Holi

Holi in Spring
India is a land of festivals. In fact, there is a popular saying that there are thirteen festivals that are celebrated over twelve months! One of the popular festivals is Holi that marks the advent of Spring-the most awaited and enjoyable time of the year.
I can vividly recall the Holi celebration that we had after we had moved to a new place. My father worked for the government and was transferred once every three years. We were the new family in the neighbourhood, it had been just a week, and we had not gone beyond exchanging formal greetings with our neighbours. My parents had enrolled me in a school, but I had yet to make friends there. I was upset as Holi, my favourite festival, was just two days away, and I was unsure if I would play with others.
My mother sensed it and asked me what the matter was. I told her what was bothering me with tears in my eyes. She hugged me and said, “ You can be the one to go and talk to them instead of waiting for them to invite you”. I felt she was right and thought this to be a good idea. With mom, everything was different. My mother always had all the answers. She said,” Get ready, and we shall go to the shop and get some colours for Holi”. I wiped my tears and got ready to go out with her.
Though I had seen that the shops had been selling bright powders-pink, yellow, green, blue for quite a few days now, I was not sure if I would buy those, as this festival meant celebrating with everyone and I knew no one. Once I reached the market, my mood changed. The shops, the colours, the kids running around, and the other buyers making purchases uplifted my mood. My mother asked me the colours I liked, and I pointed out the ones I wanted. I was filled with joy as we made the purchase, and I chatted with my mother all the way home. Once we reached home, I wanted to discuss with my mother how I would introduce myself to the kids in the neighbourhood. My mother said that it would be better with some sweets, and so we sat down, and I helped my mother prepare sweets for the festival.
I could not sleep that night as I had so many plans for the next day.
On the morning of the festival, I could not get up early. I woke to the sound of drums echoing in the street. I ran and opened the door. I saw the street was full of people who had begun celebrating the festival. I ran to my mother and told her all about it. She asked me to get ready. I was ready in ten minutes.
My mother gave me a tray filled with sweets and asked me to go to our next-door neighbour and give them the sweets. She gave me a few packets of colour too. I went to our next-door neighbour’s house a bit nervously and knocked on their door. A lady came out and was followed by a girl of about my age who came and stood next to her. The lady asked me who I was. The girl told her that we lived next door. The lady invited me in, and I saw that they were getting things ready for the festival. The girl, Meera, asked me to wait till she got ready. Once she was ready, we smeared the coloured powder on our cheeks and giggled.
She then took me to her friend's house and introduced me to them. Soon, we were joined by the other kids in the neighbourhood. In a little while, we were running through the streets, throwing colour in the air and at one another. The neighbourhood turned into a rainbow of colors. People sang, danced, played with colours, and shared sweets. The elders blessed the younger ones, and neighbors who would rarely speak greeted one another, played with colours, and laughed together.
I laughed till my sides hurt. We played till noon. It was fun, but we were tired. With the promise to meet in the evening, we said goodbye. Once home, I showed my hands to my mother. She smiled and said that the festival of Holi was not about colours only. It was about friendship and bringing people closer. I was very happy, and that had been the best Holi ever as I had found a place in the neighbourhood.