Diwali seeped into unexpected celebrating on a personal level this time with the unexpected and restlessness with happenings serving as lessons to keep expectations at bay, a twinge of patience, and take things in one’s strides. Happiness, at end of the day, is about simple moments of joy and what we make of it.
This year’s Diwali was far from pompous, Queen size, and less indulging than it has been during the previous years since am yet to settle in the city after a huge gap comeback. There are so many things that have changed and it’s only the start of learning to cope with things, rediscovering the city’s nitty gritty or the practicality of it all.
Cherry on cake is that I celebrated Diwali in Pune after 15 years. Would you believe it? It started on a slow note with the buying of traditional and colorful lamps as I took a walk lingering at JM Road, Deccan and of course, FC Road on the festival’s eve where this part of the city lends its ubiquitous charm and vibes bringing in the festive mood. The crowd, building colorful lights decorations, lamps, idols of Goddess Lakshmi and God Ganesha, and decorations splattered on the ground at every nook and cranny made the festival of lights truly enthralling.
Just like in the older days when I was a carefree student, it felt like rediscovering the city and enjoying the really long walk from JM to Deccan and FC Road as if nothing had changed and got a good deal on few Diwali shopping such as shoes, pajamas and a pack of assorted sweets at Haldiram.
I saw a toddler happily chirping and wearing a beautiful frock having the time of her life, giggling and trotting. So much beauty. The blissful days of being a toddler and a child, unaware of the ways of the world celebrating without damn or being conscious of adult life. Such therapy watching the little munchkin prancing.
As I trudged my feet and clicked the glitter of lights on buildings, I sat at Coffee Nation a spot exuding so much of stillness and harking back to those days of bliss, lending a comfort zone cum a happy space. As I sipped coffee, the mind wandered, longing to see familiar faces from college and the city that I hadn’t seen for a decade. My wish wouldn’t be unheed.
Wandering steps past the new replacing the old in Pune with the pubs and bars, Westside sprouting on FC Road as I ambled towards Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk, a wide array of decorations, earthen lamps, Muslin cones, fruits and lamps, idols, coconuts, fruits and crackers nicely decked on the footsteps ringing in festive mood.
As I walked past and tried to take snaps of the Diwali goodies, someone tapped me on the shoulders and saw Rishikesh slouched on his bike. Elated to see a friend after 15 years on Diwali as we had a brief chat with him waiting for the traffic signal to change he asked in time about a few of our classmates I am in touch with.
He mentioned R and the bunch of people with whom they normally hang out every evening. I would be seeing him minutes later and just too after we left college in 2006. The dude hasn’t changed at all and he still looks the same as during the college days. The entire gang chill out every single day at Niranjan restaurant like in those blissful college days, I felt and they gave me some invaluable city leads. You don’t meet people by a stroke of accident.
Diwali came on Sunday and after yoga practice, I set off to get a box of sweets for the staff and after prayers, lighting lamps to Goddess Lakshmi, another walk at Balewadi High Street which was quite deserted.
During the evening, we went on a bike ride along with someone whom I knew and came recently to the city and as we scythed at Shivaji Nagar, the celebration unfurled in what Diwali truly is. The fireworks along with the Hindi songs of the 90s made us stop to take snaps and video shoot on the phone with the city lights glittering, on the edge of Deccan and swerving at FC Road where we witnessed fireworks and crackers.
As the night drew to an end, it was a Diwali well spent and as mentioned after aeon in the city. It was the first time that I had very less sweets to munch on during the festival of light and celebrated with a classic Nashik Ole Red wine for company.
It’s another tale that V’s mom sent lotsa Diwali sweets, with stacks of Namkeen, exactly a week after and was so kind of her to do so. I feel truly blessed and grateful.
Love
V
chanting his name,
f humans sprinkling colors and celebrating in jest. I sorely miss the celebration going in full swing, drum beating, and dancing to the tune of mad Hindi songs in the slum and on the road. This is Ganesh Chaturthi for me. I love it! I know many are against the loud noises made but it makes Ganesh Chaturthi endearing. After all, what’s Mumbai, Pune or Maharashtra without the maddening celebration?
Vishal Bhidu 