This Diwali, I did not enjoy as much as I could have. For starters, I was waken up at 4 AM, only to suffer a 6 hour journey by car to my grandparents (No. of Accidents seen on the way = 3, Casualties = 5). Now, 6 hours spent in the company of an evil sister and an irritated father with nothing to do (read: no screen to look at) isn’t exactly my idea of paradise. However, I did have a large supply of junk food and soft drinks (my parents got over the pesticide hype last week), which somewhat occupied me most of the way.

Note: While buying from the Mathura McDonald drive thru, be sure to explicitly ask for some ketchup.

When we finally got there, I was able to get a bit of rest (thanks to the stereo not working according to the wishes of sis), after which I was ready to burst some crackers in front of my inanimate vegetative audience in the garden. Of course, this was not to be – Wait a minute, my Atheist son, you forgot prayers. The worst thing about being at my grandparents is that I am afraid of being lectured extensively on the Divine if I admit to being an Atheist. So, I had to take part in the Aarti – twice during the day. And by the time we were done with it, my sister nodded off and I had no option but to blow up rotten tomoatoes, alone, with my bonafide dynamite.

Nightfall – Time to look at the skies. Did I mention that we “forgot” to get fireworks? And I was too tired to join in the fun my sis was having on the terrace, So I just sat on the balcony and recorded some spectacular stuff on the cellphone. I must say I slept pretty early in the end, I did not have much to do anyways.

Morning came and me and my family packed up our bags and left for home – the 6 hour journey this time round wasn’t so bad, with my sis sleeping half of the way (Accidents seen on the way = 2, Casualties = At least one). I’m happily at home now, and I’ve still got some junk food left.

All’s Well that Ends Well…