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Thursday, November 11, 2010

A Rocketing Diwali Experience..

Happy Diwali to you all!!
Everytime i hear the word Diwali there is this big blast near my head. Though its a metaphor for most of you i had an out of life experience long back. Story goes like this.

As my Dad had some sorta training to attend he was not in town. Our family friend and my godsend that Diwali Nandan Uncle came home with a bag full of diwali crackers to celebrate with us. With strict supervision under my mom i carefully started celebration. One by one i was finishing up the crackers and kind heartedly sharing with other friends in 'mohalla'. Then i saw a rocket whuzzing up in the air and bursting aloud. Now thats what a diwali cracker i thought. In the bag there were 2 rockets or skuds as it was written on the label. Nandan uncle took the first rocket and showed me how to burst it..It went high into the atmosphere..KABOOOMM!! Wow!! It was like Bhagwaan Ram sent an Asthra similar to 'Ramayana' we see on television. I took the second one placed it upright in a 'Kissan Tomato Sauce' bottle. Nandan uncle used a ligter but i preferred the sparkler as he too felt that was safer. So like a gladiator into the arena i walk with nimble but bold steps towards the rocket. Bent down to set alight the trigger and as it gets fired up i unknowingly hit the bottle neck with the sparkler tip. Now the bottle is shaking sideways and the rocket is on fire. I ran yelling towards Amma but by then a burning Rocket is whurling and chasing me. In a matter of seconds its near my head and before any one could react its stuck on my head and my hair is on fire. I mean each and every word i say here...i was crying out loud and running havoc. Nandan uncle caught hold of me and Amma does some quick thinking to swat the rocket away from my head. WOAH!! just at 5 meter away the rocket bursts aloud. Yeah!! Yeah!! the same old KABOOOM!!!! But this time i could feel the heat and a deep shrilling noise in my ears and my eyes were open like those Ambassador Car headlights.

To tell you the truth i was shocked for next 2 weeks or so and would wake up in sleep with some kinda uneasiness. On the other hand Amma was scared like hell that night. She would scold me and then cry continously. Seeing her cry my almost 1 year old baby sister is inspired to cry as well. Nandan uncle was shocked, probably would have been cursing himself in mind. Though it was an accident this brought the celebration to a halt in the whole apartment. And in case you are wondering what happened to my hair, it was half burnt and had to be shave off completely the next day. A few neighbours had covered my head with a cloth to put of the small fire and then applied curd on it to cool it off. And yes the burnt mark is still on back of my head.

And there is not a year i dont think about it especially around every Diwali. Some people say Keralites dont celeberate Diwali. Probably some King long back had some similar bad experiences :) And even if i try to forget my Amma makes sure every Vishu, Diwali or a Temple celebration she narrates this story to a gazing crowd. Even after all this i have not stopped bursting crackers and especially Rockets are still my favourite as its very close to me (literally).

1 comment:

Reshmi said...

hahaha... Sabari, couldn't resist myself from imagining your burning head...

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