Happy Diwali

Today is Diwali, the festival of lights, crackers and sweets. Walking down the streets of the city, sitting on the beach and watching cheerful families enjoying the festival, a very weird thought crossed my mind. Has the exhilaration/fanaticism of Diwali faded down?

As a kid i was one big maniac, who used to make long list of crackers about a month in advance. I still remember my negotiation talks with my dad about the cracker budget, which i invariably increase by 10% every year owing to rising prices of crackers (Inflation in today's term). I was a variety seeker who wanted quantity also. As a result my final list had to go through a series of iterative processes. But the final list sounds impressive as Indian cricket team on paper.

On D-Night of Diwali, my ecstatic oomph had no boundary. The intermittent and ubiquitous sound of cracker, the sweet smell of guzia and laddu, the houses and trees covered with light, everything looks so splendid. But my most cherished time was when my mom sends me to dad's friend's home with plates of sweets. I loved going there with the hope of meeting uncle's daughter. Diwali was one festival we all loved.

The last Diwali I celebrated properly was about 6 years ago when i was passing out of my HSC and we all school friends were parting. Definitely the craze and enthusiasm of of Diwali has declined but more importantly people have changed.
Happy Diwali..........