuns, kheer, and so many other sweets, he had lost track.

after eating, lando and y/n walked around the area, talking and laughing, and he had never felt so in love. he repeatedly told her how beautiful she looked, and even at the tenth and hundredth time, y/n blushed just the same. god, she really was breathtaking.

"so, what's the next festival?" lando asked.

"well, navratri ends on saturday, and then we have dusshera on sunday, and then, about two weeks later, diwali! oh, are you going to stay? i mean, i know you have your training and you have to be at the mtc for work or whatever, but dusshera is really fun, cause my nana sits all of us kids down and tells us the whole story of lord ram and how he defeated ravan!" she was rambling, they both knew, but lando loved it.

"i'm going to make sure i'm here on sunday," lando said softly.

"yeah?" her small hands were squeezing his big ones in hope.

lando leaned in, kissing her softly, before he pulled back, "yeah,"

lando.jpg

♫ Desi Girl (From "Dostana")

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, and 801,572 others

lando.jpg who's the hottest girl in the world

view all 73,496 comments

yourusername your desi girl <3

user1 is this a hard launch??? ARE WE HARD LAUNCHING RIGHT NOW???

user1 LANDO IN INDIA??? HELLO??? WHY WERE WE NOT TOLD???

user2 he better get an indian passport now

user3 jijaji pt.2???

carlossainz making the most of the break, i see

carlossainz spanish food or indian food?

lando.jpg 🤐

yourusername im watching you, norris

user2 HOLD ON DID LANDO DO GARBA?????

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

i'm not really a garba person, despite living in gujarat for quite a while, but this is specifically for my desi girls, cause we gotta feed our delusions somehow to live, right? i hope you enjoy it! i've also got a link for my taglist and requests that you can find here!

[mieldreams]

Payal

Summary: Anakin Skywalker is the roommate of your best friend's crush. That's all. Well, he's also a pain in the ass. But could one dance and a lucky pair of payal change things?

pairing: Anakin Skywalker x desi!reader (or just reader who's familiar/involved with that culture, no physical descriptions involved)

Warnings: None, except for 'i haven't proofread a single fucking thing' :) sorry for the mistakes in advance.

A/n: wrote something on a whim again (this is the first ever time I've written a proper fanfic tho *_*). Happy navratri y'all

Edit: Here's some payal playbacks aka any moodboard/refs if you want to know (songs, outfits, word meanings etc.)

It was Navratri, the festival in honour of the Goddess Durga. Nine nights of colours, prayers, and a whole lot of dancing. Oh, and the sweets! You couldn't wait to just rot your teeth on those festive delicacies.

It was the 5th night of festivities and today's celebrations were mainly the daily prayer and the dandiya dance. The special event for today however, was the ladies' dance competition. Your best friend had practically dragged your ass to get your name registered along with hers and your other friend Pari's, a half-assed promise of treating you to your favourite food at that fancy restaurant on the other side of the city to bribe you into the elaborate bollywood-esque romance scheme to seduce her crush. "There's no seducing!" she whisper-shouted, standing at the booth where you had to give your name, her cheeks immediately heating up at your insinuation. "I just want him to... see me, you know?" and you couldn't help but mentally scoff at that, why was she so blind? "Plus the price is money," she added, smirking as she picked up the pen to write down the names.

"Well shit, you should've said that first girl, I'm always looking to make me some moolah" your smirk matching hers even though your brain was already exhausted just *thinking* about the hours of practice she was gonna make you do to make sure everything was perfect to the T. That was over a week back, and after hours of choreographing and practising and picking out the costumes, the day was here, and despite all the whining you had done during practice, you couldn't deny that you actually hoped that her plan worked. Was it because you were tired of your oblivious best friend and her equally oblivious man playing dog and the bone with their feelings? Nooo, you could never be tired of your darling best friend's endless rants about how 'handsome he looked at the cafeteria today, in his lucky white cashmere sweater his ex-grandma gifted him in 2019' (how did she know that?) or how 'it's so sad his little sister's goldfish died because it jumped into the pot of boiling water for tea, and they've invited us to its funeral' (what?). And it most definitely wasn't because you were starting to get sick of having to watch them make those nauseating googly eyes at each other every time you hung out, for the past year. (though you wondered if it would only get worse when they finally got together.)

That's right, when, because if those two failed to get their ship sailing after tonight, you were 100% planning on just walking up to each of them, asking them what time they're free for dinner and setting them up on a date yourself. Your mental planning however, was disrupted by the creaking of the metal gate to the lawn space that had been rented for the festival. You turned around, a smile immediately pulling on your lips at the sight of the said man you were downright ready to shake like a maraca till your best friend got her deserved confession (though you expected the same on her end as well, of course). But the smile immediately fell at the sight of another man walking in right behind him. Anakin. What the hell was he doing here? And truly, the scowl that pulled on your face was hardly your fault when his eyes met yours and his lips immediately turned up into that infuriating smirk as the two of them headed towards you. But before you could march up to him and demand why he was here, your best friend ran up to you, gripping your arm to stop herself from crashing into you (you supposed the accidental intervention was for the better, since asking him such a thing might only give him more reason to mock you, it was obvious he was here with Krish, your best friend's crush who was also very unfortunately college roommates with Anakin, seriously how did someone as sweet as that guy get stuck with a moron like him?).

