Fireworks of Conscience!
***********************
I had taken my sister with me. Sabin was very greedy but we took our chances. Maybe, just maybe, seeing both of us, he'd give more. He hardly acknowledged our presence. He was busy drying his innumerable stacks of firecrackers: maltawada, bombs, rockets and our favorites: chakras and gamala spread around as if he were selling them. Sabin was a very good friend but not the kind who?d want to light his stash together. Surprisingly, he?d offered me some that were redundant. I knew his dad didn?t buy those for him and I couldn't comprehend the Custom's office relation he often mentioned about.

"Yo tihar ta ekdam ramailo hune bhayo." He rubbed salt in our wounds. "katti dherai aloo bombs cha, chaincha yo?" If there were two things that my Dad absolutely hated in this world were "balloons of holi" and "firecrackers of tihar." "bomb ta chaidaina, boru timi sanga katti dherai gamala ra chakra rahecha ni" so the negotiations began. After
sometime, we settled with a pack of maltabada, two chakras and two gamalas. "hatti ko mukh ma jira": we were both utterly disappointed.
***************************
With only a day to Laxmi Puja, my other sisters were in their own world preparing for Bhaili dances with horrible Indian songs. Dad was sulking like most festivals on the ever increasing expenditures. Maami was busy as always preparing food, cleaning and virtually everything else. Perhaps, it was only two of us, sitting under Parijaat, wondering if we had enough firecrackers for the next three days.

Anyhow, as soon as our parents left to do some shopping, we sneaked up to the chaut, with an empty container of Lactogen, and the firecrackers at our disposal. As usual, we wound few maltabadas together and put them underneath the "Lactogen Twak"and lighted it up. It was a spectacle for us to see how far up the vessel went. We were euphoric. We did this till we ran out of maltabadas.. After some lousy dilemmas,
we decided to light up the gamala and chakras we had got from Sabin. It lasted a few minutes as we danced, clapped and jumped up and down in excitement as the sparks spewed around like the sprinkles of a fountain, just more brighter. Soon, it was all over and it began to grow very dark around us. Very dark indeed with no more firecrackers.
**************
A feeling of voidness had seized us. We sneaked up to maami?s lap sitting in the porch. "bhok lagi sakyo timi haroo lai? Aba ekai chin ma Anarasa ra SelRoti tayar bhai halcha ni." We stood silent looking at the constant grinding of the "silauta" on the wet "chamal." My sister pinched me, and I reluctantly asked my mom, "Maami! Hamlai ali kati paisa dinu na. euta bada ni ???"

I couldn?t finish the sentence as Dad made his way towards us. "K bhayo? Kina adhyaro anuhaar layera basi ra!" "Ali kati paisa disyo re, bacha haroo ko rahar ta ho..bada sanga khelne". Maami made a case for us. Before my dad went on with his usual grumbling, my sister to my surprise added to the pleading case, "Daddy, hami padkine lyaudainau ni
ta. khali gamala ra chakra" Seeing her valor, I joined her in the pact. Reluctantly, Dad handed us a crisp 20 Rs note before letting out his usual dialogue we?ve heard all life long, "..maile SLC padda samma jamma 32 rupiya kharcha garya thiyen.."

contd...

We rode as fast as our legs could pedal our BMX bikes to the usual store in Maligaon where we were so accustomed to buying a wide range of things. Outside the store, the firecrackers were spread much like Sabin?s .

"didi! Bada kinna aayeko.." She greeted us with a smile. "la la tyahi baira cha sabai" She asked us to go through them on our own. "Rocket ko kati didi"? "dus rupiya" was the reply that dented my heart. I?d always wanted to have a rocket. Similarly, chakras were Rs 4 a piece and Gamala a whooping Rs.7. We looked at each other in despair. Should we really do it? Suppressing all our fears, I grabbed on a few chakras and slid it in my pocket and she slid a pack of maltabada in her jacket. Then, with our Oscar winning performances, we picked a rocket Gamla and a Chakra and bargained with the lady to give it for Rs 20 which she readily agreed.

We rode back with our hearts pounding hard with the thought what if that "didi" had found us about our stealing. We sat under our favorite parijaat and put together our prized collection. Something did not feel right. My heart felt heavy when my sister confided that she felt the same. We thought about the times when the shopkeepers there, particularly didi, would give us extra titaura or free candies on so many occasions.
***********
Though the smell of SelRoti and Anarasa were tempting, I had lost my appetite. My sister was nimbling on a small piece of anarasa looking back at me. Maami frequently asked if everything was all right seeing our discomfort. We nodded our head in unison. Maami asked us if we could light a diyo infront of vastly decorated Laxmi?s portrait. I felt
even more uneasy. My grandma had told us stories of tihar where Laxmi never resided in people?s home who stole and cheated no matter how bright they kept. We couldn?t even face the goddess. Reluctantly we decided to give in. We couldn?t be the culprits of Laxmi not coming to our house while she enjoyed her stay in Sabin?s.

