Color of lights - so it is often called as, for me Diwali has been synonymous with love and celebrating life. Being born in middle class I didn't always get the leverages that I desired as a kid, be it new clothes or a box full of crackers. The delicious home cooked sweets also missed my Diwali owing to my mother's poor health. Yet, lighting those lamps around the compound walls and on window railings, hanging beautiful lanterns in front of the house, burning those mini bombs stolen from neighbors or tying a cracker to a dog's tail (I know it's quite sad) but I had my share of Diwali in my own way. On Diwali mornings, we woke up early and applied turmeric with oil on our body before a hot water bath. My grandmother insisted on applying way too much turmeric which I detested the most. It wouldn't go off easily and I would glitter for almost a week. Then I would wear a new dress, of course not as a part and parcel of Diwali, which I would get as a birthday gift in October often few days before Diwali. Watching cracker show in End point and Greens in Manipal had become a ritual. I loved those half an hour shows which sometimes got busted due to rain.
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Well, that is the glimpse of Diwali I get when I close my eyes and walk down that lane of childhood. But like they say time and tide waits for none and I grew up and those memories, joy started fading away. Like the veil of adulthood masked them forever. I stopped bursting crackers, attending cracker shows, new dress wasn't that fancy anymore and being diet conscious I skipped all the sugar offered. I stopped lighting candles or applying turmeric with oil. I protested and my parents kept mum. That was the period of my silent Diwali. But today, when I wanted to pen down about Diwali, all I felt was happiness from inside. Like those childhood memories came floating on to the top and cleansed my soul. Can't wait for this year's Diwali now. With my husband and in laws, I am sure it is going to be a special one !!!!
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There were many funny incidents about Diwali but here I want to write about my best friend. He was a naughty kid and people who know him won't even question me. Like me he was also born in a middle class family without having access to those fancy cracker boxes (gosh! all we kids drooled over those big boxes filled with crackers). But one year he decided to have one. No matter what !!! He stole money from his parents (they still have no idea about this) and bought a box of crackers and couriered it to his own address. How smart !!! Finally when the box arrived at his door step, he acted as astonished as his parents and happily burnt them having a naughty Diwali.
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These are the memories which makes our life so special. We didn't have much money or any perks of rich born, but we did have lots and lots of happy memories. Running behind cows bursting crackers and scaring them, drawing rangoli in front of the house, gathering all the neighbor kids playing hide and seek during festivals etc etc. In fact once we even kept some mini cracker bombs in cow dung just to see how it would blow up. I feel like puking just imagining that but god save me, I did it once !!! Well this was my Diwali, filled with running around, jumping, joy, love and laughter with family and friends. I just want my kids to have the same, after all this is what we are passing on to our next generation - LOVE !!!
This post is written as a part of IndiBlogger contest in association with pepsico India.
If you want to wish your loved ones and send a message or gifts do check out https://www.gharwalidiwali.com/ and also, don't forget to check their new advertisement (quite emotional I must add) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7lMDWJOXA. Hope you enjoy it and have GharWaliDiwali every year...
Have a safe and fun filled Diwali !!!!
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