That which Glistens

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

The small compound of the house was between the walls which have witnessed life within being born, lived and parted. The sinking sun led to the white ceiling lights of the compound being switched on.

Leaning on the outer wall was kept in a bag of lights. Two feet approached the bag. Fourteen years old Sahil carefully took out a box of string rice led lights.

He took out the lights and kept the empty box back in the bag. Then he detangled and laid out the lights on the floor alongside the outer wall.

The lights would cover the entire length of the wall once put up.

The door on the inner wall of the compound opened and Sahil’s father stepped out with an aluminium ladder. He carefully placed the ladder on one end of the outer wall and observed how Sahil had laid out the lights. Then, he turned to look at Sahil beside him and smiled, “Nicely done. Now, I am getting up on the ladder, keeping handing me the laid-out string of lights.”

Sahil was happy to have done a good job and the appreciation of it from his father led to further elevation in his happiness. His father climbed up the ladder and Sahil picked the string of lights and handed it to him.

Sahil’s father prudently placed the lights on the iron grills on top of the outer compound wall. Once a place was done, the ladder was moved on and the lights were placed further in a similar fashion.

Sahil and his father put up the decorative lights every year before the beginning of festivals. Sahil has many fond memories of it ever since he has been doing it.

Sahil thoroughly enjoys these extended holidays before festivals. Being the only child of the house, Sahil was involved in every activity that took place in different forms of preparations, whether it was helping his father put up lights or his mother cleaning the house or simply sitting along with his grandparents and listening to the numerous stories associated with the traditions of the festivities. 

“It’s done. Now, plug in and switch on the lights,” said Sahil’s father. Sahil put the small type c plug into the socket and turned on the lights and at once, all the rice led bulbs glistened up emitting a vibrant shade of blue.

The white ceiling lights were switched off to allow the blue light to touch all corners of the compound while Sahil and his father stood for a while enjoying the scintillating ambience.

Written by Anuran Chatterji

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