Quick Bits

Suman was so thrilled, after all it was time to celebrate the festival of colours that is Holi. She was always thrilled with the festivities before the real festival and the stamp the festival would make I mean the colours splashed everywhere after the festival it was so enticing for Suman and her siblings and friends too But, there was a small glitch here her grandparents were not at all eager to celebrate this festival. No, not because they were old now. It was the same story since her childhood. Ok so this is the background of the story now. Then comes the day of Holi. Suman gets up early in the morning and gets going wearing her faded clothes that were meant to be won that day for the obvious reason and rush off to her neighbourhood to meet her buddies and start the celebration at the go. Thwy fill the balloons (gubbare)with coloured water, gulp some sweets typically made for Holi (gujiya , samosa )etc and get down to the business I mean Holi.

The previous night they had participated in holika dahan that signifies the victory of good over evil. Ok, now they are joined by a large group of like minded young and old people who start splashing colours on each other, dancing and singing away to glory. This frenzy continues for sometime Meanwhile quenchers are arranged on a table. The bottles look attractive and when all are thirsty what is it they want? But for these liquids. The wonder of wonders Suman's grandparents suddenly make their appearance and seem to enjoy the ongoing activities.

Suman was surprised and happy too. So she gets busy with the celebrations. Suddenly she hears people giggling and making fun of someone. She gets curious and was to be shocked for it was none other than her grandparents who were surrounded with curious looks for they were in a state of inebriated. She gets confused and goes to them hurriedly to know what was happening. She overhears her grandfather telling her grandmother look lajjo my hands are stuck together, I am not able to move even my feet are stuck to the floor. Suman goes near them and is dumbstruck to see her grandfather is in a dazed state and grandmom almost petrified at this. She enquires what was the matter and had a smile on her face. The matter really was this. Her grandfather had come out for sometime just to overlook as to what were the arrangements made for the celebrations.

He had an urge to eat something. So he goes near the gujiya and samosa stalls. He has some of them. He felt thirsty and instead of getting back home, he was offered a drink that tasted so good that he gulped down a few more and went back home. Yes, you got it right he had bhang that is usually a common drink served during Holi. So all had a hearty laugh on hearing this. Suman had no other option but to explain the matter to her grandmom, who felt relieved and all had to just wait for the intoxication to come down, which of course took a day or two. All is well that ended well