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Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali

6 mins
442


The engine revved and the car slowly moved out of the driveway. Sayoni kept staring at it till it turned round the corner and slowly turned back to go to her room. Her roommate was the last to leave for the Diwali Holidays and now she was left all alone in the hostel for the entire week.


As she slowly entered the building, she smiled at the old watchman, almost on auto pilot. The return smile was lost on her as she walked the empty hallway to reach the flight of stairs. Her room was right at the landing and so, was generally the hub of all activities in the hostel. Every girl on her way in or out didn’t matter, would stop by to chit chat. Whether it was to calm their nerves before an interview, to display the prized possessions after a day out shopping or just to relax and unwind after dinner – the venue was always the same – Room 101.


Though Sayoni enjoyed this forced social life, sometimes it became too much and she secretly wished for them to leave, so that she goes back to her book or movie and get some peace after the tiring day at the office! That was true almost throughout the year, except for this dreadful time of the year.


She did not have anything against festivals in general or Diwali in particular. In fact, back home, she used to love the festival. It used to be so much preparing for it, fighting over the Rangoli design with her sister and then helping Maa with lighting the Diyas. The nighttime visit to the temple for Kali Poojo used to be fun, as they were allowed to stay up and enjoy all night.


But, all that seemed so distant nor! It was her third year working at a large corporate office in the metro and her parents couldn’t be more proud of her. Life was good in general for her. She had a job she loved, an equally loving and supportive family at home and a super happening life at the working women’s hostel, complete with the most awesome roommate. Her hard work and dedication were fully appreciated at the office and she visited home thrice a year.


The only trade-off she had to make for this life was choosing and planning her leaves. Unlike other Indian festivals that were spaced apart, Dussehra and Diwali were within twenty days of each other. This used to be a bonus in school, with nearly a month of holidays. However, in the corporate world, this had become a punishment! You could only take so many leaves and had to choose which festival you wanted to prioritize.


Coming from a Bengali household, this was almost a no brainer for her. She had happily applied and got the leaves approved for a week leading up to Dussehra, the first year of her job. The celebrations couldn’t have been better either. The shopping spree with her sister and mo, the pandal hopping, dressing up for the festivities, the rhythmic sounds of the Dhaak, the night outs and the beautifully decorated streets – there is no comparison to the way Indian festivals are celebrated.


Obviously, after so much celebration, returning to routine life was difficult. But for the first time, Sayoni was looking forward to the chatter and get-togethers of Room 101. She had so much to share! And she wasn’t disappointed either.


Her return coincided with the Diwali shopping expeditions of her hostel mates. She would accompany her roommate as she went buying clothes and gifts for family. They would roam through the decorated shops. The festival offers made shopping even more fun! From the roadside eateries to bargaining for accessories, celebration was in the air!


Once back in the hostel, the impromptu meetups were even more interesting in Room 101. Each girl, who went shopping would walk in, laden with shopping bags, drop them on the floor and sit down. Notes would be exchanged about the shops offering the best deals and the shopped items proudly displayed. The normally noisy dinner time has reached completely different decibel levels, with 34 excited girls preparing for the biggest festival.


It was only when the last two girls left for their hometown together, did it hit Sayoni that she was all alone in the hostel for one full week! And it hit her really hard! The silence after the hullabaloo was deafening. And what made it worse was the realization that she would be alone even on Diwali.


The gleaming lights of the decoration that appeared so warm and alluring till last night started to hurt her eyes. She couldn’t bear the sight of her empty room, the room that was the hub of so much laughter and activity till a few hours ago. The sound of crackers seemed to be making fun of her and she broke down. For the first time in her life, she was seeing the other side of the festivities. While it was so much fun for some, for others it could be so hurtful.


The haunting memories of her first Diwali had subdued her enthusiasm even during Dussehra next year. Even the lesser celebration did not make staying alone at Diwali easier the next year as well. And so she started detesting both festivals this year. She just wanted them to get over, so that life could go back to normal.


But that was still a week away! Her roommate, sensing her mood, had stayed back as much as possible. But eventually, she had to leave, as today was Diwali and her family was waiting. Sayoni went straight to her room and tried to block off the noise of crackers by locking the door and picking up a book.


The noise around her seemed to subside as she got lost in the book. Suddenly, there was a huge bang and she woke up with a start! For a second, she could not make out what happened and where was she in such a dark environment! That’s when she heard the sound again. Slowly, it dawned on her that she was in her room and had fallen asleep while reading. Now, someone was knocking her door. Who could it be?


She got up, switched on the light and opened the door. A young girl stood in front of her. She wore very simple clothes and was definitely not a resident of the hostel. Sayoni looked at her puzzled. The girl had a broad smile and saw the look on Sayoni’s face. She spoke up, “ Happy Diwali Didi! My grandfather is the watchman of this hostel. We shifted here from our village a few months back and stay with him now. He told me you are alone here. It is a festival day Didi, come join us for the Aarti. I have come to invite you!”


Sayoni couldn’t believe her ears. As tears rolled down her cheek, she discovered a new meaning of the Indian festivities. Under all the noise and decoration, they are still about the bond and togetherness that binds every human being!


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