"C'mon it's time for the competition to start, ours is literally the second performance!" She started to drag you by the arm only to stop immediately at the sight of Krish causing you to crash into her. "Are we sure you can dance in the competition when you can hardly manage to walk without stumbling?" his voice immediately caused you to raise your head, glaring daggers as you squared up to throw your own taunt about how he just had to be oh so special and wear black even though tonight's theme was white. Unfortunately, you were beaten by Krish as he elbowed Anakin harshly in the rib, making you snicker at his grunt of pain, before walking even closer towards your best friend. "Aamani... hi," Krish breathed out, shifting his weight from one foot to another. And though you wanted to roll your eyes at how his eyes seemed to literally twinkle as he looked at your best friend, or how he always took time to call her by her full name despite all her friends calling her Manu, like he just had to say it every time to even begin to appreciate her entire being that he was so clearly besotted with, you couldn't help the small smirk that tugged on your lips as you gently pried your arm out of her death grip. (when the hell did she get so strong?) ‘Let's leave them to it, then.’ You thought to yourself.

And with that you walked away towards the small stage, knowing they'd most likely not see or hear anything besides the other person for at least the next half hour. "They're not gonna leave each other's side for the rest of the night, are they?" Ugh, Anakin. How had you forgotten? and now he was following you. Great. "Well, they wouldn't normally, but we do have to perform our dance and we're up second, which means the lovebirds will have to sacrifice at least half an hour for final practice and the performance." Hold on, why were you entertaining him? You stopped suddenly and turned to him with a scowl, "and I'll have you know I can dance very well and I-" "Is that why you're wearing red? for the dance? I thought the theme was white today," the audacity this man had to interrupt you. "Oh did you? Is that why you instead wore black?" you popped a hip with a closed fist resting on your hipbone, raising a jeering eyebrow at him, his eyes immediately drawn to the movement and indirectly your exposed midriff and then the shiny white stud in your belly button. He gulped before quickly averting his eyes to the stage behind you. "I think they announced that they're gonna be starting the competition soon," he replied instead.

Oh shit.

"Good luck" was all he said before walking away towards the audience gathering up for the performances. Oh shit, you really had to find your best friend fast.

Half an hour later with your costumes readjusted and makeup re-touched you were ready to get on stage. You weren't worried about messing up as much as you were about not keeping the same amount of energy for the next half an hour. That's right, your original plans of going mostly unnoticed as your best friend's supporting dancer for a mere 4-5 minutes went down the drain the minute she blabbered about you being a dancer as a kid to the aunty from down the block who was arranging her own group dance performance and immediately downright ordered you to join her group as well. At the time you didn't mind much but now, now you were wondering if you could pretend to sprain your ankle after your first performance to avoid the other one. I mean a whole half an hour of continuous dancing? and worse, the traitor that was your best friend wasn't in the second one and so you'd been entirely alone with a bunch of strangers during the first few practice sessions. (you knew it wasn't her fault the lady didn't ask her to join but you were sure she might have accommodated another person considering it was a big dance number) So here you were now, about 30 seconds away from getting on stage, sending a quick prayer that you don't throw up at any point considering they were pretty much back-to-back dances. As soon as you heard your group being announced the three of you walked onto the stage to get in your positions. You used the brief gap before the music started to scan the huge crowd, immediately spotting Krish almost at the very front of the audience, closest to where Manu was standing, but Anakin wasn't beside him like you expected. Your eyes continuing their scan to find him in the crowd before you even realised what you were doing. Wait, why the hell are you looking for him? You need to focus on the count before the music starts.

And as soon as the music started your body naturally moved to the rhythm and beat, a light laughter bubbling in your chest as you felt the stress melt away with each step. You had forgotten just how fun being on stage actually was, and with the atmosphere of such joy and celebration it was that much livelier. Before you know it, the performance was over, Krish walking quickly to the side of the stage as you got off, still high on the adrenaline and euphoria of performing after so long, and everything had gone smoothly too. It was hard to keep the smile off your face, even more so when you saw Manu and Krish talk animatedly at the bottom of the stairs to the stage, her head thrown back, laughing at something he said and then nodding enthusiastically with a toothy grin. Her expression changing to that of shock for a brief second as Krish immediately picks her up to twirl her around, her laughter dancing in the cold night air once again. It was only your obnoxiously loud teasing whistle that broke their bubble, though only temporarily. You had to go back on stage in five minutes and you wanted to make sure that Manu had company since you wouldn't be by her side for at least the next half an hour. Though realistically you knew it was her who wouldn't be by your side for the rest of the night. Ah, young love... or whatever.

