The Festival of Lights, Love and Laughter

This morning I was greeted by my office boy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee! Woah, I thought, what a welcome. Looks like at least someone’s got a bonus at work! Sigh.

As I was about to sip my hot energy potion, a quick shrill noise at an arm’s length scared the hell out of me. Did Ganesh (my office boy) just burst a firecracker on the office floor? Hell yes! Before I could wage a war, Ganesh gave me his mischievous teenage smile and fled. Yes, pain to work during Diwali and happy to have such little monsters around.

After he realised I was harmless and wouldn’t eat him, he dropped a box of no-smoke, no-pollution balls of firecracker on my desk. He showcased this amazing little firecracker almost invisible after smashing on the ground, very useful to take revenge from folks you dislike. I thanked him for this little stunt of advertisement, but politely refused to take it.

So yayy! Diwali! Ganesh’s prank brought some nostalgic memories back and I am so glad we are in middle of this beautiful festival.

This year is special in many ways. For one, it has been gradual and doesn’t give a feeling that it is October already! Festivals and occasions have not just passed us by, greeting us with a quick handshake. They have been generous by falling on work- friendly days, enabling us to wave a gleeful goodbye to our bosses on longer weekends.

This year has brought us closer to the quintessential flavours of traditions and the plentiful milieu of colours. The Diwali rush is in full swing and yet sweeping in gradually through bustling city streets, overcrowded bazaars, operation vacuum cleaning at homes, desk cleaning at work, the crisp smell of new clothes and gifts for our loved ones and most importantly the mild aura of sweets cooked in pure ghee taking over the little world around us.

Something wonderful in the air takes us home early, binds us around the ones we love and makes us call the ones we haven’t heard from for a while. It brings along joy to see someone book a new house, purchase their dream vehicle or a hardworking father managing to buy a toy for his daughter. Diwali becomes of every one, of the old and young, of the riches and the homeless.

For the ones with less holidays like me would surely appreciate the thinning traffic and empty parking space at work for a week. They would almost high-five me for the mutual feeling of getting paid for no work around this time and furthermore, the joy of going blingy with traditional wear to the office. Wouldn’t we love decking up in professional world once in a while?

With the coming of each day of the festival, you will probably light more diyas and welcome guests with stunning rangoli designs by the door, you will probably gain a kilo or two by next Monday and will wear the expensive silks paired with heavy gold jewels. Some might take a vacation while others will catch up with cousins. Wherever you are, moments of comfort and love will surround you and that’s what Diwali does to us.

Be sure to have a gala time and keep looking out for those weird new-tech firecrackers and more Ganeshs' lurking in the corners!

Happy Diwali :)