Diwali has always been a fun time for me growing up. Which kid doesn't like crackers!
Jeeth and I particularly enjoyed it as pa always got a customary Diwali box of crackers from his office that were sometimes so much that we would save it for Christmas, or for a time India wins an important cricket match, or maybe even till the next Diwali.
So we'd have most cousins and neighbours meet up with is to blow the crackers, or even if it's just the two of us, we'd go to the terrace of our lovely independent corner Kammanahalli house and watch the fireworks all the way to Unity building.
As we grew up though, the relevance obviously diminished. Pa quit, cousins moved, house sold etc etc.
Then after marriage, Diwali took a new turn for me. One of a religious celebration that it never was before. Suddenly there was the customary stay over at Geet's parents place, the Puja, the visits to and from the neighbours, the bursting of a few crackers or more often the watching of the bursting of a few crackers that people of the building did in cramped spaced Bombay's apartment parking areas offered.
And Diwali had plummeted to an all new low for me. Something I didn't even understand let alone enjoy.
Until this year.
We made the long trip to Mugoltur which was the 3rd for me and first for Naan since marrying Geet. We made the trip as Naan wanted to meet his ageing grandpa.
This was going to be a bigger gathering of Geet's family in a remote village and more discomfort likely to await me.
Somehow the reverse happened. Reversed all the way to those carefree childhood days when I enjoyed Diwali with Jeeth.
We burst a bunch of crackers, including a 5000 garland and a continuous rocket, in the backyard of their house with little ambient light and zero pollution, at least till we started. And went on to completely have a blast with the entire family.
The rest of the time there was so conducive to just relax, read, eat, and even participate in the family bickering, that I began to feel as comfortable as I probably did as a kid.
So, very surprisingly, this turned out to be a Diwali I truly enjoyed.
Jeeth and I particularly enjoyed it as pa always got a customary Diwali box of crackers from his office that were sometimes so much that we would save it for Christmas, or for a time India wins an important cricket match, or maybe even till the next Diwali.
So we'd have most cousins and neighbours meet up with is to blow the crackers, or even if it's just the two of us, we'd go to the terrace of our lovely independent corner Kammanahalli house and watch the fireworks all the way to Unity building.
As we grew up though, the relevance obviously diminished. Pa quit, cousins moved, house sold etc etc.
Then after marriage, Diwali took a new turn for me. One of a religious celebration that it never was before. Suddenly there was the customary stay over at Geet's parents place, the Puja, the visits to and from the neighbours, the bursting of a few crackers or more often the watching of the bursting of a few crackers that people of the building did in cramped spaced Bombay's apartment parking areas offered.
And Diwali had plummeted to an all new low for me. Something I didn't even understand let alone enjoy.
Until this year.
We made the long trip to Mugoltur which was the 3rd for me and first for Naan since marrying Geet. We made the trip as Naan wanted to meet his ageing grandpa.
This was going to be a bigger gathering of Geet's family in a remote village and more discomfort likely to await me.
Somehow the reverse happened. Reversed all the way to those carefree childhood days when I enjoyed Diwali with Jeeth.
We burst a bunch of crackers, including a 5000 garland and a continuous rocket, in the backyard of their house with little ambient light and zero pollution, at least till we started. And went on to completely have a blast with the entire family.
The rest of the time there was so conducive to just relax, read, eat, and even participate in the family bickering, that I began to feel as comfortable as I probably did as a kid.
So, very surprisingly, this turned out to be a Diwali I truly enjoyed.
