What did this Diwali do to you? Let’s pen our experience Diwali had come with a bang and now it’s gone giving us a ‘bang’. The zeal and zest in us has diminished. We are all longing to have our lazy afternoons, lovely siestas, crawling evenings back. Where had it gone? How bored were we when it existed? Now that we have lost it for four days, how much we all long for it. I have fallen in love head over heels with my office chair after this Diwali. My office chair demands a lot, but, it does not exhaust me physically. I would always wish to be at home now I long to rush back to office. Tring.. Tringg.. “Chai Lao”. “Vikas, clean my table”. Dial up an extension and fire, “Have you finished the task assigned. Today is Monday, you had five days in hand, what did you do?” More I can pen on my office and my beautiful hours. I find it very beautiful and my boss no more a “Ravan”. Jokes apart friends, we always long for something and when we get it we suddenly feel what we had was better or what we don’t have is what we require. Funny twists, but true. What did this Diwali do to me? I will take you to my world, please step in: I was lucky this Diwali. The pros- I have a house which is clean and neat (it’s always clean and neat), with Diwali round the corner, it’s cleaner and neater to be precise. My best friend walked in early morning to help me clean the house (my fever was a cause of concern for everyone), neighbours rolled their eye balls. It’s alright. All four days, I could draw a decent rangoli and fill them with colours. Every year the kids around would come and thump the rangolis and mess it up. My maid would keep a constant watch. Now that I am alone, I cannot sit at the door all the time and at the same time I did not want my labour to go in drain. I gave a good thought and had a plan. As I started with my rangolis, the kids gathered around me, “Didi, what pattern, which colour”, the query was endless. I involved them in drawing the rangolis, a few lines, some colours to fill, to clean up the mess around. Their parents did not like the popularity that I wan enjoying amongst the kids. My plan was successful. Since each of them had put is some effort they were guarding the rangolis more than me. No thumping and messing this time. I told you all, this Diwali was very lucky for me. Now let us discuss the light arrangement. All my colorful sparkling lights were well arranged in a bag. It had the bulbs, wire, small twines to tie the wires, holders, tester, screw drivers, lantern (folded). My friend dropped in to fix them up. “Mals, get me the lights, I will put it up for you”. I gave him a big bag. He fixed them for me in 15 minutes at my doors and windows too. He praised me for being so systematic and confessed that such discipline is never seen in his house, so he never fixes any light there. “I loose my control, when it comes to my house, they never assemble things in order, there’s always something missing. You have made things so simple”. It was ‘Cheese’ for me. I rushed to the Mall looking for gifts for few close friends during Diwali. I spent around an hour in the mall looking for ideal gifts. Luckily, I could shop for all my gifts at one “Go”. My gifts for friends were ready. My house is filled with goodies (my fever stopped me from dishing out some yummy or gummy goodies, is still a guess anyways). Thanks to the new shop (Tamil Shop) that I spotted like an eagle. We had to march 6 Kms to fetch South Indian items. A couple of days before Diwali, I happen to see small yellow bananas hanging in one of the shops located in a kooky corner. Yellow bananas are symbols of Shops selling South Indian Items. I sprinted to the shop and asked him, “Are you going to stock Diwali Goodies?”. He happily displayed his items to me, he had everything that I wanted, <st1:city><st1lace>Mysore</st1lace></st1:city> Pak, Badushah, Kerala Halwa, Muthusaram, Ribbon Pakodam, Murrukku, Jilebis, Rawa Laddoos, Besan Laddoos, Khara Mixture and the list was endless. I sighed in relief and patted him for opening the shop, “Now, we need not go all the way to that shop in Vashi to get the goodies. You will do good business here, do not worry”. He grinned widely. The few customers he had in the shop supported my statement. “That guy in Vashi is very expensive, you are correct madam, this shop will do good business”. The shop owner grinned more widely. I slogged very hard on “Laxmi Puja” day. As I perform the Puja with full Vidhi, it was very tiring. My medicines were making me lethargic but I was determined to carry out the task that I have assigned to myself. We all know its not so easy to perform “Puja’ with complete Vidhi. My Prasad turned out to be good. I was wagging tail. My friends dropped in for the puja and we performed it together. The satisfaction that I had on that evening is something which is hard to express. The cons: I am feeling more sick and tired. I have to rush to office tomorrow. The holidays were spent working and now I cannot ask for more. How much I longed for the festival, now, all I seek is some rest… I will miss the joyful atmosphere. I feel bad that I could not try out any sweets or namkeens due to my viral fever. Friends, lets pool in our experiences. Bye