"So now that the two of you have finally been cured of your obliviosis, have fun kiddos," you smirked, "and make sure to be safe." You winked at the pair, earning you a half-hearted angry call of your name from Manu as Krish let out an awkward nervous chuckle, burying his face into her shoulder. Aww, you had embarrassed them. "What? I'm just saying, have her back by 11." you gave a pointed look at him to which he immediately straightened up, enthusiastically nodding to your words while Manu continued to glare at you. "Back by 11? What am I in middle school?" "If you were in middle school I'd want you home by 9 miss, just what the hell sorta parents did you have?" You looked down at your watch realising your 5-minute break was nearing its end. "Okay lovebirds, I gotta go, but seriously have her home safe if you guys decide to leave the ground," you said pointing a finger at Krish, "and you," your finger pointing at Manu now, "don't forget to text me when you're leaving and when you get back home, alright?" She left his arms to quickly walk up the stairs to the top where you stood, pulling you into a bear hug as she rocked you side to side without even giving you a chance to hug her back as she held your arms at your sides, "I'll text you." She freed you from the hug to squeeze your palms in hers, "I had a lot of fun with the dance, thank you. And good luck with your next dance, sorry I won't be there to watch it, I mean we could stay till it gets over. we'll have the rest of the night anyway. Hey Krish, maybe we should stay for–"

But you immediately cut her off, "absolutely not, you've been looking forward to this day for almost a whole month now." You shook your head as you saw her open her mouth to argue, "plus I know you have that scarf you knitted for him in your bag." you smirked as her eyes went wide with surprise, not having expected you to know that. "Pulling that lovely 'oh it's a cold night, isn't it? Here, I just so happen to have this beautiful scarf that I definitely didn't knit just for you, here, let me wrap it around your beautiful neck. Oh no, you don't have to give it back to me at the end of the night, I have a matching one at home that I totally didn't plan as a couple’s thing, no seriously you can keep it' on him? There couldn't be a better opportunity." You laughed as her ears became bright red, "I hate you and your Nancy Drew observation skills." she mumbled out of puffed cheeks before immediately pulling you into another hug. "I love you. Good luck." "Thanks, I love you." In the end, you were about 2 minutes late to your dance and the aunty's scary face as she hurriedly signalled you to get into your position made you cringe on the inside, but oh well whatever, there were so many people you doubted that anyone had noticed there was supposed to be another dancer. You were here now anyway. You were halfway through the dance, your back turned to the audience when you felt a sharp gaze on you. Weird, there were about 100 people watching you, why did you feel this one particular stare stand out? It was only when you completed the circle to turn to face the audience again that you immediately connect gazes with the sharp eyes you had felt on you. Anakin. He was standing at the very back, close to the water coolers and refreshment tables, leaning on one of the empty tables with his arms crossed. His gaze never leaving yours. For a second your thoughts drifted and you were annoyed at how good he looked in the black shimmery kurta, though the top 3 buttons being left unbuttoned was so unnecessarily extra. The sleeves folded over his forearms that stretched the fabric, his collarbones standing out from the open collar. Such a slut. But damn did he look fine. Wait, what the hell? Focus, focus, focus. You couldn't lose count mid-step. And tripping right now would mess up everyone's steps since it was a circular movement. Why the hell would you trip over him anyway? Ugh. And so you focused back on your steps, continuing to feel that strange unwavering gaze on you for the rest of your dance.

Half an hour later, you were entirely done with the dance competition. Your feet hurt, your stomach was grumbling every few seconds and you were sure you'd be getting a headache from being so close to the speakers for so long. Thankfully, the emcee had announced a short break for refreshments and such, before the rest of the dances and then the final event to end the night — the dandiya dance. Were you positively exhausted and maybe even getting real tired of all the dancing and loud music? Most definitely. But Manu had texted you saying they'd be back for the final dandiya dance and you were really hoping to get to dance at least once with her, you know, outside the competition, just for funsies sort of stuff. So your irritation? Nothing some tasty snacks and maybe a cold drink couldn't solve. That was until an unfortunately familiar face came into your view as he plopped into the seat right next to yours at the circular table. Not the two other tables that were entirely empty (wasn't he supposed to be some emo loner who preferred to sulk in a corner?) or even the chair on the other side of the table (though you wondered if having him directly in your line of sight would make it worse). But no, he just had to sit right next to you with his stupid pretty eyes purposefully not meeting yours and his annoying plump lips innocently wrapping around the spoon with a piece of gulab jamun on it. He didn't even like sweets.

"Um— what the hell?" "What?" he looked at you with doe eyes rounded in innocence, and your eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Nothing, never mind," you were too tired and too hungry to start anything right now and what would you even ask, 'Why the hell are you sitting next to me?' 'didn't know there was some rule telling me where I can sit' is what he'd say, maybe roll his eyes at you, the usual stuff. So you continued eating your puff pastry in silence. Until you just had to ask, "I thought you didn't like sweets?" You tried to make your voice sound as non-judgemental as possible, you were only curious after all. "And who told you that?" he raised an eyebrow at you. Truthfully, nobody. But you had noticed the way he always avoided the dessert table at parties and functions, the way he only drank his coffee black; not even your best friend's infamous black forest cake that she had made for Krish's birthday a few months back had tempted him to even grab a Yolanda-approved bite. Yolanda would certainly be proud. Obviously, this had nothing to do with you observing him particularly, you just observed a lot of things around you, and he just very unfortunately happened to be around you a lot, being Krish's roommate and 'brotha from anotha motha' or whatever they said. And yet, here he was eating a freaking gulab jamun that was absolutely dripping with the sugary-est syrup. Did he hit his head on the way or something?

