On the parchment

I noticed a slight difference between regular Deepavali (Diwali) and thala Deepavali (First Diwali in your marriage). On a regular Diwali, you get up at 4 AM. On thala Diwali you get up at 3 AM. If it is regular diwali, you make 10 varieties of sweets and snacks, for a thala Diwali you make a hundred varieties. Normally you'd get a new dress from your parents but after marriage you get two sets, one from your parents and one from your in-laws. While this part of Diwali sounds promising, in every other aspect the graph of regular Diwali Vs Thala Diwali goes down steeply. But this was mine to celebrate. My only chance at the most awaited Thala Diwali. Apparently we get this only once a life time so I was planning to make the most of it. With my husband abroad, I was all set to celebrate a lonely thala Diwali this year. That got me depressed enough to watch an English movie alone the day before Diwali. If that wasn't pathetic enough, I learnt that my mother was not going to p...

Tall for his age, Arjun was coffee bean coloured with eyes the colour of night sky. He was as enthusiastic as any other four year old. He was adored by his neighbours and relatives. He said to his friend, "Can you make a building taller than mine?" "Yes Arjun. Of course I can." "I bet you can't." Arjun was busy playing with his blocks and talking to his friend when his mother entered his room. "Arjun! Whom are you talking to?" she shouted. "My friend here mom." "There is nobody in this room except you and me. You are imagining a friend." "No mom, look! Here he is.. Sitting on my rocking chair," Arjun pointed to his chair near him. But there was no one there. "There is no one there. I have told you several times there is no friend in your room. I do not want to see this continue. You will not talk to yourself when you are alone," said his mother sternly. "But mom, I am not talk...