Deepawali: in a socio-economically divided mohalla/society. Eastward blowing breez brings the smell(or fragrance?) of Berger/Asian paints from left flank of a road. The house is getting painted for #Deepawali. Move a few meters towards north in the same road and youll get a fragrance(or smell?) of some different type. Another house is getting a white wash for Deepawali with a different kind of mitti ka dhela which gives the wall a look of mixture of white and brown. Floors are getting washed with a mixture of water and cow dung. Children of Mohalla are eagerly waiting for Deepawali. And the much awaited Deepawali night has arrived. All houses are decorated with earthen lamps and few have also decorated with different sorts of laddi(tiny electric bulbs). A Chakri( firework which rotates and spins) is showering sparkle on the road. Definitely there is a little wheez sound coming out too. But thats not audible. The children(they are a mix crowd of 4yr to 12-13yr old kids) are dancing and jumping along with the sparks with a maddening laughter and shouting. Another Chakri is also spreading joy with an audible wheezing sound and a worried mother/elder asking the children to stay away from sparks. The kids on road light a mirchi/biri bomb. Either it was a dud piece or its sound got overpowered by kids noise? An Anar(flower pot) is emitting sparkles in someones rooftop and that sparkle is filling joy in the hearts of these kids. Thats quite visible from the way they are dancing and shouting and the kid near the flower pot is also full of joy but under watchful eyes of elders. A rocket goes up in the sky from the same rooftop and with that soars the joys of kids on the ground. Before the rocket could emit the meek sound, these guys fill the surrounding with strong sounds. And those on the rooftop clap and jump. One of these kids have prized aloo bomb. And they try to match the ear deafening sound of bomb with their vocal cord. And the other kids ears are safely covered by elders. And with this ear deafening sound the tall building goes dark and the mud huts turn brighter. Oh! Its an apparent feeling. Power supply has gone(load shedding) and so the ladis are off. And only earhten lamps are spreading brightness. Btw, where are elder siblings(14+ age group) of these kids who are on road? Any guess? Well, a few are silent spectator of this merriment and rest are in a nearby dilapidated hut, and busy in playing card with money on stake(gambling). So are these kids only afew years away from shunning such Deepawali joy to search merriment in gambling on Deepawali night? No one has seen the future. But a few kids who danced/jumped/shouted, some 10-20yr back, in Deepawali on the same road are now Doctor/engineer/bank officer etc. Some are doing mundane job, some are in bussiness. And some has lost their way and wandering. Hope non of these happy kids will follow the path leading towards darkness. May God light a lamp for them, whenever darkness come on their path. And may their heart always celebrate the Deepawali/festivals with same vigor.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 05:19:25 +0000
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