"Did you hit—" "I ran into Krish and Aamani, she told me to give this to you," he interrupted you yet again, turning to face you and pulling out a long silver chain-like thing, which upon a closer look you realised with an elated gasp, was the missing half of your lucky pair of payal, the one you'd been looking for everywhere earlier that evening. "I thought these came in pairs," it was a question from the tone with which he said it, but his eyes remained fixated on the jewellery in his hands, thumb running over the delicate silver with a gentleness you didn't know he possessed. You lifted the hem of your skirt a little, head tilting down to point at your left ankle, "they do. I just couldn't find the other one." You shook your head, going back to taking a sip of your drink, "I like the sound they make when you dance, it's fun, so I thought ek hai toh ek hi sahi," catching his questioning gaze you translated, "if there's only one then so be it, I hardly ever get to wear these anyway." You shrugged, "Manu must've found it later and forgotten to give it to me earlier. I think their dating honeymoon phase is gonna be worse than their not-dating honeymoon phase" You rolled your eyes affectionately, expecting him to make a teasing remark too or at least give you that amused smirk. Instead you saw him give an almost imperceptible yet decisive nod, quickly sliding off his chair to kneel in front of you. "What are you-" He gently lifted your right foot onto his folded knee, his nimble fingers making quick work of the clasp on your anklet. Your stomach fluttered as you felt the warmth of his hands on your cold bare ankle, and you were sure if you still had that sip of cold drink in your mouth, your lungs would be burning from snorting it down the wrong pipe, and definitely not because he might've stolen your breath. His fingers skimmed in a barely there touch down your foot. Till now, his gaze had been entirely focused on clasping the jewellery but now that he was done he lifted his head, looking directly into your eyes from his still kneeling position, your faces a few inches apart. This time you could feel your heart burn. Dang, maybe you should cut down on the greasy food and drinks. His gaze briefly shifted to your lips, but then he quickly got up, dusting off his pants, picking up his empty gulab jamun cup, throwing a quick, "I'mgonnagothrowthis" over his shoulder and then he was gone. He quickly disappeared into the crowds while you still sat there, entirely motionless. Your mind blank except for the phantom feeling from his feather touch on your skin.

It was finally time for the last round of dancing. You had run into Manu and Krish while carrying your trash to the bin, the emptiness of your thoughts completely overthrown by the excited shout of your name. You were surprised they had spotted you first, considering all the doped-up lovey smiles and heart-eyes you noticed when they walked to you. The brief hand squeeze and wide-eyed glance from her let you know you were in for an entire night of dramatic recalling of every detail of their evening and you could only shake your head with a fond smirk. As you all walked back towards the dance area, Manu spoke up, "Oh, did you get the payal I'd given Anakin to give to you?" she looked down at your feet though they were covered with your skirt. You supposed she heard them jingle, the sound louder and more noticeable now that you were wearing both of them. But her question brought back that unwanted memory from earlier in the evening instead, and you fought real hard to keep your face from heating up, inhaling a deep breath as inconspicuously as possible, "uh– yeah, he um.. he did." you nodded your head a little too aggressively, "I mean I got it, yeah." Lightly lifting your skirt to show your pair of anklets safely secured, by the most gentle hands you'd ever felt. This time you felt your ears undeniably heat up. 'What the hell? Why were you so fixated on that one thing? It was nothing. It's not like he was sliding a wedding ring on you or something.' Though for some reason, that thought only made your breath stutter as you felt the lava-like blood now rushing to your cheeks. Ugh, get a grip, get. a. grip. And since you were too busy trying to appear totally normal and shoot the butterflies in your stomach dead, you missed the mischievous look that Manu shot Krish as she gave a quick squeeze to his hand in hers. "Should we really have been spying on them like that? And worse, taking photos of them without them knowing?" and though his question was whispered through a sigh he squeezed her hand right back.

