Shubh Deepawali !

Oh ya I celebrated Deepawali here too, except that I couldnt fire crackers since for that I will need permissions from security deptt and except that I couldn't put my diya's outside the windows since the houses here are made up of woods and a single diya may alert the whole fire deptt of NJ and except that I couldn't put Rangoli since my whole house is covered with damn carpet and except that I couldnt eat much sweets since my cholestrol levels don't allow me to do such sin and yeah except that the tuni lights which saved my and my Deepawali's izzat was misunderstood as halloween decoration by my American neighbours ... except all of these my Deepawali went really magnificent. I had a small Lakshmi puja, good indian food with our friends here and with our all time favourite Sholay, arey O Sambha kitane aadami the re?

This was my Deepawali here which I do not want to exaggerate any more so allow me to once again bring you the story of three little sisters in gulabi winters and their much awaited festival of lights and patakha fights ... you gaat it wright ... its Deeeepawali back in India, in my BALCO, inside our quarter no 42, type IV, Sector 1, BALCO Nagar KORBA, 495684 !

Winter is knocking on the door and Papa has already started looking for his Deepawali card designs, his treasured drawing book has came out of the shelfs and all of us are giving our weird creative ideas and a design will be finalized soon and will be sent for printing. And with the aromas of gujhiya and coconut milkmaid laddu's we will fill colors in the hundreds of cards. I remember there came a time when we kind of felt bored to fill these cards ... and now don't even ask me how much I miss all that, Papa has sent me his cards this time also and my emotions are breaking all the boundaries every time I see the cards. I have kept the cards on my desk Papa and they are being appreciated by every one, I am so proud and I am so sad, I want to fill those wax colors in the cards with Niru and Gudiya just one more time. Just five of us and nobody else inside our quarter no 42, type IV, Sector 1, BALCO Nagar KORBA, 495684!!

Guds would start her Deepawali after everybody else's finishes, she would generously exchange her rockets and anaars for one box of color matchstick or her favourite saap goli and she would be incharge of making garlands of red hibiscus flowers and filling every available cross words, my dal'g Guds, Niru would clean all puja idols with lemon and a hard hand, would draw the outlines of Rangoli and will eventually leave the color filling to us and she will be the one who would get maximum number of visitors this day, our powerful and very social Niru. I would avoid all hard work and would grab the tasks which will take less efforts and which would bring more credit, I actually can't remember what was my signature task in Deepawali, except that I will get very few visitors and my visitors will be hated by everybody at home, Mom would not give her best sweets to them unlike Niru's guest who will be welcomed so warmly, oh I hated that. Gujhiya and laddu and namkeen and puri and kheer and Lakshmi bomb, that was my Mom. Mummy will not fire any other crackers except Lakshmi Bomb, so Mum's signature her laksmi bomb and yeah how could I forget her one and only picture of Deepawali inside the kitchen with her brand new five diyas and pallu on her head, you know Mom I also posed the same this time, I don't know what prayers you said in front of those diyas, but I prayed for whatever you would pray. Do you still do that Mom? Can we do all of this once more, just five of us and nobody else inside our quarter no 42, type IV, Sector 1, BALCO Nagar KORBA, 495684!!!

Shubh Deepawali !!!!!