And Yet I’d say………..Happy Diwali…..!!!

As it happens each year, this time around too people would be wishing each other a happy diwali, wanting every one of us to have a pleasant and prosperous life, praying to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh to bestow their divine blessing upon all their friends and acquaintances, yearning that each one of us gets what s/he desires for and so on and so forth.

And like every other time, I’d be watching on at the ongoing hullabaloo in a detached manner, being not really interested in either the crackers or the prayers. Or perhaps, being a little morose this time, I’d be much more isolated from the festivities, not indulging in the only aspect of this auspicious day which I find enchanting- lighting the lamps and watching their flame shimmering and dancing away into the night. Or on another note, I might just force myself to get engrossed in the merry-making more than ever- so as to forget my melancholy and that un-nerving sense of loneliness. The second option seeming much more inviting and agreeable- to myself and to those in my vicinity.

Deepawali or simply Diwali is believed to be the festival of lights marking the victory of good or evil; making one aware of the knowledge contained within his inner self; thus dispelling all ignorance of being, a person usually suffers from. There is no need for me to delve into the details of how Diwali is celebrated or what significance it holds for the Hindus, as each of us I hope is well aware of all factual information associated with the festival; and also it is not in the least my intention to write an essay on the topic (this being a futile affair, going by the aforementioned logic).

Anyways, yet again I’m indulging in my habit of straying away from the main point and stepping onto unnecessary side-tracks. My concern solely lay with Diwali’s innate nature of driving out the misery one is facing and bringing joy to him/ her; something I am fervently hoping it would do for me. If nothing else, today I can test the truth in this faith; and at the risk of contradicting myself, I’m sure I would lose this bet, as it would brighten my day with mirth and delight, since at the very least I would be seeing happiness on the face of my loved ones…..which without a doubt is more than enough for any one. A welcome loss, to be honest!

And hence, possibly for my own contentment, shedding my various apprehensions aside (most of which are illogical beyond imagination), I, like all others, wish everyone a very happy and joyous Deepawali. Ending with Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s poem, which describes my feelings almost accurately:-
“Bhari Dupahri Me Andhiyara,
Suraj Parchayi se Haara,
Antartam ka Neh Nichode,
Bujhi Hui Baati Sulgaye,
Aao Phir se Dia Jalaye”