Hello friends, I’m here with a special Diwali OS. Do comment and share your thoughts on this.
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True Happiness
Ishqbaaaz OS on Diwali:
The bright festival of lights was here. Beautiful lamps donned the decorated walls of the huge Mansion and only awaited for the dark Night that would be lightened up by all the lamps in each household of India. Diwali, the festival of Lights was here, and a huge source of merriment for the children of Oberoi Mansion. Everyone paced here there, busy in inviting the guests and preparing delicacies to be shared by all the members. Children ran through the huge passages filled with beautifully created aura that was successfully in place because of the hangings and coloured light holders. There was clearly a sense of urgency as the last minute decors were in hurried proceeds.
Arya and Ansh, the first cousins to each other, were so excited that they had forgotten to put on their slippers and ran barefoot. While their mothers were very busy, their fathers had to take the charge of baby sitting during the celebrations.
Shivaay was running after the children with their slippers in hand, careful enough to not bump on any body. Though he had reached closer to the running menaces, he couldn’t grab them as a phone call declared the failure of his mission. He caught the sight of Omkara, and urged him to go and get the children cover their feet.
“Om, just go and catch them and make both of them wear these, I have to take this call… ” and before Om could say anything, his elder brother had already left and he was now in charge of the ‘tough’ duty.
While he enquired all the people he met on the way, asking them where the children were, he caught a sight of the little angels, near the kitchen, trying to sneak in some laddoos.
As he entered the kitchen, both Ansh and Arya asked Om to keep quiet, as their mothers were busy chattering. He obliged but on one condition, that they had to wear the slippers. They wore them and the three of them, silently took some laddoos and came out of the kitchen munching on the sweets triumphantly.
Om took two of them with him to his room and they sat, eating the stolen laddoos. Arya and Ansh, thought it to be a good opportunity, and started asking questions to Om.
“Chachu, why do we celebrate Diwali? ”
Ansh was very eager to know.
” You know Ramayana right? The story of Lord Ram and Lady Sita? ”
” Yeess” both the children answered attentively.
“Lord Ram’s wife Lady Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, the Evil King of Lanka, in a flying chariot…. ”
” Flying chariot? ” Arya was amazed to know that.
” Yes, a flying chariot, made of Gold. And after that, Lord Ram became very sad, and along with his brother Lord Lakshman, he took the help of the Monkey king Sugriv to fight Ravana.”
“Papa, where did Ravana live? ”
” Aaru, Ravana was the King of Lanka, so he lived there. Lord Ram went to Lanka, and killed Ravana. That day is celebrated as Dussehra. After defeating Ravana, when Lord Ram came back to his home in Ayodhya, his subjects there, lighted up lamps of Ghee to celebrate the day. That day was named Diwali. ”
” Hmm… So Lord Ram would come back to Ayodhya tomorrow? ” Ansh asked his Chachu.
” No you monkey, he came back many years ago, tomorrow is the day we celebrate his coming back. ” Arya answered him wisely.
” Chachu didi called me Monkeyyy…. ” and Ansh made a crying face.
” Oh come on, it’s okay, don’t cry Ansh, Aaru, say sorry….. ”
” Okay…… Sorry, now stop crying, Monkey….. ” and Arya kept giggling.
While both of them ran around, Ansh chasing Arya and Arya running around the whole room, it took Om some time to pacify them.
Meanwhile, Shivaay had just finished his phone call and came to the room after searching for them here and there. Ansh was quick enough to go to his father and gave him a peck on his cheeks. Both the brothers sat on the couch while the children kept playing in the Room.
“Shivaay, all the arrangements are done, and all the guests have been invited.”
“Hmm……I asked Dadi whether she needed something for the Puja arrangements, she said everything is done. Om, you know where’s Rudy?”
“I think he’s busy with the Cocktail party arrangements. After all, he’s always excited for these stuffs. ”
“Anyways, I think everything’s up to the point.”
Om nodded agreeably.
“Papa, but where are the crackers? I want all my favorite crackers this time. ” Ansh’s query prompted both the brothers to think on this matter.
The Oberoi family spent lumpsome amounts on charity every year. They organized various auctions, charity shows and aided some NGOs too, which worked on varied fields for the welfare of the society. And they never burnt crackers. But this time, the youngest members of the Family were adamant to enjoy this merriment of seeing glowing crackers burning. So the onus now fell on the elders, to convince them of not engaging in these harmful sources of fun. But they were immature children, one couldn’t describe to them the harmful effects of the gases that were emitted by the burning of crackers. Further, the danger of getting blistered and bruised by the burning crackers was ever existent. So they had to think of a way out, an easier one, but also, an effective one.
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The Children were surprised and excited to visit a new place with their parents. Shivaay and Omkara, along with their better halves Annika and Gauri, took their children to a new place for a visit.
As they reached their destination, they hurriedly got off their Car and suddenly they saw a small child, of Ansh’s age, coming to them. The boy came and asked for something to eat, while the hands with which he gestured of his hunger, seemed incomplete. Yes, the boy had no fingers. When the Siblings saw his hands, they were horrified. They immediately ran back to their parents and started asking why the boy didn’t have any fingers.
Om solemnly answered them, “because this boy works here, and this place is a cracker factory. He has no fingers, because the thing that is used for making crackers, slowly eats up their fingers.”
And as they saw into the hungry eyes of the small kid, both the children were tearful. They now knew, that their fun costs someone’s life.
They ran back to their cars, and brought their packed lunches with them. They offered it to the boy, but he gestured a ‘no’ and pointed to a cement pipe at a metre’s distance. While they searched inside the pipe, they heard a small baby sobbing continuously. So the kid had gestured that this baby was hungry. Wasn’t he hungry then?
They fed milk to the small baby and Ansh and Arya themselves fed the small boy, who couldn’t eat himself because he had no fingers.
They got one of the toughest lessons of life in a very simple manner, because sometimes children grasp such things effortlessly, while the elders are left struggling.
Then came the festival they had been waiting for eagerly. Guests started ushering in the Oberoi house, and the Mansion lighted up beautifully, leaving the guests in a pleasant awe. While everyone ogled the grandeur of the illuminated bright venue of festivities, the two children were busy in packing gifts in colorful wrappings. They finished the wrapping work and all the gifts were quickly mounted inside the cars.
Om and Shivaay were searching for the children. They got to know from Dadi that the children had prepared all the gifts themselves. The proud and elated parents of Ansh and Arya went to the special venue with the young ones to celebrate Diwali.
The small cracker factory had been beautifully decorated and every nook and corner was shining. The children who worked in the factory, were all dressed in new attires and recieved new clothes, chocolates, sweets and books from the Oberois. Both the Siblings, Ansh and Arya had arranged for some funny games and they celebrated a Diwali, that they would be able to remember with a smile in the coming days.
They had clearly understood that happiness is when we share our joy, with the ones who don’t have a reason to smile; when we give away the pursuit of selfish happiness and also, that Diwali is not just a day when we light up a dark night with numerous lamps, but it is a day meant for lighting up someone’s dark life with the rays of hope and happiness.
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This Diwali, say no to crackers. Celebrate a Diwali, full of happiness and if possible gift someone a smile. A smile would fetch you much more joy, than lighting a flower pot or a rocket. After all, true happiness lies in sharing.
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Copyright: AditiB
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Happy Diwali friends and enjoy your day with your loved ones and lots of sweets and tasty food. I always look up to Diwali for tasty food?
Have a blast without any sutli or chocolate bomb blast. Eat chocolates, don’t burn chocolates (bombs). Coz they are really very tasty.
Lots of Bhalobasha??
AditiB.
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