“What are you doing? Its festival
today” Mom said, for the third time since morning.
I had spread myself comfortably
on the couch holding the remote and pressing the only button that’s really
useful on it, the one to surf the channels.
“Watching TV and waiting for
breakfast” I replied back, without taking my eyes off the TV screen.
“Its festival, don’t just lie
down. It’s a bad sign to sleep during this hour of the day” she said.
With all the resistance I got up
and sat upright but kept my eyes glued onto the TV screen. After all, it was a
long vacation we had got from our college and I was not going to miss any
chance of activating the laziest part of myself and enjoy the vacation to the
fullest along with all the sweets and crackers and some cricket with friends.
“Do you need to watch TV this
early in the morning?” she said after a while during which she had probably waited for
me to switch off the TV.
“Mom, it’s a holiday. Let me
enjoy it. I will watch until breakfast then switch it off. I woke up so early
today for the Pooja. Now I will only enjoy
the day with sweets and sweets and sweets and some rest” I said.
“Its festival today and you are
lying on the couch since morning, even after your bath. Help your Dad in tying
the Torana. Or better help me with these
garlands.”
“What garlands?” I turned quickly
and saw two fresh garlands she had just prepared with the jasmine flowers
from our garden.
“These two need to be hung on
those photos” she said pointing to the large photos of Lord Venkateshwara and
Lord Ganapti.
“Okay Mom, shoot me with all the
work today” I said, switching off the TV and getting up from the couch.
“Its festival and you should be
all active in doing these kinds of auspicious works. It is a part of festival
and this is how you really should celebrate a festival. Not only you celebrate
the festival fully but you will also get the pleasure of doing such activities
during festivals.”
“Yeah Mom I know. These are all
simple yet sweet ways of serving God” I said picking up a garland.
“Then why are you whining to hang the
garlands? You just want to lie down all day on that couch”
“No Mom. I was just waiting for
you to finish preparing the garlands”
“Leave it. Don’t give reasons now.
Just finish that quickly and then come for breakfast and call Dad as well”
“Wow! Now that is the work which
you should be calling me for. I have been waiting to taste those yummy Laddus since yesterday! I just love
festivals!” I said as I walked towards the photo.
The call for breakfast acted like
a trigger on me as I quickly did the work I was handed over and once done with
it, I walked outside, to the porch where Dad was busy preparing the Torana and helped him too, surprisingly.
And then, hanging them onto both the doors I ran into the kitchen for
breakfast.
Munching the numerous sweets and snacks
Mom had prepared for Deepavali, I was already in heaven! The festival had
already started with a holiday, early morning Pooja, and other festival related tasks and the whole environment
had already turned pious giving that special zeal for celebrating the festivals.
But it was the sweets that completed the feel of festival.
“Where are your friends?” Dad
asked.
“One has gone to his Uncle’s home
for the festival. Other two are here” I said, my mouth still filled with the
large bite of Laddu.
“You haven’t got crackers this
time?” he asked.
I was still chewing and my mouth
was full. After a moment when the large bite of the deliciously sweet Laddu was completely chewed into pieces
and had already started melting in my mouth, the tongue got busy savoring the sweetness while
my tummy waited hungrily. I knew my tongue wouldn’t allow me to gulp down until
it savors to its fullest and I just nodded a NO to my Dad instead of keeping
him waiting for my answer.
“Are your friends coming over
here in the evening for crackers or will you be going to their place?” he asked
again.
This time I had swallowed down
the Laddu and my mouth was free but
my hand had already grabbed another snack and my teeth were waiting to dig deep
into that. Before my mouth got busy again, I replied, “No Dad, we haven’t yet
decided anything. Most probably we will not be firing any crackers this time”
“Why?”
“One of them is not here, the
other one said they have relatives visiting their home so he will be busy with
his cousins this time. It’s only me and Shashi left and we haven’t yet planned.
Also, it’s so boring without the group” I replied and quickly put in the snack
into my mouth and got busy again.
“Okay then let’s go to the temple
in the evening” he said.
“Great” I said as I took in
another bite; and then suddenly realized that I had confused my Dad and Mom if
my appreciation was for the snack or for the idea of visiting the temple.
It was exactly 6 PM when I had
finished writing up the boring project report and walked out of my room when I saw
Mom preparing the Diyas. My eyes suddenly brightened and my mood freshened up
at the sight of Diyas. Finally the time had come for the real moment of
Deepavali – lighting the Diyas and decorating the house with a number of them!
“The
festival of lights is here!” I said to myself, of course with a smile!
It’s so true that the auspicious
Diyas not only lighten up the house but also enlighten our moods and our inner
self. We feel so fresh and happy seeing those small burning lights. Not only an
auspicious feeling blooms in our mind and body but those small lights also do
excite us in celebrating the festival more grandly.
I was so thrilled by the sight of
those Diyas that the boring work I had just done in writing up two pages for a
project vanished away and the zeal of celebrating the festival replaced it. Quickly
running in and freshening up myself, I came back and sat along with Mom and
started helping her in pouring the oil after she placed the cotton wick in each
of the Diyas. After that was done, she carefully lighted them up one after
another while I kept staring at the first lit Diya with the same excitement that I had
during my childhood days.
“Let’s carry two each and place
them on the porch. One near the Tulsi
plant and others on the porch” she said.
“Okay Mom” I said standing up and
picking up two Diyas.
We walked out and I placed the two
Diyas just outside on both the sides of the front door while Mom walked towards
the Tulsi plant. As I placed the
Diyas I took two steps back and took a quick look at the door and my excitement
just doubled with my work appeasing myself.
I then turned back to take a look
at the Tulsi plant when something else caught my eyes.
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To be Contd…
Vishal…
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