Petals!

Dressing up for Diwali is lots of fun. That's one of the best 'fun' things about being a girl/woman but so often we miss the delight of dressing up because we are in a rush. Yesterday evening, I reached home and decided to wear a saree to office the next day. Now, don't get me wrong. To wear a saree to office is no big deal but for some one like me who doesn't drape a saree except once in few years when there is a wedding in the family or something on those lines, it's a bit of a tricky tangle to be in. Well, I decided I needed to rehearse the whole thing to get the timing right because I have only 15 minutes to get this done in the morning before the rush hour strikes. So, I bravely ventured into the territory. The saree looked very innocent and helpless to me. I mean, what could possibly go wrong there? Once I started trying to drape the whole thing over my kurtha and jeans, everything went beserk. Finally, the saree had transformed itself into an octopus ...

When I first came to Delhi, I was frightened by the Diwali celebrations that I saw. Fire crackers are not something I enjoy. I think it pollutes the environment. I have seen documentaries on how fire crackers are made in India. Truly, it is shocking how this popular festival product is actually the result of thankless hours of work and terrible living conditions suffered by child laborers in different parts of the country. Every time I see the crowds that hover around stalls that sell fire crackers, I feel something inside my heart burst with pain. Anyway, let me come back to my story. Diwali, as I understood initially, is celebrated with lights. I found the festival a little too loud because where I was working at the time, it was more of a corporate affair. You had lots of gifts that had to be planned, bought and packed. It was about showing off who could give what, at times. In case you didn't have money to pay more to your domestic help, you can bet that your neighbors would ...