October has walked in with a very shiny sun. Sometimes I wonder whether the Earth has forgotten its trajectory and drifted a little closer to the sun than it ought to be. I am missing the cloudy afternoons and the rainy nights, when the whole house felt softer and quieter. Now the light comes in sharp and bright by early morning, and the fan seems to be only moving the heat around.
I hate hot weather. I will say it plainly, because pretending otherwise would be dishonest. And it looks like October Heat is going to last all thirty-one days this year.
Little Miss seems to be in the same boat. Her irritation sits right at the surface these days. A frown arrives before breakfast is over. A door closes a little harder than it needs to. She flops onto the sofa with her arms crossed and stares at the ceiling fan as though it has personally let her down. Quite some time is spent first looking at the AC and then staring at me, silently conveying that the AC needs to be turned on. I understand her completely. Some days the two of us are simply two grumpy people in one house, glaring at the same sunshine. I have started keeping cold water within reach and the curtains drawn by noon, and we both try to be patient with each other until the evening breeze shows up.
But enough about the weather. Let’s talk about something happier, festivals.
Navratri Is Almost Here
Navratri is just around the corner, and the air already has a different feel to it, even if the temperature disagrees. There are the usual signs: garba music drifting up from somewhere, shops putting out their brightest colours, and that cheerful buzz of people planning what to wear on which night.
My own preparations, if I am being honest, have mostly been happening on Myntra. I have spent a good deal of time scrolling through dresses for both of us: festive kurtas, flared skirts, and a few outfits that made me stop and think, Little Miss would look lovely in this. I am not at all sure I will order anything for myself. I have far too many saris sitting in my cupboard, folded and waiting, and every one of them has a story. Some were gifts, some were bought for occasions I still remember clearly, and some I have worn only once. Buying another one feels slightly unnecessary.
Still, browsing is half the fun. There is a small joy in adding things to the cart, imagining the whole look, and then quietly closing the app. It’s window-shopping for the digital age, and it costs nothing but time. I tell myself it counts as part of the festive preparation, and I’m sticking to that.
Little Miss, however, will definitely be getting a new outfit or two. Her birthday falls in October as well, so the timing works out nicely. A new dress for Navratri and perhaps another for the birthday feels like a fair arrangement. I have noticed that she watches the screen with great seriousness when I show her the options. She leans in, narrows her eyes, and then pushes the phone away with a look that clearly states that watching YouTube is a better investment of time. She knows exactly what she wants, and that is usually the end of the discussion.
There is something lovely about this stage, when a new dress still feels like a small event. If she likes the dress, she will look at it and touch it again and again. I want to remember that, because I know these days won’t last forever.
What I’m Reading This Month
Now, to my TBR, which I have been planning with the same care I give to everything bookish.
Apart from the review books, which are already lined up and waiting, I have decided to read two more titles this month, purely for the joy of it.
The first is Greatest Russian Short Stories. I have wanted to dip into Russian literature for a long time, and a collection of short stories feels like the gentlest way in. Russian novels can look intimidating, with their long names and long winters and long silences, but short stories ask for much less commitment and often give back so much. I am hoping to spend my evenings with one story at a time, slowly, the way you sip something warm. The irony of reading about snowy landscapes while the sun blazes outside is not lost on me. If the weather will not cool down, perhaps a book can do it for me.
The second is The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden. I have been looking forward to this one, and I’ll admit the cover played a part in it. Both of these books have beautiful covers, the kind you pick up and simply hold for a moment before reading a single word. I know it is a cliché to say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I do think a lovely cover sets a mood and makes a promise. I’m choosing to trust that the stories inside will be just as lovely.
I like having this small plan. A couple of books chosen only because I want to read them, with no deadline and no obligation, just curiosity. It makes the month feel like it has a little pocket of calm in it, even on the hottest days.
A Little Wish for October
So here is where I am as the month begins: grumbling at the sun, scrolling through festive clothes, planning a birthday, and stacking up books beside my bed. It’s not a bad way to start a month, really.
I have a feeling that once Navratri begins, the evenings will feel livelier, and the heat will be easier to forgive. There will be colour and music and the happy chaos of getting ready. Little Miss will have her new dress, I will pull out one of my many saris, and for a few hours we might even forget how warm it is.
And I’d love to hear from you. How are you preparing for Navratri this year? Are you shopping, or are you, like me, just happily browsing? And what is on your reading list for October? Tell me in the comments. I am always looking for new stories to add to the pile.
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