"Oh, hush. 10 years from now when they have cute little munchkins running around, I'll have proof to show that I was the one that set their ship sailing." she answered with a smirk. "You've thought about their kids? 10 years from now??" he raised his brows with an incredulous laugh. "Of course. I think about everything." Even the things that you were too practical to consider. Your words, not hers. 'Blind' is what she would call it. You may have the observation skills rivalling that of the most infamous detectives, but she had The Vision. And she knew in her guts that you two were just meant to end up together. "Oh yeah? Then what have you thought about our 10 years? We got 'cute little munchkins' in our cards too?" he tossed an arm around her shoulders, snuggling her close to him to teasingly tickle at her exposed waist. "Mmm, for now our cards hold a very very important mission." She answered and he sighed again, knowing exactly where this was heading. "Let me guess, mission 'get your best friend and my best friend together for the last dance to recreate another Bollywood-style romantic scene?" he raised a brow, coming to a stop as they reached the edge of the canopy of lights and fabrics. "It's only been a few hours and you've already gained the boyfriend-telepathy skills. Impressive." She wiggled her brows at him while turning around in his arms, "I need you to find Anakin and somehow get him to agree to dance." Sensing his hesitation she quickly continued, "I know it won't be easy, but you'll manage. Once we get them both here we need to make sure they're on opposite sides of the circle so that when the final song comes they'll be paired together" she finished. "You really have thought this through, huh? I can't guarantee that he'll agree to dance, I mean it's Anakin we're talking about," noticing her pleading pout he rolled his eyes in fond exasperation, "but I'll try."

With that, he left and she walked to where you were standing, finishing up talking to some old lady, no doubt held hostage to some good ol’ ‘I knew you since you were thisss little’ talk for the past few minutes that the two had spent whispering their plan, but she quickly patted your cheek and left. "So, tonight's the exclusive dandiya night," she wiggled her brows like it was supposed to mean something, it was. You laughed, not understanding her implication. "What about it?" She rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "it's dandiya dumbass. As in, you know, pairs dancing," she continued when she realised your light bulb was still dim. "Oh," you hadn't thought about that, too caught up in the dance competition to care about the other stuff. "Yeah, ‘oh.’ So, who you gonna choose?" "Um...you?" though it came out unsure. "I appreciate the sentiment babe, I really do. I would choose you too–" You raised a brow at that, "but?" "But'" she made a show of dragging out the word then throwing her arms out to her sides, "look at the crowd around you, there's so many kids our age, there's quite a few guys our age too." And finally you caught onto her line of thoughts, narrowing your eyes you shook your head. "Absolutely not. We are not doing this tonight, well I mean you're settled, so I'm not doing this tonight." But the fates seemed to be on her side that night, as she noticed Krish and Anakin talking a few paces away towards the outskirts of the canopy while you both stood at the centre, you hadn't noticed them yet but she could see Anakin shaking his head in a firm no as well. Gosh why were the both of you so difficult? But she also noticed another opportunity walk towards you, and a hopeful scenario played out in her head, courtesy of The Vision. And so she immediately got to work.

"Hey AJ!" she called out to the guy just about to walk by you a few steps away, "didn't you mention that you don't have a partner for tonight's dandiya?" Your eyes widened and you subtly tried to pinch her to stop her from saying the next words but it was too late, "My best friend here also doesn't have a partner, would you mind pairing up with her if you haven't already found someone else?" In speaking to the guy, both of you had turned to fully face him, so she couldn't see Anakin’s reaction anymore. She hoped he had heard what she had just asked this guy. He had. While the two had been devising their plan off to the side, you had been standing at the centre of the canopy taking time to clear your mind and cool yourself. Your gaze was immediately drawn to the gorgeous lights and colourful fabrics that hung above you, mesmerised by how pretty they looked standing out against the dark nighht sky beyond. And though you may never know, Anakin had spotted you right then, standing there in your pretty red ghagra, face tilted to look above you, and it had looked like one of the most gorgeous things he had ever seen, you had looked so pretty with all the lights gleaming in your eyes. And though he was too far to see it, he knew your gaze held that golden twinkle that shone every time you were genuinely happy, though he had hardly been on the receiving end of it. So he had always observed from afar, just as he was doing tonight. His thoughts had been interrupted by the movement of someone approaching him in his periphery. It turned out to be Krish, who clapped him on the back as a greeting and then asked him if he had eaten anything to which Anakin's mind flashed to the almost nauseating sweetness of the tooth-rotting dessert he'd had, immediately followed by the image of the delicate jewellery around your ankle and he quickly shut the door on that thought, instead answering with a single nod.

