Just Another Day

This year due to a family tragedy (my grandmother in law expired few months ago) hubby and me were not playing holi…..so yesterday (Dulhandi) I was wondering about all these years ……..what I did on holi and which has been my best so far…..

Coming from Northern part of India , Holi has always held a special place in my heart. While Diwali has been the sophisticated festival where you are dapper and proper.. Holi is completely opposite

As a kid I absolutely loved playing holi….so much so that I use to color myself in case of being ignored by others for a splash. We use to have this get- together in our home where all family–friends use to gather, music was played at its loudest best, loads of gujiya,papri, thandai was served

Once we visited my Grand Ma’s (or Bai as we use to fondly call her) for holi … the only one when my entire family was together from eldest to youngest (sans baby tannu as he wasn’t even born). Customary my Bua (Aunt) also came to our house so we had our entire gang together (6 sisters and 6 brothers).

The D-Day started with every one getting ready with our "fugga’s" …….. filling balloons with color water and guess who was our first victim….my youngest uncle who was “punished “ for coming late for holi…..as soon as he got down from rickshaw we fired him with balloons and pichkari’s….. and with this started full day of masti after which was the real task of removing color....my elder sisters use get all these different kinds of home made packs to remove color…….and we all use to sit together on terrace…gossip
meanwhile removing color…..though I was never able to get rid of it completely…always some “here and there” was left …….so this is one holi I’ll never forget…..my best so far

All my fond memories of festivals have been when I was kid …how it is that as kids we enjoy each and every festival…..and how as grown ups festivals just mean “just another day”………..what was it that made those days so special?

 May be being together with the entire family, that togetherness, eating in one big thali and pulling each other’s leg, playing all sorts of pranks……..enjoying dressing up,late night gossip…munching…….maybe it was simplicity of life and heart that made those days so special………..and how I wish I could get back those days………..no wonder my sister was humming few days back………..”Koi lutta de mere bête hue din”