Hi Mals, Nice write up. Yeah this Diwali did a lot to me too. My daughter became a bit more braver. She burst the crackers too this year. I was so happy that the Mysorepak turned out better as expected. It was in the correct pakkuvam. I also made Oomapodi which also turned out too good. I distributed the sweet and the savoury to all those who visited our home. I got dresses for my maids' daughters and son and also gave her a saree and blouse bit. Gave them some crackers also. As usual we went to my inlaws house after the morning oil bath and spent two days with them. I was able to get up at 3 in the morning, and as I wanted all the others my husband, daughter and son all had their oil bath before 5.30. As I had kept everything ready, the Kani Kanrathu was also done correctly. All the kids in our apartments joined together to burst the crackers and they all had nice fun. I enjoyed that too a lot. There was lots of glitters than the crackers. So less of noise pollution was there. All these were the most happy moment. But the worst part is my maid didnot turn up after the two days of Diwali leave I had given her. So had to clean the entire house, clean the vessels, do the clothes etc etc making me extra tired.
I agree with you rajmi, the whole exercise leaves little room for rest as we have to grind to the routine again.. But still we eagerly wait for the festival to arrive... Thanks for your lovely post.
hi mals.. Thank u very much for ur nice thread .I got good information what u had done during diwali. How r u now and take care of ur health and I hope u r alright now. Pl let me know where do u stay at Navi mumbai coz I am also shifting there in very few months to kharghar. Hope a reply is awaited .. bye sudha batni.....
hi rajmiarun, thanks for ur nice post by sharing ur happy moments of diwali. By reading ur thread I got to know that u enjoyed very well with ur family members and also with ur neighbours and friends. Like kolu photos do u have any photo with ur members during the festival. If u have pl share the happiest moment with us too. Almost for everyone the worst things r with maids so it was happened with u too. Bye. sudha batni.....
hello mals when there is a party going on people land up with lots of gifts big and new and cheerful all the person who comes with just a rose....! is often guilty at having bought just a rose... hey mine is like the rose with so much fanfare you say although i did have all those yummies ready your writeup brings in a great image of diwali wonderful next diwali do i take a one week off and fly over...? haha happy diwali sathya
Hi Sathya, Nice to see you here... You are welcome to my abode. You need not wait for a year. I am not a great cook, but, not a disappointing one too.. Good to read your post, it had very much depth in it..
Hi Sudha, Welcome to navi Mumbai.. Kharghar is not very far away from my place.. haha... We shall rock..
Wow Mals ! you are a lucky girl yaar, celebrated Diwali with all this fervour... I'll tell you about my Diwali, it was my first Diwali after my wedding... but still there was nothing... This US is totally dull and dry yaar... India ki Masti aur Raunak yahan kahan... uski to baat hi kuchh aur hoti hai ... So what i did was did some house cleaning prior to diwali... my hubby put some lights on the Patio... and on the Diwali Day my hubby took half day and we dressed up, I wore a new saree (ok dont laugh, its not everyday that one of my saree gets to see the light of the day) and i had to force him a lot but i made hime wear kurta pajama then we set up and did a nice puja, lighted candles on the patio, ordered food from outside... and after dinner chatted with parents online and showed ourselves all dressed up ... to them on webcam... So this was it, what say abt it ? ~Abha
Hi Abha, The spirit is what matters. I love the way you kept the spirit glowing all through wearing a saree, asking your hubby to wear kurta pyjama, lighting candles, ordering food and above all talking to parents and showing them your dress through webcam.. It is filled with INDIAN TADKA BABY... You could not do much out of the given situation... Tum sahi keh rahi ho... Bharat ki shaan hee kuch aur hain... Your lovely post has sparkled this thread...