Before maami and daddy could question us, we got back on the bikes pedaling more slowly than before. With all our might we approached her. She was making mini footsteps of laxmi leading it towards her small shop. She smiled with radiating affection when she saw us, "lau! Pheri aba k chaiyo?" We stood there motionless unable to tell the truth. Finally, I handed her the pack of malta bada and chakras and told her we?d taken it by mistake. She seemed more surprised than angry.
"la hera, yetro bacha bhayera ni chorne ho? We turned red and wanted to scurry off.
" la bhai go! Aba dekhin yesto nagarnu, yo duita chakra chai laga, pachi dinu paisa" she was amazingly sweet. We rode back feeling good about everything just in time to help my mom make those mini footsteps of laxmi and we made sure they led back to the house.
******************
That night, we realized that we didn?t need any firecrackers for spectacles. "Punajabji" near bhagwati than gave us more than a treat we could handle. With sophisticated and beautiful real fireworks, they lighted up the handigaon skies. It put Sabin?s stacks to shame. We stayed in the chaut, making sure all the candles were burning to ensure
Laxmi?s efficient arrival, and taking a moment or two to enjoy the Punjabi fireworks as well.
"Oys talai thaha cha, parsi ta bhai tika. Taile ta hamlai dakshina dinu parcha ni! Kaha bata lyauchas paisa" I wasn?t sure if she was concerned about my plight or was reflecting on our guilty conscience.
"deula ni ta, mami sanga magera dinchu" I was still transfixed at the parachute like fireworks in the sky.
"Hyaa! Ta ta khali maami sanga magchas ?"
" K bho ta! Bholi parsi thulo bhaye pachi sabai tirdi ?" She cut me off
"Oys! Didi haroo ko bhaili aayo!! tala jaun."

Firworks of tihar blazed in all cylinders.

Hmm oysu.. Tihar.. reminds me of the only 'bhaili' I ever had and the kid with the Maadal who was going around singing absurd dheusi songs.. lol.. memories!

Hiyaaa oys and sisy...happy tihar to both of you..;)

A very happy Tihar to you too sis.. and to you too Oysa!
:D

Felt Nausic...Rememebred all those childhood tihars...Those were the heydays!!!
Happy Tihar Oys, and thanks for this wonderful piece!!!
And Happy tihar to Rhythmji and Matrixji also..:)...:D

Nirman jyu,
I thought you had forgotten me.. and you havent!!:O OMG re k... I think we should not spoil Oysa ko thread... Abba no more of these anyway Happy Tihar to you too Nirman jyu!

Long time since been here and as usual Oys bro ur memory lane brings back da memories from handigoun..keep on doin ur thing bro u da number one spot in my writers list.... im out.peace

I say and I buy everything out of this thread...incredible narration;;Oys
all of u Happy tihar.

reminds me of the only 'bhaili' I ever had and the kid with the Maadal who was going around singing absurd dheusi songs

At least the kid with the Madal was singing absurd deusi songs to keep the essence of Nepali Tihar alive though his brady bunch wanted to dance like Mithun of Dance Dance in all the Nepali folk songs. In contrast, it must NOT have been an absurd "BHAILI" for the princess by dancing in all the indian songs and eliciting more money than the kid (which I confess made him jealous) but NO! NOWAY! the kid and his associates were definitely not stalking! :)

InJest;)

hey Oys bro!!how the hell did i miss this thread?mero akha!:@ arghhh!!:@:@ ;oP hehe

anyways nice to know something to read :oD...always a pleasure to read ur memoirs re kya ;o)..and long time hoina?so Happy Tihar :oD..hope u aint so homesick now..tho yap..only u know the extent of wat ur feeln :oS..im tryn to empathize so let me!!!re kya ;oP hehe....

catch u around and Happy Tihar :oD...

and rythm sis!!!happy Tihar :oD..and see im not wishing anyone else?alik bias for me sis ni ;o) hehe..well dun forget to think of dai during bhai tika re kya ;oP hehe...nothin from me but good wishes :oD..ani oh yah ..cant u see dai has changed!:@(dun we all change ;oP hehe)..well basically feels less 'guilty' to bhak bhak with another nick..the other one did too much so i thot i get new 'repuation' tara gues a dog will always be a dog and cant stop barking :oS ;oP hehe....anyways sheesh!!read me nick properly next time!:@ ke ke re ke ke!:@ ...dai lai pani sis haru le nabhujney..ko ley bhujla?:o( wah wah ..some dumb dai of urs is too much into dramas these days ;oP hehe....anyways cya around :oD....


good day

LOL Oysa.... hadnt seen your reply!! haha.. made me laugh... Glad to know that the kid did feel jealous of the ...err... princess?:|.. Hindi songs or dheusi songs... who made more money huh?:P

malai ta dashain tihar don't feel the same anymore....no more bickering over how much money u get in dashain.......no more playing cards for sukas and paanch paisas...everyone wants to play for 10 rs a point minimum.....no more counting ur money after a whole lotta travelling around ktm on the first day of tika and dhogne a hundred ppl u met only in dashain..........no more wondering what u r gonna give ur sis for tihar......no more wondering what U are gonna get for tihar..no mre eyeing the chocolates and stuff set out.....no more deusi and bhailo......dang.....

illusions, you're getting old :P

Oys chill lai salaam cha hai.

Aba collection publish garne bela bho hola ni !

I want sel too... My mom makes the MOST ROCKING Sel Roti that I have ever tasted! And I have tasted a few... ummmmm