Humbled

There was a lady sitting in the corner, wiping the sweat off her brow with the ends of her sari. Then she resumed painting the paper-mache figures that surrounded her in different shapes and sizes.

Such a delight! There were stacks of gorgeous Madhubani paintings in the same stall. They went through dozens of 'em. Each piece of cloth was so expressive and so vivid, they couldn't make up their mind at all.

While they were pondering over which painting to pick up, Krishna-Radha or the Ardhanareeswar, the young man in the stall started waxing eloquent about the different styles of Madhubani art in chaste Hindi. Still indecisive. He continued talking and told them how natural dyes are used to produce an array of colours. The couple seemed a little apprehensive about spending a few thousands on the painting.

"Sir, an exhibition like this only displays good art. These are the best artists in the country you are seeing here (pointing at the other stalls) These paintings are by my own sister!" he said with a beaming smile and handed out a small business card. It read: Ambika Devi, National Award Winner.

There she was. Still painting the paper-mache figures, somewhere in the background.