Nerve Endings Firing Away

Diwali, as usual was a subdued effect in my humble Atlantan abode. This is the fourth consecutive Diwali that I missed being away from India and now even the nostalgic feeling has started to fade. But at least this year was better, I, along with ADS managed to slave-drive our roomies to launch into a major house cleaning and minor rearrangement exercise. It is really a wonder how a bachelor pad can be altered drastically if cleaned. Now that isn’t to suggest that usually it isn’t. I can proudly boast that our home is one of the cleaner cousins of the typical student home and adequately furnished too. This year Diwali was visibly different because we had a string of Christmas lights in our patio in addition to a large clay oil wick lamp. Our neighbors thought that we have finally assimilated into the American culture by putting up Halloween lights. Now we have to just put out some candy for the little devils to complete the picture.

TAK called to wish me on Diwali. I unwittingly returned the greeting only to realize immediately that she is a Muslim. But then I did think why should that matter? Diwali is just more than a Hindu festival and is generally considered an auspicious time. She didn’t seem to mind the greeting as much as I wouldn’t if someone wishes me Eid Mubarak. The lack of fireworks makes Diwali time seem a lot quieter. I am not sure if I am happy at that. I admit that I did enjoy the sporadic bursts of light and sound that dotted the entire sky for those four days. Although my dogs surfaced at the end of Diwali, the poor things were a tortured lot. The environment surely doesn’t seem to mind and I guess like everything else in Hindu festivals, time has come for us to move on and think beyond the decibels of firecrackers. Me miss them? I don’t think so. As long as I can call the girl next-door a phataka, I will survive without them. My roomies has a box load of sweets and other foodstuff in the mail so I guess I will not miss much after all.