Day of Diwali

This happened several years ago. I was maybe 5 or 6 years old. It was the day of Diwali. The alarm went off at 5 am. I heard the alarm and instantly woke up. I was happy because it was the day of Diwali. I was smiling while sitting on my bed. My mom looked at me and said, "sleep a little more. I will wake you once the milk is boiled". But I did not want to sleep. I wanted to enjoy the festive day to the fullest.

While brushing my teeth, I looked outside the window. It was still dark outside. Sun had not risen yet. I was so glad that I was awake before the sun. I was eager to see the rising sun on the day of Diwali.

I sat by the window with a cup of warm milk in my hands. It felt so good in the crisp winter air. I was the sun slowly rising. The soft and warm rays of sunlight felt like magic against my face. I felt like Suryadev softly placed his hand on my head to bless me. I folded my hands and bow to him accepting his warm blessings.

I bathed and wore my new dress for Diwali. I was constantly on the duty to wake up my elder sister who was still asleep. My parents were getting ready. I saw that on the street, families dressed up in traditional attire were on their way to visit the nearby temple. I too wanted to go to the temple.

Finally at 7 o'clock we were on our way to the temple. I was little upset because we were late because my sister kept sleeping. But as soon as we reached the temple, all my anger melted away. I felt blessed to be in the presence of Ganapati Bappa.

We stayed at the temple for the Aarti. After the Aarti, we left from the temple. While we were returning, my dad asked me, "let mom and your sister go home. Should we go and grab something for the breakfast? What do you say?" I happily agreed.

Dad and I went to a nearby shop. The shop was crowded even it was just 7:30 AM. We bought Samosas. In the shop, the shopkeeper wished us and gave me a jilebi while wishing. It was turning out to be the best day of my life.

When we returned, I saw that my sister was back asleep. My mother had started preparing lunch. We ate samosas together. Then I went to my friends' homes to wish them on Diwali. It was so good to see my friends who otherwise would be dressed in tshirts and track pants were dressed up in traditional attire. Then, we all friends were on a prowl to find the best rangoli at our complex. By the time I returned home, it was the time for lunch. Just few hours had made my whole day brighter.

Today when I woke up in the morning, I stood by the window watching the sunrise. All the memories of Diwali from my childhood rushed. Those happy memories made me choke up. I felt so fortunate to have seen the sunrise on the day of Diwali.