My First Diwali at VKRV

(written on the night of Laxmi Puja, published later)

The day or rather the night of Deepawali was indeed an awesome one for me. Although I was not amongst the lucky ones who could go join their family for the auspicious celebration and Puja of Goddess Laxmi, the Puja and Aarati set up in my room gave the experience of home away from home. What went behind the set-up is of least concern to me and to you as my reader, but what it brought forth is indeed a very special and memorable one for me. (For Videos, scroll down)

The gathering. The “singing of the aarti” in syn (or rather at a times off the syn!! J). The fun while clicking snaps. The moments captured in the video. “The bowing down” and then the “immediate pat on the back”. And then the distribution of sweets, or rightly put “Prasad”. Every instance was a moment. A moment filled with fun, joy.

Kashyap was very happy and he truly said (and said over the phone to his parents back in Nepal) that he too felt at home in front of our arrangements for the Laxmi Puja ceremony. Everyone loved the celebration- Eshaan, Anup, Sujoy, Shaunak, Neeraj, Vedant, Amit, Pratik, Himanshu (I don’t know if I missed someone and finally of course Vipul too). Nilesh was christened the “Pundit” for today’s gathering. I was happy about what we all put up together. We all deserve a pat at the back for our collective effort.

I am writing at this moment when the main diya is still lit up. Wanted to go to sleep but I thought after a very long time, I have got a very great experience to share with you all. (No blog posts since … I don’t know how many days.. need to count them..!!) So I thought “Strike the iron when its hot” applies here as well (I don’t know if there is any other appropriate version fit for what I mean to say, but I am sure you have understood it very properly). I didn’t want these afresh moments to left alone. This piece is a good occasion for me to recollect them and once again feel good about it.

And then, I finally enjoyed few fireworks moments near Phulwari Block, Outram Lines when I went to meet my Mamiji and family there. New Delhi is definitely the place to be in Diwali if you want to look at the sky and watch the “colors of life”. With different skyshots and God knows what kinds of crackers, one will definitely have a good time watching the sky alone. And if you have access to terrace, it is a good idea to have a terrace bon-fire and watch the colorful Delhi-sky. Believe me, here the real taste is not in actually burning the fireworks yourself, but a whole lot in simply viewing them (if not hearing the loud sounds).

Of course, I miss my hometown, my family. The celebration and ceremony at home, at office. Meeting relatives and also delivering sweets to relatives’ homes!! And then the gala dinner at night with delicious items and sweets cooked by Mom. (No fireworks and crackers there, as its banned). However, what I am now really going to miss is “Bhai-Duj” (Bhai-tika) in the next 2 days. Miss you a lot- my younger sis and my elder sis.

To the Unsung Hero of my Life

I am very happy today. In fact, my happiness knows no bounds on this great day of May the twenty-ninth of 2012. To the world, the reason might be different. But I am sure you know the actual reason behind my gladness. It’s not about me; it’s about ‘my’. I bet you are aware of it. That is why at times I feel that you know me better than myself. I am indeed proud to have you in my life, no matter a little later.

The timely suggestions, the moral boosters. The late night shifts at your house and the instant calls for follow-ups. I am sure I am going to miss all these for at least a few years from now. I don’t know if I can ever become a person like you who sees solutions and not just problems in every matters of life. The real life experiences of your life that you shared with me when I get into troubles were always a dose of optimism to me. I know that you are very caring and helpful and joyful and thoughtful. But it seems to me that I enjoy a lot of those from you rather than anyone else (this could make a lot of them envy me! ;)) Yet again, it was your constant suggestion and encouragement that I have started off with this Blog. However, here, I would like to borrow a phrase “Have I made it large?” from my inspiration to my continued blogging zeal so that I can ask my readers if I have succeeded in portraying you in my life.

As I sat down to dedicate this blog post to you, I realize that it’s my Eleventh post this May as well as in my Blogging history (J I started the Blog in May itself!). They say that Eleven is a lucky and fortunate and good number (after 7). I am once again delighted to dedicate my Eleventh Post to you. And as a retrospect my past, I find that I met you for the first time in my life during my admissions for the Eleventh grade after my SLC. And as I peep into the near future, I discover that I have an-all-new journey set for my future and career from the Eleventh of June (as I will be moving for Delhi from Nepal for my MBA at FMS) which I know would have been a dream to me if I keep aside your relentless efforts along with me to fulfill my applications (I hope you remember the formalities to be done with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the sending of my Relevant Original Documents to New Delhi through your acquaintance via SpiceJet!) Wow, what a co-incidence of Elevens. And let me add to this what stroke me at this moment- the movie Ek aur Ek Egyarah starring Govinda and Sanjay Dutt. May be, if I had stayed with you together in Nepal for a few more years, we could have been the real life casts of that reel-life!

I hope you will like this small gift from my side as I thought to gift you with something that belonged to me, entirely me. How nice it seems to me to gift you with a technical and ICT-related gift- through my personal blog post dedicated entirely to you!

I don’t know if I have done justice in recognizing you as my Unsung Hero, but I would sincerely like to defend or rather explain my connotations behind the selection of this title. I didn’t know you at all some 7 years ago. You were none other than anyone to me before that, just like any stranger passing by. You were neither any so-called relative to me nor any distant relations of our acquaintance. No relations of blood either. You are neither my father, nor my uncle. Neither was I anyone so special to you. But yet, over the years, you have made me all the more special to have you as my friend, my elder brother, my mentor and my guardian.

Your contributions, large and small, are very very monumental and extra-ordinary. I am certain that they weren’t extended out of any moral liability or obligation (just like the duty of a father towards his son, or a responsibility of a teacher over his disciple) and neither did you have any sort of vested interest in your unconditional support and love towards me. Let me become selfish at this instance, I am too proud to have you as the most Special person in my Life-long odyssey.

You have taken a great leap from No one to The Most Special Person and that’s why I take you as my Unsung Hero. I love you for what you are, I salute you. You once said in my house, “I can never be Vipul” but here I say to you, “No need to become, you are great as you are. You remain as my dearest Amit Dai, forever and ever.”

So, Have I made it large?!?

P.S.: I am still awaiting a perfect moment to provide a platform for another outflow of my feelings for the Unsung Heroine of my life whom I met still a bit later in my life. I don’t know if I can and should name her or not, but yes, she too deserves the tag of ‘my unsung heroine’ in my life.