Halloween, Diwali and Other Stories (originally published on October 24th)
Tags: Halloween, Festivals, Diwali

I’ve always loved the month of November to be honest with y’all. It has been one of my favorite months of the year. December is in its own place, but November is juuuuust so grand, isn’t it? There’s Halloween on 31st October, of course. But in India, we’ve got some festivals in November as well. Well, we just had Durga Puja and Dussehra in October, now we have Diwali, there’s Dhanteras, and there’s Halloween at the end of October! Diwali has always held a special place in my heart, I’ll tell you why.

So, most of my friends are Bengali, in our tower, there aren’t many non-Bengalis. But in the 2nd tower, there are so many non-Bengali friends of mine. During Diwali, I can see the whole tower decorated with lights, lamps on the balconies and diyas in the terrace from my room’s window. It is, of course, a splendid treat to my eyes, but you know what’s better? The laddoos and gulab jamuns received. Many of my friends invite us, as in USA (Useless Singles’ Association, the name of my friend group 😐) to their house on Diwali, and of course, we happily agree. Then comes the grand part. First you enter, there are so many people inside, so you feel a little nervous and awkward while your mind still hasn’t forgotten the beautiful rangoli in front of the door. But soon, all the awkwardness flies out of the window as all the Aunty who invited you comes running towards you and asks you what you want. Then, without waiting for your reply, she brings you a glass of Coke and a plate of sweets. As you are eating, your friend shoves a Cadbury Celebrations box in your arms and says, “Enjoying?”. Now of course, you’ve received a Cadbury box, you can’t say “No”, so you say “Yes”, and honestly so. All the other Uncles and Aunties are chatting, there are children as well, some good, some annoying. Some Auntie or Uncle ask how you are, how your studies are going, how your family is and all, they ask if you’re enjoying and you repeat the “Yes” with a wide grin on your face. Someone compliments your hair, or maybe or dress, or your shoes, or your smile, or your single life, and you compliment them back, or just smile shyly, oh modest you! You don’t know half the people, but you feel very at home. The children’s group has been divided into 4. categories. 1. The very small children, they’re in their parents’ laps. 2. The little children, they are playing around. 3. The 12–14 group, they are debating over BTS, and 4. The 14+ group, they are discussing the importance of such festivals. You belong in the third group now, but you’re not speaking much, you’re listening. The Grandma and Grandpas are divided into 2 categories. 1. The ones talking about their times. 2. The ones eating laddoos and telling stories. Beside you is someone of the first category, who is getting a little boring, and you want to go sit beside the storyteller Grandma, but you can’t because the Old-Is-Gold Grandma is good too! So anyways, you stay in your place, and within a few minutes, you receive a cupcake which proves that you aren’t any special as the other children got it too. Yes. Its being distributed among kids. You swallow the muffin whole, but you can’t ask for another as you’re awkward. Worry not honey, Reema Aunty has understood what you want by just taking a glance at your face, and there there, you have your second cupcake right in front of you! Amazing, isn’t it? You have, by the way, already finished the Coke and sweets. Time flies without letting you know anything, and soon, its time for dinner. Delicacies, delicacies. Veg, non-veg, kheer, gulab jamun, everything’s there on the table. Uncle asks you to sit, you sit with a modest smile. Beside you, your sister’s gobbling everything up like a hungry wolf, so you too start helping yourself to the delicacies. Half the table is busy gossiping, while the other half is talking about the party. Admit it or not, you know you’re gonna miss it until next year. After dinner, you stay for the kheer and everything before Reena Aunty hands you an additional Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk and bids you a jolly goodbye. With a heavy heart and a full stomach, you head towards home, hoping for another sweet party like this next year too.

That was the Diwali story. Let’s move on to Halloween.

The moon looks eerier, black cats are meowing more often, their eyes look greener, trees are shedding their leaves, and nights are darker. What is it? Halloween, of course! Halloween isn’t celebrated in our compound like other festivals, not very grand. Christmas is, but Halloween isn’t as grandly celebrated as Christmas. But anyways, it is celebrated. Not in our compound, but two blocks away. You’re invited, and you go. You’re kinda creeped out, looking at the black balloons, as you enter. But nevermind. There are carved pumpkins with lights in them lying around, and you kinda like them. Inside, there’s a great business going on. Cocktails, spooky looking cocktails, pastries, pies with eerie symbols on it. Debate is going on whether Conjuring 2 or Poltergeist will play. You’re on Conjuring 2’s side, for you somewhat like the jump scares. You’re handed a box of candies (its Halloween after all), and you receive it with a really big smile. There’s a spooky music playing in the background, and the lights are sending chills down your spine. No, you’re actually enjoying. Halloween is Halloween, it is a vibe itself.

Trick or treat, its Halloween!

Other Stories:

Bhai dooj is also a mood. I don’t have a biological brother, but there are many brothers in our housing. Bhai dooj is more like a gift-collecting day for me and my sister, y’know. You wake up early in the morning, take a bath, wear your fancy clothes and go out. Everyone looks like your brother, even your crush. Celebration begins. One chocolate box per brother. At first, it feels like business. Then, the awkwardness goes, and emotions take over. The small chocolate box pleases you just as much as the big one does. My Mom is a single child of my grandparents, but she has a cousin sister, who is one of my best friends. She never had a brother, but I’ve heard from my Aunt that all their friends and friends of friends used to gather for this, and even though they didn’t collect gifts (really? Yes, really.), they used to have fun. Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like if I had a brother of my own, but then, when I look at my sister and her antics, I thank God for letting me be with only a sister.

Some days back, we had Lakshmi Puja, and trust me, I really loved the coconut sweets. They’re one of my favorite sweets actually, and this year I had my father make them (you’d be surprised to know that my father turned out to be a great confectioner) for me and my sister. My Mom was in the hospital (no no, nothing bad, she’s a doctor), so we saved some for her. We do celebrate Lakshmi Puja here though. You can call it grand, for I personally feel that it is grand. While we were planning for Durga Puja, we made a plan for Lakshmi Puja too. I stayed busy all morning, the Puja took place in the evening, and after the Puja, I sat eating coconut sweets and watching a Sherlock Holmes movie. The movie was good, but what’s better was the coconut sweets! How I wish I could share them with y’all.

Festivals come, festivals go. This post was about some of my favorite festivals that fall on one of my favorite months of the year. Do let me know how you liked it.

Till then, bai bai.