"Good, good 'cause you're gonna need some energy for a while." Anakin only raised an inquisitive eyebrow in response, while Krish thought of the best, most convincing way to... well, to convince him. "Y/N needs a partner..." "Okay…?" "For the dance, I mean. She needs a partner for the dandiya, she doesn't have one..." he trailed off again, should he just be straightforward with it? "It's you." "What?" Anakin's head snapped to look at him like he was insane. "It's you. You're going to dance with her." "What the fuck? No, I'm not?" it came out as a question because he was baffled as to how his own best friend could say something as dumb as that. Dancing? him? That's fucking funny. "Yes, you are. She needs a partner. You need a partner. The solution is obvious." "Like hell it is. I don't need a partner, 'cause I'm not fucking dancing." He shook his head decisively. "You want to though. You know you want to dance with her." Krish said with a pointed look. "And just what the hell made you think that?" "I'm your best friend, Ani. Do you think I'm blind or—" "Hey AJ!" Aamani's voice had carried over to the two of them, halting their conversation as their attention was now on the two of you, though your backs were turned to them. Aamani's voice was somehow loud enough that they got the gist of it, she had asked this AJ to be your partner, and from the way he walked over to the two of you, your best friend introducing you to each other, him shaking your hand and the dazzling smile you gave him in return, Anakin felt an irrational sorts of a burning pit in his stomach. "Well, looks like the deal's done. She's got her fucking partner." He pushed off the pillar he’d been leaning on, walking away. "Wait! Dude! Where you go—" "Out." and with that he quickly walked towards the back exit of the ground, walking through the gates and out into the cold night. But he had been wrong. AJ hadn't yet agreed to dance with you, or rather Aamani hadn't given him the chance to, stalling him by telling you that he was studying the same thing as you, though he went to a different university. She had been buying time, hoping that any second now, Anakin and his impulsiveness would come barging and say that you've already got a partner. But time was running short as the conversation between the two of you came back to the topic of tonight's dance. "So, you don't have a partner for the dandiya either?" she heard him ask. Where the hell was Anakin? But her movie-like vision for his entrance onto the scene immediately shattered when she turned to see what was holding him, only to see Anakin nowhere in sight and her boyfriend standing alone with a small frown on his face. Catching his eyes she sent him a questioning look, to which he only shook his head dejectedly. And she knew her plan had failed. For her, at least. Because when she turned back around, she saw you agreeing with AJ to meet up under the canopy before the start of the dance before he excused himself, mentioning something about helping move the chairs or whatever. You too said something about meeting up with one of your older hometown friends you'd run into right before the dance competition. You'd promised to come find her when you were free to catch up on things. And so you left as well.

But at that point, Manu could only think about how wrong this was. She knew it was her who had asked AJ to dance with her best friend, so she couldn't blame him. But Anakin – Anakin she could blame. And she could also just about drag his ass back here to ask him what the hell was he doing? With the way the whole payal scene had gone, and knowing Anakin's possessive nature, she was almost 100% sure he'd metaphorically sweep you off your feet (before literally sweeping you off your feet during the dance). So why the hell was her best friend going to be dancing with a guy she was (frustratingly) getting along with instead?

Krish had walked his way back to stand behind her, but not even his warmth and the comforting palm he ran up and down her bare arm could stop the disappointed frown pulling on her lips. She turned to her boyfriend with a concerned expression, "Did I just accidentally push my best friend towards the wrong guy, with the right guy storming off to who knows where?"

Part 2: Jhumka

a/n: so.... there's 4 more nights left... do you think they'll ever get their dance? 👀

A/n: Thank you all so much if you spent your time on this trash wreckage fuelled by finals stress and unfulfilled dreams </3

Would love to hear feedback on this one! Don't hesitate to send me any ques or just anything that comes to mind relating to our dearest love-haters and the overzealous matchmakers ;)

[multidimensional-trashcan]

Can't believe that while you rizz cockroaches, your mother rizzes birds, Asmi.

A FUCKING BIRD SPAWNED

[santoschristos]

Maa Durga

Durga, in Hinduism, a principal form of the Goddess, also known as Devi and Shakti.

Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024!

Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024: The nine-day festival of Chaitra Navratri falls on April 9 this year. It will end with Ram Navami celebrations on April 17. Chaitra Navratri begins on the first day of the Hindu Luni-Solar calendar. Devotees worship Maa Durga and her nine incarnations - Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kaalratri, Maa Mahagauri and Maa Siddhidatri - on this day. They also worship Lord Ram on Ram Navami and celebrate his birth. --Krishna Priya Pallavi, Hindustani Times

[yangthejeong]

last year for Navratri I used to visit 3-4 temples almost everyday for ALL the nine days; dressing up and everything.

This year I couldn’t even visit a SINGLE temple thanks to my college (they don’t give us HOLIDAYS😭) EVERY ONE DOING GARBA AND ALL LIKE I JUST WANT TO GO TO TEMPLE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[subhashdagar123]

[shivaom99]

Goddess Shailputri is the first of the nine forms of Goddess Durga that are worshipped during the nine days of Navratri ✨

May the energy of the universe bless you in all her nine forms. Happy Navratri 🕉️

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#navratri #photooftheday #shailputri #2023 #instadaily #instagram #hindu #sanatan

[clearlyivy]

Day nine of Navratri

9 days, 9 Godesses

Day nine : Siddhidatri | सिद्धिदात्री

Purest form of energy

Siddhadhatri is pure energy-the first and purest form of energy. Modern science has only recently understood the concept of pure energy! She was formless but Shiva supplicated her and she became Adi Shakti. In her Parvati attained her supreme form as a complete manifestation of Mahashakti or the primeval power.

Siddhi means supernatural power and dhatri means the giver. So she is the sole source of all power-both material and spiritual. She is capable of giving us all the eight siddhis-ashta siddhis or supernormal powers.

Mantra for the day:

ॐ देवी सिद्धिदात्र्यै नमः ॥ "Aum Devi Siddhidhatrayai Namaha!"

Jai Maa Durga 🔱

[ahamasmiyodhah]

Chapter 2: Day 2

𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘: SHAKTI- Song of Revenge

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒: Gargi Singhal and Isha Desai run against time to catch a murderer on loose— and Goddess Durga comes on Earth for Navratri to bless her devotees, and Punish the Wrongdoers.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: the book contains disturbing themes as blood and gore, murders, mentions of rape and sexual assault. Read at your own risk.

𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗘

Gargi was sitting in her cabin, her fingers rubbing her head as she thought about the Case of Siddhant Guleria. She had seen the body. The body was brutalised in such a way that it had given a young intern who just joined them nightmares for sure.

Her fingers drummed on the tabletop as she thought. Her mind was consumed by the note she had found on Siddhant Guleria’s body. The cryptic message had sparked more questions than answers. Who were these nine souls mentioned in the note? Was there a connection between Siddhant and the others, or was he just the first in a twisted countdown?

Her eyes scanned the autopsy report for the hundredth time, but nothing new seemed to surface. Every detail of Siddhant's murder felt deliberate, as though the killer had carefully orchestrated each element. Yet, something about the whole thing gnawed at her—a missing piece she couldn't put her finger on. Was it personal, or purely symbolic? She let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples as the weight of the investigation pressed down on her.

Just as she began to piece together a theory in her mind, the door to her cabin swung open, breaking the fragile silence. Rajat Mehra, her lead interrogator, stood in the doorway, his face tense with urgency.

"Gargi Mam," he began, stepping inside, "we have another body."

Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected the next victim so soon. “Who?” she asked, sitting up straighter.

"Deepankar Mishra, the Dean of SM Medical College," Rajat said grimly. "Found murdered in his own home."

The name hit Gargi hard. Deepankar was a well-known figure in the city’s elite circles, someone with immense power and influence. Her mind raced—this couldn’t be a coincidence. There had to be a link between Siddhant’s death and Deepankar’s murder. The clock was ticking faster than she had anticipated.

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21 Hours earlier,

SM Medical College

The AC was on full blow, but still it couldn't dry the wet sweat on the thick neck of the man who had his head thrown back as small puffs of breaths escaped his mouth. His eyes were closed, hand tightening on the mop of hairs as he pushed the head down on his manhood.

The person who was kneeling in front of him was a Doctor intern, her hairs which were tied in a beautiful braid now ruffled as the man roughly grabbed her head and pushed it down, groaning loudly. Tears stained her cheeks as she fought back futilely, knowing that she wouldn't be able to overpower the man.

He was Dean of the college where she studied.

The man groaned and pushed her away, wearing his clothes and straightening the folds that happened. He looked at the broken Girl on the floor. "Same time tomorrow, or else you won't pass. Despite how hard you work." He threatened her. "Now wipe it off sweetheart." He said giving her a tissue.

The Girl whimpered as she took the tissue, and wiped the semen on her face. Once he went out, she stood up somehow and staggered to the bathroom, her legs jelly due to shock and pain, and threw up. Looking at her face in the mirror, she burst into tears, sobs wrecking out of her body.

Outside, everyone wore white and celebrated the revered Goddess Brahmacharini, who signifies the importance of Knowledge, self-discipline and ability to endure challenges with grace while remaining committed to higher purposes.

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10 hours Later..

Deepankar Mishra snored aloud as he slept peacefully. He had done his worship of Mata Bhadrakali a few hours ago, and had prayed- which was more of him being sure- that he won't be killed like Siddhant Guleria.

Suddenly the lights of his house went off, making the AC stop. Groaning at the heat in his room, he woke up with a groan. "Ugh, Arre Magan! Why did the lights go off?" He called and when no answer came, he went out.

"Aye Magan! Where are you?! Or Madhu?! Where are you all?" He callrd out as he moved to step down, suddenly slipping off the stairs. Yelling out loud in pain, he fell on his back with a thud. As he held his throbbing head, his eyes fell on the pair of heeled boots in front of him. Trailing his eyes up, he saw a silhouette of a person- man or woman? He didn't knew.

"Who are—" The loud thud made his head spin more than before, and he felt something wet in his head. His eyes blurred as his vision faltered. Another hit, this time on his hip, and he screamed in pain.

"Pelvic bone." It was a woman's voice. "One of the strongest bones in a body." She said and again hit the bone, making him howl in pain. Pulling a steel chair towards him, the perpetrator sat on it. "That's what you taught in your class, right?" They asked.

"W-who are you? What- what do you want from me?!" Deepankar asked as he tried sitting up. The perpetrator calmly grabbed a bag on their side and opened the zip, taking out different types of weapons. "Hmm… this looks good." She said and took out a Sickle, sitting in front of Deepankar.

"You are very fond of making innocent girls the victims of your lust, aren't you?" They asked in a quiet tone. "W-w-what nonsense are you talking about? Who are you? And why are you hitting me like this?" Deepankar stammered.

The other person scoffed. "My name is Kaali. And I annihilate demons like you." She said and jabbed the sickle right where his manhood was, blood seeping out and he howled in pain loudly. Grabbing another dagger by her other hand, she dagger upwards into Deepankar's mouth in such a way that the upper pointed corner of the dagger came out of his head.

