My Life defining Holi

I remember very vividly about my childhood and in its context, the festival of Holi. Ours was a big joint family with many members. So Holi was celebrated every year with much gaiety and enthusiasm. Even some of the neighbours also participated. It was a very joyous period and all of us from the most aged to the youngest thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Holi. I loved the many colours that we smeared each other both the wet and dry. The other attraction of the festival of Holi was the many types of sweets and confectionery that were prepared. I loved all of them. My mother and grandmother were truly great cooks and they churned up huge delicacies. 

The Holi festival has a lot of significance. According to my grandfather it was celebrated as the victory of good over evil. My grandmother used to say that the significance of Holi was the Divine love of Radha and Krishna. My father, being a practical man said that Holi celebrated to usher in the season of spring. Whatever may be the significance, for me Holi was a great festival of fun, colors and food. 

The night before Holi a big bonfire was lighted to announce the arrival of the festival of Holi which lasted for two days. 

Of the many neighbours that participated with us, there was one family who were very close to us. As even our caste was same, our elders allowed them to mix with us freely as if they were our relatives. This family lived as a tenant in our other bungalow just two houses away from us. The tenant was the District Magistrate and his family that consisted of himself, his wife and his son and daughter. 

The son Pramod and myself Rajiv were of same age, so were bosom friends. Their daughter was Lakshmi who was couple of years younger to Pramod and myself. But she also played Holi with us. As Pramod and Lakshmi came from the family of the District magistrate, so they commanded lot or awe and respect in the society . Ours was a business establishment. Our business family had a lot of liasoning work with the District Magistrate's office. Pramod and Lakshmi were as a result very close to us. 

Pramod and Lakshmi stayed as our neighbours for almost half a decade. A strong emotional bond had developed between us and our families. But one day they all left us for good due to the transferability of their father, who was promoted to a Deputy Commissioner. When we last heard of them, we learnt that they had been sent on a Central government assignment to a distant state. Our partings were very sad due to the deep emotional bonding that had grown over the years. Our caste being similar had helped develop a deeper bond. The elders were beside themselves with sorrow. I was young to feel the effect of the separation. But, I overheard, my mother saying that Lakshmi was a perfect match for me and when the age would come we would be married as per the verbal agreement of both families. Hardly, feeling the impact of this statement, I didn't give indulgence to such silly thoughts. 

As Lakshmi 's family had left, they tried to keep in touch. Initially, the connection was strong but as year after year passed on, the bond started becoming looser and looser, till finally all connections got severed. All due to laziness and procrastination and because of other more pressing demands of the present day life. Slowly, Pramod and Lakshmi remained just a small dot in our memories. 

Time passed and I grew up. I had to leave my home town in pursuit of higher studies and vocational training in metro cities. I got admitted to a college, famous for it's outstanding results and good grooming of the students. Only students with good marks stood a chance to get admitted. 

It came to our notice, that the college was allowing all it's students, irrespective of gender, being encouraged to participate in a Holi Mela get-together. Initially, it was voluntary but later made mandatory so that newcomers could freely interact with seniors and avoid unavoidable cases of ragging. Holi, being a great unifying festival and a great leveller. I was also intrigued. For many years, I had not enjoyed a Holi party. Childhood memories were fleeting in and out of my mind. Nostalgia had engulfed me. 

The Holi get together began. I learned that the rules of the college didn't allow free mixing of genders officially other than the festival of Holi. So everyone waited eagerly for the Holi get together. Many new relationships were formed which was the main cause for attraction. 

Colours started being smeared on everyone's faces. I was also smeared with various colors. Both boys and girls freely mixed amongst themselves. I also found myself surrounded by a girl but i didn't know her. 

She called me, '' Rajiv, is that you? ''. I was surprised how she knew my name. I said, '' Yes, but do you know me? ''. Then she kept quiet for some time and then finally answered in the affirmative. Then she said, '' We need to talk, perhaps. Are you agreeable? ''. I was overjoyed. 

For the past few years, I have been thinking of Lakshmi. I only remembered her childhood features. Now she must have grown into a beautiful woman. Some how she used to capture the bulk of my thoughts. Probably, I had reached that age when everyone thinks of befriending someone from the opposite sex. So Lakshmi was on my mind. The Holi fest got over. Everyone who was lucky got fixed to a new partner. I also like others got hitched with this girl who had not yet given her name. We exchanged our contact numbers and promised to soon get in touch. 

A few days passed and I awaited anxiously for the girl to call me. Because, I was generally shy and didn't want to sound too much enthusiasm. Because, I felt it looked very cheap. After a week of Holi got over still there was no phone call. I got worried as if something was wrong. But then I tried my best to get busy with my academic activities and forget the one off incident just as an accident. But, however, my thought of Lakshmi became stronger than ever before. 

Then finally, the girl called me and asked me if we could meet at the college canteen. There we me for the first time after Holi. Now, the colors of Holi were gone and we could see our natural faces. She was a modern girl with the utmost sense of present-day fashion and elegantly dressed. My heart missed a beat for a while and tried to compare her with Lakshmi of our childhood. But that memory was vague and time had erased whatever I knew of her. 

Then she started talking. '' I have been searching for you, Rajib since I grew up listening to stories about you from my mother, '' she went on. Her voice was very sweet. I wanted to ask her about Pramod my friend if he was his brother. But I hesitated, feeling too much intrusive. Soon however my all doubts were removed. I want to remember this Holi reunion as the most life-defining moment for me. All of a sudden she connected to some one in a video call to my surprise and I found a handsome young man on the other side whose facial features had similarity with that of this girl. That young man seeing me exclaimed in joy, '' Rajib it's you. Hi, I am your childhood friend Pramod and this is my sister Lakshmi ''. He went on enthusiastically. I felt myself become lighter with immense happiness and joy and seemed to be lifted above from the ground. '' I also have been yearning to see you folks for so many years, '' I enjoined. 

Later on myself and Lakshmi started meeting regularly. Her brother Pramod was doing his higher studies from a German university and that he had called from there. Lakshmi took me one day to meet her parents who were overjoyed to see me. Then through me they spoke to my parents who promised to visit them soon. I knew for what reasons both the families were uniting and knowing this both Lakshmi and myself felt very happy. We were best of friends but left the carrying of our relationship forward to the next level to our guardians. 

I give credit to Holi as the most defining event of my life.