Deewali!

Diwalis for me were always about burning colourful matchsticks as a kid because we couldn't afford crackers. According to my dad, we didn't need to because it wasn't really 'our festival'. Then, as i grew into my degree days, Diwali was about going over to PK's place, belting yummy Diwali food, bursting a few crackers and then most probably staying over.

This year though, Diwali was super different. And super fun. Of course, boy being gone away, i wanted to sit at home, gather my thoughts, figure out the whats, what-ifs and what-nots. K and B had other ideas - they wanted me to go with them to Chennai to celebrate Diwali at K's place. It sounded like a pretty good idea, but i just wasn't sure. And i thought i wasn't ready.

Then i discovered that Friday was a holiday for us. And i called up K in the n-1th minute and told her that, Hey, I'm going to be able to make it! By then B had gotten into trouble at her workplace so she couldn't travel with us Thursday night.

Friday morning, three of us reached Chennai - K, I and A (an addition i only knew of in the last minute, but not a bad one as i discovered in the days that followed). B would join us on Saturday morning.

We got to K's place, settled in and that's when the roller coaster ride began. Home-cooked meal after home-cooked meal all day, right through Sunday. Upma, Puri Choley, Aloo Paratha, Baigan Bharta, Aloo Capsicum Sabzi, Rice, Dal, Gongura Chutney, Dal Paratha, Gobi Manchurian, Methi Roti, Malai Paneer - i've lost count of all the mind-blowing food we ate. I think i must have grown a second stomach that weekend, because i just kept stuffing my face endlessly. And K's mother can really, really feed people.

A day full of eating on Friday was followed by a night of semi-debauchery - K's extended family came over and the house was rich with laughter, merriment, PJs, alcohol and yes, more food. (Women were not allowed alcohol, by the way.) Then followed the Diwali tradition of Teen Patti. I played, and for the first time in my life, I WON! Like, a lot. It's a different thing that the plastic chips didn't cash into real money but what the heck, it was great fun to be the winner!

Saturday morning, K and I went to pick up B from the airport at an insanely early hour. As a consequence, we slept in the car at the airport parking lot and were jolted awake when B called to tell us she had landed. Drove back home, belted more food, slept. Went for the office Puja in the evening, burst loads of crackers - including my first rocket! K's dad, V, A and K tried stunts with a rocket held in the bottle held in the hand. A almost lost her head because the rocket she lit backfired and came right at her.

By then, withdrawal symptoms had set in, so we decided to head out late in the night to put and send some. Didn't have much but it was a relief to be able to get back to doing our things and being the hooligans we are.

Highlight of the day for me was the 'Good Housekeeping' photographs we took - K acted like a psycho Chinese tourist photographer who gives more poses than the people he is shooting, while i... well, i just goofed around playing the model homemaker. Touching curtains and appreciating the fabric, playing good host to guests by serving them dry fruits, wearing the dupatta on my head and ringing the mandir ki ghanti, smiling coyly, lighting up the diyas at the doorstep - K and I ran through the whole routine. By the end of it, her mother wanted to go hide under some pillows and forget the whole traumatic experience while we clutched our stomachs and laughed our hearts out.

Sunday dawned pretty late, and we drove down to Mahabalipuram for lunch at Moon Rakers. The table was full of food (again). Lots and lots of calamarie, prawns, fish, chicken, crab, paneer (yes, there was a vegetarian traitor among us). Mellow through the meal because i remembered things about the place i ddin't want to, my mood lifted when we hit the surrounding shops for things to buy. Picked up wrap-around trousers, psychadelic genie pants, cool gunjees and a couple of pairs of slippers. Left me very, very happy. And very, very broke. I didn't mind though, i loved everything i bought.

Sunday night, we boarded the train and added one last item of entertainment to our list of madnesses through the trip - scandalising our unsuspecting, youngish, cutish co-traveller. I'm sure we amused him aplenty because he couldn't hide the grin on his face everytime one of us opened our mouths to say something.

They say that Diwali is the festival of lights, the dawn of a new year. I don't know about the latter, but i do know that this Diwali sure lit up my heart as much as it lit up the sultry Chennai night sky. And yes, i ended up feeling light too. Much, much lighter.