"Filth." She heard someone over her earpiece and immediately packed her things, going out. Meanwhile, in the dark sitting in a house, the laptop illuminated the screen as multiple Cameras showing the Perpetrator's entry, killing and exit were shown. With a click on 'Enter', they deleted the footage and logged out of the Hacked Security System.

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Isha stood beside the cold, sterile examination table where the body of Deepankar Mishra lay, her gloved hands clasped in front of her as she spoke to Gargi Singhal. The tension in the air was almost suffocating as the two women faced the grim reality of the situation. The forensic lab was dimly lit, amplifying the weight of the discovery they were about to discuss.

Gargi crossed her arms, her brows furrowed in concern, her eyes fixed on Isha. "What have you found?" she asked, though a part of her dreaded the answer.

Isha took a deep breath before speaking, her voice professional yet tinged with unease. "The cause of death was exasanguination, but it’s what I found in his body that’s more disturbing. There are traces of multiple acids—hydrochloric, sulfuric, and formic—used in a calculated manner. The acids weren’t intended to kill him instantly, but rather to cause prolonged, excruciating pain. The killer wanted him to suffer."

Gargi’s eyes widened, and for a moment, she didn’t respond. Acid torture wasn’t a method typically associated with swift, revenge-driven murders. This was something else. Something far more sadistic. “They tortured him,” she murmured, almost to herself. “The killer didn’t just want him dead. They wanted him to feel every moment of agony.”

Isha nodded grimly. “Exactly. The acids were applied over a span of time—perhaps hours. Deepankar was subjected to unimaginable pain before he finally died from blood loss.”

Gargi's mind raced. The second body in two days. They were only on the second day of Navratri, and another high-profile figure had been found murdered, with traces of ritualistic brutality. First Siddhant Guleria, now Deepankar Mishra. Two men from vastly different professions, but both highly connected. Both well-known, powerful men.

"This isn't random," Gargi said, her voice tightening as she thought out loud. "There has to be a connection. Siddhant and Deepankar… they must have crossed paths somehow."

Isha, still focused on the forensic aspects, added, "The killer—or killers—are clearly following a pattern. The fact that both victims were high-profile individuals suggests this is more than personal vendetta. It’s methodical."

Gargi nodded, but her mind was now spiraling into darker possibilities. The note found on Siddhant’s body had warned them: nine days, nine punishments. If the killer was targeting someone each day during Navratri, they only had seven days left to catch them. And with the level of precision and torture involved, this was no ordinary serial killer. This was someone seeking to deliver retribution in the most violent way possible.

"Do we have any leads on how they could be connected? Anything from Deepankar’s phone records, emails, anything that ties him to Siddhant?" Gargi asked, her voice sharp, almost urgent.

Isha shook her head. "Nothing concrete yet. We’re still going through his digital footprint, but so far, nothing stands out."

Gargi turned away, pacing the length of the room, her mind churning with possibilities. Two days, two bodies. The killer was working at a pace that felt impossible to match. But the inclusion of acid torture, the brutality of it, told her that this wasn’t just about killing—it was about making the victims pay for something. Some crime they had committed in the past.

"Navratri," Gargi whispered to herself, thinking of the goddess Durga, known for her wrath against evil. The murders weren’t just random. They were symbolic. A twisted form of justice, or at least, the killer’s version of it.

She stopped and faced Isha. "We need to find out what these men were involved in. Something they’ve kept hidden. Some crime they committed together, something that connects them all."

Isha’s expression softened, realizing how deeply the case was affecting Gargi. "I’ll keep digging into the forensics and background checks, but Gargi… this killer is moving fast. We need to act even faster."

Gargi nodded, her jaw clenched. "We will. Before the next body shows up."

[tantrasadhana]

✨ Happy Navratri! ✨ As we begin this sacred journey of nine nights, may the divine blessings of Maa Durga bring strength, peace, and prosperity into your life. May each day of Navratri fill your heart with joy, wisdom, and devotion. Let's celebrate the triumph of good over evil and embrace the divine energy within us all. 🙏🌸 Wishing you a blessed and joyful Navratri! Jai Mata Di! 🙏

[dvineyogaa]

Shailputri is considered the first manifestation of Goddess Durga in the Navadurga tradition. She is believed to be the incarnation of Goddess Parvati and symbolizes the divine feminine energy. Shailputri is worshipped on the first day of Navaratri, a nine-night festival dedicated to the goddess. Devotees perform rituals and prayers to seek her blessings for courage and stability in life.💐💐

She is Devi of the root chakra, who, upon awakening, begins her journey upwards. Sitting on a bull and making her first journey from the Muladhara chakra. As from her father to her husband – the awakening Shakti, beginning her search for Shiva or making a move towards her Shiva. So that , in Navratri pooja the first day Yogis keep their minds concentrated on Muladhara. 

Navratri is a festival for one to take the mind back to its Source.🏵️🌸🌷🌺🥀🌹💐⛰️

D'Vine Yoga is starting a new batch from 1st November 2024 with 5% off in the green valley of Uttarakhand 'Rishikesh' Only a few seats left for November YTTC.