Wrapped in my own little world one day as I am making puja then scattering flowers around the gallery of gods in the haveli, I happened to look up as I passed from one shrine to another. There I met the gaze of one old languor monkey who had sat there watching me for I don’t know how long.
Usually I chase the monkeys with swearwords and sticks but this time I merely passed under her and continued with my puja. Then gave her the chapatti left over from the previous night. As she took the offering I noticed that she was pregnant and with one hand paralyzed. She was alone too so I kind of felt a bit sorry for her. Anyway if a languor comes at puja time then it could very well be a god in attendance so best to behave myself with the bhainchord (swearwords) at least during prayer time.
She obviously had a craving for fresh flowers during her pregnancy. She was watching me that day and drooling at the strings of marigolds and roses I strung around the gods.
Every day she came and waited patiently for her opportunity to grab the daily offering of flowers. It was a secret treat for her, something she didn’t share with the rest of the troupe. And something I was complicit in as I would choose flowers in the morning that I knew she showed a preference for. Roses rather than marigolds were her faves.
I see she has given birth to a squalling infant and is back with the troupe who give her help and support with the baby.
She is impervious to the flowers now, prefers to sun herself and the baby infant on the rooftop and leave deposits of monkey shit for me to sweep up or slip on swearing as I chase them from rooftop to rooftop.
I wonder sometimes how it would be to just try to live in harmony with the monkeys, allow them whatever food is lying around unsecured. It would certainly save me the early morning burst from bed swearing and grabbing a stick, which is not the most peaceful way to start your day.
But in a way we do live in a kind of harmony, one that is ruled by the law of the jungle and survival is to the strongest. We have all seen the Discovery story on the Jaipur monkeys. It’s a game we play. They come, we chase, they leave until they find somewhere they aren’t chased away and make merry bloody hell. In the meantime I guess the early morning exercise up and down the stairs, waving my arms in an aerobic kind of manner is better than having to get up and go to the gym!