Tidela and Magic of Tidying.

I’m at Mango Meadows, feeling pretty worn out. Last time I felt like this, I hightailed it to my daughter’s place in Baroda. There’s something about the tidy atmosphere there that just calms me down.

My mom, when she wasn’t infected by the crossword virus, had this whole routine. She’d go from room to room, tidying everything up. I still find myself doing it whenever I visit home – making the bed, stacking up the books, you name it…

When I got hitched, I turned it into an evening thing, just to keep my mornings stress-free. Strangely many people see tidying up as OCD or a form of control. Funny story, though. I once scared my daughter with this tale of a toy-eating monster called Toykle. I even drew a sketch of it! But turns out, my daughter’s got more wisdom than I give her credit for. She told her little sister, “Hey, just like we like going home, our things like going home too. Let’s help them out.” And voila, everything got tidied up.

Instead of the whole Toykle scare, I should’ve just made up Tidela – this magical creature that loves to tidy up. I stumbled upon this article about Japanese folklore. They’ve got these spirits and monsters called Yokai, who kinda reflect our connection with the environment. Like TenjÖname, the ceiling licker, who’s all about gobbling up dirt from those hard-to-reach spots. You’ve gotta banish him from there, but hey, if you keep things tidy, he won’t even show up.

Tidiness, it’s like facing ourselves, you know? Finding peace in the middle of chaos. It’s like we’re restoring our own little universe – folding clothes, organizing shoes, sorting out bills. And you know, Eastern cultures have always been about keeping it minimal, believing that our outer world reflects our inner world. I recently stumbled upon this word, Mottainai, all about not being wasteful.

I like to think everything’s connected, that they all vibrate in harmony. Even the tiniest things, like those dust bunnies, remind us how important it is to keep things clean. Every culture’s got its own deep cleaning ritual, kicking out the bad vibes and welcoming in good fortune. Mine kicks off on March 15th, just in time for Bishu Parba, our New Year bash.

But then, I remember this visit to my artist friend’s house. His front room was what I called ‘untidy chic’. Prefects weren’t subject to the same rules on room tidiness, but since no one really enjoyed clutter, a certain style of ordered untidiness was generally considered de couleur for a prefect’s room. He must have sensed my discomfort, almost like Hercule Poirot’s need for symmetry. He gently told me, “There are those who get out and live life, and there are those who stay home and clean their house. And there are those that call one virtuous and one whimsical and irresponsible. And there are those like us that call it your choice in the way you live your life. You get to choose. Nobody else.”